Chapter 217: Chapter 211: A Good Show
Standing in front of her was none other than the fugitive they had once saved, who now occupied Xingluo Granary, commanding tens of thousands of troops, occupying the area, causing the court no end of headaches, wishing they could grind him to dust—
Xiao Yuansui!
And at this moment, he looked completely different from the disheveled and bedraggled figure he once was.
Shang Ruyi stood motionless at the doorway, watching that tall figure slowly stand up, step by step walking down the stairs, then step by step approaching her, the sunlight gradually illuminating that face that should have been familiar yet was entirely strange.
Now, his face was clear of the scruffy beard and dirt, and his once unruly hair was cleanly tied back, revealing a handsome and bright appearance. He wore the most ordinary blue cloth long robe, but the simple attire only accentuated his noble demeanor, as graceful as a jade tree in the wind. Shang Ruyi then realized that he even seemed somewhat refined, especially when he smiled, with a smile line at the corner of his mouth, making his smile look not only warm but also very sincere.
The only familiar feature was still his eyes.
Those overly bright eyes.
Back then, covered in mud, hair and beard disheveled, looking like a beggar yet still standing out, leaving a lasting impression on Shang Ruyi with those bright pupils, and now, as he regained his original appearance, those eyes were not overshadowed by his handsome looks; rather, they seemed like two bright pearls embedded in a magnificent robe, even more dazzling.
A person with such eyes certainly wouldn’t blend into the crowd.
Thinking of this and recalling the past, Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but sigh.
Though it was just a gentle sigh, Xiao Yuansui immediately caught it. He smiled and said, "Young Madam, you don’t want to see me?"
Shang Ruyi glanced at him, thought for a moment, and said, "Not exactly."
Actually, before leaving, she could somewhat anticipate that her arrival at Xingluo Granary would likely bring her face to face with this person again, but she didn’t imagine their meeting would occur in the manner it did last night.
Xiao Yuansui said, "Then, is Young Madam displeased with last night’s encounter?"
Shang Ruyi said lightly, "Being held at arrow point in the middle of the night wouldn’t sit well with anyone."
Xiao Yuansui chuckled and said, "It was our discourtesy."
"..."
"However, that spectacle last night was not originally intended for Young Madam."
Shang Ruyi’s eyelids twitched, "Then who was it intended for?"
Xiao Yuansui’s eyes, full of restrained brilliance, slightly curved, "Can Young Madam guess?"
Shang Ruyi’s face darkened, "My husband?"
Xiao Yuansui laughed, walking past Shang Ruyi to the door behind her, looking out with hands behind his back—this place, higher up in Warehouse City, allowed one to overlook most of Xingluo Warehouse City, even Huangtu Ridge, giving him a sense of strategic control and ambition every time he stood here.
He said, "Your husband is not an easy person to deal with."
Shang Ruyi’s brows slightly furrowed, turning to look at his tall back, saying, "But I heard that my husband was defeated three times against you. You’ve already completely won, so why still bother about him?"
Xiao Yuansui’s broad shoulders slightly twitched.
He turned around, looking at Shang Ruyi intently, "Does Young Madam truly believe your husband would be defeated so easily?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi’s throat tightened.
This sounded like something she had told herself; she daringly risked the charge of deceiving the emperor to secure a chance for Yu Wenye, braving the wind and snow to reach this perilous place, all for him. To say she had no confidence in him would be nonsense!
However, she had no way to explain the result of three defeats.
But perhaps, this person before her could provide an explanation.
So she asked, "Then what does Young Master Xiao think?"
Xiao Yuansui smiled faintly and said, "I can tell you clearly, I don’t believe Yu Wenye was defeated so easily."
"..."
"And I hardly believe that after three losses, he truly fled with his troops to evade responsibility!"
"..."
"Last night, we set out to search for his whereabouts nearby, but unexpectedly, we ran into Young Madam, so we invited you into the city."
Shang Ruyi said, "So, you haven’t found him either?"
Xiao Yuansui shook his head, "No."
"..."
"Last night, we split our troops into two groups, searching along the upper and lower Luo River. Our group found you; the downstream group hasn’t yet—"
Just as he finished speaking, a commotion came from outside the door.
Both of them hurriedly looked up, only to see a squad of men and horses walking up the road toward them, the three or four people at the front seemed like small leaders, and the most conspicuous was the burly, bearded man, cursing all the way, "Ran all night, what a load of crap!"
Someone beside him said, "Brother Lu, quit complaining."
"Why can’t I complain! What is Yu Wenye anyway? If he’s disappeared, he’s disappeared. Why do we have to waste our time searching blindly for him? With this effort, I’d rather transport a few more carts of grain to Wanggang Village!"
"You’re right."
Hearing these words, Shang Ruyi felt a slight stir in her heart.
