Chapter 510 Princess, what do you want?
The night passed in silence and gloom.
The next day, Shang Ruyi still did not go out, but stayed quietly at home. Her family seemed to know what was on her mind, and almost no one came to disturb her.
Even Yuwen Yuan didn't speak to her.
Even so, Shang Ruyi was not as quiet as usual. Even when she was in her room, just sitting by the window looking at the gloomy sky outside, she could hear the noisy voices coming from outside the gate. Although the Duke's mansion was closed to guests, there were even more people coming to visit. She could imagine that the situation at the Shen mansion was probably similar to this one.
The turmoil that Shen Shiyan stirred up in Daxing City by his own efforts has reached the point where dark clouds are looming over the city.
At that moment, a cup of tea was placed beside her.
Shang Ruyi turned her head and saw Tu She'er standing beside her. The girl's eyes were red and swollen, and she had a worried expression on her face, obviously worried that Shen Shiyan hadn't slept well all night. Shang Ruyi sighed and said, "You can go now. Let Wo Xue and the others take care of you."
Tushe'er gently shook his head, remaining standing still.
Shang Ruyi looked at her: "Do you have something to say?"
Tusheer nodded.
Shang Ruyi sighed and said, "Speak."
Tushe'er remained quiet for a while before cautiously looking at her: "Miss, why didn't you go out today?"
"Get out? Where to?"
“Go back and see the lady, or—”
At this point, Tushe'er hesitated for a moment, then finally took a deep breath and boldly said, "Or, should we go to the palace to plead for them?"
"Who should I look for?"
"Of course we should find the eldest princess."
"..."
“Isn’t she familiar with the young master? Miss met her several times when she went to the palace before. Maybe asking her can save the master’s life.”
Shang Ruyi glanced at her again, and the bitterness she had been trying so hard to suppress slowly surfaced in her heart.
Even she knew that at this point, there was no other way; the only help they could turn to was the eldest princess. But—
Shang Ruyi sighed, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. Perhaps sensing that she wasn't feeling well today, the tea was very strong. Not only was the aroma intense, but it also had a slightly bitter taste on her tongue. Shang Ruyi subconsciously frowned, swallowed the tea, and after a while, the strong aroma gradually dissipated, and her mind regained some clarity amidst the serene fragrance of the tea.
She said, "It's not the right time yet."
"What?"
Tushe'er stared at her with wide eyes in surprise—wasn't it the right time?
Shen Shiyan has already been imprisoned and could be killed by the emperor at any time. Why isn't it time to plead for his life?
When will we have to wait?
Even if they can wait, can Shen Shiyan in prison wait?
His health was already poor, and he had just endured such a long period of exile. Although the people there hadn't mistreated him, Lingnan was, after all, a wild and desolate place rife with miasma, and Shen Shiyan still developed some illnesses during that time. Now, having finally returned to Daxing City, he's been thrown into the Ministry of Justice's prison. The prison is cold and damp; even a healthy person would probably fall ill from confinement there, let alone him!
Seeing Tushe'er pour out all her doubts and worries like beans spilling out, clearly deeply concerned about Shen Shiyan's life or death, Shang Ruyi, though also burdened by this weight in her heart, smiled with a touch of relief before saying, "There's a right time to ask for help."
"..."
"Sometimes, it's not just the person asking for help who has something to ask for; perhaps the person being asked for help also has something to ask for."
"..."
"At this point, it comes down to who has more patience."
Although Shang Ruyi usually taught Tushe'er some principles of conduct, sometimes her words were profound and unfathomable, this time, it was clearly beyond Tushe'er's comprehension. She stared wide-eyed, pondering these words for a long time, still unable to understand them, only subconsciously grasping a single truth—
"Your Highness, do you also have a request?"
Shang Ruyi glanced at her and said indifferently, "Mm."
Tushe'er was even more surprised: "Princess, what do you want?"
Before she could finish speaking and before Shang Ruyi could answer, they heard someone push the door open and walk in. Tu She'er turned around and immediately said, "Young Master!"
Shang Ruyi's breathing involuntarily quickened, and she raised her head.
Last night, after their conversation about the fate of the nation and love, they hadn't spoken another word. However, Shang Ruyi couldn't sleep and clearly sensed that Yuwen Ye, who had been holding her without saying a word, was also awake.
