Chapter 534 makes his heart flutter once again.
Yuwen Ye didn't speak immediately, but glanced at her, his eyes seeming to hesitate about whether to tell her. Before he could make a decision, Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Even if you don't tell me, I will find out."
"..."
“Others don’t know as much as you do, and if they tell me random things, I’ll only worry more.”
"..."
"So you might as well tell me now."
Hearing what she said, it made sense, but the resentment in her tone made Yuwen Ye chuckle. But the next moment, his expression turned serious, and he said, "Today, thirty-six people died in Chang Le Fang."
Thirty-six?
Shang Ruyi opened her eyes wide in surprise.
Although she knew that it was impossible for no one to die during a plague, the fact that thirty-six people died on the first day still surprised her.
After thinking for a moment, he hurriedly asked, "Who are these people—"
Yuwen Ye said, "I had someone check, and there are thirty-one of them, all from villages near Fufeng. The rest are from the first group of people they came into contact with outside Daxing City."
Shang Ruyi sighed, "So, the reason they've held on until now is that the disease has penetrated to the bone marrow, and no medicine can cure it."
"Um."
"Then, over at Yanzuofang—"
Upon hearing this, a faint shadow crossed Yuwen Ye's eyes. He paused for a moment before saying, "Four died."
"...!"
This time, Shang Ruyi didn't speak, but her brows furrowed immediately.
The two markets are adjacent, and they both house patients from within the city and those seeking medical treatment from outside. How could there be such a big difference? Could it be—
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and immediately said, "Yesterday, Father gave the order in the Taiji Hall that the Left and Right Guards should go out of the city to bring the patients from outside the city into the city, and then search for the patients left behind in the villages outside the city."
Yuwen Ye nodded.
Therefore, under these circumstances, the allocation of patients was entirely decided by the Left and Right Guards.
Yu Dingxing was the Left General of the Valiant Guard, so this matter naturally went through his hands!
Shang Ruyi gritted her teeth, but she was also somewhat helpless. They could only swallow this bitter pill, because if they reported it to Yuwen Yuan, it would only make Yuwen Yuan think that they were shirking their responsibilities. Before the matter was over, they would only get blamed by him first.
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi could only let out a long breath, but her breath was full of anxiety. When she looked up at Yuwen Ye, she saw him take another sip of tea. Although he was much calmer than Shang Ruyi, his slightly furrowed brows were full of gloom.
Shang Ruyi asked, "Is there anything else?"
"..."
"That's the only reason you look so upset."
Yuwen Ye glanced at her again, and this time he did not hesitate or hide anything. He simply said, "Today, several markets in the western city have discovered new patients, more than two hundred people."
Shang Ruyi gasped, "So many?!"
Yuwen Ye said, "I sent people to bring these patients to Chang Le Fang, but they kept running away and refused to enter the ward. I had to lead a team to capture them myself, and we managed to bring back more than a hundred people."
"..."
"It's getting late, and I'm worried that continuing to arrest people will cause too much of a commotion and alert the rest of the team, which could lead to trouble. So I'm coming back for now. We'll have to send more people tomorrow."
Shang Ruyi frowned.
No wonder he came back so late, much later than Yuwen Qian.
These people refused to obey the court's orders and wandered around, but they didn't realize that just one patient suffering from the plague could infect an entire market, and that if the disease were to completely break out in Daxing City—
In ancient times, there were times when an entire village or city was wiped out by plague!
Shang Ruyi said, "Therefore, you need to focus all your energy on this matter first."
Yuwen Ye replied, "Hmm."
Shang Ruyi then asked, "And what about the doctors in Chang Le Fang? How do they conduct themselves?"
"..."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye paused for a moment, then immediately put down his teacup with an impatient expression and said, "You've been asking around for so long, and now you even have to ask about this."
After saying that, he got up and instructed Changwan to prepare hot water for him to take a bath.
