The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Chapter 449 Yanping Mountain

Ruan Yuhu got up very early today because the road to Yanping Mountain is not short. If he had set off later, he might not have made it today.

"My lord, should we inform Her Majesty the Empress?"

Ju Ruo looked up at the sky. It was indeed too early; the Empress probably hadn't even gotten up yet.

"No."

Ruan Yuhu shook her head. Her trip to Yanping Mountain had to be kept strictly confidential, even if she got the answers she wanted.

She couldn't reveal this to anyone; this secret was something she could only take to her grave.

"Let's set off first. After we leave, we'll have a palace maid inform Jiaojiao."

"Yes, the servant knows."

Ju Ruo added another fox fur cloak to Ruan Yuhu. The weather was already cold, and if she didn't take good care of herself, Ruan Yuhu's persistent cough would flare up again.

"Let's go. We need to finish this today and get to Huguo Temple tonight, otherwise Jiaojiao will become suspicious."

Ruan Yuhu had been in the palace for many years and had become accustomed to her current life. If it weren't for Shen Tianjiao, she would never have been able to leave the palace to travel.

Ju Ruo didn't speak, but helped Ruan Yuhu into the carriage. Today was destined to be a busy and tiring day.

Whether you travel from the palace to Yanping Mountain or from Yanping Mountain to Huguo Temple, the journey is quite long.

Before they even left, Ju Ruo was already worried about whether Ruan Yuhu could withstand the arduous journey.

After all, although Ruan Yuhu later became the true ruler of the harem, her life before that was not easy.

He was often bullied and even nearly lost his life several times.

Her past experiences left many physical wounds on Ruan Yuhu, and as she grew older, these wounds caused her more and more pain.

The carriage left the imperial city and headed west, and the journey was relatively peaceful.

Apart from Nguyen Ngoc Ho feeling a bit dizzy and nauseous from the long carriage ride, nothing else happened.

"Master, we've already traveled halfway, and it's getting late. Why don't we stop and have some food before continuing our journey?"

Because Ruan Yuhu kept saying she had no appetite, it was already well past lunchtime.

"Okay, let's stop, rest, and eat something."

Ruan Yuhu herself didn't have much of an appetite. She was old and had been traveling for most of the day in a carriage, so she couldn't eat anything.

However, she had no appetite, but those who accompanied her always needed to eat and rest.

The carriage finally stopped, and everyone rested on the spot, taking the opportunity to eat lunch with the dry rations they had brought.

Ruan Yuhu looked at the food that Ju Ruo had carefully prepared for her, but she had no desire to eat it at all.

She pushed the food box towards Ju Ruo, "I'm not hungry yet, you eat it, and then come with me for some fresh air."

The carriage that Nguyen Ngoc Ho rode in was very spacious inside, with soft couches, pillows, and even bedding, just like being in a room.

The only downside is that the carriage is fine when traveling on the official road, as the bumps are less severe, but it suffers when it leaves the official road and travels on the dirt road.

If the carriage were traveling at a slower speed, it wouldn't be so uncomfortable, but Ruan Yuhu had instructed them to speed up, which would be troublesome.

The bumpy dirt road, coupled with the high speed, could shake the internal organs of anyone sitting in the carriage so badly they'd be thrown out.

Ruan Yuhu was someone who had been pampered in the palace, and she really couldn't bear this kind of suffering.

Ju Ruo glanced at Ruan Yuhu, her eyes filled with undisguised worry.

"My lord, please have some food."

"There's still half the journey ahead. How can you keep going if you don't eat something?"

Ruan Yuhu waved her hand and said, "I won't eat. I really don't have an appetite. Besides, even if I force myself to eat, I'm afraid I'll throw up when the carriage bumps along."

"Don't worry about me, just eat your food. When we get there, just cook me some hot porridge."

"Eat quickly. You've been with me since morning and you're starving. Even the strongest body can't take this."

