Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Su Yu's first reaction was to turn her head and ask Xie Yiguan, "How much does this floor tile cost?"

Xie Yiguan: "..." He realized Su Yu was treating him like a local gossip source.

Strangely, he didn’t mind much.

The system immediately prompted, "Wow, host, Xie Yiguan's favorability has increased to 5."

This time, it generously added 3 points to his favorability.

Su Yu gave Xie Yiguan a once-over and couldn't help but sigh, "Xie Yiguan's preferences are always so odd."

Xie Yiguan didn't understand what Su Yu meant by "offbeat," but he remembered that Su Yu had called him stingy before. He guessed this made-up word likely meant something similar, and it didn't sound like a compliment.

"Huh?!! Why did Xie Yiguan's favorability drop back to 3?!!!" the system exclaimed in surprise.

Su Yu: "..." Is Xie Yiguan a mood swing? Compared to Xie Yiguan, her General Yu is much more endearing!

She smiled helplessly, "I was praising Xie Yiguan for his vast knowledge, worthy of being an imperial mentor."

Xie Yiguan immediately downplayed the compliment, as the term "imperial mentor" was quite sensitive. In Great Qi, those who had taught the emperor could be called imperial mentors, and those of great virtue and prestige could also be referred to as such. Given his current age and position, he felt unworthy of such a title.

Su Yu waved her hand, "Xie Yiguan, there's no need to be so reserved. I truly have many things to learn from you..."

She thought for a moment, then tilted her head and smiled, "How about I call you Teacher Zhiwei in private?"

Xie Yiguan's hand hidden in his sleeve clenched slightly. He glanced at Su Yu discreetly. The young ruler had piercingly bright eyes, and people with such eyes were either pure-hearted or extremely determined. Clearly, Su Yu couldn't be the former, so she must be the latter.

He knew Su Yu had intentions to win him over, but her current performance wasn't enough. He still needed to keep an eye on her...

Thinking this, Xie Yiguan's favorability towards Su Yu returned to 5.

Su Yu thought to herself: You’re quite the generous one...

After keeping him waiting for a while, Su Yu's gaze slowly returned to the kneeling woman. Only someone extraordinary could shatter stone tiles with her knees. What a waste of talent to be stuck in Su Yan’s harem.

She spoke to the woman indifferently, "Get up."

Su Yu turned and walked into the hall, with Yu Chiyi following behind her. The woman hesitated, but Xie Yiguan kindly reminded her, "Lady Tian, quickly follow His Majesty."

"Oh!" The woman stood up and took a big step, surpassing Xie Yiguan.

Xie Yiguan didn't mind and just walked slowly at the back. As he crossed the threshold, he heard Su Yu say to Yu Chiyi, "Go and spar with her."

"But she’s a woman..." Yu Chiyi hesitated slightly.

But the woman had already made her move, unfazed by Yu Chiyi’s fearsome reputation. At first, Yu Chiyi only defended, but after a few rounds, he realized that defense alone wasn't enough, and his attacks became sharper.

Su Yu chuckled, "Did the Military Governor of Weibo send her here to kill my brother?"

Xie Yiguan coughed twice before saying, "Back then, the late emperor feared the Military Governor of Weibo might rebel, so he ordered him to send his daughter to the palace. Lady Tian is the eldest daughter, but it's said that the Military Governor favored his concubine over his wife, and the concubine drove the wife to her death..."

Su Yu looked at the two still sparring. Yu Chiyi’s fighting skills were unmatched, and after a few rounds, Lady Tian started to falter, barely keeping up.

"Alright, that’ll do," Su Yu said at the right moment, not letting Lady Tian lose too badly.

Lady Tian was the first to concede, "General Yu is truly remarkable. I have great respect for you!"

Her excitement made her local accent come through.

Yu Chiyi returned her salute, clearly recognizing her strength.

Su Yu asked again, "Why don’t you want to leave the palace?"

"Your Majesty, I want..."

Seeing her about to kneel again, Su Yu quickly said, "Zhong Yun, stop her!" If she kneels a couple more times, the palace’s repair costs will skyrocket!

The lady quickly waved her hand, "Your Majesty, don’t worry, I just wanted to make a strong impression, so I went all out earlier. I won’t crack the floor tiles again!"

