Chapter 342 What exactly happened to her?
"If you need to leave someone or any place, I will take you with me without hesitation!"
He had just finished speaking when the two of them arrived at the entrance of the side hall.
Not far behind them, in the main hall, the monks finished their evening prayers, and a long, clear chime sounded, as if striking Shang Ruyi's heart.
Almost instantly, she snapped out of that painful and conflicted state of mind.
Leave? No way!
Even if they have temporarily escaped the flames of war, even if Shen Wuzheng can protect her now, in this war that has spread throughout the world and caused unbearable suffering to all people and living beings, who can guarantee that their tomorrow will still be safe and peaceful?
She knew the outcome perfectly well, so how could she go astray?
If her brother was willing to go to such lengths to protect her, how could she not consider the well-being of her loved ones?
So, Shang Ruyi raised her head and said calmly and clearly, "Brother, I'm not leaving."
"Little sister—"
Shen Wuzheng frowned, about to say something, but at this moment, Shang Ruyi gently interrupted him, saying, "Brother, you said you were going to take me away, where can we go?"
Shen Wuzheng's eyes darkened, but he immediately replied, "Anywhere."
"..."
"I can take you anywhere as long as it keeps you away from pain and injury."
"..."
"I believe my parents feel the same way."
Although she was very clear-headed, those words still gave Shang Ruyi a gentle comfort that felt almost like a dream. She suddenly realized that even if life is full of hardships, there are always sweet moments to accompany it, and that is why people can always persevere through difficulties and hardships.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but smile, reached out and took Shen Wuzheng's hand, gently shaking it.
"Brother, thank you."
This was a gesture they often made since childhood. Whenever Shang Ruyi had the rare opportunity to act coquettishly towards her brother, or when she received his affection, she would express her feelings for him in this almost naive way. Although she is now married and doesn't seem as obedient as she was when she was a child, she still can't help but want to be close to her family.
Faced with her closeness, Shen Wuzheng felt a long-lost warmth welling up in his heart.
He smiled and pinched his younger sister's fingers with his other hand.
Then he said, "Then you—"
But I still won't leave.
Shen Wuzheng immediately frowned: "Why?"
Shang Ruyi sighed softly and said, "Actually, you know better than I do."
"..."
"Since you already know that the emperor has passed away—regardless of whether I killed him or not, and even though his death is in the past, do you think I don't know what his death has triggered?"
Shen Wuzheng didn't speak, but his expression became noticeably serious.
Indeed, he couldn't possibly be unaware of this.
Even the most foolish brute and the most ignorant woman and child would know that after the emperor's death, the whole world would fall into chaos, and the already protracted war would burn even more recklessly, and more likely, it would engulf all the people in the world and burn them to ashes.
Throughout history, people have used four ruthless words to describe this devastating world situation—
A change of dynasty.
In these four words, any killing is commonplace, any mountain of corpses and sea of blood is just scenery, and the life and death of any person may just be the bursting of a bubble, silent and without a trace, not even having time to become a sob in the wind.
So, in this world situation, where can they go?
Looking into Shen Wuzheng's gentle yet profound eyes, Shang Ruyi said softly, "Brother, I know you're worried about me and don't want me to get hurt again, but in life, hurt is inevitable. The important thing is whether you can live stronger after being hurt."
As she spoke, she looked down at her own thin body.
Especially her flat stomach.
In fact, she never felt the arrival of the child. For her, the reason behind her miscarriage was more painful than the miscarriage itself, but now, all the pain has passed.
She smiled faintly and said softly, "Brother, this child may have come at the wrong time. But in this chaotic world, his departure may not be a bad thing for him. I cannot run away from the life I have chosen because of this little bit of pain."
"..."
Shen Wuzheng's eyes narrowed: "The life you chose...?"
Shang Ruyi nodded: "Yes, this is the life I chose, so of course I have to take responsibility for the outcome."
"..."
Upon hearing her words, Shen Wuzheng did not immediately say anything more.
He simply looked at the little sister in front of him with a solemn expression. She was such a familiar family member, and even in the soft aura around her, there was still a deep-seated determination and courage, something he was willing to give everything to protect. But now, something seemed to have happened to her, and there was an unfamiliar persistence in her determination.
What exactly happened to her?
Under Shen Wuzheng's clear and lucid gaze, Shang Ruyi subconsciously avoided his eyes, even though she knew he wouldn't harm her.
Shen Wuzheng thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Little sister, do you remember the last time we met?"
Shang Ruyi said, "I remember, it was at the post station on the Zhanping River."
"right,"
Shen Wuzheng said, "We didn't have much time that night, and we didn't have a chance to talk in depth, but I still remember you saying that you didn't approve of me entering officialdom. Moreover, before my father was dismissed from his post and exiled, you had already advised him to retire and return to his hometown."
"..."
"At that time, you seemed to have no confidence in the imperial court."
"..."
"And now, in this situation—"
At this point, he chuckled softly. Although he was naturally peaceful, there was an unmistakable hint of mockery in his chuckle. He said indifferently, "Indeed, it is as we feared before. The country is in grave danger and the people are suffering terribly."
"..."
"At times like these, any kind of life has infinite possibilities. No one can guarantee what will happen tomorrow, let alone know which direction the situation and one's own life will take."
"..."
"but,"
His eyes were bright and sharp as he stared intently into Shang Ruyi's eyes: "You seem to know that your choice must be the right one."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi paused in her breathing.
Shen Wuzheng said, "My teacher once told me that life takes many forms. It could be a road, an action on the road, or a person traveling with you."
"..."
So what did you choose?
"..."
"Was it this road you took to Daxing City, the one on which you decided to take Wanggangzhai, or was it Yuwen Ye who was traveling with you?"
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