Chapter 800 The Divine Martial Duke is dead!
Shang Ruyi's brows furrowed even more.
Among those who accompanied the imperial procession this time, few were related to Han Yuhui, or rather, it could be said that her heart belonged only to the Crown Prince.
The fact that she was so distressed and angry, to the point that she completely disregarded her outward composure and openly displayed her hatred, meant that the person who died must have been related to the Crown Prince, and was of great importance.
So what exactly will it be—
Just as Shang Ruyi was hesitating, Wo Xue came in to remind her that it was almost time.
The Emperor's entourage would be returning to Chang'an in less than half an hour. Although Yuwen Yuan had previously granted her the privilege of not having to pay her respects, this was, after all, the Emperor's return from an inspection tour. Moreover, Shang Ruyi was also very uneasy because of the news of his "death." She still decided to go to the city gate to welcome the Emperor's entourage and see what had happened.
Who died?!
So she left Wo Xue in Qianqiu Palace to take care of everything Yuwen Ye would need after his return, and then left the palace with Tu She'er and Chang Wan.
Because of her health, the carriage traveled slowly, arriving at Mingde Gate close to dusk. Although it was still light, the overcast sky gave the illusion of heavy clouds and gloom. Upon arrival at Mingde Gate, it was already packed with people. Not only were the streets of Zhuque Avenue lined with commoners, but the relatively spacious area at the city gate was also filled with civil and military officials who had come to welcome the emperor. Some whispered amongst themselves, while others frowned in deep thought, creating a chaotic scene.
When Shang Ruyi's carriage stopped at the city gate, everyone saw that the Princess Consort of Qin had come in person and stepped forward to kowtow and pay their respects.
With the help of Tushe'er and Changwan, Shang Ruyi slowly stepped down from the carriage. She glanced at the officials and commoners around her and said softly, "There's no need for such formalities. I've come to welcome Your Majesty. You may go about your business."
The crowd then got up and dispersed.
With the Princess Consort of Qin present, the people here dared not push anymore and consciously lined up in neat rows. Soon, several queues were automatically formed. Several eunuchs also brought a crescent-shaped stool for Shang Ruyi to sit and rest temporarily, waiting to greet the Emperor when he arrived.
Just as Shang Ruyi sat down, a figure squeezed in next to her.
"princess……"
Looking up, I saw Pei Xingyuan.
Seeing this elegant and handsome Vice Minister of Revenue, who stood out even among a group of officials, Shang Ruyi's mood immediately improved, and she smiled and said, "Lord Pei, it's been a long time."
Pei Xingyuan asked with a grin, "How has the Princess been feeling lately?"
"Lord Pei can tell at a glance that this is not a good solution, so we can't let it go on like this."
"That's true. I've been busy with official duties these days and haven't had time to go to the palace to pay my respects to the Princess. Please forgive me."
He said this in jest, and Shang Ruyi immediately laughed. But as she laughed, she couldn't help but think of the conversation she had overheard between him and Liang Youying in the Shenjuan Pavilion. Her eyes flickered, and she gave Pei Xingyuan a deep look, saying, "There are many things going on in the court lately, so Lord Pei will naturally have to take extra care of them."
"That's natural,"
Pei Xingyuan then said softly, "I heard that something happened to the Princess when she went to Dayan Temple. I wonder what happened?"
Shang Ruyi glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, then quietly recounted what had happened, including Empress Dowager Jiang's assessment of Jiang Chongen and their wariness of him. Pei Xingyuan frowned as he listened, remaining silent for a long while before saying, "No wonder there have been so many incidents since the Emperor's return this time."
Shang Ruyi looked at him: "Lord Pei knows too?"
Pei Xingyuan said, "I am the Vice Minister of Revenue. If so many things are suddenly transferred from the government, the Ministry of Revenue should be able to check the accounts. But we still haven't figured out who died. I've looked at the size of those things and the amount of money spent; it must have cost at least a Duke of a prefecture..."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi frowned.
Duke...
Previously, Yuwen Ye was very angry because Yu Mingyue used people around Chu Ruoyan to attack him. However, because he weakened Aunt Hui's power afterward and also obtained the opportunity to send Shen Tu Tai to send troops, it was a warning to them. Unexpectedly, they attacked at Dayan Temple afterward, which completely enraged him.
