Chapter 190 You've Arrived
Shang Ruyi felt a lump in her throat.
Chu Ruoyan continued earnestly, "Second Brother has been having this problem for the past few years, but strangely, he suddenly got better a few months ago and hasn't had it much since. But this time, on the way to the Northern Frontier, it started again."
"..."
"You don't know this, do you? Actually, he could have shot Ashina Shali in a vital spot outside Yanmen City this time."
"..."
"Unfortunately, his leg cramped up when he was about to release the arrow, which caused him to miss."
"..."
“I was terrified when I heard about this. What if he gets sick again on the battlefield and loses his life? So I was determined to find a way to treat him. But for some reason, my second brother didn’t care about it. He just said it had nothing to do with me and it wasn’t an illness, so I didn’t need to worry about it.”
"..."
"But I couldn't just ignore it, so I asked the imperial physicians to search for ancient books and find this prescription."
At this point, she looked earnestly at Shang Ruyi: "Madam, you must give this prescription to my second brother. No matter what, let him try it. It would be a good thing if he could be cured, wouldn't you agree?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi stared at her blankly.
After a long while, he reached out and took the brocade box, smiling as he said, "Yes."
Looking at Chu Ruoyan again, especially at those bright and innocent eyes, Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a little helpless. She felt that the little bit of jealousy she had felt before was really superfluous in the face of such sincerity and innocence.
Thinking of this, she said gently, "I've heard that drinking goat's milk or cow's milk can cure leg cramps."
Chu Ruoyan stared at her with wide eyes: "Really?"
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "I've only heard about it. I don't know if it will work. But since the princess wants to help him get better, we might as well give this method a try."
Chu Ruoyan immediately smiled and said, "Okay, I'll try it next time."
Shang Ruyi nodded.
Just then, several eunuchs carried a canopy over from outside the main hall and stopped at the bottom of the steps. One of the eunuchs smiled obsequiously and said, "Madam, please."
Shang Ruyi said, "This is—"
The young eunuch smiled and said, "This was ordered by Her Majesty the Empress. It's getting dark and the road is difficult to travel, so we're doing this favor for you, Madam."
Shang Ruyi quickly said, "Thank you all."
"No, no, please."
So, Shang Ruyi bowed to Chu Ruoyan, apologized, and sat on the eaves. Several eunuchs immediately carried her away from the Empress's East Palace and back along the way they had come.
Although the eaves looked small, the eunuchs were clearly used to it. They walked steadily and handled the eaves with ease. Shang Ruyi sat on it without any bumps and watched as the high walls on both sides slid past her eyes like flowing water.
As if in a dream.
She was also somewhat confused. It seemed that there was nothing important to do when she came to the palace this time, but for some reason, her mood was a hundred times heavier than when she arrived.
It's probably because of this little brocade box in my hand.
Looking down at the brocade box, and recalling Chu Ruoyan's bright eyes, a sense of guilt involuntarily rose in her heart—although this was not the first time she had felt guilty for ruining someone else's marriage, this time the guilt was clearer and more distinct than ever before.
Her choice was right, but she was also wrong.
From the first moment she saw Chu Ruoyan, she knew that she could never win someone else's affections. But now she understands that the best outcome for her in this relationship is to walk away unscathed.
A short while later, they passed through Anning Gate.
Just as they passed through Anning Gate, a group of eunuchs suddenly appeared from the side. The head eunuch stepped forward and greeted them, and the several junior eunuchs immediately stopped. One of them politely asked, "Eunuch Pang, what brings you here—"
The eunuch Pang said, "I will take care of the rest of the journey with my wife."
After he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and several of his eunuchs came forward to replace the other eunuchs and raised the eaves again.
Shang Ruyi was taken aback for a moment, but then she thought that there must be rules in the palace, so she didn't say anything more. She just watched as the person stepped aside and the eunuchs carried the eaves forward.
But as she walked, she realized something was wrong.
If I remember correctly, after exiting Anning Gate, they should have turned right to return the way they came. However, these eunuchs carrying the eaves turned left instead. After walking several hundred steps, they were about to pass through the tall and majestic Xuanwu Gate!
Shang Ruyi whispered, "Eunuch, where are we going?"
The eunuch Pang glanced at her with a smile, but did not reply.
Shang Ruyi's heart began to pound more and more.
She knew this was the Ziwei Palace. As the wife of an official from outside the capital, she knew that if she made a mistake in entering the palace, she would be doomed and might even bring trouble to the Duke's mansion. But now, she didn't know where they were taking her.
