Chapter 674 The Same Dilemma
Upon hearing Shang Ruyi's words, Lei Yu's expression was initially one of shock. As the shock subsided, the little bit of color that had been painstakingly regained from the bath also faded, and her face gradually turned pale.
She murmured, "How...how could this be..."
It was clear that she hadn't expected this at all.
This is not surprising. From the moment Shang Ruyi was captured and taken to the Turkic Khaganate, the prince Zhu Xie spoke and acted like an ordinary person. However, Shang Ruyi could always sense that all his words and emotions were veiled, making it impossible to see what he was really like. Even his true emotions could not be discerned, let alone his love and hate.
If the situation hadn't been so critical just now, I'm afraid no one would know now.
Lei Yu was a smart woman with a lot of experience, but even she was somewhat flustered in this situation. She frowned and thought for a long time, unable to figure out what to do, and could only look up at Shang Ruyi again: "Then I—"
Shang Ruyi was more composed than her.
She said, "Since you've decided to take this path and walk it well, then you need to be wary of this person."
"..."
"Although he hasn't shown you anything else right now, it's hard to say with these kinds of things."
"..."
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Ashina Zhuxie really showed his true colors one day.
I'm afraid it will all be too late.
Moreover, for some reason, she always had a strange feeling in her heart.
Although she has not yet met Iasu in person, it is not difficult to see from the situation in the Western Turkic court that Shali Khan and Lady Jiayuan have been suppressing Ashina Zhuxie. But Ashina Zhuxie is definitely not someone who will be slaughtered at will.
Therefore, undercurrents were also swirling within the Western Turkic court.
This reminded her of the imperial court of the newly established Great Sheng Dynasty, thousands of miles away.
The rivalry between the brothers Yuwen Qian and Yuwen Ye was far more pronounced than that between the two princes of the Western Turks. Yuwen Qian had the powerful Duke Shenwu by his side, who could influence the court, as well as most of the court officials who wanted to support him as crown prince, and the mysterious and unpredictable Yu Mingyue, who had the ability to foresee many things. Yuwen Ye, on the other hand, although he did not have many supporters, his military prowess and previous military achievements were enough for him to compete with Yuwen Qian.
How similar these two sides are!
"Ruyi, what are you thinking about?"
The sudden sound brought Shang Ruyi back to her senses. She looked up and met Lei Yu's puzzled face, then simply shook her head slightly: "No, nothing."
She changed the subject, then said softly, "I was just thinking about that Prince Zhu Xie's interest in the Khan's throne—"
Mentioning this, Lei Yu's expression also became serious.
She thought for a moment and said, "Although I don't usually leave this tent or have much contact with them, I know about Ashina Zhuxie's background. It will be very difficult for the orphan of the Zhuxie tribe to inherit the position of Khan!"
"oh?"
"Many of the ministers under Shali Khan were people who participated in the war to wipe out the Zhuxie tribe. Even if it was for their own sake, they would not allow Zhuxie to inherit the Khan's position. Otherwise, when Ashina Zhuxie holds power, these people will probably be held accountable."
"I see."
Shang Ruyi nodded slightly.
She had only been in Western Turkic territory for two days. Although she didn't know much about the situation there, she could tell from what she heard and the people she saw in the royal tent yesterday that Lady Jiayuan and the ministers she had won over, such as Shi Shu An Yi, did not support Ashina Zhu Xie.
She thought for a moment and then asked, "What about the attitude of Shali Khan himself?"
"he?"
Lei Yu frowned slightly, thought for a while, and said, "Compared to his attitude towards Yiasu, I don't think he favors Zhu Xie that much."
"..."
"However, Zhu Xie's bravery is unparalleled on the grasslands."
"..."
"His heavy cavalry is the surviving force after the destruction of the Zhu Xie tribe, and it is currently the most valiant and skilled unit in the Western Turkic Khaganate. Although I don't know why he returned empty-handed from his southward expedition to Taiyuan this time, I think you should know the power of the heavy cavalry."
Shang Ruyi nodded.
Speaking of which, although she had traveled with her father to the Turkic Khaganate when she was young, they had only visited the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, which had split into two and was relatively more lenient towards the Daye Dynasty. Therefore, she had never actually seen heavy cavalry and knew little about the Western Turkic Khaganate. However, the power of heavy cavalry was something that didn't need to be witnessed firsthand; one only needed to see the near-total crushing of infantry by ordinary cavalry to know the power of heavy cavalry.
Lei Yu continued, "Therefore, Shali Khan still relies heavily on Zhu Xie, and it's hard to say what the final outcome will be."
"..."
