Chapter 764 Jackie Chan? Adult?
In fact, the "best outcome" that neither of them mentioned was the one she was facing last night, which was the three possible results of the matter that she and Yuwen Ye discussed.
Chu Ruoyan will bear the consequences.
Only in this way can the whole matter be resolved perfectly, and ultimately a counterattack against Aunt Hui be launched.
However, neither of them spoke of it because of Chu Ruoyan's past identity and temperament. Yuwen Ye couldn't bear to let her bear all of this and suffer such grievances, while Shang Ruyi "dared not" let her. She was afraid that Chu Ruoyan would harbor resentment because of this, and it would be difficult for the two of them to get along peacefully afterward.
Unexpectedly, this time, she took the initiative to step forward!
She is truly different from before.
And now is the best time for the two of them to reconcile.
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi took a step forward, walked up to her, and said with a smile, "Actually, there's something else I've been thinking about for a long time and have wanted to tell you."
Chu Ruoyan looked at her: "What is it?"
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "I really want to eat that hawthorn cake, but it's been ruined and I haven't been able to get any. I've been thinking about it these past few days."
"..."
"I wonder if Madam Chu would be willing to wash her hands and cook for me again?"
Chu Ruoyan's face immediately turned red.
Actually, she was the one who took the initiative to make hawthorn cakes for Shang Ruyi, hoping to get closer to her. But after someone interfered, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Unexpectedly, Shang Ruyi took the initiative to ask her for things, which made her feel embarrassed and even more embarrassed for not being able to bring herself to do it.
She thought for a moment, then hesitated and said, "But I've been grounded for six months."
At this moment, Yuwen Ye said, "You are under house arrest, but that doesn't mean we can't come to see you."
"..."
"If you're willing to do it, I'll take it."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ruoyan's eyes lit up. She looked up at him, her heart overflowing with joy, almost overwhelming her.
She instinctively wanted to laugh, but for the sake of her pride, she forced her lips down and said in a low voice, "If Second Brother is willing to make this trip, then I, of course I will not refuse. There are still some materials in Jin Yu Yuan, so we should be able to make a few more pieces."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "How about this, Your Highness, accompany Ruoyan back to discuss the arrangements for the next few days. I'll return to Qianqiu Palace first."
After saying that, he nodded to them and turned to walk towards the Thousand Autumns Palace.
The two people standing at the entrance of Jinyuyuan watched her leave. Although Yuwen Ye didn't say anything, he understood. He just shook his head and turned to Chu Ruoyan, saying gently, "Let's go, I'll go in with you."
Chu Ruoyan bit her lower lip and whispered, "Mmm."
So the two turned around and entered Jinyu Garden.
Although she was following Shang Ruyi toward Qianqiu Palace, Tu She'er kept looking back as they walked, watching Yuwen Ye lead Chu Ruoyan into Jinyu Garden. She pouted, hesitated for a long time, and finally couldn't help but say to Shang Ruyi, "The Princess Consort is too kind."
"Um?"
Shang Ruyi glanced back at her, but as soon as she saw that she kept turning around and looked somewhat dissatisfied, she immediately understood what she was talking about, but said calmly, "Shouldn't I be more lenient?"
Tushe'er accompanied her into the main hall, helped her sit down, and then said, "The princess is pregnant after all, so His Highness Prince Qin should be with you. How can His Highness accompany her?"
As she spoke, she poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Shang Ruyi.
Having spoken so much and broken out in a cold sweat in the Liangyi Hall, her mouth was indeed parched, and this cup of tea was just the right time. Shang Ruyi felt that although Tu She'er was meticulous and loyal to her, her excessive loyalty made her somewhat extreme and not very tolerant, so she glared at her and said, "Do you know that Madam Chu has been confined by His Majesty the Emperor for half a year?"
"..."
"For half a year, she cannot leave Jinyuyuan. She can only see the same few people. Although His Highness said he would go to see her, he can only stand at the door at most."
"..."
Do you know what that tastes like?
"I,"
Tushe'er wanted to say something, but after hesitating for a moment, she could only shake her head and pout, saying, "I don't know."
Shang Ruyi pointed at her and said, "It's not your fault if you don't know about other people's suffering, but it is your problem if you belittle other people's suffering."
"..."
"The suffering of others is also suffering."
"..."
"Besides, although she was the one who started this incident, she is innocent, but she is the one who has to bear the consequences. How can I be harsh on her? If I do that, it will be really difficult for us to get along."
Tushe'er muttered, "This servant only cares about you, not others."
Shang Ruyi smiled and shook her head, saying, "I know you care about me and only have me in your heart, but you need to know that the world doesn't just revolve around you, and it certainly won't just revolve around me."
"..."
"Other people's joys, sorrows, hardships, and difficulties are all real."
