Chapter 518 Shang Ruyi, who fueled the flames
Yuwen Yuan frowned slightly.
Shang Ruyi immediately turned her head, as if she wanted to say something, but after thinking for a moment, she stopped and just quietly glanced at him.
That glance was exceptionally calm, and even more so, it revealed a clarity so pure that it was without a trace of impurity. Although Yuwen Ye's eyes were cold and stern, his breath still faltered slightly when they met her gaze.
Then, Shang Ruyi gently said to him, "It's not what you think."
"...!"
Yuwen Ye's breathing became heavy.
He seemed to realize something, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and his tightly pursed lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but after a moment of hesitation, he stopped.
Yuwen Yuan glanced at the two of them, then said, "You should go back first. I have something to say to Ruyi."
Yuwen Ye also looked up at him, said nothing, simply bowed and turned to leave.
Shang Ruyi watched his figure disappear into the dim night outside the door before slowly turning around. She saw Yuwen Yuan slowly stand up and walk in front of her. He looked her over with a gaze that was more profound than ever before before, and then said, "I always thought that my sons were capable of shouldering great responsibilities."
"..."
"Now it seems that their character combined is not as good as yours."
"..."
"Ruyi, I am very satisfied with you."
"..."
"I also feel guilty."
Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Father, please don't say that."
She knew Yuwen Yuan's personality very well. He might really feel guilty towards his daughter-in-law, but he could say so, while she couldn't admit it. If she, as the younger generation, admitted the guilt her elder felt towards her, it would be like clearly taking a handle to control him.
Which elder would be happy about this happening?
Moreover, Yuwen Yuan will one day stand at the pinnacle of power, unrivaled in the world. Such a person would not allow himself to feel emotional guilt towards others.
Once he feels guilty, he will try to eliminate the guilt from the other person.
Shang Ruyi gathered her thoughts and then said clearly, "Ruyi lost her father at a young age. Although she was taken care of by her uncle and aunt, she was dull-witted and not up to the task. Father, however, did not look down on Ruyi, nor did he mind Ruyi's willfulness in marriage. Ruyi is already very grateful to Father."
"..."
So this point—
She thought for a moment, then immediately withdrew the word "wronged," simply chuckled and brushed it off, then said, "It's nothing."
Yuwen Yuan was as shrewd as he was; how could he not hear that she had swallowed her "grievance"?
Besides being satisfied with his daughter-in-law, he also felt a greater sense of admiration for her. At this moment, he couldn't help but seriously ponder a question—
He had indeed longed for and planned for that position of power for a long time, even knowing about it earlier than those around him. Now that he was almost one step away from that position, he would not back down. No matter what the cost, he would definitely take that step.
But the price was this daughter-in-law...
He even hesitated for a moment.
Although a real man should not worry about not having a wife, he understands that some women are someone you can only meet by chance.
Looking at his daughter-in-law's intelligent and proper demeanor, Yuwen Yuan pondered for a long time before finally sighing and saying, "That's true, but I still feel that my sons—my two sons—are not good enough for you."
These words startled Shang Ruyi.
She didn't dare to respond, but Yuwen Yuan himself felt that his words were too blatant. He chuckled awkwardly, turned around, went back to sit down, and then waved to Shang Ruyi, "You sit down too."
Shang Ruyi apologized and sat down on the other side.
Only then did the atmosphere for conversation return. Yuwen Yuan sighed and said, "Although Father is somewhat disappointed in Ye'er, he is right about one thing—I have the best daughter-in-law. Even though I knew long ago that my old friend's daughter must be of extraordinary character, I never expected this."
"father……"
You can rest assured.
"..."
"No matter what happens tomorrow or what the future holds, Dad will never let you suffer."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's eyes suddenly flickered.
But instead of immediately thanking her or expressing gratitude, she remained silent for a moment and then said softly, "Father, actually Fengchen didn't say one thing right just now—he is not, is not your good son."
Yuwen Yuan's deep gaze darkened slightly.
After a long pause, he said, "Yes."
After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, "You're right."
Shang Ruyi then smiled.
