Chapter 202 People like this are easy to destroy
That same phrase again.
Almost exactly the same as last time, except that this was not a palace in the Ziwei Palace, everything else, even the childlike smug smile in his eyes when he looked at him, was almost exactly the same.
Shang Ruyi paused for a moment, then slowly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your subject—Ruyi greets Your Majesty."
The sound of footsteps approached her.
Shang Ruyi kept her head down when she saw a snow-white robe fluttering into view, and beneath the hem of that robe, there was still a pair of familiar, luxurious white silk shoes.
A lazy, chuckling voice came from above—
"Waiting for you here is Yang Suiyi."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's breath hitched again.
After a long silence, she slowly stood up, looked at the handsome and smiling face in front of her, and could only say softly, "Young Master Yang."
Chu Yang nodded in satisfaction, then with a flick of his sleeve, sat down at the low table and gestured for her to sit down as well. Shang Ruyi had no other choice but to apologize and sit opposite him, watching him personally pour her a cup of warm wine and bring it to her.
Shang Ruyi accepted it with both hands: "Thank you."
"That's right,"
Chu Yang became even more smug and laughed, "It's better if Yang Suiyi comes to see you. With Yang Suiyi here, we can be more ourselves."
Shang Ruyi smiled wryly and said, "Your Majesty... Young Master Yang can be himself anytime."
"Um,"
Chu Yang raised a finger and shook it, saying, "In the palace, I can only be the emperor. Everything I say and think is picked apart by those ministers who are always watching me. If anything is slightly displeasing to them, they will submit memorials one after another to advise me. There are even those who would kill themselves in front of me, as if I have done something to harm the country and the people, something that deserves to be struck by lightning!"
"..."
"But what I'm doing is clearly a good thing that benefits the country and its people, yet these people are short-sighted and can't see it at all."
"..."
"They only care about their official reputation and my reputation."
"..."
"But what use are official reputation and fame? The canal I built, the Eastern Capital I constructed, and the Liaodong City I will conquer in the future—those are the real achievements!"
At this point, he looked up at Shang Ruyi with some excitement and smiled, "But I know you understand."
Shang Ruyi looked at him: "Your Majesty—"
She suddenly realized that although she could never guess the thoughts of the seemingly gentle and kind Empress, the thoughts of the eccentric and arrogant Emperor were much easier to see through.
At least for this moment, she saw through it all.
Chu Yang came to see her again and again, even taking advantage of the Empress's summons to the palace to "kidnap" her, all to make her understand him.
He kept saying that he considered her a confidante, but now it seems that he didn't consider her a confidante at all, but rather desperately wanted someone to understand him and make him feel less alone in this world.
I just stumbled into his sight by accident... that's all.
Such people may seem stubborn and determined, but in reality, they are also very easy to destroy.
Shang Ruyi raised her head and looked at the handsome face with a childlike, proud and confident smile. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but his throat seemed to be blocked by something. He struggled several times, but could not squeeze out a single word.
Chu Yang stared intently at her: "You understand, right?"
"..."
After a long silence, Shang Ruyi finally spoke, her voice slightly hoarse: "...Yes."
Just that one word was like a warm spring breeze suddenly blowing in the dead of winter. Chu Yang felt refreshed and happy. He laughed heartily and, while laughing, personally took the pot and added a little wine to Shang Ruyi's cup.
"Drink some quickly, this wine is just the right temperature now. I know you must have been freezing since you came out of the palace."
"Your Majesty...Young Master Yang, did you know that the Empress summoned me today?"
"Of course I know,"
Chu Yang smiled faintly: "I know very well what she's thinking."
Shang Ruyi asked, "What is Her Majesty thinking?"
Chu Yang glanced at her, but his gaze suddenly turned cold as he said, "Actually, you're asking a redundant question."
Why?
"The Empress summoned you to the palace and spoke to you gently, naturally because she could gain something from you."
"profitable?"
Shang Ruyi's expression gradually became serious. Recalling the gentle and kind face of Empress Jiang when she met her these past few days, and then mentioning those four words, she felt a chill creep up her spine.
Chu Yang tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, saying, "You don't need to be afraid. Seeking profit doesn't necessarily mean harming you. In this palace, no, even in the human world, this is just the most common thing."
"..."
"The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for profit."
"..."
"Only I am truly devoted to you, without seeking fame or fortune. You need not worry that I would harm you."
Shang Ruyi was originally preoccupied with those four words, but upon hearing Chu Yang's words, she couldn't help but chuckle—as the emperor, who else would he need to seek fame and fortune from? This was utterly ridiculous.
Thinking of this, she smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty's words are too kind. However—"
"Just what?"
"But Your Majesty went to such lengths to bring Ruyi here today, did you really not want anything in return, but just to say those things to Ruyi just now?"
As she spoke, her gaze gently drifted to the letter on the table.
Chu Yang, being so perceptive, immediately understood.
He smiled faintly and said, "Ruyi, you are indeed exceptionally intelligent."
Shang Ruyi straightened her expression and said softly, "Your Majesty possesses strategic acumen and the ambition to unify the world, but even a journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step, and that first step—"
She paused for a moment when she said this, but Chu Yang continued without hesitation, "It's grain and fodder."
Shang Ruyi looked at him.
Chu Yang smiled faintly and said, "You are right. When I told the civil and military officials in the court about my plan to launch another military campaign against Liaodong, they made all sorts of excuses. In the end, they could only use the excuse of insufficient food and supplies to obstruct me and ask me to withdraw my order."
"..."
"And I ordered a thorough investigation of the granaries in the Eastern Capital. Indeed, they can no longer support the court in launching another military campaign."
"so--"
Shang Ruyi said softly, "The battle of Xingluocang is related to His Majesty's great cause for the ages, isn't it?"
Chu Yang's expression gradually darkened, as if he was unwilling to admit that he would be enslaved by material possessions, but in the end he had no choice but to admit it, and could only let out a long sigh.
This silent sigh is an admission.
Shang Ruyi's expression grew even more tense. She looked at the letter again and then asked softly, "So, how is the battle at Xingluocang going now?"
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