The bloody purge on the training ground was like a thorough surgical operation, cruelly removing the rotting tumor from the body of the Jie dynasty. The lingering stench of blood in the air served as a silent warning to anyone harboring ill intentions. After this violent upheaval, the atmosphere in the royal court fell into an eerie, chilling calm.
Su Nian's life also underwent a dramatic change.
She no longer lived in that remote and simple courtyard, but was instead placed by Helian Jue in a separate, spacious, and heavily guarded stone palace behind the main hall of the royal court. This place had once been the residence of a favored concubine of the previous dynasty. Although Helian Jue had never established an empress or taken any concubines, the scale and location of this palace itself symbolized an extraordinary status.
The hall was no longer an empty stone space; it was now furnished with thick wool carpets, exquisite bronze lamps, and even several silk screens and porcelain ornaments from Nanxia, which had been seized as spoils of war. The maids who had served her were no longer the scheming or disrespectful ones from before, but two middle-aged women, taciturn yet efficient, who had been rigorously selected by Batu.
All these changes clearly convey one message—Su Nian, the former "slave of Nanxia," is now the most special and "favored" woman by Helian Jue's side. Although they have no official status and, apart from that one public hand-holding, occasional eye contact, and brief commands, there are no other intimate gestures.
But no one dared to underestimate her anymore. No one even dared to speak ill of her. On the training ground, she stood beside Helian Jue, calmly watching the two heads fall to the ground, and the scene of her placing her hand in Helian Jue's palm afterward was enough for everyone to understand her significance.
The power vacuum needed to be filled quickly. The downfall of Wuzhu and Guli left several crucial positions in the army and the court vacant.
Helian Jue acted with astonishing speed. Without consulting anyone, he announced a series of appointments at the council meeting the following morning.
Replacing Wuzhu with partial military power were several generals of relatively humble origins or with military achievements who had demonstrated loyalty and ability in the border battles and this purge, including Tuoba Ye of Panshi Military Town. They may have been relatively inexperienced or of low birth, but their personal loyalty to Helian Jue was beyond question.
On the civil service side, some officials who had been suppressed by the Guli faction and were more pragmatic or inclined towards reform were promoted to fill key vacancies. Helian Jue even created a new position—"Counselor of the Royal Court"—to assist him in handling daily government affairs, auditing accounts, and conveying orders. This position held a superior status and was directly responsible to him.
The first, and currently the only, person to be appointed as a "Counselor of the Royal Court" is Su Nian.
When Helian Jue announced the appointment in his usual authoritative tone, the council hall fell into a deathly silence. Everyone was stunned by this earth-shattering decision.
Allowing a woman, a woman from Southern Xia, to participate in the core political affairs of the royal court?!
Even newly promoted generals like Batu and Tuoba Ye showed undisguised astonishment on their faces.
Su Nian herself was stunned. She hadn't expected Helian Jue to grant her such... straightforward and enormous power. This went far beyond the scope of "assisting in the trial of cases" or "improving weaponry"; it truly pulled her into the decision-making level of power.
“Your Majesty,” a senior minister with gray hair stepped forward, his voice trembling as he advised, “the position of advisor concerns the affairs of the state. To appoint a woman… from Nanxia… to this position, is it… is it somewhat inappropriate? I fear it will be difficult to convince the people!”
Helian Jue's gaze swept over them coldly, like an ice blade: "Unable to convince the masses? My words are the will of the people."
He paused, then looked at Su Nian with a deep gaze: "I have witnessed her abilities firsthand. As for her loyalty," a cold smile curved his lips, "I have my own judgment."
He didn't give anyone another chance to object, and simply waved his hand: "This matter is settled, there's no need to discuss it further."
Standing beside him, Su Nian could feel countless gazes from below, like needles pricking her. Envy, jealousy, fear, confusion, and even a hint of hidden expectation... a mix of emotions swirled within her.
She knew that Helian Jue had forcibly pushed her to the very top of the storm. This was both the highest trust and the greatest danger. She had to perform in a way worthy of this position; otherwise, a fate even more tragic than that of Kumoti and Lady Lan awaited her.
After becoming a "Royal Court Councilor," Su Nian's life became busier, and she also came into contact with the deeper layers of the Jie Dynasty.
She began assisting Helian Jue with the mountain of official documents—mainly local taxes, resource allocation, tribal disputes, and border military intelligence. Helian Jue was not illiterate, but he was clearly more adept at warfare and killing, lacking patience for tedious administrative details. Su Nian, with her modern logical thinking, meticulous analytical skills, and the Jie language she quickly learned, perfectly filled this gap.
She categorized the complex information, extracted the key points, and reported them to Helian Jue in concise and clear language, offering preliminary suggestions for handling the situation. She discovered that although Helian Jue was autocratic, he was often willing to adopt suggestions that were reasonable, well-founded, and aligned with his core interests (such as strengthening the nation and consolidating his rule).
