Chu Yang’s expression imdiately darkened.
Eunuch Yu was so frightened that he hurriedly apologized, "This servant is guilty of misconduct in front of Your Majesty, this servant deserves to die, please forgive , Your Majesty."
"..."
Chu Yang squinted at him for a while, then said coldly, "You’re getting old, even small tasks are handled so clumsily."
Eunuch Yu repeatedly kowtowed, "This servant deserves to die, this servant deserves to die."
Shang Ruyi quickly interjected, "Please forgive Eunuch Yu, Your Majesty, he is old, and his hands and feet are not as agile."
Chu Yang continued to look at Eunuch Yu kneeling on the ground, and after a while, he said with a faint smirk, "Soone pleads for you, aren’t you going to thank them quickly?"
Only then did Eunuch Yu turn to Shang Ruyi and say, "Thank you, Young Madam."
Chu Yang waved his hand coldly, "Leave, and go about your business."
Eunuch Yu, as if he had narrowly escaped the jaws of death, climbed up from the ground covered in cold sweat and retreated — just as he was leaving, his small bright eyes glanced at Shang Ruyi, then he lowered his head and closed the door.
Shang Ruyi felt a slight stir in her heart.
At this mont, Chu Yang turned to her, "What did you want to say to just now?"
Shang Ruyi thought for a mont and then shook her head, "Nothing."
Chu Yang looked at her for a while, seemingly with a smile on his handso face, but there was no amusent in his long phoenix eyes. He slowly stood up and said, "If there’s nothing, then let’s go; accompany to the garden."
Shang Ruyi dared not delay, she quickly got up, "Yes."
That day, the two of them played in the picturesque garden of the inner palace for half a day. As the sun set, turning the bluestone ground fiery red with the sunset glow, Shang Ruyi finally returned to the palace with so fatigue. Wo Xue had already prepared hot water for her to bathe, and after a brief refreshnt, dinner was served.
Once again, it was a table full of exquisite dishes that were breathtakingly beautiful.
Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but frown.
Although her body was tired, and she was indeed hungry, as she picked up the bowl and chopsticks, she had no appetite. Instead, her chest felt as if it were pressed down by a heavy stone, making her uneasy. Just at this mont, Eunuch Yu brought a little eunuch with a bowl of dicine and placed it in front of her, smiling, "This is what His Majesty ordered, for Young Madam to take after the al."
Shang Ruyi said, "My health has already healed."
Eunuch Yu replied, "Your health has healed, but this dicine is for nurturing and replenishing your vitality. Young Madam was worn out from the journey recently, and if not properly recuperated, it won’t bode well for the future."
Hearing this, Shang Ruyi could only nod, "Put it down."
Thus, the little eunuch placed the bowl of dicine down and then turned and retreated.
Eunuch Yu, after paying his respects, was about to leave. Shang Ruyi stopped him and gestured for Wo Xue and the other palace maids serving around to leave. After they all left, she softly asked, "Why did you stop today, Eunuch?"
Eunuch Yu glanced at her, then just smiled without saying anything.
Shang Ruyi said, "Even though you’re old, Eunuch, you’re not a careless person, and you wouldn’t commit misconduct in front of His Majesty. You deliberately interrupted because you didn’t want to finish speaking, right?"
"..."
"Can’t those words be spoken?"
Eunuch Yu looked at her for a while longer, then finally sighed and said softly, "Young Madam has been at Jiangdu Palace for so ti now, have you ever taken a step outside the palace gates?"
Shang Ruyi shook her head.
Not to ntion stepping outside the palace gates, she hadn’t even seen the gate of Jiangdu Palace, let alone the world outside, which made Chu Yang yearn for, and even write poetry singing ’A good dream of old colors, why trouble yourself in a secluded morning’ of Jiangnan, what is it actually like.
Eunuch Yu said, "Young Madam hasn’t even left the palace gates, yet knows about the issues of vegetables and grain. Do you think the ministers who worry day and night for the state don’t know? Wouldn’t they advise the Emperor?"
Shang Ruyi asked, "You an, soone has already spoken up?"
Eunuch Yu sighed, "Not only has soone spoken up, but more than one person has."
"Then—"
"Lord Ji Nayan contradicted the Emperor and was executed; Vice Minister Su of the Ministry of Rites advised His Majesty and has now been demoted three ranks; and several others with less influence are in the dungeons."
"..."
The fiery red sunset light outside the window shone on Shang Ruyi’s pale face, illuminating the confusion and helplessness in her eyes clearly. She opened her mouth, and after a long mont, said hoarsely, "The Emperor doesn’t listen?"
Eunuch Yu just gave a bitter smile.
He turned and said, "I stopped Young Madam only because I didn’t want you to waste your effort, as neither His Majesty nor the ministers can find any solution to this issue. The only solution—"
Shang Ruyi looked at him with eyes full of hope, "What is it?"
Eunuch Yu said, "It was proposed by the executed Lord Ji, that His Majesty should not linger in Jiangdu any longer. He should imdiately rally his forces, march north, and return to Luoyang to reclaim the Eastern Capital."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi sighed helplessly in her heart.
