The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

When Ruan Yuhu arrived at Huguo Temple, he began to sleep and slept for almost a day and a night.

This is only the second time in her life that she has slept for such a long time.

The first time was back then, when she personally drank that abortion pill and sent her unborn child away.

After regaining consciousness, Ruan Yuhu couldn't help but sigh that she was truly old now, and her physical strength and energy were far inferior to what they used to be.

She was once capable of staying up for days and nights without sleep in order to attend to matters concerning the previous dynasty.

But now, just because of the longer travel time, my body is exhausted and feels like it's about to die.

It's all thanks to her health; she's been nourished with all sorts of good things every day. Otherwise, she would probably be dead by now.

"Master, the porridge is ready. Please have some while it's hot."

Ju Ruo draped a fox fur cloak over Ruan Yuhu, who was lost in thought.

Although a charcoal fire had been lit inside the house, the temperature in the mountains was still much colder than in the capital. Even in a house with a charcoal fire, one could still catch a cold if one didn't take precautions to keep warm.

"Ju Ruo, I'm really getting old, and my body is becoming increasingly useless."

Ruan Yuhu sighed. She used to wish she could die quickly, but she couldn't. Now she didn't want to die, but she was afraid that her body wouldn't be able to keep up and she wouldn't live much longer.

If she couldn't personally send Shen Tianjiao to the throne and witness her ascension to the throne as empress, she would truly die with regrets.

"What kind of language are you speaking?"

Ju Ruo naturally knew why Ruan Yuhu had made these remarks so early in the morning.

People age; this is a natural law, and no one can defy the laws of nature or change the status quo.

Besides offering comforting words to Ruan Yuhu, there's nothing else Ju Ruo can do now.

"You're not old at all. You're just relieved because you've accomplished something important and you're finally able to sleep for so long."

"This has nothing to do with being old or not. Besides, how are you old? To me, you're still the same as you were back then."

"You're still as energetic and decisive as ever."

Ruan Yuhu simply smiled at Ju Ruo's words; she was well aware of her own physical condition.

She asks for nothing else now, nor does she have any extravagant desire to live to a ripe old age. She only hopes to help Shen Tianjiao fulfill her mission.

Being able to witness Yunli ushering in the beginning of a brand new era is enough.

Have you visited the two Lady Wangs?

"I've already gone to check on it, and the items have all been delivered."

"Originally, Lady Wang Hengshan's wife wanted to come and visit you, but I was afraid of disturbing your rest, so I politely declined."

As Ju Ruo spoke, she handed the delicious porridge she had prepared to Ruan Yuhu.

Although she had just regained consciousness and didn't have much of an appetite, Ruan Yuhu, unusually, obediently ate the porridge.

She now understands very well that if she wants to live a little longer and spend more time with Shen Tianjiao, she must change her old habit of not eating on time.

Now she not only needs to eat on time, but also needs to eat more nutritious food so that her aging body can last a little longer.

After finishing the porridge in her bowl, Ruan Yuhu handed the bowl to Ju Ruo.

Ju Ruo took the bowl and saw that all the food inside had been eaten. She was overjoyed.

Over the years, Ruan Yuhu has been burdened with too many unresolved issues, so she has never paid much attention to eating.

They eat when they feel like it, and refuse to eat anything when they don't, relying solely on supplements to survive.

Now that she has avenged herself, most of the pent-up frustration in her heart has dissipated. In addition, the matter of Shen Tianjiao has given her a great motivation to live.

So without realizing it, I've started to pay attention to things I didn't used to.

"Let's go and visit these two Madam Wangs."

"I haven't visited Wang Yunzhi's wife since she was injured."

"Wang Yunzhi is currently busy helping Jiaojiao and handling affairs of the court, and has no time to take care of his wife."

"Since we're here, let's do our part to show our support for him."

"Also, prepare some more hazelnut shortbread. I remember that Wang Hengshan's wife, Li Shu, really likes it."

“When she used to visit the Empress Dowager in the palace, the Empress Dowager would always prepare hazelnut pastries for her, not only for her to eat in the palace, but also to take a lot with her when she left so that she could eat them back home.”

