When Chu Yu's banner bearing the character "Yu" was raised, the Zhao army began to stir. The commanding general, Fu Xin, was one of Zhao Yue's fiercest warriors. Though not the most skilled in military strategy, he had served Zhao Yue the longest and understood his lord's intentions better than anyone. He had followed Zhao Yue since the latter was still the Qin Prince Heir and was fully aware of the reason behind this campaign—precisely why Zhao Yue had entrusted him with leading the troops.
"Marshal," the deputy general rode up to Fu Xin's side, his voice laced with concern. "That's the 'Yu' banner. The one defending the city isn't Qian Yong—it's Chu Yu."
"Perfect," Fu Xin sneered. "His Majesty feared she wouldn't be here. No more talk—spare no cost, attack the city with everything we have!"
At Fu Xin's command, the soldiers surged toward the city walls like a tide of desperate men.
Standing atop the battlements, Chu Yu surveyed the forces below, and her heart sank.
The enemy numbered at least fifty thousand, while within Bailing, the defenders barely reached three thousand.
Back then, at Phoenix Mausoleum, they had triumphed against overwhelming odds due to the city's terrain and intricate defenses. But Bailing was nothing but flat plains—no advantageous terrain, no traps, not even an ample supply of arrows. Holding the city would be near impossible.
As Chu Yu's spirits plummeted, she watched the enemy soldiers scaling the walls. Her gaze shifted to the enemy commander. She recognized most of Zhao Yue's generals by now, and identifying Fu Xin confirmed her suspicions.
Though the Zhao army had arrived in full force, they had bypassed Jiucheng to strike directly at Bailing. Even if they captured Bailing, once Jiucheng's forces regrouped, they would join Wei Yun in pinning the Zhao army down, trapping them like turtles in a jar. Fu Xin's reckless, all-out assault was far from standard tactics—proof that Bailing itself held no real significance for them.
Given Zhao Yue's cunning, what he truly wanted wasn't Bailing—it was the Wei family inside.
Other generals might abandon their families if captured, but Wei Yun, who had lost his father and elder brother in childhood and single-handedly plunged the world into chaos for the Wei family, would never forsake his kin. Even if he did for the sake of his soldiers and the people, the guilt would shatter him—he might even take his own life afterward.
Knowing Zhao Yue's ruthlessness and seeing Fu Xin's determined stance, Chu Yu raised her voice from the battlements. "Fu Xin, I know what you want. You're here to kidnap someone to threaten Wei Yun, aren't you? Fine—take me!"
Fu Xin, mounted on his horse, burst into laughter at her words. "Chu Yu, what are you to Wei Yun? Kidnapping you is useless! Hand over the Wei matriarch and the six young masters of the Wei family, and I'll withdraw at once. Otherwise, when I enter Bailing, I'll leave no living thing behind—not even a blade of grass!"
Chu Yu's eyes turned icy at his words. The assault had already begun—soldiers swarmed the walls like ants, arrows raining down upon them. Yet they pressed forward undeterred, climbing the Cloud Ladders one after another.
Locked in a cold stare with Fu Xin, Chu Yu raised her voice again. "General Fu, such bold words. But know this—your forces are surrounded by Wei troops on all sides. The defenders of Jiucheng learned of your approach the moment you appeared and are already on their way. Tell me, General—are you prepared for that?""I may not be prepared to deal with Jiucheng's army," Fu Xin laughed heartily, "but I am certainly prepared to capture General Chu!"
As he spoke, his men had already scaled the walls. The battle on the city tower raged fiercely, with Jiang Chun swinging her sword desperately at the soldiers, her eyes filled with urgency.
Chu Yu understood that if the enemy had already reached the tower, Bailing might truly not hold out until Jiucheng's reinforcements arrived.
What was even more terrifying than the vast disparity between Bailing's defenders and Zhao's army was Fu Xin's ultimatum—
Hand over the Wei family, and they would withdraw immediately; refuse, and after breaching the city, not a soul would be spared.
With this threat, once people realized resistance was futile, some might betray the Wei family to save their own lives.
This battle couldn't drag on too long, or traitors would soon emerge from within.
Chu Yu never placed too much faith in human nature. Gritting her teeth, she was about to speak when a loud cry rang out: "I'll go with you!"
Everyone froze at the voice, turning to see the woman who had rushed onto the city tower.
Liu Xueyang, dressed in blue robes, stood on the high platform and shouted hoarsely: "Isn't it this old woman you want?! Withdraw your troops! I'll go with you!"
At these words, Fu Xin raised his hand, and all his soldiers halted their assault. The two sides stood in tense confrontation as Liu Xueyang trembled forward. Facing Fu Xin, she declared clearly: "General Fu, order your men to retreat one li, and I'll come down immediately."
"Madam Wei," Fu Xin drawled lazily from his horse, "an elderly lady like you will need attendants. Doesn't the Wei family have six young masters? Bring them along too."
