Can’t he trust her yet?
Thinking like this, Yu Wenye suddenly felt a bit angry, but it was directed at himself. He let out a deep breath.
This imdiately startled Shang Ruyi, who was already a light sleeper. She slightly furrowed her brows, her long lashes trembled, and she imdiately opened her eyes.
"Feng Chen!"
Upon seeing those deep and focused eyes close to her, Shang Ruyi was overjoyed. Before she could pull her consciousness out of the chaotic dream, she happily stood up: "You—"
But before she could finish speaking, she fell back down.
Having slept for most of the day, she had been kneeling with her legs bent on the floor, and they were already numb. This fall was quite a spectacle.
Seeing her like this, Yu Wenye first showed a slight smile, then frowned, bit his lip, and reached out to pull her up from the floor, dragging her onto the bed: "What are you doing?"
Having just embarrassingly fallen to the ground, she was now embarrassingly dragged onto the bed, her lower body even hanging off the edge. But Shang Ruyi didn’t feel any embarrassnt at all. She was only extrely happy, looking at Yu Wenye, who was gripping her wrist. Though there was a hint of anger on his face, he was obviously awake and much more spirited. She joyfully said, "You’re awake! Are you feeling better?"
Yu Wenye bit his lip again before looking at her: "If being angered by you counts as sothing!"
"...?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback, and then thinking again, she understood.
She hurriedly said, "I, I’m fine."
Saying this, she tried to get up. But at this mont, her legs were terribly numb, especially her feet, which felt as if countless needles were pricking them—both painful and itchy. Shang Ruyi bit her lip, showing a pained expression, and couldn’t help but let out a low moan.
Seeing her like this, Yu Wenye beca even more exasperated.
He simply dragged her onto the bed entirely, pressing her into his embrace: "Can’t you act a bit like the General’s wife?!"
"...!"
Being suddenly pulled into that familiar, solid chest, Shang Ruyi’s breath hitched, and her heartbeat went out of rhythm.
Sensing her erratic heartbeat, Yu Wenye’s mood also darkened.
For a mont, both fell silent.
In this sowhat quiet yet unbearably quiet atmosphere, gradually, Shang Ruyi seed to sense sothing. She no longer struggled, enduring the numb pain in her feet, and after a long ti, finally cald down—her thoughts also completely cleared at this mont.
After an unknown amount of ti, Shang Ruyi spoke softly, "Are you not angry anymore?"
"...!"
Yu Wenye was silent for a while and then said gloomily, "What am I angry about?"
Shang Ruyi looked up at him and gently said, "But last night—no, it should be this morning, at the city gate, I felt like you were angry."
"..."
"Moreover, angry at ."
"..."
"Is there sothing I did wrong, or—"
The more she spoke, the softer her voice beca, and the softer her voice, the heavier Yu Wenye’s heartbeat grew, as if the heavy stone pressing on his heart was going to crush him to pieces rather than just rendering him breathless.
What exactly am I doing?
Was I truly doubting her because of just a word from Xue Xian, making her endure this tornt while she was watching over my sickbed?
I am truly—
Thinking of this, he bit down hard on his lip, and his hand, almost involuntarily, tightened its grip on her slender waist, burying his face in her shoulder.
At this mont, Shang Ruyi almost suffocated.
But she obediently, without any resistance, leaned into his embrace, letting him hold her tightly.
After a long while, Yu Wenye, buried in her neck, uttered a low and hoarse voice, "I’m just a bit angry at myself."
Shang Ruyi’s eyes widened slightly, "Why?"
"If only I hadn’t fallen sick."
"..."
"If only this ti, I hadn’t been unconscious from start to finish."
If that were the case, you wouldn’t have to worry about , braving those dangers for my sake, and the one by your side would always have been .
And then there wouldn’t—
Just when his heart was so conflicted it felt like he might suffocate, he heard the person leaning against his chest let out a soft laugh. In the still room, that laugh was like a gentle breeze, suddenly sweeping through their closely adhered bodies, dispelling the oppressive mood.
Yu Wenye frowned, tightening his grip on her waist: "What are you laughing at?"
Though Shang Ruyi’s breath hitched from being squeezed, she didn’t feel discomfort. She continued to smile, even with a hint of delight, "How can we not fall sick when we eat grains?"
"..."
"When you were sick, I stayed by your side—do you still want to be angry about that?"
"...!"
Yu Wenye’s heart sank once again.
But this ti, it was not out of anger; instead, there was an indescribable burning sensation in his chest, almost as if it would erupt and consu both of them entirely.
Fortunately, he still remained clear-headed.
After all, he had just gone through a fierce battle, and even though he had slept for half a day, his physical strength was not enough to bear other matters.
And Shang Ruyi would not allow it.
