King Wei was the only non-royal king in the Great Chu dynasty. His ancestors were like brothers who grew up together with the founding emperor of Great Chu, supporting each other. During the reign of the first emperor, he promised the Wei family that they could claim as much land as they could conquer south of Mingxiu City. The Wei family conquered half of Huizhou, and the emperor granted them that territory, bestowing upon them the title of non-royal kings, which has been passed down through generations.
The relationship between the Wei family and the imperial court had never been close, but it was always respectful. They never failed to pay their annual tributes and excelled in all aspects of governance. Due to their strong military presence in the extreme south, the Wei territory remained peaceful even during the years of turmoil in Great Chu.
King Wei’s unprecedented journey to the north this time was a significant gesture. Chu Yu couldn’t discern King Wei’s intentions. Her gaze lingered on Wei Qingping’s name for a moment before she continued reading the list without comment, her expression unchanged.
As she scanned through the list, Chu Yu suddenly noticed a name: Gu Zichu.
Chu Yu frowned slightly. Zichu was Gu Chusheng’s courtesy name, given to him by his father. Later, his teacher bestowed upon him the courtesy name “Guiping,” meaning “bringing peace to the world.” He had always used Guiping in public, so this name Zichu…
Chu Yu looked up at Wei Xia and asked, “Who is this Gu Zichu?”
“He’s from the household of Grand Scholar Gu in Huajing,” Wei Xia replied, lowering her head.
After Wei Yun left the capital, Gu Chusheng joined the cabinet and was now known as Grand Scholar Gu.
Chu Yu lowered her gaze, formulating a plan in her mind. She realized that this was likely Gu Chusheng coming in person.
But why was Gu Chusheng coming?
She was puzzled.
Nevertheless, all necessary preparations had to be made. She finished reviewing the guest list and went through the entire ceremony procedure. Finding no major issues, she dismissed the staff.
A few days later, all the guests arrived. Chu Lingyang, Song Shilan, and King Wei all arrived on the same afternoon. After Chu Yu reported these important guests to Wei Yun, he glanced at the guest list and unexpectedly remarked, “Princess Qingping is coming too?”
Chu Yu’s expression remained unchanged as she nodded, “She’s accompanying her father.”
Wei Yun acknowledged this and after a moment of thought, said, “I’ll personally go to receive them.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu unconsciously clenched her fists. However, she maintained her composure and calmly replied, “I’ll make the arrangements.”
Wei Yun looked up at her and softened his tone, “Don’t overexert yourself.”
“It’s all part of my duty,” Chu Yu responded, her expression neutral. She then looked at Wei Yun and added, “You too, don’t tire yourself out.”
Hearing Chu Yu’s words of concern, the slight unease in Wei Yun’s heart dissipated. He smiled and nodded, “I’ll follow your instructions.”
Chu Yu nodded, “Then I’ll take my leave.”
Watching Chu Yu’s retreating figure, Wei Yun furrowed his brow. However, with so many matters to attend to, he couldn’t dwell on it. That night, when he came to her side, he softly asked, “You seem distracted lately. Would you like to tell me what’s bothering you?”
Chu Yu sighed lightly, “Perhaps I’m just tired. It’ll be better after this period passes.”
Wei Yun thought for a moment, then pulled her into his embrace. He sighed softly, “I’m sorry for burdening you.”
Chu Yu, with her back to him, replied flatly, “It’s my duty.”
Wei Yun fell silent, simply holding her. He couldn’t understand why it felt as if all her passion had suddenly cooled. He felt a pang in his heart but reasoned that with so many responsibilities, she must indeed be exhausted. After some consideration, he raised his hand to massage her head, whispering, “Does this help?”
Chu Yu, feeling his careful attempts to please her, sighed with resignation.
In truth, how could she blame him for the matters weighing on her mind? Even if King Wei’s status wasn’t special, and even if he were of ordinary rank since Wei Yun and Princess Qingping were old acquaintances, what was wrong with him going to receive an old friend? Moreover, her brother and Song Shilan were also arriving tomorrow. By all accounts, it was only proper for Wei Yun to receive the guests.
