The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Shen Tianjiao thought she would sleep until at least tomorrow morning, but she didn't expect that she would not be able to fall asleep in the middle of the night.

Unable to sleep, Shen Tianjiao chose to finish her sleep by lying on the bed. She got up and saw that Chunchao, who was on guard, was asleep, so she got up quietly.

After putting a piece of clothing on Chunchao, Shen Tianjiao changed her clothes and went outside.

When people are under great psychological pressure, their spirit will be in a state of anxiety and excitement, which is the most torturous state.

Shen Tianjiao is in this state now.

The silent night made the palace, which was extremely noisy during the day, seem quiet and peaceful.

Shen Tianjiao, who was rarely alone and quiet, looked up at the bright moon in the sky and thought about her worries.

Normally she was too busy to care about that person. Now that it was quiet, the empty space in her heart ached slightly and she missed that person.

If I could be reborn and come here, what about that person? Was he also reborn? If so, where would he be now?

In her past and present lives, the only person she owed was him.

Since the last time she dreamed of him, he has never appeared in Shen Tianjiao's dream again.

Although Shen Tianjiao kept praying in her heart that the two of them could meet again in their dreams, it didn't matter even if the dreams were all bad things, as long as they could meet.

"It seems like you really haven't forgiven me yet. I've been so eager for you to come, but you never come again."

"Yan Yu, you are still blaming me, right?"

Now is a critical moment with a powerful enemy at the door. Shen Tianjiao should be focusing on how to win this victory and protect Yun Li from suffering from the war.

But for some reason, Shen Tianjiao was only thinking about Yan Yu at this moment.

Ruan Yuhu has been waiting for Shen Tianjiao. Even though it is late at night, she has not gone to rest and is still waiting.

People sleep much less as they get older, and this is especially true for Ruan Yuhu. Her health has not been very good in recent years. She is often sick here or there, and these illnesses often torture her and keep her awake all night.

In addition, this is a special period, and she couldn't sleep because she had something on her mind.

Ruan Yuhu was drinking tea while waiting for dawn, but this time drinking one cup after another was really boring.

Ruan Yuhu, who was feeling a little depressed after drinking tea, put down the teacup in his hand and decided to go out for a walk. Although it was quite dark outside, it was better than being bored here.

Looking at Ju Ruo who was dozing off in the chair, Ruan Yuhu smiled and walked out quietly with light steps.

Ruan Yuhu looked at the scenery in front of her, which was a little different from that in the daytime, and she suddenly felt very comfortable. Usually, there was always a group of people around her, and it was rare for her to enjoy the peace and tranquility of being alone.

Ruan Yuhu walked and stopped like this, and unknowingly walked into Shen Tianjiao's yard. Ruan Yuhu, who was tired, was about to stop and rest for a while, but was attracted by a burst of soft crying.

Who was so late and not sleeping that he actually ran to the Queen's courtyard to cry? Curiosity drove Ruan Yuhu to walk over.

When she got closer, she found that the person crying was Shen Tianjiao. "Jiaojiao, what's wrong with you?"

Looking at Shen Tianjiao crying sadly, Ruan Yuhu suddenly panicked and didn't know what to do.

After all, in the eyes of everyone, Shen Tianjiao has always been a very strong and rational person who can bring a sense of security to everyone.

Now that she looks so vulnerable, how can Ruan Yuhu not panic?

Ruan Yuhu walked forward, hugged Shen Tianjiao and pulled her into her arms, gently comforting her: "Jiaojiao, what's wrong with you? Tell your aunt, and I'll take care of it for you!"

Shen Tianjiao, who had originally stopped wanting to cry, suddenly felt aggrieved again when she heard Ruan Yuhu's words. She buried her head in Ruan Yuhu's arms and cried even more sadly.

Seeing this, Ruan Yuhu didn't dare to ask any more questions. She hugged Shen Tianjiao tightly and let Shen Tianjiao cry in her arms.

Shen Tianjiao cried until she hiccupped, and only then did she stop crying.

Seeing that Shen Tianjiao had stopped crying, Ruan Yuhu hurriedly helped her up from the ground. Although it was summer, there was heavy dew at night and it was not good to sit on the ground for a long time.

