Chapter 195

Chapter 195

Yu Chiyi did not stay late in Su Yu’s tent.

Before the wine was finished, Yuan Ran burst in, eyes blazing with anger.

Yuan Ran saw Su Yu [F] and Yu Chiyi [M] sitting on the ground, so close that a mere extension of Yu Chiyi's arm could pull Su Yu into his embrace.

Yu Chiyi shook the wine jar in his hand, his eyes gleaming as he gazed at Su Yu, his voice slightly hoarse as he said, "Your Majesty, there is no more wine."

Su Yu leaned forward, her forehead nearly touching Yu Chiyi’s, their breaths mingling, as she handed him her own jar. "Here, take mine."

Yu Chiyi actually accepted it, drinking from the very place Su Yu's lips had touched, tilting his head back to take a large gulp.

Yuan Ran’s face darkened as she squeezed into the narrow space between them, forcefully shoving Yu Chiyi’s tall frame backward.

Yu Chiyi leaned back but caught himself with one hand and immediately stood up. Recognizing it was Yuan Ran, he drew back his half-formed fist.

Yuan Ran first gently helped Su Yu to her feet, then turned to scold Royal Guard Yu Chiyou [M]. "Protector Yu, as His Majesty’s personal guard, how could you drink?"

Su Yu patted her shoulder with a smile. "I allowed Ayou [nickname for Yu Chiyou] to drink."

Had Yu Chiyi not been facing Yuan Ran, witnessing her expressions firsthand, it would have been hard to imagine someone changing their demeanor so swiftly. One moment, Yuan Ran was glaring coldly at Yu Chiyou, and the next, she turned to Su Yu with compressed lips and a wounded expression. "Since Your Majesty permitted it, then I apologize to Protector Yu. However, it’s already late..."

She left the rest unsaid, cautiously glancing at Su Yu. Yuan Ran was worried that if Su Yu ever revealed her true gender in the future, the literati might weaponize scandalous rumors—what was considered romantic for a man would be deemed shameless for a woman.

Only after seeing Su Yu nod did Yuan Ran turn back to Yu Chiyi with a frosty tone. "General Yu, I’ll escort you back."

Yu Chiyi, with his striking features and sharp brows, looked particularly striking now, his eyes slightly red from crying—like a strong man revealing vulnerability. The way he gazed at Su Yu made Yuan Ran suspect he was playing vulnerable. How cunning!

In Yu Chiyi’s eyes, Yuan Ran wasn’t much better. This security envoy had two faces—one for them and another for the emperor.

Yu Chiyi took a step forward, and Yuan Ran immediately went on alert, watching him warily.

He had initially intended to refuse her escort, but then it occurred to him—if he rejected her, wouldn’t that give Yuan Ran an excuse to stay in Su Yu’s tent?

"Then I’ll trouble Security Commissioner Yuan," Yu Chiyi said, gesturing for her to lead the way. The two of them exited Su Yu’s tent.

Yuan Ran glanced at the wine jar in Yu Chiyi’s hand, but before she could reach for it, he clutched it possessively to his chest.

Yu Chiyi smiled. "This was a gift from His Majesty."

Yuan Ran compressed her lips, wanting to warn him but holding back. If Yu Chiyi didn’t yet know Su Yu’s true gender, saying too much might ruin her plans.

"General Yu likely doesn’t need my escort anymore. I’ll return to attend to His Majesty." Without another word, she turned and walked away.

"?" Yu Chiyi looked back, only to see Yuan Ran re-enter Su Yu’s tent. No sooner had Yu Chiyi stepped out than she had kicked him out?

He raised his head to the moon—luminous and clear—an ideal night for moon-gazing. He returned to Su Yu’s tent but before he could speak, Yuan Ran emerged again, wearing a defensive expression as she glared at him, making Yu Chiyi feel like some lecherous intruder.

Yu Chiyi asked with a smile, "Has His Majesty retired for the night? The moonlight is lovely—I wanted to invite her for a drink beneath it."

Yuan Ran gave a slight nod. "His Majesty has already retired for the night. General, please return."

Yu Chiyi took two steps, then suddenly halted and whirled around.

Yuan Ran tensed, planting herself squarely in the tent's entrance.

The air between them crackled with unspoken threats. If it came to a fight, Yuan Ran was no match for Yu Chiyi—but of course, he would never dare strike her right outside the emperor’s tent.

