Chapter 298 I Can't Bear Not Understanding Him
"His Majesty……"
The moment those two words left her lips, a flash of cold light cut her off.
Chu Yang grasped her hand and slowly stretched it out. With a long arm, the Longquan sword thrust straight forward. The thin and flexible blade swayed slightly before being straightened by the force poured into it. Instantly, the sword emitted a deep, resonant dragon's roar.
This revelation completely shook Shang Ruyi to her core.
The force of the sword returning to its original position made her hands go numb. If it weren't for Chu Yang's warm hand covering hers and gripping the hilt tightly, the sword would have almost slipped from her grasp.
At this moment, as if sensing her unusual state of mind, Chu Yang's voice rang in her ear once again—
"Watch out!"
At this moment, his voice was surprisingly clear and lucid, as if the effects of the alcohol had been dispelled by the sword energy the moment the longsword was swung. What remained was the undeniable aura of arrogance and the burning heat emanating from the person behind him. His hands tightened around Shang Ruyi's waist, and the two bodies seemed to merge into one.
With a flick of his wrist, his long arm bent, and the gleaming sword drew a rainbow in the air before swirling above his head. Chu Yang, with his arm around Shang Ruyi's waist, slowly leaned back. His waist was strong and flexible, his upper body almost level with the ground, supporting Shang Ruyi, yet he remained as steady as a rock. The sword lightly grazed their faces, like a glimmer of water passing before their eyes.
Shang Ruyi felt as if she were sinking to the bottom of a lake, looking at the shimmering water above her.
The next moment, Chu Yang suddenly turned around, taking her in a circle. Their sleeves intertwined, like a pair of butterflies fluttering in the air. As the butterflies flapped their wings, a cold light suddenly shot out, captured by their hands. Then, the butterflies separated, and Chu Yang's wrists twisted and turned, his long sword transforming into dozens of cold lights in his hands. Sometimes they shone like the moon, sometimes they spread out like a fan. With his erratic steps, the cold light kept shifting, as if a strange yet beautiful painting was unfolding before Shang Ruyi's eyes.
She completely lost her ability to react and could only follow Chu Yang's footsteps, walking and stopping repeatedly.
Although his steps were chaotic, there was order within the chaos. At times, it seemed that he was about to collapse, but he turned the tide, withdrew his sword, and saved her from the danger of Jade Mountain collapsing.
Gradually, Shang Ruyi seemed to have grasped his footwork and body movements.
Gradually, she followed him, sometimes wielding her sword wildly, sometimes restraining her body and breath. The two gradually developed a silent harmony, their bodies like flying phoenixes and their swords like long dragons. In this beautiful garden, they were as still as water, yet their energy moved mountains and rivers!
When the dance ended, Shang Ruyi turned around and found herself facing Chu Yang.
The longswords were in their hands, held horizontally before them.
Having just recovered her strength, such a sword dance—even with someone protecting her throughout—still left Shang Ruyi feeling weak and short of breath. She breathed heavily, and her exhaled breath sprayed onto the gleaming sword, creating a mist.
But the other side of the sword is as bright as a mirror.
In the mirror, a pair of slender phoenix eyes, brimming with joy, were reflected.
At this moment, Chu Yang was filled with joy and vitality. His ecstasy was like that of a person who had been trapped in the desert for a long time and suddenly found a spring. The joy of longing and fulfillment was beyond words.
Faced with that gaze, Shang Ruyi's heart pounded like thunder.
She always felt that she didn't understand him, or at least, she shouldn't have.
She knew she was a fairly intelligent person, so for her, seeking advantage and avoiding harm was not a kind of wisdom, but an instinct, just like no one would jump off a cliff.
But after that sword dance, and after meeting that ecstatic gaze, she couldn't help but try to understand him.
He was so lonely...
However, just as the two were looking at each other, a very soft cough sounded from the side. Shang Ruyi was struck as if by lightning, and only then did she come to her senses that Eunuch Yu had been standing beside her the whole time.
He wasn't spying; he had come with him on a specific "mission."
Shang Ruyi's expression changed, and Chu Yang's brows furrowed.
He turned to look at Eunuch Yu, a hint of anger already rising on his face. But before he could get angry, Shang Ruyi said softly, "Your Majesty, Ruyi and Eunuch Yu have come here with important matters to report."
Chu Yang let out a deep breath, still angry, and said, "What is it? We'll talk about it at the court assembly tomorrow."
The old eunuch Yu, standing to the side, was even more miserable.
In fact, along the way, Shang Ruyi had learned about the general situation of Jiangdu Palace from him. When they first arrived in Jiangdu, Chu Yang held court every day; later, it became every other day, and now, he had not held court for several days.
Even when the court assembly was held, the reports were nothing more than who had raised an army or where a rebellion had broken out. Every piece of news that came was like another sword hanging over Chu Yang's head. Now, he simply closed his eyes, no longer seeing those swords, and only saw the gentle scenery of Jiangnan. This was the life he wanted when he went south.
