Chapter 410 The Most Terrifying "Possibility"
The moment those words were spoken, a gust of wind suddenly blew in from nowhere.
The wind was so gentle that it didn't even lift a single hem of their thin clothes, only causing a slight ripple in the pond beside them; yet the moonlight, so delicate, shimmered under the ripples, reflecting in Yuwen Qian's eyes, making it seem as if his gaze was also sparkling.
But his face remained as calm as ever.
Shang Ruyi was still staring intently at him, holding her breath, her hands clenched unconsciously at her sides, her palms covered in cold sweat, as if she were waiting for some dangerous outcome.
Yuwen Qian suddenly chuckled and then said, "Has your sister-in-law met Xue Xian?"
"...?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback and subconsciously shook her head.
Yuwen Qian smiled faintly again and said, "Actually, I've never met him either, but my father once worked with him. His assessment of him was—unbeatable bravery."
Hearing these four words made Shang Ruyi's heart sink.
Just now, she was tense all over, even holding her breath, because Yuwen Qian's last words made her think of some unbelievable, even terrifying "possibilities". So she nervously waited for the yes or no result, and even more so for something that seemed like a judgment of fate.
Unexpectedly, Yuwen Qian lightly brushed over the question. Just as Shang Ruyi was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Yuwen Qian delivered another heavy blow to her heart.
This sudden tightening and loosening was almost too much for her heart to bear, causing it to ache slightly.
After a long silence, she whispered, "Invincible...?"
"good,"
Yuwen Qian said, "Feng Chen's abilities—I don't need to say much, I believe you know better than many people. But Father's evaluation of him is only 'brave and good at fighting'."
"..."
"Xue Xian was able to occupy the entire Longxi region in such a short time and even reach Fufeng. Even people who don't know anything about military affairs should understand his capabilities. Moreover, you, sister-in-law, come from a military family and have experienced so many battles with Feng Chen. You must understand this better than others."
"..."
"But Fengchen—"
At this point, Yuwen Qian looked down at Shang Ruyi, whose eyes were glazed over, and slowly said, "He must have been on continuous campaigns ever since he was appointed Grand General of the State, and he was injured along the way, without ever having a time to rest and recuperate."
"..."
Shang Ruyi's breathing suddenly became heavy.
If it were just Xue Xian, she might not have reacted much, but Yuwen Qian's words touched the softest spot in her heart.
Before Yuwen Ye was appointed Grand General of the State, he had already been wounded when he repelled a Turkic army with a single arrow in Yanmen County. After returning to Luoyang, he was heartbroken and devastated upon receiving news of Lady Guan's death. He was then appointed Grand General and sent to conquer Xingluocang, where he worked tirelessly for days, even falling off a cliff and having his shoulder pierced by a thorn. After his victorious return, he was framed and imprisoned in the Dali Temple for interrogation. Although he remained silent about his time in Dali Temple after being rescued, Shang Ruyi knew that Wang Shaoji and Zhai Ying would not let him off easily. After only a short rest, he again led an expedition to Wanggang Village. Although he withdrew halfway, he was wounded by several arrows from Hua Ziying while trying to save Empress Jiang. Before his wounds had fully healed, he went south to Jiangdu Palace, fighting his way through the Imperial Guards to save himself…
Thinking about what he had been through these past few days, Shang Ruyi felt a chill run down her spine.
No matter how strong he is, he is still just a flesh-and-blood human being.
He couldn't possibly be unaware of being tired, nor could he be unaware of pain...
Seeing Shang Ruyi's face suddenly turn pale, Yuwen Qian calmly said, "Sister-in-law should understand that sometimes war is not just about soldiers and tactics, but also about the commander."
"..."
"Although Feng Chen is young, if he continues like this, he will eventually be worn down."
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked at him, speechless for a moment.
Yuwen Qian's eyes, expression, and even the tone of his voice when he spoke each word were heavy and sincere, exactly the same as when Yuwen Ye spoke of their relationship.
Is he genuinely concerned about Yuwen Ye?
Are the brothers truly so affectionate and respectful to each other...?
But this battle...
Just as Shang Ruyi's thoughts were in turmoil and she couldn't quite sort them out, she heard footsteps coming from ahead, as if someone was walking towards her. Yuwen Qian looked up and then smiled and said, "I hope my sister-in-law will consider my words carefully."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
He had only taken two steps when Shang Ruyi's voice suddenly came from behind him again—
"Big brother."
Yuwen Ye stopped in his tracks.
Shang Ruyi stood rooted to the spot, her eyes flickering, her expression grave as she gazed at the tall, handsome figure. Having shed his monk's robes, he had regained the dashing air of a noble young master, yet in the darkness of the night, he seemed to conceal countless secrets. Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and whispered, "What my elder brother just said—that the battle against Xue Xian will be an unprecedentedly fierce fight—is it really just because of these two reasons?"
"..."
Those broad shoulders seemed to tremble slightly.
But Yuwen Qian didn't turn around, only calmly replying, "Otherwise what?"
