The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

Wang Yunzhi smiled. Lu Yan was indeed still the same Lu Yan, without changing at all.

When it comes to arguing with people, that mouth is still as stable as ever.

"I brought enough people with me, but it just happened suddenly. Someone else planned it and wanted to kill me, so there was nothing I could do."

"Fortunately, I was blessed with good fortune. I met my clan brother Wang Yunzhi, who saved me. My husband and I were able to escape death and survive this time."

"Luckily, I only suffered minor injuries, but your sister-in-law is so pitiful. The injuries on her body almost cost her life."

"It was also thanks to the Empress that she sent a female physician from the palace and brought many precious medicinal herbs, which brought her back from the brink of death."

Thinking of his wife who was still recuperating in Huguo Temple, Wang Yunzhi couldn't help but sigh with worry.

Every two days, a letter would arrive from Huguo Temple, informing Wang Yunzhi of Mrs. Wang's situation.

But seeing is believing, hearing is not. Without seeing Mrs. Wang in person, Wang Yunzhi always felt uneasy.

Lu Yan looked at Wang Yunzhi and this time he completely believed in Wang Yunzhi. This time he really wanted to break away from Li Chaohui and return to normal life from their abnormal relationship.

In the past, no matter what happened to Mrs. Wang, Wang Yunzhi didn't care. But now he started to care about his wife's affairs, which made Lu Yan feel happy.

"You and your sister-in-law narrowly escaped death this time. It's God's grace that you survived. You must really treat your sister-in-law well in the future."

"Yes, only when you are halfway through your life and getting old do you suddenly realize how ridiculous your previous actions were."

Wang Yunzhi smiled and shook his head. Now that he had escaped from Li Chaohui's control, he realized that he still had many choices in life.

People say that Wang Yunzhi is a smart man with a keen mind, but now it seems that he is not smart at all and is simply a complete fool.

If he wasn't a fool, why would he have come back so many years later and failed to judge people, thus letting his wife down in vain?

But fortunately, he has finally become wise and turned back, not sending himself into the valley of the shadow of death.

"You should also take care of your health. We are all old now, and we can't compare with young people."

"Even if it's a minor injury, you have to take good care of it. If it becomes a chronic disease, you'll suffer greatly in the future."

Lu Yan supported Wang Yunzhi and let him lie down again.

"Old man, let me ask you to meet someone."

Wang Yunzhi, who was lying on the bed, looked at Lu Yan, then said to the person outside, "Go and invite the master."

The people outside responded and went to invite Wang Hengshan.

Just when Lu Yan was still wondering who Wang Yunzhi wanted him to meet and who the big master Wang Yunzhi was talking about was, Wang Hengshan pushed the door open and came in.

The moment he saw Wang Hengshan come in, Lu Yan was stunned. He sat there stupidly and motionless, as if he had lost consciousness.

"What's wrong? Am I so old now that I'm in such bad shape that you wouldn't recognize me when you see me?"

Looking at Lu Yan's silly look, Wang Hengshan couldn't help but teasing him.

Hearing Wang Hengshan's voice, Lu Yan finally reacted. He stood up and walked in front of Wang Hengshan. He was always eloquent, but now his lips were shaking so much that he couldn't speak.

"What? You really don't recognize me?" Wang Hengshan looked at Lu Yan and couldn't laugh even though he wanted to.

"How could I not recognize you? Brother Hengshan, you're finally back."

Lu Yan clenched his fist and punched Wang Hengshan hard on the arm.

"We agreed back then that you would be back soon, but you've been gone for so many years."

"There has been no news from you for so many years. I sent people to the northern border to look for you, but you kept hiding and ignored them."

"I thought we would never have the chance to meet again in this life."

As Lu Yan spoke, tears welled up in his eyes.

The reason why he has such a good relationship with Wang Yunzhi is all thanks to Wang Hengshan.

Lu Yan and Wang Hengshan met at the Imperial College. They hit it off at first sight and became good friends who appreciated and appreciated each other.

Later, the two of them entered the officialdom together, but at that time Lu Yan had no family background, so he was not a high-ranking official, much lower than Wang Hengshan.

However, the friendship between the two people did not change because of this. However, in order not to attract attention, their interactions were carried out in secret.