Could it be that Yuwen Ye, in a fit of rage, actually attacked the Duke of Wushan?
Just then, a young eunuch suddenly ran in from outside the city gate. He had just been sent out to gather information, and as soon as he returned, he told everyone that the Emperor's arrival was imminent!
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi and Pei Xingyuan didn't bother to say anything more. Shang Ruyi hurriedly stood up and walked to the front of the line, while Pei Xingyuan returned to the ranks of the officials. Everyone stood straight and held their breath. In front of the huge Mingde Gate, not even a cough or a gasp could be heard.
Then, a gust of wind blew in from outside the open city gate.
A sudden gust of wind, despite the lingering heat of late summer dusk, somehow sent a chill through Shang Ruyi. She wondered if it was Pei Xingyuan's words that had made her increasingly uneasy. Then, a rumbling sound reached her ears.
The sound of footsteps approaching from afar.
Everyone became increasingly tense and lowered their heads. Shang Ruyi also kept her head down, but tried her best to look ahead. Finally, on the wide road outside the city gate, she saw a dark mass of shadows slowly approaching.
It's the Emperor's entourage!
This time, even Shang Ruyi held her breath, suppressing the unease in her heart. She counted each step as the road ahead drew closer, each step shaking the ground beneath her feet. Finally, an indescribable wind, carrying a salty, fishy smell, rushed into the city gate, causing the hair and beards of those around her to flutter wildly. Shang Ruyi's clothes also fluttered. Immediately afterward, the emperor's entourage entered Mingde Gate!
Tushe'er hurriedly helped Shang Ruyi kneel down, and the surrounding civil and military officials also kowtowed and bowed in unison, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
"Welcome back to the capital, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
The sound shook the heavens.
However, to everyone's surprise, the emperor's entourage did not stop.
He didn't even say a word to Shang Ruyi, who was kneeling by the roadside. It was as if he couldn't see anyone around him, or as if no one here could catch his eye anymore. The imperial carriage passed directly through Mingde Gate and walked along Zhuque Avenue, heading straight for the palace at the end of the long street.
...?
Everyone was stunned. What was going on?
Why did His Majesty the Emperor leave without even pausing for a moment? This was no longer a matter of his attitude; in fact, everyone could tell that the Emperor was in a bad mood, and a very bad one at that!
What happened?
Shang Ruyi felt increasingly uneasy; the "death" of that one person was indeed so important!
Just as she was feeling somewhat bewildered and uneasy, she was surprised to find that neither Crown Prince Yuwen Qian nor Prince Qin Yuwen Ye were in the emperor's entourage. Shouldn't they be accompanying their father? Why weren't they there?
Just as Shang Ruyi's mood grew heavier, a figure ran up from the front and said to the crowd, "His Majesty has decreed that everyone should rise and go back."
Looking up, I saw it was Grandpa Yu.
Clearly, Yuwen Yuan wasn't in the mood to talk much with the people here, but he couldn't let Princess Qin and the civil and military officials kneel at the city gate indefinitely. That's why he sent Eunuch Yu back to deliver a message. From this action, it was clear that the emperor must have encountered something serious. After saying this, Eunuch Yu came over and, together with Tushe'er, helped Shang Ruyi up. The others slowly stood up, looking at each other with some surprise, speechless for a moment. Only Shang Ruyi looked at Eunuch Yu, whose face had also turned somewhat somber, with a grave expression: "Eunuch, what happened?"
Grandpa Yu looked at her, hesitant to speak, and after a long while, he sighed.
Shang Ruyi's unease had now escalated into a sense of foreboding. She hurriedly asked, "Who died? Was it the Duke?"
Eunuch Yu looked up at her, about to say something, when his expression suddenly darkened again. He looked behind Shang Ruyi, who seemed to have sensed something. Especially when she heard some people around her gasp in surprise and many people gasping, she immediately turned around as well.
But then they saw that there was a whole procession following behind the imperial carriage!
