After getting separated from your people in Hua Jing, I was escorted by a maid and blended in with refugees,” Chu Jin steadied her emotions and slowly began. “I originally planned to follow the refugees to Luo Prefecture to find my elder brother, but I was too naive on the journey. I carelessly revealed the silver I had and was robbed by the refugees. Afterward, the maid and I were left with nowhere to go. She intended to sell me to someone else. When I discovered this, we argued, and I accidentally killed her.”
“While escaping, I was caught up by the buyer who intended to force himself on me. I cut my face to scare him off. At that time, in the wilderness, a madam was traveling to Feng Ling with her people. She heard my cries for help and had her people stop to rescue me.”
“This madam’s surname was Li,” Chu Jin recounted the whole process very calmly. Chu Yu listened quietly, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She didn’t dare to disturb her and could only wait for Chu Jin to continue. “Madam Li was the wife of an official in Feng Ling City. She was kind-hearted. With the current chaos of war, she was traveling to Feng Ling City with several young masters to find that official. When she heard that I was a noble lady from Hua Jing, she didn’t doubt me. Instead, she promised that once we reached Feng Ling, she would have her husband provide me with horses and men to send me to Luo Prefecture. I was suspicious at first, but having nowhere else to go, I still followed the madam to Feng Ling.”
“The madam treated me extremely well, but I didn’t trust her. The world was too chaotic. We encountered bandits, and the madam died under their blades while trying to save me and the young masters. Following the madam’s instructions, I led the young masters, begging along the way to Feng Ling. I tried to find that official based on the madam’s description, but discovered that this official was somewhat strange.”
Chu Jin furrowed her brow, recalling, “The madam had mentioned that this official held a very high rank, of the third grade. But why would an official of the third grade be in a place like Feng Ling City? The magistrate of Feng Ling City is only of the sixth lower grade.”
“This official’s surname was Han. According to the madam’s description, he didn’t govern Feng Ling but merely borrowed a place there to use. She said her husband had loved making things since childhood. In his youth, he was obsessed with alchemy and later fell in love with sword-making. In short, he never did anything proper. He didn’t become an official through the imperial examinations, but rather went to Hua Jing during his travels and returned with an official seal. The local officials treated him with great respect. Then he left his hometown and came to Feng Ling. Now that war has broken out, he sent a letter to his wife and children, saying that Feng Ling was as solid as a fortress and would never fall, telling them to hurry to Feng Ling for refuge.”
“Don’t you find it strange, Sister?” Chu Jin analyzed, “There aren’t many officials above the third grade in the court, and I know most of them, but I’ve never heard of an official surnamed Han from the countryside. Yet officials treat him with great respect, he has an official seal, territory, and salary. If this Official Han isn’t lying, it means there’s a third-grade official arranged by the court in Feng Ling, doing something that can’t be spoken of. Now that you’ve come too, I guess there must be some secret of His Majesty hidden in Feng Ling City.”
Chu Yu nodded. She had thought of all these things Chu Jin mentioned. If it were before, she might have considered this Official Han a con artist, but now with the Emperor personally appointing twenty thousand troops to Feng Ling, she believed in the existence of this Official Han. So she nodded and asked, “Besides this, are there any other abnormalities?”
“I’ve seen people who seemed to be from Bei Di three times in this area,” Chu Jin added. “They just came and left quickly. I don’t know what they were trying to do.”
“Besides that, Feng Ling City doesn’t accept refugees.”
“Doesn’t accept refugees?” This time Chu Yu was somewhat surprised. Chu Jin nodded and said, “I came down from Feng Ling City. They don’t accept refugees. I didn’t have official documents, so I couldn’t enter the city.”
Chu Yu frowned, feeling a bit uneasy.
Food was brought and placed in front of Chu Jin. She tried her best to maintain grace and composure, but couldn’t control the frequency of her movements. Her manner of eating was much more awkward than before.
Chu Yu watched silently, not even knowing her own emotions at the moment.
She had once hated Chu Jin. Sometimes, she had wanted to eat her flesh and chew her bones. Her feelings for Chu Jin had been worn away in her previous life, and even after being reborn, she only occasionally felt a moment of emotion. Even when she hugged her and said she loved this sister, it was nothing more than comfort.