As she nervously looked around, hesitant to raise her voice in protest, the eunuch Pang walked forward with a smile and said, “Madam, please be patient, we will be there soon. Please be patient on the way. You are a distinguished guest, and we would never dare to harm you.”
After saying that, he waved his whisk again, urging the eunuchs to hurry up.
So for the rest of the journey, everyone stopped talking and hurried forward. They passed through countless corridors and palace gates. Shang Ruyi was already a little dizzy and disoriented. When she finally saw a large and tranquil palace standing in front of her, she didn't even know where she was.
This palace was different from the tall Zuozang Palace and the magnificent Dong Palace. This palace appeared quiet and elegant, with a low ceiling, no higher than a person's knees. Moreover, there was a faint sound of flowing water coming from somewhere, giving people a sense of leisure and laziness.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that all the palace gates were open. In the dead of winter, the open doors did not give the impression of a cold wind blowing through, but rather conveyed a sense of wildness and fearlessness towards the world.
Upon seeing this scene, Shang Ruyi immediately frowned.
The eaves stopped, and several eunuchs gently placed her on the ground. The eunuch Pang smiled and raised his hand to Shang Ruyi: "Madam, please."
Shang Ruyi had no choice but to get down, but dared not move forward. She cautiously asked, "Eunuch, where is this place? Didn't the Empress order you to escort me out of the palace?"
The eunuch Pang did not answer her question, but pointed to a pair of shoes on the steps and said, "Madam, you must change into these shoes before entering. You must not step into the mud."
Seeing that he was about to leave after speaking, Shang Ruyi became anxious: "Where exactly is this place?"
The eunuch Pang turned and glanced at her, smiled slightly, and said, "Madam, you will know once you go inside. There will be no answer if you just stand here and ask."
"..."
After saying that, he waved his whisk and turned to leave with a few eunuchs.
Shang Ruyi was taken aback. She saw that the group of people were walking hurriedly and disappeared in a few moments. The palace was completely deserted, leaving her alone standing at the bottom of the steps.
When she looked down at the exquisite shoes on the steps, her breath caught in her throat.
They were a pair of emerald green silk shoes, adorned with several tiny, sparkling pearls, jade pieces, and the colorful feathers of a parrot, making them incomparably luxurious.
Looking at the shoes, Shang Ruyi fell silent.
There was no wind around, yet a heavy feeling enveloped her from the tranquil atmosphere, as if someone was watching her, silently urging her on. At this moment, she had no other way to go.
After thinking for a moment, she finally took a deep breath, bent down to take off her shoes, and then gently put on the silk slippers.
It's a bit big and doesn't fit quite right.
After she stood still for a moment to adjust, she raised her head and slowly walked into the quiet, silent palace before her.
Upon stepping into the palace, she discovered that the ground was warm. Hearing the gurgling sound of flowing water, she immediately understood that there must be a hot spring flowing beneath the floor, which warmed the entire palace. No wonder they dared to leave the doors open in the dead of winter.
Inside the palace, although the main gate was open, there were layers upon layers of curtains hanging down, like barriers that not only blocked the view and trapped the heat but also prevented the cold wind from entering.
Shang Ruyi carefully stepped onto the slightly warm floor. After entering the gate, layers of curtains, like smoke and dust in a dream, surrounded her. She kept raising her hand to lift them and dodging them. Finally, after passing through one gentle concealment after another, a huge screen appeared in front of her.
Although everything inside the Ziwei Palace was much larger than what she usually saw, she had never seen such a large screen before. It was more than several dozen steps wide and more than two zhang high, almost a whole wall, which forcefully divided this spacious palace into two sides.
Behind the translucent jade screen, something seemed to be faintly visible.
At this point, she had no other way to go but to go further in.
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath, slowly walked around the huge screen, and entered the inner chamber of the palace.
Upon entering, the first thing you see is a huge bed against a screen.
On the floor beneath the bed was an even larger carpet, covering almost half the palace. Upon closer inspection, however, it was no ordinary carpet but a vast map of the territory, starting from the Western Regions at Shang Ruyi's feet and gradually leading to the heart of the Central Plains.
Laying out such a vast map of territory on the ground reveals the grand vision in the mind of the person who did it.
Shang Ruyi's gaze followed the map forward, eventually stopping at the very center of the map—Luoyang, the Eastern Capital.
A person, dressed in flowing white robes, stood there tall and elegant, like a banished immortal.
He stood with his hands behind his back, smiling as he looked at Shang Ruyi.
"You've come."
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