But with a knife already at his neck, he couldn't ignore it.
Shang Ruyi turned her head and saw that Eunuch Yu was desperately trying to wink at her, as if she was the only one who could help at this moment. So, Shang Ruyi glanced at Chu Yang again and found that although his expression was not good, he was not really angry.
So, he cautiously said, "The Imperial Guards are fighting with the guards of the old palace in the city. I heard that many people have been killed or injured, and many innocent civilians have also been injured."
"..."
"Regardless of which side they are on, they are all His Majesty's people. If they fight, it will not look good for His Majesty."
"The Imperial Guard? And the old palace garrison?"
Chu Yang was clearly surprised, and frowned, asking, "How did they end up fighting?"
Just as Shang Ruyi was about to say something, a tall figure suddenly appeared behind Eunuch Yu and loudly proclaimed, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"
Caught off guard, Eunuch Yu shuddered in fright.
Turning around, he saw that Wang Shaoji had somehow appeared behind him. Eunuch Yu frowned slightly, but immediately smiled and said, "General Wang, what brings you here?"
Wang Shaoji gave him a cold look and said, "I have come to see His Majesty. Please inform him, sir."
He's already here; any further announcements would be pointless and unnecessary.
Eunuch Yu could only smile apologetically and say, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."
Upon seeing him, Shang Ruyi frowned, but she immediately realized that she was in a bad situation. She hurriedly put down her long sword and took several steps back, finally creating some distance between herself and Chu Yang.
However, Wang Shaoji had already witnessed this scene.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, but he said nothing more, still bowing respectfully to Chu Yang. Chu Yang's drunkenness had dissipated somewhat by this time. He only frowned and glanced at Shang Ruyi before sheathing his sword and turning to Wang Shaoji: "You've come at the right time. Why are your men fighting with the old palace guards?"
Wang Shaoji lowered his head, his face grim as he gritted his teeth.
The incident had only just occurred, and he had rushed to the palace as soon as he received the news. He hadn't expected that Chu Yang already knew about it, so it was obvious who had reported it.
This woman has been making things difficult for him ever since she appeared!
Although he was thinking this through gritted teeth, Wang Shaoji's face remained expressionless. He respectfully addressed Chu Yang, saying, "Your Majesty, I was just about to report this matter. The guards of the old palace were arrogant and disrespectful, committing treason and killing or wounding several imperial guards. This matter cannot be tolerated! I beg Your Majesty to punish them severely as a warning to others."
Eunuch Yu listened from the side, his brows furrowing.
Although he brought Shang Ruyi to report, the purpose of the report was to hope that the emperor could stop the matter, find out the truth, and then punish the person who made the mistake. However, as soon as Wang Shaoji arrived, he directly asked the emperor to punish the old palace guards without distinguishing right from wrong. It was clear that he was protecting his own.
It's one thing for him to protect his own, but if he really punishes these people without asking why, wouldn't the emperor's prestige in Jiangdu be completely lost?
But these were important matters, and even if Eunuch Yu was concerned about important matters, he could not interrupt at will.
He could only anxiously look at Chu Yang, then at Shang Ruyi.
As expected, Chu Yang's face darkened immediately upon hearing this: "Is that so?"
"yes."
"Outrageous! Immediately issue an edict to arrest all those people and throw them into prison!"
Wang Shaoji's face lit up with joy, and he immediately accepted the order and was about to leave when Shang Ruyi hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this is probably not a proper way to handle things."
Chu Yang turned to look at her, but Wang Shaoji immediately said, "Young Madam Yuwen, this is a serious matter and has nothing to do with you. You'd better not interrupt!"
Chu Yang said, "Shut up!"
Wang Shaoji could only shut his mouth.
Chu Yang looked down at Shang Ruyi again and said, "What do you want to say?"
Shang Ruyi was still a little out of breath, her forehead and nose covered in fine beads of sweat. But she couldn't care less about being impolite at the moment, and said softly, "Ruyi did not mean to overstep her bounds, but General Wang's words just now were somewhat biased."
"Oh? Why?"
"The old palace guards are the imperial palace guards here, and the Imperial Guards are also responsible for guarding the imperial city. There is no essential difference between the two, and there is no question of superiority or inferiority. If they fight, it is even less likely that the inferior is committing insubordination."
"..."
"Moreover, the truth of the matter has not yet been ascertained, so it would be unfair to punish the old palace guards directly."
Chu Yang glanced at her, seemingly lost in thought.
Seeing this, Wang Shaoji immediately said, "Your Majesty, Madam Yuwen's words are even more biased. The old palace guards only guard Jiangdu Palace, while the Imperial Guards guard not only the imperial city but also Your Majesty's safety. Can't she tell which is more important? Or is it that in her heart, the safety of Jiangdu Palace is more important than Your Majesty's safety?!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Yang's gaze immediately turned cold.
Shang Ruyi hurriedly said, "I didn't!"
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