Expedition to the Western Regions
For days, Lu Yunchu has been like an empty shell, devoid of her soul, huddled in the most remote corner. The overwhelming scorn from the outside world makes it impossible for her to leave the palace.
Her aunt stayed by her side the whole time, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing, sometimes comforting, and sometimes scolding.
"Consort Xiao hasn't given up on us...no...I've fought with her my whole life, but she's doing this because of that promise we made back then...A-Yun, Consort Xiao has done her best, we can't fall!"
Her aunt tried to comfort her again and again, but she wouldn't eat or drink. Her aunt had almost run out of tears, and her mother rushed over to see her, but was injured on the way and had to go back to recuperate.
Upon hearing the news, Lu Yun Chu suddenly stood up, but her aunt grabbed her arm, saying, "Are you out of your mind to go out at a time like this?!"
Lu Yunchu shook his head and suddenly drew a long sword from his waist—the gift Chu Qin had given him.
Her fingers traced the blade of the sword, drops of blood falling, but she simply laughed out loud.
"A monster? So what if I'm a monster! Since monsters can bring disaster to the world, then I'll see just how far this monster can go!"
She stood with her sword raised, its tip pointing straight to the sky. Her aunt was initially so frightened she nearly fell to the ground, but quickly recovered and nodded vigorously: "Yes! We are all demons, but being a demon is better than being unarmed!"
She didn't look at her aunt again, turned around, and staggered towards the inner room.
When she came out again, she had changed into a white mourning dress, her long hair was loose, and she was not wearing any hairpins or jewelry.
"Find Chu Qin; she knows the sorcerers at the Imperial Observatory. Since they enjoy watching women portray as demons, let them have a good look!"
Aunt went to find Chu Qin and brought with her Azhi, the Grand Wizard of the Imperial Observatory. Azhi was trained by Chu Qin and had almost completely replaced the entire Imperial Observatory with women.
Lu Yunchu instructed Azhi to spread two stories among the people: Chu Chengchao died unjustly and his spirit lingered; and his wife's unjust death led to divine punishment. The recent torrential rains in the capital presented a perfect opportunity. Azhi also installed a device to attract lightning on the eaves of the main hall and secretly offered a plan to "pacify the Western Regions in place of her husband to change the celestial phenomena."
Once everything was ready, Lu Yunchu gripped her long sword and walked out of the palace. The palace road was long, and the news had already spread. Along the way, palace maids, eunuchs, and concubines pointed and cursed at her.
"Monster! You dare to show your face again!"
"You vile woman who brings disaster to the country and its people! Why don't you just die!"
She didn't know who started it, but rotten vegetable leaves and pebbles rained down on her. Dirt stained her snow-white dress, leaving dirty marks. A pebble struck her forehead, drawing blood.
She kept her eyes straight ahead and walked firmly toward the magnificent golden palace.
Faced with one insult after another, she suddenly raised her arms high. Suddenly, dark clouds rolled in, a blinding bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.
The lightning illuminated her pale face. She suddenly raised her arm, her blood-stained fingertips pointing straight to the sky: "Heaven above, if I, Lu Yunchu, have truly forced my husband to his death and violated human ethics, then let the heavens send down lightning!"
Before he could finish speaking, another bolt of lightning, like a silver dragon, struck down and ignited the dome of the hall.
Lu Yunchu lowered his arm and stopped lingering. He stepped onto the white jade palace path, which was quickly soaked by the rain, and walked step by step into the palace gate that symbolized supreme power.
Inside the palace, civil and military officials stood in formation, and the new emperor, Chu Cheng'an, sat high on the dragon throne, discussing the potential disasters caused by the continuous heavy rains. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning terrified everyone.
Lu Yunchu took advantage of the chaos to enter. The guards wanted to stop her, but they were intimidated by her crazy behavior and dared not step forward.
"A monster...a monster..."
The guards were so frightened that they scattered in all directions.
