Then Yan Wanchu walked forward. Those people surrounding the table stepped aside at the moment.

Stepping forward, Yan Wanchu leaned over to look at the two maps on the table. She couldn’t help but frown. Indeed, it was exactly like others had described.

The map was drawn in a messy way. Nothing could be known through one simple glance.

Usually, one would read the map according to the direction by which it was drawn. However, this map was not so simple. It was designed in an opposite direction.

Obviously, the person designing the map had gone to great lengths.

However, the strangeness could be found by careful observation. Yan Wanchu walked to the opposite side of the map and began to read again. She couldn’t help but smile.

Seeing this, Yan Lingjun asked immediately, “How is it, Wanchu? Have you found anything?”

“Yes.” Yan Wanchu nodded, smiling.

Seeing her nodding, everyone couldn’t help looking at her.

Yan Lingjun asked quickly at this moment, “Where is the treasure?”

“It’s in the Jihan Mountain.” Yan Wanchu told everyone present.

Hearing that, everyone couldn’t help but frown. Jihan Mountain was well-known to all the people here.

It was cold in Beiling throughout the year, especially in the Jihan Mountain, which was at the Northernmost point of Beiling. There was snow and ice in all four seasons with bad weather. Snow covered the mountain all year round.

If the treasure was really on the Jihan Mountain, it would surely take them a lot of work to get it.

Hearing that, Yan Luo stood up straight, walked to Yan Wanchu, and said while staring at her, “Wanchu, are you sure?”

“I won’t get it wrong, Mother. The reason why you can’t interpret the map is that its designer used special skills. When we read the map, we’ll subconsciously mark the location on the map. If you read it in the inverted direction, you will find the way.” Yan Wanchu shook her head and said to Yan Luo. She then turned the map on the table over and pointed it for everybody else.

Yan Luo looked according to the way pointed out by Yan Wanchu. Indeed, the treasure was on the Jihan Mountain.

Seeing this, Yan Luo frowned slightly. She turned to look at others and asked, “What do you think is the chance for us to find the treasure?”

The people glanced at each other. However, nobody answered.

Not to mention the weather on the Jihan Mountain, even though they knew the place now, they still needed to come there to find the exact position of the treasure. Also, it had been a long time since the treasure was buried. It was inevitable that the surrounding of the treasure would change.

Would the field rations be enough? How long would it take? If there was an avalanche or a storm, then all of them would be wiped out.

At this moment, Ruan Yien walked to Yan Luo, grabbed her hand, and then looked at the others and said, “Now that we’ve come here and waited for so many years, with the treasure’s location known to us, we can’t just give up like this!”

“You’re right. What are we expecting for so many years? If we shrink now, we’ll definitely regret it later.” Liu Ling, who was on one side, stepped forward and said loudly.

Hearing that, both Ruan Ji and Liu Qiubai nodded and continued to say, “Old as we are now, we’ll certainly take a gamble by climbing the Jihan Mountain. If we lose the bet, it means that even God won’t bless us Beiling. We’ve got nothing to complain about.”

The several people on one side also nodded.

At this time, Yan Luo said, “Okay. We’ll take the last gamble for the people of Beiling. Then we shall make preparation for going to the Jihan Mountain.”

“General Liu, Father, please stay here.” Yan Luo looked at Ruan Ji and Liu Qiubai, who stood beside her.

Hearing that, the two people frowned slightly. Then Ruan Ji said, “Your Highness, we are capable...”

“Father, the trip to Jihan Mountain is extremely dangerous. General Liu, Father, you’re no longer young and strong now. The air on the Jihan Mountain is thin. General Liu, Father, please stay here to deal with other issues. Besides, when we find the treasure, we’ll need someone to aid us.” Before Ruan Ji could finish his words, Ruan Yien interrupted.

Liu Ling also walked to Liu Qiubai and patted his hands, “Father, don’t worry. You’ll be responsible to aid us when we come back. We’ll be responsible for looking for the treasure.”

“In that case, okay then.” Liu Qiubai nodded at this moment.

Yan Lingjun also stepped forward, “General Liu, relax. Just wait for our good news!”

“Lingjun, you can’t go either. You shall stay here along with General Liu to aid us when we’re back!” The moment Yan Ling finished his words, Yan Luo said to him.

Hearing her words, Yan Lingjun couldn’t help but frown. Then he asked, “Mother, why?”

“If we succeed, you’ll be the emperor of Beiling. That’s why you can’t take the risk to go there this time.” Yan Luo looked at him and said.

Hearing that, Yan Lingjun frowned and said, “Mother, I’ve already grown up. I can’t simply see you taking the risk to go there while I wait here and do nothing at all.”

“Lingjun, listen to your mother. She must have her own reason to make such an arrangement.” Seeing Yan Lingjun’s reaction, Ruan Yien said.

Yan Lingjun was about to say something when he was interrupted by Liu Qiubai, who continued to say, “Your Highness, you’d better listen to the princess. You’ve been our hope all these years. If there’s an accident, we can’t afford that.”

