Oops! My Inner Thoughts Are Ruining The Plot

Chapter 174: Chapter

After chatting with the girls in the main hall, Yueqing made her way to Mingyu’s courtyard to check on the little boy.

She pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped into the warm room. Mingyu was sitting up on his bed, wearing a small green robe while playing with a few wooden toys. He looked much healthier than when she had left for the camp. His face was no longer sickly pale, a gentle pink color had returned to his cheeks, and even his dark hair looked shinier and fuller.

Yueqing’s heart instantly warmed at the sight.

The moment Mingyu noticed her standing at the door, his eyes lit up. He put down his toys and scrambled off the bed as fast as his small legs could carry him, running straight into her arms.

"Sister-in-law!" Mingyu cried, burying his face against her waist. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, little one," Yueqing said softly, kneeling down to hug him tightly.

The two maids she had left in charge of his care quickly stepped forward, bowing low. They opened their mouths, eager to report how well they had looked after the young master while she was away. But Yueqing simply held up a hand, giving them a gentle look.

"You may both step outside and rest," Yueqing told them calmly. "I will stay with him for a while."

The maids bowed again and quietly left the room, closing the doors behind them.

Yueqing sat down on the edge of the soft bed, and Mingyu immediately climbed up beside her. He leaned against her side, resting his head comfortably on her lap while she gently stroked his soft hair. He closed his eyes with a happy sigh, enjoying the quiet comfort of her presence.

As her fingers ran smoothly through his hair, Yueqing’s gaze drifted toward the window. The peaceful room suddenly felt a little too quiet, and her mind slowly wandered back to Wenzhe.

She really wondered how he was doing right now out in the freezing cold.

[Xiao Chen should be completely out of harm’s way by now since I warned him about the pass,] Yueqing thought, a small frown tugging at her lips. [So Wenzhe’s operation should be fine too, right? He’s a general, after all. He knows how to handle a battle.]

Still, an uncomfortable knot tied itself in her chest. She wanted so badly to check on him, to get just a tiny hint that he was safe.

[System 009?] she called out in her mind, purely out of habit.

Silence answered her.

Right, the system was gone for that stupid forty-eight-hour update. She had no way to track Wenzhe, no way to check his health, and no way to know if the battle at the Northern Pass had gone smoothly.

Yueqing let out a long, quiet sigh, resting her hand on Mingyu’s back.

She had done what she needed to do to keep Xiao Chen safe from ruin, but as the hours ticked by in the warm capital, the strange, heavy feeling in her stomach refused to leave. All she could do was wait, completely unaware that miles away in the snowy mountains, Wenzhe had already been dragged into the dark.

The next morning, Yueqing woke up to the soft morning light filtering through her bed curtains. She stretched her arms slowly, letting out a long, satisfied breath. Her back ached slightly from sleeping so deeply, but her broad, soft bed in the estate felt a thousand times better than the narrow cot back at the camp.

A few maids stepped inside her room carrying basins of warm water and fresh towels. They helped her wash up and change into a comfortable, thick silk robe before seating her in front of the vanity mirror to style her hair.

Yueqing closed her eyes, half-asleep as a maid gently combed through her dark tresses.

Suddenly, the heavy wooden doors swung open with a loud bang.

Lu Yue barged into the room, her face completely drained of color and her chest heaving as if she had just sprinted across the entire estate.

The maid holding the comb gasped, freezing in place, while Yueqing opened her eyes and turned around to look at her personal servant.

"Lu Yue?" Yueqing asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What is wrong with you? Why are you running like that?"

Lu Yue clutched her own trembling hands together, looking at the other maids in the room with panicked eyes before stepping closer to Yueqing. Her voice shook as she tried to catch her breath.

"Madam... Madam, it’s the camp!" Lu Yue gasped out, her eyes wide with fear. "An urgent military messenger just rode through the main gates! He brought news from the Northern Pass!"

Yueqing’s heart took a sudden, violent drop straight into her stomach. The quiet, comfortable warmth of the morning vanished instantly.

"What news?" Yueqing demanded, pushing the comb away and standing up from her chair. "What happened at the Northern Pass?"

Lu Yue swallowed hard, tears welling up in her eyes as she forced the horrifying words out of her mouth.

"The advance unit... they were ambushed in the valley!" Lu Yue cried softly. "The operation failed completely! Commander Guo sent word... General Wenzhe is missing!"

Yueqing’s mind went completely blank. Her ears buzzed, and for a second, the room felt like it was spinning around her.

"Missing?" Yueqing repeated, her voice rising in sharp panic. "What do you mean missing?! How could an entire advance unit be ambushed? Where is he?!"

Lu Yue shook her head frantically, tears spilling down her cheeks. "The messenger said the valley was a trap! The enemy was waiting for them high on the ridges! Commander Guo said... he said something was deeply wrong with the General this morning! He wasn’t able to fight properly or move like he usually does!"

A cold spike of terror hit Yueqing straight in the chest.

[He wasn’t able to fight properly?!] Her mind screamed as the terrifying news slammed into her. [Wenzhe is one of the strongest martial artists in the empire! How could he suddenly lose his strength on the battlefield?! Was he sick? Was he hiding an injury from me?!]

"Get me a dress!" Yueqing ordered instantly, her voice trembling but sharp. "Now! Move!"

The maids snapped out of their shock and rushed to the wardrobe. They pulled out a simple, thick travel dress and helped her slip into it as fast as their hands could move. They did not bother with fancy silk brocades or delicate waist ribbons.

Yueqing did not even sit back down at the vanity. Her hair was left simply tied back in a plain knot, completely bare of any hairpins, jewels, or decorations.

She turned on her heel and strode straight out of her courtyard, her heavy skirts sweeping against the floor. Lu Yue wiped her tears and hurried close behind her.

Outside, the quiet estate was in total chaos. Servants were running back and forth with pale faces, whispering in panicked tones. Guards were hurrying toward the main courtyard, and the heavy atmosphere felt like a storm had just broken right over the household.

Yueqing paid no attention to the crying servant girls or the rushing guards. She marched straight down the long corridors toward the Grand Duke’s private study.

As she reached the heavy wooden doors of the study, she could hear the tight, anxious tension radiating from inside. The entire family had already gathered.

Yueqing did not wait for the guards to announce her. She pushed the double doors wide open and stepped into the room.

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