Call Me Daddy

Su Aobai didn’t expect that he would inexplicably be clung to by a young boy. Seeing the boy’s affectionate attitude towards him, he almost thought he had given birth not to a daughter, but to this son.

Yang Yong wasn’t jealous. After all, he had seven sons, so giving one to Su Aobai was no big deal.

“How about this, I’ll give you this son, and you can share half of your daughter with me. My wife really adores girls.” Yang Yong joked heartily.

Sometimes, the bond between people doesn’t rely on time. Take Su Aobai and Yang Yong, for example. They had only spent a few days together, but they felt a strong connection. Therefore, making harmless jokes didn’t feel offensive.

However, even though Yang Yong spoke casually, Su Aobai took it to heart.

He observed the boy who was circling around him and Su Erniang like a loyal little puppy, and a thought formed in his mind.

He knew that he couldn’t accompany Er Niang for the rest of her life. In this dynasty, where imperial power was supreme, he had to think of the safest future for his daughter. Finding a suitable husband for her had been on his mind for a long time.

From the beginning, Su Aobai never considered rebelling to become the Emperor and then making his daughter the crown princess, even if he had the capability to do so.

From a mere commoner to a founding Emperor, countless bones would be buried beneath such a foundation. Overthrowing a dynasty always involved bloody wars.

He knew the future course. Tang Shengzong was a good Emperor who ushered in a revival of the Tang dynasty. After ascending to the throne, he swept away the corruption at the end of Emperor Shangqing’s reign, reduced taxes, eradicated corrupt officials, and implemented a series of policies that benefited the people.

Su Aobai admitted that he might not be able to do better than Tang Shengzong. Being an Emperor wasn’t an easy task. Su Aobai didn’t think he could work tirelessly like Tang Shengzong for that supreme power, only to die exhausted on the throne.

Of course, there was another crucial reason; Er Niang couldn’t become the next crown princess.

If Su Aobai had arrived in this world when she was just born, he might have tried to nurture Er Niang into a strong woman. However, he arrived too late. 8 years of oppressive life had made Su Erniang’s personality particularly sensitive. Beneath her seemingly cheerful exterior, her heart was still trapped.

This was evident from the affection level that had remained at 69 after its initial increase. She was always afraid to take that next step in her emotions, possibly because she feared that everything she had now would eventually be lost again. This love came too suddenly, too perfectly, making her feel anxious and uneasy.

Su Aobai thought of a saying; a happy childhood heals a lifetime, while an unhappy childhood takes a lifetime to heal.

Er Niang was different from Su Mingcheng, Su Mingmei, and Su Tianyuan. During the childhood of Su Mingcheng and his sibling, he was only absent for 3 months. Before that, they were surrounded by the love of their parents and grandparents. Even though Su Tianyuan had an irresponsible father, his grandparents treated him like a treasure.

But Su Erniang was the exception. Before Su Aobai arrived, her life consisted only of day after day of labor and endless curses.

Su Aobai never intended to let her suffer more to change her personality or toughen her will. He only wished that every day after she turned 8 would be filled with ease and happiness.

No one ever said that life had to be lived in a ‘strong woman’ mode. He hoped that in this lifetime, Er Niang could be a little princess, even when he wasn’t around, still a little princess.

This was also the main reason Su Aobai chose to join the military.

For most generals in ancient times who held military power, the greatest fear was the fate of the cooked hunting dog after all the rabbits were captured. In this regard, having only one daughter turned out to be the best protection for him.

(T/N the cooked hunting dog after all the rabbits were captured = altered from the idiom ‘after all the rabbits are hunted, the dog is cooked’, meaning: the fate of meritorious people who will be killed or abandoned after something is accomplished.)

Establishing a female household was just an excuse he casually came up with to deal with the people at the old residence. Su Aobai had no obsession with passing on the Su family name. Without a son and without an heir, the possibility of rebellion in the Emperor’s eyes was greatly reduced.

A general who had achieved great military success and was loyal to the Emperor, with only one daughter under his care, would have a reputation in the military and among the people that would ensure his daughter’s continued protection even after his death. Future Emperors might even use this loyal and harmless general’s orphan as a symbol to demonstrate their kindness and virtue.

In comparison, it was too common for civil officials to lose favor after they retired. Their connections could never match the bonds formed on the battlefield, where life and death were entrusted to one another. The connections Su Aobai made in his lifetime would also be Er Niang’s support in the future.

Although Su Aobai was confident that, given his constitution, he could live a long life in this lifetime, as an old father, he liked to think things through more thoroughly.

His daughter was only 8 years old, yet this worried old father had already started considering suitable son-in-law candidates.

The youngest of the Yang family seemed quite good at the moment. He had a carefree personality, and most importantly, the Yang family had many sons. They surely wouldn’t mind giving him one.

Even if Er Niang got married in the future, the young couple could still live in her maternal home often.

However, whether it would work out well would have to be proven over time. After all, what if Er Niang didn’t like this boy? This last point was crucial.

