Fight For Love

Early the next morning, Wei Yun left quietly.

He didn’t even wake Chu Yu. By the time she stirred, he was long gone. With her hands tucked into her sleeves, Chu Yu stood at the doorway, staring blankly outside for a long while until Changyue called out, “Madam.” Only then did she snap out of her daze. She responded softly before turning back into the house.

After Wei Yun’s departure, the entire responsibility of Bailing fell to Chu Yu. While Wei Yun fought on the frontlines, she managed the rear. Though not particularly skilled in such matters, her years observing Gu Chusheng had taught her the ropes.

The most complex aspect of managing the rear was navigating human relations—where provisions, weapons, and military supplies came from, how they were transported, all involved intricate methods. When a region was at war, questions arose: how to levy taxes, how to encourage commerce, what policies could sustain military needs without burdening the people—all these were issues Chu Yu had to consider.

The Great Chu had always looked down on merchants, but Chu Yu defied convention by actively encouraging trade, even urging merchants to invest in agriculture. Merchants were far more astute than her; if they were willing to engage in farming, they had countless ways to increase yields.

For over ten days after Wei Yun left, Chu Yu scarcely returned to Wei Manor, choosing instead to rest at the government office. Partly because she dared not face Liu Xueyang, and partly because she truly had no time.

Occasionally, she would think of Wei Yun, and when she did, she would write to him. The young man replied swiftly, sending letters almost daily. It reminded her of the early days when he had accompanied Wei Jun to war, writing letters in his brother’s stead. Chu Yu treasured each of Wei Yun’s letters, carefully storing them in a box she kept close at hand.

During her daily work, whenever she missed him, she would glance at those letters, as if he were still by her side.

Wei Yun did the same on the frontlines.

He would fold Chu Yu’s letters meticulously and tuck them against his chest. Before each battle, he would reach up to touch them, as though the person behind those words stood behind him, whispering— Huaiyu, go and return swiftly.

Perhaps his longing was too urgent, for Wei Yun fought this battle with unprecedented speed. When he redirected his forces from the Northern Di to quell the internal strife in Great Chu, everyone realized the young general’s prowess was no mere boast.

The fall of Huicheng—from the first assault to the city’s complete surrender—took only half a day.

Such lightning-fast tactics stunned the entire Great Chu. And on that day, the letter Chu Yu received contained just one line: I’ll be back soon.

Reading it, Chu Yu couldn’t help but smile. She understood his meaning—fighting so fiercely was simply because he yearned to return.

She considered reprimanding him, but then imagined him brimming with pride and impatience at this moment. A scolding seemed ill-timed. After much deliberation, she simply replied, Mm, I’ll wait for you.

Liu Xueyang and Chu Yu received news of Wei Yun’s return almost simultaneously.

Chu Yu’s prolonged stay at the government office unsettled Liu Xueyang. She couldn’t fathom Chu Yu’s thoughts. Though Liu Xueyang wanted to speak with her several times, she hesitated, fearing that if Chu Yu remained unaware of these feelings, laying them bare would be unbearably awkward. Worse still, if Chu Yu did know… for the Wei family, it would be even more humiliating.But this matter had to be resolved. Liu Xueyang was desperate to know just how far things had progressed between Chu Yu and Wei Yun. She had been pondering it when the news of Wei Yun's impending return forced her to make a decision.

She knew her son's temperament well—any decision had to be made before Wei Yun returned. Liu Xueyang agonized over it, losing sleep night after night. Gui Momo, noticing her distress, finally spoke up: "Why must you torment yourself like this, madam? Why not consult others?"

"Consult them about what?" Liu Xueyang sighed. "Should I announce this to the whole world?"

"There’s no need to be so direct," Gui Momo suggested. "First, speak with the second and sixth madams. Don’t reveal anything outright—just hint at it and observe their reactions. If anything seems unusual, probe further. What do you think?"

Liu Xueyang remained silent.

She had never been a particularly capable matriarch in matters of the household, but after so many years in the inner quarters, she wasn’t entirely naive either. She had never been one to meddle, but now that it concerned her only son, she couldn’t stand idly by. She was pouring every ounce of her wits into this matter. Taking a deep breath, she thought it over and decided to summon Wang Lan first.