When Wang Hengshan got into trouble, Lu Yan was just a minor official in the court with no say, so he couldn't help Wang Hengshan even if he wanted to.

Later, the situation became serious, Wang Hengshan was dismissed from office, and his entire family was exiled to the northern border.

At that time, Lu Yan had already written a blood oath, prepared to die in the face of an audience with the emperor, and submitted a petition to Li Rui, requesting Li Rui to show mercy and re-examine Wang Hengshan's case.

Just as Lu Yan was preparing to take action, he was taken into custody by people sent by Wang Yunzhi.

Wang Yunzhi told Lu Yan that even if he was willing to die today to buy a way out for Wang Hengshan, it would be a sacrifice in vain and of no value.

The reason why Wang Hengshan was framed and accused at this time was because the current emperor Li Rui wanted Wang Hengshan to die.

They must now hold back and wait patiently for the opportunity. Only when the time is ripe can they overturn Wang Hengshan's case and clear his name.

So Lu Yan endured it, and from a small official who was not keen on fame and fortune and was willing to be mediocre and satisfied with the status quo, he stepped up step by step to his current position and became the well-known Chief Justice Lu Yan in the court.

Over the years, he has been secretly preparing, investigating the events of the past, waiting for the opportunity to overturn Wang Hengshan's case, wipe out the dirty water thrown on Wang Hengshan, and restore Wang Hengshan's innocence.

During the years that Wang Hengshan was in the northern border, he had sent many people to deliver money and supplies, but in order to protect him from being implicated, Wang Hengshan always avoided them and refused to accept his help.

Originally, Lu Yan had planned to take a leave of absence and go to the northern border in person. Now that Wang Hengshan is back, he doesn't have to make this trip.

"How could that be? I'm back now." Wang Hengshan patted Lu Yan's shoulder and took him back to his seat.

"When did you come back?" Lu Yan looked at Wang Hengshan, who had aged a lot and no longer had the charm of his youth, and felt indescribable sadness in his heart.

"It's been a while since I came back. I originally wanted to find a chance to visit you, but when I came back, I encountered the incident of Yun Zhi being assassinated."

Wang Hengshan looked at Lu Yan. He hadn't seen him for several years. Lu Yan had aged a lot. He used to be a high-spirited man, but now he had white hair and was no longer the same as he used to be.

They are all old now and are no longer the same as they used to be.

Lu Yan sighed. Wang Yunzhi's assassination was indeed beyond everyone's expectations.

Who could have thought that this woman, Li Chaohui, could be so vicious and shameless?

While taking advantage of Wang Yunzhi, he also tried to kill Wang Yunzhi. When the assassination failed, he wanted to take advantage of Wang Yunzhi again.

I really don’t know what on earth made Wang Yunzhi so obsessed with her that he devoted himself to her for so many years. But fortunately, Wang Yunzhi has finally come to his senses and turned back.

If Wang Yunzhi refused to repent and continued to get entangled with people like Li Zhaohui, he would not be able to help but beat Wang Yunzhi.

"Can we just let the matter of Yun Zhi's assassination go like this?"

Lu Yan looked at Wang Yunzhi, feeling extremely angry. Wang Yunzhi could swallow this anger, but he couldn't.

"We won't just let it go like this. The Su family has now joined forces with Li Zhaohui. Aren't we trying to figure out how to wipe them out right now?"

"After they're dealt with, do I still need to personally avenge the injury they inflicted on me today?"

"Even if the whole family doesn't get beheaded, they will still be exiled."

"Those people have been pampered for so long, how could they possibly endure the hardships of exile?"

"I'm afraid that before we even get there, people will die or get sick, and few will survive."

As Wang Yunzhi said this, he looked at his brother Wang Hengshan. The road of exile was so difficult back then. How did his brother and his family survive?

"Indeed, rather than dirtying your hands for some unworthy people, it is better to let them accept the punishment of the law and get the retribution they deserve."

Lu Yan now regretted asking the question just now. After all, exile was something that ordinary people could not endure, and Wang Hengshan had experienced it personally.

"Okay, it's all in the past." Wang Hengshan looked at the two people in front of him and naturally could guess what they were thinking.

"Although I was exiled and suffered some hardships along the way, it wasn't too much."

