Chapter 209: Chapter 204: Die for him, or die for me?
To him, all those moral teachings were nothing but worthless nonsense. As the Venerable Emperor, standing at the highest point under heaven, he naturally couldn’t be bound by any ceremonial laws if he were to create an unparalleled legacy.
He, from his body to his soul, was infinitely free.
Yet over these years, the only thing that seemed to bind him was this young woman before him.
His faint and indistinct delicate thoughts about her were forcibly pushed back by her tears, leaving him with only the identity of a "confidant." For him, that would suffice.
But now, the one approaching him first was her!
Chu Yang’s heart raced wildly, like a starving beast trapped in a cage, finally seizing the opportunity to break free, struggling and roaring to get out, and his body, in this stirring moment, uncontrollably leaned closer to her.
But just then, Shang Ruyi’s hand suddenly withdrew.
Chu Yang was taken aback and said, "You—"
Before he could finish his words, he saw Shang Ruyi’s retracted arm suddenly stretch out, and her slender, fair palm suddenly attacked his face.
This sudden change left Chu Yang dumbstruck, and he was unable to react as he felt a gust of wind from her palm, carrying a slight trace of her fragrance, brush past his face.
Even his temples were blown into disarray.
Chu Yang widened his eyes in shock, staring at the fair palm in front of him. Before he could comprehend what had happened, Shang Ruyi had withdrawn her hand again, rising to kneel before him, "Please, Your Majesty, forgive me!"
"...!"
After a violent tremor within his heart, Chu Yang finally came to his senses, furious: "Shang Ruyi, how dare you!"
Although her actions hadn’t actually touched him or harmed him, just the gesture alone was an act of treason. Even though Chu Yang was fond of her and regarded her as a confidante, as the Venerable Emperor, how could he allow anyone to treat him with such disrespect?!
With his angry shout, a heavy footsteps sounded from outside.
A tall figure approached the beaded curtain: "Your Majesty, Shang Ruyi has disrespected you. I will execute her immediately!"
With those words, the sound of a blade being drawn pierced the tranquility here, as Wang Shaoji violently lifted the curtain and stepped inside, the gleaming steel blade already swung toward Shang Ruyi!
Shang Ruyi was so frightened that she hastily raised her hand to block over her head.
Just as the blade was about to strike, Chu Yang suddenly ordered, "Stop!"
"...!"
Wang Shaoji’s hand froze, the blade forcibly halting at Shang Ruyi’s wrist. He glared at Shang Ruyi before turning to look at Chu Yang: "Your Majesty?"
Chu Yang’s face was somber, his gaze steady on Shang Ruyi, who was trembling in fear on the ground. After a long silence, he gently waved his hand, "Withdraw."
Wang Shaoji argued, "Your Majesty, she attempted to assassinate you!"
"She wouldn’t,"
Chu Yang, fixing his eyes on those quivering, slender shoulders, said, "Step back, I will summon you again if needed."
Wang Shaoji could only grudgingly sheath his blade and then turn to leave.
However, as he left the elegant room, he glanced back at Shang Ruyi, his eyes filled with malice and viciousness. Though Shang Ruyi remained kneeling, unable to see anything, she still felt a chilling sensation pierce through her body.
Shortly after, Wang Shaoji departed.
The two people in the elegant room remained silent, Chu Yang continually staring at those twitching, trembling shoulders. After a long while, he gradually said, "Explain."
Shang Ruyi still kept her head down, "Please, Your Majesty, forgive me."
"..."
Chu Yang narrowed his eyes slightly, "You had better explain clearly to me."
Hearing his voice devoid of further rage, yet still heavy with an oppressive aura, Shang Ruyi slowly straightened up to look at Chu Yang and softly said: "I only wanted Your Majesty to know that if I hadn’t withdrawn my hand earlier, Your Majesty wouldn’t have felt anything at all, would you?"
"...!"
Chu Yang frowned, recalling her two hand movements just moments ago.
"So what?"
"In battle, sometimes it’s the same way."
"..."
"Sometimes, without a temporary retreat and temporary defeat, there would be no space for an attack. There’s a form of advancing that relies on leveraging the situation."
Chu Yang slightly narrowed his eyes, coldly looking at her: "You mean Yu Wenye’s defeat is a battle tactic?"
Shang Ruyi said, "I am not versed in military affairs, being in the Eastern Capital City, and it’s impossible for me to know the true essence of the Xingluo Granary battle. I merely wish to plead on behalf of my husband — that a temporary setback isn’t necessarily defeat in the truest sense, and I ask Your Majesty to give him a bit more time, a little more opportunity."
Chu Yang’s expression slowly grew darker.
He stared intently at Shang Ruyi, "You’re asking me to give him more time and opportunity; do you think he will surely succeed?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi’s breath caught.
