Chapter 959: Chapter 698: The Coup Is the Real Key!

After hearing Shang Ruyi’s words, Yu Wenye quickly fell silent.

Indeed, Shang Ruyi’s worries were not without reason.

It is well known that since ancient times, the rules of royal inheritance have always been that the eldest legitimate son inherits. Therefore, Shang Ruyi instinctively felt that in her nightmare, the person who would become the Crown Prince, stage a coup, and be killed was Yu Wenquan’s eldest legitimate son, her elder brother, Yu Wenqian, with whom she had been betrothed. So her refusal to marry and choice to remarry, though selfish, was somewhat understandable.

However, rules are rigid, while people are flexible.

Moreover, Yu Wenye was keenly aware that if one only sought ordinary things, following the rules would suffice. But if one pursued extraordinary things, such as the Crown Prince’s position they were discussing, then merely adhering to the rules was far from enough.

What they needed to do was to break the rules.

Even though Yu Wenye had only recently become a Prince, having been just appointed as King Qin, countless facts from ancient to present times had already proven this; and as for Shang Ruyi, she initially never thought of anything else, but along the way, she had witnessed many matters. Moreover, who knows if it was something she experienced in the Western Turks that made her understand something, making her mention this matter at this moment.

It was only then that this question arose.

Though he remained silent, Yu Wenye’s eyes constantly flickered with bright light, as though his rapidly turning thoughts and mind were evident. Just a moment later, when he looked at Shang Ruyi again, his gaze had already calmed down.

He said, "What you know was stolen from Yu Mingyue."

"Yes."

"Then, after you stole it, does Yu Mingyue still know?"

"...?"

Shang Ruyi suddenly widened her eyes.

That was something she had never considered — indeed, if an item was already stolen by her, its original owner naturally no longer possesses it.

Could it be that Yu Mingyue doesn’t know all this?

Hence, she would proactively encourage Yu Wenqian to compete for the Crown Prince position?

Thinking this, Shang Ruyi’s eyes brightened, rounding as she looked at Yu Wenye and said sternly, "Since this is the case, doesn’t it just prove that this Crown Prince’s position is dangerous? She doesn’t know, so—"

Yu Wenye shook his head and said, "Not necessarily."

Shang Ruyi was taken aback, "Why?"

Yu Wenye pondered quietly, but this time he seemed not to be unraveling mysteries but thinking about how to explain. After a while, he said, "For instance, if at this moment, I suddenly don’t know you’re my wife, meaning I’ve lost the memory that you are my wife. What do you think I would do?"

Shang Ruyi furrowed her brow, calmly thought for a while, then said, "You, with your temperament, would certainly be very wary of me."

"Correct."

"But, I would tell you my identity, you would doubt me, alienate me."

"And then?"

"Then, the people around you haven’t lost this memory. They would tell you I’m the Princess Qin; when we return to Chang An, your father and everyone around him would tell you so as well. Even if you lost your memory, it wouldn’t matter because this is already a fact, and a fact is supported by countless evidence."

"..."

"Even, after we interact, you would surely have a feeling that I’m very familiar with you, I know many of your things, things only spouses would know."

Yu Wenye nodded, "Indeed, that’s human nature."

"Then this—"

"Then this applies to Yu Mingyue, even if you really took away that part—be it memory or perception—but she still has her own thoughts, wouldn’t she try to fill in the gaps?"

"..."

"You only stole the part about the coup and being killed, but she might still remember when the Crown Prince was appointed."

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath.

Indeed, in this aspect, aside from knowing the Crown Prince would stage a coup, be killed, and implicate everyone around, she knew nothing else. Logically speaking, an event should have cause and effect, but she seemed to have only stolen that one consequence, leaving the cause entirely with Yu Mingyue.

This person isn’t foolish; given the cause, how could she not deduce the effect?

Moreover, what she had stolen was far more ambiguous than Yu Wenquan becoming Emperor Gaozu; she now even suspected that she hadn’t fully stolen it, only shared this perception with Yu Mingyue.

If that’s the case—

Yu Wenye said, "Yu Mingyue surely knows what conclusion awaits the person who becomes the Crown Prince, yet she still wishes to assist elder brother in ascending to the Crown Prince position."

"..."

"But her intentions towards elder brother, I can see, aren’t malicious."

"..."

"Then there can only be one possibility."

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said gravely, "The Crown Prince is not the main point; the coup is!"

Yu Wenye said, "Exactly!"

The campfire before them emitted an orange-red, warm light, yet this light reflected on his face couldn’t suppress his stern and resolute expression, especially the sharp gleam in his eyes, which seemed to pierce through everything.

