The Tyrant's Beloved Empress

16

Zhou He Lan came from a humble background and although he was later inaugurated as the National Chaplain, he was still ostracized by many due to the fact that his mother was from the Xi Wei Empire.

Currently, the Da Ye, Yuze, and Xi Wei Empires were three powerful nations keeping each other in check. However, over a hundred years ago, they were of the same origin, stemming from the Wei Empire that was falling apart due to internal conflicts.

After the collapse of the Wei Empire, the eight Great Generals each ruled their territory separately for a long time until they were united by the Great General of the Zhu State, Xiao Yan Hong, whom the other five Generals later elected to become King, making him the very first Emperor of the Da Ye Empire with Yejing as its capital.

The remaining two Great Generals, Xue Chang and Huai Shu An, refused to accept the new Emperor and excluded themselves from the Da Ye Empire. Xue Chang merged with the nomadic Xi Wei tribe and resided in the Zai Region, forming the Xi Wei Empire while Huai Shu An ruled over the Fu Liang region and established the Yuze Empire.

And hence, over a century later, the Wei Empire ceased to exist and in its place were the tri-pillar nations: Da Ye, Yuze, and Xi Wei.

Zhou He Lan's mother was an aborigine of the Xi Wei Empire. After Xue Chang was crowned, he broke the treaty of alliance and began to suppress the people of Xi Wei. Although the country was still called Xi Wei, its citizens were ranked at the bottom, often regarded as untouchables and could be legally sold like livestock.

And someone like Zhou He Lan who had an unclear parentage was of the lowest of the low, anyone could step on him.

In his previous life, An Chang Qing only knew that Zhou He Lan had been despised his whole life due to his lowly birth and it was the Emperor of Yuze who disregarded his status and put him to good use. And Zhou He Lan had indeed kept to his words of never forgetting to repay his debts, helping the Emperor as his strategist. He told the Emperor to send troops to the North and at the right time, kill the two Great Generals and take over Yejing. After which, they could easily quell the rebellion and establish the Yuze Emperor as the ruler of Da Ye.

Surprisingly, Zhou He Lan would be in Yejing at this time and it just so happened that An Chang Qing had saved him. Thinking back to the time Zhou He Lan had visited Xiao Zhige at the mass grave and said that he had owed him a debt, he had probably been referring to what happened today. Maybe in the previous life, Xiao Zhige had also chased away the farmers and had given medicine, only this time, An Chang Qing had taken a step further and brought him with them.

An Chang Qing's eyes shone looking at Zhou He Lan, thinking in his heart that this was the opportunity to change everything.

With everything that happened in his last life, he could tell that Zhou He Lan was a man who would honor his debt and predominantly, a talented strategist. The reason the Yuze Empire could swallow the Da Ye Empire was in part due to its civil strife and the rest was Zhou He Lan's skillful maneuver.

Such a person, he couldn't possibly let him go to Yuze once again and become Xiao Zhige's enemy.

An Chang Qing quickly tinkered with his brain and developed a plan. He went to help the boy up and asked, "You're not of Yejing birth, am I right? What happened on that road?"

Knowing that An Chang Qing had uncovered his identity, Zhou He Lan turned pale. He bit his lips and said, "I... My mother and I came to Yejing to find my father. It's just that on the way here, my mother fell ill. I didn't have any money to buy medicine, that's why I stole... I stole their food..."

As though he was ashamed, Zhou He Lan's face turned red when he mentioned the theft. Worried that An Chang Qing would misunderstand, he quickly added, "But I will pay them back. Once my mother is well, I will find a job at a restaurant and pay them..."