Upon hearing Chu Yu's words, Wei Yun finally realized that given The Eldest Princess's temperament, Gu Chusheng going to her residence would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den—and a particularly delicious lamb at that.
He couldn't help but laugh as well: "Minister Gu is quite fortunate with women. It should be an enjoyable time for him."
"Stop joking with me."
Chu Yu turned to look at him: "Now that Gu Chusheng has already filed his complaint, what's our next step?"
"I'll write to Song Shilan," Wei Yun said calmly. "We'll wait and see."
Chu Yu nodded, but after a moment's thought, she sighed and said, "The common people are the ones to be pitied."
Wei Yun remained silent. Worried he might blame himself, Chu Yu quickly added, "I was just speaking casually. Don't take it to heart. The fault doesn't lie with you—it lies with Yao Yong."
"If soldiers avoid the battlefield and instead hide in the rear courtyard playing political games, how is that not my fault?"
Wei Yun smiled faintly. "Yao Yong is at fault, and so am I. But," his gaze grew distant, "I don't regret it."
Chu Yu fell silent, unsure how to comfort him. Wei Yun looked up at her and after a long pause, said, "Let's set these matters aside for now. Actually, the main reason I came today was to discuss something with you, sister-in-law."
"Go ahead."
Seeing Wei Yun's serious expression, Chu Yu straightened up attentively. Wei Yun's eyes held a trace of bitterness as he said, "The Wei family has no shortage of capable people. There are many tasks that don't require your involvement. In the future, you should focus more on yourself. Let the past remain in the past—what's gone should stay gone. If you can't let go, why not pick it up again and mend it properly?"
Chu Yu was momentarily stunned before realizing Wei Yun was referring to her rescue of Gu Chusheng. She hurriedly explained, "Saving him was just a small effort. I simply thought I was the most suitable person for the task. Whoever is suitable should do it. Xiao Qi, what exactly are you concerned about?"
Wei Yun didn't respond. After some thought, Chu Yu continued, "Are you worried I might get hurt? You don't need to worry—I know my limits."
Wei Yun lowered his head in silence. Sensing something amiss, Chu Yu pressed further, "Or do you feel that as the Wei family's matriarch, doing such things is beneath my status?"
She chuckled. "It's not like this was done openly. No one knows about it. Making the best use of resources—if I can help—"
Before she could finish, Wei Yun stood up and said, "I have other matters to attend to. Please excuse me, sister-in-law."
Chu Yu was left bewildered by his abrupt departure. Wei Xia and Wei Qiu followed Wei Yun out. Wei Xia tried to console him: "The matriarch meant well. Though her methods were somewhat reckless, the outcome is what matters most. You—"
"Enough."
Wei Yun's calm voice cut Wei Xia off. Wei Xia looked up to see Wei Yun's composed expression as he said, "The fault is mine. Everything sister-in-law said makes sense. She has her own choices, and she truly was the most suitable person for this task. If she's willing and capable, beyond my concern, there's nothing more to say."
"Gu Chusheng is a talented young man. Their matters were never mine to worry about. My elder brother is gone—we can't truly expect sister-in-law to remain a widow forever. Let it be."
With that, he turned and entered his study. "I won't interfere anymore. Nor can I."
Wei Xia was rendered speechless by his words, unsure how to respond. Watching Wei Yun sit at his desk to review the Wei family's intelligence reports, Wei Xia said with a pained expression, "I'll go check if the medicine for the marquis is ready in the kitchen."After speaking, Wei Xia turned and ran off. Wei Qiu remained behind Wei Yun, and after a long pause, he slowly said, "If it truly has nothing to do with you, why are you upset?"
Hearing this, Wei Yun's hand paused slightly, the ink staining the paper. He lowered his eyes, concealing the emotions within them.
"I dislike it," he said calmly. "But I don't know why. Perhaps it's for Eldest Brother's sake, or perhaps I'm just selfish—too dependent on Sister-in-law, always wanting her to stay in the household forever."
"Sometimes, I don't quite understand why these women must marry. As if not marrying, not having a child, means their lives are ruined. But if they haven't met someone they love, wouldn't it be fine to live as a family forever?"
