Chapter 852 His Cultivation, Your Illness?
As they were talking, the carriage stopped.
The Crown Prince's residence was not far from the palace, and given the special circumstances tonight, Yuwen Yuan granted permission for the Xuanwu Gate to remain closed until 3:45 PM, allowing them to return to the palace through the Xuanwu Gate. Once the carriage came to a stop, the two of them got out of the carriage with the child in their arms.
It was pitch black all around.
From the very beginning, Shang Ruyi had an indescribable feeling about this palace gate. At this moment, it was pitch black, with only the faint light flickering inside the palace gate in the distance, but it could not illuminate the surroundings. On both sides of the wide passage leading to the palace gate, there were dense pine and cypress trees. Although they were planted very neatly, in the darkness of the night, they seemed like two thick and tall walls blocking her view.
A breeze blows, the pine needles sway and rustle, as if countless figures are hidden among them.
Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.
As if sensing that her tense heartstrings had been suddenly tugged, Yuwen Ye looked down and rubbed his shoulders: "What's wrong?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi didn't speak immediately, her eyes still fixed on the woods ahead. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there were no people hiding behind the swaying pine branches.
Yuwen Ye seemed to have sensed something as well. He looked at the pine trees, then at her, and said softly, "It's alright."
"..."
"Hurry back to the palace, or the gates will close soon."
"Um."
Shang Ruyi regained her composure and stopped asking the question he hadn't answered. She followed Yuwen Ye forward, and Tu She'er and the others quickly followed, some carrying lanterns and others carrying dumplings. The group hurried along and finally returned to Qianqiu Palace under the cover of night.
It was almost midnight by then.
Shang Ruyi asked Tu She'er to take Yuanzi to the wet nurse, and asked Chang Wan to remove her hairpins and jewelry. When Wo Xue brought hot water and other items, Yuwen Ye also changed into a light set of pajamas and said, "You can all go now. We can clean these things up tomorrow."
Changwan and Woxue accepted the order and withdrew from the inner hall.
The entire Qianqiu Palace finally fell completely silent at this moment, and the two of them, who had returned from the bustling Crown Prince's residence, seemed to have finally found a moment of peace.
Yuwen Ye stood up, walked to the copper basin, and was about to bend down to wash his face when he suddenly stopped.
Shang Ruyi was combing her hair in front of the dressing mirror when she saw him staring blankly at the copper basin. She couldn't help but turn her head. Beside Yuwen Ye was a candlestick, the candlelight illuminating the warm water in the basin. The water rippled gently, and the shimmering light reflected on Yuwen Ye's face and eyes, making him seem both calm and turbulent. His mind seemed to have flown off somewhere and for who knows how long.
Shang Ruyi stood up and walked to his side: "What are you thinking about?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye's eyes, reflected in the water, trembled slightly. He glanced at her again through the shimmering reflection and said, "I'm thinking of my brother."
Yuwen Qian...
Shang Ruyi immediately thought of her last question, which Yuwen Ye hadn't answered since she was interrupted, so she said, "You're thinking about the past?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye paused for a moment, then gave a soft "hmm".
Then he bent down, scooped up a handful of water and poured it on his face. The water was a little hot when it was brought to him, but now it had become warm. The steam caused the alcohol in his body to rise gradually, making his face even redder, and even the corners of his eyes seemed to turn red.
It was only at this moment that he seemed to become drunk.
Shang Ruyi didn't say much, but handed him a towel to wipe himself clean. She also quickly washed up herself, and the two of them finally went to bed before four in the morning.
Aside from the occasional nights when Yuwen Ye's indulgent demands might keep Shang Ruyi awake, they usually didn't sleep late. Moreover, they had spent the entire afternoon at the Crown Prince's residence dealing with officials of all levels, not to mention the confrontation by the lake that evening; both of them were extremely tired. But as soon as they lay down, the weariness seemed to dissipate, and their bright eyes met in the darkness, clearly seeing the bewilderment and desolation in each other's eyes.
Shang Ruyi finally said, "You—"
Just as she spoke, Yuwen Ye also spoke, but his voice was unexpectedly hoarse, as if fatigue had finally manifested some strength in him. He said in a hoarse voice, "Do you remember me saying that I was sick once when I was a child?"
Shang Ruyi's eyes flickered again in the darkness.
Of course I haven't forgotten.
Even just a few days ago, when Yuwen Ye used the excuse that she was physically weak to prevent her from going to send off the spirit of the Duke of Shenwu, she argued with him, saying that he was also a human being and had been sick before, so why should he look down on her?
At that time, Yuwen Ye's expression was very strange.
He told her, "I was sick once, but not because I was weak."
After that sentence echoed in her mind, Shang Ruyi almost immediately asked, "Why is that?"
Yuwen Ye seemed to recall that the two of them had discussed this matter a few days ago, and naturally understood that this sudden question was a follow-up to his previous remarks. His breathing became slightly heavy, but he still did not answer. Instead, he continued, "Do you remember what happened after I said I was sick?"
Shang Ruyi frowned slightly.
Yuwen Ye told her these things on their way back to Chang'an from Jiangdu, after they had just experienced a near-fatal incident where a huge rock rolled down from a valley and hit their carriage. More than a year had passed since then.
However, her memory wasn't bad. After a moment's thought, she said softly, "I remember you said that when you were very young, you had a serious illness that no medicine could cure, and you almost died. Later, your parents went to Dayan Temple to pray for you, and after that, you recovered."
"Um."
"Then……"
As she recalled Yuwen Ye's deep, resonant voice growing clearer in her ears, Shang Ruyi suddenly shuddered, as if another gust of cold wind had crept into the bedding. But the quilt was clearly covering her tightly, and Yuwen Ye was holding her close, his body heat soothing her skin, so warm that there was no way a cold wind could get in.
It was more like a chill that arose in her own heart.
She also recalled the words Yuwen Ye had once said to her, seemingly unintentionally. Each word was lower, heavier, and more trembling as he said, "Later, you didn't see him at home. When you asked, you found out that he had gone to Dayan Temple to listen to the Zen master's sermon and refused to come back."
"..."
"After that, he often stayed in temples. Later, he left home to travel and began to practice Buddhism."
Yuwen Ye nodded slightly: "Mm."
Shang Ruyi lifted her head from his embrace, looked into his cold eyes that seemed to reveal a hint of desolation, and said in a deep voice, "He cultivates, and your illness—?"
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