She didn’t want Chu Jin to walk the path of the past, but the sisterly affection of the past had long since been buried in time.
Towards Chu Jin, she had long since felt neither love nor hate. She didn’t inquire about Chu Jin’s affairs, nor did she care about them.
But seeing Chu Jin with a face full of scars, lowering her head, and eating hastily, Chu Yu felt a bit of pity.
She knew Chu Jin had always been proud at heart. She originally wanted to say “slow down,” but held back, only telling people to serve the dishes slowly, giving Chu Jin time to catch her breath.
After Chu Jin finally finished eating, several children were brought in.
As soon as they entered, the children rushed towards Chu Jin, anxiously asking, “Sister, are you alright? Did she bully you?!”
As they spoke, they looked at Chu Yu. Chu Yu found it a bit amusing. She crossed her arms and looked at these children, teasing them, “Oh my, I’ve bullied your sister to tears. What are you going to do about it?”
“You!” The oldest child saw Chu Jin’s red eyes and angrily said, “Just wait! I’ll have my father deal with you…”
“Oh? How is your father going to deal with me?” Chu Yu raised an eyebrow. The child’s face turned red, and after a long struggle, he said, “You… don’t be so arrogant. If you bully Sister again, I’ll… I’ll use gunpowder to blow you up!”
“Gunpowder?” Chu Yu was stunned. “What’s that?”
The child snorted coldly and turned his head away.
Chu Jin smiled, “He says it’s something his father made, probably similar to firecrackers.”
Hearing this, Chu Yu laughed, “Alright then, I’ll wait for your father to come blow me up with firecrackers. That’s enough talk now.” Chu Yu waved her hand, calling people over to take them away. “Go wash up and rest first. We’ll enter the city tomorrow.”
Chu Jin responded and followed the people out. After they had all left, Chu Yu thought for a moment and looked up at Wan Yue, asking, “Should I go console Ah Jin?”
“That depends on your intentions,” Wan Yue had also understood the entanglement between these sisters. She lowered her eyes and said, “Second Miss had many faults in the past, it’s normal for you to dislike her. But now Second Miss is different, it’s also normal if you want to console her.”
Chu Yu didn’t speak. Although Chu Jin had only briefly mentioned her experiences, Chu Yu could understand how difficult the journey had been for Chu Jin.
She had grown up in luxury, without any real-world skills, and was beautiful. Although she was skilled in scheming, she had never known the hardships of the world.
She and Xie Yun had been confined to the inner quarters, believing that reputation was everything, thinking that speaking ill of someone behind their back was vicious, and believing that ruining an engagement could ruin a woman’s life.
They didn’t know that in this chaotic world, human life was as worthless as grass, and their viciousness in the inner quarters was insignificant compared to the cruelty of the outside world.
Chu Yu sighed and stood up, walking towards Chu Jin’s tent. Just as she reached the outside of the tent and was about to speak, she heard faint sobbing from inside.
Chu Yu froze slightly. After listening at the door for a while, she ultimately turned away.
Wei Yun had told her that some paths had to be walked alone.
Standing outside Chu Jin’s tent, Chu Yu suddenly understood this very clearly.
She turned and went back to her tent, no longer thinking about Chu Jin’s affairs, and closed her eyes to rest.
However, she had barely closed her eyes when she heard the sound of troops! The ground trembled slightly, and she suddenly awoke, grabbing the long sword from beside her bed. Long Yue rushed in, shouting, “Madam, enemy attack!”
Chu Yu grabbed her armor with one hand, putting it on as she rushed out. Once outside, she saw iron cavalry pouring in from all around like a tide, their shouts shaking the night sky!
Chu Yu mounted her horse, looking towards Feng Ling City, but saw no soldiers outside the city walls.
“Enter the city!” she shouted. The war drums beside her began to beat loudly. At this moment, Chu Jin came running with several children, in a hurry.
Chu Jin’s hair was still wet, and she was only wearing a thin gown. If they were in Hua Jing, she would never have come out like this.
