Chapter 216: I Need to Keep You

“Are you saying that selecting children from noble families is because of their excellence?”

Su Wan smiled. “They have been nurtured with the resources of their entire clans since childhood, while my man had to rely solely on himself. Yet those so-called noble children can’t compare to him. I guess I’ve found a true treasure.”

The Empress Dowager was not angered by her argument. Instead, she stared at Su Wan’s spirited, confident demeanor, as if she was seeing Qi Min from the past.

“If he abandons you, or even betrays you?” The Empress Dowager could sense Su Wan’s feelings and trust toward her partner from her words.

“Then we’ll part ways and find our own happiness,” Su Wan replied with ease. “If he abandons or even betrays me, then he is not someone worth my trust. I wouldn’t cling to him desperately.”

The Empress Dowager seemed to ask casually, and upon receiving the answer, she changed the subject: “Can you cure Qi Min?”

Su Wan replied, “I will do my best.”

“Well said, ‘do your best.'” The Empress Dowager stood up and walked a few steps closer to Su Wan. “Do you know how to play chess? How about a game?”

Without waiting for Su Wan’s response, the Empress Dowager had already ordered someone to set up the chessboard.

Su Wan thought to herself that she truly was a formidable person.

Not knowing what the Empress Dowager intended, Su Wan obediently sat on the soft couch and began a game of chess with the Empress Dowager.

The two engaged in a fierce battle. The Empress Dowager advanced relentlessly, while Su Wan defended with every move. The moment she spotted a flaw in the Empress Dowager’s strategy, she would immediately strike.

The Empress Dowager held a chess piece in her hand, looking at the board—she had already lost.

She began to mentally review the game. Every move Su Wan made seemed defensive, avoiding her attacks, but in reality, Su Wan had been setting traps. The moment the Empress Dowager carelessly stepped into one, Su Wan would swiftly seize the opportunity.

Su Wan was a master strategist, a seasoned hunter.

“She lacks neither strategy nor cunning.”

“Qi Min’s chess skills are good, but she lacks patience, which leaves openings for others to exploit.” The Empress Dowager put down the chess piece, her stern and imposing gaze revealing a barely noticeable trace of kindness. “The past was not a pleasant time for Qi Min. Since she has already forgotten it, there’s no need for her to remember it again.

Wei Yang invited Ji Xuan and you to Xiliang because she believed that Qi Min’s life was nearing its end. Once her condition is treated, the past will remain in the past, and the future will continue as before. You are her daughter, and I will not prevent the two of you from reuniting.”

Su Wan thought for a moment and understood the meaning behind her words. She could reunite with Qi Min, but as for Ji Xuan and Qi Min, their relationship didn’t need to be restored.

“Back then, Great Zhou did not allow Qi Min to marry into the royal family because she was half Xiliang by blood, and I understand that very well. From another perspective, I share the same concern—could Ji Xuan be a spy for Great Zhou?”

The Empress Dowager’s tone was calm, but her words made Su Wan’s heart tremble with fear. “Wei Yang is indecisive in her actions and relies heavily on Qi Min for governance, lacking the decisiveness that Qi Min has. Once her condition improves, she is meant to take back her role.”

“This is a matter of Xiliang’s state affairs. Publicly, I have no right to interfere and am only responsible for treating the patient. Privately, they are my elders, and it is not my place to intervene. If you disagree with my father being with my mother, you should discuss it with them directly. I cannot make decisions on their behalf.”

Seeing that it was already late, Su Wan did not wish to continue being tested by the Empress Dowager, so she stood up and said, “If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave.”

The Empress Dowager watched Su Wan’s back, and just as Su Wan was opening the door, she suddenly spoke: “You can make decisions. If they are together, they cannot stay in Xiliang. Therefore, I need a reason to keep you here.”