At these words, Wei Yun couldn't help but laugh. He bent his leg, resting his hand on his knee, his eyes filled with amusement. "Sister-in-law, please continue."
Though he asked her to go on, Wei Yun had already guessed most of it. Chu Yu remained unaffected by his cheerful mood, her expression calm as she analyzed, "He already knows you and Yao Yong are adversaries, so he deliberately created the appearance of having his merits stolen by Yao Yong. If you found out, you would naturally assume he's on your side and lower your guard against him."
"And when the time comes for you to overthrow Yao Yong, the incidents of Yao Yong abandoning the city and his merits being stolen can serve as kindling to start the fire and a blade to strike him down. As a key figure, you would inevitably want to recruit him. Right now, he's probably waiting in Kunyang County for your people to approach him."
"But such a crucial person—why would Yao Yong leave him for me?"
Wei Yun tapped his knee thoughtfully. "If I were Yao Yong, I'd either recruit him or kill him. Gu Chusheng..."
He frowned and looked at Chu Yu, hesitating slightly. "He's the eldest son of the Gu family implicated in the Prince of Qin's case, isn't he?"
"Exactly."
Chu Yu nodded. "Right now, he has no means to protect himself and is absolutely no match for Yao Yong. If Yao Yong wants him dead, he has no way to fight back. So by the time you reach Kunyang, he might already be Yao Yong's man."
"Then I must value him even more." Wei Yun nodded, then grew concerned again. "But... what if Yao Yong kills him before I get there?"
Hearing this, Chu Yu smiled. "Since he's orchestrated this, he must have a plan. If Yao Yong kills him, he wouldn't be worth your attention anyway."
"Still, I can't say that," Wei Yun mused. "After all, he saved the people of Baicheng. Whether I recruit him or not, I can't let someone like him die at Yao Yong's hands."
"Alright then," Wei Yun thought for a moment and beckoned to the side. "Wei Qiu."
"Young Master."
Wei Qiu stepped forward respectfully. Wei Yun tossed him a jade pendant and ordered, "Take twenty Covert Guards of the highest rank to Kunyang and protect Gu Chusheng in secret. Only intervene in life-or-death situations—let's see what he's capable of first."
Wei Qiu took the pendant and left.
The Wei Manor, after all, was a century-old aristocratic family, unlike Gu Chusheng's unstable lineage. Now that everything had settled, Wei Yun had taken over the Wei family's influence and could accomplish far more than Gu Chusheng.
Chu Yu gradually felt more at ease. She took a sip of tea, the warmth rising from the cup. Unconsciously, she wrapped her hands around it, drawing comfort from its heat.
Wei Yun turned and noticed her holding the teacup. He immediately said, "Bring more charcoal and a fox fur cloak."
"It's fine."
Hearing Wei Yun's voice, Chu Yu snapped out of her thoughts and regained her composure. She continued, "Do you have anything else to ask?"
"Not really." Wei Yun smiled. "Since it's clear Gu Chusheng hasn't wronged you, I'm relieved. If you still like him in the future, I could—"
"I don't."
Chu Yu stared at the tea leaves floating in her cup and spoke calmly. "I stopped liking him long ago."
Wei Yun was taken aback but didn't press further, nodding quietly in response.Chu Yu didn’t dwell on the matter further and instead shifted the topic to the question weighing most heavily on her mind: “When do you plan to return to the frontlines?”
“When does Sister-in-law think would be appropriate?” Wei Yun looked up at her, tossing the question back to Chu Yu. She understood his intent—this wasn’t merely a casual inquiry for opinions but also a test. If her answer aligned with Wei Yun’s thoughts, he might discuss such matters with her again in the future.
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Yu spoke slowly, “First, let Yao Yong take a hard fall.”
“How hard a fall?”
Wei Yun fixed his gaze on her. Chu Yu enunciated each word clearly, “Hard enough for Your Majesty to strip him of his power completely.”
“Anyone sent to the battlefield now would face Yao Yong’s open and covert schemes, caught between enemies on all sides. For you to go now would be no different from marching to your death. Your Majesty may have some inkling of Yao Yong’s actions but, out of various considerations, still wishes to protect him. Only by making Your Majesty see the consequences of relying solely on Yao Yong can he steel his heart to abandon him.”
As she spoke, Chu Yu kept her eyes on Wei Yun, who gazed out the window with a trace of sorrow in his expression.
Unable to hold back, Chu Yu leaned forward slightly and said with difficulty, “But by then, the land will already be ravaged, and the people suffering. Xiao Qi, can you bear that?”
Wei Yun lifted his cup and took a sip of tea. His eyes lowered as if deep in thought. Chu Yu didn’t disturb him, waiting quietly. After a while, Wei Yun looked up and said solemnly, “I can bear it.”
