Chapter 1215 - 891: I Can’t "If
Returning to Qianqiu Palace, after handing Yuanyuan to the wet nurse, Shang Ruyi sat down to rest. Just as she was lightly dozing while leaning against the bed, she heard a set of familiar footsteps approaching. The closer they came, the lighter the steps became, as if afraid to wake her from her beautiful dream.
Until the footsteps stopped in front of her, the rustling sound of clothes reached her ears, and a familiar presence closed in.
Warm breath blew onto her face.
Shang Ruyi tried hard to control her breathing and heartbeat, but the next moment, she felt her eyelashes being gently brushed by someone’s fingertips, like fingers strumming across a zither string. The ticklish sensation was unbearable, and she suddenly opened her eyes, meeting Yu Wenye’s deep, smiling gaze.
Shang Ruyi chuckled in exasperation and said, "Why disturb someone’s peaceful dream like this!"
Yu Wenye replied, "How could you have a peaceful dream if you’re only pretending to sleep?"
"Hmph!"
Shang Ruyi huffed, but still sat up and took a sip of tea to wake herself up. Meanwhile, Yu Wenye had taken off his outer garment, changed into casual clothes, and sat down beside her, looking around as he sipped tea. He asked, "Where’s Yuanyuan?"
"Just went to Father Emperor’s place to play for a while. He got a bit sleepy, so I had the wet nurse take him down for a nap."
"Oh? Went to Father Emperor’s place."
Yu Wenye smiled faintly at her and asked, "What did you say to Father Emperor this time?"
"How could I have said any—"
Before she could finish, Shang Ruyi quickly realized and widened her eyes at Yu Wenye, asking, "What did you see?"
Yu Wenye said, "Just when I was returning and passing through Suzhang Gate, I saw Imperial Brother coming out with the Crown Princess Consort and Lou Liangdi. The Crown Princess Consort didn’t look too pleased."
"Oh?"
Shang Ruyi’s eyes lit up at his words.
Actually, Yu Wenye spoke leisurely, for he wasn’t much interested in the relationship between Yu Mingyue and Lou Chan Yue. The intrigue between women and the rivalry among men were always clearly divided in his mind with Shang Ruyi. However, even if he didn’t care, he couldn’t ignore Yu Mingyue’s livid face and the piercing glare she shot at Lou Chan Yue, as if she would have stabbed her through if she could.
It was rare to witness such a sharp gaze, even off the battlefield.
And Lou Chan Yue, though Yu Wenye observed from afar that she was not confronting the Crown Princess Consort head-on, remained quite humble, seemingly cautious all along. Yet, his years as a noble son allowed him to clearly sense that this Lou Liangdi was far from as humble as she appeared.
Shang Ruyi was not slow to understand either, so she recounted what she had overheard in Liangyi Hall to Yu Wenye. After listening, Yu Wenye did not speak immediately but was silent for a long time before looking up at her, his eyes twinkling as he said, "I see."
Shang Ruyi looked at him, her gaze also flickering.
Neither spoke further, yet it seemed many words had been exchanged in that silent moment.
After a while, Shang Ruyi said softly, "By the way, I told Father Emperor I wanted to visit my uncle’s house, but Father Emperor did not allow it. It seems he still doesn’t fully trust us."
Yu Wenye said blandly, "Pei Xingyuan in the Ministry of Justice Prison hasn’t uttered a word, and neither Doctor Su nor Jiang Yu has extracted any vital information. With the truth unclear and confusion still reigning, how could Father Emperor’s doubt be dispelled?"
Shang Ruyi sighed and said, "Yes, we still have to dispel Father Emperor’s doubts first."
Yu Wenye said, "Don’t rush this matter."
"Hmm."
Shang Ruyi nodded and then asked, "By the way, didn’t you say you’d be back quickly after visiting the military camp this morning? Why were you delayed so long?"
At this, Yu Wenye’s expression darkened slightly and he said, "I went to the Ministry of War."
"The Ministry of War?" Hearing these words, Shang Ruyi perked up, "Is there news from Third Brother’s side?"
"Hmm."
Yu Wenye took a deep breath, his expression complex as he looked at her. "The Ministry of War just received a military report from the front. Yan Jie has already taken Cijian."
Shang Ruyi widened her eyes in surprise. She remembered the last time Yu Wenye talked to her about the troop deployments around Luoyang, specifically mentioning Cijian. It was a military town set up on the Jian River when Chu Yang moved the capital, not a major military hub but of great significance for defending Luoyang.
It was also crucial for Yu Wencheng’s eastern expedition towards Luoyang.
The words still echoed in her ears, yet she hadn’t expected him to take Cijian so soon.
Yu Wenye sighed lightly and said, "I thought he wouldn’t be able to take Cijian until after the New Year. Unexpectedly, he did it so quickly. This time, he really surprised me."
Shang Ruyi nodded silently. Actually, whether due to family heritage or the necessity of finding his place as King Qi, after losing the Dragon Raising Land, Yu Wencheng had to achieve military success to demonstrate his value and status, even after regaining Taiyuan City with the help of his two brothers.
She dipped her finger in her tea cup and drew a few lines on the table, marking the Yellow River, Beimang Mountain, Jian River, Cijian... just as Yu Wenye had previously mentioned. After a moment of contemplation, she said softly, "Now Third Brother is not far from Luoyang. If the Eastern Capital garrison doesn’t intend to retake Cijian, and he advances east along the Jian River, he could reach Luoyang in just two or three days."
Yu Wenye asked, "What do you think the Eastern Capital garrison will do?"
Shang Ruyi sighed, "Liang Shide isn’t foolish."
As Yu Wenye had previously informed her, with the limited garrison in Luoyang, even if the city was fortified, it would be hard to resist if Yu Wencheng led a direct large-scale assault. So at this point, he would definitely strategize on the perimeter.
Yu Wenye asked, "Then, if you were Third Brother, what would you do next?"
Shang Ruyi stared at the lines on the table made by water for a while, then lightly shook her head, "I can’t ’what if’."
"What do you mean?"
"With Third Brother’s personality, he wouldn’t care about the garrison around Luoyang. He’s eager to achieve success quickly. Since he has taken Cijian, he would recklessly attack the Eastern Capital to seek a swift victory. But I—since you’ve already told me about the garrison and troop distribution of the Luoyang Eight Passes, I can’t possibly proceed according to Third Brother’s strategy."
"So what would you do?"
Shang Ruyi looked up at him, "The same as you."
At her words, a smile floated in Yu Wenye’s eyes, but he also gave her a reproachful look, "Cunning!"
Shang Ruyi also smiled, slowly wiping away the water stains on the table. Though the water stains vanished, her face gradually took on a more serious expression, "Since Third Brother has already—then we need to speed things up too, considering it’s almost New Year’s Eve."
Yu Wenye nodded, "Hmm."