Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?-Chapter 642 - 516: Always With You

"Because, there’s still me."

These few words by Shang Ruyi were spoken lightly, yet at this moment, in the silent Liangyi Hall, they exploded like thunder in the hearts of a few people.

Chu Ruoyan’s expression immediately changed.

However, Shang Ruyi remained calm, speaking word by word: "I am the legitimate wife of Yu Wenye, married by formal proposal, a second-rank noble lady conferred by the court, and the wife of the Heavenly Strategy General. Your Majesty made the Central Secretariat draft such a decree. Where does it place me, where does it place my husband, and where does it place the dignity of the court?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ruoyan’s eyes gradually reddened: "Yes, and there’s you."

"..."

"You’ve always been there."

At this moment, Chu Chengfei, who was sitting above, saw his sister utter those sour words and immediately slammed the table in anger. However, he was young and not very strong, so the sound wasn’t very intimidating, but it still made Shang Ruyi’s heart sink.

He said, "I told you long ago not to disturb my Imperial Sister and Brother Feng Chen!"

Shang Ruyi glanced up at him, chuckling wryly.

Indeed, from the first time she saw him in Yanmen County, he was guarding outside the wounded Yu Wenye’s room, while Chu Ruoyan was inside the room shedding tears. At that time, Prince Zhao was confidently telling her not to disturb them, and she left, dejected like a defeated rooster.

Unexpectedly, now, her mindset and his status have both changed dramatically compared to before, yet he still tells her the same thing.

Life is unpredictable, yet some things seem to be forgotten by time, stubbornly staying the same.

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and seriously said, "Your Majesty, the one disturbing is not me."

"..."

"I just said, I am the legitimate wife of Yu Wenye. Your Majesty has arranged a marriage for the Eldest Princess, but with me as the main wife still around, wouldn’t that be an injustice to the Eldest Princess?"

Chu Chengfei, though young, understood some issues clearly. He immediately sneered upon hearing this: "What, do you think that by arranging a marriage for my Imperial Sister, I would let her be a concubine?"

"..."

"I want you to leave Brother Feng Chen!"

"..."

At this moment, Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

These people think that they can exchange the Eldest Princess’s marriage for the resolution of the word "abdicate" as spoken by Shen Shiyan; yet they don’t realize that this brother and sister duo only want to use Shen Shiyan’s life to force her to leave Yu Wenye, thus fulfilling the Eldest Princess’s marriage.

They really do think simply.

No, even if Chu Chengfei is young and cannot grasp the complex power relations involved, Chu Ruoyan, who has already begun to stir up the court, she cannot possibly be unaware.

Perhaps she thinks I don’t understand.

Therefore, she called me for a private audience, leaving Yu Wenye out, and did so just after I visited Shen Shiyan in the dungeon, hoping to catch me off guard and exploit my concern for my family to force me to yield.

"Ha..."

Shang Ruyi sneered inwardly again—how could it be that easy?

Moreover, leaving aside other matters, just thinking about how I agreed to Eunuch Cao’s request to enter the palace to meet the Emperor and the Eldest Princess, during the ride to the Hanguang Gate, Yu Wenye, though silent, emitted such a suffocating aura, as if ready to strangle me at any moment; and recalling his fury after I chose the state affairs over him last night—Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but shudder.

How could she dare?

But this situation cannot simply be resolved by understanding it.

Even with the understanding, I must find a way to navigate through this without angering either of them, ensuring a safe exit.

At that moment, a cool yet gentle voice suddenly echoed in Shang Ruyi’s mind—

Right now, the full attention of the court and officials, including yours, is on your father’s imprisonment and possible execution, but many have forgotten that the real danger lies in the words—calamity arises.

This was what Shen Wuzheng told them yesterday.

To solve this matter, he offered only one solution—transform crisis into opportunity.

The phrase "disaster" or rather, the calamity foretold by the appearance of the comet, is their opportunity!

At that moment, Shang Ruyi’s mind suddenly started to race, and scenes flashed like a revolving lantern before her eyes—

the Fufeng battlefield;

the horrifying sight of the capital pile at Xiao Lin River;

how she had Tushere take people out of Tongguan to barely find the right medicine for Yu Wenye;

Xue Xian’s great defeat;

the desolate village;

and—comet appearance, disaster arises...

Shang Ruyi took a deep breath, still outwardly calm, yet the slight redness at the corners of her eyes clearly showed her inner agitation. However, even so, when she spoke, her voice remained calm and steady, filled with an undeniable determination: "Your Majesty, regardless of whether or not I agree, even if I did agree, do you think this would be the end of it?"

Chu Chengfei was taken aback: "Isn’t it?"

"What is the purpose of Your Majesty’s Marriage Document?"

"Is there even a need to ask? Of course, it’s to let my sister and Brother Feng Chen fulfill their romantic destiny."

"..."

