Chapter 1258 Nothing special
What surprised Yu Mingyue even more was that, although everyone was celebrating loudly, Xiao Yuansui, who was also at the center of the storm but was the quietest, was also very calm. He just sat quietly behind the Prince of Qi without saying a word.
But he kept watching them, especially when he looked at her, his gaze seemed to be scrutinizing her.
Yu Mingyue said, "You must be Xiao Yuansui."
Yuwen Cheng turned his head and glanced at him, then said with a smile, "That's right, sister-in-law, he is Xiao Yuansui."
At this moment, Xiao Yuansui finally stood up slowly and, under everyone's gaze, bowed to Yu Mingyue with his hands clasped: "Xiao Yuansui greets the Crown Princess."
The crowd in the hall fell silent only after he spoke.
Speaking of which, some people here may not have seen Xiao Yuansui, but no one is unfamiliar with this name. On the contrary, this name is well-known to most people. Yu Dingxing even once hoped that he could eliminate Yuwen Ye and his confidants in Luoyang.
Unexpectedly, that lopsided battle ended in Yuwen Ye's victory.
Now, this person is under their command again.
Given Yu Dingxing's personality, or rather, his instinctive reaction to a powerful figure, they should have taken this opportunity to give him a hard time. However, everyone was too happy today to pay attention to him. Moreover, upon reflection, it was because of him that Yuwen Yuan was able to eliminate Yuwen Ye with an imperial decree. Even though Yu Dingxing was mean-spirited by nature, he didn't really want to make things difficult for him at this time.
So when they saw Xiao Yuansui stand up and bow to the Crown Princess, no one said much, but just watched him quietly.
Yu Mingyue looked Xiao Yuansui up and down, then smiled faintly and said, "Your name is indeed very famous."
While her words were ostensibly a compliment, her tone suggested otherwise.
Xiao Yuansui was incredibly astute; how could he not hear the sarcasm in her tone? Yet, his expression remained unchanged, and he simply smiled faintly, saying, "It seems my appearance has disappointed the Crown Princess."
Yu Mingyue said calmly, "I wouldn't call it disappointment."
"..."
"I just want to thank you for giving Dasheng a great victory."
Upon hearing this, Yu Dingxing frowned slightly.
He had given up on using his local connections to give Xiao Yuansui a hard time, but unexpectedly Yu Mingyue took matters into her own hands. But on this auspicious day, and considering that this "victory" against Yuwen Ye was achieved through Xiao Yuansui, was it really appropriate to ridicule him like this?
Sure enough, upon hearing Yu Mingyue's words, the other officials also quieted down and looked at Xiao Yuansui.
Xiao Yuansui's face still showed no anger, but rather he was calmer and more composed, saying, "Your Highness is too kind. I am not very learned and have little virtue or ability, hence the defeat in Luoyang."
"oh."
Yu Mingyue smiled slightly as she looked at him, thinking to herself that this person was nothing special after all.
Xiao Yuansui respectfully said, "But given my defeat and the Crown Prince's influence, I have no regrets."
Yu Mingyue's smile deepened.
The people around him were surprised that he was actually so submissive, and they couldn't help but doubt the rumors. Was this really the Xiao Yuansui that Emperor Wen praised as having the "sign of a pillar of the state"? But upon further reflection, they realized that when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Since he had already fallen to this state, he naturally had no choice but to be submissive.
As a result, a smile appeared on everyone's face.
Xiao Yuansui then turned to look at the people around him, cupped his hands in a salute and said, "I am new here and do not know your names."
Yuwen Cheng was the only person he recognized here, so he pointed to Yu Dingxing and said, "This is the Duke of Wushan, the Left General of the Valiant Guard, and also the Crown Prince's father-in-law; this is the Crown Prince's brother-in-law, the Right General of the Valiant Guard, Su Changjing. And..."
After he finished introducing everyone, Xiao Yuansui bowed to each of them and said, "I see that you gentlemen are somewhat unfamiliar faces. So, besides Yuwen Ye's men, the only other people who went to Luoyang before were His Highness Prince Qi and that Lord Shang?"
Yuwen Cheng replied indifferently, "Yes."
Xiao Yuansui sighed softly.
Yu Dingxing asked, "Why is Young Master Xiao sighing?"
Xiao Yuansui said, "I sigh. The Emperor of Dasheng is indeed strict in his rewards and punishments, and his authority is great but his favors are little. If I want to make a name for myself in Xijing, it will probably be much more difficult than in Dongdu."
