As Fu Cong predicted, Yuwen Chu was unable to return home on time and was buried in his heavy workload. However, Fu Mingda did come back on time, bringing two pieces of bad news.
First, there was trouble in Wusun. According to their informants in Wusun, Yuwen Xue, who married into Wusun, was having an affair with the Wusun king Heimo’s little brother, Beigu. They conspired to assassinate Heimo and seize power. The principal actor among Yuwen Xue’s entourage was Fan Benfa, a high-ranking official from her household, who killed her chief bodyguard Qi, and led a rebellion involving guards from Great Xia, claiming it was on the Regent’s orders.
Heimo, a strong and courageous man, not only survived the assassination attempt but also crushed the rebellion. He killed his brother Beigu, and Yuwen Xue committed suicide. Now, Heimo is massing troops at the border, demanding an explanation from Yuwen Chu, threatening to sever their alliance.
Mingzhu smiled bitterly. Years ago, she had tried hard to prevent Yuwen Xue from marrying into Wusun, recalling only the major events and general reasons. She knew Yuwen Xue would die there, causing a huge scandal, leading to criticism of her family and the Great Empress Dowager. She had repeatedly warned her family to be cautious.
As a result, her family indeed took precautions. Her elder brother stayed in Wusun for a long time, formed a brotherly bond with Heimo, and forged an alliance. Yuwen Xue seemed to have leaned toward her side before leaving. During their battles with the Xiongnu and Zhongshan Wang, Wusun kept their alliance, sometimes lending grain or occasionally harassing the Xiongnu and Zhongshan Wang. Everyone thought things were fine until this sudden upheaval. It was truly laughable and lamentable.
Perhaps because the circumstances differed, Yuwen Xue’s earlier troubles in Wusun hadn’t caused such a major incident. Previously, the issue was more personal, aimed at her family, with the details and participants now hard to trace. Now, it targeted Yuwen Chu and all of Great Xia, with different perpetrators, leading to a more severe outcome. Mingzhu could foresee that Yuwen Chu would not sleep tonight.
The second piece of news came from Fu Mingzheng. He had not yet found Fu Mingzhao but discovered some clues suggesting he was still alive. He suspected Fu Mingzhao had made a grave mistake—just before the battle, someone invited him to inspect a supposedly ancient, long-lost weapon. Fu Mingzhao, an avid collector, couldn’t resist the temptation and went, believing he would return quickly without causing any issues, but he never came back.
Mingzhu was speechless for a long time, with a strong premonition that her second brother might not escape this calamity.
Fu Mingda’s smile was bitter, “In wartime, such a foolish mistake, or even just losing a battle, can cost one’s life. There has to be accountability. You and I can keep this to ourselves. No need to tell our parents; they’re old and can’t handle it.”
Mingzhu said hoarsely, “This is clearly a conspiracy.”
Fu Mingda’s voice was sharp, “So what? Your second brother was the commander, the city’s defender! The entire army was annihilated, and the city was slaughtered. He must pay with his life!” He turned abruptly, facing the wall, breathing deeply to hold back tears.
A large tear fell from Mingzhu’s eye. She wiped it away fiercely and asked softly, “What if we can find evidence that he was framed?”
Fu Mingda shook his head, “Do you think we can?”
Regarding Wusun, the case of Yuwen Xue’s affair and murder had many oddities. Fan Benfa and Qi Weixiang were personally selected by Fu Cong, supposedly reliable, yet Fan Benfa suddenly turned traitor, and the timing coincided perfectly with the most chaotic period in the court, when Yuwen Chu was in the most precarious situation.
Only the Great Empress Dowager could have the power for such schemes. She was one of the leaders of the Fu family, had held power for years, and was Fu Cong’s sister. This gave her the ability to use her influence effortlessly, embedding such a pawn and activating it at the right moment.
The complete collapse of the Weishui defense, Fu Mingzhao’s disappearance, the turmoil in Wusun, the prophecy disaster, the assassination of ministers, heavenly fires, and drought—all these pointed at Yuwen Chu. If Yuwen Chu hadn’t strongly retaliated, he would now be struggling on all fronts.
Since the Great Empress Dowager had made her move, she wouldn’t leave any flaws or be lenient. Otherwise, it would be foolish not to act.
Mingzhu remembered the bloody vision of her second brother in her dream. She stood up abruptly, furious, “I’m going to find her!”
Fu Mingda shook his head, “It’s useless. She’s lost her sanity. You should think about what to do.” He looked at Mingzhu deeply and said softly, “If the news from your fourth brother is accurate, then His Highness must execute your second brother. What will you do?”
Mingzhu wanted to say that Yuwen Chu wouldn’t, but she recalled how he avoided her when the news first came, fearing she would plead for mercy. She fell silent, staring at the flickering candlelight, and softly said, “It’s late. I should go back.”
Fu Mingda wanted to comfort her but found he couldn’t say anything, as he also needed comfort. He sighed and instructed Mingzhu, “Alright, go back early. Pretend you don’t know about this, and I’ll find a way to save your second brother’s life.”
Mingzhu nodded and walked out with heavy steps.
Zhuangzhuang and Millet were playing happily and continued chattering even after getting into the carriage. Mingzhu patiently got them to quiet down. She planned to take a detour to An Xiaogu’s house since, if her fourth brother’s letter had arrived, Shen Ruilin’s message should have as well.
Her premonition was correct. An Xiaogu didn’t wait for her to visit in person but sent someone to intercept her midway.
“His Highness’s mansion said Wangfei had come to the prime minister’s residence, so I hurried here and fortunately didn’t miss you,” said the messenger, An Xiaogu’s wet nurse’s eldest son, someone Mingzhu knew. He carefully retrieved the letter from his inner pocket and handed it to her without asking for a reward before taking his leave.
Mingzhu clutched the letter, feeling it burn her hand. She wanted to open it several times but couldn’t bring herself to do it. She held it tightly until she got home.