In this process, Su Nian also gained a deeper understanding of the cruelty and backwardness of this slave-owning dynasty. Heavy taxes levied, the lives of slaves and commoners were miserable, the law of the jungle prevailed among tribes, and everything was governed by power and tribal customs. Productivity was low, technology was backward, and the dynasty relied entirely on plunder and primitive animal husbandry and agriculture.
The task of “ending tyranny” was no longer a vague concept in her mind, but had become a series of specific and urgent problems that needed to be solved.
She began experimenting with making subtle, inconspicuous changes within the scope of her authority.
For example, when reviewing supply applications for border military towns, she would pay special attention to items related to the soldiers' basic survival and health, ensuring that cotton clothing and medicine were distributed in sufficient quantities. When adjudicating tribal disputes, she would guide Helian Jue to delve deeper into the root causes of the issues, rather than simply resorting to forceful suppression, and to try to introduce fairer compensation and punishment mechanisms. She also used her position as a "counselor" to secretly incorporate basic agricultural knowledge and simple tool improvement methods into ordinary government documents, distributing them to relatively stable areas for pilot programs.
These changes are like a gentle stream, slow and silent, with little effect in the short term, and may even go unnoticed. But Su Nian believes that as long as it continues, it will gradually change the barrenness and desolation of this land.
Helian Jue seemed to notice her "little actions," but he never pointed them out nor stopped her. He simply watched silently, watching her focused profile as she wrote furiously at her desk, watching her articulate words as she discussed with officials, watching the light in her eyes that he couldn't fully understand, yet was inexplicably drawn to, as she tried to build the prototype of a new order outside the bloody laws.
He found himself becoming more and more accustomed to her presence. He grew accustomed to hearing her cool voice fill in the details during meetings, accustomed to seeing her clear summaries when reviewing documents, and even accustomed to knowing that her warm light was shining in the adjacent stone palace when he returned to the empty royal palace late at night.
A strange feeling, similar to "peace of mind," began to cast subtle ripples in the tyrant's cold heart.
That evening, Su Nian had just finished processing a batch of documents regarding the allocation of spring farming supplies. She rubbed her slightly swollen temples and prepared to get up and stretch.
Helian Jue walked in. He wasn't wearing royal robes, just a simple black casual outfit. His body was still damp from his shower, and his long, dark hair was casually draped over his shoulders. He looked less sharp and more relaxed, yet he still exuded an undeniable and powerful presence.
He walked to Su Nian's desk, his gaze sweeping over the pile of parchment and drafts covered with dense writing.
"Still busy?" he asked, his voice low in the quiet hall.
"It's almost done," Su Nian stood up and answered respectfully.
Helian Jue picked up the top document, which she had just finished writing, and glanced at it briefly. It was a proposal about piloting a new type of animal-drawn plow in several tribes.
"Is this kind of thing useful?" he asked, looking up at her, his tone unreadable, neither agreeing nor questioning.
Su Nian carefully considered his words before replying, “Your Majesty, if we succeed, it may improve farming efficiency and increase grain production. In the long run, this should be beneficial to the country and its people.”
Helian Jue stared at her for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Why are you doing all this?"
Su Nian's heart skipped a beat. This was an extremely dangerous question. She couldn't say it was to complete the mission, nor could she appear too calculating.
She lowered her eyelashes, trying to make her tone sincere and calm: "This servant just feels... that since I have the ability, I want to do what I can. To make this land... less hungry and less strife, and perhaps, to make Your Majesty's rule more stable."
She didn't say it was for him, but rather for "the land" and "the consolidation of his rule," a relatively safe and in-favorable statement.
Helian Jue remained silent for a moment before putting the proposal back in its place.
"Whatever you want," he said indifferently, his tone devoid of emotion.
Then, he changed the subject: "Three days from now, I will be going hunting in Blackstone Valley. You should prepare yourself and come with me."
The Blackstone Valley Hunt? Su Nian remembered that it was an important traditional event of the royal court, in which tribal leaders and important figures would participate, both for hunting and to demonstrate military strength and coordinate relations.
Having her accompany him means that he will continue to present her as a "counselor of the royal court" and his "person in charge" in front of everyone.
"Yes," Su Nian replied.
Helian Jue nodded, seemingly preparing to leave, but stopped at the doorway. With his back to her, he suddenly said:
"Over in Blackrock Valley... there are a few old guys who aren't exactly peaceful."
After saying that, he strode away and disappeared into the night outside the palace.
Su Nian stood there, pondering his last words.
Not quite settled?
This was a reminder to her that this hunt was probably not just a simple hunting event.
New challenges may already be brewing in the shadows.
(End of Chapter 113)
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