"Actually, there were no unusual signs before the Crown Prince arrived."
Wei Yun composed himself and began to recall carefully: "I joined the army at the age of eleven. Although I rarely went to the front lines, I was still familiar with military affairs. After we arrived at the front, we had one direct confrontation with the Northern Di, driving them outside the city walls. After that, both sides entered a stalemate with very few engagements. My father was always cautious. He once said that since the Northern Di had come from afar, their supplies would be difficult to sustain, and we only needed to hold the city without engaging."
Chu Yu nodded. She had previously studied the military styles of various generals in the Great Chu, and Wei Zhong's approach was indeed like this. Wei Yun continued: "After just seven days of stalemate, the Crown Prince arrived at the front, bearing an Imperial Decree appointing him as overseer. The Crown Prince claimed that the national treasury was depleted and a swift victory was needed, but my father disagreed. The two argued in the tent. However, since my father stubbornly refused to send troops, the Crown Prince had no choice, and things remained peaceful for a while."
"Not long after, Yao Yong arrived at White City."
"Why would Yao Yong go to White City?" Chu Yu frowned. Yao Yong was originally the commander of Qing Province. White City was under no pressure to hold out—why would Yao Yong appear there?
Wei Yun shook his head: "My rank wasn’t high enough to know. But as I was responsible for managing supplies and logistics, I knew that Yao Yong had secretly brought ninety thousand elite troops with him. His army didn’t station inside White City but instead hid in the surrounding areas."
Chu Yu listened, carefully piecing together the clues.
In her past life, Wei Yun had eventually presented Yao Yong’s severed head to the emperor, proving that this matter was undoubtedly intricately linked to Yao Yong. Yao Yong had secretly brought troops to White City while Wei Zhong was defending it, and Wei Zhong clearly knew—even Wei Yun had found out. This meant Wei Zhong hadn’t planned to merely hold the city at that point. He and Yao Yong must have conspired to arrange something.
Chu Yu raised her hand, signaling Wei Yun to continue.
Wei Yun recalled while deep in thought: "Later, the Northern Di came to provoke a battle. That day, we fought at the city gates, and the Northern Di quickly collapsed in defeat. My father led the troops forward, and when I heard, I rushed to stop him. The Northern Di’s bravery would never allow them to be defeated so easily. But my father insisted I shouldn’t worry and even mentioned that the Second Prince of the Northern Di was there, saying they would capture him for celebration."
"How did your father know the Second Prince was there?"
Chu Yu quickly countered. Wei Yun pressed his lips together, clearly unaware, but her question made him realize something was amiss.
The Northern Di had not yet established a crown prince, and the Second Prince was a strong contender for succession. He wasn’t a military commander—if he had come to the battlefield, he should have been hidden like the Crown Prince acting as overseer. How did Wei Zhong obtain such confidential information?
However, time was pressing, and Chu Yu didn’t dwell on it. She simply said, "Go on."
"My father sent me away to manage supplies and divided my brothers into two groups—one to pursue the enemy, the other to cover the rear. By nightfall..."
Wei Yun’s voice choked, and he couldn’t continue. Chu Yu reached through the wooden bars and patted his shoulder.
She wasn’t good at comforting others—she had been comforted too many times herself and knew how hollow words could be.
Everyone must walk their own path and endure their own pain.
All she could do was convey her sympathy and reassurance through this simple gesture.Wei Yun looked up with a faint smile and quickly said, "I'm fine, sister-in-law, no need to worry. Where were we? Ah, yes—when night fell, Yao Yong sent someone to inform me that they had been ambushed and requested reinforcements."
As he spoke, Wei Yun gave a bitter laugh. "But all the troops in the city had already been deployed, leaving only five thousand to defend the walls. What reinforcements could I possibly send?"
His voice dripped with sarcasm. "It was nothing more than... collecting the dead."
"And Yao Yong's troops?" Chu Yu's tone carried a hidden meaning.
Wei Yun replied calmly, "He claimed he was pursuing another enemy force. By the time he returned, my father and brothers had already fallen into the ambush."
"He also said that he and the Crown Prince had repeatedly warned my father not to recklessly chase the retreating enemy troops—that Yao Yong's pursuit was enough. He placed the entire blame on my father for ignoring their advice."
As he spoke, Wei Yun slowly clenched his fists. "I knew something was amiss, so I went to White Emperor Valley again. Do you know what I found on the surrounding mountains? The edges of White Emperor Valley were covered in hoofprints."
Chu Yu abruptly raised her head. "What are you implying?"
"Sister-in-law, you must know that when recruiting soldiers and procuring horses, armies typically source them locally. Thus, the breeds of warhorses vary by region. For example, the Guardian Army hails from the north, so their horses mostly come from Heling—tall, swift, but lacking endurance. Yao Yong, however, is supplied with horses from Qing Province. Qing horses are shorter, their hoofprints a full size smaller than those from Heling, and entirely different from the Northern Di's Beiguan horses."
"So, you're saying those hoofprints around White Emperor Valley were left by Yao Yong's Qing Province troops."
Wei Yun nodded, his eyes filled with cold fury. "I don't know where those hoofprints came from—whether they were left when Yao Yong circled back after pursuing other Northern Di forces or if they were there from the very beginning. But I know one thing: there's something deeply wrong here. I won't accept this accusation against the Wei family unless it's thoroughly investigated."
Chu Yu fell silent, deep in thought. Just then, Wanyue's voice came from outside: "Young Madam, time's up. Please come out now."
"How many casualties did Yao Yong report in that battle?" Chu Yu asked one last question.
Footsteps approached from outside, and Wei Yun quickly answered, "Visibly less than ten thousand, but he reported thirty thousand."
Chu Yu nodded and stood. "Wait for my news," she said simply.
With that, she turned to leave. Before the jailer could come in to hurry her, she addressed him, "No need to rush, sir. I'm leaving now."
"Sister-in-law!" Wei Yun called out urgently.
Chu Yu turned back to see the young man gripping the wooden bars tightly, his clear eyes filled with worry as they rested on her.
She gazed at him calmly. Wei Yun seemed to have countless things he wanted to say, but under the woman's steady gaze, the words stuck in his throat.
In the end, all he managed was, "Sister-in-law, this is a matter for the men of the Wei family. You... must learn to protect yourself."
His voice was hoarse as he spoke.
Even as he said it, he felt afraid.
After all, he was only fourteen. Faced with this sudden storm, he too felt fear and unease. The thought of facing everything alone, of this woman—the only one who had given him stability and calm throughout this ordeal—abandoning him, filled him with dread.
But he was still a man.
As he met her eyes, clear as autumn waters, Wei Yun reminded himself of that.—He was the only pillar of the Wei family. And as a pillar, he must hold up this sky and protect those sheltered beneath its eaves.
Even if he had vengeance yet to seek, even if he had grievances yet to redress, even if he had soaring ambitions and the vigor of youth—all of this was something he should fight for himself. But the women of his Wei family ought to remain beneath the shelter he provided, untouched by storms, unburdened by worries. They need only spend their days happily discussing which rouge was the finest or which noble lady’s new makeup was all the rage in Hua Jing—just as they had in the days when his father and elder brother were still here.
His gaze was resolute as he looked at Chu Yu, yet upon hearing his words, she merely curled her lips, her eyes gleaming with pride.
"Save those words—for when you’ve grown up."
With a light laugh, she added, "You’re still just a child now. Don’t worry, your sister-in-law has your back."
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