After Chu Yu walked up to Fu Xin, Fu Xin had the army physician check her pulse. Once her pregnancy was confirmed, without further ado, he had Chu Yu bound and immediately withdrew his troops.
Chu Yu was tied up, blindfolded, and chained. After being forced to drink a sedative, she fell into a deep slumber.
Not daring to linger in Bai Ling, they hastily split their forces into two groups. A small team swiftly took Chu Yu out of Bai Zhou, while another headed in the opposite direction to draw fire, directly engaging the soldiers from Jiu City.
Once they entered Bai Zhou, they were like fish in a barrel. This was why Wei Yun never imagined Zhao Yue would attack Bai Ling. He never thought Zhao Yue would be willing to sacrifice so many people in exchange for his family.
Yet, that’s exactly what Zhao Yue did.
Fu Xin understood Zhao Yue’s intentions. The most crucial task in this battle was to safely deliver Chu Yu and the child in her womb to Hua Jing, to become hostages in Zhao Yue’s hands.
After Fu Xin’s retreat, Jiang Chun’s tears finally stopped. Now that Chu Yu was gone, she had to manage affairs with Qian Yong. She wiped her tears and turned to Qian Yong, saying, “General Qian, please reorganize our defenses, count our casualties, and inventory our supplies. I’ll go check on the Old Madam first. As soon as she wakes up, I’ll come back to assist you.”
“Don’t worry, Second Madam. I’ll take care of these matters. The Old Madam’s health is of utmost importance,” Qian Yong replied.
With Qian Yong’s assurance, Jiang Chun immediately returned to the manor. When she arrived, Liu Xueyang was still unconscious. She sat beside her, watching the physician administer acupuncture to Liu Xueyang. When Liu Xueyang finally awoke, she urgently asked, “Where’s A’Yu?!”
“Mother-in-law,” Jiang Chun said, forcing back her sobs and trying to remain calm, “Miss Chu has been taken away by Zhao’s army.”
“Zhao’s army has left?” Liu Xueyang was stunned for a moment before reacting angrily, “What did they take her for?! They should have taken me instead! Don’t try to fool me. Are they still at a standoff? I’ll go…”
“She’s pregnant.”
Jiang Chun suddenly spoke up, stopping Liu Xueyang in her tracks. She turned back, looking at Jiang Chun in disbelief, her voice trembling, “What did you say?”
“She’s pregnant with a child. Xiao Qi’s firstborn.”
Jiang Chun closed her eyes, her voice shaking, “She’s pregnant, yet she was still rushing about on the battlefield. She was concerned about you, Mother-in-law, afraid of damaging Xiao Qi’s reputation, so she didn’t announce it to the world. Her silence was for the Wei family, for you, for Xiao Qi. Now that she’s revealed this…”
Jiang Chun let out a bitter laugh, then looked up at Liu Xueyang, “It’s still for the Wei family, for the people of Bai Ling.”
Liu Xueyang stared blankly at Jiang Chun, who continued with tears in her eyes, emphasizing each word, “She has never thought of herself.”
“In her entire life…” Jiang Chun’s breathing became rapid, her voice suddenly rising, “Since marrying into the Wei family, has she ever had a moment to think of herself?! But what have you done, Mother-in-law? You bullied and insulted her. You feared she would hinder your son’s bright future, you forced her to leave the Wei manor, to live her life in the shadows. Now she’s gone to Hua Jing, she’s gone alone to be a hostage. But Zhao Yue is destined to die, and if Zhao Yue can’t be kept alive, how can she survive?!”
“She won’t use herself to pressure Xiao Qi…” Jiang Chun’s tears fell as she stared at Liu Xueyang, “She knows you are Xiao Qi’s mother. If Xiao Qi gives you up for the sake of the world, he would either be unfilial or unjust. Moreover, Xiao Qi has no other family left, so you must live.”
“She’s gone, and Xiao Qi can have another wife, another child. So she went, she’s devoted herself entirely to the Wei family, supporting them from the mud to where Wei Yun now stands as a self-proclaimed king ruling over a region. Now she’s even willing to die to preserve Wei Yun’s reputation. Has she ever failed the Wei family or Wei Yun in any way?!”
“You always thought she wasn’t good enough for Wei Yun, but you, the Wei family, Wei Jun, Wei Yun – who among you is worthy of her deep affection and loyalty?!”
Jiang Chun shouted, seeming to pour out all the suppressed feelings she had been holding back.
Liu Xueyang gradually calmed down amid Jiang Chun’s outburst. She looked at her quietly and said, “You’re blaming me.”
Jiang Chun didn’t respond. Her hair was disheveled, and her face still bore bloodstains from the battlefield. She had never confronted Liu Xueyang like this before. Under Liu Xueyang’s scrutinizing gaze, she slowly spoke, “Yes.”
