After saying this, Wei Yun seemed exhausted. He wearily walked out, supporting himself as he made his way to Chu Yu's courtyard. He refused any assistance, and when he reached the door of Chu Yu's room, he dismissed everyone and entered alone.
The room remained in disarray from the earlier search. He sat on the steps before the bed, silent.
He didn’t know what to say or do. In the quiet of the night, he stared at the moonlight spilling into the room. After a long while, he struggled onto the bed, lying down as if Chu Yu were beside him. He closed his eyes, reaching out as though embracing someone. Yet, after some time, he could no longer hold back—curling into himself, he wept silently.
Outside, Wei Qiu and Wei Xia stood guard. Wei Xia couldn’t help but whisper, "Should we persuade His Highness to tend to his wounds first…?"
Wei Qiu glanced at him calmly. "You go."
"You bastard! You always push the hard tasks onto me!"
Wei Xia cursed under his breath, but Wei Qiu remained unmoved. Unable to bear it any longer, Wei Xia stormed off to find Shen Wushuang. By the time Shen Wushuang arrived, Wei Yun had already collapsed on the bed.
"Damn it, what sin did I commit to end up serving him?!" Shen Wushuang muttered before swiftly inserting the needles.
After a full day and night of treatment, Wei Yun finally stirred awake. Liu Xueyang sat by his bedside, tears streaming as she cried, "What are you doing? Are you trying to force my hand by torturing yourself like this?"
Wei Yun closed his eyes wearily, saying nothing.
Seeing his indifference, Liu Xueyang realized he didn’t want her there. Biting her lip, she turned and ran out.
Only after she left did Wei Yun finally speak, asking Shen Wushuang, "How long until I recover?"
"The external injuries aren’t serious," Shen Wushuang replied, unfazed. "But you should regulate your internal condition. Impressive—ninety-nine lashes, and you didn’t flay yourself to death?"
"I controlled my own hand. I knew my limits." Wei Yun’s voice was flat. He turned to Wei Xia. "Prepare to depart for Huicheng tomorrow."
"Your Highness!"
Wei Xia finally dropped to his knees. "Please, just rest properly!"
After a moment of silence, Wei Yun relented slightly. "We won’t rush. I’ll recuperate in the carriage. Huicheng was just captured—we can’t afford to slacken. I made a promise to Gu Chusheng: within five months, we must take Qing Province and defeat Yao Yong. There’s no time to delay."
His words left the room in silence. Shen Wushuang grinned, flashing white teeth. "Don’t worry. Your prince is strong as an ox. He could take another ninety-nine lashes and still be fine."
With that, he stood and stormed out.
Not far beyond the door, his furious shout echoed: "I’m done! If he wants to die, let him!"
Wei Yun lay in bed, utterly drained. Wei Xia hesitated. "Your Highness…"
"He’ll be back. Do as planned. We leave tomorrow."
While Wei Yun rested, Chu Yu was chasing after Wei Qingping.
Wei Qingping hadn’t slowed her pace to wait, so by the time Chu Yu caught up, they were already near the outskirts of Qingshui Town. Located not far from Yuancheng, the journey took only a day. Nestled between mountain valleys, it was an isolated settlement—yet the only route to Yuancheng.Wei Qingping casually found a teahouse to warm herself with some hot tea. Unexpectedly, while she was drinking, Chu Yu arrived. Wei Qingping saw Chu Yu's carriage speeding toward her. When Chu Yu dismounted and approached, Wei Qingping seemed to have already known she was coming and poured her a cup of tea, saying, "Will you be taking us into the city later?"
Yuan City was still under Yao Jue's control at the time, and Chu Yu had prepared new identities that could be put to use.
Seeing Chu Yu's agreement, Wei Qingping glanced up at her again, noticing her pale complexion. She couldn't help but ask, "Riding in a carriage all this way—wasn’t it too bumpy for you?"
"Too much stuff," Chu Yu replied helplessly. "Couldn’t manage it alone. And even if I did, it wouldn’t have been much better."
As she spoke, Chu Yu picked up a cup of tea and took a small sip.
It was nearing the end of winter, with the Spring Festival just around the corner. The teahouse wasn’t crowded, but the moment Chu Yu and Wei Qingping's entourage arrived, it was packed. The owner personally came to attend to them.
Watching the busy owner, Chu Yu remarked, "The Spring Festival is almost here. We should arrive early."
Wei Qingping gave a quiet hum of agreement. As the owner served their dishes, he overheard their conversation and said, "Lately, there have been many distinguished visitors. Not sure what’s happening, but you ladies should be careful."
Hearing this, Wei Qingping and Chu Yu exchanged glances. Wei Qingping was the first to ask, "What distinguished visitors?"
"Not sure," the owner replied, lowering his voice. "A few days ago, a group from Hua Jing came through in a great hurry. They barely drank anything before rushing off to Yuan City."
Chu Yu thought for a moment before asking, "Was their leader a rather handsome man dressed in red?"
"How did you know?" The owner looked surprised. Chu Yu smiled and dismissed him with a simple, "Just an old acquaintance."
Once the owner was out of earshot, Wei Qingping frowned. "What are people from Hua Jing doing here?"
"No matter," Chu Yu said calmly. "It’s probably Gu Chusheng."
"Gu Chusheng?" Wei Qingping was puzzled this time. "Why would he come here?"
