Wei Yun remained kneeling, his head bowed, not daring to look up.
Chu Yu stood before the coffins, her hand resting on the black lacquered surface, silent.
Although Wei Yun hadn’t specified which coffin belonged to whom, the placement of coffins followed certain etiquette rules. Wei Zhong, as the Marquis Zhen Guo, naturally stood alone in the first row, while Wei Yun, as the heir, was behind Wei Zhong’s coffin on the left side.
In the distance, muffled cries could be heard from the long street. Chu Yu’s hand trembled slightly. She was about to say something when a heart-wrenching cry rang out: “Sixth Young Master!”
Suddenly, Wang Lan could no longer contain herself. She lifted her skirts and rushed down the steps towards the last row of coffins.
Still pregnant, her maids were startled and hurried to support her, but Wang Lan ran too quickly. She threw herself onto the coffin and began to wail uncontrollably.
This cry seemed to break some kind of taboo. Everyone else could no longer suppress their emotions. Some whimpered softly, others wailed loudly. In an instant, the entire Wei Manor, inside and out, was filled with the sound of weeping.
Jiang Chun had already cried her share, even died once in her heart, so at this moment, she managed to remain composed. With reddened eyes, she approached Chu Yu and said hoarsely, “Young Madam, the Seventh Young Master is still kneeling.”
Chu Yu suddenly came back to her senses. She turned around and hurried to help Wei Yun up. “Seventh Young Master, please rise.”
However, Wei Yun didn’t move. Chu Yu was slightly taken aback and softly called, “Seventh Young Master?”
Wei Yun didn’t speak. His other leg also knelt, changing from a single-knee kneel to both knees on the ground.
Chu Yu was stunned as she watched the young man kneel before her and slowly kowtow.
“Sister-in-law,” his voice was hoarse, “Little Seven has failed to keep his promise. I couldn’t bring Big Brother back.”
When he left, he had said that if even a single hair on Wei Jun’s head was harmed, he would offer his head in return.
Yet now he was still alive, but what he brought back were coffins for the entire family.
His body trembled slightly, and finally, like the young man he was, he spoke with a suppressed voice, “Sister-in-law… I’m sorry…”
Before he could finish, he felt a hand on his head.
Though the hand was slender, it was exceptionally warm. He heard Chu Yu’s gentle voice: “It’s alright. I’m very happy that Little Seven has returned safely.”
Wei Yun looked up blankly, seeing the woman’s teary gaze. That gaze was both resilient and gentle, carrying a strength that could support one’s heart. Amidst the wailing, it seemed out of place, yet extraordinarily clear.
Wei Yun looked at her and saw her suddenly stand up, smiling at him, “Stand up. You’ve returned from a thousand-mile journey. Let’s cross the fire basin first.”
With that, she called for people to bring the fire basin and helped Wei Yun stand up.
Just then, the sound of horse hooves came from afar. Wei Yun and Chu Yu looked up simultaneously to see more than a dozen people in the official robes of the Da Li Temple stopping their horses in front of the Wei Manor.
Wei Yun clenched his fists. Everyone around was startled. The maids supporting Wang Lan quickly moved aside, and the young madams who had been weeping over the coffins also hastily stepped back.
The leader, who looked no more than thirty, sat on his horse, coldly looking at Wei Yun. Holding up an imperial edict, he announced, “By imperial decree, the Da Li Temple is here to arrest the criminal Wei Yun.” Then he waved his hand and ordered, “Seize him!”
As soon as the words fell, the people from the Da Li Temple surged forward.
Wei Qiu, leading the guards, suddenly stepped forward, drawing his sword to face the surrounding soldiers. He angrily shouted, “Cao Yan, what nonsense are you spouting!”
Looking at the coffins standing there, Wei Qiu’s hand holding the sword trembled slightly. “Our entire Wei family has died loyally for the country. How can there be any reason to arrest this last young master and throw him in prison?! Don’t you dare go too far!”
Cao Yan was the youngest son of the Cao family. Years ago, the Cao family had sent their eldest son to the battlefield under Wei’s army, but he was beaten to death for not following military discipline. Now that the Wei family had fallen, Cao Yan, from his position in the Da Li Temple, immediately took on the task of arresting Wei Yun.
The grudge between the Cao and Wei families was known throughout the court. With Cao Yan here now, everyone naturally thought he was deliberately making things difficult.