She hurriedly came before Chu Yu, pushing the children towards her, urgently saying, “Take them away!”
Without a word, Chu Yu Long Yue, and Wan Yue each grabbed a child onto their horses. Chu Jin followed, mounting a horse and holding a child protectively in her arms.
Chu Yu raised a military flag, taking the lead in the night, shouting, “Enter the city! Enter the city! Enter the city!”
Her voice spread through the night. The troops, initially thrown into chaos by the enemy attack, began to quickly form ranks. Chu Yu tossed the military flag to Long Yue, calmly saying, “Protect Second Miss, lead the people up the mountain.”
After speaking, she took her sword and went back to find Zhang Yun.
Zhang Yun was organizing people to cover the retreat. Chu Yu quickly arranged for people to go up the mountain in the middle.
The enemy came suddenly, but they were discovered early. The main force hadn’t arrived yet, and Chu Yu and her people evacuated quickly, so it wasn’t too difficult.
Chu Yu and Zhang Yun led people to cover the retreat. Seeing that the main force had reached the gates of Feng Ling City and the city gates had opened, Chu Yu shouted, “Retreat!”
Zhang Yun then led people to retreat with Chu Yu at full speed.
The pursuing troops released a volley of arrows from behind. Chu Yu and Zhang Yun rushed into the forest together.
Shouts came from behind, and Chu Yu and Zhang Yun increased their speed. The second wave of arrows instantly fell. Zhang Yun’s horse stumbled on vines, and with a neigh, Zhang Yun fell heavily. An arrow instantly pierced his body, causing him to cry out in pain.
Chu Yu reined in her horse and shouted, “General Zhang!”
“Go!” Zhang Yun roared. The soldiers beside him charged towards Mount Fengling like madmen. In the moonlight, Zhang Yun’s face was bloodied as he bellowed, “Hurry!”
Chu Yu pursed her lips but turned her horse around and galloped back!
The third wave of arrows rained down as the pursuers drew near. Chu Yu bent low on her horse, using her scabbard to hook Zhang Yun’s belt and pull him onto the horse. Simultaneously, she swirled her coat over their heads, blocking the falling arrows before spurring her horse forward.
The pursuers caught up, surrounding Chu Yu. She swept her long sword in a wide arc, holding Zhang Yun with one hand and hoisting him onto her shoulder. With a light touch of her toes, she thrust forward, breaking through the crowd and landing on a tree. She then used the branches to sprint wildly towards the foot of the mountain.
Instantly, over a dozen dark figures burst from the Northern Di army, chasing after Chu Yu. Zhang Yun, clutching his wound, rasped, “Madam Wei, leave me behind…”
“Shut up.”
As soon as Chu Yu finished speaking, she hurled Zhang Yun forward!
Zhang Yun’s eyes widened, but Chu Yu had already swung herself from a tree branch, using the momentum to reach Zhang Yun first. She grabbed his waistband and hoisted him onto her shoulder once more.
Zhang Yun’s face turned ashen as he stammered, “Madam Wei, you should leave me…”
Chu Yu laughed in the moonlight, saying cheerfully, “General Zhang, I’m afraid you’ll have to bear with some discomfort.”
As she spoke, Chu Yu threw Zhang Yun again, sweeping dozens of flying daggers toward the side. She then caught Zhang Yun once more, bending low with her sword to perform a horizontal sweep, narrowly avoiding the first sneak attack from a Northern Di assassin.
Chu Yu moved with agility, her sword like a white snake flicking its tongue or a dragon diving into the sea. Her movements appeared light and slow, yet each time she managed to dodge the attackers perfectly.
The dozen or so assailants found themselves helpless against Chu Yu. Zhang Yun, tossed about by Chu Yu, felt his insides churning. As he was thrown out once more, an assassin lunged towards him. Unable to contain himself any longer, Zhang Yun retched violently!
The attacker retreated in shock, and in that instant, Chu Yu closed in, her sword piercing deep into the assassin’s body before swiftly withdrawing. She grabbed Zhang Yun and leaped forward several dozen yards.
