Chapter 775 Dragon's Great Joy
Just as everyone held their breath and stared intently, Yuwen Yuan took out a letter from the box. He quickly opened it and read it once. Then, his bright tiger eyes widened as if he had seen something unbelievable yet delightful. Even the hand holding the letter trembled slightly.
Everyone's heart skipped a beat.
But that's not all.
After reading the letter, Yuwen Yuan put it aside for the time being, and then carefully reached into the box again. This time, he took out a picture!
Although they were seated far away, everyone present had sharp eyes, especially Yuwen Ye, whose eyes were like those of a hawk. He immediately saw clearly that on the scroll that was softly unfolded in Yuwen Yuan's hand, there were some curved lines and eye-catching dots.
That's clearly a map!
The secret report sent from Tongguan must have been written by Chu Zhengfei. Why is there a map inside?
Where is the map from?
Moreover, when Yuwen Ye determined that it was a map, he also noticed that one edge of the map had been torn. Obviously, it was not a complete map, but rather a piece that had been broken apart, perhaps only half or a fraction of the original map.
What exactly is going on?
Just as everyone was puzzled but dared not speak easily, and the atmosphere in the Kissing Pavilion became somewhat tense, Yuwen Yuan suddenly took a deep breath and then smiled faintly, saying, "Preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. It seems that someone has helped us prepare."
Help with the preparations?
Everyone seemed to have noticed something, while Yuwen Yuan slowly closed the obviously incomplete map, put it back into the box along with the letter next to it, closed it, handed it to Eunuch Yu, then looked up at the group of people with burning eyes and smiled, "Let's drink first."
"..."
Everyone looked at each other, speechless for a moment.
Yuwen Yuan didn't even tell them what he had received, clearly intending to keep it a secret. But the people present were either his sons or his daughters-in-law, arguably the closest people in the entire dynasty. Was he really going to keep it a secret from them?
If you really wanted to hide it, then why did you say that sentence that was clearly a hint?
Everyone was puzzled, but since the emperor had already said so, they dared not ask any more questions, nor could they be negligent. They all hurriedly raised their cups and drank together. Only Shang Ruyi took a small sip and then stopped. Yuwen Yuan seemed to be in a very good mood, and actually drank the whole cup of wine in one gulp. After drinking, his tiger-like eyes were smiling, and the corners of his eyes were full of wrinkles.
Clearly, he was very satisfied with what he had just seen.
The general guarding Tongguan was Chu Zhengfei. What secret report did he send that made the emperor so happy?
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but look at Yuwen Qian opposite her—Chu Zhengfei was Yu Dingxing's man, and both Yu Dingxing and Yu Mingyue firmly stood on his side as the Crown Prince. Did he not know anything about what they had sent over?
Judging from his slightly furrowed brow, it seems so.
Is it that I haven't had a chance to tell him yet, or that I haven't told him at all?
Shang Ruyi was filled with another wave of speculation, and just as she was getting confused, she suddenly heard Yuwen Yuan, after taking another sip, say with a smile, "Ruyi."
Shang Ruyi immediately came to her senses: "What are your orders, Father?"
Yuwen Yuan smiled and waved his hand, saying, "What orders are you giving? I just remembered that you said you wanted to go to Dayan Temple to worship Buddha and pray for blessings. I thought about it and decided that you should go too. How about this, when the weather is better in a few days, you should prepare yourself, fast and bathe, and I will personally send someone to take you there."
"..."
"It would be good to go and visit an old friend."
Shang Ruyi could hardly breathe.
Previously, knowing that Chu Ruoyan missed Empress Dowager Jiang, she boldly asked Yuwen Yuan to let her go to Dali Temple to worship Buddha. Yuwen Yuan refused. Although she was saddened, she knew that Yuwen Yuan was wary of Dayan Temple, especially of the people in Yanchun Palace behind Dayan Temple, so she did not dare to say anything more. Even Yuwen Ye said that unless there was an "extraordinary event", Yuwen Yuan would not allow people in the court to easily contact the mother and son in Dayan Temple.
But now, before she dared to bring it up again, he actually took the initiative to suggest it and even allowed her to go over there.
this--
Shang Ruyi was momentarily stunned. Fortunately, Yuwen Ye coughed lightly beside her, and she immediately came to her senses, hurriedly standing up and bowing to Yuwen Yuan: "Your subject thanks Your Majesty!"
After she finished speaking, she slowly sat down, but because she was so shocked, her heart was pounding and her limbs were weak. Yuwen Ye had to reach out and help her sit down before she could sit up properly. Shang Ruyi looked up at him, and their eyes met, both of them blinking.
It seems that the secret message in that box was indeed "something extraordinary".
But what kind of "extraordinary event" could make Yuwen Yuan so delighted, even recalling a request he had made half a month ago that could be considered to have touched a raw nerve, and then make an exception and grant it?
