Chapter 1179 Reliving an Old Dream
In the end, Yuwen Cheng stormed off in a huff.
Just before leaving, perhaps still angry, he suddenly stopped as he passed by Shang Ruyi and smiled at her, saying, "Second sister-in-law, I didn't expect you to come too."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "A few days ago, the Western Turkic army besieged Xia Prefecture, and I was ordered to come and relieve the siege."
Yuwen Cheng said, "Second sister-in-law is truly a heroine among women, a woman who is no less capable than any man."
Shang Ruyi replied, "I wouldn't dare."
Given Yuwen Cheng's fiery temper, he should have left immediately after being humiliated and taken his anger out on the people around him. Why did he suddenly stop and talk to her? Shang Ruyi subconsciously became wary. Seeing her wary gaze, Yuwen Cheng's expression became even more vicious, especially his eyebrow with a missing section, which was as sharp as a knife. When he looked at Shang Ruyi, his eyes seemed to want to pierce through her.
Yuwen Cheng said meaningfully, "However, Second Sister-in-law, you came to the right place this time. After all, you are very familiar with Luoyang City and Ziwei Palace, so you can properly pay your respects to the old friends."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's heart sank.
Yuwen Ye's expression also darkened.
Seeing their stiff expressions, Yuwen Cheng became even more smug. He deliberately moved closer to Shang Ruyi and said in a voice that all three of them could hear, "If this place is still not good, we might as well go back to Tinghe Tower."
"..."
"Perhaps, my second sister-in-law can relive her old dreams there."
Shang Ruyi's face grew paler and paler, but before she could say anything, Yuwen Cheng had already left laughing.
Those who remained remained silent, but the atmosphere grew tense.
Even if the people here knew that Shang Ruyi had been here before, they wouldn't know who she had met or what had happened here, let alone what problems Tinghe Tower had. But they didn't need to know these things, because this needle had always been stuck in the hearts of Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi.
Guan'ao and the others stood quietly without saying a word, and even Shan Tong'er, who was staring at them with wide eyes, remained silent.
In the end, it was Yuwen Ye who spoke first.
His voice remained calm, as if he had not understood Yuwen Cheng's words at all, nor was he affected by them: "You don't look well. You must have been very tired on the way here."
"..."
After calming her racing heart, Shang Ruyi looked up at him, but her throat was sore that she couldn't speak for a moment.
Yuwen Ye said, "Let's go and rest for a while."
After speaking, he looked around, as if trying to recall if there was a place in this long-lost palace where she could rest temporarily. At this moment, Wei Yu, the eunuch who had been following them closely and trying to curry favor but never getting the chance, immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, the Warm Pavilion is a suitable place for the Princess to rest."
Upon hearing the words "Warm Dock," Shang Ruyi's heart sank once again.
Yuwen Ye paused for a moment, then said, "Very well."
Shang Ruyi stared at him with wide eyes in surprise—he clearly knew, so why…
But before she could speak, Yuwen Ye had already made his decision. He gently patted her shoulder and said, "I still have some things to take care of. You go and rest with him for a while. We'll leave together later."
Shang Ruyi said in a hoarse voice, "I—"
Yuwen Ye said, "Go."
Seeing him like this, Shang Ruyi stopped resisting. In fact, she felt a little weak all over, her limbs were cold, her heart was pounding, she couldn't speak, and she was even about to lose her balance. She really needed a warm place to stay for a while.
Spend some time alone.
So he nodded: "Mm."
Wei Yu immediately said solicitously, "This servant will assist the Princess Consort to go there."
Yuwen Ye granted his request, but then turned around and ordered two of his personal guards to follow and keep watch around the warm dock. So, Shang Ruyi, Wei Yu, and the other guards turned and left.
Only after watching her figure disappear from sight did Yuwen Ye turn around and turn his gaze to the majestic Zuozang Palace.
|
In fact, there was no need for Wei Yu to lead the way. Although Shang Ruyi was not very familiar with this road and did not walk it often, it was one of the most memorable scenes in her memory. As a result, she was in a daze as she walked, not only failing to see the road around her, but also not even noticing which palaces or familiar scenery she passed. However, when she instinctively stopped, she looked up and the familiar palace was already right in front of her.
The air was filled with a humid atmosphere and the sound of flowing water.
Looking at the palace, Shang Ruyi felt her heart pounding harder and harder, almost making her weak breaths unable to bear it. Wei Yu, however, was completely unaware of her inner turmoil and said solicitously, "Your Highness, that scoundrel Liang Shide has already had this place heated up as soon as autumn has arrived. Please don't mind, Your Highness. This servant will go in and clean it right away."
Shang Ruyi said, "No need."
She didn't actually mind that other people had lived here before. After all, this place never belonged to her. She had been prepared for things to change from the moment she entered the city.