“Well done,” Chu Yu said with a smile, looking at Zhang Yun. He closed his eyes, feeling that in all his life, he had never felt so useless. At this moment, he truly believed he might meet his end here.
Fighting and advancing simultaneously, more and more people surged towards Chu Yu. With the Northern Di’s attention focused on her, it became much easier for the other officers to escape. The troops quickly entered the city, leaving only Chu Yu still engaged in battle.
Chu Jin and the others stood atop the city walls, watching the fierce battle unfold in the distance below the mountain.
Everyone had emerged from the forest, and she was counting heads.
Where was Chu Yu? Where was her sister?
Chu Jin trembled, biting her lip, unable to speak.
No one else came out of the dense forest. Chu Jin clenched her fists. Just as the magistrate of Fengling County was about to say something, they saw a figure in white carrying someone burst out of the forest! At the foot of Mount Fengling was a clear open area, providing an unobstructed view. Now, everyone could see a woman carrying a man charging out, her figure graceful as a crane, with over a dozen shadows in close pursuit.
Those shadows surrounded her, but she showed no fear. Instead, she exuded an air of heroic spirit, as if she were toasting with a sword.
“Hurry! Save them!” the Fengling County magistrate called out immediately. War drums sounded, and Chu Yu saw over a dozen young men suddenly leap out from the dense forest of Mount Fengling.
These men wore identical green robes and white jade masks, even their sword stances were identical.
As they moved forward to intercept, Chu Yu swiftly retreated into Mount Fengling. These men showed no desire to engage in prolonged combat and quickly withdrew.
Chu Yu dared not relax. She tossed Zhang Yun to one of the green-robed men and said, “I’ll join the soldiers in defending the mountain.”
“That won’t be necessary,” the green-robed man shook his head. As he spoke, Chu Yu saw the Northern Di army charging up the mountain. At that moment, it was as if a giant net had been raised over the entire mountain, with tens of thousands of small arrows simultaneously shooting towards the enemy!
The spacing between these small arrows seemed to have been calculated in advance, ensuring that an arrow would hit a person between each gap!
After one volley, a large number of Northern Di soldiers fell. Only then did Chu Yu see that a network of bowstrings had been set up in the dense forest. A person stood beside each net, and there was a position for placing arrows at each intersection point on the net. At the top of the net was a box of arrows. After the first volley, the arrow box would automatically drop arrows onto each position on the net, then one person would control the entire net to fire uniformly.
Ten thousand arrows were released at once.
Chu Yu had never seen such a strange yet impressive defensive tool. However, the green-robed man with the white jade mask beside her appeared completely unfazed, calmly saying, “Mount Fengling has its methods of defense. Madam, please proceed up the mountain.”
Chu Yu didn’t hesitate. She nodded, took another look at the net, and then carried Zhang Yun up the mountain.
The green-robed man, however, blocked her path with his sword and said, “Please follow me.”
Saying this, the green-robed man led Chu Yu to the side where there was a wooden track with a huge wooden box on it. He gestured towards the large wooden box and said, “Please place the general in this wooden box.”
Faced with these strange occurrences, Chu Yu felt uneasy but still obediently placed Zhang Yun inside. The man nodded, pulled out a rope from the side of the box to secure Zhang Yun, then stepped into the right side of the wooden box. Holding onto the crossbar on top of the box, he said to Chu Yu, “Please stand to my left.”
Chu Yu silently stood on the left side of the wooden box, mimicking the man’s posture by gripping the crossbar. The man nodded approvingly, bent down, and applied force to a handle beside the wooden box. Suddenly, Chu Yu found that the wooden track beneath her feet had started moving! The wooden box shot straight up the mountain on this track as if propelled by an unseen force!
Chu Yu was startled by this strange scene but remained motionless, while Zhang Yun, frightened out of his wits, rolled his eyes and fainted.
In just a moment, the three of them reached the mountaintop. The green-robed man stopped the wooden box and said to Chu Yu, “This device is called a wooden ladder. In the future, Madam can use it to conserve energy when climbing the mountain.”
Chu Yu nodded stiffly. People rushed out of the city to carry Zhang Yun inside. At this moment, an elderly man dressed in the official robes of a prefect hurried out, bowing to Chu Yu and saying, “This humble official is Liu Rong, greetings to Madam Wei!”
