Chu Yu spent the night alone in the bridal chamber. The next morning, she methodically directed the servants to clean the rooms before summoning all the attendants under Wei Jun’s household to familiarize herself with them.
The Wei family upheld strict and refined discipline, with many rules governing their descendants. One such rule was that before marriage, the young masters were forbidden from indulging in women. Thus, apart from a few newly assigned maidservants to serve Chu Yu, Wei Jun’s household consisted entirely of male attendants.
Each young master of the Wei family was assigned three attendants: one skilled in martial arts for external affairs, one to manage internal affairs and miscellaneous tasks, and one for personal service. The personal attendant had accompanied Wei Jun to the Northern Border battlefield, leaving behind the steward Wei Xia and the guard Wei Qiu, who were still at the manor.
The two men dutifully spent the morning acquainting Chu Yu with all the affairs of Wei Jun’s household, giving her a general understanding of the Wei family. After reviewing Wei Jun’s accounts, she turned to Wei Qiu and asked, “Is it possible to contact anyone at the Northern Border now? I’d like to receive updates from the battlefield as soon as possible.”
“Rest assured, Young Madam,” Wei Qiu replied promptly. “The Wei family raises its own carrier pigeons and will receive frontline news immediately.”
A dedicated carrier pigeon communication system—indeed, the Wei family was a lineage of military generals.
Chu Yu nodded and then asked, “May I write a letter to the heir?”
“Of course.”
Wei Qiu smiled. “What would Young Madam like to write?”
Without overthinking it, Chu Yu picked up a brush and paper, casually jotting down some daily trivialities before inquiring about the war.
All relationships required nurturing. Though Chu Yu’s feelings for Wei Jun were merely appreciative for now, she still intended to actively cultivate this bond.
After all, it was already a blessing to occupy the position of his wife, and she ought to make an effort to connect with him.
Chu Yu had always believed that her greatest strength was her resilience.
Back when she was learning martial arts, even if she was knocked down or her bones were broken, she could still rely on her sword to pull herself up, bit by bit.
Though she had endured those twelve despairing years with Gu Chusheng, she had not lost faith in all of humanity.
She still believed that there were people in this world worthy of genuine sincerity.
After finishing and sending the letter, Chu Yu spent the afternoon visiting the households of each young master.
The Wei family had seven sons. Aside from the legitimate heirs Wei Jun and Wei Yun, the other five had already married and had children. Being of lesser birth, their wives were mostly daughters from noble families’ secondary branches.
Chu Yu had little recollection of the Wei family’s women, only remembering that the second wife, Lady Jiang, had slit her throat in devotion to her husband. Most of the others had voluntarily left, abandoning their children in the Wei family for Wei Yun alone to raise.
During her visits, Chu Yu made a point to observe these children. Their ages were close, with the eldest being the six-year-old son of the second young master, Wei Shu, and the youngest being the two-year-old child of the sixth young master, barely able to walk steadily.
These children usually played together in the courtyard and got along quite well. By learning about their temperaments and the dispositions of their mothers, Chu Yu gained a clearer picture of the Wei family as a whole.
The young madams of the Wei family were largely uninvolved in household affairs. Some, like Lady Jiang, were wholly devoted to their husbands, while others preoccupied themselves with clothes, jewelry, or card games. Yet, given the Wei Manor’s vast wealth and influence, none suffered any grievances, and harmony prevailed.Currently, the only one managing the inner household affairs of the Wei family was the second madam, Liang Shi—the very woman who would later abscond with a large portion of the Wei family’s wealth, vanishing without a trace.
—Being cleaned out by a concubine not only subjected the Wei family to years of ridicule among the nobility of Hua Jing, but more importantly, it also made Wei Yun’s official career exceptionally difficult due to the lack of sufficient silver for necessary bribes.
Chu Yu’s mind was preoccupied with the battlefield while also burdened by household matters, leaving her sleep shallow at night.
By the next day, it was time for the bridal return visit. Reluctantly rising early, Chu Yu first paid her morning respects to Liu Xueyang. After informing her of the return visit and receiving permission, she had the carriage prepared and set off.
Not far into the journey, a maidservant stopped Chu Yu and hesitantly said, “Young Madam, it seems you haven’t informed Second Madam?”
Hearing this, Chu Yu glanced at the maid. This was a servant sent by the Wei family to attend to her. Since Liang Shi currently controlled the household finances, this maid must be one of her people. Her words were clearly meant as a reprimand.
Chu Yu smiled faintly. “What was your name again?”
With so many people introduced the day before, she had momentarily forgotten. The maid took a step back and replied respectfully, “This servant is Chun’er.”
