Chapter 259: Chapter 243 I Lied to the Emperor
"Your Majesty,"
After a moment of silence, Shang Ruyi looked at those slender eyes, seemingly lost, yet as if waiting intently for some answer, and solemnly said, "Of course I care about him."
"..."
"He is my husband."
There was a slight tremor in Chu Yang’s expression.
And after saying this, Shang Ruyi’s heart seemed to become even more resolute.
Because what she knew even more clearly was that she had indeed chosen him, but it was not at this moment, nor was it a choice made after experiencing life and death at the Xingluo Granary.
She had already made the choice early on when she first saw him and agreed to this marriage.
And choice is life.
Only——
She looked up again at the man in front of her.
If her infatuation with Yu Wenye began at first sight’s stunning impression, then Chu Yang, this ruler of overwhelming power and wealth, also had enough to stun her, or rather attract any woman with his handsome appearance, and the things he said to her and the things he did, she was not entirely unaware of them.
In the past, she never thought that her choice would affect him.
But now, she couldn’t help but think.
Even if she still couldn’t affect him, she couldn’t help but think——what would his future be like?
What would his life be?
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi raised her head, cautiously yet urgently said, "Your Majesty——"
But before she finished speaking, she suddenly felt a gust of wind brush across her face, and upon a closer look, it was Chu Yang who had suddenly changed his expression, coldly discarding the oil-paper umbrella in his hand.
His long sleeves swung, raising a gust of wind carrying rain and snow, instantly hitting her face.
Shang Ruyi instinctively closed her eyes.
When she reopened them, the exquisite oil-paper umbrella was already floating in midair, pausing only for a moment before drifting down, landing right at her feet, while Chu Yang had already turned around, boarding the carriage without a backward glance.
"Your Majesty!"
Shang Ruyi still wanted to say something, but Eunuch Yu had already walked over and intercepted her.
"Young Madam, His Majesty is returning to the palace."
"..."
"It’s getting late, Young Madam, please return early as well."
After speaking, a faint hint of worry seemed to flicker across that white, plump face, but he said nothing more, only sighing lightly before turning away to the carriage. Soon after, the coachman shouted, and the broad carriage slowly started to move forward.
And behind the falling curtain and the tightly closed carriage door, there was no longer any sound.
Shang Ruyi stood there motionless, the wind and snow growing heavier, and finally the coachman behind her couldn’t hold back, gently coughed, "Young Madam?"
At this point, Shang Ruyi slowly turned back.
Under the dim sky, her face was filled with contradiction and struggle, but in the instant facing outsiders, all emotions were reined in again, and she said lightly, "Let’s go."
She got back onto the carriage, and after a short ride, she arrived at the Yuwen Mansion.
The family had naturally been waiting all day, and seeing her return, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Shang Ruyi spoke a few words to Jinyun, instructing her to calm the servants, then took Tushere and the others back to her room.
After bathing and washing away the chill that seemed to have soaked into her bones, she returned to the room and asked Chang Wan, who was making her bed, "Were the things delivered?"
Chang Wan quickly turned to her, "Young Madam, the clothes have all been delivered."
"Did you see the Young Master?"
"No. The people at the Ministry of Justice wouldn’t let me in; I had to use silver to bribe someone inside to get the clothes delivered."
"Did you find out anything?"
"I asked, and they said the Second Young Master hadn’t been imprisoned or tortured, so he probably hasn’t suffered any punishment."
Shang Ruyi’s eyes slightly twitched.
For Chang Wan’s words "hasn’t suffered any punishment," she didn’t quite agree in her heart. At the Ministry of Justice, to torment someone, it wasn’t necessary to imprison or use torture; they had many ways to make someone suffer, especially since Wang Shaoji was involved in questioning this case.
The two families had always been political enemies, and Wang Shaoji’s overt and covert schemes against the Yuwen Family were too numerous to count. This time, Yu Wenye was in his hands, he couldn’t have done nothing.
For instance, today——
She was silent for a moment, but didn’t voice her speculations, just nodded and said, "You’ve worked hard, go and rest."
Chang Wan replied, "Yes."
After she left, only Shang Ruyi and Tushere remained in the bedroom. Tushere immediately approached her, urgently asking, "Miss, today both the Emperor and Empress summoned you to the palace. What did they want from you? Is it about the Young Master’s matter?"
Shang Ruyi looked down at her and said softly, "Hmm."
Tushere quickly asked, "What is it about? Will they release the Young Master?"
Shang Ruyi thought for a while, then said, "Perhaps, soon——at least there should be a result."
"What do you mean?"
