Chapter 765 Are my sister-in-law alright?
Just as the two people inside the Thousand Autumns Palace were chatting and laughing, a loud crash broke the silence in the main hall of the Yu family mansion on the other side.
A teacup fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Duke Yu Dingxing of Wushan was pale and looked somewhat flustered. He then looked at the eunuch who had come out of the palace to deliver the message. The eunuch's face was not good to begin with, and he was even more startled by this. He hurriedly comforted him and gave a wink to the people around him. Immediately, someone presented him with several silver notes and respectfully sent the eunuch away.
Once the person left, Yu Dingxing's face darkened.
He coldly turned to look at Yu Mingyue, who was sitting to his left, calm and composed after hearing everything that had happened in the Liangyi Hall that day. He said in a deep voice, "Is this what you meant by 'absolutely foolproof'?"
"..."
Although he remained calm and composed, a hint of undisguised frustration still flashed in his eyes the moment he heard those words.
Yu Mingyue turned her head to look at him.
Yu Dingxing then said, "Is this what you meant by 'everything is under control'?"
"..."
Normally, Yu Mingyue would have a thousand words to answer such a question, but today, having just learned of her "utter defeat" in the Liangyi Hall, even though she had been prepared for a 10% chance of failure in her almost certain plan, she still couldn't help but feel frustrated and disappointed when she actually failed, and even felt a little breathless and unable to answer.
After a long silence, she finally said, "Why must Father do this?"
Why bother?
Yu Dingxing grew angrier as he listened, and even clenched his fists. After all, he was a martial artist by training and had a bad temper. Moreover, he had never had any affection for this daughter over the years. Now, seeing her act without consulting him, taking such a big risk only to end up in such a disastrous defeat, he was bound to punish her according to his usual practice.
But he ultimately held back.
Although this daughter was someone he had abandoned, and although he had obtained his title of Duke of Wushan through her actions, it was precisely because of these things that Yu Dingxing couldn't feel the fatherly affection he should have for her. Even ants on the same rope have a strange sense of mutual exploitation and distrust, and she seemed to feel the same way. But regardless, Yu Mingyue still received a salary from the court and was a compiler in the Jixian Hall, so he couldn't just take action against her casually. Moreover, even if the emperor changed his mind and didn't take her as his daughter-in-law, her relationship with the Crown Prince hadn't been severed. The person who just came to report the news was sent by Han Shanggong, and they knew all too well the relationship between Han Shanggong and the Crown Prince.
This is also why Yu Dingxing has always tolerated her.
Unable to take action, but unable to swallow his anger, Yu Dingxing gritted his teeth and sneered, "Who was it that said His Highness Prince Qin's backyard would be on fire and he wouldn't be able to take care of us?"
"..."
"And now, so what?"
"..."
"You said you wanted to do something, some kind of female rivalry, but right now the Princess Consort of Qin and the Consort of Qin aren't fighting at all. Not only aren't they fighting, but they're also cooperating perfectly, covering up the people you planted and the things you did with just a few words."
"..."
"That's fine, the affairs of the King of Qin's harem have nothing to do with us. Even if the sisters are of one mind and love each other, it has nothing to do with us. But because of this matter, most of the power held by Han Shanggong has been divided into Yu Mingli's hands. Do you know what this means!"
The more he spoke, the uglier Yu Mingyue's face became.
Actually, even without Yu Dingxing explaining it to her word by word, she already knew the importance of the matter from the somewhat panicked expression of the young eunuch who had just come from the palace. Before this, as long as Yuwen Yuan hadn't granted his concubines any power to manage the harem, and Shang Ruyi needed to rest and protect her pregnancy, then the people and affairs of the palace were in Han Shanggong's hands, and thus she could know about them and use them to her advantage.
But now, it has fallen into the hands of that Eunuch Yu.
Even now, Yu Mingyue has not been able to get past Eunuch Yu, not only because she can't, but also because she understands to some extent that this is a tough nut to crack.
Because this eunuch Yu's background is too complicated. From the beginning, he was a confidant sent to the palace by Yuwen Yuan. Although he has been loyal to Chu Yang and Empress Dowager Jiang over the years, he has always been loyal to Yuwen Yuan. During the Jiangdu Palace Coup, when it was so dangerous, it was Yuwen Ye who rescued him and escorted him all the way back to Daxing.