Wei Yu said, "Then—"
Shang Ruyi said, "You all wait outside. I'll go in alone and rest for a while."
"yes."
Wei Yu dared not say anything more and stayed outside with his two personal guards.
Shang Ruyi took a few steps forward. Before climbing the steps, she subconsciously stopped, but there was no pair of woven fairy shoes prepared for her on the steps. Instead, there were some muddy footprints. Obviously, Liang Shide did not pay attention to these when he lived here. He did not even change his shoes before stepping on them.
I wonder how filthy it is inside.
But what should we do?
Shang Ruyi sighed inwardly, then climbed the steps in her shoes, which were covered in mud and grass clippings, and pushed open the tightly closed palace gate.
As soon as the door opened, a wave of heat hit me.
It was only early autumn, not too cold, just a bit chilly when the wind blew. I didn’t expect Liang Shide to have the warm palace heated up so early. You know, the charcoal used here is not ordinary, and it costs a fortune to keep such a large palace warm day and night. The cost of just one day is equivalent to more than a month’s expenses for a middle-class family.
People outside were already using loose soil mixed with rice bran to fill their stomachs, yet he was so wasteful.
As Shang Ruyi sighed, she walked inside, feeling that the heat was even heavier than before. After only a few steps, she felt her palms become sweaty.
However, it's not entirely due to the heat.
She walked in step by step and found that all the curtains that had been hanging in the palace had disappeared. Liang Shide probably didn't like such illusory and useless things, so he had them all removed. Even the huge screen in the center of the hall was nowhere to be found. The entire Warm Dock was completely open and transparent in front of her.
Indeed, things have changed.
However, there is another familiar thing: the huge map of the territory spread on the ground. This seems to be the only thing Liang Shide left behind from the past.
Having occupied Luoyang, he had visited it countless times and slept there countless times, wanting to possess everything on the map as he possessed it.
This time, Shang Ruyi took off her shoes and stepped onto the ground with clean silk stockings. Just like before, she started from the Western Regions and walked step by step toward the heart of the Central Plains. However, when she reached a familiar place, she stopped.
The map was riddled with holes by what appeared to be a knife or some other sharp weapon, and even the floor beneath it bore several deep scratches.
Shang Ruyi squatted down and saw that it was indeed Chang'an.
According to Guan'ao, when the news of Yuwen Yuan's ascension to the throne in Chang'an arrived, Liang Shide was furious and even wanted to kill everyone who remained in Yuwen's old residence to vent his anger. These holes were probably left at that time.
Shang Ruyi reached out and gently stroked the hideous hole. Guanzhong had been utterly destroyed by these few blows.
Not far from here, there was another place with a hole punched in it. Although she couldn't see it clearly, Shang Ruyi knew that it should be Longmen Ferry where Jiang Chongen was defeated. They wanted to lure and kill Yuwen Yuan there, but their plan ultimately failed.
From that moment on, Yuwen Yuan resolved to launch an eastern expedition against Luoyang and fight Liang Shide to the death.
In this world, every sip and every bite is preordained.
Shang Ruyi sighed inwardly. She tried to get up but suddenly felt dizzy and had to sit down. Fortunately, apart from poking a few holes in it, Liang Shide had taken good care of the map and hadn't gotten it dirty at all. It was probably cleaner than the felt mats they had slept on under the open sky when they arrived in Luoyang these past two days. So Shang Ruyi simply lay down on the map and looked down at the mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes beneath her with heavy eyelids.
What a beautiful land!
No matter who it is, once they lie on this, once they possess it, they won't want to part with it.
Shang Ruyi could even imagine Liang Shide's joy and satisfaction as he lay on this map, and his anger and resentment as he slashed it with a knife.
And what about that person...?
On the altar, although Yuwen Ye rushed over and stood in front of her to prevent her from seeing Liang Shide's suicide, Shang Ruyi did not actually see it. However, she could clearly recall in her mind how tragic and poignant it was to see the blood gushing out and the blood mist filling the air. She also remembered how arrogant and resolute he was when he fell in front of her and said, "I have never made a mistake in my life."
"Chu Yang..."
Finally, after many years, when her mind was somewhat confused, Shang Ruyi murmured the name. She even felt a sense of unfamiliarity, as if this person had never existed, yet suddenly left an indelible mark on her memory.
"Chu Yang,"
She called out softly, finally succumbing to the weariness and heartache that had been plaguing her since entering the city. She slowly closed her eyes as if in surrender. In a daze, she seemed to see that ethereal figure again, walking towards her step by step. His phoenix eyes shone brightly, his expression arrogant and aloof. Only when he looked at her did his soft smile reveal a hint of indescribable longing and loneliness.
As she drifted off to sleep, Shang Ruyi whispered, "You're wrong..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com