Chapter 593 I've Come to Take You Home
Just as the two were facing each other in silence, yet their voices seemed to echo in each other's ears, even sounding deafening, a very light footstep slowly approached them.
It also shattered this silent stillness.
Yuwen Ye's somewhat bewildered expression suddenly brightened, and he immediately regained his usual calm and aloofness. He turned around and bowed to the tall and handsome figure, saying, "Brother."
"Second brother,"
Walking up to him, Yuwen Qian looked at him with clear eyes, then glanced at Shang Ruyi's equally pale face, and finally smiled gently, saying, "Your form of address is wrong."
"...!"
"...!"
These words sent a jolt through both of them.
But immediately, Yuwen Ye smiled, a hint of mockery in his smile, and said, "Yes, yes, you're wrong."
After saying this, he respectfully bowed to Yuwen Qian and said, "Your Majesty."
Yuwen Qian's smile deepened. He looked Yuwen Ye up and down, as if seeing his brother clearly for the first time. His eyes held a clear appreciation, but also a hint of unspeakable emotion. He sighed softly, "I've been away from home for many years. I knew that with my intelligence, my second brother would be a completely different person from when I left. But I really didn't expect that my second brother would grow up to be what he is today."
"..."
"To be courageous and resourceful, to be flexible and resilient, is the mark of a true man."
"..."
"My foolish brother, it is true—"
At this point, he smiled slightly and said, "I'm pleasantly surprised."
Yuwen Ye looked at him, his face still smiling, and said, "A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation. Moreover, my brother has cultivated for several years and has been able to receive enlightenment from the true dragon. I, your foolish brother, should not waste my youth and grow old in vain."
"Well said."
"..."
"Today, Father Emperor ascends the throne and takes over the throne, but the world is divided and war is still raging. We still have many difficulties to face. It depends on whether Second Brother can break the chaos of the world with today's momentum."
"certainly."
Yuwen Ye raised his head slightly, looking into those eyes that seemed gentle, yet subtly revealed a different kind of brilliance, and said, word by word, "I am also waiting to see how my imperial brother's true dragon revelation will determine the fate of the world."
Yuwen Qian looked at him and smiled.
The two stared at each other, neither speaking, but their gazes, one firm and the other gentle, flickered slightly, as if a sharp edge was hidden within them.
After a while, more people came and went around them, and many complicated and cautious gazes fell on the three of them. Yuwen Qian then said, "Let's go. I still have some things to do. You should also go back to the Duke's Mansion. Father's intention is that we should all move into the palace by tomorrow at the latest. After all, the enthronement ceremony is scheduled for the sixth day of the month, and time is tight."
"yes."
After speaking, Yuwen Qian turned his head and smiled faintly at Shang Ruyi, who had remained silent but whose mind was racing at this moment and whose eyes were now more complicated and profound than before. Then he turned and left.
Yuwen Ye followed him up.
Just as he was about to leave, Shang Ruyi called out to him again, but this time, her voice was hesitant: "...Feng Chen."
Yuwen Ye's footsteps paused again.
But this time, he didn't linger for long. He calmly turned around, his face devoid of any emotion. In a daze, Shang Ruyi seemed to see the same sharp young man she had just met, undisturbed by any external influences, as cold and rational as a fully unsheathed sword.
Even when he spoke, his voice carried the chill of a weapon: "Don't force yourself."
"..."
"However, we don't have to be so distant from each other just because Father has achieved great things."
"..."
"You should still call me 'Second Brother'."
He slowly turned his head, a half-smile on his face, and said, "I should still have some value..."
After saying that, he left without looking back.
Shang Ruyi was stunned for a moment, staring at his back, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.
value……?
What did he mean by "value"?
At this moment, Shang Ruyi's mind was in turmoil, and even the memories that had been somewhat numb from the shock were starting to stir again. She vaguely recalled that Yuwen Ye and Empress Dowager Jiang had spoken at the entrance of this side hall, and when Empress Dowager Jiang entrusted Chu Ruoyan to Yuwen Ye, he seemed to have said something—
She has always been sincere towards me.
It is completely useless.
Just now, Shang Ruyi had been waiting quietly inside, deliberately providing them with a moment to be alone and to say goodbye properly. Only now has she come to her senses.
Yuwen Ye's words not only conveyed a sense of despondency, but were also somewhat harsh.
Connecting the two paragraphs together, Shang Ruyi felt an indescribable discomfort, as if an invisible black hand was tightly gripping her heart, causing her heartbeat to slow and her breathing to become labored. She even felt as if this black hand was blocking her path forward.
Why is this happening?
Why would Yuwen Ye use the word "use" to Empress Jiang and the word "value" to himself for no apparent reason?
What is he thinking?