Everyone knows that this is an immense act of kindness that saved their lives!
As an old man who had served Chu Yang for many years, Yu Mingli could not possibly be unaware of the choices he was facing. Even if his actions were not conspicuous, they could not be hidden from others.
He is inclined towards Prince Qin, Yuwen Ye!
In other words, even if the personnel appointments and dismissals, as well as all matters large and small, in the palace are not entirely in the hands of Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi, they are at least not hidden from their eyes.
She could no longer use such petty tricks to shake those two people in the Thousand Autumns Palace!
Thinking of this, Yu Mingyue couldn't help but grit her teeth.
Because she knew that if she couldn't scheme against Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi using people and things that wouldn't get involved, she could only resort to major upheavals and wars, such as the previous battles of Fufeng and Taiyuan. However, after several attempts, she found that those were too difficult to manipulate and could easily cause other problems. Moreover, there wasn't much time left before the most crucial "that matter".
Fortunately, there was still one more thing in front of her!
Thinking of this, she rallied herself, glanced at her "father" with a cold look, and said calmly, "Father, there's no need to panic. I've said it before, we still have a chance."
"..."
"This incident is merely paving the way for an upcoming 'opportunity'."
"...!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Dingxing frowned again.
Another "opportunity" is on the horizon.
From the moment this daughter brought the heir of the Duke of Sheng to his side and persuaded him to pledge allegiance to the Duke of Sheng, she had said similar things countless times. Although Yu Dingxing did not believe her, he could not help but believe in Yuwen Yuan, who possessed absolute power in the chaotic world, had now truly established a country, proclaimed himself emperor, and bestowed titles upon him.
Now, what can we do if we don't believe her?
Her name is Yu Mingyue, the eldest daughter of the Yu family who has already been recognized as a member of the clan. The things she did, as well as the things he did with her and Yuwen Qian, had long since offended the Prince of Qin. At this point, of course, he had no way to turn back.
Yu Dingxing's face was ashen. He remained silent for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "I only hope that you will not use these repeated 'opportunities' to lead the Yu family down a path of no return."
"...!"
Yu Mingyue frowned.
After a long silence, she suppressed the sudden, inexplicable unease in her heart and said calmly, "How could that be?"
Yu Dingxing, still furious, asked, "Then what do you plan to do?"
Yu Mingyue smiled faintly: "Wait."
"Wait? Still wait?"
Yu Dingxing laughed in anger, saying, "Do you think that the only result of this incident is the weakening of Han Yuhui's power? Today, the Ministry of War has ordered Shen Tu Tai to lead his army eastward to attack Songzhou and Xuzhou!"
"..."
"Prefect Fan Chengen of Songzhou is a scholar, and he has no capable military generals by his side. He simply cannot defend against Shen Tu Tai. Once Songzhou and Xuzhou fall to Shen Tu Tai, the heavy responsibility of attacking Luoyang will definitely fall on the Prince of Qin. At that time—"
A cold glint flashed in Yu Mingyue's eyes.
But she remained confident and simply said, "So what?"
"you--"
"What I want is for Shentu Tai to take Songzhou."
"...!"
This time, Yu Dingxing couldn't help but show a surprised expression, while Yu Mingyue slowly got up and walked to the entrance of the hall. Looking at the sky outside, she said calmly, "Don't worry, there are still a few months left. Don't be impatient."
"..."
"The best is yet to come."
|
After nearly half a month of preparation, on the second day of the fourth month, Shen Tu Tai, a general of the Sheng Dynasty, led 80,000 troops eastward.
Also accompanying him on the expedition was Prince Qi, Yuwen Cheng.
Although it was only an attack on the two prefectures of Song and Xu, and not a large-scale battle, the people in the court were not stupid. Everyone knew how important it was to take the two prefectures of Song and Xu for the future capture of Luoyang, the eastern capital, and the eastward expansion strategy of the Dasheng Dynasty. Therefore, many officials from the court came to see them off.
After all, they're not stupid.
