Chapter 247 How to put out the fire that is everywhere?
Yuwen Ye looked down at her, a glint of light seemingly flashing in his eyes.
He parted his lips slightly, about to say something, when Chang Wan's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: "Second Young Master, Young Madam, the Duke requests your presence."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi frowned slightly, while Yuwen Ye had already turned his head away. His expression changed from a slightly dazed look to a calm and serious one. He said to the door, "I understand."
Chang Wan left from outside the door.
When he turned back, Yuwen Ye had returned to his usual self and said, "Let's go."
Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a little empty inside.
However, this was, after all, a summons from Yuwen Yuan. Moreover, after what had happened today, they should at least clarify some things and discuss future matters. So, they suppressed their sadness and stood up, saying, "Alright."
The two of them got dressed and went out.
They went to Yuwen Yuan's study again. It was already late, but his study was brightly lit. As soon as they entered, they saw Yuwen Yuan sitting at his desk with one hand supporting his forehead. Although there were many candlesticks lit on both sides of the study and a candle on his desk, Yuwen Yuan's eyes were as deep as an abyss into which no light could penetrate.
The two immediately stepped forward and bowed to him, saying, "Father."
Yuwen Ye looked up at them, a hint of relief flashing across his gloomy face, especially when he looked at Shang Ruyi, a smile even appearing in the corner of his eyes.
He nodded and said, "You've arrived, please have a seat."
The couple apologized and sat down.
Yuwen Yuan looked at his second son, then at his daughter-in-law, before turning to Yuwen Ye and asking, "How have you been these days at the Dali Temple?"
Yuwen Ye immediately replied, "Father, don't worry, I just missed a couple of nights of sleep."
Shang Ruyi immediately frowned.
She knew, of course, that the people from the Dali Temple wouldn't dare to torture Yuwen Ye, but she also knew very well that, under Wang Shaoji's instructions, they certainly wouldn't let Yuwen Ye go. Now that she thought about it, the two sleepless nights he mentioned must have been caused by the people inside to wear him down.
Depriving people of sleep is not only torturous, but severe fatigue can also cause mental confusion and incoherent speech. When interrogated, it is easy to find loopholes. If the statements are inconsistent, or if one falls into a carefully designed interrogation trap, there will be no way out.
However, Yuwen Ye emerged unharmed.
One can imagine how strong his willpower is!
She looked at the person next to her, especially at the bloodshot eyes in his eyes. All her previous doubts and disappointment vanished at that moment, leaving only a deep sense of heartache.
Yuwen Yuan sighed and said only, "Then, I'll make the long story short."
Yuwen Ye said, "Father, please give me your instructions."
Yuwen Yuan said, "Tomorrow, I will set off back to Taiyuan. I was fortunate enough to survive this time thanks to the blessings of my ancestors. After I leave, you two, husband and wife, will stay in Luoyang. You must be careful with your words and actions and never do anything like what you did at Xingluo Granary."
"yes."
At this point, Shang Ruyi felt a little guilty, as Yuwen Yuan's last sentence seemed to be directed at her.
After all, the most important aspect of Wang Shaoji and the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review's sentencing of Yuwen Ye was Jiang Kesheng and his men who stormed the court. Fortunately, they did it relatively discreetly. If those people had caught them red-handed, this matter would not only have convicted Yuwen Ye, but would have also implicated them, and would have dragged Yuwen Yuan and the entire Yuwen family down with them.
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Father, Ruyi knows she was wrong."
"...?"
Yuwen Yuan was taken aback.
After a long pause, he suddenly smiled and said, "You think your father is blaming you?"
Shang Ruyi looked at him: "Isn't that right?"
Yuwen Yuan laughed heartily and said, "Silly child, you're too cautious. The people I left you are for you to use. Whether you use them well or badly, I'll cover for you."
"..."
"I just didn't expect you to perform so well this time."
Shang Ruyi said softly, "Father, you don't blame me for misusing Jiang Kesheng and the others?"
Yuwen Yuan laughed and said, "Is this what you call misusing it?"
While laughing, even with a hint of mockery, he pointed at Yuwen Ye and said, "Your ability to command is no less than his."
Shang Ruyi's face flushed again, and she glanced at Yuwen Ye with a hint of unease. She met Yuwen Ye's gaze, which seemed somewhat cold, but the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned.
Shang Ruyi felt relieved and then whispered, "Father is too kind."
Yuwen Yuan laughed and said, "I used to envy the Lei family for having a girl like Lei Yu. She is not only considerate but also capable of fighting on the battlefield, making her twice as good as my son. Now that I have you, I have no regrets."
Mentioning Lei Yu stirred something within Shang Ruyi.
Immediately, she noticed that Yuwen Yuan's expression seemed to change slightly after he finished speaking.
