Wu Ciyun had been bedridden for several days with lingering illness, during which time Chu Mingyi gave orders for a thorough investigation into the matter of Ping Su.
The Prince of Pingnan had already despaired and committed suicide on the very day the city fell, so Chu Mingyi could only have a few officials who had always been on close terms with the Prince of Pingnan brought in for questioning.
But no matter how they were interrogated, all their statements were the same.
Ping Su was a county under Wu Ciyun’s governance. Seven days ago, Wu Ciyun had blocked all roads to Ping Su on the pretext of a thorough investigation.
The Prince of Pingnan’s guards were stationed at every checkpoint, and not even a bird could get out, let alone a person.
After entering Ning Prefecture, Ping Su was then surrounded by the Ruijing Army, and no news could leak out from within.
The officers and subordinates of the Ruijing Army said this was all by Prince Rui’s orders, and they were merely following instructions.
Chu Mingyi found himself caught between two difficult choices.
He now had reasonable suspicion that Prince Rui harbored ulterior motives, wanting to use the Plague as a cover for some underhanded scheme.
Yet Wu Ciyun’s words on that day made him especially wary.
To err on the side of caution, he ordered most of the Liang Army to withdraw from Ning Prefecture, leaving behind only a force equal to that of the Ruijing Army.
The Liang State Physician had stayed at the Wu Mansion since the day Wu Ciyun fell ill—partly to treat her, and partly for easier surveillance.
Chu Mingyi would have liked to pry the truth out of Wu Ciyun directly, but this time she was truly gravely ill and, even if she wished to see him, she simply did not have the strength.
Not until the third day, when her condition had slightly improved, did she send someone to invite Chu Mingyi to the mansion to discuss the matter of Ping Su.
As soon as Chu Mingyi entered the mansion, he heard the clear laughter of children.
Following the sound, he saw two young children playing pitch-pot together, with maidservants and young attendants watching over them as if they were precious treasures, afraid they might get even slightly hurt.
“Are those Wu Ciyun’s children?”
Chu Mingyi stood beneath the corridor, sizing up the two children for a moment.
A faint anger flickered in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and muttered, “He actually has a wife and children?”
He should have just had Wu Ciyun dragged out and executed on the spot!
This treacherous villain was utterly shameless!
He himself indulged in both men and women, and now had both a son and a daughter, never needing to worry about leaving no heirs.
No wonder he could have a Young Lord here and a Male Favorite there, cavorting with lovers left and right.
What a pity his own elder brother, a noble scion of a prestigious family, if he truly followed Wu Ciyun, would not only be insulted, but might even have to help raise someone else’s children.
“General, those are not Lord Wu’s children. They are his younger siblings. I heard the Wu Family’s parents died young, so Lord Wu has always raised them personally.”
The Doctor, having stayed at the Wu Mansion for a few days, had managed to piece together the Wu Family’s relationships from the servants and explained, “There are no wives or concubines in the Wu Mansion as of now.”
Chu Mingyi’s expression eased a little at these words.
He withdrew his gaze and sneered, “Even if he dared to have any, he should consider whether he could pay off all his romantic debts outside.”
The Doctor paused at this, giving Chu Mingyi a somewhat odd look.
After a moment, his expression cleared, and he quickly echoed, “Lord Wu is upright and self-disciplined. It’s said he doesn’t even keep a personal attendant, let alone wives or concubines.”
This was quite different from the rumors outside.
When he first arrived in Ning Prefecture, he heard that this favored official by the Prince of Pingnan was completely indiscriminate, favoring both men and women.But after staying in the Wu Mansion for a few days and checking Wu Ciyun’s pulse several times, he realized the rumors were false.
Since Wu Ciyun was still unable to get out of bed, the attendant led Chu Mingyi straight to the bedroom.
Inside, the room had been hung with Zhulián in advance, blocking the view from outside.
Prince Rui’s subordinate and Li Vice-General of the Ruijing Army were waiting outside as ordered.
Both knew Wu Ciyun was Prince Rui’s right-hand aide and harbored no resentment, not even after waiting a while longer.
As soon as Chu Mingyi entered the room, he smelled the bitter scent of medicine. He glanced at the Zhulián and inwardly cursed Wu Ciyun for being pretentious, then sat down with a cold face on the Taishi Chair.
Recently, Wu Ciyun had been gravely ill, and her subordinates had frequently dealt with the Liang Army.
Now, seeing Chu Mingyi in a foul mood, he naturally dared not speak, only respectfully said toward the curtain, “Lord Wu, General Chu has arrived. Regarding the Plague in Ping Su, may I trouble you to explain?”
Wu Ciyun had just finished her medicine.
She waved away the mijian that Rong Tan offered, sipped some tea slowly, and only after the bitterness in her mouth faded did she finally speak, “There is no Plague in Ping Su.”
Because she was still ill, her voice was even weaker and more hoarse than usual, so the three outside had to hold their breath and focus to hear her words.
“The Prince of Pingnan wanted to obtain Disaster Relief Funds from the Imperial Court, so he ordered me to fabricate a Plague. The people of Ping Su are safe and sound.”