“Please rise, Lord Liu,” Chu Yu quickly said. “I have been ordered to come and defend Fengling. I hope for your guidance in the coming month.”
“Guidance is too strong a word,” Liu Rong sighed, glancing behind her before saying, “Well then, please come in so we can discuss matters in detail, Madam Wei.”
Chu Yu nodded and entered the city with Liu Rong.
Liu Rong led her into the county magistrate’s office, had tea served, and after dismissing the servants, he said earnestly, “Madam Wei, regarding your mission to defend the city, did His Majesty mention anything about the items in the city and where they should be taken?”
Chu Yu was slightly taken aback and asked with some surprise, “What items are you referring to?”
Seeing Chu Yu’s question, a flash of worry crossed Liu Rong’s face. He quickly said, “Never mind that. May I ask what His Majesty’s instructions were when you left?”
“His Majesty ordered me to defend the city for a month,” Chu Yu said seriously. “Lord Liu, rest assured that during this month, I will share Fengling’s fate, come what may.”
Liu Rong frowned and continued, “Then, did you bring provisions?”
“About that…” Hearing this, Chu Yu felt a bit embarrassed and said, “I’m afraid we’ll have to rely on Fengling City opening its granaries to support us.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Rong’s face turned pale, and he spoke urgently, “Fengling City has no granaries. Didn’t Madam Wei know this when you came?”
Chu Yu suddenly looked up as Liu Rong anxiously continued, “This old official has written to the capital three times, specifically requesting provisions. You didn’t bring any supplies with you?!”
Hearing this, Chu Yu instantly understood what it meant for a city without provisions to house so many troops and people. She immediately stood up and said anxiously, “We must leave. We can’t stay here to defend the city!”
However, before she could finish speaking, the green-robed man who had brought Chu Yu up the mountain earlier entered and calmly said, “My Lord, Madam, the Northern Di have surrounded Fengling.”
“How many are outside?” Chu Yu asked urgently, but before the green-robed man could answer, she quickly added, “I’ll lead the troops out.”
“Over a hundred thousand,” the green-robed man replied calmly. Chu Yu froze on the spot.
If there had been only a few tens of thousands, even with a twofold difference, Chu Yu might have had a fifty-fifty chance of breaking through with her troops.
But a hundred thousand! A full hundred thousand men!
“They are currently regrouping and unable to attack for now,” the green-robed man’s voice remained devoid of any emotion as if he were completely indifferent to the situation. He calmly continued, “Judging by the increasing numbers, it seems they are still moving troops, planning to take the city in one fell swoop.”
Chu Yu remained silent while Liu Rong paced back and forth anxiously.
“What is His Majesty thinking? What does he want to do?” Liu Rong was still asking, but Chu Yu had already understood.
She raised her head, her gaze falling in the direction of Huajing.
She now understood what His Majesty was thinking.
Eight hundred li away in the Imperial Palace of Huajing, amid songs and dances, Emperor Chunde stood in the water pavilion. With his back to his Chief Eunuch Huang Quanyou, he asked, “Chu Yu should have reached Fengling City by now. When do you think the Northern Di will make their move?”
“Your Majesty, your thoughts confuse this old servant,” Huang Quanyou stepped forward, draping a cloak over Emperor Chunde. “You’ve had the weapons department in Fengling City for so many years, and Minister Han has finally developed gunpowder. Yet you’ve informed the Northern Di of this. What’s the purpose?”
“Purpose?” Emperor Chunde snorted coldly. “If we don’t give the Northern Di a target, they’ll soon be at Huajing’s gates! Now I’ve given Su Cha a target. Knowing Fengling City’s value, Su Cha will spare no effort to attack it. Do you think I sent Chu Yu there for nothing? Did you believe our Great Chu would let a girl lead an army? With Chu Yu there, can the Chu family sleep peacefully? Can the Wei family? Watch, Chu Lingyang and Wei Yun will surely send troops to help Chu Yu. While they help me contain Su Cha’s main force, I’ll have Yao Yong deal with the remaining Northern Di troops. Once Yao Yong wins a few battles, I’ll find a reason to strip the Wei and Song families of their military power and give it to him.”