After thinking for a moment, Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Miss Lei went to Henan with her father to quell the rebellion this time. I think we should have news soon."
Yuwen Yuan glanced at her but didn't say anything.
That strange feeling deepened.
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but ask, "Father, do you really think their campaign to quell the rebellion won't go smoothly?"
Yuwen Yuan pondered for a long time before asking, "Ruyi, do you know who they were fighting when they went to Henan to quell the rebellion this time?"
Shang Ruyi immediately said, "Liang Shide."
"good,"
Yuwen Yuan said, "This man was originally a subordinate of Qiu Zhongwen, the Grand General of the Henan Army. The two had a personal feud. Later, he killed his superior and led his troops to defect. Now he is entrenched in the Shanggu and Zhuozhou area, with more than 100,000 troops. Among the rebel armies in various places, he can be considered to be a powerful force."
"..."
"Moreover, this man is not an incompetent fool. I've heard that he values agriculture and is very tolerant of the people. Currently, many people are gathering in his territory, and there are even more—"
He paused for a moment, then stopped talking.
Even without an exit, Shang Ruyi felt waves of unease just listening to what was said.
Yuwen Yuan's judgment of the world is certainly more accurate and mature than that of these young people. If even he evaluates Liang Shide in this way, then is there any hope for General Lei's suppression of the rebellion?
At this moment, Yuwen Yuan seemed to realize that he had gone a bit off-topic, so he waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's get back to our own business."
"..."
"In short, after I leave, you must be very careful about everything you say and do in Dongdu, and also—"
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed, even brighter than before, and he said, word by word, "Listen to the news I send back from Taiyuan."
"...!"
For some reason, Shang Ruyi's heart suddenly stirred.
The words Yuwen Yuan had said before seemed to be nothing more than a father's instructions to his son and daughter-in-law before his departure, nothing out of the ordinary. But after adding this sentence and thinking about it again, she vaguely felt that there seemed to be a deeper meaning in his words.
Although she had doubts, she didn't dare to ask rashly. She just looked at Yuwen Yuan with a solemn expression.
Yuwen Yuan stared at the dim lamplight on the table, a glimmer of light seemingly flickering in his abyss-like eyes. After a long while, he slowly said, "I am leading troops in Taiyuan to fight against the Turks. How long I can hold out is unknown. But now there are millions of rebels all over the country. It is difficult for the court to live peacefully under such circumstances."
Shang Ruyi couldn't help but ask, "But Father, isn't the imperial court still actively suppressing the rebellion?"
Yuwen Yuan glanced at her.
He didn't answer immediately, but smiled faintly, then suddenly reached out and pinched the wick of the candlestick in front of him with his rough thumb and forefinger. With a hiss, the candle flame went out at his fingertips.
The light dimmed for a moment, and in that brief darkness, Yuwen Yuan's deep and resonant voice said, "A single lamp is easy to extinguish, but how do we put out fires that are everywhere?"
"...!"
Shang Ruyi's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Although the candlelight in front of him had gone out, and a large area in front of the table was somewhat dim, Yuwen Yuan's eyes actually became brighter. He looked up at his son and daughter-in-law and said, "Do you understand what I mean?"
Shang Ruyi's heart pounded even harder.
She had always been very clear about why she broke off her engagement but was still willing to marry into the Yuwen family. Although she and Yuwen Ye were now in love, her initial goal was indeed her father-in-law.
If the world is in chaos, then he is the only pillar supporting the heavens in this chaotic world.
At this moment, his words seemed to foreshadow their future path, even their future fate...
All along, she had been subconsciously trying to find out Yuwen Ye's attitude toward the court, but she didn't dare to ask Yuwen Yuan. Firstly, he was an elder, and she didn't dare to reveal her thoughts in front of such a person. Secondly, she also understood to some extent what kind of path Yuwen Yuan would take in the future.
Now, Yuwen Yuan has revealed his attitude. Although it is unknown whether he was prepared in advance or only developed this idea after being weakened by the emperor this time—it seems that he is not someone who is completely ignorant and indifferent to the situation and makes no preparations.
But no matter what, he is the one manipulating the direction of the Yuwen family.
He guides the fate of everyone.
Shang Ruyi understood that she had already embarked on the path she had long decided she would take, but for some reason, she felt even more uneasy.
For a moment, she didn't know how to deal with it, or even how to face it. She could only try to calm her racing heart and slowly lower her head.
Her silence surprised Yuwen Ye, who was standing beside her, and he looked down at her.
However, he didn't say much. He just glanced at him and then calmly looked up at Yuwen Yuan and said, "Father, don't worry. Ruyi and I understand perfectly well."
Yuwen Yuan then nodded.
In that dim light, his eyes gleamed brightly as he said in a deep voice, "There are some things you should prepare for as soon as possible."
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