“I blame you. If she lives, all regrets can be remedied. If she dies…” Jiang Chun’s eyes became unfocused, “All the wrongs done to her will become unforgivable sins.”
Liu Xueyang remained silent, biting her lip and trembling slightly.
Jiang Chun felt exhausted. She closed her eyes and sighed, “Mother-in-law, whether I blame you or not isn’t important. What you should care about is how Xiao Qi will feel. You’re fine now, so please go rest. I need to go to General Qian.”
With that, Jiang Chun turned away, wiping her tears with a handkerchief as she hurried out.
There were still many post-battle matters to attend to; she couldn’t delay here for too long.
Watching Jiang Chun leave, Liu Xueyang stood rooted to the spot for a long while before finally saying, “Send… send a message to the Prince…”
“Old Madam…” A maid came forward to support Liu Xueyang, who, with a pale face, said hoarsely, “Ask the Prince if he’s willing… for me to go to the Chu family on his behalf… to propose marriage…”
When the news from Bai Ling reached Wei Yun, he had just conquered Yu Shui.
After a great battle, Yu Shui was almost completely cleansed in blood. In this campaign, Wei Yun allied with Qin Shiyue and Shen You to launch a strong attack. Once the city fell, everyone was caught up in the excitement. Wei Yun ordered a feast that evening to reward the three armies.
During the night’s military banquet, there was singing and dancing, and emotions ran high. Shen You stood in the middle of everyone, drinking and telling stories. Qin Shiyue and Wei Yun sat to one side, setting aside the distinctions between commander and subordinate. It was as if Wei Yun was still a young officer and Qin Shiyue merely a family retainer. Each with a bowl of wine, they leaned together, watching Shen You tell his tales.
“Has he always been such a good storyteller?” Wei Yun couldn’t help but ask, looking towards Qin Shiyue, who had collaborated with Shen You several times. Qin Shiyue gave a low affirmative sound before adding, “Talkative.”
Wei Yun laughed, looking up at the sky, “Now that Yu Shui has fallen, Qing Zhou isn’t far off. Once the situation in Qing Zhou stabilizes, with Kun, Qing, Luo, and Qiong provinces united, and Zhao Yue dead, even Yan Zhou won’t be a concern.”
“Indeed,” Qin Shiyue sighed, looking into the distance, “Once Zhao Yue is dead, the world will be settled.”
“When that time comes,” Wei Yun turned to look at him, “Shiyue, what do you want to do?”
Qin Shiyue didn’t respond. Wei Yun knew he was a man of few words, so he turned away and slowly said, “When I was young, I always thought being a good general would be enough. Later, I realized I needed to be not just a general, but also a powerful minister. Only when you control your destiny can you get what you want?”
Qin Shiyue took a sip of wine, “Whatever the Seventh Young Master wants, this subordinate will obtain for him.”
Wei Yun smiled and raised his hand to pat Qin Shiyue’s shoulder, “Don’t talk like that, Shiyue. You’re a great general now too.”
Qin Shiyue paused in his drinking and turned to look at Wei Yun, who smiled brightly, “Once the war is over, I’ll promote you and raise your rank. How about I send you to propose marriage to Wei Qingping?”
Qin Shiyue froze in place, and Wei Yun burst into laughter, “What’s wrong, feeling shy?”
Qin Shiyue was momentarily flustered and at a loss. Wei Yun turned his head to watch Shen You, who had gotten drunk and was now singing. He was singing in the Northern Di language, a song Wei Yun had heard in the Northern Di lands. Back then, he had been severely wounded, and Chu Yu had taken care of him, carrying him on her back across the desert, treading through the yellow sand.
“When the time comes,” his voice full of longing, “I’ll also go to propose to her. I want to follow all the proper customs, to bring her back properly as my bride…”
Before he could finish speaking, a soldier came running over in a hurry.
He ran so frantically that Wei Yun frowned at the sight. The soldier knelt before Wei Yun, panting heavily, “Your Highness, Bai Ling… Zhao’s army launched a surprise attack on Bai Ling!”
“What about the people from Jiu City?!” Wei Yun stood up abruptly, “Has Jiu City fallen?!”
“No,” the soldier shook his head, “Zhao’s army bypassed Jiu City and only attacked Bai Ling for half a day before leaving.”
This statement stunned everyone. Even with tens of thousands of troops, it seemed unlikely for Zhao’s army to take Bai Ling in just half a day. Shen You came over, anxiously asking, “Then what happened to Bai Ling?”
“Bai Ling is fine,” the soldier panted. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, except for Wei Yun, who had an ominous feeling. He stared at the soldier, listening as he continued, “The First Madam volunteered to be a hostage and was taken away by Zhao’s army.”
