Chapter 204 To Die for Him, or for Me?
To him, all talk of human ethics and etiquette was worthless. As the supreme ruler, standing at the highest point of heaven and earth, he was determined to create an unparalleled legacy, and naturally, he could not be bound by any rules or doctrines.
He is infinitely free, both in body and mind.
And over the years, the only thing that seems to have bound him is this young woman in front of him.
His vague, romantic feelings for her were abruptly suppressed by her tears, forcing him to retreat to the role of "confidante," though for him, that was enough.
But now, it's her who's approaching him first!
Chu Yang's heart pounded wildly, like a hungry beast imprisoned in a cage, finally finding an opportunity to break free and roar as it struggled to escape. His body, caught in this throbbing, uncontrollably moved closer to her.
But at that moment, Shang Ruyi suddenly withdrew her hand.
Chu Yang was taken aback and said, "You—"
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Shang Ruyi suddenly extend her arm, and her slender, fair hand lashed out at his face.
This sudden turn of events left Chu Yang stunned and speechless. Before she could even react, she felt a gust of wind, carrying a hint of her own gentle scent, brush against her face.
Even his sideburns were blown into a mess.
Chu Yang stared wide-eyed in astonishment at the fair hand before him. Before he could react, Shang Ruyi had already withdrawn her hand again, stood up, and knelt down before him: "Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
"...!"
After a moment of shock, Chu Yang finally came to his senses and flew into a rage: "Shang Ruyi, how dare you!"
Even if her actions just now didn't actually touch or hurt him, that very gesture was already a crime of deceiving the emperor. Although Chu Yang was close to her and considered her a confidante, as the supreme ruler, how could he tolerate anyone treating him so disrespectfully?!
With his angry shout, heavy footsteps sounded outside.
A tall figure stepped outside the beaded curtain: "Your Majesty, Shang Ruyi has been disrespectful to you. I will kill her immediately!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of a sword being drawn shattered the silence. Wang Shaoji suddenly threw back the curtain and walked in, his gleaming steel blade already aimed at Shang Ruyi!
Startled, Shang Ruyi hurriedly raised her hand to shield her head.
Just as the steel blade was about to strike, Chu Yang suddenly shouted, "Stop!"
"...!"
Wang Shaoji's hand froze, the blade stopping abruptly on Shang Ruyi's wrist. He glared at Shang Ruyi, then turned to Chu Yang: "Your Majesty?"
Chu Yang's face was grim as he stared intently at Shang Ruyi, who was kneeling on the ground, trembling. After a long silence, he gently waved his hand and said, "Step back."
Wang Shaoji said, "Your Majesty, she is trying to assassinate you!"
"She won't,"
Chu Yang stared intently at the trembling, thin shoulders and said, "Step down. I will call you again if I need anything."
Wang Shaoji was speechless. He could only sheath his sword and turn to leave.
However, as he walked out of the private room, he turned back and glanced at Shang Ruyi. The malice and ruthlessness in his eyes sent a chill down Shang Ruyi's spine, even though she was kneeling on the ground and couldn't see anything.
Soon, Wang Shaoji left.
The two people in the private room remained silent. Chu Yang stared at the trembling shoulder for a long time before slowly saying, "Explain."
Shang Ruyi kept her head down and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me."
"..."
Chu Yang narrowed his eyes and said, "You'd better explain this to me clearly."
Hearing that his voice no longer held any rage, but the oppressive aura still made it hard to breathe, Shang Ruyi slowly straightened up and looked at Chu Yang, saying softly, "Ruyi just wants Your Majesty to know that just now, if Ruyi hadn't withdrawn her arm, Your Majesty wouldn't have felt anything, would you?"
"...!"
Chu Yang frowned, recalling the two times she had reached out her hand just now.
"So what?"
"Warfare is sometimes like that too."
"..."
"Sometimes, without a period of retrenchment and temporary defeat, there is no room for attack. There is a kind of advance that requires taking advantage of the situation."
Chu Yang narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at her coldly: "Are you saying that Yuwen Ye's defeat was a tactical maneuver?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Ruyi is not knowledgeable about military affairs. Being in the Eastern Capital, she could not possibly know the truth about the Xingluocang battle. However, Ruyi just wants to defend her husband—a temporary setback may not be a true defeat. Please give him some more time and a chance."
Chu Yang's face slowly darkened.
He stared intently at Shang Ruyi and said, "You're asking me to give him more time and opportunities. Do you really think he'll win?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi's breath hitched.
