Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Lu Zhenghan visited Su Yu the next day, arriving at the hour of the morning court to show formality.

However, he was informed that Prince Pingshan was still in bed.

Lu Zhenghan: "..."

Xie Yiguan also waited at the door for half an hour before Su Yu finally appeared, just waking up.

Without any assistance, Su Yu had simply tied his hair into a ponytail.

Xie Yiguan gently offered, "Perhaps I could help Your Highness change into a headscarf?"

Unable to resist, he straightened Su Yu's collar.

When his hand touched Su Yu's neck, Xie Yiguan paused.

At their first meeting yesterday, he had already noticed Su Yu's extraordinary appearance. Even someone like him, who usually paid little attention to appearances, couldn't help but glance twice. Now, standing so close, he was even more struck by Su Yu's flawless, pale skin, which even the noblewomen of the capital could hardly match—

Could a man really look like this?

Su Yu waved his hand dismissively, "No need, this is fine. Elder Lu is waiting."

Xie Yiguan: "..."

From his hair to his clothes, Su Yu was entirely unconventional. It was only his striking appearance that allowed him to carry off the look of a free-spirited scholar of the Wei-Jin era.

Only a man could pull this off.

He had been momentarily bewitched. Prince Pingshan, a documented royal, had been verified by so many palace registrars—his identity as a man could not possibly be fake.

One should not be too concerned with appearances, Xie Yiguan thought to himself.

When Lu Zhenghan saw Su Yu, with his casual hair and disheveled clothes, he frowned slightly. Though not as fastidious as Cui Xuan, he still found his appearance a bit disheveled.

Compared to the other two chancellors, Lu Zhenghan was far more diplomatic in his words. After listening for a while, Su Yu gathered that he was saying that when the ministers considered him for the throne, Su Yan had already been laid to rest. Therefore, unlike previous instances where the new emperor ascended the throne the day after the late emperor's death, there was no need to rush. They could take their time to choose an auspicious day for the coronation.

Su Yu chuckled inwardly but pretended to be concerned, "I thought the nation cannot be without a ruler for even a day. It seems Elder Lu doesn't think so. In that case, perhaps I should return to Pingshan and wait for you to choose a date before coming back?"

"..." Lu Zhenghan hadn't expected Su Yu to speak so unpredictably. However, given that he had led troops directly into the capital, it was clear he wasn't one to follow conventions. "How could we allow Your Highness to return to Pingshan? Selecting an auspicious day ensures the nation's prosperity after Your Highness's ascension. The Bureau of Astronomy will surely select the nearest auspicious day."

"Since I am the chosen one by heaven, any day I ascend will naturally bring prosperity to the nation. Why trouble the Bureau of Astronomy to choose a date? Do they understand heaven better than the one chosen by heaven?" Su Yu asked sincerely.

Lu Zhenghan coughed before replying, "The Bureau of Astronomy excels in interpreting celestial signs..."

Su Yu smiled, "Isn't that still heaven? Are you saying that I, the future Son of Heaven, am less capable of understanding heaven's will than the Bureau of Astronomy? Must we consult the Bureau of Astronomy for divination before every court decision from now on?"

Lu Zhenghan: "..." This conversation was going nowhere.

"Then what does Your Highness suggest?" Lu Zhenghan decided to throw the question back to Su Yu.

"Why not seize the day instead of waiting for an auspicious one?" Su Yu said with a smile. "What do you think, Elder Lu?"

Lu Zhenghan: "..." He had already made his point, yet he was asking him. It was clear the royal family was running out of options... He narrowed his eyes, beginning to understand why Cui Xuan had scoffed at Su Yu's so-called "intelligence."

Noticing Lu Zhenghan's displeasure, Su Yu backtracked, "Elder Lu was the one who personally wrote to me. In this capital, I place my greatest trust in Elder Lu. If Elder Lu recommends choosing an auspicious day, then let us do so."

"..." Lu Zhenghan had never expected that after a lifetime of deflecting blame, he would one day be burdened with such a task by a younger generation. How had the responsibility of choosing an auspicious day fallen to him?

At first glance, it seemed fine, but upon closer consideration, the issue was much more serious.

Elder Lu quickly said, "Such an important matter naturally falls to Your Highness to decide. I will immediately summon the Director of the Astrological Bureau to calculate an auspicious date in Your Highness's presence. What does Your Highness think?"

