Chapter 333 Phoenix Cries Beside Xiaoshan
She hurriedly put down her teacup, but when she looked up, she found that Yuwen Ye also seemed to be lost in thought. Although he wasn't as lost in thought as she was, his fingers, which were holding the teacup to his lips, were also slightly stiff.
The two looked at each other, a glint of light flashing in their eyes.
Clearly, both of them were stunned by those two words—
The Zuo family!
This surname and this family were not unfamiliar to them, especially to Yuwen Ye, who could even say he was familiar with them, because the Zuo family also came from Dingchuan Military Town, and like the Yuwen family and other powerful families, they assisted the late Emperor Chu Yin in establishing the Daye Dynasty and made great contributions.
The person in charge of the Zuo family at that time was none other than Zuo Chen'an, the Duke of Xiaoshan who later served as prime minister for two dynasties!
However, this powerful Duke Xiaoshan did not live to this day, as he passed away from illness shortly after Chu Yang ascended the throne.
However, there were many speculations about his death later on.
After all, it was unlikely that such a powerful and valiant minister in his prime would lose his life to a minor cold; later, there were even rumors that he died after the emperor personally sent someone from the palace to give him medicine.
Of course, this was all baseless and just speculation, but what happened afterward seemed to confirm these speculations. After Zuo Chen'an's death, his family was no longer valued by the court, especially his son who inherited his title, who was suppressed by the court and stripped of his title. In a short time, a once illustrious family gradually disintegrated and declined.
Therefore, his eldest son, Zuo Heng, raised an army and rebelled against the imperial court.
This refers to the massive Zuo family rebellion of that year.
Sensing the sudden silence from the two distinguished guests, the stall owner feared he had said something wrong and hurriedly said with a smile, "Oh, what nonsense I'm spouting? The water's boiling, I'll brew you some more tea."
After saying that, he turned around and went back to the stove.
The two people who remained had different expressions. Shang Ruyi subconsciously looked up and saw that Yuwen Ye was also looking at her.
She couldn't help but feel a little flustered: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Yuwen Ye retorted, "Why are you panicking?"
"Me? I'm not panicking at all."
"..."
Meeting her clearly somewhat flustered gaze, Yuwen Ye didn't say anything more. Instead, he silently took out a handkerchief from his pocket, took her hand, and gently wiped her fingers that had just been wet.
His hand was steady and strong, which made Shang Ruyi's fingertips tremble slightly involuntarily.
He said, "And you still say you're not panicking?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi bit her lower lip and quickly pulled her hand back. Although the tea had been wiped clean, her heart was still pounding wildly, unsure whether it was because of the "Zuo family" or the lingering sensation on her fingertips.
Seeing that she refused to speak, Yuwen Ye did not press her, but calmly said, "I actually remember that matter very well. After all, Zuo Heng was the oldest and most capable person in our group. Speaking of his ability to lead troops—even today, he is second to none."
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but glance at him.
Yuwen Ye is not arrogant, but he has the most arrogant heart. He can only praise others if they can truly convince him.
As for leading troops, she knew that he had absolute strength and the right to be proud.
However, even he said that Zuo Heng's ability to lead troops was second to none, and "anyone" obviously included himself.
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said softly, "Of course."
Even though her family had declined early and she wasn't very familiar with these noble scions, she had long heard of Zuo Heng's uprising in Ying and Song prefectures, which had garnered a massive following of tens of thousands. Moreover, because the commander was from a prestigious family and was brave and skilled in battle, the imperial army that was suppressing the rebellion suffered several setbacks, and even with the emperor stationed in Luoyang, the city nearly fell.
Afterwards, it was only through the joint efforts of dozens of armies from various regions that Zuo Heng's rebellion was suppressed.
It is said that in the end, he fought alone against thousands of enemies, never surrendering until his death. The blood that flowed from his body stained a large area of land red, and it did not recede for months!
His death was tragic, leaving the deepest bloodstain on the rule of the Daye Dynasty.
Because after that, rebel armies sprang up everywhere, and the imperial court was severely weakened by the rebellion, gradually losing control over various regions.
Shang Ruyi said softly, "I've also heard my uncle mention him. He often laments that if only he could have been employed by the court—"
Before he could finish speaking, Yuwen Ye let out a soft laugh.
Shang Ruyi asked, "What are you laughing at?"
A hint of coldness flashed in Yuwen Ye's eyes as he said calmly, "He was forced into a corner by the court, so how could he be used by the court? If the court were willing to use him, how could he have been forced into a corner?"
Shang Ruyi slowly clenched her fist on the table.
After a long silence, she said softly, "Do you know why he was driven to his death by the imperial court?"
Yuwen Ye turned to look at her: "You know?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Actually, I didn't know before, but just now, I think I do."
Yuwen Ye found it strange and asked, "Why?"
Shang Ruyi looked at him, remained silent for a long while, and then said softly, "After three generations of imperial rule, Wang Gang seized the people's livelihood. The phoenix cries beside Xiaoshan, and one can still look to Mizizhou..."
Yuwen Ye's brows immediately furrowed.
It's that prophetic song again.
She had mentioned it before on the way back to Dongdu from Yanmen County, but Yuwen Ye immediately stopped her, saying that it was all nonsense and he didn't take it seriously. But she didn't expect that Shang Ruyi would bring it up again now.
He said, "Why do you believe these things?"
Shang Ruyi said, "I don't necessarily have to believe it. But I just realized that Xiao Shan Gong's death and Zuo Heng's suppression by the court may be related to this prophetic song."
"..."
Yuwen Ye was taken aback, but after a moment of focused thought, he immediately understood.
Phoenix sings beside Xiaoshan Mountain...
He looked up at Shang Ruyi and said, "You mean that the court doubted the title of Duke Xiaoshan, which fulfilled the prophecy, so they no longer trusted the Zuo family and later stripped him of the title?"
Shang Ruyi nodded and said, "Actually, the suppression of the Zuo family is already the second wave of the court's purge of those whose names correspond to prophecies. Before that, there was another person related to the character 'Xiao,' who was also suppressed by the court, wasn't he?"
Yuwen Ye's eyes suddenly flashed: "Xiao Yuansui..."
Shang Ruyi said, "I remember that Xiao Yuansui became a major criminal of the court because he participated in the Zuo family's rebellion. Zuo Heng died in battle, but he survived and was forced to flee everywhere."
"..."
This time, Yuwen Ye remained silent.
He simply frowned, deep in thought for a long time, a faint light flickering in his deep eyes.
After a long pause, he murmured, "The phoenix cries beside Xiaoshan Mountain..."
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