Hearing these words, she also understood why this Lord Ji was executed.
This is indeed the only feasible way at the mont, but he still has to make the Emperor give up his attitude of evasion and make him return to Luoyang, to face his own failures and mistakes directly. How could this not provoke Chu Yang, inciting the wrath that leads to a life-threatening disaster?
Eunuch Yu continued, "This servant doesn’t want the Young Madam to provoke Your Majesty, as it would be of no benefit to the Young Madam; besides, if His Majesty gets angry with the Young Madam—given her special status, she likely wouldn’t be punished like those other lords, but who knows who would be the unlucky one."
"..."
"Moreover, it’s not just the matters of Jiangdu that His Majesty refuses to listen to or look at; now, he doesn’t even look at the battle reports sent back from Luoyang."
"The battle reports from Luoyang?"
Shang Ruyi’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.
She took a deep breath, trying to keep her expression and tone as calm and usual as possible, and asked, "How are things over there now?"
Eunuch Yu gave a bitter smile and said, "Specifically, we don’t know, we’ve only heard that—Liang Shide, after capturing Luoyang, has successively captured several more cities, with not a single soldier or civilian from the surrounding counties opposing or blocking him. Now, they have beco the largest faction of the rebel army."
"..."
Shang Ruyi’s heart tightened.
The montum of Liang Shide’s advance implied that his military actions encountered no obstruction.
There was no one to stop him.
Yu Wenye, not even him...
How is he doing now?
Has he already taken the people he cares about back to Taiyuan to live the life they desire; or, due to excessive blood loss and severe injuries—
This question, like a knife stabbing into her heart, hurt even more as she pondered, causing Shang Ruyi to breathe rapidly, her face turning sowhat ashen. She had to grip the edge of the table firmly to barely support herself.
Watching her struggling to breathe, Eunuch Yu appeared contemplative.
After a while, he said, "Young Madam, please take care."
Shang Ruyi finally managed to calm her heartbeat and breathing, then raised her head to look at him, only able to say weakly, "Thank you for your concern, Eunuch, I understand what you’ve said."
"..."
"However, if His Majesty doesn’t listen to these things, I don’t know what I can still counsel His Majesty about."
Hearing this, Eunuch Yu let out another bitter laugh.
He said, "At this ti, probably the only thing—the Young Madam can do is not to displease His Majesty and take care of herself."
With that, he saluted and turned away.
Shang Ruyi watched his figure disappear into the fiery red sunset. It was a long while before she lowered her head, looking at the exquisite dishes on the table that were so delicate they were nauseating, then picked up her chopsticks, chewing chanically.
By the ti she finished her evening al, it was dark.
The imnse Jiangdu Palace slowly echoed with the sound of the palace gates closing, the raspy long wails in the night resembling the roar of so strange beast, and when the heavy palace gates shut with a dull thud, everything returned to silence.
Except tonight, it wasn’t so peaceful.
On the square in front of the main hall of Jiangdu Palace, the Imperial Guard was patrolling and walking to the Bright Gate in the South. This gate was the largest after entering Jiangdu Palace and directly led to the square before the main hall. At this mont, it still stood open. "What’s going on; why hasn’t the palace gate been shut?"
No one answered them.
The Imperial Guards shouted louder: "Are you all dead? Are all the guards in Jiangdu Palace dead?"
With their yelling, a group of people hurriedly ran over from the outside. It was the guards of Jiangdu Palace, having just closed the gates on the left and right of the square, and were only a few steps slow in closing this last one. Hearing the unsavory cursing, they imdiately snapped in anger, "What are you doing cursing people!"
"What’s wrong with cursing you? Can’t coffin-fillers who don’t do their jobs properly take a scolding?"
"You’re the ones who are dead!"
Just as both sides were about to clash, Cheng Qiao stepped forward, stopping his own n. Looking at the Imperial Guards, he calmly stated, "Several of our brothers were beaten with military sticks and can’t stand up, so we’re short-handed and ca a little late. We ask you to keep quiet."
"So what if they were beaten with military sticks?"
An Assistant General among the Imperial Guards sneered, "Beaten with military sticks? Our brothers were dragged into this and got slashed! You still dare claim grievances in front of us."
Cheng Qiao glanced at them, realizing they were deliberately picking a fight, but knowing it was already past the ti for the gates to close and they couldn’t afford any more delay. Thus, he refrained from further argunt, rely turning to wave his hand: "Close the gate, lock it."
His subordinates imdiately stepped forward, slowly pushing closed the heavy palace doors.
With much effort, the palace gates were finally shut.
However, the Imperial Guards standing inside the gates wore expressions of ferocity and nace.
Once the others had left, they remained at the gate, so grumbling indignantly to the Assistant General, "Elder brother, we really shouldn’t have wasted words with those people just now, we should have taught them a lesson—so many brothers beheaded, their hos raided, we can’t swallow this anger!"
At this mont, a cold voice rang out from the crowd—
"Can’t swallow this anger, will hitting those people make it better? Do you still not know who truly caused our grievances?"
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