The subordinate let out a sigh of relief at these words and hurriedly said, “If that’s the case, then it was just a misunderstanding. I shall order the guards outside Ping Su City to withdraw at once.”
“No need to withdraw.”
Wu Ciyun spoke a bit hastily and couldn’t help but cough lightly.
Seeing this, Rong Tan quickly rubbed her back, trying to help her breathe easier.
Chu Mingyi couldn’t see clearly through the Zhulián, but he could vaguely tell that Wu Ciyun and a man were very close, almost embracing.
It was simply indecent.
After a while, Wu Ciyun finally caught her breath. She calmed herself and said indifferently, “The Imperial Court’s main army is stationed near Ling County in Wuzhou. A few days ago, they sent word requesting Ning Prefecture to deliver Grain and Fodder in support.”
“Currently, half of Ning Prefecture’s Grain and Fodder is in Ping Su. Please give the order for the soldiers in the city to disguise themselves as remnants of Ning Prefecture’s army and transport the Grain and Fodder to Wuzhou.”
“This…”
The subordinate and Li Vice-General exchanged a glance, each seeing doubt and surprise in the other’s eyes.
If the Grain and Fodder were sent to Wuzhou, wouldn’t that be helping the Imperial Court?
Chu Mingyi’s expression turned serious at this, but instead of interrupting, he became even more interested, wanting to see what Wu Ciyun was really planning.
Li Vice-General hesitated for a moment and asked, “My lord, may I be so bold as to ask, do you plan to ambush Wuzhou with cavalry hidden among the Grain and Fodder…”
“No need for cavalry, just transport the Grain and Fodder.”
Li Vice-General said anxiously, “But if the Grain and Fodder really goes to Wuzhou, wouldn’t that strengthen the Imperial Court’s power?”
Wu Ciyun chuckled softly at this, her tone tinged with coldness, and said slowly, “Do you think Wuzhou would accept Grain and Fodder sent from a place rumored to have a Plague?”
At these words, the room suddenly fell silent.
Rong Tan saw Wu Ciyun’s brow slightly furrowed and gently raised his hand to massage her aching temples, asking softly, “Does this make you feel better?”
Wu Ciyun closed her eyes lightly and gave a barely audible hum.
Chu Mingyi had remained silent all this time.
Though he was surprised by Wu Ciyun’s thinking, he still sharply pointed out a flaw, saying coldly, “What makes you so sure that Wuzhou won’t accept it?”
“Wuzhou’s Prefect, Cui Wenhua—back in the fifteenth year of Yuan Cheng, he and I both served as officials in Lingzhou, in charge of the Plague. The entire Cui Family—his wife, children, and all—died because of it.”
The System, hearing Wu Ciyun mention this past, also felt a pang of emotion.
That Plague in Lingzhou back then was truly catastrophic. From the nobility down to the common people, few were spared.
Cui Wenhua and Wu Ciyun were both disciples of Wu Nanshan.
At that time, Lingzhou’s officials either fled on their own or feigned illness and shut themselves in at home. Only the two of them dared to take charge of the matter.
To be cautious and not endanger their families, they both stayed away from home for three months.
Only later did Cui Wenhua learn that his wife and children had all passed away. His hair turned white overnight, and he lamented his lack of filial piety.
Wu Ciyun, having unfortunately contracted the Plague, barely survived, but her health never recovered.
Thinking of those tragic days, Wu Ciyun’s expression was faintly moved, but she still spoke softly, “Cui Wenhua and the current main general of the Imperial Court, Zuocan, have a blood feud. Two years ago, Zuocan forced a Cui daughter to commit suicide over a few concubines.”
Now, if they delivered Grain and Fodder to Wuzhou, and Cui Wenhua refused it, Zuocan would be enraged, and old and new grudges would erupt, leading to infighting.
The subordinate nodded repeatedly at this, catching from Wu Ciyun’s tone that she was quite familiar with Cui Wenhua, and said with a smile, “Lord Cui is a rare official who cares for the people. If we enter Wuzhou smoothly, we will surely treat him with courtesy.”
“I have only one request.”
Wu Ciyun was silent for a moment before saying calmly, “If Zuocan surrenders and is executed, hand him over to Cui Wenhua.”
Although Prince Rui had ordered not to kill surrendered captives, the subordinate was flexible and not one to stubbornly stick to the rules.
Toward Wu Ciyun, he simply turned a blind eye and had no intention of persuading her otherwise.
Even if Cui Wenhua really hacked Zuocan to pieces, they could just find a random corpse to cover it up.
Why make enemies with your own people for the sake of an enemy general?
With Wuzhou seemingly within their grasp, the subordinate and Li Vice-General were overjoyed, while only Chu Mingyi’s expression remained uncertain, his probing gaze occasionally falling on the blurred figure behind the Zhulián.
Wu Ciyun was still not fully recovered, and after talking for so long, she was utterly exhausted.
Seeing this, Rong Tan took the opportunity to say loudly to those outside the curtain, “My lord still needs rest. If there’s nothing else, please take your leave for now.”
