Chapter 192

Chapter 192

Before leading the expedition to Nanzhao, Su Yu visited Master Xuling once more.

The old monk had just ended his fasting, trembling so weakly that Su Yu suspected he might starve himself to death one day.

The two sat in silence for a long while, neither yielding to impatience.

Master Xuling glanced at the sky outside, feeling that the emperor’s prolonged presence was disrupting his routine. Finally, he asked, "Is Your Majesty here to inquire about the fortune of this campaign?"

Su Yu scoffed. "We leave tomorrow. Even if the omens were ill, would I turn back? The question is meaningless."

Master Xuling pressed his palms together and asked again, "Then why has Your Majesty come to this old monk?"

Su Yu drummed her fingers absently on the table. Just as Master Xuling was about to ask her to leave, she asked curiously, "You are neither reckless nor talkative, yet that day you abruptly revealed Our identity. What were you testing?"

Master Xuling replied leisurely, "Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, the heavens have been in constant flux. In all my years of observing the heavens, I have never witnessed such anomalies. Upon meeting Your Majesty, I was even more astonished—Your Majesty’s energy is remarkable. Yet you are not one to be swayed by superstition. If I hadn't gotten your attention, I doubt I could have engaged Your Majesty in conversation."

He paused briefly, then added with a faint smile, "I've practiced asceticism for decades and doesn't fear life or death. Still, if I may live a little longer, I shall. That is why I spoke before Qi Chen left—had it been just the two of us, Your Majesty might have disposed of me without hesitation. But with Qi Chen present, Your Majesty might think twice. Of course, had Your Majesty disregarded even him, this monk would have accepted my fate."

Su Yu laughed. "Master, you're quite the strategist. With such cunning, it’s a pity you chose the monastic path."

Master Xuling pressed his palms together again. "This monk and Xuyun of Daci Temple were once disciples of the same teacher. Our teacher often said Xuyun had greater spiritual potential than mine. In my youth, I refused to accept this and chose to cultivate at Xiuyun Temple, adjacent to Daci Temple. Yet in the end, I wandered onto the path of unraveling celestial mysteries."

"Master, you and Xuyun are living proof that fate is fickle," Su Yu said, rising to her feet. "The heavens are unfathomable, and so is human life."

Master Xuling looked at Su Yu and nodded, a rare agreement with her words.

When he lifted his head again, Su Yu was already walking away. He watched her retreating figure for a long time, until Qi Chen entered. Seeing the hesitation in Qi Chen’s expression, he asked, "Do you seek to know the fortune of the campaign?"

Qi Chen shook his head. After a moment of silence, he asked, "This monk’s cultivation is still lacking. I see many romantic possibilities around Her Majesty, yet I cannot discern which is her true match. Could the abbot perceive which is her true match?"

"Why should a monk care about such things?" Master Xuling clearly had little interest in the topic. Had he asked about the limits of Her Majesty's ambitions, he might have been more engaged.

Qi Chen murmured, "I ask on behalf of Patron Cui."

Master Xuling did not answer. Instead, he said, "You have not fully severed your worldly attachments."

Qi Chen froze.

Abruptly, Master Xuling closed his eyes. "This monk feels a sudden enlightenment. Beginning tomorrow, I shall fast. When you leave, there is no need to bid me farewell."

Accustomed to his ways, Qi Chen bowed and withdrew from the room.

At dawn the next day, Su Yu, carrying a black long case on her back and riding a tall steed, led eighty thousand soldiers southwest from the capital. The thunder of hooves kicked up dust, armor shone like fish scales in the sunlight, and the vast black tide of troops moved with overwhelming momentum.

Dark clouds hang heavy over the city, as if to crush it;

Armor shines like fish scales in the sunlight.

Cui Xuan stood atop the high city walls, watching Su Yu ride away without looking back. Even knowing she was a woman, he could not bring himself to say something cliché like promising to protect her. All he could do was ensure she had no worries behind her.

Only when the dust settled and nothing remained visible did Cui Xuan slowly turn away—only to find Xie Yiguan standing at the opposite end of the wall.

Xie Yiguan turned as well.

The two exchanged a distant glance, then pretended not to have seen each other. Each descended the wall from their respective sides, boarded their own carriages, and set off in different directions. Yet after winding through the city, their paths converged once more at the main gate of the Chancellery, where they disembarked simultaneously.

