Inside the spacious Eastern Palace hall, Qin Yu sat high on the main seat beside a broad desk, reading a letter from the Emperor.
Grand Tutor Yin stood quietly by her side.
Flanking the hall below the main seat were dozens of armored guards.
Seated in the middle of the hall was a refined young man named Han Youcheng, a newly appointed Hanlin Academician recently assigned to the court.
Han Youcheng had barely started his duties and was already entrusted with such an important task.
It was no wonder he felt nervous.
His eyes remained lowered, avoiding direct contact with Qin Yu’s seat, instead fixating on his own toes.
Qin Yu carefully examined the edict.
The handwriting didn’t quite resemble the Emperor’s, likely drafted jointly by the Imperial Secretariat and the Grand Chancellor.
The edict stated: According to protocol and circumstances, the Emperor authorized Qin Yu to expand her personal guards by two hundred, increasing the Eastern Palace Imperial Guard from eight hundred to one thousand. Additionally, a new position was established — the Palace Commander — tasked with closely protecting Qin Yu. The detailed roster would be personally introduced by Academician Han.
Having finished reading, Qin Yu looked up at Han Youcheng and asked, “Where’s the list?”
Perhaps it was his first time speaking directly with the Crown Princess, for Han Youcheng trembled slightly and hurriedly presented the list: “Your Highness, here it is.”
At Qin Yu’s signal, Han Youcheng approached and began explaining the list.
When introducing the additional two hundred guards, Han Youcheng only briefly mentioned them before moving directly to the Palace Commander candidates.
“All candidates have been carefully selected to ensure absolute loyalty. The first candidate is Zhang Fangding, male, twenty-one years old, a peak-level 6th-rank Archmagister, born with Fire Element as his innate Elemental Power. Here is his photo.”
Qin Yu took the photo, revealing a bright and cheerful young man with fiery red hair and golden-red eyes.
“Hm, you can tell the Fire Element is almost burning right through the photo,” Qin Yu remarked.
“This is the second candidate…” The others that followed were mostly unremarkable, leaving little impression on Qin Yu.
Despite Han Youcheng’s thorough preparations, Qin Yu found the introductions dull—like a tedious math lesson.
Before long, she closed her eyes.
Suddenly, Qin Yu looked up, feeling her head heavy and dizzy.
Around her, Grand Tutor Yin wore a helpless expression while Han Youcheng awkwardly stared at the floor.
“I actually fell asleep!” Qin Yu thought, embarrassed.
“Apologies, Academician Han!” she said.
Han Youcheng was startled but quickly said, “Your Highness, it’s my fault for making it too complicated.”
Feeling she had wasted Han Youcheng’s effort, Qin Yu explained, “Academician Han, I stayed up late studying magic last night, so I’m still a bit tired.”
Grand Tutor Yin, who knew Qin Yu’s true nature, silently cursed: she was obviously up late reading comics.
Unaware of Qin Yu’s personality, Han Youcheng scratched his head and asked, “Your Highness, would you like to rest?”
Seeing Qin Yu shake her head, he continued his introduction.
Qin Yu forced her eyes open, determined not to fall asleep—this was almost as torturous as a math class!
“This is the last candidate: Luo Shangyu, female, age unknown…”
“Wait, why is her age unknown?” Qin Yu asked curiously.
Han Youcheng explained, “Ah, it’s unclear. You would need to ask her directly.”
“Hmm, that’s interesting!”
After finishing Luo Shangyu’s introduction, Han Youcheng set down the files and quietly returned to his seat.
Qin Yu stared at the thick pile of dossiers, feeling overwhelmed.
How was she supposed to choose?
Reflecting, only Zhang Fangding and Luo Shangyu left a lasting impression.
The others she only remembered by surname — a Mage named Sun and another named Zhao.
Not only had she fallen asleep midway, but most candidates were only around 5th rank, which, though impressive for ordinary people, was rather unimpressive for royal personal guards.
