Chapter 47 – The Subtle Shift

Chapter 47 - The Subtle Shift

Su Yu smiled as she got down from Cui Xuan's carriage. As soon as Cui Xuan was far enough away, the smile slid from her face.

If Cui Xuan could notice that Yu Chiyi was not in the capital, others would soon realize it too. She needed to call him back to the capital as soon as possible.

She couldn't send Yu Chiyou to fetch Yu Chiyi; having Yu Chiyou away would attract more attention than Yu Chiyi being absent from the capital.

Su Yu ran through the list of people she could use and realized, with a hiss, that she had very few available—most had already been sent out.

Right now, her only options were Gao Lan and Xiao Luo, and Su Yu decisively opted for Gao Lan.

With Xie Yiguan not around, Su Yu, thinking that Xiao Luo, given his prestigious family background, could manage, sent him to tutor Su Chengying. However, Su Chengying's dark, intimidating gaze scared Xiao Luo into tears.

Su Chengying was startled at first but then, to his surprise, stood up, intending to leave. To his surprise, despite his tears, Xiao Luo picked up a small table and threw it with such precision that it landed between Su Chengying and the door, blocking his path.

Su Chengying: ——

Su Yu, who had brought Yu Chiyou over for a look: ——

Xiao Luo, sniffling, explained, "Your Majesty, I only did it to get the young master back to his studies. I was careful not to hurt him."

Su Yu nodded. "It's fine if you hit him. He's tough."

Before Xiao Luo could be moved, he heard Su Yu add, "That table is made of nanmu wood and is worth three hundred taels of silver. Don't forget to settle the bill later."

Xiao Luo choked. "Your Majesty, I still owe eight hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred eighty-two taels..."

Su Yu was taken aback, finally remembering the ninety thousand taels debt she had ordered to be deducted from Xiao Luo's salary. It turned out he had only repaid eighteen taels so far. "I see... then add these three hundred taels. Since you worked hard teaching Su Chengying, I'll waive the extra amount. You still owe ninety thousand two hundred eighty taels."

Xiao Luo: ——

Su Chengying couldn't help but sigh and shifted his gaze to Yu Chiyou, hoping the latter would share in his misery.

To his surprise, Yu Chiyou, in a decidedly unbrotherly move, stepped back. "Don't look at me. I'm not studying with you today. I have to protect Her Majesty!"

"Gao Lan is here." On days when Yu Chiyou studied with him, Gao Lan would take over as Su Yu's personal guard.

"It's my turn to be on duty today. Give up!"

Su Chengying slowly turned his head to look at Su Yu, who remained unresponsive. Realizing something was off, he dryly muttered, "Oh," and obediently returned to his desk.

Su Yu gave Xiao Luo a brief glance, smiled, and said she was leaving. Xiao Luo bowed respectfully as she departed, but by the time he straightened up, the moisture in his eyes had already evaporated, leaving only clarity.

Something was wrong with the emperor's side!

Although Yu Chiyou and Su Chengying hadn't said anything, Xiao Luo could still piece together some clues. Gao Lan wasn't by the emperor's side today, which was why Yu Chiyou couldn't study with Su Chengying.

After teaching Su Chengying, Xiao Luo casually asked some palace registrars where Gao Lan was, but they said they hadn't seen Gao Lan all day.

Xiao Luo was certain Gao Lan had left the palace at night, but why had Su Yu sent Gao Lan away? He hadn't seen Yu Chiyi in the palace for some time, so it was possible that Yu Chiyi was indeed not in the capital, and the emperor had sent Gao Lan out to order Yu Chiyi back?

Xiao Luo quickly passed on the information and his speculations to Xiao Cheng, who immediately relayed the message to Cui Xuan.

When Xiao Cheng came to find Cui Xuan, Cui Xuan was preparing tea—or rather, it seemed off because the tea that came out was white?!

Cui Xuan motioned for him to sit opposite and poured him a cup.

Xiao Cheng took a sip, almost spitting it out, and asked with a strange expression, "Is this milk?"