“I haven’t seen her for many years. She’s a pitiful person, having such a good-for-nothing brother.”

"But fortunately, she is a woman of her own mind and refuses to be manipulated by others, which has helped her secure a good marriage."

"She went through great ups and downs with Wang Hengshan, enjoying immense wealth and experiencing the harsh realities of life."

"However, Wang Hengshan always treated her the same way. Even when he was at the peak of his life, he never had a concubine in his family."

"This is a once-in-a-century occurrence, a unique case among the scions of prominent families in the entire capital."

Ruan Yuhu and Li Shu knew each other, but at that time, one of them was a princess of the Prince Su's mansion, and the other was an orphan who had just lost her family and was sent to the palace.

The two of them didn't have much interaction.

On one occasion, Ruan Yuhu was deliberately made difficult by the Imperial Noble Consort at the time, and Li Shu witnessed it.

Li Shu specially invited the Empress Dowager to help Ruan Yuhu out of her predicament.

If it weren't for Li Shu's righteous help that day, there might not be a Ruan Yuhu today.

Ruan Yuhu always kept this kindness in her heart, but not long after the Empress Dowager passed away, Li Shu stopped going to the palace.

Not long after, Ruan Yuhu heard that Li Shu's good-for-nothing brother wanted to use her marriage to gain greater benefits for himself.

When Ruan Yuhu first heard the news, she was extremely worried, fearing that Li Shu would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den, suffering endless torment for the rest of her life.

But unexpectedly, this princess was also a person with a strong personality, wisdom, and courage.

She risked her reputation to break free from her brother's control and secure a good marriage for herself.

When Li Shu married Wang Hengshan, Ruan Yuhu even sent a congratulatory gift.

Now that they are meeting again, Ruan Yuhu feels a sense of anticipation.

I wonder if that courageous and responsible woman still retains her integrity today?

Over the years, she has suffered a lot in northern Xinjiang.

"Yes, this servant has prepared everything."

Ju Ruo helped Ruan Yuhu up, and the two walked outside together.

The sky outside is gloomy and foggy today, giving the feeling that a storm is brewing.

Ruan Yuhu looked up at the sky and said, "It looks like it's going to rain. If it rains, it will not only get colder, but the road will also be harder to travel on."

"It seems the time for returning to the palace will have to be postponed."

Coming to Huguo Temple was just an excuse; Ruan Yuhu had no intention of staying there any longer.

When her family suffered misfortune, she knelt and prayed to all the gods and Buddhas in the sky, hoping that one of them would open their eyes and save her family.

But no matter how much she cried and how much she screamed, the gods and Buddhas she worshipped every day did not appear to save her family.

Therefore, from then on, Ruan Yuhu no longer believed that there were any gods or Buddhas in this world.

Her mother was a devout believer. During her lifetime, she burned countless incense sticks, donated a great deal of money to temples, and lit countless eternal lamps.

But the result?

When she needed it most, none of the gods and Buddhas she worshipped appeared to help her.

If there are truly gods and Buddhas in this world, and they receive offerings but cannot protect their followers, then why should they receive these offerings?

What are they anyway, gods and Buddhas who protect humankind?

Ruan Yuhu no longer believes in gods or Buddhas, and she dislikes coming to temples and Buddhist halls.

If it weren't for the lack of a better excuse to leave the palace, Ruan Yuhu would not have chosen to come to Huguo Temple.

"It looks like it's going to rain, but as long as the rain isn't too heavy, we can still go back."

"Ever since Prime Minister Wang had an accident on the road, General Wang Zongyuan has led people to repair the road."

"Otherwise, we wouldn't have arrived at Huguo Temple in just half a day."

How could Ju Ruo not know what Ruan Yu Hu was thinking?

Not to mention Ruan Yuhu, even she didn't want to stay here any longer.

What Ruan Yuhu experienced was also what Ju Ruo experienced. The two of them had accompanied each other through most of their lives, and no one could understand each other better than they did.