“Your Majesty,” Huang Quanyou sighed, “Isn’t the Marquis of Zhenguo just at odds with you over Marshal Yao? Marshal Yao hasn’t been fighting, so you’re forcing the Marquis to the frontlines, naturally displeasing him. If you were to push Marshal Yao as well, wouldn’t the Marquis be more agreeable?”
“Fool!” Emperor Chunde shouted. “Do you think Wei Yun is forcing me to punish Yao Yong for no reason? Yao Yong is my army, a sword against the noble families. He’s preserving the Wei family’s strength now, forcing me to send Yao Yong’s army to face the enemy head-on. His goal is to deplete Yao Yong’s military power. If Yao Yong’s forces are weakened, who could stop him if he were to rebel!”
“Where do you think the tens of thousands of deserters from the battlefield have gone? Could there be so many without Wei Yun’s instigation? Why do you think Wei Yun is buying large tracts of land in Luozhou to grow grain? If he didn’t have an army to feed, why would he do this? This young upstart is plotting rebellion, does he think I don’t know?!”
“This old servant is dim-witted. Your Majesty is wise!” Huang Quanyou hurriedly raised his hand to slap his face. Emperor Chunde snorted coldly, “He thinks he can threaten me with the Northern Di, does he take me for a fool? Before entertaining guests, one must clean the house. These little brats can just wait and see.”
“Once Yao Yong has swept away the Northern Di’s main forces, and the Wei and Chu families are locked in a life-or-death struggle with Su Cha’s main force, I will immediately lead troops to crush the Wei family. After all the kindness I’ve shown him, this is how he repays me. His crimes deserve death!”
“Yes, yes,” Huang Quanyou knelt, “With Your Majesty and Lord Yao joining forces, and Lord Yao’s unwavering loyalty, he will surely protect Your Majesty for thousands of years!”
Upon hearing these words, Emperor Chunde suddenly found himself unable to continue speaking.
Huang Quanyou hadn’t said anything more, but for some reason, the Emperor suddenly thought of Gu Chusheng.
The matter of Gu Chusheng – was it truly Yao Yong keeping it from him, or was Gu Chusheng acting under someone else’s instructions to frame him?
Emperor Chunde remained silent.
Once certain seeds are sown, they tend to take root in one’s heart.
Emperor Chunde’s gaze turned towards the Wei family’s direction, as he began to ponder what Wei Yun might be planning at this very moment in his home.
At that moment, Wei Yun was quietly listening to Gu Chusheng explain the situation in Fengling.
In his previous life, Gu Chusheng had some understanding of the Fengling affair. The Fengling incident had been kept extremely confidential, and ordinary people had no idea what had transpired there years ago, but Gu Chusheng knew the general outline.
Years ago in Fengling City, Chu Lingyang had been surrounded by the main Northern Di forces. Unlike other cities, Fengling never stored grain; it was more like a giant government office than a city. With no food, soldiers and civilians were trapped inside. At that time, battles were raging everywhere. The Song and Chu families, unlike now, didn’t avoid the enemy’s main force and suffered heavy losses on the battlefield. Yao Yong, prioritizing survival and preserving his troops, never engaged in confrontation. As a result, despite Gu Chusheng defending the city for three months, no one came to their aid. Three months without supplies – one can imagine what kind of hell the city had become. Yet there had been no riots in the city, suggesting Chu Lingyang must have imposed some strict rules.
After three months, when Wei Yun finally came to the rescue, there wasn’t a single person left alive in the city.
Some had died on the battlefield, others in the bellies of their fellow humans.
Upon hearing that Chu Yu had gone to such a hell on earth, Gu Chusheng had instantly lost his composure.
He knew that after Song Wenchang’s incident, something would happen in Fengling. He had planned to find an excuse to discuss it with Wei Yun, but before he could, he heard the news of Chu Yu’s departure.
Gu Chusheng had lost his composure, his voice trembling as he spoke. Wei Yun listened quietly as he explained the situation in Fengling.
