Chapter 835 Acting Cute
One autumn rain brings one chill.
After several light rains following the start of autumn, the weather grew increasingly cool. For someone like Shang Ruyi, who had become pregnant in the summer and suffered greatly from the sweltering heat, such cool weather was just right. However, out of concern that she might catch a cold, a stove was placed in Qianqiu Palace for her even before October had arrived.
Chu Ruoyan, who came to visit her, had only been sitting down for a short while when she broke out in a sweat.
Seeing her constantly wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, Shang Ruyi also felt it was inappropriate, so she said to Tusheer, "Take the stove away, I'm so hot."
Tushe'er frowned upon hearing this: "This won't do. His Highness instructed that the Princess Consort cannot be without this."
"But--"
"If the princess catches a cold, it will be us servants who get scolded!"
Now that she has Yuwen Ye as her powerful backer, she often uses her influence to suppress Shang Ruyi, forbidding her from doing this or that. Shang Ruyi simply can't do anything about her. Chu Ruoyan, who was standing to the side, saw a faint trace of loneliness in her eyes when she heard these words, but she smiled and said, "Your Highness, you don't need to worry about me. Your health is the most important thing."
Shang Ruyi could only give an awkward smile.
Actually, sitting face to face with Chu Ruoyan like this was awkward no matter what she did, but since the day of her confinement had come, Chu Ruoyan should come here to pay her respects as usual, so the two of them could only force themselves to chat for a few words. But thinking of what had happened before, Shang Ruyi was still very grateful to her.
She said, "Thanks to you before."
Chu Ruoyan shook her head and smiled: "I didn't do anything."
After saying that, she looked at Shang Ruyi and said softly, "So that day, the King of Qi really intended to use that wine pot—"
Shang Ruyi nodded slightly.
Upon hearing this, Chu Ruoyan frowned.
Shang Ruyi knew that Empress Dowager Jiang had always protected her two children very well. But no matter how well she protected them, after experiencing the fall of the country and the destruction of her family, Chu Ruoyan could no longer be as innocent and carefree as before. From the fact that she took the initiative to take the blame for the hawthorn cake incident, to the fact that she immediately sent Pan Qing to inform her as soon as she learned of the appearance of the wine pot, it was clear that she had undergone a complete transformation.
After a moment of silence, Chu Ruoyan said softly, "Then the road ahead for Second Brother will probably be difficult."
Shang Ruyi said, "We have to go even if it's difficult. At this point, we have no way out."
She said that "we" here no longer refers only to her and Yuwen Ye, but also to Chu Ruoyan—in the illusion she saw when she was seriously ill, after the Crown Prince lost power, almost everyone in the Crown Prince's mansion was killed without exception. No matter who did it, Yuwen Ye or someone else, she never doubted the reality of this matter. The struggle for imperial power has always been so cruel and bloody. For example, if Yuwen Ye loses power in the future, she will not doubt how good her own fate will be.
Chu Ruoyan's identity is even more sensitive and special. Behind her are Empress Dowager Jiang and Chu Chengfei, who are living in seclusion in Yanchun Palace.
She understood even more clearly how important Yuwen Ye was.
Moreover, Shang Ruyi had not fully told her that the current predicament faced by the Prince of Qin was not only that Yuwen Qian was about to formally marry Yu Mingyue and that the Crown Prince's power would further increase, but also that Mu Xian and others had not been rewarded for their efforts in the Battle of Longmen Ferry, and that additional men had been sent to Xingluo Warehouse. This was, in effect, telling Yuwen Ye that attacking the Eastern Capital was not something that could be done without him.
More importantly, Prince Qi, Yuwen Cheng, has not yet left Chang'an.
Although he returned without imperial decree, which would normally have led to his impeachment, the court officials understood the significance of the Duke of Shenwu to the emperor in terms of both the political situation and personal feelings. Furthermore, since Yuwen Cheng used the pretext of offering condolences, no one dared to speak up at this time. Now that he had not yet left, he naturally had the excuse of attending Yuwen Qian's wedding. However, Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi both understood that his purpose was not limited to this.
He and Yuwen Qian were probably the ones who wanted to directly eliminate the candidates who attacked Luoyang.
I just don't know what methods he will use.
And what decision will Yuwen Yuan ultimately make?
Chu Ruoyan remained silent for a long time, as if she wanted to say something, but hesitated and finally smiled bitterly, "It's a pity I'm useless, I can't help my second brother, and I can't help my sister."
Shang Ruyi hurriedly said, "What are you saying? You've already done too much for these two matters."
"..."
"But this time, His Majesty is somewhat hostile towards Feng Chen because of the death of the Duke of Shenwu... so the matter is tricky, and we haven't thought of any good solutions yet."
Chu Ruoyan shook her head again, as if recalling something, and said with a wry smile, "In the past, when Fei'er and I made mistakes, we didn't know how to admit them. We would just act cute in front of Father and Mother. Now it seems that it was probably not a good thing."
Seeing her increasingly dejected expression, Shang Ruyi suddenly laughed and said, "How can it not be a good thing?"
Chu Ruoyan looked up at her: "Hmm?"
