ATPnovel Chapter 1094 - 788: He Seems to Have Been Provoked
Chapter 1094 - 788: He Seems to Have Been Provoked
Soon, Shang Ruyi recounted to Yu Wenye the words the Empress Dowager had shared with her previously. After she finished speaking, her expression darkened even more as she said, "Actually, at that time, I had immediately wanted to come out and tell you, but unexpectedly, the fire started."As she spoke, a glint of cold light flashed in her eyes.
"I don’t know if this fire was meant to eliminate the Empress Dowager, eliminate me, or eliminate us who might know about this matter."
"..."
"But no matter what, there is still a chance now!"
Upon hearing her words, Yu Wenye’s brows remained tightly furrowed, and seeing him remain silent, Shang Ruyi became a bit anxious – she had held back previously because she knew he would worry, worry about the Empress Dowager’s health and her own. So she waited until the doctors had examined them both and confirmed they were safe before telling Yu Wenye, hoping he could leave immediately without any concerns.
But why hadn’t he left yet?
Shang Ruyi said anxiously, "Even if you don’t trust me, you should trust the Empress Dowager!"
At those words, Yu Wenye immediately raised his head and glared at her.
His expression bore a hint of menace, as if he wanted to lash out, but ultimately, he minded that Shang Ruyi had just had a brush with death and didn’t want to frighten her, so he gritted his teeth and held back. Meanwhile, a low, husky yet gentle and smiling voice came from not far behind them, from the stairs leading to the second floor—
"It’s not that he doesn’t trust you, he just... doesn’t want you to be in danger."
Upon hearing this voice, both of them were taken aback and hurriedly stood up.
They looked up to see Tushere supporting Empress Dowager Jiang as she slowly descended from the second floor—their meeting was so discreet that the Empress Dowager didn’t even bring any attendants from Yanchun Palace, coming alone. As a result, Shang Ruyi had asked Tushere to look after her earlier. Now, seeing her come downstairs slowly, Shang Ruyi immediately approached, softly inquiring, "Empress Dowager, are you alright?"
Empress Dowager Jiang shook her head.
She slowly walked up to the two of them, glanced at Shang Ruyi, and then at the somewhat stiff expression on Yu Wenye’s face, speaking softly, "I have told you everything I know. You can decide how to proceed."
"..."
"Don’t worry about me."
"Empress Dowager..."
Having said those two words, Yu Wenye, whose throat was already dry from the smoke, couldn’t utter another word. He silently looked at Empress Dowager Jiang, who seemed to have aged significantly, and she responded with just a gentle smile.
She then turned to glance at Shang Ruyi, who still looked a bit disheveled, and reached out to take her hand.
Shang Ruyi quickly looked up, unsure why she had suddenly become so close, but Empress Dowager Jiang gently pulled her to a corner of the pavilion, speaking softly, "Feng Chen insists on making sure you’re safe before he makes a move. But with his ability, nothing should go wrong. You don’t need to worry too much. It’s just—"
Shang Ruyi asked, "Just what?"
Empress Dowager Jiang glanced aside at Yu Wenye again and said softly, "It seems he’s been provoked."
"Ah?"
Hearing this left Shang Ruyi momentarily stunned.
Isn’t it obvious? With this meeting between Princess Qin and Empress Dowager Jiang, regardless of the Empress Dowager’s status in his heart or her own pregnancy, just the mere fact that someone dared to plot against Princess Qin under King Qin’s nose was enough to enrage Yu Wenye. Saying he was provoked seemed somewhat redundant.
Of course, Shang Ruyi wouldn’t dare display such thoughts on her face, but Empress Dowager Jiang seemed aware of her thoughts as she glanced at Shang Ruyi’s protruding belly. She smiled faintly, but her eyes showed deeper concern, "When people are provoked, they often lose their senses or resort to desperate measures."
"..."
"Feng Chen, although unusually capable, is still human in this regard."
"..."
"If you can persuade him, try to do so."
Even though she hadn’t fully grasped the deeper meaning in Empress Dowager Jiang’s words, Shang Ruyi immediately nodded—sometimes, one doesn’t need to know all the reasons; if it’s the right thing to do, she certainly would, especially as it required minimal effort on her part.
Empress Dowager Jiang then smiled again and said, "Alright, it’s time I returned; there are more and more people outside."
Yu Wenye didn’t ask what the two of them had been discussing, merely kept his head down, and only glanced outside after hearing this. Indeed, the fire at Dayan Temple, though not very large, had a significant impact. All the monks had gathered, and, as Mu Xian had mentioned earlier, even the surrounding villagers had congregated outside the temple’s mountain gate. If they were to see the Empress Dowager here, it wouldn’t be appropriate.
Empress Dowager Jiang nodded to them and then turned to leave.
Watching her step out the door, Yu Wenye finally took a step forward and said in a deep voice, "Empress Dowager, take care."
Empress Dowager Jiang paused slightly, looked back at him, and then smiled, "Rest assured, in this latter part of my life, I only intend to focus on this one thing."
With that, she left alone.
Only, before leaving, she paused by the partially burned Scripture Pavilion, standing amidst the ruins. Her thin silhouette exuded infinite desolation and disappointment. Shang Ruyi watched her for a long time and finally softly said, "It’s a pity all those pastries... we didn’t get them out."
Yu Wenye remained silent for a moment and said, "Next time, I’ll have someone send more."
"..."
"Just make sure you don’t come in person again."
Shang Ruyi then looked up at him, seeing Yu Wenye very calm, but it was a calm born from a deliberate self-protection after extreme anger and fear. From his burnt clothing and the large blisters on the back of his hand, it was clear how terrified and determined he had been when he charged into the fire.
Therefore, what the Empress Dowager had just said...
As Shang Ruyi’s mind was in disarray, heavy footsteps sounded outside again, as if someone had arrived outside the Scripture Pavilion, but they did not come in directly, instead whispering something to Mu Xian, who stood by the courtyard gates.
Yu Wenye immediately called out, "Mu Xian!"
Upon hearing, Mu Xian hurried into the Scripture Pavilion, bowing in salute to King Qin and Princess Qin. Yu Wenye’s face was still grim, and his naturally hoarse voice, made even harsher by the smoke, carried a hint of menace as he spoke: "Have they been caught?"
At these words, Mu Xian immediately knelt down, "This subordinate deserves death!"
Shang Ruyi’s heart skipped a beat.
Could it be—
Mu Xian, his head bowed, said heavily, "This subordinate led the men and indeed captured several individuals disguised as monks at Dayan Temple at the side gate. However, these people were well-prepared; as soon as they were caught, they all poisoned themselves to death!"