Despite his condition, Shen You still managed to follow behind Wei Yun. Wei Yun led him respectfully to the dungeon.
Once in the dungeon, Wei Yun gave a signal with his eyes. Wei Qiu stepped forward and thoroughly tied Shen You to a frame. Wei Yun sat down with a smile, looking at the defiant Shen You. He took a cup of tea from Wei Xia’s hands and said, “I never imagined Lord Shen would be such a character, able to escape from my Wei family’s dungeon with ease, and even rescue our Sixth Madam in the process.”
“You flatter me,” Shen You said stiffly. “I’m not like you effeminate Huajing men. If you want to kill me, just say the word.”
Wei Yun chuckled lightly and put down his teacup. He raised his hand, and Wei Xia brought over Shen You’s confession booklet. Wei Yun opened it and said, “I had intended to let this matter go, but discovering your impressive skills was quite a pleasant surprise. Lord Shen’s abilities…” Wei Yun’s gaze paused on a piece of supplementary information from the Wei family in the booklet.
It clearly stated, “Shen You disappeared on the seventh day of the ninth month. Su Cha has been searching everywhere, but his whereabouts remain unknown.”
The seventh day of the ninth month.
The eighth day of the ninth month was the day the Wei family was buried. Could this timing truly be a coincidence?
Wei Yun’s eyes turned cold. He looked up at Shen You, his voice notably chillier as he continued, “Yao Yong must have invested heavily in your training. If I were to let you go so hastily, it would be like releasing a tiger back to the mountains. Why don’t we make a deal?” Wei Yun leaned forward and said, “You tell me what you know, and I’ll let you go. I’ll even give you a new identity. How does that sound?”
“Lord Yao’s kindness to me is as weighty as a mountain. You can forget about it!” Shen You snorted coldly.
Wei Yun said nothing. He flipped through the booklet in his hands and spoke calmly, “You’re twenty-three this year. Twenty-four years ago, my Wei family abandoned Hua City. At that time, we didn’t have enough defenders. If we had continued to defend the city, we might have been annihilated. We could only protect most of the civilians and retreat.”
Then, Wei Yun slowly said, “I’m sorry.”
Shen You’s face turned cold. He remained silent as Wei Yun slowly raised his eyes to look at him, his gaze filled with a fury that seemed capable of tearing Shen You to pieces. “Twenty-four years ago, my Wei family wronged you. Now that you’ve taken your revenge, shouldn’t we settle the debt you owe to my Wei family?”
“How have I taken my revenge?” Shen You laughed coldly. Wei Yun stared at him, his eyes full of understanding. He smiled mockingly.
“Don’t you remember what happened at Baidi Valley on the eighth day of the ninth month?”
Hearing this, Shen You’s expression changed dramatically.
Wei Yun watched his reaction, his eyes seemingly concealing turbulent waves beneath a deep sea.
But he controlled himself, only gripping the armrest tightly under his sleeve.
In truth, he didn’t know the specifics, but his bluff had confirmed his suspicions. Shen You knew about what had happened back then, and even had a direct connection to it!
Wei Yun maintained a facade of calm as if he held all the cards. He spoke evenly, “I’ve looked at your background. Yao Yong spent a fortune to train you, allowing you to reach the high position of Scout Commander under the Second Prince of Beidi, Su Cha. Why did you suddenly retire from such a lofty position?”
“You disappeared from the battlefield before the Battle of Baidi Valley. Su Cha is still sending people to look for you. Don’t you know what you’ve done?”
Shen You remained silent.
He gradually calmed down, looking at Wei Yun, realizing that his momentary loss of composure had allowed Wei Yun to guess most of the story.
Seeing Shen You regain his composure, Wei Yun also knew he had missed his best opportunity.
He handed the booklet back to Wei Xia and said coldly, “Shen You, regardless of what deep grudge you hold against my Wei family, your actions in this matter… how are they any different from betraying the country?”
“I never intended to betray the country!” Shen You burst out suddenly.
Wei Yun looked at him and smiled mockingly. “You assisted Yao Yong in framing loyal and virtuous officials for your vendetta, causing the death of the entire family of the frontline commander at a critical moment. Such actions, and you still tell me this isn’t betraying the country?!”