"Being able to act cute is a good thing at any time. Just because acting cute doesn't work now doesn't mean it's bad."
"..."
"It's like a good person who has done good deeds and enjoyed a lifetime of happiness, but just because they suffer some hardships in their later years, they must be told that they shouldn't have done good deeds all those years. That's not fair."
"..."
"We cannot use the result to negate the beginning and the process."
Hearing her words, Chu Ruoyan seemed stunned, staring blankly at her with wide eyes. After a long while, her lips trembled slightly as she whispered, "You, you seem..."
Shang Ruyi looked at her: "What?"
Chu Ruoyan immediately snapped out of her daze, her eyes still somewhat dazed. She immediately shook her head and turned her face away, as if she were a little embarrassed. But after a while, she turned back and gave Shang Ruyi a deep look. Although her eyes were still somewhat lonely, there was also a hint of docility in her loneliness.
She didn't lose herself in thought for long; she just turned her head to look at the sky outside and then waved to the person behind her.
Her head maid, Pan Qing, immediately stepped forward, carrying a box. Although the carving wasn't particularly exquisite, it was clearly heavy and sturdy. She placed it in front of Shang Ruyi. Chu Ruoyan said, "I've heard that eating some Poria cocos after childbirth is good for the body. This is a Poria cocos cake I made myself. If you don't mind, please try it."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi quickly opened the box and indeed saw several neatly arranged pieces of Poria cocos cake inside, emitting a faint sweet fragrance.
She smiled and said, "Your cooking skills are getting better and better."
Chu Ruoyan smiled and said, "I haven't had much to do these days, so I've just been passing the time with these things. If there's anything you'd like to eat, Sister Ruoyan, just let me know."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "I won't stand on ceremony."
After saying that, she told Tushe'er to put the box away, and Chu Ruoyan glanced at the sky again, then got up to say goodbye so as not to disturb her rest.
Watching their departing figures, Tushe'er, holding the heavy box, let out a soft sigh and said, "I was worried that Madam Chu would be resentful after being confined for half a year, but I didn't expect her temper to have become so good."
"Of course,"
While this was a good thing, recalling the gentle and kind Princess Xinyue, who possessed a touch of celestial grace, and then remembering her recent forlorn yet serene demeanor, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. Change isn't inherently bad, but the most pitiful change is being forced by fate to relinquish the right to be spoiled, to become less greedy, less dreamy, and even to no longer actively reach out for what fate offers. Such a change is the most heartbreaking.
She glanced at Tushe'er again and laughed, "If you get a few more beatings, you won't have so many words to say."
Tusheer wrinkled his nose at her.
After the master and servant laughed a few times, Tushe'er put the box aside. Noticing that Shang Ruyi's teacup was empty, she took the teapot and brought it over to refill her cup. She saw that the Princess of Qin was sitting on the couch with a thoughtful expression on her face, seemingly lost in thought.
After a while, I heard her murmur, "Acting cute?"
Tushe'er asked softly, "Your Highness, what are you thinking about?"
Shang Ruyi blinked again, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Where's the child?"
Tushe'er was taken aback, wondering why she suddenly asked about the child, but she quickly replied, "Madam Chu just came over and was worried that he would be disturbed, so the wet nurse took him to the back hall. It's sunny there, and the little prince seems to really enjoy sunbathing. He's so happy."
Hearing this, Shang Ruyi smiled and immediately said, "Let the child come back."
"yes."
Although Tushe'er was puzzled, she didn't ask any further questions and immediately left. Shang Ruyi then glanced at Woxue, who was walking up from the side and preparing to clean up the cups and dishes that Chu Ruoyan had just used, and said to her softly, "Woxue, after you've cleaned up, go out and see what His Majesty is doing, and come back and report to me."
Wo Xue looked up at her, didn't ask any questions, nodded immediately, and took the things downstairs.
A short while later, the child was brought back.
When Tushe'er placed the now-heavier swaddled baby into Shang Ruyi's arms, all her worries vanished the moment she heard the baby's soft, childlike murmur coming from inside.
Shang Ruyi smiled so hard her eyes crinkled, looking down at the adorable little face in the swaddling clothes.
The child was not even a month old, but his appearance was already quite different from when he was first born. Just as Yuwen Ye had said, he was indeed not very good-looking when he was first born, wrinkled and like a skinned kitten. Even someone as stubborn as Shang Ruyi would often get up at night to look at him and be so disappointed that she couldn't sleep for most of the night. But unexpectedly, in less than a month, the child had grown out a bit, his skin was smoother and whiter, and his chubby cheeks were rosy and full, like an apple.
Moreover, the baby opened its eyes just a few days after birth, and indeed it had a pair of bright, big eyes with large, dark pupils, like longan balls.
He wasn't afraid of strangers. Almost everyone in the Thousand Autumns Palace could hold him, and he rarely cried or fussed. If a stranger came, he wasn't afraid either. He would just stare at the person with his dark, hollow eyes, which seemed to suck people in.
The moment Shang Ruyi saw him, her heart melted.
Just as she was smiling and playing with the child, Tushe'er whispered, "Your Highness, the little prince is almost a month old, why haven't you given him a name yet?"
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