Chapter 295 I think I really feel sorry for you.
Shang Ruyi opened her eyes wide and watched as a clear outline gradually appeared on the semi-transparent screen. It was that familiar, graceful figure, walking slowly in with the warm breeze.
When Shang Ruyi saw those familiar, snow-white, and luxurious woven fairy shoes appear before her eyes, she couldn't help but catch her breath.
Yes, Chu Yang.
It could only be him.
Perhaps because the weather was warming up, he was only wearing a thin, wide-sleeved robe, the hem fluttering in the wind. With each slight movement, a breeze carrying a faint, cool fragrance rose and gently brushed against Shang Ruyi's face. She opened her eyes wide and watched him walk to the bedside. When he looked down at her, his slender phoenix eyes seemed to be filled with a smile, yet there was also a hint of coldness that didn't match the warmth of the breeze, slowly emanating from them.
Wo Xue hurriedly got up and knelt on the ground: "This servant greets Your Majesty."
"Get down."
Chu Yang ignored her, only quietly watching the slender figure sitting against the headboard. The two simple and clean words carried an invisible intimidation. Wo Xue didn't even dare to look up again, and hurriedly got up, lowered her head, and retreated.
The door was closed too.
At this moment, Shang Ruyi finally caught her breath.
For some reason, she should be nervous when facing Chu Yang—in fact, she was indeed a little nervous, her breathing was rapid, her heart was pounding, and even without looking in a mirror, she could feel that her face must be very pale—but once she was alone with him, she seemed to feel a strange sense of relaxation.
At least for now, facing him isn't too difficult.
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said softly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for not being able to rise and bow to Your Majesty."
Chu Yang's lips curled up slightly.
He said, "Is this all you want me to forgive?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi's aura deepened once again.
After thinking for a moment, she didn't say anything more. She simply reached out and laboriously lifted the thin blanket covering her body. Fortunately, she was wearing neat clothes, even if they weren't formal attire for meeting the emperor, they were at least enough to prevent her from being too impolite. Then she turned to get out of bed.
Kneeling and begging for forgiveness is probably the only thing she can do now.
However, she overestimated her strength. After being drugged several times and barely eating, her body, which had been tormented to the point of having only a little support, immediately felt weak and sore as soon as she moved. She fell onto the bed like a puppet with its strings cut.
"ah!"
She let out a quick, low gasp.
At the same time, a pair of hands reached out, and before Shang Ruyi could even react, she was lifted into the air and swept into someone's arms.
Her heart pounded, and she broke out in a cold sweat. When she turned her head, she met a pair of slender phoenix eyes. At this moment, there was no longer any sharpness or coldness in them. Instead, they were slightly curved and filled with a joyful smile.
Chu Yang said with a half-smile, "What, you know your sins are unforgivable, so you're using this method to make me feel sorry for you?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi was speechless.
It wasn't that she was captivated by the emperor's sudden tenderness, nor that she was speechless with fright at this transgression of the proper order between ruler and subject. Rather, the sudden turn of events had exhausted all her strength, leaving her as weak as a piece of silk, softly leaning against his chest.
And this side of her seemed to be something Chu Yang had never seen before.
He looked down at the pale-faced young woman, whose cheeks and eyes were unexpectedly flushed. He had never seen her so obedient and submissive before. At this moment, he even felt a sense of being "overwhelmed with gratitude" that he had never experienced before. His mood instantly improved, and he even forgot all about the accusations he had originally intended to level.
He just looked at her with a smile and said, "Then you've met the right person."
"..."
"I think I'm really heartbroken."
Shang Ruyi's forehead was covered in cold sweat, her body was ice cold, and her hands and feet were numb. She felt that this was the body's reaction after extreme hunger. After all, she had experienced something like this when she was a child. If she didn't eat and continued to expend her energy like this, even if she didn't starve to death, her vital energy would be greatly damaged.
Then, panting, she looked up at Chu Yang and whispered, "Your Majesty, let me eat something..."
"...?"
Chu Yang raised an eyebrow slightly, and upon seeing her state, he immediately understood.
He reluctantly placed the soft body in his arms back on the bed, took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her temples, then got up, went out, opened the door, and said a few words to the person outside.
Then, he returned to the bedside and sat down, looking at Shang Ruyi's eyes, which were already ashen from hunger.
He said, "You've suffered."
"..."
"I never expected you to suffer so much along the way. I'll have someone cut off her head right now."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback, then realized that the "she" he was referring to was Wo Xue, and hurriedly said in fright, "Your Majesty, please don't!"
Chu Yang was about to get up when he heard this, so he sat down again.