Ruan Yuhu personally took out all the food from the food box and arranged it in front of Ju Ruo.

Although Ju Ruo has been living in the palace with Ruan Yuhu all these years, she has experienced hardship and is strong, so her physical condition is much better than Ruan Yuhu's.

Even though she was several years older than Ruan Yuhu, the journey was not a problem for her except for some discomfort in her back.

Ju Ruo didn't say anything more and lowered her head to start eating.

Ju Ruo knew Ruan Yu Hu's personality and eating habits better than anyone else. She knew that no matter how she tried to persuade her, it would be useless; Ruan Yu Hu would not eat a single bite.

Ju Ruo now only hopes that they can reach their destination as soon as possible so that Ruan Yuhu can rest and she can prepare some food to replenish her strength.

Ruan Yuhu went to Yanping Mountain today, and although he was only going to ask the former national advisor some questions, it was still an extremely mentally and physically demanding task.

After all, that former imperial advisor was no pushover, and not someone to be trifled with.

Even if it were Ruan Yuhu who went, he might not be so easy to talk to and would tell everyone he knew.

After all, if he were a pragmatic person, he wouldn't have suddenly fallen out of favor and been imprisoned by the late emperor in the dungeon in Yanping Mountain, living a life of utter darkness.

After quickly eating some food, Ju Ruo accompanied Ruan Yuhu outside for a walk to clear her head.

Today is a rare beautiful day; the sunshine warms the heart.

Perhaps because she had spent so many years in the palace and had never been outside, Ruan Yuhu felt that the sunlight outside was better than that inside the palace.

Bathed in sunlight, standing on the hillside overlooking the fertile fields and scattered farmhouses below, Ruan Yu's mood improved considerably.

Many years ago, she and her husband had made a promise that he would set aside his so-called responsibilities at home, not serve as an official, and take the two of them to travel the world together.

Let's find a scenic spot, where the man tills the fields and the woman weaves, living the life of an ordinary couple.

It's a pity that being born into a noble family means your fate is not in your own hands; you can't do whatever you want.

Their simplest wish ultimately came to nothing due to the entanglements of their families.

It was all for naught, but in the end, that person even lost their life. It's pitiful that she spent more than twenty years living alone, lonely and helpless, heartbroken.

Thinking of this, Ruan Yuhu couldn't help but sigh. If time could turn back, she certainly wouldn't have had so many concerns back then, and she would definitely have taken him to live the life they had imagined.

Such a beautiful person, yet she ended up with such a miserable fate. This is a knot in the hearts of everyone in Wuhu that they can never untie for a lifetime.

Ju Ruo looked at Ruan Yuhu, who was staring blankly, and said softly, "Master, let's go back. If we don't set off now, we may not arrive today."

"Okay, let's go."

Ruan Yuhu handed her hand to Ju Ruo, asking Ju Ruo to help her down the mountain.

"Send someone to Huguo Temple to let them know that we'll stay at Yanping Mountain tonight."

Looking up at the sky, Ruan Yuhu knew that even if he made it to Yanping Mountain today, he probably wouldn't be able to get what he needed to do.

Even though that old man has been imprisoned for so many years, his temper is probably still the same as it was back then, after all, the late emperor had a knife to his neck back then.

Even threatening his son's life couldn't make him yield and abandon his insane attempt to defy fate.

Now, so many years have passed, and I wonder if his stubbornness has finally been overcome, or if he's become even more obstinate.

But no matter how things turn out, or whether I can get the answer I want from that old man, it doesn't matter anymore.

As for matters of destiny, even without concrete evidence, as long as there are people around, what kind of evidence and celestial phenomena can't be fabricated?

I'm making this trip as a farewell to the dwindling number of old acquaintances I know.

"Yes, once we're down the mountain, I'll send someone to Huguo Temple."

Hearing Ruan Yuhu's instructions, Ju Ruo felt a real sense of relief.