Her mind was filled with a multitude of troubles, but this was no time for her to think quietly. Seeing that Yuwen Ye was about to leave the main hall, Shang Ruyi could only follow as quickly as possible. Soon, after passing through the familiar, and even more familiar, quiet passageway, they left Hanguang Gate and boarded the carriage that had been waiting at the palace gate.
The carriage swayed and rocked all the way, but Yuwen Ye kept his eyes and lips closed and didn't say a word until it stopped in front of the Duke's mansion.
Yuwen Ye opened his eyes and immediately got off the carriage.
As soon as I stood still, I felt a profound silence around me. A few days ago, because of the upcoming major event, people were coming and going from the Duke's mansion. Some even came to the door in the middle of the night. But today, the door was deserted. It wasn't that these people didn't want to come, but because the major event had been accomplished and the situation was set. Coming to the door would be seen as currying favor.
Besides, even the Duke of Sheng could be curried favor with, but who has ever heard of currying favor with the emperor?
So at this time, the Duke's mansion was deserted, and even the main gate was tightly closed.
But a familiar figure stood tall and elegant in front of the huge stone lion outside the gate. His gray-blue robe exuded a solemn air, and even his eyes, which slowly rose and coldly stared at Yuwen Ye, were even colder.
It's Shen Wuzheng!
Although he didn't know why he would appear at this time, and why he was standing alone at the entrance of the Duke's mansion, Yuwen Ye's aura involuntarily deepened when he met those eyes that were filled with restrained wisdom. As their eyes met, it was as if an invisible spark was ignited.
Until two surprised voices rang out from behind them—
"Brother? What brings you here?!"
"Feng Chen, you're finally back!"
The two immediately looked behind each other. On one side, Shang Ruyi jumped down from the carriage. Although there was still a lingering look of bewilderment on her face, she immediately beamed with joy upon seeing Shen Wuzheng, her face full of smiles. On the other side, Pei Xingyuan poked his head out from behind the stone lion. Upon seeing the two of them, he jumped out happily and greeted them warmly: "Your Highness Prince Qin, Your Highness Princess Qin!"
This title caused Shen Wuzheng's brow to furrow slightly again.
Yuwen Ye's breathing seemed to quicken as well.
But he immediately led Shang Ruyi upstairs, first giving Shen Wuzheng a solemn look, then turning to Pei Xingyuan: "You've arrived..."
"Of course we'll come!"
Pei Xingyuan said with a matter-of-fact expression, "Well, other people don't come to celebrate because they want to appear noble, but who am I—a true scholar who is naturally unconventional? I don't care about those gossips. Besides, brother, if you've achieved enlightenment, how can we not ascend to heaven with you? Otherwise, how could we justify all these injuries I've sustained?"
"..."
"Look at my hands, look at them! They just started to scab over a couple of days ago, and they hurt so much!"
Yuwen Ye's face remained gloomy, as if he had put on—no, more like he had transformed into a hard and cold mask. Only at this moment, listening to Pei Xingyuan's complaints and seeing his feigned intimacy, did he seem to be touched by a bit of human warmth.
Even his cold and stern gaze softened considerably.
After looking at Pei Xingyuan for a long time, he said in a low voice, as if talking to himself, "You... haven't changed, that's good."
"Look, and look at this on my wrist—"
Pei Xingyuan was still complaining when he heard this. He blinked blankly and looked up at him, asking, "What did you say?"
Yuwen Ye shook his head: "It's nothing."
After saying that, he looked at Shen Wuzheng.
Unlike their previous meetings, although Shen Wuzheng had been assisting him—or rather, advising him—since they met at Wanggangzhai, and he completely trusted him, telling him about the difficulties he faced and almost always obeying Shen Wuzheng's words, even so, the two of them understood one thing: they always harbored a little bit of secret, unspeakable hostility towards each other.
At this moment, this hostility had spread from their hearts to their eyes.
Just now, Yuwen Ye even saw an unprecedented sharpness in Shen Wuzheng's eyes. Although his gaze immediately turned into familiar gentleness as soon as Shang Ruyi appeared, the feeling of being stabbed in that instant was definitely not his imagination.
So, when they looked at each other again at this moment, a hint of hardness involuntarily surfaced in their eyes.
Until Shang Ruyi said, "Brother, what brings you here too?"
Shen Wuzheng was not a pretentious person, nor was he the type to visit the Duke's mansion without a reason. He had previously offered advice to Yuwen Ye for the sake of Shen Shiyan and himself, as well as for his own ambitions. However, now that Yuwen Yuan's great cause was accomplished, given Shen Wuzheng's personality, he was not the type to come to the Duke's mansion immediately.
Upon hearing her voice, Shen Wuzheng's eyes softened once more.
He said, "I've come to take you home."
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