Wei Yun could no longer contain himself. He suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at Shen You’s nose. “I never imagined you had such capabilities.”
Not until he saw Shen You’s skills.
Wei Yun knew all too well the cost of cultivating someone with such abilities. Why would such a spy return to Yao Yong’s side instead of staying in Beidi?
At first, Wei Yun couldn’t figure it out, but after seeing Shen You’s confession and the timing of his disappearance, Wei Yun suddenly realized—
There were only two possibilities for recalling such an expensively trained pawn: either Shen You could no longer be used in Beidi, or his purpose had been fulfilled.
But why did Shen You go to Beidi in the first place?
Given Yao Yong’s character, was it really for the sake of the country and its people that he cultivated such a spy to fight against Beidi?
Impossible. Yao Yong had never been that kind of person.
So it meant that on the seventh day of the ninth month, Shen You did something. This was Yao Yong’s goal, which forced him to leave Beidi.
Then on the eighth day of the ninth month, on the battlefield, the entire Wei family was wiped out.
Wei Yun closed his eyes, feeling his blood churning inside. His hand trembled slightly. He feared that if he looked at this man, he would want to kill him with one stroke of his sword.
Seeing Wei Yun’s state, Shen You remained silent.
After a long while, he finally said, “I really… didn’t betray the country.”
“Explain.”
Wei Yun clenched his fist, forcing out these two words.
Shen You didn’t speak. After a long time, he slowly said, “Actually, you’ve already guessed it all. Why do you still want me to say it? If I speak, it would be my disloyalty.”
“If you don’t speak, that’s your disloyalty and lack of righteousness!” Wei Yun shouted, “Disloyal to the country and unfaithful to people! Shen You, do you know why I’m asking you to speak? I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself! With my entire Wei family fallen to this state today, don’t you feel any guilt at all?!”
Shen You remained silent. Wei Yun’s sword qi grazed his face, but he didn’t move a muscle. He heard Wei Yun shout again, “Speak!”
“I owe an apology to the Wei family,” Shen You raised his eyes to look at Wei Yun, his expression calm. “But the Wei family also wronged my mother…”
Before he could finish, Wei Yun slapped him hard across the face. “I said the Wei family wronged you because that’s the standard we set for ourselves. But that’s not how the world works! My Wei family can feel remorse, but it’s not for you to reproach us!”
“Are you being reasonable?” Shen You laughed coldly. “You make a mistake and don’t allow others to speak of it?”
“Fine,” Wei Yun nodded, handing his sword to Wei Xia and picking up a whip. He said coldly, “If you want to talk about the ways of the world, then let me tell you about them!”
“Back then, when my Wei family was defending the city, we had only three thousand men against ten thousand enemies. Instead of abandoning the city immediately, we first evacuated the civilians and fought fiercely for a day and a night, protecting most of the civilians as they left the city. After one day, less than half of the three thousand soldiers remained. The remaining half escorted the civilians out of the city, and almost no civilians were harmed. Emotionally and rationally speaking, did my Wei family, as soldiers, fulfill our duty?”
“But you left my mother in the city…”
Before Shen You could finish his sentence, a whip lashed out fiercely, hitting him so hard that his head spun and his mouth filled with the taste of blood.
“What was my Wei family’s duty? It was to protect the country, not to guard your family alone! Haven’t you seen that battle yourself? If we had delayed any longer, they would have taken the city, the pursuing army would have caught up, and no one would have survived! Should everyone have waited to die together just to protect your mother and a few others?! Those fifteen hundred men were left to protect the other civilians from being harassed by stray soldiers on the road. And let me ask you this—”
Countless vicious thoughts surged in Wei Yun’s mind. He pointed the whip at Shen You and said, “In your heart, are the lives of civilians the only ones that matter? Don’t the lives of those soldiers fighting on the battlefield count?”
“There were only a few hundred people left in the city. For the sake of these few hundred, should my Wei family’s soldiers have died to the very last man? Is that justice? And why didn’t those people leave the city in time? Don’t you know the reasons yourself? Some went back for their money, some went back to find people, some were hiding and unwilling to leave…”
“And even if,” Wei Yun’s voice gradually lowered, “even if my Wei family made a mistake in this battle, how could it justify what happened?”
