Chapter 766 Without visiting the garden, how can one know the true beauty of spring?
"Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
Although it was just a short sentence, a few words, Yuwen Qian spoke slowly, at a long time, and with a heavy tone. Shang Ruyi inexplicably felt that between the words there seemed to be an indescribable contradiction and helplessness, as if someone was slowly cutting his heart with a dull knife.
She paused for a moment before saying, "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, brother."
Yuwen Qian looked at her for a while and said, "Okay, that's good."
After saying that, he stopped looking at her and turned to Yuwen Ye, saying, "I originally thought that my second brother would lead the troops in this attack on Song and Xu prefectures, so that my third brother could accompany the army and provide more support. I didn't expect that my second brother only sent Shen Tu Tai."
Yuwen Ye smiled, but there was no hint of a smile in his cold eyes. He said, "Shentu Tai is more than enough to attack the two prefectures of Song and Xu."
"..."
"As for my third brother—there's not much support in the army. Besides, if Father really wanted to take care of him, he wouldn't have sent him on the expedition. If he stayed in the palace, someone would naturally be there to look after him."
"..."
"Sending him to the battlefield is to let him gain experience and earn merit."
"That's true."
"not to mention,"
As Yuwen Ye spoke, he reached out and put his arm around Shang Ruyi's still somewhat thin shoulders, pulling her slightly closer to his chest. He said, "Now that Ruyi is pregnant, as her husband, I must stay by her side to protect and look after her, so that no one else can take advantage of the situation."
Yuwen Qian's eyes flickered slightly.
He tilted his head slightly, as if wanting to look at Shang Ruyi, but ultimately held back. After a long silence, he smiled and said, "Sister-in-law is now carrying not only your eldest son, the Prince of Qin, but also Father Emperor's eldest grandson. Such a precious and noble child, who would dare to take advantage of such a loophole?"
Yuwen Ye said, "It's hard to say."
After saying that, without waiting for Yuwen Qian to reply, he added, "Human hearts are unpredictable."
This time, Yuwen Qian's expression really changed.
Shang Ruyi thought he was going to say something more, but after a period of silence, he didn't respond. Instead, he nodded slightly and said, "In that case, then naturally we should protect and look after him more."
Yuwen Ye nodded as well.
As they spoke, the footsteps below the city gate gradually faded into the distance, and the people who had come to see them off erupted in enthusiastic cheers. Shang Ruyi, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, couldn't help but look down from the city wall again. Sure enough, she saw the last group of people walk out of the city gate and march forward along the main road. These soldiers were all as strong as tigers, their steps heavy and steady, and the dust they raised blotted out the sky.
The two people who were talking stopped at the same time and looked ahead.
This time, Shen Tu Tai's troops were mostly infantry, which was in line with the current situation of attacking Song and Xu prefectures. These two places are mountainous and not suitable for cavalry assaults. Moreover, if Fan Chengen could not be persuaded to surrender, then it would be very likely that infantry would be needed to attack the city. Therefore, in the dust, some engineers could be seen driving carts, transporting some tall siege equipment parts, at the rear of the column.
Seeing this, Yuwen Ye seemed to suddenly remember something and said, "I heard that before my third brother went to war, he found a nice residence in Chang'an City for my elder brother."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat.
She suddenly remembered that when Yuwen Qian was enfeoffed as the Prince of Han, the emperor granted him the power to establish his own government and military headquarters. However, several months later, after the Battle of Taiyuan, he was enfeoffed as the Crown Prince. But even now, he has not moved out of the palace.
His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't even have a Crown Prince's Residence yet.
The power granted to him by the emperor to establish his own government and military headquarters was practically meaningless.
Now that he heard that Yuwen Cheng had already found him a residence, he realized that Yuwen Qian had not completely given up this power. However, when this was mentioned, Yuwen Qian's eyes dimmed slightly, then he smiled and said, "Yes, but the residence is a bit dilapidated and has been cleaned and repaired."
"I wonder when it will be completed?"
"It will probably take about six months."
"Six months?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye raised an eyebrow slightly and said with a half-smile, "In another six months, Ruyi should give birth."
"..."