Hearing Wei Qiu’s words, Cao Yan coldly smiled, “Who do you think you are? This is the Emperor’s handwritten imperial edict! Your Wei family, in your greed for merit and victory, caused the deaths of 70,000 elite soldiers of our Great Chu in Baidi Valley. Did you think this matter would be over just because people died? Wei Yun,” Cao Yan raised his voice, “If you know what’s good for you, don’t struggle. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being impolite!”
Wei Yun didn’t speak. He looked up at Chu Yu.
Amidst everyone’s panic, this person had maintained a calm and composed demeanor. When he looked at her, she simply said, “Step over this fire basin to ward off bad luck, then you can enter the house.”
“Sister-in-law…” he said dryly, but Chu Yu grasped his wrist and pulled him across the fire basin.
Then she took some mugwort and gently patted it on his body.
Everyone fell silent, watching as Chu Yu acted as if nothing had happened, simply welcoming home a traveling son. She lightly sprinkled mugwort water on Wei Yun’s head, then took a wine cup from the side and handed it to Wei Yun.
“Although you couldn’t return in triumph, I had prepared this celebratory wine when you left. Now that you’re back, you should drink it.”
Chu Yu held the wine cup with both hands, her voice gentle.
Cao Yan frowned and shouted angrily, “Wei Yun!”
Wei Yun ignored him, looking at the woman holding the wine before him.
He had thought that upon returning home, he would face devastation, a house full of wailing and that he alone would have to support himself and carry the Wei family forward.
But unexpectedly, he could still, like before, cross the fire basin before entering, ward off bad luck, and even drink a cup of celebratory wine as if his father and brothers were still here.
In his youth, his father and brothers hadn’t allowed him to drink. Now, if he didn’t drink, there would be no one left to drink this wine.
He took the cup and gulped it down.
Cao Yan finally lost patience and shouted, “Wei Yun, are you defying the imperial edict? South City Army, are you just standing there planning to shelter the Wei family?!”
Hearing Cao Yan’s words, the South City Army, who had been silent on the sidelines, could no longer pretend to be deaf and blind. The leader took a deep breath, extended his hand towards Wei Yun, and respectfully made a gesture of invitation, saying, “Seventh Young Master, please don’t make this difficult for us.”
Wei Yun looked at him, then at Chu Yu, and finally nodded.
He extended his hands, allowing them to put shackles on him.
The shackles weighing several dozen catties were put on him, yet he still stood straight. Cao Yan had people bring over a prisoner transport cart and coldly said to Wei Yun, “Seventh Young Master, shall we go?”
Wei Yun didn’t speak. He turned back to look at the Wei Manor’s plaque, his gaze falling on Chu Yu.
“The Wei family… I leave in your care, Sister-in-law.”
“Don’t worry,” Chu Yu nodded, her voice calm and firm. “As long as I’m here, the Wei family will be fine.”
Wei Yun pressed his lips together, then said, “Sister-in-law, take good care of yourself too.”
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the young madams standing to the side. He raised his voice, “The dead cannot be brought back to life, it’s the living who matter most. My sisters-in-law, please don’t grieve too much. If my brothers know in the underworld, they would want you all to take good care of yourselves.”
Chu Yu hadn’t told Wei Yun about the changes in the family, only mentioning the whereabouts of Madam Liang and Liu Xueyang. Wei Yun was still unaware of the discord among the women in the family and was worried that his sisters-in-law might be too grief-stricken over losing their husbands.
Hearing these words, Third Young Madam Zhang Han turned her head away, covering her face with a handkerchief and crying softly.
Even Yao Jue’s eyes unconsciously reddened.
However, she and Xie Jiu came from prominent families and were well aware of the Wei family’s situation. They dared not get involved, especially since the Yao family was already at odds with the Wei family, and her feelings for her husband were far less deep than those of the other young madams.
Still, with a loyal family buried, anyone with a conscience would feel regret.
Hearing Wei Yun’s words, the steward looked troubled. He glanced at Chu Yu, fearing she might start complaining at this moment. However, Chu Yu smiled and said to Wei Yun, “You don’t need to worry. Take good care of yourself in prison. We are your elders, we can handle this better than you might think.”
Wei Yun felt relieved, nodded, and got into the prisoner cart.
Cao Yan’s face had already turned extremely sour. He urged his men, “Take him to the imperial prison!”
Wei Yun sat cross-legged, turning his back to the women of his family. He had put away his earlier weakness and worry, transforming into a picture of calmness.
As the prisoner cart slowly moved, he suddenly spoke out, “The Wei family has been wronged! My father and brothers are innocent!”
