Chu Yu woke up the next day full of energy. She immediately gathered her people, took Wei Qingping's prescriptions, and prepared to leave.
Now that she had a child, she didn’t dare to act recklessly, so she had a carriage prepared and departed in it.
When she left, both Gu Chusheng and Wei Qingping came to see her off. Wei Qingping handed her a stack of letters and medicines, finally saying, "These are all for Shi Yue. Don’t you dare keep them for yourself."
Chu Yu was both amused and exasperated. She poked Wei Qingping’s forehead and said, "Do you even remember I’m your sister?"
"I do," Wei Qingping replied, pulling out two bottles from the pile of medicines. "One for saving your life, the other for detox. That’s my affection for you."
"You’re really..." Chu Yu shook her head and looked up at Gu Chusheng, who was holding the child in his arms. He gazed at her with concern, but neither spoke. After a long silence, Chu Yu sighed and said, "Brother Gu, take care."
The address "Brother Gu" stunned Gu Chusheng. Suppressing the ache in his heart, he lowered his eyes and replied hoarsely, "Take care."
Chu Yu lowered the carriage curtain, and the carriage swayed as it headed into the distance. Gu Chusheng and Wei Qingping exchanged a glance before turning back to their own battlefield.
The last news Chu Yu received of Wei Yun was that he had gone to Bailing. With the war raging, Wei Yun could move elsewhere at any moment. Chu Yu needed to find him but couldn’t afford to travel extensively. After some thought, the safest option was to wait for him in Bailing. So without asking further about Wei Yun’s destination, she headed straight for Bailing.
Wanyue couldn’t help but worry. As she handed Chu Yu her medicinal soup, she cautiously asked, "The Wei matriarch would never accept you now. Isn’t it unwise for you to go to Bailing like this?"
"What does my going to Bailing have to do with her?" Chu Yu found it odd. Wanyue hesitated before saying, "Aren’t you going to the Wei family?"
"Why would I go to the Wei family?"
Chu Yu was even more baffled and quickly clarified, "Don’t you dare think I’m going to the Wei family. I’m just going to Bailing, renting a place to stay, and waiting for Wei Yun to arrive. Then we can discuss whether to visit the matriarch."
She shuddered and waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t scare me or yourself. I’m not looking for trouble."
"But once you’re in Bailing," Wanyue persisted, "even if you don’t seek out the matriarch, she’ll probably come to see you, won’t she?"
"If she wants to see me, let her come. When she does, I’ll just be the Wei family’s benefactor, the Northern Phoenix General of the Guardian Army. What can she possibly do to me?"
Chu Yu spread her hands. "Besides, I won’t tell her I’m pregnant. I have no ties to the Wei family—what can she say? Is she really that meddlesome?"
"Exactly!" Changyue chimed in cheerfully. "Our lady can see whoever she wants. Who cares what she thinks?"
"You’re too naive!" Wanyue shoved Changyue lightly before turning back to Chu Yu. "What you say makes sense, but you should still think carefully. Maybe it’s better to go directly to His Highness..."
"Do you know where he is?" Chu Yu glanced at Wanyue, who faltered and fell silent.
Wei Yun’s whereabouts were unpredictable. If his location were so easily discovered, it would be truly dangerous.
Chu Yu patted Wanyue’s hand reassuringly. "Don’t worry. I won’t let the matriarch bully me."
[BGM: "Fearless"]As Chu Yu's carriage jolted along the road toward Bailing, Wei Yun was already leading his troops toward Yu River.
He had sent his letter for Chu Yu to Yuancheng, but halfway there, he received a reply stating she had already gone to Quanyong in Qing Province. Though concerned, he knew sending messages to Quanyong—Yao Yong's territory—would be difficult. He could only order, "Send word along the way. If you encounter Miss Chu, tell her I'm looking for her."
While Wei Yun had his men deliver messages, he pressed forward directly toward the outskirts of Yu River. At this time, Shen You was advancing south from Qingbei, Qin Shiyue was pushing north from Qingnan, and Wei Yun, having passed through Yuancheng unimpeded, was making a direct assault on Yu River.
Yao Yong knew Yu River was Qing Province's only natural defense, so he concentrated all his forces there. The two armies faced off across the river. On his first day of arrival, Wei Yun rested his troops, waiting for Qin Shiyue and Shen You.
However, as soon as Wei Yun left Bailing, Zhao Yue's forces split into two groups—one bypassed Jiucheng from Yanzhou to strike Bailing directly, while the other, a larger contingent, rushed toward Jiang Bai.
Jiang Bai was relatively close to Wei Yun's position, and news of its fall reached him the next day. Wei Yun was puzzled—why would Zhao Yue seize a minor city like Jiang Bai at such a critical moment in the battle for Yu River?
But regardless of Zhao Yue's intentions, Wei Yun had no time to divert troops to reinforce Jiang Bai. His priority was taking Yu River first; he could deal with Jiang Bai afterward.
As Wei Yun deployed his forces along Yu River's banks, Zhao Yue's troops also arrived at Bailing.
Chu Yu was still half a day away from Bailing, resting at a small town nearby. Before she could even take a sip of tea, she overheard passing travelers say, "Good thing we left quickly, or we'd be dead under Zhao's blades by now."
"Wait," another said, "For Zhao's army to enter Bai Province, they'd have to take Jiucheng first. Jiucheng is heavily guarded—how could it fall so easily?"
"They didn't come through Jiucheng," the old man who had spoken earlier waved his hand, panting. "They bypassed it and came straight here. Jiucheng probably just found out."
