Chapter 271 The Lonely Woman in Her Empty Chamber
Tushe'er, standing outside the door, hesitated for a moment before whispering, "No, it seems so. They've summoned the young master to the palace."
"..."
Shang Ruyi frowned slightly.
They're summoning Yuwen Ye again. They just talked to him a few days ago, so why are they summoning him to the palace again today?
Yuwen Ye acted quickly, getting out of bed and dressing immediately. Shang Ruyi thought for a moment, then got up and dressed as well, saying, "I'll go out with you."
Yuwen Ye didn't say much. The two of them straightened their clothes and quickly went out. Sure enough, they saw Eunuch Lu sitting in the main hall drinking tea. When he saw the two of them come out, he bowed and greeted them familiarly, and then said, "General, please come with me to the palace."
Yuwen Ye replied, "Yes."
Seeing that the two were about to leave, Shang Ruyi couldn't help but ask, "Father-in-law, does Her Majesty the Empress have something important to discuss with my husband about entering the palace?"
The eunuch Lu was taken aback by her question and immediately smiled, "Young mistress, I dare not ask too much about Her Majesty the Empress's affairs."
He spoke very politely, but the unspoken message was clear—it's not something you should ask.
Yuwen Ye turned to her and said, "Stay home and behave yourself."
Shang Ruyi could only nod and watch them leave.
With Yuwen Ye gone, it felt like she was all alone at home. Actually, he wasn't home much usually, but this time, she felt "him not here" with exceptional clarity. Shang Ruyi felt a bit depressed in the room. Even Tu She'er noticed and brought her some tea and snacks, saying, "Miss, didn't you sleep well last night? Why don't you sleep a little longer and catch up on your sleep?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi was silent for a moment, then nodded.
But after lying down, she couldn't fall asleep for a long time. There was a brazier in the room and the bedding was soft and thick, but she still felt cold.
Or perhaps, he wasn't there.
Shang Ruyi felt that something was strange about her.
Mingming, life goes on just the same when he's not around. Why is it that after going to Banyan Temple, he can't live without him? Even if he went to the palace to see Princess Xinyue, so what? Yuwen Ye has clearly told himself that he only sees the princess as a younger sister, and he has no reason to lie to himself.
If I look like this, won't I really become a lonely, resentful woman in her empty room?
Shang Ruyi felt she shouldn't have done it, yet she couldn't suppress the faint torment in her heart. The conflicting emotions left her exhausted, and she finally drifted off to sleep.
Even when I'm asleep, I'm restless.
She seemed to have fallen into that familiar nightmare again, only this time, she was no longer lying on a frozen lake, but on a boat. However, the boat was leaking, and the icy river water kept surging up, swallowing her up in an instant. The biting cold almost made it impossible for her to breathe.
Shang Ruyi struggled with all her might, but gradually, her hands seemed to lose their strength.
Just as she was about to suffocate, suddenly, a familiar, warm, and strong hand reached out and grabbed her, pulling her out of the icy water.
She felt a wave of relief wash over her, took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes.
As soon as I opened my eyes, a familiar, handsome face came into view, along with those gentle eyes that conveyed concern and worry: "Awake?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi stared blankly at the person before her. After a long while, it seemed as if her soul had returned from a dream. She parted her lips slightly, and after a long pause, uttered a few words—
Why are you only getting back now?
Yuwen Ye frowned slightly, but immediately smiled and said, "What do you mean you're only back now? I've been back for quite a while."
"ah?"
"Since you haven't woken up yet, I didn't want to disturb you, so I just read a book over there."
Shang Ruyi turned her head and saw that there was a book on his bed, which had obviously just been put down. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at him. Yuwen Ye reached out and gently brushed her sweaty hair behind her ear and asked, "What nightmare did you have that scared you like this?"
"..."
Recalling the scene in her dream, Shang Ruyi shuddered again and immediately reached out to hug him.
That was just a dream.
In reality, she already has him, so she no longer needs to be afraid.
Feeling the young woman's soft body pressed against him, trembling slightly as if she hadn't fully recovered from the nightmare, Yuwen Ye sighed inwardly. He gently but firmly lifted her into his arms, stroking her back with his warm palms, which gradually calmed her erratic heartbeat and breathing. He said softly, "Nightmares are all fake. You're a grown woman, why do you need someone to tell you this?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi was speechless.
She knew perfectly well that the nightmares were just illusions. But she understood better than anyone why she was constantly plagued by them.
For this reason, she cannot be honest right now.
However, under his gentle comfort, she finally calmed down. When she looked up again, she realized that it was already dark outside and candles were lit in the room. She couldn't help but ask, "What time is it?"
