Chapter 777 Are the two of them really that close?
Shang Ruyi was somewhat surprised.
It turns out that this person also has human emotions.
Just thinking about it made her laugh to herself – Yuwen Qian was, after all, a living, breathing person, so how could he possibly have no human emotions?
Upon hearing this smile, she immediately felt it was inappropriate. One should not listen to what is improper. It was already wrong of her to be standing here and hearing what others were saying, let alone to criticize them in her heart. This was not something a Princess Consort of Qin should do, so she hurriedly turned around and stepped back.
But her body was heavy and her steps were slow, so her movements were easily heard.
The burly, robust-looking Duke Shenwu, whose face still showed signs of weariness and illness, immediately heard something. He looked up and saw Shang Ruyi's somewhat sluggish figure.
Dong Bizheng's expression tightened slightly.
However, since it wasn't anything confidential, just casual conversation between the uncle and nephew, it wasn't anything shameful. He only frowned slightly before immediately smiling and saying, "Ah, it's Princess Qin."
The handsome figure standing opposite him trembled slightly.
At this point, Shang Ruyi couldn't leave any longer, as it would make her seem guilty. So she composed herself and walked over to greet him: "Greetings, elder brother; greetings, Duke."
Upon hearing the title "elder brother," Dong Bizheng raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at the Crown Prince beside him whose expression had suddenly become somewhat solemn, then put on a broad smile and bowed to Shang Ruyi: "Greetings, Princess Consort Qin. How has Your Highness been these past few days?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am fine."
"That's good. I only hope that the Princess Consort takes good care of herself. If she gives birth to the eldest grandson of the Emperor, it will be a great blessing for the dynasty."
"Thanks to the Duke's auspicious words."
Shang Ruyi knew, of course, that these were just polite words, but when these people met, who would really open their hearts to each other? It was just about maintaining appearances. So she said with concern, "I see that the Duke does not look well. The weather has been very changeable lately. I hope the Duke will take good care of himself and rest well."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Yuwen Qian stood quietly to the side, and for some reason, a smile appeared in his eyes.
He seemed quite pleased to see this scene unfold.
However, the "polite words" between Princess Qin and Duke Shenwu wouldn't last long. After all, they weren't familiar with each other and had no extra affection for one another. Once they had asked all the necessary questions and answered all the necessary questions, they didn't know what to say next, and the atmosphere naturally became tense for a moment. Yuwen Qian then spoke up at the opportune moment, saying, "Since Uncle has decided to accompany Father Emperor on his journey, he should go back early to prepare, get some rest, and conserve his energy."
Dong Bizheng glanced at him, then at Shang Ruyi, and bowed, saying, "Then this old minister will take his leave."
Shang Ruyi hurriedly returned the gift.
Just like last time, Dong Bizheng descended the Thousand-Step Corridor and left the inner court at a leisurely pace.
Watching his figure disappear into the distance, Shang Ruyi turned around, only to find Yuwen Qian looking at her. She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Brother, please forgive me. Just now, I only meant to—"
Before he could finish speaking, Yuwen Qian smiled and said, "It seems that the weather has cleared up for a rare occasion, and my sister-in-law has come out for a stroll."
Shang Ruyi replied, "Yes."
She thought for a moment, then continued explaining, "I just—"
Yuwen Qian then smiled and said, "By the way, I heard that your sister-in-law's Yuzhang Academy has already started classes."
"Yes,"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi forgot about the slight inappropriateness just now and immediately smiled and said, "Speaking of which, I must thank you for your suggestion earlier, brother. Getting this done not only saved me a lot of trouble, but also a lot of money."
Yuwen Qian laughed and said, "I was just saying a few words. Your sister-in-law is the one who has accomplished all of this."
As he spoke, he turned to the side and raised his hand to signal. Shang Ruyi followed his gesture and walked forward. The two walked side by side, as if they were taking a stroll together.
Shang Ruyi had no intention of taking a walk with this uncle, even though the sky was clear and the rain was still dripping slowly from the roof of the long corridor. The crystal-clear water droplets reflected the sunlight and shone with seven colors, making the scenery of the inner court more splendid and making people feel much better after being cooped up for several days. However, Yuwen Qian seemed to be in a good mood and accompanied her as they walked slowly forward. Tu She'er had no choice but to follow behind, a trace of helplessness and anxiety on her face.
As he walked, Yuwen Qian said, "Unfortunately, things haven't gone so smoothly on my end."
He spoke first, and Shang Ruyi could only follow suit and ask, "Isn't Brother currently clearing up land ownership and household registration in the Guanzhong region?"
Yuwen Qian said, "Yes, but the household registration and land records in Chang'an are only half completed, and Father is about to go on a tour. My uncle insists on accompanying him. Sister-in-law, you are right. People become more stubborn as they get older. I tried to persuade him for half a day, but it was no use."
