Chapter 255 Deception or Concealment?
Shang Ruyi immediately understood what he meant, her face flushed red, she pulled her hand away from his, and muttered, "It's too unlucky to be liked by you."
Yuwen Ye smiled faintly and said, "Do you think being my wife is such an easy thing?"
"..."
"not to mention,"
He looked at Shang Ruyi with a glint in his eyes: "What you did was to become the daughter-in-law of the Duke of Sheng."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's heart stirred. She suddenly remembered the night Yuwen Yuan discussed important matters with them. The two of them were fine after leaving the study, but Yuwen Ye's mood soured when he mentioned this.
And that was also the reason why, when he wanted to divorce her, she resolutely refused, even if it meant shamelessly.
He seems to have always remembered.
Shang Ruyi subconsciously said, "I—"
Yuwen Ye asked, "Why?"
"..."
"Why do you insist on becoming your father's daughter-in-law? It seems you care more about him than about me?"
Shang Ruyi's heart pounded even harder. A gloomy feeling, as if creeping from a deep dream, enveloped her at that moment. She wanted to say something, but a thousand fears overwhelmed her as she opened her mouth. After struggling for a long time, she finally whispered, "I—"
Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out downstairs.
The two were already being very careful in their conversation, and they deliberately concealed any dangerous information that they both knew about, but they still stopped immediately when they heard the noise.
Yuwen Ye turned to look outside, his brows furrowing slightly.
Although Tinghelou was lively, it was always the lively place for drinkers. But the noise from downstairs, with shouts and screams, clearly indicated that something had happened.
Shang Ruyi asked instinctively, "What's wrong?"
Yuwen Ye didn't speak, but listened carefully. After a while, the noise downstairs subsided, but then a commotion started outside the window again. It must have been the people who had been making a ruckus leaving Tinghe Tower and arriving at the main gate.
Shang Ruyi immediately got up, walked to the window, and looked down—
Several officials escorted a disheveled woman out of Tinghe Tower, shouting loudly. The surrounding crowd pointed and whispered among themselves.
Could it be that they're catching a fugitive?
The woman's crime was unknown, but judging from her appearance—a simple dress and a simple hairpin, quiet and refined—she didn't seem like a wicked person.
She sat back down at the table and said softly, "The officers arrested a woman."
Yuwen Ye thought for a moment and said, "Waiter."
Upon hearing the noise, the waiter immediately ran up from downstairs, bowing and scraping to the two of them: "Honorable guests, you must have been disturbed by the noise, please don't be angry."
Yuwen Ye asked calmly, "I heard the officials came to arrest someone. What's going on?"
The waiter sighed and said, "They are laborers who escaped from Bohai County."
"Bohai Commandery?"
Yuwen Ye frowned slightly: "When did the imperial court start mobilizing laborers in Bohai Commandery?"
The waiter was somewhat surprised and said with a smile, "Honorable guest, you probably haven't been listening to the news lately. Just over half a month ago, the imperial court suddenly ordered the conscription of laborers from Bohai County to build warships. I heard that over ten thousand people were mobilized."
Warships?
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi frowned slightly.
She vaguely remembered that when she last met Chu Yang, he mentioned that the next expedition to Liaodong would require transporting supplies by water. So, it was clear that the construction of warships this time was for that purpose.
Yuwen Ye was unaware of this because he had been imprisoned in Dali Temple for more than half a month.
The waiter continued, "I heard that the requirement is that thirty warships must be completed within ten days, or else be beheaded."
Yuwen Ye frowned and said, "But wasn't that a woman?"
The waiter said, "That's because the government has no one to help—sigh!" He stopped halfway through, slapped himself, and then said softly, "This time, when they conscripted laborers, I heard that the surrounding counties didn't have enough men, so they swept the women along too."
"What!?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye's face immediately darkened.
Shang Ruyi was also incredulous and exclaimed in shock, "Even women have been conscripted?"
The waiter sighed, "That's right, that guy just now escaped, but he still got caught and brought back. Sigh, going back is a death sentence. I heard the situation over there is terrible. Those ship repairmen are soaking in the water for ten days or half a month without being allowed to go ashore, and their lower bodies are infested with maggots—no, worms!"
He then said with a forced smile, "I'm sorry for being so talkative, I hope I don't spoil your enjoyment."
Yuwen Ye was silent for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively without saying anything more: "Go down."
The waiter bowed, turned around, and left.
Once he left, the private room became quiet again.
Not only this private room, but the entire second floor also fell silent. However, this silence was different from the tranquility when the two of them were sweetly facing each other. Instead, it was filled with a suffocating heaviness.
At this moment, Shang Ruyi's heart was aching as if it were being torn apart.
