Chapter 1223 Severing the Left Arm and Cutting Off the Right Arm
The lobby immediately fell silent.
Yuwen Qian's expression hardened slightly, but he didn't say anything. However, Yuwen Cheng's expression immediately turned somewhat ugly—not for any other reason than that he remembered very clearly that Yuwen Qian was leaving the palace to move to the Crown Prince's residence that night, so he was hosting a banquet for Yuwen Ye in Chengqian Hall.
That same night, he tampered with Yuwen Ye's wine glass.
It was only because Shang Ruyi suddenly appeared and had a child that his plans were disrupted; otherwise, things would have been very different by now.
Thinking of this, Yuwen Cheng gritted his teeth and laughed in an almost ferocious tone, "Second sister-in-law is right."
"..."
"Does Second Sister-in-law know why the three of us brothers haven't gotten together like this since?"
Shang Ruyi glanced at him and said with a slow smile, "Everyone has their own ambitions, and everyone has to do their own thing. For example, the King of Qin and the King of Qi want to send troops, and His Highness the Crown Prince wants to oversee the country. Of course, even those who send troops may not be on the same path, so they will have different achievements."
When the topic of credit came up, Yuwen Cheng's face darkened again.
But he had already been granted the title of General Who Guards the North, which meant that the court had acknowledged his merits. So he sneered, "Merits are naturally different, but no matter what kind of merit it is, it ultimately belongs to the court."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "Of course."
Yuwen Cheng glared at her again: "Then whose court is it?"
Shang Ruyi had spoken up because she sensed their ill intentions. Although she couldn't understand Yuwen Qian, she could see through Yu Mingyue and Yuwen Cheng's intentions. She just hadn't expected Yuwen Cheng to be the one to talk. Looking at Yu Mingyue's arrogant expression, she sensed confidence even though she hadn't spoken. Yuwen Cheng then steered the conversation towards the court, which made her feel uneasy.
Shang Ruyi's lack of response made the atmosphere somewhat awkward.
At this moment, Shen Wuzheng walked in from outside, bowed to Yuwen Ye, and said, "Your Highness Prince Qin, the Duke of Shen has come to offer his congratulations."
After Guan Ao followed Yuwen Ye to Chang'an, he reunited with Yuwen Yuan and was naturally filled with emotion. He was especially moved when he heard about Jin Yun's death, the near loss of the entire Guan family to martyrs, and the sacrifices they made to help Yuwen Ye and Yuwen Cheng capture Luoyang. Yuwen Yuan was overjoyed and three days later conferred upon Guan Ao the title of Duke of Shen and granted him the title of Grand Pillar of State. Many members of the Guan family were also rewarded, while Guan Chiying was directly appointed as a Gentleman Attendant.
With the arrival of the Duke of Shen, they naturally could not be negligent.
Therefore, when Shen Wuzheng came in and said that, the tense atmosphere among everyone was immediately broken. Yuwen Cheng snorted coldly, glared at him with annoyance, and sneered, "You've come at just the right time."
Shen Wuzheng glanced at him indifferently: "Your Highness Prince Qi, matters of the court should be handled in the court, not debated when Your Highness Prince Qin is moving to a new residence."
His words silenced Yuwen Cheng, who glared at him fiercely.
However, Yuwen Cheng's eyes darted around, and he immediately sneered, "Fine, you all go and entertain Duke Shen first. Maybe he'll bring some 'good news'."
"...?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye sensed something was amiss, but he had no time to argue further. He turned and went to greet them. Sure enough, he saw Guan Ao leading Guan Chiying and others in. After they met, Guan Ao immediately stepped forward, grasped Yuwen Ye's wrist, and said in a deep voice, "Does Your Highness know that His Majesty has bestowed a residence in Yanshoufang upon me?"
"house?"
Yuwen Ye frowned, but then said, "It's common for the Emperor to bestow residences upon you."
After all, as the Duke of Shen, he couldn't be without a place to stay in Chang'an, the Western Capital. Although they all knew that Yuwen Ye's arrangement in Luoyang was to leave a team mainly for the Emperor, and that Guan Ao and Guan Chiying would still have to return to Luoyang after receiving the imperial decree and rewards in Chang'an.
But Guan'ao said, "No, that is my Duke's Mansion."
Yuwen Ye's brows furrowed even more.
Shen Wuzheng understood the implication: "Does the Duke mean that the Emperor doesn't intend for you to return to Luoyang?"
Guan Ao nodded and said, "Yesterday I went to the palace to dine with the Emperor, and that's what he meant. At least in the short term, I can't leave Chang'an."
Shang Ruyi's eyes widened immediately: "What about Luoyang—"
As they were talking, they had already returned to the main hall. At this moment, Crown Prince Yuwen Qian also stood up. Guan Ao immediately stepped forward to greet him, while Yuwen Cheng curled his lips and said with a half-smile, "Congratulations, Duke."
Guan Ao looked at him with a complicated expression: "Is Your Highness Prince Qi confused? Today is the Prince of Qin's housewarming celebration."
Yuwen Cheng said, "Does the Duke still want to hide it from us? Didn't Father already bestow the Duke's Mansion upon you? It won't be long before you have a housewarming celebration. I'm just offering my congratulations in advance."
After saying that, he glanced at Yuwen Ye again: "So, Your Majesty, don't you understand?"
