“What did you say? Third Brother… he was imprisoned?” After hearing Wu San’s words, Aunt fell onto the stool.
Wu San originally did not plan to tell the Yu family this bad news, but on second thought, Old Yu had not returned to the village for a long time. Sooner or later, the Yu family would go to the Capital to ask. At that time, they would still hear the news. He might as well tell them the truth first.
Uncle, Aunt, and the Yu brothers were all sitting in Yu Wan’s central room. Little Bruiser pulled his sister to play, and Madam Jiang and Yu Wan sat opposite Wu San.
Wu San did not know if it was his imagination, but he felt that there was killing intent in his sister-in-law’s eyes. He must be thinking too much. His sister-in-law was such a weak lady. She would only be sad when she heard the bad news. She would not want to kill anyone!
“Uncle Wu, let’s talk in private.” Yu Wan didn’t want to talk about such a sad matter in front of her mother. Her father and mother had such a good relationship. If her father went to jail, her mother would definitely be more sad than anyone else.
Wu San understood and went to the small fish pond in Lotus Flower Village with Yu Wan.
“What happened to my father?” Yu Wan went straight to the point.
Wu San let out a long sigh. “Old Yu… was supposed to enter the palace to be conferred the title today. He has made a great contribution and His Majesty personally summoned him.”
Yu Wan was slightly stunned. “My father made a contribution?”
Yu Shaoqing casually talked about the military situation and did not mention the battle in the northwest. The children who returned from the village talked a lot, but no one expected the protagonist of the incident to be their village’s Yu Shaoqing.
“Why didn’t your father tell you? He made a great contribution! Your father was originally a centurion in the Northwest Army Camp…” Wu San briefly explained the Xiongnu people’s night attack on the camp. “… Of the twenty thousand people, less than a hundred escaped. After entering the snowy mountain, we hid everywhere. Many of our brothers were killed by the Xiongnu people’s arrows. In one night, Daniu discovered the heavily injured General Xiao…”
At this point, Wu San paused. “Daniu is a good soldier. He sacrificed himself.”
Yu Wan’s eyes flickered.
Wu San cheered up and continued, “Old Yu asked Daniu to save General Xiao. General Xiao knew that there was no way out and gave all the medicine to our brothers. I went to treat our brothers’ injuries and didn’t hear what he said to Old Yu, but the next day, Old Yu started to lead our brothers over the snowy mountain. Old Yu said that we had to go to Prefecture You. I thought that Old Yu was going to bring our brothers to join the Prefecture You Army. Seeing that he handed something to General Pang Ren, I guessed that General Xiao might have told him something. Sure enough, not long after, Grand Marshal Xiao spread fake news and lured the Xiongnu army into a trap in the Prefecture You. After the great victory, the news that Old Yu handed over the list of spies gradually spread.
That mountain is called the Mountain Range of Death. No one has ever gone out alive. Old Yu… Old Yu brought us out.”
He had not only saved the 100,000 citizens of Prefecture You, but also the lives of the remaining soldiers in the Northwest Army Camp.
Yu Wan had long known that her father was a hero, but she did not expect him to be such a powerful hero. He could tolerate what ordinary people could not and could become what ordinary people could not. He was a hero among heroes, but such a hero did not have any airs or burdens. When he returned home, he was a husband who doted on his wife and a father who doted on his children.
“So how did the crime of deceiving the Emperor come about?” It wasn’t like he handed over a fake list and suffered a defeat.
Wu San said, “A shameless General Gui De insisted to His Majesty that Old Yu stole the list from him!”
“Then His Majesty believes it?” He was too gullible!
Wu San said bitterly, “Little niece, you don’t understand. That General Gui De has some backing and is deeply valued by His Majesty.”
“Are there no witnesses?” Yu Wan asked.
Wu San said, “All the people who escorted General Xiao back then are dead. Only a brat surnamed Zhou can prove that General Xiao has never seen General Gui De, but that brat Zhou has left! He has wandered the world!”
Zhou Huai was a beggar picked up by General Xiao. He had only worked for General Xiao his entire life. After they arrived in Prefecture You, Zhou Huai left. Where could he find him? By the time they found him, Old Yu might have been killed.
“He’s going to be beheaded?” Yu Wan’s eyes trembled.
Wu San sighed again. “This is a crime of deceiving the Emperor, little niece! It’s good that he didn’t behead the nine generations! Once Dali Temple obtained Old Yu’s crime, I’m afraid Old Yu won’t be able to escape death. But I don’t think Old Yu will confess so easily. He’s a man!”
Just because it wasn’t easy to confess didn’t mean that he didn’t suffer. For someone like her father who had been tricked, he probably wouldn’t have a good time in prison. That group of prison guards would definitely use any means to force her father to confess.
