When the earthquake began, Gu Chusheng had already done his best to evacuate the civilians to designated shelters. Yet when the ground started shaking, panic still erupted among the crowd. Surrounded by his guards, Gu Chusheng felt the raw power of nature, his heart pounding wildly.
He was a gambler, but that didn't mean he wasn't afraid of death. There were still so many things left undone—having been reborn, there was still one person he couldn't let go of.
He refused to die like this.
If even someone like him, who had already faced death once, felt this way, how much more terrified must the ordinary people be? Cries, screams, and the howls of animals instantly drowned the city.
Standing amidst the crowd, Gu Chusheng clenched his fists and took a deep breath.
Suddenly, the ground split open, and those standing near the edge fell into the abyss. The screams grew even louder.
Life and death had never felt so stark. Gu Chusheng's hands trembled slightly.
The earthquake lasted only briefly, yet for everyone, it felt agonizingly long.
When it finally ended, many collapsed in exhaustion. Some clung to each other, weeping bitterly. Gu Chusheng's face was pale, and even his guards were shaken, their voices trembling as they called out, "My lord..."
"Pass down my orders—no one is to enter the city tonight. There will be aftershocks. Have Group A lead the physicians to tend to the wounded. Group B will tally the dead and those in need of rescue."
Gu Chusheng's voice was steady, like an anchor in the night, calming everyone down.
The guards relayed his orders, and no one dared to enter the city. Sitting among the crowd, Gu Chusheng listened to the cries and wails of those mourning injured or lost loved ones. He felt as though he were in purgatory—where neither gods nor buddhas could save the suffering masses. Only they themselves could cross this sea of torment with their own blood and lives.
That night, massive earthquakes struck Qing Province and Luo Province in succession, with tremors felt across the surrounding regions. The entire state of Chu was plunged into unprecedented terror.
Among the people, whispers spread: "When virtue fails to match one's station, heaven sends calamity."
Meanwhile, Wei Yun had just arrived in Huicheng, another disaster-stricken area. He had already evacuated everyone. The next day, he ordered a census of the affected population and began calculating the supplies of food and medicine with Tao Quan.
His flesh wounds had mostly healed, leaving only scabs behind. After allocating resources, Tao Quan sighed and said, "Preparations were made long ago. Your Highness need not worry too much. Focus on recovering from your injuries."
Just then, Wei Qiu rushed in from outside, his voice trembling: "Your Highness, something terrible has happened."
"Last night, a mudslide buried all of Qingshui Town."
"How many casualties?" Wei Yun frowned.
Wei Qiu dropped to one knee, struggling to speak: "No numbers yet... but the First Madam was inside."
Wei Yun froze. After a moment, he asked in disbelief, "What did you say?"
"Our men reported last night. During the earthquake, the First Madam was in Qingshui Town helping with relief efforts. The civilians got out, but she... didn't make it in time."
Before he could finish, Wei Yun was already rushing out, shouting, "Prepare horses! Bring Shen Wushuang and assemble the Tian Unit—we leave now!"
"Your Highness!"
Tao Quan hurried after him, speaking rapidly: "Your Highness, this can't be rushed! Yuancheng is still under Yao Yong's control. You are the pillar of the state—""Mr. Tao," Wei Yun turned and grasped Tao Quan's hand earnestly. "I entrust Huicheng to you. I must go find her myself."
Wei Yun's expression was so solemn that Tao Quan was momentarily stunned. Then he sighed and cupped his hands in salute. "This humble official accepts your command."
By the time he finished speaking, Wei Xia had already brought out the horses, and Shen Wushuang arrived carrying his small medicine chest, panting as he called out, "Wait for us!"
But Wei Yun couldn't wait any longer. He turned and strode out of the corridor, mounting his horse in haste and galloping away.
Meanwhile, Gu Chusheng finally met Wei Qingping.
Wei Qingping had traveled all night to reach Yuancheng. She had left people to search for Chu Yu, but lacking experience in such matters, the nearest person she could rely on for reinforcements was Gu Chusheng. Without hesitation, she headed straight for Yuancheng and spotted Gu Chusheng from afar.
Rushing up to him anxiously, she called out loudly, "Gu Chusheng!"
Gu Chusheng was listening to his subordinates report on the damage when he heard Wei Qingping's voice. He looked up in surprise. "Princess Qingping?"
"Do you have enough people here?" Wei Qingping gasped for breath. "I need to borrow some skilled rescuers to help search for someone."
"Who are you looking for...?" Gu Chusheng hesitated.
Unaware of his relationship with Chu Yu, Wei Qingping assumed he had some agreement with Wei Yun and lowered her voice. "Madam Wei."
