Chapter 197 Go back and change your shoes
Shang Ruyi hesitated for a long time before saying softly, "Before leaving Luoyang, Miss Lei told me that the ownership of Xingluo Granary is very important. If you can take back Xingluo Granary, the court will have a chance to continue in the Eastern Capital."
"..."
"But--"
As she spoke, she paused, the deep conflict in her eyes almost reaching the sky, even shattering the gently falling snowflakes into dust that scattered across the ground between them.
Yuwen Ye stared at her intently with a cold gaze: "So, you want me to—"
"But,"
Shang Ruyi looked up at him again and said softly, "If you lose, there will be people who won't let you off the hook."
Yuwen Ye's eye twitched slightly, but his expression immediately returned to calm.
Even now, he still hasn't figured out who she met or what happened when she was summoned to the palace by Empress Jiang yesterday, or why she cried as soon as she saw him at Xuanren Gate. Although she later gave him the brocade box containing the prescription, now that he thinks back, she definitely encountered more than just Princess Xinyue in Ziwei Palace yesterday, and what she encountered was not just a simple matter of love between men and women.
At that moment, their eyes met, as if a thousand words were unspoken in an instant.
The entire street was eerily quiet, with only the whistling wind whistling past. The group of several hundred people didn't utter a single breath or cough; it was eerily quiet.
After an unknown period of silence, Yuwen Ye suddenly asked, "And what about you?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Me?"
Yuwen Ye looked into her eyes without blinking and asked, "Do you want me to lose, or win?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked up at him, and more snowflakes fell on her face, some even getting into her eyes. The cold, stinging sensation was like his gaze, chilling her at that moment.
Shang Ruyi's breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she was speechless.
Yuwen Ye's brows slowly furrowed, forming a deep frown.
He said, "Is it that hard to answer?"
"..."
"Or is it that you've lost sight of what you really want? If you don't start calculating, you won't know what you truly desire?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi bit her lower lip and said softly, "I hope you come back safely."
"...!"
Yuwen Ye was taken aback.
At the same time, the slender hands that had been clasped on the back of her hands were released. Shang Ruyi slowly took a step back, and a blush appeared even more clearly on her face, which was already red from the wind. Gradually, it almost covered her original complexion.
But just as she took a step back, her hands, which had already let go, were grabbed back.
Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat. When she looked up, she saw Yuwen Ye leaning down and taking her hands in his. He held them tightly, and his originally cold gaze was now warmer, even burning as he stared intently into her eyes.
He asked, "Is this true?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi's hands were held by him and she couldn't break free. This question felt more like she was being forced to answer.
He moved closer and closer, almost falling off his horse. Shang Ruyi dared not retreat any further, nor did she dare to pull her hands back. She could only stand awkwardly in front of him, letting him lean down and look her straight in the eye, asking piercingly, "Is this what you wanted?"
"..."
The cold wind was piercing through the long street like arrows, cutting like knives on everyone's face, but at this moment, Shang Ruyi's face felt as if it were being scorched by fire.
Not only was her face hot and her ears burning, but her hands, held tightly in those rough, calloused palms, felt as if they were being roasted over charcoal.
My whole body felt hot from the warmth.
She didn't dare to look up at him, only nodding slightly and humming in a barely audible voice.
With just that one sound, the icy layer on Yuwen Ye's face seemed to gradually melt away. However, before anyone could see his expression after the coldness melted away, he had already straightened up and released Shang Ruyi's hand.
Shang Ruyi felt as if he had been granted a pardon and took several steps back.
She tried to look up at Yuwen Ye, but he was sitting high on his horse, looking down at her. His back was obscured, so she couldn't see his expression. She only heard him say coldly, "Go back."
Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a void in her heart.
"oh……"
Just as she silently took a step back, she heard Yuwen Ye say again, "Go back and change your shoes."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat. When she looked up at him again, she saw that Yuwen Ye had already turned his head and was looking straight ahead. He waved his hand and said, "Let's go!"
Immediately, he spurred his horse and galloped away, leaving only a gust of wind that suddenly lifted the hem of Shang Ruyi's clothes.
A pair of oversized, luxurious silk shoes peeked out from under the hem of her dress.
Shang Ruyi suddenly realized something.
She took another step forward, wanting to say something, but Yuwen Ye's figure had already disappeared into the wind and snow. The other soldiers immediately spurred their horses to follow, quickly disrupting the cold wind and leaving only the chaotic snowflakes falling before their eyes, leaving only afterimages.
|
Inside the main hall of Ziwei Palace.
Although the outside world was covered in snow, with snow falling heavily and the palace servants shivering as they went about their business inside the palace walls, the warm courtyard was as warm as spring, with several brightly colored plants blooming, making one feel as if they were in the middle of spring.