"If that's the case, then when the time comes, I will bring Ruyi and my child to Your Majesty's residence to congratulate Your Majesty on moving to your new home."
Yuwen Qian looked at him and smiled faintly: "When that time comes, it will be time for me to come and congratulate you, my second brother."
After saying that, he finally turned to look at Shang Ruyi, then at her obviously protruding belly, and said, "Alright, now that the army has left, I must return to the palace to report to Father Emperor about the situation here, so I'll take my leave first."
Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi bowed to him at the same time, and he returned the bow before turning and leaving.
|
For the next month or so, because the army was on its way and no more military reports came in, Yuwen Ye actually spent most of his time in Qianqiu Palace with Shang Ruyi.
During this time, Shang Ruyi's belly grew rapidly, soon becoming very large, and she could no longer wear her usual clothes.
Fortunately, the weather warmed up at this time, and everyone changed into spring clothes. She no longer had to carry a heavy winter coat while pregnant. Even so, her movements gradually became inconvenient, and she walked unsteadily. Every time Yuwen Ye looked at her back, he would smile, but he would never say what he was smiling about. Until one day, Shang Ruyi accidentally turned around and saw her reflection in the bronze mirror behind her, and then she realized what he was smiling about.
The way I walk looks just like a duck!
Seeing this, she felt ashamed and refused to go for a walk.
But how could Yuwen Ye let her be willful? Besides, the Imperial Physician Su Qinglan had repeatedly told him that once the belly grew big, the pregnant woman needed to take walks and move around often to facilitate childbirth. So, no matter how busy he was, Yuwen Ye would always walk a thousand steps along the Thousand-Step Corridor with her after meals before stopping.
So he walked over and took Shang Ruyi's hand: "Let's go."
"I'm not going,"
Shang Ruyi turned to look at the bronze mirror beside her and said angrily, "I don't want to go out and be laughed at like this!"
Yuwen Ye immediately retorted, "Who's laughing at you? Who dares to laugh at you?"
Shang Ruyi looked up and glared at him: "Who was laughing at me just now? Wasn't it you?"
"..."
Hearing this, Yuwen Ye felt a little breathless, but seeing her indignant expression, he couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing, even more so than when he had seen her swaying as she walked earlier. In truth, no matter how much he urged Shang Ruyi to take walks and exercise these past few days, she had inevitably gained some weight. Not obese, but rather fuller than her previous thin frame, especially in her cheeks and chin, which had become quite fleshy.
She looks plump and round, and with her big, round eyes, she seems even more childlike than when she's several months pregnant and about to become a mother.
He then knelt down and looked at her, just like he would at a child: "I'm not laughing anymore."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi immediately glared at him again: "So you were laughing."
Yuwen Ye said, "But I promise I won't laugh."
Shang Ruyi said, "But you've already smiled!"
Seeing that she was starting to act unreasonably, Tu She'er couldn't help but feel a little worried. It wasn't that she thought her young lady was going too far, but she felt that His Highness the Prince of Qin was always proud and arrogant, and he couldn't let her throw such a tantrum.
Sure enough, seeing her so domineering, Yuwen Ye frowned.
Seeing his reaction, Tushe'er was startled and hurriedly tried to smooth things over, but before she could speak, Yuwen Ye only paused for a moment before smiling and asking, "Then what should I do?"
Tushe'er immediately stopped in his tracks.
"..."
This left Shang Ruyi somewhat bewildered.
Yes, he won the argument, but what should he do?
Besides, what's the point of winning such a small argument?
She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Then I won't go for a walk today."
Originally, it was thought that this request would be granted without any problem, but Yuwen Ye shook his head and said, "No. Physician Su, and several other physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau have said that you should take a walk every day, as this will be good for your health."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi became angry again and shook off his hand.
"you--"
At this, Yuwen Ye frowned.
Just then, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps sounded outside the main hall, but stopped at the outer hall. A moment later, Chang Wan hurriedly entered the inner hall and reported: "Your Highness, a letter from General Shen Tu has arrived from the front!"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye's expression changed, and he immediately stood up.