"..."
“Those who are far away are indeed beyond my control, but those who are close at hand are those I can be considerate of, and I will naturally be considerate of them.”
At this point, her eyes turned even colder, and she said, "Moreover, Yu Mingyue devised this plan to deal with us because she probably sees us both as narrow-minded, extreme women who only know how to argue with other women. If we really do that, we will not only fulfill her wishes, but also be doing a disservice."
"..."
"You need to get rid of this habit too, you know?"
Tushe'er pouted and said, "Oh."
After saying that, she noticed that Shang Ruyi was a little hungry. It was still early for dinner, and Yuwen Ye had not returned yet. She was sure that Shang Ruyi would not eat alone, so she went to get some snacks and brought them to Shang Ruyi. Then she said softly, "Actually, this servant is not targeting Madam Chu."
Shang Ruyi looked up at her: "Hmm?"
Tushe'er said, "However, now that she's become a concubine, she'll definitely be a thorn in the side between the Princess and the Prince of Qin. I always, always feel that—"
As she spoke, she lowered her voice and muttered, "It would be better if she married someone else. That would not harm the princess and would be beneficial to her as well."
Shang Ruyi smiled, picked up a piece of Hundred Flowers Pastry and took a bite. Although it was filled with pickled flower petals and some dried fruit stir-fried with lard, and had a fragrant aroma, it was still inferior to the sweet and sour hawthorn cakes that were sent from Jinyuyuan that day. So she put it back on the plate, took another sip of tea, and then said, "You know, on the night of the celebration banquet, Yu Mingyue said a lot of things to me. Now that I think about it, a lot of it was nonsense, but there is one sentence that I remember very clearly."
Tushe'er asked, "What is it?"
Shang Ruyi said, "She said that women have many things to do and don't necessarily have to get married."
Tushe'er's eyes flickered: "Then—"
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "Look at Madam Chu, she usually stays in Jinyu Garden and never goes out. Unless His Highness Prince Qin goes there, she never takes the initiative to seek him out. Does she really look like she's married?"
Upon hearing this, Tushe'er hesitated.
She had been hostile to Chu Ruoyan ever since Chu Ruoyan was made a concubine of the Prince of Qin. Of course, the other party was not polite to her either, so they spoke coldly to each other and did not interact much. But in the end, Yuwen Ye's heart was only with Shang Ruyi, and that Lady Chu did not do anything to compete for Yuwen Ye's favor.
She was excessively quiet.
Shang Ruyi said, "Actually, she was fulfilling her responsibilities as a daughter and an older sister."
Upon hearing the words "as a daughter" and "as an elder sister," Tushe'er's eyes flickered, and she immediately understood what was going on. She said, "She... she's using herself here to protect Empress Dowager Jiang and the deposed emperor in Yanchun Palace?"
Shang Ruyi nodded.
She sighed softly and said, "Empress Dowager Jiang has always tried to win me over and treat me well. Besides being a kind-hearted person, she also wanted to ensure that her daughter wouldn't have to stay in Yanchun Palace with her and the deposed emperor after the country was destroyed and her family was ruined. Ancient Buddha and green lamp hasten aging and shorten one's lifespan."
"..."
"Madam Chu willingly became a concubine, yet she remained in the Golden Jade Garden, all to protect her mother and younger brother."
"..."
“As I just said, women have other things to do and don’t necessarily have to get married; Madam Chu’s abilities are limited, but she is doing what she can, only using ‘marriage’ as a means.”
"..."
"They were all sacrificing for each other."
At this point, a strange bitterness welled up in Shang Ruyi's heart. It wasn't just for Chu Ruoyan. After hearing Yu Mingyue's words, she realized that she and other women, even if they came from prestigious families and enjoyed wealth and luxury, still lived in a seemingly peaceful but actually unfair environment. And this unfairness was something that they could hardly break through at their current level.
At least several hundred years from now.
With such thoughts in her mind, it was difficult for her to ignore the suffering of Chu Ruoyan, who was also a woman, let alone take pleasure in the suffering of others. That was a thought that only someone like Yu Mingyue would have.
She sighed softly again and said, "It is not easy for women to live in this world, so they should not look down on each other."
Tushe'er's expression gradually became solemn. After hearing what Shang Ruyi had said, although she was unwilling, she couldn't help but feel a little respect for the former dynasty's princess.
Indeed, not every woman possesses such a mindset.
In comparison, my own thoughts of only wanting to help Shang Ruyi win the favor of the King of Qin and being wary of her trying to compete for his favor seem rather...unseemly compared to her forbearance and determination.
She remained silent for a long time before whispering, "I understand. I will be polite to people from that side in the future."
Shang Ruyi laughed.
After laughing, he added, "But when it's time to protect me, you're not allowed to back down."
