Wei Yun returned to his room and organized the matters he had discussed with Song Shilan, Chu Lingyang, and others earlier that day. Before long, a secret guard returned with a stack of confessions. Wei Yun had planted spies in various branches of the Wei family, making it easy to gather intelligence when investigating matters. The guard respectfully presented the confessions, saying steadily, “Master, the conversations between the Old Madam and the First Madam are all recorded here.”
Wei Yun nodded, and the guard continued, “Except for the Second Madam and the Sixth Madam, the words of everyone the Old Madam has been in contact with recently are also included.”
Wei Yun acknowledged with a sound and quickly flipped through the documents. After finishing, he circled a few names and said calmly, “Investigate Yan Hong, who serves by the Old Madam’s side. Arrest everyone who has been in contact with Yan Hong.”
The guard complied, and before long, a group of people were arrested and brought to Wei Yun’s courtyard. The entire Wei manor was in an uproar. Chu Yu, hearing the commotion from her room, frowned, “What’s happening?”
Chang Yue immediately stood up, “I’ll go and see.”
Soon, Chang Yue returned and reported, “The Marquis has arrested many servants, including those from various branches of the family. Even Yan Hong from the Old Madam’s quarters has been arrested.”
Yan Hong was an orphan raised by Liu Xueyang and was quite favored. Arresting Yan Hong would surely upset Liu Xueyang. Chu Yu pondered for a moment, then stood up and hurried to Wei Yun’s courtyard.
By now, Wei Yun’s courtyard was filled with kneeling people. Liu Xueyang stood beside Wei Yun, wringing her handkerchief, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the detained Yan Hong. Below Yan Hong knelt a young girl who appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen, crying incessantly, “Your Highness, it’s unjust! No one instructed this servant, it was truly this servant’s idea. This servant just heard that Princess Qingping was kind and casually mentioned it to Sister Yan Hong.”
Wei Yun had now self-proclaimed himself as Prince, and everyone had changed their form of address accordingly.
Hearing the girl’s plea, Wei Yun didn’t say much. He took a sip of tea, his expression calm, “Then who did you hear say that the Princess was kind?”
“It was Aunt Gui…”
“You’re lying!”
A woman from the crowd rushed out anxiously, about to fight with the young girl. The scene descended into chaos. As the girl lowered her head, Chu Yu caught a glimpse of some marks flashing by. She frowned and suddenly called out, “Stop!”
Hearing Chu Yu’s voice, the nearby guards immediately rushed forward to restrain the two. Chu Yu stepped forward and gently pulled open the collar of the young girl’s clothes. A butterfly poised for flight came into Chu Yu’s view, causing her to frown deeply.
This butterfly was the mark of Gu Chusheng’s informants.
They had these tattoos in different locations to identify each other, and the color of the butterfly indicated the person’s rank under Gu Chusheng. This young girl’s butterfly was a vivid crimson, suggesting an extremely high rank.
Chu Yu hesitated for a moment, then stepped to Wei Yun’s side and bent down to whisper a few words in his ear. Wei Yun frowned, called Wei Qiu over, and gave instructions.
“Separate all the people in the manor by gender, strip them for inspection. Anyone with a butterfly mark, keep them here.”
Wei Qiu nodded and withdrew to carry out the orders. As the manor’s occupants were being separated, the young girl, realizing the situation was unfavorable, suddenly cried out, “Madam!”
Chu Yu paused in her steps, and the girl’s voice turned shrill, “Madam, heaven and earth can bear witness to our loyalty to you!”
Chu Yu remained silent. Liu Xueyang looked over, and Chu Yu gave a light smile, shaking her head, “Take her away.”
Then she turned to Wei Yun, whose eyes held a questioning look, and said calmly, “If they haven’t committed any acts against the great cause, just expel them from the manor, that should suffice.”
“You know who it is?” Wei Yun asked with certainty. Chu Yu nodded, saying calmly, “I do.”
With that, she bowed to Liu Xueyang and withdrew.
After Chu Yu left, Liu Xueyang anxiously spoke up, “Xiao Qi, what exactly are you doing? Have spies infiltrated our ranks?”
“Mother,” Xiao Qi turned around, supporting Liu Xueyang, and said calmly, “Let’s talk inside.”
Liu Xueyang felt somewhat uneasy. Wei Yun helped her sit down inside the room, dismissed the servants, and calmly said, “I heard from others that Mother wants to find me a wife.”
“You’ve already come of age,” Liu Xueyang sighed lightly. “It’s high time you took a wife. If we delay any longer, people might start to talk.”
“Why Wei Qingping?”
“Initially, it was indeed Yan Hong who suggested it to me, but regardless, what Yan Hong said does make sense,” Liu Xueyang twisted her handkerchief nervously, “I’ve met Princess Qingping, and she is indeed a good match. I quite like her…”
“I don’t like her.”