Yuwen Yuan looked up at her again and said, "However, Ruyi, are you really placing all your hopes on that prophecy and that 'disaster' this time?"
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment, but did not answer. She only said softly, "Father, Ruyi has a request."
"Oh? Go ahead."
"Tomorrow, whatever the outcome, I hope Father will not interfere."
"..."
"Please leave this matter to me."
"solve?"
These two words immediately caught Yuwen Yuan's attention—unlike the two emperors and princesses in the Liangyi Hall who hadn't experienced much of the world, he knew very well that almost every word Shang Ruyi said was a trap for these two people.
It may seem like a lure using disaster as bait, but there is a deeper meaning behind it.
But to his surprise, Shang Ruyi actually had a different opinion about this "disaster." Her sharp, restrained eyes looked intently at her daughter-in-law and said thoughtfully, "Do you really believe that a disaster will occur?"
"..."
"Are you going to resolve the disaster?"
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said, "Yes."
Yuwen Yuan frowned slightly and asked, "Why are you so sure?"
Shang Ruyi looked at him, hesitated several times, but ultimately said nothing more. She only said softly, "Father, there are some things that Ruyi cannot explain to you clearly—at least not now. Since you just praised Ruyi so much, please give Ruyi the same trust."
"..."
"Please leave this matter to Ruyi to handle."
"..."
This time, Yuwen Yuan's gaze deepened even further.
If it were a common family matter, such as Shang Ruyi wanting to break off her engagement and remarry, or something bigger, such as her insistence on accompanying Yuwen Ye on his expedition to Fufeng, he would have readily agreed. But this matter is different; it is neither a family matter nor a war.
It is a matter of paramount importance concerning the fate of the nation and the well-being of its people.
No one can easily agree to such a thing, especially someone in his position. It's like carrying the family's mission and the fate of countless people on a tightrope walk on a precipice. A tiny mistake, or even an untimely sigh, could be enough to send him plummeting into the abyss.
But--
He looked at Shang Ruyi. This daughter-in-law, since marrying into the Yuwen family, might not have brought him any tangible benefits like other daughters of noble families, or even the princess in the palace who had been infatuated with Yuwen Ye since childhood. However, he never regretted choosing this daughter-in-law from a fallen family for his second son. Her wisdom and determination, her non-competitive yet firm nature, not only benefited the entire family but also surprised and delighted him.
He could almost completely trust his daughter-in-law's actions and choices.
So now—
Yuwen Yuan remained silent for a long time before finally slowly raising his head to look at Shang Ruyi and solemnly saying, "Father can grant your request."
Shang Ruyi immediately said with delight, "Thank you, Father!"
Yuwen Yuan waved his hand and said, "Alright, you can go back now. You must be tired after running around to so many places today. There's another court session tomorrow morning... which will require your full effort."
"I understand. I will take my leave."
After saying this, Shang Ruyi stood up, bowed, and hurriedly left the study.
After she left, Yuwen Yuan let out a long, somewhat unsteady sigh, as if he felt that his decision had been a bit hasty. Entrusting such a momentous matter to such a young daughter was perhaps a bit presumptuous.
but--
As he was deep in thought, he saw Xue Daotong already standing outside the door and immediately asked, "Has Qian'er returned?"
Upon hearing this, Xue Daotong immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Excellency, the Heir Apparent has not yet returned."
"Not back yet?"
Yuwen Yuan frowned and said in a deep voice, "Things at home have come to this point, why hasn't he been home these past few days?"
Xue Daotong said with a smile, "I suppose the young master has not been serving as the Vice Minister of War for long and is busy with official duties."
Yuwen Yuan sighed softly and waved his hand, and Xue Daotong withdrew.
The night at Yuwen Mansion deepened even further.
After leaving the study, Shang Ruyi did not immediately return to her room. Instead, she took a bath first. After all, she had gone to the dungeon today and had spoken to Tu She'er. Only then did she return to her room, still damp.
Only a dimly lit candlestick remained in the room beside the bed, and Yuwen Ye had already gone to bed to rest.
As I approached, I saw him lying on his side on the bed, facing inward, seemingly already asleep.
His breathing was heavy.