“If Yao Yong remains in power at the front, my going would only be like an egg striking a rock—repeating the fate of my father and brothers. Only when his fangs are completely pulled out will my return to the frontlines not be a futile death. I can die on the battlefield, but I will never allow myself to perish in schemes and treachery.”
A fire burned in Wei Yun’s eyes as he clenched the cup, restraining his emotions. “If this battle is lost and innocent civilians are displaced in the war, that won’t be my fault. The responsibility lies with the emperor on the throne today and the generals and soldiers at the front. Why should I carry the guilt? What I must do is topple Yao Yong sooner, to make the emperor see his true nature sooner. Once he’s dealt with, I’ll restore the Great Chu’s army to its former purity and recruit capable men anew.”
As he spoke, Wei Yun seemed to waver. He straightened his back, gripping the teacup tightly, his face stern as he tried to convince himself that what he said was truly what he believed.
Yet Chu Yu noticed the stiffness and struggle in his subtle gestures.
For fourteen years, he had learned to be a loyal and righteous minister, protecting his family and country. Suddenly, he was expected to become like Gu Qiangsheng and Yao Yong, calculating with the lives of the people and the fate of the nation. How could he adapt so easily?
For a moment, she was at a loss for words, unsure how to comfort him. After a long silence, Wei Yun finally said, “It’s late. We’ve said all that needs to be said. Sister-in-law, you should rest.”
Chu Yu acknowledged but didn’t move. Wei Yun glanced at her, and then she spoke softly, “Xiao Qi, we’ll all grow up eventually.”
Growing up meant transforming a world once perceived as purely good or purely evil into one where both intertwined. It meant carefully preserving clarity amidst chaos.
Wei Yun sensed the consolation in her words but didn’t know how to respond. He could only murmur softly, “Mm.”Chu Yu had nothing more to say. She stood up, bid Wei Yun farewell, and left. After she departed, Wei Yun sat quietly alone for a while. He finished the last cup of tea in the pot, rose to his feet, and drafted a memorial, which he sent to the palace overnight.
In the memorial, he lavished praise on Song Wenchang, concluding that among all the young masters in the capital, Song Wenchang was the most suitable to balance Yao Yong's resistance against the Northern Di on the front lines.
After sending the memorial, Wei Yun felt somewhat relieved and finally slept peacefully.
On the other hand, Chu Yu did not rest well. Too much had happened that day, and it was only at night that she could calmly reflect.
Without any disturbances, she could better clear the fog and see what had been obscured during the day.
Why had Gu Chusheng chosen Wei Yun?
Wei Yun was only fifteen now, and the outside world knew very little about him. Why, under the current circumstances, had Gu Chusheng chosen Wei Yun as an ally?
Did he know Wei Yun?
Probably not. In her past life, Gu Chusheng had only met Wei Yun after he went to the battlefield, recognized his worth, and then formed an alliance.
But in this life... given Gu Chusheng's current capabilities, he should have never even met Wei Yun.
Gu Chusheng had always been steady and cautious. When would he ever stake his life on someone he'd never met?
Chu Yu was somewhat puzzled, sensing that there were changes in this matter that she was unaware of. However, she didn't delve deeper and soon drifted into a fitful sleep.
Early the next morning, shortly after she woke up, she received word that Chu Jianchang had arrived with Xie Yun, Chu Jin, and the two brothers, Chu Linyang and Chu Linxi.
Sitting on the bed, she frowned and thought for a moment before finally heading to the main hall.
When she arrived, she saw the family of four waiting in the hall. She stepped forward, respectfully bowed to her father and brothers, and then asked, "Why has everyone come today?"
"We heard about yesterday's incident," Xie Yun sighed. "Your father and brothers were worried, so they came to see you as soon as possible."
"Why see me?" Chu Yu smiled. "It wasn't a big deal, and I didn't take it to heart."
"If you didn't take it to heart, that's good," Xie Yun sighed again. "A-Jin is young and doesn't understand things. I was afraid there might be a rift between you sisters, so I came specifically to have her apologize to you. Can you forgive her for speaking without thinking?"
Chu Yu didn't respond. She sat upright in the host's seat, poured herself a cup of tea, and took a small sip.
As she performed these actions, everyone watched her, quietly waiting for her to speak. Xie Yun frowned slightly, seemingly displeased. "What? Are you really going to hold it against A-Jin?"
"If she truly spoke without thinking, then I'd just give her a whipping and be done with it."
Chu Yu set down her teacup and looked directly at Chu Jin, her expression calm yet sharp, carrying an interrogative intensity that pierced straight to the heart. "But whether it was carefully planned or just careless words, I think A-Jin knows better than anyone."
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