Chapter 127: Stabilizing the Mind
Granny Zhou and Qingdai left to carry out their orders, and the warm pavilion returned to silence, leaving only Su Wanrou's heavy breathing and her heart pounding wildly in her chest, as if it were about to shatter her ribs. The composure she had just managed to maintain receded like the tide, and immense fear and despair instantly engulfed her.
She trembled violently, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. The thin letter fluttered onto the brocade quilt; its few words carried immense weight, each character a grotesque ghostly hand threatening to drag her into an abyss.
"Believing intelligence too easily...ambushed and trapped...fate unknown..."
The banquet ended... her banquet ended...
The man who descended like a god to save her at the hunting grounds, the clumsy yet gentle man on their wedding night, the man whose eyes lit up with approval when she learned to ride a horse, the man who held her tightly in his arms the night before leaving home, his voice hoarse as he said, "Wait for me to come back"... How could this be? How could it be?!
Eagle Fall Gorge is a strategically vital location! Once trapped there, there is no chance of survival!
"Ugh..." A sharp abdominal pain suddenly struck, and Su Wanrou groaned, curling up as her forehead instantly became covered in cold sweat. The baby in her womb seemed to sense her mother's impending collapse and the immense crisis outside, kicking and punching restlessly in protest against the suffocating unease.
child……
The sharp pain was like a bucket of ice water, joltting her jolted senses. She couldn't collapse! She still had her child! Besides this vast Duke's mansion, Yan Gui had left her with Mingxuan and this unborn child!
She took a deep breath. The faint scent of calming incense lingered in the air. Gu Yangui had specially instructed the housekeeper to prepare it for her before leaving the capital, fearing she wouldn't sleep well during her pregnancy. That familiar scent seemed to carry his remaining warmth and unspoken instructions.
"I'm entrusting the manor and you to you."
His deep voice from that night echoed in my ears again, as clear as if it were yesterday. It wasn't sweet talk, it was a trust, a heavy responsibility.
Su Wanrou closed her eyes, forcing herself to stop thinking about the words "life or death unknown." She was afraid that if she thought about it any longer, she would completely collapse. She began to frantically recall every moment she had spent with Gu Yangui, his calm and wise demeanor when discussing military strategy, and his decisive and meticulous handling of court affairs.
Yan Gui was a brilliant strategist, with an incredibly meticulous mind. How could he have fallen for a feigned surrender so easily? This defies logic! Unless... unless he had a reason he couldn't help but believe it, or perhaps this was an extremely clever trap set against him! The intercepted secret letter was proof enough!
Someone in the court wants to harm him! Being trapped at the front lines and then launching an attack from the court—this is a series of combined blows aimed at completely nailing Gu Yangui to the pillar of shame as a "defeated general," and even causing him to die on the battlefield!
If she were to collapse now, wouldn't that play right into their hands? They're probably just waiting for the Duke's mansion to descend into chaos, waiting for her, the pillar of the family, to crumble, so they can pounce on it like sharks smelling blood, tearing the Duke's mansion to shreds and dividing it up!
No! Absolutely not!
Su Wanrou suddenly opened her eyes, and a fierce light rekindled in her previously unfocused and despairing gaze. She, Su Wanrou, was no longer the delicate girl who needed to be protected under someone's wings; she was the lawfully wedded wife of Duke Gu Yangui, the mistress of this Duke's mansion!
She stretched out her trembling hand and gripped the cold, carved wooden edge of the bed tightly. The hard touch stung her palm, making her even more alert. Her other hand rested gently but firmly on her rapidly moving belly, and she murmured softly, both to the child and to herself:
"Baby, don't be afraid... Daddy is a great hero, he'll be alright... Mommy won't let anything happen to you either... We'll all be okay, and wait for Daddy to come back..."
She repeated it over and over, her voice gradually becoming steady and firm, from its initial trembling and sobbing. This was not merely a form of comfort, but a building of faith. She had to believe that Gu Yan was still alive, that he would definitely escape; only then could she have the strength to keep going.
She began to take deep breaths, trying to regulate her erratic breathing and suppress the metallic taste in her throat. She knew that countless eyes were secretly watching the Duke's mansion, and she absolutely could not show the slightest weakness. Every move she made was related to the stability of the people in the mansion, and might even affect the transmission of news about the distant war and the political climate at court.
“Madam.” Fu Bo’s heavy and anxious voice came from outside the door, with a slight tremor.
Su Wanrou took her last deep breath, forcefully wiped away the tears on her face, and straightened her slightly disheveled clothes. Although her face was still as pale as paper, her eyes had become completely calm, and she had regained the dignity of a matriarch.
"Uncle Fu, come in and give me your answer." Her voice was steady, revealing little emotional fluctuation.
Uncle Fu strode in. This old steward, who had weathered decades of storms in the Duke's mansion, now had reddened eyes and a face full of worry and fear. He knelt down with a thud: "Madam! This old servant...this old servant is incompetent!"
"Uncle Fu, please rise. It's no use blaming yourself now." Su Wanrou's voice carried an undeniable calmness. "How's the investigation going? What's the court's reaction? Is there any concrete news of rescue?"
Uncle Fu stood up, his voice hoarse: "Reporting to Madam, this old servant went to see Minister Zhang, the Vice Minister of War, a former subordinate of the Duke. Minister Zhang said that the military report is indeed as stated, but the details are unclear. In the court... some people, led by Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Personnel, have already... have already impeached the Duke for 'being stubborn and self-willed, underestimating the enemy and advancing recklessly, leading to the deaths of his soldiers,' and demanded that His Majesty severely punish him..."
As expected! Su Wanrou sneered inwardly, "They acted so quickly!"
"Where is His Majesty? What is His Majesty's attitude?" This is the key question.