Wei Yun spoke calmly. Liu Xueyang was slightly taken aback, asking with some surprise, “I heard that she once saved your life…”
“She didn’t just save me. At that time, she saved two people – me and General Qin Shiyue.”
Qin Shiyue’s father and the Wei family were old friends. He had lost both parents at a young age and was subsequently raised in the Wei family, brought up like a young master. Now he was a family retainer of the Wei family and Wei Yun’s most capable subordinate. Liu Xueyang knew him, but she asked confusedly, “What does this have to do with Shiyue…”
“When the Princess went to Tianshan back then, saving me was incidental. The one she wanted to save was Shiyue.”
This statement made Liu Xueyang’s eyes widen. Wei Yun took a sip of tea and calmly continued, “Shiyue’s status is humble. The King of Wei wouldn’t allow it, so it’s always been said that she was associating with me. In truth, the Princess values Shiyue.”
“But Shiyue’s status…” Liu Xueyang frowned, quite worried. Wei Yun looked up at Liu Xueyang and said calmly, “Regardless of their status, Shiyue is my best brother. I will find a way for him. I hope Mother won’t interfere in my affairs with Princess Qingping, lest it cause misunderstandings between Shiyue and me. Mother should understand what crucial juncture we’re at now.”
“But,” Liu Xueyang pressed on stubbornly, “Even if it’s not Princess Qingping, you should at least have your eye on some girl. You’re already twenty, and you haven’t taken a wife or had any offspring. If something were to happen to you…”
Liu Xueyang’s eyes reddened, “I only have you and Ajun, my two children. Ajun left nothing behind. If something were to happen to you…”
Wei Yun remained silent. Seeing Liu Xueyang’s reddened eyes, he let out a light sigh. He walked forward, knelt before Liu Xueyang, held her well-maintained hands, and lowered his eyes, “Mother, I already have a girl I like.”
Liu Xueyang was stunned, seeming unable to react. After a moment, she finally said, “Who is she? I’ll go propose on your behalf.”
“I can’t marry her yet,” Wei Yun smiled bitterly. “She’s not willing to marry me yet. When she’s willing to marry me in the future, then you can go and propose.”
“At least tell me who she is,” Liu Xueyang said anxiously. “I’ll keep an eye out for you…”
“There’s no need to look,” Wei Yun chuckled softly, his eyes filled with a gentle light. “She’s an exceptionally good girl. You’ll like her.”
Seeing Wei Yun’s expression, Liu Xueyang’s eyes softened, “You must like her, don’t you?”
“Very much,” Wei Yun looked up, as earnest as a young man, and said seriously, “In this life, I only want to marry this one girl.”
“My little Xiao Qi has indeed grown up,” Liu Xueyang laughed softly. “Already having a girl he likes. Since you won’t tell me who this girl is, at least tell me what she’s like?”
Wei Yun didn’t speak. He thought for a moment, then shook his head, “I don’t know how to describe her.”
“But,” he looked up, speaking earnestly, “She is, extraordinarily good.”
Liu Xueyang was amused by him, raising her hand to poke his forehead, saying with some resignation, “You…”
Liu Xueyang pulled him closer and talked more about Chu Yu. Since Wei Yun wouldn’t reveal who the girl was, they discussed how Liu Xueyang should go to propose when the girl agreed, what kind of betrothal gifts would be appropriate, and what kind of ceremony they should have.
After talking for a long while, Liu Xueyang sighed, “By then, I wonder if your sister-in-law will still be in the Wei manor. She’s getting older too. Have you found someone for her, the person you’ve been looking out for?”
“Yes,” Wei Yun lowered his eyes, a gentle light in them. “That person likes her very much. Once our matters are settled, he will marry her.”
“That’s good.” Liu Xueyang sighed lightly. “Your sister-in-law has had such a hard life. I hope that person will treat her well.”
“Don’t worry,” Wei Yun said gently. “That person will be good to sister-in-law.”
They chatted about various matters for a while longer, and Liu Xueyang finally settled down. After arranging for Liu Xueyang to rest, Wei Yun walked out of the room. The cold wind mixed with rain hit his face, and Wei Yun’s expression turned cold as he asked the person behind him, “Where is the First Madam?”
Wei Xia hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, “She’s with Gu Chusheng.”
Wei Yun said nothing. After a moment, he closed his eyes and slowly said, “Bring me an umbrella. I’ll go fetch her.”
Chu Yu had arrived at Gu Chusheng’s place quite early.
After leaving Wei Yun’s courtyard, she headed straight for Gu Chusheng’s residence. Now that the prince’s coronation ceremony was over, many people were preparing to leave. When Chu Yu arrived, Gu Chusheng’s servants were packing things up, but he was sitting at a small table, seriously brewing tea, as if he had known Chu Yu would come.