Shen You lowered his head, not daring to look at him. He heard the young man’s hoarse voice say, “How could it justify seventy thousand soldiers being buried in the valley, never to return?”
The room fell silent. Wei Yun looked at Shen You and said tiredly, “Shen You, if you had even a shred of conscience, you shouldn’t have done this.”
“I… didn’t intend for this to happen.”
Shen You slowly closed his eyes. “Wei Yun, although I resented the Wei family, I never wanted them to end up like this.”
“Yes, I provided the information,” Shen You took a deep breath and opened his eyes as if he had made some kind of decision. “I learned that Beidi planned to set an ambush in Baidi Valley, pretending to be defeated troops luring you into pursuit. Then they would ambush with a hundred thousand troops in Baidi Valley. So I gave a note with this information. But I don’t know what happened. Even though I had given the information, your father still pursued them the next day… still…”
Shen You pressed his lips together and gritted his teeth, “I don’t know if I was wrong in this matter. I don’t know why General Wei left the city to pursue the enemy, but Wei Yun, I never intended to harm your family.”
Hearing this, Wei Yun said nothing.
He looked at Shen You, listening as he continued, “I received the information and passed it to Lord Yao. I thought you would have some way to handle it. Once Su Cha failed to ambush you, I feared I would be exposed, so I fled overnight and returned to Lord Yao’s army.”
“However, everything happened beyond my expectations, but that was also beyond my control.”
“Did Yao Yong do nothing?” Wei Yun asked coldly. Shen You’s eyes filled with mockery, “Do you think I would know?”
Wei Yun was stumped by Shen You’s retort.
He fell silent. Shen You’s question was right; how could he possibly know what Yao Yong had done?
Wei Yun said no more. He turned around, leaving only the words “Watch him closely” before departing.
Wei Yun returned to the surface and hurried to the birthing room where Wang Lan was in labor. At the door, he saw Jiang Chun supporting Liu Xueyang, standing with Chu Yu, their faces full of anxiety.
There was no sound from inside, which made people even more uneasy.
Liu Xueyang kept asking, “Will there be any problems?”
Jiang Chun comforted Liu Xueyang at her side, and Liu Xueyang managed to calm down a bit.
Wei Yun walked up to Chu Yu’s side and asked, “How is Sixth Sister-in-law?”
“No news is good news,” Chu Yu wasn’t too worried and smiled, saying, “Let’s just wait.”
As she spoke, Chu Yu noticed the bloodstains on the hem of Wei Yun’s clothes. He always wore plain white clothes now, so blood stains were particularly noticeable. Chu Yu asked with some confusion, “Weren’t you just going to ask a few casual questions? Why did you suddenly use force?”
“Hm?” Wei Yun looked down at the hem of his clothes, then said casually, “I found out some things. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Chu Yu was currently preoccupied with Wang Lan and didn’t have the mind to pursue the matter further.
By evening, Wang Lan had finally given birth successfully. The midwife came out holding a baby, smiling as she said to Liu Xueyang, “Congratulations, Madam. It’s a little princess!”
Liu Xueyang carefully took the baby, while Chu Yu went in first. She saw Wang Lan still lying on the bed, the room filled with the smell of blood. She walked over to the doctor and asked, “Is the Sixth Madam alright?”
“In reply to the First Madam, the Sixth Madam is not in any serious condition.”
“Ah Yu…”
Wang Lan’s voice came from the bed. Chu Yu hurried over, crouched down, and said, “I’m here. What is it?”
“That hero,” Wang Lan said weakly, “is he alright?”
Hearing Wang Lan ask about Shen You, Chu Yu was taken aback and hesitated for a moment. “He should be… fine, I think?”
“I feel he’s a good person…” Wang Lan looked at Chu Yu and said softly, “If he hasn’t committed any major offense, please tell Xiao Qi to let it go…”
Chu Yu smiled, “You focus on recovering. Don’t worry about these things. I’ll talk to Xiao Qi about it.”
Hearing this, Wang Lan nodded, somewhat relieved.
Seeing that Wang Lan was also tired, Chu Yu let her sleep. Liu Xueyang brought the baby in and gently placed it beside her. Chu Yu asked Jiang Chun and Liu Xueyang to stay with them, then left.
At the door, Wei Yun was still waiting. Chu Yu saw his worried expression and said, “Everything’s fine, don’t worry.”