"No way," others exclaimed. "If they didn't take Jiucheng, even if they seize Bailing, they won't hold it for long. Once Jiucheng and the prince return to attack from both sides, what will they do?"
Hearing this, Chu Yu frowned. She picked up her tea bowl and approached the old man, asking respectfully, "Uncle, where did you come from?"
"Jiuxian Town."
The old man didn't hide anything. He gave Chu Yu a once-over and waved his hand. "Miss, with your looks, you'd best leave. Zhao's army is heading for Bailing—don't go anywhere near there."
At these words, Chu Yu's expression turned cold.
Recalling Gu Chusheng's earlier warning, she realized Zhao Yue's true objective wasn't Bailing—it was the Wei family!
Chu Yu spun around and ordered Changyue and Wanyue, "Come with me—to Bailing!"
The patrons inside were stunned. The old man hurriedly stood. "Miss, you mustn't go! It's too dangerous!"
But Chu Yu was already boarding her carriage. She waved her hand. "Don't worry, uncle. I'm a general of the Wei family—I must go defend the city!"
The carriage sped off, her words scattering in the wind. Everyone stood frozen until, after a moment, someone gasped in realization, "The only female general of the Wei family... isn't that the Wei family's madam, General of the Northern Phoenix—Chu Yu?""No, no, she's no longer the Wei family's First Madam now," someone else chimed in. "She's left the Wei family—she's a free woman now."
"Is that true?" A young scholar stood up excitedly. "Is this the same Miss Chu who left the Wei family?"
"Absolutely! I saw her back in the day!"
The teahouse erupted in chatter. The young scholar who had spoken first exclaimed joyfully, "Such is the valor of a heroine! If I ever attain scholarly honors, I shall surely seek her hand in marriage!"
"Ah, young man," the crowd burst into laughter, "a woman like her won't wait around for your proposal."
"No matter, no matter," the scholar waved his hand. "To merely catch a glimpse of such a woman would make this life worthwhile."
Chu Yu's words seemed to carry an invisible force, dispelling the initial unease in the teahouse.
The Northern Phoenix General had never known defeat—this had long become an unspoken truth in people's hearts. Now that Chu Yu had gone to Bailing, Bailing would surely be safe.
Unaware of the people's expectations, Chu Yu sat in her carriage and urged Changyue, "Faster!"
Jiuxian Town wasn't far from Bailing. If Zhao Yue's troops were indeed heading there to seize it, they would arrive soon.
Chu Yu's carriage raced toward Bailing. From a distance, she spotted an army approaching. Realizing the danger, she leaped out of the carriage and shouted, "Abandon the carriage—go!"
No sooner had she spoken than Wanyue and Changyue grabbed the essentials. Chu Yu severed the reins with her sword, mounted one of the horses, and galloped toward the city gates.
Chaos had already engulfed Bailing. No one had expected Zhao Yue to bypass Jiucheng and launch a surprise attack on Bailing, leaving only Qian Yong, a vanguard, as the defending officer. Qian Yong was no strategist—his first move was to alert Wei Manor. Liu Xueyang panicked, pacing frantically at home, while Jiang Chun led a group of veteran retainers to the city walls. Seeing the dust kicked up by tens of thousands of approaching soldiers, Jiang Chun forced herself to remain composed and ordered, "Close the gates first."
Qian Yong agreed, relieved to have someone share the command. He hastily echoed, "Close the gates!"
But just as the gates began to shut, everyone spotted a lone carriage charging across the open plain toward Bailing.
"Rushing toward Bailing now? Is this suicide?" Qian Yong frowned.
Before his words faded, a woman in red burst from the carriage. With a swift slash of her blade, she severed the harness and, followed by her maids, raced toward Bailing.
Her red robes billowed dramatically across the plain. One hand gripped a long spear slung across her back, the other held the reins. Behind her, the massive army seemed to give chase, yet she paid no heed. Tilting her head toward Jiang Chun on the walls, she flashed a radiant smile.
Jiang Chun froze momentarily before erupting in joy. "Stop! Don't close the gates! The First Madam has returned!"
Qian Yong snapped to realization and bellowed, "General Chu is here! General Chu has come to defend the city! Keep the gates open for her! Open!"
Not just Jiang Chun and Qian Yong—everyone who recognized Chu Yu shouted excitedly. Like a gust of wind, Chu Yu swept into the city with Changyue and Wanyue, and the gates slammed shut with a thunderous crash behind them.Chu Yu didn't pause for a moment as she dismounted from her horse. Leading Changyue and Wanyue, she headed straight for the city tower. The soldiers' eyes lit up as they called out enthusiastically, "General!"
"Welcome back, General!"
"The General has returned!"
Seeing their smiles, Chu Yu couldn't help but grin as well. She took the steps two at a time, and the moment she reached the top of the tower, she clapped a soldier on the shoulder and ordered, "Archers, ready! Prepare the fire oil and catapults—no slacking off. Get everything set up quickly!"
With that, she approached Jiang Chun and glanced at Qian Yong beside her, slightly embarrassed. "I came in a hurry. This battle—"
"We'll follow your command, General!" Qian Yong exclaimed excitedly. "You arrived just in time! I was worrying about how to handle this fight, and here you are!"
"Lao Qian, thank you."
Chu Yu patted him on the shoulder, then took her banner from Changyue behind her. She strode to the edge of the tower and forcefully planted her flag into the battlements.
The golden banner bearing the character "Yu" flared proudly in the wind. Clutching her long spear, her red robes billowing, Chu Yu raised her voice in a resounding declaration.
"Chu Yu of the Guardian Army stands here to defend this city and meet the enemy!"
Author's Note: I must be an author who comes with her own BGM...
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