Chapter 148 Are you trying to play hard to get with me?
Everyone was taken aback and quickly turned their heads away.
On the main road ahead, a troop of people slowly approached from afar. Two rows of cavalry led the way, their imposing presence accompanied by a large palanquin that almost filled most of the street.
That was the emperor's entourage!
The crowd hurriedly retreated to the sides of the road and knelt down to kowtow. Shang Ruyi frowned deeply at this sight. Yanmen City was at a critical juncture of life and death, but the emperor had no sense of crisis at all and only cared about his own majesty. In this way, who among the soldiers would be willing to risk their lives?
A short while later, the imperial carriage arrived in front of them.
Shang Ruyi lowered her head and first heard the sound of horses' hooves passing by, followed by a group of palace maids and eunuchs. After they passed, a huge sedan chair slowly came into her view.
Then, it stopped in front of her.
As the enormous palanquin descended, it made a deep, muffled thud. Shang Ruyi's heart sank involuntarily. Instantly, the entire long street fell silent. Everyone held their breath, and even the wind dared not blow at that moment.
A palace attendant stepped forward, lifted the curtain, and helped the person in the sedan chair down.
Immediately, a pair of exquisite shoes caught Shang Ruyi's eye.
With a base of silk satin, stitched with gold thread, and adorned with dazzling pearls and warm jade, these shoes are luxurious and radiant, worthy of being worn by celestial beings. Shang Ruyi is all too familiar with them.
But at this moment, the shoes once again waded through the mud, even stained with some blood, and then, step by step, walked up to her.
Then, a haughty, languid voice rang out above her head—
"Get up."
Sure enough, it was Chu Yang's voice!
And these words were spoken to her.
Chu Yang's voice was neither loud nor soft, and only the person standing in front of him could barely hear it. However, Shang Ruyi secretly groaned in her heart—although the people around her, and even the soldiers and civilians on the streets further away, couldn't hear her, they weren't blind. So many people were kneeling on such a long street, yet the emperor only asked her to get up. What did this mean?!
Sure enough, those kneeling beside Shang Ruyi cast various glances at them, especially Mu Xian and his brothers, as well as some soldiers who had already recognized Shang Ruyi, all of whom showed disdain in their eyes.
Those gazes made Shang Ruyi feel like she was being pricked by needles.
She bit her lower lip, remaining kneeling on the ground, motionless.
Immediately, among all the gazes that made her feel like she was being pricked by needles, there was one sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through her body. She heard Chu Yang say coldly, "What, I haven't even blamed you yet, and you're already trying to act tough with me?"
When the word "playing the fool" comes from the mouth of an emperor, it is a crime of deceiving the emperor!
Tushe'er, standing beside him, was so frightened that his face turned pale.
Although Shang Ruyi was also somewhat alarmed, she composed herself and said in a low voice, "I heard that the battle at the North Gate was fierce, so I brought my maid to treat the wounded soldiers. I did not have time to report to Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will forgive my negligence."
"..."
Her words were indeed spoken in a grand and dignified manner.
A hint of amusement flickered in Chu Yang's eyes as he looked down at her: "Is that all?"
A bead of cold sweat had formed on Shang Ruyi's forehead and was slowly sliding down. After thinking it over, she said softly, "Your Majesty is benevolent and has granted everyone permission to rise. If everyone is not rising, how dare I, your humble servant, rise? This is not an act of coyness."
Chu Yang sneered: "For every one sentence I utter, you have ten more to say."
"..."
Shang Ruyi was sweating profusely.
She truly hadn't expected the emperor to suddenly come to the North Gate, as it was the most dangerous place, constantly vulnerable to attacks from the Turks. But since the emperor was here, she figured that if she blended in with the crowd, she could at least lessen their suspicions and salvage some of her reputation. However, the emperor's actions and words only made their relationship seem more intimate.
If this continues, she really won't be able to live a normal life anymore!
Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I do have some things I would like to say."
"oh?"
Chu Yang raised an eyebrow slightly.
He had come to "arrest" Shang Ruyi after hearing that she had left the government office without reporting it, and he was angry that she had defied him. However, he did not expect that she would "turn against him".
So, he smiled indifferently and asked, "What do you want to say to me?"
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath, raised her head to meet his lazy and arrogant eyes, and whispered, "Your Majesty, I beg you to stop the campaign against Liaodong!"
"...!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a cold wind suddenly blew in through the hole in the city wall. With a whoosh, it swept across the long street, carrying a thick stench of blood and a heavy killing intent.
In an instant, everyone shivered.
Shang Ruyi felt an invisible aura of malevolence descending from above, almost suffocating her.
It's Chu Yang!
It was the murderous aura emanating from him!
Even without looking up, she could feel Chu Yang's fierce gaze, which seemed to pierce through her body.
The people around them—the emperor's eunuchs, the imperial guards clearing the way, Wang Shaoji who was following Chu Yang, and the soldiers and civilians kneeling by the roadside—were all dumbfounded upon hearing these words, staring in disbelief at the frail woman.
How dare she?
At this moment, Shang Ruyi's heart was also trembling.
She had clearly thought things through before saying those words, but the moment she uttered them, she began to regret them.
Everyone knows that the emperor's Achilles' heel is the "conquest of Liaodong." Previously, Pei Xu and other veteran officials were punished one after another for advising the emperor to stop the war. Now, she actually dares to advise the emperor when the situation on the front line is critical!
Is this not courting death?!
Chu Yang's voice came from above again, laced with ruthlessness and grit: "Shang, Ru, Yi!"
Shang Ruyi's body stiffened.
As soon as she looked up, she saw Chu Yang's face turn ashen as he said in a deep voice, "Shang Ruyi, you've spread rumors and sowed discord among the troops. Arrest her!"
"yes!"
The imperial guards behind him immediately obeyed the order and stepped forward to seize Shang Ruyi.
Everyone around panicked, especially Mu Xian and his group, who immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, please have mercy and spare the young mistress!"
Chu Yang said coldly, "Anyone who dares to plead for her will be punished the same as her!"
In an instant, the pleas for mercy were cut off.
Shang Ruyi was led away with her hands tied behind her back by several people. As she passed Chu Yang, she gritted her teeth and said, "Your Majesty, if we do not stop the campaign against Liaodong, the siege of Yanmen County will be difficult to lift!"
Chu Yang ignored her and angrily said, "Take him away!"
Just as Shang Ruyi was about to be dragged away, suddenly, a sharp cry rang out from the large hole in the broken city gate behind them.
A cold light pierced the wind as it approached.
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