After the two of them whispered sweetly to each other for a while, Wo Xue and Tushere beca busy, bringing the prepared herbal dicine and a sumptuous lunch specially prepared for them. Both ate and drank their fill, Yu Wenye then took another half-day’s nap. By the ti the sun began to set in the west, Dai Junliang ca to report the situation of settling the surrendered soldiers from Longxi.
Over a hundred thousand surrendered soldiers suddenly entered the Fufeng City they had just fought a bloody battle against. Surrounded by those they had previously fought life and death with, naturally, there would be so unrest. To completely subdue these people was not an easy task.
Yu Wenye said, "If anyone causes trouble, do not execute them without permission, you must report to ."
Dai Junliang hurriedly said, "Yes. Actually, there aren’t many causing trouble, just a few who secretly ran away."
Yu Wenye was not surprised, he rely pondered for a mont before saying, "These people have followed Xue Xian for so long, and so have businesses in Longxi. Surrendering under duress is temporary. Once they calm down, it’s normal for so to run. Rember, do not chase them, let alone kill them. If they want to run, let them run."
"..."
"But those who remain must be well appeased."
Dai Junliang said, "Yes."
After reporting the matters below, he got up and left. Not long after, darkness fell, and Yu Wenye rested again.
In the following days, the two of them continued to live this way.
Due to He Wenzhu’s dical advice and Shang Ruyi’s strict adherence to it, Yu Wenye, although sowhat displeased several tis, had to give up under the collective persuasion of everyone. After all, this illness nearly cost him his life, and he dared not overexert himself before fully recovering.
However, so matters were still progressing in an orderly manner.
The battle report sent by Yin Changyue to Daxing City arrived at Daxing Palace on the third day. The Emperor was overjoyed, and the civil and military officials were even more delighted, praising the Assistant General for annihilating the enemy’s leader and pacifying Longxi in this unprecedented victory since the new Emperor’s ascension. He was rewarded with thousands of gold, hundreds of bolts of silk, and his Deputy Generals were also generously rewarded, including the General’s wife who accompanied the army—Shang Ruyi herself, who was conferred the Second-rank Imperial Decree.
Upon receiving the news, Yin Changyue imdiately ca to report it to the General and the General’s wife.
After reporting, he cautiously asked, "I wonder when the Great General and Madam will set off to Daxing to accept the rewards?"
At this mont, Yu Wenye was reclining against the headboard, holding a book, and upon hearing these words, he didn’t have ti to respond before coughing twice with his hand covering his mouth. Shang Ruyi, beside him, hurriedly brewed a cup of tea and handed it to him, then said, "Mr. Yin, we do want to return earlier, but the General still needs to recuperate."
"..."
"After all, this plague is not sothing that can be recovered from in two or three days."
"..."
"I hope Mr. Yin can report to the court and allow us to delay our return a little longer."
"This—"
Upon hearing this, Yin Changyue’s face slightly darkened.
He naturally knew this illness was hard to recover from, but since Yu Wenye had executed Xue Xian, dispatched troops to clear out the enemy’s camps on the west bank of Little Forest River, and secured a major victory, he had already lingered in Fufeng for over half a month. The court’s rewards had been issued three tis, but as a Great General, not returning to the court promptly to accept the rewards was hardly justifiable.
However, Yin Changyue did not say much.
He only pondered for a mont before imdiately smiling and said, "Of course, the Great General’s health is of utmost importance, and I dare not rush you."
"..."
"I will return to write a report to the court right away."
After speaking, he stood up, saluted the two, and then exited their room.
After he left, the two of them exchanged a glance. Yu Wenye remained silent at first, just sipped his tea, handed the cup back to Shang Ruyi, then looked at her twinkling eyes and slightly curled his lips, saying, "You’re quite clever."
Shang Ruyi accepted the cup, smiled slightly without saying anything, got up and placed the cup aside.
Yu Wenye continued, "How do you know I don’t want to leave?"
Shang Ruyi turned back to sit beside him, smiled, and said, "If you really wanted to leave, even if you were still bleeding, you would have certainly left."
"..."
"This ti since you are willing to stay and recuperate for these days, I knew for sure that you didn’t want to leave."
Yu Wenye’s eyes slightly crinkled, and a hint of what seed like a smile passed through his deep eyes. He slowly closed the book in his hand and looked at Shang Ruyi with a hint of a smile, "Then tell , why don’t I want to leave?"
Shang Ruyi said, "For the surrendered soldiers."
"..."
"With Xue Xian’s death, although many were lost in battle, and many took the opportunity to escape, there are still over a hundred thousand surrendered soldiers left."
"..."
"You want to absorb these people, don’t you?"
This ti, the light in Yu Wenye’s eyes beca even sharper.
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