Chapter 1162 Controlling People's Hearts
Yuwen Ye said coldly, "Not every family is like yours, where brothers and sisters are so close and respectful to each other."
Shang Ruyi turned her head and glanced at him.
She could tell, of course, that Yuwen Ye and Shen Wuzheng had definitely had a falling out, but besides resentment, there seemed to be a hint of sharpness and bitterness in her words. As if in response to his words, just as the two were talking and walking out, they saw a handsome figure walking gracefully towards them—it was Shen Wuzheng.
Shang Ruyi was both surprised and delighted: "Brother."
Upon seeing her, a smile immediately appeared on Shen Wuzheng's face.
Compared to the others, he was the one who truly didn't sleep a wink all night, only returning to his barracks at dawn. He simply changed his clothes and freshened up, so as soon as Shang Ruyi approached him, she saw his bloodshot eyes. Even though he smiled with relief upon seeing her, the smile couldn't hide his exhaustion.
But I was happy.
Last night, Shen Wuzheng did not come to see her. He only glanced at her from afar to make sure she was safe and sound, and that there were no scars on her face as Shi Yuxin had said, left by the injury from Lüxiao. He was relieved and then went to attend to his own affairs. After a whole night, he finally settled the 80,000 surrendered soldiers, including some generals he was not at ease with. Only now did he have some free time to see her.
He whispered, "Little sister..."
Just as she finished speaking, she seemed to remember something, looked up and met Yuwen Ye's not-so-pleasant gaze, then raised her hand to bow to the two of them: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Qin, greetings, Your Highness Princess Consort."
Shang Ruyi quickly helped him up, and looking at his red eyes, she felt heartbroken: "Brother, your eyes are all red... You must be very tired."
Shen Wuzheng smiled and shook his head: "Not tired."
After saying that, before Shang Ruyi could ask anything else, he spoke softly again: "I know Xiao Yuansui wouldn't dare to hurt you, but has he ever bullied or mistreated you?"
Yuwen Ye glanced at him.
Shang Ruyi quickly shook her head, probably knowing that this question must have tormented her brother for a long time, and solemnly assured him: "He did not treat me poorly. He probably thought he could use me to blackmail you, so he has always treated me well."
"Then, Green Silk, she—"
“We were just acting, she didn’t really hurt me; that’s all, and I probably won’t see that in a couple of days.”
"Speak," she said, turning her face to show Shen Wuzheng. Sure enough, all he could see was a faint, almost invisible scar near his ear. For a man, especially one who had been on the battlefield, this was hardly even an injury. But Shen Wuzheng couldn't help but frown. Finally, after Shang Ruyi's repeated assurances, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's alright, it's alright."
After saying that, he glanced at Shang Ruyi again, and frowned after seeing her clothes clearly.
Her attire clearly indicates that she is about to go out.
So he looked up at Yuwen Ye: "Your Highness, this is—"
Seeing that the two were about to clash, Shang Ruyi was afraid that they would have another unpleasant argument if they said the wrong thing, so she hurriedly said, "Brother, I want to go to Luoyang with him."
Shen Wuzheng's brows furrowed even more.
Ever since he learned that Shang Ruyi had personally led troops away from Chang'an to relieve the siege of Xiazhou, and was subsequently captured by the enemy in Huyang Valley, his heart had been torn apart. Now that he had finally rescued her, they had only had one night of peace. Before they could even have a proper conversation, she was going to Luoyang again. The war there was still uncertain, and what if they encountered danger again?
On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes; no one can guarantee that they will escape unscathed, let alone her.
Just as Shen Wuzheng was about to offer some advice, Yuwen Ye's somewhat indifferent voice rang out: "I've already tried to persuade her. If you think your words are more effective than mine..."
Shen Wuzheng looked up at him, and the two men's eyes met, like the sharp edges of blades.
Shang Ruyi felt a chill run down her spine.
She didn't consider herself a cowardly person. Even when Xiao Yuansui captured her and took her to the enemy camp, she had never felt so uneasy. However, Yuwen Ye's words didn't sound like an explanation, but rather like a provocation. She turned around and glared at him before immediately leaning close to Shen Wuzheng's ear and whispering a few words.
Upon hearing this, Shen Wuzheng's tightly furrowed brows remained unchanged, but he did not say anything more.
He looked at Shang Ruyi with concern for a long time, then finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "No matter what, you must be careful. Protecting yourself is more important than winning a battle."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "I know."
Yuwen Ye silently averted his gaze, his expression indifferent.
Shen Wuzheng then looked up at him and said in a deep voice, "The troops that His Highness Prince Qin wants to take are already waiting outside the pass and can depart at any time."
Yuwen Ye replied, "Hmm."
Without saying another word, he walked forward with his hands behind his back. Shang Ruyi smiled at Shen Wuzheng, and the group followed him out of the fortress.
