Chapter 219: Chapter 213: This Frankness Makes Him Unable to See Through
Shang Ruyi looked up at him, calmly saying, "In Young Master Xiao’s eyes, am I just a fool?"
"No, you are a smart person,"
Xiao Yuansui’s lips curled into a slight smile, but this time, his face didn’t wrinkle with the smile. Coupled with the cold light emanating from his slightly curved eyes, his smile not only lacked warmth but instead carried a certain cold and harsh feeling: "I just didn’t expect you to be so clever."
"..."
"You actually saw through them at a glance."
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and didn’t bother to beat around the bush. She simply stated calmly, "It’s not that I saw through them at a glance, but rather, Young Master Xiao, you couldn’t control them."
Xiao Yuansui squinted his eyes slightly: "You saw that they are not on good terms with me, so what do you plan to do?"
"..."
"Sow discord between us to make Xingluo Warehouse City collapse without a fight?"
Shang Ruyi smiled faintly and said, "Young Master Xiao is flattering me."
"..."
"Though this is a way, your so-called Brother Lu hardly counts as a hero, and indeed, is not worth much. If I were to deal with him, it would be asking for trouble. Besides—"
She glanced at Xiao Yuansui and said, "Since Young Master Xiao sees that I have spotted this, how could you not guard against it?"
"..."
"My strength is limited, so I won’t undertake such futile efforts."
Xiao Yuansui said, "Then what do you plan to do?"
Shang Ruyi said, "That question should probably be mine to ask you."
"..."
"I came here looking for my husband. I never intended to deal with you all. It was you who captured me. I should ask you, what do you plan to do with me?"
Xiao Yuansui was taken aback, thought for a moment, and then burst into laughter.
After laughing, he looked at Shang Ruyi again and said, "Young Madam, I must say, you are even smarter than I initially thought."
"..."
"Even you are so clever, Yu Wenye surely won’t escape so easily."
Upon mentioning Yu Wenye, Shang Ruyi’s heart suddenly sank.
Even now, she still couldn’t unravel why Yu Wenye lost three battles consecutively and then led his troops to flee after the defeat, as even his opponent, Xiao Yuansui, didn’t see through it. He even dispatched troops to search around Huangtu Ridge all night but found no traces of him.
Where exactly did this person go!
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and said, "What he’s thinking, where he’s gone, I don’t know. Besides, I can’t concern myself with him at the moment. Now, I must ask you, what do you plan to do after capturing me into Xingluo Warehouse City?"
Xiao Yuansui smiled faintly and said, "Young Madam needn’t be so guarded. I told you, last night’s troop deployment was only to search for Yu Wenye. Encountering Young Madam was an accident, and even though we brought you into Xingluo Warehouse City, we won’t do anything to you."
Shang Ruyi said, "Do nothing to me, then why not let me go?"
"..."
Xiao Yuansui squinted with a smile, "But I also don’t want to let you go."
Although this was a long-anticipated outcome, upon hearing it, Shang Ruyi’s heart still sank. However, she kept a straight face, only coldly smiling and said, "Doing nothing to me and not letting me go, are you merely letting me deplete the city’s provisions for you?"
"That could also be said,"
Xiao Yuansui laughed, "That bag of dried provisions you gave me back then saved me from distress, even saved my life. People often say that a favor repaid tenfold, so some provisions in return for that bag of dried food, what’s there to quibble about?"
Shang Ruyi said, "If that’s truly the case, then I won’t be polite."
"..."
"I ran for two days from the Eastern Capital to here and was up all night causing a ruckus. I’m now tired and hungry. If Young Master Xiao truly wishes to repay the favor, why not give me three feet of bed and a meal, let me eat my fill and sleep well, and call it repaying your graciousness."
Though they had encountered once before, and she had left a deep impression, Xiao Yuansui couldn’t have imagined a weak lady, in enemy territory, could be so frank.
This frankness even made it somewhat difficult for him to discern.
But this feeling of being unable to see through her did not make him uneasy. On the contrary, he looked over this noblewoman dressed in coarse garb with smiling eyes full of appreciation and said, "That is long prepared. Please."
With a lift of his hand, pointing to the hallway, Shang Ruyi calmly moved forward.
Behind the assembly hall was a large open yard. At the northern end of the yard stood a tall platform on both sides with curtains, decorated with exquisite images like celestial maidens scattering flowers—clearly used for observing dances and music.
It seemed the officers stationed here were accustomed to enjoyment. It’s no wonder Wanggang Army, with thousands of troops, could capture this Warehouse City.
Passing through the garden, there was a long corridor.
Xiao Yuansui led her for nearly a hundred steps but only reached halfway down the corridor. A doorway appeared on the right, and he turned in.
