Chu Yu clenched the paper in her hand, quickly regaining her composure.
She had been closely monitoring the front lines. From the letters sent back by Wei Yun and Wei Jun, the Wei family's tactics were indeed conservative, making it unlikely they would pursue the enemy. Yet it had happened—on the eighth day of the ninth month, they were trapped in White Emperor Valley, and today was the ninth day of the ninth month...
Chu Yu closed her eyes. She knew something must have occurred on the battlefield that she was unaware of.
She also realized that the posthumous titles conferred upon the entire Wei family back then were not merely due to Wei Yun becoming a distinguished general and the emperor's favor.
The information gained from her rebirth might not be entirely accurate. She had been too arrogant, too confident in the knowledge she already possessed, believing that returning through rebirth would allow her to change the course of events.
She closed her eyes, steadying her breath. Behind her stood Wei Qiu, Wei Xia, Changyue, and Wanyue. Wei Qiu's face betrayed his anxiety as he whispered, "Young Madam, we can't suppress news like this."
"I know."
Chu Yu opened her eyes and exhaled deeply. "I will go speak with Mother-in-law now. Until then, no one else must know of this."
Wei Qiu hesitated—the news was too significant—but Wei Xia remained composed and bowed respectfully. "Understood. We will follow your orders, Young Madam."
Chu Yu nodded and hurried toward Liu Xueyang's chambers.
The Wei family matriarch was not currently in Hua Jing but rather retired at the Wei family's fiefdom in Lanling. The true decision-maker in the household now was Liu Xueyang. Chu Yu knew all too well what the Wei family had faced in the past and what Liu Xueyang had done. She was not a woman who could endure silently, and as the mother of Wei Yun and Wei Jun, Chu Yu did not want Liu Xueyang to bear the burden alone.
She arrived at Liu Xueyang's room and entered without waiting for an announcement. Liu Xueyang was reclining on a couch, listening to a servant play the pipa. When the music abruptly stopped, she looked up in confusion and saw Chu Yu standing before her, expression calm but firm. "Mother-in-law, I have urgent news to report. Please dismiss the others."
Liu Xueyang was taken aback but nodded to those around her.
The attendants withdrew, with Wanyue and Changyue standing guard outside the closed doors. Only Liu Xueyang and Chu Yu remained in the room. Liu Xueyang forced a smile. "A Yu, what's the matter today?"
"News has arrived from the border," Chu Yu said, and Liu Xueyang's expression immediately darkened.
As a woman of a military family, she knew all too well what a private letter from the front lines meant. Seeing that Liu Xueyang had not lost her composure, Chu Yu continued, "Yesterday, our forces were besieged in White Emperor Valley. Xiao Qi led troops to reinforce them, but we must prepare for the worst."
Liu Xueyang sat up straight, gripping the edge of the table as she asked hoarsely, "How... how many are trapped?"
"Aside from Xiao Qi, Father-in-law and all six elder brothers, along with seventy thousand elite soldiers, are surrounded."
At these words, Liu Xueyang swayed. Chu Yu rushed forward to steady her, calling out urgently, "Mother-in-law!"
"I'm fine!" Liu Xueyang's eyes reddened, her teeth clenched as she grasped Chu Yu's hand. Though her body still trembled, she spoke firmly, "Don't be afraid. They will be alright. As long as I am here, you will all be safe."
"And even if..." Liu Xueyang lifted her head, forcing a strained smile, "even if they die, it will be for their country. His Majesty will not treat us too harshly. You mustn't fear."Chu Yu remained silent. Supporting Liu Xueyang, she knelt beside her, pursed her lips, and finally said, "Mother, at a time like this, shouldn't we keep such news confidential?"
"Hmm."
Liu Xueyang nodded wearily and replied, "This matter stays between us. Oh, and we should inform the second madam—"
"Mother!" Chu Yu interrupted urgently. "That's precisely why I came. In the current situation, Liang Shi must no longer be allowed to manage the household finances."
Liu Xueyang looked bewildered. Chu Yu probed cautiously, "Mother, you're aware that Liang Shi has been abusing her authority in Wei Manor for years, embezzling funds from the treasury, aren't you?"
"Well..." Liu Xueyang hesitated. "I did know and even mentioned it to the master. But he said, 'Water too clear breeds no fish.' He believed it made no difference who handled it, so long as it wasn't excessive, and let her be."
"But given the current crisis, entrusting such crucial matters to someone of her character—have you considered how dangerous that is?!"
"This..." Liu Xueyang seemed confused. "It's been this way for over a decade. Now..."
"Now is different," Chu Yu took a deep breath and decided to lay it all out. "Mother, the news I've received suggests this military defeat may have resulted from Father's miscalculation of the situation. If anything happens to those seventy thousand troops, the blame will fall on the Wei family!"