Shang Ruyi looked at him for a while, then got into bed without saying a word, lay down next to him, thought for a moment, then turned to the side and moved a little closer to him.
After a while, they moved some more.
The room was so quiet that only the two of them could be heard breathing.
Therefore, she could clearly hear, in addition to her own careful breathing, the clear and heavy breathing of the other person, who was only separated by a thin layer of clothing.
Shang Ruyi immediately understood.
But the person next to her was lying on their side, completely unable to see her expression, let alone know her feelings. Although Shang Ruyi could guess a little, she knew clearly that despite going to so many places and meeting so many people today, the hardest hurdle was right here.
So she gently lowered her head and rested her forehead against his broad back.
Then he said softly, "Feng Chen."
Upon hearing just those two words, she immediately heard the heart in that chest leap heavily, and even Shang Ruyi's heartbeat became momentarily disordered.
She immediately took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
But the person in front of him seemed unable to contain himself any longer, and asked in a low, hoarse voice, "Speak."
Before Shang Ruyi could react, he asked again, "You said it's not what I think, then what is it?"
"..."
"You made me trust you, and you said that the final choice is mine."
"..."
"But what are you really thinking?"
His voice was actually quite calm, but it was a suppressed calm. Shang Ruyi could clearly feel that his speaking speed was much faster than usual, and listening to his heartbeat while close to his back, it sounded like a drumbeat.
At this moment, his mood was perhaps no calmer than when he beat the drum to cheer him on and confronted Xue Xian.
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said softly, "What I'm thinking is actually very simple."
"..."
"It's about you and my future."
"...!"
Feeling Yuwen Ye's body tremble slightly, Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I know, Father will definitely succeed."
"..."
"Then why can't we help him succeed because of us?"
"..."
“You said before you went to Wanggangzhai that you needed that merit—but now it seems that these merits are not enough, and you need even greater merits.”
"..."
"This time, perhaps, is our chance."
"..."
Yuwen Ye remained silent for a long time before saying in a strange tone, "It will definitely succeed?"
He emphasized the word "certainly"—although everyone understood that Yuwen Yuan was only one step away from the throne, throughout history, how many people had stopped at that final step, and how many had fallen at that step.
Who can say "definitely" with such certainty?
Moreover, making meritorious contributions is one thing, but becoming the price of being "betrayed" is another.
He knew very well that he only had brotherly and sisterly feelings for Chu Ruoyan, not romantic feelings. Now, he was being asked to marry a woman he had only ever treated as a younger sister since childhood, and whose dangerous relationship with Chu Yang, who was both wary of and trying to win them over, was no longer there. He was indeed unwilling, but not unable. However, the thought that Shang Ruyi had been the one to push things along in this matter immediately turned his unwillingness into anger.
Yuwen Ye gritted his teeth and sneered, "What, can you predict the future?"
"..."
The room fell silent.
Although his words were meant to shut Shang Ruyi up, the ensuing silence didn't seem to be because Shang Ruyi was speechless.
Instead, it was as if a thousand words were flowing within the silence, surging within that soft body pressed tightly against her.
Yuwen Ye seemed to sense something, slowly turned around, and looked down at Shang Ruyi.
The room was still dimly lit, but he could clearly see that the young woman had a serious expression, her forehead still pressed against his chest, as if she was really thinking about how to answer the question.
In other words, her answer was not something almost everyone could be certain of—no.
Yuwen Ye frowned and looked down at her: "What's wrong?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi remained silent for a long time before suddenly saying, "Feng Chen, do you still remember the story that Jiang Yu told us back then?"
"Jiang Yu? Who is that?"
"Oh, that's the old man who tells stories to children halfway up the mountain at Banyan Temple. I met him at the Da Yan Temple Dharma Assembly last time. He said his name is Jiang Yu."
"..."
Yuwen Ye frowned. Why bring up a stranger at this time?
But the next moment, his breathing tightened.
Because he remembered that the story Jiang Yu had told was—
Reincarnation?!
Yuwen Ye took a deep breath, his bright eyes fixed intently on the person in his arms, and said in a deep voice, "What... do you want to say?"
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