Chapter 860 We must never provoke him.
Yuwen Ye watched Shen Wuzheng's figure disappear before returning to the hall. He saw Shang Ruyi sitting motionless in her original seat, her brows slightly furrowed and her expression solemn. Clearly, she had not yet recovered from her worries.
Yuwen Ye walked over and sat down opposite her.
"Are you still not reassured?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi looked up at him, but didn't speak immediately. After her eyes showed a hint of conflict, she finally said in a low voice, "How could I possibly feel at ease?"
"..."
"They tried to harm my brother before at Changchun Palace, and now they're doing it again—"
"..."
“They are determined to kill him. Moreover, when leading troops into battle, many things are out of control, and I am really afraid that my brother will fall into their trap.”
"Calculation,"
Yuwen Ye repeated those two words, looking at him with a half-smile: "Do you think there are many people in this court who can outsmart your brother?"
Although these words were full of sarcasm, they unexpectedly reassured Shang Ruyi somewhat—indeed, Shen Wuzheng was meticulous, and almost nothing, big or small, could escape his eyes and plans. As things stand today, he is like a vast ocean whose depths are unknown and whose boundaries are unfathomable. Judging from Yuwen Cheng and Shang Shoufei alone, neither of them is qualified to fight him.
Yuwen Ye continued, "Moreover, there's Shen Tu Tai."
"..."
"I'll write him a letter in a bit, telling him to be careful about what tricks the enemy might play this time. They have one civil official and one military commander; they can take me on by themselves. What else do you have to worry about?"
This finally put Shang Ruyi's mind at ease.
After thinking for a moment, she smiled and gave Yuwen Ye a reproachful look: "Are you praising yourself?"
Yuwen Ye smiled as well.
At this moment, Chang Wan walked over from the side carrying a piece of clothing. As soon as Yuwen Ye returned, he took off his outer garment and threw it to her. He had been talking for so long while wearing only a thin long robe. He hadn't felt it when he was covered in sweat, but now he felt a bit chilly. Yuwen Ye took the garment and put it on.
Shang Ruyi turned her head and glanced at the coat that Chang Wan had taken out; it was covered in dust and mud.
She asked, "What are you doing at the military camp so early in the morning?"
"Of course it's for training troops."
"But didn't Father Emperor forbid you from sending troops this time?"
"Not letting me send troops doesn't mean I don't need to train them. I've said it before, everything I have can only be earned through military merit, and my troops are everything to me. Besides, do you really think that Yan Jie and your 'brother' can take Dongdu this time?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi had nothing to say about this.
Although she dared not say outright that Yuwen Yuan's decree this time indicated a willingness to abandon the eastward advance, nor could she say that his investiture was "foolish," Yuwen Cheng and Shang Shoufei... even if the two of them faced Wang Shaoqiu, they might not have a chance of winning.
Moreover, in Luoyang, there are Liang Shide and Xiao Yuansui!
Yuwen Ye continued, "Preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. If I am unable to support myself when that day comes, I will be ruining my own future."
Judging from his words, he seemed certain that he was the only one who could take Luoyang.
Then, thinking back to what he had just discussed with Shen Wuzheng, if Xijing and Dongdu, two equally powerful behemoths, were to devour each other without harming their own strength or being devoured by the surrounding smaller forces, the only possibility was to take down the other party with minimal sacrifice. Could Yuwen Ye really do that?
Seeing Shang Ruyi's shifty eyes, Yuwen Ye's expression turned displeased: "What, you don't believe me?"
Shang Ruyi quickly replied, "No."
Yuwen Ye narrowed his eyes and looked at her with disbelief and displeasure. Although Shang Ruyi often picked fights with him during her pregnancy and after childbirth, she knew in her heart that a man, especially a man like Yuwen Ye, should never be provoked in two places: in bed and on the battlefield.
So she immediately "softened her stance" and said earnestly, "I just feel that you've been spending too much time training lately, even more than before."
Hearing her say that, Yuwen Ye gave a light snort.
Then he said, "Do you want to know why?"
"Yes, I do."
"Okay, after the army sets off in a couple of days, when the weather is a bit better, I'll take you to see it."
"OK!"
Hearing this, Shang Ruyi's eyes lit up. To be honest, she was also quite free-spirited. When she was the young mistress of the Yuwen family, she often traveled around. Although it was tiring, she had a sense of freedom. It was much more comfortable than being confined to the Qianqiu Palace every day. In addition, after giving birth to Yuanzi, she was constantly bothered by that little devil who only knew how to cry and nurse, making it even more difficult to move around.
Yuwen Ye took her to the military camp. Even if it wasn't far, at least it was outside the city, which was enough to make her happy.
Seeing her smiling face, Yuwen Ye simply shook his head and chuckled, "You."
Time flies, and before we knew it, it was time for the army to set off.
This day was the tenth day of the tenth lunar month. Yuwen Yuan chose this day to set off with his army, which also had the meaning of "perfection".
Although Shang Ruyi had been comforted by her husband and brother in turn, she was still somewhat worried. So on the day the army left the city, she still followed Yuwen Ye to the city gate to see them off. She stood on the city tower and watched the departing troops disappear into the end of the long road before letting out a soft sigh.
Immediately, a warm, large hand touched her shoulder.
In fact, Yuwen Ye had been standing behind her the whole time. It had been raining for two days in a row since Shen Wuzheng entered the palace. Today, the weather finally cleared up, but as the saying goes, a shower of autumn rain brings a chill. The wind was already carrying a chill that seemed to seep into one's bones. Yuwen Ye stood behind her, blocking the cold wind completely. Only when he took a step did a wisp of wind brush against Shang Ruyi's cheek.
Having stood on the city wall for so long, her hands, which were gripping the battlements, had long since grown cold.
Yuwen Ye hadn't tried to persuade her before, but now he said softly, "Alright, they've all gone far away and we can't see them anymore. It's time to go back."
Shang Ruyi then turned around and glanced at him.
Meeting those calm and composed eyes, her mood eased slightly, but the next moment, her gaze went over his shoulder and landed on two familiar figures standing not far from Yuwen Ye.
The tall and handsome man wore a dark blue long robe with scattered flowers, while the bright and beautiful man wore a scarlet brocade robe with gold thread and a hundred happy patterns. It was not unexpectedly luxurious, but it was somewhat eye-catching, which made Shang Ruyi's eyes dim for a moment.
Yuwen Qian, and Yu Mingyue.
That is, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of the Great Sheng Dynasty.
When King Qi went on his expedition, they, as the eldest brother and sister-in-law, naturally had to come to see him off. However, Shang Ruyi's mind was entirely focused on Shen Wuzheng, and she didn't have time to meet them.
And now—
The moment her gaze fell upon them, she was met with a pair of translucent eyes, seemingly sculpted from ice, looking coldly at her.
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