Before he could even stand up, Shang Ruyi suddenly grabbed his wrist, preventing him from leaving. Yuwen Ye was slightly taken aback and turned to look at her.
Shang Ruyi stared at him with wide eyes: "Explain yourself clearly."
"..."
"I'll say it again: if you don't tell me, I'll go out and find out myself."
"..."
"Those outsiders who don't know the inside story, if they spread rumors and scare me, that's your responsibility!"
Hearing such almost unreasonable words, Yuwen Ye felt both annoyed and amused, but looking at Shang Ruyi's serious expression, he couldn't get angry or laugh. After pondering for a while, he sighed and could only sit back down.
Then he said, "Besides the twenty-odd doctors found from various clinics in the western part of the city, the Imperial Medical Bureau only left one medical supervisor and three physicians in Chang Le Fang."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi frowned: "Why is there so little?"
Yuwen Ye looked at her and said, "Why do you think that is?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi frowned, and after thinking about it carefully, she understood. Although Daxing City was divided into East and West cities and given to the two brothers to govern, the East and West cities were different. The high-ranking officials and nobles, including wealthy merchants, almost all lived in the East City. Even the Duke's Mansion was located in Longqing Ward in the East City, while the West City was inhabited by more poor people.
In this situation, the Imperial Medical Bureau also understood where the importance lay.
so--
The current situation is that there are more patients and more deaths in the western city. The people are not listening to the teachings and are fleeing everywhere, causing the plague to spread again. Meanwhile, the Chang Le Fang is overcrowded with patients, there is a shortage of doctors, and medicine is also a problem.
This is the dilemma that Yuwen Ye faces.
Even though they understood in the morning that this was a losing game, and all they could do was try to do as much as possible to save people while acknowledging defeat, the constant constraints made them feel extremely depressed and uncomfortable.
Yuwen Ye was an almost invincible military general who roamed the battlefield and never retreated.
But this time, he did encounter a tricky situation.
After a long silence, as if she had made up her mind, Shang Ruyi looked up at him again and said with a firm look in her eyes, "Feng Chen, let me go to Chang Le Fang."
"no!"
He rejected her without hesitation.
Seeing the anger rising between Yuwen Ye's brows, Shang Ruyi did not confront him directly. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I can help you."
"Need not!"
It was that same harsh, uncompromising tone again.
With a single force, she pulled his wrist away from Shang Ruyi's hand, the force so strong it seemed as if she was angry.
But Shang Ruyi calmly said, "Why are you so insistent on not letting me go? Is it because—the plague might infect me, and it would be dangerous, right?"
"You knew, yet you still told me?"
“But you still have to go out and work every day, and I have never stopped you.”
"..."
"Am I the kind of person who wouldn't care whether you live or die?"
Yuwen Ye's expression was rather unpleasant, as if he didn't want to hear her continue. He said coldly, "Stop talking nonsense, that's my responsibility."
After saying that, he got up to leave.
This time, however, Shang Ruyi was faster than before. She reached out with both hands and grabbed one of his wrists, holding it tightly. Yuwen Ye was about to struggle, but when he turned around, he met her serious and somewhat sharp gaze. She stared intently into his eyes—a rare sight between the two of them, where he was the one whose eyes flickered, as if he wanted to back away.
Shang Ruyi said, "Isn't this my responsibility?"
Yuwen Ye turned his face to the side: "What responsibility do you, a woman, have to worry about?"
Shang Ruyi's eyes widened further. She simply grabbed his hand and walked directly in front of him. She raised her head and looked straight into the depths of his eyes, saying seriously, "How can a woman not have any responsibility? I clearly know medicine, and I cured your illness in Fufeng. I know better than the medical supervisors and physicians of the Imperial Hospital how to handle this illness, yet you won't let me go."
"..."
"That's irresponsible of you."
"you--!?"
