Chapter 878 The Emperor's Return
That night, a heavy snowstorm raged.
Although they had been unable to eat or sleep properly due to Yuwen Qian's matter these past few days, this night was particularly unsettling. Shang Ruyi felt a vague unease stirring within her, like a pot of boiling soup constantly bubbling.
Even Yuwen Ye was the same; the two of them slept in each other's arms, and she listened to his clear breathing very late into the night.
It wasn't until almost dawn that Shang Ruyi managed to close her eyes.
She had only been asleep for a short while when she heard a tremendous commotion outside. Shang Ruyi frowned and struggled for a while before finally pulling herself out of her hazy dream. She seemed to hear the person beside her get up, dress, and go outside. Immediately afterward, she heard Yuwen Ye's low, muffled voice say, "What did you say?!"
Shang Ruyi suddenly opened her eyes.
The hall was pitch black. She looked up and saw that a faint light was coming through the window; it was almost dawn.
But who arrived before dawn? And it seems they reported something important, which is why Yuwen Ye asked such a question.
Although she was still a little dizzy, Shang Ruyi quickly regained her senses, got up and dressed. As soon as she got out of bed, she saw Yuwen Ye walking heavily in from outside. The hall was not lit yet, and she could only see his tall figure slowly approaching in the dim light. Although she could not see his face, she could feel his solemn expression and even his breathing was tinged with anxiety.
Looking up, he saw Shang Ruyi sitting by the bed and said, "You're awake."
"What happened?"
"Someone just came to report that Father Emperor is returning to the capital."
"oh?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback, then immediately sensed something was wrong and hurriedly asked, "When?"
"Later."
"What!?"
At this, she let out a sound of shock almost identical to Yuwen Ye's, staring wide-eyed in disbelief at Yuwen Ye's cold, shrewd eyes in the dim light. He nodded heavily at her and said, "The imperial carriage has left Tangquan Palace and will arrive in Chang'an in less than an hour."
Shang Ruyi gasped, and at this moment she didn't even care to ask any more questions. She immediately took two steps outside and said to Tu She'er and the others who had already started to run errands outside, "Hot water!"
Soon, Tushe'er and the others came in to help the two of them finish washing up. Because they didn't have much time, the two of them didn't even have time for breakfast, and only drank a cup of tea before hurriedly leaving. Tushe'er seemed to sense that something was wrong, and as she followed them out of the main hall, she asked softly, "Your Highness, should we take the young prince with us as well?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi paused briefly.
But after thinking about it, she shook her head and said, "No need, let him sleep."
So the group hurriedly left the palace, boarded a carriage, and rushed to Mingde Gate.
Only after they boarded the carriage did the two have a moment to spare, but neither spoke first, as their chaotic thoughts remained unresolved. After a long while, Shang Ruyi finally spoke, looking at Yuwen Ye, whose brow was still slightly furrowed, and asked softly, "What exactly is going to happen?"
She didn't even ask if something had happened.
Based on their understanding of Yuwen Yuan, while his prolonged absence from the Tangquan Palace made them uneasy, it wasn't entirely impossible. After all, having worked hard for most of his life, not everyone could resist the allure of a life of luxury and comfort; even Yuwen Ye would say, "I am ill." However, the emperor's return should not be so hasty. At least a day in advance, a message should be sent back to Chang'an so that the palace could make arrangements for his arrival before his return.
It's still dark, and the emperor's procession is already arriving in Chang'an. Clearly, they set off last night and are rushing back overnight.
Something has definitely happened in this situation, and it's a big one!
However, if there is any news from Luoyang, or a major event in the court, the news should reach Yuwen Ye first. If they know nothing, then it can only mean that something happened at Tangquan Palace.
What could it be?
Yuwen Ye was silent for a moment, then said, "The ministers accompanying you, including your uncle, are all prudent people. They shouldn't cause any trouble. Even if they want to persuade Father to return to the palace, they will definitely do so in a safe way."
"Is that the Crown Prince?"
"It's even less likely that he would cause trouble. He was the one who arranged this trip to Tangquan Palace; he wouldn't cause any trouble."
"Then who else could it be?"
The two felt increasingly depressed and uneasy. The entire carriage felt like a sealed wooden box, making it difficult to even breathe. Shang Ruyi could only turn around and lift a corner of the curtain to let the cold wind in, but instead of clearing her mind, the wind chilled her hands.
This unease and coldness persisted until the carriage stopped outside Mingde Gate.
It was only the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), but Mingde Gate was already brightly lit and bustling with people. Many ministers in the court had received news of the emperor's return and came to line up to welcome him. As soon as they saw Yuwen Ye step down from the carriage, they hurriedly stepped forward to kowtow and pay their respects.