"His Majesty was furious in court, threw down the memorial, and rebuked Minister Zhao and others for 'making rash judgments when the situation is unclear!' But... he did not immediately order troops to be dispatched to rescue them, only saying... that he needed to wait for more detailed information..." Uncle Fu's voice grew softer and softer.
Su Wanrou's heart sank. His Majesty's protection was a good thing, but "waiting for detailed intelligence"... The battlefield is ever-changing, and can a desperate place like Luoying Gorge afford to wait? Behind this, there are probably unavoidable trade-offs and pressures.
“Uncle Fu, you’ve done a great job,” Su Wanrou affirmed. At this moment, every effort was crucial. “Did Lord Zhang say anything else? Was there anything suspicious about the military report itself?”
Uncle Fu tried hard to recall: "Lord Zhang only said that the military report was sent by Wang Ben, the deputy general of the northern border, and there was no problem with the procedure. But... he muttered to himself that General Wang and the Duke seemed to have a disagreement on military tactics, and that the Duke's risky actions this time were somewhat suspicious..."
Wang Ben? Su Wanrou remembered the name. Yan Gui had mentioned him briefly; he was a fierce general in the army, but a bit too eager for quick success.
"Where is Mo Yu?" Su Wanrou turned to another key question.
Almost as soon as the words were spoken, a dark figure appeared silently in the corner of the warm pavilion like a ghost, kneeling on one knee: "Madam, your subordinate is here."
"How much do you know about the border? I want to hear the truth." Su Wanrou's sharp gaze fell on Mo Yu, the shadow guard leader left behind by Gu Yangui, who must have even more secretive intelligence channels.
Mo Yu raised his head, his eyes beneath the mask equally grave, but with a calmness befitting a secret guard, unlike Fu Bo's: "Reporting to Madam, I have just received a message from Fei Yu. It is true that the Lord is trapped in Luoying Gorge, but the claim of 'gullibility in a feigned surrender' is questionable. According to the information risked to be relayed by our spies, the Lord's attack this time seems to have been triggered by some urgent intelligence that required personal verification, and he made meticulous arrangements before setting out. After being trapped, the Lord organized several breakout attempts, which, although unsuccessful, severely damaged the enemy. Currently... the Lord still has over a hundred personal guards by his side, holding their positions in the strategic locations, and they are temporarily safe."
"All is well for now!"
These four words were like a bolt of lightning that cleaved through the dark clouds in the night, instantly illuminating Su Wanrou's almost desperate heart!
Yan Gui is alive! He's still fighting!
A surge of overwhelming, bittersweet emotion, like surviving a catastrophe, welled up in her nose, almost bringing tears to her eyes again, but she held them back with all her might. Now was not the time to be thankful; "temporarily safe" meant the crisis was far from over. The attacks from the court and the siege from the front lines remained a sword hanging over her head.
“Urgent intelligence that must be verified…” Su Wanrou keenly grasped the key point, “Could it be related to the imperial court?”
"I suspect it is highly likely," Mo Yu said in a deep voice. "Moreover, I suspect that the military report was delivered at an unusually fast speed and that its content directly points to Your Majesty's 'gullibility,' suggesting that someone may be manipulating public opinion behind the scenes."
Just as I suspected! This was a conspiracy orchestrated from both inside and outside!
Su Wanrou's mind raced. The two most crucial points now were: first, how to quickly relieve the siege at the front lines; and second, how to suppress the slander within the court and buy time for a rescue operation.
“Uncle Fu,” she immediately ordered, “you take the Duke’s visiting card and go to see Prince An, the Duke of Ying, and other old princes and dukes who are on good terms with the Duke and have prestige in the army. Tell them tactfully that Mo Yu’s statement that ‘he is trapped but there are extenuating circumstances and he is still holding out’ is true. Ask them to speak up for him in court and urge the court to send troops as soon as possible! Remember, be sincere, but only state the ‘facts’ we know. Do not exaggerate, and especially do not mention any speculation about Deputy General Wang Ben.”
"Yes, Madam!" Uncle Fu's spirits lifted. His wife's clear thinking and specific instructions gave him direction.
“Mo Yu,” Su Wanrou looked at him, “use all your resources, two lines of communication: First, try to contact Luoying Gorge and tell the Duke that everything is fine at home, and that my child and I… are waiting for him to return.” Her voice choked for a moment, but quickly recovered. “Second, keep a close eye on all the residences in the capital that might be related to this matter, especially the residence of Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Personnel, and… anyone who has any private dealings with Wang Ben, the Deputy General of the Northern Border! I need to know who is stirring up trouble behind the scenes!”
"Your subordinate obeys!" Mo Yu accepted the order, and his figure flashed and disappeared again.
After giving all these instructions, Su Wanrou felt as if all her strength had been drained away. She leaned heavily back onto the pillow, her inner garment soaked with cold sweat. The baby in her womb seemed to sense that its mother's emotions had calmed down, and its movements gradually subsided.
Granny Zhou quickly brought over a cup of warm ginseng tea: "Madam, please have some tea to calm your mind."
Su Wanrou took the teacup, her hands still trembling slightly, but she took a steady sip. The warm liquid slid down her throat, bringing a sense of warmth and strength.
She knew this was just the beginning. Every day that followed would be agonizing and a struggle. But she was prepared.
For the sake of returning home for the banquet, for the sake of her children, and for the sake of her family, she had to be stronger than ever before.
She gazed out the window at the gloomy sky, her eyes seemingly trying to pierce through mountains and rivers to reach the blood-red canyon where a life-or-death struggle was taking place.
Banquet is over, wait for me. I will protect this family, and I will fight for your survival in the court. We, mother and child, are waiting for you to come home.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com