Chapter 730 Those who commit many unrighteous acts will surely perish!

A chill spread through the Hundred Blessings Hall.

Yuwen Ye glanced at them coldly, his gaze sharp but without much anger or disappointment. He simply turned to Shang Ruyi and said, "It's still a bit cold outside, let's go inside first."

Shang Ruyi nodded.

She had witnessed the fickleness of human relationships and the coldness of the world since her father's passing, so she was well aware of it and didn't care so much. However, Yuwen Ye was such a proud person, and she didn't expect him to be so calm in the face of all this.

However, when Yuwen Ye reached out and led her into the main hall, she realized that it wasn't true after all.

Yuwen Ye's hands were as cold as ice.

He might not be angry, and even if he were, given the upbringing of a noble young master, he wouldn't show his emotions on his face. But the chill in his heart was something that couldn't be hidden.

Shang Ruyi remained silent and instead gripped his hand tightly.

The two entered the Hall of a Hundred Blessings side by side.

Before setting off for Taiyuan, Yuwen Yuan had also held a banquet here to reward them. However, that banquet was relatively small and was held in a side hall of the Baifu Hall. This time, on the other hand, it was to celebrate the great victory of reclaiming the Dragon's Origin Land and the happy occasion of the recent appointment of the Crown Prince. Therefore, the banquet was very large and was held in the main hall of the Baifu Hall.

The main hall was tall and spacious, with three thick pillars on each side supporting the palace. Behind the pillars, tall screens were placed on both sides, behind which were the resting places for musicians, dancers, eunuchs and other servants who served the banquet. Inside the hall, four rows of low tables were neatly arranged, with cups, bowls and plates already set out by palace servants, waiting for the guests to arrive before the banquet could officially begin.

Shang Ruyi glanced at the two tables at the very front; they were clearly prepared for the victorious Crown Prince and the King of Qin.

Just then, a cold voice, clearly mocking, came from the side: "Royal brother, royal sister-in-law."

Upon hearing this voice, Shang Ruyi frowned.

She and Yuwen Ye turned around at the same time, only to see Prince Qi, Yuwen Cheng, standing in the main hall, surrounded by several eunuchs and officials. They had been chatting and laughing, but as soon as they entered, he pushed through the crowd to greet them, gave them an affected bow, and said, "I didn't expect you to arrive so early."

Yuwen Ye said, "Father is hosting a banquet, so as a son, I should have come early to wait. You've come too, haven't you?"

"Yes, I'm here too."

Yuwen Cheng said with a grin, "But if I were you, my brother, I certainly wouldn't have come so early. If I came early, I'd have to be mindful of other people's attitudes."

As he spoke, he looked around and said, "Usually, Second Brother is always surrounded by people, so why aren't there any today?"

"..."

"They wouldn't all go to Chengqian Hall and hover around the Prince of Han—oh no, the Crown Prince, would they?"

Shang Ruyi's brows were already furrowed.

Of course she knew that from the beginning, this third brother had been at odds with his second brother, not only because of Aunt Hui's deliberate pampering, nor solely because of Yuwen Ye's strict upbringing. When she saw Yuwen Cheng recklessly beating an old beggar in the alley outside Tinghe Tower, Shang Ruyi vaguely sensed that some evil was innate.

When we were kids, this kind of "evil" might just be a prank or an unlikable act of willfulness.

But once they grow up and gain power... this evil is no longer just a minor disturbance; it may even unleash a bloodbath.

For example, the fire at Changchun Palace this time!

That fire was man-made, and it was specifically targeted at Shen Wuzheng!

He and Yu Mingyue were probably in contact beforehand, which is why they devised such a vicious plan. He just didn't expect that Shen Wuzheng would go to Tongguan to meet the troops behind him, which is how they escaped that calamity. Yuwen Cheng was also worried that they would come after him, so he returned to Chang'an ahead of time. Now that they have met in front of everyone, he naturally can't say much.

But Shang Ruyi couldn't hold back her anger. After thinking for a moment, she gritted her teeth and smiled, "Third brother, your second brother and I are very happy that you were able to return to Chang'an safely this time."

Yuwen Cheng raised an eyebrow at her: "Really, Second Sister-in-law? You're really happy?"

"certainly,"

Shang Ruyi said, "I often hear people say a common saying, 'Good people are always blessed by heaven,' and now it seems that this saying is true."

Yuwen Cheng chuckled, seemingly anticipating that Shang Ruyi was about to say something more, and interrupted, "That statement does indeed have some merit. If good fortune doesn't always favor the virtuous, then how did you, Second Sister-in-law, manage to escape from Jiangdu unscathed?"

"..."

"If you ask me, not only will the heavens bless you, but even the emperor himself will protect you."

"...!"

These words undoubtedly stabbed Shang Ruyi in the heart once again.

She never expected that her original intention to target Yuwen Cheng would be met with his eloquent preemptive counterattack, which struck right at her weak spot.

Even Yuwen Ye's brows furrowed.

He could restrain himself from the sycophancy of those outside, but seeing that Yuwen Cheng had already bullied Shang Ruyi, he couldn't suppress his anger.