After pondering, Qin Yu slapped her thigh and told Han Youcheng, “I want to meet Luo Shangyu and Zhang Fangding first.”
“Very well.” Han Youcheng complied and went to summon the two.
Qin Yu chose to call Luo Shangyu first mainly because the mystery surrounding her unknown age intrigued her.
There was no photo attached to Luo Shangyu’s file, which made Qin Yu wonder: ‘someone who doesn’t know their age must be quite old—could she be as ancient as Grand Tutor Yin?’
In the Fantasy Realm, human Mages generally live long lives due to their abundant internal magic.
A hundred years old is average; surpassing two hundred isn’t uncommon.
Especially powerful Mages often enjoy even greater longevity.
For example, the legendary Magician Merlin was rumored to have lived for millennia.
Mages of other races, like Elves and Demons, also tend to have long lifespans—some species naturally live for thousands of years.
Of course, longevity doesn’t make one invincible; even the long-lived can be wounded or killed.
Qin Yu imagined Luo Shangyu as a decrepit old witch—bald, toothless, hunched over, wearing a pointed wizard’s hat, her skin wrinkled and sagging.
Just as Qin Yu’s mental image “roasted” Luo Shangyu into an ancient crone, footsteps interrupted her thoughts.
At the hall’s entrance stood a girl with long golden hair, appearing about seventeen or eighteen years old.
Backlit by sunlight, she seemed adorned with a golden halo, like a knight bathed in holy light.
As she stepped inside, Qin Yu finally saw her clearly: a complexion as flawless as white jade, eyes a vibrant light green like fresh leaves, with deep, profound dark green pupils.
She wore a black short skirt, draped in a dark green cloak, and black thigh-high boots that revealed an alluring expanse of skin—an absolute territory of temptation.
Qin Yu’s gaze froze, captivated by her beauty.
Their eyes met, and the girl paused for a moment before bowing and introducing herself, “Your Highness, I am Luo Shangyu.”
Snapping out of her trance, Qin Yu quickly invited her to sit beside her desk.
Qin Yu made no attempt at formalities—not out of habit but because she wanted to close the distance between them.
Once Luo Shangyu sat, Qin Yu couldn’t wait to ask, “What’s the story with your age?”
Luo Shangyu smiled faintly and explained, “I’m about a thousand years old. I’m a hybrid of Elf, Demon, and Human. My father is half Demon; my mother is Elf.”
“Well then, two of those bloodlines are immortal races! The current leaders of the Elf and Demon clans have ruled their people for nearly a century. So your age and appearance being so different makes sense. A thousand years old is still considered young among Elves and Demons!”
“My hometown was struck by a natural disaster over nine hundred years ago, and I was the only survivor. Since then, I’ve lived in solitude.” Her expression grew sorrowful, eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Sorry,” Qin Yu said, feeling like a sinner for making her recall such painful memories.
“It’s alright, Your Highness. When choosing personal guards, it’s important to know their backgrounds,” Luo Shangyu said, then continued her story.
“During my isolation, I learned magic and steadily advanced. Now, I’m roughly a 7th-rank Quasi-God. Recently, I sensed significant changes in the outside world, which piqued my curiosity. I heard about Your Highness’s Advanced Assessment and the guard recruitment, so I decided to give it a try.”
“7th-rank Quasi-God!” Qin Yu couldn’t help but glance toward Grand Tutor Yin for confirmation.
He nodded slightly, affirming Luo Shangyu’s strength without question.
Curious, Qin Yu asked about Luo Shangyu’s life in seclusion, and Luo Shangyu answered patiently.
Before they realized it, hours had passed.
Qin Yu found Luo Shangyu not only powerful and knowledgeable but also kind-hearted—truly an ideal companion.
Qin Yu made her decision immediately: “I’ll appoint Luo Shangyu as my Palace Commander, and Zhang Fangding as the deputy commander of my Imperial Guard.”
When asked why she chose Luo Shangyu, Qin Yu emphasized, “It’s because of her strength—not just because she’s beautiful and kind.”
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