"..."
"Does your sister-in-law think there might be some other reason?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi felt a lump in her throat and couldn't speak.
It was also because this possible "reason" was too terrifying, so terrifying that just thinking about it made her heart ache.
She then realized that although Yuwen Qian was approachable and gentle, he was a man of both gentleness and strength, and very stubborn. If he didn't want to, no one could get a word from him that he didn't want to say.
At this moment, Yuwen Qian slowly turned his face to the side. The moonlight outlined his handsome face, especially his clear profile, which gave him a mysterious air in the night.
He said, "Speaking of which, I have only just returned to the Yuwen family."
"..."
"I know more about many things than you, my sister-in-law."
After saying that, he smiled faintly, turned around, and walked away.
Shang Ruyi stood there, watching his graceful departure, his last words echoing in her mind. Suddenly, an indescribable chill rose from her aching heart.
Carrying a slight chill, Shang Ruyi slowly walked into the dining hall.
The entire Yuwen mansion was brightly lit tonight, and here, the silver candles shone brightly, illuminating the inside and outside as if it were daytime. As soon as Shang Ruyi entered, she saw that Yuwen Qian had already taken his seat, but he was sitting to the left of Yuwen Yuan—that was where Yuwen Ye used to sit, and Yuwen Ye had also arrived and was sitting quietly to the side.
After bathing, he changed into a dark blue long robe, with a jade belt tightly cinched at the waist. His long hair was also tied back, making him look clean and neat, completely different from Yuwen Qian, who was dressed in a blue robe and looked relaxed and comfortable.
The two people sitting on either side of Yuwen Yuan presented a stark contrast.
As soon as he saw Shang Ruyi enter the dining hall, he immediately stood up and walked over: "Why are you taking so long?"
Shang Ruyi forced a smile: "I... I just got lost."
Yuwen Ye glanced at her, said nothing, and led her over to sit down. Yuwen Yuan was talking to Yuwen Qian when he saw Shang Ruyi arrive. He smiled and said, "This mansion is much larger than the one in Luoyang. Ruyi, you've just arrived, so you're probably not very familiar with it yet. I'll have Ye'er show you around in the coming days. By the way, I think you were in Daxing City when you were little, right?"
Shang Ruyi nodded hurriedly and replied, "Yes, Father."
Yuwen Yuan said, "Let Ye'er take you to see the city. It has changed quite a bit since then."
Although he was all smiles and spoke very kindly, Shang Ruyi felt a slight heaviness in her heart upon hearing his words.
He instructed Yuwen Ye to show him around the mansion and, more importantly, the entire city of Daxing—meaning that he did not intend to send Yuwen Ye on an expedition immediately in the coming days.
Just as Shang Ruyi was pondering this in her heart, Yuwen Ye said, "Yes."
Shang Ruyi immediately turned around and glanced at him.
Yuwen Yuan's smile deepened, and he said, "Speaking of which, Qian'er hasn't returned to Daxing City for many years."
As he spoke, he turned to look at his eldest son beside him. His face, which appeared imposing and dignified in the eyes of the world due to his high position and power, was now filled with a look of relief and love. He smiled and said, "You've finally come home."
Yuwen Qian immediately stood up, bowed to him, and said, "Father, your son is unfilial. These past years I have been traveling far and wide, unable to be by your side to fulfill my duties as a son. It is truly—"
"alright!"
Yuwen Yuan waved his hand, interrupting him, and pulled him back to sit down, saying with undisguised joy, "Your return is the greatest act of filial piety!"
As he spoke, he laughed and said, "I am so happy today! Bring me some wine! I'm going to drink to my heart's content all night long!"
At this moment, Aunt Hui came up carrying a jar of wine.
Upon seeing her, Yuwen Ye's expression remained relatively natural, but Shang Ruyi couldn't help but feel a jolt in her heart.
Serving wine is something that servants and maids in the house have always done. Why is she serving wine herself at this time?
Yuwen Yuan frowned and said, "What, you still—" Before he could finish speaking, he froze when he saw the wine jar in Aunt Hui's hand.
"This wine..."
Aunt Hui gently placed the wine jar on the table and said respectfully, "Does the Duke still remember this wine?"
"..."
Yuwen Yuan did not speak immediately, but looked at it carefully again before saying softly, "It is Jiu Yun Chun."
Aunt Hui immediately smiled and said, "The Duke really remembers. When the First Madam came to the manor, she brought ten jars of Jiu Yun Chun wine. The Duke was generous and drank nine jars on his wedding night, leaving only this one jar."
"..."
"Now that the eldest son has finally returned, this jar of wine is a fitting tribute to tonight's joy."
After she finished speaking, the entire dining hall suddenly fell silent.
Everyone looked at Yuwen Yuan.
Just moments ago, Yuwen Yuan was chatting and laughing, but now he suddenly fell silent, and an unusual solemnity appeared on his dark face.
After a long pause, he murmured, "The joy of tonight..."
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