There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 412 Afraid you'll suffer

"Later, we found an underground river and followed it out."

Ruan Jingshang smiled and said, "So, don't give up when you're in dire straits; the turning point might just be right next step."

As he said this, his gaze seemed to drift almost imperceptibly towards Princess Changning.

Princess Changning didn't reply, but simply added a piece of firewood to the fire.

As night deepened, everyone gradually went to rest.

Li Shuchen was on the first night shift, sitting by the fire keeping watch.

Ruan Jingshang was also awake, and came over to sit opposite her.

"Miss Li," he lowered his voice, "there's something I'd like to ask you."

"Ok?"

Ruan Jingshang took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, opened it, and inside was a red crystal camellia hairpin, dazzling and exquisitely crafted, with delicate cloud patterns carved on it.

"Could you please pass this on to Princess Changning? I noticed her hairpin was bent tonight. As a princess, she can't appear in public without makeup. I was originally planning to give it to her when I arrived in Boyu Kingdom, but giving it to her now won't make a difference."

Li Shuchen raised an eyebrow: "Why didn't you deliver it yourself?"

“I’m afraid she won’t accept it,” Ruan Jingshang said with a wry smile. “Last time I wanted to give her a birthday gift, I had to ask Brother Cheng for help. Just say it’s to thank her for the medicine she gave me today. This hairpin isn’t worth much, but the red crystal is beautiful and suits her well.”

Li Shuchen's heart softened when he saw the usually shrewd and cheerful businessman in front of him being so cautious.

"Okay, I'll give it a try, but I can't guarantee whether Changning will accept it."

"Thank you!" Ruan Jingshang said with a sigh of relief.

The next day, when no one was around, Li Shuchen gave the hairpin to Princess Changning and relayed Ruan Jingshang's words.

The princess held the hairpin and examined it for a long time, so long that Li Shuchen thought she was about to refuse.

"Li Shuchen, please thank him for me," Princess Changning finally said, tucking the hairpin into her sleeve. She didn't wear it, but she also didn't return it.

The journey went a little easier that day, and by evening, the group had finally reached the ridge of the windbreak.

Looking back from a high vantage point, the path we came from was winding and tortuous, and the first "Mist-shrouded Mountain" in the distance was still shrouded in clouds and mist.

Ahead, the third mountain

The outline of the "Heavenly Threshold" is now clearly visible.

The mountain was even more precipitous, its peak hidden above the clouds, truly resembling a threshold leading to the heavens.

"We'll be able to descend the mountain in three days, and in another day we should reach the foot of the Heavenly Throne."

Liang Yuying looked into the distance and said

The Tenth Prince rubbed his aching legs: "I now think that those eunuchs in the palace who complain about the long journey are simply ignorant of human suffering."

After experiencing various hardships and tribulations, the tenth prince became more talkative.

Everyone laughed, and the fatigue of the past few days seemed to dissipate somewhat in that laughter.

At night, when Princess Changning was on night duty, Ruan Jingshang "happened" to wake up and came to keep her company.

The two didn't say much, they just sat side by side watching the stars.

The night sky over the desolate mountains and wilderness was exceptionally clear, with the Milky Way stretching across the horizon.

“Princess, look,” Ruan Jingshang pointed to a particularly bright star in the north, “that’s the North Star. If you get lost, look at it and you’ll find your way.”

Princess Changning looked in the direction he pointed and said softly, "My mother taught me to recognize stars. She said that one should know how to observe celestial phenomena and also know how to find direction in desperate situations."

"Princess Jiale is a good teacher."

After a moment of silence, Princess Changning suddenly said, "I'll take your hairpin, but don't misunderstand, it's just because it's really beautiful."

Ruan Jingshang's eyes lit up, and he tried hard to suppress the smile on his lips: "I understand, I understand, it's because it looks good. That's why I bought it in the first place."

The flickering firelight illuminated the two figures side by side.

In the distance, Li Shuchen peeked at this scene through a crack in the tent, covered his mouth and chuckled, before Gu Ziying pulled him back to bed.

