Chapter 239 Words are not always trustworthy, actions are not always steadfast.
Shang Ruyi dared not speak easily, and could only quietly stand by. Chu Yang, surprisingly, didn't mention Yuwen Ye a single word, focusing solely on the map. He pointed to Dongdu on the map, then stretched out his long arm, pointing to Liaodong City in the northeast, muttering something under his breath—
"Several times before, we lost because of insufficient supplies. We always transported the supplies from Xingluo Granary directly there. The journey was long and the supplies were greatly consumed along the way, so that only 30% of the supplies reached the front line."
"..."
"This time, we need to make another preparation."
"..."
"The grain supplies will be transported via two routes, with shipments starting simultaneously in Hebei and Henan..."
Shang Ruyi listened in silence for a while, then slowly squatted down and looked at the densely packed routes and place names on the map in the direction he was pointing.
Chu Yang looked up at her again and said, "However, this time is different from the last time."
He actually treated Shang Ruyi as if she were a court official, confiding in her and even discussing matters with her.
Shang Ruyi remained calm and even asked, "What's different?"
Chu Yang drew a line diagonally from Luoyang with his finger and said, "This time, the grain from Henan will no longer be transported to Liaoxi by land, but will be shipped from Laizhou to Liaodong directly."
"..."
"In this way, consumption is reduced, and the supply of provisions from both routes can be better guaranteed for the soldiers at the front."
Shang Ruyi's heart stirred slightly.
This is indeed a solution, and a good one at that.
She couldn't help but look up at Chu Yang, only to find that he was also looking at her, a smug smile on his handsome face, as if a child had done something unexpected and was eager to show it to everyone.
He said, "How is it?"
Shang Ruyi's throat tightened, and she said softly, "This is a good idea, Your Majesty is wise."
Hearing her say that, Chu Yang became even more excited. He suddenly stood up and walked back and forth between Luoyang and Liaodong several times, muttering to himself, "As long as the food supply is secured, with a million armored soldiers, how can my Daye Dynasty not take Liaodong City? How can we not take down that two-faced and despicable Mou Zifeng?"
"..."
"By then, once Liaodong is resolved, the world will be at peace, and we can—"
At this point, his gaze turned to the west.
This is where Shang Ruyi just came from.
Even though she remained half-squatting motionless, Shang Ruyi's heart pounded violently several times. Although she didn't understand whether it was for the potential impact of her earlier words, or for the passionate man before her, who was willing to give everything for the world and for the world to give everything for him, she knew that the path Chu Yang was about to walk was destined to be fraught with thorns, bloodshed, and even—
Her heart was suddenly pierced.
Looking up at the man before her again, even knowing his identity, she still couldn't connect this handsome, ethereal man with Princess Xinyue's father and the supreme emperor of the Daye Dynasty. Time and fate had been too kind to him, even spoiling him.
However, the price of spoiling is often heavy.
Shang Ruyi seemed to see someone diligently sowing seeds. Although she didn't know whether this person was planting thorns or flowers, she saw that this person was sowing them with a smile.
She saw even more clearly that what lay ahead of this person was a bottomless abyss!
Who can stop him?
As she remained silent, Chu Yang slowly pulled himself out of his excitement and sensed an unusual quiet. He looked down at Shang Ruyi, who was still squatting silently in the distance, seemingly deep in thought. He slowly walked back to her side, squatted down, and quietly looked at her seemingly calm yet extremely complex expression, asking, "What are you thinking about?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked up at him.
Their eyes met, and in that instant, it seemed as if something was tearing at Shang Ruyi's heart again, causing a dull pain in her chest.
She took a deep breath and finally said, "Your Majesty, why is it so important to conquer Liaodong City?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Yang frowned.
Shang Ruyi knew that he must have heard this question countless times, to the point that he was offended by it, but she still said softly, "Ruyi knows that Mu Zifeng is two-faced and has wolfish ambitions. He is building the Great Wall in Liaoxi and secretly colluding with Ashina Shali of the Turks, which is detrimental to our dynasty."
Chu Yang said, "If you know, why are you asking?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Your Majesty's previous campaigns all ended in failure. Even if we win this time, the investment in this war has far exceeded the benefits of capturing Liaodong City. Your Majesty cannot ignore this, because the whole world is doing the same."
"..."
"Moreover, this is only a prerequisite for victory. What if we fail again this time?"
"..."
"Why can't Your Majesty use other methods to resolve the Liaodong issue and deal with Mou Zifeng?"
Chu Yang remained silent for a long time before sneering, "Gou Liguo is a man of unreliable words and deeds, willing to do anything for profit. He is a petty man."
"..."
“If he were far away, I could let him go, but since he is adjacent to my Great Ye Dynasty, it’s a different story.”
