Chapter 160: Chapter 159: You All Are Forcing Me
Upon mentioning this, Shang Ruyi’s expression immediately became grave, even her breathing grew heavy. She took a deep breath and respectfully said to the Emperor before her, "Your Majesty, my uncle, former Minister of Rites Shen Shiyan, was implicated and punished some days ago due to Lord Pei’s advice to stop the campaign against Liaodong and has now been exiled to Lingnan."
Chu Yang furrowed his brows slightly.
Shang Ruyi said, "I wish to plead with Your Majesty to pardon my uncle’s crime and allow him to return to Luoyang."
Chu Yang said in a deep voice, "I said I would reward you."
"..."
"Do not mention anyone else apart from yourself."
Shang Ruyi anxiously said, "But Your Majesty, that is my uncle. I have said before, the only world I care about is the one around me, the family I care for is my foremost concern."
"..."
"As long as they can return, I am willing to do anything!"
Hearing these words, Chu Yang remained motionless, but his expression deepened further.
After a long while, he said solemnly, "Shang Ruyi, do you remember I told you, if someone else had said these words, I would have already beheaded them by now. But because it is you, I can forgive you."
"...Yes."
"This, is already my grace—otherwise, why do you think it is only your uncle who was exiled to Lingnan alone?"
"...!"
Shang Ruyi gasped in cold air.
In truth, when she first learned that only her uncle was exiled and no other relatives were implicated, she had a suspicion but had no time to think it through due to the urgency; when she was in Shuo Bei and interacting with "Yang Suyi," she began to suspect his identity, and such thoughts lingered in her mind but she dared not confirm them.
Now, the Emperor’s words have revealed the truth.
"Thank you, Your Majesty..."
Shang Ruyi slowly uttered these words, then was silent for a while, still unable to keep from asking hoarsely, "Since Your Majesty has already forgiven my uncle once, could I be so bold as to request that Your Majesty forgive him once more, and let him leave Lingnan."
"..."
"My uncle, along with Lord Pei and the others who advised Your Majesty, did so with the sole intention of securing Your Majesty’s reign and the empire."
Chu Yang’s face immediately darkened.
"So you also think it was wrong for me to attack Liaodong?"
"...This is a major matter, I dare not speak recklessly."
Chu Yang sneered, "Shang Ruyi, even when I inspected the Northern Border, you managed to speak so much reason, yet now you cannot speak carelessly?"
"..."
"Do you remember I told you to be Shang Ruyi, to speak the truth!"
"There are some things I dare not say and cannot say. I have only one question to ask Your Majesty—"
"Ask."
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath, looked into Chu Yang’s eyes, and earnestly said, "If you believe there is no fault in attacking Liaodong, why did morale soar and even the people rejoice after declaring the stoppage of the attack, leading to Yanmen County’s peace?"
"..."
"Your Majesty has said before, Your Majesty’s words are reason; but is not the will of the people also reason?"
After speaking, she wondered if it was the cold wind continuously sweeping in from the open door that made her whole body cold as ice, even her fingers hidden in her sleeves were numb, trembling slightly.
In the room, it was as cold as an ice cellar, also as silent as one.
Chu Yang said nothing, just sat there quietly, yet he seemed colder than ice.
After an unknown duration, he finally spoke, his voice trembling lightly in the chill, as if struggling, "You, you all are forcing me."
Shang Ruyi’s heart trembled, "Your Majesty..."
Chu Yang’s face was pale, but his eyes had a faint redness, especially when looking at her, "Do you know why I need to inspect the Northern Border, why to attack Liaodong, why to build the Canal and the Great Wall? Why develop the Eastern Capital?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi opened her mouth but said nothing.
Chu Yang sneered and shook his head, "Enough, you don’t understand."
"..."
"No one would understand."
At this point, he took a deep breath, stood up, and said, "Tomorrow, I will return to the court with the troops. Once back in Luoyang, I will decree to bring your uncle back to Luoyang."
Shang Ruyi’s heart rejoiced, "Thank you, Emperor!"
She thought for a moment, then tentatively said, "Your Majesty, Lord Pei..."
"Shang Ruyi!"
This time, Chu Yang’s low roar caused her eardrums to reverberate, only to hear him say in a deep voice, "I pardoned your uncle, that is the limit!"
Shang Ruyi immediately bit her lower lip and softly said, "Yes. Thank you, Emperor, for your grace."
Chu Yang coldly looked at her and said, "This is your reward for safeguarding the border and resisting the Turkic soldiers, not a favor between you and me..."
He sneered again, his long phoenix eyes filled with disappointment and desolation, then turned around and left, his sleeves brushing the air.
As she felt the cold breeze from his sweeping robes brush against her face, Shang Ruyi hadn’t had time to savor his every word, and when she looked up again, the slender and handsome figure was already gone in the cold wind outside the door.
Shang Ruyi dazedly looked at the empty doorway for a long time, unconsciously murmuring, "I did not..."
|
That night, the wind blew fiercely.
Amid the howling wind, Shang Ruyi hardly closed her eyes. By the time dawn light came through the window, Tushere also pushed the door open, swiftly helping her rise and pack.
But actually, there wasn’t much to pack.
Though she brought many things this time, all were left behind when the Turkic army attacked the camp and lost in the fire; the only things to pack were the two sets of clothes the Empress sent during her unconsciousness.
While Tushere was packing, she said, "Luckily, Miss didn’t bring any jewelry this time, or it would be a pity to lose them on the grassland."
Shang Ruyi recalled the box of jewelry Guan Yunmu gave her, feeling a sense of relief.
Having not slept the whole night, she felt not particularly tired but rather weak, leaning against the bed watching Tushere bustling about, gently saying, "Coming to the grassland should be kept simple, bringing all those jewels would really be wasteful."
Tushere nodded.
She glanced outside, made sure no one was around, then leaned into Shang Ruyi’s ear and whispered, "Miss, do you know, I heard when I got up this morning that last night, the Emperor executed a few of the accompanying eunuchs and palace maids."
"Ah?"
Shang Ruyi was shocked, recalling how Chu Yang had looked when he left last night — though not in a rage, he was clearly touched by her words. She hadn’t thought he’d go and kill someone!
She hurriedly asked, "Why?"
Tushere whispered, "I heard that those few gathered at night, speaking idly about Miss, and somehow the Emperor got wind of it and immediately ordered them dragged off to have their tongues cut out."
"..."
"Those few screamed all night long and finally succumbed by dawn..."
Shang Ruyi gasped.