Chapter 595 I will be there for every difficulty.

Shang Ruyi was stunned for a moment.

After a while, she subconsciously glanced behind her, not at the outside of the carriage, but at the carriage itself.

Actually, she noticed it as soon as she got into the carriage. The carriage looked very tall and spacious from the outside, but it felt a bit cramped inside. Obviously, some space had been added to the back of the carriage by partitions.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that several bundles were placed inside the partition.

Shen Wuzheng followed her gaze and looked back, calmly saying, "I took some luggage, not much."

"..."

"But, it's enough to leave."

Shang Ruyi couldn't help but gasp.

She knew that Shen Wuzheng wasn't just using these words to comfort her, to let her know that she still had her family and her brother to rely on, in order to make her feel better. He really intended to take her away!

His heart clenched instantly, and when he spoke, his voice was hoarse: "Brother..."

Shen Wuzheng looked down at her, calmly yet firmly saying, "As long as you agree, no, as long as you want to—"

"..."

"I will take you away."

This wasn't the first time Shen Wuzheng had said this to her, and she understood why he had brought it up twice—once in Yanyue City and now here.

After a long silence, she whispered, "Brother, I... I don't want to leave..."

Shen Wuzheng didn't speak, but frowned slightly and stared at her intently. Although she still felt a little uncomfortable, Shang Ruyi was calm in the face of his gaze and simply met his eyes.

But her calmness only deepened the vertical lines between Shen Wuzheng's brows.

After a long pause, he said, "You don't mind?"

"..."

This is the same question again.

Previously, Yuwen Ye had asked her this question more than once. In fact, she vaguely felt that the lingering resentment between the two of them, which was always difficult to resolve, seemed to stem from this question.

And now, even Shen Wuzheng is asking.

However, she had already given the best answer, and even now, facing the solemn-faced Shen Wuzheng, she still calmly and earnestly said, "No."

"..."

Shen Wuzheng's expression grew even more serious. After a long pause, he said, "You don't mind that Yuwen Ye has other women around him?"

"I don't mind."

"So, what's your true feeling towards Yuwen Ye—"

At this point, Shen Wuzheng's throat tightened, and he didn't ask the question. Although the two had grown up together since childhood and were as close as brothers, their relationship hadn't faded at all, even though he hadn't seen each other for years while studying away from home. However, no matter how close they were, he understood that as the older brother, there were some things he couldn't just ask directly.

But there was no need to ask him directly; Shang Ruyi immediately understood what he wanted to ask.

Shen Wuzheng thought for a moment and then said, "At that time, you refused to marry Yuwen Qian and instead wanted to remarry him. I never asked you why, because you said that he was very good to you and even accompanied you to Zhanpinghe Post Station to rescue your father and mother. Later, when I saw you again at Wanggangzhai, although you had lost him and were very frustrated, I could see that you still had feelings for him."

"..."

"Is it as you wish?"

Shang Ruyi nodded obediently.

Although she was ashamed to talk about her feelings, she was frank about it now that it had come up. After all, she had already fallen for Yuwen Ye before he even fell for her, and she would even shamelessly confess her feelings to his face. Even if she was rejected and ignored, she would not change her mind.

She knew that she still liked him.

Although now, this love will inevitably be accompanied by hardship, suffering, setbacks, and even pain...

Shen Wuzheng said in a deep voice, "If that's the case, how could you not mind?"

"..."

"Today there's one concubine of the King of Qin, but tomorrow there might be several more concubines or wives... Ruyi, how can you not mind?"

Shang Ruyi looked at him, smiled gently, and said softly, "But this is the path I chose myself."

Shen Wuzheng's aura deepened.

Shang Ruyi smiled and continued, "Marrying him was my choice."

"..."

“If I hadn’t thought of all that at the beginning, after learning that Father had taken Chang’an and enthroned a new emperor, I knew—in fact, my brother should have thought of it even earlier than me—that the Duke of Sheng’s grand plan would one day succeed.”

"..."

"That's why I want to go to Wanggang Village alone and take this place for them."

"..."

Shen Wuzheng frowned and remained silent.

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and continued, "Since we all foresaw his ascension to the throne back then, how could I, being in that situation, not think about what his son and daughter-in-law would be like?"

