Chapter 1200 What I want is also mine
The two men swayed slightly in the carriage, exchanged a surprised glance, and looked at each other.
They were still some distance from the city gate, so why did they stop at this time?
Just as he was wondering, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside. Mu Xian rode his horse to the side of the carriage. Yuwen Ye lifted the curtain and saw him leaning down with a wary expression. He said, "Your Highness, someone is coming from ahead."
"oh?"
Yuwen Ye raised an eyebrow slightly, peeked out, and sure enough, saw a thin layer of snow on the road ahead being kicked up by the hooves of horses. As the snowflakes danced in the air, a group of cavalrymen galloped toward them.
The leader was none other than Prince Qi, Yuwen Cheng.
He was dressed in a brocade robe, with a dark cloak fluttering behind him in the wind. The dark red lining of the cloak was faintly visible, which made his eyes appear faintly red in the gloomy sky.
As he led his troops closer, a thunderous shout echoed across the plains—
"The General Who Guards the North has arrived!"
Upon hearing this title, Yuwen Ye's eyes flickered slightly, while Shang Ruyi frowned.
Yuwen Cheng's expedition to Luoyang this time ended in failure after several battles. He even lost 50,000 men to Liang Shide in one battle, and only managed to retreat to Cijian with a little over 2,000 men. It was a complete defeat. If Yuwen Ye had not taken several passes around Luoyang to relieve him, and then held off Xiao Yuansui's 100,000-strong army at Hulao Pass, and planted pawns to capture Luoyang, he probably would still be hiding somewhere.
However, he has now been appointed as the General Who Guards the North. Such an appointment is either an affirmation by the court of his merit in attacking Luoyang or his merit in capturing Xiao Yuansui, the enemy leader.
What a shameless person!
Displeased, the two didn't say much, but simply had someone open the carriage door. A cold wind, carrying snowflakes, rushed into the carriage. Although they were wearing thick brocade robes, they were still chilled by the cold wind blowing from Chang'an.
Yuwen Cheng rode forward a few steps, walked to the front of the carriage, met the eyes of the two, and then lifted his cloak to cup his hands and said, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, it's been a long time."
Yuwen Ye looked at him indifferently, without saying a word.
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "General Zhenbei? Third brother, it's been a few months, and you've become quite accomplished."
This time, Shang Ruyi did not suppress the mockery in her words, and Yuwen Cheng naturally heard it. He sneered and said, "Second sister-in-law, you flatter me."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "It's not an overstatement. Third brother, you fought in Luoyang for a whole year. Even if you didn't achieve great things, you still put in a lot of hard work. The position of General Who Guards the North is rightfully yours."
Yuwen Cheng's face darkened: "Oh."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "But, Third Brother, you are young, so you should sit here properly and make the most of your position."
"..."
"After all, some things come easily and go quickly."
"..."
Even with his thick skin, Yuwen Cheng couldn't hold back any longer. He understood that Luoyang was the eastern capital, and Yuwen Yuan's appointment of him as General Who Guards the North was probably not justified by his military achievements. Now, being ridiculed like this, he gritted his teeth in hatred. He abruptly changed the subject: "My father ordered me to come and welcome you."
Yuwen Ye said, "We know this road very well, why should we greet you?"
Seeing that he finally spoke, a cold glint flashed in Yuwen Cheng's eyes, and he said leisurely, "I am very familiar with my second brother and sister-in-law, but I am not familiar with the people you brought back. Since my second brother and sister-in-law do not need me, then I will show them the way."
After saying that, he spurred his horse forward and waved his hand: "Everyone here, follow me!"
Shang Ruyi's face immediately darkened.
It should be noted that Yuwen Ye only took 30,000 troops with him when he went out, but after this battle, he recruited and absorbed the surrendered rebels, expanding his army to more than 150,000. Apart from the troops left to guard Luoyang and the eight passes and cities, he brought back a total of 120,000 men, which was several times the number of troops.
This is no ordinary victory.
But now, Yuwen Cheng has come with the intention of taking this group of people away, and judging from his tone, it was the emperor who ordered him to do so.
Just as she was about to speak, she felt a weight on her hand; it was Yuwen Ye who had reached out and pressed her down. Shang Ruyi looked at him with some confusion, only to see Yuwen Ye calmly say, "These tens of thousands of people were never going to be able to be brought into the city anyway."
Shang Ruyi understood perfectly: "Let him take it away—"
Yuwen Ye smiled faintly: "Do you think he can swallow it?"
"..."
Hearing this, she calmed down and turned to look outside. Before leaving Luoyang, these people had been divided into several teams by Yuwen Ye, led by Shen Tu Tai, Shan Tong'er, Mu Xian, Cheng Qiao, Xue Lin and others. Some of them were under her command. Now that the General of the North had given the order, these people remained unmoved. Shen Tu Tai, in particular, had simply let go of the reins and crossed his arms, looking at her with amusement.
A gust of cold wind blew by, and the scene was even colder than the wind itself.
