Zhao Yue contemplated Gu Chusheng’s strategy. By sending Wei Yun to deal with Wang He, if Wei Yun sought an alliance with Wang He or used him to attack Zhao Yue, he wouldn’t harm Wang He’s foundation. This would provide a reason to punish Wei Yun. If Wei Yun did undermine Wang He’s foundation, then the threat from Wang He would be neutralized.
After considering Gu Chusheng’s plan, Zhao Yue looked up and sincerely said, “After all these years, you’re the only one who has remained truly loyal to me.”
Gu Chusheng’s expression remained unchanged, neither acknowledging nor rejecting Zhao Yue’s gratitude. He focused intently on the chessboard and simply said, “Your Majesty, it’s your move.”
While Gu Chusheng and Zhao Yue played chess, Wei Yun sent out letters to Chu Linyang and Song Shilan. Both were currently on the frontlines fighting enemies, likely observing the commotion in the capital. Wei Yun could roughly gauge Chu Linyang’s attitude, but Song Shilan…
In recent years, this man had stabilized the Song family, almost bringing it entirely under his control. Though still holding the title of heir apparent, he was undoubtedly the undisputed master of the Song family. He had always been a smiling tiger, grinning at everyone, but his true thoughts were difficult to fathom. Even Wei Yun couldn’t be certain of his intentions and could only attempt to sound him out.
After writing letters to these two, Wei Yun prepared to write to Wang He but suddenly paused. He frowned, thought for a moment, and then put down his brush, only sending out the two letters.
Having finished these tasks, he returned to his room. Chu Yu was writing a letter to Chu Linyang and looked puzzled when he entered, “You’re done already?”
“I didn’t write to Wang He,” Wei Yun said calmly as he knelt.
Chu Yu furrowed her brow, “Why not?”
“The news of Wang He declaring himself king must have reached the palace by now. Sister-in-law, what do you think Zhao Yue will do given his temperament?”
“Just tell me directly.”
“Zhao Yue will fear that I might ally with Wang He or secretly aid him.”
“That’s natural,” Chu Yu said, still unsure of Wei Yun’s point.
Wei Yun smiled, “If I were Zhao Yue, I couldn’t ignore either Wang He or Wei Yun. So why not simply send Wei Yun to attack Wang He? If he wins, the threat from Wang He is eliminated. If he loses, Wei Yun can be held accountable, which would also align with public sentiment. Sister-in-law, do you think Zhao Yue might do this?”
Hearing this, Chu Yu’s expression showed sudden realization. She immediately understood, “So if you were to send a letter to Wang He now and later become the commander, Wang He could use that letter to blackmail you?”
“Exactly,” Wei Yun said seriously. “So I shouldn’t write to Wang He now. I can only delay. If I can’t delay any longer, I’ll have to demand troops from Zhao Yue. After we take Lanzhou, we’ll occupy the land and become an undeclared King of An Lan.”
Surprised by Wei Yun’s decisiveness, Chu Yu paused for a moment before asking anxiously, “If you rebel, on what grounds will you do so?”
“During this visit, I found letters from Su Cha to Zhao Yue, which can prove Zhao Yue’s crime of colluding with the enemy. Add to that Zhao Yue’s heavy taxation in recent years under the guise of military pay to build a palace for the Princess, and many other matters… each one a crime in itself.”
“With these charges, I’ll then have Shen Wushuang step forward to accuse him.”
“Accuse him of what?”
“That he’s not the Crown Prince of Qin.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu froze. Wei Yun calmly continued, “The reason he survived back then was because Shen Wushuang’s brother prepared a body double for him. But who can say for certain whether he’s the body double or the real Crown Prince of Qin?”
Wei Yun took a sip of tea, his eyes showing a hint of mockery. “With real crimes and false rumors mixed, slandering someone becomes all too easy. We’ll then depose him on the grounds of the emperor’s lack of virtue and questionable bloodline.”
Chu Yu remained silent, quietly observing him.
The Wei Yun of the past would have wept with guilt for not going to battle. Now, he could calmly and skillfully speak of such dirty political tactics.
Looking at this version of Wei Yun, Chu Yu felt her heart constrict. She didn’t speak, but Wei Yun understood her meaning from her eyes.
“Sister-in-law, don’t be surprised,” he said, lowering his gaze. “People grow up.”
“I know…” Chu Yu’s voice was dry as she forced a bitter smile. “I’m not blaming you. I understand.”
It was just a pity.
Chu Yu sighed, and hearing her sigh, Wei Yun couldn’t help but clench his fist.
That night, as Chu Yu undid her hair, Wanyue remarked, “The young marquis has indeed grown up.”
Chu Yu acknowledged with a sound, then calmly said, “Keep an eye out for any good young ladies around the young marquis’s age.”
Despite her words, Chu Yu knew that Wei Yun’s former wife, Princess Qingping, had been an exceptional woman of her time. Not only was she beautiful and accomplished in the four arts, but she also wrote excellent essays. At just fifteen, she had shocked the entire Da Chu with a treatise on flood control. As the closed-door disciple of the divine physician Jiang Liu, she often traveled abroad, aiding disaster victims and commoners. Wei Yun had always respected her, and even after their marriage, wherever there was war or epidemic, the princess would appear to comfort the people. Because of this, Wei Yun’s reputation among the common people had always been extremely high.
Princess Qingping had been like a living bodhisattva, and finding a woman better than her would be no easy task.
However, Chu Yu didn’t know when where, or how Wei Yun and Princess Qingping would meet, so she could only casually look around. If they truly encountered someone better, it would be a fortunate thing.
