Chapter 388: Drinking the farewell wine, finding joy amidst suffering.
Upon hearing this, it was as if a giant boulder had crashed down upon the entire Dayan Temple.
Everyone's mind was shaken, and some even opened their eyes wide in surprise and cried out, only to be immediately stopped by the Zhou people.
Some people know this news, and some people don't.
But whether you know it or not, once it's said, especially in front of so many people, it's destined to be an irreversible situation.
Shang Ruyi's face turned pale once again.
This time, however, she did not confront the person who asked the question, nor did she meet the astonished and disdainful gazes around her, nor did she look at Yuwen Yuan, who was also quite shocked but remained composed. She simply turned her head slowly and looked at the Great Buddha Hall.
There, the doors and windows remained tightly shut.
Even the wind can't get in.
I don't know if the people inside can hear these words; I can't even begin to imagine what their feelings would be if they did hear them.
Shang Ruyi watched quietly for a while, but the door remained closed.
There wasn't even the slightest tremor in the biting wind, as if the person inside had lost all reaction. Shang Ruyi slowly turned her head, and when she looked at the people around her, she took another deep breath.
No one dared to disturb the people inside, regardless of their mood, but she was different; she still had to face the people in front of her, and even the world.
At this moment, Zhou Ying sneered, "What, can't the young mistress answer?"
Shang Ruyi calmly raised her eyes to look at him and said, "As long as you tell the truth, there is no question that cannot be answered."
Zhou Ying said, "Then, please tell the truth, young mistress."
Shang Ruyi said, "After that, I did indeed go south to Jiangdu Palace."
Zhou Ying immediately let out a cold laugh, a laugh so sharp it almost hurt everyone's ears. He said, "Why? Didn't you clearly believe that going south to Jiangdu was detrimental to the country and the court? Why then do you go against your own wishes?"
"..."
"Now that you've gone to Jiangdu Palace, can we assume that what you said before was just a cover-up?"
Ji Hong, who was standing to the side, also frowned.
Shang Ruyi glanced at him, but remained calm and said, "I went south to Jiangdu Palace because the situation had changed."
Zhou Ying narrowed her eyes: "What situation has changed?"
Shang Ruyi said, "At that time, the Eastern Capital had fallen."
"...!"
Upon hearing these four words, everyone was shocked once again.
Before they could calm down and think things through, Shang Ruyi continued, "His Majesty's journey south to Jiangdu is different from his journey south to Jiangdu after the fall of Dongdu."
"..."
"When Luoyang had not yet fallen, going south to Jiangdu was merely a tour; but after Luoyang fell, going south to Jiangdu was no longer a tour, but rather abandoning Luoyang, the capital, and abandoning the court, the state, and the people of the north!"
"..."
"Therefore, I went to Jiangdu to offer my humble advice to Your Majesty, requesting that you return to Luoyang and quell the rebellion."
Someone nearby immediately sneered, "What does this have to do with you?"
Shang Ruyi glanced at the man out of the corner of her eye; not only her gaze but also her gesture were filled with contempt and disdain.
She said, "The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen."
"..."
"At that time, although I had not yet been granted a title, and unlike those who were paid by the emperor, I was not entitled to bear the emperor's worries, I could still do my best and speak words of loyalty to the emperor."
Those around were immediately speechless.
Everyone knows that it was wrong for the emperor to go south to Jiangdu Palace. Going south to Jiangdu after the fall of Luoyang was an even bigger mistake. Such a big mistake should have been dissuaded and corrected by the ministers of the court, just like Ji Hong knelt outside Daxing Palace and cried blood, which is what Shang Ruyi meant by "eating the emperor's food and bearing the emperor's worries".
However, the officials in the Eastern Capital at the time obviously did not do so.
Shang Ruyi's words were a slap in the face to almost everyone who was paid by the emperor!
The man blushed deeply at her words, stammering and speechless. He could only lower his head, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Shang Ruyi didn't press her advantage by saying anything more to him. Instead, she turned to look at Ji Hong, whose expression was complicated, and said softly, "Young Master Ji also died in this matter. I believe you have heard about it."
Ji Hong's eyes gradually turned red.
Although he was devoted to the country and the public good, it did not mean that he was indifferent to the death of his son. On the contrary, behind his relief that his son died a worthy death was the most helpless grief of this old man.
He didn't say anything, but looked up at Shang Ruyi, who was calm but with a hint of sadness. She said softly, "Back in Jiangdu, as a Grand Councilor, Lord Ji wrote to the late Emperor every single day, advising him to regroup, lead the army north, and return to Luoyang to reclaim the Eastern Capital. This shows Lord Ji's concern for the country and his willingness to risk his life, which is something I admire greatly."