He said, "The coup, that is the key!"

"...!"

At this moment, Shang Ruyi suddenly gasped.

She suddenly thought of her time in the Western Turks, barely considered "traveling", during which, aside from reminiscing with Lei Yu, there was almost no gain.

There was only one thing: she saw Ashina Zhuxie in the predicament of the Western Turks.

At that time, she felt that Ashina Zhuxie’s situation was very similar to Yu Wenye’s. Although she didn’t want him to win, she faintly thought that if he could win, wouldn’t it be possible for Yu Wenye to escape from his predicament and win as well?

And now he said, the focus is on the mutiny.

An invisible, bone-chilling needle pierced deeply into Shang Ruyi’s heart, as if confirming something.

She said hoarsely, "So, we need to—"

Before she finished speaking, her voice was already too low and hoarse to be heard; she couldn’t utter the word mutiny.

Meanwhile, under the warm glow of the firelight, Yu Wenye’s expression turned even colder.

He pondered for a long time and said, "Actually, what you’re saying, including the appearance of Yu Mingyue and her so-called ’foreknowledge’, won’t affect me at all."

"..."

"Whatever I do, I always decide for myself."

"..."

"Looking at the situation I’m facing, not to mention that I’ve now gathered a group of people around me, who are not only bound with me in honor and disgrace but also life and death—like your brother."

Shang Ruyi’s breath sank.

Yes, if it weren’t for helping Yu Wenye, no one would have set that fire in the Changchun Palace.

And this time, leading the surrendered soldiers, Shen Tu Tai and Shantong’er, who followed him all the way to the Turkic Yatai, Nie Chong who risked countless dangers to sneak into Taiyuan, and Mu Xian, Cheng Qiao, so many people...

Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but clench the hairpin in her hand tightly.

Yu Wenye continued, "If I fail, or even just take a step back, it will doom me, and these people with me, beyond recovery; not to mention, my current situation, stuck in such chaotic times, is already in deep mud, unable to extricate myself—but since childhood, I’ve always had a thought in my heart, to achieve greatness and leave my name in history."

"..."

"With such an opportunity, how can I give up?"

"..."

"At this point, how can I retreat again?"

"..."

"You say that from the things you snatched from Yu Mingyue, you learned that the Crown Prince will lead a mutiny and be killed, and clearly Yu Mingyue knows all this too, yet she still assists my elder brother in vying for the Crown Prince’s position, and attacks us along the way. She knows, yet she still does it; perhaps she thinks she has the power to change it all."

Speaking here, he chuckled lightly and said, "Honestly, in this regard, she does make me look at her in a new light. Only with such a temperament can she stand opposite us."

"..."

"Even she has it, do I not?"

He continued, looking down at Shang Ruyi: "Do you not have it?"

"..."

Shang Ruyi didn’t speak, but beneath her tightly furrowed brows, those clear eyes stared at the flame, reflecting a more intense light than the flame.

Yu Wenye’s words, though each sentence was like a knife, cutting deep, yet felt like they severed the invisible shackles bound in her heart since borrowing a corpse and returning a soul, liberating her.

She only felt an infinite joy in her chest.

Isn’t it?

Even if Yu Mingyue has the so-called power of ’foreknowledge’, even if she’s deeply scheming and ruthless, what of it? On this path, she laid traps at every turn, but haven’t they walked through step by step as well?

Therefore, the Crown Prince, mutiny, being killed, how these words should fall on whose head, still seems to be undetermined.

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said, "I understand."

Although she said so, besides firmness, there was still a bit of softness remaining in her heart. She paused for a moment before looking up at Yu Wenye, saying, "But no matter what, I don’t want you and my elder brother to reach that point."

"..."

"For in that case—"

"I understand."

Yu Wenye took over her words, the sharpness in his eyes gradually fading away, though without softness, a particularly complex heaviness fell, as he said deeply, "No matter what, I don’t want to reach that point."

"..."

"I think, my elder brother—even if he learned some things from Yu Mingyue, his actions these days are still like that."

"..."

"Although..."

At this point, he seemed to have a sudden thought, and paused.

Though it’s unclear what he originally intended to say, Shang Ruyi’s heart also softened suddenly—she recalled the incense bag Yu Wenqian gave them before the expedition to Fufeng; and after Yu Wenye fell ill from the plague, he brought the veil that could isolate the disease.

While he competes, he didn’t fight.

Such actions seem worthy of the brotherly affection Yu Wenye always held for him.

However, where will this brotherly affection ultimately lead?