Hearing Chu Yu’s instructions, Wanyue didn’t respond this time. Chu Yu looked up at her, somewhat puzzled. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Madam, I’ve always been confused,” Wanyue sighed. “Do you have no feelings for the young marquis?”
Wanyue said this while observing Chu Yu, seemingly ready to apologize at any moment.
Chu Yu was taken aback by Wanyue’s directness. She stared at the candlelight, pondering for a long while.
“He is a very important person to me.”
She spoke but said nothing more.
Hearing this, Wanyue understood Chu Yu’s meaning. Wei Yun was very important to her. But why he was important was a reason known only to Chu Yu herself.
If it was love, her heart had long since become like a dry well, unable to speak of love with this young man in his prime.
If it wasn’t love…
She didn’t know what it was either. Perhaps it was gratitude, perhaps it was familial affection. After all, in a person’s lifetime, there are many things besides romantic love.
However, after saying this, Chu Yu felt somewhat lost. As she lay down to sleep after washing up, she stared at the ceiling for a long time, feeling dazed before finally closing her eyes.
She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but in her hazy state, she dreamed of four years ago, during the Lantern Festival in Bei Di. That night, she and Wei Yun were on the rooftop watching thousands of lanterns rise into the sky. It should have been a beautiful scene, but in her dream, as she watched with open eyes, somehow the young Wei Yun leaned down and kissed her lips.
It was just a fleeting kiss, like a dragonfly touching water. He was too young, not even knowing what to do next.
So he just kissed her lips again and again, over and over.
In her dream, her breathing quickened, and then the scene suddenly changed to her wedding night when she was fifteen.
That night, she and Gu Chusheng were in a small, dilapidated courtyard. They had pasted up red paper cuttings and lit red candles. Gu Chusheng had insisted on spending what was then a fortune to buy mandarin duck pillows and bedding, with a red gauze curtain embroidered with the character for “joy.”
In the dream, she was as nervous as she had been in her youth, facing away from her partner. At first, he didn’t move either, but after a long while, he embraced her from behind.
His body was very warm, his chest broad. He reached out, wrapped his arm around her waist, and then his calloused hand covered her softness, gently kneading.
It wasn’t Gu Chusheng.
The moment he moved, Chu Yu suddenly realized this.
In the dream, she didn’t resist or move. She seemed to be under a spell, quietly feeling the man’s actions. Each step was very slow, without the initial pain she remembered. He entered her with great patience, kissing her protruding spine from behind during their moments of pleasure. His kisses were light as a dragonfly touching water, yet they made her arch her back. Her vision blurred as she gripped the quilt tightly, curling her toes.
She didn’t know who the man behind her was, nor did she want to know. She felt the immense pleasure washing over her like a tidal wave, until the final moment when she suddenly heard the man’s voice.
“Sister-in-law…”
At that instant, she felt as if a white light suddenly burst before her eyes. She abruptly awoke from the dream, opened her eyes to the darkness of night, and gasped for air.
Panic completely engulfed her as she became aware of the unusual state of her body. In the night, she slowly hugged herself.
She had gone mad.
She thought.
She must have gone mad.
How could she think of such things, how could she dream of such things, and at the end of the dream, how could he… how could he…
Chu Yu trembled as she got up from the bed, anxiously calling for Changyue, who was on night duty. Changyue was somewhat confused, “What’s wrong, Madam?”
“Prepare water…”
She steadied her mind before speaking, “I want to bathe.”
Changyue didn’t quite understand, but following Chu Yu’s orders, she went to prepare the bathtub for Chu Yu to cleanse herself.
After the water was ready, Chu Yu asked everyone to leave. She sat in the bathtub, feeling the water surround her, washing away all the traces left on her body from the dream.
In the water, she slowly calmed down, pondering the ins and outs of this matter.
However, after thinking for a long time, she thought.
She probably really did need a man.
And Wei Yun, in her heart, had become a man at some point without her realizing it.
Perhaps she had been thinking too much about Wei Yun’s feelings, and even in her dreams, she couldn’t help but have strange thoughts.
Chu Yu raised her hand and splashed water on her face, making herself more alert. She took a deep breath and pushed down all her thoughts.
After washing briefly, she stood up and was just putting on her clothes when she heard an announcement from outside, “Madam, Gu Chusheng is outside requesting an audience.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu frowned.
“Did he say what it’s about?”
“He said it’s an urgent matter concerning the Wang family.”
The reply came respectfully from outside. Chu Yu thought for a moment before finally saying, “Please ask him to wait in the main hall.”
With that, she got up and changed into her usual formal attire before walking out.
Arriving at the main hall, Gu Chusheng was already waiting there. He was sitting and drinking, looking somewhat haggard. When Chu Yu walked in, he looked up at her.
His gaze was indescribable, neither happy nor sad, just quietly watching with a hint of despair and dejection.
Chu Yu bowed to him, then knelt and said, “What brings Master Gu here so late?”
Gu Chusheng didn’t speak. He looked at her, raised his cup, and drained it in one gulp as if to gather courage.
At this moment, Wei Yun quietly approached the outside of the main hall. He stood by the window, leaning against the wall, listening to their conversation.
Gu Chusheng looked up at Chu Yu, staring at her as if making an extremely important decision.
Chu Yu met his gaze and said with a smile, “Master Gu?”
“I’ve been thinking for a long time,” he said hoarsely. “For a very long time. I finally decided to come.”
Chu Yu’s smile remained unchanged. Gu Chusheng stood up, walked unsteadily to Chu Yu, and crouched down. He took out a box from his bosom.
“A Yu,” he looked up at her, “I want to marry you.”