Chapter 306 He Wants Immediate "Success"
A warm breeze blows, and spring brings the fragrance of flowers.
Shang Ruyi sat by the window, looking at the azure sky outside. A breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers would occasionally blow by. Normally, such scenery and such weather would make one feel relaxed and happy.
But now, it feels like a huge stone is pressing on her heart, and that stone is getting heavier every day.
Since that unpleasant day, Chu Yang hadn't come to see her for two days in a row.
Actually, she didn't think she needed to accompany him every day. Although Chu Yang said he had invited her to accompany him to appreciate the beautiful scenery, such scenery was not something that someone like her could truly let go of her inner turmoil to appreciate.
not to mention--
Just as she was deep in thought, two palace maids came over carrying tea and pastries, whispering to each other as they walked.
Are you telling the truth?
"Who's lying to you?"
"Your Majesty really killed someone right there in the main hall? This has never happened before."
“I heard it with my own ears. I heard that the ministers were pleading for mercy, but His Majesty wouldn’t listen at all.”
As the two approached, they saw Shang Ruyi sitting by the window and were immediately taken aback. They quickly bowed in greeting. Shang Ruyi frowned and looked at them, asking, "What were you just talking about? Who was killed? What did His Majesty do?"
The two palace maids looked at each other, not daring to lie. One of them could only cautiously say, "This servant just heard from the old palace guards that His Majesty finally attended the morning court today. However, it seems that some officials said things that His Majesty did not like to hear, and His Majesty immediately ordered them to be beheaded."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's heart clenched.
The Emperor ordered the execution on the spot!
Although she had seen through Chu Yang’s calm and cheerful demeanor these past few days, and the more he squandered the people’s resources and lived a life of extravagance, the more insane he became. He was like someone who was already walking towards the edge of a cliff, but instead of stopping, he was accelerating his pace.
But to kill someone in court is simply insane!
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment, then asked, "And now?"
The palace maid said, "I heard that the ministers have all left, but His Majesty is still in the main hall, with the doors and windows closed, not allowing anyone to enter. Eunuch Yu and the others are all anxiously waiting outside."
"..."
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said, "I'll go take a look. Don't wander off."
After saying that, she left in a hurry.
Since she already knew the way when she last met Cheng Qiao, Shang Ruyi quickly followed the corridor to one side of the square in front of the main hall. As soon as she walked into the square, she heard the sound of rushing water ahead. Looking up, she saw several eunuchs in the main hall splashing water on the ground with buckets.
The water flowed slowly down the steps and staircase, creating waves of blood.
When Shang Ruyi stepped inside, she felt a chill run down her spine.
The water used to wash the ground was now stained blood red.
She took a deep breath, lifted her skirt and slowly walked up. Although she walked very carefully, the exquisite embroidered fairy shoes she was wearing were soon stained red by the flowing blood.
She finally reached the main hall, only to find that the gates were indeed tightly closed, and Eunuch Yu was standing anxiously outside with several eunuchs, neither daring to go in nor to leave.
Just as he was having a headache, he turned around and saw Shang Ruyi, and immediately looked at her as if she were his savior: "Madam, you've come?"
Shang Ruyi said softly, "I heard from them that something happened here, so I came to check it out."
"Hi……"
Eunuch Yu sighed and lowered his voice, saying, "Today, several more prefectures and counties sent urgent reports."
Shang Ruyi could guess without even asking: "Another rebellion?"
Eunuch Yu nodded, then lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, "If it were just a small group of rebels, that would be one thing. But the most important thing is that Xue Xian, the military commander of Jincheng Prefecture, killed the county magistrate Lin Xiaoyi and started a rebellion. This man is no ordinary person."
Xue Xian...
Shang Ruyi had heard of this person before. He came from a prominent family in Hedong, was handsome, highly skilled in martial arts, wealthy, and generous. He had made many friends among heroes. Although his official reputation wasn't good, his strength was considerable, and he certainly wasn't one to remain subservient to others for long.
Now, even he has raised an army in rebellion.
“What’s even more deadly is,”
Eunuch Yu lowered his voice further, seemingly afraid that his words might be overheard by those in the hall, even with the doors and windows tightly shut, and bring about his own demise: "After Xue Xian raised his army, countless people came to join him, and in just half a month, he amassed tens of thousands of troops. Now, they have defeated General Huangfu Ding, who was sent to quell the rebellion, and have seized control of Longxi. It seems that their next step is to march on Guanzhong."
"What?"
Shang Ruyi's eyes widened: "You mean, Xue Xian wants to take over Daxing City?!"
Grandpa Yu nodded.
Shang Ruyi gasped again.
