“General, you’ve returned to investigate what happened back then and avenge our brothers, haven’t you?”
Du Xueyi’s words pulled Wei Qingyan back from her thoughts. She gave a slight nod.
“What should I do?” Du Xueyi lifted the hem of his robe and performed a military officer’s salute. “Please instruct me, General. Xueyi is willing to give his all, even at the cost of his life.”
Wei Qingyan’s eyes were cool and clear. “Hold firmly to your title of Marquis Anyuan. Seize every possible opportunity to rise higher—that is what your Du family rightfully deserves.”
She had heard her father speak many times of his admiration for Du Changyuan. The Late Emperor valued Du Changyuan so highly that he even used Lady Guan to win him over, which showed his extraordinary abilities.
After years of campaigning, he achieved victory after victory.
How could it be mere coincidence that he died in the final battle before the founding of the dynasty?
Lady Guan had once been the Late Emperor’s woman. Could the Late Emperor truly have been unbothered by another man coveting his woman?
In the past, she would not have doubted it. But after witnessing Lady Guan’s Obsessive Attachment, she couldn’t help but suspect Du Changyuan’s death.
If her suspicions were true, then the Late Emperor had wronged not only Lady Guan but also Du Changyuan.
“General, do you want me to enter the Ministry of War?” Du Xueyi voiced his confusion.
The General was not reckless by nature. Knowing that Wu Yuchu was problematic, she had killed him without keeping him alive to uncover the truth. Besides revenge, there must have been another purpose.
Wei Qingyan smiled.
He had grown. The Du Xueyi who used to rely on her for everything now knew how to think for himself.
“The Minister of War is dead. The two Vice Ministers of War will surely fight tooth and nail for the position. Regardless of who ultimately becomes Minister, Xueyi, you should learn from the fisherman and pick up a Vice Minister’s position.”
As a Vice Minister, one could become Minister, or perhaps something else.
After Wei Qingyan died in battle, the remaining eighty thousand Huguojun troops were divided into three parts, with thirty thousand following Du Xueyi to guard the Wudan border.
Half a year ago, when the Old Marquis passed away from illness, the Emperor sent someone to the border to take over Du Xueyi’s military authority and ordered him to return to the capital to inherit the marquisate.
Now, six months later, although he had inherited the title of Marquis Anyuan, he still had not been assigned any official duties.
Du Xueyi suddenly understood and quickly said, “In two days, during the grand morning court session, I will petition His Majesty to return to the Wudan border.”
The Emperor had finally found an excuse to take away his thirty thousand Huguojun troops and would naturally be unwilling to let him return to the Wudan border. Thus, he would have no choice but to assign him a position in the capital.
With the achievements of his grandfather Du Changyuan from back then, as well as his own merits in the Huguojun, the Emperor could not give him too low a position.
If there happened to be a vacancy in the Ministry of War, it would be much easier for him to enter.
The position of Vice Minister of War was neither too high nor too low—just right to suit the Emperor’s intentions.
Truly worthy of being the General.
Du Xueyi sighed inwardly.
“Should we tell the other brothers about the truth of Huangshaling? Many hands make light work. Perhaps it would be easier to investigate together.”
“Not for now,” Wei Qingyan shook her head.
Human hearts are complex. She had not been a general for three years, and it was unknown whether her former subordinates remained loyal.
Moreover, what exactly was the truth, and who was involved? If too many people knew, it might alert the enemy.
Du Xueyi had spoken out of momentary excitement and realized it was inappropriate as soon as the words left his mouth.
As they talked, dawn arrived.
The Guan family came to the door.
Although Guan Yu’er had been severely beaten by Wei Qingyan, she had harmed the legitimate daughter of Anyuan Houfu first. Moreover, before her death, Lady Guan had confessed to plotting against Lady Fang.
Du Xueyi took the initiative, questioning whether Lady Fang’s death was a conspiracy between the Guan family and Lady Guan, and pretended he would report it to the authorities for a thorough investigation.
Although the Guan family had not participated in the plot to harm Lady Fang, they were well aware of many of Lady Guan’s schemes, even involved in some, and could not withstand any thorough investigation.
Too guilty to cause any trouble for the Du residence, they took Guan Yu’er and left that very day.
Lady Guan’s funeral was conducted simply. After lying in repose for one day, she was buried at a chosen location outside the city, not in the Du family ancestral cemetery.
Thus, everyone knew that the mad ravings Lady Guan uttered before her death were true.
