Chapter 1163 More Than Good at Making Things Happen
This army of over 20,000 people marched south at a moderate pace, not too slow, not too fast either. Firstly, because there was a woman like Princess Qin in the army, whom they had to take care of to some extent. Secondly, Yuwen Ye also had to take care of his injuries. Although the burning of charcoal had temporarily made him forget the pain during the battle, it had caused many problems afterward. He hadn't even told Doctor Shang Ruyi that she had removed a large piece of rotten flesh from his shoulder to barely stitch up the wound. Now, half of his shoulder was numb, and if he wasn't careful, he might lose that arm.
Therefore, they traveled and stopped frequently, and time quickly passed until the early hours of the third day.
It was still dark, and the only light was the torches held high by the people leading the way. But having lived here for so long, even though the scenery had completely changed, a sense of familiarity welled up in their hearts. Shang Ruyi even heard someone in the group sigh with regret.
We'll be in Luoyang in about ten miles.
Looking back, three years have passed since Chu Yang marched south to Jiangdu, Liang Shide occupied Luoyang, and they took advantage of the chaos to leave the area.
Three years may not seem like a long time in a person's life, but it is certainly not short either. Moreover, looking back on these three years, not only their lives but also the entire world has undergone far too many earth-shattering events. As a result, when they returned here and approached this Eastern Capital, their identities and states of mind had completely changed.
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but sigh.
Although everyone was focused on riding forward, with the sound of hooves filling their ears, Yuwen Ye keenly caught her soft, almost inaudible sigh and immediately turned to look at her: "Tired?"
They barely slept last night, having traveled all night. Everyone was quite tired, not just her.
But Shang Ruyi immediately shook her head: "No, I'm not tired."
"and you--"
"I'm just a little...sad."
Upon hearing those two words, Yuwen Ye didn't seem too surprised, but a look of solemnity and bewilderment flashed across his face. After a moment of silence, he softly said, "Hmm..."
He gave a noncommittal "hmm," and besides, he wasn't the type to wallow in melancholy. But human emotions can still be understood. Watching him turn his head and slowly look at the still vast night ahead, a light flickering in his deep eyes, as if ripples were being stirred by the night wind, Shang Ruyi felt that he must have the same feelings in his heart.
They walked a little further, and gradually, the sound of flowing water could be heard in the night breeze.
Shang Ruyi said, "That is—"
Yuwen Ye said, "The Luo River."
Shang Ruyi subconsciously looked up, but unfortunately it was not yet dawn, the sky was still pitch black, and she could not make out the outline of the city from the darkness in front of her.
However, when the Eastern Capital was built, Chu Yang specially diverted the Luo River to run through the city, which was considered to be the Milky Way. Now, hearing the sound of the Luo River flowing, he knew that they were closer to Luoyang.
But they're already so close—
Shang Ruyi asked, "Where are the King of Qi's troops?"
Yuwen Ye said, "We are taking the eastern route, but his camp should be south of Luoyang, which is some distance from here."
Shang Ruyi shook her head and said, "I mean, even at this point, he still hasn't set up defenses around Luoyang City? Liang Shide sent people out of the city to fetch grain before, but he still hasn't learned his lesson."
Upon hearing Shang Ruyi's words, Yuwen Ye couldn't help but frown.
But he said, "So be it if he doesn't take precautions."
"..."
"If we run into him here, we'll have to explain things to him, which will only cause more trouble. He's a good-for-nothing..."
Shang Ruyi glanced at him but didn't say anything.
Although the brothers had not been on good terms before, and Yuwen Ye had severely punished Yuwen Cheng, and Yuwen Cheng still refused to submit to him even after being beaten and injured, Yuwen Ye still had some brotherly affection for him—after all, if there were no affection, there would be no need to care about his character; but this time, Yuwen Ye's attitude towards him seems to have changed.
Or rather, Yuwen Ye has figured it out.
This younger brother was not only more trouble than he was worth, but more importantly, Yuwen Cheng always stood on Yuwen Qian's side, whether in daily life or at the most critical moments. He not only opposed his own brother from the same father and mother, but also became an enemy of Yuwen Ye.
In this situation, if Yuwen Ye were to insist on brotherhood, it would be somewhat... foolish.
If they can capture Luoyang this time, then the entire Eastern Expedition, including the previous capture of the eight passes of Luoyang and the great victory at Hulao Pass, will be credited to him. Conversely, if Yuwen Cheng learns of their plans and intervenes, even if he has been unable to capture Luoyang for a long time and has even cut off the transportation around Luoyang, he will still be credited.
At times like these, there's no need to be so selfless.
Moreover, according to Guan Chiying's previous statement, Liang Shide was to ascend the altar to offer sacrifices and declare himself king in ten days, which is today. By the time they arrive in Luoyang, they will probably be just in time. If they go to meet with Yuwen Cheng to discuss the matter, they might miss the appointed time.
