Chapter 1198 A Dead Piece
The silence of the night was shattered by the thunderous sound of horses' hooves. Although the surroundings were pitch black, with only two groups of people holding torches for illumination, which slowed their progress, the constant clatter of hooves created a strange sense of urgency, making one's breathing and heartbeat quicken.
But this is only for other people.
Xiao Yuansui sat in the carriage, his body swaying with the movement of the carriage, but he remained calm, even half-closing his eyes to rest.
Finally, the person sitting opposite him couldn't hold back any longer and spoke first: "Xiao—"
He stopped after calling him by his surname, seemingly considering how to address him. Xiao Yuansui sneered inwardly, then slowly opened his eyes. In the half month since he was captured, or rather, surrendered, he hadn't taken care of himself much. His hair and beard were wildly growing and unkempt, and his clothes were just ordinary cloth, now covered in mud and grime. He had almost returned to the disheveled state he had when he was fleeing from the soldiers and hiding everywhere.
Even so, those eyes remained dazzling, shining brightly in the pitch-black carriage.
Upon meeting his eyes, Yuwen Cheng couldn't help but feel a sudden jolt of breath.
He was unrestrained and ruthless, capable of beating a seventy-year-old man without a shred of pity, and during battles he could trample on the fields and houses that farmers depended on for survival without batting an eye. To him, the existence of others was meaningless. The only person he was somewhat afraid of was his second brother, Yuwen Ye, who had always oppressed him. But now, with the Crown Prince backing him up, and the Emperor also dissatisfied with Yuwen Ye, Yuwen Cheng felt that he had nothing to fear.
But the gaze of the person in front of him inexplicably gave him a sense of oppression.
But he couldn't lose face as the Prince of Qi. Yuwen Cheng took a deep breath to suppress his unease and then smiled, "Lord Xiao, it's been a long time."
Xiao Yuansui smiled faintly: "Have I met His Highness Prince Qi?"
Yuwen Cheng laughed and said, "Perhaps you don't remember, but I do. You met my second brother and sister-in-law on your way out of Luoyang, and they gave you a bag of dry rations."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuansui's bright eyes dimmed slightly.
If you don't think about it, it seems like something from a past life, but when Yuwen Cheng suddenly brought it up, it all seemed so close at hand.
At this moment, his situation seemed to have returned to what it was like before. Although he was no longer living a life of uncertainty like a stray dog, the feeling of doubting everything, feeling powerless, and feeling lost was still like the surrounding darkness, engulfing him.
In the dimness of his memory, the only bright thing was those calm eyes that looked at him.
His breath suddenly caught in his throat.
At the same time, Yuwen Cheng's light laughter rang in his ears again, instantly bringing Xiao Yuansui back to his senses. He looked up at the other party and saw Yuwen Cheng say with considerable indignation, "A bag of dry rations is all it takes to send Lord Xiao away."
"..."
Xiao Yuansui was silent for a moment, then laughed and said, "I didn't expect His Highness Prince Qi to be there at the time."
"..."
"It was me, I had no eyes to recognize the true God."
These flattering words made Yuwen Cheng feel completely at ease, but he immediately replied, "What talk of true gods and no gods? I'm just a minor Prince of Qi. But you, Lord Xiao—have you thought about what the future holds?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuansui looked at him meaningfully: "Since Your Highness Prince Qi brought me out, isn't my future in Your Highness's hands?"
"..."
"What does the King of Qi want from me?"
Yuwen Cheng's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said to him, "I want to take you back to Chang'an to see the real 'True God'."
Xiao Yuansui didn't seem surprised by those words. Meeting the other's intense gaze, he said, "Could it be... Your Highness the Crown Prince?"
Yuwen Cheng was startled: "You know?"
Xiao Yuansui said calmly, "Although I have lived in Luoyang for a long time, I have heard about what happened in Guanzhong. Moreover, Yuwen Ye was extremely calculating in the Battle of Luoyang, almost leaving no credit for His Highness Prince Qi. He certainly has the ability to make merit, but it is clear that he also has the desire to compete for credit."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Cheng's expression darkened.
However, he couldn't say much about the battle in Luoyang in front of outsiders. After all, he was the one who couldn't win a battle and couldn't gain any merit. Right now, his credit depended entirely on bringing back the person in front of him. So he simply waved his hand to change the subject and said, "Then, what does Lord Xiao think?"
Xiao Yuansui did not speak immediately, but instead half-closed his eyes, a barely perceptible light flickering in his eyes that held a restrained sharpness.
After a long pause, he smiled softly.
|
What are Xiao Yuansui's plans?
Upon hearing these words, Shang Ruyi was stunned for a moment, then quickly came to her senses.
Yes, they all only regarded Xiao Yuansui as a tool with literary and military prowess and exceptional intelligence. Whoever followed him would be greatly enhanced, but they forgot that he was not a tool to be manipulated at will.