“Shut him up!” Cao Yan’s face changed dramatically. He raised his whip, “Shut up!”
Seeing him raise the whip, Jiang Chun instinctively grabbed it. Cao Yan, realizing he was being obstructed, turned his head and saw Jiang Chun. He narrowed his eyes, “Second Young Madam?”
“Good, very good,” his gaze swept over the women of the Wei family as he said coldly, “Your Wei Manor is doing very well! Where is your Madam?”
No one spoke. Cao Yan raised his voice, “Is there no one in charge of the Wei family now? Or is the person in charge of the Wei family now someone who doesn’t dare to show their face?!”
“The Madam is away visiting relatives. I am temporarily in charge of the Wei family,” Chu Yu stepped forward, her hands folded in front of her, slightly bowing her head. “The Second Young Madam has just experienced the pain of losing her husband and momentarily lost her senses. I hope Your Excellency can be understanding.”
Cao Yan’s gaze fell on Chu Yu. After examining her for a moment, he slowly said, “The eldest daughter of the Chu family? Married into the family, but haven’t met your husband yet, right?”
Hearing this, everyone’s expressions became uncomfortable. Even Xie Jiu, standing to the side, felt the biting insult.
However, Chu Yu’s expression remained unchanged, as if this was just an ordinary question. She calmly replied, “That’s correct.”
Cao Yan looked at Chu Yu, seeming to recall something, and smiled, “I’ve heard that the eldest daughter is intelligent and always knows how to read the situation. Does the eldest daughter know that the Wei family has now been found guilty? For criminals,” he raised his head, looking at the white mourning flowers in the Wei family’s memorial hall, and clicked his tongue, “Tsk tsk, to give them such dignity is inappropriate, isn’t it?”
“You…” Yao Jue could no longer hold back and suddenly spoke out, but was pulled back by Xie Jiu beside her. Xie Jiu lowered her voice, “Have you forgotten what your father and brothers said? Hold back. In the future, you and I will have no connection with the Wei family!”
Yao Jue pressed her lips together and turned her head away, not wanting to look anymore.
She wanted to leave, but for some reason, with Chu Yu standing there, she couldn’t move her feet.
Her gaze fell on Chu Yu, watching as Chu Yu calmly questioned Cao Yan, “Has the Wei family been convicted yet?”
Cao Yan’s expression changed slightly. Chu Yu continued, “If the case is still under investigation and they are not yet criminals, they have spent their lives fighting on the battlefield for the country. What’s wrong with them returning with dignity?”
“Young Madam, are you not understanding what I’m saying, or are you pretending not to understand?” Cao Yan spoke through gritted teeth. He suddenly moved closer to her, lowering his voice, “The Wei family now has no male heirs left, only a 14-year-old boy. Does the Chu eldest daughter intend to remain a widow for Wei Jun?”
Chu Yu raised her head, calmly looking at Cao Yan. Seeing her expression waver, Cao Yan continued, “You should know about the grudge between me and the Wei family. I am on good terms with your father. If you give me this face, I won’t embarrass you either.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu sighed lightly and slightly lowered her head.
“Since Your Excellency is on good terms with my father, please do me this favor and let my father-in-law and brothers-in-law be buried in peace.”
Cao Yan laughed coldly. He sat up, waved his hand behind him, and pointed at the coffins, “Smash them!”
Wei Qiu drew his sword, angrily shouting, “You dare!”
“A slave of a criminal, how dare you draw your sword?!” Cao Yan glared at Wei Qiu and said to the others, “Seize this insolent slave!”
“Lord Cao!” Chu Yu raised her voice. She stepped forward, standing in front of the coffins and Wei Qiu, staring at Cao Yan. “Does Lord Cao want to take things to the extreme?”
“So what if I do? What can you do about it?!”
“Lord Cao, if news of your actions today reaches the Emperor’s ears, what will you do?”
Hearing this, Cao Yan laughed out loud, “You think the Emperor still cares about the Wei family today?”
“Then you can try,” Chu Yu stood in front of the coffins, her gaze direct. “Today I stand here. If you want to touch my father and brothers’ coffins, you’ll have to step over my dead body.”
She folded her hands in her sleeves, her demeanor calm. “This concubine dares not raise a hand against Lord Cao. If Lord Cao wishes to kill or flay me, this concubine will comply.”
“It’s just a matter of,” Chu Yu’s gaze rested on Cao Yan, “how much Lord Cao thinks Chu Yu’s life is worth.”