Chapter 332 I Need This "Kindness"
Yuwen Ye turned to look at her.
The sunlight outside the window cast a hazy, ink-wash-like glow on her, making her look gentle and serene, and even her eyes seemed clearer.
Yuwen Ye's eyes also seemed somewhat dazed at this moment.
After a long pause, he nodded and said, "Mm."
Shang Ruyi frowned slightly. Shouldn't they be rushing through Dongdu and returning to Yuwen Yuan's side at this time? Heading north now—
She said, "You're not planning to bypass Dongdu, are you?"
Yuwen Ye shook his head, a shadow falling over his brow as he spoke. “After Liang Shide occupied Luoyang, he commanded hundreds of thousands of troops. Almost all the counties and prefectures around Luoyang were under his control. How many detours do we have to take to avoid him?”
"..."
"Besides, Hebei was originally his territory."
Shang Ruyi nodded. That was precisely why she had been worried just now. So she asked again, "Where are you going if you head north?"
Yuwen Ye paused for a moment, then said, "Let's go to Wanggang Village."
"...!?"
Shang Ruyi's eyes widened suddenly.
Wanggangzhai?!
They're heading north, are they going to Wanggangzhai?!
The legendary Wanggangzhai, led by Wang Quyi, a place where heroes gathered, countless soldiers were commanded, and it was as impregnable as an iron barrel.
She asked almost instinctively, "Where are you going to go?"
Yuwen Ye glanced at her, a faint smile playing on his lips, but there was no smile in his eyes. In fact, there was a hint of seriousness in them. He said, "Of course, we're not here to see the scenery."
In fact, Shang Ruyi herself knew that this question was foolish.
She was just caught off guard.
Thinking about it again, she looked up at Yuwen Ye and subconsciously lowered her voice, saying, "Liang Shide and Xiao Yuansui are blocking the road ahead, so you plan to detour through Wanggang Village?"
Yuwen Ye glanced at her again, paused for a moment, and said, "That's one reason."
Shang Ruyi asked, "What else do you want to do?"
"..."
"You, you wouldn't be thinking of taking Wanggang Village now, would you?"
Yuwen Ye glanced at her but didn't say anything.
This attitude, however, is an implicit acceptance.
At this moment, Shang Ruyi couldn't even muster a surprised expression, let alone utter any words of disbelief. She just stared blankly at him. After a long while, she said softly, "Even including the men Cheng Qiao brought, you only have a little over a hundred men."
"..."
“But Wanggang Village—even if Xiao Yuansui is in Luoyang at this time, there are at least tens of thousands of people left in the village.”
"..."
"How...how do we fight this?"
Yuwen Ye said, "That's why I'm thinking of a solution."
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked at him, her mind in turmoil.
If a force of a hundred or so people were to attack a force of a thousand or so people, it might be like throwing an egg against a rock, but at least there was still hope for a miracle, such as an iron egg breaking a rock. But if a force of a hundred or so people were to attack Wanggang Village, which was garrisoned by tens of thousands of people, then even a miracle was unimaginable.
Yuwen Ye, however, said that he would have to find a way!
What kind of method could enable a team of just over a hundred people to capture Wanggang Village, which was defended by tens of thousands of people?
Shang Ruyi watched him lean against the other window, the sunlight shining on his eyes, making his cold and deep pupils glow with a hint of amber. However, his pupils were still unfathomable, and there was even a glimmer in them that the sunlight could not hide.
Seemingly sensing her gaze, Yuwen Ye turned to look at her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Shang Ruyi said softly, "I feel like you have other thoughts on your mind?"
"...!"
Yuwen Ye's eyes flickered slightly.
He asked calmly, "Why?"
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said, "The news from the Lei family should be true. Liang Shide and Xiao Yuansui are waiting for us on the road ahead. With our current strength, it is indeed unlikely that we can pass through Dongdu. So, you need to find a way to ensure our safety on the road, and more importantly, to ensure that we can return to Father's side safely. But even if all of this is true, it is not a reason for you to use a force of a hundred men to attack Wanggang Village."
"..."
"I think you should have other considerations."
"..."
A hint of joy flashed in Yuwen Ye's eyes. The joy was like that of a person who had been walking alone in the dark for a long time and suddenly saw a ray of light ahead, and in the light, there was the figure of another person.
But he didn't show much excitement; he just let out a long sigh.
Then he said, "You're right."
Shang Ruyi opened her eyes wide: "You—"
Yuwen Ye said, "I need this 'credit'."
"...Merit?"
Shang Ruyi looked at him, a thought flashing through her mind—merit? What does that mean?
She thought about it and seemed to understand a little. Now that the Duke of Sheng had raised an army, the next step would definitely be to contend for the world. Yuwen Ye was his most valued son, who had made outstanding military achievements by his side. If he could really take Wanggang Village in one fell swoop, it would indeed be a "merit".
