Chapter 301 A Plate of Green Vegetables
Shang Ruyi originally wanted to get away from that name as if she were escaping, but when she heard those words, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Cheng Qiao said, "Please tell her to be careful?"
Based on her last words, even if Cheng Qiao really wanted to care about her, he should have told her to take care. Why did he say "be careful"?
"Be careful" and "take care" may sound similar, but they are worlds apart in this time and place.
Shang Ruyi turned to look at Cheng Qiao, intending to ask a question, but after glancing around, she changed her mind and said, "By the way, did you know that the Imperial Guards and your people fought yesterday and suffered many casualties?"
Cheng Qiao's expression darkened, and he said in a low voice, "Of course."
"His Majesty has sent people to investigate this matter. Do you know why the fight broke out?"
"..."
Cheng Qiao looked at him as if he wanted to say something, but hesitated for a long time before slowly saying, "For a plate of vegetables."
"What?"
Shang Ruyi thought she had misheard, while Cheng Qiao repeated with a wry smile, "It's just a plate of green vegetables."
Shang Ruyi was completely bewildered—all for a plate of vegetables?
How is that possible?!
Even Cheng Qiao, who knew the truth, seemed to find it laughable. He gave a wry smile and said, "Young Madam, there's no need to doubt. Actually, we found out everything as soon as it happened. Yesterday, our men went to the South City Restaurant first. One of their dishes was a plate of green vegetables. Then, the Imperial Guards arrived and ordered the same dish, but the restaurant only had a little bit left. The Imperial Guards asked our men to give up that little bit of food, but our men naturally refused, so they started arguing, and then it escalated into a fight."
"..."
"And then, that's it."
Shang Ruyi was still speechless. Although she had heard from Eunuch Yu that the two sides had a long-standing feud and that such a quarrel was to be expected, she still found it unbelievable that the cause was a plate of vegetables.
After a long pause, she said, "Why would it be over a little bit of vegetables?"
Cheng Qiao glanced at him again, hesitated several times before finally saying, "Although it's just a little bit of green vegetables, it's quite valuable."
"What?"
Shang Ruyi immediately sensed the problem and asked, "Why do you say that?"
Na Chengqiao said, "His Majesty brought more than 400,000 people with him on this tour of Jiangdu Palace. There is a problem with food and drink for all of them."
Shang Ruyi immediately said, "But I heard that His Majesty the Emperor brought food with him."
"We did bring some grain, but the food consumption for 400,000 people is too great. We still need to get some more from the local people. Moreover, we can't bring fresh vegetables, poultry, and eggs. We need the local people to supply them."
"..."
"It's the lean season right now, and the common people can't even feed themselves. Suddenly, there are over 400,000 more mouths to feed. Young Madam probably doesn't know that even eggs have now risen to three qian of silver each."
"What?"
This was the umpteenth time Shang Ruyi couldn't believe her ears. She stared at Cheng Qiao with wide eyes, then turned back to look at Wo Xue, only to see Wo Xue looking troubled. After hesitating for a long time, she finally nodded gently.
It's true!
So, that dish of vegetables that caused a chaotic brawl and resulted in many deaths and injuries must also be—
Cheng Qiao said with great concern, "I heard that people are already starving to death outside the city, and I'm afraid the situation inside the city is not optimistic either."
As he spoke, he looked up at Shang Ruyi and said, "So please take care, young mistress, and be careful in everything you do."
"..."
Shang Ruyi stopped speaking and just looked at him with a serious expression. She understood the deeper meaning behind his word "be careful".
If ordinary people can't survive, they only have one path left to take, which is the fundamental reason why rebel armies have sprung up all over the country in recent years.
Shang Ruyi said with a somber expression, "I understand. You too—take care."
After saying that, she turned and left.
But after taking only two steps, Cheng Qiao called out to her again. Shang Ruyi turned around, wondering what else he wanted to say, but saw Cheng Qiao hesitate and ask softly, "Young Madam, is the Second Young Master really not coming?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi felt as if she had been punched hard in the chest.
She barely managed to suppress her erratic breathing, looked at Cheng Qiao for a moment, and smiled faintly, "He... he has his own things to do, and people who need his protection. I think he won't come."
After saying that, she turned and left without lingering.
As Shang Ruyi walked back, she kept walking until she was almost back in her palace. She stopped and caught her breath. Wo Xue quietly came up to support her and said softly, "Young Madam, please take care of yourself."
Shang Ruyi took a breath and turned to look at her: "Woxue, is the situation outside really that bad?"
"..."
Wo Xue didn't speak, but the way she lowered her head seemed to be her tacit agreement.
Shang Ruyi frowned, took a couple of breaths, and then said, "Since things are already like this, why is the kitchen still so wasteful?"
Wo Xue remained silent.
Shang Ruyi frowned as she looked at her, recalling every time she had met Chu Yang. His life was indeed extravagant. For example, when they first met, he accompanied her to see the scenery, and the pair of gorgeous woven fairy shoes he wore were only slightly muddy before being taken off and carelessly discarded by the roadside.
