As the words fell, Chu Yu suddenly turned around and urgently said to those nearby, “Open the doors, prepare the wine, and bring me the artemisia!”
Speaking thus, Chu Yu directed everyone to take their positions while checking the items needed. Jiang Chun walked up to Third Young Madam Zhang Han and calmly said, “Third Sister, do you need to go to such lengths?”
Zhang Han’s expression became troubled. Jiang Chun continued, “The Third Young Master has been loyal and caring towards you. Now that he’s returned, don’t you plan to see him even once?”
Hearing this, Zhang Han’s eyes reddened slightly. She lowered her head and said, “Second Elder Sister, you know my situation… If I don’t act decisively, how can my family tolerate me?”
Jiang Chun remained silent. As fellow concubine-born daughters, she naturally understood their predicament.
Wasn’t this the same consideration that led her to choose death directly?
Now that her husband was dead and the Wei family disgraced, everyone knew the gravity of the crime of annihilating 70,000 elite troops. They either had to sever ties with the Wei family and return to their maternal clan, or their maternal clan would surely act first, preemptively cutting ties with them to demonstrate loyalty to His Majesty.
The maternal clan hadn’t yet made a statement, only because Wei Yun hadn’t returned to the capital and they hadn’t been able to contact them, so the situation remained unclear.
After a long silence, Jiang Chun finally said, “It’s just one meeting. How much could it affect? Third Sister, you’re all being overly cautious, seeing snakes in wine cups.”
“Putting everything else aside,” Jiang Chun sighed, “you should think about Ling Shu. If Ling Shu learns that you weren’t even willing to give his father this last bit of dignity, what will he think?”
At the mention of her child, Zhang Han’s expression finally froze.
She hesitantly glanced at Sixth Young Madam Wang Lan beside her. They had always been indecisive, and seeing Yao Jue and Xie Jiu unwilling to have any association with the Wei family, they panicked and followed suit. Now, reminded by Jiang Chun, they finally remembered their children.
The children couldn’t be taken away, and they couldn’t risk their entire lives for the children, but they also didn’t want to be seen as disloyal and heartless in their children’s eyes.
“Go stand there,” Jiang Chun said, her gaze moving toward Xie Jiu and Yao Jue. She patted Zhang Han’s shoulder, “The Young Madam won’t allow you not to stand there now. Don’t try to resist her. Even Xie Jiu and Yao Jue have to yield.”
The Xie and Yao families were great clans. If Xie Jiu and Yao Jue had to yield, naturally, they wouldn’t stubbornly resist.
After a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Han finally walked forward and stood behind Chu Yu.
Jiang Chun approached Xie Jiu and Yao Jue, respectfully making a gesture of invitation, and calmly said, “I don’t need to say anything more, do I?”
Xie Jiu and Yao Jue remained silent. At that moment, the sound of gongs announcing the procession came from outside.
Yao Jue raised an eyebrow, about to curse, when Xie Jiu suddenly grabbed her.
Xie Jiu stared at the door for a long time, then slowly said, “Don’t argue with a madwoman. If the family asks, just tell the truth.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu turned her head from among the crowd and looked over.
Xie Jiu straightened her back, her expression calm. Chu Yu nodded to her, then turned away.
Xie Jiu was slightly startled, not understanding the meaning behind Chu Yu’s nod.
After Xie Jiu and Yao Jue stood behind Chu Yu, everything was prepared. The sound of gongs grew closer outside, and the main gate slowly opened.
The crimson gate creaked as it opened, and the scene outside gradually came into Chu Yu’s view.
At this moment, on the street, commoners stood in crowds on both sides. A young man dressed in mourning clothes approached, his hair tied high with a white cloth band, another white band tied tightly across his forehead.
He looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, his face pale, with dark circles under his eyes, his features gaunt to the bone. His expression was calm, surrounded by an indescribable aura of death. He was like an unsheathed treasure sword, cold and sharp, with a chilling sword aura.
In his hands, he held a memorial tablet, followed by seven coffins. One coffin was separate in front, while the other six were arranged in two rows of three, forming a long procession coming from afar.
Paper money fluttered everywhere in the sky. The entire street was silent as if it were a ghost town. As the coffins passed, people on both sides gradually knelt and then began to sob.
The crying broke the deathly silence, and those behind followed suit.
Chu Yu saw the people on the long street slowly kneeling like a wave, the sound of weeping coming from afar, echoing throughout the city.
Chu Yu clenched her hands within her sleeves, maintaining a calm and dignified demeanor, not losing an ounce of authority.
As she listened to the cries, she suddenly felt that everything wasn’t as terrible as she had imagined.
The sacrifice of the Wei family might not be remembered by the court, the officials, the nobility, or the emperor, but it would always be remembered by the common people of this land.
Chu Yu felt her eyes burning. Her gaze fell entirely on Wei Yun, watching the young man carrying the memorial tablet slowly approach her from afar.
That gaze seemed to cross a thousand mountains and rivers, and the moment he saw her, the young man’s expression finally changed.
He walked up to her, knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and announced in a clear voice: “Wei Yun of the Wei family, returning with father and brothers!”
As soon as the words fell, the coffins were set down with a thunderous sound. Chu Yu’s gaze fell upon the seven coffins. Her lips trembled as she opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out.
She thought she had prepared herself for everything, but the moment Wei Yun knelt on one knee, she suddenly remembered.
When they had left before, it was also this young man who had come to inform her, just like today, kneeling on one knee before her, saying—
“The Young General has been ordered to go to war. He commanded this lowly one to give this jade to the Young Madam, instructing the Madam not to worry, for he will return victorious.”
Return victorious, no need to worry.
Chu Yu walked down the steps, placed her hand on the coffin, and slowly closed her eyes.