Yuwen Ye was both angry and annoyed, but he couldn't speak. He had clearly done nothing wrong, and the whole thing hadn't fallen on Shang Ruyi's shoulders at all. But the way she said it made him the petty person, while she was righteous, selfless, and impartial.
Yuwen Ye gritted his teeth and said, "Do you want others to think that I can't protect you?"
"..."
"Not only can I not protect you, but I also have to rely on you."
Seeing his somewhat hesitant, yet also somewhat annoyed expression, Shang Ruyi seemed to understand something, yet remained confused—who was this "other person"?
Why should he care about this?
Shang Ruyi felt a wave of doubt. When she looked at Yuwen Ye again, he looked even more awkward, as if he was annoyed with himself for saying those things and even starting to get angry with her. She couldn't help but mutter, "But, haven't you always been protecting me?"
Yuwen Ye's breath hitched, and he looked down at her.
Shang Ruyi also stared at him with wide eyes and said softly, "You forgot?"
Even if he really forgot, how could she possibly forget?
Before she married him, on the way to her wedding, he suddenly charged out on horseback and rescued her from the rebel army at Longmen; in Yanmen County, amidst a million-strong army, he also shot an arrow that lifted the siege of Yanmen and saved her and all the soldiers and civilians; and then there was Jiangdu Palace…
If it weren't for his heroic fight and breaking through the encirclement, I would have long been branded a regicide and beheaded, and my family would likely have been implicated as well.
But she never felt that she owed him anything.
Not only because she once risked her life for him, infiltrating Wanggang Village alone and then leading men to burn Xiao Yuansui's grain supplies; but also because when he fell ill in Fufeng, she single-handedly held the fort and fought wits with Xue Xian.
Even more so because—
Shouldn't a couple, or two people in love, be entangled and bound together like this?
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi smiled gently, then looked at Yuwen Ye's somewhat awkward expression and said softly, "Husband and wife should not only protect each other and be entangled in each other's lives, but also rely on each other."
"..."
"Besides, if you don't rely on me, who do you think you can rely on!"
These words, tinged with resentment yet also like a coquettish complaint, instantly softened Yuwen Ye's heart, which was originally as hard as iron.
He looked down at the petite woman clinging to him again, his eyes flickering, and finally felt a sense of relief.
He sighed deeply: "You really want to go?"
Shang Ruyi nodded emphatically.
"..."
Yuwen Ye took another deep breath and finally said, "I can agree to your request."
Shang Ruyi was overjoyed, but before he could say anything, he added, "But you must also promise me that no matter what happens in the city, no matter how many people fall ill or die, you must protect yourself first!"
At this point, his expression darkened slightly, and he said, "No matter how many people I have to save, no matter how much I have to win people's hearts this time, and even if some things are lost, they can be taken back, but—your life and other people's lives are ultimately different, do you understand!"
"..."
Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a tingling sensation in her back, and then that feeling shot straight into her heart.
It made her heart race.
Although Yuwen Ye's words sounded selfish, she didn't feel the slightest bit disheartened, because she understood very well that people are just people, and even if they are selfless, how could they not have a little bias in their hearts?
In whose eyes is there no one who is special?
That's how he treated her.
And wasn't she the same way towards him?
So, for his sake, even knowing that the city was ravaged by plague, she was willing to take the risk.
So he nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
Only at this moment did Yuwen Ye seem to completely give up on something. His shoulders, which had been tense from a busy day, relaxed slightly, and he said to her, "Then, go ahead."
A smile immediately appeared on Shang Ruyi's face.
Seeing her like this, Yuwen Ye's gloomy mood eased a lot at this moment, but he said helplessly, "You know you can't win this time, but you still work so hard."
Shang Ruyi let go of his hand, but then looked up at him and blinked: "It's not necessarily that we can't win."
"oh?"
"Feng Chen, do you still remember when you first took me into the military camp in Taiyuan?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye was taken aback, and his eyes immediately flickered.