“I know.” Hearing that, Yan Lingjun nodded slightly to Liu Qiubai and said.

Yan Lingjun knew well that he was the hope of these people. Ever since his childhood, he had been the center of them in everything. He really wanted to tell them that he had already grown up. He could do things with them, including going to the Jihan Mountain to look for treasure this time. He wanted to go there, too.

However, seeing others objecting to his proposal, he said nothing more. While he nodded in agreement, he felt extremely uncomfortable in his heart.

Then Yan Luo discussed the trip to Jihan Mountain with all the people. Yan Lingjun, however, didn’t hear even one sentence of their discussion.

After the discussion, everybody walked out.

Yan Lingjun was about to go out when Yan Luo called him, “Lingjun, stay here.”

Liu Ling nodded while looking at Yan Lingjun and walked out first.

When all the people were gone, Ruan Yien came to close the door.

At this time, Yan Luo said loudly, “Kneel down.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I kneel down?” Hearing Yan Luo’s order, Yan Lingjun looked at Yan Luo and said.

Hearing Yan Lingjun’s words, Yan Luo raised her voice a little, “Do as I told you! Kneel down!”

Seeing that Yan Luo was angry, Yan Lingjun kneeled down unwillingly.

At that moment, Yan Luo stood up and walked to him, “Lingjun, you are no longer a child. Before you do anything, you should consider the overall situation. If we succeed this time, you’ll be the emperor of Beiling. You are our hope. I won’t let any accident happen to you. Do you understand?”

“I know. You’ve been talking about it all the time.” Hearing that, Yan Lingjun pouted and said.

Seeing Yan Lingjun’s reaction, Yan Luo couldn’t help frowning, “I know that you’re an adult now. You want to have a try by yourself. I promise you that after we succeed this time, I’ll no longer intervene with your tasks.”

“But all I want is to look for the treasure in the Jihan Mountain with you.” Yan Lingjun said again.

Seeing that Yan Lingjun still insisted on going to the Jihan Mountain, Yan Luo said loudly, “Going to the Jihan Mountain? No way!”

“Mother, why? How can I just stay here seeing you and father going for an adventure without worrying?” Yan Lingjun stood up from the ground, looked at Yan Luo, and said.

Staring at Yan Lingjun, Yan Luo said in a loud voice, “You are going to be an emperor. How can you let yourself be swayed by your sentiments? You should consider the whole picture. Don’t be headstrong.”

“Mother...” Yan Lingjun frowned deeply, wanting to say something more.

However, Yan Luo interrupted him, “Speak no more. You shall leave now.”

“Father.” Seeing Yan Luo’s reaction, Yan Luo turned to look at Ruan Yien.

Ruan Yien walked forward, patted him on his shoulder, and said, “Lingjun, your mother is right. As an emperor in the future, you should take the interests of the whole into account. Follow her words.”

“No need to tell him so much. Let him leave.” Yan Luo sneered on one said and continued to say.

Hearing that, Yan Lingjun glanced at Yan Luo and ran outside.

When Yan Lingjun was gone, Yan Luo walked to the chair on the corner and sat down with a deep sigh, “An adult as he is, he is not discreet at all! He looks like everything but an emperor!”

“Luo, the way Lingjun does so is because he worries about you and me. He has grown up under our protection. Maybe he wants to prove to us that he is a capable man now.” Ruan Yien said while walking to Yan Luo.

Yan Luo looked at Ruan Yien, “Even so, he should know why we make such an arrangement. He is our hope.”

“It is exactly why Lingjun is so eager to prove himself. However, I assume that he will definitely learn how much effort we’ve made.” Ruan Yien continued to say.

Yan Luo nodded at this moment, “I hope so.”

Yan Lingjun left the house and walked directly outside. When he was in the pavilion, he sat down, shouting several times towards the frozen lake.

Ever since he was a child, his mother and father never allowed him to participate in anything dangerous. They exclaimed that it was for his own good, but in the bottom of his heart, he looked down upon himself.

While he knew that the words of his mother and father made sense that with the royal blood in his body, he was the hope of everybody. He felt himself a useless person when things kept going on like that.

His mother even sent Wanchu away to accomplish tasks. Later, when she was missing, Yan Lingjun’s heart was afire with worries and impatience. So he came to find Yan Luo, asking for her permission of him looking for Wanchu.

However, Yan Luo refused him with the same words.

He remembered these days so clearly even till now. He and Wanchu were born one after another. They had been deeply attached to each other since their childhood.

During the time when Wanchu was missing, he had been absent-minded all the time, unable to fall asleep in the night. He had thought of all kinds of possibilities. He would never ever want to have such feelings.

At this moment, Yan Lingjun puffed and blew with the support of the railings of the pavilion. The hot gas coming out from his mouth became white smoke and disappeared immediately in such cold weather.

At the time, Liu Ling walked into the pavilion.

Hearing the sound behind him, Yan Lingjun glanced backward and said, “What are you here for?”