Yu Dingxing asked, "How do you know?"
Xiao Yuansui looked at him with a slight smile in his eyes: "Does the Duke know that when the Eastern Capital fell, Liang Shide had already declared himself king?"
Yu Dingxing said, "I have heard about this."
Xiao Yuansui said, "After several bloody battles, a Prince of Luoyang should at least be awarded the title of two Grand Generals. But now, only Prince Qi has been granted the title of General Who Guards the North. Isn't this a case of His Majesty's power being greater than his favor?"
"..."
"I am of meager virtue and talent, and I fear I will have little chance of advancement."
Upon hearing this, Yu Dingxing seemed to have thought of something, but before he could speak, Su Changjing suddenly said, "Who told you that a Prince of Luoyang only changed his title to Grand General?"
Xiao Yuansui turned to look at him: "Could it be that someone else has been rewarded?"
Su Changjing raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yu Mingyue, saying with a half-smile, "The emperor also bestowed the title of 'Majestic Lady' upon her."
Xiao Yuansui asked, "May I ask who received this honor?"
"Of course—"
Before Su Changjing could finish speaking, Yu Mingyue suddenly interrupted them: "Enough, we're talking about the present matter. Who cares who gets rewarded after the Battle of Luoyang?"
Upon hearing this, Su Changjing's eyes revealed an undisguised smile. He deliberately cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Please forgive me, Your Highness. It was only because Lord Xiao asked that I answered him. I didn't want to displease Your Highness."
Yu Mingyue glared at him with a livid face.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became somewhat strange. After all, everyone present knew that this "Majestic Lady" was the Princess Consort of Qin, appointed by His Majesty the Emperor, who also granted her the authority to lead troops. It should be noted that during the Battle of Taiyuan, both the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin led troops, and both the Crown Princess and the Princess Consort of Qin accompanied them. Yet now, the Princess Consort of Qin had achieved remarkable military exploits and received an official title, while the Crown Princess had received no such honors or rewards.
Ordinary people might not understand, but those in the imperial court are very sensitive to it—
This shows that the Princess Consort of Qin truly surpassed the Crown Princess.
No wonder Yu Mingyue's face looked so grim when this topic came up.
At this moment, she gritted her teeth and her face looked somewhat ferocious, but she couldn't ridicule Su Changjing as she had done to Yu Mingzhu. She could only swallow her anger and then look at Xiao Yuansui.
Did he bring this up intentionally?
But when her gaze fell upon him, Xiao Yuansui simply smiled calmly and looked at her quietly, seemingly oblivious to the matter. Yu Mingyue, on the other hand, felt a burning sensation on her face, yet she had no way to vent her anger, and could only grit her teeth and swallow her rage.
She sneered, "Just a powerful woman, and you all think you're great generals?"
Su Changjing replied, "I wouldn't dare."
Xiao Yuansui said no more and silently returned to his seat. He glanced one last time at Yu Mingyue, who was still angry and had a sullen expression on her face. He slowly lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes covering his bright eyes. For a moment, no one could see what kind of look was flashing in his eyes.
But in his heart, it was as if a skylight had been opened, revealing a clear understanding.
He murmured, "The Crown Princess is nothing special..."
"What did you say?"
Yuwen Cheng, who was sitting next to him, heard his murmur and turned to look at him. Xiao Yuansui immediately shook his head slightly: "He didn't say anything."
Yuwen Cheng gave him a strange look, but didn't pay much attention to it. After all, there were more important matters at hand. So he raised his head and said to the group of officials, "This time, Father not only ordered the Prince of Qin to leave Chang'an in ten days, but also did not agree to give him the Shangdang and Puban places he had asked for. This is giving us an opportunity."
Su Changjing looked at him: "Your Highness means that we must take these two places."
After pondering for a while, Yu Dingxing said, "Not only do we need to take these two places, but we also need to figure out how to handle the passes that the King of Qin mentioned earlier."
Only when this was mentioned did everyone begin to focus.
That's right, it's one thing for Yuwen Ye to be kicked out of Chang'an, but his departure doesn't mean he won't come back. In fact, the reason why Yuwen Yuan used Xiao Yuansui so ruthlessly to force him to Luoyang this time was because Xiao Yuansui had previously proposed to take Shangdang and Puban, which was clearly a preparation for the future advance into Chang'an. This touched the emperor's sore spot.
