Chapter 813 A chill ran down my spine, and there was nothing I could do.
Yuwen Ye's eyes narrowed slightly.
He certainly didn't think Yuwen Yuan was someone who could be easily fooled. In fact, while Yuwen Yuan seemed to be uninvolved in many matters, he actually knew everything very well. As long as he was still in control of people and things, he wouldn't speak up easily, much less take action.
Once he speaks, it means he has realized that some people and things have slipped out of his control.
At that moment, he spoke.
Yuwen Ye lowered his head. Since leaving the Dong residence, he had been traveling under the cover of night. After entering the palace, the surroundings were also dark. The sudden light made his eyes go black, and he was momentarily lost in thought.
It was this moment of distraction that caused his response to be delayed for a moment.
Yuwen Yuan then said in a deep voice, "When you came to see me late at night, did you intend to talk about Xingluocang or about your third brother?"
"...!"
Yuwen Ye's breath hitched again—Yuwen Yuan's eyes were indeed sharp. Even when he was in the darkness, even when he was still grieving for his old friends and relatives in the city, he could still clearly distinguish which words were true and which were false in these seemingly true but actually false words.
However, this is not surprising.
Yuwen Ye knew very well that his father, who was always calm and collected, was actually the most difficult to fool.
He took a deep breath and finally regained his senses and composure amidst the bright light, then said, "Your subject did this for the sake of Xingluocang."
"oh?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Yuan stopped in front of him, slowly bending down to look his second son in the eye. He was already imposing, and when he didn't smile, he exuded an innate, dignified aura. His piercing tiger eyes were now even more sharp, as if they could pierce through flesh and bone, and see right through one's soul. If an ordinary person met such a gaze, not only would any scheming or treacherous thoughts be exposed, but they probably wouldn't even be able to withstand the most basic eye contact for a moment.
But Yuwen Ye met his gaze calmly, his cold eyes unwavering, and said firmly, word by word, "Because your son wants to take over the Eastern Capital!"
"..."
Yuwen Yuan's breathing became heavy.
Then, he frowned and stared intently into the cold, stern eyes before him, as if trying to see deeper and more clearly, to see through his thoughts; but no matter how he looked, the eyes before him remained firm and composed, without the slightest hint of retreat or avoidance.
Such steadfastness, in the past, gave him immense peace of mind.
But at this moment, Yuwen Yuan felt a strange chill run down his spine, yet he was helpless.
He took a deep breath, finally straightening up slowly, and said, "I have my own plans for the affairs of the Eastern Capital. As for Yan Jie—"
Before he could finish speaking, a muffled sound came from outside the Liangyi Hall, as if someone had come to pay their respects late at night. Eunuch Yu stood faithfully outside the door, hesitantly whispering, "Your Highness Prince Qi, the Emperor has not yet summoned you. You cannot trespass."
"What, do we brothers need to report to you before we can see our father?"
"No, this servant wouldn't dare."
Yuwen Yuan slowly raised his head: "Yu Mingli, let him in."
There was a moment of silence outside the door, followed by a low, hoarse sound as the door was pushed open. Immediately afterward, a cool breeze blew into the tall palace. Yuwen Ye felt a chill run down his spine, but the chill seemed to come from more than just the wind.
Footsteps entered from outside the door, followed by Yuwen Cheng's laughing voice—
"It seems that my second brother has already spoken up about my matter."
As soon as he finished speaking, a voice that sounded gentle and calm, yet carried a chill that was even more bone-chilling than the wind that had just blown: "Third brother, do not be rude. Your son pays his respects to Father."
It was Crown Prince Yuwen Qian.
Yuwen Ye knelt on the ground, motionless, watching as two faint shadows walked to his side and then knelt down.
Yuwen Qian and Yuwen Cheng entered the palace together.
As soon as the two entered the Liangyi Hall, Yuwen Yuan turned around and slowly walked to the front of the hall. He was already seated, and looking up at his three sons, he remained silent for a long time before saying, "It's rare that all three of you have come. Third son, I didn't issue any decree for you to return to court. What are you doing?"
Yuwen Cheng immediately bowed and kowtowed, saying, "Your subject knows his mistake."
"I didn't ask you to admit your mistake. I'm asking you, what are you doing?!"
"Your subject heard of the Duke's death and felt that, as an elder, he was someone I should return to pay my respects. Moreover—"
He drew out his words, and although he didn't continue, Yuwen Ye, who was looking down at his shadow on the ground, clearly looked up. Sure enough, Yuwen Yuan in front of him was slightly startled, and his voice became more urgent: "How did you get injured?"
Yuwen Cheng turned to look at Yuwen Ye and said indifferently, "I believe that my second brother has already informed Father Emperor when he entered the palace."
Yuwen Yuan frowned.
Looking at Yuwen Ye, who was kneeling on the ground motionless and showed no emotion whatsoever, he suddenly understood something and asked, "What are you doing at Xingluo Warehouse?"
Yuwen Cheng had assumed that Yuwen Yuan would question Yuwen Ye upon seeing the wound on his head, but to his surprise, Yuwen Ye still asked him first. He quickly realized that Yuwen Ye's earlier visit was likely not just to inform Yuwen Yuan about his unauthorized return to Chang'an. He sneered inwardly and said, "I have said before that I was not at ease with the defenses of Xingluo Granary. After taking Songzhou this time, I went there specifically to investigate, so that if there were any problems there when the army was mobilized, it would affect the overall situation."
"Then investigate further, and what do you find?"
"Your subject was unable to enter Xingluo Granary at all. The guards there dared to lay a hand on your subject, committing treason and a crime deserving of death!"
Yuwen Yuan's brows furrowed even more.
When he first saw Yuwen Cheng's bandaged forehead, he was indeed a little worried. However, when he saw that Yuwen Cheng himself was fine and could enter the palace alive and well, he figured that the injury was not too serious. But the injury itself was not the problem; the reason for the injury was.
If the people guarding Xingluo Granary dare to lay a hand on the Prince of Qi of the Great Sheng Dynasty, then they have no respect for him as emperor.
What else is there that they wouldn't dare to do?
If that's the case, such a crucial city's defense should absolutely not be entrusted to such people. If they were to harbor any disloyalty during the war, it could jeopardize the entire eastern war effort.
Thinking of this, Yuwen Yuan's breath hitched, and he was about to speak when he looked up and saw Yuwen Ye kneeling on the ground, motionless and without any emotional fluctuation. Thinking of the unwavering look in Yuwen Ye's eyes when he faced him just now, Yuwen Yuan's heart sank again.
He said, "King Qin, the men guarding Xingluo Granary are your men."
"yes."
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