She knew Jiang Chun’s temperament well—if Jiang Chun had known about this and kept it hidden for so long, she had already made her choice and wouldn’t reveal anything. This daughter-in-law was sharp as a tack; if she didn’t want to speak, not a single word could be coaxed out of her. Wang Lan, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as clever.

Liu Xueyang pondered how to approach the conversation. When Wang Lan was brought in, she gave nothing away, simply saying, "Xiao Qi sent word that he’s returning. I had a nightmare and couldn’t sleep, so I called you over to chat."

Wang Lan was puzzled—why summon her over a nightmare? But she was dutiful and obediently offered a few words of comfort. Liu Xueyang sighed, her expression tinged with sorrow. "Tonight, I dreamed of your father-in-law and the other young masters again. It grieves me so."

At this, Wang Lan’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t help wondering if Liu Xueyang had learned about Shen You and was testing her. But Liu Xueyang sighed again and said, "Of all the children, my heart aches most for A Jun. He was so sensible from a young age. At first, he wasn’t fond of his betrothal to Chu Yu, but later, he accepted it willingly. Now, seeing what a fine girl A Yu is, I think if A Jun were still here and knew her true nature, he would have grown to love her. They would have been a harmonious couple, don’t you think?"

Wang Lan’s heart settled slightly, but her pulse quickened nonetheless.

She twisted her handkerchief, trying to gauge how much Liu Xueyang knew and what exactly she was fishing for.

She wasn’t skilled at hiding her emotions, and every flicker of her reaction was noted by Liu Xueyang and Gui Momo. Liu Xueyang clenched her fists inwardly but smiled gently. "A Lan, I’ve always been very fond of A Yu. Today, I had an idea I’d like to discuss with you."

"Wh-what idea?"Wang Lan stammered slightly, while Liu Xueyang suppressed her emotions, forcing a kindly expression as she said, "I think since A Yu is such a good girl and Xiao Qi hasn't married yet, and A Yu will have to marry sooner or later, why not have her marry Xiao Qi? That way, she can stay in Wei Manor forever. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Wang Lan was completely certain—Liu Xueyang must already know!

Cold sweat dripped down her back as she hesitated over whether to speak or not. Liu Xueyang closed her eyes and suddenly slammed her hand on the armrest, furious. "Even now, you still want to cover up and hide things?! How did you find out? How much do you know? Tell me everything!"

"Mother-in-law!"

Wang Lan quickly knelt, anxiously saying, "This matter... this matter... I don't even know how to explain it."

"I already know the gist of it," Liu Xueyang said coldly. "Just tell me what you know."

Wang Lan hesitated for a moment, and Liu Xueyang angrily stood up. "Even you are going to deceive me like this?!"

"Mother-in-law, please calm down!"

Seeing Liu Xueyang's fury, Wang Lan realized she couldn't hide it any longer. She recounted everything she had seen in the carriage, adding anxiously, "But I didn't see anything else—it's all just speculation. Perhaps the lady had someone else, so I didn't dare speak out of turn."

Liu Xueyang didn't respond. She clenched her fists, her entire body trembling slightly.

Gui Momo, seeing the situation, quickly intervened. "Sixth Madam, you should go back and rest now. The old madam is tired. And don't mention today's conversation to anyone else."

Wang Lan had been eager to leave. Hearing this, she said a few words urging Liu Xueyang to take care of herself, then stood up and hurried out. Once outside, she didn't know what to do. After a moment's thought, she rushed toward Jiang Chun's room.

After Wang Lan left, Liu Xueyang swept her sleeve violently across the table, sending everything crashing to the floor.

Trembling, Liu Xueyang repeated, "Shameless... shameless..."

Yet even as she said it, she wasn't sure who she was cursing.

Suddenly, everything felt filthy and repulsive. Clenching her fists, she gasped for breath, thinking back to the past. When Chu Yu had just married into the family, she had vowed never to leave the Wei family. Back then, Liu Xueyang had thought it was the sincerity of a pure heart—but now...

"When did they get together?"

Liu Xueyang blurted out urgently, "Was it after A Jun passed... or..."

Or had they been involved long before that? Was that why, even after Wei Jun's death, she refused to leave? Instead, she stayed in the Wei family, disregarding life and death, all these years.