Before long, they emerged from Hulao Pass and saw a large contingent of soldiers already lined up outside. Banners fluttered and warhorses neighed. Although it was nothing compared to the grand spectacle of Xiao Yuansui's 100,000 troops here yesterday, it was still a sea of people. Shang Ruyi estimated that Yuwen Ye had most likely led more than 20,000 men south to Luoyang this time.
However, to her surprise, the vast majority of these 20,000-plus men were Xiao Yuansui's subordinates who had just surrendered yesterday!
One of the commanders was Shi Yutao.
At this moment, someone brought them horses. Without saying a word, Shang Ruyi and Yuwen Ye mounted their horses. Wo Xue, Shan Tong'er, and the others who were with them also mounted their horses and followed behind them. After seeing the arrangement, Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and finally couldn't help but ask softly, "Won't this cause any problems?"
Yuwen Ye asked, "What?"
Shang Ruyi lowered her voice even further: "These people were just captured by you yesterday. Their hearts haven't been fully appeased and won over yet. And you're taking them to war today?"
What if these people develop ulterior motives and betray us?
Thinking of this, she looked around again and realized that Xiao Yuansui was not among those going to war. Clearly, Yuwen Ye was still wary of him, not only keeping him behind but also keeping Shen Tu Tai there. Whether it was dealing with these surrendered soldiers or suppressing Xiao Yuansui, with Shen Tu Tai here to oversee things, she could rest assured.
However, leading newly surrendered soldiers into battle is too dangerous...
Seeing Shang Ruyi's worried expression, Yuwen Ye chuckled, glanced back, and said, "I haven't calmed them down yet."
"Then how did you—"
"But I've already figured out where they came from."
"Where did you come from?" These two words puzzled Shang Ruyi greatly: "What does that mean?"
Yuwen Ye said, "These are all the troops that Xiao Yuansui brought from Luoyang when he went north."
"oh……?"
Shang Ruyi widened her eyes slightly, and after thinking about it again, she immediately understood.
These were all taken by Xiao Yuansui from Luoyang. In other words, they were all locals of Luoyang, and their families and assets were all in Luoyang. When they followed Xiao Yuansui north, they were naturally following orders and also seeking wealth and status. But now that they had been defeated at Hulao Pass, they only wanted to return home safely. But if someone wanted to destroy Luoyang and everything there, how could they not fight to the death?
Yuwen Ye took advantage of this, convinced that they would fight hard for him.
Both generals and soldiers unite their hearts and minds through war. Having experienced the same battle, they can win over these people much faster than any usual attempts to appease them.
Shang Ruyi sighed inwardly – what a brilliant plan.
Yuwen Ye was brave and skilled in battle, and proficient in military strategy—these were his abilities as a general. But his ability to accurately control people's hearts and thus control events and the situation was something that set him apart from ordinary generals.
He was destined to rise to a position even higher than that of the General of the Heavenly Strategy and the King of Qin.
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi felt a sudden, throbbing in her chest, as if her heart was about to leap out of her chest. She instinctively reached out and pressed her chest. Fortunately, Yuwen Ye did not notice. He bent down and gave Shen Tu Tai a few instructions, then glanced at Shen Wuzheng standing beside him. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Military Advisor Shen."
Shen Wuzheng also stepped forward: "What are your orders, Your Highness?"
Shen Tu Tai glanced at the two of them, smiled wryly, and took a step back.
Actually, he had noticed that the relationship between the two had eased up a bit before, but he didn't expect that as soon as the princess returned, the two of them would inexplicably clash again, even though there was no conflict between them—of course, fortunately there really wasn't any conflict.
Yuwen Ye said, "In Luoyang, it will take at most five days. Here—"
"Your Highness, please rest assured."
Before Yuwen Ye could finish speaking, Shen Wuzheng seemed to understand his thoughts and said in a low voice, "Xiao Yuansui's every move is under control."
Yuwen Ye looked at him and nodded gently.
They didn't imprison the man, not even to the point of house arrest, because such methods were utterly useless against someone as shrewd as him; they would only incite his rebellion. Meanwhile, Yuwen Ye's departure of nearly 20,000 Luoyang soldiers wasn't solely for the battle of Luoyang. Previously, Xiao Yuansui had led 50,000 troops north, all of whom were his loyal followers. After yesterday's battle, with casualties and escapes, only this many remained. Now that these men were gone, most of those remaining were his men from Hebei—the Shi family's troops. These men were more loyal to Shi Yuxin, but with Shi Yutao taken away by Yuwen Ye, Shi Yuxin naturally dared not act rashly.
With a single move, Yuwen Ye cut off all of Xiao Yuansui's escape routes.
As long as Shen Wuzheng can keep him calm, Yuwen Ye can be completely at ease and deal with the matters in Luoyang.
Hearing him say that, Yuwen Ye nodded slightly, then straightened up, glanced at the neatly lined-up troops behind him, and waved his hand: "Let's go!"
At his command, a force of over 20,000 men followed him out of Hulao Pass and marched in a grand procession toward Luoyang.
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