But does this credit really need to be called "needed"?
Right now, his priority should be protecting himself. Why would he be thinking about needing credit?
Moreover, mentioning achievements seems to imply a desire to compete with others.
Shang Ruyi had a vague feeling that something was going on, but it was as if a thin veil was covering her eyes, making it impossible for her to see through Yuwen Ye's thoughts or his cold and deep eyes.
After a long silence, she said softly, "If you want to do it, then do it."
This time, it was Yuwen Ye who looked at her again. Looking into her eyes, which were hidden by her long eyelashes, Yuwen Ye said softly, "You can rest assured."
Shang Ruyi looked up at him: "Hmm?"
"No matter what I do, I will protect you."
"..."
"This is my bottom line."
"..."
Shang Ruyi's eyes dimmed again. She lowered her head to avoid his gaze and said, "I am not a burden to you. No matter what, I will do what I should do."
Yuwen Ye looked at her quietly, and after a long while, he said softly, "Mm."
The two of them didn't speak again for the rest of the journey.
Although Shang Ruyi was still uneasy, she understood that she shouldn't disturb Yuwen Ye's thoughts at this time. She might not be able to do much in the war, so not putting pressure on him and letting him do what he wanted was the only thing she could do.
They didn't stop until noon, when they ate and rested at a tea stall by the roadside.
Yuwen Ye got off the carriage as usual, then turned around, took her hand, and carefully helped her out of the carriage, half-supporting and half-carrying her.
Even now, the two still haven't reached a consensus on their relationship, not only because they can't agree, but also because at this point, survival is far more important than feelings. Regardless of whether he still needs his wife to conceal his feelings, Shang Ruyi knows she still needs him—
They need Yuwen Yuan, their father-in-law, even more.
So the two of them remained as they were when they first got married, and in front of everyone, they still appeared to be a harmonious couple.
Seeing how carefully Yuwen Ye was protecting her, Tu She'er finally felt relieved and hurriedly ran to the stall owner to buy tea and snacks.
There were many of them, and the stall owner didn't have enough tea and snacks on hand. He could only serve the two hosts first, bring them tea and snacks, and then go to the stove to boil water to make tea for the others. He was so busy that his feet barely touched the ground, and he still said with a smile, "Please enjoy your meal, esteemed guests. The rest will be brought over soon."
Yuwen Ye poured a cup of tea from the teapot and handed it to Shang Ruyi.
Then he turned to his head and asked, "Boss, do you have many customers passing by here?"
The stall owner immediately smiled wryly and said, "You flatter me, esteemed guest. This place is so desolate that even the villages are gone. It's been quite a while since we've finally met you all."
Shang Ruyi took a sip of tea; it was very weak, only good for quenching her thirst. She pursed her lips and asked, "If that's the case, then why are you still here doing business?"
The stall owner chuckled, "Although there aren't many passing customers, we still have such a large village to protect."
As he spoke, he pointed ahead.
Yuwen Ye said, "You mean Wanggang Village? You do business with them?"
"yes,"
The stall owner laughed and said, "There are many people in that village. When they go out to do business, there are dozens of people at a time, and hundreds or thousands at other times. They just need to rest at my stall for a while, and that's enough for me to eat for a while."
Yuwen Ye said, "So that's how it is."
After saying that, he smiled and said, "So, boss, you're also relying on a gold mine."
The boss said with a wry smile, "They say it's a gold mine, but who knows when it will collapse? In this world, you hit me today, I hit you tomorrow, even the eastern capital Luoyang—who can guarantee longevity? We small business owners are afraid of the mountain collapsing if we rely on it, and afraid of the water flowing away if we rely on it."
Shang Ruyi said, "Therefore, it is better for the world to be at peace."
The stall owner laughed and said, "Of course. But—"
Just then, the water on the stove boiled, so he quickly grabbed the kettle and brewed tea for everyone around him, handing it to each person. Then he sighed and walked back, saying, "These days, with all this war and chaos, I've heard even the emperor—alas, the only way to live a peaceful life is in my dreams."
"..."
Shang Ruyi's expression immediately darkened.
Yuwen Ye glanced at her but didn't say anything. He simply took the kettle, added some hot water to her cup, and said softly, "Drink some more; your lips are dry."
Shang Ruyi looked up at him, said nothing, just nodded silently, and brought the cup to her lips.
At this moment, the stall owner sighed and said, "Speaking of which, the chaos in the world started with the rebellion of the Zuo family. It was in these two prefectures of Ying and Song that things got really bad. The emperor was still in Luoyang, and they almost took Luoyang. That shows how fierce they were."
"..."
"Ever since his family started it, there has never been a moment of peace in this world."
As soon as he said that, the entire tea stall fell silent.
Shang Ruyi's hand trembled involuntarily, and a drop of tea spilled from the cup, splashing onto her hand.
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