Shang Ruyi’s throat constricted slightly. She glanced again at the opposite Chu Ruoyan, refraining from saying much, and only asked, "For this, can my uncle’s crimes be pardoned?"

"Yes."

"Then, why was my uncle convicted?"

"Because he spoke nonsense, committing the crime of deceiving the sovereign!"

"Well, even if my uncle truly was speaking nonsense, what made him come before Your Majesty spouting such words? And why did Your Majesty allow him to speak such nonsense in Liangyi Hall?"

"...!"

At these words, Chu Chengfei’s throat appeared to be suddenly constricted by something, preventing him from speaking further. Meanwhile, Shang Ruyi calmly smiled and said, "It’s because—a comet appeared, heralding disaster."

"..."

"Your Majesty sought solutions from these veteran ministers. My uncle risked his life to offer advice because of this, did he not?"

"..."

"Now, even if the marriage Your Majesty sought is realized, and my uncle is pardoned, does Your Majesty think that the foreboding prophecy and omen of disaster are resolved?"

This time, Chu Chengfei gasped in realization.

He suddenly realized they had done so much, having invited this General’s wife alone into the palace and even showing her the marriage document yet unreleased as an imperial edict. But even if all succeeded, his greatest fear remained unresolved!

Chu Chengfei stuttered, "This, this—"

Seeing how the topic and the Emperor’s thoughts were being led by Shang Ruyi, Chu Ruoyan instantly darkened her expression and coldly said, "I’ve already said before that all this talk of comets and disasters is completely false! Your Majesty, don’t believe in such things!"

Shang Ruyi cast her a fleeting glance, then continued to address the still-bewildered Chu Chengfei: "Your Majesty, I dare not refute the words of the Eldest Princess, for after all, my knowledge is limited. However—as the founder of the Daye Dynasty, Emperor Wen’s knowledge and insight surpasses us by miles."

Mentioning Emperor Wen changed the expressions of both Chu Chengfei and Chu Ruoyan.

Others might find it trivial, but he was their grandfather, the founding Emperor of the Daye Dynasty. His deeds were not for juniors like them to casually dispute.

Seeing their lack of response, Shang Ruyi continued: "Even Emperor Wen, when confronted with the cometing omen, sought solutions to avert it. Does the Eldest Princess think Emperor Wen’s actions were futile?"

"..."

Suddenly, Chu Ruoyan was at a loss for words.

Even though she had eloquently dismissed the comet omens as worthless, Shang Ruyi’s invocation of Emperor Wen left her unable to argue further. After all, even as the Eldest Princess capable of swaying her imperial brother, she could not criticize the founding Emperor of their dynasty, her own grandfather!

Seeing her at a loss, Shang Ruyi seized the opportunity to say: "Your Majesty must be aware that, unable to implement a remedy, Emperor Wen succumbed three days after the comet appeared—"

"..."

"This was indeed a tragedy for the Daye Dynasty."

"..."

"And now, with the celestial signs appearing once more, Your Majesty, how can they be taken lightly? If left unattended—consider the consequences, Your Majesty!"

Her increasingly grave words paled Chu Chengfei’s complexion.

Seeing both siblings rendered speechless by her reasoning, and especially Chu Chengfei, terrified by the fact that Emperor Wen was unable to enact a remedy and died three days after the comet appearance, Shang Ruyi abruptly changed tone: "And that, perhaps, is the lightest disaster foretold by this comet and its omens."

"What did you say?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ruoyan’s face darkened, especially after glancing at her still-used brother, she quickly added, "The life and death of Your Majesty concerns the future of the empire, and you dare say this is the lightest disaster?!"

Shang Ruyi solemnly replied: "I have studied the ancient texts left by the former Empress Du. Empress Du, alongside Emperor Wen, were known as the Two Sages. Among the Pre-Qin classics, their most revered phrase was—’The people are precious, the state comes second, and the ruler is light.’"

"..."

"If the comet’s omen pertains to Your Majesty, it is indeed a monumental disaster. Yet compared to the people and the state, it is already the lightest."

The more she spoke, the grimmer Chu Chengfei’s face became.

Meanwhile, Chu Ruoyan became somewhat confused. She had assumed that today’s conversation, starting when Shang Ruyi met Shen Shiyan and she presented the Marriage Document, was firmly within her grasp. She never imagined that with a few short sentences, Shang Ruyi would reverse the situation entirely, now controlling the discussion.

In her panic, Chu Ruoyan’s dormant pride surged back.

After all, as a princess, born of noble blood and accustomed to adoration, she had never suffered such retort and rebuttal, and thus coldly laughed: "The more you speak, the more ridiculous it becomes. That was merely a comet omen; whether disaster follows is unknown to all. Yet you speak as if death is certain, and calamity inevitable."

"...!"

Shang Ruyi’s eyes suddenly brightened—

This was the very statement she had been waiting for!