Wei Yun nodded, his brow relaxing considerably. The two walked casually along the corridor, not knowing where they were headed. Chu Yu pondered and asked, “What did that Shen You do to provoke you into taking action personally?”
Wei Yun didn’t speak. There was much weighing on him, but he couldn’t say it. Chu Yu sensed his unusual mood and frowned, “Is something wrong?”
“I finally understand,” Wei Yun controlled his tone, trying to speak calmly, “why Father sent out troops back then.”
Chu Yu suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. Wei Yun stood in the corridor, his expression calm, and slowly began to speak: “Shen You told you that he was a spy Yao Yong planted in Beidi. On the seventh day of the ninth month, he learned in advance that Beidi would pretend to be defeated to lure my father out of the city, then have my father pursue them, and set up an ambush in Baidi Valley. So he sent a message to Yao Yong, telling him to be prepared.”
Chu Yu nodded and guessed, “Yao Yong didn’t tell your father?”
“He did tell him.” Wei Yun’s expression held a hint of mockery. “If Yao Yong hadn’t told my father about this if they hadn’t devised a plan that required my father to leave the city in pursuit, how could my father, who had been cautious all his life, possibly have known it was a trap and still pursued?”
“Then…” Chu Yu thought for a moment, then slowly said, “Could it be that Yao Yong and your father discussed using the enemy’s plan against them, but in the end, Yao Yong abandoned your father…”
Chu Yu didn’t continue.
Applying such political machinations to soldiers was truly too cruel.
Hearing this, Wei Yun still shook his head.
“Do you remember the final battle report for Baidi Valley? How many against how many?”
“Two hundred thousand against seventy thousand?”
Chu Yu recalled seriously. Wei Yun reminded her, “But Shen You said he received information that there were a hundred thousand troops ambushed in Baidi Valley.”
Chu Yu was slightly stunned. Shen You said there were a hundred thousand troops in Baidi Valley, but the final battle report stated two hundred thousand were ambushed there. Either Shen You was lying, or the person who counted was lying. And Wei Yun was on the battlefield at that time. To count a hundred thousand as two hundred thousand right under his nose after a battle seemed unlikely.
“There were nearly a hundred thousand Beidi corpses in Baidi Valley at that time,” Wei Yun said calmly. “So Shen You’s numbers are incorrect.”
“So he lied?”
“Do you know what kind of person Su Cha is?”
Wei Yun suddenly turned the conversation to the Second Prince of Beidi, Su Cha. Chu Yu thought for a moment, quickly recalling the relationships within the Beidi royal family.
This Su Cha was the Second Prince but was born to a concubine. His mother was sentenced to death for an offense when he was young, and he was subsequently raised by the Empress, groomed as the right-hand man of the Sixth Prince – Crown Prince Su Hui.
However, Su Cha’s abilities were too outstanding. By the time Su Hui ascended the throne, Su Cha had already become a powerful force in his own right, fully capable of establishing his kingdom. But he remained loyal, so the brothers hadn’t developed any rifts yet.
“You may not have faced him in battle, but Su Cha is extremely astute. Think about it, Shen You was born in Hua City, how could Su Cha trust him so much? And what was Shen You’s role under Su Cha? Just a vanguard officer. How could a mere vanguard officer know about the plan to ambush our troops? And know it so precisely, even down to the exact number of troops?”
“If Shen You didn’t betray the country, then Su Cha must have deliberately set this up.”
Chu Yu understood Wei Yun’s words and frowned.
Wei Yun’s expression remained calm: “Yao Yong was probably also deceived by Su Cha. This military campaign was likely because Yao Yong received information that the Crown Prince was eager for success, believing this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and then had Yao Yong and my father use the enemy’s plan against them. At that time, Yao Yong secretly hid ninety thousand troops in Bai City, so he set up an ambush in Baidi Valley in advance. The Wei family army had thirty thousand troops in the city and seventy thousand to meet the enemy. They thought that with our Wei family’s elite troops, plus Yao Yong’s hundred and forty thousand soldiers against the enemy’s hundred thousand, it should have been a total annihilation. Who would have thought that the information was wrong from the very beginning.”
As he spoke, Wei Yun slowly closed his eyes, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and said hoarsely, “When my father and brothers were trapped in the valley, they discovered it wasn’t a hundred thousand troops, but a full two hundred thousand.”
