Chapter 646 We can get a divorce!
"What did you say?!"
Shang Ruyi's eyes widened. The unease that had been lingering in her heart all along seemed to have become a reality at this moment.
She opened her mouth, but didn't speak immediately. Instead, her lips trembled several times, and a gurgling sound came from her throat. After struggling for a long time, she finally managed to squeeze out a hoarse voice—
How is my brother?
"..."
This time, it was Wo Xue who couldn't make a sound.
It wasn't that he couldn't speak, but rather that he couldn't bring himself to say it. Especially when he saw Shang Ruyi, who was already pale, now completely bloodless, looking as terrified as a bowstring stretched to its limit, as if it would break at any moment.
Wo Xue knew that this news would definitely break her.
But just as she was hesitating, Shang Ruyi suddenly grabbed her with red eyes and hissed, "Tell me! How is my brother?!"
"..."
Seeing her like this, Wo Xue almost burst into tears as well.
She finally couldn't hold on any longer and whispered, "Three days ago, Changchun Palace was attacked by people of unknown origin, and later, a fire broke out."
"..."
"Young Master Shen hasn't come out—Princess Consort!"
One sentence struck Shang Ruyi like a heavy hammer, and she collapsed like a puppet without its tether.
Wo Xue gasped in fright and quickly reached out to support her.
"Your Highness! Your Highness!"
Holding her tightly in her slender yet strong arms, Shang Ruyi didn't fall, but she had already lost all vitality as she managed to stand. She turned her head blankly to look at the pale face so close to hers, as if she wanted to force a smile, but she couldn't. Her expression was even more tragic than crying.
She said, "You're lying to me, aren't you?"
"..."
"Changchun Palace, even if the defenses aren't very strong, it's still guarded by two hundred men given by the King of Qin, and the King of Qi is also there. How could such a thing happen?"
"..."
"You're lying to me, aren't you? It can't be like this..."
Wo Xue looked at her, and although she couldn't bear it, the words had already been spoken and could not be taken back. The only thing she could do was tell her the truth.
Then, choking back tears, she said, "The news from the south is that His Highness Prince Qi insisted on going hunting outside the palace, taking most of his guards with him. Therefore, only a small number of soldiers were left guarding Changchun Palace, which is why—"
"..."
"None of those who remained in Changchun Palace survived."
"...!"
A thunderclap struck down from the sky.
Shang Ruyi felt numb all over her body, as if she had been struck by lightning and turned into dust. However, she could not feel any pain, only a vast and endless emptiness. She could not hear any sound, had no sensation, and even lost her breath and heartbeat.
She didn't know how much time had passed before she heard Wo Xue's urgent voice calling her name—
"Your Highness! Your Highness, how are you?"
"Your Highness, please don't frighten me!"
"princess……!"
Shang Ruyi turned her head blankly to look at her, seeing her anxious face, her cherry-red lips opening and closing repeatedly, as if she were calling her name, but even though they were so close, her voice seemed to come from a distant place—
Perhaps it's because one's soul has already drifted away.
Shang Ruyi stood there blankly, like a soulless shell, motionless and unresponsive.
Then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded.
The footsteps were heavy and hurried, and so familiar that not only Shang Ruyi, but even Wo Xue subconsciously took a deep breath and looked up at the door.
A familiar, tall figure hurried in from outside.
It is Yuwen Ye.
By this time, the sky was a bit brighter than before, so even before he got close, one could clearly see the somber and somewhat anxious expression on his face.
Even before he got close, he saw Wo Xue tightly embracing Shang Ruyi inside the open door, and he could clearly see her pale face and dazed eyes.
At this moment, Yuwen Ye's expression darkened further. He took a deep breath and strode in.
"As one wishes--"
"Yuwen Ye".
The two spoke almost simultaneously. One voice was deep and resonant, carrying the undisguised urgency on his face, while the other voice was as faint as Shang Ruyi's breath at that moment, as if even a gust of wind could blow her away.
However, this faint voice instantly drowned out the deep, resonant voice.
Yuwen Ye stopped instinctively.
Looking at Shang Ruyi's pale face, he frowned again, but decided to speak anyway. But before he could utter a word, his voice was once again drowned out by that weak, distant voice.
Shang Ruyi looked at him and said, "I want a divorce."
"...!"
Yuwen Ye's eyes widened suddenly!
Not only him, but even Wo Xue, who was holding Shang Ruyi, was stunned. She seemed unable to believe her ears and stared blankly at Shang Ruyi. She even forgot that as a servant, she should not stand here at this time, let alone interrupt. All she knew was that Shang Ruyi, whose eyes were dark and lifeless, seemed to have gone mad. She was driven to the brink of madness by the news of Shen Wuzheng's death, which was why she said such things.
