CHAPTER 114: CHAPTER 114 THE RIGHT PATH IN THE HUMAN WORLD

"What?!"

Shang Ruyi immediately panicked. Without having time to think, she spurred her horse and galloped towards the posthouse ahead.

"Shang—"

Yu Wenye wanted to stop her, but after thinking for a moment, he waved to the people behind him, "Follow her, remember, without my command, do not act recklessly!"

"Yes!"

The crowd obeyed the order and followed him, galloping forward.

In less than half a mile, almost in the blink of an eye, they reached the Zhanping River Posthouse. It was just a small two-story earthen building by the riverbank, with outer walls not even reaching a person’s height, much of it collapsed. Two lanterns hung at the entrance of the posthouse, one already extinguished. The battered wooden door was full of cracks, letting in much light even when closed. At this moment, the double doors seemed to have been kicked open, swaying with a creaking sound against the walls on either side.

Shang Ruyi rode to the entrance, not even waiting for her horse to stop completely before dismounting and running inside.

As she ran to the entrance, she immediately saw the scene inside.

The first-floor hall was very empty, with two or three low tables, and a few dusty rugs were laid on the ground. A slender wooden staircase on the left wall led directly to the second floor. Three corridors led to five or six rooms for guests to rest.

But at the moment, it seemed that no one in the posthouse was resting; they were all in the hall.

On the table in the center of the hall were a few bowls of soup, two plates of noodles, and a plate of meat pies. It was clear they had just been eating, but now, everyone stood up. The expressions on the faces of several government officers and the Posthouse Minister were complex as they looked at the three people in the center of the hall.

One of them, facing away from Shang Ruyi, was a tall, slender man dressed in a dark blue robe. The other two were hugging him, crying about something.

Shang Ruyi immediately recognized the two people; they were her uncle and aunt.

Shen Shiyan and Mrs. Shen were both in dusty short clothing, their faces showing the wear of a journey. They had been crying about something, but upon hearing the noise at the door, they lifted their heads, their eyes lighting up immediately.

Yu exclaimed with surprise, "Ruyi, why are you here?"

Upon hearing her voice, the man she was clinging to shuddered and suddenly turned around.

He was a young man in his twenties, with a handsome and gentle demeanor, exuding an air of elegance. When he looked at Shang Ruyi, his face immediately showed a gentle smile, with two deep dimples at the corners of his mouth, making his smile look sincere and filled with warmth.

When her eyes met those gentle, joyous eyes, Shang Ruyi’s whole body trembled.

Instantly, all previous tension and unease, even the frustration and defeat of recent times, were soothed at that moment by those eyes filled with gentle smiles.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she was so emotional that she couldn’t make a sound.

Until the man strode over and pulled her into his arms.

"Ruyi!"

"..."

Shang Ruyi’s eyes widened as she felt a familiar, gentle aura enveloping her, even though they had been apart for years, just this touch brought back all the tender memories.

Her nose tingled, and she hugged the person in front of her.

"Brother!"

This man was none other than the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Shen—Shen Wuzheng.

After being apart for years, how unexpected it was for the siblings to meet here. Shang Ruyi hugged her brother, unable to stop her tears from streaming. Shen Wuzheng looked down at her, saying in a deep voice, "Why have you lost so much weight?"

"..."

Shang Ruyi looked at the familiar face in front of her — actually, it was not so familiar anymore. Compared to when he left, when his face was chubby and childish, Shen Wuzheng had slimmed down a lot now, with a mature man’s features in his contours. But his gentle eyes had not changed at all, nor had the warm aura surrounding him, as if the years he had been away were just a moment.

Shang Ruyi choked up again, then said, "Brother, you’ve changed so much."

"..."

"Why are you here?"

"I came to see father and mother."

As they spoke, Mr. and Mrs. Shen, with reddened eyes, approached them. Shang Ruyi quickly walked up to them, wanting to say something, but Yu already spoke with concern, "You, silly girl, what are you doing here?"

"I—"

Shang Ruyi hesitated, looking at the government officers, unable to speak.

But at this moment, even if she said nothing, looking at her dusty appearance and the time she came to the posthouse, anyone could guess what she was trying to do.

Shen Shiyan’s face turned from red to blue as he pointed at her, "You, you fool! You’re still young, with a bright future ahead. Why are you so shortsighted? An old man like me, am I worth you doing this?"

As he spoke, he glared at Yu, "It’s all because of your indulgence!"

Yu mumbled, "Why is it my fault again?"

He was usually elegant and composed, never raising his voice at Shang Ruyi. This was the first time in over ten years that Shang Ruyi had been scolded.

She lowered her head, not knowing what to say.

After a long while, one of the observing government officers sighed and said, "Mr. Shen is indeed a man of great righteousness; his family would never abandon him. However, your children are too reckless."

Shang Ruyi looked up at him.

The officer said, "Mr. Shen is a court-appointed criminal; even if you succeed tonight, can you hide forever in the future?"

His words echoed what Yu Wenye had just said.

Upon looking at Shen Shiyan and Yu, though they seemed weary, it was clear they were not mistreated. Not only were they unchained, but their bowls and chopsticks were also on the table.

They were actually sitting together, eating.

The officer sighed, "We won’t hide it from you. Even though Mr. Shen was convicted, in our eyes, he is truly a loyal minister."

Shang Ruyi was startled: "You—"

The officer said, "Mr. Shen, along with Lord Pei, all advised the Emperor to cease the attack on Liaodong—this is what all the people under the heavens wish for. In these years of continuous warfare, the common people can’t survive anymore. It’s just that our voices can’t reach the ears of those above. Someone spoke on our behalf and was punished for it; how could we let him suffer more?"

"..."

"So, you don’t need to do something that would get you beheaded."

"..."

"On this journey, we won’t mistreat Mr. Shen. Even in Lingnan, this is our intention."

The other government officers, along with the Posthouse Ministers, all nodded in agreement.

Shang Ruyi’s heart was overwhelmed with emotions.

Sometimes, speaking of the righteous path seems like something too elusive, as people hustle for profit everywhere. These days, even Shang Ruyi felt that no emotion could compare to a bit of interest exchange. Yet, unexpectedly, there are still people who harbor a faint sense of goodness in their hearts, giving hope to people, even in their darkest times, and to humanity.

Shang Ruyi, along with Shen Wuzheng, deeply bowed to those people: "Thank you all for your righteousness."