As he spoke, he swept his cold gaze across the crowd, a smug expression on his face, and said, "It seems you really didn't understand until I finished speaking. Fine, I'll explain it to you clearly."
"..."
"The imperial court belongs to Father Emperor!"
"..."
"Therefore, Father Emperor can command and arrange things as he pleases. Anyone who dares to disobey is committing treason!"
Yuwen Ye asked, "Third brother, what do you mean by that?"
Yuwen Cheng glanced sideways at the faces of the crowd, some resentful, some angry, feeling immensely pleased. Hearing Yuwen Ye's question, he said smugly, "Very well, I've already told my second brother in advance. Consider it a congratulatory message for your housewarming. Although Luoyang has been pacified, Father is very dissatisfied with the personnel arrangements there. After the advice of his ministers, he has decided to send—" As he spoke, his gaze swept lightly over the crowd, stopping on a few people: "General Shentu Tai, the Cavalry General, will serve as his military advisor, and Pei Xingyuan, the Vice Minister of Revenue, will serve as his chief secretary, to guard the Eastern Capital."
After saying that, he smiled and said, "Father has entrusted you with an important task, so you must do your utmost."
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces darkened.
Everyone knows that Shen Tu Tai is Yuwen Ye's most valiant general, possessing unparalleled bravery, while Pei Xingyuan is an indispensable strategist in Yuwen Ye's camp, especially for his outstanding contribution in the recapture of Luoyang. Now, Yuwen Yuan is transferring the two of them to the Eastern Capital, seemingly entrusting them with important responsibilities, but in reality, it's a demotion in disguise. After all, it's far from Chang'an, the political center, and by the time news of what happens here reaches the Eastern Capital, it will be a world apart.
Moreover, the most pressing matter right now is for Yuwen Ye to seize power, and suddenly transferring these two people away would undoubtedly be like cutting off his arm.
It seems that his calculated and relentless approach towards Yuwen Yuan at the court meeting on the day of his triumphant return, and the many benefits he obtained, were not for nothing. The emperor, having been outmaneuvered by him, could not have been truly powerless to retaliate, and thus, his "punishment" was about to begin.
Yuwen Ye looked at him with a livid face: "Third brother, you just said that a subject should offer advice."
"That's right."
"Which minister offered this advice to Father Emperor?"
Yuwen Cheng smiled at him and said, "What do you think, Second Brother?"
No need to guess, it can only be him.
Even Yuwen Qian, who was standing to the side, glanced at him with some surprise, while Yuwen Chengzhi smiled smugly and said, "Oh right, I not only advised Father to send the two of them to stay in Luoyang, but I also advised them to go there as soon as possible, since the Eastern Capital has just been taken back and people's hearts are unsettled."
"..."
"So, you should take advantage of today to get together. After tonight, you might not be able to all be here."
After saying that, he laughed triumphantly.
Seeing his unbridled behavior, everyone turned ashen with anger, especially Shen Tu Tai, who clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
But no one could move.
After all, this is not a battlefield, but the Qin Prince's Mansion in Chang'an City. If anyone dares to lay a hand on the Prince of Qi here, it is almost equivalent to disrespecting the emperor. Not to mention being punished and having their entire family implicated, even the Prince of Qin himself will not be able to escape responsibility.
Yuwen Ye clenched his fists, but his expression turned serious, revealing little joy or anger. Only his cold, sharp eyes said, "It seems that my third brother has been working tirelessly for the people and affairs of my Qin Prince's Mansion."
Yuwen Cheng sneered: "I dare not claim to have exhausted my efforts; I was only thinking of my father."
"..."
"Second brother, you don't intend to defy the imperial decree, do you?"
Everyone looked at Yuwen Ye, who coldly said, "The imperial decree has not yet been issued, so it's not time to talk about disobeying it."
Yuwen Cheng snorted coldly and muttered, "They really won't give up until they see the Yellow River."
As if in response to his words, just as the people in the hall had various expressions, and the guests in the mansion were cautiously holding their breath, not knowing what had happened, a loud announcement rang out from outside the main gate—
"Imperial edict has arrived!"
Upon hearing this voice, everyone tensed up. Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi exchanged a glance, not daring to be negligent, and hurriedly led everyone to get up and walk out. Yuwen Qian also stood up, but before taking a step, he reached out and grabbed Yuwen Cheng's arm. Just as he was about to ask something, he saw his third brother curl his lips and sneer, "Brother, when you do something, you have to do it completely. Half-heartedness is no fun."
"...!"
Yuwen Qian's clear eyes trembled slightly.
Yu Mingyue, on the other side, also stood up. She had obviously just learned about what Yuwen Cheng had done, but unlike Yuwen Qian, her face was full of joy: "Prince Qi is right. Crown Prince, seeing the situation in Prince Qin's mansion today, do you still allow yourself to hold back?"
"..."
Yuwen Qian didn't speak. He looked at her, then at the confident Yuwen Cheng. After a moment of silence, he smiled faintly.
Yu Mingyue found the smile somewhat familiar. Upon closer reflection, it seemed to be the same smile that appeared after Yuwen Qian asked her what books she liked to read and whether any of them contained answers, in that secluded room in front of the Buddhist shrine that day.
It seems empty, yet within that emptiness, there appears to be a hint of pity and a touch of mockery.
Yu Mingyue couldn't understand at all, and only whispered, "Crown Prince?"
Yuwen Qian released Yuwen Cheng and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go."
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