After crying, Shen Tianjiao felt much better. She looked up at Ruan Yuhu, hesitating about what excuse she should make to get rid of the matter.

After all, she cried so miserably and it was so embarrassing that it seemed unacceptable not to explain it.

How could Ruan Yuhu not understand Shen Tianjiao's mood at the moment? She smiled and said, "Jiaojiao, everyone has their own secrets and unbearable pressure."

"You don't have to tell me the reason, at least not now. When you want to tell me later, I can be your listener."

Ruan Yuhu touched Shen Tianjiao's head and continued, "Let me tell you a secret. You can't tell anyone else. In fact, the thing that my aunt did most in her life was to break down and cry alone."

"I think all the tears I've shed in this life could form a river."

"It's not easy to be a human being in this world, and it's even harder to be a woman. I don't know how much hardship and suffering I've gone through in my life, so I understand how you feel."

Shen Tianjiao looked at Ruan Yuhu and asked inexplicably, "Aunt, have you ever had someone in your heart that you loved deeply but also felt deeply indebted to?"

These words petrified Ruan Yuhu on the spot. This was a taboo in her heart, a topic that could not be touched.

Seeing Ruan Yuhu's expression change, Shen Tianjiao realized that her question had gone beyond the line.

"Aunt, I..." Before Shen Tianjiao could finish her explanation, Ruan Yuhu said, "Yes."

Ruan Yuhu's frankness surprised Shen Tianjiao. She didn't expect Ruan Yuhu to really answer her question.

"Before entering the palace, my aunt had a childhood sweetheart."

Recalling the past, Ruan Yuhu had a sweet yet bitter smile on his face, "At that time, I naively thought that we could be together forever."

Ruan Yuhu smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "What a pity! Life is unpredictable. Perhaps the love between us is so deep that even God is jealous."

"My family was struck by misfortune. Some members of my family died, some were exiled, and I was forced to enter the palace for my family."

"Later," Ruan Yuhu began to sob as he spoke, "Later, because of my greed, he got into trouble and died in front of me."

"Aunt, aunt, I'm sorry, I, I..." Shen Tianjiao was so anxious that she couldn't speak clearly. She just asked casually, but she didn't expect that she would ask about Ruan Yuhu's sad story.

Shen Tianjiao wanted to slap herself in the face at this moment. Why was she so rude? Why did she ask such a topic when there were other things to ask?

"Jiaojiao, it's okay. It's all over." Ruan Yuhu looked at Shen Tianjiao and smiled. "I've managed to stay alive until now just to get revenge. Once I've gotten my revenge, I can go see him without any guilt."

"How's the revenge for my aunt going now?" Shen Tianjiao looked at Ruan Yuhu with mixed feelings in her heart. She knew it was not easy for Ruan Yuhu to get to where he is now in this palace, but she didn't expect it to be so difficult.

A woman who deeply loves a man in her heart has to give herself to another man in order to seek revenge. How did she survive those humiliating and lonely years in this deep palace?

As Shen Tianjiao thought about it, she felt even more sorry for Ruan Yuhu. Even a remarkable woman like her could not escape the ravages of fate and its manipulations.

"It's almost done. The report will be finished soon." Ruan Yuhu lowered his head and smiled. "Okay, let's not talk about these old stories anymore."

"Jiaojiao, let's talk about how to deal with Li Hong."

Li Hong, Shen Tianjiao sighed. Yes, she had forgotten that there was such a big trouble to be solved.

"Li Hongren has already escaped. Now the important thing is how can we get him to bring out all the soldiers he trained, as we expect, and then rebel and attack the imperial city?"

Ruan Yuhu frowned. She knew Li Hong quite well. Apart from his passion for power, he was also an overly cautious person who valued his life very much.

Otherwise, how could he have planned for more than 20 years, outlasted the previous emperor, and still not started a rebellion to usurp the throne?

Such a person will never take action easily unless he is forced into a desperate situation.

Shen Tianjiao smiled disapprovingly and said, "This matter is difficult, but it's not difficult either."