Gu Chusheng didn’t mention what had happened after Chu Lingyang defended the city, only explaining the Northern Di’s military strength and the food situation. Wei Yun understood what Chu Yu would face.
His expression remained calm as he asked, “Why would the Northern Di place their main force in Fengling?”
Gu Chusheng was slightly taken aback. This was a question he had pondered in his previous life but never figured out. Back then, Chu Lingyang had been summoned by Emperor Chunde. After Chu Lingyang’s death, the Emperor had his confidants handle the matter. So perhaps only Emperor Chunde and Chu Lingyang knew why Fengling City had been attacked.
Wei Yun saw that Gu Chusheng couldn’t answer. He didn’t question the authenticity of Gu Chusheng’s information, but looking at the pale-faced young man, he slowly said, “You’re borrowing fifty thousand troops from me just to save my sister-in-law?”
Gu Chusheng, having calmed down somewhat, nodded in agreement. Wei Yun carefully held his teacup and calmly said, “Why do you think His Majesty would let a woman like my sister-in-law lead troops?”
Gu Chusheng was momentarily stunned, and then his eyes widened as he understood.
This was the Emperor’s bait. By sending Chu Yu there, he intended to use her life and death to control both the Wei and Chu families!
But could a single woman be so important?
Gu Chusheng looked at Wei Yun, his heart racing. He asked urgently, “So, you’re not going to help her?!”
Wei Yun raised his eyes to Gu Chusheng and replied firmly, word by word, “I will.”
Before Gu Chusheng could breathe a sigh of relief, Wei Yun continued, “But you don’t need to go to Fengling. I will go. You have another task.”
Gu Chusheng frowned. Wei Yun’s face remained composed, but his heart was racing, his palms sweaty, his entire body stiff.
He spoke mechanically, “I want you to act as an envoy. Find the new Northern Di Emperor, Su Jiu, and persuade him to attack Tianshou Pass.”
Gu Chusheng was momentarily stunned, but then he understood.
Su Cha was cunning and resourceful, but Su Jiu was fond of grand achievements. Tianshou Pass was crucial to Great Chu. If Su Jiu decided to attack, he would have to redeploy troops from Fengling, greatly reducing the pressure on Chu Yu.
“Before that, I will lead light cavalry to conduct harassment operations around Fengling. If he besieges Fengling, I’ll raid his supply lines.”
Gu Chusheng didn’t speak for a long while. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “Fine.”
With that, he stood up and said to Xue Hanmei, who was standing outside the door, “Please tell the Princess Royal that I’ve run away.”
Xue Hanmei was slightly taken aback, then laughed, “Alright.”
Gu Chusheng paused at the doorway. He turned his head and said to Wei Yun, “Wei Yun, I’m telling you, I’ll follow your plan this time. But if anything happens to Chu Yu because of this, I swear I’ll raze your Wei family to the ground, even if it costs me my life!”
Hearing this, Wei Yun looked up at him.
“If she dies,” Wei Yun’s voice was like death itself, “Do you think there would be anything left of the Wei family for you to raze?”
Gu Chusheng was momentarily stunned. Wei Yun supported himself as he slowly stood up.
His movements were heavy and slow as if bearing the weight of a thousand jun.
Gu Chusheng suddenly realized.
For Wei Yun in this life, Chu Yu had upheld the honor of the Wei family, supporting half the sky for them.
If there was anyone who wanted Chu Yu to live as much as he did, it had to be Wei Yun.
After standing up, Wei Yun clenched his jaw and supported himself as he returned to the inner hall. He turned and walked into the corridor. Once away from others, he finally let go, leaning against the wall, breathing rapidly.
“Young Marquis!” Wei Xia cried out in alarm.
Wei Yun closed his eyes and gritted out, “Gather men and prepare horses. We leave immediately!”
Man in blue: Welcome to Fengling City, the largest military research base in Great Chu.
Chu Yu: Do you provide meals?
Liu Rong: Did you bring food?
Chu Yu: No.
Liu Rong: Then hurry and take the elevator down!
Chu Yu: It’s too late.
Liu Rong: We should have invented airplanes earlier.