The Duke's Mansion
"My lady, something has happened. Feng Qirui and Gu Bohao have rebelled with the Northern Army. They've captured many noble families' kin, and they're killing one family every incense stick's burn. They've also ordered that if the Emperor doesn't issue a decree of self-condemnation and abdicate, the Eighth Prince will... be massacred." Li Fu rushed in. The streets were already under martial law, with Northern Army soldiers everywhere.
"You say Uncle Gu woke up?"
"Yes!" Li Fu said, "Lord Gu led men to burn down the Jiaofangsi, ordering no one to put out the fire. It has already affected the nearby commoners... Lu Jingxing's whereabouts are unknown."
Currently, Gu Bohao and Feng Qirui, under the banner of removing a tyrant, were leading the Northern Army to force the Emperor's hand.
Gu Bohao's eyes were bloodshot. He looked like the same person, but he wasn't.
The residences of officials ranked fifth or higher had all been raided. However, they had not taken action against the Duke's Mansion, likely out of gratitude for the young lady's kindness.
Yu Mingyue had always sent Su Mu to check on him. Su Mu had always said there was no improvement. Could Uncle Gu have been faking it all along?
The Gu family had suffered a great tragedy. Old Madam Gu passed away overnight, and the Gu family's female relatives were sent to the Jiaofangsi. Uncle Gu's disposition had changed drastically, no longer like he was in the past.
Currently, in the capital, besides Lu Jingxing and Song Wei, there were no usable generals. And Uncle Gu led an army of the aggrieved, driven by revenge, making them difficult to deal with.
She didn't know the situation in the palace. The lack of news at this moment suggested something had happened. Uncle Gu wouldn't do anything without certainty. There must be an inside informant in the palace.
Given Brother Jiayan's nature, if something happened in the palace, and it concerned the stability of the empire and the lives of the people, he wouldn't stand idly by.
"Chihua, is there any news from next door?" Yu Mingyue asked.
Chihua shook her head, "No!"
Yu Mingyue worried about Xie Jiayan and also for the common people of the capital. The powerful fought for power and revenge, but the common people were innocent.
If Uncle Gu massacred the citizens of the capital, and her father and brother had not yet returned, then as the descendant of a military general, protecting the people was also her mission.
Her Brother Jiayan would surely feel the same. She would stand with him.
"Zhu Yu,"
"Your servant is here!"
"Relay the family head's order. Except for the inner courtyard guards, all guards of the Yu family, including hidden guards and death warriors, are to assemble in the front courtyard immediately." Yu Mingyue ordered.
"My lady!" Zhu Yu exclaimed. Once the family head's order was issued, the Yu family's strength would be fully exposed. If the Emperor knew the Yu family harbored a private army, it would be their death sentence.
"Do you know the origin of the Yu family surname?" Yu Mingyue asked.
Zhu Yu fell silent. The Yu family all knew that the Yu family didn't actually have the surname Yu. When the old Duke followed the late Emperor to raise an army, the Central Plains were engulfed in war, with internal and external troubles.
At that time, the late Emperor was in a war with various feudal lords, and the Yumen Pass was invaded by foreign tribes. Everyone was unwilling to send troops to defend against the enemy for their own factions.
It was the old Duke who led three thousand soldiers, defeating an enemy force of thirty thousand and defending the Yumen Pass.
However, although this battle was won, it was a pyrrhic victory. Only a hundred soldiers remained from the original three thousand. The old Duke was also severely wounded and almost died.
The late Emperor rewarded the old Duke for his meritorious service in defending the country and bestowed upon him the surname Yu, signifying that the Yu family would endure forever like the Great Wei's Yumen Pass, for ten thousand generations.
The surname Yu was an honor, and also a responsibility.
This was why her elder brother had abandoned the prosperity of the capital to rush to Yumen Pass. Yumen Pass was the glory and soul of the Yu family.
As a descendant of the Yu family, she should be like her grandfather, father, and elder brother.
"Your servant obeys the order." Zhu Yu said no more and hurried away.
"Chihua, fetch my armor." Yu Mingyue said.
This armor was her elder brother's from his youth. She liked it, and later, as her brother grew taller, he had it slightly altered and gave it to her. She never expected to actually wear it one day.
"Mother will help you put it on!" Madam Cui's voice came from outside the door.
"Mother," Yu Mingyue exclaimed.
She had already sent guards to protect the Yu family's female relatives. How had Mother arrived without her knowing?
As Yu Mingyue did all this, Madam Cui stood in the courtyard. She feared that if the capital fell into chaos, her Yue'er would be frightened. Now, it seemed she had worried unnecessarily.
"Mother came to see you. Yue'er, the current situation is likely more critical than we anticipated. Your father and brother are not here, but you still have Mother. Rest assured, protect the people. Mother will safeguard the Yu family." Madam Cui adjusted her daughter's military attire.
"Mother," Yu Mingyue's eyes turned red.
Madam Cui placed the helmet on her daughter's head, "My child truly looks heroic and valiant, no less than your father and brother."
"Naturally. I can adorn myself with flowers in the mirror, or my armor can gleam with cold light. Your daughter will not bring shame to the Yu family."