In this warm and cozy atmosphere, Chu Yang, dressed in a thin long robe, looked as graceful as a fairy. He leaned back on a huge couch, surrounded by a cloud of colorful and luxurious brocade quilts, clustered together like a giant peony. He lay leisurely in the heart of the peony, with a snow-white Persian cat at his feet, its fluffy tail gently stroking his ankle. The comfortable feeling made him squint his slender phoenix eyes, almost falling asleep.
However, he did not actually fall asleep.
Because on the other side of the screen, Wang Shaoji reported on everything that had happened in the Eastern Capital that day.
The most important thing, of course, is that Yuwen Ye, who is leading 20,000 troops of the imperial court to conquer Xingluocang, has already left the city and set off.
Chu Yang squinted and said lazily, "Did he leave so easily?"
Wang Shaoji, standing in front of the screen, was taken aback.
He subconsciously looked up, wanting to peek inside, but the semi-transparent screen only allowed him to barely make out the figures inside, not the emperor's ever-changing expression, much less his true intentions. Wang Shaoji hesitated for a moment, then chuckled, "Yes, he left very swiftly."
"So, can he win this battle decisively?"
"..."
An unusual silence descended upon the warm dock, especially with the gurgling sound of water flowing beneath the floorboards, which only served to accentuate the eeriness of the stillness.
After a long pause, Wang Shaoji chuckled and said, "Other generals consider the timing, location, and the people when they go to war, but when Yuwen Ye goes to war, we also have to consider his heart."
"What does his heart have to do with winning or losing this battle?"
Wang Shaoji stepped forward with a cold smile, respectful but with a chilling aura on his face, and said in a low voice, "The more loyal he is to the Emperor, the faster he can win this battle."
"..."
"Conversely, if he harbors disloyal intentions towards the Emperor—"
Chu Yang suddenly opened his eyes.
Although he did nothing but open his eyes, the Persian cat that had been lying at his feet was suddenly startled. It jumped off the bed with its fur standing on end and disappeared into a corner in a few moments.
"how?"
"Then this battle will be very difficult to win."
Chu Yang's handsome face remained cold and indifferent. After a long silence, he slowly said, "I have already trusted and treated the Yuwen family so well. If Yuwen Ye still harbors disloyalty and cannot be loyal to the court, then—heaven and earth will not tolerate him."
Wang Shaoji bowed his head and clasped his hands, saying, "If Heaven and Earth cannot tolerate it, that is Heaven and Earth's business."
"..."
"But Your Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, must not be plotted against by treacherous and wicked ministers. Otherwise, how can the empire continue?"
Chu Yang narrowed his eyes slightly: "What do you mean by that?"
Wang Shaoji stepped forward again, his voice almost reaching Chu Yang's ears through the semi-transparent screen: "This time, the court only gave him 20,000 troops, just to force the Duke of Sheng to increase his demands. Only if the Duke of Sheng sends more troops can the court possibly recapture Xingluo Granary, and the Duke of Sheng's forces will also suffer losses in this battle. For the court, this is a perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone."
"..."
"However, even today when Yuwen Ye left the city, he only had the 20,000 troops that the court had given him."
Chu Yang's gaze grew colder and clearer: "What does this mean?"
Wang Shaoji said, "This means that, for them, the victory or defeat of the court, and the ownership of Xingluo Granary, are not as important as the troops of the Yuwen family."
At this point, he took another step forward.
"Your Majesty, think about it. What do they need so many troops for? If they have troops but don't use them to deal with the rebels in the court or to quell the Wanggang Army, then what is their goal—isn't it obvious?"
Chu Yang's expression gradually darkened, and he said, "Are you saying that their family is preserving their strength, unwilling to use even a single soldier, in order to deal with me in the future?"
A cold glint appeared in Wang Shaoji's eyes: "Your Majesty, this humble subject dares not speak presumptuously."
"..."
"But one must be wary of people's hearts."
Chu Yang frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, "But he has already led his troops out. How can we defend against him at this time?"
Wang Shaoji lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty, no matter how few troops you have, food supplies are your lifeline."
Chu Yang's eyes lit up: "You want me to confiscate his grain supplies?"
"It's not exactly detention,"
Wang Shaoji said, "Your Majesty, Yuwen Ye's original intention was to attack Xingluo Granary, which is the largest granary of our Daye Dynasty. If he can capture it, won't the grain supply be endless? Why would the court need to allocate more grain?"
"..."
"If he can't take it, then the imperial court will continue to send him supplies, wouldn't that be like raising a tiger to cause trouble?"
Chu Yang nodded: "That makes sense..."
He thought for a moment, then immediately said, "Xingluocang is not far from Luoyang. Wang Shaoji, keep a close eye on this war for me. If Yuwen Ye makes any untoward moves—"
He didn't say the rest.
But Wang Shaoji had already understood what he wanted to hear, and immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured."
"..."
"If Yuwen Ye makes any mistake, I will not allow him to return to Luoyang alive!"
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