He frowned and said, "Why not? She did something wrong and should be punished."
Shang Ruyi was sweating profusely again, but this time it wasn't from hunger, but from fear. She was afraid that Chu Yang would insist on killing Woxue, and despite having no strength left, she said urgently, "She, she brought me to Jiangdu on His Majesty's orders, what wrong has she done?"
Chu Yang narrowed his eyes slightly and said coldly, "It's wrong to make you suffer."
"..."
Shang Ruyi felt as if she had been violently struck in the heart. Already weak, the rapid heartbeat almost made her faint.
Unable to explain further, she could only say simply, "I...I don't want her to die..."
"...!"
Chu Yang stared at her with wide eyes, somewhat surprised.
Although Shang Ruyi was someone he had met by chance and considered a confidante, in fact, from their first meeting, everything she said and did gave him an unexpected surprise. Even if not everything suited his wishes, it gave him a strange kind of pleasure, a pleasure that no one could compare to, even if everyone knelt at his feet and obeyed his will.
The only regret is that Shang Ruyi can never treat him as just Yang Suiyi.
Ever since his identity as the emperor was revealed, even though she addressed him as "Young Master Yang," her attitude towards him remained respectful, and she never dared to overstep any boundaries.
This was the first time she had used a demanding tone.
She wasn't asking, she was demanding!
Suddenly, a feeling of joy, which arose from nowhere but filled him with immense happiness, overwhelmed him. Chu Yang even felt that since leaving Luoyang, nothing had made him so happy in a long time.
He immediately smiled with delight and said, "Okay, I promise you."
"..."
Shang Ruyi felt as if she had just walked through the gates of hell. Cold sweat poured down her back, even dripping onto the back of her hand. She weakly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty..."
Just then, someone came in from outside.
Whether it was prepared in advance or not, Chu Yang gave the order and soon a table full of exquisite dishes was brought in, including three-layered duck, soft-shelled eel, crispy eel, and a small bowl containing a clear and fragrant soup with four round and oily meatballs floating in it, which looked like a very fresh dish.
Shang Ruyi was also taken aback when she saw the dish: "This is—"
Chu Yang said with a hint of pride, "These are four meatballs that I had the chefs make, modeled after Wansong Mountain, Jinqiandun, Xiangyalin, and Kuihuagang. Hmm, let's call them Sunflower Meatballs."
"……Yeah."
Shang Ruyi's pale lips trembled slightly.
Upon arriving in Jiangdu, he seemed to be in a really good mood and even had the time and inclination to study these dishes.
Chu Yang said, "Come on, have some."
Although Shang Ruyi knew she was starving and needed to eat something, she felt a tightness in her chest and shook her head slightly.
Chu Yang immediately frowned.
At this moment, Eunuch Yu, who was serving the dishes, said with a smile, "This soup was made by stewing chicken, duck, ham, and various fresh ingredients for several days. The young mistress is weak and cannot eat too much oily food, so she should have a sip of this soup."
Shang Ruyi nodded gently: "Thank you for your trouble."
Eunuch Yu quickly had a palace maid bring her half a bowl of soup. Shang Ruyi took a few sips and found that the soup was not greasy at all, but rather fragrant. After half a bowl of hot soup, her stomach felt warm. So, she tried to eat some soup and rice. Although she was covered in sweat, she had at least saved her life.
By the time Eunuch Yu and his men had cleared away the dishes and left the palace, Shang Ruyi had the strength to sit up straight, her eyes were brighter, and her complexion had regained its rosy hue.
She said softly, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Upon hearing those four words, the joy brought by the request just now seemed to be swept away by something.
Chu Yang frowned slightly.
He suddenly said, "Shang Ruyi, sometimes I feel that you know what to say to make me happy, and you also know what to say to make me unhappy. But you always choose to say things that make me unhappy."
Shang Ruyi lowered her head: "Ruyi... dare not."
Chu Yang sneered, "How many times have you been presumptuous in front of me? When have I ever held it against you? The only person I have ever apologized to in my life is you. Yet you still 'dare not'."
"..."
"Are you really too scared? Or are you actually quite daring?"
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's heart began to pound violently again.
This time, however, it wasn't because of hunger or weakness, but because of fear. But this fear wasn't fear of the emperor's wrath; it was fear of what would happen to the world if he truly dared to do it…
What else can this world do?
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and used the little strength she had managed to gather to lift her head and meet Chu Yang's slightly narrowed phoenix eyes, which shone with a dangerous cold light.
She said softly, "Does Your Majesty know that the Eastern Capital has already fallen?"
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