At the thought that her father might be tortured in prison, Yu Wan clenched her fists. “What is my father’s character? Others might not understand, but can’t Grand Marshal Xiao, who has interacted with my father all the way, tell? Didn’t he defend my father?”
Wu San shook his head. “Grand Marshal Xiao didn’t say a word because he was thinking about your father.”
“What do you mean?” Yu Wan asked in confusion.
Coincidentally, Cui Hua passed by the fish pond with a basin of clothes in her arms.
“Ah Wan!” Cui Hua smiled and greeted her. Her husband’s brother had returned safely, and the entire family was very happy.
Yu Wan smiled faintly and nodded. “Sister Cui Hua.”
Wu San had come to the village a few times. Cui Hua had seen him before and knew that he was Yu Shaoqing’s comrade. She smiled awkwardly and carried the clothes over.
Wu San continued, “Grand Marshal Xiao’s achievements are great. His Majesty has long been afraid of him. Back then, when he proposed to marry Princess Consort Yan, do you think he succeeded?” Wu San laughed self-deprecatingly and said, “He handed over a million troops and disbanded the Xiao Army.”
“Just for a woman?”
“It’s also for the lives of the soldiers.”
Yu Wan nodded. “I understand. The more Grand Marshal Xiao pleads for my father, the more His Majesty will want to kill my father.”
“That’s right.” Wu San usually looked out of place, but he had his own opinion on these matters. “His Majesty’s decision to punish Old Yu is more or less a warning to others… But the most important thing is still that bastard’s shamelessness! When the Emperor wanted to kill someone, he happened to hand over a knife!”
If it wasn’t for Yan Congming slandering Old Yu for stealing military merit, even if the Emperor wanted to show off his strength to Grand Marshal Xiao, it wouldn’t be Old Yu’s turn!
“Uncle Wu, can I see my father?” Yu Wan asked.
“This…” Wu San scratched his head. “I don’t know anyone from the Dali Temple…”
Yu Wan turned around and left.
“Where are you going, little niece?” Wu San asked.
“To the Dali Temple,” Yu Wan said.
Wu San said anxiously, “I already said that I don’t have any connections to the temple…”
Yu Wan’s eyes were firm. “But I still want to go. I can’t let my father suffer injustice.”
“W-what can a girl like you do?” Wu San regretted telling her about this.
Yu Wan stopped in her tracks. “I don’t know what I can do, but I know I can’t do nothing. I have to ask my father personally. Perhaps I can get some clues from him.”
“Hey, you…” Wu San wanted to say, “Can’t I go and ask?” But when he met those quiet and stubborn eyes, he couldn’t say anything to refuse.
Yu Wan first found her aunt. “Aunt, please take care of my mother.”
Aunt was surprised. “Ah Wan, where are you going?”
“I’m going to the Capital,” Yu Wan said.
“Don’t do anything stupid!” Aunt said with a pale face.
Yu Wan shook her head calmly. “I won’t. Uncle Wu is accompanying me.”
Wu San squeezed out a smile that was uglier than crying. Fine, if he did not bring his niece back safely, he would not be able to face Old Yu’s family.
The two of them went to town and rented a carriage to go to the Capital. Wu San was not familiar with the Capital. Fortunately, the coachman knew the way and quickly sent the two of them to the Dali Temple.
However, to their despair, the two of them could not even enter the door of the Dali Temple!
The guard from the Dali Temple said, “Yu Shaoqing is a serious criminal. Unless there’s an order from His Majesty, no one is allowed to visit him!”
Wu San still wanted to go all out and plead with Grand Marshal Xiao, but it seemed like he couldn’t do it now.
“What do you mean by that?” In the Red Cloud Hall, where the Xiongnu envoy was received, the Princess of Xiongnu was so angry that she slammed her whip on the table. “I’m the Princess of Xiongnu! He’s my guard in the Central Plains! My guard has been captured! I want him out!”
The person who was enduring her shouting was her cousin, the second prince of the Xiongnu. The second prince was the son of Little Huo, and his status was second only to the eldest brother of the Big Huo. This was very similar to Yan Huaijing.
The difference was that his mother was not as smart as Worthy Consort Xu. Fortunately, he had an uncle who supported him. He was the father of the princess in front of him. He would grant any request of his cousin, but he could not agree to this.
The second prince said earnestly, “Mingzhu, he stole other people’s military achievements and even tried to fool the Emperor. This is a crime of deceiving the Emperor in the Great Zhou and he will be beheaded. Go and choose another guard. You can have as many as you want.”
The Princess refused to give up. “I don’t care! I want him!”
The second prince’s face darkened. “Stop fooling around!”
The princess whipped the ground. “I want him! I want him alive! Brother, if you don’t care, I’ll think of a way myself!”