All roads lead to the same destination. Xie Yiguan greeted him nonchalantly, "You're here early."

Cui Xuan nodded with aloof restraint. "Grand Councilor Xie isn’t late either."

Yao Feiming, who had just stepped down from his carriage, walked right between them. He took two steps forward, then two steps back, stopping right between them.

Yao Feiming chuckled. "You two move pretty fast. I saw you both descend from the city wall together, yet couldn't catch up with either."

Cui Xuan and Xie Yiguan: "..."

From the capital to Jiannan Circuit, the journey required crossing two mountain ranges. The eighty-thousand-strong army took a full month to reach Jincheng in Xichuan, Jiannan Circuit.

The news of Su Yu's personal expedition had only reached Xiao Cheng, Military Commissioner of Xichuan, and Gu Zhongzhao, Dongchuan Military Commissioner, three days prior. Xiao Cheng was manageable—he was already in Jincheng.

Gu Zhongzhao, however, had specially traveled from Dongchuan, bringing along his seventh son, Gu Changan.

Xiao Cheng, Gu Zhongzhao, and Gu Changan waited together at Jincheng's city gate for the emperor's arrival.

Gu Changan, merely sixteen and brimming with youthful curiosity, kept asking his father, "Father, is the Emperor really as good-looking as Big Sister said? She says even Xie Yiguan can’t compare to the Emperor’s looks—is that true?"

At first, Gu Zhongzhao patiently replied, "You shouldn’t call him Xie Yiguan now. He's now the Grand Councilor of the Central Secretariat and Chancellery. You must address him as Grand Councilor Xie."

Gu Changan nodded and pressed, "But is the Emperor really that good-looking? Big Sister says she’s just a little less striking than the Emperor—does that mean the Emperor’s as handsome as me?"

Xiao Cheng, who had been standing motionless, finally couldn’t help but glance at Gu Changan. Gu Zhongzhao’s kids weren’t bad-looking, but with his round eyes and round face, Gu Changan just looked cute. In terms of looks, he couldn’t even compare to Xiao Cheng’s younger brother Xiao Luo, let alone the Emperor.

Under Xiao Cheng’s gaze, Gu Zhongzhao’s face flushed with embarrassment. He turned and scolded his son, "If you don’t have a mirror, check your reflection in a puddle!"

Gu Changan fell silent for a moment before asking, "I don’t actually need to go right now. Do you need to use the latrine, Father? Wouldn’t it be bad timing?"

Gu Zhongzhao: "..." Next time—next time he went out, he would never bring this brat along!

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the steady thud of marching feet and clanking armor announced the arrival of the vast eighty-thousand-strong army.

Gu Changan widened his eyes at the tall man leading the procession and whispered to Gu Zhongzhao, "Is that the unbeatable Emperor Big Sister talked about? No wonder she picked Brother-in-law."

A vein pulsed on Gu Zhongzhao’s forehead. Unable to bear it any longer, he hissed, "That’s General Yu next to His Majesty! Shut your mouth!"

Gu Changan glanced at his father, whose face was now as red as if boiled, and snapped his mouth shut.

For safety, Yu Chiyi took point, Su Yu took the middle position, Yu Chiyou guarded her side, while Yuan Ling and Yuan Ran brought up the rear.

Once the army halted, Yuan Ling and Yuan Ran confirmed the rear was secure before riding to Su Yu’s side, flanking her as she moved from the center to the front.

Xiao Cheng and Gu Zhongzhao were the first to kneel on one knee. "Your subjects pay respects to Your Majesty."

Gu Changan, startled, belatedly followed suit. Even after rising, his eyes involuntarily stole glances at Su Yu—so Aunt Gu had been telling the truth! The Emperor really was stunning!

Su Yu noticed Gu Changan beside Gu Zhongzhao and asked amiably, "Military Governor Gu, who is this?"

Gu Zhongzhao hurriedly replied, "This is my useless seventh son, Changan, aged sixteen, yet to receive a courtesy name. He’s decent with a lance, so he made captain in the army."

Su Yu smiled at Gu Changan. "Ah, Young Master Gu the Seventh."

She turned to Yu Chiyou beside her. "Ayou, you were just sixteen when you joined me, also a captain, weren’t you?"