At this moment, she still couldn’t fathom the reason behind Yu Wenye’s three consecutive defeats these days, whether it was truly due to lack of strength or something else entirely. But at this instant, she suddenly remembered how he, back in Yanmen County, single-handedly charged out of the city and wounded Ashina Shali, defeating an army of a hundred thousand.
The intensity of that moment stayed etched in her memory to this day.
She took a deep breath and said, "I believe in him!"
Hearing this, Chu Yang’s face darkened, showing a flash of sinister anger, and he sneered: "You are certainly loyal to him, willing to risk everything even to secure a way out for him, aren’t you?"
"..."
"If I hadn’t stopped Wang Shaoji earlier, you would be lying dead by his blade."
"..."
"In this way, you will die because of him."
"..."
"Are you truly so devoted to your husband?"
Shang Ruyi’s face was pale. At this moment, even though she was in a warm and cozy private room, with a blazing heating stove right behind her, her entire body felt as cold as ice, and even her blood seemed to carry an icy chill. She could only speak softly, "He is my husband. To die for him is to die without regret, let alone—"
"Let alone what?"
"Let alone this death is also a remonstrance in death."
Chu Yang stared deeply at her and suddenly said, "To die because of him and also to remonstrate in death to me."
"..."
"So are you dying for him or for me?"
Shang Ruyi lowered her head again.
The tearing pain in her heart surged once more. She gritted her teeth, enduring the intense pain, and said softly, "I don’t want to die. I want to live."
Chu Yang sneered, "Then, for whom do you live?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and raised her head. This time, her gaze was much more determined than before, and she said word by word, "I live, I live only for myself."
"...!"
Chu Yang’s eyes widened suddenly.
This answer was clearly something Chu Yang had not anticipated or even thought possible.
He looked at Shang Ruyi for a long time with a complicated expression, finally letting out a long breath, "If that is truly the case, then I shall not compete any longer."
He unconsciously reached out to touch his cheek. Just a moment ago, Shang Ruyi had reached out to him for the first time. Although she hadn’t touched him, he felt as though he had sensed the intimate touch of skin, just a bit of tingling sensation rushing into his heart. Even now, his heartbeat had not calmed down.
Then, he bit his lip, saying, "You better mean what you say!"
With that, he stood up and walked out.
Shang Ruyi instinctively called out, "Your Majesty!"
Chu Yang stopped but didn’t turn around, his voice cold, "What more do you have to say?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Then, about the Xingluo Granary—"
Chu Yang turned his face slightly, his cold gaze sweeping over her, "You’ve already remonstrated in death. If I don’t give him another chance, would it not truly force you to death?"
"..."
"But, just one more chance!"
"..."
"If troops are dispatched again, and if he loses soldiers and generals without capturing the Xingluo Granary—"
Shang Ruyi felt a pang in her heart, looking up at Chu Yang. His remarkably handsome face was now full of murderous intent, saying word by word, "I shall not spare him lightly!"
With that, he swept his sleeves and left.
Shang Ruyi stood behind the curtain of beads, watching the tall and graceful figure disappear ahead. Her body felt cold, as if all her blood had been frozen by Chu Yang’s cold words just now, and it took a long time for her to slowly regain her senses.
She walked downstairs somewhat blankly.
By the time she reached the first floor, all the dining guests had surprisingly disappeared.
The owner and staff of Tinghe Building also stood quietly behind the counter, not daring to look up at her, not even daring to breathe.
Shang Ruyi slowly walked out of Tinghe Building, and when she looked back, the quiet tavern seemed so unreal. As soon as she left, it would immediately return to its usual state, and everything that had just happened would be like a dream, completely shattered and vanished.
Shang Ruyi said nothing, turned around.
The carriage that had brought her was still parked outside. The coachman stood beside it, his face blank, saying emotionlessly, "Please, Young Madam, get on the carriage. I will immediately take you back to Yuwen Mansion."
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked at him and said nothing.
She couldn’t be bothered to ask the coachman’s identity. Although the Empress had arranged for him to pick her up, how could anything in the palace not obey the Emperor? No matter how influential and cautious Empress Jiang was, she ultimately wasn’t a match for the Emperor.
Shang Ruyi just nodded and walked over.
But just as she was about to get on the carriage, she accidentally glimpsed a somewhat familiar figure flash by.
"Hm?"
A feeling stirred in Shang Ruyi’s numb heart. She turned her head quickly, but there was only a crowd of strangers on the bustling street.
Did she see it wrong?
The coachman, seeing her not moving for a long while, stepped forward, "Young Madam, is there anything wrong?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi didn’t speak, but she looked up again, not finding any familiar figure in the crowd. Indeed, it seemed she had mistaken it, so she shook her head lightly and said, "No, let’s go."
Thus, she got on the carriage, and it soon left Tinghe Building, heading towards Yuwen Mansion.