Chapter 110 [End of Main Text] If we don't ride off to chase after them...
The conversation between Prince Chen and Chao Lu that night became a secret between the two of them. No matter how Ruan Yu asked afterward, the two of them seemed to have made a pact not to tell her.
Ruan Yu got angry later and decided not to say anything, so she stopped asking.
Spring has arrived, and the sun is finally shining warmly.
With people shedding their heavy winter clothes, more and more people are venturing out for spring outings.
Chao Lu has been in Chang'an for almost two months, and even if there were any major issues, he has already dealt with them.
Jiang has been feeling melancholy lately and suggested going on a spring outing with her daughter.
Ruan Yu accepted with pleasure.
When Prince Chen learned of this, he also offered to go with him, and Ruan Yu naturally agreed.
The weather has been great lately, so we chose Yanle Mountain on the outskirts of the city as our destination. There's a very popular temple there, perfect for praying for blessings.
The whole family set off early in the morning.
Emperor Qianyuan had originally intended to come to the palace as well. However, his status was now completely different, so he couldn't be so casual and had to assign several hundred imperial guards to escort him along the way.
Ruan Yu and Jiang Shi rode in the same carriage. Jiang Ziyan was already able to ride a horse and no longer wanted to ride in the carriage. He preferred to run around outside.
Jiang looked at him and said, "Your younger brother has been getting wilder and wilder lately, and I'm really worried about him."
Ruan Yu: "It's nothing. If he really likes learning martial arts, then he can take this path. If he doesn't like it, then we won't force him."
"I know that too, it's just so annoying. They're always wielding knives and guns, never settling down. Oh, and they keep talking about wanting to compete with the Khan."
Ruan Yu: "..."
Chaolu...
They should be here by now.
Although he wasn't officially invited, his mother and father have been tacitly aware of his "movements" lately.
Ruan Yu felt embarrassed whenever she thought about this.
"It's good to let Chaolu spar with him; he needs to learn his place. I'll talk to him about it later..."
Jiang laughed: "That's what I meant too. Let him fight the Khan and he'll know his own limitations."
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mother."
Since the topic had come up, Jiang asked directly, "An'an, are you... going back to the grasslands?"
Lately, not everyone has wanted to ask about this, but no one has brought it up.
Including North Korea and Shandong.
He's been delaying mentioning going back, probably because he's waiting for her.
Now that things have come to this, Ruan Yu doesn't want to be ambiguous, and especially since she's facing her mother, she doesn't want to hide anything.
"There's nothing I can't say to my mother. I think we should wait until the weather gets a little warmer."
Jiang understood instantly: "Good, that's a good thing..."
Even though it was a good thing, my eyes still welled up with tears.
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Isn't this a good thing? Why is Mother crying?"
"No, I'm happy... Your mother can see it too. Chaolu is sincere towards you. I'm at ease knowing you're with him, even though you're so far away from Chang'an..."
Ruan Yu: "Why are you so sad, Mother? The court and the grasslands are now very close. His Majesty is even planning to build an official road. I was thinking that you are free now. If you are willing, you can come with us this time. Consider it a trip to relax and unwind."
Jiang's eyes lit up: "That's true..."
"Yes, Mother, are you willing?"
Before Madam Jiang could speak, Jiang Ziyan's voice came in impatiently: "Yes, yes! Sister, take me with you too!"
Jiang: "..."
Ruan Yu: "Instead of riding your horse properly, you're eavesdropping on our conversation!"
Jiang Ziyan chuckled and said, "I was right next to the carriage, how could I be eavesdropping? Sister, when are you leaving?"
Madam Jiang's face darkened: "Why are you leaving? For the next three years, give up on that idea and study hard! If you can become the top martial arts scholar in three years, I'll forgive and forget about what happened before, and I'll also talk about visiting your sister!"
Jiang Ziyan: "..."
Ruan Yu covered her mouth and laughed: "Alright, if you don't behave, I'll take Mother away first and leave you alone."
Jiang Ziyan, having been rebuffed, silently withdrew his head.
They chatted and laughed all the way, and soon arrived at the temple halfway up the mountain.
Because the eldest princess and Prince Chen were coming, there was no one else at Yanle Mountain today, and the temple was quiet.
Only the abbot and a few disciples were waiting at the door. As soon as Prince Chen and Ruan Yu got out of the carriage, they immediately came to greet them.
