Chapter 591 Oh—what does that mean?
Almost instinctively, Shang Ruyi shook her head.
Empress Dowager Jiang looked at her gently and said, "Then, who do you blame?"
Shang Ruyi said, "I don't blame anyone."
Empress Dowager Jiang said, "But I can see that you are in pain."
"..."
“I’m sorry to have upset you, but I’m a mother, and I have to protect my daughter.”
"...!"
Shang Ruyi was slightly taken aback.
She didn't blame Empress Dowager Jiang for being "selfish." In fact, she could imagine that if she were in Empress Dowager Jiang's position, she wouldn't be so polite to her daughter's rival either. She couldn't even guarantee that she could treat herself as gently and kindly as she had in the past.
Humans are just humans; selfishness is their instinct.
But humans also have a survival instinct: to numb themselves when intense pain strikes.
Therefore, it wasn't until Empress Dowager Jiang uttered those words that Shang Ruyi suddenly came to her senses, and she realized that she was in pain.
It turned out that after the agonizing wait through the night, when Yuwen Ye returned to her side and whispered in her ear that he would take Chu Ruoyan as a concubine, the excruciating pain in her heart that she felt was not her imagination, but real.
This pain has lingered to this day.
It was because the pain was so intense, so intense that she had become numb and lost all reaction, that she believed she was calm and rationally accepting everything.
But it turns out, that wasn't the case.
Shang Ruyi remained silent for a while before raising her head to look at Empress Dowager Jiang. But this time, her gaze was no longer fixed on those gentle, watery eyes, but on her neck. Although the hideous wound had been concealed by her neat clothes, Shang Ruyi still remembered the shock and pain she felt when she first saw it. She could even imagine the despair and pain in her heart when she slit her own throat.
Shang Ruyi asked softly, "When the Empress Dowager was in pain, did she ever say it out loud?"
Empress Dowager Jiang silently shook her head.
Shang Ruyi said, "Then, I won't say."
Empress Dowager Jiang looked at her for a while, then sighed softly and said, "I don't say anything because I know it would be useless to say anything."
"..."
“But I just told you, you are different from us.”
"..."
"Ruyi, sometimes you have to speak up."
"..."
"He and he are not the same."
As soon as the words were spoken, a series of heavy footsteps sounded, but it was not one person, but countless people, who walked out of the Taiji Hall not far away. The two people almost immediately held their breath, and Empress Dowager Jiang also raised her head and looked at the door of the side hall.
But Shang Ruyi did not turn back.
She sat there quietly until she could discern one person from the chaotic, disordered footsteps. It seemed that he had lingered for a moment at the entrance of the Taiji Hall, whispering something to someone, before turning around.
They paused for another moment.
Then, they slowly walked towards the side hall.
Finally, she saw Empress Dowager Jiang raise her head, and in her gentle eyes reflected the sunlight streaming in from outside the gate, and the tall shadow in the sunlight. Although it was only a small shadow, it pierced her heart like a needle.
That familiar voice spoke gently at that moment: "Empress Dowager..."
Empress Dowager Jiang slowly stood up, glanced at Shang Ruyi one last time, then took Chu Chengfei's hand and walked to the main gate. She could see that some of the civil and military officials in the Taiji Hall had already begun to leave the court. Some walked down the hall without looking to the side, while others paused briefly. But in their eyes as they looked at Empress Dowager Jiang and Chu Chengfei, they felt more powerlessness and guilt. In the end, they could only sigh and turn away.
Like a mighty torrent, it advances unhindered.
All that was left were them.
Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Jiang smiled.
Looking at her smile, even though Yuwen Ye was preoccupied with his own thoughts, he couldn't help but frown slightly. From childhood to adulthood, the woman he most wanted to protect was the one before him, gentle yet deeply lonely. Although many things had changed by now, their past feelings would never change.
He said softly, "Empress Dowager."
Empress Dowager Jiang smiled slightly at him and said reassuringly, "I'm fine."
"..."
Yuwen Ye remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed softly and said, "I have already sent people to wait at the palace gate to escort you to Yanchun Palace. Luggage—"
Empress Dowager Jiang smiled and said, "When Fei'er and I go to Yanchun Palace, we only need two sets of clothes and seasonal fruits and vegetables. We can leave everything else in the palace."
As she spoke, she smiled faintly and said, "We can't take anything with us."
This statement naturally brings a sense of relief.
But to outsiders, it sounded like endless desolation.
She was the most honored woman in the Daye Dynasty, and beside her was the supreme emperor of the Daye Dynasty. But now, they left the palace, but they could take nothing with them. It was as if they had just taken a trip in this bustling world and were about to leave, leaving only empty sleeves.
