Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 101: Strength

Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Strength

Prince Duan looked at the man before him, having underestimated this hostage from Nanmen State, who apparently had such skills. Prince Duan suddenly recalled the last time he met Nanmen Yu, the slight fondness that had formed in his heart, and he even thought that such a down-to-earth, hardworking person, might indeed be able to...

What Prince Duan was thinking at that time was now slapping him in the face.

Nanmen Yu had been waiting for a long time and had not heard Prince Duan speak, vaguely feeling a bad premonition. What exactly about this family could be suspicious?

However, Nian Ru had always been in the palace, how could she possibly know the identity of these people?

Such a coincidence, even if he believed that Nian Ru had only happened to save this family, could it be that this family used some special means to catch Zheng Nianru’s attention, achieving their goal of entering the Imperial City?

Nanmen Yu then dismissed this thought, as he had personally dealt with this family from the beginning. Whether true or false, he could tell at a glance, and it seemed unlikely to be a deception.

Uncle Jingmen was flustered and unsure of what to do, wanting to invite someone inside but not daring to speak up.

"Cough cough cough cough—" A bout of coughing came from inside, and Uncle Jingmen nervously glanced inside but still braved his way toward it.

"Uncle Han—" Uncle Jingmen slowly aided the Duke of Jing Ci in bed, regulating his breath. Because he feared exposing their identities, Uncle Jingmen always referred to the Duke of Jing Ci as Uncle Han. After Tan Zong and others had arrived, they had received timely medical treatment and continuous nourishment from good medicines, and he was slowly showing improvement.

"What has happened outside?" The Duke of Jing Ci had not been unaware of the troubles these past few days, but having not involved himself in matters for a long time, now hearing Uncle Jingmen’s anxious voice and the disturbance the night before, he knew something had happened.

"Uncle Han—" Uncle Jingmen hurried to support the man. Uncle Zeng Han was their backbone; without Uncle Han, they would not have everything they have now.

"Master, you should rest. It’s nothing important." Second Uncle Jing did not dare to speak. Uncle Han was always strict with the Princely Heir, and even though the Princely Heir had succeeded, at this critical moment, Uncle Han did not allow the Princely Heir to be distracted.

"Prince Duan, I don’t know..."

"Come back to the mansion with me." Prince Duan did not waste words. Ju Nanyi’s analysis was very reasonable. The two guards behind Prince Duan stepped forward, not saying much, leaving space enough for one person, which was for Nanmen Yu to walk in the middle.

Behind Prince Duan stood a carriage, bearing the emblem of Prince Duan’s Mansion.

Prince Duan frowned, determined to solve this issue himself. This method, though risky, ultimately concerned Nian Ru’s reputation.

Nevertheless, Prince Duan had no intention to kill Nanmen Yu; after all, among the Dongyu Three Kingdoms, there was an unwritten rule—hostages, though captive, should not meet their death in a foreign land, as that would negatively impact the hosting state. This was why Nanmen Yu, despite living a difficult life in Nanzheng State for such a long time, was untouched by anyone. Even when he fell ill, the palace sent people for his treatment.

Prince Duan also had no desire to kill Nanmen Yu. If he could teach him a lesson, making him retreat in the face of difficulty, that might also be a good solution.

Nanmen Yu, having lost his influence in Nanmen State with no power backing him, even if he were to die, the Monarch of the Nanmen State would probably consider it as eliminating a concern.

Moreover, over the years, the imperial court had not overly restricted Nanmen Yu’s movements, especially after the military rebellion in Nanmen State, the restrictions on Nanmen Yu had become increasingly minimal.

Seeing this, Nanmen Yu quietly boarded the carriage.

When Uncle Jingmen saw Prince Duan’s men taking the Princely Heir onto the carriage, he became anxious and hurried to inform the Duke of Jing Ci.

"Foolishness—" The Duke of Jing Ci slapped his thigh. Second Uncle Jing was seething with anger but did not dare to speak, as this was also the Princely Heir’s instruction to keep silent.

"Prince Duan is the Commandery Princess’s father," Second Uncle Jing muttered. Even if Prince Duan looked down on the Princely Heir, the Commandery Princess had always been kind to him. They owed their position today to her, how could they be ungrateful and betray her? Besides, the Commandery Princess still shared half of her bloodline with Nanmen State.

"You—" Duke of Jing Ci pointed at Second Uncle Jing, "I’m not going to argue with you now, where is Jing Qu? Hurry up and call him here."

"He’s gone out."

"You go find him, and be quick about it. Is the Commandery Princess as important as our major concern? Can you bear the consequences if something happens to the Princely Heir? You need not only call Jingmen back but also Tan Zong, there can be no delay..." Duke of Jing Ci grasped Uncle Jingmen fiercely as he spoke.

"Uncle Han, don’t panic, I estimate there’s nothing serious."

Duke of Jing Ci pushed Uncle Jingmen away, sighed, and hobbled toward the door, finding the two men unreliable.

"Uncle Han, Uncle Han, I’ll go, I’ll go, isn’t that okay?" Upon seeing this, Uncle Jingmen hurried out.

...

"Prince Duan—" Nanmen Yu faintly sensed something was wrong, but Tan Zong and the others had more important issues to deal with and couldn’t disengage to thoroughly investigate this matter.

"Guards, tie him up." Prince Duan said without a second word, and suddenly several guards appeared around them.

Nanmen Yu was slightly startled and looked at Prince Duan.

"Your Highness, do you suspect me?" Nanmen Yu paused slightly but remained respectful, "Indeed, this matter is somewhat odd, but I truly don’t know the identity of that family."

"This matter is of great importance and not something I can decide alone," Prince Duan said coldly, his gaze still on Nanmen Yu, who remained calm, not seeming to be the impetuous kind.

"Your Highness, may I say one more thing—" Nanmen Yu immediately spoke again, already having a vague feeling that something was not right about the situation; the family’s identity seemed suspicious, but they had caused no disturbances at the inn, almost as if someone was deliberately trying to frame him.

Before Nanmen Yu could finish, Tan Zong dropped from the sky, directly stepping in front of Nanmen Yu, his eyes coldly staring at the surrounding guards.

Prince Duan was immediately startled, looking at Tan Zong, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"You, who are you? What are you waiting for, capture them all," Prince Duan stepped back, and the guards immediately came forward, standing in front of Prince Duan.

"Swish, swish, swish—" Swords were drawn, surrounding both Nanmen Yu and Tan Zong.

Tan Zong surveyed the guards encircling them, his face fearless, slowly reaching for his own weapon.

"Tan Zong, do not be disrespectful," Nanmen Yu stepped forward, now somewhat anxious, not understanding why Prince Duan had suddenly changed his mind; the efforts they had made earlier seemed almost wasted.

Tan Zong didn’t move, but his expression showed disagreement. Protecting the Princely Heir was his duty, and although the men in front of him were formidable, they could not trap him.

"Tan Zong, step back—" Nanmen Yu stepped forward, heedless of the sword tip already pointing at his chest.

"Your Highness, I owe a great debt to the Commandery Princess for saving my life, I would never raise a hand against you. If Your Highness does not believe me, you are welcome to have me tied up and disposed of at your discretion."

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