"Take down this madwoman!" Chu Cheng'an shouted angrily, but no one paid any attention.
Lu Yunchu stood in the center of the hall, raindrops dripping from her hair. She lowered her voice, making it sound particularly rough and deep: "Heaven's justice is clear, and even the gods and spirits bear witness! My late husband, Chu Chengchao, dedicated his life to pacifying the Western Regions. I vow to carry on his legacy; I will not return until the Western Regions are conquered!"
Chu Cheng'an swallowed back the rebuke that was already on the tip of his tongue. He clearly caught the lingering fear in the eyes of the officials. These pedantic scholars believed most in "divine intervention," and had previously criticized him behind his back for his illegitimate rise to power. Now that Lu Yunchu had gone mad, attracting divine lightning as a warning, forcibly killing her would only confirm their suspicions. Perhaps…
The border troops under Chu Chengchao were loyal and brave, recognizing only their deceased commander and distrusting him, the new emperor. With the war in the Western Regions becoming increasingly tense and the Western and Northern tribes of the Gobi Desert stirring up trouble, it was the perfect opportunity to send Lu Yunchu, the "widow," under the guise of avenging her husband and carrying on his legacy. This would both silence public opinion and allow her to use others to do her dirty work.
The furious look on Chu Cheng'an's face vanished instantly, replaced by a feigned expression of grief. He slowly stood up, his voice carrying a deliberately hoarse tone and a touch of melancholy: "It seems that my brother's spirit in heaven could not let go of the border war, nor the territory of our Great Chu, and thus manifested his power to grant my sister-in-law divine strength to fulfill his unfulfilled ambitions!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yunchu abruptly raised her head, rain and blood mingling as they streamed down her face. She did not refute, but knelt prostrate on the golden bricks, her voice resolute: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace! I am willing to take my deceased husband's place in the western expedition to defeat the enemy and demonstrate my resolve in battle!"
Having said that, amidst the astonished gazes of the entire hall, she ripped open her mourning clothes, which were already soaked with filth and rainwater! Everyone turned to curse her as a monster, failing to see the clearly defined muscle contours beneath her clothes, covered with both new and old training scars.
"Jiang Liu!" Lu Yunchu shouted sternly.
Jiang Liu, who had been silently following her and was now soaked to the bone, did not hesitate to use the tip of his hairpin to carve a bloody character "朝" (chao) deep into her back, stroke by stroke.
This single word not only demonstrates her loyalty but also serves as a cover for women's power grab. Her aunt couldn't bear to see her bear this word and live her life as someone else's shadow, so she hoped that she would carve the character "Chu" to show her sacrifice for the country. However, Lu Yun Chu knew that only by retreating to the extreme could she and other women gain greater freedom in the cage.
Despite the excruciating pain, Lu Yunchu mustered all her strength and spoke with a voice like a drawn sword, piercing through thunder and clearly resounding throughout the entire hall: "This sinful woman, Lu Yunchu, hereby swears: I will not return to the court until the Western Desert is conquered and the Northern Desert is pacified!"
Chu Cheng'an gazed at this terrifyingly beautiful woman, his face filled with respect, and clapped his hands a few times: "Excellent! What a wonderful act of going to war in place of her husband! The Crown Princess's love for her deceased husband is truly moving and as clear as the sun and moon! Such chastity and virtue should be a model for all women in the world! I am deeply gratified! This matter should be included in the new compilation of women's virtues, as a model for women!"
The news spread quickly, and Chu Ling found Lu Yun Chu, who was about to depart for war, her face full of worry: "Sister Yun Chu! That Chu Cheng An clearly has ill intentions. If you go, there's a high chance..."
Lu Yunchu was wiping the longsword that Chu Qin had given him, his voice calm: "It's alright, I will come back."
Before leaving, Lu Yunchu asked her aunt to take good care of Mu Xin and Mu Sheng, as she didn't know how to face them.
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