Under Su Yu’s skeptical gaze, she felt a bit embarrassed but still knelt properly, looking up earnestly, "Your Majesty, I seek revenge. Only you can help me here!"

Su Yu met her gaze. At that moment, her eyes resembled Yu Chiyi’s, though his were more restrained, while hers burned with raw hatred. "Revenge on whom?"

"The Military Governor of Weibo, Tian Hong!"

"If I recall correctly, he’s your father," Su Yu said coolly. In this age, killing one’s father was an unforgivable sin.

"Since my mother died at his hands, I no longer consider him my father. I no longer carry the Tian name; I am Gao Lan." Gao Lan unhesitatingly announced her name in front of the men. Her mother had taught her that a woman’s name was nothing to hide. If men’s names could be spoken freely, so could hers—Gao Lan.

The Military Governors of Great Qi, like the prime ministers, started as temporary roles, not permanent offices. They were initially tasked with managing and distributing military supplies during wars. However, as the Great Qi court weakened, its grip on local armies slipped, and the Military Governors became entrenched, ruling their regions like local kings.

Originally, the court appointed the next Military Governor, but it turned into a hereditary role, passed down from father to son.

The Military Governor of Weibo, ruling over Weizhou, Bozhou, Xiangzhou, Beizhou, Weizhou, and Zhanzhou, was originally surnamed Gao—Gao Lan’s mother’s family name—not Tian.

Gao Lan’s mother was the only daughter of the former Military Governor of Weibo. A fierce warrior, her skills rivaled any man’s, but as a woman, she was denied the Military Governor title, which went to her husband, Tian Hong.

Tian Hong had promised the Gao family that if Gao Lan’s mother bore a son, he’d take the Gao name, restoring the Military Governor title to the Gao family. But after Gao Lan’s birth, her mother never had another child. Gao Lan’s grandfather died heartbroken, and Tian Hong seized the chance to take full military control, becoming the true Military Governor of Weibo.

After that, Tian Hong’s attitude toward Gao Lan and her mother shifted sharply, and he tormented them relentlessly.

After her grandfather’s death, Gao Lan’s mother’s health declined daily, leaving her bedridden for years.

Still, on her better days, she taught Gao Lan martial arts herself, instilling in her that regardless of gender, one must stand tall with a clear conscience. She named her daughter Gao Lan, meaning the wind on a high mountain, symbolizing that no one could hinder her daughter’s freedom, unlike herself, who had once dreamed of galloping across battlefields but was "sick to death" in the cold confines of the inner chambers during her prime.

From a young age, Gao Lan had detested her father, Tian Hong, and his concubines. But her mother was ill, and the elderly servants who cared for her mother mysteriously disappeared one by one. Gao Lan had no choice but to endure humiliation and survive under the rule of her stepmothers.

It wasn’t until the emperor of Great Qi, fearing that Tian Hong, who increasingly disregarded the court, might rebel, insisted on forming a marriage alliance with the Tian family that Tian Hong remembered Gao Lan, his legitimate eldest daughter. He threatened her mother’s life to force her into the palace.

However, within a month of entering the palace, Gao Lan received the devastating news of her mother’s death, along with a letter from an old servant of the Gao family, who had risked everything to deliver it. The letter revealed that Tian Hong had long planned this, poisoning Gao Lan’s mother from the start, causing her health to decline. He knew her mother’s time was short and that Gao Lan was sent as a hostage, likely to be killed at any moment.

Tian Hong had intended to use the emperor’s hand to kill Gao Lan, as he wanted no trace of the Gao family’s bloodline left, even if Gao Lan was a woman.

Unfortunately, Su Yan did not kill Gao Lan, and for years, Gao Lan had been plotting her revenge against Tian Hong from within the palace.

"If I let you leave the palace, wouldn’t you just return to Weizhou to kill him?" Su Yu asked casually.

Gao Lan shook her head firmly, "The Weibo army is strong and well-equipped. Going back alone would be suicide. That’s why I want to stay by Your Majesty’s side."

"Then I can’t keep you. Wouldn’t that offend the Military Governor of Weibo?" Su Yu said.

