Fight For Love

After confirming the news, Chu Yu could no longer keep it hidden.

The Chu family hastily dispatched a hundred household troops to Chu Yu overnight. Now, Wei Manor was almost entirely under her control. Even if some guards harbored disloyal thoughts, with the token and the Chu family's troops, those guards could do nothing.

Thus, Chu Yu first summoned a physician to examine her, then gathered all the young madams in the main hall.

The young madams sensed something grave had happened and all remained cautious and restrained, not daring to speak out of turn. When they were ushered into the main hall, they glanced around warily. After a moment, Third Young Madam Zhang Han tentatively asked, "Where is the Madam?"

Chu Yu sat down calmly and replied, "The Madam has taken the five young masters to Lanling to visit the Dowager."

Hearing this, the faces of the young madams paled. Yao Jue abruptly stood up and shouted angrily, "Taking the five young masters away without even informing us, their mothers?!"

Yao Jue came from the Yao Family. With a Yao woman now the Empress and the eldest son as the Crown Prince, the Yao Family's status had soared. Even a daughter born of a concubine carried more authority than others.

Chu Yu recalled how, in her past life, Wei Yun had returned with Yao Yong's head. Coupled with the thought that the Wei family must now be entangled in some treacherous scheme, the sight of a Yao family member filled her with unease. She shot Yao Jue a cold glance and said flatly, "It was the Eldest Madam who took them away. Instead of yelling at me, why not go yell at your mother-in-law?"

Yao Jue faltered under the retort, her momentum waning. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Chu Yu suddenly raised her voice sharply: "Get out!"

"Chu Yu, you—"

Yao Jue stormed forward, but Wei Xia and Wei Dong immediately stepped in to block her. Chu Yu continued icily, "Go on, keep making a scene. Do you even know why I sent them away? Do you know what’s happened at the frontlines?! Waste all the time you want—soon, none of us will escape!"

At these words, everyone’s hearts sank. Fifth Young Madam Xie Jiu, the most respected among them, stepped forward and placed a hand on Yao Jue’s arm. She looked at Chu Yu intently and said solemnly, "What has happened at the frontlines? Please enlighten us, Young Madam."

"Early this morning, Xiao Qi sent word from the frontlines," Chu Yu said gravely. The room fell silent as everyone fixed their eyes on her, hanging on her every word. She studied their expressions before continuing slowly, "The Duke and the young masters were trapped in White Emperor Valley. The entire army was annihilated. Now, Xiao Qi is bringing them back... wrapped in shrouds and placed in coffins."

For a long moment, no one reacted. They simply stared at Chu Yu in stunned silence. Finally, Xie Jiu was the first to regain her composure. Trembling, she asked, "Which of the young masters... did you mean?"

Then, as if realizing Chu Yu had said "young masters"—plural—she corrected herself, "Which... ones?"

Chu Yu sighed and answered quietly, "All six young masters, including the heir... and the Duke Who Pacifies the Nation. Only Xiao Qi remains."

Before she could finish, a piercing scream erupted from the crowd. Everyone turned to see Sixth Young Madam Wang Lan.

She had just discovered her pregnancy and was in a fragile state. Hearing the news, she lunged at Chu Yu like a madwoman, shrieking, "You’re lying! How could my husband be dead?! You’re lying!"Her voice was sharp and shrill. The maids stepped forward to restrain her. Chu Yu frowned and gave Changyue a look. Changyue raised her hand and swiftly struck Wang Lan with a chop, knocking her unconscious.

After Wang Lan fainted, only the Third Young Mistress's sobs remained in the room, while Xie Jiu and Yao Jue stood in the hall, seemingly still in shock.

Chu Yu glanced at them and was about to speak when Yao Jue suddenly snapped out of her daze and exclaimed, "I don’t believe it! I need to go back—I must find my mother, I—"

As she spoke, she rushed toward the door. But before she could take more than a few steps, a clamor erupted outside. Chu Yu frowned and looked up to see soldiers hurriedly entering, their faces anxious. "Young Mistress, it’s bad! A group of soldiers with an Imperial Decree has surrounded the manor! They say no one is allowed to leave until the Seventh Young Master returns!"

