Chapter 569 Miss Mingyue, is she already married?
When they entered Chengqing Hall again, it was already dark.
The candlesticks throughout Chengqing Hall were lit, and the flickering candlelight swayed as the group entered the hall. The flickering candlelight illuminated Yuwen Yuan, who sat upright, and the trembling light made his imposing figure and distant gaze appear even more striking.
It is also even more unfathomable.
Upon seeing them, the officials from the Secretariat and the Chancellery who had been sitting to his left and right, recording his affairs, all stood up and bowed to him, saying, "Grand Chancellor, we will take our leave now."
Yuwen Yuan also bowed and said, "Thank you all for your hard work."
The group then left Chengqing Hall one after another.
Just as the last person was leaving, he paused slightly. It turned out that another person was walking in. It was none other than Yu Dingxing, the Left General of the Valiant Guard, who had been ordered to maintain order at Mingde Gate that day.
As soon as he entered, he saw several people in the main hall, especially that familiar figure among them, and his face immediately darkened.
But immediately, he understood.
The face, which appeared even more sinister and cruel in the dim light due to its excessive thinness, immediately regained its calm expression. He walked forward unhurriedly and bowed to Yuwen Yuan, saying, "Grand Chancellor."
Yuwen Yuan asked, "Lord Yu, how is the matter at Mingde Gate going?"
Yu Dingxing reported, "All 321 patients on the list from Yanzuo Ward have left the city."
"oh."
Yuwen Yuan glanced at him without changing his expression, then looked at Yuwen Qian standing to the side and said, "You all need to make sure that if even one patient is released, I will not let it go easily."
Yu Dingxing immediately replied, “I dare not. All 321 patients were jointly diagnosed by the physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau, and each one has been confirmed to be cured before being allowed to leave the city. If even one person falls ill, I and the physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau will share the responsibility.”
Yuwen Yuan waved his hand dismissively and said, "If any patients do leave the city, the responsibility will not fall on you."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Qian immediately replied, "I will take full responsibility."
Yuwen Yuan glanced at him and said, "If a major epidemic really breaks out, you alone cannot bear the responsibility. I do not want any of you to take responsibility, because taking responsibility means that things have already been messed up."
"..."
"I want you to get things done properly, to ensure these people survive, do you understand?"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stepped forward, cupped their hands, and said, "Yes!"
Yuwen Yuan then nodded.
Then, his gaze finally fell slowly on the figure standing the furthest away and the most unfamiliar among the group of people in front of him; and meeting his sharp and steady gaze was a pair of eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, including admiration, awe, surprise, and fear. The moment their eyes met, Yu Mingyue almost instinctively lowered his head.
She said in a hoarse voice, "I—Yu Mingyue, pay my respects to the Grand Chancellor."
"Your name is Yu Mingyue?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, Yu Mingyue."
"Are you Lord Yu's daughter?"
Before Yu Mingyue could speak, Yu Dingxing immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Replying to the Grand Chancellor, Mingyue is indeed my daughter."
"Um."
Yuwen Yuan nodded, looked at her quietly, and said, "You were the one who administered medicine and treated the people in Yanzuo Ward, weren't you?"
Yu Mingyue said softly, "It is indeed Mingyue."
Yuwen Yuan said, "Providing medicine to save lives is a good deed. Why are you unwilling to step forward?"
Yu Mingyue said, "It is the medicine that saves lives, not Mingyue. Therefore, the medicine is enough, Mingyue is not important."
"...!"
Yuwen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by her answer. Amidst his shock, a hint of appreciation appeared in his eyes, but his face remained calm and composed. He simply said, "It's good that you think that way."
"..."
"However, there is one thing I don't quite understand, and I need your answer."
Yu Mingyue immediately said, "May I ask, Grand Chancellor?"
Yuwen Yuan asked, "Why did you buy all the medicine in Guanzhong in advance? Did you know that a plague would break out in Daxing City?"
Yu Mingyue said, "Mingyue doesn't know."
"I don't know, then why did you buy the medicine in advance?"
"Is it because Mingyue is worried that an epidemic will break out in Guanzhong?"
"If you don't know, why worry?"
"Because—after a great war, there is often a great plague. A few days ago, the Battle of Fufeng resulted in countless deaths and injuries. Although Mingyue did not personally experience it, she heard the talented people from all walks of life reciting and praising it at the poetry competition, and knew how serious it was. Therefore, Mingyue is worried that a plague will appear in Guanzhong."
Upon hearing her words, Yuwen Yuan's eyes flickered slightly again: "You participated in the poetry competition?"
Yu Mingyue lowered her head, a slight smile playing on her cherry-red lips: "Yes."
Yuwen Yuan suddenly asked, "Who is that Guanghan Guest—"
Yu Mingyue said softly, "I am not talented, but I am named after Guanghan."
"So it was you,"
Yuwen Yuan took a deep breath, a hint of joy appearing on his dark face. He smiled and said, "The long clouds over Qinghai darken the snow-capped mountains, the lonely city gazes afar at the Jade Gate Pass. Through a hundred battles in the yellow sands, golden armor is worn through; we will not return until Lou Lan is conquered. This poem is well written. The soldiers are of one mind, the three armies fight to the death. Their spirit is overwhelming, invincible. I originally thought that the author of this poem was a man, but I did not expect that a woman's spirit is no less than that of men!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Mingyue was overjoyed and immediately bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Grand Chancellor!"
