Chapter 142 I also want to know the answer
"..."
Empress Jiang raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at her with a hint of inquiry.
After a long silence, he ultimately said nothing, only smiled faintly, and turned to leave.
Only when the sound of her footsteps could no longer be heard did Shang Ruyi catch her breath. Tu She'er and Lei Yu rushed in from outside the door. Tu She'er immediately stepped forward and took out a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, asking anxiously, "Miss, are you alright? The Empress... she didn't blame you, did she?"
Shang Ruyi smiled weakly and said, "How could the Empress, with her status, make things difficult for me?"
Tushe'er finally felt relieved after being anxious for so long.
Sitting to the side, Lei Yu looked at her and said in a deep voice, "Are you sure?"
Shang Ruyi met her gaze and said with a wry smile, "Even if Her Majesty the Empress really wants to settle accounts with me, she'll have to wait until we get through this crisis. Right now, it's uncertain whether we'll even live to see tomorrow or the day after."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room became tense once again.
Yes, the current crisis is the real test for everyone. The Turkic army of 100,000 has besieged the city, and not even a bird can fly out. No matter how great the grudges are, they seem to be nothing in the face of such a life-or-death situation.
Lei Yu sighed and then said, "Tushe'er, didn't the people around the Empress just tell you that medicine has been prepared for your young lady? Go and get it quickly, don't delay."
Tushe'er agreed and immediately got up and went out.
Shang Ruyi lay on the bed, talking for a while, which made her more awake. She had also gathered some strength and wanted to sit up. Lei Yu couldn't bear to see her lying on the bed as slowly as a tortoise, so he went over and helped her sit up. Although it was just a small movement, it still made Shang Ruyi break out in a cold sweat from the pain.
Lei Yu impatiently pulled out a handkerchief and tossed it to her: "Use it to wipe yourself."
Shang Ruyi smiled and obediently picked up a handkerchief to wipe her sweat—she probably knew why Lei Yu's attitude towards her had changed again. After all, if a married woman had done something like that, everyone would look down on her.
What's more, her husband was the man who haunted Lei Yu's dreams.
She lamented her unfortunate fate, having encountered people who were all complex and cunning. Looking back, she cherished friends like Lei Yu, who wore their emotions on their sleeves.
So he said, "I know what you're angry about."
"..."
"But I can assure you that I, Shang Ruyi, am an upright and honest person."
Her words eased Lei Yu's pent-up frustration somewhat, but after a moment of silence, Lei Yu couldn't help but ask, "Then tell me, what exactly is your relationship with the Emperor?"
"..."
"If there really was no relationship, why would he hug you in front of everyone—at that moment, the way he looked at you made me think you two had no relationship at all."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's breathing suddenly became heavy.
The wound on my back seems to be throbbing again.
She unconsciously clenched her handkerchief, her face remained silent for a long time, and finally raised her head to say to Lei Yu, "I suppose I also want to know the answer to this question."
After saying that, he smiled calmly.
Looking at the faint smile on her pale face, as faint as a wisp of smoke, Lei Yu frowned slightly.
Just as he was about to say something, he saw Shang Ruyi suddenly raise her head and look towards the door, whispering, "Is it thundering?"
"thunder?"
Lei Yu frowned: "Where would you come from in the dead of winter—"
Before she could finish speaking, she realized what she was saying and immediately put on a serious expression, standing up abruptly: "The Turkic soldiers are attacking the city again!"
"What?!"
Shang Ruyi was shocked. Upon closer listening, she realized that the rumbling sound she had just heard seemed to be mixed with other noises. At that moment, Tushe'er rushed in from outside, carrying medicine in a panic: "These Turkic soldiers are too wicked. They attacked the city until late last night and only rested for a short while before they came again."
Lei Yu said irritably, "Do you think we should wait for you to rest before attacking the city?"
After saying this, she strode out, but turned back at the door with concern and said, "Tushe'er, keep an eye on your young lady and don't let her run around. Be careful she doesn't get hurt."
Tushe'er nodded and immediately ran to the bedside, while Lei Yu had already rushed out in a few steps.
Shang Ruyi was still somewhat bewildered by what was happening before her eyes. She could only watch helplessly as Lei Yu's figure disappeared through the doorway, followed by a series of deafening roars that grew louder and louder.
Her face gradually turned pale: "Really, they started fighting?"
Tushe'er held her tightly with her thin arms, her voice trembling slightly, but she still tried to comfort her: "Don't worry, Miss, the government office is far from the city gate, we won't be hit by arrows here. It's just—"
She didn't even dare to say what came next.
She dared not say it, but Shang Ruyi knew very well that although they were safe now, once the city fell... not to mention the soldiers guarding the city outside, not to mention the two of them who were relatively safe at the moment, even the supreme emperor would probably be trampled into dust by the iron hooves of the Turkic soldiers!
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi felt a chill run through her body.
She dared not move, nor could she move; she could only be held tightly by Tusher, curled up in the room. But even so, war was still not far away for them.
First they heard a series of loud rumbling sounds, not thunder, but the sound of the Turks ramming the city gate.
Although the government office was far from the city gate, Yanmen County was only this small area. The loud noise and earth-shaking tremors from the impact on the city gate were clearly heard by Shang Ruyi. Her heart trembled and almost stopped beating.
Then came a sharp whistle that pierced the sky.
The sound was like a flock of birds flying by, but while birds only stir up the wind and leave behind scenery, this sound—which also stirs up the wind and leaves behind scenery—is a "scenery" of rivers of blood and corpses strewn across the land.
That was the sound of the Turkic soldiers firing a volley of arrows.
Shang Ruyi felt as if her eardrums were about to be ripped apart. The wound on her back, caused by the whistling arrow, seemed to sense this and began to ache faintly.
Finally, there were countless gasps and screams.
These sounds were clearer and more real than any before. Shang Ruyi couldn't even ignore the thick stench of blood permeating the screams. The people of Yanmen County must have been fleeing everywhere, but no matter how much they screamed, they had nowhere to escape. Wherever the arrows passed, corpses littered the fields and blood flowed like rivers.
This small Yanmen County, in places unseen by myself, has probably become a living hell...
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