Even if she was unwilling, even if that person was as handsome as an immortal, infinitely gentle with her, even if he had the world in his heart and boundless ambition, she could no longer deceive herself—
This is tyranny!
This is tyranny!
Just as she was heartbroken and almost unable to breathe, she suddenly noticed that Yuwen Ye was staring at her.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively asked, "What's wrong?"
Yuwen Ye asked, "What is your relationship with him?"
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's heart sank suddenly.
Although he only used the word "he," Shang Ruyi knew very well that Yuwen Ye was asking about the current emperor, Chu Yang.
Her breathing became erratic, and she asked, "Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye's eyes narrowed slightly.
He was born with a cold and handsome appearance, and had an arrogance that emanated from his bones. Once he narrowed his eyes to look at someone, it was as if he could see right through them. Shang Ruyi felt a cold breeze pass through her body and couldn't help but shiver slightly.
This did not escape Yuwen Ye's notice.
He paused for a moment, then said, "Then let me ask you, do you know what kind of shoes you're wearing?"
"shoe?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback, and then she remembered that on both occasions when she went to the palace, Chu Yang had someone prepare a pair of emerald green silk shoes for her, inlaid with countless pearls, jade pieces and feathers.
Shang Ruyi, who had grown up in a privileged environment, had never seen such luxurious and expensive silk shoes before.
I just don't know what else is special about it besides its value.
She shook her head: "What is it?"
Yuwen Ye said, "Those shoes are called Woven Feather Immortal Shoes."
"Waving Feather Immortal Shoes?"
"good,"
He slowly said, "It was found in an ancient book by His Majesty's favorite minister, Nayan Chen Liang. It is said that those with a predestined affinity for immortality can ascend to heaven by wearing such shoes."
"..."
"His Majesty has always believed himself to be an immortal descended to earth, so he wears these shoes at all times except during court assemblies, so that he can return to heaven at any time."
An immortal has descended upon the world...
Shang Ruyi smiled bitterly to herself. The first time she saw Chu Yang—no, it should be said that almost every time she saw him, she had this thought: it turns out that he himself thought the same way.
But even if this "immortal" eventually returns to heaven, what will he leave behind for the world?
Just as she was inwardly complaining, Yuwen Ye's cold voice rang in her ears: "Even the Empress doesn't have shoes like this!"
She felt a bone-chilling coldness; it was from a flash of cold light in Yuwen Ye's eyes, his gaze as sharp as a knife, making her face sting.
He seems angry.
Moreover, this anger was completely different from the anger he felt a few days ago when he mentioned wanting to be a good daughter-in-law of the Duke's mansion.
Shang Ruyi's heart pounded for a moment. She thought for a moment, then looked up and met Yuwen Ye's sharp gaze. She asked seriously, "Do you think there's anything unspeakable between him and me?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye didn't speak, he just kept looking at her.
Under his gaze, Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat.
Her counter-question, instead of retreating, was an attempt to probe Yuwen Ye's thoughts, and indeed, the question she faced was unsettling her. But Yuwen Ye was clearly not someone who could be easily manipulated; his clarity and composure were something she could never attain.
Under such a clear gaze, Shang Ruyi's heartbeat became increasingly erratic.
The man before her, though only two years older than her, possessed far more experience and character than she did, and indeed, far surpassed most people in the world.
How could she possibly hide it from him?
Just when Shang Ruyi was about to lose this battle of wits, Yuwen Ye suddenly said, "I'm not not answering your question because I can't, but because it's my turn."
"..."
"Shang Ruyi, are you still feeling the same way you did when you asked me those questions at Xianglaiju?"
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's breath hitched again.
Back then, the questions she asked him at Xianglaiju—though ostensibly directed at him—had in fact revealed her true feelings. She was dissatisfied with the tyranny of the court and even believed that Yuwen Ye and the Duke of Sheng's efforts to quell the rebellion were meaningless.
But what about now?
Does she still think that way?
Shang Ruyi paused for a moment, then said softly, "My feelings remain the same."
"And what about that person?"
Yuwen Ye remained calm, but his tone was unyielding, even somewhat aggressive, as he asked, "Is that how you feel about him too?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi's breathing became erratic, her lips parted slightly, but after struggling for a long time, she couldn't utter a single word.
Yuwen Ye looked at her for a while, then smiled coldly and said, "Do you know that you are indeed a good daughter-in-law of the Duke of Sheng, and also a good daughter-in-law of the Yuwen family, because you are just like the people of the Yuwen family—you don't lie, you only conceal things."
Shang Ruyi's heart stirred slightly.
She looked up into Yuwen Ye's clear yet cold eyes, thought for a moment, and said, "Then, are you still hiding anything from me?"
Yuwen Ye frowned and said, "It's not your turn yet."
Shang Ruyi said, "No, what I'm saying is, were there any secrets hidden in your answers to me just now?"
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