As the two talked, they soon arrived at the place where Zuo Yutang and Li Shu were temporarily staying.

Because Ruan Yuhu did not inform anyone in advance when he arrived, the people in the house were unaware that he had come.

Compared to the outside world, life inside Huguo Temple was too peaceful, so peaceful that it seemed a bit boring.

So Zuo Yutang, who is usually busy managing various affairs in the mansion, is still in bed because she has nothing to do and needs to recover from her injuries.

Li Shu, who was also in poor health, had been tormented by pain all night and had barely slept. She was now lying in bed catching up on sleep.

Fortunately, Zhiyu had just finished delivering the medicine to Zuo Yutang and came out of the room. Otherwise, Ruan Yuhu and her servant would have been standing outside for who knows how long.

"Grandfather, why are you here?"

As a female physician in the palace, Zhiyu was responsible for Shen Tianjiao's daily care, and Ruan Yuhu was also her mistress.

Seeing Ruan Yuhu suddenly appear here, Zhiyu was overjoyed.

"Girl, it seems you're having a pretty good time here. Not only has your complexion improved, but you've also gained some weight. You're no longer the frail girl who would fall over at the slightest breeze."

"It's better this way; it makes you look like a female doctor."

“You used to look sickly, and when I told you you were a female physician serving the Empress, no one replied.”

"Where is there a doctor who looks listless and sickly all day long?"

Having not seen Zhiyu for many days, Ruan Yuhu was pleased to see that she was in much better spirits than before.

Zhiyu smiled and looked down. She had indeed been having a good time lately.

Here, apart from taking care of the health of the two ladies, she didn't have to worry about anything else.

Without so many worries, and without having to be careful and watch whose face you're not, living in fear and anxiety, your mood is different, and naturally, you become different too.

Hearing voices outside, Zuo Yutang immediately sat up and instructed the maid beside her, "Go outside and see who's here?"

The maid immediately got up and ran outside to look.

Upon seeing that it was Ruan Yuhu who had arrived, the maid immediately went back to report.

Although the young maid had never met Ruan Yuhu, she had seen his portrait.

The Prime Minister's residence is frequently visited by dignitaries, so to avoid offending anyone by not recognizing them, the staff must be careful.

Therefore, all the servants in the mansion needed to be able to recognize the portraits of all the nobles in the capital.

As for Ruan Yuhu's portrait, it was added temporarily because Zuo Yutang had been frequently visiting the palace recently.

"Madam, it's the old matriarch from the palace who has arrived."

"Who's here?" Zuo Yutang thought she had misheard.

"It's the old matriarch from the palace who has arrived."

The maid repeated what she had just said.

Zuo Yutang was startled. After confirming that she hadn't misheard, she panicked.

"Quick, quick, quick, help me up, quickly change my clothes and do my makeup."

"How can I face anyone looking like this?"

"Oh right, right, hurry up and call the First Madam over."

"Tell the First Madam that the Empress Dowager from the palace has arrived."

In an instant, everyone in the room was busy, and chaos ensued.

Before everyone inside could settle in and perform their duties, Ruan Yuhu came in.

She could hear the commotion and panic coming from inside the house as soon as she was outside.

"It seems I've come at the wrong time, and I've disturbed your rest, Madam."

Hearing Ruan Yuhu's voice, Zuo Yutang panicked even more. Her clothes were disheveled, and it would be extremely rude of her to speak to Ruan Yuhu like that.

"Madam Wang, don't panic. I'm not an outsider. There's no need for such formalities between us."

Seeing Zuo Yutang's flustered state, Ruan Yuhu smiled and stepped forward, taking her arm and saying with a smile, "You came uninvited and didn't even send anyone to inform us beforehand."

"It's all my fault for making Madam Wang so flustered."

Zuo Yutang hurriedly waved her hands and said, "No, no, no, you did nothing wrong, it was my rudeness."

"Please sit down, please sit down,"

"Someone come here, quickly bring tea."

Zuo Yutang was already flustered and didn't know what to do first. She looked down at her pajamas that hadn't been changed out of, and her face immediately turned red with embarrassment.