Not only were Prince Qi among those who led the troops this time, but Princess Qin was also pregnant with the eldest grandson of the emperor, and the emperor bestowed upon her countless rewards; also, because of a "minor matter" in the palace, Han Shanggong, who was inclined to support the crown prince, was stripped of her power. After that, Pei Xingyuan, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, was promoted to vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and several generals under Yuwen Ye were also promoted. This greatly expanded the power of Prince Qin's side, and for a time, they were unparalleled in their prominence.
People gradually realized that although the victory in the Battle of Taiyuan allowed Yuwen Qian to take the position of Crown Prince, the Great Sheng Dynasty could still rely on the Prince of Qin to continue its eastward expansion and increase its sphere of influence.
Therefore, quite a few people came to see Shen Tu Tai off this time.
In the past, even when Yuwen Ye personally led an expedition, Shang Ruyi would only see him off at the gate of his residence and watch him depart. But this time, she followed Yuwen Ye, who was seeing Shen Tu Tai off, all the way to the city gate. When the army set off, she even climbed the city wall and watched the long, serpentine procession marching forward in a mighty procession, their orderly steps causing the city wall to tremble slightly.
She instinctively reached out and touched the hard, cold battlements of the city wall.
Are you alright?
A warm chest immediately pressed against her shoulder. Shang Ruyi turned around and saw that Yuwen Ye had walked to her side and quietly took her hand.
Shang Ruyi smiled and shook her head, saying, "It's nothing."
Yuwen Ye said, "I told you not to come. The army is setting off, and the atmosphere is too bloody. Plus, you're pregnant."
Shang Ruyi blinked at him and said, "But didn't you say before that whether a child becomes a dragon or a worm depends on the mother?"
"Um?"
"Then I'll let him see it sooner rather than later. If his mother isn't afraid, how could he be afraid of this?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye immediately smiled.
After the hawthorn cake incident, it seemed that some news had leaked out. The noble ladies and noblewomen who used to visit her every day came less often. In the past two weeks, Shang Ruyi has finally calmed down and been able to recuperate, so her belly has begun to grow visibly.
Although she wasn't as heavily pregnant as women who are seven or eight months along, her belly was still clearly visible as slightly protruding.
One can even imagine how spectacular it will be in a few months.
While feeling pleased and satisfied, Yuwen Ye became more cautious than before. Normally, he wouldn't have hesitated to let Shang Ruyi interact with his subordinates, especially those in the military. But now, Shang Ruyi was so carefree that he had to constantly worry about whether she was bumped or blown by the wind.
The two of them have completely switched places.
So he said, "Yes, you're not afraid, he's not afraid, only I'm afraid."
Shang Ruyi smiled so hard her eyes crinkled.
After laughing, she looked around and said softly, "By the way, why didn't Lord Pei come today?"
It had been a while since they last met at the Pei family home. Among the people around Yuwen Ye, besides her brother, Pei Xingyuan was the one she was closest to. He was just so cheerful and adorable, and could make people laugh with just a few words. People always like to be around such a ray of sunshine.
Yuwen Ye said, "He has been promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue, and he has a lot of things to do."
He sighed softly and said, "Whether it's the previous dynasty or the current one, no one has ever become a vice minister at such a young age. He's riding high right now, but I'm afraid he might make a careless mistake."
Shang Ruyi said softly, "Although Lord Pei may seem carefree at times, he is reliable in his work."
"..."
"His promotion to Vice Minister is good for us."
Yuwen Ye was right. For Pei Xingyuan, the position of Vice Minister of Revenue came too early. In the previous dynasty, or even the dynasty before that, no one had ever served as Vice Minister of Revenue in their twenties. He was indeed too prestigious. But Shang Ruyi understood that this was also because Emperor Yuwen Yuan came from a military background and understood the relationship between war and supplies all too well.
Currently, the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin hold power in the court. Apart from the last time Yu Mingyue attacked him, they haven't caused any significant trouble yet. However, he still needs to guard against such a thing happening. After all, throughout history, there have been too many brave and skilled generals who could have remained undefeated but were defeated by internal strife in the rear.
In war, especially in battles like Shen Tu Tai's, where the front lines are stretched out and the campaign extends eastward, logistical support is crucial.
Promoting Pei Xingyuan to the position of Vice Minister of Revenue would effectively guarantee the logistics of this war, preventing Shen Tu Tai's army from being disturbed by the rear. Then, he would only need to concentrate on capturing the two prefectures of Song and Xu.