When I woke up early in the morning, there was no one beside me.
She didn't know where he had gone, and his sudden return at this moment, his handsome face still as expressionless as ever, but his bloodshot eyes made that expressionless face even more cold and stern. The words that Shang Ruyi originally wanted to say suddenly got stuck in her throat.
Although it was only for a moment, Tusheer seemed to sense the strange and tense atmosphere between the two of them.
She cautiously took a step back and looked at the two of them.
Yuwen Ye slowly walked in. Although he exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay, he took the initiative to walk up to Shang Ruyi, looked down at her slightly flickering eyes, and suddenly said, "Come with me."
Shang Ruyi was taken aback and looked up at him: "Where are you going?"
"Go to the Ministry of Justice prison."
"The Ministry of Justice's prison?!"
Upon hearing those four words, Shang Ruyi gasped, abruptly standing up and exclaiming in surprise, "You mean—"
Yuwen Ye said calmly, "I asked the people in the Ministry of Justice for a solution that will allow you to go in and see your uncle."
"..."
"However, it will only take the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."
"..."
"Hurry up and get ready. If you're too late, the people over there might back out."
Shang Ruyi never expected such a pleasant surprise. After all, the Daye Dynasty had harsh punishments, and Shen Shiyan was imprisoned for deceiving the emperor. Once someone entered the Ministry of Justice's prison, it was almost impossible for them to see the light of day again. Unexpectedly, Yuwen Ye was able to let her see her uncle!
Shang Ruyi was so happy she was almost at a loss for words, and said, "This, this is wonderful, thank you Fengchen!"
"There's no need to thank me."
Seeing her overjoyed expression, Yuwen Ye's gaze deepened, and he said calmly, "I am your husband, so naturally I should help you."
"..."
"Isn't your uncle the most important person to you?"
"Well?"
These words startled Shang Ruyi, but the other party calmly replied, "I'll wait for you outside."
After saying that, he turned and walked out.
Shang Ruyi was a little stunned, but she couldn't care less at the moment. She hurriedly asked Tu She'er to help her change her clothes and then rushed out.
Soon, they arrived at the Ministry of Justice prison.
The environment here was far worse than they had imagined. It was not only cold and damp, but also filled with an indescribable fishy stench that made it hard to breathe.
As soon as they entered, the prisoners inside immediately began to clench their cages and cry out for justice. Some of them had been tortured and were covered in wounds and blood. Others had been imprisoned for too long and had bloodshot eyes and a crazed look in their eyes. When they roared and cried out at the two men who were walking in, their voices were deafening, as if countless wronged souls were clamoring in their ears.
Shang Ruyi had seen many scenes, but she had never seen anything like this.
There were too many sounds, and it was impossible to hear what grievances they were shouting. It felt like those noisy sounds were invisible fists hitting them, and Shang Ruyi subconsciously took two steps back.
As she retreated, she approached the bars of one of the cells, where several dark, thin hands, like ghostly claws, reached out and tried to grab her.
"ah!"
Shang Ruyi gasped and hurriedly stepped back, while the jailer who had led the way stepped forward without any politeness, drew his stick from his waist and struck the hands.
Immediately, cries of pain and ferocious laughter echoed throughout the entire prison.
Shang Ruyi's face also turned pale. Although she had experienced hardship and even witnessed more gruesome scenes of flesh and blood flying on the battlefield, the scene before her was a different kind of hell, which made her shudder.
Just as she was feeling somewhat panicked, a hand shielded her.
Shang Ruyi shuddered, looked up, and saw that Yuwen Ye didn't even look at her, but was staring straight ahead, saying indifferently, "Let's go."
Although it was just a cold, impersonal word, the hand he was using to protect his shoulder was still warm in the palm.
Shang Ruyi was eventually touched by that little bit of warmth, and felt more at ease. She nodded and continued walking forward. Before long, the jailer who was leading the way took them to the depths of the dungeon.
The cells here are larger and have denser fences than those outside, clearly indicating that they are used to hold important prisoners.
The cells, some with only a skylight in the wall, cast a dim light on the withered figures. Some could react to the footsteps, raising their heads and looking at them with bloodshot eyes, but others seemed to have lost their human form, curled up on the ground, almost indistinguishable from dead wood.
Seeing these sights, Shang Ruyi felt her heart sink.
