Chapter 1427: Let's See Who Loses Their Cool First

Yu Wenye’s eyes have always been cold and stern, his gaze as sharp and hard as a blade, while Shen Wuzheng is a gentleman of gentle demeanor, his gaze always carrying a wise tolerance, appearing very soft. At this moment, however, these two contrasting gazes converged, and it was impossible to tell which was stronger.

Yet, even someone as strong as Shen Tu Tai inexplicably felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation.

Just as the atmosphere in the room reached its peak of tension, as if the entire garrison was about to be torn apart, Yu Wenye finally spoke, his voice so deep it barely sounded like his: “No.”

“What!?”

These two words made Shen Wuzheng’s already slightly reddened eyes instantly turn completely red.

Seeing his complexion change, Shen Tu Tai hurriedly said, “Mr. Shen, this matter requires careful deliberation from the start.”

Shen Wuzheng glanced at him, then at Yu Wenye, clenched his teeth without saying a word. Yu Wenye sighed deeply, then said to Shen Wuzheng, “They captured Ru Yi, and we have Shi Yutao in our hands. This is originally a stalemate. The key is who values the person in the other’s hands more.”

“…”

“In other words, it’s about who loses their patience first.”

“…”

Without saying a word, Shen Wuzheng suddenly turned and left.

Although the military does not require overly strict etiquette, his abrupt departure was indeed somewhat abrupt. Shen Tu Tai instinctively wanted to call him back, but Shen Wuzheng left the room in just a few steps. Shen Tu Tai could only turn back to Yu Wenye, relieved to find that he was not angry, his face showing only the numbness of excessive fatigue. So, he forced a smile and said, “Your Highness, please don’t blame Mr. Shen.”

Yu Wenye looked at him. “Hmm?”

Shen Tu Tai said, “Because of the Princess’s capture, Mr. Shen has been unable to eat or sleep well all this time.”

“…”

“Actually, he probably understands too that all we can do now is watch the other side’s actions and wait for them to lose patience first. But he is unwilling to do nothing, hoping to see if Your Highness has any other plans upon your return.”

“…”

“Now that Your Highness has said the same, he is very distressed.”

“…”

Yu Wenye was silent for a moment, then waved his hand lightly and said, “You don’t need to explain for him. Do I not know his character?”

Shen Tu Tai breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes.”

Yu Wenye said, “But, it’s not that we can’t do anything. After capturing Shi Yutao, did you send anyone to spy on the other side to see if they made any moves?”

Shen Tu Tai immediately said, “Yes, but the people we sent out have not returned yet.”

Just then, someone came from outside to report that the scouts sent out to gather information had returned. Yu Wenye’s eyes lit up, and he immediately said, “Bring them to see me.”

In no time, two soldiers hurriedly walked in.

Their coarse clothes were still damp with night dew, shivering slightly in the morning breeze. But upon seeing Prince Qin sitting above, they dared not move and quickly knelt to salute. Yu Wenye waved a hand to indicate they need not be so formal, then asked, “Is there any movement in Xiao Yuansui’s camp?”

The older soldier quickly said, “There were no major deployments, but last night, there seemed to be some chaos in their camp.”

Yu Wenye immediately asked, “What happened?”

The two exchanged a glance, showing a hesitant expression: “Please forgive us, Your Highness. Xiao Yuansui is extremely cautious. Especially after Shi Yuxin returned with troops, they had patrols extending several miles beyond the camp. We could only observe from a distance across the Yellow River, so—”

Yu Wenye furrowed his brows.

The two were terrified that Prince Qin might punish them in anger, so much that they did not dare breathe, but after a moment of silence, Yu Wenye suppressed his anger and asked, “Anything else?”

The younger soldier thought for a moment and cautiously said, “Last night, there were apparently two incidents in Xiao Yuansui’s camp. The first had a minor impact; we only heard some commotion from afar. The second was more disruptive, even alarming Xiao Yuansui himself.”

“Oh?”

“Really, we saw their main tent light up.”

“Were there any troops mobilized?”

“No, it seemed like something happened internally within their camp.”

The older soldier continued, “Later, we staked out their water source, and indeed, someone came to fetch water. From their conversations, it sounded like—some prisoner was injured.”

“A prisoner?!”

This revelation changed the expressions on both Yu Wenye and Shen Tu Tai’s faces.

The two soldiers exchanged another glance, their expressions growing more cautious, and said softly, “But it sounded like it wasn’t too serious.”

“…”

Yu Wenye was silent for a long while before finally raising his hand in a gesture, “Go and claim your reward.”

The two quickly saluted him and immediately turned to leave.

This time, even the always calm and composed Shen Tu Tai seemed somewhat flustered. Watching the backs of the two soldiers as they left, he pondered for a moment, then turned to Yu Wenye and said, “Your Highness, they captured so many prisoners this time. The injured one may not necessarily be the Princess; moreover, Xiao Yuansui knows the Princess’s identity. To threaten Your Highness, he surely wouldn’t—”

But before he could finish, he saw Yu Wenye’s eyes turn red, his expression somewhat dazed as he said, “No, it must be Ru Yi.”

“…!”

Shen Tu Tai’s throat suddenly felt choked.

Yu Wenye’s hand on the table clenched tightly, his knuckles cracking as if he wanted to crush something into powder: “If it were an ordinary prisoner injured—not to mention injured, even if dead, it wouldn’t alarm Xiao Yuansui.”

“…”

“He, he has always been—”

Shen Tu Tai fell into silence.

Having once been the Seventh Master of Wanggang Village, he had worked alongside Xiao Yuansui. Although they did not know each other well and even disliked each other, Shen Tu Tai was not as rough and careless as he appeared; rather, he was meticulous. During the battle of Xingluo Granary, he had heard that Xiao Yuansui had once captured the Young Madam Yu Wen into Warehouse City but eventually let her leave unharmed, which had already hinted at something. Subsequent events further solidified his hypothesis.

Now, hearing the words left unspoken by Yu Wenye, he understood everything.

But a deeper doubt arose. He looked at Yu Wenye and solemnly said, “If that’s the case, how did the Princess get injured? Xiao Yuansui wouldn’t possibly allow his men to torture the Princess, would he? If it were torture, then it wouldn’t be remarkable, and there’d be no need for talk.”

Yu Wenye also glanced at him, his eyes flickering slightly.

After a while, he murmured, “That is indeed a question.”

“…”

“Where exactly is she injured?”

“…”

“Who injured her?”