"I have to thank the Marquis of Zhenbei for this. When my family and I were exiled to the Northern Frontier, it was the Marquis of Zhenbei who personally led the escort. During that journey, we never went hungry or cold. Even when we were sick, there were military doctors to take care of us."

"Otherwise, let's not talk about others, just your sister-in-law's frail body, how could she possibly withstand such a long journey? I'm afraid she'll die before she even reaches the Northern Frontier."

Thinking back to what happened back then, Wang Hengshan still felt a lingering fear. If it weren't for the protection of Marquis Zhenbei, his family would have no chance of being alive today.

"The Marquis is a benevolent and righteous man. He deserves the title of the pillar of the country."

Lu Yan didn't admire many people in his life, but Marquis Zhenbei was definitely the one who ranked first in his mind.

The Wang brothers nodded at the same time. There was really nothing to say about the character of the Marquis of Zhenbei.

"For a hundred years, the Zhenbei Marquisate has maintained a strict family tradition, and there has never been a rebellious son born into the family."

"Looking at the Queen's style of doing things now, you can see how great the Zhenbei Marquisate is."

"How fortunate I, Yun Li, am to have a patron saint like the Marquis of Zhenbei, and even more fortunate to have a wise ruler like the Empress."

"Once this treasonous storm is quelled, Yunli will surely become increasingly prosperous and powerful under the governance of the Empress."

Ever since Shen Tianjiao founded the country, Wang Yunzhi has seen from her that Yun Li will have a different future.

This future is full of hope and expectations, and can make people happy.

"So from now on, we old guys must work together to assist the Empress and the Crown Prince, and do our utmost to contribute to the revival and glory of Yunli."

Although Wang Hengshan had never met Shen Tianjiao, he had heard a lot about the deeds of this regent queen on his way back from the northern border.

This queen who came from the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion was indeed an extraordinary person.

She is decisive and never drags her feet in doing things. This style of behavior is incomparable to ordinary men, even people like them who have seen a lot of ups and downs cannot compare to her.

At the same time, she is also a very visionary person. The reason why Yun Li has been stagnant over the years is because she is content with the status quo and would rather passively take a beating than take the initiative.

Suffering from bullying and invasion by surrounding countries, none of the emperors, who were Yunli's best decision makers, were able to stand up and change the situation.

On the contrary, this queen who serves as regent not only has a unique vision, but also has infinite courage and dares to do things that even the emperor dares not do.

With such a decision-maker leading the way, how could Yunli not revive and prosper?

It is also their honor to be able to follow such decision makers and create a new future for the cloud.

"So this matter tonight is of utmost importance and cannot be taken lightly. I'm counting on you."

Wang Yunzhi looked at Lu Yan. Whether he could capture Li Chaohui's party at the lowest cost would depend entirely on Lu Yan's performance tonight.

"Don't worry, I will spare no effort to complete my mission."

Lu Yan stood up and said, "It's getting late. I have to go back and prepare properly."

"Don't worry, although I, Lu Yan, don't have any great abilities, I am still confident that I can complete this little task."

"I believe you. Go ahead. I've prepared some good wine. It's the same jar of fine wine we buried under the osmanthus tree in the Imperial Academy."

"Originally, I wanted to save it for my daughter's wedding so we could dig it out and enjoy it together. But the girl insisted on jumping into the fire pit, so the wine was buried there forever."

"Now that we've encountered something happy, let's dig it out and celebrate it properly after it's done."

"No one of us is allowed to leave until we are drunk."

Wang Hengshan was in high spirits because of the happy event. He even remembered the jar of wine that he buried under the osmanthus tree in the Imperial College when he got married many years ago.

"Okay, then you guys should set out the wine and prepare some delicious food and wait for the good news of my triumphant return."

Lu Yan turned around, waved his hand, and left without looking back. He hadn't been in such a good mood for a long time.

Wang Hengshan looked at Lu Yan's departing back, as if he saw the young man who was full of vigor and vitality in the Imperial College back then.

"Brother, everyone's gone, don't look anymore. Let's quickly find a way to retrieve the jar of wine buried under the osmanthus tree in the Imperial College."

"This Lu Lai is crazy. If he doesn't see that jar of wine when he comes back, he will go crazy."