"Mother-in-law!"
Jiang Chun finally snapped out of her shock and rushed forward in panic, grabbing Liu Xueyang's sleeve. "What are you doing here? You can't go! The young masters can't go either! If you leave, what will become of Xiao Qi?"
"It's alright." Liu Xueyang trembled, her face deathly pale but seemingly resolved. She grasped Jiang Chun's hand, her teeth chattering. "I won't take the children. Just me alone. Once Bailing is safe... I won't be a burden to Xiao Qi."
Understanding dawned on Jiang Chun, her eyes widening in alarm. "Mother-in-law, things haven't come to this yet, you—"
"Chu Yu." Liu Xueyang raised her head, her gaze settling on Chu Yu. The two women locked eyes, complex emotions flashing across Liu Xueyang's face. After a long silence, she finally said, "You came back after all."
Chu Yu nodded and raised her hand. "Madam Wei, please return. This isn't the way."
"If I don't go with them, Bailing's troops won't withdraw. I..." Liu Xueyang clenched her jaw. Chu Yu regarded her calmly and said gently, "If you truly do this, you'll burden him for life."
Liu Xueyang froze. Chu Yu sighed. "Madam Wei, you're his mother. If you die this way, Wei Yun might never sleep peacefully again."
"But what else can we do?" Liu Xueyang's eyes showed understanding as she pointed at Zhao's army, her eyes red. "Can you hold them off?"
Chu Yu remained silent, and Liu Xueyang already knew the answer. She smiled bitterly. "If you can't... I can't let Bailing be buried with my Wei family."Chu Yu quietly observed Liu Xueyang, realizing that this woman would always do things beyond her expectations. Though muddled, rigid, conservative, and even somewhat selfish, Liu Xueyang possessed an inexplicable sense of principle when it came to matters of right and wrong.
In her past life, despite her frail nature, she had drawn a sword against soldiers to protect the women of her household, attempting to preserve the last vestiges of the Wei Manor's dignity—only to be mistakenly killed.
In this life, she was willing to stand up again, to march toward certain death for the sake of a city's people.
"Madam Wei," Chu Yu sighed softly, looking at Liu Xueyang with sincerity. "If we both live to see peace restored one day, could I... become your daughter-in-law once more?"
Liu Xueyang was taken aback by the unexpected question. She didn't answer immediately. After a long pause, she lowered her gaze and murmured, "I'll already be dead by then. Naturally, I wouldn't interfere."
"You love him, and he loves you..." Liu Xueyang sighed. "Enough."
Hearing this, Chu Yu smiled. "With your words, I am at ease. You're right—this city's people shouldn't be buried for the sake of the Wei family."
Chu Yu sighed, and Liu Xueyang assumed she had agreed. But before she could speak, Chu Yu suddenly raised her hand and struck Liu Xueyang with a swift chop to the neck, catching her as she collapsed unconscious. She motioned to Jiang Chun, "Take Mother away."
"Chu Yu!"
Fu Xin, seeing the commotion on the city wall, grew frantic. "What are you doing?! How dare you lay hands on Madam Wei—are you rebelling?!"
"Fu Xin," Chu Yu called out across the crowd, smiling. "I won't let Madam Wei go with you. She's elderly, and your menacing demeanor would only frighten her."
"Are you abandoning Bailing?!"
"No!" Chu Yu declared loudly. "Bailing—I want it. But you can only take one person from here. I know what Zhao Yue wants with Madam Wei—nothing more than to threaten Wei Yun. Let me tell you, there's someone here whose capture would ensure Wei Yun's intervention."
Fu Xin hesitated, and his deputy quickly demanded, "Who?"
"She is Wei Yun's betrothed, already carrying his child. Wei Yun is twenty-one—this is his firstborn. Do you think he would ignore it?"
The entire crowd fell silent at these words.
Compared to the six young masters, Wei Yun's own child—especially a firstborn, destined to be either the heir or a noble daughter—was far more significant.
But where had this child come from? And where was this wife?
While others were bewildered, Fu Xin understood. Before his departure, Zhao Yue had briefed him thoroughly. If Chu Yu was making this claim, the only woman who could bear Wei Yun's child was—
"Me." Chu Yu laughed heartily. "I, the eldest daughter of the Chu family, Chu Yu, will go to the capital in Madam Wei's stead. How about that?!"
"How do we know you're telling the truth?!" the deputy roared. "You and Wei Yun have no formal betrothal—what if you're just passing off some bastard as his?!"
"How dare you?!" Changyue bellowed. "Shut your filthy mouth!"