He offered a compromise, and Su Yu readily agreed.

Elder Lu then tentatively asked, "Does Your Highness intend to make any changes to the court officials?"

Every new emperor typically reshuffles the court officials upon ascending the throne, mainly to place their own people and those who have contributed to their rise in important positions. However, as Great Qi has grown, the considerations have become increasingly complex, and the number of central officials a new emperor can reshuffle has diminished.

When Su Yu left her domain, her closest advisors had already been killed, so there was no step of arranging her own people.

The only person she needed to place was Yu Chiyi.

Su Yu, however, didn’t bring it up first: "What does Elder Lu think needs to be changed?" She deflected the responsibility again.

Before Elder Lu could shift the responsibility back to her, she cut him off: "I’ve been in Ping Mountain State and am unfamiliar with the court’s personnel. Elder Lu is a seasoned veteran of two reigns, a pillar of Great Qi. I will rely on Elder Lu in the future, and I will also seek Elder Lu's advice on the reshuffling of officials."

With her saying this, Elder Lu naturally could not pass the buck back and could only say, "At present, all court officials are diligent and responsible. In my humble opinion, there is no need for changes for now. Your Highness has just ascended, and it’s crucial to stabilize the people’s hearts so we can unite in purpose."

Currently, there’s a delicate balance between the prestigious families and the civil officials. Though Elder Lu hails from a prestigious family and champions the doctrine of the mean, he has no desire to upset this balance.

After speaking, he glanced at Su Yu, studying her expression. Su Yu was far more composed than he had expected. He had assumed Su Yu would at least want to keep Yu Chiyi in the capital. Naturally, he wanted Yu Chiyi to lead his three thousand men back to Tong Pass—

No, back to the border—Tong Pass is no place for Yu Chiyi to remain.

However, since Su Yu did not mention it, Elder Lu did not bring it up either.

Soon, the highest official of the Astrological Bureau, the Director, arrived.

The Astrological Bureau had already prepared, with the dates calculated well in advance. Now, it was merely a performance for Su Yu’s benefit, making the future emperor feel that the work of the Astrological Bureau was profound and not something ordinary people could do.

Su Yu propped her chin on her hand, leaning on the desk, silently observing the Director’s mysterious gestures. Her overly casual posture prompted Elder Lu to cough repeatedly.

"Is Elder Lu's throat uncomfortable? My apologies, I only have water, no tea. Elder Lu will have to settle for water for now." Su Yu pushed a cup of water towards Elder Lu.

"I am fine," Elder Lu declined. As the head of a prestigious family, how could he be seen drinking plain water in public? It would be undignified.

He frowned, inwardly sighing. Although Su Yu had been enfeoffed as a prince, she was still from a remote area, and there was much room for improvement in her etiquette. He shifted his gaze to Xie Yiguan, who had been standing by from the beginning, signaling with his eyes that Xie Yiguan should guide Su Yu more.

Xie Yiguan kept his eyes down, his expression unchanged, maintaining a low profile throughout.

The Director calculated three dates: one five days later, one twenty days later, and one fifty days later.

Su Yu naturally chose the date five days later. Elder Lu said nothing, as it was easy to explain to Cui Xuan, offending neither side, which was fine.

His task for the day was complete. As for the issue of Yu Chiyi, he would wait until Su Yu ascended the throne before driving him away...

"I have thought about it, and there is no need to change anyone else," Su Yu suddenly spoke as Elder Lu was about to leave. "I will keep General Yu in the capital."

Elder Lu: "..." He had just thought Su Yu was easy to handle, and now this happened.

To appear thoughtful, he remained silent for a moment before saying, "The Yu Chi family has guarded the border for generations. Keeping General Yu in the capital for a long time may not conform to ancestral rules. Your Highness need not worry; there are guards in the capital to protect the palace."

Su Yu said seriously, "I have encountered countless assassinations on my journey here, and it was only thanks to General Yu's escort that I arrived safely. I have heard that my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather appointed his most trusted general as the commander of the imperial guards, and that general was also from the border, right? I also remember that my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather had a special imperial guard, the Yuan Cong Imperial Guard, dedicated to palace security, independent of other imperial guards. Isn't there a precedent? Then I will follow the example of these two ancestors and appoint these three thousand warriors who accompanied me to the capital as the Yuan Cong Imperial Guard, and General Yu as the Grand General of the Yuan Cong Imperial Guard."