Yu Chiyi suddenly recalled the racing heart and gut feeling he had experienced when Su Yu was in his arms...

"General Yu?" Yuan Ran called out to Yu Chiyi, unsure if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw a faint flush on Yu Chiyi's sun-browned complexion.

Yu Chiyi briefly raised a hand and turned to leave, though his steps were unsteady, as if he hadn't fully sobered up from the alcohol.

Su Yu selected two locations in Jiannan Circuit to build cannon emplacements—one aimed at Luosuo and the other at Nanzhao.

Although Feng Yiluo, upon becoming Queen of Nanzhao, immediately submitted a petition declaring Nanzhao's willingness to rejoin Great Qi as a vassal state, pledging loyalty and obedience.

Su Yu also deliberately promoted Buddhism within Nanzhao to consolidate Great Qi's control and cultural influence over the region.

But better safe than sorry.

Unconsciously, she had already spent three months in Jiannan Circuit—it was time to return to the capital.

Before heading back, Su Yu made a special trip to inspect the military camp of the Dongchuan Regional Command.

The Surveillance Commissioner of Dongchuan was an old acquaintance of Su Yu—Chen Shushui.

This young second-place examination graduate had served as Surveillance Commissioner for two years, appearing unremarkable in everyday matters but teaching soldiers basic literacy in the camp. The primer he used was originally compiled by Xie Yiguan to educate Surveillance Commissioners.

After just three days in Dongchuan, Su Yu could see that Chen Shushui held significant sway among the troops, with mid- and low-ranking officers readily following his orders—fulfilling the original purpose of establishing the Surveillance Commissioner position.

This time, when Gu Zhongzhao led troops to Nanzhao, he properly filed a joint petition with Chen Shushui to Su Yu, only proceeding to rendezvous with Xiao Cheng after her approval.

Chen Shushui was visibly excited to see Su Yu and highlighted key issues in Dongchuan.

Su Yu countered, "Do you have any solutions?"

Chen Shushui promptly presented a petition he had prepared earlier. "I had planned to entrust someone to deliver this to Her Majesty during my year-end report in the capital. Being able to present it in person is truly wonderful."

Su Yu carefully read it from start to finish in his presence, without comment on its merits, but slid it into her sleeve. "In the future, if you have petitions to submit, just have the Security Bureau deliver them directly to me."

When Su Yu left Dongchuan, Gu Changan insisted on accompanying her back to the capital. Gu Zhongzhao's jaw clenched as he debated between gagging or clobbering his younger brother.

Aunt Gu intervened, "Let Seventh Brother follow Her Majesty."

Previously, Gu Zhongzhao had already sent his two underage children to the Imperial Academy in the capital. Gu Changan, the youngest left at home and highly skilled in martial arts, made him reluctant. "I'm worried he'll embarrass our Gu family in front of Her Majesty."

Aunt Gu reassured him, "Don’t worry. Seventh Brother has been with Her Majesty for three months now—he's already hit rock bottom for embarrassment."

Gu Zhongzhao: "..."

Aunt Gu added, "Her Majesty is a wise ruler, magnanimous and unlikely to hold Seventh Brother’s antics against him. Let him see the world in the capital."

As expected, Su Yu didn’t reject Gu Changan and allowed him to return with her.

The return trip took a month.

Initially, other generals worried the emperor was too pampered, with many suggesting she ride in a carriage. But after Su Yu’s masterful tactics and personally slaying the King of Luosuo, the generals were thoroughly impressed. Seeing the emperor riding among them, they were thrilled—especially Buyi.

Yu Chiyi, however, kept looking over his shoulder. During breaks, the usually bold general hovered uncertainly outside Su Yu’s tent until Seventh Brother's booming voice called out, "General Yu, here to see Her Majesty?"

Hearing Seventh Brother, Su Yu summoned Yu Chiyi inside.

She casually pulled out a map, updating it with her notes, but after a long silence, Yu Chiyi still hadn’t spoken.

Su Yu looked up to find the towering warrior standing there awkwardly, his deep complexion hiding any flush.

She simply put down her brush, stood up, and walked over to Yu Chiyi, who indeed stood frozen, not daring to move.

"Did Zhong Yun have something to tell me?" Su Yu asked with a smile.

The moment Yu Chiyi lowered his head, he could see the dimple at the corner of her lips. His face flushed again, and he silently cursed himself. From the very first time he saw Su Yu, he had thought her beauty was unearthly—how had it never crossed his mind she was a woman in disguise?

