Chapter 715 The Character "正" in Jixian

"...!"

Yu Mingyue's tongue even stiffened for a moment.

Indeed, she possessed what these people considered the ability to "foresee the future," which allowed her to set up a life-or-death trap on Yuwen Ye's journey back to Chang'an with Shang Ruyi, nearly killing them. She also bought up all the medicinal herbs in the Guanzhong region before the battle at Fufeng, when Yuwen Ye was expected to fall ill, intending to kill him. However, she had a clever plan, and her opponents had a countermeasure. On the way back to Chang'an, they avoided her gunpowder trap, and in the battle at Fufeng, Shang Ruyi had even anticipated this by observing her subordinates buying medicine, thus saving Yuwen Ye.

Afterwards, based on what she knew, Shang Ruyi used marriage and Yuwen Ye to escape her fate, sowing discord between the two. This worked, and Yuwen Ye did not enter Taiyuan City, handing over the position of Crown Prince.

But all of this is based on her knowledge.

But the pursuit of Wang Shaoqiu—

This was neither something she knew nor something she could do!

In fact, this was not something Yuwen Qian should have done in the first place, and it was extremely dangerous. If they agreed but failed in this matter, wouldn't they lose the crown prince position they had already secured?

At this moment, the arrogant and domineering mentality she once had was gradually replaced by a sense of "unknown" and "impossible." Yu Mingyue was almost overwhelmed by the powerlessness and ordinariness that she had become familiar with before coming here.

She said, "I..."

Seeing that she couldn't speak, Yuwen Qian, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

He said in a deep voice, "Liang Shide is based in Luoyang and has hundreds of thousands of troops under his command, as well as capable men like Xiao Yuansui. Although Wang Shaoqiu has been defeated and can't cause much trouble, his presence in the past has made Liang Shide even stronger. Therefore, the matter of attacking Luoyang needs to be carefully considered."

"..."

"Let's settle things in Taiyuan first, then return to Chang'an and let Father Emperor arrange everything."

He then looked at Yuwen Ye and asked, "Second brother, what do you think?"

Yuwen Ye coldly looked at Yu Mingyue, whose face had turned pale from just one sentence, and after a long while, he turned to Yuwen Qian and said, "Fine."

Yuwen Qian said, "Then—"

Before he could finish speaking, Yuwen Ye added, "We were originally going to have a small victory celebration banquet tonight, but I see that everyone is a bit tired. Let's skip the celebration and go back to our rooms. We can celebrate again when we return to Chang'an and receive the Emperor's reward."

In fact, everyone felt the same way at that moment.

Yuwen Qian glanced at Shang Ruyi and Lüxiao, whose faces still showed anger, and then at Yu Mingyue beside him, whose face still looked somewhat flustered. He sighed inwardly and said, "Very well."

"..."

"Then I'll have someone deliver the wine and food to each person's room."

Yuwen Ye said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"There's no need for that."

So everyone nodded and said goodbye.

Just as Shang Ruyi turned to leave with Lüxiao and was about to walk out of the garden gate, she seemed to sense an angry gaze behind her. So she stopped, turned around and met Yu Mingyue's sharp gaze, and smiled and said, "Lord Yu, I heard that you grew up at the foot of Banyan Temple outside Luoyang City. Before that, I don't know where your hometown is."

Yu Mingyue's expression changed slightly, and she narrowed her eyes, asking, "Where do I come from? Is there a problem?"

"No problem,"

Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "I just hope that the people in Lord Yu's hometown are not all as harsh on women as you were just now."

"..."

"A woman who feeds a pack of wolves may not be unclean, but she is certainly unfortunate."

"..."

“Using this misfortune as a spear to attack the shield of a woman’s broken body may be invincible. However, if a man uses this as a spear, it is shameless; if a woman also uses this as a spear, it is not only shameless, but also a great misfortune for the woman.”

"..."

"Lord Yu, as the head of the Jixian Academy, I hope you truly have the word 'correct' in your heart!"

After saying that, he turned and left.

Under the desolate moonlight, Yu Mingyue's face was frighteningly pale.

She gritted her teeth, her once bright and beautiful face now filled with rage, but at this moment, she had nowhere to vent it. Even as she clenched her teeth so hard they almost broke, she could only swallow it down.

Turning around again, she met Yuwen Qian's clear eyes.

Her heart sank: "What's wrong?"

Yuwen Qian did not speak immediately, but simply looked at her calmly. After a while, he slowly said, "You have been somewhat out of control today."

"..."

"Are you angry because I didn't ask you for advice after Green Silk offered it?"

"...!"

Yu Mingyue's eyes suddenly trembled, and when she looked up at Yuwen Qian again, her eyes revealed a fragile light on the verge of breaking.

When they left Tongguan and embarked on the eastern front, she asked Yuwen Qian why he hadn't consulted her for advice. At that time, Yuwen Qian told her that it was best not to address him by his courtesy name, Hexin, as it would be presumptuous.

In truth, she understood, and so did he.

However, the military uniform that Lüxiao sent reminded Yuwen Qian that he did not ask her for advice. Instead, he directly devised a plan to intercept Ashina Zhuxie's reinforcements at Shouyang, which led to him and Wang Shao killing each other.

Then, they captured Taiyuan in one battle.

What she originally wanted has vanished like water because of a set of green silk clothes.

How could she not be angry?

Just now, her aggressive approach came to an abrupt halt because Shang Ruyi suddenly appeared and interrupted her. Then Yuwen Ye came to Shang Ruyi's aid, leaving her powerless to fight back. In particular, the words Shang Ruyi said before leaving were clearly accusatory, making her face flush red and hot, as if she had been slapped hard.

How could she, as someone of such stature, be ridiculed by these people?

Thinking of this, she felt even more unwilling. She raised her head and glared at Yuwen Qian, but because she was so wronged, tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice was tinged with bitterness when she spoke.

Do you think they're right?

"..."

Yuwen Qian did not answer immediately. His breathing became heavier, and his eyes flickered as he looked at her tearful eyes. After a long while, he said, "In this chaotic world of war, people's hearts are like knives. How can a young woman bear it?"

"..."

"So it is with Green Silk, and so it is with you."

"..."

"Some things are better left unsaid."

He was just echoing what Shang Ruyi had said!

However, there was also a touch of gentle comfort that soothed Yu Mingyue's resentment. She bit her lower lip, recalling all the grievances and hardships she had endured over the years, and chuckled softly, saying, "Yes, in this chaotic world, people's hearts are like knives. What truly makes people uneasy is not only this kind of chaotic world, but also people's hearts."

"..."

"I came alone, and I never imagined that after so long, I would still be alone."

After saying that, she glanced at Yuwen Qian again, then turned and walked away.

Yuwen Qian stood there, watching her lonely yet stubborn back, and after a long while, he sighed.