Chapter 859 They want to make a move against you!
Shang Ruyi's mind went blank for a moment, as if something had exploded inside her, but then everything became clear.
She understood instantly.
This is what Yuwen Qian did: seize power and harm people.
Shen Wuzheng is not only my most respected and closest elder brother, but also Yuwen Ye's most reliable strategist. Eliminating him would not only cause me pain, but also remove one of Yuwen Ye's arms!
No wonder. They had suspected before that, given Shen Wuzheng's knowledge and character, he should be the best candidate to participate in the government and serve as a civil official. However, the battle of Taiyuan was over, but Yuwen Yuan had not removed him from his position as secretary and military advisor. At the time, they only thought that Yuwen Yuan's promotion of Pei Xingyuan was a combination of action and restraint, rewarding one while keeping the other in check, thus preventing Yuwen Ye's side from gaining too much momentum.
In retrospect, it seems that the Crown Prince probably played a role in the process.
Shen Wuzheng had almost met with their wrath at Changchun Palace before. Fortunately, Yuwen Ye had sent him in advance to meet the troops coming from Tongguan, which saved her from disaster. Even so, it caused a rift between her and Yuwen Ye, almost leading to a major disaster.
But this time—
Shang Ruyi gritted her teeth: "They... they want to attack you!?"
Seeing that her eyes were getting red, Shen Wuzheng's expression remained very calm. Even when Yuwen Ye said those words, he didn't move his eyelashes or even his breathing became disordered.
It seems he had foreseen this from the very beginning.
After a long silence, Shen Wuzheng calmly said, "It's not that easy."
Shang Ruyi looked at him anxiously, her eyes filled with concern and worry. Shen Wuzheng was not only calm, but this time he even smiled at her slightly. The smile was calm and gentle, and it carried a sense of comfort: "It seems that's how it is. Since we can't touch the Prince of Qin and the Princess of Qin, we can only target people like us."
He admitted it, but said it so casually.
Shang Ruyi then remembered that she had mentioned before that Yuwen Qian would definitely retaliate against them, that is, seize power and hurt people. But she shouldn't have noticed that Shen Wuzheng's expression was a bit strange when Shang Shoufei made his move. It seemed that he had indeed expected it, which was why he was so calm.
Shang Ruyi said, "Brother—"
Shen Wuzheng smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about me."
"..."
"To put it another way, the relationship between our two sides is already out in the open. If they want to make a move, I naturally have to be on guard."
"..."
"You don't think I can't stop them, do you?"
Shang Ruyi frowned slightly but remained silent.
In terms of intelligence alone, ten Yuwen Chengs and ten Shang Shoufeis could not compare to Shen Wuzheng. If they were merely facing off in Chang'an City, in the imperial court, with Yuwen Ye present, she would not have worried about Shen Wuzheng's safety at all.
But leading troops into battle is a different matter entirely.
Even when Chu Yang was so suspicious of him, and even more so of the Yuwen family, Yuwen Ye still dared to kill the supervising officer Kou Yunliang, and in the end, he escaped unscathed. In the end, power is power, and force is force. When a person is in the most barbaric situation, no amount of wisdom or ability can compare to a direct and effective blow.
Just as Shang Ruyi was struggling with her decision, Yuwen Ye coughed lightly and said, "Have you forgotten about Shen Tu Tai?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi was taken aback and turned to look at him, only to see that Yuwen Ye's expression was indifferent, seemingly somewhat displeased, but not too obvious, and he seemed quite calm. He slowly said, "Father promoted Shentu Tai to the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Henan Road Army, which is to use him to keep the Third Prince in check and prevent him from acting recklessly. This battle, no matter how easy or difficult it is, cannot be fought recklessly."
At this point, he turned to look at Shen Wuzheng: "You and he need to coordinate well on this expedition."
Shen Wuzheng nodded: "I understand. Shen Tu Tai is rough around the edges but meticulous at heart. He's a reliable person. With him around, I feel more at ease."
"..."
"But the battle in Luoyang—"
Yuwen Ye waved his hand dismissively and said, "Let's fight to the extent that we can."
As he spoke, he chuckled again, his contempt evident in his words, and said, "Leaving aside Luoyang, if the third brother can get through Hulao Pass, I'll have to look at him with new respect."
Shen Wuzheng's eyes flickered.
He had also heard that Yuwen Yuan had brought Jiang Chongen back to Chang'an and handed him over to the Dali Temple. After interrogating him, he had some things revealed before executing him silently. What he had learned, besides the issues concerning the defense of Luoyang, was Liang Shide's deployment of defenses at several passes along their eastward route.
Luoyang is situated on flat terrain, with several tributaries of the Yellow River flowing through it, making transportation convenient and commerce thriving. In addition to water, there are also mountains; Mount Song is to the south of Luoyang, and Mount Mang is to the north, forming a natural barrier. It can be said to have all the advantages of its location, which is one of the reasons why Chu Yang abandoned Guanzhong and focused on developing the eastern capital.
However, where there are mountains, there are naturally passes, and the army needs provisions to move forward. Because of the need to transport provisions, they had to rely on the Yellow River waterway to advance eastward. If they wanted to enter Luoyang from the north of the Yellow River, they had to go around Mangshan Mountain.
To take this route, one must pass through the various passes that Liang Shide had set up along the way.
Among them is Hulao Pass.
It is said that they pried information about this place from Jiang Chongen. They do not yet know the specific layout of the defenses, the number of troops, or who is currently stationed there. However, judging from the geographical location, Hulao Pass is indeed a very important point for them to attack Luoyang.
Even Yuwen Ye said that if Yuwen Cheng could pass Hulao Pass, he would be impressed, which shows the strategic significance of this place.
Liang Shide will definitely send a large number of troops to guard it!
As for Yuwen Cheng's abilities, putting aside everything else, just the fact that he was able to lose the Dragon's Origin Land speaks volumes.
Hearing this, Shang Ruyi's mood eased a little, while Yuwen Ye said to Shen Wuzheng, "The imperial edict has been sent to the Ministry of War and will soon reach you. The army will set off in three days, so you should go back and make preparations as soon as possible."
Shen Wuzheng nodded, then smiled at Shang Ruyi with endless tenderness, which gave her endless comfort. He then got up and walked out. Yuwen Ye pressed down on Shang Ruyi, who was about to get up, and said, "I'll see him off. You don't need to move."
After saying that, he walked out with Shen Wuzheng.
Just as they reached the gate of Qianqiu Palace, a sudden gust of cold wind swept in, carrying with it a fine drizzle that stung their faces, sending a chill down their spines. Shen Wuzheng stopped, turned to Yuwen Ye, and said in a low voice, "Although I am leaving, Your Highness and the Princess Consort should still be careful. The Crown Prince is shrewd and his methods are unpredictable; he may not only target me."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye's eyes flashed.
Shen Wuzheng bowed to him, then turned and left.
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