"..."
"Lord Ji, your son is just like you, a true national hero!"
Hearing these words, even someone as strong-willed as Ji Hong was slightly shaken.
A tear welled up in his cloudy eyes, but it slowly fell. Ji Hong choked out, "Yes, yes..."
Upon seeing Ji Hong shed tears, some of the people around him, who had previously been filled with righteous indignation, suddenly felt a pang of pity.
They looked at each other, lowered their heads, and some even began to back away.
But at that moment, someone in the crowd said coldly, "Every man has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation. Young Madam Yuwen is right. This can be considered your answer to Lord Zhou's question."
Shang Ruyi looked up and saw a tall man walking towards her.
It was none other than Meng Wei, the Commandant of the Vanguard.
This man was a military general, unlike Ji Hong and Zhou Ying. His tall figure was like a mountain, and when he walked up to Shang Ruyi, the shadow he cast immediately enveloped her.
He sneered, "But it seems that the young mistress only answered half of Lord Zhou's question just now."
"..."
"You said you went to Jiangdu Palace to advise the late emperor to lead his army north and retake Luoyang. Then why didn't the late emperor go north? Instead, he spent his days and nights with you in Jiangdu Palace, drinking and making merry?"
"..."
"Is what you say the same as what you do?"
As soon as he said this, strange expressions immediately appeared on the faces and eyes of the people around him.
In this world, what is most despicable yet most captivating is illicit and immoral romantic relationships between men and women. Once entangled in such rumors, anyone can easily find themselves caught in a vortex of public opinion from which they cannot extricate themselves.
Moreover, it was the late Emperor Chu Yang!
His womanizing ways were common knowledge. Even during the siege of Yanmen County, there were some unsavory rumors about him and this young mistress of the Yuwen family. Although they were later suppressed, the fact that the two had a secret encounter in Jiangdu Palace now seems to confirm the rumors.
If that's the case—
The crowd's gazes gradually turned frivolous and disdainful, and these gazes were not only directed at Shang Ruyi, but some people also began to look at the two tall figures behind her.
Yuwen Yuan, and Yuwen Ye!
Shang Ruyi's heart sank immediately.
Although she knew she would have to face this problem sooner or later, and had prepared herself when she first opened her mouth, she still felt a dull ache in her heart when she actually faced it. Looking back at him again, she saw that Yuwen Yuan's face was covered with frost.
He was a magnanimous elder who showed great affection and tenderness towards the daughter of his deceased friend.
But who can accept their daughter-in-law doing such a thing?
Moreover, back in Yanmen County, Chu Yang picked him up in front of everyone, which caused a great uproar. Although Yuwen Ye cleverly covered it up, it must have left a mark on Yuwen Yuan's mind.
If we bring it up again now, I'm afraid he—
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but feel a surge of panic and subconsciously looked at Yuwen Ye.
But he remained standing there, not only motionless, but also without uttering a single word or giving a single glance.
It was as if they were completely detached from the matter.
At this moment, even though he had told himself long ago that he should face these things himself, he still couldn't help but think in his heart—this is what he meant by "I'll do it"?
Shang Ruyi's eyes suddenly felt uncontrollably hot, as if something was surging up uncontrollably, almost filling her eyes and about to drip. She quickly turned her head away, forcefully swallowing the churning bitterness in her heart and suppressing the burning sensation.
No matter what, you have to face it yourself.
He made a promise, but he had to keep his word!
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and looked at Meng Wei, her voice slightly hoarse from barely suppressed, and said, "Commander, you only know that His Majesty is drinking and making merry in Jiangdu Palace, but do you know what kind of wine he is drinking? And what kind of merrymaking is he making?"
"...!?"
Meng Wei was taken aback, but he didn't know what the point of her question was.
Even those around her looked surprised, but Shang Ruyi calmly said, "I can tell you all."
"..."
"The late emperor was indeed drinking and making merry at Jiangdu Palace."
"..."
"But, what we drink is the death penalty, and what we do is find joy amidst suffering."
Originally, everyone was still caught up in the frivolous and lewd thoughts of exploring the private affairs between men and women. But when they suddenly heard these words, their almost despicable thoughts seemed to have been forcibly stripped away and exposed to the light of day. Everyone immediately felt an indescribable sense of shame.
The words "beheading" weighed heavily on Ji Hong's heart.
His eyes widened suddenly, and he asked urgently, "What does 'severance drink' mean?!"
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