Chapter 368 A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on.
Seventh Brother?!
Upon hearing the name "Good Child," everyone was stunned!
His seventh brother, isn't he the seventh leader of Wanggang Village, the renowned and valiant general—Shen Tu Tai?!
Shang Ruyi stared wide-eyed at the burly man in front of her, but before she could react, she saw him suddenly raise his hand and swing his fist, the size of a vinegar jar, at her.
"...!?"
At that moment, Shang Ruyi's heart almost stopped beating.
Just as she opened her eyes wide in horror, watching the enormous fist almost strike her face, the expected excruciating pain did not come; instead, her heart pounded so hard that she felt a sharp pain in her chest.
The fist stopped abruptly in front of her, but because of its immense force, the powerful gust of wind from the punch sent her hair flying.
"Young Madam!"
"Sister Ruyi!"
Mu Xian and Shan Tong'er, who were standing nearby, exclaimed in fright and rushed over, but Shang Ruyi immediately spread her arms and blocked them from behind.
Then she noticed that the man was holding a cloth bag on the huge fist in front of him.
This is--
Shang Ruyi slowly raised her eyes, only to see the burly man ask, "Are you still giving us rice?"
When he opened his mouth, his voice was like thunder, making everyone's ears ring.
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said calmly, "Of course."
After saying that, she picked up a wooden shovel and scooped up the rice. The man opened the rice bag and filled it with all the rice she had scooped up. However, while others would at least have to carry the bag of rice on their shoulders, he held it in his hand as if he were just kneading a lump of dough. He weighed it in his hand, glanced at Shang Ruyi, and then said, "Thank you."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "You're too kind."
The man then turned to look at the boy beside him, whose eyes were wide open and staring straight at him. His gaze held a complex emotion. After a long silence, he said, "Ninth Brother, you've finally found a good place to go."
"..."
A hint of guilt seemed to appear on Shan Tong'er's face, but she still whispered, "I... I'm in Wanggang Village, it's not good."
"..."
Upon hearing this, the man said nothing.
Shan Tong'er then said, "Seventh Brother, aren't you also—"
Before he could finish speaking, the man waved his hand to interrupt him, then turned back to look at Shang Ruyi. His piercing tiger eyes seemed to flicker for a moment before he said, "You must be the young mistress of the Yuwen family. I once heard Hua Ziying mention you, saying that you are an extraordinary woman. Seeing you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi was somewhat surprised, not because Hua Ziying had mentioned her to him, but because he described her as an "extraordinary woman."
She thought for a moment and then smiled and said, "He flatters me."
Shen Tu Tai looked her up and down again, and then said, "No, ordinary women rarely speak to me."
Shang Ruyi smiled.
Shen Tu Tai then asked, "You've been distributing rice here for three days. Is your purpose to wait for those who are at odds with the Second Leader—those who don't get along with him—to leave Wanggang Village and then come to join you?"
Shang Ruyi wasn't surprised that he saw through their intentions at a glance. After all, their purpose was practically written on their faces. So he said, "A wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on. If your people have nowhere to stay, you might consider the Duke's Mansion. After all, the Duke of Sheng has already occupied Daxing City, and his great cause is just around the corner. I hope that you heroes will not miss this opportunity."
Her words were a bit too much.
Normally, Shang Ruyi would never utter such words as "a great cause is just around the corner," as that would be too ostentatious. But now, the situation is very clear: Yuwen Yuan, who occupies Guanzhong; Liang Shide and Xiao Yuansui, who occupy Luoyang and Hebei; Wang Shao and his brothers, who are stationed in Jiangdu; and Xue Xian, who occupies Longxi—these forces are already the greatest contenders for supremacy. The person who will unify the world and create a new dynasty in the future will surely emerge from among these individuals.
Even without having experienced that unbelievable ordeal, she could still make that judgment based on the current situation.
Moreover, she knew the only answer.
The purpose of saying such things at this time was to make Shen Tu Tai and his men understand that the Duke of Sheng was their best choice.
However, she also noticed that Shen Tu Tai's eyes flickered slightly when he heard these words.
He seems to have other ideas.
Just then, Shen Tu Tai suddenly said, "I have a group of brothers who have nowhere to stay. If they come to seek refuge with the Second Young Master, I wonder if they can get protection."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat.
Not only her, but also Shan Tong'er, Mu Xian, and even Tu She'er beside her could not contain their excitement and their breathing became rapid—they had stayed here for several days and transferred fifty carts of grain, all for this person and these words!
Unexpectedly, it's actually going to happen!
Shang Ruyi composed herself and said solemnly, "Of course."
"..."
Shen Tu Tai looked at her for a while longer and said, "Then, I'll hand them over to you."
"...?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat, but before she could say anything, Shen Tu Tai continued, "Tomorrow at noon, they will meet you twenty miles west of the city. Please treat them well."
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said, "That's natural."
Thank you.
After saying this, Shen Tu Tai cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards her, glanced down at Shan Tong'er, and then turned and left without looking back.