If she hadn’t known that Princess Qingping would later become his wife and bear him a son, she probably wouldn’t have reacted this way. But was this Wei Yun’s fault?
No, it wasn’t.
The fault lay with her.
A man as good as Wei Yun and a woman as admirable as Princess Qingping were a perfect match, both in talent and status. They might have even been deeply in love in the past. It was she who had intruded, usurping another’s place.
Chu Yu unconsciously gripped the blanket tighter, feeling a surge of bitterness, hardship, and guilt.
She turned to face him, resting her forehead against his chest. Wei Yun chuckled, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she replied, her voice slightly nasal. “I just feel that you’re too good for me, that I don’t deserve you.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Wei Yun laughed, reaching out to turn her face towards him. “Let me see, have you been crying like a little cat?”
Chu Yu struggled, not letting him see her face. Wei Yun thought seriously for a moment, “Tell me, what suddenly made you think this way?”
“So many guests have arrived,” Chu Yu said, sniffling, avoiding mentioning Wei Qingping. “All of them are nobles and ladies, young and beautiful, matching your status, with gentle and charming dispositions. I’ve been married before, I’m older, and my temper isn’t good…”
“Stop, stop, stop,” Wei Yun raised his hand to interrupt her, feeling a headache coming on. He rubbed his temples, pleading, “My dear, who’s been filling your head with such nonsense?”
Chu Yu mumbled, “I thought of it myself.”
“Oh, so you, a high-ranking lady who single-handedly defended Fengling Pass and led a thousand-mile expedition to defeat the Northern Di, you’re just sitting here thinking about these things?” Wei Yun asked incredulously.
Hearing this, Chu Yu suddenly became annoyed. She abruptly raised her head to glare at him, “So you do think I’m not gentle enough and don’t know proper etiquette!”
Wei Yun: “…”
There was no good way to respond to this. They stared at each other, wide-eyed. Wei Yun, seeing her tear-filled eyes glaring at him, felt a bit embarrassed and turned away, “Well, you weren’t particularly gentle or well-versed in etiquette before either… It’s not like this is something new…”
Chu Yu: “…”
However, this exchange made Chu Yu realize she was being somewhat unreasonable.
She didn’t say anything more, just turned her back to Wei Yun and mumbled, “Let’s sleep.”
“Alright, alright,” Wei Yun tried to pull her back, “Don’t be angry. Listen, all those things you mentioned – being young and beautiful, matching in status, having a gentle disposition – none of that matters.”
“Chu Yu,” Wei Yun embraced her from behind, his voice softening, “All those things you mentioned, I’ve seen them all in the four years you were gone. But Chu Yu, no one else has been there for me, walking alongside me, starting from the most difficult time in my life. Everyone in this world is good in their way; it just depends on whether you meet them at the right time. I’ve given all the love I have in this lifetime to you. I have none left to give to anyone else.”
“And you’re not nearly as flawed as you say. If you were that bad, why would Gu Chusheng still be so fixated on you after all these years?”
Mentioning this made Wei Yun a bit uncomfortable, but he had always been a forthright person, so he admitted, “Gu Chusheng is indeed one of the most outstanding young talents in Huajing. Although I spoke poorly of him when I deliberately humiliated him, he truly excels in every aspect. If you were not good enough, do you think we’d all be blind?”
Hearing these words, Chu Yu felt a bit dazed.
“It’s not like that…” she sighed lightly, but then stopped herself from saying more.
How could she explain to Wei Yun that Gu Chusheng didn’t like her? He was only so persistent because he couldn’t have her.
Back when he could easily have her, where was this persistence? He had despised her then, avoiding her at all costs.
In her entire life, no one but Wei Yun had ever truly liked her. And even with Wei Yun, this affection might be mixed with many other things. Perhaps gratitude, habit, even desire – there could be so many components to this feeling.