Tushe'er immediately replied, "Of course!"
Shang Ruyi shook her head and smiled again.
Just then, a gust of wind suddenly blew in, still a little cool, but refreshing. Shang Ruyi looked up and saw Yuwen Ye's tall figure striding in from outside. He seemed to have overheard some of their conversation and asked, "What do you mean, 'shrinking back'?"
The master and servant immediately burst into laughter.
Tushe'er was especially happy. Although she had promised Shang Ruyi that she would no longer target Chu Ruoyan, she still protected her master in her heart. Seeing that Yuwen Ye had returned so quickly and did not linger in Jinyuyuan, she was so happy that her eyes crinkled with laughter. She hurriedly stood up and said, "Your Highness is back. This servant will have the Imperial Kitchen prepare the meal right away."
After saying that, she happily ran out.
Watching her frolicking figure, Yuwen Ye asked in confusion, "What's this girl doing, so happy?"
Shang Ruyi shook her head and smiled, "Don't ask."
Seeing her grinning like a rat that had stolen oil, Yuwen Ye seemed to understand and couldn't help but laugh as well, but he didn't ask any more questions. After all that commotion for half a day, he was actually both thirsty and hungry, but he didn't eat or drink anything at Jin Yu Yuan and came straight back. So he sat down next to Shang Ruyi, picked up the teacup she had used, and drank the last bit of tea in it in one gulp.
Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Oh dear, the tea has gone cold."
"It's alright."
Yuwen Ye waved his hand, put the cup back, and saw a plate of pastries on the table. Just then, Shang Ruyi took a bite of the Hundred Flower Pastry and then didn't want it anymore, so he picked it up and ate it in one bite.
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but laugh and said, "Why do you keep eating what I leave behind?"
Yuwen Ye swallowed the pastry before saying, "I just didn't want to waste it. You took a bite and left it there, so you definitely won't eat it again. They'll just throw it away anyway, which is such a waste."
"oh."
Shang Ruyi felt a little guilty. She was not usually a lavish person, but her appetite changed very quickly after she became pregnant. Sometimes she wanted to eat something, but after it was delivered, she would suddenly not want to eat it after just one look. Su Qinglan said that this was a common phenomenon for pregnant women, so she did not treat herself too harshly. However, after hearing Yuwen Ye talk about it, she felt that it was a bit too wasteful.
It seems I need to be more careful in the future.
With no one around, she got up and made herself a cup of hot tea, placing it beside Yuwen Ye, and then asked, "What were you two talking about just now?"
Yuwen Ye took a sip of tea and glanced at her sideways: "You want to know?"
"..."
Meeting his ambiguous gaze, Shang Ruyi suddenly turned her head away: "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't."
This time, Yuwen Ye genuinely laughed, put the teacup back on the table, and said, "I just glanced at her people. This time, just Jian Chun caused such a big commotion. It's hard to guarantee that there aren't other shady characters around her. After this, she'll probably be even harder to deal with in the future."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Then—"
Yuwen Ye said, "Fortunately, although the others are not people who have worked for her before, they are all familiar faces. In addition, since Eunuch Yu has taken on this task, he will naturally do another round of sorting."
Shang Ruyi nodded.
All of this seemed to make perfect sense.
But then she thought for a moment, turned to look at Yuwen Ye, and said, "You, did you already know?"
"Um?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye raised an eyebrow slightly: "What do you know?"
Shang Ruyi said, "I know, Chu Ruoyan will step forward?"
"..."
Mentioning this, Yuwen Ye fell silent. He took another sip of tea, savoring it for a moment, seemingly appreciating both its sweetness and slight bitterness. After a while, he looked up at Shang Ruyi and said, "Don't you already know that?"
Shang Ruyi said, "I just thought of it... but I really have no hope that she will step forward."
Yuwen Ye smiled faintly and said, "She will."
Although he didn't say it with absolute certainty, his tone and eyes were exactly the same as when he was absolutely certain that Chu Ruoyan wouldn't "poison" him. Shang Ruyi couldn't help but ask, "You trust her that much?"
These were the words she had asked that day, but Yuwen Ye hadn't had a chance to answer.
Upon hearing the same question, Yuwen Ye seemed to have a thought as well. He turned to look at her and then said, "Of course."
"Why?"
Yuwen Ye said, "I believe her because I have watched her grow up over the years, and I also believe in the Empress Dowager."
Shang Ruyi looked at him: "...Oh?"
To be honest, the two of them rarely mentioned Empress Dowager Jiang anymore. Firstly, it was to avoid the topic, and secondly, she didn't want to dwell on the past. But she didn't expect Yuwen Ye to bring it up at this time, and to do so with such certainty.
Whether it was anger or something else, she deliberately raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why?"