Yuwen Ye chuckled and said, "I've already had dinner."
"Huh? I slept for that long?"
"What do you think? We told you to take a nap this afternoon, but you slept until evening, and Tushe'er and the others didn't want to wake you up."
"..."
"Let's see if you can sleep tonight. If you can't sleep well, then tomorrow—you don't need to come and see me off."
Shang Ruyi immediately perked up and looked up at him: "When are you leaving tomorrow?"
Yuwen Ye said, "Early in the morning."
"..."
Upon hearing this, she became somewhat dejected and lowered her head.
Seeing her looking like a wronged little girl, Yuwen Ye's heart softened. He had never liked to indulge in romantic feelings. Over the years, nothing and no one had been able to make him lose himself in them. But now, with this little woman nestled in his arms, he was able to melt away the hard heart he had maintained for so many years. He found it hard to push her away and even harder to let her go.
However, Shang Ruyi herself seemed to realize something, and she looked up at Yuwen Ye, saying softly, "You went to the palace today and saw the princess?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye paused for a moment, then nodded.
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and then asked, "What did you say?"
"Didn't say anything,"
At this point, Yuwen Ye seemed to remember something, looked down at her, and said, "However, she brought me a bowl of fresh milk."
"……ah."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi seemed to remember something, and her eyes immediately flickered.
Yuwen Ye looked at her with a half-smile and said, "I didn't know my virtuous wife was so generous."
"..."
Shang Ruyi lowered her head guiltily, but Yuwen Ye wouldn't let her go. He reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to look at him: "Hmm? You're actually this generous?"
Shang Ruyi had no way to avoid it and was filled with regret.
At that time, she thought Yuwen Ye had no feelings for her, and she felt sorry for Princess Xinyue, who was of noble birth, yet acted so subserviently. She even thought that she might as well let them be together and give up her own feelings. But who knew that so many things would happen afterward, and now that they have accepted each other, her previous actions seem so ridiculous.
He could only bite the bullet and say, "Since you treat her like a younger sister, what's wrong with me being generous?"
"oh?"
Yuwen Ye raised an eyebrow slightly and suddenly said, "What if I don't treat her like a younger sister?"
"..."
He said these words very softly, but unexpectedly, they struck Shang Ruyi's heart with great force.
What if we don't treat her like a younger sister?
In truth, wasn't that what she was thinking all those days? There was bitterness, and there was jealousy, but so what? If he really had someone else in his heart, could she really go into his heart and tear that person out, bloodied and raw?
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi's eyes unconsciously reddened.
She lowered her head and whispered, "I can't control what's in your heart; I can only control my own."
"..."
Whether you treat her like a younger sister or have other intentions—I am still me.
Seemingly sensing the sudden unease and sorrow welling up in her heart, Yuwen Ye's breathing also became heavy. Neither of them spoke, and they faced each other in silence. After an unknown amount of time, he sighed softly, reached out and gently stroked her, and said softly, "In my heart, of course, it is you."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi didn't say anything, but silently reached out and hugged his neck tightly.
The two of them nestled close together, as if their flesh and blood were intertwined, their breaths and heartbeats gradually merging into one. After a long while, Shang Ruyi buried her face in his chest and let out a muffled sound: "So, did you say anything else?"
Yuwen Ye said, "I didn't say anything to her."
"...?"
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Did Her Majesty the Empress say anything to you?"
Yuwen Ye paused for a moment, then said, "She said that the court and the public are very uneasy right now."
Shang Ruyi said, "Because of the betrayal of the Lei family father and daughter?"
Yuwen Ye said, "The trigger is naturally this, but it's not the whole reason. In fact, in recent years, the court's measures have become increasingly unpopular. In the martial arts world, among the common people, and in the imperial court, which place isn't filled with anxiety? Do you remember when we entered the city today, we queued for a long time and still couldn't squeeze in?"
Shang Ruyi nodded hurriedly.
In fact, she had noticed that many people had moved out of the city in the days before. Although the Eastern Capital still had some prosperity, it was nothing compared to the truly stable and prosperous times of the past.
Even the teacher who was severely injured by Yuwen Cheng moved away from Dongdu with his family after recovering from his illness.
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but ask, "Is it because Hebei was lost that everyone has lost hope for stability in Henan?"
Yuwen Ye said, "When the wind and rain come, it is not the trees that know first, nor the grass that knows first, but the birds in the nests that know first."
"..."
“By doing this, the people have already abandoned the Eastern Capital.”
"..."
"Under these circumstances, it seems that Liang Shide would be in a difficult position if he didn't attack Luoyang."
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but frown.
She asked softly, "Then, what are the court's plans?"
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