Shang Ruyi glanced at her, said nothing, but her expression became even more solemn and complicated.
One son was favored, the other was valiant...
It seems that my feeling that the situation of the Great Sheng Dynasty and the Western Turks was somewhat similar was not entirely without reason.
Moreover, although I don't want to admit it or think about that person again, upon closer reflection, Ashina Zhuxie and Yuwen Ye... are almost in the same situation!
Thinking about it this way, Shang Ruyi felt dizzy and her future seemed increasingly bleak. She shouldn't expect Ashina Zhuxie to win, since he coveted Lei Yu, and Shang Ruyi was even more worried that he would harm Lei Yu. But if he could win, wouldn't that mean that Yuwen Ye also had a chance?
But if he loses...
What will become of this grassland, this world, this chaotic era?
For a moment, the atmosphere in the tent became heavy again. After a while, Shang Ruyi looked up and saw Lei Yu with a solemn expression. Obviously, the fact that Ashina Zhuxie liked her not only shocked her, but also troubled her and even made her feel helpless.
No woman would be happy about something like this.
In a way, although the struggle between the two Turkic princes was somewhat similar to the struggle in the court of the Great Sheng Dynasty, and Yuwen Ye and Ashina Zhuxie were in almost the same predicament, fortunately, unlike Lei Yu, he was not involved in this kind of emotional predicament.
Poor Lei Yu...
Shang Ruyi sighed inwardly, but still comforted him, "Forget it, some things haven't happened yet, so don't worry. I'm telling you this just so you can be on guard."
"..."
"It's too late today, you should get some rest. Your health is the most important thing."
Hearing her say that, Lei Yu nodded gently: "Mm."
So the two of them went to sleep.
After lying down quietly, all that remained was the howling wind outside the tent, and everything fell silent. However, Shang Ruyi could still clearly hear the uneasy, rapid breathing beside her ear. It was clear that Lei Yu was still troubled by that matter, and even as she gradually drifted off to sleep, the sound continued to echo in her ears.
Shang Ruyi's dream was not peaceful either.
Perhaps because of the experiences of that day, and that life-or-death archery competition, in her dream, she felt as if she were being relentlessly pursued by something, and the whole world was in turmoil, without a moment of peace.
I woke up to find it was already daylight.
Shang Ruyi felt as if she had been tormented all night. Instead of relaxing, she felt sore all over, and even the strength to open her eyes was something she had accumulated over a long period of time in her hazy dream.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Lei Yu sitting against the headboard, her long, black hair cascading over her shoulders, her brows furrowed, her expression grave, and her eyes bloodshot and weary from not having slept all night.
Shang Ruyi immediately sat up: "You, you're not asleep?"
Upon hearing her voice, Lei Yu was startled, but immediately smiled and said to her, "I can't sleep."
Shang Ruyi became anxious upon hearing this.
Although I'm not exactly an experienced person, even the most inexperienced person knows that staying up all night like this is very harmful to the body, especially since Lei Yu is currently pregnant and almost got injured yesterday.
However, it was a bit strange. I'm not usually a sleepy person, and so many things happened yesterday. Logically, I should be the one who can't sleep, especially with Lei Yu next to me who also stayed up all night.
How did I end up falling asleep—though I didn't sleep soundly at all.
But she couldn't think about these things now. She just looked at Lei Yu's tired face with heartache and said through gritted teeth, "I knew I shouldn't have told you. It's such a hassle for you."
Lei Yu immediately said, "How can that be?"
"..."
"I've been so good to you, but you saw a mud puddle in front of me and didn't tell me. Are we still good friends?"
Hearing her say that, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but laugh.
So he stood up and said, "Fine, it was my fault."
Then she added, "But I'm telling you this so that you can take good care of yourself, instead of worrying and suffering before the danger even arrives, and hurting your body. You know, you're carrying a child."
"..."
"Too much worry and suffering... can harm the fetus."
Her voice choked as she said those words.
Fortunately, Lei Yu didn't notice this. Seeing Shang Ruyi's concerned and worried expression, he felt a little guilty and held her hand, repeatedly promising, "Okay, I promise I'll sleep well and eat well from now on, and take good care of myself and my stomach, okay?"
Shang Ruyi gave her a reproachful look before she felt relieved.
When the two women awoke, maids immediately entered to help them dress and wash. Just as they finished dressing and the maids were about to move the brazier beside the bed and help them out, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the tent.
Lei Yu immediately looked up: "What happened?"
Upon hearing this, a maid said, "I'll go take a look."
She turned and went out, about to lift the tent flap, but a hand lifted it faster than she could. Then, the maid's joyful voice rang out at the tent entrance—
"Prince Iasu!"
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