Gu Chusheng waited until sunset but didn’t see any sign of Chu Yu.
The inconsistency with his memories made him feel anxious. At this point, the imperial guards lost their patience, forcibly pulled the carriage, and complained, “Let’s go!”
Gu Chusheng took a deep breath as he looked at the bustling city gate, and finally set off.
It’s all right, Chu Yu will come.
He told himself that his return would inevitably cause changes, but he knew how deep the 17-year-old Chu Yu’s feelings were for him.
In his previous life, she came. In this life, she would come as well.
While Gu Chusheng was setting off on his official career full of hope, Chu Yu was taking a pleasant nap.
After waking up, she received a message sent by Chu Jin, saying that Gu Chusheng had already left the capital.
Chu Yu wasn’t particularly concerned about Gu Chusheng’s departure. What she cared more about was how her sister could be so well-informed.
She currently did not know outside news, yet Chu Jin even knew when Gu Chusheng left the capital. These details must have been obtained by Chu Jin from Gu Chusheng, which meant that all those years, Gu Chusheng and Chu Jin had never lost contact.
While Chu Jin was telling her that she had no feelings for Gu Chusheng and encouraging her to elope with him, Chu Jin herself had been maintaining contact with Gu Chusheng all along.
Chu Yu tossed the note in her hand into the fireplace and said to the maid who came to deliver the message, “Tell Second Miss that she needn’t inform me of such matters. She should know the rules without me having to spell them out.”
Then, Chu Yu looked up at the maid and said coldly, “The General’s Manor has a reputation to uphold. Tell her to mind her own business!”
The maid, unaware of the note’s contents, was bewildered by Chu Yu’s words. After she hurriedly left, Chu Yu gazed at the flickering flames in the charcoal stove and couldn’t help but sigh.
This note had almost completely extinguished any hope she had for her sister.
Chu Jin’s two-faced nature wasn’t something developed in the future but was rotten to the core, ingrained in her very being.
Back then, she liked Gu Chusheng, but because he was Chu Jin’s fiancé, she never showed it for all those years. She hadn’t said a single extra word and even avoided him in daily interactions. When the Emperor bestowed the marriage, she agreed. She thought she had done extremely well, even Gu Chusheng himself was confused when she followed him to Kunyang back then.
If it weren’t for Chu Jin’s tearful pleas, if it weren’t for Chu Jin begging her, how would she have gone to wait for Gu Chusheng?
On one hand, Chu Jin claimed she didn’t like him and encouraged her sister to pursue true love, on the other hand, she maintained a connection with Gu Chusheng…
Chu Yu felt helpless. She couldn’t understand why Chu Jin had such a personality. They were both born in the General’s Manor, both were legitimate young ladies, how could they have such different characters?
Chu Yu pondered for a while, then decided not to dwell on it further. Taking advantage of her recent return, she found some writing materials and began to recall all the major events she remembered from her previous life. Since she had returned, she naturally didn’t want to come back in vain.
In the short term, the biggest event was undoubtedly the death of the entire Wei family on the battlefield.
On July 27th of that year, which was also the day Chu Jin married Wei Jun, an urgent border report was sent to Huajing. Wei Jun followed his father to battle.
The Wei family had a total of seven children, including the youngest, Wei Seventh Young Master Wei Yun, who all went to the battlefield. Everyone thought that the Wei family, known as the War God family, would return triumphantly as before. However, a month later, news came that 200,000 elite troops under the Wei family’s command had been annihilated in Baidi Valley.
Wei Yun returned to the capital with the coffins and was tried at the Imperial Court. The reason for this battle’s failure was that Marquis Wei Zhong, disregarding the imperial order, had forcibly pursued the fleeing Northern Di troops. As a result, various great families quickly distanced themselves from the Wei family. Except for the wife of Second Young Master Wei Shu, Lady Jiang, who committed suicide out of love, the wives and concubines of other branches all requested to leave. Wei Yun wrote divorce papers on behalf of his brothers and father. In an instant, the Wei family fell from grace, and the vast marquis manor was left with only Wei Yun and Old Madam Wei, along with five young children.
Chu Yu was with Gu Chusheng in Kunyang at that time. Kunyang was the second line of defense in the north, a crucial place for grain and fodder transportation. Chu Yu had helped Gu Chusheng transport supplies to the front lines many times.
However, by the time Chu Yu came into contact with military affairs, the Wei family members had already died. She wasn’t clear about the specific circumstances of their deaths or the reasons behind them.
She only knew that later, Imperial Uncle Yao Yong was appointed in this critical moment to defend Baicheng, but eventually abandoned the city and fled. With rebellion breaking out everywhere, tying up resources, and no one available in the court, Wei Yun requested a mission from prison, pledging his life to go to the front lines.
It was either win or die.
Later, Wei Yun returned triumphantly. On the day of his return, he entered the Imperial Study with Yao Yong’s head, and after he came out, the Emperor posthumously awarded titles to all the Wei family men who had died in battle.
She didn’t want the Wei family to die.
Chu Yu gripped her brush, her eyes gleaming with a cold light.