Chu Yu suppressed her tumultuous thoughts and didn’t say more. Wei Yun tightened his embrace and said softly, “Really, I’m not lying to you.”
“You’re wonderful, worthy of anyone’s affection.”
Such words were mere comfort, Chu Yu thought, suppressing her feelings. Not wanting her emotions to disturb Wei Yun further, she softly responded with an “Mm,” and said nothing more.
The next day, Chu Yu led a group to receive guests at the city gate. The day after tomorrow would be the grand ceremony for conferring the title of king, and guests were arriving one after another. Most of the arrivals were people of high status, so to show proper etiquette, Chu Yu began welcoming guests right from the city gate.
By noon, the sun had risen high. Although the autumn sun wasn’t harsh, standing for so long had made Chu Yu feel dizzy and lightheaded. A carriage from Huajing stopped at the gate. The occupant hadn’t brought many attendants and simply handed out an invitation card.
Chu Yu, her mind foggy, had just taken the card and was about to say the customary polite words when she felt her vision darken and her head spin.
She swayed slightly, and then heard a familiar voice say, “Careful!”
When her vision cleared, Chu Yu looked up to see Gu Chusheng, dressed in blue-green formal attire, standing on the carriage. With a worried expression, he grasped her wrist to steady her.
The surrounding crowd turned to look. Most were nobles and officials, and a few sharp-eyed individuals who had been to Huajing immediately recognized the newcomer. Their gazes lingered on Chu Yu’s wrist, seeming to understand something.
Chu Yu regained her composure and gracefully withdrew her hand. She smiled and said, “Grand Scholar Gu has traveled a long way to be here. It’s an honor for the Wei household. Your accommodation has been arranged. Please follow the servants. We’re quite busy today with so many guests, so please forgive any oversights.”
Gu Chusheng withdrew his hand, his expression returning to normal. He nodded and said formally, “Thank you for your trouble, Madam.”
Chu Yu smiled and stepped back, gesturing with her hand, “Please proceed.”
Gu Chusheng looked at her for a moment, pressed his lips together, and finally said, “If you’re tired, you should rest for a while. You don’t need to…”
You don’t need to do this much for the Wei family or anyone else.
But remembering how she had always been like this when she was in the Gu household, always arranging everything to perfection, he stopped himself. He sighed, retreated into the carriage, and lowered the curtain, saying, “Let’s go.”
As the carriage clattered through the city gate, Gu Chusheng couldn’t help but lift the curtain and look back.
The woman standing in the sunlight, with her composed demeanor, looked the same as she had when welcoming guests at the Gu household’s banquets years ago.
In truth, she hadn’t known how to do these things at first. How could a woman raised to be a military officer know about managing a household?
But after being his wife for twelve years and managing the household for six, she had learned everything.
Yet now that she had learned, she was no longer his wife. He suddenly felt as if he had polished a rough jade only to give it away to someone else. And he had given her away himself.
Gu Chusheng felt a tightness in his chest. He leaned against the carriage wall and let out a heavy sigh.
He couldn’t think about this anymore.
He hadn’t come for this. He couldn’t keep thinking about it.
The news of Gu Chusheng’s arrival quickly reached the Wei mansion. Wei Yun was discussing the situation in Huajing with Tao Quan when Wei Xia entered and reported, “My Lord, Gu Chusheng has entered the city.”
Hearing this, Wei Yun was taken aback. He raised his head and asked with some surprise, “Why has he come? Does the Madam know?”
“Gu Chusheng came under the alias Gu Zichu. The Madam had previously arranged for this Gu Zichu to stay in the guest quarters, so… she probably knows.”
Wei Yun felt a lump in his throat. He pressed his lips together, and after a moment, he put down his brush and walked out directly.
“I’m going out to take a look.”
He felt he might suddenly understand the reason for Chu Yu’s recent unease.
