Chapter 308 One Step
"His Majesty--"
Sensing that Shang Ruyi was about to say something, Chu Yang didn't even allow her to speak, and continued, "What, now that I've said I'm not wrong, are you going to fabricate faults against me?!"
"..."
"I know what you're going to say. Do you think I don't know what you've been saying about me behind my back? That I'm ambitious and wasteful of resources, but what have I done that wasn't for the sake of this dynasty?"
"..."
"The late emperor established the capital in Xijing, but that place has been controlled by powerful clans from Dingchuan for many years. These people, relying on their military strength and merits, have been holding their positions without doing any work, and my decrees cannot be implemented. That is why I built the Eastern Capital and moved the center of national affairs to Luoyang. Only in this way can these people not hinder my great cause."
"..."
"I know you'll say that building the canal wasted manpower, but once it's finished, north-south freight transport is smooth. Isn't that a good thing? This time, Wo Xue was able to take you from Luoyang to Jiangdu in just over ten days. If it were before the canal existed, do you know how long it would have taken you to travel?"
"..."
"Furthermore, I did lose some men in my three campaigns against Gouli, but so what? Soldiers should die on the battlefield. If everyone is afraid of death, who will guard the border for me?"
"..."
"Moreover, is my conquest of the Gouli Kingdom pointless? Mou Zifeng harbors wolfish ambitions, has not attended court or paid tribute for many years, and in recent years has even secretly colluded with Ashina Shali. If we allow them to collude and grow stronger, they will become two swords hanging over the head of the Daye Dynasty, and at that time, it will be truly impossible to deal with them!"
...
The more he spoke, the more rapid his breathing became, and the redder his eyes grew.
Shang Ruyi, however, fell silent.
She remembered that Chu Yang had said these words to her not long after they met, and now that he was saying them again, it wasn't because he had forgotten what he had said, but because he needed to say them.
He needed an outlet for his emotions.
Finally, after uttering the last word, he was panting heavily, as if he had just gone through a life-or-death struggle. His whole body was as tense as a bow stretched to its limit and about to break. Shang Ruyi could even feel his two hands slowly falling onto her shoulders, his palms cold and clammy, his fingers tightly clasped together, as if he were trying to grasp the last straw in his life.
This feeling is suffocating.
He asked her, "Where did I go wrong?"
Chu Yang looked down at her, at this little woman whose back was pressed against the heavy palace door, and who at this moment had nowhere to escape. In comparison, he, with his pale face and disordered breathing, looked more like a trapped beast that was about to be driven to a dead end.
He kept asking, "Where did I go wrong?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi stopped speaking and simply gazed at the handsome face before her.
After struggling for a long time, she finally said, "Your Majesty did nothing wrong."
"...!"
At this moment, it was like a person who had been walking in darkness for a long time suddenly seeing a light in front of them. Chu Yang trembled, and when he looked up at Shang Ruyi's eyes, his slender phoenix eyes were immediately filled with wild joy, almost overwhelming and swallowing up the person in front of him.
He said in a deep voice, "You said—I am right!"
"..."
"I was right after all, wasn't I?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked at him quietly. Although her body was also cold, her shoulders, which were tightly held by his trembling hands, were also trembling involuntarily. Even her voice was tinged with a faint tremor.
Her throat tightened, and she said, "Your Majesty is doing the right thing."
A wildly joyful smile spread across Chu Yang's face. He looked up and took a deep breath, his face seemingly glowing. But just as he was about to say something, Shang Ruyi said, "It's just... too fast."
Chu Yang frowned: "What?"
Shang Ruyi said slowly, "Your Majesty, you are moving too fast. Your people, your subjects, cannot keep up—"
Chu Yang's face immediately darkened.
"What did you say?"
Shang Ruyi had almost anticipated his reaction at this moment. She even wanted to tell him directly—that's right, your people, this world can't keep up with you. Not only can they not keep up, they are almost being dragged to their deaths by you!
But when she met Chu Yang's reddened eyes and pale face, she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
She knew that no matter how fierce or even grotesque he appeared, it was merely a mask he used to conceal his vulnerable heart. If it were to be torn off at this moment, he would likely have nothing left.
How could I bear to treat someone who is favored by heaven like this?
After struggling for a long time, Shang Ruyi could only sigh and say softly, "Your Majesty, look at the steps outside the main hall. Even if you are so familiar with them, even if Your Majesty is anxious when going to court, don't you still have to walk up those steps one by one?"
"..."
“Even a road must be walked step by step, let alone His Majesty’s vision for the world. How could it be achieved in one step or in one fell swoop?”
Chu Yang fell silent.
