Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?-Chapter 787 - 598: Things Are Always Hard to Have Both Ways
In this moment, Shang Ruyi barely had time to contemplate that she was already so grown up, and married, yet still holding her brother’s hand as they walked through the deep pathways of their home to the back garden to admire the moon. Was this appropriate? But the sensation of being enveloped in a gentle aura, with a mere glance upwards allowing her to see her brother’s reliable back—this made her feel as if she were dreaming of her youth.
Even though she harbored many secrets, they were well-guarded by her uncle, aunt, and brother, just like in the past.
How happy that was...
With this thought, she stopped thinking about anything else, simply hearing Shen Wuzheng instruct two maids to follow from a distance. She allowed him to lead her quietly to the back garden, which she and Yu had only tidied up with great effort earlier that day. It was perfect to sit by the clean corridor.
A glance upward, and one could see the moon in the sky.
And as she clearly saw the moon in the sky, Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.
Shen Wuzheng asked, "What’s wrong?"
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "Returning today, being with uncle, aunt, and my brother, our family is happily reunited, though unfortunately, the moon isn’t full."
"..."
"It seems that worldly matters are always hard to perfect."
Upon hearing this, Shen Wuzheng also looked up, seeing a crescent moon hanging in the sky. The moon was as narrow as a hook, shedding no extra light, and there was no scene of stars accompanying the moon.
Such a moon, perhaps, wasn’t worth a special nighttime visit.
Indeed, it was a small imperfection.
However, Shen Wuzheng merely smiled faintly, then said, "Well, then look down."
"Hm?"
Shang Ruyi, puzzled, obediently looked down. Below the corridor was the family pond, with clear and pristine water reflecting the crescent moon. The water surface, gently rippled by the night breeze, swayed the moon’s reflection. The shimmering blue waves emitted an even more veiled light than when looking up at the sky, making it more visually pleasing.
Shang Ruyi marveled at the beauty, her eyes widening with delight, "So beautiful!"
Shen Wuzheng watched as her bright eyes were lit up by the shimmering light, deepening the smile in his eyes as he softly said, "Yes, it’s beautiful."
Shang Ruyi looked for a moment, then raised her head to look at Shen Wuzheng, laughing, "Brother, you’re the one who knows how to find beauty."
Shen Wuzheng said, "You say worldly matters are hard to perfect; this is a natural principle. Even my teacher once told me that excessive perfection and flawlessness might even be a harbinger of destruction."
"..."
"So, in life between heaven and earth, one must understand that imperfections and shortcomings are the norm."
"..."
"All we have to do is accept and compensate."
Shang Ruyi listened, nodding repeatedly, but after thinking for a while, she looked up at him, deliberately chuckling, "Brother, I understood this principle before you did."
She referred to their discussion earlier in the carriage about leaving and staying.
She had accepted the shortcomings of the life path she chose because she understood that if she didn’t choose this path, the greater imperfection she would have to face might be losing her closest family in the chaos, a loss that would feel as if someone had carved out a piece of her heart.
No item could smooth or mend it.
Hearing this, Shen Wuzheng also fell silent for a moment—how could he not understand this principle? Yet, the principles he learned over the years seemed to fade away when faced with his dear little sister. All he cared about were her joys, sorrows, and well-being. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
Upon hearing her say this, he too sighed softly.
He didn’t refute her, just lightly flicked her forehead, "You!"
Shang Ruyi covered her forehead, laughing.
But her long eyelashes cast shadows, shielding the lackluster moonlight, and within the depths of those shadowed pupils, there wasn’t much genuine laughter—although everyone knows life is imperfect, who can truly face life’s flaws with such open-mindedness? For the poor, imperfections mean famine during barren years, possibly watching their relatives starve to death; the imperfections of unfortunate women mean never marrying a good man, suffering a life of sadness; the imperfections for the elderly might mean burying their children, a heartbreak that cannot be recovered from, leaving them in unbearable pain.
Or perhaps—esteemed like Chu Yang, hailed as the venerable emperor.
His imperfection was, even if he deemed his life flawless, standing before her, witnessing the ruin of his nation and death, the bloodstained night still an unsettling nightmare she dared not face.
In comparison, the flaws she faced seemed insignificant.
Just...
A gust of night wind stirred up ripples in the pond, swaying the moonlight ever so slightly. Shang Ruyi’s gaze followed the flickers, and Shen Wuzheng immediately asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Shang Ruyi quickly replied, "Nothing."
Shen Wuzheng looked at her for a moment, lightly shook his head, and said, "Ruyi, do you know what it means to you all that Duke Sheng ascends to the throne?"
"...?"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback, not knowing why he suddenly turned to serious matters. After all, today was meant for resting at the Shen Family, joking with uncle and aunt the whole day. Despite knowing their concern for her, even they refrained from speaking too much, yet at the night’s end, Shen Wuzheng brought it up.
But Shang Ruyi didn’t avoid the topic, her deep eyes fixed on Shen Wuzheng.
Shen Wuzheng said, "You, and Yu Wenye, will face even more and more complex issues in the future."
"..."
"For instance, today—Yu Wenye indeed ousted the Crown Prince from his brother’s hands, but the one he offended was not Prince Han, but His Majesty the Emperor; he played his father for a fool."
"..."
"Now, you will be moving into the palace, living constantly with the Emperor. You must understand that in such circumstances, right and wrong become more conspicuous than usual, and before the Emperor, doing right may not earn you rewards, but making a mistake will certainly result in punishment."
Though she already understood this, upon hearing Shen Wuzheng verbalize it, Shang Ruyi’s brows furrowed slightly.
She softly said, "I understand."
"..."
"So I want to discuss many things with brother and Mr. Pei, like how we dealt with the plague before."
Shen Wuzheng nodded at first, then shook his head, saying, "But once in the palace, Xing Yuan and I won’t be able to meet you as freely as before."
Shang Ruyi frowned, "Then—"
Shen Wuzheng said, "The best way is for Yu Wenye to establish his own residence and command, like the Han King."
"..."
"This way, you won’t need to be constantly in the palace, especially not under the Emperor’s watchful eyes, which would reduce mistakes; moreover, just from this establishing residence point, the difference between the current Han King and King Qin is evident."
"..."
"If Yu Wenye wants to advance further, he’ll have to mend this flaw."
"...!"
At hearing this, Shang Ruyi immediately wanted to say something, but Shen Wuzheng continued, "However, establishing a residence requires great merit, and even the recent victory at Fufeng hasn’t granted such a privilege, so if you want this privilege in a short time, even greater merit is necessary."
"..."
"For example—"