Wei Yun spoke with a trace of confusion in his eyes. "I would honor and care for Sister-in-law. If she worries about having no one to support her in old age, the Wei family still has five young masters—any one of them could be entrusted to her. If she fears being bullied in the future, I’ll secure her an imperial title. With my protection, even if she stirs up trouble, what does it matter?"
"But if she marries—especially someone like Gu Chusheng—and is mistreated later, what then? Family matters are family matters. Am I supposed to force Gu Chusheng to divorce her?"
The more Wei Yun spoke, the more troubled he became. Finally, he set down his brush and sighed heavily. "I just think Gu Chusheng isn’t good enough, but I can’t stop her. What can I do?"
"If Gu Chusheng isn’t suitable, would anyone else be?" Wei Qiu asked calmly.
Wei Yun was taken aback, hesitating before mumbling, "Right now... perhaps she just hasn’t met the right one."
Wei Qiu said nothing more. At this point, there was little else to discuss.
He watched as Wei Yun sat there, seemingly lost in thought, and finally said, "Master, let’s review the intelligence reports."
"Mm." Wei Yun snapped out of his reverie, unwilling to dwell further, and lowered his gaze to the reports.
Yet, deep down, he felt something unusual stir within him after Wei Qiu’s question. He seemed to realize something, yet couldn’t quite grasp it, so he buried it away, refusing to touch it again.
After Wei Yun’s conversation with Chu Yu, Gu Chusheng woke the next morning in the Eldest Princess’s residence.
When he opened his eyes, the room was heated like midsummer, not a hint of chill in the air. His wounds had been dressed, and he wore only a water-blue Icesilk Robe, his chest mostly exposed.
The Eldest Princess sat beside him. Seeing him wake, she leaned in, fanning him with a coquettish smile. "Oh, you're awake?"
The moment Gu Chusheng saw her, he knew things were bad. Feigning composure, he tugged at his robe to cover himself and said to the princess hovering above him, "Your Highness, please maintain propriety. I am an outsider. For the sake of your reputation, keep your distance."
"Oh, what reputation are we talking about now?" The princess batted her lashes. "You're already in the Eldest Princess’s residence. What reputation is left to protect?"
Gu Chusheng fell silent, gripping his collar tightly as he stared at the canopy, visibly tense.
Just then, a light laugh came from outside. "What are you two doing?"The Eldest Princess looked up and saw a man walking gracefully into the room. His long hair was tied back with a jade ribbon, and he wore a water-blue robe, carrying a bowl of medicinal soup in his hands.
His features were refined and gentle, exuding an air of approachability that made him seem entirely unthreatening.
Hearing his voice, Gu Chusheng let out a relieved sigh. The Eldest Princess stepped back slightly and remarked, "You seem even more anxious than I am now that Gu Chusheng is here."
"Sharing your burdens is my duty," the man replied as he approached Gu Chusheng, helping him sit up and handing him the bowl of medicine.
Gu Chusheng accepted it silently, hesitating for a long moment before finally speaking. "Thank you—"
"There’s no need to mention names from the past."
His light, dismissive tone made Gu Chusheng swallow the rest of his words. After a pause, Gu Chusheng nodded. "Very well."
He raised the bowl and drank the medicine without flinching at its bitterness. The man stood by his side, watching, while The Eldest Princess observed them for a while before losing interest. "Take your time talking," she said to the man. "I’ll be leaving first."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.
Only when The Eldest Princess had completely disappeared from sight did Gu Chusheng turn his gaze to the man before him.
The man dismissed the others with a wave, then stood up and expertly replaced the charcoal in the brazier, adding incense to the flames.
"She enjoys fragrances, though her preferences vary with her moods," he said suddenly, his voice calm. "I’ve become a skilled perfumer now, but compared to you, I’m still an amateur. Since you have time now, why not teach me a thing or two here in the princess’s residence?"
"How could I refuse your request?" Gu Chusheng replied with a bitter smile. After a moment, he added, "Have you been… well?"
"Very well."
The man nodded. "In all my years, I’ve never slept as peacefully as I have recently."
"That’s good," Gu Chusheng repeated softly. "That’s good."
"I have a new name now—Xue Hanmei."
The man spoke abruptly as he slowly walked back. Gu Chusheng was taken aback, unsure why he was being told this.