Yuwen Cheng was losing face. He spurred his horse forward a few steps until he reached Yuwen Ye's carriage. He pointed at the generals and soldiers behind him and shouted, "How dare you disobey this general?!"
"..."
The scene became even quieter amidst the howling wind.
Yuwen Cheng's face turned pale, but just as he was about to spur his horse forward and lash out at these people, Shen Tu Tai, who was at the front of the group, suddenly coughed.
He was already robust and had a deep, powerful voice; this cough sounded like muffled thunder.
Yuwen Cheng trembled from the shock of the shout. Even though he refused to admit it, the humiliation and shock of having his sword snatched by Shen Tu Tai at the foot of Cangbai Mountain remained in his heart. The moment Shen Tu Tai spoke, even though he maintained a facade of composure, he was already cowering inwardly.
The warhorse that sat down was the most perceptive of human nature. Sensing its master's hesitation, it actually took several steps back.
"You, you give it to me—"
Yuwen Cheng was furious and tightened the reins, but the horse, in its panic, did not obey his commands. It not only retreated but also shook its head violently, almost throwing him off.
Shen Tu Tai and Shan Tong'er burst into laughter.
Yuwen Cheng finally managed to restrain the horse, his face flushed red and then pale. He glared angrily at these people, wanting to shout and curse, but when he saw Shen Tu Tai's mountain-like body, he shrank back and couldn't speak.
At this moment, Yuwen Ye finally spoke.
"alright,"
Upon hearing his voice, Shen Tu Tai and the others immediately quieted down and waited for his instructions.
Yuwen Ye stepped out of the carriage and glanced back. The massive procession, like a huge and heavy dark cloud, was approaching Chang'an, and it was indeed oppressive. As if reflecting this scene, the entire sky above Chang'an was covered with a thick layer of dark clouds, blocking out all the light and warmth, and the cold wind was biting cold.
It's no wonder they're all so nervous.
Yuwen Ye smiled faintly to himself, then said, "As I arranged before, you will all return to camp with the General of the North. Remember, anyone who dares to cause trouble will be severely punished!"
Shen Tu Tai and the others immediately obeyed: "Yes!"
Although this response was a simple order to obey in the army, the simultaneous shouts of so many people shook the heavens. Yuwen Cheng, his horse, and the men he brought were all shaken by the sound and trembled. The warhorses also let out terrified neighs.
The scene was chaotic and disorganized.
Yuwen Ye, standing on the carriage, was even taller than Yuwen Cheng on horseback. Looking at him now, he seemed like a god looking down on the insignificant mortals, and said calmly, "Third brother, if you want to lead the way for them, then go ahead and lead the way. But remember, lead the way properly. If you lead them astray, it will all be your responsibility."
Yuwen Cheng frowned deeply, clenching his teeth, but could not utter a word.
He volunteered to go out of the city to welcome Yuwen Ye, originally intending to use his title of "General Who Guards the North" to give him a hard time. However, he did not expect that the other party would give him a hard time instead. Moreover, looking at the people he brought back, none of them were easy to deal with.
Fortunately, I managed to take Xiao Yuansui with me.
Thinking this way, he finally felt a little comforted and said with a cold laugh, "Don't worry, Second Brother."
After saying that, he turned his horse around and waved to the people behind him: "Come with me!"
Shen Tu Tai and the others then led their respective teams to bid farewell to Yuwen Ye, and together with Yuwen Cheng headed towards the military camp outside the city.
The procession moved away from the carriage in a grand procession, and the swirling snowflakes it stirred up once again blinded Shang Ruyi. She couldn't help but clench her cold hands tightly. At this moment, Yuwen Ye returned to the carriage. After the curtain was lowered, he reached out and took her hands in his, holding them tightly in his palms to warm them.
Yuwen Ye said, "Don't be afraid."
Shang Ruyi shook her head—she had survived countless battles, so why would she be afraid of this?
She asked, "How many of these men can we save?"
A command came from outside, and the carriage and its personal guards continued forward, both of them swaying slightly with the movement of the carriage. Yuwen Ye tightened his grip on her hand and smiled, "Are you worried about your three hundred men? Don't worry, not a single one of them will be missing, as promised."
Shang Ruyi glared at him before saying, "I was talking about you."
Yuwen Ye was still smiling, but his gaze was fixed ahead. Although the carriage door blocked his view, he seemed to see through everything, even the majestic city towers, the heavy city gates, and the layered palaces and halls in front of him. He slowly said, "What's mine is mine."
"..."
What I want is also mine.
Their procession entered the city gate and proceeded along the long Vermilion Bird Avenue into the imperial city. Soon, the roadside was filled with people who were both curious and puzzled as to why another army had returned after winning a battle just over a month ago. But in any case, winning a battle was always a happy thing, so they all shouted praises towards the carriages of the King of Qin and the Queen of Qin.
Hearing these shouts, Yuwen Ye led Shang Ruyi and a group of people behind him into the Nine Palaces.
Finally, they entered the Taiji Hall.
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