Chapter 1164 - 844: The Result He Wanted
Yu Wenqian’s eye twitched slightly.
This was not the first time he had seen this child, nor the first time he’d heard the child cry. However, just now, a child who had been quiet started crying as soon as he approached. No matter how you say it, this isn’t a good thing, nor a good sign.
The atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward.
Shang Ruyi, standing to the side, also looked a bit awkward. It wasn’t a big deal for a child to cry, but Yuanyuan had been quiet the whole way and only started crying when the Crown Prince approached him. This wasn’t just about a child’s "innocence"; it seemed to suggest that the child didn’t particularly like his uncle.
Or perhaps, there was something about this uncle that made the child uneasy.
Shang Ruyi had prepared extensively to attend this banquet and was fully prepared to handle everything here, but she hadn’t expected things to start even before entering the Crown Prince Mansion.
For a moment, the atmosphere around them became peculiar, especially the people following behind the Crown Prince. They were all furrowing their brows, their expressions serious, looking at them with a few hints of displeasure, as if the child’s crying were not only premeditated but also that the couple was deliberately trying to embarrass the Crown Prince.
The crying seemed like lighting a fire beside a straw house piled with firewood, ready to ignite some unspoken tension at any moment.
Shang Ruyi awkwardly said, "This child—"
But before she could finish her explanation, Yu Wenqian lightly smiled and said, "Children just love to cry."
"..."
"Last time when I held him, he cried like this, but this time, the crying is stronger."
After speaking, he looked up at Shang Ruyi and said, "The child grows fast."
"...!"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback.
She didn’t know that Yu Wenqian had once held Yuanyuan when he was just born. Yu Wenye had deliberately kept that displeasing incident a secret. What surprised her more was that Yu Wenqian’s words had undoubtedly resolved their predicament, but for some reason, it made her even more uneasy.
Vaguely, she remembered seeing that completely unfamiliar Yu Wenqian in Duke Shenwu’s funeral hall, exuding a dense and ominous aura, as if possessed. That kind of Yu Wenqian was terrifying. The Yu Wenqian before her now was also unfamiliar. Although his smile was gentle and his manner was meticulous, just like the Young Master Yu Wen of old, Shang Ruyi felt that he was different now from the Young Master Yu Wen then, and also different from the Crown Prince before Duke Shenwu’s death.
The person in front of her was so unfamiliar that it left her at a loss.
Just as Shang Ruyi choked in her throat, unable to speak, Yu Wenye gently said, "Perhaps bringing him to meet the Imperial Brother today might help him be less inclined to cry in the future."
After speaking, he stepped forward and gestured to Tushere, who immediately carried Yuanyuan and stepped aside.
Then Yu Wenye looked up, smiled, and said, "Imperial Brother, aren’t you going to invite us in?"
Yu Wenqian glanced at him, then at Shang Ruyi beside him, smiled, stepped back, and held up his hand saying, "Second Brother, Sister-in-law, please."
Following closely behind them, Shen Wuzheng and Pei Xingyuan also came up. Originally, given their status and the occasion today, Yu Wenqian didn’t need to greet them separately; just allowing them to follow Prince Qin and the Princess would have been enough. At this moment, however, he looked at the two of them and smiled, "You two are here as well."
Shen Wuzheng and Pei Xingyuan exchanged a glance and immediately said, "Congratulations to the Crown Prince."
Yu Wenqian smiled, "Please go ahead."
After speaking, he seemed to take a deep look at Shen Wuzheng.
Shen Wuzheng’s heart trembled slightly, but he didn’t say much, only bowed once more, and the group entered the Crown Prince Mansion.
Shang Ruyi had previously inquired that this residence seemed to have belonged to a member of the Imperial Family in the previous dynasty. After Yu Wenquan ascended the throne, these people, seeing the turn of events, left the Central Pass. This residence was either sold or abandoned, becoming vacant until Yu Wencheng bought it and gifted it to the Crown Prince. The location of the residence is quite good, right within Jincheng Square, close to the Imperial Palace, with three courtyards inside and out, a square and elegant layout, spacious and befitting the status of the Crown Prince.
Yet, upon entering, Shang Ruyi felt a sense of inexplicable discomfort.
Thinking about it, she realized it was because the place was adorned everywhere with red lanterns. Paper-cut window decorations were scattered along the eaves and walls, and even the well-trimmed trees in the courtyard were wrapped in red silk, creating a sea of fiery red as one stepped inside.
Adding to that, the surrounding bustle and crowds gave a sense of noisy commotion.
But looking up again at the Crown Prince in red ahead, seemingly part of the surroundings, she felt a bit lost.
"What’s wrong?"
Seeming to sense her hesitant footsteps, Yu Wenye glanced down at her and softly asked. Shang Ruyi quickly came to, looked at him, and shook her head, "It’s nothing."
That discomfort was probably just a figment of her imagination.
Seeing her again, Yu Wenye said no more, and the group entered the hall. Here it was even more festively decorated, bustling with excitement. Several high-ranking officials were already present, and upon seeing Prince Qin, they came forward to bow in greeting. Yu Wenye remarked that today they were all guests, no need for formality, and led Shang Ruyi to take a seat.
Opposite them sat King Qi, Yu Wencheng.
Upon seeing his second brother and sister-in-law enter, his previously smiling face immediately turned somber, revealing a hint of gloominess. Especially upon hearing the soft coos of a baby, though quiet, his identity caused the laughter of those around to diminish, prompting him to sneer, "On such a joyous day, why did Second Brother bring a baby? Crying and fussing, what a bother."
Shang Ruyi immediately frowned.
She wasn’t surprised Yu Wencheng would speak this way. After all, the relationship between the two sides had become irreparable after that cup of wine, with no turning back. Her only concern was that today was the Crown Prince’s banquet, and she didn’t want Yu Wenye to be provoked by his younger brother into causing a scene.
Unexpectedly, Yu Wenye made no move.
He didn’t act nor speak, simply staring silently at Yu Wencheng opposite, his gaze fixed on the scar at the end of his brow.
That glaring scar.
Yu Wencheng clearly noticed as well, raising a brow, smirking, "Surely Second Brother knows. Didn’t Second Sister-in-law see and tell you?"
"..."
"Even if Second Sister-in-law didn’t tell you about this, she surely should have told you—who Father might dispatch in the attack on the Eastern Capital."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi’s face darkened.
Previously, when she saw Yu Wenquan and Yu Wencheng at the Thousand-step Corridor, she had deliberately interrupted their conversation multiple times to capture Yu Wenquan’s attention with Yuanyuan. Yet, in the end, Yu Wenquan had asked her to leave first, evidently to continue discussing the attack on the Eastern Capital with Yu Wencheng.
Could it be that afterwards, Yu Wenquan truly gave him the outcome he desired?