With that, she stood up and left without looking back.
“Mingzhu… Mingzhu!” The second prince did not stop her.
There were more men than women in the Xiongnu Royal Court, and the princess of the Xiongnu was extremely beautiful. She was deeply doted on by her father and uncle. She had been spoiled since she was young and had an unruly personality. Even the second prince often could not subdue her.
The second prince ordered the guard, “Follow the princess quickly. Don’t let her cause trouble again!”
“Yes!”
The two Xiongnu guards chased after the princess.
On the other hand, the princess of Xiongnu had left the palace and planned to visit Yu Shaoqing at the Dali Temple. Unexpectedly, she met a familiar woman at the palace gate.
“Yu’er greets the princess.” Yan Ruyu bowed slightly.
The princess was enlightened. “It’s you!”
Yan Ruyu smiled gently. “It’s my honor that you still remember me, Princess.”
“Who wants to remember you?” The princess rolled her eyes and did not ask who Yan Ruyu was or what she was doing in the palace.
Yan Ruyu looked at her departing figure and smiled faintly. “Princess, are you going to the Dali Temple?”
The princess, who had one foot in the stirrup, suddenly stopped.
Yan Ruyu smiled faintly and said, “If I were the princess, I would definitely not provoke this bad luck. Yu Shaoqing committed a capital crime, so it’s better for the princess to stay far away from him to avoid being implicated and making His Majesty, the Great Zhou Emperor, unhappy. That would be troublesome. What does the princess think?”
The princess coldly walked over to Yan Ruyu.
Yan Ruyu smiled at her. Her father had made a great contribution and was conferred the title of Marquis. Now that she was the daughter of a marquis, she was no longer afraid of a defeated princess. In the end, this princess still had to beg the Great Zhou.
The princess snorted coldly, raised her hand, and whipped Yan Ruyu! This time, it was not as simple as just taking off her veil.
Yan Ruyu hurriedly dodged to the side. Although she avoided her vital points, the whip left a bloody wound on her forehead.
The princess said coldly, “What does his death have to do with you? If you dare to spout nonsense again, I’ll tear off your clothes and whip you ten times in public!”
Yan Ruyu’s nails dug into her flesh.
“Princess!” The guard caught up.
The princess rolled her eyes in disdain. She asked someone to bring the horse over and rode away.
Yan Ruyu touched her forehead and looked at the blood on her fingertips. “You will pay the price, Helian Mingzhu.”
Even the arrogant princess of the Xiongnu could not break into the prison of the Dali Temple in the end. It was as if the Dali Temple had built an iron wall in a day, and even a fly could not fly in.
“I’m so angry! I’m so angry!” The princess, who had been snubbed, vented her anger on the precious flowers in the garden the moment she entered the palace. She used her whip to smash the flowers into pieces.
Yan Huaijing passed by on a small path not far away. When he heard the commotion, he glanced at the princess and asked the accompanying eunuch, “Isn’t that the princess of Xiongnu? What happened?”
The eunuch went forward to investigate and reported, “Your Highness, the criminal who was thrown into prison by His Majesty today was the guard that the princess asked Grand Marshal Xiao for. The princess couldn’t save him and is feeling angry.”
Yan Huaijing said thoughtfully, “The person who stole the list of spies from Marquis Yan?”
The eunuch said, “That’s him. I heard his surname is Yu, and he’s a centurion.”
“Yu?” Yan Huaijing frowned. It couldn’t be such a coincidence, right?
… .
After Yu Wan and Wu San left the Dali Temple, they began to think about what to do.
“Uncle Wu.” Yu Wan pondered and said, “Why don’t you go find Zhou Huai? Try your best to bring the brothers along. Didn’t they say that my father is their great benefactor? Now that my father is in trouble, please help me find Zhou Huai for my father.”
“What will you do if I leave?” Wu San asked worriedly.
Yu Wan smiled bitterly. “Why are you the same as my aunt? Don’t worry, Uncle Wu. I won’t do anything stupid. I know my limits.”
If it were in the past, Wu San would have laughed at a little girl telling him that she knew her limits. However, other than finding Zhou Huai as soon as possible, there seemed to be no other way to exonerate Old Yu. Even if the hope was slim, he could only try his best.
Wu San said solemnly, “Alright, I’ll contact my brothers now. Take care of yourself! Don’t do anything stupid. Your father values you more than his own life. He would rather die himself than have you die for him.”
Yu Wan nodded.
Wu San took a deep breath and rode off.
Yu Wan lowered her eyes. For her father, so what if she was a moth flying to a fire?
Yu Wan said to the coachman, “To Grand Marshal Xiao’s residence.”
The coachman drove the carriage to the Xiao Manor.