Before her smile could fade, Yuwen Yuan suddenly added, "However, as much as you're worried, why did you buy all the medicine in the Kongguan region?"
"...!"
Yu Mingyue's lips stiffened slightly, as if she was also a little stunned.
At this moment, even Shang Ruyi couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Others might not understand, and even those who were juniors and acquainted with Yuwen Yuan couldn't fully comprehend his thoughts and actions. His praise and admiration for someone didn't preclude his suspicion, and similarly, allowing his subordinates to act arbitrarily didn't mean he completely relinquished control.
He has an invisible control over people and things, and those he controls will only realize this when he completely withdraws his control.
However, Yu Mingyue is also a quick-witted person.
She took a deep breath, quickly cleared her mind, and said softly, "Because of the epidemic, it will affect the entire Guanzhong region and the imperial court, and medicine is the key to treating the epidemic."
"..."
"If these medicinal herbs are left unattended in various clinics and pharmacies, they will inevitably raise prices when an epidemic breaks out. According to the law of supply and demand—"
Yuwen Yuan was taken aback: "Supply and demand for what?"
These four obviously unfamiliar characters caused surprise to everyone in the hall—except for Yuwen Qian, even Shang Ruyi, who had been somewhat prepared, frowned slightly.
Yu Mingyue composed herself and immediately smiled, "No, it was a slip of the tongue by Mingyue."
"..."
"Mingyue means that if something so vital to the national economy and people's livelihood falls into the hands of others during a major epidemic, it will inevitably overflow—and prices will rise. The common people are in danger of losing their lives, and are forced to buy expensive life-saving medicines, which will inevitably cause resentment; and resentment will affect the rule of the court."
"..."
"Therefore, Mingyue is willing to spend a huge sum of money to buy all the medicine first. If the epidemic does not break out, we will be fine. If a major epidemic does break out, Mingyue can also treat the people and relieve the worries of the court and the Prime Minister."
"..."
After she finished speaking, everyone in Chengqing Hall fell silent.
Shang Ruyi was almost suffocating.
Of course she knew that Yu Mingyue was no ordinary person; the fact that even the little information she had obtained from her was enough to benefit her and her entire family was enough to demonstrate this. But she hadn't expected that, even knowing what Yu Mingyue's purpose was, she could say it so righteously.
Yuwen Ye slightly raised his head, his deep and cold eyes looking at Yu Mingyue, the cold light in his eyes gradually hardening.
Upon hearing Yu Mingyue's words, Yuwen Yuan fell silent. He looked at her for a while, then suddenly seemed to remember something and smiled, "This scene reminds me of the first time I met Ruyi at the Shen family."
"...?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback.
But she immediately understood, and then she felt a deep admiration for Yuwen Yuan's hunter-like keenness.
At the moment of their first meeting, she believed that Yu Mingyue must have felt the same way she did when she first met Yuwen Yuan at the Shen family. Even if she already knew, or even if she was intimately familiar with him, she still couldn't help but feel awe and respect when she suddenly saw someone who could change the world and was about to become the supreme ruler. No matter how arrogant or unruly she was, she couldn't help but feel awe and respect.
At that time, I even blurted out the words "great-grandfather".
In comparison, Yu Mingyue was indeed much more composed.
Moreover, her subsequent responses were fluent and much more impressive than her initial ones. After all, Yu Mingyue had already accomplished something tangible. Compared to her empty praise of "divine bow shaking the Dragon Gate, corpses forming a mound of corpses," Yu Mingyue was clearly much more "useful."
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said with a smile, "Ruyi was ignorant back then and made Father laugh at me."
Yuwen Yuan waved his hand with a smile: "We're family, what's so funny?"
After saying that, he looked at Yu Mingyue again, scrutinized her carefully, and his eyes seemed to show a hint of other thoughts in addition to his satisfaction. After a while, he said to Yu Dingxing, "Lord Yu."
"Your humble servant is here."
"I heard before that you have a daughter?"
"Yes, my daughter Mingzhu."
"I heard that she is already engaged to the eldest son of Su Ji, the governor of Kuozhou, is that right?"
"Yes. I never expected that my daughter's marriage would require such concern from the Grand Chancellor."
"Not at all, I am also an old father, and I worry about my children's marriages. Since Miss Mingzhu is already engaged, why hasn't the wedding taken place yet?"
Upon hearing this, a glint of light immediately flashed in Yu Dingxing's deep-set eyes.
But his face remained calm and composed, with a hint of flattery in his smile. He lowered his head and said softly, "Although Mingzhu is already betrothed, Mingyue is not yet married. As the younger sister, she naturally cannot surpass Mingyue."
"I see."
Yuwen Yuan nodded and smiled, "Then, Miss Mingyue, is she already married?"
In an instant, the entire Chengqing Hall fell silent. Everyone seemed to hold their breath, except for one person's heavy and rapid breathing, which sounded particularly abrupt in the silence.
Shang Ruyi subconsciously raised her head.
She could hear his breathing and even his heartbeat clearly. It was none other than Yuwen Qian, who was standing just a step or two away from her.
He lowered his head, his lips pressed into a thin line.
His face was unexpectedly pale.
At this moment, even though he tried his best to suppress the excitement in his heart, Yu Dingxing's voice trembled slightly when he spoke. He said in a deep voice, "My daughter is not yet betrothed."
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