Ruan Yuhu's health was already poor. If she continued to travel without getting proper rest, she would inevitably fall seriously ill upon returning home.

If people their age were to suffer from a serious illness, even if they recovered, their bodies would likely suffer even more in the future.

Back in the carriage, feeling tired, Ruan Yuhu lay down and fell asleep, with Ju Ruo watching over her.

Ruan Yuhu slept soundly, and when she opened her eyes, they had already arrived at their destination, Yanping Mountain.

"Master, we are here."

Looking at Ruan Yuhu who had just woken up, Ju Ruo felt a sense of relief. Because Ruan Yuhu had slept the whole way, she had suffered much less.

"We're here."

Ruan Yuhu stirred her body, which was stiff from sleeping, and said, "Let's go, let's go downstairs."

Ju Ruo helped Ruan Yuhu down from the carriage. Ruan Yuhu looked around in the afterglow of the setting sun.

This is Ruan Yuhu's second time visiting Yanping Mountain. The first time she came, she accompanied the late emperor to send that old man here to be imprisoned.

She originally thought she would never set foot here again in her life, but she never expected that she would be able to revisit this place today.

Last time I came to imprison that old man. This time, whether I'm here to let him live or to send him away myself depends on the old man himself.

"Who is coming?"

Although the late emperor has died, the decrees he issued have not disappeared with his departure.

There are still the guards left behind by the late emperor.

Ruan Yuhu did not answer. She took out the jade pendant from her hand and handed it to Ju Ruo, saying, "Take this and show it to them."

The jade pendant she gave to Ju Ruo was not a complete jade pendant, but half of it.

This is a keepsake left by the late emperor when he left this place. The other half of the jade pendant is naturally in the hands of the person responsible for guarding this place.

Their rule here is that they only recognize the token, not the person. No matter who comes, even if it is the current emperor himself, he cannot enter or leave this place at will without this token.

If you want to enter or leave this place without a token, there's only one way: kill everyone here.

As long as there is even one person left alive, they will absolutely not allow anyone to enter without a token.

The gatekeepers, upon receiving the token from Ju Ruo, naturally dared not neglect it. One of them left to guard the gate while the other ran off to find their leader.

Ruan Yuhu wasn't in a hurry. He had Ju Ruo help him back into the carriage and waited there.

It's much colder in these mountains than outside. If you stand outside for too long, you're bound to catch a cold.

The guard, holding the half of the jade pendant that Ju Ruo had given him, hurriedly went to find his family's leader.

"General, someone has arrived today with a token."

Upon seeing the leader, the guard quickly handed over the token he was holding.

He's been here for years and has never seen anyone come with a token.

The scenery in the mountains remains unchanged day after day, as if time itself has stood still.

After staying here for so long, I've almost lost track of time and even forgotten what the outside world looks like.

Those who guard this place all know one thing: they can only leave when the person with this token arrives and arranges their departure.

Otherwise, even if the person they are guarding dies, they cannot leave.

Therefore, it's understandable that the guards would be so agitated.

"What?"

General Chen Shan, who was ordered to guard this place back then, has long since passed away. Now, his grandson Chen Ze has taken over the task of guarding this place.

Chen Ze stared blankly at the guard at the checkpoint, holding the half-jade pendant in his hand. It took him a long time to react.

He took the half of the jade pendant and examined it closely before finally retrieving the half he had kept with him.

The two halves of the jade pendant were combined to form a complete jade pendant.

Looking at the complete jade pendant in his hand, Chen Ze became excited.

They've arrived! They've really arrived! The person with the token that his grandfather mentioned has finally appeared.

This means that Chen Ze can finally leave this godforsaken place, a place where, apart from the guards he keeps, no outsiders can be seen.

Who can understand what it must be like for a young man in his early twenties to have been guarding this place for five or six years, day and night, gazing at the mountains before him?

He originally thought he would have to stay here for the rest of his life, and never be able to leave until the day he died of old age.