Chapter 29

Chapter 29

At this time, Xiao Luo was merely an idle young master from a prestigious family, only gaining a bit of fame because of his looks. Hearing that the emperor wanted to see him, he was greatly surprised.

He anxiously asked his brother Xiao Cheng, "Why would the monarch think of seeing me?"

Xiao Cheng couldn't figure it out either. He had the appearance of a scholar but was actually a seasoned military man. Yesterday, Su Yu and Cui Xuan had spoken cryptically, and he hadn't understood a word of it.

However, Su Yu's eyes were clear, and her smile was bright, a stark contrast to the late emperor Su Yan.

He comforted his younger brother, "From what I can tell, the monarch seems approachable."

Xiao Luo was skeptical of his brother's words. With Cui Xuan's icy demeanor, his brother still said he was easy to get along with.

Regardless, when the monarch summons, one must go.

Xiao Luo changed into new clothes, tidied himself up, and followed Xiao Cheng into the palace.

The imperial study was lively.

There were people he knew, like Cui Xuan and Xie Yiguan, and those he didn't, like Yu Chiyi, as well as the monarch standing on high and the young man beside her glaring fiercely at him...

Xiao Luo and Yu Chiyou exchanged a glance. He silently averted his gaze, feeling somewhat intimidated.

Yu Chiyou was quite satisfied, having won the first exchange of glances.

Xiao Luo then furtively glanced at Su Yu. The monarch in the bright yellow dragon robe had a strikingly handsome face, with smiling peach blossom eyes that could make one blush with just a glance. He didn't dare to look again and quickly lowered his head.

Compared to Xiao Luo's furtiveness, Su Yu's gaze was quite direct.

Her first impression of Xiao Luo was that of a little white rabbit—

In the novel, Cui Xuan's fierce general was now only eighteen or nineteen, with a pinkish-white complexion, watery almond eyes with slightly red corners, as if he looked like he might burst into tears at any moment.

Especially when she first glanced at him, he recoiled heavily, like a startled little white rabbit.

Su Yu: "..." She felt as though she had bullied him.

No wonder no one in this world had suspected she was a woman disguised as a man. First, there was Liu Wushi, and now Xiao Luo, both men whose appearances were indistinguishable from women, making her seem like just a very handsome young man.

Su Yu suddenly thought of a question: the four most handsome men in the capital were Cui Xuan, Xie Yiguan, Liu Wushi, and Xiao Luo. Three of the four main male characters were included, leaving only Yu Chiyi out.

She subtly glanced at Yu Chiyi. In terms of looks, as one of the four male leads, Yu Chiyi was naturally not ugly. Compared to the other three, he was more handsome, two shades darker and a bit more robust, somewhat like a mixed-race, sun-kissed handsome guy from her world. The aesthetic of Great Qi inherited the Wei-Jin style, favoring pale and thin beauty, so Yu Chiyi's appearance indeed didn't earn him a spot among the four most handsome men in the capital.

Yu Chiyi felt the emperor's gaze was a bit odd. He could sense Su Yu's eyes slowly shifting from Xiao Luo to Cui Xuan, then to him. He immediately thought of the connection and wanted to tell Su Yu that although he wasn't one of the four most handsome men in the capital, he had once been known as the little overlord of the capital, undefeated in the city.

Su Yu smiled and asked Xiao Luo, "Are you Xiao Changyun?"

Xiao Luo straightened his back and bowed, "Yes~~ Your Majesty~~"

His bow was extremely graceful, except for his voice trembling with a wavy tone, as if he were about to cry.

Su Yu: "..." Was this really the fierce general from the novel who could wield a forty-pound longsword?

Xiao Cheng coughed and hurriedly shielded Xiao Luo, "Your Majesty, please forgive him. My younger brother has been timid since childhood..."

Su Yu said to Yu Chiyou, "Go test his skills."

Yu Chiyou didn't hesitate at all. Upon Su Yu's command, he quickly lunged forward, aiming a punch straight at Xiao Luo's nose.

Although this young man pretended to be frail, from the moment Xiao Luo entered, he noticed Xiao Luo's breathing and footsteps—this young man was a hidden martial arts master.

Xiao Cheng, startled, moved to shield Xiao Luo, but before he could even raise his hand, Yu Chiyi swiftly yanked him aside. He could only watch in dismay as Yu Chiyou's fist descended.

Fortunately, Xiao Luo reacted quickly, dodging slightly to avoid the blow, though his wide robe tripped him, nearly causing him to fall. "Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have worn this new outfit," he thought.

With a tearful voice, he said, "Engaging in a fight without cause is not the conduct of a gentleman..."

Yu Chiyou's second punch followed immediately.

This time, Xiao Luo genuinely burst into tears, his almond-shaped eyes brimming with tears. He then caught Yu Chiyou's fist and even managed to redirect the force.

Yu Chiyou swiftly withdrew his fist, stepping back two paces.