"You—"
Before the deputy could continue his tirade, Chu Yu interjected, "Whether the child in my belly is Wei Yun's—doesn't Zhao Yue already know?"With that, Chu Yu cast a faintly mocking glance over, stroking her long tasseled spear as she fixed her gaze on Fu Xin. "General Fu, today there are only two choices. Either I go with you, or we gamble—see if I can hold this city until the reinforcements from Jiu City arrive. If you win the bet, the entire populace of Bailing is yours to take. But I guarantee, not a single member of the Wei family will remain for you. Let’s see who you’ll use to threaten Wei Yun then, and how you’ll answer to Zhao Yue."
"If I win the gamble," Chu Yu laughed loudly, "and the Jiu City reinforcements arrive, I swear none of your troops will make it back alive today!"
Her words stirred unrest among the soldiers present.
Fu Xin stared intently at Chu Yu on the city wall. After a moment of hesitation, his deputy finally spoke up, "Marshal, back then, Chu Yu held Phoenix Tomb City for so long... and we don’t know when the Jiu City troops will arrive..."
Fu Xin remained silent. Chu Yu continued, "General Fu, take your time to think. The longer you deliberate, the happier I’ll be. And do you know what you should be most concerned about right now?"
Her eyes swept over the murmuring officers beside Fu Xin as she smiled. "You should be wondering how many of your soldiers are already afraid, how many are ready to flee at any moment, fearing the Jiu City reinforcements might arrive!"
The deputy’s face paled at her words. A wavering army was a fatal weakness.
Though Fu Xin’s expression remained unchanged, doubt flickered in his heart. Meanwhile, Chu Yu sat atop the city wall, leisurely polishing her spear.
In truth, Fu Xin had no exact numbers on Bailing’s defenders, nor did he fully understand the specifics of Chu Yu’s defense of Phoenix Tomb City back then. He had merely followed Zhao Yue’s orders, leading an overwhelmingly superior force to attack the city. It hadn’t even occurred to him that Chu Yu would be here.
Her past victories and her composed demeanor now unsettled Fu Xin slightly. She sat there casually, even chatting and laughing with Wanyue beside her.
"Marshal..."
Others in Zhao’s army were also losing their nerve. Finally, Fu Xin made his decision and called out, "Fine! Come out now, and we’ll withdraw immediately."
"General Fu is decisive!"
Chu Yu clapped her hands and jumped down from the wall, walking over to Jiang Chun.
Jiang Chun clenched her fists as she looked at Chu Yu.
"The old madam isn’t a clever woman. If she goes to Hua Jing, the best she can do is take her own life. But you’re different—you have a chance..."
Jiang Chun’s voice trembled slightly, her eyes brimming with fragile hope. She gazed at Chu Yu and said slowly, "Right?"
Chu Yu didn’t answer. She simply looked at Jiang Chun quietly before suddenly smiling.
"Song Shilan is a good man. If you like him, go to him. If not... then forget it."
"Why bring this up now?" Jiang Chun forced a strained smile. "We can talk about this later."
"Alright." Chu Yu nodded as if nothing were amiss, then said solemnly, "Then I’ll go now."
"Mm." Jiang Chun lowered her eyes, not daring to look at her. She spoke quickly, head bowed, "I’ll find Xiao Qi—he’ll come to rescue you. I’ll also seek out your elder brother and Song Shilan. I’ll agree to any of his terms. A Yu," she called out to Chu Yu, staring fixedly at her retreating figure, "you will come back."Chu Yu didn’t speak. She stood with her back turned for a long while before finally looking over her shoulder with a faint smile. “I didn’t want to say these things, but I’m afraid if I don’t, I might never get the chance.”
Jiang Chun froze. After a moment of thought, Chu Yu turned her gaze toward the direction of the Yu River and spoke slowly, “Tell Xiao Qi that since I’ve already announced the child’s existence to the world, he must come to my family with a betrothal and carry me back with the Six Rites. If luck isn’t on our side… then he must bring my coffin back instead, place it in the Wei family’s mausoleum. I’ll wait for him there, beneath the earth, until a hundred years pass and he joins me. Then, we’ll rest together.”
With that, Chu Yu turned and strode swiftly away. Jiang Chun stood stunned for a long moment before snapping back to her senses.
“Chu Yu!”
She chased after her frantically, but Chu Yu moved too quickly. Already on the road, she signaled to the soldiers, “Open the gates!”
Jiang Chun followed, always just a few steps behind, crying out Chu Yu’s name between sobs. “Chu Yu, stop! Stop!”
But Chu Yu’s martial skills far surpassed hers. All Jiang Chun could see was that figure nimbly descending the long ladder and darting straight out of the city gates.
Jiang Chun tried to keep chasing, but Qian Yong rushed over and grabbed her, while the soldiers beside them shut the gates. Tears streaked Jiang Chun’s face as she ran up the tower. From there, she saw Chu Yu’s back—clad in red, silver spear in hand—walking alone across the plains. Yellow sand swirled in the wind as she strode toward Fu Xin, smiling.
She never looked back.
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