But she, she can't—!
"princess……"
Just as Wo Xue was about to say something, she was interrupted by another deep, resonant voice: "Step back."
It is Yuwen Ye.
He stepped forward expressionlessly, his tall figure casting a shadow that almost completely enveloped the two of them, like a mountain pressing down on their heads, making it hard to breathe. Wo Xue instinctively released her hands, while Shang Ruyi, who had just seemed to have lost her soul and was about to fall apart, swayed slightly but managed to stand. Not only did she stand, she even raised her head, her bloodshot eyes meeting Yuwen Ye's dark, cold, and sharp eyes, which were as sharp as two knives, without fear.
Although she had gained her footing and the King of Qin had given the order, Wo Xue still hesitated.
She looked at Shang Ruyi, then at Yuwen Ye.
This time, however, the two ignored her. Yuwen Ye used the last of his patience to say, "Step back!"
The sound, like a bolt from the blue, made Wo Xue tremble.
She had no choice but to slowly walk around his tall figure to the door, glance back at the two people facing off inside, grit her teeth and leave, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Only the two of them remained in the room.
The half-open door blocked out even the sunlight that pierced through the clouds, immersing the two people completely in a suffocating darkness.
Yuwen Ye stopped breathing, staring intently at the pair of bloodshot eyes before him.
At this moment, his eyes were slowly turning red.
He said, "Say it again."
Although it was only a few words, he spoke each one with such difficulty, as if a rusty knife had been sharpened over rough gravel. Each word was heavier than the last, as if it had pierced his throat, and each word carried the stench of blood.
Even with the strongest smell of blood, Shang Ruyi couldn't detect it.
At this moment, her heart was filled with blood, so much so that it seemed to be flowing like a river.
Caught in this river of blood, when Shang Ruyi spoke again, her voice was filled with the stench of blood, yet each word was sharper than the last—
"I want a divorce!"
"..."
"You're right, you said it was all a transaction between us."
"..."
"From the very beginning, I married you for my family, to protect them from harm in this chaotic world; but now, that's all—"
"..."
"Not only did you fail to protect my family, you also put him in danger."
"..."
"You even let him—"
At this point, Shang Ruyi's voice choked with sobs, and she could no longer continue. Her eyes, red from the tears welling up in her heart, finally gave way, and tears rolled down her cheeks like broken beads, one after another, the sound of them hitting the ground shattering her heart completely.
Yuwen Ye is right; family is the most important thing to her.
She would rather die herself than let them suffer any harm.
But now, she is still alive, but her brother, who cared for her most, loved her most, and gave her boundless warmth and care in this short half of her life, is dead...
She desperately wanted to save him and pleaded with him, but she couldn't win even a shred of Yuwen Ye's mercy.
He could have saved him with a single command, yet he stood by and watched Shen Wuzheng fall into such danger, ignoring the situation.
No, he didn't ignore it.
He knew perfectly well that Changchun Palace was outside Tongguan Pass, and that it was not under the protection of the Great Sheng Dynasty. Moreover, Taiyuan might continue to send people to pursue Yuwen Cheng, which was dangerous. He knew perfectly well that Yuwen Cheng was arrogant by nature and would never obediently stay in Changchun Palace, yet he only sent two hundred men to protect them.
He did it on purpose.
Because that night, on Cangbai Mountain, Shen Wuzheng fought with him!
so--
Thinking of this, she looked up at Yuwen Ye, gritted her teeth, and forced a smile. But the tears streaming down her face and her bloodshot eyes made her smile not only ferocious, but also added a hint of unspeakable hatred: "This morning, didn't you ask me if you were useful to me?"
"..."
"Now, the result is in front of me—you are not useful to me."
"..."
"So now, you're useless."
"..."
"Didn't you teach me from the beginning that if being married to you makes me feel wronged, there's a way to make me feel less wronged: divorce!"
"..."
"Then, Your Highness, King Qin—"
Shang Ruyi looked at him, gritted her teeth, and said, word by word, "We can get a divorce!"
After saying this, she closed her eyes tightly, even stopping her breathing. It wasn't so much that she was waiting for Yuwen Ye's reply, but rather as if she was waiting for some kind of end.
She had reached her limit.
Yuwen Ye was as cold as ice at this moment. Not only his gaze, but even his entire body had lost its warmth. He was like an ice sculpture, cold and indifferent.
After an unknown amount of time, his cold eyes trembled slightly, as if tearing apart the layer of frost.
He said, "Shang Ruyi—don't even think about it!"
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