“Ah, Chun’er.”
Chu Yu nodded, then said, “Then you may go and inform Second Madam.”
Seeing Chu Yu yield, Chun’er’s face brightened with a smile. She curtsied and withdrew. Once she was gone, Chu Yu turned to the attendant beside her and said, “Let’s go.”
The attendant hesitated. “But Chun’er-jie…”
“Since when does a mistress wait for a maid? As a personal attendant, she’s wandering about when her mistress is about to depart—who is the master here, her or me?!”
Chu Yu’s expression turned cold. “Go!”
Hearing this, the attendant instantly realized Chun’er was done for.
How could he dare get involved in this? Chun’er was a first-rank maid, while he was merely a coachman. He wanted no part in the inner household disputes, so he quickly pretended ignorance and drove the carriage away.
By the time Chun’er had reported to Liang Shi and obtained permission to leave, returning cheerfully, she found Chu Yu had long since departed. Her eyes widened as she asked the gatekeeper, “Where is the Young Madam?”
“The Young Madam left long ago. Why are you still here?”
The guard frowned. At these words, Chun’er paled instantly, realizing she had likely offended Chu Yu.
Meanwhile, Chu Yu sat leisurely in the carriage, pondering. Her marriage had been rushed, and the maids accompanying her had been arranged by Xie Yun. Her usual attendants, Changyue and Wanyue, were both strikingly beautiful. Xie Yun, fearing they might harbor improper thoughts toward Wei Jun, had replaced them with two plain-looking maids. Unfamiliar with these new attendants, Chu Yu might as well have brought no one at all. Thus, this return visit wasn’t just about checking on her family—she also intended to bring Changyue and Wanyue back with her.
The general’s residence was half a city away from the Wei family. Chu Yu traveled for half a shichen before arriving at the Chu household. It was still morning, and by the Chu family’s habits, they had just finished breakfast.
Not expecting her to arrive so early, Chu Jianchang, Chu Linyang, and Chu Linxi were all still out and hadn’t returned. Only the women of the household were present. Chu Yu wasn’t in a hurry—she had the entire day for her visit and would surely see her father and brothers later.
Led by a maid into the house, she found Xie Yun already waiting with Chu Jin and her two sisters-in-law.The eldest sister-in-law, Xie Chun, was the legitimate daughter of the Xie Family, raised under Xie Yun's care and a cousin to Chu Linyang. She was a quiet and gentle woman. When Chu Yu arrived, she didn’t make much of a fuss, sitting in the first seat beside Xie Yun. She stood up with Xie Yun, smiling at Chu Jin—nothing to fault in her demeanor.
The second sister-in-law, Yao Tao, was a concubine-born daughter of the Yao Family but was dearly loved by the Yao matriarch. The Yao Family originated from merchant backgrounds and had risen through military achievements, which initially made them somewhat looked down upon by noble families. However, with the emperor now using the Yao Family as a tool to suppress the influence of the great families—even appointing a Yao daughter as empress—their status had become incomparable to the past.
When Yao Tao first married into the family, she was merely lively and clever. But as the Yao Family’s power grew, she developed a certain arrogance, becoming increasingly brazen in her actions within the Chu household.
She stood behind Xie Yun alongside Xie Chun. When Chu Yu entered and stepped forward to pay her respects, Xie Yun quickly supported her, her eyes reddening as she said, “You’ve been gone so long—did the Wei family keep you away? Were they difficult to get along with?”
“Mother-in-law, what do you mean by that?” Yao Tao chuckled lightly. “Eldest Sister’s husband went off to war right after their wedding. Alone in the Wei household, she naturally had many matters to attend to herself. How could you say the Wei family is hard to get along with? Whether they are or not, Eldest Sister probably wouldn’t even know yet.”
For any woman, having her husband leave for war on their wedding night would leave a bitter taste, yet Yao Tao deliberately brought it up.
Chu Yu knew this was Yao Tao mocking her. The two had never gotten along—Yao Tao, as a concubine-born daughter, resented Chu Yu’s privileged status as a legitimate daughter, while Chu Yu disdained Yao Tao in turn. Yao Tao was outspoken, Chu Yu blunt, and their past grievances left no room for subtlety in their words.
Having lived twelve extra years, Chu Yu was far more adept at masking her emotions than in her youth. Yet, facing someone like Yao Tao, she had no desire to pretend. Just as she was about to retort sharply, she suddenly remembered—it was precisely this kind of unrestrained nature in the past that had led Xie Yun to believe she could never be bullied, always shielding Chu Jin in every matter.
So Chu Yu smiled faintly, her eyes dimming as she lowered her head and said hoarsely, “Second Sister-in-law, please don’t speak of such things.”