Yu Chiyou: "..." This guy's strength is something else. That palm strike actually made his fist go numb. Good thing he pulled back quickly.

He eyed Xiao Luo cautiously, realizing the young man's strength was formidable. He would need to use finesse to counter Xiao Luo's raw power.

Xiao Luo, tears still streaming, cast a pleading glance at Xiao Cheng, only to see his brother restrained by Yu Chiyi. He was inwardly stunned. In all his years in the capital, he had never met anyone who could so effortlessly subdue his brother. His brother had often told him that, aside from Yu Chiyi, no one in the capital could match him...

Suddenly, it dawned on him—Yu Chiyi had returned to the capital!

Xiao Luo turned back to Yu Chiyou, tears still welling in his eyes, but his expression grew stern. He lashed out with a palm strike, and Yu Chiyou, quick to react, sidestepped. Xiao Luo's palm struck a nearby pillar, causing it to crack...

Su Yu: "..."

Yu Chiyou: "..."

Xiao Luo, stunned, retreated two steps before dropping to his knees, burying his face in his hands and weeping, "Your Majesty, it was an accident!"

Xiao Cheng also turned pale and knelt down immediately, "Your Majesty, please forgive us. My brother has always been exceptionally strong. He didn't mean to..."

Cui Xuan stepped forward, calmly pleading for the Xiao brothers, "It's merely a pillar. I'm certain Your Majesty will overlook it."

Su Yu approached to inspect the crack in the pillar. It was quite large, showing just how terrifying the force of that palm strike had been. She gestured to Xie Yiguan, "Minister Xie, what would it cost to replace this pillar?"

Xie Yiguan replied, "Your Majesty, a golden nanmu pillar of this size would cost ten thousand taels of silver. Replacing it would cost more than that, as the surrounding walls would need to be repaired. The overall repairs would likely amount to at least a hundred thousand taels."

Su Yu turned to the Xiao brothers.

Xiao Luo looked up at her with red eyes, his pitiful expression tugging at her heartstrings.

Xiao Cheng stood there, completely baffled by the emperor's gaze. His mind flashed back to how cruel the late emperor, Su Yan, had been. Was the current emperor planning to take their lives?

He tightly gripped his sleeve, casting a desperate look at Cui Xuan.

Cui Xuan: "..."

He suddenly understood Su Yu's intention—she wanted them to pay for the damage.

Cui Xuan glanced at the kneeling Xiao brothers, then met Su Yu's eyes. He nodded slightly, "The hundred thousand taels should naturally be paid by Xiao Changyun."

Xiao Luo: "???"

His eyes were filled with confusion, completely failing to grasp Cui Xuan's words.

Xiao Cheng was equally bewildered, looking at Cui Xuan.

Cui Xuan was not stingy when it came to money. He had used Zheng Maoxing to bring down Li Hao—

From the moment Zheng Qi approached him, asking him to prevent Li Hao from rising to power, he had a plan in mind. He had people keep an eye on Li Hao and deliberately leaked information to Zheng Maoxing. Although Zheng Maoxing's death and the Lu family's tragedy were not part of his plan, he wasn't particularly concerned about the fate of his cousin Zheng Maoxing. As long as he could ultimately oust Li Hao from the position of Left Imperial Guard General, whether it was for adultery or murder made no difference.

He had gone to such great lengths to install Xiao Cheng as the Left Imperial Guard General, and naturally, he couldn't let it all go to waste over a mere hundred thousand taels.

Thus, Cui Xuan spoke up: "The Xiao family and the Cui family have long-standing ties. It's not easy for these two brothers to make a living in the capital. I will cover the hundred thousand taels."

"Good, Minister Cui is indeed straightforward," Su Yu responded quickly, as if fearing Cui Xuan might change his mind.

Cui Xuan: "..." She must have been waiting for him to say just that.

As if to confirm his thoughts, Su Yu pressed further: "When will Minister Cui deliver the money?"

Cui Xuan: "...I will have it sent to the palace immediately."

Su Yu nodded with a smile: "Then let's consider this matter resolved. You two may rise now."

Cui Xuan paused and asked: "Has Your Majesty reached a decision?" This was a continuation of yesterday's conversation.

Su Yu nodded: "I think it's a good idea. Xiao Changyun will remain by my side."

Yu Chiyi: "..." Is the emperor really treating her personal guard corps as a refuge for extraordinary individuals?

He glanced down with mild disdain at Xiao Luo, who was still weeping. Although Xiao Luo's martial skills were not bad, his temperament...

Yu Chiyou immediately became wary of Xiao Luo. What did the emperor mean by this?!

Originally, he was Su Yu's sole personal guard. Then Gao Lan arrived, and he became the only male personal guard by Su Yu's side. Now, was he about to lose even that distinction?!

Su Yu directly stated: "Xiao Changyun will remain by my side as a Qianniu Beishen."

Yu Chiyou breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't a personal guard role.