“And Yao Yong knew that the entire military strength of Bai City added up to only a hundred and ninety thousand. If this battle were to be fought head-on, he feared that not many of his ninety thousand troops would survive.”
Chu Yu understood the situation Wei Yun envisioned and completed Yao Yong’s thoughts for him. After speaking, she quietly observed Wei Yun.
In his previous life, Wei Yun had been able to turn the tide in a desperate situation without anyone’s help, taking Yao Yong’s head to the palace and forcing the Emperor to posthumously honor the Wei family, showing his exceptional intelligence and skill.
Later, his achievements in both civil and military affairs were not due to luck.
However, knowing something is one thing, but now Wei Yun was beside her, always appearing pure and harmless. For a long time, she even thought he was like a docile house dog, at most baring his teeth when unhappy, even a bit foolish.
But at this moment, Chu Yu realized that this person could hardly be described as “foolish”.
Merely based on Shen You’s confession and battlefield observations, he could piece together the original picture from these fragments of information.
When everyone heard about Shen You’s situation, their first reaction was that Yao Yong was problematic and that Yao Yong hadn’t told Wei Zhong.
But he could figure out that Yao Yong not only told Wei Zhong but also prepared a strategy. At the beginning of this affair, no one intended to betray the country or their family.
It was just that later, everyone walked their path, and due to their personalities, were “forced” onto different roads.
And he was only fifteen years old now.
Chu Yu quietly looked at Wei Yun, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Wei Yun hadn’t opened his eyes. His hands, hidden in his sleeves, trembled slightly, but he continued to speculate: “He was always cowardly. When things went beyond expectations, he was probably scared out of his wits. Moreover, the Wei family army had no connection with him at all. With my father and brothers dead, he could become the Marshal from then on.”
So this situation, perhaps unintentional at the start.
However, when it reached that point, for Yao Yong there were only two outcomes—
Either face punishment along with the Crown Prince, bearing the blame for the massive losses in this battle.
Or, stationed on the mountain, watch with his own eyes as the Wei family was annihilated in Baidi Valley, then provide some token rescue at the last moment, pretending to have rushed from Qingzhou, arriving in a surprise attack.
The soldiers below didn’t know what had happened, in the chaos of battle, they only knew to charge when ordered to charge and stop when ordered to stop.
It wasn’t that Yao Yong didn’t fight, but what was the point of fighting after the entire Wei family had fallen?
From beginning to end, this war was a secret conspiracy between the Crown Prince, Yao Yong, and Wei Zhong. With Wei Zhong dead, no one else would know.
And since the palace was full of the Crown Prince and Yao Yong’s eyes and ears, Wei Zhong’s letters might not even reach the Emperor’s hands.
The Emperor could only guess based on his intuition that the Crown Prince was overly ambitious, letting the Wei family take the blame, but he could never imagine that Yao Yong, out of concern for his troops and fear of the Emperor’s reproach, would use seventy thousand lives to cover up his incompetence!
It was these layers of protective coloring that emboldened Yao Yong.
And it was precisely because of this that if Shen You hadn’t revealed what happened at the time, everyone would probably have only guessed that Yao Yong had shifted the responsibility for this battle onto Wei Zhong.
If Wei Yun hadn’t personally surveyed the terrain, recognizing the types of horses to deduce Yao Yong’s presence at the time, even Shen You himself might not have known how his information had been used.
Everyone could understand Yao Yong letting the Wei family take the blame and shifting responsibility, but they couldn’t imagine that this wasn’t just about shifting responsibility. These seventy thousand people shouldn’t have died at all, this battle could have been won!
If Yao Yong had fought with all his might, sparing no troops, and resisted to the death alongside the Wei family, nineteen万 against twenty万, with the Wei family’s seven万 men displaying the valor to kill a hundred thousand, how could they not have won?!
Wei Yun gritted his teeth, but couldn’t stop the sweet taste of blood in his throat, his lips trembling slightly.
Chu Yu noticed something was wrong and asked worriedly, “Xiao Qi…”
“I’m fine.”
Wei Yun’s eyes were full of coldness. He clenched his fists and said in a trembling voice, “Sister-in-law, I’m fine.”