Despite this minor "incident," Yuwen Yuan was overjoyed, and the atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was better than ever before. Yuwen Yuan chatted and laughed with his sons and daughters-in-law, and drank a few extra cups, which was unusual for him. By the time the banquet ended, he was already slightly tipsy, but he still managed to maintain his imperial dignity. Even when he got up to leave, he turned back to look at Eunuch Yu, who had been following closely beside him.
What's particularly striking is the box he held so tightly in his hands, never daring to let go of it even for a moment.
Seeing Eunuch Yu protecting the box, Yuwen Yuan's smile deepened. He waved to Eunuch Yu, signaling him to take it back to his Liangyi Hall, and then prepared to leave. Yuwen Qian and the others immediately came out from behind the table and knelt down to see him off.
Yuwen Yuan suddenly turned around and said, "Ruoyan has been under house arrest for several months, hasn't she? I treated her too harshly before. I suppose she was also worried about Ruyi."
The sudden mention of Chu Ruoyan surprised Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi even more.
Shang Ruyi didn't dare to breathe, but Yuwen Ye said calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Father Emperor."
Yuwen Yuan sighed, "You can go and see her too. She's suffered these past few months."
After saying that, he waved his hand and left.
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi hurriedly kowtowed to express their gratitude. Shang Ruyi's heart was pounding so hard it almost didn't belong to her. But at this moment, she instinctively turned her head and glanced at Yuwen Qian beside her. She saw that his eyes were calm and still, without the slightest ripple, but his brows were unconsciously furrowed slightly.
Then, they slowly stood up.
However, they didn't speak immediately. They both looked out of the building until Yuwen Yuan's figure slowly disappeared into the night. Only then did they turn around to face each other. Yuwen Qian smiled and said, "Congratulations, Second Brother."
"This isn't exactly a happy occasion, it's just that nothing bad happened."
"That's true."
"If we're talking about truly joyous news, it must be what just happened—", Yuwen Ye said, staring into Yuwen Qian's eyes, "Does elder brother know about it?"
Yuwen Qian smiled faintly and said, "Second brother, I am sitting here just like you. We have seen and heard the same things as Father. What more could I possibly know?"
Yuwen Ye also laughed and said, "So that's how it is. I just felt that perhaps my elder brother has some kind of precognitive ability."
"...!"
Yuwen Qian's expression tightened slightly, and his eyes flickered as if he glanced at Shang Ruyi. But the next moment, he smiled calmly and said, "Second brother, you are joking. I have practiced Buddhism, but I am not a Buddha."
"That's true."
"Alright, it's getting late. If you're not in the mood to admire the moon, Second Brother, you should head back now. Your wife is quite unwell and shouldn't be too tired."
Shang Ruyi was surprised that he would suddenly mention her, and immediately said, "Thank you for your concern, brother."
Yuwen Qian smiled at her, then turned and gracefully departed.
Yuwen Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief as he watched his figure disappear into the night. Shang Ruyi also let out a long sigh at almost the same time. The two looked at each other but had no intention of saying anything. They walked out of the Kissing Tower together, their minds heavy with thoughts.
Outside, it was already pitch black.
Two eunuchs carried lanterns ahead to light their way, and with Yuwen Ye holding her hand the whole time, Shang Ruyi walked very steadily.
Before long, we passed by the entrance of Jinyuyuan.
She glanced inside subconsciously. Tonight, the lights weren't turned off and doors closed as early as usual, but there was only one candle, making it seem dim and lonely. She guessed that the people inside were also admiring the moon, but such a full moon only made her feel more and more incomplete in her life.
Shang Ruyi said softly, "Should we—"
As if knowing what she was going to say, Yuwen Ye said in a deep voice as soon as he opened his mouth, "It's too late, let's talk about it tomorrow."
"Alright."
Shang Ruyi nodded and left with him.
Although they wanted to tell Chu Ruoyan the good news, it was already late, and there was no point in telling her. Instead, they needed some time to sort out their thoughts.
Soon, they returned to the Thousand Autumns Palace.
The two sat motionless at the table, not even taking a sip of the tea that Wo Xue brought. After a long while, Shang Ruyi finally spoke: "What about that picture—"
Yuwen Ye said, "It was sent from Tongguan, but to make Father so happy, it must be no ordinary map."
Shang Ruyi murmured, "It should be what Father Emperor needs most right now, or rather, something that can help Father Emperor share his burdens and solve his problems."
Yuwen Ye also said, "The biggest problem facing Father Emperor now is advancing eastward to Luoyang."
As they were talking, the candle on the table popped with a "snap." Shang Ruyi went to get a pair of scissors and started trimming the wick while muttering, "Besides, Father said that preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. Someone is preparing for us."
Just then, the candlelight was lit.
Their eyes lit up, and they looked at each other simultaneously: "So, that picture is—"
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