"Isn't it tasty?" Cui Xuan asked him.

Xiao Cheng: "……" Isn't that obvious? The finely frothed milk amplifies the fishy smell, making it quite strange in the mouth!

Cui Xuan nodded, with a distant look in his eyes, as if he was seriously pondering something. After a long while, he finally spoke calmly, "It seems the technique was incorrect, so we didn't make the real milk froth. We should try a different method next time."

Xiao Cheng: "?" How come none of what Cui Xuan said today made sense?

Fortunately, Cui Xuan stopped speaking in riddles and asked him, "Did Changyan seek me for something?"

Xiao Cheng briefly shared Xiao Luo's speculations, "Xing Jian thinks, what does he make of Changyan's analysis?"

"It's not entirely right," Cui Xuan lowered his gaze. He had asked Su Yan about Yu Chiyi yesterday, and today Gao Lan is not in the palace. It seems like Su Yan is testing him.

Xiao Cheng: "?" Could he speak in a way that was more understandable?

Without looking up, Cui Xuan knew Xiao Cheng hadn't understood. He casually continued cleaning the tea set, "The saint knows Changyan is my associate. Keeping him is just a way to pass along some true and false information to me."

"So, this is just a trick by the saint to test us?" Xiao Cheng's expression became serious, and a glint of sharpness finally appeared in his previously confused eyes.

Cui Xuan said, "Yu Chiyi is probably truly not in the capital, but the test for me is genuine."

Xiao Cheng took a while to digest this. "What does the saint want to test Xing Jian about? But if Yu Chiyi is not in the capital, it would indeed be a good opportunity for me to launch a surprise attack on him."

Cui Xuan glanced at him lightly. "Why would you launch a surprise attack on him? Even if you attack, you might not beat Yu Zhongyun."

Xiao Cheng: "……" You didn't have to be so direct.

He asked quietly, "I've heard that Yu Zhongyun was once defeated by Xing Jian, is that true?"

Cui Xuan placed the cleaned tea set into a basket, each cup spaced identically as if measured by a ruler, and then covered them. Only then did he look up and say, "Street rumors shouldn't be trusted. I know many in the capital wish for Yu Zhongyun's life or hope to hold the emperor hostage to command the vassals in his absence, but the current saint wouldn't be easily controlled. After all, it was the saint who brought Yu Zhongyun into the capital."

He smiled faintly and continued, "The current saint is far more difficult to control and deceive than the late emperor."

Having followed Cui Xuan for a long time, Xiao Cheng, of course, knew that Su Yan, the late emperor, appeared to be a tyrant but was in reality a coward who only knew how to kill his own family. He asked seriously, "So, do we intend to…?"

Xiao Cheng gestured by placing his hand across his neck, but Cui Xuan suddenly stood up, casting a shadow as he looked down at him from above. His gaze seemed to carry a hint of coldness. Xiao Cheng looked up, unable to see clearly, and called out in confusion, "Xing Jian?"

Cui Xuan looked at him for a moment before sitting back down, "I have no such intentions for now. The current saint is a man of foresight and resolve. We need his support for some of our matters, and he also relies on the prestigious families for many things. Therefore, the saint and we are not irreconcilable enemies."

Xiao Cheng: "……" What was Cui Xuan's initial assessment of the saint when he first entered the capital? He couldn't quite remember, but it certainly wasn't like this.

Cui Xuan told Xiao Cheng, "I don't care about others, but the news of Yu Zhongyun's absence from the capital must not leak from our side."

"I understand," Xiao Cheng agreed, "I'll go inform Changyan right away and hold off for now."

Cui Xuan nodded and then took out two sets of Go boards from the side—one made of chun wood with glazed pieces, and the other with a white jade inlaid with gold thread and top-quality hetian jade pieces.

He asked Xiao Cheng, "Which set do you think is better?"

Xiao Cheng scratched his head, "You know I'm just a rough man who only knows how to wield weapons. I can't tell the difference between these two sets of Go."