Elder Lu's mouth twitched. While Su Yu's words seemed disorganized, she knew how to use her great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather to counter his "non-conformity with ancestral rules." But if her words were organized, each sentence was suffocating. What did she mean by "countless"? She had only encountered one assassination, right? And why didn't she mention that the "Yuan Cong Imperial Guard" was eventually disbanded?

But Elder Lu could not voice these rebuttals.

However, creating a new official position for Yu Chiyi without displacing others would have no impact on them, resulting in a win-win situation.

Moreover, with sixteen guards of soldiers in the capital, they are well-prepared and not afraid of Yu Chiyi's mere three thousand men.

But Lu Zhenghan did not agree immediately: "Such a significant matter requires consultation with the other two elders..."

"So, does this mean I cannot make the decision?" Su Yu's peach blossom eyes glanced over, silently accusing Lu Zhenghan of deceiving her.

Lu Zhenghan was stunned. What had he deceived her about? Wasn't it she who deceived him by saying she would listen to him?

"I have already deferred to Elder Lu on other matters..." Su Yu sighed, as if she had been greatly wronged by Lu Zhenghan, and added, "I simply wish to keep General Yu by my side to ensure a peaceful sleep... If Elder Lu thinks forming another Yuan Cong Guard is inappropriate, then let General Yu be the commander of the Imperial Forest Army."

"..." Lu Zhenghan felt even more suffocated, took a deep breath, and said, "Your Highness naturally has the final say. Then, as per Your Highness's words, General Yu will be appointed as the Grand General of the Yuan Cong Guard. I will notify Minister Zhang and Elder Li."

After saying this, he quickly bowed and took his leave. Being old, conversing with Su Yu was quite taxing for him. One careless moment, and he was dragged into her trap!

"I didn't expect Elder Lu, at his age, to still walk so briskly. Xie Yiguan, don't you think?" Su Yu remarked to Xie Yiguan.

Xie Yiguan thought to himself, isn't this all your doing?

He was genuinely impressed by Su Yu. Everyone knew that Lu Zhenghan, the two-dynasty prime minister, was a master of evasion, never giving direct answers. Su Yu, however, had managed to outmaneuver him twice.

Xie Yiguan smiled subtly and provided Su Yu with a crucial piece of information: "The current commander of the Left Imperial Forest Army is named Zheng Maoxing, courtesy name Zide, and his wife is the eldest granddaughter of Elder Lu."

Su Yu blinked her big eyes. She had just been trying her luck, thinking that officials in such important positions must be connected to various factions, but she hadn't expected to hit the jackpot. "What a coincidence! It seems my pure-heartedness has even the heavens on my side."

Xie Yiguan: "..." Princess Pingshan must have some misconception about what 'pure nature' means.

However, he found himself quite intrigued by Su Yu and somewhat looked forward to seeing what actions this Princess Pingshan would take after ascending the throne to face the crumbling Great Qi...

The system suddenly said cheerfully, "Xie Yiguan's favorability has increased to 1, host, keep it up!"

Su Yu chuckled and said to Xie Yiguan, "Xie Yiguan is really stingy."

"?" Xie Yiguan silently took note of Su Yu's comment about him being 'stingy' and leisurely posed another question to test her: "Your Highness, do you know who the commander of the Right Imperial Forest Army is?"

"Who?"

"Liu Sanen, the eunuch."

Su Yu's eyes darted around as she recalled who Liu Sanen was—wasn't he the eunuch who presented the original host's head as a treasure?

In the first chapter of the novel, he was killed by Cui Xuan.

So, this Liu Sanen also held military power in Great Qi, commanding the emperor's imperial guards.

Su Yu thought, with one imperial guard controlled by the nobility and the other by eunuchs, the emperor of Great Qi must feel quite restricted.

Seeing Su Yu's eyes darting around quickly, Xie Yiguan asked with a smile, "Does Your Highness have any questions?"

"No, everything is fine." Su Yu smiled innocently.

Xie Yiguan: "..." For a moment, he genuinely believed Princess Pingshan was truly naive and innocent, as if her subtle exchanges with Lu Zhenghan were just his imagination.