Chapter 1233 Soft-hearted
"You agreed?"
When they returned to the Prince of Qin's residence, it was already dark, and many people in the residence had already gone to bed. Yuwen Ye had the wet nurse and others take away Xiao Yuangan, who had been waiting for him and had fallen asleep in Shang Ruyi's arms. After taking a quick bath and washing up, once only the two of them were left in the room, he told her everything that had happened in the palace that day.
After hearing all this, Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and immediately asked, "You agreed to go to Luoyang?"
Yuwen Ye lowered his eyes: "I only promised Father that I would consider it."
Shang Ruyi kept staring at him: "Fengchen, I know your temper very well. If you say you'll consider it, then you've agreed."
"..."
Yuwen Ye remained silent, and the room fell silent.
After a while, he realized something, looked up at Shang Ruyi, and said, "So, you won't agree."
Shang Ruyi frowned and asked, "Can we agree to that?"
"..."
“You are not unaware of what you are fighting for. Even in Fufeng, in the Turkic lands, or at Hulao Pass, if you had sent troops and then retreated, you might have been able to protect yourself. But what you are fighting for now is the position of Crown Prince—no, the throne. Back in Luoyang, you had already set your sights on your father.”
"..."
"Now that you're going to Luoyang, do you really think we can get away unscathed?"
Yuwen Ye was silent for a moment, then said, "It's not impossible."
Several lines appeared between Shang Ruyi's brows.
This is not Yuwen Ye's way of escaping reality. Although Chu Yang failed to defend Luoyang back then, and Liang Shide and Xiao Yuansui also failed to defend Luoyang later, it does not mean that Luoyang is really undefendable. If he has the strength and combat power, and Yuwen Yuan really keeps his promise today and lets him take away everyone from the Qin Prince's Mansion, including his troops, then perhaps Luoyang really will be their new world.
But--
Shang Ruyi asked, "Are you willing to accept this?"
Yuwen Ye did not answer immediately, but sat down on the edge of the bed. The only candle in the room flickered, the light was dim, but it reflected the contradictions and struggles in his eyes. This was the first time that Shang Ruyi had seen him hesitate and waver.
But he has never been that kind of person.
She walked over and sat down next to Yuwen Ye, placing one hand on his shoulder and feeling the coolness of the night dew. She pressed half her body against him and asked, "What's wrong?"
Yuwen Ye spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse: "This is the first time I've realized that Father has grown old."
"..."
“During the time we were away, he aged a lot, and Grandpa Yu said that his headaches were becoming very severe. In the past, they would only occur once every six months, but now they occur several times a month, and each one is more severe than the last.”
"..."
“He has never appeared before me like this before. In the past, he was more heroic than anyone else when riding on horseback. During the suppression of the Longmen rebellion, he fired a hundred arrows in a row and hit the target every time. After that, he led me, Huang Gongyi, Da Bo, and a team of personal guards to kill through the rebel army of Shu Duan. At that time, I thought that a man like him would never grow old.”
"..."
"But he's still getting old..."
Upon hearing these words, Shang Ruyi's expression also became serious.
It turns out that Yuwen Ye had softened his heart.
The tricks she used this time were learned from Yuwen Ye when she was in Luoyang. Her personality of not suffering losses was cultivated from childhood. All of this made her more determined and stronger every day. However, she understood that no matter how much she learned or how far she went, it would be difficult to surpass Yuwen Ye. He was resolute, shrewd, and ruthless, which was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
But this time, it was Yuwen Ye who was the first to retreat.
This is not surprising, because that was his father.
No matter how much Yuwen Yuan loved her, and no matter how much Shang Ruyi tried to please him as a daughter-in-law and ease the tension between father and son, Shang Ruyi could never truly see this loving old man as her own father and let him replace Shang Ruohong in her heart. There is always a barrier between people's hearts, and without blood ties, there is an even greater barrier. Therefore, she failed to immediately appreciate Yuwen Ye's tenderness and affection.
But I can still understand a little bit.
Shang Ruyi said softly, "I understand."
As she spoke, she gently leaned against Yuwen Ye, her cheek pressed against his chest, rubbing against him lightly. This tender intimacy almost soothed the melancholy that had been weighing on Yuwen Ye's heart.
He asked, "Then, will you agree?"
Shang Ruyi said, "This whole decision should have been made by you from beginning to end. If you stay, I will naturally stay; if you want to leave, I will naturally go with you. But—"
"Just what?"
"However, we need to consider the possible outcomes before making a decision."
"..."
"You probably can't think things through calmly right now, so I have to tell you the worst possible outcome that I can think of."
"……you say."
"Luoyang is bordered by Mount Song to the east, the Qinling Mountains to the west, the Funiu Mountains to the south, and the Yellow River to the north, making it a strategic location for military operations. Moreover, it is a hub of the Grand Canal, connecting the north and south, making it not only a prosperous city but also a place of great importance to military strategists."
"..."
"The reason why Liang Shide and Xiao Yuansui failed to hold the line before was naturally because your offensive was powerful and your plans were flawless. But you should also be able to see that there have been constant battles of all sizes around Luoyang in recent years, and there have been constant disturbances from the northern rebels. That's why Xiao Yuansui was able to sweep across Hebei and the east... In short, without a strong court to unify the country, there will still be Wang Quyi, Xiao Yuansui, and Wanggangzhai there."
"..."
"And this is only what's happening in the north."
Yuwen Ye gently put one arm around her and said, "Go on."
Shang Ruyi said, "I don't know what the Crown Prince's attitude towards us is now, but if someone else is sleeping soundly next to your bed, can you feel at ease?"
"..."
"Putting everything else aside, do you think Yu Mingyue would be content with this?"
When Yu Mingyue was mentioned, a hint of disgust flashed in Yuwen Ye's eyes.
Although this chaotic battle between the Thousand Bull Guards and the Valiant Guards was orchestrated by him without him noticing, after all, if he had insisted on refusing, Yuwen Yuan would not have been able to hand over Shen Tu Tai's men to Su Changjing. The reason he agreed was because he had foreseen this outcome.
There's no other reason than that this woman is a petty person.
In fact, he never really regarded this woman of extraordinary background as an opponent. Even though her appearance did cause them some trouble, after the initial shock, he realized that she had no ambition or talent and only resorted to underhanded tricks, so she was not worth worrying about at all.
He could even vaguely sense that even the Crown Prince didn't have much closeness or trust towards her.
But she had already become the Crown Princess. If Yuwen Qian really ascended the throne and succeeded to the throne, she would undoubtedly be his Empress. And how much trouble would this Empress, whom they always regarded as their enemy, bring them?
I fear that in the future, the Eastern Capital and the Western Capital will truly be locked in endless wars, and the nation's strength will be consumed by these endless conflicts.
Yuwen Ye frowned.
Shang Ruyi continued, "I haven't mentioned the King of Qi yet."
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