Shang Ruyi covered her mouth and chuckled, "He must be looking very pleased with himself right now."
Yuwen Ye chuckled and said, "Fortunately, I'm only successful in officialdom."
"oh?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback upon hearing this and immediately asked, "What else?"
Yuwen Ye glanced at her sideways, then looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to their conversation before leaning close to her ear and whispering, "I heard that a couple of days ago, Su Qinglan hosted a dinner at Shenjuan Pavilion, and he actually went. As a result, he had another fight with that Liang Youying. If it weren't for Jiang Yan stopping him, he probably wouldn't have been able to handle even this vice minister position."
"ah?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's eyes lit up: "Really?"
Why would I lie to you?
"..."
"Moreover, even though the two of them have fallen out like this, they still get together to argue every day."
As Yuwen Ye spoke, he chuckled again and said, "He's destined to be dominated by this kind of woman for the rest of his life; he'll never be able to turn things around."
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but laugh.
After laughing, a faint, indescribable sadness welled up in her heart—of course she knew that Lei Yu had reached this point in her life and would no longer care about Pei Xingyuan, and Pei Xingyuan had long since accepted everything. No matter how much he had been attached to and reluctant to part with the past, it was all in the past.
Life is for the living. As long as you are alive, you must keep moving forward, to meet new people and new things. With new people and new things, you begin a new chapter in your life.
So she said softly, "He's fine this way too."
Yuwen Ye said, "It's good, but I'm a little worried—"
As he said this, a faint, wary glint flashed in his eyes. Shang Ruyi, puzzled, asked softly, "What are you worried about?"
Yuwen Ye glanced at her, wanting to say he was worried about Liang Youying, but even he himself felt that this worry was unfounded. It was probably just because Pei Xingyuan was too smug right now, which made him think of a saying: "When water is full, it overflows; when the moon is full, it wanes."
Just thinking about it made him laugh at himself. He was someone who didn't believe in fate, so why was he suddenly talking about such superstitious things?
It's better to worry about something more practical.
So he said, "I'm a little worried about Shen Wuzheng."
"...!"
Mentioning this, Shang Ruyi's eyes dimmed slightly.
Before the Battle of Taiyuan, Yuwen Ye had petitioned the emperor to recommend Shen Wuzheng for the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. However, due to the interference of the Yu family, Shen Wuzheng was instead appointed as Military Advisor of the Weibei Road Army. Clearly, this position was prepared for the Battle of Taiyuan. In fact, Yu Mingyue did take advantage of this opportunity to attack Shen Wuzheng at Changchun Palace. Shang Ruyi almost broke with Yuwen Ye because of this misunderstanding and was trapped by the Turks.
Now that the Battle of Taiyuan is over, it is clear to everyone that Shen Wuzheng's knowledge and character are suited for a civil service position.
However, Yuwen Yuan has not yet been granted another official position.
If promoting Pei Xingyuan was to help Yuwen Ye gain military merits and expand the territory of the Great Sheng Dynasty, then suppressing Shen Wuzheng was to restrain one aspect of Yuwen Ye, allowing them to act, but always limiting them.
It seems that Yuwen Yuan is also sharp-witted and perceptive.
He wanted to use this son, but he couldn't let him be completely out of control. Of course, for an emperor, even his own son couldn't be left uncontrolled, especially someone like Yuwen Ye.
Just as Shang Ruyi was feeling somewhat dejected, the soldiers around them suddenly seemed to have seen something, all turned around, bowed respectfully, and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The two men felt a chill and immediately turned their heads away.
A refreshing breeze, carrying a familiar, gentle, and peaceful scent, rushed towards them. Looking up, they saw Yuwen Qian, dressed in a white robe, ascending the city wall like a graceful white cloud, and slowly walking towards them.
He said, "Second brother, sister-in-law."
Yuwen Ye's eyes widened slightly, but he immediately smiled and said, "So, my brother has also come to see Shentu Tai off. There were too many people just now, so I didn't see you. Please forgive me."
Yuwen Qian shook his head slightly. Compared to the footsteps that still shook the earth below the city wall, his expression was very calm, as if even the loudest thunder could not move him. However, when he looked down at Shang Ruyi's slightly protruding belly, his calm pupils narrowed slightly.
After a long pause, he asked, "Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
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