Fortunately, at that moment, the jailer walked to one of the relatively spacious and clean cells, pointed inside, and said, "Gentlemen, this is it."
This was the cell closest to the skylight, so it was well-lit. The floor was covered with straw, and in the corner there was a rickety wooden bed. Beside the bed, a thin and frail figure sat with a slight hunchback.
Shang Ruyi immediately rushed forward: "Uncle!"
The man slowly raised his head. Although his hair was a bit messy and his clothes were stained with a lot of mud, his handsome face and bright eyes were still the same as he remembered. Especially when he saw Shang Ruyi, his originally gloomy face lit up, and he immediately stood up and walked over to her, holding onto the edge of the bed.
But as soon as he left, he let out a painful groan, and Shang Ruyi noticed that one of his legs seemed to be injured, and he was limping when he walked!
Fortunately, the cell wasn't big, and it only took a few steps to reach the bars. Overjoyed, she exclaimed, "Ruyi? Ruyi? It really is you!"
It really is Shen Shiyan!
He was originally a slender and refined middle-aged man. Even when he was in exile, he did not suffer too much hardship and always maintained the elegant demeanor of a scholar. But now, he was covered in mud, looked haggard, and was even more disheveled than when he had just ended his exile.
Upon seeing him, Shang Ruyi nodded repeatedly, trying to smile, but tears welled up uncontrollably. Especially when she saw Shen Shiyan's injured leg and the obvious whip marks on his body, she wept even more profusely: "Uncle..."
Upon seeing her like this, Shen Shiyan quickly stood up straight, dusted off his clothes, and forced a smile, saying, "Why are you crying?"
"..."
"When you end up in jail, who can avoid getting a beating? They've already been very lenient with you, Uncle."
"..."
"Don't cry, silly child, don't cry."
He was already in such a state himself, yet he was still preoccupied with comforting Shang Ruyi. He even reached out to stroke his niece's head, but when he did, the bruises on his arm startled him, and he quickly withdrew his hand, saying helplessly, "Silly child, don't cry..."
Although Yuwen Ye, who was standing to the side, remained silent and indifferent, he couldn't help but frown at this moment. He thought for a moment, walked over to Shang Ruyi, put his hand on her shoulder, and said softly, "Time is running out. You should talk to your uncle properly and not let him come over to comfort you instead."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi realized that she had acted very wrongly and quickly stopped crying.
Only then did Shen Shiyan turn his gaze toward him.
This time, the two looked at each other again, their eyes seemingly filled with deeper meaning, but the deeper words no longer needed to be spoken. Shen Shiyan simply said, "Thank you for your trouble, Second Young Master. But you shouldn't have come."
Yuwen Ye paused for a moment before saying, "Uncle, please don't say that."
"..."
“You are an elder, and now that you are in trouble, we may not be able to do much, but it is still our duty to try to visit you. Father, too—”
He paused again at this point.
But Shen Shiyan seemed to know what he meant by what he hadn't finished saying. A faint smile appeared on his haggard face, and he nodded and said, "Mm."
At this moment, a jailer stepped forward and cautiously urged, "Gentlemen, time is running out, so please get to the point."
Hearing this, Yuwen Ye immediately calmed down. After all, they only had the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and they couldn't afford to waste it. So he looked down at Shang Ruyi, who was wiping away her tears, and said, "Let's go out first. If you have something to say, talk to your uncle properly. Just say the important things, understand?"
"Okay, I understand."
Shang Ruyi nodded in agreement. Yuwen Ye then looked up and gestured to Shen Shiyan before stepping away from the jailer.
Shen Shiyan watched his tall, aloof figure disappear into the distance before turning his gaze back to Shang Ruyi. At this moment, all his scheming and plotting were replaced by love and concern.
He sighed and said, "Silly girl, what are you doing here?"
"..."
"If we get investigated, you and the Duke's mansion will both suffer."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi was overcome with grief. Her eyes reddened, and she choked out, "Isn't Uncle suffering right now?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Shiyan's expression also froze.
Shang Ruyi looked at him and said bitterly, "Uncle, why did you do this?"
"..."
This time, Shen Shiyan did not speak immediately. He calmed down and looked at Shang Ruyi with his loving eyes, which revealed a quiet wisdom. After a long while, he said softly, "Tell me why."
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