When Chu Yu woke up the next day and went to the dining hall after washing up, she saw Wei Yun already sitting there. Jiang Chun, Liu Xueyang, and Wang Lan, the three women, were chatting, while Wei Yun knelt at the head seat, resting with his eyes closed.
He wore a jade crown on his head and a jade-colored outer robe. As he knelt, his back naturally straight, he exuded a youthful sharpness, like a sword standing on the seat.
Hearing Chu Yu’s footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes and nodded to her, “Sister-in-law is here.”
“Mm.” Chu Yu took her seat and, seeing that he was dressed to go out, asked, “Are you going out today?”
Wei Yun nodded, “Lord Chu is heading to Luo Province today. I’m going to see him off.”
Chu Yu was slightly taken aback. Chu Linyang had mentioned going to the southwest yesterday but hadn’t said it would be today. Just as she was about to speak, Wei Yun said, “Since it’s Sister-in-law’s family, why don’t you come along with me?”
Chu Yu agreed with a smile. Seeing the joy in her eyes, Wei Yun’s expression softened.
After the family finished their meal, Wei Yun led Chu Yu out. Once in the carriage, Chu Yu slowly remembered, “My father and brothers are going to the southwest today. When will the Song family leave for the frontlines?”
“They left yesterday.” The carriage swayed, and Chu Yu looked out through the curtain, noticing many refugees on the road.
With the war raging ahead, Hua Capital was affected to some extent. Refugees flooded into the city, and business purchases declined significantly.
Seeing these refugees, Chu Yu couldn’t help but think of Gu Chusheng. In her previous life, Gu Chusheng didn’t appear in public through this path of evacuating civilians. He was first the magistrate of Kunyang, managing it well. After joining Yao Yong, he was promoted from Kunyang magistrate to governor under Yao Yong’s recommendation. Later, he joined Wei Yun and was directly promoted by Wei Yun to the Gold Department Manager and became a special envoy of the Household Department. Nominally a central official, he was specially assigned to Kun Province, managing the financial and military supplies of Kun, Qing, and Bai provinces.
In Chu Yu’s previous life, Great Chu fought with the Northern Di for a full two years. These two years nearly emptied the Great Chu treasury, but due to Gu Chusheng’s excellent financial abilities, the Great Chu didn’t experience widespread famine and disaster and managed to get by.
Now that Gu Chusheng had taken this path of evacuating civilians, she wondered if he could join Yao Yong like in her previous life. If he couldn’t join Yao Yong, she didn’t know who would manage the livelihoods in Qing and Bai provinces, and what the situation would be like by the time Wei Yun took over.
As Chu Yu frowned, thinking about the battlefield, Wei Yun noticed her gaze. Seeing the begging refugees outside, he thought Chu Yu felt sympathy for them and said, “I’ve already coordinated with various mansions yesterday to open granaries and distribute grain, to provide relief to these refugees first. Later, I’ll go to Grand Tutor Xie’s mansion to discuss countermeasures.”
“Opening granaries for relief isn’t a solution,” Chu Yu thought for a moment. “Why not buy some land and hire them as long-term workers to reclaim wasteland and grow crops?”
There were still long days of war ahead, and the Wei family’s fiefs were all on the frontlines. Grain and fodder were crucial matters that needed planning.
Hearing this, Wei Yun considered and said, “Land prices in Hua Capital are expensive. Even if we use all of the Wei family’s wealth, I’m afraid we couldn’t settle too many…”
“Not in Hua Capital, but in Sishui.”
Sishui was in Lan Province, about three hundred li from Hua Capital. Lan Province had many high mountains and beautiful waters, a natural fortress, and was in the heart of Great Chu, rarely experiencing warfare. Recalling her previous life, Chu Yu remembered that around the spring of the next year, Hua Capital couldn’t hold on anymore. At that time, except for military leaders like Wei Yun, no one thought Tianshou Pass would fall, let alone that the Northern Di would make a swift advance overnight, reaching the gates of Hua Capital. At that time, the nobles in the capital fled with their wealth, and the place most of them went to was Sishui. As a result, land prices in Sishui skyrocketed overnight, becoming as precious as gold.
Chu Yu pondered the future but couldn’t speak too obviously about it. She asked Wei Yun, “Do you think Yao Yong can hold Tianshou Pass?”
“He can’t,” Wei Yun answered decisively. “Unless someone else helps him, with his personality, he definitely can’t hold Tianshou Pass.”
“Why are you so certain?”
Chu Yu knew Yao Yong couldn’t hold it, but she thought Wei Yun was just guessing. She didn’t expect Wei Yun to be so sure.
Wei Yun smiled, poured tea for Chu Yu, and took out some snacks from a drawer. He slowly said, “Yao Yong has always been more skilled at power games. He’s extremely protective of his troops and never willing to directly confront the Northern Di with his men. Unless necessary, he won’t sacrifice his forces.”
“Now the frontlines are all his people. If I don’t go there, he won’t be at ease and will reserve his strength. So if there’s real fighting on the battlefield, someone needs to be willing to shed blood and fight hard, while he assists from the side. His Majesty understands Yao Yong’s thoughts, so he’s determined to send me to the battlefield. Since I’m not going, His Majesty sent the Song family.