Cui Xuan lowered his gaze and asked again, "Then which set do you think is more valuable?"

Xiao Cheng pointed without hesitation to the white jade inlaid with gold thread board.

"Then this one." General Cui said lightly, before turning back to tell the servant to place the chessboard in his customary carriage.

Xiao Cheng looked confused: "?" General Cui disliked sharing a carriage with others. So, he was putting a chessboard in there to play by himself?

Since General Cui didn’t spread the news, Lord Lu also had his own channels to gather information, but it took him a few more days than General Cui to confirm the details.

In the past, upon receiving such news, Lord Lu would have immediately consulted General Cui. At that time, in Lord Lu's eyes, General Cui was both the head of a prestigious family and a highly reliable junior. However, now that General Cui was serving as his equal, a chancellor, Lord Lu, in his late years, felt a sting—General Cui was in the prime of his life and career.

Thinking of this, Lord Lu felt a pang in his heart.

So, when a strategist in his household asked whether he should discuss Yu Chiyi's matter with General Cui, Lord Lu gave the strategist a cold look. That night, the strategist drowned in a well after falling in while drunk.

Another guest suggested sending messages to several major prestigious families and observing their reactions. Then, they could select elite soldiers from the troops controlled by the Lu family, disguising them as bandits to launch a surprise attack on Yu Chiyi. If Yu Chiyi were truly killed, it would be as if the young emperor had lost an arm, making it easy to control him.

This approach was indeed in line with Lord Lu's usual style, and he proceeded to do just that.

The various families, upon receiving the news, had their own thoughts. General Cui guessed Lord Lu's intentions and told Xiao Cheng to be on high alert, ready to enter the palace to protect the emperor at a moment's notice.

The sun in the capital continued to rise and set as usual.

On this particular morning, Xiao Luo was suddenly informed he was on duty today.

Xiao Luo looked confused: "?"

He put on his saber and went to pay a visit to Su Yu.

The emperor, dressed in court robes, seemed even more mysterious than usual. Then, behind Su Yu, Xiao Luo saw Su Chengying in guard attire, wearing an eyepatch?!

Where was Ayou?

Xiao Luo's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't seen Ayou for the past two days either. He had assumed that since Su Yu had sent Gao Lan out, she wouldn't touch Ayou—

Was this seemingly gentle emperor actually so daring?

Su Yu chuckled softly, "My guard group is truly a sanctuary for extraordinary individuals. Today, I'm counting on the two of you."

"Your Majesty..." Xiao Luo looked as if he was about to cry.

Su Yu smiled at him, "It's fine. Just hold on until General Yu returns."

Xiao Luo looked frightened, "General Yu isn't in the capital? Then… where's Ayou?"

Su Yu revealed his dimple with a smile, "I never said General Yu isn't in the capital."

Xiao Luo gave a naive chuckle, "That's good then..."

"But I never said he's here either," Su Yu interjected before Xiao Luo could finish.

Xiao Luo: "..." How was he supposed to handle this?

Su Yu seemed to sigh to himself, "General Cui really did choose me this time… after all." But this only allowed him to see General Cui taking eight baths a day on the screen, yielding no useful intel. He had to send Ayou out to monitor Lord Lu's movements and pass on messages to Yu Chiyi—

Used to Ayou's protection, his absence made him feel insecure.

Xiao Luo: "..." Isn't it good that General Cui chose the emperor? Wait! How can he just call the Cui family head by his name? The emperor is scolding someone!

Standing at the head of the officials, Lord Lu stroked his beard thoughtfully. He knew both Su Chengying and Xiao Luo—neither of them were what one would call proper individuals. One was born with heterochromia and raised among wild dogs, and the other was a crybaby who didn't act like a man. It seemed the emperor truly had no one left.

Feeling relieved, Lord Lu stroked his beard thoughtfully again and gave a knowing look to the Imperial Censor next to him.

The Censorate Officer stepped forward to impeach Yu Chiyi, saying that Yu Chiyi had left the capital without permission, and that a military officer acting in such a manner must have ulterior motives. He should be captured immediately.