The subordinate and Li Vice-General quickly took their leave, but Chu Mingyi stayed behind.
He said coldly, “Lord Wu, may I ask a few more questions?”
Wu Ciyun frowned at this and replied gently, “General, what do you wish to ask?”
“It’s a military matter. If others are present, it may not be convenient to speak openly.”
Wu Ciyun was already annoyed with Chu Mingyi.
She took a deep breath and turned to Rong Tan, saying, “You may go now.”
Rong Tan was momentarily stunned and hurriedly tried to explain, “My lord, I…”
“Leave.”
Wu Ciyun’s attitude was firm, and Rong Tan had no choice.
He lowered his gaze, lifted the Zhulián, brushed past Chu Mingyi, and left the bedroom.
Chu Mingyi glanced at Rong Tan, noting his handsome appearance and attire far more refined and expensive than the other servants.
He immediately understood and sneered inwardly, cursing him as a fox spirit.
Behaving so intimately with Wu Ciyun in broad daylight—clearly no decent person, just a shameless wretch.
If his own brother had to deal with such a person, who knew how much suffering he’d endure in the future.
Seeing that Chu Mingyi had sent everyone away but still wasn’t speaking, Wu Ciyun grew a little impatient and said coldly, “General Chu, what exactly do you want to ask?”
Chu Mingyi raised an eyebrow and, without any hesitation, lifted the Zhulián that blocked his view and strode straight inside.
Wu Ciyun was startled, her expression turning cold as she rebuked, “General, what is the meaning of this!”
Chu Mingyi looked down at her from above, sneering, “I came to see if you’re really sick or just pretending. This isn’t a woman’s boudoir, so why shouldn’t I come in?”
He had entered with suspicion, but now, seeing Wu Ciyun up close, he was momentarily stunned.
Because she was still recovering, Wu Ciyun hadn’t tied her hair up.
Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders, setting off her pale face and giving her the delicate beauty of a sickly willow in the wind.
Chu Mingyi paused, his gaze even dropping suspiciously for a moment.
Noting the faint Adam’s apple and the flat chest, he finally relaxed a little.
Wu Ciyun was infuriated by his actions and said coldly, “General, you’ve had the Liang Army’s Doctor stationed here day and night. Do you really not know whether I’m truly ill?”
Realizing he had been staring blankly at a grown man, Chu Mingyi’s eyes flashed with disgust.
He stepped back two paces to put some distance between them.
Facing Wu Ciyun’s rebuke, Chu Mingyi didn’t argue. He sneered, “What a coincidence. The moment half of the Liang Army withdraws from Ning Prefecture, you recover enough to see people. Could it be someone in my army is your nemesis, suppressing your luck?”
Wu Ciyun didn’t deny it, only saying calmly, “General Chu, I haven’t harmed a single one of your soldiers. We each serve our own master. I only wish to make our alliance more stable.”
Originally, the Liang Army had twice as many troops as the Ruijing Army.
Though both occupied Ning Prefecture, it was the Liang Army that led the way.
Now, with half the Liang Army withdrawn, the two sides were evenly matched, losing the initial advantage upon entering the city.
Chu Mingyi believed even more in what the Grand Tutor had written in his letter.
This person was indeed cunning and scheming, stringing together one plan after another, making fools of everyone.
He had truly underestimated Wu Ciyun before.
Chu Mingyi was not one to hold a grudge over losing. Since he had been outwitted, he was willing to admit defeat, and even made no secret of his desire to recruit her: “With your talents, if you served in the Liang Dynasty, you could easily be made a marquis or prime minister.”
Wu Ciyun smiled faintly at this and replied calmly, “General jests. If His Highness Prince Rui ascends the throne, I will have rendered meritorious service. Why go far to serve another country?”
“Lord Wu, don’t be so quick to deny it. You say we each serve our own master, but are you truly loyal to yours?”
Chu Mingyi looked down at her, half-smiling, “Since you’re so close to Cui Wenhua of Wuzhou, I don’t believe you couldn’t find a better way to make him turn against Prince Rui.”
Yet Wu Ciyun chose the harshest method.
Even if Cui Wenhua did surrender, there would surely be a knot in his heart.
Wu Ciyun didn’t deny this, tacitly agreeing with Chu Mingyi’s words.
But Chu Mingyi didn’t mind.
He even thought Wu Ciyun had great foresight.
As the saying goes, “When the bird is gone, the bow is put away.”
Such things happen all the time.
Who can guarantee a lifetime of glory?
If Wu Ciyun ever ended up in dire straits, even if not for his brother’s sake, Chu Mingyi would still welcome her.
“I’ve already seen Lord Wu’s cunning. Now that business is done, let’s talk about family matters.”
Suddenly, Chu Mingyi drew a dagger from his side, pressed Wu Ciyun onto the bed with his left hand, and swiftly cut off a lock of her hair with his right.
“If you dare betray my brother, I will never let you off!”
With that, he sheathed the knife, took the lock of hair, and strode off without a backward glance.
Wu Ciyun stared in shock at Chu Mingyi’s departing figure, not recovering for a long time.
Wait a minute…
Who the hell is his brother?!
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