How could this be fine?
Chu Yu looked at him, her heart filled with countless sympathies.
Wei Yun raised his eyes and saw her gaze. For some reason, he suddenly felt very embarrassed. He turned away and said in a hoarse voice, “I want to be alone for a while. I’ll go first.”
“Let me keep you company.”
Chu Yu quickly spoke up. Wei Yun stopped in his tracks.
He didn’t turn around, his back to her, the young man’s figure particularly desolate.
“Sister-in-law…” his voice was tired, “Some paths are destined to be walked alone.”
“No one can accompany me.”
Wei Yun slowly raised his eyes, looking towards the end of the corridor where the four large characters “Eternal Glory” were written.
That was the Wei family ancestral hall. The doors of the hall were now open, candles lit on the offering table, their flickering light reflecting off the names on the memorial tablets.
Wei Yun looked at their names and spoke slowly: “And no one should accompany me.”
These paths are so bitter, so dirty, so difficult, why drag others down with him, to roll together in this muddy world?
After speaking, Wei Yun walked briskly towards the ancestral hall, then with a loud “boom”, closed the great doors.
Chu Yu stood in the corridor, her gaze slowly moving upward to see the black characters with gold outlines—
Eternal Glory.
Chu Yu looked at those four characters, silent for a long time. Chang Yue didn’t understand: “Madam, what are you looking at?”
Chu Yu didn’t speak. Wan Yue draped a cloak over Chu Yu’s shoulders and said gently, “Madam, everything will pass.”
“Things will pass,” Chu Yu turned her head and sighed softly, “I just feel heartache.”
“In this life,” Chu Yu said sincerely, “I’ve never felt such heartache for someone before.”
She hadn’t felt such heartache for Gu Chusheng in her previous life, because she always felt that Gu Chusheng would never fall, no pain would reach him, no difficulty would hinder him.
In this life, Wei Yun, although he was much like the young Gu Chusheng, both with families in distress, both standing up on their own, when Chu Yu looked at him, stumbling all the way, when he said “Some paths are destined to be walked alone”, her heart suddenly ached.
She felt pity for this person.
This was the first time Chu Yu realized that the emotions she had invested in this child had long surpassed what she thought was a moral obligation and a sense of responsibility.
She sighed, stepped forward, and placed her hand on the door frame. After a long while, she finally just said, “Xiao Qi.”
The person inside didn’t respond. He knelt on the prayer mat, removed his jade crown, and calmly looked at those memorial tablets.
He felt as if those were all pairs of eyes, watching him, scrutinizing him, demanding that he straighten his back and remember this national hatred and family grudge in his heart.
The world under the gaze of these eyes was cold, cruel as such.
However, at this moment, it was as if someone had come through the winter night’s snow, carrying a warm tangerine lantern.
As she arrived, light fell upon the heavens and earth, melting ice and snow into spring streams, blending the night’s hue with the bright moon.
She stood outside the door and said softly, “Xiao Qi, don’t be sad. Even though your father and brother are gone, you still have me.”
“Sister-in-law is here with you. Don’t be afraid, alright?”
Wei Yun remained silent, gazing at the flickering lamplight that illuminated Wei Jun’s name.
He felt as if his elder brother stood before him, yet there was something different. This difference left him speechless, unsure of why. He could only straighten his back, close his eyes, and remain silent.
Chu Yu waited for a while. Hearing no response from inside, she sighed and said, “I’ll go now. Come back soon, it’s cold in the ancestral hall. Don’t catch a chill.”
After speaking, she turned and headed back to her room.
Only when her footsteps had completely faded did Wei Yun’s heart finally calm.
Chu Yu had been worried that Wei Yun was too distraught to recover quickly. She stayed up all night, constantly inquiring about Wei Yun’s condition. Only when Wei Yun finally fell asleep did she breathe a sigh of relief and allow herself to rest.
The next morning, Chu Yu hurried to find Wei Yun. The sun was out, and the morning light was pleasant. As she approached, she saw Wei Yun crouching in front of the long corridor, feeding a cat.
At some point, he had begun to emulate the style of those noble young masters in Hua Jing, wearing an elaborately ornate wide-sleeved robe and a finely carved jade crown.
