Chapter 778 Deliberate Tenderness
"Oh? What are you asking me?"
Yuwen Ye's voice suddenly rang out from ahead, causing Yuwen Qian to tremble slightly. He did not look up immediately, but the light in his already somewhat dim eyes vanished instantly.
But Shang Ruyi's eyes lit up.
She hurriedly looked up and saw Yuwen Ye's tall figure standing in front of her. She didn't know when he had arrived at the inner court, but his face was slightly pale and his breathing was somewhat rapid, as if he had rushed over in a hurry. Shang Ruyi quickly stepped forward: "You—Your Highness, what brings you here?"
Yuwen Ye looked down at her, his eyes revealing a complex mix of emotions.
He said, "Of course I'll come."
After saying that, he raised his head, and Yuwen Qian had already regained his normal expression. He slowly walked forward and said with a smile, "So, Second Brother also has such an elegant interest in appreciating the scenery."
Yuwen Ye smiled faintly and said, "I wouldn't call it refined taste; I've just come to find my wife."
As he spoke, he looked down at Shang Ruyi and said softly, "I always ask you to go out more often, but you always make excuses. Today, however, the sky has just cleared up and the ground is still wet, and you're already out here. The ground is slippery, what if you fall?"
Shang Ruyi looked at him and blinked.
She was no stranger to Yuwen Ye's gentleness. Even though outsiders saw him as a ruthless and decisive general, or even a god of war, Shang Ruyi knew that was only one side of him. To her and the people he cared about, he could be so gentle that it was unbelievable.
But the tenderness at this moment seems somewhat deliberate?
Although she had doubts in her heart, she still had to cover them up on the surface. Shang Ruyi just smiled and said, "I've been cooped up for several days and wanted to come out for some fresh air. Don't worry, I'm very careful, and She'er has been with me the whole time."
As soon as she finished speaking, Tushe'er stepped forward immediately: "Your Highness, rest assured, this servant has been serving the Princess Consort all along and has never left her side."
After she finished speaking, she glanced cautiously at the Crown Prince.
At this moment, Yuwen Qian stopped speaking and stood there silently, seemingly detached from the situation, or perhaps detached from the intimate atmosphere between the two. Yuwen Ye then smiled and said, "You must be tired after walking for so long. Let's go back and rest."
Shang Ruyi nodded: "Mm."
Yuwen Ye then looked up at Yuwen Qian and said, "Brother, we'll be leaving now."
Yuwen Qian smiled faintly and said, "Alright."
So Yuwen Ye took Shang Ruyi and turned around to go down the Thousand Steps Corridor. They left the inner court shortly afterward.
Back at Qianqiu Palace, Shang Ruyi first had someone change her embroidered shoes. Although the sky had cleared outside, there was still a lot of water on the ground. Everything else was fine as she walked, but her embroidered shoes were soaked and stained with mud.
Yuwen Ye sat to the side watching and said, "I just said you were being stubborn, and look, you've ruined a perfectly good pair of shoes."
Shang Ruyi turned to look at him: "Who said it's ruined? You can still wear it after washing it."
After saying that, he instructed Tushe'er to take the shoes down and have them washed. Tushe'er agreed and left.
As soon as she left, Shang Ruyi immediately turned to Yuwen Ye and said, "I just heard from the Crown Prince that you're not traveling with Father Emperor this time?"
Yuwen Ye glanced at her, but didn't answer the question directly. Instead, he picked up the teacup next to him, took a sip, and said, "What else did he say to you?"
"Don't worry about it for now, whether it's true or not."
"Um."
"Why?"
"Why? I don't want to go."
Shang Ruyi puffed out her cheeks, looked at him for a while, and finally softened her voice, saying softly, "Do you still plan to stay in Chang'an and stay in the palace with me?"
Yuwen Ye glanced at her again but didn't say anything.
Shang Ruyi became somewhat anxious and said, "But I think you should go with us."
"Oh? Why?"
"This trip by Father Emperor is definitely not just about Fan Chengen's surrender. Don't you want to know what's going on with that secret report from Tongguan and that map?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye remained silent.
But Shang Ruyi's words clearly struck a chord with him. Even while sipping his soothing tea, his brows furrowed slowly, and a hint of seriousness and sharpness appeared in his usually cold eyes. Shang Ruyi then asked, "Also, is the Duke of Wushan going?"
"...!"
Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Yuwen Ye's eyes.
Shang Ruyi's question clearly touched on his mind. After a moment of silence, he said in a deep voice, "He will go."
"..."
"Not only did he go, but he also requested permission to take his daughter with him."
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath.
really!
She said in a deep voice, "I've always found it strange. Since the last incident, Yu Mingyue has not made any moves. This is not like her usual style. If she has been silent, I'm afraid she is plotting an even bigger conspiracy."
"..."
"Even if this incident has nothing to do with her, it must have been part of her plan."
As she spoke, Shang Ruyi stared intently at Yuwen Ye: "Don't forget, she knows everything!"
To say they know everything would be an exaggeration. It's like how, even if they know some major events from ancient times, many minor matters, unworthy of a historian's attention, are simply lost in the annals of history, never to be known again. But Shang Ruyi has been assessing the great victory of Song and Xu prefectures and Fan Chengen's surrender these past few days; these are no small matters, and Yu Mingyue must know them.
Even if she didn't know about the secret report beforehand, Yuwen Qian would probably tell her what he knew.
Therefore, her inaction must be for some other purpose.
As expected, upon hearing her words, Yuwen Ye's expression became even more serious. He remained silent, but his eyes held more concern and worry as he looked at Shang Ruyi's prominent belly. She was already eight months pregnant, and although there was still more than a month before she would give birth, he had already begun to silently count down the days.
These days, he doesn't want to leave his wife's side for a single moment.
He said, "I will have Fu Ming accompany me on this trip."
Shang Ruyi's eyes widened slightly—Shen Wuzheng?
By the way, compared to military campaigns, Shen Wuzheng is more accurate than them in understanding matters of the court and even in controlling people's hearts. If Yu Mingyue really has some kind of conspiracy or other arrangements for this matter, sending Shen Wuzheng should give him a solution.
However, Shang Ruyi still had some doubts: "But I'm still not at ease."
Yuwen Ye looked at her irritably: "Are you the one who's untrustworthy, or are you the one who's untrustworthy? Have you figured that out?"
"ah?"
"And what were you talking about with him just now?"
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