Wei Yun led Chu Yu, Liu Xueyang, and Jiang Chun on foot to the front of Shuntian Prefecture.
Dressed in their finest attire, their procession naturally drew the attention of the common folk. Many who didn’t know what was happening followed behind them, curious about their destination.
"Wearing such garments—aren’t they titled noblewomen?"
"That’s a first-rank imperial title!"
"Which family’s madam and young master are these?"
"I recognize that madam—isn’t she the young madam of the Wei family who once knelt before the Palace Gates?"
"Yes, yes!" someone chimed in. "Now she’s the senior madam of the Wei family. Then who is the one in front of her?"
"It’s Marquis Wei!"
Someone gasped aloud. "The young Marquis Wei who once led five thousand light cavalry straight into the Northern Di Royal Court!"
The moment those words were shouted, the crowd erupted in murmurs and excited chatter.
Wei Yun led his family forward with calm composure, seemingly indifferent to the voices around him.
As his name spread, the crowd grew larger.
Back when the Wei family had been reduced to Wei Yun alone, the battlefront had shrunk all the way to Tianmen Pass, nearly breaching Hua Jing. The people of the capital still remembered the billowing smoke of war at Tianmen Pass, the desperate scramble to flee—until this young man, clad in light armor, rode out from the Palace Gates, straight through the city gates of Hua Jing, leading elite troops to Tianmen Pass. After a fierce battle, the pass was held.
Though the common folk knew nothing of the political struggles within the palace, they knew this: it was Wei Yun who defended Tianmen Pass. It was Wei Yun who, when the frontlines were barely holding, single-handedly forced the Northern Di to retreat and return to their homeland in haste. And from then on, it was Wei Yun who remained at the front, leading troops deep into enemy territory time and again, securing absolute advantage for Great Chu and reclaiming lost lands.
Great Chu had teetered on the brink after the fall of the Wei family, but with their resurgence, the nation regained its former glory.
During the war, Wei Yun held the frontlines. When the people were left homeless, the Wei family opened their granaries to feed them. When refugees wandered aimlessly, the Wei family took them in at Xuzhou, providing them with work and shelter.
The common folk didn’t understand the court’s power struggles, nor the deceit and schemes of the upper echelons. But these tangible acts of kindness—these were real.
The people followed Wei Yun joyfully, and bold youths called out to him, "Young Marquis! Young Marquis, take me as your guard!"
Hearing the people call his name, call the Wei family’s name, Wei Yun’s heart trembled. Unconsciously, he turned to glance at Chu Yu.
Apart from warfare, everything else—it was Chu Yu who had done it all in the Wei family’s name.
He upheld Great Chu, while she upheld the Wei family.
As their eyes met, Wei Yun’s throat tightened. He felt he had no regrets before the world—except toward the woman behind him. To her, he had given far too little.
Chu Yu couldn’t decipher the gratitude in his gaze. She simply smiled softly and asked, "My lord, what is it?"
Wei Yun shook his head and quickened his pace, striding ahead.
The distance between Shuntian Prefecture and the Wei residence was no more than the time it took to burn a stick of incense. By the time they arrived at the prefecture gates, dawn had just broken, yet the surroundings were already packed with onlookers. A theater troupe had set up a free performance nearby that day, drawing crowds eager for entertainment.
Wei Yun stopped before Shuntian Prefecture with the three women. At the entrance stood a massive drum, meant for the people to sound in cases of grievance—only to be struck when a case exceeded the prefecture’s jurisdiction or involved a grave injustice.To prevent frivolous drum-beating by commoners, once Shuntian Prefecture accepted a case, the person who struck the drum had to first walk across a board of nails before the trial could commence. Thus, few people ever came here to file complaints.
At this moment, as Wei Yun stepped forward, the surrounding onlookers couldn't help but show expressions of shock, whispering among themselves: "What kind of case would bring Young Marquis Wei here to beat the drum?"
"Could it be about that White Emperor Valley case from years ago?"
"Wasn't it already clarified that it was the former Crown Prince's fault? What injustice remains to be addressed?"
As the crowd murmured, the drumstick suddenly struck the drum surface—the sound deep and steady, reverberating through the Shuntian Prefecture office.
"Wei Yun of the Duke Who Pacifies the Nation's residence," Wei Yun declared loudly, "comes before Shuntian Prefecture to seek justice!"
The drumbeats continued unhurriedly, one after another. Hearing this, everyone fell silent. The sun gradually rose from behind the mountains, its light slowly spilling over the city. That illumination arrived silently amid the drumbeats, enveloping the people and the imperial capital.