Those iron-blooded men of the Wei family shouldn’t have died.
She carefully wrote down all the fragments related to the Wei family, trying to reconstruct the events of that year.
She wrote until nearly dawn when Xie Yun led people in with trays.
The General’s Manor was already hung with red lanterns and pasted with red paper. Xie Yun saw Chu Yu writing and anxiously said, “What are you doing? You’re about to get married, shouldn’t you be resting? How are you going to get through tomorrow?”
“Mother, it’s fine,” Chu Yu said.
She threw those papers into the charcoal stove. After organizing her thoughts all night, all the details were clear in her mind.
Chu Yu turned around gracefully, saw what the maids had prepared, and smiled, “Is that the wedding dress?”
“Yes, hurry and change into it.” Xie Yun was a bit dissatisfied, but seeing her daughter’s happy appearance, much of her dissatisfaction dissipated. She called people in to help Chu Yu start her preparations.
Bathing, changing clothes, applying osmanthus hair oil, changing into a red gold-threaded phoenix robe embroidered with gold thread.
Then Chu Yu sat in front of the mirror, and maids came forward to apply her makeup.
Chu Jin brought in a comb, walked to Xie Yun’s side, and said to her, “Mother, let’s comb her hair.”
Xie Yun looked at Chu Yu in the mirror and said hoarsely to Chu Jin, “Look at her, she usually doesn’t dress up, but today she looks so beautiful for the first time, she’s going to see her husband.”
Saying this, Xie Yun picked up the comb, raised her hand to insert the comb into her hair, and lowered her voice, “After you go to the Wei family, don’t act as willfully as you do at home. A married daughter always suffers some disadvantages. When you’re in the Wei family, endure what you can, and don’t start too many disputes.”
If it were in the past, hearing these words, Chu Yu would probably have argued with Xie Yun. However, now hearing Xie Yun’s voice tinged with tears, her urge to argue dissipated. She sighed and simply said, “Daughter understands.”
Xie Yun nodded and raised her hand to comb Chu Yu’s hair.
“First comb for a long life together…”
“Second comb for harmony till old age…”
As Xie Yun combed Chu Yu’s hair, she held back tears. In the end, she seemed unable to suppress her emotions anymore, as if exhausted, and was supported by Chu Jin as she walked to the side.
A maid came forward to style Chu Yu’s hair and then put on the phoenix crown.
As they were doing this, the sky gradually brightened, and the sound of gongs and drums came from outside. A maid rushed in excitedly, “Madam, First Miss, the Wei family has arrived!”
Hearing this, Xie Yun stood up, seemingly wanting to go out, but as soon as she stepped out the door, she suddenly remembered, “No, no, they still have a while.”
So she came back and waited in the room with the other women for the arrival of the Wei family.
According to custom, when the Wei family came to welcome the bride, the Chu family would set up some difficulties, and only let Chu Yu go out when the time was right. So it was lively outside, while Chu Yu and others waited in the room, feeling a bit restless.
Chu Jin, after all, was still young. Hearing the sounds outside, she said softly, “Mother, why don’t I go out and take a look?”
With these words, everyone became interested. They all looked at Xie Yun, who couldn’t help but smile, “You impatient ones, it’s just a wedding procession, what’s there to see?”
It is worth seeing.
Chu Yu pondered in her heart.
In her previous life, her wedding was very simple. She and Gu Chusheng were in Kunyang, where they just set up two tables for Gu Chusheng’s subordinates in the courtyard, lifted the veil, and that was it. Gu Chusheng had once said he would give her a grand wedding ceremony, but she waited a lifetime.
Something she had waited a lifetime for was bound to be different. Chu Yu suppressed the curiosity in her heart and said to Xie Yun, “Mother, let’s go out and take a look.”
“Your child…”
Xie Yun smiled and pushed her. As she spoke, they heard the sounds of arguing and fighting and then saw two young men fighting on the roof.
Chu Jin exclaimed, “It’s Second Brother!”
The Chu family had four children in total: the heir Chu Linyang, Second Young Master Chu Linxi, and the two sisters Chu Yu and Chu Jin. Born into a military family, Chu Linyang was somewhat restrained due to his status, but Chu Linxi had long since started fighting with the Wei family without any courtesy.
The women crowded around the window, craning their necks to see the people on the eaves. Chu Yu walked to the door with Xie Yun and Chu Jin, looking up.
Chu Linyang was wearing a blue brocade robe, and looking quite handsome. The young man opposite him looked to be just over fourteen, dressed in black fitted clothes, his hair tied high with a black and white hairband. Although dressed neatly and cleanly, the arrogance emanating from within was no less than Chu Linyang’s.
Chu Linyang was already considered good-looking, but the person opposite was even more handsome. His eyes were like stars and moon, his eyebrows like mountain ranges. His phoenix eyes tilted slightly upwards at the corners, bringing an indescribable charm. However, the young man’s expression was solemn, leaving only a sharp aura as piercing as a knife.
It was a stern and austere demeanor rarely seen in young masters of the capital’s great families, like ice flowers blooming under the northern border’s cold snow, beautiful yet aloof.
