Chapter 273: Chapter 255: Deception or Concealment?
Shang Ruyi immediately understood his meaning and blushed, pulling her hand away from his, muttering, "Being liked by you is really unlucky."
Yu Wenye smiled faintly, "Do you think being my wife is such an easy thing?"
"..."
"Moreover,"
his eyes flickered as he looked at Shang Ruyi, "what you are, is still the daughter-in-law of the Duke Sheng."
These words made Shang Ruyi’s heart stir. She suddenly remembered that night when Yu Wenquan discussed important matters with them. After the two left the study, everything was still fine, but Yu Wenye’s mention of these words soured her mood.
And it was these words, back then, when he wanted to separate from her, that she, no matter how thick-skinned, would resolutely refuse.
He seemed to have always remembered.
Shang Ruyi instinctively said, "I—"
Yu Wenye asked, "Why?"
"..."
"Why do you have to be Father’s daughter-in-law, as if you care more about him than about me?"
Shang Ruyi’s heart began to beat more fiercely, a shadow seemed to spread from a distant dream, enveloping her heart at this moment. She wanted to say something, but upon opening her mouth, fear gripped her. After a long struggle, she finally whispered, "I—"
Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted downstairs.
The two had been speaking cautiously, deliberately omitting those dangerous messages both knew, but the sudden noise immediately stopped them.
Yu Wenye turned his head to look outside, slightly furrowing his brow.
Though Tinghe Building was bustling, it was always the merriment of wine patrons, yet the shouting and screaming from downstairs indicated that something had happened.
Shang Ruyi instinctively said, "What happened?"
Yu Wenye said nothing, just listened carefully. After a moment, the noise downstairs quieted, but outside the window sounded again with clamor, suggesting the commotion had moved from Tinghe Building to the main entrance.
Shang Ruyi immediately got up and went to the window to look down—
She saw several government officers escorting a disheveled woman, loudly shouting as they left Tinghe Building, with onlookers pointing and talking nonstop.
Could it be someone catching a fugitive?
The woman appeared delicate and refined in her simple dress and hairpin—not like someone of great evil.
She returned to the table and softly said, "The officers have caught a woman."
Yu Wenye thought for a moment and called, "Waiter."
The waiter immediately scurried upstairs after hearing, nodding and bowing to them, "Honored guests, sorry for the disturbance, please don’t be angry."
Yu Wenye calmly said, "I heard officers came to arrest someone, what happened?"
The waiter sighed, "It’s the conscription escapees from Bohai County."
"Bohai County?"
Yu Wenye slightly frowned, "When did the court conscript laborers in Bohai County?"
The waiter was a bit surprised, smiling apologetically, "Honored guest maybe hasn’t heard the news recently. Over half a month ago, the court suddenly ordered conscription of Bohai County’s laborers to build warships, I heard over ten thousand people were gathered."
Warships?
Upon hearing this, the space between Shang Ruyi’s brows furrowed slightly.
She vaguely remembered when last seeing Chu Yang, he mentioned transporting supplies via water for the next Liaodong expedition, so building warships now was clearly for that.
And the reason Yu Wenye didn’t know about this was because he had been detained in the Ministry of Justice for over half a month.
The waiter continued, "I heard they demanded thirty warships be completed within ten days, missing the deadline means execution."
Yu Wenye furrowed his brows and said, "But isn’t that a woman?"
The waiter said, "It’s just that the government lacks— well!" He stopped mid-sentence, slapped himself, then softly said, "This time when conscripting laborers, I heard the surrounding counties’ men were already insufficient, so they swept up women as well."
"What!?"
Hearing this, Yu Wenye’s face immediately darkened.
Shang Ruyi was equally incredulous, exclaiming, "Even women are being conscripted?"
The waiter sighed, "Yes, the one just caught had escaped but was taken back again. Alas, returning is a dead end, I hear, the situation over there is dreadful, those fixing the ships soaked in water, not allowed ashore for ten days or half a month, have maggots growing—oh no, worms!"
He added with a smile, "I spoke too much, sorry to disrupt your pleasure."
Yu Wenye was silent for a moment, saying nothing more, just waved his hand lightly, "You may go."
The waiter bowed and turned to leave.
With his departure, the private room fell into silence again.
Not only this room, but the entire second floor was silent, yet this silence, contrary to the sweet tranquility they just shared, was filled with a suffocating heaviness.
At this moment, Shang Ruyi’s heart was in agonizing pain.
No matter how unwilling she was, no matter that person’s celestial appearance, his infinite tenderness towards her, no matter his ambition and concern for the world, she could no longer deceive herself—
This is tyranny!
This is tyranny!