"Oh, what do you mean?" Ruan Yuhu looked at Shen Tianjiao, expecting her answer.

"Although Li Hong is an extremely selfish person, no matter how selfish he is, he will not abandon his son."

Although Shen Tianjiao did not know Li Hong, she knew human nature, so she was not worried that Li Hong would not send troops to rebel. Instead, she was a little worried that the capital's defenses were weak and the battle would be difficult.

"Girl, you guessed wrong this time." Ruan Yuhu shook his head and said, "When he escaped, he only cared about himself and abandoned his wife and children. How could he risk his life for his son?"

"Otherwise, when he was escaping, he didn't take his son with him in order to escape safely. But now that he has escaped, he will definitely come back to save his son."

Shen Tianjiao nodded confidently at Ruan Yuhu. She believed that her judgment would never be wrong.

"Oh, then can you tell me the reason?" Ruan Yuhu couldn't understand why Shen Tianjiao was so sure that Li Hong would come back to save his son.

"It's simple." Shen Tianjiao shrugged and spread her hands, saying, "Aunt, how old is Li Hong this year?"

"Ah?" Ruan Yuhu was stunned for a moment, then thought for a moment and said, "He is the late emperor's younger brother, only one year younger than the late emperor. He should be sixty-five now."

"That's right, he's already an old man, no matter how well he takes care of himself, his body functions are still deteriorating."

"So it's possible that he won't be able to have a son at all, or maybe he can still have a son, but can he wait until that child grows up?"

"He wanted to be emperor himself, but he also wanted his descendants to inherit the throne."

"If he doesn't even have a son, then what's the point of him sitting on the throne?"

"Without a legitimate heir, he would be making things easier for others. He is not a fool. He would not give the throne he fought so hard to obtain to someone who has nothing to do with him."

"If that's the case, what's the point of him fighting for the throne? So for the sake of his dream of a great cause, he will risk everything this time and come back to save his son."

After all, she has lived two lives, whether in the past life or this life, Shen Tianjiao has seen too many people, so she can still accurately guess Li Hong's thoughts.

Shen Tianjiao's words woke Ruan Yuhu up from her dream, and she came to her senses. Before this, she had focused on Li Hong's character, but forgot about the weaknesses of human nature.

"Well, then we won't have to worry about not being able to cure him."

There is not much conflict between Li Hong and Ruan Yuhu, but Li Hong must die today.

If Li Hong doesn't die, Ruan Yuhu will not be able to complete her revenge, and it will also be a hidden danger for Yun Li, so Li Hong cannot live both privately and publicly.

"What I am worried about now is that the defense of the capital is weak. We still don't know how many people Li Hong has under his command. I am afraid..."

Shen Tianjiao didn't finish her words, but Ruan Yuhu knew what she meant.

"Are you afraid that you can't hold on?" Ruan Yuhu looked at Shen Tianjiao, but she didn't have such worries.

"Don't worry, girl. Not only can we hold on, but we will also destroy Li Hong beyond redemption."

"Aunt, are you so confident?" Shen Tianjiao looked at Ruan Yuhu's confident look and wondered if she was being too pessimistic.

"Don't you have confidence in General Shen?" Ruan Yuhu looked at Shen Tianjiao and thought to himself: "This girl is really smart all her life, but confused for a moment."

"Yes, of course." Shen Tianjiao has absolute confidence in her third brother.

The men of the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion are no exaggeration, each of them is outstanding, especially in the aspect of fighting. It can almost be said that they are all gifted and self-taught, and have perfectly inherited the excellent genes of their ancestors.

"That's all, don't worry, General Shen will definitely be able to hold on."

Ruan Yuhu said this not simply because she was blindly confident in the people of Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, but because she had already made sufficient preparations.

"Yes, we can definitely hold on. As long as Third Brother can hold on for three days, my eldest and second brothers might be able to return in time."

Shen Tianjiao said this without any confidence. The situation was unclear and anything could happen. She always felt a little uneasy.

Could it be that she hadn't fought on the battlefield for a long time, so she was timid?

"I've already told you to rest assured." Ruan Yuhu looked at the somewhat nervous Shen Tianjiao and said jokingly, "How about we make a bet?"