As Chu Yu made her way to the palace, she began to ponder the Emperor’s intentions in summoning her.
The Emperor’s ultimate goal was, of course, Wei Yun. He wanted to force Wei Yun to go to war, which seemed to be the Emperor’s current plan to get frontline soldiers to fight. The Emperor’s direct lineage in Yan Zhou had been holding back, ready to protect the throne if anything happened. The frontline now consisted of three families: Song Shi Lan, Yao Yong, and Chu Lin Yang. But none of them were putting in much effort, just muddling through on the battlefield. Everyone was playing their own game, essentially handing over the empire. Naturally, the Emperor now needed to find a way to force everyone to take action.
By taking Liu Xue Yang hostage, he could force Wei Yun’s hand. If Chu Yu also entered the palace, he could threaten Chu Lin Yang and Chu Jian Chang as well.
Chu Yu roughly understood the Emperor’s thoughts and began to form a plan.
She followed the eunuch into the Imperial Study. As soon as she entered, she saw Liu Xue Yang sitting uneasily opposite the Emperor, playing chess with the Chun De Emperor.
Liu Xue Yang was uncomfortable, having realized something was amiss, but she dared not show it. Her chess play was a complete mess. The Chun De Emperor, however, was very patient, saying to Liu Xue Yang, “Madam need not worry. We won’t do anything to you. We just want you to keep the Empress company in the palace. You and the Empress have always been like sisters, and you’ve stayed overnight in the palace before. Why are you so nervous today?”
Liu Xue Yang looked embarrassed. Just then, Chu Yu entered with the eunuch. She respectfully placed her hands on her forehead and bowed, saying, “This commoner, Wei Chu, pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty.”
Chu Yu’s voice was steady and strong. The Chun De Emperor continued playing chess with Liu Xue Yang. After a while, seeing that Liu Xue Yang kept looking at Chu Yu, he looked up and said, “Why isn’t Madam Wei making a move?”
“Your Majesty…” Liu Xue Yang forced herself to say, “You see, my daughter-in-law…”
“This commoner, Wei Chu, pays respects to Your Majesty!” Chu Yu raised her voice again, reminding the Chun De Emperor.
The Chun De Emperor, holding a chess piece, said coldly, “Did We give you permission to speak?!”
Chu Yu, kneeling on the ground, calmly said, “This commoner knows Your Majesty has summoned me urgently, so there must be important matters. I was a bit hasty, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive me.”
“Hasty?” The Chun De Emperor threw the chess piece into the box angrily, “We fear you simply don’t have Us, your Emperor, in your heart, and are deliberately humiliating Us!”
“Your Majesty jests,” Chu Yu said calmly. “Your Majesty is the ruler, and I am a subject. How dare I speak of humiliation?”
“Enough, no need for official talk with Us,” the Emperor waved his hand, and the eunuch stepped forward, making a “please” gesture to Liu Xue Yang. Liu Xue Yang looked troubled, but when the Chun De Emperor looked at her, she bit her lip, not daring to disobey the Emperor’s wishes, and turned to leave.
After Liu Xue Yang left, a eunuch handed the Emperor a cup of tea. The Chun De Emperor blew on the tea leaves and said, “You probably understand why We summoned you?”
“This commoner understands,” Chu Yu said calmly, “but also doesn’t understand.”
“What don’t you understand?”
The Chun De Emperor frowned. Chu Yu, still kneeling without raising her head, spoke very clearly, “Your Majesty summoned me to the palace merely to use this opportunity to completely control the Chu and Wei families. But on the battlefield, Yao Yong and the Song family are at the forefront. Why doesn’t Your Majesty pressure them, but instead pressure us? The Wei family now only has the Young Marquis left. Does Your Majesty need to eliminate us?”
“Absurd!” The Chun De Emperor roared, “How has sending soldiers to fight the enemy become complete elimination?! It’s your Wei family who keeps talking about loyalty to the throne and serving the country. We spared Wei Yun’s life out of consideration for the Wei family’s loyalty, and how is he repaying Us now?!”
“There are so many deserters on the battlefield,” the Chun De Emperor was clearly at his limit, “Do you think We don’t know what’s going on?! Do you take Us for a fool?! Had We known your Wei family harbored such treasonous thoughts, how could We have tolerated you?!”