Chu Yu raised her hand slightly, and everyone left. She knelt in front of Gu Chusheng, who pushed a freshly poured cup of tea towards her and said calmly, “It’s cold outside. Have a cup of tea to warm up.”
Chu Yu didn’t take the tea, but simply said, “Why did you plant people around the Old Madam?”
“As if your Wei family hasn’t planted people in the Gu family,” Gu Chusheng chuckled lightly. Chu Yu pressed her lips together and said with certainty, “It was you who incited the Old Madam to have Wei Yun marry Wei Qingping.”
“Is that so bad?” Gu Chusheng raised his eyes. “Everything I’ve said is the truth. You could say I’ve considered Wei Yun’s interests at every turn. The power of Prince Wei and the beauty of Wei Qingping – aren’t they the best choices for Wei Yun’s primary wife?”
Chu Yu remained silent, holding her teacup and feeling the warmth it transmitted. Gu Chusheng gazed at the autumn rain falling outside and slowly said, “Winter is approaching. Bailing is cold. Why don’t you return to Huajing with me to escape the chill?”
No one responded, but Gu Chusheng wasn’t surprised. He calmly continued, “Actually, I don’t mind if you’ve been intimate with him, or even if you marry him. I wouldn’t mind if you bore his child. A Yu,” he said with a smile in his eyes, “you won’t stay by his side for long.”
“How would you know?” Chu Yu asked.
“I may have incited the Old Madam, but was anything I said untrue? A Yu, Wei Yun’s path ahead is long and will only get more difficult. When his journey becomes arduous, when he doesn’t love you as much, do you think he won’t resent you?”
“Won’t he think, ‘If only I had married Wei Qingping back then’?”
Chu Yu remained silent. Gu Chusheng sipped his warm tea, quietly waiting for her to speak. After a long while, she slowly said, “That should wait until that time comes until he says those words to me himself.”
She put down her teacup and prepared to stand. “I’ve asked Wei Yun not to touch your people. Take them with you when you leave. Stop watching the Wei family from now on. Go back and prepare well. In five months, Wei Yun and I will defeat Yao Yong and lead troops into the capital.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Chusheng grabbed her wrist tightly. His grip was firm, causing Chu Yu to frown slightly as she looked up at him.
“Why can’t it be me?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly as if trying to control himself. He looked up at Chu Yu, his eyes filled with a myriad of emotions. Chu Yu calmly gazed back at him and simply said, “Let go.”
“He can’t give you the life you want, the future you desire.”
“And you can?” Chu Yu replied.
“Gu Chusheng,” Chu Yu said, her expression calm and indifferent, “It’s not that I never gave you a chance. I did. I tried. But we’re not compatible.”
Gu Chusheng was slightly stunned. Chu Yu raised her hand to pry his fingers open one by one. Gu Chusheng stubbornly looked at her, tears welling up in his eyes, refusing to let go.
“Do you believe in past lives?” she asked.
“I do.”
“In a past life, I was once married to you,” Chu Yu said in a low voice. Gu Chusheng used his other hand to grab her wrist, unwilling to let go. “Then in this life, marry me too.”
“Back then, you didn’t like me,” Chu Yu finally said, sounding weary. She slowly relaxed her movements and continued with difficulty, “I did so much. You didn’t take the letter I wrote asking you to elope, so I secretly went to find you myself. I found you and stayed with you in Kunyang. You were so poor then,” Chu Yu looked up at him, tears in her eyes. Gu Chusheng stood there, stunned, watching as Chu Yu raised her eyes to look out the window. “Your place leaked when it rained. You used wooden basins to catch the water. I couldn’t sleep at night, and you held me, singing along with the sound of raindrops, telling me, ‘Listen to the rain. Isn’t it beautiful?'”
“I thought it was wonderful.”
Chu Yu laughed through her tears, and Gu Chusheng couldn’t help but smile too, his voice hoarse as he asked, “And then?”
“So at that time, I thought you liked me. You just had a bad temper, but you still liked me.”
“So I did a lot for you… so much…” Chu Yu said with a smile, but she still couldn’t help it as tears fell like rain.
As she spoke of those years, he listened quietly.
He had never heard her talk about those years before. In his memory, during those years, she was always that spirited, passionate figure, and later, just a sickly image. For the first time, he seriously listened to her joys and sorrows from that time from her perspective.
It turned out that the girl who fought fiercely on the battlefield also harbored insecurities in her heart; it turned out that when she mocked his incompetence, it was just a frantic counterattack when she was at her saddest.
He suddenly wondered if things would have been different if he hadn’t been so young back then and if Chu Yu could have told him everything calmly like she was doing now.