At these words, Liu Xueyang's face turned deathly pale. Her voice trembled, "How could that be...?"
"If Liang Shi learns of this, how can you guarantee she won't seize the opportunity to plunder the family coffers and flee? If she takes the silver, what will we use to bribe officials or protect those who remain?"
Seeing Liu Xueyang waver, Chu Yu pressed on, "Mother, wealth may be mere embellishment in peaceful times, but in a crisis of survival, it means life itself! Your life, Xiao Qi's life, my life—are you willing to place them in Liang Shi's hands?!"
These words jolted Liu Xueyang into clarity. Her gaze gradually steadied as she turned to Chu Yu. "Then what do you propose?"
"If you trust me, let me take charge of the arrangements from here on. What do you say?"
Liu Xueyang didn't respond immediately. She studied Chu Yu for a long moment before saying, "Since you already know the news from the front, you must realize that regardless of how many of those seventy thousand soldiers survive, the Wei family will be held accountable. Why not leave now?"
Chu Yu didn't understand the implication. Puzzled, she asked, "What do you mean, Mother?"
"If you wish, I can have my son write you a letter of divorce. Return to your father's general's residence at once. If my son... truly meets misfortune, you can remarry with this document."
Liu Xueyang turned away with difficulty. "A Yu, you still have other paths."
Hearing this, Chu Yu grasped her meaning. She lowered her head and smiled faintly.
"I promised A Jun..." Her voice was tender—the first time she had ever addressed Wei Jun so intimately. In truth, she had never spent a single private moment with him. Yet somehow, from the day she married into the Wei family, she had felt in her heart that she wanted to share this family's glory and disgrace for the rest of her life.
This was the integrity of Great Chu, its backbone.
For a hundred years, the Wei family had expanded territories and founded Great Chu with the blood of their entire lineage.For the next dozen years until her death, it was Wei Yun alone who guarded the Northern Border with the Wei family's memorial tablets, defending against foreign enemies and protecting our nation.
In her past life, she had been consumed by love and failed to contribute to her country.
Now that she had been granted a second chance, she wished to live as she had dreamed in her youth—to become the person she aspired to be.
She admired the Wei family and longed to be one of them.
So she lowered her head and spoke softly yet resolutely, "I will wait for him to return."
Alive, she would wait for him; dead, she would still wait.
Liu Xueyang's tears burst forth instantly. She abruptly stood up and hurried into the inner chamber, retrieving a jade token.
"This is the token my husband left me, to be used in times of crisis. Anyone in Wei Manor must obey its bearer. I know I'm not fit to manage affairs, so I entrust this token to you."
Weeping, Liu Xueyang pressed the token into Chu Yu's hands. "Tell me what to do, and I'll follow your lead."
Chu Yu took the token. She had originally intended to persuade Liu Xueyang to help her apprehend Liang Shi, but she hadn't expected such unwavering trust from her mother-in-law.
Her voice was slightly hoarse as she said, "Mother... you..."
"I know you're a good child," Liu Xueyang grasped her hands, eyes brimming with hope. "I know you'll surely wait for A Jun to return."
She stared at Chu Yu, forcing a smile. "At least some of them should come back, right?"
Seeing the woman's fragile composure, Chu Yu swallowed her cruel words. In the end, she only said, "Mother, no matter what, A Yu will not leave."
Liu Xueyang bowed her head, nodding vigorously. "I know. I'm not afraid."
"Mother," Chu Yu pressed her lips together. "I will now charge Liang Shi with embezzlement and have her arrested. Later, you must take the five young masters out of Hua Jing and hurry to Lanling to seek refuge with the Dowager."
At this, Liu Xueyang's eyes widened. "You want me to leave?"
"The five young masters cannot remain in Hua Jing," Chu Yu stated decisively.
Uncertain how dire the situation might become, she could only ensure Liu Xueyang and the others left in advance.
Before Liu Xueyang could protest, Chu Yu continued, "You are A Jun's mother, the face of Wei Manor. While others may endure humiliation, you cannot. If you stay, you will become a puppet or a hostage when Xiao Qi returns. And with the five young masters in Hua Jing, it would be as if the entire Wei family were placed in the Emperor's hands."
"Mother, take them away. If misfortune strikes... flee Chu with them."
"And what about you?" Liu Xueyang came to her senses. "What will you do here?"
"I will wait here for the Wei men to return," Chu Yu declared firmly. "If they come back safely, I will welcome them with open arms. If they return in coffins, I will arrange their funerals. If they are wrongfully imprisoned, I will fight to save them. If their bodies hang at the city gates, I will retrieve and bury them."
Her voice was calm as she laid out every possible outcome, good or bad.
Meeting Liu Xueyang's stunned gaze, she said serenely, "As a woman of the Wei family, I belong to them in life and death."
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