As he lowered his head to play with the cat, his sleeves brushed the ground. He stroked the cat’s fur, and the creature seemed quite attached to him, nuzzling against his hand.
Seeing Wei Yun like this, Chu Yu immediately felt relieved. She approached and said, “You seem to be in a better mood today?”
“Thank you for your concern, Sister-in-law,” Wei Yun smiled. “I’m doing reasonably well.”
“Have you come to terms with it?”
Chu Yu stood behind him. He stood up, cradling the cat, and they walked together towards the dining hall.
As they walked, Wei Yun said, “There’s nothing to come to terms with. What’s happened has happened. I simply understand now how they passed away, and I’m a bit sad, that’s all.”
“Yao Yong won’t have a good end,” Chu Yu clumsily comforted him. In her previous life, Yao Yong’s head had been brought to the imperial study by Wei Yun.
Hearing this, Wei Yun smiled gently. “Yes, I believe so.”
“Xiao Qi…” Chu Yu hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “Although what Yao Yong did was very wrong, I still hope you won’t be influenced by him. There are still more good people in this world.”
“What are you trying to say, Sister-in-law?” Wei Yun stroked the cat, already understanding Chu Yu’s meaning, but still pretending not to know.
Chu Yu sighed. “I’m afraid you might go down the wrong path.”
In her previous life, it was hard to say whether Wei Yun was good or bad.
He killed without mercy, once massacring a city to intimidate enemy troops. His methods toward his enemies could never be considered righteous.
However, on the other hand, he supported the northern border of Da Chu for twelve years, guarding the safety of Da Chu. He acted with integrity and honor towards those who treated him well.
But if possible, Chu Yu still hoped that titles like “living hell” would not be associated with Wei Yun.
He was originally a young general, why should he become a villain?
Wei Yun heard Chu Yu’s words and slowly smiled.
“Don’t worry, Sister-in-law,” his hand fell on the cat, stroking its smooth fur. “A person’s life is nothing but cultivation. To seek transcendence, one must first enter the mortal world. To see great sorrow, great suffering, and great evil in the mortal realm, yet still maintain one’s original heart without betrayal, that is true great goodness.”
“I think all I’ve experienced is just cultivation.” Wei Yun bent down, placing the cat on the ground. “Once I’ve walked through it, it will be perfect. So I’m not in a hurry.”
“I won’t go down the wrong path, Sister-in-law. Don’t worry.”
There are bright lamps on the path; even if the mortal world blinds one’s eyes, one can still follow the light.
But Wei Yun wouldn’t say these things. He slowly realized that some words perhaps shouldn’t be spoken.
Seeing that Wei Yun had come to terms with things, Chu Yu felt relieved. After chatting with Wei Yun for a bit, she went to see Wang Lan.
When she arrived, Wang Lan was writing something in bed. Chu Yu rolled up the curtain and entered with a smile, saying, “What are you writing?”
“I heard that the brave warrior who saved me is imprisoned in the dungeon. He’s considered a dangerous person. But he did save me, and since I couldn’t rescue him, I thought I’d send him some good food. It’s the least I can do to repay his kindness.”
As she spoke, Wang Lan pursed her lips, looking somewhat embarrassed. “I’m writing a note to explain that this is a meal to repay his kindness, so he doesn’t need to worry.”
Chu Yu listened and nodded casually. “That’s nice.”
Chu Yu understood Wei Yun’s reasons for imprisoning Shen You. Most likely, it couldn’t be blamed on Shen You. Keeping him locked up now was probably just a precaution in case Wei Yun’s judgment was wrong.
Since Wang Lan wanted to send food, Chu Yu offered to help her deliver it.
Wang Lan had prepared not only food but also a note that read: “Benefactor, I am deeply grateful for your rescue. I have prepared this meal specially. I hope you will accept it with a smile.”
Shen You took the note and sneered, saying to Chu Yu, “Help me give her a message. Knowing that her benefactor is wrongfully imprisoned and not coming to rescue him, but trying to appease him with a good meal – does she take me for a beggar?! It’s her responsibility that I can’t escape, she must take responsibility for me!”
Chu Yu felt somewhat helpless. Shen You thought for a moment and said, “Oh, you probably won’t deliver that message. Bring me paper and a brush, I’ll write to her. She must reply on the paper that she’s read it!”