The pearls and jade inlaid on those shoes were enough to feed several families for a year.
Thinking of this, she sighed and smiled bitterly, "What I said is superfluous."
After saying that, she shook her head, looked up and continued walking forward. She hadn't gone far before she returned to the palace gate. But as soon as she pushed open the door, Shang Ruyi's breathing became tense again, because she saw Chu Yang sitting inside. His long, narrow phoenix eyes slowly turned to her when he heard the door open, his gaze impatient.
When did he arrive? How long have we been waiting?
Shang Ruyi and Wo Xue were both startled, and they hurriedly knelt down and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Chu Yang slowly got up and walked to her. As his clothes fluttered, Shang Ruyi saw once again the luxurious and exquisite woven feather fairy shoes on his feet. However, now, she no longer felt the same amazement at their beauty as before.
It just felt blinding.
Just then, Chu Yang's voice rang out from above—
"Where did you go?"
"Your Majesty, His Majesty did not forbid me from going out..."
"I'm asking you, where have you been?"
"Ruyi—I've been cooped up in the house for several days and I'm feeling a bit stuffy. Today I wanted to go out for a walk, so I had Woxue accompany me for a short while."
"..."
Chu Yang looked at her for a while and said, "Next time, don't keep me waiting so long."
Shang Ruyi finally caught her breath and said, "Yes."
Immediately, a smile returned to Chu Yang's face. He bent down, grasped Shang Ruyi's wrist, and helped her up, saying, "Actually, I came here to see you. Although you weren't very familiar with the sword dance you performed with me yesterday, you have a great talent for it, and sword dance is also beneficial to your health. So, I plan to take you again—"
Shang Ruyi hesitated for a moment and said, "But Your Majesty, I've been walking for a while and I'm a little tired."
Chu Yang said, "Really? Then you should rest immediately."
After saying that, he took her hand and led her back to the table to sit down. He looked her over carefully for a while and then said, "You're tired. You don't look too good. In the future, when you go for a walk, you can't go too far."
"..."
Shang Ruyi glanced at him.
At this moment, she couldn't help but recall the first time they met. Back then, she was a hundred times more lost and dejected than she was now, and he only took her to an abandoned post station to look at the scenery, without offering a single word of comfort.
Unlike now, people don't even care about their own complexion.
For a moment, she couldn't help but wonder which side of the emperor was the real face, but immediately she told herself that it was both.
He was the one who exiled or executed officials for their harsh remonstrances; he was the one who issued harsh decrees and treated the people as worthless; he was the one who turned the land into an army and caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers of the Daye Dynasty on the battlefield of Gouli Kingdom.
Even more so—he was the one who cared nothing for Empress Jiang, yet he was also the one who showed her the utmost care.
Humans are inherently multifaceted.
Thinking about it this way, isn't Yuwen Ye the same?
The only difference is that their hearts were set on different things from what they expected; in essence, there was no difference.
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but smile.
Upon seeing her smile, Chu Yang immediately asked, "What are you smiling about?"
"I--"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback and didn't know how to answer. Just then, Eunuch Yu walked in from outside and bowed to Chu Yang, saying, "Your Majesty."
Chu Yang frowned: "What is it?"
Yu Gonggong said, "The incident yesterday in which the old palace guards and the imperial guards fought in the city has been investigated and is now being reported to Your Majesty."
Shang Ruyi immediately looked at him.
Chu Yang reached out his hand, and the eunuch Yu hurriedly presented the document. Chu Yang took the document, unfolded it, glanced at it a few times, and his face immediately darkened.
After a long pause, he said, "Just for a dish?"
Shang Ruyi's breathing involuntarily became heavy.
really.
Although she knew that Cheng Qiao wouldn't lie to her, seeing the truth in the investigation documents and hearing it from Chu Yang still made her feel absurd and upset.
All for a plate of green vegetables.
Chu Yang's face was ashen, and he angrily glanced at the document again before slamming it shut. He said, "Now that the matter has been investigated, there's no need to say more. The two Imperial Guards who led the trouble will be executed immediately. The remaining thirteen will have their homes confiscated and be exiled. The guards of Jiangdu Palace who participated in the fight will each receive seventy lashes and will all have their salaries deducted for a year."
After saying that, he threw the document on the ground.
Eunuch Yu hurriedly knelt down and picked it up, saying, "This servant will go and deliver the decree immediately."
Chu Yang let out a deep breath, and when he looked up, he met Shang Ruyi's hesitant gaze. He asked, "What's wrong? Do you have something to say?"
Shang Ruyi had no objection to his rewards and punishments.
However, simply killing, beating, or punishing a few people is merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause. She thought for a moment, then said softly, "Your Majesty, actually, that dish—"
Before she could finish speaking, Grandpa Yu, who was stepping over the threshold, suddenly tripped.
"Ouch!"
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