Yu Chiyou nodded. "But at sixteen, I had him beat in height."

Gu Changan immediately protested, "I’m still growing!"

His eyes peeked shyly toward the smiling Su Yu, his face flushing faintly. Not only was the Emperor breathtakingly beautiful, but their demeanor was unbelievably kind as well.

The boy’s emotions were plain on his face. Su Yu didn’t mind, but Gu Zhongzhao’s mouth twisted in irritation, regretting once again bringing Gu Changan along. If it weren’t for Aunt Gu already being married and Gu Changan being the best fighter of his remaining children, he wouldn’t have wanted to bring him before the emperor at all.

Su Yu made some small talk with them before getting straight to the point, asking Xiao Cheng where the Nanzhao army was currently concentrated and where the Luosuo king’s forces were massing.

Since Nanzhao and Luosuo had formed an alliance, Xiao Cheng had sent people to monitor the border day and night. He answered Su Yu’s questions one by one.

Su Yu nodded and instructed Wei Chi Yi and Yuan Ling to get the troops settled while she headed to Xiao Cheng’s headquarters.

Gu Changan followed her the entire way, noticing the black box slung across the emperor’s back. Seeing that she didn’t remove it even after sitting down, he couldn’t help but ask, “Your Majesty, what is that on your back?”

Su Yu looked at him, while Gu Zhongzhao immediately pulled him down to kneel. “The boy speaks out of turn. Please forgive him, Your Majesty.”

Su Yu’s grin widened faintly. “Sixteen’s plenty old enough. Earlier, I mentioned that Ayou was only sixteen when he first came to protect me.”

Unaware of his father’s fear, Gu Changan stared at Su Yu with bright, round eyes. “I believe sixteen isn’t young! I can protect Your Majesty too!”

If Su Yu hadn’t been present, Gu Zhongzhao would’ve jumped up to smack Gu Changan to make him shut up.

Su Yu’s grin widened further.

Yu Chi You also chuckled beside her. His uncle was always calling him dim—he really ought to summon Yu Chi Yi over and let him see what true foolishness looked like.

Yuan Ran, however, frowned slightly, pressing her lips tightly together.

“A Ran, bring out the map. I’ll discuss troop deployment with the two military governors,” Su Yu said to Yuan Ran.

Yuan Ran immediately retrieved the map Su Yu had previously drawn from her bag.

Xiao Cheng, somewhat familiar with Su Yu, was amazed, though he hid it, by the map’s extreme precision.

Gu Zhongzhao, having crossed swords with Su Yu before, had long known the emperor’s terrifying capabilities. No matter what Su Yu produced, he wouldn’t be surprised—or at least wouldn’t let others notice.

Only Gu Changan wore his amazement and admiration plainly on his face, looking every bit the wide-eyed country boy.

Gu Zhongzhao silently considered whether he should trick Gu Changan back to his room later, knock him out, and tie him up—just to spare himself the embarrassment of his son making a fool of himself before the emperor again and again.

Nanzhao had mobilized a hundred thousand troops, while the King of Luosuo had sent forty thousand. Now, a force of 140,000 strong pressed at the border.

But what concerned Xiao Cheng was: “The King of Luosuo still has twenty thousand troops missing. That is what worries this subject.”

“In the southwest, the Bagua trigram ‘Kun’ corresponds to the element of earth. Since he belongs to wood, he would indeed hide there, making him hard to find,” Su Yu said, pointing to the jungle between Jiannan Circuit and Nanzhao.

No one present understood Su Yu’s words—except Gu Changan, who blurted out, “Your Majesty, this subject is thick-headed and didn’t understand.”

Su Yu chuckled. “No matter. What I meant was that Kunlang Songzheng is likely hiding in this area. Look—the Nanzhao army, the forty thousand Luosuo troops, and this jungle form a pincer around Xichuan.”

Su Yu sighed inwardly. Back then, the old Daoist had wanted to teach her the mystic arts of Qimen Dunjia. Unfortunately, she had simplified those profound theories into trap techniques for hunting. She never imagined she’d have a use for her patchy understanding of Qimen Dunjia in this lifetime.

Still, she knew her limits in warfare—head-on battles weren’t her style.

She had come for one purpose only: to kill the King of Luosuo, Kunlang Songzheng, and put Feng Yiluo on the throne as the queen of Nanzhao.