Soon, his tall figure disappeared into the night.
It was only at this moment that everyone recognized each other and finally regained their breath and heartbeat. Shang Ruyi took a deep breath, feeling her legs go weak. Tu She'er immediately stepped forward to support her, saying with a mixture of surprise and joy, "Miss, have we achieved our goal? Are the people of Wanggang Village going to come and join us?"
Mu Xian on the other side said, "But from what he said, it seems that he only entrusted some of his brothers to us, and he himself will not come."
Shan Tong nodded: "It seems so."
Upon hearing this, Tushe'er also became puzzled: "But why didn't he come himself, and instead called some of his brothers over? What does that mean?"
Shang Ruyi also frowned.
Just as everyone was puzzled, a gentle and calm voice came from behind them—
"He's testing us,"
Everyone hurriedly turned around, only to see Shen Wuzheng slowly walking out of the temple. Under the moonlight, his eyes were clear, revealing a calm wisdom. He glanced in the direction where Shen Tu Tai had disappeared, and then said, "Taking a bag of rice and having some of his brothers come to join us is just testing the waters, to see our true purpose and attitude."
Upon seeing him, Shang Ruyi immediately breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "Brother."
Shen Wuzheng walked up to her, looked her up and down, and asked, "Just now, nothing happened, right?"
Shang Ruyi smiled and shook her head: "No, he didn't even touch me."
Shen Wuzheng nodded, seemingly relieved, and said, "I've heard that Shen Tu Tai is a brave man who never fights with women and children. But you shouldn't take too much risks. What if a villain sneaks into the queue and attacks you?"
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "No, that won't happen."
Shen Wuzheng shook his head helplessly, then frowned slightly and looked around: "Where is Yuwen Ye? Why didn't he come?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi hurriedly said, "He, he still has something to say to Da Bo—the person sent by the Duke to meet us. He probably has some... important things to ask."
As she said this, her eyes dimmed.
"Something important?"
Although it was just a slight change in his eyes in the dim light, Shen Wuzheng seemed to have noticed it. His brow furrowed slightly, and he said, "No matter how important it is, nothing is more important than this, and even less important than your safety. If something had really happened just now, what could he have done?"
"elder brother……"
Seemingly sensing that Shen Wuzheng was a little angry, Shang Ruyi smiled helplessly and said, "Yanyue City is full of our people, and Da Bo just brought two thousand troops. If anyone really wants to do something to me, they won't be able to get to me at all."
"..."
This time, Shen Wuzheng didn't say anything immediately.
He stared at Shang Ruyi with a serious expression for a long while before saying, "Little sister, you—"
Seemingly sensing what he was about to say, Shang Ruyi quickly interrupted him and said softly, "Brother, you just said that Shen Tu Tai took a bag of rice and sent his brother to seek refuge. Was he testing the waters? What is his real intention?"
Seeing that she was deliberately changing the subject, Shen Wuzheng could only sigh helplessly.
Then, following her words, he said, "It's very simple. This group of people from Wanggang Village just experienced the infighting between Wang Quyi and Xiao Yuansui. They won't easily trust anyone or any force. But now, leaving Xiao Yuansui is also inevitable. So, let some of them come and join Yuwen Ye first. This will reveal Yuwen Ye's attitude and his true intentions towards them."
"..."
"on the other hand--"
Shen Wuzheng said, "Shen Tu Tai is also unwilling to lower himself to submit."
Shang Ruyi frowned: "What do you mean?"
Shen Wuzheng glanced at her again before saying, "Just now, you said they 'had nowhere to stay,' which hit their sore spot. This group of people indeed has nowhere to stay, meaning they came here because they had nowhere else to turn, and they are at an absolute disadvantage. In that case, their value is greatly reduced; they have neither military merit nor any support, making them no different from surrendered generals."
"...!"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi came to her senses and said, "I... I misspoke."
Shen Wuzheng said softly, "That's how negotiation works. You have to keep lowering the other party's value to force them to create their own value so that you can profit. You're right."
His words were clearly meant to comfort himself, and Shang Ruyi gave a bitter smile.
She continued, "In other words, Shen Tu Tai sent some of his brothers to come and join us first to gauge our attitude. Then, he will find another opportunity to submit to us, and he wants to find an opportunity that will not put him at a disadvantage?"
Shen Wuzheng nodded: "That's right."
Their words left those around them confused, some understanding and some not. Shan Tong'er, in particular, scratched the back of his head, looking completely bewildered. He pouted and said, "Sister Ruyi, I don't understand. My seventh brother is already so amazing, how else can he increase his value?"
Shang Ruyi glanced down at him and couldn't help but laugh.
She said, "Human hearts are very complicated. Even if you can see through the ways of the world, you can't see through human hearts. You don't need to worry about these things now. Anyway, you'll see your brothers in Wanggang Village tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Shan Tong'er smiled happily again.