However, Shang Ruyi walked to the door but did not enter immediately. Instead, she looked ahead along the corridor. After a few dozen steps, there was a small door, and beyond it, there seemed to be another path, long and flat, leading who knows where.
As she was lost in thought, Xiao Yuansui noticed that she hadn’t followed. He stepped back a couple of paces, following her gaze forward, and then looked at Shang Ruyi.
After a moment, he smiled and said, "Young Madam."
"Hmm?"
"Does the Young Madam now wish for a three-foot bed and a table of food, or does she want to go through that door and have a look?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked at his inscrutable smile, forced a smile, and said, "Food is the priority."
So she immediately followed him.
Soon, Xiao Yuansui led her to the east rear courtyard. It was very deep and quiet here. Upon entering the room, it was tidy and well-maintained, with a brazier burning, though there weren’t many furnishings; just a low table in the center of the room, with a half-height pink wall behind it, and beyond that, the resting chamber.
On the table was already a fine spread of food and wine.
Xiao Yuansui stood beside her and smiled, "Young Madam, is this satisfactory?"
Shang Ruyi glanced around the room and then at the food and wine on the table. She turned to Xiao Yuansui and said, "Congratulations, Young Master Xiao, your great kindness repaid."
Her words were clean, crisp, and resonant.
For the first time, Xiao Yuansui felt at a loss for words against someone, with all his learning.
After a moment of silence, he nodded and smiled, "Then, Young Madam, please rest well."
With that, he exited, closing the door behind him.
Only when the cold wind and light outside were blocked by the door did Shang Ruyi let out a sharp breath, immediately feeling a wave of weakness. She hurriedly sat down at the low table, her forehead dotted with perspiration.
Just now, she had said she was tired and hungry, wanting to avoid saying much to Xiao Yuansui—after all, the man was too astute. She didn’t wish for him to glean anything from her before she could from him—yet now it seemed that she indeed needed to eat and sleep well.
Otherwise, she couldn’t think seriously about her next steps.
The current situation was that Yu Wenye had fled with his troops, whereabouts unknown; Kou Junliang had decided to pin the blame for defeated retreat on him; and the Emperor in the Eastern Capital City had long harbored murderous intent against Yu Wenye. Once this matter was settled, the Yuwen Family would surely face calamity.
So—
What could she do?
Especially when she had already been captured into Xingluo Granary by Xiao Yuansui. Considering how shrewd he was, he likely thought of anything she could come up with first.
Though he spoke grandly of repaying kindness, both knew he valued her because of her status as Yu Wenye’s wife, figuring that keeping her would have some use. Therefore, he certainly wouldn’t easily let her go.
But perhaps, she would disappoint him.
Shang Ruyi let out a bitter laugh.
Although she felt somewhat bitter inside, she didn’t trouble herself, picking up her chopsticks to eat. Clearly, Xiao Yuansui treated her with courtesy; the food prepared was also exquisite. At least in this place, it counted as a pleasant experience. Despite her heavy heart, she forced herself to eat quite a bit. With food and wine, she then turned to the inner chamber, where the bed was already made with soft mattresses and quilts, and she lay down fully clothed.
She slept for an entire day.
When she awoke again, it was already the next morning.
A few middle-aged women brought her hot water and food, treating her neither warmly nor coldly. Shang Ruyi didn’t mind, washed and ate, and once finished, she opened the door and left the room.
Outside was a bright and spacious little courtyard.
After consecutive days of heavy snow, it seemed to have nearly dispelled the thick gloom overhead. Today, the sun shone brightly, illuminating the thick blanket of white snow around, reflecting even more dazzling light, making the little courtyard and the entire Xingluo Warehouse City even brighter.
Unexpectedly, there were no guards inside or outside the courtyard.
However, thinking about it, it wasn’t surprising. Xiao Yuansui had taken over an entire city; even if she could escape this courtyard, could she escape the city? Even if she could escape the city, could she leave Huangtu Ridge?
Even if she made it down Huangtu Ridge, at Luokou Ferry, Kou Junliang was waiting to take her life.
Even returning to the Eastern Capital City, there was the Emperor’s Sword.
At this thought, a chill rose in her heart. Even the warm sunlight on her body couldn’t dispel it, and Shang Ruyi shivered instinctively.
With her mind clouded, she couldn’t stay put, so she walked out of the yard.
Following the path Xiao Yuansui had led her on the previous day, she walked back a bit and found a corridor. To the left was the assembly hall from before, and to the right, after a few dozen steps, was the small door she had seen yesterday. Exiting the door and walking forward, the path turned and disappeared into a high wall. She did not know what lay there.
She thought about it and slowly walked forward.
But just as she reached the small doorway, with a clang, two bright blades suddenly appeared in front of her, barring her way.