Chu Yu’s gaze fixed on that young man. For a moment, she seemed to return to her previous life, to the first and only time she had seen this person up close.
At that time, he was already the famous King of the North, the Grand Marshal of the Five Armies Command. He held military power and wielded great influence in the court.
On the day Gu Chusheng sent her away from Huajing, amid wind and snow, he rode back to the capital, dressed in black clothes and a white cloak, his face cold.
At that time, he looked much more rugged than now, and unlike now, his eyes still contained the innocence and vigor of youth.
His gaze was as cold as an icy deep pool as he rode his horse to block her carriage.
“Lady Gu?” he asked, his tone flat. Although it was a question, there was no doubt; that he already knew who was behind the curtain.
Chu Yu had someone roll up the curtain. Sitting in the carriage, she bowed respectfully and calmly replied, “Lord Wei.”
“Where is Lady Gu going?”
“Qianyang.”
“When will you return?”
“I don’t know.”
“Lady Gu,” Wei Yun smiled slightly, “Do you regret it?”
Chu Yu was slightly stunned. Wei Yun looked into the distance: “Does Lady Gu know that before the Wei family came to propose, my family members came to inquire which of the two Chu daughters my elder brother admired? My brother said he liked the eldest miss because she practiced martial arts. In the future, when I come of age, if he can’t defeat her, he can take his wife to the battlefield.”
“The night before the wedding, my brother didn’t sleep all night. He instructed me that since the Chu family was good at martial arts if they started a fight during the wedding procession, I should let them win.”
Saying this, he turned to look at her: “Lady Gu is different from your younger sister. Your sister is an opportunist, a despicable person. Lady Gu, however, was willing to give up an imperial marriage to follow Lord Gu to the northern border and fight on the battlefield. It’s a pity that Lady Gu was blind. My brother treated you like a treasure, but you scorned him.”
“Lady Gu, having come to this point,” his gaze was calm, “do you regret it?”
At that time, Chu Yu smiled lightly. She met his gaze, her expression frank: “When I do things, I only think about whether to do them or not, not whether I’ll regret them or not.”
The young man didn’t speak. He looked at her silently for a long time, then said calmly: “What a pity.”
She didn’t reply, just knelt respectfully, watching the young man ride away.
Now she looked up, watching Wei Yun and Chu Linxi fight. His skills were much higher than Chu Linxi’s, yet he entangled with Chu Linxi for a long time, letting him win imperceptibly.
Chu Yu couldn’t help but smile. She picked up a pebble from a nearby flower pot and threw it at Chu Linxi.
The pebble hit Chu Linxi, immediately knocking him over.
Chu Linxi cried out: “Wei Seventh, you’re playing dirty!”
Wei Yun stood on the roof, stunned for a moment, then reacted, looking in Chu Yu’s direction.
He saw a woman dressed in wedding clothes, wearing a phoenix crown, leaning against the doorframe, holding a stone in her hand, tossing it up and down, smiling mischievously.
Wei Yun immediately understood what had happened and broke into a bright smile.
He cupped his hands towards Chu Yu, then leaped down. While Chu Linxi was still arguing with the other Wei brothers and Chu Linyang was trying to mediate, Wei Yun quickly circled behind Wei Jun and whispered: “Brother, sister-in-law is so beautiful!”
Wei Jun, wearing his wedding clothes, had his hands behind his back, pretending to be calm on the surface. He inconspicuously leaned closer to Wei Yun and asked softly: “You saw her?”
“It was sister-in-law who knocked Chu Linxi down.”
At this point, Wei Yun seemed somewhat worried: “Brother, I think in the future, I might not be able to beat you two as a couple.”
Wei Jun smiled, his eyebrows curved: “Of course, how could your brother’s judgment be wrong?”
As the appointed time arrived, Chu Jianchang was no longer delayed. He raised his hand, and Chu Linyang immediately instructed Chu Linxi and other members of the Wei family to stand in two rows on either side.
Inside the inner courtyard, the maidservants hurriedly rushed in to cover Chu Yu’s head with a veil and assist her out.
Wei Jun stood at the front, with Wei Yun and the Second Young Master Wei Shu behind him. The rest of the guests were arranged in several rows behind these three, while the Chu family members stood on the steps. The ceremonial officials took their positions on the right and announced, “Open the doors to welcome the bride—!”
The large doors slowly creaked open, revealing Chu Yu dressed in wedding robes, supported by Chu Jin.
Everything before her was a blur of red. She couldn’t see anything, only hearing the sounds of festive music and firecrackers bursting in her ears. Then a piece of red silk was placed before her. She heard a voice, gentle yet tinged with uncontrollable nervousness, say, “Chu… Chu… Miss Chu…”
Chu Yu smiled softly. She grasped the red silk and responded gently, “Young Master Wei, don’t be nervous. I’m with you.”
Wei Jun’s heart suddenly found peace. He held the red silk, and his anxious heart finally relaxed.
He hadn’t chosen wrongly. The future Marchioness of the State was indeed someone who could reassure him with just a few words, allowing him to stand calmly and confidently.