Chapter 763 Killing Three Birds with One Stone!
At this point, Aunt Hui could no longer remain silent or stand aside. She hurriedly knelt down and said, "It was my negligence. I am guilty!"
"..."
Yuwen Yuan didn't speak immediately, but just looked at her, his gaze gradually deepening.
Yuwen Ye looked at him without saying anything, but subtly gave Shang Ruyi a wink. Shang Ruyi immediately understood, walked over and stood next to Aunt Hui, and said to Yuwen Yuan, "Father, Father, please don't blame Aunt Hui for this."
Yuwen Yuan said indifferently, "You still can't get over your old habits? Once you enter the palace, you have to change everything."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi immediately replied, "Yes. Please do not blame Han Shanggong, Father."
As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately felt that Aunt Hui, who was kneeling beside her, was breathing more heavily and rapidly than before. After all, they called her "Aunt Hui," which meant that there was still a family atmosphere and that they still regarded her as one of their own. But addressing her by her official title meant only a cold hierarchy. Aunt Hui clearly felt that Yuwen Yuan was distancing himself from her. Shang Ruyi took the opportunity to say, "Since Father Emperor ascended the throne, there have been many complicated matters in the palace. Han Shanggong has to take care of so many people and so many things all by herself. It is inevitable that she will make mistakes."
Aunt Hui knelt on the ground, her head bowed deeply.
Unseen by anyone, her teeth were grinding together.
Shang Ruyi's words, while intended to praise her achievements, were, as everyone knew, nothing short of ostentation in front of the emperor. The emperor could reward meritorious officials, but he forbade them to boast, especially since Yuwen Ye had just subtly accused her, making Yuwen Yuan realize that the problematic Jian Chun was someone she had arranged to be sent to Jinyu Garden. Now, with these words, it was practically putting her on the spot!
Aunt Hui said in a deep voice, "Your Highness is too kind. This servant dares not take credit for it."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "Han Shanggong, you have devoted yourself to the Yuwen family all these years. Even if you haven't made any great contributions, you have certainly worked hard. Besides, you are already so old. How can it not be a contribution if you still have to personally handle these small matters?"
"..."
“In the past, at least we had family, and there were people to help us out, but now—”
Aunt Hui knelt on the ground, her hands, hidden in her sleeves, digging desperately into the floor.
Shang Ruyi's words sounded very dignified, but to her, every word was like a knife to the heart, especially the last sentence she didn't mention—Aunt Yun.
That is, Jin Yun, who served the deceased official's wife!
In the past, although Guan Yunmu did not take back the power of managing the household from her in the Yuwen family, Jin Yun would participate in managing the household affairs to some extent, and there were indeed no troubles. However, since the fall of Luoyang, Jin Yun has been left in the Yuwen family in Luoyang, and her fate is still unknown. In fact, even if she really entered the palace as a lady-in-waiting, there are hundreds of times more people and things in the palace now than before, and she may not be able to handle everything. However, Shang Ruyi's words made Yuwen Yuan think of this loyal servant from the past, and he not only remembered her goodness, but also missed Lady Guan.
This puts me in an even more awkward position.
Thinking of this, Aunt Hui was both anxious and angry. When she looked up at Yuwen Yuan again, she saw that his face had indeed slowly darkened, and his deep eyes seemed to be rippling with layers of bewilderment.
"His Majesty……"
Aunt Hui wanted to say something, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.
At this point, anything you say will be wrong.
The entire Liangyi Hall fell into an indescribable, almost suffocating silence.
After an unknown period of silence, Yuwen Yuan finally let out a long sigh. However, this sigh did not seem to ease his mind much; instead, when he spoke, his emotions were even heavier. He said, "Han Shanggong."
Aunt Hui immediately replied, "This servant is here."
Yuwen Yuan said, "You've had a hard time these past few days."
"...!"
These are kind words, but coming from the emperor's mouth, they are definitely not!
Aunt Hui broke out in a cold sweat. Despite feeling icy cold all over, she could only manage to reply, "It is my duty, and I dare not complain."
Yuwen Yuan said, "I have seen everything you have done, but the personnel appointments and dismissals in the palace are too complicated. I'm afraid you can't take care of them all. It's better to hand them over to—" As he spoke, he looked up and his gaze fell on Eunuch Yu, who was holding a whisk in his hands and standing silently to the side. He said, "From now on, these matters will be left to Yu Mingli."
Aunt Hui's heart sank.
It should be understood that the appointment and dismissal of personnel in the palace is not only her power, but also her means of controlling all affairs in the palace. If this power is taken away, she will have no room to control the personnel in the palace.
But at this point, it was useless to say anything more. She could only grit her teeth and reluctantly kowtow, saying, "Yes."
Eunuch Yu, not to be outdone, immediately stepped forward, kowtowed, and respectfully said, "This servant will certainly do her duty to the best of her ability and share the Emperor's burdens."
Yuwen Yuan nodded, but at this moment, a look of weariness was clearly visible on his face. He said, "Go down and clean up Qianqiu Palace and Jinyu Garden thoroughly. Make sure the extra people you send out are properly inspected. Under no circumstances should it affect Prince Qin and Princess Qin."