The man smiled, his voice tinged with bitterness. "She still thinks of him, you see. That man is called Mei Hanxue, and now my name is just his… reversed."
"You shouldn’t dwell on it too much…"
Gu Chusheng didn’t know what else to say.
The relationship between this man and The Eldest Princess had always been tangled beyond unraveling. In his past life, the man had fallen ill and passed away not long after. After his death, The Eldest Princess dismissed all her male concubines and stubbornly insisted on posthumously honoring him as her consort, burying him in the imperial mausoleum.
Back then, the man had often told Gu Chusheng that The Eldest Princess only kept him around out of regard for Mei Hanxue. Yet when he truly died, and Gu Chusheng accompanied The Eldest Princess to escort his remains into the mausoleum, he couldn’t help but ask her: "If you kept him all these years for Mei Hanxue’s sake, why is it him, and not Mei Hanxue, who rests in the imperial tomb now?"
The Eldest Princess had remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft laugh.
Age had never seemed to touch her—no matter how many years passed, she remained as radiant as ever. But in that moment, Gu Chusheng suddenly realized—The Eldest Princess had grown old.Her eyes brimmed with tears as she laughed mockingly, "I've already buried him in the imperial mausoleum. Why do you still refuse to believe that I truly loved him?"
"I told him those words countless times, yet he never believed me."
"Even on his deathbed, he asked me again, still doubting."
"What more must I do?" The Eldest Princess let her tears fall, clutching her chest as she gritted her teeth. "Must I carve out my heart for you to finally understand that I truly loved him?"
"My love for Mei Hanxue back then was genuine, just as my love for him later was sincere."
Thinking of the fate that befell this person and The Eldest Princess, Gu Chusheng couldn't help but feel pity. He could only say, "Her Highness The Eldest Princess truly loved you."
"I know."
The other person smiled faintly. "She told me so many times."
Yet, he had never believed it.
Though he left the latter unspoken, Gu Chusheng understood his meaning. This man's stubbornness was well-known, and seeing persuasion futile, Gu Chusheng ceased his efforts, instead asking, "Are you feeling unwell these days?"
"Why ask that?" Xue Hanmei found the question odd, then added, "I'm certainly far better off than you."
"If you're doing well," Gu Chusheng sighed, "then my father must be at peace."
At the mention of Gu Chusheng's father, Xue Hanmei fell silent.
He knelt by the bedside for a long while before finally murmuring, "I'm sorry."
Gu Chusheng was taken aback and quickly replied, "Please don't dwell on it. My father acted of his own will."
Xue Hanmei shook his head, unwilling to say more.
After a pause, Gu Chusheng changed the subject. "Do you have any plans for the near future?"
"What plans could I have?"
Xue Hanmei chuckled. "All I ever wanted was to stay by her side for the rest of my life. Now that I finally can, what more could I ask for?"
"Well... that's good."
Gu Chusheng nodded sincerely, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "It's for the best that you've found peace."
They conversed a while longer before Xue Hanmei took his leave. That night, a heavy winter snow fell.
That year, the state of Chu saw several heavy snowfalls and numerous battles fought. The frontlines suffered continuous defeats, leaving the emperor furious. In many regions, even messengers were intercepted and killed by the Northern Di armies, cutting off all communication.
Chu Yu made it a habit to review intelligence reports daily, keeping abreast of developments across the land. Lately, her exchanges with Wei Yun had grown sparse. Though he noticed, Wei Yun said little, as if sensing that this silence was somehow appropriate.
Yet, the discomfort lingered, making their shared moments over the reports all the more precious. They quietly exchanged valuable information, each sharing what they deemed important.
"This place is quite amusing," Wei Yun suddenly remarked upon reading a report, smiling. "They've been desperately requesting reinforcements from the court, yet they aren't even under siege. Three relief forces have been intercepted. I wonder if the magistrate there is simply terrified out of his wits, panicking like this?"
"Oh?"
Though uninterested, Chu Yu humored him. "Which official is so cowardly? If everyone were like them, our troops—"
"Phoenix Mausoleum."
Before she could finish, Wei Yun blurted the name. Chu Yu's head snapped up, her face paling in shock. "Say that again—which place?!"
"Luozhou, Phoenix Mausoleum."
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