He seemed no longer angry, but he was not completely calm either. His eyes were fixed on Shang Ruyi. Just as she finished speaking, leaning against the heavy palace door, her thin body trembling slightly, he suddenly reached out and pushed the heavy palace door open forcefully.
"ah!"
Caught off guard, Shang Ruyi nearly fell backward.
But Chu Yang reached out and wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulling her into his embrace.
Shang Ruyi was momentarily stunned and forgot to struggle. However, she did not fall, but the person outside the door exclaimed in surprise. It was Eunuch Yu, who had been guarding outside the hall. He was knocked backward by the hall door, and when he looked up and saw Chu Yang striding out of the hall, he was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.
The eunuchs outside didn't even dare to raise their heads.
Shang Ruyi blushed and quickly broke free from his embrace.
Chu Yang didn't force her. She just gave her a deep look, then reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him out of the main hall and leading him down the steps to look down.
Although this Bright Hall could not compare to the grandeur of the main hall of the imperial palace in Daxing City, nor to the solemnity of the main hall of the Ziwei Palace in Luoyang, the eastern capital, it was still the main hall of the old palace of the Chen Dynasty. The platform was over three zhang high, and the red steps were wide and long. Standing on it and looking down, it looked like a staircase extending from the heavens to the human world.
Even taking one step forward is impossible, let alone climbing up from the bottom.
There is no such thing as instant success in this world, no matter what.
Looking into his gleaming eyes, Shang Ruyi sighed, turned around, and said, "Your Majesty, perhaps—"
But before she could finish speaking, Chu Yang suddenly grabbed her wrist and strode downstairs.
Although it's impossible to complete in one step, descending such a path isn't too difficult. The two of them soon arrived at the foot of the steps, and when they looked up at the main hall above, it resembled a towering celestial palace reaching into the clouds.
From this perspective, it's even more difficult.
Chu Yang suddenly said, "You're saying that it's impossible for a person to walk the entire path in one step, right?"
Shang Ruyi frowned: "...Of course."
"good,"
Chu Yang sneered, then suddenly waved his hand: "Guards!"
Upon hearing the sound, Eunuch Yu, who had been standing there somewhat dazedly, hurriedly led his men down to Chu Yang's side, bowed his head, and whispered, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
Chu Yang said, "Carry me up!"
"ah!"
Everyone was stunned. Eunuch Yu turned pale with fright and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, sedan chairs and horses cannot pass over the imperial steps. Otherwise, it will be a great misfortune!"
Chu Yang said coldly, "Who told you to carry the sedan chair? Just the few of you, carry me up!"
The eunuchs, having been called upon, finally came to their senses and hurriedly stepped forward, forming a human sedan chair with their hands. Chu Yang then swaggered onto it and said, "Let's go!"
Several eunuchs carried him, step by step, up the steps.
Actually, it wasn't too difficult for a few people to carry one person up these steps, but when that person was the emperor, it was a completely different story. Everyone was afraid that if they weren't careful, they would fall and cause him to fall, which would be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their family. Therefore, they walked very carefully, as if walking on thin ice. Although the weather wasn't even that hot, everyone was sweating profusely.
Finally, just as everyone was about to exhaust themselves, they were almost at the top of the hall.
But just as there was only one step left, Chu Yang said, "Stop!"
"...!?"
Everyone was taken aback and quickly stopped in their tracks, looking at him cautiously.
Chu Yang said coldly, "Put me down."
No one knew what he was going to do, but who dared to disobey the emperor's decree? So they could only carefully bend their knees again and use their trembling hands, which were almost exhausted, to gently place him down. Chu Yang landed on both feet, stood firmly, and then lifted his foot to walk up one step.
This time, he truly ascended to the throne.
Then, he slowly turned around, looked at Shang Ruyi standing below the main hall, her face filled with astonishment, seemingly still unable to recover, and smiled proudly, saying, "Did you see that?"
"..."
"I climbed up in just one step."
"..."
"Therefore, nothing is impossible, and nothing should not be done. I am the emperor, the Son of Heaven, and I can do what no one else can do, and even more so, what no one else dares to imagine."
"..."
"If you still believe that I am wrong—"
At this point, his face darkened, and he slowly said, "Then, I can only say that I misjudged you."
"..."
At this moment, Shang Ruyi was completely speechless.
She never imagined, never even in her wildest dreams, that Chu Yang would respond to her in this way.
At this moment, standing in the main hall, he still looked arrogant, his haughty demeanor shining brightly in the sunlight, as if even the sunlight could not take away a bit of his brilliance.
Looking at the panting, exhausted, and frightened eunuchs around her, Shang Ruyi felt a lump in her throat.
After a long while, she let out a long sigh.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com