However, before he could speak, Shang Ruyi tightened her grip on his hand.

Yuwen Ye turned to look at her, only to see Shang Ruyi straighten her expression and then smile as she said, "It seems that Third Brother listens to these common sayings on a regular basis. Have you ever heard of another saying that applies even more to the affairs of this world?"

"Oh? What is it?"

"Those who commit many unrighteous acts will surely perish!"

Upon hearing those words and seeing Shang Ruyi's sharp gaze, Yuwen Cheng immediately understood that her words not only contained reproach but also carried a curse. He was about to lose his temper, but before he could say anything, Yuwen Ye's cold and sharp eyes suppressed him. Although he could still spout nonsense, he could not actually do anything here.

Deep down, he still harbored an inexplicable fear of Yuwen Ye.

So he gritted his teeth and sneered, "These common sayings are just for show. Second sister-in-law, as the Princess Consort of Qin, you shouldn't keep using such common sayings. They're too vulgar."

With that, he waved his hand and was about to leave.

Just then, a calm and clear voice, yet imbued with calm wisdom, suddenly rang out: "Other common sayings may be common, but this one is not."

Yuwen Cheng's steps faltered.

He hesitated, not turning around, but Shang Ruyi immediately turned around with delight upon hearing the voice. Sure enough, she saw Shen Wuzheng slowly walking over, dressed in a lake-blue robe. Tall and elegant, with handsome features and a calm, wise light in his eyes, he approached and first bowed to the Prince and Princess of Qin before continuing, "This is an unwritten law, a silent warning!"

At this moment, the people around seemed to have noticed the strange situation. Some people peeked out, but didn't know what to say.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yuwen Cheng could not simply leave.

He could only take a deep breath and turn to look at Shen Wuzheng. In fact, he was not afraid of this person. After all, he was just a subject. However, he had secretly laid such a killing move under Yu Mingyue's command. It was originally aimed at Shen Wuzheng. He even burned down the Changchun Palace, allowing the wounded soldiers who were guarding him to escape from Taiyuan to perish in the fire. Yet, Shen Wuzheng was completely unharmed!

Seeing him sent a chill down Yuwen Cheng's spine for no apparent reason.

But he still steeled himself and coldly said, "Laws, warnings? What do those have to do with me?"

After saying that, he deliberately sneered and said, "The law and warning bells are for ordinary people. I am now the King of Qi. Do you think these laws and warning bells can still govern me?"

Shen Wuzheng said, "Your Highness, what you are referring to is the law of the court, which governs ordinary people. But even princes are subject to the same laws as commoners. Moreover, as I just said, it is a law without words, a silent warning."

Yuwen Cheng frowned deeply: "I don't know what kind of bastard that is, but it's none of my business!"

Shen Wuzheng said, "Of course I can control you, because Your Highness, you are also a person of this world."

After saying this, before Yuwen Cheng could even begin to argue, he continued, "Mencius said: 'The vast and righteous energy is the vital energy of heaven and earth.' That is to say, there is a vast and righteous energy in the universe, and every word spoken and every deed done by people living in the world, whether they are kings and generals or commoners, is known to heaven and earth. There are unwritten laws recorded in the records, and silent alarm bells are constantly ringing, hoping that those who deviate from the right path will turn back to the right shore."

"..."

"If this person doesn't repent, then there will only be one outcome!"

Yuwen Cheng asked, "What was the result?"

Shen Wuzheng looked at him and said in a deep voice, word by word, "You will surely perish!"

Yuwen Cheng's face darkened again.

Compared to Yuwen Ye's disbelief in ghosts and gods, which stemmed from his belief in himself, this man simply disbelieved in underworld retribution, believing that humans should do as they pleased. After the founding of the Great Sheng Dynasty and his becoming the Prince of Qi, this idea sprouted like wild grass. In Taiyuan City, unknown to his two elder brothers, he acted arrogantly and domineeringly, beating and cursing those around him whenever he was unhappy, even wantonly killing, yet no one dared to retaliate against him.

He believed that he was superior to others and could trample on all living beings.

Unexpectedly, Shang Ruyi and her brother kept telling him that he would surely perish, which made him furious. But looking at Yuwen Ye, who had a cold expression and could once kick him several feet away, and whose gaze now made him feel heavy, he had no doubt that if he dared to do anything reckless, his second brother would break his neck.

Thinking of this, he could only suppress his anger and grit his teeth while snorting coldly.

Just as the atmosphere was tense and everyone around dared not breathe, a familiar figure walked in from behind them through the gate of the Hundred Blessings Hall. Accompanied by dazzling light and a faint fragrance, a smiling but extremely cold voice said: "Murderers and arsonists wear golden belts, while those who repair bridges and roads leave no remains. What talk of righteousness? This kind of poisonous chicken soup is hypocritical and laughable."

This statement is both strange and piercing.

This was exactly what Yuwen Cheng wanted to hear. As if he had found a savior, he immediately raised his head and smiled happily. Yuwen Ye, Shang Ruyi, and Shen Wuzheng, however, all frowned and turned away.

Yu Mingyue, dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, walked in slowly, exuding elegance and grace.