"yes."
Originally, it was thought that after he was so tired and gave these instructions, he would have asked them to leave. However, Yuwen Yuan remained silent for a moment, and then said to Yuwen Ye, "Fengchen, you requested to lead the army eastward to take Songzhou and Xuzhou. I have approved this request."
Yuwen Ye immediately said, "Thank you, Father!"
Yuwen Yuan said, "Tomorrow, I will have the Ministry of War issue a document, and you should tell them to make preparations as soon as possible."
"yes!"
Shang Ruyi was also taken aback.
It turns out that Yuwen Ye's daily visits to the Ministry of War and his training of troops in the military camps were not without purpose. He had previously stated that his position in the court depended on military merit, but he was overshadowed by Crown Prince Yuwen Qian in the Battle of Taiyuan. She thought he would remain silent for a while, but unexpectedly, he was already planning to send his men to take over Songzhou and Xuzhou.
These two places are very close to Luoyang, but they are not entirely under Liang Shide's control. The person in charge of these places is Fan Chengen. They had fought each other before and knew that he was an official who was wholeheartedly devoted to the people.
If they can win him over and take these places, then they will be able to encircle Luoyang!
At that time, we'll take over the Eastern Capital and achieve our goal in one fell swoop!
Unexpectedly, despite being at a disadvantage today, they were able to launch a counterattack thanks to Chu Ruoyan's courageous intervention. This not only resolved the problem but also weakened Aunt Hui's power and allowed Yuwen Ye to seize the authority to send troops eastward!
That's killing three birds with one stone!
Shang Ruyi was incredibly excited. Although she tried her best to restrain herself, she couldn't stop her heart from pounding and her breathing from becoming erratic. Chu Ruoyan, who was standing next to her, turned her head and glanced at her. Seeing the redness in Shang Ruyi's eyes and then looking at Yuwen Ye's seemingly in control manner, a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes.
Even if I stand between the two of them, there are some places where I may never be able to get in.
She lowered her head.
Equally disheartened was His Majesty the Emperor, who had just made the momentous decision to advance eastward. After Yuwen Yuan finished speaking, his broad, heavy shoulders slumped slightly, as if he had reached his limit of exhaustion. He no longer looked at them, but simply waved his hand and said, "Alright, you may all leave."
"yes."
Everyone responded in unison, and then rose and withdrew.
As they stepped out of the Liangyi Hall, a gust of wind suddenly blew by, and almost everyone shivered involuntarily, only to realize that their faces and bodies were covered in cold sweat.
Just now, everyone's heart was in their throat, and everyone's soul seemed to have walked on the line between life and death.
The one with the most ashen and ugly face was Aunt Hui. She never imagined that the situation she had completely controlled would be ruined just because Yuwen Ye was present and because he spoke, which made her feel a little apprehensive. And it was that little apprehension that caused her to make a small mistake in her speech, which led to her losing everything!
Even more surprisingly, Yuwen Ye seized the opportunity to send troops to Songzhou.
She was truly unwilling to accept it, but there was nothing she could do to change the situation.
She looked up at the group, managed a weak smile, and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, I will take my leave now."
Yuwen Ye said, "Aunt Hui, you've worked hard."
"I wouldn't dare."
After saying that, Aunt Hui turned and left.
As soon as she left, Eunuch Yu stepped forward. His expression wasn't exactly smug, but there was a hint of a smile, especially when he looked at Yuwen Ye. Their eyes met, and a spark seemed to fly between them. However, he didn't say much, only bowed to the Prince and Princess of Qin before leaving.
Then, only the three of them remained in front of the main hall, along with Pan Qing, Tu She'er, and several other palace maids who had been guarding outside.
The three of them left the Liangyi Hall quietly without saying much, remaining silent the entire way until they passed through the Baifu Gate and arrived at the entrance of the Jinyu Garden. Just as Chu Ruoyan bowed to them and was about to turn and go inside, Shang Ruyi finally spoke.
"Madam Chu..."
Chu Ruoyan had been silent, as if she wanted to plunge into the Golden Jade Garden, but upon hearing her voice, she couldn't help but pause in her tracks. However, she didn't turn around immediately. Instead, she took a deep breath and then turned to look at her: "Does Your Highness have any further instructions?"
Shang Ruyi looked at her and said softly, "Thank you."
"...!"
Chu Ruoyan's pupils trembled slightly.
She didn't speak immediately, but turned her head to look to the side, and after a long silence, she said, "The trouble was caused by me. I was just doing my duty to handle this matter, and I don't need you to thank me."
As she spoke, she looked up at Shang Ruyi again. Although she was a little embarrassed, she still said, "I should thank you for extricating me from this matter."
Upon hearing this, a smile appeared in Shang Ruyi's eyes.
She understood perfectly well that a woman like Chu Ruoyan, a princess of noble birth, had been pampered since childhood. Too many people were kind to her, and too many people thanked her for even the smallest favor. Therefore, she felt nothing or was moved by other people's kindness and gratitude.
But the responsibility is something she must bear.
She seems to be somewhat different now than she was in the past.
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