The absurdity and desolation of human life are fully revealed here.
Yuwen Ye remained silent for a while, but did not offer any words of comfort or take the initiative to say anything. It seemed that at this moment, he could better understand Empress Dowager Jiang's intention to take away nothing but a complete son and leave behind a daughter to receive her protection. So he said softly, "I understand."
"..."
"I will escort the Empress Dowager out of the palace."
"Need not."
Empress Dowager Jiang shook her head, glanced back at Shang Ruyi, and said, "I want to walk this path alone. As for you—you should think carefully about how you want to walk the rest of the road."
"..."
"Feng Chen".
"exist."
"I'm afraid I won't be able to see the scenery I want to see, but I hope you can create it. Don't let this land down."
"I will."
"And also, Ruoyan—"
"..."
"She's with you... I can't ask you to accept her, but I hope you'll treat her well."
"..."
Yuwen Ye remained silent for a long time, so long that Shang Ruyi, who had subconsciously held her breath, was almost suffocating, before she heard him reply in a deep voice, "Yes."
Her hands, resting on her knees, tightened slightly.
This word also stirred a bitter smile in Empress Dowager Jiang's eyes.
She understood that what Yuwen Ye should do was fulfill his responsibility.
She did indeed find the strongest protection for her two children. With the country destroyed and her family ruined, Chu Ruoyan was able to obtain these things, which meant that she could not obtain other things.
The world is always fair.
Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Jiang sighed softly in her heart, and then said, "My daughter is spoiled and willful, but she has never been a bad person. I think you know that too."
"yes."
So, what lies ahead—
"I see,"
Yuwen Ye interrupted her, but he didn't say anything immediately. Instead, he raised his head and gave a deep look into the hall. Although it was just a silent glance, even though Shang Ruyi had her back to him, she felt a chill run down her spine, as if his gaze was about to pierce through her body.
Then she heard his cold, hard voice say, "She has always been sincere towards me."
"..."
"And it's completely useless."
"..."
"Although I cannot respond to her, I will remember this day and protect her and the Empress Dowager no matter what happens in the future."
"..."
Empress Dowager Jiang looked at him, her heart skipping a beat.
She certainly understood that the child was an upright person, so he should be clear about the responsibilities and obligations in his words. However, there was also a strong sense of despondency in his words, so how could she not hear it?
He had thought that it was his arrangement that had caused Shang Ruyi to harbor resentment, so he had specially brought her to this side hall in the hope of resolving her resentment.
Now, she began to understand—the real grudge seemed to lie not only in Shang Ruyi's heart.
But this was beyond her control.
Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Jiang smiled, softly said "Take care," and walked past Yuwen Ye. She was slender, and even her heavy footsteps only stirred up a light breeze, as if she had taken away the last trace of the Daye Dynasty left in this world.
In an instant, the entire Daxing Imperial Palace seemed to be empty.
Shang Ruyi's heart also felt somewhat empty.
After a long silence, she finally let out a long sigh.
Just now, she deliberately stayed in the palace and did not go out, wanting to give the two of them a final chance to meet and say goodbye. After all, after today, regardless of whether Empress Dowager Jiang wanted to or not, given Chu Chengfei's sensitive status, it was unlikely that Yuwen Yuan would allow him to leave Yanchun Palace to see anyone again. Therefore, their chances of meeting again were extremely slim.
She used to mind this relationship, but now she's willing to give it a more perfect, or at least quieter, ending.
After all, she still has a lot to face in the future.
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi took another deep breath, as if trying to fill the emptiness in her heart, at least to give herself some strength.
She still had some things she wanted to say to Yuwen Ye.
So she slowly stood up and saw that Yuwen Ye was still standing at the entrance of the side hall. But surprisingly, he did not look out of the main hall, where he should have been able to see Empress Dowager Jiang off for the last time. Instead, he was staring at her intently.
Shang Ruyi was taken aback—
How long has he been watching?
Could it be that he's been watching her ever since Empress Dowager Jiang left? And why hasn't he said a word?
For a moment, her thoughts were in disarray. Although she had already approached the gate of the side hall, she felt an invisible force blocking her way. Yuwen Ye stood stubbornly outside the gate, motionless, his dark eyes fixed on her.
The two people are separated by only a door, and even now, with the door wide open, it inexplicably feels as if an invisible, yet insurmountable, chasm separates them.
Shang Ruyi stopped at the door.
She looked into those deep, cold eyes, which were still fixed on her, as if they wanted to see right through her soul.
Then she heard him speak, his voice deep and heavy: "Oh—what do you mean?"
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