“I spent a lifetime,” Chu Yu began hoarsely, “I used Chang Yue’s life, used the downfall of my Chu family, to seek this love, something you once had, Gu Chusheng,” her tone was flat. “But you didn’t want it.”
“You don’t love me,” Chu Yu’s gaze fell on Gu Chusheng’s hand holding hers. “You’re just obsessed. When you had me, you didn’t think I was so great anymore.”
“Then,” Gu Chusheng said hoarsely, “If this past life you speak of really existed, why didn’t you kill me, seeing me as I am now?”
Chu Yu didn’t respond. Gu Chusheng stared at her. “I’m so evil. I caused Chang Yue’s death. I ruined your entire life. Why don’t you kill me?”
Outside, the cold rain fell dismally. Chu Yu looked at the young man before her. He now looked exactly like the Gu Chusheng in her memories, his gaze and demeanor identical. He had also reached the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, even faster than in the previous life.
She looked at him silently for a long time before finally saying, “In the past life, most of the fault lay with me. Chang Yue was killed by Chu Jin; you didn’t know at the time. And the path I chose was my own. You just didn’t like me. Most importantly, I don’t bring the matters of the past life into this one. In this life, you haven’t done anything wrong.”
Gu Chusheng clenched his fists. Chu Yu’s expression was calm as she continued, “Although you’ve planned to harm the Wei family several times, you’ve always held back in the end. You’ve always intended to do evil, but you’ve always stopped yourself. In recent years, while Zhao Yue has been doing evil and Wei Yun has been campaigning, you’ve been adjusting the Ministry of Revenue in the rear, punishing corrupt officials, and encouraging trade, barely maintaining the balance of Da Chu. Gu Chusheng, I’ve seen everything you’ve done. You’re not as bad as you think you are.”
“I am,” Gu Chusheng gritted his teeth. “I’m worse than you imagine. I don’t do evil only because I can’t bear to lose you.”
She didn’t know how far he had gone in the previous life after her death. He had always been a beast, and she was the reins. When she was alive, he feared her disapproval. After her death, he walked a path of no return, doing whatever he pleased.
However, hearing his words, Chu Yu couldn’t help but smile. She looked at the man before her, trying to maintain his composure, and said softly, “Gu Chusheng, even in the past life, you weren’t as bad as you think. I didn’t fall for you without reason.”
Gu Chusheng stared at her blankly. Chu Yu sighed and stood up, taking an umbrella from nearby. She said softly, “Don’t do foolish things anymore, Gu Chusheng. People’s forgiveness has limits. If you continue like this, perhaps one day,” she tilted her head slightly, “I might kill you.”
Gu Chusheng remained silent. He watched as she smiled gently, suddenly realizing that this was probably the last time. He had already tried his best, and if he still couldn’t keep her, then perhaps he truly never could.
His body trembling, he suddenly found courage from somewhere.
He supported himself to stand up and suddenly called out her name: “Chu Yu!”
Chu Yu stopped in her tracks, hearing him speak hoarsely from behind: “Even in the past life, I liked you.”
Chu Yu turned back abruptly, staring blankly at the man before her. Gu Chusheng smiled painfully, his face pale as he raised his hand to his chest.
“In the past life, the first time I saw you,” he said, tears falling, his voice hoarse, “I liked you so, so much.”
“But I didn’t understand,” he slowly walked towards her. “I looked down on myself. I hated how high and mighty you seemed. I thought you shouldn’t like someone like me. You should have liked Wei Jun or even Wei Yun. For you to like me, you must have been blind.”
Chu Yu looked at him incredulously as he approached her. “So you were wrong,” he said with difficulty. “Even after I had you, I still liked you. My liking for you wasn’t just for ten or twenty years, but from when I was twelve in my past life, to this life. You tell me to let go, and I want to, but I can’t. You tell me not to forget my original intention, but you are my original intention, and I haven’t forgotten.”
Gu Chusheng slowly knelt, looking up at her.
“A Yu,” he said hoarsely, “I’m sorry.”
As he spoke, he reached out his trembling hand and grasped hers. “I beg you… come back…”
“In the past life, in this life…” he suddenly burst into loud sobs. “I can’t afford to lose anymore. I really can’t.”
Chu Yu stared at him blankly, her thoughts in turmoil.
A moment later, a voice, calm yet cold, came from the end of the long corridor.
His voice was like the night rain, steady but with a bone-chilling coldness.
“A Yu,” Chu Yu and Gu Chusheng both looked towards the sound. At the end of the long corridor stood a man in a white robe, holding a sixty-four-jointed bamboo umbrella, his expression calm and composed. He looked quietly at Chu Yu, the lamplight dancing in his restrained gaze. In those beautiful eyes like colored glaze, countless emotions churned, but he didn’t express them, didn’t indulge them. He controlled all his emotions, raised his hand, and said calmly, “Come to me.”