"Today in the palace, I encountered Wang Shaoji and Zhai Ying."
Tushere blinked, though she knew Wang Shaoji was a villain, the name Zhai Ying was unfamiliar to her, so Shang Ruyi briefly explained about Yu Wenye’s case being handed to the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice for trial.
Listening, Tushere’s face showed a fearful expression, "They actually questioned Miss in front of the Emperor and Empress!"
"..."
"So, what did they ask? And how did you respond, Miss?"
Mentioning this, a cold glint flashed in Shang Ruyi’s eyes.
She said, "They asked me, when I left the Xingluo Granary with Yu Wenye and was ambushed by Kou Junliang’s men, a group attacked the court soldiers led by Kou Junliang, causing chaos to rescue us—who were those people?"
Since returning from the Xingluo Granary battle, Shang Ruyi has intermittently told Tushere about it. Although she omitted many details of her capture in Warehouse City, such major events naturally had to be told to her.
Tushere immediately said, "So, Miss said it was Jiang Kesong and his people?"
Shang Ruyi shook her head, "No."
"No?"
Tushere widened her eyes in surprise, hesitated for a moment, and asked again, "Then what did you say, Miss?"
Shang Ruyi said, "I said, I don’t know."
"..."
"But it seemed like it was the Wanggang Army."
"Ah!?"
Tushere was even more surprised: "Why?"
"..."
"Didn’t you arrange for Jiang Kesong and them to wait at Luokou Ferry to assist you? Moreover, it was clearly them who did it, and Miss, you told me before, why say it was the Wanggang Army’s people? Isn’t this——"
Shang Ruyi looked at her and said calmly, "I lied to the Ministry of Justice’s people—no, I lied to the Emperor and Empress."
"...!"
Tushere gasped.
Though she usually acted carelessly and often took bold actions, deceiving the Emperor and Empress, especially in the case of Yu Wenye being interrogated, was a crime of deceiving the sovereign! Regardless of how this case ends, once discovered, it would mean execution!
Tushere was so frightened that cold sweat broke out, and when she spoke again, her voice was low as if squeezed from her throat, "Miss, why did you do this?"
Shang Ruyi gave her a glance but said nothing.
Tushere’s heart thumped like a drum, making her unable to calm down. After some thought, she continued, "Right, Miss just said, that Wang Shaoji and that Junior Minister, they found out the husband’s confession and needed another’s testimony to corroborate it to prove what the husband said was true, right?"
Shang Ruyi nodded.
Tushere hurriedly said, "Then, what was the husband’s confession? Did they say?"
Shang Ruyi shook her head again.
Tushere gasped once more.
She asked incredulously, "So, Miss, you lied without knowing how the husband answered this question?"
"Yes."
"Miss, You—are you not afraid for your life?!"
"..."
"What if, what if the husband didn’t give this answer?"
"..."
"Then when that time comes, won’t you—"
Tushere’s eyes were slightly reddened as she tightly grasped Shang Ruyi’s hands rested on her knees. Compared to her excitement and fear, the one who committed the crime of deceiving the sovereign and might truly be executed was calm as an ice sculpture, her hands showing no tremors.
Shang Ruyi looked down at her and said, "Perhaps so."
Tushere became more anxious, "Miss, why did you lie?"
"..."
"Why tell this lie?"
Seeing her anxious demeanor, Shang Ruyi became even calmer. Amidst her calmness, she even found herself smiling at Tushere, whose eyes were red and looked frightened like a startled little rabbit.
She laughed and said, "Why do you think?"
Tushere immediately shook her head in irritation.
She’s not afraid of anything else; since she follows this master, she vows to charge ahead no matter the perils. She is willing to pave the road for her through any future obstacles.
But she couldn’t imagine Shang Ruyi putting herself in such danger.
She said furiously, "I don’t know, I just know the husband didn’t want Miss to go out, just to keep you out of trouble. Why did you choose to wade into this mess, Miss?"
"..."
"Letting yourself be in danger is like inviting disaster!"
"Putting oneself in danger? Inviting disaster?"
Shang Ruyi repeated these words, and after a while, lightly smiled, "Not necessarily."
Tushere was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
Shang Ruyi smiled slightly and then said, "I’m not telling you now, to prevent you from overthinking and becoming a nuisance. Anyway, I’ve already lied, and whether or not the testimonies agree, there will eventually be a result."
Hearing that there would be a result, Tushere perked up, feeling even more tense.
She asked, "When will there be a result?"
Shang Ruyi calculated and said, "Even if Wang Shaoji delays further, at most in five to six days, this case will be adjudicated, and there should be a result."