Soon these people entered the assembly hall, and the burly man with a bushy beard, seeing Xiao Yuansui, impatiently clasped his hands toward him: "Second Brother Xiao."
Shang Ruyi’s heart stirred again.
Along the way, she heard people in the city refer to Xiao Yuansui as the Store Manager and as elder brother, but this person called him "Second Brother," suggesting that in his eyes, there should be someone even more prominent above Xiao Yuansui.
Yet Xiao Yuansui remained calm and politely clasped his hands back to him: "Brother Lu Yong, you’re back."
Lu Yong sneered, "Ran around all night for nothing, worn out my shoes. If I didn’t return, I’d have to go barefoot to keep searching?"
Xiao Yuansui didn’t respond to this.
Lu Yong then turned his head and saw Shang Ruyi standing aside. His eyes instantly lit up, saying, "I heard you captured Yu Wenye’s wife, is it her?"
Xiao Yuansui nodded, "Yes."
"Great!"
Lu Yong leered and rushed forward, extending his large hand to grab her. Shang Ruyi was so frightened that she hurriedly retreated a few steps, while Xiao Yuansui swiftly moved to block her, saying sternly, "Brother Lu, what are you trying to do?"
Lu Yong sneered, "Aren’t you trying to catch Yu Wenye? Now that his wife is in our hands, it couldn’t be easier. Hang her on the mountain and bleed her, let Yu Wenye see. If he doesn’t come out, then he’s a turtle coward!"
Xiao Yuansui’s face darkened, "This won’t do!"
"Why not?"
Lu Yong sneered, "Could it be that Second Brother intends to use her—hey, that’s fine too. We brothers haven’t touched a woman in a long time, and she’s a tender-skinned official’s wife, moreover, the wife of that fool Yu Wenye..."
Seeing him go on increasingly crude, those following him laughed heartily, spewing vulgar words; while a few, hearing this unbearable talk, frowned in distaste.
Xiao Yuansui’s brows knitted tighter and tighter.
Just then, a silhouette flickered in front of him, and upon a closer look, it was Shang Ruyi stepping out from behind him, standing by his side, glaring coldly at Lu Yong.
Xiao Yuansui apparently didn’t expect her to be so bold, paused, and said, "You—"
Lu Yong leered again, "What, you’re willing?"
Shang Ruyi sized him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze, saying, "You, are from Wanggang Village?"
Lu Yong said, "That’s right, I am the fourth leader of Wanggang Village, Lu Yong."
Shang Ruyi shook her head, "I don’t believe it."
"You don’t believe? Hahaha, what kind of person I am, does it need your belief?"
"It’s not just me, no one in the world would believe it,"
Shang Ruyi sneered, "I’ve heard that Wanggang Village’s rules do not permit harming the elderly, women, or children. Yet, now you’re talking about bleeding me, and you say it so shamelessly. Are you Wanggang Army or Wanggang Army’s—rebels?"
At the word "rebels," the atmosphere in the hall instantly froze, even Xiao Yuansui’s expression changed.
Lu Yong flew into a rage, cursing, "Dare to spout nonsense, I’ll kill you!"
He swung his palm fiercely toward Shang Ruyi.
But just as his palm was close to Shang Ruyi’s head, a hand suddenly intervened, blocking his arm. Looking up, it was precisely Xiao Yuansui, his expression stern and cold, saying, "Brother Lu, if you just talked about it, that’s one thing, but if you truly break the rules, don’t blame me for punishing you."
Lu Yong’s face twisted further, "You dare punish me? Xiao Yuansui, I’m the fourth leader of Wanggang Village, joined the village two years before you. By what right do you punish me? Besides, those so-called rules were coaxed out of the first leader by your sweet talk after you arrived. Without you, we’d kill as we pleased, rape as we pleased, and lived happily!"
Hearing these words, Xiao Yuansui’s expression grew colder, saying, "Though you joined earlier, the first leader gave me this position, which you must accept. As for the rules, without such rules, how did so many people unite and join the mountain village, making the Wanggang Army what it is today?"
"So, you’re saying all the territories Wanggang Army conquered are because of you?"
"You—"
Seeing their argument intensify, Shang Ruyi calmly retreated step by step.
Eventually, surrounded by those arguing and those trying to mediate, she was left unattended, retreating to a corner of the hall, coldly watching this lively scene unfold.
At that moment, Xiao Yuansui in the crowd seemed to sense something, suddenly turned around to look at her.
Their eyes met for a split second, he seemed to understand something.
Thinking calmly for a moment, he immediately adopted a harmonious demeanor, smiling, "Brother Lu, what you’ve said, I am part of Wanggang Village, everything I conquer naturally belongs to Wanggang Village. Your words, aren’t they causing division amongst us."
"Oh, really?"
Lu Yong snorted coldly, glanced at Shang Ruyi again, and said, "I have something to say, you must agree to it!"