If it had truly been before Wei Jun's death...

At that time, Wei Yun—Wei Yun had only been fourteen!

And Wei Jun had waited for her all those years...

Liu Xueyang's eyes were bloodshot. The mere thought of this possibility, of her eldest son who had died so young, made her unable to contain herself.

She had to get to the bottom of this. She needed to know—was Wei Yun's affection one-sided, or had Chu Yu and Wei Yun been involved long ago?

Frantic, she rushed out, summoning all the covert guards Wei Zhong had left her, and stormed straight toward Chu Yu's courtyard. Once inside, she ordered the gates closed and, with reddened eyes, commanded, "Search! Find anything related to a man!"

The covert guards obeyed and began swiftly rummaging through the room.

Chu Yu's treasured cabinet was locked. When the covert guards found it, Liu Xueyang ordered it smashed open.After breaking it open, scattered objects were found inside. Though their owner was unclear, they were unmistakably tokens of affection. Beneath these items lay some letters. When Liu Xueyang opened them, she discovered they were the correspondences between Chu Yu and Wei Jun, written in Wei Yun's stead back in the day.

Liu Xueyang recognized Wei Yun's distinctive handwriting at a glance. Seeing the dates on the letters, her entire body trembled.

She was shaking uncontrollably when Gui Momo approached, holding a set of clothes.

Wei Yun often stayed overnight at Chu Yu's place, and Chu Yu had prepared some of his personal belongings. Gui Momo brought them over, and after Liu Xueyang ran her fingers over the measurements, she confirmed—these indeed belonged to Wei Yun.

Her body quivered, a surge of rage boiling in her chest.

She only had two sons. One had remained chaste from the age of nine to twenty-four, waiting faithfully for this woman. Yet this woman had shamelessly entangled herself with her only remaining son.

She was going to ruin Wei Yun. She was going to ruin the Wei family!

But even as countless sordid conjectures about this relationship swirled in her mind, Liu Xueyang still recalled the moment when Chu Yu had grasped her hand and vowed, "I am a woman of the Wei family in life and in death."

She couldn’t condemn someone so easily. If she wronged her, it would be too cruel.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head in the darkness and said coldly, "Summon the First Madam back."

Meanwhile, Jiang Chun had already sent someone to fetch Chu Yu the moment Liu Xueyang headed for her courtyard.

Chu Yu hadn’t yet retired for the night and was discussing the disaster relief route to Yuancheng with Wei Qingping. Though Wei Qingping didn’t understand why Chu Yu was so certain of a calamity in Qing Province, she never questioned her friend, merely listening quietly.

By the time the servant arrived, Chu Yu had nearly finished speaking. The servant rushed into the room in a panic, kneeling and saying, "First Madam, Second Madam sent word that the Old Madam has led people to search your quarters! She urges you to return at once and prepare!"

Hearing this, Wei Qingping froze before suddenly snapping to awareness, furious. "How dare she?!"

Barging into someone’s private quarters was nothing short of a grave insult.

Yet Chu Yu’s expression remained calm, as if she had expected Liu Xueyang’s actions. She even leisurely rolled up the map and handed it to Wei Qingping, saying lightly, "Rest for now. We’ll set off tomorrow—the sooner, the better. I’ll catch up."

With that, she stood, straightened her robes, and prepared to leave.

Wei Qingping was baffled by her composure. Only when Chu Yu reached the corridor and slipped on her wooden clogs did she snap out of it, exclaiming anxiously, "You’re going back now? Liu Xueyang is clearly looking for trouble!"

Chu Yu didn’t respond.

She wore a pale cyan wide-sleeved robe with a white inner garment, cloud patterns embroidered along the edges of the sleeves. A white hair ribbon was loosely tied behind her, dampened by the night’s moisture, its ends trailing through her hair.

Without turning back, her hands tucked into her sleeves, she spoke with serene composure. "Since she went to my room, she must intend to confront me. There are things I need to clarify with her."

A light drizzle pattered down. Chu Yu lifted her gaze, a hint of coldness in her eyes.

"I don’t seek trouble, but if trouble comes, I won’t shy away from it."

With that, she raised her hand and snapped open an umbrella, stepping into the wind and rain.

Her demeanor was as tranquil as still water, her bearing effortlessly graceful.