Chapter 992 The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; the next best is to disrupt their alliances.
Yuwen Yuan slightly raised his hand to signal everyone to rise, then asked, "Where is Yuan Gan?"
He was dressed casually, looking leisurely like a pampered and dignified wealthy old man who happened to be visiting his daughter-in-law to see his grandson. Shang Ruyi hurriedly got up and had the wet nurse, Feng, bring Yuan Gan out. As soon as he saw Yuwen Yuan, Yuan Gan happily stretched out his hands to his imperial grandfather and said in a clear voice, "Ah!"
Yuwen Yuan chuckled as he took his grandson, hugged him tightly, and showered him with kisses.
Yuan Gan struggled and laughed as his beard tickled him. The somewhat solemn atmosphere caused by the arrival of the emperor was immediately dispelled by the child's cheerful laughter, and the entire Qianqiu Palace became lively. Yuwen Yuan also laughed heartily and said, "This child is full of energy."
Shang Ruyi, standing to the side, watched her son's impressive demeanor and smiled, saying, "He just took a nap; that's when he's most energetic."
"Then I've come to the right place."
As Yuwen Yuan spoke, he carried Yuan Gan into the hall and sat down on his own. Shang Ruyi hurriedly had tea and snacks brought in, and then everyone silently withdrew.
Yuwen Yuan played with his grandson for a while before leaning against the table to take a sip of tea and then looking at Shang Ruyi.
He asked, "Did you go to your uncle's house today?"
"yes."
"How is he?"
“My uncle has been resting at home these days, and some of his old ailments have been cured.”
"oh."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly waiting for Shang Ruyi to continue, but Shang Ruyi only said so much and then stopped. Yuwen Yuan's expression softened slightly, and after looking around, he said, "Your place is quite clean. I thought you had already started packing your luggage."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi immediately replied, "Your subject dares not."
"oh?"
"Your Majesty has not yet given your permission, how dare I act on my own initiative?"
"Then do you think I will allow you to go?"
Shang Ruyi lowered his head and said sincerely, "Your subject only thinks about being filial to Father Emperor and loyal to the court. As for whether Father Emperor will allow it or not, Father Emperor has his own considerations. Your subject dares not speculate."
Hearing these words, and feeling the little Yuangan in his arms constantly tugging at his sleeve, Yuwen Yuan's expression finally softened with the tenderness of a parent.
He was silent for a moment before saying, "I shouldn't have granted your permission."
"..."
"No matter what, this matter is too dangerous. If we really want to save Xia Prefecture from its crisis, the court should send troops instead of a princess."
Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Your Majesty understands that you care about me, but if the crisis in Xia Prefecture is not resolved, the Turks will become a major threat to Da Sheng. If we allow them to grow stronger, it will be very difficult to eliminate them. Therefore, the crisis in Xia Prefecture must be resolved."
"..."
"However, there is no only way to resolve the crisis by sending troops. As Sun Tzu's Art of War says, the best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans; the next best is to disrupt their alliances; the next best is to attack their army; and the worst is to besiege their cities."
"..."
"Your Majesty, I am not as good as the ministers in the court in terms of strategy, nor as good as the King of Qin and the King of Qi in terms of military command, but I can still exchange a few words with them in terms of friendship."
Yuwen Yuan stared intently at her: "Do you really think you can make them retreat with just a few words?"
His gaze was solemn. Although he was asking a question, it didn't seem like he didn't completely disbelieve him. On the contrary, there was a fervent passion in his eyes that belonged to a daring and reckless person. In fact, Shang Ruyi understood very well that a person who could establish a country and become emperor in a chaotic world could not be conservative and stick to the old ways all his life. He must have had many bold ideas and thoughts, so that he could strike at the most critical moment and hit the mark.
Therefore, rather than asking himself about this possibility, he was asking himself for a firm answer.
Shang Ruyi lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Your subject begs Your Majesty to allow me to give it a try."
These were the last words she uttered after telling Yuwen Yuan that she was going to relieve the crisis in Xia Prefecture and making that promise. But this time, Yuwen Yuan didn't hesitate to ask her to step down as he had before, saying he needed to consider it for a while. Instead, he looked at her intently, his tiger-like eyes revealing undisguised admiration.
After a long silence, Yuwen Yuan suddenly laughed and said, "I held you when you were born."
"ah?"
The sudden shift from matters of state to tender topics caught Shang Ruyi off guard, but she still stared at him with wide eyes. Yuwen Yuan laughed and said, "When you were born, you weighed two ounces more than Feng Chen and your voice was louder than Yuan Gan's."
Shang Ruyi blinked, surprised that he would say this, and even more surprised that he had held her when she was a child.
However, this is not surprising. Yuwen Yuan and Shang Ruohong were old friends with such deep feelings that their families became in-laws. Even after Shang Ruohong's death and the Shang family's decline, he did not change his mind. Clearly, he still had feelings for the people of the Shang family and for himself.
Shang Ruyi said softly, "Your subject did not know."
Yuwen Yuan laughed and said, "Back then, all you knew was how to cry. What could you possibly know?"
"..."
"However, I said back then that it would be great to have a daughter as strong as you."
As he spoke, a hint of melancholy crept into his smile. "It's a pity it's still a son."
Shang Ruyi immediately understood that he was referring to Yuwen Laosan. From his attitude when she married into the Yuwen family and his occasional remarks, she could tell that Yuwen Yuan was a man who loved daughters very much. Unfortunately, he had three sons but no daughters. Therefore, he had been particularly fond of her before. If it weren't for the rift between the two of them caused by Han Yuhui's matter, he would probably have agreed to her request even more readily this time.
Shang Ruyi said softly, "Father, isn't a daughter-in-law considered a half-daughter?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Yuan laughed and nodded, saying, "Yes, yes, if I really had a daughter, she should be just like you."
After saying that, he let out a deep breath and said, "Go!"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's eyes widened with joy, and she hurriedly stood up and kowtowed to Yuwen Yuan, saying, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty."
Yuwen Yuan put Yuan Gan aside, stood up and helped her sit down, then said, "Don't thank me too much. This is not a reward. You should know that sometimes even swords are useless when facing the Western Turks. Otherwise, Princess Qiancheng would not have sent three letters in a row asking for help."
"..."
"If you are truly in any danger—"
"Father, rest assured!"
As if afraid that he would change his mind and withdraw his order because of her own danger, Shang Ruyi did not hesitate to interrupt him, following Yuwen Ye's bad habit, and said urgently, "Since I have volunteered, I am naturally going with the intention of risking my life, but I will definitely come back alive."
"..."
"After all, I still have Yuangan."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Yuan was finally completely relieved and said, "Prepare immediately and depart in three days."
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