Prince Chen said, “The abbot need not trouble himself. We are here to offer incense today. Please treat us as ordinary people.”
"yes……"
As soon as Ruan Yu got out of the car, he suddenly heard a commotion inside the temple hall.
"No, benefactor! This is a Buddha statue!"
Chao Lu's voice rang out: "This is also a Buddha statue? Isn't this just an ordinary stone? Don't your temples have any proper stone benches?!"
Ruan Yu and Prince Chen: "..."
Prince Chen: "Let's head back to our residence."
Those around couldn't help but lower their heads and laugh.
Chao Lu also heard the commotion, strode out, saw Ruan Yu, and grinned.
"What a coincidence, I am also here to offer incense today."
Ruan Yu didn't even glance at him, and followed her father inside, though her ears turned slightly red, mainly from embarrassment.
Jiang smiled but remained silent, while Jiang Ziyan winked excitedly at Chao Lu.
Chaolu gave him a look, and the two understood each other without saying a word.
Once inside the temple, Chaolu became much more restrained, behaving properly when offering incense and praying for blessings.
When it was Ruan Yu's turn to pray for blessings, he held up the incense but kept glancing at her until Ruan Yu kowtowed and stood up, at which point he slightly restrained himself.
Finally, it was his turn. Chaolu casually knelt down in front of the Buddha statue and silently prayed for a long time.
So long that even the host next to him glanced at him.
Ruan Yu, who was about to leave, couldn't help but turn back.
What did he wish for?
Chao Lu sensed something and finally opened his eyes. He caught Ruan Yu's gaze out of the corner of his eye. Ruan Yu immediately turned to the side, and Chao Lu smiled.
After worshipping Buddha, Prince Chen would also fast and recite scriptures in the temple, a habit he had maintained for many years.
Ruan Yu knew that her father did not want to be disturbed at this time, so after paying her respects, she planned to leave.
However, before she left, Prince Chen suddenly called her back.
"An'an".
Ruan Yu turned around: "Father?"
Prince Chen: "Father suddenly feels that this temple is very nice and plans to stay for a few more days. After you finish your work today, you can go down the mountain."
Ruan Yu was stunned.
Prince Chen smiled and said, "Don't overthink it. It's just that I've been working very hard this year. A quiet Buddhist temple is a good place to cultivate oneself."
Ruan Yu: "...When will Father return?"
"indefinite."
After saying that, he lowered his eyes and said, "An'an, since you have made up your mind about many things, your father will not stop you. If the weather is good this time, set off as soon as possible to avoid suffering on the way when it gets even hotter in the summer."
Ruan Yu's eyes instantly reddened.
Father... knows everything.
"Father, are you unwilling to see your daughter off as you don't come down the mountain with me?"
Prince Chen smiled and said, "How could that be? I was just afraid that seeing you off would only cause you more sadness. Besides, this is only a short separation. Why make such a fuss? Once I have recovered here, I will come to the grasslands to see you again."
Ruan Yu suddenly couldn't hold back any longer, ran forward, and buried her face in her father's lap.
"Father...daughter..."
She suddenly had a lot to say, but when it reached her throat, she couldn't utter a single word.
Although this father-daughter relationship was rather short, spanning nearly twenty years, Ruan Yu experienced a father's love she had never known before.
She was content and grateful.
Prince Chen raised his hand, stroked her head, and smiled, "Don't be sad, your father is always behind you."
Ruan Yu wiped away her tears: "I know... Thank you, Father..."
King Chen smiled kindly: "Go ahead."
...
Ruan Yu's eyes were still red as she came out of Prince Chen's meditation room. She wiped away her tears and was stopped by Chao Lu on her way out.
"Why are you crying?" Chao Lu was holding a bouquet of flowers in his left hand, which he didn't know where he had gotten them from. He paused for a moment when he saw Ruan Yu, and then reached out to wipe away her tears.
Ruan Yu dodged it.
Chao Lu glanced at Chen Wang's meditation room. "Did he make you angry?"
Ruan Yu: "..."
"The only one who can make me angry is you!" Ruan Yu pushed him away and continued walking outside. Chao Lu was stunned for a moment, then quickly caught up with her.
"What's wrong? Who upset you?"
Ruan Yu stopped under a large tree outside, lowering her eyes to calm herself.
Chao Lu slowly approached and handed over the flowers in his hand: "Don't be angry. I just picked them from the hillside. Although these flowers are not as pretty as wind chimes, they are still quite nice."
