Two years ago, under Sanniang’s persistent persuasion, Su Mingyu abandoned the idea of immediate revenge.
Wei Zongan was the Commander of the Eastern Depot and a close confidant of the Emperor. As a minor figure, it was difficult enough for her to even get close to him, let alone seek vengeance. Furthermore, if she were to kill Wei Zongan, it would inevitably implicate Sanniang.
Yet, there were other ways to achieve her revenge.
Had the Emperor not granted her the status of an Imperial Guard? She would test her ability to walk right to the Emperor’s side and replace Wei Zongan in his favor. Once he lost his influence, given his years of corruption and the countless lives he had trampled upon, no one would let him off the hook!
Now, two years later, she had climbed from a mere Imperial Guard to her current position. The number of people fawning over her was matched only by those consumed with envy. She cared for none of it; she only knew she was one step closer to her vengeance.
Su Mingyu’s introduction made the leader’s head spin; he was completely stunned. He looked her up and down—a woman in female attire—and could not calm his racing heart for a long time.
"No wonder we could never track Su Mingyu’s movements in the Northern Frontier. To avoid assassination, the mighty Commander has actually gone to such insane lengths as to disguise himself as a woman!"
Su Mingyu paused, then burst into laughter. "You are quite amusing."
Her smile was radiant; not a single trace of pretense could be found on that stunningly beautiful face.
The leader felt as if he had been struck by lightning. "You... you are really a woman???"
After a long silence, he finally regained his senses and stammered, "This is a crime of deceiving the Emperor! You are finished! I am going to tell my Lord!"
"Hush," Su Mingyu chuckled softly. "Talk nonsense, and you’ll die faster."
She held her blade against his throat, watching him quiver like a frightened bird, and asked with feigned patience, "Tell me, aside from ordering you to kill me, what other instructions did Xu Ke give you?"
The leader’s hair stood on end, his tongue barely functioning. "Lord, spare my life! I am but a small squad leader, tasked only with searching for your whereabouts. I know nothing else!"
Su Mingyu stood up and sighed deeply. "Then you are of no use to me."
"Wait!" The leader suddenly raised his hands, his face ashen. "My Lord, I suddenly recall—a few days ago, Lord Xu sent a letter to our Governor regarding the disaster relief grain..."
"What about the relief grain?" Su Mingyu’s interest piqued.
"This... since you have just taken office, Lord Su, you might not know. The Northern Frontier is plagued by disasters, and for years, the relief grain has been the responsibility of the Assistant Commander, Lord Xu. By the time he managed the logistics and reached Suzhou Prefecture, there was little left. Once the three provinces of the Northern Frontier split what remained, the commoners received virtually nothing. When our Governor was still just a Colonel in Suzhou, he began collaborating with Lord Xu. They conspired to skim profit from the grain, which Lord Xu would then take back to the Capital to bribe the nobles in the Palace. It is precisely because of this that both climbed the ladder of success—one became the Governor of Suzhou, and the other nearly became the Commander of the Brocade Guard."
His words were suggestive, and Su Mingyu understood.
Xu Ke and the Governor of Suzhou had been colluding for years, embezzling relief grain to pave their way to power. What they never expected was for a lowly, unrelated guard like her to suddenly appear out of thin air and become an obstacle in their path.
This time, the Emperor had even dispatched her personally to transport the relief grain to the Northern Frontier, effectively cutting off someone’s source of wealth. If she guessed correctly, Xu Ke didn't just want her dead; he had his eyes on the relief grain as well. Even if the assassination failed, if the grain went missing, she would never return to the Capital alive.
*Heh,* the fool Xu Ke. Did he really think he could become the Commander of the Brocade Guard with such petty tricks?
The Commander of the Brocade Guard was the person the Emperor trusted most, second only to the Commander of the Eastern Depot. Over these past three years, she had flirted with death countless times to earn that trust. She had sacrificed so much—how could a petty man like Xu Ke compete with her?
Su Mingyu gritted her teeth, suppressing the hatred in her heart, and swiftly executed the leader.
Inside the courier station, three men in black hurried in, removing their bamboo hats and shaking off the rain. The station manager waited at the door, handing them warm hand-warmers he had prepared in advance.
"Your Highness, was it successful?" the manager asked.
The bearded man deftly peeled off his human-skin mask, revealing a handsome, refined face. The chubby guard beside him said happily, "Uncle Wang, with His Highness making a move, how could we possibly fail?"
"Wonderful!" Manager Wang knelt and kowtowed to the man several times. "Prince Ning has risked his own safety for us. On behalf of all the people of Liangzhou, this old man thanks you for your great kindness!"
Murong Ke quickly helped the old man up. "As a Prince of Daxia and serving under the Emperor’s orders to garrison the Northern Frontier, this is only what I should do."
Despite Prince Ning’s humility, the chubby guard pouted. "Your Highness only thinks of the people. You don't think about us—we stole the Governor of Suzhou’s seal to open the granaries without authorization. When the Emperor blames us in a few days, how will you answer for it?"
At this, another tall guard tapped him on the head. "Answer for what! Suzhou and Cangzhou have been using relief grain to hoard wealth for years. How could they ever let the Emperor know there was still grain in the Suzhou granaries?"
The chubby guard scratched his head and gave a silly laugh. "Then we must steal every last bit of it today!"
The tall guard struck him again. "Stop saying 'steal'! That is grain meant for disaster relief. Watch your language!"
Having just escaped death, the two couldn't help but bicker as soon as they relaxed. Murong Ke seemed extremely indulgent toward his two guards; despite their brazen behavior, he showed no dissatisfaction. He glanced worriedly at the heavy rain outside, absently fiddling with the thumb ring on his finger.
"By the way, Your Highness, do you know that woman from earlier?" Chiyan asked eagerly.
"I do not," Murong Ke said coldly. "But anyone who dares to ride alone through the Northern Frontier in the dead of night is surely no ordinary person."
At the mention of the woman, Han Bing couldn't help but frown. "Strange. If you calculate the time, the pursuers from Suzhou should have realized they were tricked and returned by now. Why is there no movement?"
The three looked at each other, and Murong Ke felt a vague sense of foreboding. "Chiyan, Han Bing, the two of you go and investigate, but remember: do not expose your identities."
Just then, a loud crash echoed through the air. The locked gate of the courier station was flung open, and cold wind surged inside. Standing at the threshold was a woman in white; her skin was as fair as snow, but she was soaked through and looked somewhat disheveled.
"A perfectly good courier station, yet you keep the doors locked—what sort of shameful business are you hiding?"
Su Mingyu dropped the heavy blade from her shoulder onto the floor and swept her gaze over the master and his servants. The coldness in her eyes suddenly flared into a raging fire.
"These three look truly familiar. My brave friends, have you been well?" Su Mingyu said, gritting her teeth.