At first glance, the procession appeared as a vast expanse of white. Upon closer inspection, however, it became clear that everyone in the procession was dressed in mourning clothes, holding up white banners. At the very front of the procession, a person held up a magnificent official robe, waving it vigorously from side to side while crying out, "O soul, return!" Meanwhile, those around him tossed stacks of paper money into the air. The paper money rose straight up into the air before suddenly scattering and drifting down like large snowflakes, momentarily dazzling the eye.
In the center of the procession, four white horses pulled a tall carriage side by side, on which lay a huge coffin!
This is a procession carrying a spirit!
Shang Ruyi's breath caught in her throat. She opened her eyes wide, her gaze passing through the swaying paper money falling to the enormous coffin. Its design was indeed not something an ordinary person could use; at least it would be used by someone of the rank of a county duke!
Could it be that the one who died was indeed...?
Just as Shang Ruyi was filled with suspicion and felt something was amiss, she suddenly noticed a hand resting on the coffin.
The hand was pale, long, and neatly manicured, lacking the thick calluses and deformed joints often seen in martial artists after years of training. It was not only beautiful but also clearly a hand imbued with strength. Yet, the veins on the back of the hand bulged, and the fingertips gripped the coffin lid tightly, the nails turning white from the effort, as if only in this way could one maintain control. Shang Ruyi followed the hand's gaze to the snow-white long sleeves, then to the broad shoulders, and finally, she saw that familiar, paper-white face.
It's Crown Prince Yuwen Qian!
His face was deathly pale, almost indistinguishable from the paper money and joss paper falling around him. His once clear and bright eyes had lost all their luster, and his drooping eyelids and thick eyelashes further obscured the last glimmer of light in them, making his eyes look like a stagnant pool of water, devoid of both brightness and any ripples.
Those around them had obviously seen it too, but before they could even discern what had happened in the instant they recognized the prince, the next moment, when they saw the prince's clothes, everyone couldn't help but gasp.
The crown prince was actually wearing mourning clothes of the lowest rank?!
What happened?
Why was he wearing mourning clothes? The emperor wasn't dead yet, so how could the crown prince wear mourning clothes so casually? For whom was he wearing mourning clothes?
Everyone was completely stunned. Shang Ruyi stared dumbfounded at Yuwen Qian's figure, who was leaning against the coffin and getting closer and closer—who was the person in the coffin? Even if it really was the Duke of Wushan, Yu Mingyue had not yet married Yuwen Qian, so he could not be considered the Crown Prince's father-in-law. What merit did he have to make the Crown Prince wear mourning for him?!
Just as Shang Ruyi was shocked and her mind was in complete turmoil, the funeral procession had already passed through Mingde Gate. All the civil and military officials around held their breath and remained motionless, almost forgetting to react. It wasn't until the coffin passed in front of them that several people from the procession rushed over and whispered something to the crowd. Only then did some of them finally come to their senses and hurriedly kneel down. Although the others didn't know what was going on, they also knelt down.
Although no one has officially announced anything yet, everyone knows that the person in the coffin is no ordinary person, given that the crown prince is dressed in mourning clothes and even personally helps carry the coffin.
They had already vaguely guessed it.
At this moment, Shang Ruyi's entire body was numb.
Even though she knew she should do something, she was too numb to react. She could only stare wide-eyed at the coffin slowly passing by, listening to the wailing of the mourners, watching the paper money flutter around her. Her soul seemed to be shaken, unsure how to respond. Just as Yuwen Qian, who was carrying the coffin, passed by, he suddenly turned around without warning, his bloodshot eyes meeting hers.
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's heart stopped beating for a moment.
At that moment, she felt as if an invisible knife had stabbed her in the chest. Although there was no blood or intense pain, the despair, pain, anger, and resentment contained in those eyes pierced her chest with a chill colder than the blade. In an instant, it spread from her heart to her whole body, almost freezing her blood and turning her limbs into ice.
At the same time, the shadow in her heart suddenly unfolded, enveloping her in an instant. Shang Ruyi felt as if another thunderclap had sounded, shaking the entire city of Chang'an.
Immediately afterward, amidst a deafening roar, she heard Eunuch Yu's deep voice slowly say—
"The Duke of Shenwu has passed away."
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