Only then did she remember the last thing Yuwen Ye said to Shang Shoufei in the main hall—Xiao Yuansui was a sharpened blade.
This kind of knife can injure you if used improperly.
However, if used properly...
Shang Ruyi immediately tensed up and lowered her voice, asking, "Will Xiao Yuansui agree to their request?"
Yuwen Ye remained silent for a moment, then said, "It's hard to say."
Shang Ruyi stared at him with wide eyes, her gaze seeming to ask—how could you not know? Meeting that gaze, Yuwen Ye chuckled: "You don't really think I'm omniscient and omnipotent, do you?"
"..."
Hearing this, Shang Ruyi blinked and smiled to herself.
Over the years, no matter what difficulties or even desperate situations he faced, Yuwen Ye always managed to fight back. Even when he was in dire straits, just thinking of him or seeing him would give him boundless strength. Gradually, he seemed to have become a symbol of hope, as if he were truly omniscient and omnipotent.
But how easy is it to fathom people's hearts?
Moreover, someone like Xiao Yuansui.
After laughing, Yuwen Ye pondered for a while and then said, "Actually, no matter what his intentions are, there are only two possible outcomes: either he agrees to their request or he refuses them."
Shang Ruyi frowned: "If Xiao Yuansui really agrees to them, that means that when we return to Chang'an, we will face—"
Yuwen Ye nodded silently.
With a crown prince and Yuwen Cheng already proving difficult to deal with, they are already a formidable opponent.
Now, if we add Xiao Yuansui to the mix—
Shang Ruyi felt a slight headache, but Yuwen Ye's next words made her feel dizzy: "Of course, there is another possibility, which is that if he doesn't agree, we can get him back from Yan Jie."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi involuntarily frowned even more: "But—"
Seeing her hesitant expression, Yuwen Ye knew that she had the same idea as him, and he felt a slight joy in his heart. However, this joy could not dispel the gloom that filled their hearts at the moment. He said in a deep voice, "Both the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qi know that Xiao Yuansui is a man of extraordinary ability. If he cannot be used for their own purposes, then they will definitely not let me use him."
Shang Ruyi said, "Therefore, if someone cannot be used for our purposes, we must kill them!"
Yuwen Ye said, "But we absolutely cannot let Xiao Yuansui die."
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and stared intently at him. Yuwen Ye said in a deep voice, "Because he was once the leader of Wanggang Village. His life or death is a small matter, but he is connected with the hearts of all the former members of Wanggang Village."
"..."
"At least half of my men are from Wanggangzhai."
"..."
“If I can’t protect him, I might be able to appease Shen Tu Tai and Shan Tong’er, but the people below will inevitably develop disloyalty—and there are also the tens of thousands of troops who surrendered to me with him this time. At that time, my people will be in chaos before they even have to lift a finger.”
Shang Ruyi said, "Therefore, if the Crown Prince and the others really want to kill him, we must do everything in our power to protect him."
Yuwen Ye nodded: "However."
Having said all that, Shang Ruyi's tightly furrowed brows remained, instead becoming even more furrowed, and her eyes gained a touch of gloom.
She lay back down, staring up at the dark ceiling just like Yuwen Ye had done moments before. After a long silence, she slowly said, "If—and I mean if—it really comes to that, and he can no longer be used by the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince and Prince Qi want to find a way to kill him, and we absolutely must save him, then we must save him—"
Yuwen Ye said, "He's finished."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's aura turned somber.
Yuwen Ye's tone was calm but tinged with coldness as he said, "As I just said, Xiao Yuansui is a sharpened blade. Ordinary people can hardly withstand its edge, nor can they become its sheath. Even if I can defeat him this time, I cannot guarantee that I can do so next time."
"..."
"If the Crown Prince lets him return to us alive, who among you, me, or anyone else can believe him?"
Shang Ruyi was speechless.
Yes, she had just realized that from the moment Yuwen Cheng took Xiao Yuansui away from their military camp, it had become a dead end.
Xiao Yuansui is neither Shen Tu Tai nor Shan Tong'er. No one can see through him, and no one can fully control him. Even if he is not used by the Crown Prince, even if they really rescue him from the Crown Prince's hands, is that real or fake? Is he really not useful to the Crown Prince, or is it a trap set by him and the Crown Prince?
If he were to return to their side, he would be advising the Crown Prince—
He alone could rival all the civil and military officials in the Crown Prince's camp, making him a hundred times more troublesome than before.
In other words, by taking him away this time, Yuwen Cheng directly turned Xiao Yuansui, a chess piece that Yuwen Ye could use, into a dead piece.
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but grit her teeth: "He's so ruthless..."
Yuwen Ye remained silent, and the last candle in the room, seemingly unable to bear their somber mood, flickered a few times before finally hissing and going out completely.
Everything returned to darkness.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com