Chapter 1195 - 873: Cijian
Yu Wenye walked forward and said, "Do you remember what I mentioned to you about the Eight Passes near Luoyang?"
Shang Ruyi replied irritably, "Of course I remember. Yuanyuan was sleeping peacefully, and you just had to poke around, luckily, he’s a heavy sleeper."
Yu Wenye also smiled but quickly restrained his smile and said seriously, "Yan Jie is the type who lacks long-term vision and a sense of the bigger picture. He acts on impulse, doing whatever he feels like, with hardly any overall strategy."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi frowned.
She had noticed this flaw long ago. While it might not be a big issue in everyday life, on the battlefield, a small problem could lead to major issues.
Yu Wenye continued, "For him, attacking Luoyang is just about attacking Luoyang. The fastest and most direct route is the one he chooses, and right now, the Jian River is exactly that."
Shang Ruyi furrowed her brows and said, "So, he won’t spend time detouring around Mang Mountain to attack Hu Lao but will go directly through Jian River to Luoyang."
"Yes."
"But if I’m not mistaken, Yique Pass is not far from there, with a stationed force of thirty thousand troops."
Yu Wenye looked at her with a smile, "Quite the memory."
Shang Ruyi said, "You just told me a few days ago, how could I forget?"
As she spoke, the gloom in her expression deepened as she said, "So, the Third Younger Brother’s plan is to march directly through Cijian and attack Luoyang. But he hasn’t considered that Liang Shide has stationed forces in the Eight Passes, in addition to the troops Cijian already has. He might not be able to pass through smoothly."
Yu Wenye nodded and continued, "That’s why I said Cijian is of great importance to him."
"..."
"The longer he is delayed there, the more disadvantageous it is for him."
Shang Ruyi said, "If that’s the case, then the Third Younger Brother—"
Yu Wenye added, "However, the battlefield is ever-changing, and things may not go as I predict. If he can achieve something remarkable, it will mean I underestimated him."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi lightly shook her head.
Yu Wencheng’s decision to bypass the forces arranged by Liang Shide at the Luoyang Eight Passes and directly go through Jian River to Luoyang suggested he had little chance of winning. Although things on the battlefield are ever-changing, the essence remains the same. It’s rare for unexpected luck to occur.
She murmured, "I just hope that my elder brother and Shen Tu Tai don’t get caught up and hurt."
After finishing, they both returned to Qianqiu Palace.
From that day on, as Yu Wenye had said, both of them were fully alert. Yu Wenye indeed stopped going to the military camp daily, but it seemed he had completed all the necessary tasks earlier. After this day, he stayed at the Ministry of Personnel, handling affairs. After dealing with routine matters, he would send messages to the Hot Spring Palace every few days.
In the blink of an eye, three messages had been sent.
Once the Emperor left, the palace naturally calmed down. Even some palace maids and eunuchs began to slack off. Shang Ruyi didn’t intervene much and only spoke when encountering them. Most of the time, she stayed at Qianqiu Palace taking care of Yuanyuan.
The only difference was at Jinyu Garden.
Previously, due to Jiang Chong’en’s affair, Yu Wenye advised Chu Ruoyan to stay in Jinyu Garden a bit longer to avoid making the Emperor angry. With Yu Wenquan’s retreat to the Hot Spring Palace, Chu Ruoyan got a chance to breathe. Though she seemed indifferent and didn’t cherish the opportunity to go out, Shang Ruyi worried that staying in confinement would make her ill. So every few days, she visited Chu Ruoyan, and in return, Chu Ruoyan occasionally came to Qianqiu Palace to chat.
That day, Chu Ruoyan came again.
As she entered Qianqiu Palace, Shang Ruyi personally greeted her, noticing fine white powder falling from her cloak. Startled, she asked, "What is this—"
Chu Ruoyan raised her head and smiled, "Sister, don’t you know? It’s snowing outside."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Shang Ruyi didn’t invite her in but instead walked out, standing at the entrance of the main hall to look outside. Indeed, countless sparkling fine particles fell from the gray sky, swirling into a snowy mist in the courtyard outside Qianqiu Palace, as if invisible hands were waving a massive, translucent veil.
It was an unexpected beauty.
Shang Ruyi was so mesmerized she didn’t notice the wind’s change, and as she looked on, a gust blew snow onto her face.
Shang Ruyi shivered from the cold, "Oof!"
Tushere and the others hurriedly helped her back inside. A heating stove was already burning within the hall, and the sudden change in temperature made Shang Ruyi sneeze a few times. Tushere scolded, "Princess, you’re so careless with your health. See, you’ve caught a chill."
Shang Ruyi dejectedly pinched her nose, glaring at her, thinking, who’s nagging, causing Tushere to pout and step back.
Chu Ruoyan said, "It’s my fault."
Shang Ruyi hurriedly said, "How can it be your fault? I’ve been feeling light-headed these past days. With winter coming, one naturally catches cold."
Chu Ruoyan nodded, glanced outside again, and murmured, "If it’s snowing here, it’s probably heavier at the Hot Spring Palace."
Shang Ruyi said, "Really?"
Chu Ruoyan nodded, saying, "When I was young, I went there a few times with my father. The surrounding mountains make it colder and snowier than in the city, though the scenery is beautiful. If you and His Highness ever get the chance, you should visit."
Shang Ruyi smiled, "There will always be a chance."
While speaking, Chang Wan and Wo Xue brought in refreshments. Shang Ruyi sipped the hot tea, and perhaps due to the cold wind she had just swallowed, a sip of hot tea irritated her throat. Suppressing a cough, she suddenly remembered something, "If there’s heavy snow at the Hot Spring Palace, then what about the hot springs—"
Chu Ruoyan said, "The snow won’t affect the hot springs, but soaking in them while it’s snowing is most comfortable."
"Really?"
"Yes,"
Chu Ruoyan’s smile faintly turned reminiscent, seemingly recalling childhood memories, but this time she didn’t linger in the dream for long. Regaining her composure, she looked at Shang Ruyi with a more composed gaze, saying, "But—"
"But what?"
"The Hot Spring Palace is much colder than the city. Although hot springs are warm, soaking every day might be too much for those who are weak."