News from the front must have already reached the palace. The emperor’s actions were within her expectations—otherwise, she wouldn’t have had Liu Xueyang take the children and leave early.

She replied calmly, "Let them surround it. It’s fine."

As long as no formal charges had been declared, no one would dare barge into the Wei Manor.

She turned back and continued giving orders, instructing the servants to place Jiang Chun and Wang Lan together under strict supervision, ensuring the physician tended to them properly.

Wang Lan’s child had to be delivered safely if possible.

But in her past life… had the child even been born?

Chu Yu couldn’t remember. In her previous life, apart from Jiang Chun’s dramatic suicide for love, none of the Wei family’s young mistresses had left much of a mark. Most had reportedly been given letters of divorce by Wei Yun on behalf of his brothers and sent back to their families to remarry.

As Chu Yu methodically issued instructions, she also sifted through her memories of that past life. Meanwhile, Yao Jue seemed utterly unconvinced by the guards’ words and clamored to leave.

Chu Yu paid her no mind, instead turning her gaze to Xie Jiu.

"What are your plans, Fifth Young Mistress?"

Her voice was steady. Xie Jiu was intelligent—she immediately grasped Chu Yu’s intent and frowned. "The Wei family is clearly implicated in a grave crime. Do you still intend to stay?"

From those words, Chu Yu understood Xie Jiu’s choice. She studied her for a moment before asking, "Did you have no feelings for the Fifth Young Master?"

Xie Jiu froze. When she finally reacted, she fell silent.

After a long pause, she spoke with difficulty, "But I must think of my future. I’m only twenty-four."

She met Chu Yu’s gaze firmly, as if wanting to say more, but Chu Yu merely nodded—without scorn or impatience—and replied indifferently, "Very well."

With that, she turned away to instruct the servants on the funeral arrangements, never sparing Xie Jiu another glance.

Faced with Chu Yu’s composed demeanor, Xie Jiu suddenly felt as though she stood there, exposed and wretched.

Clenching her fists, she suddenly raised her voice. "You’ll regret staying!"

Chu Yu paused and turned back. Xie Jiu’s tone was resolute. "Chu Yu, you’re still young. You don’t understand how terrifying it is to spend a lifetime alone—"

"I won’t be alone," Chu Yu interrupted, her voice calm and steady. "I still have the Wei family with me."

"You—"

"You walk your broad road, I’ll cross my narrow bridge. I won’t persuade you, so why stop me?"

Chu Yu frowned. "Xie Jiu, I thought you were intelligent."

Xie Jiu fell silent at those words. Chu Yu was right—it was just that Chu Yu’s choice made everyone else’s seem all the more shameful in comparison.Xie Jiu watched her walk away, took a deep breath, and still chose to turn and leave.

Since she had decided to distance herself, she naturally couldn't have too many entanglements with the Xie Family. When Wei Yun returned, the emperor would naturally lift the guard restrictions, so she needed to sever ties with the Wei family as soon as possible.

Xie Jiu thought she was being extremely rational. She believed herself to be a typical, aloof, and intelligent noblewoman. Yet when she entered her room and sat on the bed, for some reason, she suddenly remembered her husband's face.

She took off her shoes and lay down on the bed. In this private space, she buried her face in the brocade quilt and finally allowed herself to cry aloud.

Some of the young madams were crying, others were making a scene. Chu Yu had people keep an eye on them while she began preparing the ancestral hall.

The dead must have a place to return to, especially those of the Wei family.

She had heard that in her past life, the Wei family's affairs had been handled too hastily. Those who had passed didn't even have an ancestral hall and were buried in a hurry. Even their tombstones were only erected later when Wei Yun reopened the graves.

Now that she was here, she couldn't let the Wei family end up like in her past life—heroes in life but without even an ancestral hall for remembrance in death.

In her past life, she had handled her mother's funeral and also arranged Gu Chusheng's mother's funeral. In this matter, she was quite experienced.

Familiar with the process, she prepared the list of items to purchase and settled the layout and location of the ancestral hall. By then, it was already dark.

Only then did she remember Jiang Chun. After some thought, she decided to visit Jiang Chun again.

Jiang Chun had woken up in the afternoon and immediately attempted suicide. Fortunately, Chu Yu had already assigned people to watch over her, and they managed to snatch the sword away in time, saving her life.