With the matter settled and darkness falling, they quickly packed up the carriages and provisions at the gate and returned to the temple. Shang Ruyi walked back to her quarters, thinking about everything that had just happened. When she opened the door, she saw Yuwen Ye sitting alone at the table, which was covered with piles of small stones. She was immediately taken aback.
This feels like the scene from the last night I stayed at Banyan Temple.
Is he setting up a map again?
However, this time Yuwen Ye's expression was strange. Although he was looking at the pebbles on the table, his eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if he didn't know where he was looking. In fact, Shang Ruyi could sense a trace of... sorrow from the aura emanating from him.
He held that small pebble between his fingers and didn't put it down for a long time.
Shang Ruyi walked quietly to his side and sat down.
It was only at this moment that Yuwen Ye seemed to come to his senses, turned around and looked at her, saying, "You're back."
Shang Ruyi glanced at the pebbles on the table, then at the pebble he was twirling between his fingers, and said, "Shen Tu Tai just arrived."
"I know,"
Yuwen Ye put the pebble aside and said, "Someone came to report to me."
After saying that, he smiled at her again: "Did I scare you?"
Shang Ruyi shook her head and said, "It's just a bit of a surprise. I didn't expect him to come alone, and I didn't expect that although he wanted to join us, he also had this kind of scheming. I originally thought he was a hot-tempered and reckless person."
Yuwen Ye said, "A bad temper does not mean a lack of intelligence."
"..."
"Besides, he has already suffered so many losses while serving in the imperial court. If he doesn't improve, then all those years of setbacks will have been in vain."
Shang Ruyi nodded and said, "Then shall we set off tomorrow?"
Yuwen Ye said, "Since we agreed to meet him at noon tomorrow, we can set off first thing tomorrow morning."
"But what about the three days of support promised before—"
“Since I made the promise, I cannot go back on my word. I will leave behind a group of men and ten carts of grain. After the donation, the remainder will be given to this temple as compensation for the disturbance these past few days.”
Shang Ruyi said, "That's good."
At this point, it seems everything is settled.
But Shang Ruyi looked at the map he had only laid out halfway and then at the pebble he had put aside, which he had clearly been holding between his fingers for a long time and had even made smooth. She thought for a moment and said, "What were you thinking about just now? I felt like you had something on your mind."
"..."
Yuwen Ye paused for a moment, then looked up at her: "You care about me?"
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's eyes widened in confusion.
She wanted to deny it, but felt that denying it at this time would only make things more obvious. If she didn't care, why would she have asked that question in the first place?
In that instant of hesitation, Yuwen Ye leaned closer to her, looking deeply into her eyes: "Are you concerned about me?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi remained silent for a long time, then looked up into his eyes, finally sighed, and said softly, "Yuwen Ye, we are still husband and wife."
"..."
"Just like when I first stayed at Banyan Temple, I still want to make up with you. The awkwardness between us is not good for either of us, nor for the path we are about to take."
"..."
"But that's all."
"..."
"There are some things that I can't pretend I don't know once I know them. The me after I know them is different from the me when I didn't know them."
"..."
"So, I can admit that I care about you, but I think you should understand why I care."
"..."
Yuwen Ye looked at her silently for a long time, then suddenly gave a bitter laugh and said, "I used to always tell you that people should live with clarity, but now it seems that you are even more clear-headed than I was before."
Shang Ruyi said, "Didn't you just say that if Shen Tu Tai doesn't learn from the setbacks he's suffered so much, then all these years of hardship will have been for nothing?"
"..."
"People always need to improve."
"..."
"I can't be worse than him, can I?"
Yuwen Ye looked at her for a while longer, then sighed softly.
Shang Ruyi said, "Then, can you tell me now what exactly happened?"
Yuwen Ye lowered his eyelids and looked at the pebbles on the table. He was silent for a while, then said, "A lot has happened in Daxing City, but we can talk about those later. But there is one thing I think I should tell you in advance. If you are unhappy, you can tell me directly."
These words sound like something they just said.
This time, however, Shang Ruyi did not refute him. She simply looked intently into his eyes. The deep sorrow she had just sensed from his aura seemed to be reflected in his gaze.
She said, "Go ahead."
Yuwen Ye said, "She...the Empress, committed suicide."
"What?!"
Shang Ruyi gasped in shock, instinctively trying to get up, but her grip shifted, scattering all the pebbles Yuwen Ye had placed on the table. Countless pebbles rolled to the ground, the sound of them clattering echoing her own utter panic. Shang Ruyi stared wide-eyed at Yuwen Ye in disbelief: "You, what did you say?!"
Empress Jiang—
Yuwen Ye looked at her and quickly said, "She's been rescued."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's heart sank again.
The intense pain, which felt like her heart was about to burst, had finally subsided, but even so, she was still pale with pain, her teeth clenched so tightly she could barely keep them shut, and she gripped the edge of the table with one hand. After a long while, she finally managed to say, "How, how could this happen?"
Yuwen Ye's face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "She heard the news from Jiangdu Palace."
"..."
"After learning of His Majesty's passing, she... drew her sword and committed suicide."
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