Chu Yu: “…”
She didn’t want to get tangled up with Shen You any further, so she just went along with what he said, quickly delivered the meal, and returned the message to Wang Lan.
When Wang Lan saw the message, she burst into tears, crying, “I didn’t mean to… How can he blame me for his imprisonment? I didn’t make him commit any crimes, why should I take responsibility for this?”
Chu Yu: “…”
She felt that only Shen You could understand Wang Lan’s logic.
The two continued to argue through meal deliveries and notes, and eventually, the content of the notes mysteriously became private.
By this time, spring had arrived, and the Emperor finally lost patience and forced the Song family to send troops. Song Shilan refused, but Song Wenchang was full of anger from insulting the enemy at the front lines.
Chu Yu calculated the timing and realized it should be around the time when Song Wenchang would be trapped. This was the best opportunity to kill him. If Song Wenchang led troops alone and got trapped, he would have died long ago if not for Song Shilan’s constant help due to his father’s orders. How could he have held out for a month until Chu Lingyang came to the rescue?
However, this time was different. Song Shilan had received support from Wei Yun. Even if he took Song Wenchang’s life and his father made a fuss, Wei Yun would give him troops to directly confront his father.
Therefore, Song Shilan no longer feared his father and Song Wenchang lost his value of protection.
Without Song Shilan protecting Song Wenchang, even if Song Shilan didn’t act, Song Wenchang probably wouldn’t last more than a few days.
And all of this happened even faster than Chu Yu had anticipated.
On the day spring arrived, news came from the border that Song Wenchang was trapped.
Chu Yu received the news in the morning, and by afternoon, Chu Jin had come to find her.
Chu Yu knew what she wanted to say and had her let in. She saw Chu Jin’s hurried expression, her eyes full of panic.
“Sister…” She was completely flustered. “I heard that Young Master Song is trapped on the battlefield. Sister, is Young Lord Wei here? Please, go and beg Young Lord Wei to save Young Master Song!”
Hearing Chu Jin mention Wei Yun, Chu Yu was slightly startled. She put down her teacup and sighed, “Ah Jin, matters on the battlefield aren’t subject to your whims. If you’re worried that something happening to Young Master Song might affect your marriage prospects, you needn’t worry about that…”
“What kind of person do you think I am?!” Chu Jin raised her voice. “Do you think I only care about his status and position?!”
Chu Yu was stunned by Chu Jin’s shout. Chu Jin pressed her lips together tightly. “Sister, people’s hearts are made of flesh. I know he treats me well.”
“Sister,” she knelt, “I’m begging you, please save him.”
Chu Yu didn’t speak for a long time. Finally, she slowly said, “People’s hearts are indeed made of flesh, and I know Wei Yun treats me well too. Since I know this, how could I let him take such a risk? Do you not understand why Xiao Qi is still in Hua Jing?”
These words made Chu Jin’s face turn pale. Chu Yu calmly continued, “Ah Jin, if you want to save him, you can go save him yourself. I won’t oppose that. But if you go to save him, don’t drag others into it. If you truly have feelings and righteousness, then go to his side. Begging others to sacrifice for you, what’s that about?”
Speaking thus, Chu Yu felt somewhat tired. She stood up. “That’s all I have to say. I’ll take my leave now.”
Chu Jin knelt on the ground, watching Chu Yu walk away, her body trembling slightly.
She gritted her teeth, and after a long while, she stood up and resolutely walked out.
As soon as she left the Wei mansion, Chu Yu called out her hidden guards and calmly instructed, “If she goes to find the young master, as soon as she gets close to Luo Prefecture, stop her. Keep her detained until this battle is over, then release her.”
“If necessary,” Chu Yu closed her eyes, “using some extraordinary measures is not out of the question.”
Mini-theater
Mo Shubai: Shen You and other characters have complained that your script is too unique. What do you think about this issue?
Shen You: I always feel out of place because I’m not psychotic enough.
Wei Jun: Brother, come here. I’ll personally give you a beating.
Chu Yu: Please hit hard.
Gu Chusheng: I’ll lend him money for medical expenses after the beating, at 4 times the interest rate.
Wang Lan: Why are you treating the great hero like this? whimpers
Jiang Chun: I’m good, living a peaceful life.
Liu Xueyang: Should I cry… or should I not cry…