Ruan Yu paused for a moment before glancing at it.
"What kind of flower is this?"
"have no idea……"
"Ha, you're just trying to fool me with ordinary wildflowers. My princess's residence has fields of peonies and peonies."
"I only found these because I knew you were tired of me. What's so great about those expensive ones... they're all the same."
Chao Lu's words were a double entendre. He had liked sending her flowers from outside from the very beginning, living a carefree life. Wasn't that a metaphor that he was better?
Ruan Yu pursed her lips and deliberately said, "But I get tired of seeing it too much. My father said that now that I have a noble status, it's not a bad thing to change things up from time to time."
Chao Lu was taken aback, and then immediately became anxious.
"Nonsense! Does the Princess intend to keep male concubines?!"
"Why not? You can stop me from taking a son-in-law, but can you stop me from secretly keeping someone as a mistress?"
"..."
Chao Lu was deflated, his eyes drooped, and he stared at the person in front of him without blinking. Ruan Yu had been fooled by his eyes many times, so she simply turned her head away and refused to look.
Chao Lu lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then said, "If you really want to raise them, then I'll still be number one. They have to come to see me every day, and I have to choose them myself, so as not to neglect serving the Princess."
Ruan Yu: "..."
She suddenly turned around and threw the bouquet at Chao Lu's chest: "I'll teach you to talk nonsense!"
But once the words were out, they both laughed.
Chao Lu looked down at her: "Aren't you sad anymore?"
Ruan Yu pursed her lips.
"I plan to repair the road when I go back this time, to make it straight, so it will be more convenient to come back in the future."
“Who said I was going with you…” Ruan Yu muttered.
Chao Lu smiled but didn't expose him. Suddenly, his gaze fixed on a certain spot, and his eyes widened.
"Yu Yu, look..."
Ruan Yu looked over and saw that it was a tree covered with red silk.
She was taken aback: "How could this be?"
"Is this the Matchmaker Tree? Right? Right?"
"right……"
But this is a temple...
A young monk passed by and explained with a smile, "There used to be a matchmaking temple next to our temple. Although it was moved away later, this love tree was left behind. The abbot said that this tree is quite old and has so many couples' entanglements hanging on it, so there is no need to cut it down out of the old ways. So it has always been here. Benefactor, this tree is very effective. Hanging red silk on it will surely ensure that you grow old together."
Chao Lu couldn't stand hearing this and immediately tried to pull Ruan Yu over. Ruan Yu couldn't resist her, so she had no choice but to go.
Tying a red string wasn't enough, Chao Lu said regretfully, "Are there any love locks around here?"
Ruan Yu: "...Let's not talk about it."
This matter cannot be let go.
Chao Lu laughed: "The ones I bought before, I haven't tied them up yet, have I? Oh well, when I get back, we'll plant one ourselves. It'll be very effective even a hundred years from now! We'll hang them up for the two of us as the first pair!"
Ruan Yu turned and left, not wanting to listen to his nonsense anymore.
They encountered Jiang Shi and Jiang Ziyan again.
Chao Lu immediately became proper and bowed to Jiang Shi. Jiang Shi was flattered and surprised, and Jiang Ziyan smiled and called him brother-in-law.
Chao Lu smiled at him.
"Great Khan, I also have a few words I would like to say to you, but I don't know..."
Chao Lu: "Of course! Please tell me!"
Jiang looked at Ruan Yu, who pursed her lips and said, "Ziyan, come with me."
Jiang Ziyan was quick-witted and ran over eagerly.
"Sister, Mother must have told Brother-in-law that she wants to treat you well or something."
Ruan Yu: "I'm not stupid..."
What did she think of her younger brother, who seemed to have some of Chao Lu's foolishness?
She shook her head and said earnestly, "Work hard. I really want to see you pass the martial arts exam in three years."
Jiang Ziyan patted his chest and said, "Leave it to me!"
Ruan Yu: "Besides practicing martial arts well, you also need to eat well, take care of yourself, and learn to take care of your mother. Don't make your mother angry all the time..."
"Yes, I understand, sister." Jiang Ziyan smiled at her.
Ruan Yu reached out and patted her younger brother's shoulder. "Yes, your older sister has always believed in you, and now you've really grown taller."
"Once I pass the martial arts exam, I will definitely go to the grasslands to find you. Sister, please take good care of yourself."