Gu Chusheng's head snapped up, his eyes fixed on Wei Qingping, his voice trembling. "Who did you say?"
"Madam Wei, Chu Yu," Wei Qingping whispered. "Last night, she was with me in Qingshui Town helping with disaster relief..."
Before she could finish, Gu Chusheng threw the ledger in his hands to a guard, summoned his men, quickly arranged matters, and rushed straight to Qingshui Town.
Wei Qingping was left behind to oversee relief efforts while Gu Chusheng led the rescuers to the spot where Chu Yu had disappeared.
By now, the area was buried under yellow earth, a scene of utter devastation. Standing in the empty valley, Gu Chusheng shouted at the top of his lungs, "Chu Yu!"
His voice echoed through the valley, which now resembled a vast graveyard, with no response.
The rescuers began combing the area inch by inch with search dogs, while Gu Chusheng followed them, calling Chu Yu's name over and over.
One of the older rescuers couldn't bear to watch and sighed. "Lord Gu, in disasters like this, survival is a matter of luck. Don't take it too hard."
"Luck?" Gu Chusheng's voice was hoarse from shouting, his throat raw. He hadn't slept all night, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the old man. "So many people in Yuancheng survived, so many in Qingshui Town survived—everyone made it through this earthquake. Why is it only for her that survival is a matter of luck?!"
"She should have lived."
Gu Chusheng looked lost. "She's such a good person. No one should die before her. It should be me..."
His fists clenched, hands trembling slightly. "It should be someone like me who deserves to die..."
"Lord Gu..." The old man couldn't bear to see him like this. "We're alive because of you. It's all thanks to you..."
"Because of me..."
Gu Chusheng murmured these words as he gazed at the distorted valley, the village beneath his feet now buried under mud.The epicenter of this earthquake was actually in Qingshui Town, which also suffered the most severe damage back then. Nearly all five hundred households in Qingshui Town were buried beneath the rubble.
Since the entire town was wiped out, the imperial court didn't provide any disaster relief that year—there was no one to save, no way to help. Instead, Yuancheng, which was relatively less affected, became the main focus of relief efforts because at least some people could still be saved there.
Standing there now, in the place he and the imperial court had abandoned all those years ago, he wondered whether that person had managed to escape.
Everyone else from that time survived, but she might not have.
Because he wasn't by her side. He had taken care of so many people, yet he alone had failed to protect her.
Guilt and despair surged within him, and Gu Chusheng hunched over in pain.
She must have escaped.
Gu Chusheng comforted himself—she was someone so blessed, so capable. She had faced countless desperate situations and crawled her way out every time.
With this thought in mind, he straightened up and began walking along the sides of the mudslide.
When the mudslide came rushing down, anyone trying to escape would have run to either side. Gu Chusheng headed toward the higher ground on the right. A guard beside him anxiously called out, "My lord, don't go too far—"
At that very moment, the ground suddenly began to tremble. Without hesitation, acting purely on instinct, Gu Chusheng dashed toward the nearest elevated spot!
Everyone instinctively started running frantically, desperate to reach safety.
Just as Gu Chusheng reached higher ground, the second violent tremor struck. Losing his footing, he tumbled down the slope!
The edge of a cliff was nearby. As Gu Chusheng rolled toward it, he desperately grabbed onto a rock.
His sleeve caught on a branch, leaving him dangling in midair.
The rock in his hand shook along with the ground, and Gu Chusheng gritted his teeth, trying to grasp something more secure.
But at that moment, the rock could no longer bear his weight and finally broke apart.
Gu Chusheng plummeted downward. He seemed to crash into something—instinctively shielding himself with his arms and legs—before hearing a loud crack and continuing to fall.
Excruciating pain shot through his leg. Just before he hit the ground, a whip suddenly coiled around his waist, yanking him to a stop midair. Gasping for breath, he looked up and saw a young woman holding the whip in one hand and a sword hilt in the other. The sword was embedded deep into the cliffside, and she stood balanced on two rocks, grinning down at Gu Chusheng.
She wore a black dress, her sleeves already rolled up into a practical, martial attire. Standing high above, her face was smudged with dirt, looking rather disheveled. Yet her smile was so bright, like sunlight breaking through clouds, instantly lifting the spirits of anyone who saw it.
"A Yu…"
Gu Chusheng's eyes widened. Chu Yu laughed. "Well, well, Gu Chusheng—it's you."
Author's Note: The pregnancy plotline hasn't been canceled. The pregnancy is definitely happening—it's crucial to the story and was planned from the start. The timing has just been adjusted slightly.
I'm alive and back >_<
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