Yang Qiwu noticed the gaze of Er Niang’s father on him.

He straightened his back even more, his expression becoming increasingly devout and fervent.

Had Uncle Su already sensed the boundless potential I have? Was he preparing to teach me the secret to developing such a strong physique?

Just thinking about becoming as impressive as Uncle Su made Yang Qiwu a little excited.

***

Lin’an and the capital were a thousand miles apart, and even with a fast horse, delivering messages often took nearly half a month.

By this time, Tang Shengzong had returned to the capital from Fengyang County. He suddenly remembered Su Youniu, whom he had sent to Lin’an, and inquired about his recent activities.

“By now, Su Youniu has been on duty for over half a month, right? How is he performing? Can he handle the position of Officer?”

He casually asked his trusted subordinate.

In over half a month, Su Youniu should have barely adapted to the military environment. After all, no matter how capable Su Youniu was, he had originally been just a farmer.

The subordinate was about to report the news from Lin’an when he paused at his master’s question.

“Reporting to Your Highness, Su Youniu is already a battalion captain!”

Tang Shengzong was flipping through some official documents and secret letters that had piled up during his absence from the capital. When he heard his subordinate’s words, he immediately looked up, widened his eyes, and then rummaged through the pile of secret letters to find the ones sent from Lin’an.

He quickly read through the letters and understood the reason behind Su Youniu’s rapid promotion.

Previously, he had thought that despite Su Youniu’s strong memory, his simple and honest nature wouldn’t do much for his intelligence or emotional intelligence. But he had overlooked the fact that having a perfect memory allowed Su Youniu to memorize terrain, which was crucial in battles where the landscape was a disadvantage.

This time, he had truly discovered a talent.

In the days that followed, Su Aobai continued to bring him endless surprises.

“A month has passed. How is Captain Su doing?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, Captain Su has achieved great success in quelling the XX and XXX tribes. He is now an assistant garrison commander!”

“3 months have passed. How is Assistant Garrison Commander Su doing?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, Assistant Garrison Commander Su has conquered half of Southern Xinjiang and is now a fourth-rank garrison commander!”

“…”

“…”

These were the conversations between Tang Shengzong and his subordinates. In less than half a year, Su Aobai was promoted at an unprecedented speed, without needing much assistance from Tang Shengzong during the process.

A fourth-rank garrison commander was the highest position that a regional general could grant to soldiers who had distinguished themselves in battle without going through the imperial court. To advance further, a report would have to be made to the court, and the final decision would rest with the Emperor.

During these days, Tang Shengzong frequently heard victorious reports from Lin’an’s general during court sessions. The conquest of Southern Xinjiang seemed imminent.

As Emperor Shangqing aged, his personality became harsh, and he grew wary of all his grown sons. However, this didn’t mean he had lost the basic judgment required of an Emperor.

If Southern Xinjiang could be conquered during his reign, it would be a historic achievement. The continuous stream of victory reports from Lin’an had greatly pleased Emperor Shangqing during this period.

In such circumstances, Emperor Shangqing wouldn’t neglect any meritorious officials.

When the day finally came that Southern Xinjiang was fully conquered, Su Youniu was highly likely to be promoted to a full third-rank lieutenant general, or even to a second-rank vice general. At that point, the position of general would be within reach.

What did it matter if his seniority was lacking? The achievement of conquering Southern Xinjiang was enough to silence all opposition!

***

8 Years Later.

Time flew by in the blink of an eye.

In those 8 years, many significant events occurred, such as the Crown Prince being deposed. As the old Emperor lingered on his sickbed, both Prince Nan and the Ninth Prince rebelled, only to be suppressed by the Seventh Prince, who had previously kept a low profile.

The Seventh Prince, out of brotherly compassion, didn’t execute these brothers but instead placed them under house arrest in their respective mansions.

On his deathbed, the old Emperor left a final edict, passing the throne to the Seventh Prince, Tang Shengzong.

It was only when the Seventh Prince swiftly crushed the rebellions of Prince Nan and the Ninth Prince that everyone realized that this seemingly “mediocre” prince had already gathered support from various factions over the years.

As soon as the new Emperor ascended the throne, he began to bestow titles and honors upon his loyal supporters. The most prominent among them was the newly titled General Weiyuan, Su Youniu.

The courtiers weren’t unfamiliar with this figure. He was the great hero who had conquered Southern Xinjiang in the early years and had been personally appointed by the late Emperor as Lin’an’s general, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops.

However, in the minds of the courtiers, this Lin’an general had always been a solitary figure, loyal only to the Emperor. But when Prince Nan and the Ninth Prince were plotting rebellion, this general had already secretly led thousands of elite soldiers into the capital, aiding the Seventh Prince in quelling the two princes with lightning speed.

In other words, Su Youniu had long been aligned with the Seventh Prince.

With his impressive military achievements and now his loyalty to the new Emperor, it was expected that he would be granted a dukedom or marquisate. But when the Emperor asked him what reward he desired, Su Youniu simply said that he had only one daughter and wished to use his merits to secure a title for her.