Shang Ruyi didn't expect that he would continue to talk to her about these things, and that his tone was full of complaints.
However, such complaints are not offensive because there is no heavy sense of frustration. On the contrary, young people can only laugh off the indulgence and helplessness of the elderly and elders.
Shang Ruyi then smiled and said, "The Duke is a man of his word."
A desolate smile suddenly appeared on Yuwen Qian's face. He said, "Yes, I remember when I was a child I was weak and sickly. Aunt Hui would brew very bitter medicine for me to drink, saying that good medicine tastes bitter. But at that time I didn't understand that. I just thought it was bitter and refused to drink it. No matter how she persuaded me, it was no use. Aunt Hui felt sorry for my illness, and even more sorry for my fear of suffering. She didn't know how to persuade me, so she just held me and cried together."
"..."
"However, she couldn't go without medicine either, and her father was often away on military campaigns. If all else failed, she had no choice but to ask her uncle for help."
"..."
“When my uncle came, he wasn’t so good-tempered anymore. He would pinch my nose and force-feed me medicine without any regard for the consequences, often spilling half a bowl of medicine all over me. But because of him, I got scared. The next time I was sick and needed to take medicine, Aunt Hui would just say that she would have to call my uncle, and I wouldn’t dare to argue anymore. I would obediently drink the medicine myself.”
"..."
Shang Ruyi listened quietly without saying a word.
Her silence stemmed not only from politeness but also from her astonishment—the last time they met here, Yuwen Qian had "complained" to her about the old man's stubbornness, which had already struck her as odd. But this time, he was even more unabashed in telling her about his childhood!
Are the two of them really that close?
For a moment, Shang Ruyi was beginning to doubt whether the conflict between the Crown Prince and the King of Qin was really as tense as she thought.
Otherwise, why would Yuwen Qian be so friendly to him and say such things?
Shouldn't these be things he would say when sharing his experiences with close people, such as Lou Chanyue, or another concubine, or even with a woman who becomes his crown princess, in order to strengthen their relationship and deepen their affection?
But she was still conscious.
Even if things weren't tense, and even if Yuwen Ye and he always acted like brothers when they met, there could never be true closeness or peace between Yuwen Ye, who wanted to seize the position of Crown Prince, and Yuwen Qian, who had already taken it. And the same was true for her, as the Princess Consort of Qin.
Therefore, Shang Ruyi soberly wanted to use some polite words to get through the situation.
But before I could speak, my heart softened.
Sometimes, people's hearts have gaps, and what can bring people closer is not just blood ties. Perhaps they've heard the same song, recited the same poem, or even suffered the same wounds; their souls resonate. Whether Yuwen Qian's words were idle chatter, attempts to win her over, or even for some other purpose, the genuine emotion they contained struck a chord deep within Shang Ruyi's heart—
Thinking of this, she still sighed softly and said, "There may be a million kinds of attitudes from elders, but there is only one kind of loving heart."
"yes,"
Yuwen Qian took two steps forward with his hands behind his back. Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he looked at Shang Ruyi with a smile and said, "I suddenly remembered that my sister-in-law also grew up with your uncle when she was little."
Shang Ruyi replied, "Yes."
Yuwen Qian said, "No wonder, sister-in-law understands my feelings."
Shang Ruyi glanced at him again and felt that he seemed to have become even more down-to-earth.
However, whether he was down-to-earth or not had little to do with her. Shang Ruyi was only instinctively wary because of his words—she and Yuwen Qian were not the kind of people who could confide in each other, so some things were better left unsaid.
So she smiled and said, "Sometimes, you can only coax the elderly and let them be if it's nothing serious. Fortunately, this time it's not going to the battlefield, but just accompanying Father Emperor on a tour of Longmen Ferry."
At this point, Shang Ruyi looked at him again, her eyes flickering slightly: "Will my elder brother come along?"
Yuwen Qian paused for a moment, then said, "Of course."
"Big brother is going too?"
"My father has already issued an edict ordering me to accompany him on his journey, and we will depart tomorrow. That's why I'm rushing to organize some documents today. I just didn't expect that my uncle would insist on coming along, which is why we've come here to discuss this matter."
"oh……"
Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected the matter to be settled so quickly. She wondered if Yuwen Ye would accompany her.
We'll probably only find out when he gets back today.
Seeing the flicker in Shang Ruyi's eyes, as if he knew what she was thinking, Yuwen Qian's eyes darkened slightly, and he said, "Sister-in-law is probably worried about whether Second Brother will accompany the emperor. I heard that Second Brother has already refused."
"ah?"
Shang Ruyi was stunned, and stared at him with wide eyes: "Why?"
Yuwen Qian looked at her, a hint of sadness in his eyes: "This, I'm afraid we'll have to ask my second brother."
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