Shang Ruyi immediately forgot that she had just lost her temper and stood up as well. However, she was much more clumsy than before, so Tu She'er helped her up. The two of them walked to the outer hall and saw Mu Xian and others holding a letter waiting outside. When they saw the two of them come out at the same time, they hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects.
Yuwen Ye simply waved his hand, took the letter, and began to read it.
Shang Ruyi stood to the side, but because she was standing far away, she could only barely see a few lines of text on the letter. It was obviously not much, but when a general who was away on a campaign sent a message back, the shorter the letter, the bigger the matter was likely to be.
Sure enough, after reading it, Yuwen Ye's brows slowly furrowed.
Shang Ruyi hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye turned to look at her, said nothing, and after a moment of silence, folded the letter back up and stuffed it back into the envelope. He was about to leave with Mu Xian. He had only taken two steps when he stopped, turned back to look at Shang Ruyi, and then said to Tu She'er, "She'er, remember to accompany the Princess to take a walk on the Thousand Steps Corridor for a while. Don't stay too long, and take a nap when you get back."
After saying that, he left.
Watching his hurried departure, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but frown: "What the hell!"
Although her muttering wasn't loud, Tushe'er, who was supporting her, heard it clearly and immediately said, "Perhaps the situation at the front is not optimistic. His Highness didn't tell the Princess because he didn't want you to worry."
Shang Ruyi said unhappily, "The less you tell me, the more worried I'll become."
"..."
“Before, Mingming told me everything.”
"..."
Upon hearing this, Tushe'er stuck out his tongue.
Although she didn't say anything, Shang Ruyi still caught a glimpse of this strange behavior out of the corner of her eye and immediately turned to look at her: "What are you doing?"
Tushe'er was startled and immediately said, "No, it's nothing."
"You think I didn't see you stick your tongue out? Did I say something wrong?"
"No."
"Then why are you sticking your tongue out?"
"I, this servant..."
"You all, now that I'm pregnant, you're keeping your distance from me in everything, right?"
Shang Ruyi grew angrier as she spoke, so she shook off her hand, turned around, and stormed back to the inner palace. Tu She'er dared not delay and hurriedly followed her back. She saw the incomparably noble Princess Qin, whom no one in the entire palace dared to offend, sitting on the couch, one hand tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, the other hand pressing hard against her chest, looking extremely angry.
Tushe'er stood awkwardly to the side for a while, then, as if remembering something, carefully brewed a cup of tea and handed it to her.
Then she said softly, "Your Highness, please calm down."
Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Where am I angry? You're the one who made me angry."
"..."
What were you doing just now?
Tushe'er hesitated for a long time before saying softly with a bitter face, "This servant just feels that the Princess's temper has become worse lately..."
"What?"
Shang Ruyi laughed angrily: "I have a bad temper?"
She laughed as she prepared to retort, but in the past, she would have had a thousand words to refute this girl into silence. However, at this moment, she couldn't utter a single word. It wasn't that her tongue was useless, but rather that she suddenly realized that none of her words could stand up to scrutiny.
They fell silent immediately.
"..."
This silence actually calmed her down a bit. She looked down at the teacup beside her. The tea inside was clear and transparent, making her seem clearer as well. She picked it up and took a sip. The aroma of the tea filled the air, and the sweet and slightly bitter tea went down her throat. It was soothing and seemed to make her feel more awake.
She looked up at Tusheer again: "Me, my temper has gotten worse?"
These words seem to indicate that he admitted it himself.
Tushe'er seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, immediately stepped forward, and nodded vigorously at Shang Ruyi: "Yes!"
Seeing her like this, Shang Ruyi was about to get angry, but after saying those words, she couldn't be angry anymore. She could only say with a mix of anger and laughter, "You've suffered a lot."
Tushe'er hurriedly forced a smile and said, "This servant is not suffering at all. His Highness Prince Qin has been with me these past few days."
"..."
These words caused a slight stirring in Shang Ruyi's heart.
Just moments ago, she felt wronged, ridiculed, and ignored, but after hearing Tushe'er's words and calming down, she realized that it was indeed Yuwen Ye who was enduring her.
Could it be that my temper has really gotten worse?
Why?