At this moment, she still couldn't figure out why Yuwen Ye had suffered three defeats in recent days. Was it because he was really weak, or did he have other plans? But at this moment, she suddenly thought of the time in Yanmen County when he charged out of the city with his own men and wounded Ashina Shali with a single arrow, defeating an army of 100,000.
That earth-shattering moment still remains in her heart.
She took a deep breath and said, "I believe him!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Yang's face darkened, and a sinister rage suddenly appeared on his face. He sneered, "You've been quite devoted to him, even risking your life to fight for his survival, haven't you?"
"..."
“If I hadn’t stopped Wang Shaoji just now, you would have died by his sword.”
"..."
"In this way, you will die because of him."
"..."
"Are you really that deeply in love with your husband?"
Shang Ruyi's face was pale. Even in the warm, cozy private room, with a glowing brazier behind her, her entire body felt icy cold, even her blood seemed to carry a chill. She could only whisper, "He is Ruyi's husband. Ruyi would die for him without regret, and besides—"
"What else?"
"This death is also a deathbed remonstrance."
Chu Yang stared intently at her, then suddenly said, "He died because of him, and he also remonstrated with me to the death."
"..."
"So, are you dying for him, or for me?"
Shang Ruyi lowered her head again.
The tearing pain in her heart surged up again. She gritted her teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, and whispered, "Ruyi doesn't want to die, Ruyi wants to live."
Chu Yang sneered: "Then, for whom do you live?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and raised her head. This time, her gaze was much firmer than before, and she said, word by word, "I live, I only live for myself."
"...!"
Chu Yang suddenly opened his eyes wide.
This answer was clearly unexpected, or rather, something Chu Yang hadn't anticipated.
He looked at Shang Ruyi with a complicated expression for a long time, and finally let out a long breath and said, "If that's really the case, then I won't fight for anything anymore."
He subconsciously reached out and touched his cheek. Just now, Shang Ruyi reached out to him for the first time. Although she didn't touch him, he felt as if their skins were touching. Just that one touch sent a tingling sensation straight into his heart, and even now, his heart was still pounding.
Then, he gritted his teeth and said, "You'd better keep your word!"
After saying that, he stood up and walked out.
Shang Ruyi subconsciously said, "Your Majesty!"
Chu Yang stopped, without turning around, and coldly asked, "What else do you want to say?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Then, what about Xingluo Warehouse—"
Chu Yang turned his head and gave her a cold look, saying, "You have already remonstrated to the death. If I don't give him another chance, wouldn't I really be forcing you to your death?"
"..."
"But just once!"
"..."
"If we send troops again, and if they suffer further losses and still fail to capture Xingluocang—"
Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat. She looked up at Chu Yang, whose handsome face was now filled with murderous intent. He said, word by word, "I will not let him off lightly!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
Shang Ruyi stood behind the beaded curtain, watching the tall and dashing figure disappear in front of her. She felt cold all over, as if the blood in her body had been frozen by Chu Yang's cold words. It took a long time before she slowly regained her senses.
She walked out somewhat blankly and went downstairs.
When they got to the first floor, all the customers who had been eating earlier had disappeared.
The owner and staff of Tinghelou Restaurant remained quietly behind the counter, not daring to look up at her or even breathe.
Shang Ruyi slowly walked out of Tinghe Tower. When she looked back, the quiet restaurant seemed so unreal. As soon as she left, it would immediately return to its usual state, and everything that had just happened would be like a dream, completely shattered and disappearing.
Shang Ruyi turned away without saying a word.
The carriage that had delivered her earlier was still parked outside. The coachman stood to the side, his face expressionless and devoid of any emotion, and said, "Please get in, young mistress. I will take you back to the Yuwen residence immediately."
"..."
Shang Ruyi glanced at him but didn't say anything.
She didn't bother to ask the driver's identity. She figured that although the Empress had arranged for him to pick her up, how could anything in the palace not be subject to the Emperor's orders? No matter how powerful and cautious Empress Jiang was, she was ultimately no match for the Emperor.
Shang Ruyi simply nodded and walked over.
Just as she was about to get on the bus, she caught a glimpse of a somewhat familiar figure flashing by.
"Um?"
Shang Ruyi's somewhat numb mind was suddenly stirred, and she hurriedly turned her head, but the people coming and going on the long street were all strangers passing by.
Was it me, or did I see it wrong?
Seeing that she hadn't moved for a while, the coachman stepped forward and asked, "Young Madam, is something wrong?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi didn't speak, but looked up again. She couldn't find any familiar figures in the crowd. She realized that she must have been mistaken. She gently shook her head and said, "It's okay, let's go."
So they got into the carriage, which quickly left Tinghe Tower and headed towards the Yuwen residence.
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