Shang Ruyi said, "Then let's hurry up and go."
After saying that, she gripped the reins and spurred her horse forward for a while. Seeing her somewhat anxious look, Yuwen Ye couldn't help but smile. However, when he raised his hand to urge the horse on, he felt a piercing pain in his shoulder and subconsciously lowered his arm.
Shang Ruyi turned to look at him: "Hurry up."
"Um."
Yuwen Ye didn't say much, and immediately followed after him with the reins in one hand.
As they continued on their journey, the sound of flowing water grew closer and closer, and the light of their torches illuminated a shimmering river ahead. Just then, the sound of horses and men neighing came from the wind.
There are people on the banks of the Luo River ahead.
Yuwen Ye immediately raised his hand to stop the people behind him from moving forward, and Shang Ruyi subconsciously held her breath.
The sounds of wind and water were exceptionally clear in the desolate wilderness in the early morning. Then, a familiar voice rang out amidst the cacophony of wind and water: "Second brother, second sister-in-law, it's been a long time."
"...!"
Upon hearing this voice, Shang Ruyi's brows furrowed into a knot.
Although Yuwen Ye's breathing also became heavier, his expression did not change. He simply spurred his horse forward a few steps. The firelight illuminated a group of people on the riverbank ahead, and standing at the very front was Prince Qi, Yuwen Cheng.
He was also dressed in full armor, and there was even some dew on the hem of his clothes and his temples, indicating that he had been waiting here for a long time.
Yuwen Ye glanced behind him with a flicker in his eyes, but did not see Mu Xian, Cheng Qiao and the others. It was clear that Yuwen Cheng had not brought them with him, and even Shang Shoufei was nowhere to be seen. He was probably left in the military camp to watch over Mu and Cheng.
Yuwen Ye said in a deep voice, "What are you doing here?"
Upon seeing him, Yuwen Cheng's smile grew even more smug, almost overflowing from his eyes and brows. He spurred his horse forward a couple of steps and laughed, "Second Brother, what are you saying? Shouldn't I be here?"
Before Yuwen Ye could speak, he immediately continued, "Yes, Second Brother, you didn't tell me, so you thought I shouldn't be here."
"..."
"Unfortunately, I'm not one to be manipulated."
Yuwen Ye narrowed his eyes slightly: "Oh?"
Yuwen Cheng laughed and said, "Second brother, you are wise and brave. You defeated Xiao Yuansui's 100,000-strong army at Hulao Pass by fighting against a hundred men. You have taken such a great credit. So why don't you compete with me for such a small credit as attacking Luoyang? Otherwise, people will think that we brothers only know how to fight for credit. If that gets out, we will become a laughing stock for the whole world."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye's expression darkened further.
Shang Ruyi also frowned.
They had just won a great victory at Hulao Pass yesterday, and now Yuwen Cheng knew about it and immediately brought his men to block them. Clearly, he was keeping a close eye on the situation at Hulao Pass. However, while he could keep a close watch on Hulao Pass and block their path at this time, he failed to properly encircle the area around Luoyang, allowing Chen Cai, Guan Chiying, and others to come and go freely. This shows that this man's eyes were always on his own people, not the enemy.
No wonder, they're incapable of accomplishing anything!
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi spurred her horse forward a couple of steps and said, "Third brother, you've misunderstood. We're not trying to compete with you for credit; we're just passing by and didn't have time to inform you."
Upon seeing him, a sinister glint flashed in Yuwen Cheng's eyes, but he still smiled and said, "Second sister-in-law is right."
"..."
"But no matter what, I've come here to meet you all, so shouldn't you tell me what's going on next?"
Yuwen Ye said coldly, "What did you say?"
Yuwen Cheng laughed and said, "Tell me, how do you plan to attack Luoyang?"
At this point, he flicked the reins and spurred his horse toward them. Yuwen Ye stood motionless, letting Yuwen Cheng circle him once, taking the opportunity to see the large army behind him. The sheer number of over 20,000 soldiers clearly surprised him, but Yuwen Cheng quickly composed himself, circled back to face him, and said with a smile, "Second Brother has brought so many men this time, and with me added, we're sure to win this battle."
Yuwen Ye said, "How I fight is my business."
Yuwen Cheng raised an eyebrow: "So, Second Brother isn't planning on bringing his brothers along?"
Yuwen Ye looked at him indifferently, without responding to his words.
Yuwen Cheng sneered again, directly placing his horse in front of him, and said with a smile, "Anyway, I haven't seen my second brother for so long. Now that we've finally met, I want to catch up with you and your wife; as for other things—"
At this point, he deliberately raised an eyebrow and said, "Anyway, I've been fighting in Luoyang for so long, one more day won't make a difference."
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