The crowd grew larger, yet no one inside Shuntian Prefecture dared to open the gates.
The Prefect paced anxiously inside the hall, fretting: "What status does Wei Yun hold now, and what status do I hold? The person he's accusing is someone I can't afford to offend! It's been so long, and His Majesty hasn't sent any word. Advisor, what should I do?"
The advisor, who had been deep in thought, looked up suddenly and said, "My lord, something's amiss here."
"Oh?"
"You said—in the imperial capital now, how many people still hold more power than Marquis Wei? If he had grievances, he could appeal directly to His Majesty. Why come to us? What's his purpose?"
"Exactly!" the Prefect said anxiously. "If it's something even he can't handle, how could I possibly manage it?"
"So Lord Wei isn't targeting you," the advisor said slowly. "He's targeting the common people!"
The Prefect was stunned. The advisor continued, "My lord, do you recall when Madam Wei knelt before the Palace Gates years ago? The Wei family's reputation among the people is so high. Back then, they used public sentiment to force the late emperor to intervene. Now, here, the one they aim to pressure is naturally the current sovereign."
The Prefect looked puzzled. "What does he want to force His Majesty to do?"
The advisor chuckled. "That... we'll likely only know when His Majesty's decree arrives."
"Then what should I do now?" The Prefect was utterly at a loss. The advisor sat down, fanning himself, and smiled. "Wait and see."
Meanwhile, in the palace, Zhao Yue listened to the urgent report from Shuntian Prefecture in silence.
He had known Wei Yun would make a move, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. Just as he had anticipated... Wei Yun was rebelling over the events of those years.
After a moment of silence, Zhao Yue picked up his brush and decisively declared: "Issue an imperial decree—betroth Madam Wei, Chu Yu, to Gu Chusheng."
Zhao Yue swiftly finished writing the first decree and stamped it with the Jade Seal.
Then, his voice low and teeth clenched, he ordered: "Dispatch troops immediately to arrest Yao Yong and bring him before me to Shuntian Prefecture!"
With that, Zhao Yue hurried out. Zhang Hui followed closely behind, anxiously asking, "Your Majesty, why are you rushing like this?"
"Wei Yun is trying to seize my weakness—how can I let him succeed?"
Zhao Yue growled, then practically ran out.
He understood all too well what Wei Yun intended to do.Now Wei Yun had both troops and provisions. The only thing he lacked to rebel was a reason.
To rebel without justification would bring calamity to the nation and chaos to the people. Even with elite soldiers and capable generals, he might temporarily capture Hua Jing, but he wouldn’t hold it for long. Given Wei Yun’s character, if he were to act and seek the empire, how could he not leave himself a way out?
Killing a ruler arbitrarily is to bring calamity to the nation and chaos to the people, but slaying a tyrant is called upholding justice for heaven.
He couldn’t give Wei Yun that reason.
Now Wei Yun was bound to exploit the White Emperor Valley incident to make the people believe he had oppressed the Wei family. But if he preemptively pushed Yao Yong out as the scapegoat, stubbornly denied any involvement in the White Emperor Valley affair, and then knelt in a theatrical apology to Wei Yun, begging him not to plunge the empire into chaos—after all this, Wei Yun would have no recourse.
After all, he was now the emperor, a ruler who had been a wise sovereign for years.
Thinking this, Zhao Yue felt much more at ease.
Yet the moment he left the palace, Wei Yun’s men headed straight for Shuntian Prefecture. Amid the crowd, a strange cuckoo’s call sounded. Wei Yun glanced in that direction and knew Zhao Yue had left the palace.
The drumming from Wei Yun suddenly grew louder, as if he had lost patience. Raising his voice, he shouted, “Your Honor! Why won’t Shuntian Prefecture open its gates? Has the drum of justice here fallen silent? Has the clarity of this world been lost? Or is there no longer any fairness left in this land?”
“Your Honor!”
Wei Yun struck the drum, tears in his eyes, his voice hoarse: “Will you let the seventy thousand men of White Emperor Valley die in injustice? Let their murderers roam free? Let the one who brought great Chu to the brink of ruin sit high upon the Golden Throne, worshipped by thousands? Let the good suffer in the underworld while the wicked bask in glory?”
Hearing this, the crowd was stunned.
The magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture and his advisor exchanged bewildered glances.
“Upon the Golden Throne…” The magistrate’s lips trembled, as if he couldn’t believe it. “Who is he accusing?”
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