In the past, Shangguan Yan had asked her to come, but she refused. Now, she had come knocking on her door.
Yu Wan looked at the grand plaque and alighted from the carriage with her skirt.
When the guard guarding the door saw Yu Wan walk up the stairs, he quickly stopped her and said, “Who is it?”
Yu Wan stood on the steps and looked up at the guarded guard. She said calmly, “My father is Grand Marshal Xiao’s subordinate. I have something to see Grand Marshal Xiao about. Please help me pass the message.”
The guard looked down at Yu Wan and said, “Master isn’t around. What’s your father’s name? When Master comes back, I’ll tell him that you came.”
Yu Wan sized up his expression without blinking. Seeing that he didn’t seem to be lying, she said, “Then can I wait here for him to come back?”
The guard said, “Then I’m afraid you’ll have to wait. Our master has accompanied our Madam out. If it’s fast, it’ll take a day. If it’s slow, it’ll take more than ten days!”
So long! Her father’s head had long moved!
“Can I ask where they went?”
The guard said coldly, “How can I reveal the whereabouts of my master and madam to outsiders?”
Yu Wan pinched her fingers and looked at him with burning eyes. “But I really have something urgent. My father’s life is in danger. This matter is also related to your master. My father was implicated by him!”
The guard choked. “You… What nonsense are you talking about!”
Yu Wan continued to provoke him. “General Xiao Yan’s last words were brought to Grand Marshal Xiao by my father. But now Grand Marshal Xiao wants to kick someone to the curb when he’s outlived his usefulness. Everyone says that Grand Marshal Xiao is a hero, but which hero would push his subordinates out to die while hiding behind to live happily!”
The guard was so angry that he pulled out his sword.
Another guard walked out of the manor and stopped him in time. He said to Yu Wan, “Grand Marshal Xiao is indeed not around. We don’t know where he went. If you’re really anxious, go find Master Xiao Wu on Qinghe Street.”
Yu Wan turned around and left. After taking two steps, she heard the second guard say, “Grand Marshal Xiao will never let his subordinates die. There must be a reason why he ignored them.”
Yu Wan looked back from the corner of her eye and did not say anything. She stepped into the carriage.
“It’s going to rain, girl,” said the coachman.
“To Qinghe Street,” Yu Wan said.
“But…”
As soon as the coachman spoke, Yu Wan threw out a silver ingot. The coachman shut his mouth resentfully and drove the carriage to Qinghe Street.
Master Xiao Wu’s manor was not difficult to find. The difficult thing was that he was not around.
Yu Wan took a deep breath and suppressed her urge to explode. She asked the pageboy, “May I ask where Master Xiao Wu went?”
This pageboy followed Master Xiao Wu to Old Mrs. Wei’s banquet. He had seen Yu Wan at the Wei Manor before and knew that she was on good terms with his master, so he was not afraid of telling her. “Old Madam Wei’s head is spinning. He went to visit her. He just left. If Miss had come earlier, you might have met him.”
“Thank you…” Yu Wan pressed her sore forehead and got into the carriage.” Let’s go to Old Mrs. Wei’s residence. ”
The coachman looked at the dark clouds above his head and hesitated before leaving with a troubled expression.
Halfway to the carriage, something worrying happened—a spring thunder exploded. Then, as if a huge hole had been torn in the sky, the torrential rain tilted down and slammed heavily onto the carriage. It also hit the ground, raising a high mist.
The street was in chaos.
The coachman put on his raincoat and continued on his way. Unexpectedly, the wheel was stuck in a crack in the stone. The carriage jolted violently and the wheel was pulled off. The carriage, which had lost its wheels, suddenly lost its balance and fell awkwardly to one side.
Yu Wan fell out of the carriage.
As the coachman was sitting outside the carriage, he jumped down in time. However, the horse was scared away. He left Yu Wan behind and hurriedly chased after the horse.
Yu Wan knelt on the ground, and bean-sized raindrops landed on her body unceremoniously. Her clothes were drenched, and her hair was in a mess. There was a sharp pain in her ankle, and she must have sprained it.
She sat in the cold rain in a daze, drenched.
Suddenly, a carriage stopped behind her. A person walked out of the car. That person was tall and slender. He wore a silver cloak and looked like a cold white moonlight in the dark rain. He opened an oil-paper umbrella over her head. The hand holding the umbrella had distinct joints and was as long as jade.
Yu Wan was drenched. The rain was gone, and a familiar cold fragrance lingered in the water. She slowly turned around and looked up. Her face, which had turned pale from the heavy rain, looked extremely pitiful.
The man’s eyes flickered.
Yu Wan, who didn’t feel very aggrieved at first and only felt that she was too unlucky, choked up the moment she saw this man. “Yan Jiuchao, my father has been arrested…”