Chu Yu had always been bold and spirited, so this sudden change alarmed Xie Yun, who felt her daughter must be deeply distressed.
Yao Tao was taken aback, momentarily wondering if she had gone too far, seeing Chu Yu’s expression.
Xie Yun’s eyes reddened with anger as she snapped at Yao Tao, “Go back to your room! Is this any way to speak to your sister-in-law?!”
Scolded like this, Yao Tao froze, her brief moment of reflection vanishing instantly. She sneered, “What’s wrong with speaking the truth? Does she think she’s something special now that she’s married into the Wei family? So what if she has? She’s just a grass widow—”
“Yao Tao!”
Xie Yun roared, “Get out of my sight!”
“Mother, don’t be angry,” Chu Jin sighed, glancing at Yao Tao. “Second Sister-in-law, don’t take it out on Mother. Eldest Sister is just overly sensitive, making Mother worry. Don’t take offense—go rest for now.”
With these words, Chu Jin shifted all blame onto Chu Yu, appearing magnanimous. Yao Tao, who had always been on good terms with Chu Jin, felt somewhat mollified by her words. With another cold snort, she turned and left.Only Chu Jin and Chu Yu remained in the room. Chu Yu kept her composure, though by her usual temperament, she would have already slammed the table and demanded to know why Chu Jin called her "oversensitive."
Yet she knew without asking that Chu Jin would only say it was to placate Yao Tao, to ease her mind and prevent her from being so narrow-minded.
In the end, all the blame fell on Chu Yu while Chu Jin reaped the benefits.
Chu Jin dared to act this way because she was certain Xie Yun would side with her. As for Chu Yu, despite her fiery and unyielding exterior, she had always valued family ties deeply.
That was how Chu Yu had been in the past. But now, she was different.
She sipped her tea silently, allowing the tension to settle. Because she didn’t escalate the argument, Xie Yun had time to collect herself and chide Chu Jin, "Just now, it was clearly the second daughter-in-law who accused A Yu first. How could you turn it around and blame your elder sister?"
"It was just a temporary measure," Chu Jin said, helping Xie Yun sit down and pouring her tea at the perfect temperature, which soothed her. "With Sister returning home, we couldn’t let the quarrel drag on."
Xie Yun turned to her eldest daughter, who had remained silent. "It’s just as well she left. Now we can talk properly, mother and daughter. Tell me truthfully—have you suffered in the Wei family?"
"Not at all." Chu Yu smiled, her expression softening with genuine happiness as she mentioned Wei Jun. "A Jun is wonderful. I’m very fond of him."
Xie Yun relaxed and nodded. "As long as your marriage is good, that’s what matters. Now that you’re settled, it’s time to think about A Jin’s marriage."
Her gaze shifted meaningfully to Chu Yu. "A Jin’s marriage…"
Before she could finish, Chu Yu understood. Xie Yun didn’t want Chu Jin to marry Gu Chusheng, and neither did Chu Jin—after all, the Gu family had fallen so far from grace. But Chu Yu had no intention of letting Chu Jin have her way.
So she nodded solemnly. "Yes, we should discuss the wedding date with the Gu family."
Mini Theater:
Wei Yun: "First chapter without seeing sister-in-law. Lonely."
Wei Jun: "First chapter without seeing my wife. Sad."
Gu Chusheng: "How am I supposed to cope, not seeing my ex-wife for four chapters?"
Chu Jin: "I don’t want to see my sister. Not at all."
Character Analysis of Gu Chusheng:
Chu Yu and Gu Chusheng share twelve years of intertwined history, which is too extensive to fully explore here. However, I’ve condensed the key points in the first chapter, so Gu Chusheng’s transformation may not be entirely clear.
In truth, Gu Chusheng had always harbored feelings for Chu Yu since their youth. But he was a proud man, and Chu Yu’s strong personality repelled him, making him believe he preferred Chu Jin instead. Later, after moving to Hua Jing, Chu Yu’s jealousy led to frequent arguments, further alienating him. He sent her away from the capital, yet over those six years, he still thought of her. But Gu Chusheng was cold and selfish by nature—he didn’t know how to give or how to love. Even after Chu Yu left Hua Jing, she remained his wife, so he never truly experienced losing her.
Only after Chu Yu’s death did he finally understand what it meant to lose her. It took him nearly a decade to admit the truth—that he had loved her all along.Therefore, such emotional shifts are not abrupt, just more complex. Characters can't be fully fleshed out in just one or two chapters—this story follows a natural progression without forced emotional twists. So there's no need to worry about any character being deliberately tailored to fit a particular plot.
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