Yuwen Ye simply waved for them to rise, then turned and helped Shang Ruyi down from the carriage.
After the two stopped, they looked around. The torches and lanterns swayed in the wind, and the flickering light illuminated every face, whether familiar or unfamiliar. The expressions on those faces were all different, but they were all shrouded in the same doubt and unease. Some people were gathered in twos and threes, obviously discussing the sudden return of the emperor.
It seems that no one has any definite information.
Yuwen Ye let out a deep breath. Just as he led Shang Ruyi to the front of the group, he saw a faint light illuminating the surroundings under the gray sky ahead. The light was getting closer and closer. Then, heavy footsteps and the sound of horses' hooves came from the cold wind, making the ground beneath their feet tremble slightly.
The crowd, who had been whispering and talking amongst themselves, all fell silent and shut their mouths.
Beneath the sky, a dragon flag appeared, fluttering in the wind. Then, they saw the emperor's tall carriage, escorted by the imperial guards on both sides, slowly making its way towards the city gate. An invisible sense of oppression immediately swept over them, and even the already biting wind became stronger, causing everyone's clothes to flutter. A chilling feeling suddenly arose in their bones.
Shang Ruyi's unease grew stronger.
Although it was just a feeling, it was very strong. She sensed that Yuwen Yuan, sitting in the imperial carriage, was very displeased, and even a hint of anger was silently conveyed.
Just as the imperial procession was about ten feet away from them, they could already see the figure of Eunuch Yu accompanying the procession. He waved his hand gently, and the people who came to greet the emperor immediately bowed and knelt down.
Just then, Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi, who were standing at the front of the welcoming procession, suddenly heard another sound of hooves, which disturbed the imperial procession's footsteps. However, the sound quickly faded away. When the two looked up, they saw a procession cutting diagonally out of the imperial procession and speeding towards a road to the southwest outside the city, disappearing from sight immediately.
What happened?
The two exchanged a glance, but there was no time to say anything. They knelt down with the crowd and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
The sound shook the heavens.
After these words were uttered, the entire Mingde Gate fell silent. Everyone knelt on the ground, mouths agape, even holding their breath, waiting for the emperor to stop, to tell them to rise, or to say something to them. Perhaps they could glean from his words and tone what had happened.
To everyone's surprise, the imperial carriage did not stop for even a moment, and drove straight past amidst the kneeling and worshipping crowd. The sound of the wheels crushing the thin ice on the ground was chilling and eerie, making people's hearts tremble.
Everyone lowered their heads, some turning their faces to the side, looking at each other in shock.
Even in their shock, no one dared to utter a word. Outside the vast Mingde Gate, apart from the sound of the wind, not even a breath or a cough could be heard. The crowd knelt on the ground, watching helplessly as the imperial carriage passed by, followed by the Crown Prince's carriage, and then the carriages of the other ministers. Even after the last procession had passed, the tension and anxiety in the wind did not subside in the slightest.
Everyone was puzzled, but no one dared to speak until the imperial carriage had gone far away along the Vermilion Bird Avenue. Only then did Eunuch Yu turn back and say to the kneeling crowd, "My lords, His Majesty has decreed that you may all return home."
Upon hearing this, everyone slowly prepared to get up. Then they saw Eunuch Yu walk up to Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi and bow to them, saying, "Your Highness Prince Qin, Your Highness Princess."
Upon seeing him approach, both of their expressions froze.
Yuwen Ye immediately asked, "Eunuch Yu, does Father have any instructions?"
Eunuch Yu gave them a deep look, then said with a forced smile, "His Majesty has decreed that His Highness Prince Qin and his consort return to the palace as soon as possible, lest they be caught in the wind outside."
After saying that, he nodded and turned to leave.
Hearing these words, Shang Ruyi's mood became even heavier. Although Eunuch Yu's words were very tactful, she could still tell from his tone that Yuwen Yuan wanted them to return to the palace immediately, not to linger outside, and not to have any contact with other people.
What's going on? Could the situation at Tangquan Palace be related to them?
Although they had doubts, they could not disobey the emperor's decree, so Shang Ruyi immediately followed Yuwen Ye and got into their carriage, which quickly drove back along the road they had come from.
Inside the carriage, Yuwen Ye's expression was solemn, even more serious than on the way there, and even a hint of paleness and coldness in his seriousness.
Shang Ruyi asked, "Did you figure something out?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye looked up at her and said in a deep voice, "I didn't see anyone from the Pei family in the imperial procession just now!"
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