Chapter 200 But He Married You
Empress Jiang glanced at her but didn't speak. Chu Ruoyan, who was sitting next to her, said softly, "I heard that there are no battle reports, but early this morning, a group of riders returned from outside the city. They were members of the Imperial Guard."
"The Imperial Guard?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi frowned.
She knew that this time when Yuwen Ye went on an expedition, there was a military supervisor appointed by the emperor, who was naturally a palace eunuch. This military supervisor would be accompanied by a dozen eunuchs and a team of imperial guards.
Since some members of the Imperial Guard have returned, it must be because the supervising officer sent back a message.
Upon thinking of this, Shang Ruyi's heart immediately felt heavy.
It is important to understand that the role of the military supervisor in the army is to monitor the movements of the troops and the behavior of the generals on behalf of the emperor. If anything is amiss, the military supervisor has the authority to report to the emperor in secret. At present, there are no battle reports, but the military supervisor has sent back news, which may mean that the battle situation is not satisfactory, or even that there is a disagreement between the military supervisor and the general.
If that's the case, then Yuwen Ye's current situation—
Shang Ruyi hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, do you know what message the Imperial Guards sent back? Is it related to him?"
Chu Ruoyan shook her head: "I don't know."
"..."
"The Imperial Guards go straight to see the Emperor when they return; we cannot inquire about those matters."
"..."
Shang Ruyi sighed with some disappointment.
At this moment, she even felt a little regretful that the emperor was not in the palace. If she had the chance to see Chu Yang, she would like to inquire about the situation at the front, at least to know if Yuwen Ye was safe and sound.
But as soon as she thought about it, she immediately realized how absurd it was.
The things Chu Yang did to her during their last meeting left her at a loss. If they met again, could she guarantee she would escape unscathed?
Thinking of this, she shook her head violently, trying to banish this dangerous thought from her mind.
Just then, King Zhao, Chu Chengfei, ran in from outside.
With a little snow still on his head, he excitedly shouted, "Mother, sister, it's snowing heavily outside! Shall we go see the snow? Sister, will you have a snowball fight with me?"
As he spoke, he came over and dragged Chu Ruoyan's arm, leading her outside.
Chu Ruoyan's playful mood was also aroused, so she followed her younger brother outside. The two of them laughed and frolicked in the snow. Hearing their cheerful laughter, Empress Jiang smiled and said, "Let's go out and enjoy the snow."
Shang Ruyi responded and got up to follow her out.
As I approached the door, I saw snow falling heavily outside, covering everything in a pristine white. The ground, walls, rooftops, and even a maple tree by the palace wall were covered in snow. The white snow and red maple trees complemented each other, making the white snow appear even purer and the red maple trees even more vibrant and beautiful, like a cluster of fiery flames in the snowy landscape.
Meanwhile, the siblings were already having a snowball fight in the snow. Taking advantage of her height, Chu Ruoyan made a snowball and slapped it on her brother's forehead. Snowflakes flew everywhere, making Chu Chengfei howl in pain as he chased after Chu Ruoyan.
Chu Ruoyan, holding up her skirt, ran around in the snow. Dressed in colorful clothes, she moved lightly, like a bright butterfly fluttering in the snowy landscape. Shang Ruyi couldn't take her eyes off her.
Empress Jiang looked at her two children and a loving smile appeared on her face.
She looked up at the falling snowflakes again and sighed softly, "I never expected the snow to be so heavy this year; it's been falling for days."
Shang Ruyi said, "A timely snowfall promises a bumper harvest."
At this point, Empress Jiang's expression hardened, and after a long silence, she said softly, "I just wonder who will benefit from that bountiful harvest."
"...?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat.
She smiled and said, "Why do you say that, Your Highness?"
Empress Jiang did not answer her, but looked at the chaotic falling snow in front of her. After a long time, she slowly said, "Do you know that the tribute red oranges can probably only be eaten this year?"
Why?
“These tributes were sent from Xishan Island, but news came last month that the island had already been occupied by the rebels.”
"What? The rebels from Jiangnan?"
"good,"
Empress Jiang sighed and said, "Back then, Your Majesty led hundreds of thousands of troops and finally managed to destroy the Chen Dynasty and recover Jiangnan. I never expected that in just a few years, Jiangnan would rebel again."
"..."
"It is still unknown who will be able to quell the rebellion in Jiangnan, or when."
Shang Ruyi's brows slowly furrowed.
Although she had long known that rebel uprisings were taking place across the country, in Hebei, Shanxi, Longxi, Jiangnan... and even this time, the most recent one, Wang Gang's army had already occupied Xingluocang, showing that the entire dynasty was already on the verge of collapse, it was only when these words actually came from the Empress's mouth that she felt the earth-shaking tremor.
The Great Ye Dynasty may really be coming soon—
Shang Ruyi said, "Your Majesty..."
At this moment, Empress Jiang suddenly smiled and said, "I'm confused. Why are you saying all this?"
She turned to look at Shang Ruyi and asked gently, "Are you cold?"
"..."
Looking at her gentle smile, Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a chill. Looking down, she realized that her hands were already white with cold. She subconsciously pulled them back into her sleeves. Seeing this, Empress Jiang turned around and ordered, "Where is the hand warmer?"
The palace servants immediately brought over two heaters.
Shang Ruyi took one, looked down and saw that it was made of brass, only the size of two fists. There was a picture carved in openwork on the front, depicting several Xiangfei bamboos and two women. Charcoal was burning inside, and it was wrapped in velvet on the outside. It was not too big or too small, and it was not too hot to touch. The heat seeped out and immediately restored feeling to her cold fingers.
Empress Jiang asked, "Are you feeling any better?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty."
Empress Jiang smiled and said, "It was I who brought you into the palace. If you get cold, it will be my fault, and Fengchen will definitely feel sorry for you."
"..."
These words, though seemingly a joke, sounded strangely jarring to Shang Ruyi, especially with Chu Ruoyan's graceful figure before her. Compared to Chu Ruoyan, what did she have to offer to make him feel sorry for her? She could only force a smile and say, "Your Majesty is joking."
Empress Jiang smiled and said, "I'm not joking."
"..."
"I've practically watched Feng Chen grow up. Actually, quite a few daughters of officials, both inside and outside the palace, have a crush on him. But he's always been ambitious, saying that he won't get involved in romantic relationships unless he achieves great things..."
"..."
"But he married you."
Shang Ruyi was slightly taken aback.
This wasn't the first time she'd heard these words. Pei Xingyuan had said before, while they were drinking at Tinghelou, that Yuwen Ye had no interest in love and insisted that he wouldn't start a family until he achieved great things.
For some reason, she had simply listened to these words before and let them go, but hearing them from Empress Jiang's mouth made her feel somewhat heavy-hearted.
Is that really what Yuwen Ye thought?
If so, why did he marry her...?
But if it weren't for him, would he not have married Princess Crescent Moon?
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