The Chun De Emperor stood up, shouting, “And you dare question why We don’t pressure General Yao?! You’d love for General Yao to go to the front lines as the main force and fight to the death, so that when there’s no one left to protect the royal family, you can take over, right?!”
“Your Majesty,” Chu Yu raised her head, looking at him seriously, “After all these years, is this the impression the Wei family has left in Your Majesty’s heart?”
Hearing this, the Chun De Emperor calmed down a bit. He looked at Chu Yu and slowly said, “Wei Zhong was different, of course. I never doubted your Wei family’s loyalty, but that Wei Yun brat! Don’t think I don’t know what tricks he’s playing!”
Chu Yu didn’t speak, she just smiled lightly.
The Chun De Emperor frowned, “What are you smiling at?”
“This commoner is smiling at Your Majesty’s confusion! If you trust the Wei family, why don’t you trust our Young Marquis? You resent the Young Marquis for not going to the battlefield, but do you remember how the Wei family died on the battlefield?! Now with Yao Yong as the commander-in-chief, if you send our Young Marquis there, you’re forcing him to his death!”
“Nonsense!” The Chun De Emperor shouted angrily, “General Yao is loyal to the country. Even if you have some disagreements with him, how could a national general be so partial?”
“Partial?” Chu Yu scoffed, “Your Majesty, search your conscience. Who was partial in the White Emperor Valley incident?”
“What do you know!” The Chun De Emperor said impatiently, “We have Our considerations. Why can’t you understand Our thoughts? I know you resent the White Emperor Valley battle, but people have already died in that battle. It was indeed the Crown Prince’s reckless pursuit of merit. We will find other reasons to deal with him, but do you have to force the royal family to admit that it was the Crown Prince’s mistake that killed those 70,000 soldiers?!”
“So the Wei family has to bear this guilt?!” Chu Yu raised her voice, shouting, “Bear it without resentment, be selfless, and go to die again?!”
“We have Our arrangements for sending him to the battlefield. He is the son of an old friend. Do you think We are so despicable in your hearts?!”
The Chun De Emperor was so angry that he began to breathe rapidly, and after a moment, he started coughing. The eunuch beside him quickly summoned the imperial physician. After all this commotion, the Chun De Emperor had no strength left.
He said weakly, “Enough, go rest for now. Your mother is also in the palace, go keep them company.”
Hearing this, a cold light flashed in Chu Yu’s eyes. She calmly said, “Your Majesty, this commoner did not come to the palace today to be Your Majesty’s hostage.”
The Chun De Emperor slowly turned his head to look at Chu Yu kneeling on the ground. She calmly said, “This commoner came to make a deal with Your Majesty. This commoner has practiced martial arts since childhood and has also followed my father to the battlefield. You keep me in the palace to force my father, brother, and uncle to consolidate the territory for you. But my father and brother are already doing their best, and my uncle is ill. Why not let this commoner lead the army to defend the city for Your Majesty? What does Your Majesty think?”
The Chun De Emperor looked at her silently. Chu Yu raised her head to look at the Chun De Emperor: “Whatever Your Majesty wants my father, brother, and uncle to do, this commoner can do as well.”
Chu Yu’s words were clear. Forcing Chu Lin Yang, Chu Jian Chang, and Wei Yun was not an option, but she could do the same things.
The Chun De Emperor didn’t speak. Chu Yu continued, “Your Majesty, in times when people are needed, as long as the goal can be achieved, does it matter who is used? My father, brother, and uncle are men of great affairs. Do you think the lives of a few women can compare to your grand plans?”
The Chun De Emperor seemed to waver. Chu Yu observed his expression and was about to say something when the Chun De Emperor said, “What We want done is not difficult.”
He looked at Chu Yu, his gaze carrying some hesitation, but he still said, “We will send you to defend Feng Ling for at least a month. After a month, if Tian Shou Pass falls, We intend to move the capital to Feng Ling.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu frowned. The Emperor slowly said, “We can allocate 20,000 troops to you. Go defend the city. If you can hold Feng Ling,” the Emperor’s eyes were meaningful, “We will return the people.”