Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 122: Probing

Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Probing

Zheng Nianru’s visit to the Crown Prince’s Mansion was very sudden, just like that moment early in the morning when one decides to take a walk and ends up taking a few extra steps, and before know it, she had reached the Crown Prince’s Mansion.

There was no court today, and neither Qi Jin nor Qi Yu had expected Zheng Nianru to come. They were so startled by the sight of her figure, suddenly suffused with the glow of dawn, that for a moment they just stood there in a daze, with the mansion’s main gate ajar, blocking Fu Dong’s path as he tried to enter.

"You two blockheads, not awake yet?" Nian Xia said unceremoniously as she pushed them aside; Fu Dong had already followed Zheng Nianru to the gate.

Qi Jin and Qi Yu immediately snapped out of their daze and hurried to open the door.

"Commandery Princess, to look at Qi Jin and Qi Yu, one would think they’re hiding some secret in the Crown Prince’s Mansion, afraid of us stumbling upon it," Fu Dong teased.

Qi Jin and Qi Yu dared not join in the conversation, largely because they were feeling guilty.

The Crown Prince had just returned yesterday, and now the Commandery Princess was on their doorstep today; this was not a good sign.

And that matter...

Qi Yu glared at Qi Jin fiercely. What matter? At most, they were just involved in taking Prince Duan to the Crown Prince’s Mansion for a inkstone, it had nothing to do with them, they didn’t know anything at all.

"Commandery Princess, you’re very early." Qi Yu immediately came forward to greet her, hurriedly opened the gate, and Fu Dong naturally picked up the horsetail whisk from the corridor, fending off the tiny insects that were attracted by the fragrance of the lotus leaves from the lake. Zheng Nianru then leisurely stepped towards the study.

"Commandery Princess, look, the lotus flowers of Siyan Lake are about to bloom. You’ve come at just the right time. If you hadn’t come, I was preparing to invite you down myself," said Qi Zhu, who promptly stepped forward and glanced at Qi Jin and Qi Yu’s expressions.

The Commandery Princess also remained calmly composed, not looking like she was in any rush at all.

"Have the boats been prepared?" Zheng Nianru asked, seemingly in a good mood, as she graciously went to see the lake. A breeze wrinkled the water’s surface, waves of the lotus’ fresh fragrance filled the air, broadening the view and relaxing the mood.

"Steward Hu had everything ready early in the morning, just waiting for the Commandery Princess to come," Qi Zhu replied immediately, thinking to himself, how could he not have been informed a bit earlier.

"Where is Brother Crown Prince?" asked Zheng Congyuan cheerfully as Qi Zhu hurried to draw curtains for the Commandery Princess.

"His Highness is reviewing the Memorials to the Throne. He has accumulated quite a few because of the recent state examinations," said Qi Zhu quickly. This took Fu Dong by surprise; as guards, they rarely discussed matters of state in front of the Commandery Princess.

So, when Zheng Nianru entered the study, she saw Zheng Congyuan sitting at the desk, wearing a smoke-blue plain robe, his ink-black hair secured by just a Jade Hairpin, his slender fingers flipping through Chun Ying. Zheng Nianru felt a softness in her heart. Even though she had sketched this side view in her mind countless times, seeing it in person still managed to stir different emotions each time.

The temptation that lingered in her mind became exponentially stronger once it was right before her eyes.

"Brother Crown Prince—" Zheng Nianru’s voice was soft and sweet, and the emotions she had been accumulating for two lifetimes burst forth like the richness of brewed wine.

Zheng Congyuan turned around, the morning light gently fell on his nose, tracing the contours of his features, a natural masterpiece.

"Why do you have the time to come by?" Zheng Congyuan’s voice was deep yet not gruff, gentle in his throat, lacking the steady composure and authority he exhibited outside. This indicated he was in a good mood, his gaze landed on Zheng Nianru, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly in a smile, softening time.

"Brother Crown Prince, I always have time to come here," Zheng Nianru said naturally as she sat at the desk, flipping casually through the memorials, scattering the neat stack, opening one and reading a couple of lines before tossing it aside, reaching for another, reading two more lines, and losing patience even faster.

Zheng Congyuan laughed helplessly, "If you try to stop her, she’ll definitely rebel and make an even bigger mess, maybe even sweep it under the desk."

Qi Ling dared not speak, carefully placing the teacup down, the fragrance of the flower fruit tea wafting through the air. Qi Ling closed his eyes, deliberately ignoring the Commandery Princess placing the teacup on the memorials to the throne.

Seeing the woman in front of him flipping through another two memorials, Zheng Congyuan hurriedly finished reading what was in his hand, knowing that if he didn’t stop soon, everything on this table would suffer.

"Brother Crown Prince, look at what these ministers have written, just grab any two, half of the content is the same. These words of loyalty that are carelessly spoken, how can people believe them?" Not only now, but it will be the same for the next ten years, inconsequential matters written about at length in grandiose prose.

"Fancy a trip to the lake? I’ve had Hu Yuan prepare a boat," Zheng Congyuan said, putting the memorials down and not commenting on Zheng Nianru’s previous words, though he did think they contained some truth.

Qi Ling also turned a blind eye to the Commandery Princess’s inappropriate discussions about court politics. Pushing open the window lattice, the fine gauze softened the sparkling light on the lake. The crisp lotus leaves and the expanse of clear water inspired even a reluctant Zheng Nianru to feel interested.

"I’ve been boating in the Crown Prince’s Mansion every year; it’s not fun at all," Zheng Nianru said, though she got up with a noticeably good mood.

Seeing this, Qi Ling immediately had Qi Zhu go to relay the orders.

Zheng Congyuan put down the memorial in his hands; although he said nothing, he knew that these days, her mood must have been bad. Given Prince Duan’s regard for Nianru, her current predicament must have imposed quite a few restrictions on her.

The news of Nanmen Yu’s departure had reached him in complete detail yesterday. He had taken all his people with him, leaving behind only those of no consequence. The puppet followed the rules without causing any trouble, bringing this matter to a close.

He had deliberately avoided this issue over the period, making Nanmen Yu’s affair seem unconnected to him, even evading Prince Duan’s attempts to imply some involvement to make the incident appear unrelated to him.

Now, it seemed the woman before him harbored no suspicions about him and, as he expected, in a few days she would speak of it herself, prompting him to feign indignation on her behalf.

"Not happy? You’ve been stuck with the palace examinations these days, probably unable to come back, suffocating in the palace?"

"Yes, it’s been several days since I last saw Brother Crown Prince. Oh right, Brother Crown Prince, my people have been captured; let them out..."

"I’ll have Qi Yu take care of it..."

Zheng Congyuan walked alongside her, the faint scent of flowers lingering at the tip of his nose, his mood was also floating up gently. In that instant, Zheng Congyuan suddenly realized a fact—the girl beside him had grown up at a pace he wished not to see yet had to acknowledge, and now she was nearly shoulder high to him.

She had grown up so much and it was time to consider certain matters, Zheng Congyuan was reluctant to think about it, but couldn’t help that this little person had developed her own thoughts. This time it was Nanmen Yu, so who would it be next time?

As long as there was a vivid, bright life, it could easily catch her attention. She was still clueless about Nanmen Yu, unaware of much, but what if there was someone else?

As quickly and buoyantly as Zheng Congyuan’s heart had risen moments before, it now fell swiftly and awkwardly.

He hated how easily it occurred.

He hated everything that could change.