"..."
"There is something hanging over the Northeast like a malignant tumor. It not only disturbs the border, but also constantly steals and plunders the resources and culture of the Central Plains. Even worse, if they are allowed to grow stronger, they will definitely threaten the Central Plains dynasty in the future."
"..."
"Therefore, I must annihilate them!"
Shang Ruyi's heart suddenly trembled.
Central Plains Dynasties
He wasn't even referring to the Daye Dynasty.
In other words, even if it weren't the Daye Dynasty, but some other dynasty that ruled the Central Plains, the people of Gouli Kingdom would still pose a threat to this place in the future.
Could this really be true?
Shang Ruyi looked puzzled and remained silent for a moment, while Chu Yang slowly moved closer to her, almost touching her face: "Are you doubting me?"
Shang Ruyi snapped out of her daze and realized he was already right in front of her. She quickly lowered her head to avoid his focused gaze: "Ruyi wouldn't dare!"
Chu Yang smiled and said, "It's alright if you have doubts."
"..."
"Because I am the Son of Heaven, what I see is different from what you see, and what I am about to do is beyond your comprehension. It is a great undertaking that will affect thousands of generations, a hegemonic enterprise!"
"..."
"I built the Grand Canal to facilitate trade between the north and south; I built the Great Wall to defend against the ambitions of the Turks; I built the Eastern Capital so that I no longer have to listen to the stale rhetoric of those old fogies in Longxi; I conquered Liaodong City and will solve the problem of the northeastern border once and for all, so that the Central Plains dynasty, and even the people of the Central Plains thousands of years from now, can enjoy lasting peace!"
"..."
"Aren't these things right?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked at him in silence for a long time. In fact, he had said similar things when they met at Tinghe Tower last time, and now he was repeating them again. It was conceivable that during this period, he must have received countless memorials of advice from court officials and had been under considerable pressure, which was why he was pouring out his heart to her once again.
However, Shang Ruyi was not impatient.
On the contrary, this seemed to be the first time she not only listened to him seriously, but also seriously stepped out of her own identity and knowledge after that serious illness to listen to him.
She couldn't hear anything wrong with him, but she knew he was still wrong.
If he hadn't done anything wrong, then he wouldn't have—
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi's heart sank again. Suddenly, a cold wind blew in from outside. Although the entire palace was warm and cozy from the underground hot spring, a wisp of cold wind still sneaked in, making her shiver.
Suddenly, he came to his senses.
After a long silence, she said softly, "What Your Majesty said is absolutely true."
"..."
"Ruyi also acknowledges that His Majesty's consideration for the greater good is unmatched by any of the officials in the land. It is precisely because of this that Ruyi's husband fought so hard to reclaim Xingluo Granary and contribute to His Majesty's great cause."
Chu Yang nodded.
But the next moment, he came to his senses, his gaze suddenly turning cold: "What are you trying to say?"
After considering for a moment, Shang Ruyi said softly, "Your Majesty, my husband has worked tirelessly to recover Fuluocang. It would be hard to find another general in the army who is as selfless and fearless as him, always leading from the front."
"..."
"His loyalty to the court and to Your Majesty is as clear as the sun and moon. Please, Your Majesty, do not believe the rumors."
A faint smile appeared on Chu Yang's lips, but a sharp glint appeared in his long, narrow phoenix eyes as he said, "Do you think I am a foolish ruler who would kill loyal ministers just because I listened to slander, like a rabbit being killed and then cooked?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi turned pale with fright and hurriedly knelt down, saying, "Ruyi wouldn't dare!"
"You dare not...?"
Chu Yang slowly straightened up, looking down at her thin shoulders and back, and said coldly, "What don't you dare to do?"
"..."
"We just parted ways at Tinghe Tower, and you dared to leave the city overnight, single-handedly storming Luokou Ferry, and even dared to take hostage the military supervisor I personally appointed!"
Shang Ruyi's thin shoulders trembled slightly.
She knew, of course, that upon returning to the city, he would find out everything she had done, but the fact that Chu Yang was recounting it word by word, as if it were a trial, still terrified her.
Seeing her cowering, Chu Yang's face revealed an undisguised anger as he said, "You, are you that concerned about Yuwen Ye?"
The moment the question was asked, the entire Warm Dock fell silent.
Even Shang Ruyi felt the warm spring flowing underground freeze at this moment by some intense cold. She could no longer hear the gurgling of the spring water, and a chill rose from the soles of her feet, freezing all the way to her heart.
At that moment, she was speechless.
Although the answer was obvious, and there shouldn't even be another answer to consider, she felt that at this moment, she absolutely could not say that answer.
Chu Yang's angry voice rang in her ears.
"explain!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com