Shen Qingwan’s relentless questioning made Gu Tingyi freeze.

He had considered these possibilities before, but his trust in Ye Minghui had been too deep for him to suspect anything.

Over the years, Ye Minghui had always taken care of his wife, and because she had been burdened with guilt over losing their child years ago, he had never doubted her when something happened to his wife.

Now that Shen Qingwan pointed these things out, although he found some aspects unreasonable, what benefit would Ye Minghui gain from harming her own sister?

“You may not know, Young Master Shen, but years ago, my wife lost her daughter, and her grief drove her to madness. She lost her senses, and from then on, her younger sister remained in the general’s residence to care for her. It was my wife who kept causing a commotion, insisting on finding me. Her sister had no other choice but to bring her here.

However, she did not expect to encounter so many refugees along the way.

She had not brought enough guards, and when my wife was separated from them, the guards couldn’t break through the crowd in time to protect her.

My wife only stayed here for a few days before returning to the capital.

There was a severe food shortage here, and she could barely eat a full meal. So I told her to go back. She and my wife have always been very close. My wife’s disappearance worries her as well. Could it be that you believe my wife’s disappearance was intentional?”

Gu Tingyi was still unwilling to believe that Ye Minghui had anything to do with his wife’s disappearance. It wasn’t that he was protecting her—he simply saw no motive for her to do such a thing.

Shen Qingwan’s expression darkened. “If your sister-in-law had a husband of her own, this might be a coincidence. But from what you’ve said, she has lived in the general’s residence for many years. She is practically half the mistress of the household. A widow, reigning over her sister’s household for over a decade, while her sister remains a fool—once she gets rid of her foolish sister, wouldn’t the general’s residence be hers alone?

Perhaps the general, out of consideration for her sister, might even keep her by his side or marry her as a second wife. Given this, do you still think it’s impossible?”

Gu Tingyi’s heart trembled, but he quickly shook his head. “That is her own sister. She wouldn’t do such a thing. They have always been close. And even if my wife were gone, I would never keep my sister-in-law by my side, let alone marry her. That’s absurd!”

Gu Tingyi found this idea ridiculous.

He was not that kind of man, so such a theory could not hold.

“But what if one day, General, you were drunk? Or you unknowingly consumed something you shouldn’t have? If you ended up with your sister-in-law, could you still say with certainty that you would never marry her?”

Shen Qingwan’s voice grew colder, and Gu Tingyi was speechless.

If things unfolded as she suggested, then Ye Minghui indeed had a motive.

Moreover, Ye Minghui’s attentiveness toward him seemed excessive.

Recalling her frequent visits to his military tent during her stay in the camp, Gu Tingyi couldn’t help but suspect her intentions.

Once the seed of doubt was planted, Gu Tingyi began analyzing the details.

He was not a vain man, but given his looks, it would not be surprising if Ye Minghui had developed feelings for him.

If Ye Minghui had truly harmed his wife, he would never forgive her.

“I will investigate this matter thoroughly when I return. But right now, the most urgent task is finding my wife. I have not been home often in these years. I thought that since my wife was not in her right mind, having her sister accompany her would be a comfort. That’s why I never questioned anything.

Now that you’ve analyzed it this way, perhaps I have been negligent. Or perhaps I never clearly expressed to her how much I love my wife, which led her to entertain such foolish thoughts.

I love my wife deeply. Even if she is mentally unwell, even if one day she passes before I do, I have never thought of remarrying. I once made a promise to her—she is my only love in this life, and I will never betray her. If I ever do something to wrong her, I would rather die than take another woman as my wife.”

Gu Tingyi’s voice was steady, but his eyes were filled with deep affection.

Just the thought of his wife softened his entire demeanor—how could he ever betray her?

Shen Qingwan’s expression eased considerably upon hearing this. So her father was a deeply devoted man after all.

Confirming his stance lifted her spirits, and even her gaze toward Gu Tingyi became gentler.

The speed of her mood shift left Gu Tingyi momentarily confused, but this time, she did not push him away.

“General, don’t worry. I will take care of finding your wife,” Shen Qingwan assured him.

With her guarantee, Gu Tingyi felt relieved.

However, after waiting for so long without seeing the elder son of the Gu family, Shen Qingwan finally asked, “I have heard that Young General Gu has achieved countless military successes at a young age. He is brave, wise, and unparalleled in battle. But I have yet to see him. Is he not in the camp?”

Speaking of Gu Shaoqing, Gu Tingyi’s face filled with pride, but then turned to deep concern. “When the army faced a food shortage, I sent him to other towns to collect supplies. But he has not returned yet, so I imagine things have not gone smoothly.”

Shen Qingwan frowned.

Along the way here, she had passed through multiple towns and stayed in each one briefly, but she had never encountered a military force gathering provisions.

Could Gu Shaoqing have been collecting supplies elsewhere?

Or had they simply missed each other?

Just as she was about to speak, the tent flap was suddenly thrown open.

Chen Bin rushed in, bowing anxiously to Gu Tingyi. “General, bad news! The young general is in trouble!”

Both Gu Tingyi and Shen Qingwan immediately turned toward Chen Bin.

Gu Tingyi asked urgently, “What happened?”

“The young general’s personal guard, Yan Fei, just returned to report. He said that on their way back after collecting supplies, the young general was ambushed by forces from Xiyue and was seriously injured before being captured. Yan Fei barely escaped with his life to deliver this message. He is gravely wounded and has lost consciousness.”

Gu Tingyi staggered, his body almost collapsing.

He blamed himself for the oversight.

He had let his guard down, and now the enemy had infiltrated his territory and kidnapped his son without him even realizing it.

Shen Qingwan was also deeply concerned. In her past life, she had been an only child—she had never had a brother. Now that she finally did, she would not allow anyone to harm him.

“General, if you trust me, grant me a small cavalry unit. I am willing to rescue the young general myself,” Shen Qingwan declared.

Although Gu Tingyi was desperate to save his son, he would not let Shen Qingwan take such a risk. “No. The Xiyue army is heavily guarded. Rescuing him is not easy. I must discuss this with the other generals before making any decisions. We must not act recklessly.”

“General, by the time you finish discussing, the young general may already be dead. You will miss the best opportunity to save him. I am not reckless with my life. Allow me to try. Rescuing an entire force might be impossible, but saving just the young general—I can do that.”

Shen Qingwan spoke lightly, but she fully understood the dangers.

However, no matter the risk, she had to go.

After all, that was her mother’s son. If she lost him, her mother would be heartbroken.