However, Su Yu turned to him and said with a smile: "Ayou, you've been by my side for so long, yet you still don't have a proper title. It's the perfect time for you and Alan to be officially appointed as Qianniu Beishen."

The Left and Right Qianniu Guards were somewhat unique among the sixteen guards in the capital. They did not command troops but were specifically tasked with the emperor's personal protection. After Su Yu became emperor, she did not select anyone from the Qianniu Guards but instead used Yu Chiyou and Gao Lan. Yu Chiyou had been brought to the border by Yu Chiyi at the age of eight and was not familiar with the capital's military structure, so he didn't realize that Qianniu Beishen was essentially a titled personal protector.

Yu Chiyou opened his mouth, now understanding, but feeling even more aggrieved. His proper title had come thanks to this weepy fellow!

He was nearly in tears himself!

Su Yu, seeing Yu Chiyou's extremely aggrieved expression, felt a rare pang of guilt and comforted him: "Ayou, you are the only Qianniu Beishen by my side who has not yet reached the age of twenty. That is quite an accomplishment!"

Xiao Luo wiped his tears and whispered: "Your Majesty, do I look that old? In fact, I am also not yet twenty; I just turned nineteen this year."

Xie Yiguan added at the right moment: "Your Majesty, don't be fooled by Gao Niangzi's mature appearance. She had just come of age when she arrived in the capital four years ago and is only nineteen this year."

Su Yu: "..." These people really know how to twist the knife in.

Yu Chiyou: "..." He really was about to cry!

The boy raised in the harsh winds of the border couldn't bring himself to weep, so he simply said dryly: "I am willing to protect Your Majesty alongside Xiao Beishen."

Su Yu reached out and patted the boy's head with a hint of affection. Yu Chiyou's eyes brightened again. There might be more personal guards by the emperor's side, but he was the only one who would receive such an affectionate pat on the head!

With the matter settled, Cui Xuan left first with the Xiao brothers.

Once outside the palace, Xiao Cheng finally voiced the question he had been holding back: "Xingjian, what does the saint mean by this?"

Everyone knew he was close to Cui Xuan. To outsiders, the Xiao and Cui families were seen as one. Yet, the emperor had kept his younger brother by her side as a personal guard.

Cui Xuan glanced briefly at Xiao Luo, who was as renowned as he was and had a striking appearance. Was Su Yu attracted to his looks?

No, he believed Su Yu was not so shallow.

Cui Xuan suspected that Su Yu anticipated the prestigious families would eventually plant spies around her, so she decided to act first. This way, the prestigious families' agents would be out in the open, and Xiao Luo, with his martial prowess and gentle demeanor, seemed easy to manipulate—

But this time, Su Yu might be in for a surprise. Xiao Luo might cry easily, but that didn’t make him easy to control. In fact, when it came to loyalty to the Cui family, Xiao Luo was even more devoted than Xiao Cheng.

"Why did Your Majesty choose to keep Xiao Changyun close?" The same question came from Xie Yiguan's mouth.

Still in the palace, Xie Yiguan, who hadn’t left yet, looked at Su Yu, puzzled. The Xiao family was clearly tied to the prestigious families.

"If I said I kept him because he’s easy on the eyes, would Xie Yiguan believe me?" Su Yu replied offhandedly, her gaze still locked on the cracked pillar.

Xie Yiguan, of course, didn’t buy it. Seeing Su Yu standing there, he figured she was plotting something.

Sure enough, after a moment, he heard her sigh softly and say, "Zhi Wei’s estimate was still too low. From now on, if Minister Cui is around, quote the highest price you can. After all, he’s got deep pockets and isn’t afraid to spend. For instance, if this pillar were priced at a million taels of silver, I bet Minister Cui would pay up right then and there."

Xie Yiguan: "..." The emperor’s word is law.

Xie Yiguan humbly said, "It’s because I’m not as perceptive."

After thinking for a moment, he reported, "Lately, there have been strangers hanging around near my house. I did as Your Majesty instructed and spread the rumor, but..."

"But what?"

Xie Yiguan hesitated but finally spoke, "Yesterday, a tall young woman came asking whether the person staying with me was a male or female cousin..."

Su Yu’s eyes crinkled as she smiled and asked, "And how did my dear cousin handle that?"

Xie Yiguan unconsciously took two steps back. Indeed, Su Yu's use of "cousin" still made him nervous.

He bowed respectfully and said, "I have instructed the servants not to mention a single word about this relative of mine."

Su Yu stepped forward and straightened his posture, "Cousin has already spread the news about me. If I don’t appear at the Xie family, wouldn’t it seem strange?"

Xie Yiguan: "..." Could the emperor's meaning be what he thought?

Su Yu nodded at him, "I heard I have a cousin who has been as clever as any man since childhood. I would like to meet her."

Xie Yiguan's alarm bells rang immediately, and he quickly said, "My sister is already betrothed."

Su Yu curved her lips at him, as if to say he was overthinking it.