If Yuan Ran hadn’t acted so strangely during the victory banquet, he wouldn’t have pieced together all the clues. And once he had, he felt like slapping himself. The truth was, he had entertained the thought before—if Su Yu were a woman, he would have used the skull of the King of Luosuo to brew nu’er hong (a traditional wedding wine) for her...

Yu Chiyi glanced at Su Yu again, then pulled a medicine bottle from his sleeve and handed it to her. "Your Majesty, the road’s been bumpy. This medicine may ease any discomfort from riding."

Su Yu accepted it with thanks and said, "I’m used to riding now."

She gestured cheerfully to the map on her table. "Zhong Yun, take a look for me. Did I miss anything?"

Yu Chiyi stared at her smile, momentarily dazed, until Su Yu called him again. "Zhong Yun, what’s been the matter lately? You always seem distracted."

"I—" Yu Chiyi snapped back to attention and followed her finger to the map he had studied countless times. Now, after Su Yu’s firsthand journey through Jiannan and Nanzhao, it had been refined further.

Suddenly, Yu Chiyi laughed heartily and replied, "Your Majesty’s map is perfect."

He’d really been out of his mind these past few days. From their first meeting, Su Yu had always been like this—whether man or woman, she was the sovereign he would follow to the end.

Su Yu blinked, noting how quickly Yu Chiyi’s expression had settled into calm understanding.

In the eleventh month, the capital endured a month-long autumn rain. By month’s end, winter arrived, and the clouds finally parted.

On that day, the city gates swung open to welcome the return of the emperor returning from the front lines.

After her return, Su Yu held another victory banquet at Linde Hall to reward merit.

Though Gu Changan was a bit slow, he had indeed proved his worth in the campaigns against Nanzhao and Luosuo. Su Yu promoted him to a position in the imperial guards as a military advisor.

Perhaps drunk, Gu Changan clumsily mimed holding a rifle and asked, "What was that weapon Your Majesty used to kill the King of Luosuo?"

Su Yu chuckled lightly. "A weapon of the gods."

Gu Changan pressed, "If every soldier in our army had such a weapon, could anyone stand against us?"

Su Yu’s smile faded.

Xie Yiguan quickly interjected, "Such divine weapons are meant only for the Emperor. We mortals must not touch them."

Before Gu Changan could speak again, Su Yu declared, "The seventh son of the Gu family still lacks experience. Perhaps he should serve as a city gate guard in the Left Jinwu Guard instead."

Gu Changan shuddered, sobering up instantly—and just like that, his newly acquired position was gone.

Fortunately, with Gu Changan as an example, the rest of the banquet guests knew better than to bring up the "divine artifact" in Su Yu’s hands again.

Su Yu sipped her wine calmly. It wasn’t that she was against firearms—it was simply too soon. The people’s productivity and other technologies weren’t ready. Rolling them out too soon would do more harm than good for Great Qi. For now, she kept them for her own protection—and to keep her officials in line.

After the banquet, Yu Chiyi asked to go to Yuanzhou to pay respects to his deceased kin and the soldiers who had fallen at the border.

Without hesitation, Su Yu replied, "I’ll accompany you."

Thus, the emperor who had just returned from leading a campaign rode out again in full imperial pomp to Yuanzhou, where she honored all the heroes who had died for Great Qi—among them Yu Chiyi’s family, Yuan Ling and Yuan Ran’s kin, and countless borderland civilians.

When the Son of Heaven bowed to the heavens and offered incense to the fallen, even the toughest soldiers broke down in tears.

Upon returning to the capital, Yu Chiyi surrendered his command token to Su Yu. "In my youth on the border, I learned to brew wine. This time, I wish to return and make a jar for Your Majesty."

Su Yu looked at the commander's seal in her hand, her eyes glinting playfully, showing no intention of returning it to Yu Chiyi. She smiled and said, "Just so we're clear—if it's wine brewed from the skull of the King of Luosuo, I won't accept it."

Yu Chiyi laughed heartily. "Your Majesty need not worry. I left the skull back in Yuanzhou."

After he left, Yuan Ran, standing beside Su Yu, asked softly, "What does General Yu mean by this?"

Yu Chiyou, who had been standing there all along, shrugged dismissively. "Her Majesty surely knows."

Su Yu glanced back at Yuan Ran, then at Yu Chiyou, and said with a smile, "Truth is, Ayou's the sharpest of us all."