Shang Ruyi laughed and said, "Back then, you made me compete with Huang Gongyi in archery and horsemanship, and I did lose—it was impossible for me to win from the very beginning."
"..."
"But later you told me that although I lost, I won the respect of the army because I competed with integrity and gave it my all."
"..."
"And I have earned your respect."
As she spoke, she smiled slightly and looked up at Yuwen Ye: "That should be the best thing I have ever won in my life so far."
"..."
"So even though my brother says this is a losing proposition, and even though we're just trying to find that person, I still want to give it my all."
"..."
"Perhaps we can win something unexpected?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye looked at her without saying a word.
In fact, for someone who is good at fighting but unfamiliar with epidemic control, dealing with everything today made him feel constrained and exhausted. But at this moment, his tired heart seemed to be struck by something and was about to come back to life.
Yes, he remembered that time too.
At that time, he had no feelings for her. He only heard a young woman "bragging" about her skill in riding and archery, so he deliberately sent her to compete with Huang Gongyi in riding and archery. As expected, Shang Ruyi was defeated.
but--
When he saw Shang Ruyi standing amidst the vast army, even though she had lost, even though she had lost miserably, her all-out effort made the loser appear so radiant, and it even aroused cheers from the soldiers.
She indeed earned the respect of the entire army, and he also earned her his respect.
But he never told her—
That was the first time his heart skipped a beat for her, completely unexpected.
Unexpectedly, so much time had passed and he had completely forgotten about it, but now that it was suddenly brought up again, and looking at the young woman in front of him who was still the same as before, that unexpected heartbeat suddenly struck again.
It made his heart flutter once again.
Seeing Yuwen Ye remain silent, Shang Ruyi didn't say anything more, only nudged him and smiled, "Alright, it's all settled then. I'll go out with you tomorrow. You go take a bath now—"
Before he could finish speaking, he felt a weight on his wrist.
The intense heat made Shang Ruyi's heart pound uncontrollably. When she looked down, she realized that Yuwen Ye had grabbed her wrist.
However, it was completely different from when she grabbed him.
His body temperature was much higher, and the place where their skin touched was so hot that she flinched slightly. But before she could even pull away, she felt a lightness in her body. Yuwen Ye had actually picked her up horizontally and carried her directly into the inner room.
"Why--"
Shang Ruyi was about to say something, but her voice seemed to be swallowed up by something, and the whole room fell silent.
A sudden gust of night wind blew out the last candlestick in the room.
In the sudden darkness, a rustling, or perhaps sticky, sound arose. After an unknown amount of time, Shang Ruyi's soft, sweet voice finally broke into a breathy murmur—
"Aren't you tired?"
In the silence, it seemed someone gritted their teeth, and after a long while, a muffled voice finally came—
"Look how tired I am!"
|
So tired...
Despite having received his permission to go to Chang Le Fang today, Shang Ruyi slept until dawn, and when she opened her eyes, the room was already brightly lit.
But she seemed as if all the bones in her body had been taken apart and then put back together.
Lying limply on the bed, it took a long time for me to muster the strength to slowly get up, only to find that no one was around me anymore.
At this moment, Shang Ruyi began to doubt what his body was made of. He had been busy all day yesterday, while she had only done some needlework at home. In the end, she was the one who was exhausted by him and had difficulty even getting up, but he was as if nothing had happened and went out early in the morning.
hateful……
Feeling both ashamed and annoyed, Shang Ruyi got up to wash and prepare for breakfast. Then, she took Tu She'er and Wo Xue out the door.
At this time, although Daxing City was not deserted, the streets were quiet. It took half a day for the carriage to see one or two pedestrians, all of whom were masked and covered up, cowering as if they were hiding from something.
As they entered Zhuque Avenue and headed south, the strong smell of medicine in the air gradually grew stronger.
The fog, carrying the smell of medicine, grew heavier and heavier.
Finally, the carriage stopped, and the person outside said, "Young Madam, we have arrived at Chang Le Fang."
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