Yuwen Ye glanced at her again, seemingly noticing her anger. He pursed his lips, but a glint flashed in his deep eyes as he slowly and deliberately said, "My mother once told me that for a child, upbringing is the most important thing, and upbringing—do you know where it comes from?"
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said, "Raised by the mother, educated by the father?"
Yuwen Ye said, "That's right."
"..."
“My mother said that a child is born from the father’s sperm and the mother’s blood, but after the child is born, all the upbringing should fall on the mother alone. It’s unfair. Men enjoy one night of pleasure and then abandon their responsibilities. If the child becomes a dragon, it’s because the father is a tiger and the son is a dog; if the child becomes a worm, it’s because the mother did not raise the child properly. That’s not fair.”
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi immediately replied, "That makes sense!"
Yuwen Ye laughed and said, "If it's in your favor, you'll say it makes sense, right?"
Shang Ruyi said, "This isn't for my advantage, it's fair!"
"..."
"If a child is not taught properly, the mother is responsible, and the father is at fault."
Yuwen Ye smiled and shook his head without saying a word.
Just then, the Imperial Kitchen staff brought over lunch. Tu She'er led them in setting out the food, busy as bees. Yuwen Ye also stopped. Once the food was set, the two sat down to eat. Shang Ruyi was still thinking about what he had just said, so she asked, "What else did Mother say?"
Although it's said that one shouldn't speak while eating or sleeping, the two of them had endless things to talk about when they got together, and they had long since stopped observing these rules. As Yuwen Ye served her some food, he said, "She told me that in a family, the father decides whether the child can become a dragon, and the mother decides whether the child can become a worm. Because most mothers don't have a broad perspective and can only be confined to the courtyard where they live, the best thing they can do is shape the child's character. A child with a good character will still have some bad traits, no matter how bad they are."
"..."
"Fathers have a broader perspective and more ways to teach their children, so a child's abilities are shaped by the father."
Then, Yuwen Ye said, "Whether it's Ruoyan or Chu Chengfei, what do you think of their character? And what about their abilities?"
"..."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi did not respond.
She could tell that although Yuwen Ye didn't mention Chu Yang at all, he was talking about Chu Yang in every sentence. However, she really didn't want to hear Yuwen Ye say anything bad about Chu Yang, but there were some things she couldn't refute. For example, before she even met Princess Xinyue, she had heard rumors that Chu Yang doted on this daughter and once carried her to court, and that he would dismiss the court as soon as she cried. As a father, this was indeed not a good way of teaching.
As for Chu Chengfei, as a young emperor, he was utterly incapable of governing the country.
The incompetence of this brother and sister is undoubtedly the responsibility of their father, Chu Yang.
But the siblings experienced the devastation of their country and the loss of their home, a tragedy that could break many people, yet they did not commit evil. Even when they confronted each other in the court, they stood on their own ground, openly and honestly opposing each other, without resorting to any underhanded tactics.
In this respect alone, he is far superior to some people.
Yuwen Ye: "Therefore, I don't trust Chu Yang, but I trust Empress Dowager Jiang."
Shang Ruyi replied hastily, "Oh."
Seeing her listless expression, Yuwen Ye pointed to her stomach with his chopsticks and said, "After this child is born, regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl, we will raise it ourselves."
"……ah?"
Shang Ruyi looked up at him and immediately realized—so that's what he was waiting for her here.
She couldn't help but laugh and said, "When you were still the Second Young Master, you were never home. Now that you're the King of Qin, you're still running around every few days. After the baby is born, will you still have so much free time?"
Yuwen Ye also laughed and said, "There's always some free time if you squeeze it in."
Then he added, "Besides, why do you think I entrusted even matters like attacking Songzhou to Shen Tu Tai?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's eyes flickered.
Just now in the Liangyi Hall, she heard that Yuwen Ye had long ago asked Yuwen Yuan to send his troops to attack Songzhou, Xuzhou and other places. Although she understood the strategic significance, she was indeed a little puzzled - why didn't Yuwen Ye volunteer to fight?
After all, he had dealt with Fan Chengen, the prefect of Songzhou, and if he intervened, the matter might be resolved more smoothly.
It turned out that he wanted to stay by her side while she was pregnant, to keep her company.
Realizing this, Shang Ruyi's heart suddenly warmed, as if a warm current surged up and filled her chest, making her feel happy. When she looked at Yuwen Ye, even though she tried to hold back, she couldn't help but smile slightly.
She said, "Oh."
After saying that, he buried his head and began to eat by himself.
Seeing the corners of her mouth turn up even as she ate, Yuwen Ye smiled, but didn't call her out on it. He just ate his own food while putting some food into her bowl. After a moment of silence, he murmured softly, as if to himself, or perhaps to her: "This is our first child. I want to give him everything, the best of everything!"
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