Cui Geng widened his eyes, “Is that so?”

Chu Zhaoyou nodded solemnly, “Yes.”

“One must have aspirations. Are you going to be an attendant for the rest of your life, recording my daily life?” Chu Zhaoyou took the opportunity to inspire him, “Listen to me, just listen to me, and write according to my ideas.”

Cui Geng looked at him eagerly, “Please explain, Your Majesty.”

Well, I actually don’t know.

Chu Zhaoyou suggested in an unreliable manner, “Why don’t you go buy a couple of popular novels and see how they increase readability?”

“I understand,” Cui Geng replied.

Chu Zhaoyou later deeply regretted how terrifying it was to let the historian see popular novels, turning official history into sensationalized tales.

Successfully diverting the topic, he gossiped, “Aren’t you a historian? Why did you end up as an attendant?”

Following the puppet Emperor was tantamount to burying one’s talents, wasn’t it?

Cui Geng honestly explained, “The Regent ordered that the history department could write about the people’s history, local history, and major events, but under no circumstances should the Regent  be mentioned. Since I had no history to write, I was transferred to the inner court.”

Xiao Heng was involved in all aspects of Great Chu’s military, national affairs, and people’s livelihood, yet his name couldn’t be written in the history books. The books were practically blank.

The history department had been drastically downsized by the Regent, and Cui Geng was considered lucky to still have a position.

Chu Zhaoyou blurted out, “Why not let them write?”

Xiao Heng was so brilliant and outstanding that even if future generations labeled him a great villain, they couldn’t deny his contributions to Great Chu. Erasing him from the history books meant erasing his existence.

Cui Geng lowered his head, “I don’t know.”

Rumors circulated within the historical archives that the Regent planned to rewrite history after seizing power, omitting the part about his usurpation to legitimize his rule.

Chu Zhaoyou chuckled, realizing that it was in line with the Regent’s ambitious nature.

He suddenly realized a problem: if the Regent became legitimate, what about him? Would he be remembered as the king who lost the country? Would future poets criticize him as the one who “sings of the flowers across the river”?

It was too tragic.

Chu Zhaoyou lay flat and said, “Mr. Cui, record this: at three-quarters past the ninth hour on the sixth day of October, the monarch was in extreme distress, mourning and desolate.”

Cui Geng silently observed the Emperor’s expression. He was just eating sunflower seeds and didn’t seem that dramatic. He suddenly realized that this was what the Emperor meant by “embellishment.”

“Your Majesty, Xie Chaoyue, Lady Xie, is waiting outside the hall, requesting an audience to express gratitude for Your Majesty’s withdrawal from the Yuexu marriage alliance,” Cui Geng reported.

Chu Zhaoyou thought, he hadn’t done much, but someone had come to thank him personally, and he found it quite gratifying.

In this day and age, there were few who repaid kindness with gratitude.

“Announce her,” Chu Zhaoyou ordered.

Chu Zhaoyou deliberately changed into formal attire. She was a young lady, and it was her first time meeting the Emperor. Even though he was a puppet, he wanted to fulfill the young lady’s imagination of the Emperor’s dignity.

Sitting upright, Chu Zhaoyou often boasted about himself, but this was the first time someone had come to praise him voluntarily since he became Emperor. It was worth commemorating.

He had anticipated that Xie Chaoyue would have prepared a basketful of flattering words, so many that he would have to restrain himself from getting carried away.

It was evident that Xie Chaoyue was different from her brother. She was well-read and had a pleasant voice. Her praise was also very appropriate, which made Chu Zhaoyou vaguely recall the numerous female fans from his previous life. It had been a long time since he had heard someone flatter him so excessively.

But as he listened, something seemed off.

Xie Chaoyue said, “Your Majesty, the palace has been empty for a long time. I wonder if Your Majesty…?”

Chu Zhaoyou was taken aback. “Young lady, please don’t digress.”

A blush rose on Xie Chaoyue’s face, making her look even more delicate and beautiful. She didn’t hesitate and looked directly at Chu Zhaoyou. “I wonder if Your Majesty intends to select a consort.”

Chu Zhaoyou was at a loss for how to respond. He could only ask, “Why? Is it because I helped resolve the marriage alliance issue for you? Even without me, the Regent disregarded the seal of authority. The first thing he did upon returning to the capital was to declare the marriage alliance null and void.”

You could eat a meal messily, but you couldn’t claim credit for unearned achievements.

“Not only that, Your Majesty has impressed me,” Xie Chaoyue said.

“The prosperity of the nation and the well-being of its people are the responsibility of both the ruler and his subjects. Great Chu will never engage in marital alliances again,” Xie Chaoyue recited a line from the imperial edict in a clear voice. “Your Majesty has courage and responsibility. I am willing to stand by Your Majesty.”

Xie Chaoyun regarded his sister as his own flesh and blood. While he might not decisively stand on the side of his brother-in-law, he remained loyal to the Regent, but he would not assist in his usurpation.

Looking at Chu Zhaoyou, Xie Chaoyun’s gaze held admiration and concern. She wanted to help this emperor who was caught in a difficult situation.

Chu Zhaoyou fell silent.

He quietly looked at this girl, who was only about seventeen years old, but because of a few words she said about helping him, he smiled.

He had sung many operas, including “The Drunken Beauty” and “Zhaojun’s Departure.” He was not a saint, but the plaintive sound of the pipa would move anyone after listening for a long time.

His voice was calm, as if he was facing a huge temptation for survival: “When I said no more marriage alliances, it naturally included myself.”

“This is not a marriage alliance—” Xie Chaoyue hurriedly interjected.

Since he had no intention, Chu Zhaoyou thought for a moment and decided to be a good person to the end, breaking the girl’s filter for him. “You should thank your father and brothers. It was they who fought on the battlefield and risked their lives to defend the country. You should express gratitude to the Regent, as it was his diligent governance that deterred adversaries far and wide. It was because of them that I had the confidence to declare no more marriage alliances in the court. If the strength of Great Chu was not as formidable as Yuexu, even if I said it a hundred times, you would already be on the path to a marriage alliance today.”

Xie Chaoyue was stunned.

Outside the hall, a wildfire suddenly encountered a mountain rain. Xiao Heng’s phoenix eyes narrowed, his emotions deep and inscrutable.