On the fourth day, the team successfully descended the mountain.

The windbreak beam was left behind; ahead lay the last insurmountable barrier.

Standing at the foot of Tianmen Pass and looking up, everyone fell silent.

This mountain is steeper, higher, and more precipitous than it appears from a distance.

"Rest for a day, and stock up on supplies," Liang Yuying ordered. "The day after tomorrow, we'll challenge the Heavenly Throne."

The team set up camp on a leeward slope at the foot of Tianmen Pass Mountain and rested for a day as ordered by Liang Yuying.

Although this place is named "Threshold," it has no trace of welcoming hospitality. Instead, one sees dark, towering rock walls, as if carved by a knife and axe, rising straight into the sky.

The perpetual clouds above make it look more like a silent and arrogant giant, looking down at the ant-like travelers below.

Rest is not the same as relaxation.

Liang Yuying, accompanied by several experienced guards, Xiao Xiuyuan, and Ruan Jingshang (who claimed to have "traveled the rugged paths with his grandfather for several years"), went to explore the best route up the mountain.

The tenth prince was ordered to stay at the camp. Bored out of his mind, he started learning to cook from Li Shuchen. Although he caused more trouble than he helped, he still added a bit of liveliness to the meal.

Ye Bingli found a quiet rock by the stream, placed her zither across her lap, and let the melodious music blend with the sound of the flowing water, dispelling some of the desolation of the mountain wilderness.

Princess Changning was completely focused on practicing her boxing, her eyes shining brightly.

Li Shuchen sidled up to Princess Changning and whispered...

"Changning, why aren't you wearing the hairpin that Young Master Ruan gave you? It suits your outfit so well today."

Today, she wore her long hair in a high bun, tied with a simple red ribbon, looking neat and dashing.

Princess Changning continued what she was doing, glancing at her and saying, "We're climbing mountains and crossing valleys, why wear a hairpin? It's cumbersome." Her tone was indifferent, but there was no displeasure in her voice.

“That’s true,” Li Shuchen nodded, his eyes darting around, “But Young Master Ruan has excellent taste; that red crystal shines like a flame, and its shape is even that of your favorite camellia.”

She observed Princess Changning's expression and saw that although she didn't answer, the corners of her lips seemed to soften slightly. Knowing that Princess Changning was pleased, she happily ran off to play with Wanbai.

The scouts didn't return until the sun was setting, and each of them had a solemn expression.

Liang Yuying unfolded a roughly sketched topographical map and pointed it out to everyone.

"The climb up the front is almost vertical, the rock face is slippery and has countless holes eroded by the wind, making it very easy to slip. There is a remnant of an ancient plank road on the east side, but it is severely damaged, with only a few rotten wooden stakes remaining in many places."

"The west side is a scree slope, which is relatively gentle, but the loose rocks can easily cause landslides, and the route is more circuitous, adding at least two days to the journey."

"We don't have enough time," Gu Ziying pointed out the key issue directly, "Our food supplies are running low, so we have to take a longer route."

"Therefore, the only feasible solution is to restore and utilize a portion of the ancient plank road, combined with rock climbing."

Xiao Xiuyuan interjected, pointing to several marked points on the map, "Here, and here, the framework of the plank road is still there; we can try to reinforce the most dangerous section."

He pointed to a spot almost suspended in mid-air. "We need to drive in pitons, connect ropes, and then swing or climb over. I brought specially made climbing ropes over 100 meters long and dozens of high-quality steel pitons; that should be enough."

Liang Yuying looked at him with some surprise: "The third-ranked scholar has certainly made thorough preparations."

How could an ordinary scholar possess such rock climbing equipment?

Xiao Xiuyuan smiled frankly, "The Purple Star Dynasty and the Boyu Kingdom are separated by three mountains, and we might encounter all sorts of strange and unusual road conditions. It's better to be prepared. Besides, we investigated before coming and knew that the Heavenly Throne is not easy to deal with, so we brought extra supplies."