After the failed suicide attempt, Jiang Chun stopped speaking and refused to eat. She leaned against the window, motionless, saying nothing.

When Chu Yu entered, she saw a woman with lifeless eyes, staring blankly at the sky outside.

The maids nearby noticed Chu Yu's arrival and wanted to report something, but Chu Yu waved her hand, and they tactfully withdrew. Chu Yu approached Jiang Chun, sat down beside her, and tucked the quilt around her.

"The night is cold with dew. Take care of yourself and don't catch a chill."

Jiang Chun ignored her, as if she weren't even there.

Chu Yu leaned against the other side of the bed, gazing at the moon outside the opposite window.

"On the day I married into this family, I didn't even get to see what A Jun looked like."

At these words, Jiang Chun finally reacted.

She slowly turned her head and saw Chu Yu leaning against the other side of the bed, her expression gentle, as if recalling something: "All I heard was him stammering and calling me 'Miss Chu.' I thought to myself, how could someone be so earnest? Even after marriage, he still called me 'Miss Chu.'"

Jiang Chun lowered her eyes, clearly listening to her.

Chu Yu didn't look at her and continued, "On the day of our wedding, he left for battle. I wanted to see what he looked like, so I chased after him. That day, he promised me he would return."

"You..." Jiang Chun finally spoke. "Don't be too sad."

"I'm not sad."

Chu Yu smiled. "He wouldn't want to see me sad, so I don't want to grieve the departed either."

Jiang Chun said nothing. She seemed to understand Chu Yu's purpose in coming.

"I'm not like you."

Her voice was faint. "From the day I was born until I met the second young master, I was never happy. Even after marrying him, I was full of anxiety. I feared he wouldn't like me, and even more, that he would mistreat me."

"But he didn't."Jiang Chun's voice was hoarse: "On our wedding day, I sprained my ankle. I thought he would surely be angry at me for making a scene, so I forced myself to keep walking, step by step. I believed I'd have to walk that entire painful path alone—but then he noticed."

"He knelt down," Jiang Chun smiled, her eyes filled with nostalgia, "and carried me on his back the rest of the way. When we entered the bridal chamber, he personally applied medicated wine to my ankle. No one had ever treated me so kindly before."

Her gaze settled on Chu Yu: "To be cherished like a treasure—it was exactly like that."

Chu Yu said nothing. The more beautiful the description, the more unbearable the pain when faced with cruel reality.

"If I had never experienced such happiness in my lifetime, I could have accepted my fate," Jiang Chun trembled as she closed her eyes. "But having met someone so wonderful, how can I possibly walk this path alone now?"

"It hurts too much..."

Tears streamed down her face: "Walking that road alone hurts too much."

Hearing this, Chu Yu could no longer hold back. She reached out and pulled Jiang Chun into a tight embrace.

Suppressing the hot tears in her eyes, she desperately looked upward.

"It's alright," she said hoarsely. "I'm here, Jiang Chun. I'm on this path with you. The madam is here, and so is your child. You're not alone."

"From the moment you married into the Wei family, you were never alone again."

"If anyone dares bully you in the future, I'll fight them for you. If you're sick, I'll care for you. If you have nowhere to go, I'll stay with you. Jiang Chun," she held her tighter, "there's more to life than just love."

"You're no longer that helpless little girl who had nothing and could only cling desperately to the second young master."

"You have your child, you have Wei Manor, you have a home."

At these words, Jiang Chun could no longer contain herself. The suppressed agony burst forth violently.

She wailed openly.

"But I miss him! I miss him so much!"

"I know."

"Why him? Why do those heartless people get to live happily while he's gone? He was so young, our child is only five—why did it have to be him?"

"I know."

"Why..." Jiang Chun sobbed brokenly in her arms, each cry a desperate plea.

Why was heaven so unjust?

Why was the world so cold?

Why were heroes buried unremembered while rats and wolves wore silken robes?

Yet Chu Yu had no answers to these whys. She could only hold Jiang Chun close, letting her tears soak through her clothes, then slowly closing her own eyes—hoping her warmth might bring Jiang Chun some comfort.

Even if the warmth was faint, she still wished to be a candle in this world, burning herself to bring light.