"Probably..." Chu Yu hesitated before voicing her guess. "He’s here for disaster relief."
Back then, Gu Chusheng had personally handled the matter. He knew the details of the earthquake far better than she did.
Now that Qing Province was under Yao Yong's control—effectively Zhao Yue's—Gu Chusheng would naturally come to protect it. If he succeeded, Zhao Yue might even reward him with a promotion.
Moreover, Gu Chusheng had always cared deeply for the common people. Since he had also been reborn, he wouldn’t stand by and watch them suffer.
Though Wei Qingping found Chu Yu's explanation odd, she accepted it. The two chatted about other matters before setting off again, heading toward Qingshui Town together. It was nearly nightfall, a time when most people would be returning home. Yet, Chu Yu saw a steady stream of people leaving Qingshui Town. Most carried luggage, moving hurriedly, and cast strange glances at Chu Yu and her group.
At first, encountering a few such people only struck Chu Yu and Wei Qingping as odd. But when they reached the hilltop and saw a large crowd being herded out by soldiers, all carrying their belongings, Chu Yu immediately halted her group and approached an elderly villager. "Auntie, what are these soldiers doing?"
"Dunno," the woman replied.The elderly woman complained, "We were farming peacefully at home when suddenly people came to make us leave, saying the Earth Dragon was about to stir. But our land has always been fine—there’s never been an Earth Dragon movement here. Who knows what these officials are really up to? Probably just an excuse to seize our grain and land."
If this woman thought so, others would too. The soldiers below and some able-bodied villagers began arguing, clogging the road into chaos. Hearing this, Chu Yu frowned and glanced up at the mountain’s shape.
The true extent of the disaster in Qing Province back then had always been a state secret. Yet from what the refugees encountered among the common folk said, the earthquake in Qing Province had caused unprecedented devastation. Qingshui Town bordered Yuan City, the hardest-hit area at the time, and was nestled in a valley. If an earthquake truly struck here, the consequences would be unimaginable. The one who could predict the earthquake was Gu Chusheng—these soldiers were likely sent by him. He had handled the aftermath of that earthquake personally and knew the details better. If he had dispatched people today, then Qingshui Town was undoubtedly in the danger zone.
So Chu Yu lowered her voice and said, "Auntie, I’ve come from Hua Jing. To be honest with you, the heavens are about to change."
"Change?"
The old woman was stunned. Chu Yu glanced around and whispered, "The Priests in Hua Jing say a great disaster is coming here. Run while you can, and don’t tell too many people, or you won’t make it out in time."
At these words, the woman’s face paled.
Compared to official decrees, such divine warnings from the Priests always carried more weight among villagers. And the hushed tone only made it more convincing. The woman nodded repeatedly and, after parting with Chu Yu, immediately sought out her younger brother, whispering, "Hurry! I just met a noble who said something terrible is about to happen!"
After her talk with the woman, Wei Qingping approached Chu Yu and asked softly, "What’s going on?"
"Get some people to evacuate first, to open ground," Chu Yu instructed, then added, "The rest, help me and these soldiers clear the crowd."
No sooner had she spoken than a soldier shouted, "Time’s up—move out!"
The entire valley echoed with the soldiers’ calls to one another: "Time’s up—move out!"
Hearing this, Chu Yu’s heart clenched.
Gu Chusheng had given them a strict deadline for evacuation—proof that danger would follow once it passed!
Yet some villagers were still arguing with the soldiers. One soldier snapped impatiently, "Stay and die if you want! We’re leaving!"
With that, the soldiers began pushing their way out. Watching the remaining villagers, Chu Yu turned to Wei Qingping. "When the chaos starts, lead them out in an orderly line."
"What will you do?" Wei Qingping frowned.
Chu Yu smiled. "Just wait and see."
With that, Wei Qingping saw Chu Yu dash toward the other side of the mountain. Some villagers stubbornly refused to leave, shouting, "When have these officials ever told the truth? I don’t believe—"
Before they could finish, a deafening boom rang out as a massive boulder tumbled down the mountainside!
The sound startled everyone, followed by panicked cries: "Run! The earth is moving—run for your lives!"The crowd erupted into chaos, everyone fleeing in panic. At that moment, Wei Qingping finally understood Chu Yu's trick. She quickly rushed forward, directing the guards to line up on either side, shouting, "Follow me! Stay in order, form a line!"
Those who disobeyed were forcibly held back, and soon the line became orderly, moving much faster.
Chu Yu stood on the opposite mountaintop, her feet planted beside a massive pit—the very boulder she had pried loose moments ago now tumbling down. From afar, she watched as the crowd dispersed. Wei Qingping turned to look at her and yelled across the distance, "Enough fooling around, come back!"
"Alright!"
Chu Yu responded, but in that very instant, the ground beneath them trembled violently. Both Wei Qingping and Chu Yu paled. Chu Yu screamed, "RUN!!"
In the blink of an eye, the heavens seemed to split and the earth shook. No one could spare a thought for another as mud and debris cascaded downward, the landslide surging like a torrent toward the village below. Screams filled the air as if doomsday had arrived in an instant. Wei Qingping sprinted desperately until she reached flat ground. Only then did she turn back, staring at the half-collapsed mountain, and suddenly realize—
It was a mudslide!
Chu Yu was still there!
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