As she was anguished almost to the point of stopping her breath, she suddenly noticed Yu Wenye was staring at her.
Her heart trembled, and she instinctively said, "What is it?"
Yu Wenye asked, "What is your relationship with him?"
"...!"
Shang Ruyi’s heart suddenly sank.
Although he only mentioned "him," Shang Ruyi knew very well that Yu Wenye was asking about the current Emperor—Chu Yang.
Her breath became erratic involuntarily as she said, "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"
"..."
Yu Wenye’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He was already handsome and stern, with a sense of arrogance that came from within; when he narrowed his eyes to look at someone, it felt as if he could see through their soul. Shang Ruyi felt a chill pass through her body and couldn’t help but shiver lightly.
And this did not escape Yu Wenye’s attention.
He paused before speaking, "Then let me ask you, do you know what kind of shoes you are wearing?"
"Shoes?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback, and then remembered that both times she entered the palace, Chu Yang had people prepare a pair of emerald green silk shoes, embedded with countless pearls, jade pieces, and feathers, for her.
Shang Ruyi, who had grown up in splendor and luxury, had never seen such opulent and precious silk shoes.
She didn’t know what other special qualities they might have besides their value.
She shook her head, "What are they?"
Yu Wenye said, "Those shoes are called Feathered Immortal Shoes."
"Feathered Immortal Shoes?"
"Indeed,"
He spoke slowly, "They were noted by the Emperor’s favored minister, Minister Chen Liang, in an ancient book. It’s said that those with destiny of an Immortal, when wearing such shoes, can ascend to become Immortal."
"..."
"And the Emperor, he has always believed himself to be an Immortal descended to earth, so apart from court meetings, he wears these shoes all the time. This way, he can return to the heavens whenever he desires."
Immortal descended to earth...
Shang Ruyi smiled bitterly in her heart. The first time she saw — no, almost every time she saw Chu Yang, she would have such thoughts. It turns out he thought the same himself.
But, what would this "Immortal" leave behind in the world even if he ultimately returned to heaven?
While she was pondering, Yu Wenye’s cold voice echoed in her ears: "Even the Empress doesn’t have such shoes!"
Feeling a sting of piercing coldness, a glint of coldness flashed in Yu Wenye’s eyes, his gaze was as sharp as a blade, scraping painfully across her face.
He seemed angry.
And this anger was completely different from the anger he had shown days ago when mentioning that she would be a good daughter-in-law for the Duke Mansion.
Shang Ruyi’s heartbeat became erratic for a moment. She thought for a while, lifted her head to meet Yu Wenye’s sharp gaze, and said seriously, "Do you think there is any hidden relationship between him and me?"
"..."
Yu Wenye didn’t speak, only continued to look at her.
Under his gaze, Shang Ruyi’s heart beat erratically for a moment.
Her retort against his questioning was an attempt to probe Yu Wenye’s thoughts, because indeed, the question she faced had unsettled her heart. However, Yu Wenye clearly was not someone easily manipulated, his clarity and calmness was something she couldn’t reach.
Being watched by such clear eyes, Shang Ruyi’s heart beat more and more disorderly.
The man before her, although only two years older, had an experience and mentality far exceeding hers, indeed exceeding most others.
How could she deceive him?
Just as Shang Ruyi almost admitted defeat in this psychological game, Yu Wenye suddenly spoke, "I don’t answer your question, not because I can’t answer, but because it’s my turn now."
"..."
"Shang Ruyi, now, is your mood the same as when you asked me those questions at Xianglai Inn?"
"...!"
Shang Ruyi’s breath stalled again.
Back then, the questions she asked him at Xianglai Inn—though posed to him, her thoughts and feelings were already unmistakably expressed in those questions, her dissatisfaction with the court’s tyranny, even believing Yu Wenye and Duke Sheng’s efforts to quell rebellion in the court were pointless.
But now?
Does she still think this way?
Shang Ruyi paused for a moment, then softly said, "My mood is still the same."
"Then, towards that person?"
Yu Wenye remained calm, yet his tone was relentless, somewhat aggressive, as he asked, "Are your feelings towards him still the same?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi’s breathing became chaotic; her lips parted slightly, but after struggling for a while, she couldn’t utter a single word.
Yu Wenye looked at her for a while, then coldly smiled and said, "Do you know, you really are a good daughter-in-law of Duke 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."
Shang Ruyi’s heart moved slightly.
She raised her head to look into Yu Wenye’s clear and stern eyes, thought for a moment, and said, "Do you have anything to hide from me?"
Yu Wenye frowned slightly, "It’s not your turn yet."
Shang Ruyi said, "No, I’m asking if there’s anything concealed in the answers you just gave me?"