Su Yu smiled slightly. "I sent him out to exterminate the bandits."

She further remarked, "How long has General Yu been away from the capital, and you only notice now? Especially the two Elders—should they not reflect on this? As the leaders of the officials, you don’t care about the officers at all. What? Do you not consider military officers as officials?"

Lu Zhenghan: "..."

Yao Feiming, on the other hand, immediately said that the emperor was right, and he reflected and repented.

Lu Zhenghan: "..." Where is the scholars' sense of integrity?

"Your Majesty—I have returned!"

Trembling in his old age, Lu Zhenghan quickly turned around.

The towering Yu Chiyi ascended the steps, step by step, his brightly-shining armor glistening with a dark blood-colored cold light. Even though the sun was shining brightly during the ninth hour, Lu Zhenghan still felt a chilling aura, as if Yu Chiyi's every step landed not on stone, but on human blood.

Yu Chiyi stood before the palace gates and shouted once more, loud and clear, "Your Majesty, I have returned!"

Su Yu's lovely peach blossom eyes curved into a smile. "General Yu, come in. What gains have you made from this bandit extermination?"

Yu Chiyi tossed the blood-stained package to the floor, and a head rolled out, startling the officials. The head nearly hit Lu Zhenghan's boots.

Yu Chiyi said, "We gained a lot on this trip. Especially on the way back, we completely annihilated a group of nearly a thousand bandits. These bandits were unusual, equipped with fine iron weapons, and their leader was particularly formidable. Had they been left unchecked, they would have posed a significant threat."

"Completely annihilated?" Lu Zhenghan asked, incredulous.

Yu Chiyi gave a solemn nod.

Lu Zhenghan stiffly turned his body, gritting his teeth. "General Yu is so valiant, it is... fortune... for Your Majesty!"

That group of a thousand, pretending to be bandits, were not elite soldiers drawn from the guards. Fearing that the guards might divulge information, and to ensure everything went smoothly, he had sent his own long-nurtured assassins, his lifesavers. And now, Yu Chiyi had annihilated every last one!

Su Yu received his words with an innocent smile. "It is my fortune, the fortune of Great Qi, and even Elder Lu's fortune."

Cui Xuan recognized the emperor's familiar, ill-intentioned smile. But this time, it wasn't directed at him, and it appeared less malicious.

Yu Chiyi's impeachment failed, and the court session promptly concluded. As he left, Lu Zhenghan stumbled over the threshold.

Cui Xuan, seeing this, lightly reminded, "Elder Lu, be careful."

Lu Zhenghan narrowed his eyes. Though he had navigated the officialdom with care for years, he had been uncharacteristically rash this time. He also thought of Cui Xuan's inaction, and his desire to form a marriage alliance with the Cui family grew stronger. A strained smile slowly formed on his face. "Cui Elder, let's go together."

Yu Chiyi watched Cui Xuan and Lu Zhenghan walk side by side—there was enough space between them for two more men of his size—and smacked his lips.

Su Yu smiled and asked him, "How is the training of your soldiers?"

Yu Chiyi, his face alight with excitement, said, "Excellent! Your Majesty, those bows and crossbows are like divine weapons!"

Su Yu chuckled. "That’s nothing. I haven’t built cannons yet."

Yu Chiyi was momentarily confused, then excited again. "What is a cannon? Is it also a divine weapon like the bows and crossbows?"

"Even more divine, but it requires money to build," Su Yu said.

Yu Chiyi fell silent for a moment. Generating wealth wasn’t within his capability. His piercing gaze turned toward the direction where Cui Xuan and Lu Zhenghan had just disappeared. "Your Majesty, raiding and looting become familiar with practice. After the first time, it's like visiting relatives. What do you think, Your Majesty? Do Elders Lu and Cui resemble my relatives?"

Since they had already raided the Liu family, it wouldn’t hurt to add two more families.

Xiao Luo, standing there: "..." He was still there!