It was true that the Emperor, Long Yi Ran, had a sharp memory. But it wasn't too impressive to the point of remembering middle-ranking soldiers out of the thousands they had.

The reality was he purposely remembered that name: Mao Zhu. He had a knack for discovering good seedlings and cultivating them.

It was a talent male leads tend to have so it wasn't a coincidence that the general of the Southern Front was a confidant of his.

During the five-year military campaign, he made a list of soldiers with talent and good personalities.

Surprising as it was, Mao Zhu came on top. The reason for this is the list didn't include the soldiers' current rank as a factor. So those with noble origins didn't have their great advantage.

This process was confidential and only a trusted general knew about it before sending the message back to the capital.

In fact, Mao Zhu could have risen in ranks faster than he thought he could if it wasn't for this general. The latter suppressed his growth as long as he could so he wouldn't be eyed by envious wolves.

This not only helped him gain significant experiences but also honed his skills in building relationships with his fellow soldiers and immediate superiors. The Emperor agreed with this setup.

Now, it was time to test if Mao Zhu was worthy of his Majesty's trust.

---

Mao Zhu was somewhat airheaded as he followed his superior toward the Eastern Royal Villa.

For middle-ranking officers, it was normal to attend this banquet. But their regiment was never famous in the army so they always passed attending these gatherings.

Needless to say, it was the first time for Mao Zhu.

Colonel Po, who had much more experience than him gave him a piece of advice.

"Kid, you're very lucky ah. You must get used to these grand things. That person has their eyes on you."

Without mentioning who he was referring to, Mao Zhu understood.

Although their meeting was very brief, His Majesty showed interest in him. He wasn't ignorant.

A peasant might view this as a great favor but those who were closer to the dragon were also the closest to the chaotic waters of the court. He wouldn't be presumptuous to think that His Majesty held him in high regard. But even the littlest interest could cause envy.

Once they arrived at the vermillion gates, a servant came forward to ask for their names while a stable hand got their horses.

"Greetings to the Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel, please follow this servant."

While walking, they could hear the sounds of merriment from the hall. But they were intercepted mid-way by a stern-looking woman.

Judging from her clothes, she was also a servant but her manner of speaking and the way she carried herself signified her high position.

She curtsied, "May Lieutenant Colonel Mao follow this one."

Mao Zhu looked at his superior in confusion.

But Colonel Po's trained eyes knew that the woman's master wasn't someone they could provoke.

Aiya, this brat would soon become big-time ah. He thought while looking at his junior from the corners of his eyes.

"Take your time." After saying this, he even tipped his head to the female servant and went ahead.

Now that he was alone with the lady, Mao Zhu cleared his throat. "Lead the way, please."

The stern face visibly lightened upon hearing the last word and the palace lady made a sound of assent. She led him through a series of twists and turns until they finally arrived at an old courtyard.

"My lady, the Lieutenant Colonel is here."

Outside the wooden doors, Mao Zhu hesitated when he heard the words 'My lady.'

The palace servant seemed to have guessed his thoughts. "Worry not, Lieutenant. My lady is of esteemed origins."

This phrase failed to put him at ease. But he came in nonetheless. How glad was he to see that there was a partition of gauze curtains between them.

He only saw a vague slender silhouette.

"This one greets the Lady." He cupped his fist and waited for the other side to say something.

Crickets chirped outside for a while before he heard a magnanimous voice. "I commend the Lieutenant's virtues. Please help yourself with a cup of tea."

Indeed, there was a table to his right with tea and snacks. He just sat on the padded chair and answered, "This one is crude and is afraid of showing my lack of etiquette."

There was ticklish laughter on the other side and Mao Zhu's heart couldn't help but throb. Any man who heard it would have the same reaction.

Along with his apprehension, one couldn't blame him.

"May this one ask who summoned me?" He wasn't impatient on normal days but dragging this longer wouldn't be good.

The way the person addressed herself was casual but he knew she was a noble persona. Who would call him in the middle of a banquet and be so secretive about it?

But the lady didn't seem to be in a hurry. The figure took a sip of her own tea and savored it.

"For the sake of this meeting, it's better to call me Madam Long."

Mao Zhu's eyes sank. His breathing became heavy as he stood up and fell to his knees.

"This subject doesn't dare!"

Madam Long. Who else in the empire would use this surname?

If she was a princess, she wouldn't call herself madam and still use her maiden surname. It was also impossible for her to be a royal concubine because the Emperor never promoted any court lady in the past two years. Lastly, the lady was too young to be Empress Dowager.

It was safe to say that there could only be one Madam Long.

Her Majesty, the Empress.

'Madam Long' sighed. "This is why I didn't want to introduce myself. Rise."

Mao Zhu hesitated first before obeying. His feet were as heavy as lead.

He just met the Emperor earlier and now, his Empress. His life might be shortened because of the consecutive shocks he was receiving.

"Relax, Lieutenant. I only came here to give my heartfelt thanks."

Mao Zhu's face was blank. He couldn't remember any instance that warranted the phoenix's gratitude.

"When your regiment recovered the Wei village, one of the captives was an old woman. You must have had a big impression of her."

His thoughts turned to that time. His Colonel was wounded and wasn't available for battle.

So he rallied their soldiers and attacked to reclaim the village.

The battle lasted for three days until the other side admitted defeat. It was the first siege he led so it had a special place in his heart. They rescued the villagers and the medics notified him of one old woman who was scarred heavily.

She was blind but the marks around them were evidence that they'd been gouged out. Her pitiful thin arms, legs, and even back had countless lacerations.

He assumed she was whipped before. There were also past burns and other kinds of scars. He asked her if the Zhong people did it to her although the chances were slim.

The Zhong only became active a year before that. Even if they were so cruel, the wounds wouldn't heal this fast. The old lady merely said that it was from a former master. He understood what she meant and didn't probe more.

There had always been cases of abusive masters but because they owned their servants, no one would say a word.

Mao Zhu just decided to treat her with extra care.

"That old woman is my ayi1, the one who raised me from childhood. But the madam of our house... That was the story of the past. I won't trouble Lieutenant with tragic stories."

Light of understanding flashed in Mao Zhu's eyes.

The Empress' maternal family was the famous Nuo clan. And any big clan had deep murky waters. It was a wonder how an unfavored di2 miss survived.

As Mao Zhu pondered over these thoughts, two servant girls came forward and parted the curtains. His eyes went wide. What were they thinking?

The Empress was revealed to him but he forgot to look down.

A willowy figure greeted his sight. She had the aura of pale and lazy beauty, as though one needed to protect her at all times.

But her eyes carried a vivacious sheen, making you feel that she'd already seen through you.

Mao Zhu's soul suffered yet another shock.

No wonder, he thought. No wonder the Emperor wouldn't look at any other woman.

With a faint curve of her lips, Nuo Ying Su did something unexpected.

On her knees, she gave a solemn kowtow to who was considered a lowly soldier of her empire. Mao Zhu watched Her Majesty, his heart trembled and his knees buckled as he heard her voice.

"Nuo Ying Su has clear distinctions of right and wrong, gratitude and condemnation. Saving my ayi, this favor will be unforgotten."

The soldier in front of her suffered fright after fright. He almost bit his tongue. "Your Majesty, this subject... this subject is undeserving!"