No one blamed Du Xueyi for being unfilial. Given that he had murdered his wife and abused his daughter, not having her bones ground to dust was already an act of mercy.
But Wei Qingyan knew that Du Xueyi would not let Lady Guan rest in peace. Sure enough, that night, she heard from A Lu that Guan Yu’er had died.
If Du Xueyi did not even spare Guan Yu’er, how could he let Lady Guan, who had destroyed his family, go unpunished?
Wei Qingyan changed into a set of black clothes and instructed, “A Lu, take Xiaoxiao to find your Marquis. I am going out for a while.”
A Lu glanced at the pitch-black sky outside, then looked at Wei Qingyan dressed entirely in black, and silently carried Xiaoxiao away.
He had realized that his young lady was different from other women—she preferred to move about at night.
For the past two nights, Wei Qingyan had been wandering the streets where the nobility and wealthy gathered.
In this dazzlingly opulent imperial city, countless people died every day, naturally giving rise to much Yuanqi.
However, for it to form into Guiyuan like Lady Fang’s required either an extremely deep Obsessive Attachment or resentment and unwillingness, along with a stroke of fate.
Ordinary Yuanqi would gradually fade over time and eventually dissipate.
The images held deep in one’s consciousness before death would also slowly blur and ultimately vanish into nothingness.
Wei Qingyan aimed to extract the memories from the Yuanqi before those images faded.
Some matters were much simpler to investigate from the dead than from the living.
After all, she was still unfamiliar with this imperial city and needed to learn more about it.
As the horizon began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, Wei Qingyan headed toward the city gates.
According to usual practice, today was the day Shi Yu would go to pay respects at the tomb of the Huguo Jiangjun.
She should also go see Abu.
When Shi Yu arrived, Wei Qingyan was meditating in front of the grave.
“Why is Miss Chang here?”
Wei Qingyan bowed slightly. “With family matters settled, I came to visit an old friend.”
Shi Yu was naturally aware of the matter concerning the Old Madam of Anyuan Houfu, but he was surprised she would come here to pay respects.
Shi Yu took the food box from Dong Cang’s hands and laid out the pastries he had brought one by one before the tomb. When he clearly saw the pastries placed in front of the grave, his hand paused slightly.
Those pastries were very fresh, clearly brought by Wei Qingyan just now.
They were exactly the same as the ones he had prepared.
What he had brought were Wei Qingyan’s favorites.
And Wei Qingyan had clearly brought them for the one lying beneath the ground.
“Were you and he very close?”
When the male corpse resembling Wei Qingyan in appearance was discovered, he had been surprised. Judging by the clothing on the man, he guessed it was Wei Qingyan’s shadow guard.
Wei Qingyan had several masked shadow guards.
He just hadn’t known that this person would resemble Wei Qingyan so closely. It was only upon seeing this male corpse that he understood why he had never suspected Wei Qingyan was a woman.
Because the one who had bathed in the hot springs with him was this double—how could he suspect a genuine man of being a woman?
Wei Qingyan’s gaze fell on the pastries Shi Yu had brought and nodded. “Yes.”
Having accompanied each other for many years, even their tastes were similar—how could they not be close?
“But as for Your Highness, I heard you severed ties with General Wei back then. Why have you done so much for her now?”
Shi Yu’s heart ached slightly as he lit the incense paper, murmuring softly, “It never ceased.”
He had only feared that he couldn’t control his feelings and might implicate her, so he chose to distance himself.
Now that she knew the truth, Wei Qingyan understood his choice back then, though she felt somewhat awkward.
She had never imagined that Shi Yu harbored such feelings for her.
But after sorting through her thoughts, there were indeed traces to be found.
She once complained that the food in the military camp was unpalatable, so he opened a restaurant, naming it “Yu Yan” after his and her names.
When a woman expressed admiration for her, Shi Yu reacted most intensely. Within two days, he had Empress Dowager arrange a marriage for that woman with someone else, claiming it was because she wasn’t worthy of the Huguo Jiangjun.
A mother knows her son best. Empress Dowager likely sensed his feelings and repeatedly hinted that both Shi Yu and she should marry. Each time, Shi Yu grew despondent, while she remained oblivious…
Realizing her thoughts had drifted far, Wei Qingyan quickly composed herself and asked about the matter at hand, “Why did Your Highness think of taking the General’s body to attack Bei Ling back then?
I heard that after losing her son, Lady Wei fell ill from grief. She must have wished for her son to be laid to rest as soon as possible. After Your Highness returned to the capital, you must have faced no shortage of difficulties from Lady Wei, right?”