"..."

"How could I not figure it out?"

"..."

"Back then, my brother said he would take me away. You must have thought of that too, right? If I really couldn't accept it, I would have left back then."

"..."

"Since I didn't leave back then, it's even less likely that I'll leave now."

"..."

"because,"

At this point, she looked up at Shen Wuzheng and smiled, "This path is one I chose myself!"

As she spoke, her own breath weakened, and she seemed to finally give in to Shen Wuzheng's deep and gentle gaze, unable to utter the rest of her words.

Shen Wuzheng's brows slowly relaxed.

But his eyes held a deeper understanding and a hint of heartache.

He said, "So, you do mind."

"..."

"You're convincing yourself not to mind, aren't you?"

"..."

Shang Ruyi lowered her head and did not answer the question. In fact, with Shen Wuzheng's keen insight, he had already seen through her thoughts by giving this answer. However, after a long silence, and even her brother sighed, she raised her head again and smiled, saying, "Brother, I said I don't mind because it was my choice."

"..."

“I chose not only this path, but also him.”

"...!"

Shen Wuzheng took a deep breath, his pupils trembling.

This statement, though still euphemistic, perfectly expresses a woman's unspoken thoughts.

She likes Yuwen Ye.

Even after marriage, despite experiencing hardships and moments of disappointment in the relationship, Yuwen Ye never disappointed her. Even though their relationship had its ups and downs, she still loved this man who was ambitious, resourceful, and possessed the wisdom to conquer the universe.

Yuwen Ye is already the King of Qin, and in the future, he may rise to an even higher position.

It was destined that there couldn't be only one woman like her.

Emotionally, she couldn't accept it, but out of a sense of responsibility and expectations for the future, she had to accept it, because she was never a woman controlled solely by emotions.

"..."

Looking at her eyes, which, though somewhat broken, were gentle enough to encompass everything, Shen Wuzheng remained silent for a long time. When he spoke again, he did not address Shang Ruyi, but said in a deep voice, "A'er, let's go back to the manor."

The driver outside immediately responded.

Immediately, Shang Ruyi felt their carriage turn a corner and enter a slightly flatter and wider road, and the carriage was no longer shaking as much as before.

turn out to be--

She snapped out of her daze, unsure whether she should breathe a sigh of relief or feel even happier. After all, not every brother in this world would risk everything for his little sister. Shen Wuzheng was learned and eloquent, but the words he spoke to her were never particularly eloquent. However, every single word he uttered was true.

Shang Ruyi looked up and met Shen Wuzheng's completely calm gaze. He said, "Little sister, the path you have chosen will be difficult. Since you have made the choice, I will walk with you to the end."

"..."

"I may not be able to help you through every difficulty, but I will be there for you through every one of them."

"..."

Upon hearing these words, a smile appeared on Shang Ruyi's face.

Although she was still sad and knew that the road ahead would be difficult, Shen Wuzheng's words cleared away all the gloom in her heart.

"elder brother,"

She opened her mouth, her voice trembling slightly, her chest throbbing with a surge of emotions, but she was too happy to utter a single word. In the end, she simply rested her head gently on the shoulder of her brother, who had always been kind to her and provided her with the strongest support and protection, and said softly, "You are so good to me."

Shen Wuzheng chuckled softly.

Just like when they were children, he simply reached out and gently patted his little sister's shoulder, saying in a reproachful tone, "If I'm not good to you, who else can I be good to?"

Shang Ruyi smiled even more broadly.

In fact, there was a deeper concern in her heart about not wanting to leave. The most important people were her uncle and aunt, and the brother in front of her who was willing to risk everything for her. They were the most important people to her, and no one could replace them. If she, as the Princess of Qin, left her uncle and aunt behind, wouldn't she be punished?

What kind of life will she and her brother face in the future?

Perhaps because she was a woman and lacked talent, her path was limited. But Shen Wuzheng was different. He possessed talent and wisdom no less than Yuwen Ye's. Moreover, he had abandoned a comfortable life and refused to accept the protection of his family to study abroad, which clearly showed that he had high expectations for himself and hoped for the future. If given the opportunity, he would surely become a capable minister of the court and realize his ambition as a man!

Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi took a deep breath.

Now it seems like the perfect time!

It's not just that a new emperor brings a new court; it's also because when Chu Yang moved the capital to Luoyang, although he left a group of officials in the Daxing Palace to handle local affairs, these people were unsupervised and had no experience in major events. They had been holding their positions without doing anything for years, and their abilities were no longer reliable. After Yuwen Yuan ascended the throne, he would inevitably have to appoint a new group of capable officials.

Shen Wuzheng was the best first choice among them.

Therefore, she absolutely could not cut off Shen Wuzheng's promising career path!

Putting aside his own family, let's just talk about Yuwen Ye—although Yuwen Ye used Empress Dowager Jiang to trick Yuwen Qian today, which did prolong the struggle for the crown prince and gave himself an opportunity, Shang Ruyi knew that the person he had truly offended was not Yuwen Qian, but his own father, Yuwen Yuan, who was now the emperor!

From the past, Shang Ruyi could sense that when two powerful people met, even if they were father and son, there would be an inherent confrontation.

As a son, Yuwen Ye was too domineering. This might have benefited Yuwen Yuan when he was a subject, and Yuwen Yuan might have admired him. However, after becoming emperor, his supreme and self-centered mentality might not have been able to tolerate such a strong and brave son who would act on his own and even threaten him.

Yuwen Ye and Yuwen Yuan need a gentle person by their side.

In the past, it was Guan Yunmu.

Now, I can only rely on myself.

Even without thinking about it, Shang Ruyi knew that she was facing a future full of unpredictable twists and turns, like having a tiger in her arms and a dragon under her pillow. Right now, returning to the Shen family, reuniting with her uncle and aunt, and having a good heart-to-heart talk with her brother seemed to be a good opportunity for her to rest well, recharge her energy, and face the challenges ahead!

Thinking of this, she tilted her head and settled herself into the most comfortable position with her head on Shen Wuzheng's shoulder.

Shen Wuzheng looked down at her, and his usually aloof and cold eyes were now filled with a doting smile.

After a while, the carriage carried the two of them through the bustling streets and through the chattering gossip that included their names. After more than half an hour, they finally returned to the Shen residence.

However, when the two got out of the car, they looked up and saw that a horse-drawn carriage was already parked at the door.

Shen Wuzheng's expression faltered slightly.

Since the plague began to be eradicated, not only all the civil and military officials knew, but even their relatives and friends knew that Yuwen Yuan's great cause was about to succeed. Therefore, Shen Shiyan, who proposed the word "abdication" and made great contributions in this matter, was naturally going to be rewarded for his merits and entrusted with important responsibilities. So these days, people came to their mansion to inquire, win over, and even flatter them in an endless stream. In order to avoid trouble, Shen Wuzheng could only order that the mansion be closed to guests.

But today, the carriage is parked here, which means the guests have already gone inside.

Who is it?

Why would family members let guests in at this time?

He and Shang Ruyi exchanged a glance. Shang Ruyi was clearly also somewhat surprised, but neither of them said anything. They simply quickened their pace and walked into the Shen residence without saying a word.

Before long, they arrived at the reception hall.

Before even getting close, one could see Shen Shiyan and Madam Yu sitting in the host's seat at the head of the table. An unfamiliar figure sat to Shen Shiyan's left. Shen Shiyan had a forced smile on his face and was softly talking about the forest, while Madam Yu beside him turned her face to the side without any politeness. Every time Shen Shiyan spoke, she would roll her eyes.

It seemed that this guest was someone she greatly disdained and had no desire to deal with at all.

Then, the guest seemed to say something, and Shen Shiyan's face showed a hint of hesitation. Madam Yu turned her head impatiently, as if she wanted to say something, but when she looked up, she saw her son and niece walking over.

Immediately, a smile spread across her face: "Wuzheng, Ruyi, you're back!"

"yes."

Shang Ruyi responded first and walked into the reception hall with Shen Wuzheng. Shen Wuzheng's sharp eyes were also focused on the guest. When the man heard Shang Ruyi's voice, his whole body seemed to tremble slightly. He hesitated for a while before slowly turning his head to look at the two of them.

A smiling face that was both familiar and unfamiliar appeared before my eyes.