Although Daxing City was abandoned after Chu Yang ascended the throne and was replaced by the Eastern Capital, it was still the capital of the Daye Dynasty. The loss of the Eastern Capital was just the loss of one city, but if Daxing City were to fall, its place in the hearts of the people of the Daye Dynasty would be completely destroyed!
Shang Ruyi hurriedly asked, "Then, what are Your Majesty's plans?"
"His Majesty……"
Eunuch Yu first wore a bitter expression, then said resentfully, "His Majesty asked his subordinates whether the war was real or not, and some people actually said that these reports were deliberately exaggerating the strength of the rebels and the danger of the situation in order to gain military merit."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi frowned.
Although Eunuch Yu didn't say it explicitly, she understood to some extent that this "some people" must be Wang Shaoji.
She asked, "And then?"
Eunuch Yu said, "Then, His Majesty believed it. The Vice Minister of War, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, and several other officials argued vehemently, hoping His Majesty would return to reinforce Daxing City as soon as possible, but His Majesty not only ignored them, but also—"
He couldn't continue speaking, only sighing and looking at the ground not far away.
The blood red there was exceptionally deep and exceptionally glaring.
Shang Ruyi could almost picture how those officials were dragged out of the hall and executed in full view of everyone as a warning, their blood simply washed away. The saying goes, "The blood of a loyal minister turns jade-green in three years," but their blood would never turn jade-green; in the emperor's eyes, it was nothing more than pools of blood.
Shang Ruyi sighed deeply.
Just then, the door in front of them suddenly banged open, startling both of them. They turned around and saw the palace door slowly opening, revealing Chu Yang's slender and handsome figure in the dim light of the hall.
He actually came out on his own!
Everyone outside the hall was startled, especially Eunuch Yu and Shang Ruyi, who had just been talking. The two of them knelt down with a thud, and the other eunuchs who were carrying buckets of water to wash the ground also knelt down in the blood.
"His Majesty!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
Shang Ruyi knelt outside the main hall, listening to the heavy breathing above her head. Then, she saw the hem of her robe swaying in front of her, and those white, feather-embroidered fairy shoes walked up to her once again. She could even feel those slender phoenix eyes staring intently at her.
Shang Ruyi's hands and feet felt numb for a moment.
Did Chu Yang hear what they were talking about?
Will he also get angry at them, just like he did with those ministers, and even punish them?
Just as she was so nervous that she could hardly breathe, Chu Yang suddenly bent down, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her up.
"...?!"
Shang Ruyi was startled and looked up at him in disbelief.
Looking up, he met a pair of slightly reddened eyes—those slender phoenix eyes were now flashing with an almost boiling light, as if flames might ignite at any moment.
Chu Yang smiled at her and said, "You've come at the perfect time."
"……What?"
"I just thought of something. We can't just let the Cold Food Festival pass by like this tomorrow. We should decorate the entire Jiangdu Palace, not just the inner palace, but also the Guangming Hall. Everything here should be decorated the way I want it to be."
"..."
"In this way, we can enjoy the spring scenery properly, which is what spring should be like."
"..."
"I will have them get to it right now. Everything must be done by tonight!"
He became more and more anxious as he spoke, and Shang Ruyi could even feel that the hand gripping her wrist was trembling incessantly, as if it were from excitement, or perhaps from fear.
Or perhaps, both are true.
He was using that extravagant lifestyle to soothe his restless and agitated heart.
The world had already reached this point, and he was powerless to reverse it. However, with his invincible pride, he could not admit it, much less face his own defeat.
Therefore, he wants to succeed; he wants the "success" right now.
Just as he stepped forward, about to issue his decree to those below, Shang Ruyi suddenly reached out her other hand and grabbed the hand that was holding her wrist: "Your Majesty!"
Chu Yang was taken aback and turned to look at her.
He looked at her, then at the hand that was holding his. Her slender, jade-like fingers were twitching slightly from excessive tension, but the feeling of their skin touching still made his heart flutter.
This seemed to be the first time for the two of them—she took his hand on her own initiative.
Chu Yang's heart pounded wildly. His already turbulent emotions surged even more intensely at this moment. His eyes were almost red. He turned to face her, his breath hot, his voice laced with barely suppressed emotion: "You—"
Shang Ruyi said, "I have something I want to say to Your Majesty."
Chu Yang looked intently at her: "Go ahead."
Shang Ruyi looked at him, then at the people kneeling and trembling in the blood around her, took a deep breath, and said, "Shall we go into the main hall to talk?"
"..."
Chu Yang looked at her for a while, and the smile on his face, amidst the rising bloody smell around him, revealed a kind of innocent childlike quality. He nodded: "Okay."
After saying that, he took Shang Ruyi's hand and turned to enter the main hall.
The heavy palace doors closed once again.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com