Since he has such a plan, they naturally have to block his path.
Yuwen Cheng murmured, "It's a pity. If we had made preparations earlier to take these places, we might be able to rest easy now. But now that the Prince of Qin has mentioned these places, Father Emperor might not so easily hand them over to others."
Yu Mingyue snapped out of her anger and looked at him: "Why?"
Yu Dingxing glanced at her and said, "The fact that the Prince of Qin asked the Emperor for these places is already telling His Majesty the importance of these places to Chang'an."
"..."
"If someone were to ask His Majesty for these places now, what do you think His Majesty would think?"
"..."
"If His Majesty doesn't trust him, he won't trust anyone else either."
Suspicion is a very mysterious thing. It can take root and grow as soon as a thought arises. Especially after encountering storms, it can grow wildly in a person's heart. The older a person is, the weaker their body is, and the higher their power is, the more this weed will flourish in their heart. It may even devour their original heart and their original calm and self-control.
Judging from Yuwen Yuan's ruthless attitude in driving away Yuwen Ye this time, his dissatisfaction and suspicion towards Yuwen Ye have reached their peak.
Once this suspicion begins to grow rapidly, it will no longer be focused solely on Yuwen Ye.
As emperor, Yuwen Yuan would be more vigilant about Yuwen Ye's threat and use that vigilance to guard against everyone.
Hearing him say that, Yu Mingyue's eyes dimmed.
Everyone realized this, and they looked at each other, their faces, which had been full of joy, now showing signs of distress.
Just then, a voice rang out in the now quiet lobby—
"His Majesty the Emperor may not easily trust others, but aren't the rules of the court still in effect?"
Upon hearing this voice, everyone immediately turned their heads, and more than a dozen pairs of eyes focused on Xiao Yuansui, who was sitting motionless next to Yuwen Cheng. He exuded an air of unwavering stability, and his words also conveyed an invisible sense of firmness.
Someone hurriedly asked, "What do you mean?"
Xiao Yuansui raised his head and smiled faintly: "Those who have made contributions will eventually be rewarded."
Upon hearing this, Yu Mingyue's face darkened once again.
Xiao Yuansui's words undoubtedly echoed his earlier statement that the emperor was powerful but lacked kindness. However, Su Changjing informed him that the emperor had not only appointed a General of the North but also a Lady of Majesty. Yu Mingyue's face seemed to have been slapped by a fan again.
Although her expression was unpleasant, Yu Dingxing immediately understood the implication and looked up at Xiao Yuansui: "You mean—"
Xiao Yuansui smiled and said, "That is, to make meritorious contributions."
"..."
"Only those who have rendered meritorious service are qualified to ask His Majesty the Emperor for a reward."
Su Changjing immediately sneered, "You make it sound so easy. Since the Battle of Luoyang, the court has reached a consensus that the Emperor will not easily resort to war again in the short term. Apart from making merit on the battlefield, what other way in the court can one make merit so quickly and receive the Emperor's reward?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Dingxing, who was beside him, reached out and pressed the back of his hand.
The movement was very subtle, and almost no one paid attention to it, but Xiao Yuansui still saw it at a glance.
Then, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
In fact, there was no need for Yu Dingxing to hide anything. He had already realized the weakness of the defenses in Chang'an after arriving there. If Shi Yuxin's tens of thousands of troops had actually managed to reach Chang'an as planned, the outcome of the battle in Luoyang would have been difficult to predict. Moreover, almost everyone was advising Yuwen Yuan to spare his life. Even Yuwen Yuan himself did not really intend to kill him. On the surface, it seemed to be out of love for talent and to balance the struggle between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin. In reality, it was more likely to prevent the surrendered soldiers brought back by Yuwen Ye from causing trouble.
If his death were to cause unease among those people and lead to unrest within the army, Chang'an might descend into chaos.
Having seen through this, he remained calm and said, "That's true, but right now, the enemy isn't just outside."
Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent again.
Yu Dingxing narrowed one eye slightly: "You mean—"
But at this point, Xiao Yuansui lowered his head and said respectfully, "I have spoken presumptuously."
As soon as he stopped, a blank look immediately appeared on everyone's faces, as if they didn't quite understand what the flash of inspiration that had just crossed their minds was. For a moment, they looked at each other, all somewhat dazed.
Only Yuwen Cheng glanced at him, his eyes flashing intensely, as if he had been struck by something.
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