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Don't worry, I know."
Over there, Jiang Shi and Chao Lu had finished speaking and wiped away the tears from the corners of their eyes.
Everyone understood without saying a word.
"It's about time, let's go down the mountain."
Ruan Yu turned around and glanced at Prince Chen's meditation room.
Madam Jiang smiled and said, "Your father has his own reasons, An'an, you don't need to worry too much."
Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Yes, Mother is right..."
The group slowly left the temple and walked down the mountain.
...
That afternoon, Chao Lu was summoned to the palace by Emperor Qian Yuan again.
Ruan Yu was no longer curious about what they had said.
Because the Princess's residence was already busy with preparations from top to bottom, this trip was different from two years ago. Xuan Niang had made perfect arrangements so that the Princess would not suffer any hardship on the journey.
This time, I will be bringing a lot more people with me; some who yearn for the grasslands applied to come along long ago.
After careful consideration, Xuan Niang selected some people to go with her, and their families naturally followed.
But the hustle and bustle outside had nothing to do with Ruan Yu. She remained calm and quietly practiced calligraphy in her room.
It wasn't until Chaolu returned that evening.
With a smile and anticipation on his face, he had clearly seen the carriages outside, ready to depart.
Ruan Yu forced herself to remain calm: "Are you ready on your end?"
Chao Lu laughed: "There's nothing to prepare. We're all a bunch of rough men. When we set off, it was just the three of us and three horses, and it will be the same when we return."
"What did my brother say to you?"
"Of course it's a good thing! A whole bunch of good things. This time, we really benefited from the Princess's good fortune."
Ruan Yu laughed too, and said without any politeness, "It's good that you know."
Chao Lu raised his lips, his gaze sweeping over her. He noticed she had just bathed, and leaned forward, his tone becoming meaningful: "The Princess is right. This Khan truly has no way to repay you. How about I serve the Princess well tonight to express my gratitude..."
Ruan Yu blushed and glared at him. "Aren't you hungry?"
Chao Lu laughed heartily.
He wasn't in a hurry. He would naturally eat dinner, and then enjoy a late-night snack.
A table was laden with fine wine and food, and Ruan Yu even offered to pour him a drink.
"This is fine wine from Chang'an; it'll probably be hard to find again soon, so drink as much as you can..."
Chao Lu was delighted: "Thank you, Yu Yu."
Then, he drank it all in one gulp.
After he finished drinking, Ruan Yu poured him another cup.
Before he knew it, Chao Lu had drunk quite a bit.
And then...
He lost consciousness.
Ruan Yu looked at the person and smiled: "Jixiang, serve the Khan to rest."
Jixiang came running in excitedly; he was going to the grasslands this time too, and he was in an extremely good mood.
Chaolu was completely unaware of all this, and after getting into bed, he fell fast asleep.
A good night's sleep...
Early the next morning.
Chao Lu instinctively reached out to his side, but there was no one there.
He suddenly opened his eyes and immediately sat up!
"Jade!"
The large room was empty; almost everything was gone.
"Where's Yu Yu?!"
Chao Lu broke out in a cold sweat and ran out without even putting on his shoes.
Not only the house, but the entire Princess's residence was empty!
Chao Lu nearly collapsed: "Yu Yu!"
Has ran in: "Damn it, why did you have to drink and mess things up!"
"What on earth is going on?!"
"The eldest princess has already left, leaving only this letter."
Chao Lu: "..."
"Great Khan, you should hurry! The Princess's retinue has already left the city, and the carriages have all gone. You'll probably have to ride after them! If it weren't for my concern, I would have followed too... That Yang Chong is just... You see? I'm much better, aren't I?"
Before Has could finish his rambling, Chao Lu suddenly snatched the letter and began to read it.
[Having drunk so heartily, I suppose you're longing for the fine wines of Chang'an. Perhaps I should stay here for another month. I'll take my leave now.]
Chao Lu gritted his teeth: "Prepare the horses!"
Has: "Wait for me, Khan. At least wash up first, okay?"
Chaolu didn't care about any of that now. If he didn't ride off to chase after her, his wife would run away again!
[End of text]
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Author's note: The main story is finished! A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
Thank you so much to everyone who followed me this far, thank you so much!
See you in the next bonus episode!
Pure sugar!
[Laughing out loud][Laughing out loud][Laughing out loud][Laughing out loud]
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