In the Wei family’s army, only one person could be mistakenly referred to as the First Madam now.
Wei Yun’s face suddenly turned ashen. Qin Shiyue frowned and asked, “They only took the First Madam?”
If it was just Chu Yu alone, her value as a hostage might not be enough. The soldier shook his head and hurriedly said, “The First Madam is also pregnant. She said… she said…”
He glanced at Wei Yun, somewhat hesitantly adding, “She said it’s Your Highness’s firstborn…”
For a moment, the entire gathering fell silent. Everyone stared blankly at Wei Yun. Shen You laughed awkwardly, “The First Madam is truly clever. If not for this lie, the Old Madam might also have…”
“It is my child.”
Wei Yun suddenly spoke up. Shen You’s smile froze, but Wei Yun paid no attention to others. He stood there, pale-faced and trembling like a person pieced together who might collapse at any moment.
He struggled to calm himself, clenching his fists and asking the soldier before him in a hoarse voice, “Why… was the First Madam in Bai Ling?”
But as soon as he asked, he knew the answer himself.
With Chu Yu’s personality, if she knew she was pregnant, she would have told him immediately.
The battlefield was too chaotic now; she couldn’t find him, so she could only go to Bai Ling. Once there, encountering such a situation, she wouldn’t stand idly by.
His eyes reddened his mind in turmoil. But he desperately told himself not to panic, not to be rash, not to rush.
He had to stay calm. Chu Yu and his child were in Zhao Yue’s hands. He had to hold on, to rescue her alive and unharmed.
Qin Shiyue noticed his unstable state and quietly supported him, calmly saying, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince is waiting for you to rescue him.”
So he had to calm down, couldn’t panic, couldn’t be rash.
Wei Yun stood with Qin Shiyue’s support. He slowly closed his eyes, desperately grasping at his rationality before finally managing to ask, “Do we know where Gu Chusheng is?”
Quan Yong was not far from Yu Shui, just a night’s journey away. Quan Yong had just begun to recover, and with the disaster under control, what remained was to let this land grow and prosper naturally with its vigorous vitality.
That night, it rained continuously. Gu Chusheng slept uneasily in his room. He dreamed of his youth when he was a county magistrate in Kun Yang. The government office was dilapidated, and on rainy nights, water would leak into the room.
So Chu Yu took a wooden basin to catch the rain. When the rain was heavy, you could hear it pattering loudly in the basin. He couldn’t sleep well at night, tossing and turning, and then he felt someone cover his ears with warm hands.
“You have work tomorrow,” the young her sat cross-legged beside him, covering his ears, her eyes twinkling with laughter, “I’ll sleep in the morning, you sleep at night. I’ll watch over you, okay?”
The young him was almost overwhelmed by this sudden warmth, so he desperately fought back against this joy that threatened to engulf him.
He gave her a cold look and turned away, his back to her, “I don’t like you. Don’t waste your effort.”
“That’s okay,” she moved closer to him, “You don’t have to like what’s yours. I’ll guard what’s mine.”
“Gu Chusheng,” she said with a grin, “I’ll guard you for a lifetime. When I don’t want to guard anymore, I’ll stop. Don’t worry about me being sad. Liking you makes me very happy.”
He lay with his back to her, saying nothing. In his dream, he wanted very much to turn around, but he didn’t dare. He was afraid that if he turned, the dream would no longer be a dream.
So there was only the sound of rain pattering, from inside the dream to outside. When he woke up, the sun was already out. He dressed and, carrying his books, went to the village to teach.
With time on his hands, while Wei Qingping saw patients, he opened a private school in the village to teach children.
“Heaven and Earth, vast and profound; Universe, primordial chaos; Winter comes and summer goes; Autumn reaps and winter stores…” He led the children in reading the “Thousand Character Classic” in the courtyard. The sound of their recitation accompanied the rising sun. At this moment, someone arrived from Yu Shui, having traveled through the night, weathering wind and rain. He finally reached Gu Chusheng’s courtyard at dawn. He stood at the gate, and everyone fell silent. Gu Chusheng turned around to see a young man in white robes with a silver crown, his clothes completely soaked by the rain. Yet his bedraggled appearance did not diminish his handsomeness in the slightest.
He opened his mouth and finally spoke.
“Ah Yu has been taken to Huajing by Zhao Yue. I must save her.”
It seemed he didn’t even know what he was saying. He stared numbly at him, mechanically saying, “State your terms, Gu Chusheng.”
“As long as she returns safely,” his gaze appeared unfocused, yet he struggled to pull it back to Gu Chusheng, his voice hoarse. “I will give up anything.”