She vaguely remembered that even though Yuwen Ye had never treated her badly, he had always been rather cold and hard-tempered. In the past, she had always been more tolerant of him. But now, even Tu She'er, who was the one who protected her the most, said that she was throwing a tantrum.
Seeing that she was deep in thought and looked somewhat conflicted, Tu She'er immediately stepped forward and said with a smile, "Actually, Physician Su had already reminded His Highness Prince Qin and us servants that a woman's temper would become worse when she was pregnant. He asked His Highness to be more tolerant and also asked us servants to take good care of her."
"..."
Shang Ruyi remained silent, quietly sipping her tea.
The tea simmered gently, its aroma filling the air, which only made her mind clearer. She suddenly recalled that before her marriage, her aunt had mentioned a few embarrassing private words to her, saying that pregnant women are prone to irritability, especially since she was naturally impatient. During her pregnancy, she had worn out her uncle, causing him to lose weight. At the time, Shang Ruyi was too embarrassed by her aunt's words about their wedding night to remember these words.
Now that Tusheer has said it again, I finally understand.
Could it be that my personality has really changed because of pregnancy?
After silently drinking her tea for a while, Shang Ruyi looked up at the cautious Tu She'er, coughed lightly, put down her teacup, and stood up: "Let's get ready."
Tushe'er was stunned, staring blankly at her: "Prepare what?"
Shang Ruyi glared at her, annoyed: "Weren't you going to accompany me for a walk in the Thousand Steps Corridor? Aren't you going to change your clothes?"
"Huh? Oh!"
Upon hearing this, Tu She'er's eyes lit up. Although Yuwen Ye had also been a little angry, he hadn't forgotten to tell her to take Shang Ruyi for a walk before leaving. But she was also worried that if Shang Ruyi got angry again, even though she had grown up with her, she wouldn't be able to coax her. She didn't expect that this time she had figured it out herself. She immediately ran happily to open the box and take out the clothes.
Shang Ruyi quickly changed into a crimson dress. Because it was newly made after she became pregnant, the waist was much larger than ordinary clothes. It was loose and comfortable on her, and she didn't look pregnant at all. Instead, she felt that the dress was loose and comfortable, and had a bit of a spring-like feel to it.
After she was dressed, Tusheer wrapped a pink shawl around her neck.
Then she smiled and said, "This servant knows that Your Highness loves beauty and doesn't like people to see you with a big belly. Now that you have this shawl, you can cover it up in front of you whenever you want, so no one can tell."
Shang Ruyi glared at her, then looked at herself in the mirror.
Although she's certainly no longer slender, she looks much lighter and more agile in this spring outfit compared to her usual bulky and cumbersome appearance.
He then said, "Let's go."
So Tushe'er accompanied her out of Qianqiu Palace, and the two of them walked along the path past Baifu Palace, and soon they reached Qianbu Corridor.
After spring arrived, the scenery in the palace was even better than when they had taken Shen Wuzheng and Pei Xingyuan to tour the inner court. In particular, the flowers and trees everywhere were all lush with green leaves and swaying red flowers under the pruning and cultivation of the palace servants. Bees and butterflies were dancing gracefully among the flowers, following the fragrance of the flowers, creating a scene full of spring.
Seeing such a scene, Shang Ruyi gradually forgot her previous displeasure and couldn't help but laugh, "How can one know the beauty of spring without visiting a garden... Hmm?"
She was taken aback, wondering why she had suddenly blurted out such a sentence.
Where did it come from?
Just as she was wondering, she looked up and saw a person coming out of the corridor.
Shang Ruyi thought the figure looked familiar, so she took two steps forward to get a better look, but the person quickly disappeared in front of her.
Who is it?
Just as Shang Ruyi paused in surprise, she saw a white hem fluttering behind the pillar in front of her. She subconsciously took two more steps forward, and as soon as she rounded the pillar, she saw a person sitting comfortably there. At this moment, the person was slowly turning their head, and a pair of clear and beautiful eyes seemed to be filled with the gentleness of spring, looking at her with a smile.
"What a wonderful saying! Without visiting the garden, how can one know the beauty of spring?"
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