On one hand, the Song family won’t be so wholehearted and dedicated, and on the other hand, I’ve already allied with Song Shilan,” Wei Yun took a sip of tea and continued calmly, “I helped Song Shilan send Song Wenchang to the battlefield. With his character, Song Wenchang probably won’t survive. As long as he takes control of the Song family’s troops, he’s promised me to only evacuate civilians and not engage in confrontation. If Yao Yong abandons the city, he’ll run even faster.”
“His Majesty will likely be furious at this.”
Chu Yu frowned. Wei Yun raised an eyebrow, “Isn’t that what I’m waiting for? If he wants to punish deserters, Yao Yong should be the first to be punished. If he doesn’t punish Yao Yong, I’ll maneuver in Hua Capital to ensure he doesn’t punish Song Shilan. If he punishes Yao Yong lightly, Yao Yong probably won’t care. If he punishes him heavily, then I can return.”
“You’re quite clever,” Chu Yu laughed, “You can maneuver for him, but how come you couldn’t maneuver for yourself when you were imprisoned?”
“The situation was different then,” Wei Yun’s expression was calm, “I was still young, and hadn’t taken over many things in the Wei family. Plus, the Wei family was in trouble then, and there was no benefit in saving us, so no one was willing to put in full effort. But now it’s about using the Song family to fight against Yao Yong. All the noble families are on the same side. I’ll be the frontman, and the noble families will be the hidden pushers. Why wouldn’t they be willing? Moreover, now that the Princess is fiercely opposing the Crown Prince, with the Princess as a backer,” Wei Yun’s face showed a hint of pride, “What do I have to fear?”
“You,” Chu Yu looked at Wei Yun talking about state affairs with a youthful smugness on his face and couldn’t help but laugh, “With such a youthful mentality, aren’t you afraid of getting into trouble?”
“How could that be?” Wei Yun grinned and leaned forward, “Don’t I have Sister-in-law to help me?”
After saying this, both of them were stunned. Wei Yun had just habitually leaned forward, as he usually did when talking to elders, being casual and informal. But when he leaned in, he realized that this person was the same age as him.
Her skin was very good. Even up close, there wasn’t a single flaw. It was smooth as jade, fair as porcelain. Although she didn’t wear makeup, she wasn’t inferior to those noble ladies in the capital who spent a lot of time every day on skincare and makeup.
Wei Yun’s gaze couldn’t help but linger on her skin. In this lifetime, Chu Yu had rarely been in such close contact with men. With Wei Yun’s sudden proximity, she realized that there was indeed a significant difference between men and women.
His temperature was very hot, like a small sun. Just being this close, one could feel that scorching temperature.
Chu Yu felt a bit awkward but pretended to be calm. After a moment, she heard Wei Yun say with a smile, “Sister-in-law’s skin is really good. Do you usually apply some kind of fragrant cream? Why don’t we have all the women in the mansion use the same?”
Hearing this, Chu Yu didn’t know why, but she let out a sigh of relief.
Wei Yun retreated to his safe distance, his face still smiling as before, but he still felt that the scent of osmanthus lingered at the tip of his nose.
We can’t get that close in the future.
He pondered, otherwise, it felt a bit strange.
After Wei Yun returned to his position, Chu Yu finally felt calmer in her heart. Continuing the previous topic, she said, “If Song Shilan doesn’t help Yao Yong, and they run faster than each other, then losing Tianshou Pass is just a matter of time.”
“Mm.”
Wei Yun responded. Actually, he had many other plans, but since things hadn’t reached that stage yet, he didn’t say much. Chu Yu looked up at Wei Yun’s expression, carefully choosing her words to avoid appearing too prescient, and slowly said, “If Tianshou Pass falls, it’s only a day’s journey from there to Hua Capital, and Hua Capital won’t be able to hold. But as nobles flee, local property and commodity prices will surely be inflated. If we buy these lands in advance and borrow money to buy some farmland, when we sell the properties later, we might make a small profit.”
“So Sister-in-law thinks that if Hua Capital falls, everyone will go to Sishui?”
Wei Yun said, and then immediately understood, “I see, Sishui isn’t too far from Hua Capital, and it’s the Princess’s fief, already heavily guarded. Most importantly, it has natural defenses. If Hua Capital falls, the nobles will certainly look for a safe place.”
“But,” Wei Yun frowned, “If people don’t go to Sishui, what about the borrowed money?”
“Then you’ll have to slowly pay it back,” Chu Yu put her hand on his shoulder and said seriously, “Marquis Zhenguo, you need to work hard.”
Wei Yun was stunned for a moment, then fell silent. After thinking, he said, “Alright, so I need to find a rich person to borrow money from.”
“Who?” Chu Yu was curious. Wei Yun smiled, “Chu Linyang.”
Chu Yu was shocked.
Oh no, she had set up her brother.
Seeing Chu Yu’s shocked and scared expression, Wei Yun was very pleased. After a while, Chu Yu calmed down and said seriously, “Promise me one thing.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t say the idea of borrowing money came from me.”
Mini Scene
Chu Yu: Don’t say the idea of borrowing money came from me.
Chu Linyang (smiling): Then don’t expect to borrow a single coin from me.
Wei Yun: Brother, it was all Chu Yu’s borrowing.
Chu Linyang: Here, I’ll give you one coin.