For all these years, it seemed Chu Yu had never found peace of mind wherever Gu Chusheng was present.
Wei Yun mounted his horse and galloped through the city. Wei Xia followed behind, whispering to Wei Qiu, “They say he’s already entered the city and even held our Madam’s hand for a moment, taking whatever advantage he could. Why is our Lord rushing off like this now?”
Wei Qiu gave him a cool glance.
“Probably to… cleanse his eyes.”
Wei Xia: “???”
Wei Qiu turned his head, “If someone else enters your eyes, I’ll push my way in and wash that person out of your eyes.”
Wei Xia: “…”
After a moment, Wei Xia looked up seriously and asked, “Wei Qiu, be honest with me, are you in love?”
Wei Qiu gave him another cool glance: “You’re sick.”
As they spoke, Wei Yun galloped to the city gate. Chu Yu was sitting in a cool pavilion drinking tea. She looked up to see Wei Yun approaching on horseback.
Chu Yu curled her lips slightly.
She couldn’t tell if it was the tea that was bitter or her heart, but she felt bitterness spreading from her tongue to her heart.
As Wei Yun approached, Chu Yu stood up and respectfully bowed, saying, “My Lord, you seem to have come early.”
“Not early at all,” Wei Yun hurriedly replied, “I’ll wait here with you for a while, it’s no trouble.”
Chu Yu frowned, “Does my Lord have no other matters to attend to today?”
“Well, it’s not that I have nothing to do…” Wei Yun said, somewhat embarrassed, “I was just worried and wanted to come check on you…”
Chu Yu’s expression remained unchanged as she nodded.
“Since you’re so sincere, then let’s wait together.”
Wei Yun mumbled an agreement and stood beside Chu Yu. After a moment, he reached out, intending to take Chu Yu’s hand. Chu Yu subtly stepped back, “My Lord, many eyes are watching.”
Wei Yun felt a mixture of sourness and bitterness in his heart.
Wei Xia had just told him that Gu Chusheng had held her hand earlier.
He pressed his lips together, not speaking, but stayed by her side, following her wherever she went.
After a while, Chu Yu became a bit annoyed. She walked to a secluded spot to rest, and he followed. Chu Yu entered a small grove, and he followed without hesitation. After walking for a while, Chu Yu suddenly stopped, looked up at him with furrowed brows, and asked, “What exactly are you trying to do?”
Her tone was too cold and distant. All of Wei Yun’s pent-up frustration suddenly burst forth. He reached out to grab Chu Yu, who raised her hand to push him away, “What are you doing? Let go!”
Wei Yun gripped her tightly, refusing to let go. As she struggled more fiercely, he suddenly pushed her against a large tree behind her and raised his voice, “I should be asking you what you’re trying to do!”
Chu Yu was stunned by his shouting. She looked up at Wei Yun, dazed. Wei Yun, gripping her hand, spoke angrily without thinking: “You didn’t even tell me Gu Chusheng was coming. What are you afraid of me finding out? As soon as he arrives, you start acting like this towards me. He can hold your hand but I can’t? Chu Yu,” he gritted his teeth, “Do you still have feelings for him? If you do, just tell me.” He paused halfway through his harsh words, not knowing how to continue. After a moment, he finally said, “I’ll go kill him right now!”
Small Theater Scene:
Chu Yu: Do you like Wei Qingping? (Killing a fierce general)
Wei Yun: Do you like Gu Chusheng? (Capturing a city)
Chu Yu: You’re talking nonsense! Are you having a change of heart? (Killing again)
Wei Yun: I really should kill Gu Chusheng!
Zhao Yue: Can you two look at the boss for a moment?
Chu Yu and Wei Yun: Get lost!
Zhao Yue: …
Wei Qingping: My heart is so tired. You two keep arguing, I’m going to practice medicine and help people…
Gu Chusheng: Always waiting to pick up the pieces.
Wei Yun: Get lost!!
Sentimentality and passion run parallel.