"Your Majesty," Gao Lan took a deep breath, slowing her speech to persuade Su Yu, "Tian Hong is a man of wolfish ambition. My grandfather promoted him, raising him from a centurion to a Military Governor. My mother was his lawful wife, and when he faced danger multiple times, it was my mother who led troops to rescue him. Yet he repaid kindness with betrayal, killing my grandfather and mother. Even a tiger does not eat its cubs, yet he would not spare even his own daughter. A man so heartless, disloyal, and unfilial will never willingly submit to Your Majesty."

Gao Lan spoke with unwavering determination, "Tian Hong will rebel sooner or later! I am willing to be Your Majesty’s vanguard in the campaign against Tian Hong!"

Su Yu remained unmoved, "But in the eyes of others, you are still Tian Hong’s daughter. If he rebels, you will also face the death penalty."

Gao Lan's eyes showed no wavering: "As long as I can kill Tian Hong with my own hands, I don't care if I am cut into a thousand pieces!"

Su Yu stared at her for a long time, then waved her hand, signaling Yu Chiyi and Xie Yiguan to leave. The vast palace was now only occupied by the two of them.

She no longer smiled as before; instead, with a hint of melancholy, her gaze fell on the distant painted beams. "You shouldn't place your hopes on me."

Gao Lan did not expect the emperor to keep her alone for a conversation, and the first sentence was like this...

"What do you think I want to talk to you about? The military situation in Weibo? You've been away from there for three years, the emperor has changed, and the military situation has also changed drastically." Su Yu did not look at her, yet she guessed her thoughts immediately.

Gao Lan hesitated to speak, forcibly holding back her rebuttal. It wasn't difficult for her to understand the current situation in Weibo. The Gao family had been operating in the six states of Weibo for so long, and it wasn't something Tian Hong could completely eradicate. In fact, she still had a military token to mobilize the old troops, but her mother had repeatedly instructed that it was a life-saving trump card, not to be used unless absolutely necessary.

Su Yu glanced at her briefly, guessing one or two things from her demeanor. She did not expose Gao Lan, continuing to show weakness: "Besides, I am now... walking on thin ice; my situation is not much better than yours..."

"How could that be?" Gao Lan instinctively retorted, "Your Majesty is the ruler of the nation!"

"What does it matter if I am the ruler of the nation?" Su Yu smiled bitterly. "Didn't the Military Governor of Weibo also once bear the surname Gao?"

Gao Lan was stunned, and in that moment, she seemed to see a shadow of her mother in Su Yu. Her eyes reddened, not knowing what to say.

Su Yu reached out, gently brushing away the tears from the corner of Gao Lan's eye. Her slightly drooping peach blossom eyes reflected Gao Lan's image, making her blush.

"Your... Your Majesty..." Gao Lan was somewhat afraid to look at Su Yu; such a Majesty was indeed too enchanting...

Su Yu withdrew her hand, and with it, the light sorrow between her brows and eyes, as if the previous appearance was all Gao Lan's illusion.

Gao Lan stared blankly as Su Yu showed a harmless smile again, listening to her ask: "I also have to take a gamble, but your revenge will have to wait. Even so, do you still want to follow me?"

Gao Lan hesitated, thinking that Su Yu was so frank, and following her probably wouldn't lead to quick revenge. Should she stay or return to Weibo to take a gamble...

"Follow!" Her mouth was faster, giving the answer without hesitation.

In that instant, Gao Lan seemed to see her younger self resolutely protecting her mother, even in the face of her father, who was infinitely stronger.

"Your Majesty—I have returned." Yu Chiyou's voice suddenly came from outside. After last night's raid on the Right Yulin Guard, Su Yu had ordered him to bring Su Chengying from the residence.

"Come in."

Hearing Su Yu's permission, Yu Chiyou immediately brought Su Chengying in. Seeing the tall Gao Lan standing very close to Su Yu, his alarm bells went off. This woman was even sturdier than his second uncle. Could she be an assassin?

He was still hesitating whether to draw his sword when he saw Su Yu smile and beckon to him: "Ayou, this is Lady Gao."

Su Yu thought for a moment, "Since you are to stay in the palace, you need a title, but you can't be confined to the harem... let's do this, you and Ayou will be my personal bodyguards."

"What?!" Yu Chiyou's eyes were full of disbelief. He thought the emperor would only have him as the personal bodyguard; how could there be a second one so quickly!