Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 146 The One Prince Duan Favors

Chapter 146: Chapter 146 The One Prince Duan Favors

The next morning, Prince Duan sent someone with a message, summoning Zheng Nianru to leave the palace. However, the weather was scorchingly hot, and Zheng Nianru did not want to go out.

"Commandery Princess, think of it as a chance to clear your mind. The maids have heard that because of the Empress Dowager’s birthday, many Aristocratic Families from outside the capital have returned to Zheng Capital with their children. I hear that Ximen Yuyan, the most talented woman in Zheng Capital, has already arrived in the Imperial City," Xing Yu reported this as if it were fresh news. The thing that was most talked about in the palace was the Shiping Aristocratic Clan. This was one of the most powerful Aristocratic Families in Nanzheng State, standing tall through several dynastic changes and still holding one-third of the government’s power.

Zheng Nianru wanted to go even less. In her past life, she had regarded Ximen Yuyan as a mortal enemy, convinced that Zheng Congyuan would surely marry her, and that during her attempt to rebel, an alliance with Ximen Yuyan could have gained her a lot of support. But Zheng Congyuan did not do so.

She had clearly heard the heartfelt confessions between Ximen Yuyan and Zheng Congyuan and even Zheng Congyuan’s responses. So why had they not formed a marriage alliance?

In her previous life, she had thought that this was divine retribution, punishment for Zheng Congyuan.

But now that she thought about it, she found her past self’s naivety and stubbornness absurd. How could she not have been struck by lightning for being so ridiculous? It was as if the heavens were blind.

"Commandery Princess, why don’t we get up and see what the weather is like outside? If it’s really not good, we can send someone to tell the Prince," Fu Dong suggested ingratiatingly.

"Let’s get up. We’ll decide later whether to go out or not," Zheng Nianru sighed internally. Why bother? She felt it was better not to be with Zheng Congyuan than to have to watch him alive.

In her former life, she couldn’t bear to hear the name Ximen Yuyan for even a second, nor could she tolerate Ximen Yuyan’s presence anywhere near Zheng Congyuan.

But now, to her own surprise, she found herself resistant to that name. Even if Ximen Yuyan later became a main force in the army that rebelled against her, Zheng Nianru could even understand it.

Even the thought that Zheng Congyuan might have a moment of weakness and share an ambiguous and unclear flirtation with Ximen Yuyan, she now felt was not so hard to accept.

Zheng Nianru felt that her current self was somewhat ridiculous; the things she fought to protect in her last life, she now viewed with detachment.

"Prepare the carriage," Zheng Nianru commanded, knowing full well why Prince Duan wanted her to go out. In these days, Prince Duan had finished his observations and most likely selected a suitable candidate. This outing was to seek her opinion.

Zheng Nianru didn’t mind. As long as it wasn’t Ju Nanyi, any candidate would do. She had reviewed the selections, and Ju Nanyi was not among them.

"Commandery Princess, Commandery Princess, please take a look." Nanny Yun brought Xue Liu in with a wooden box. In recent days, to ensure Zheng Nianru could present a very appropriate birthday gift, Nanny Yun had focused solely on this task, working non-stop with Xue Liu on the Longevity Peach. They had finally finished it in time and now wanted to show it to Zheng Nianru, only to find that the Commandery Princess was about to leave.

"All right, let’s take a look," Zheng Nianru nodded her head. She had also made a Longevity Peach in her previous life, which had presented no problems and had even earned praise from the Empress Dowager, proving that the intel provided by Zheng Congyuan was accurate.

As Xue Liu opened the box, a Longevity Peach the size of a baby’s head was revealed. It was impressively lifelike, with the pink of the peach embroidered stitch by stitch. The shades of light and dark, as well as the realism of the leaves, were nearly identical to the ones from her past life.

"Nanny Yun, you’ve worked hard," Zheng Nianru said.

Moved by her acknowledgment, Nanny Yun glanced at the Longevity Peach, feeling her days of hard work had not been in vain, and that the final product was indeed satisfying.

"However, Commandery Princess, the final characters on top still require your personal embroidery," she mentioned.

"Hmm, I’ll do it when I get back," Zheng Nianru replied. By then, Xing Yu had already brought her a veil cap. Zheng Nianru put it on and, accompanied by Nian Xia and Xing Yu, prepared to head out.

"Commandery Princess, do you often bring Yin He with you when you go out?" Nanny Yun remarked with some surprise, noticing that Yin He naturally followed along.

Fu Dong stared at the floral design on the embroidery bed that had yet to take shape, as if trying to discern something. Indeed, the patterns were fresh and attractive, yet she felt that the Commandery Princess was somewhat dissatisfied.

"Fu Dong—" Nanny Yun raised her voice, jolting Fu Dong, who suddenly remembered that Nanny Yun seemed to have asked her something just now. Yin He? Fu Dong nodded.

"Aunt Yun, Yin He is very impressive now, and if taken outside, he could be of great help," Fu Dong said. According to what Nian Xia had said, Yin He’s ability to mesmerize people was simply too cool.

Nanny Yun pursed her lips but ultimately said nothing.

The Commandery Princess is not unaware, and this kid is not some eunuch—taking him around every day, aren’t you afraid that someone will discover him eventually...

...

Luh Xingze never expected Mother Ju to take the initiative to seek him out; he was somewhat surprised but warmly welcomed Mother Ju in.

"Something amiss? No, Brother Nanyi is highly respected in our Art House, and Lord Jin greatly values Brother Nanyi as a scholar. Besides, it seems that the Crown Prince trusts him quite a bit, though he is just too busy," Luh Xingze chuckled with a cheerful laugh.

Indeed, he was busy. Just hearing about those affairs gave him a headache, but Brother Nanyi was the backbone, and the people of the riverbanks wished for Ju Nanyi to preside over them every day.

"Auntie doesn’t mean anything else, she just wants you to talk more with him to see if he has any recent worries. You know, Nanyi is also not young anymore."

"Auntie, I almost forgot, about the matter of those three girls with Brother Nanyi—" Luh Xingze hadn’t finished speaking when Mother Ju hurriedly cut him off.

"Don’t mention it, don’t mention it, let’s pretend I never mentioned this to your mother. Don’t speak a word of it when you go back," Mother Ju said anxiously.

"Why?" Does Brother Nanyi not want to? But Brother Nanyi and those three girls had a good relationship back then. He still remembered the times when the three of them played together.

"Anyway, just don’t bring it up. Brother Nanyi is unwilling, and we don’t want to delay those girls," Mother Ju spoke evasively, glancing around before continuing, "Bamboo, there’s something you need to help Auntie with."

Mother Ju looked at Luh Xingze, seeing him not merely as a grown boy, but someone with rare steadiness and gracious manners, also capable of handling matters reliably.

"Invite Brother Nanyi out for a meal someday, listen to what he says, see if he has found someone special," Mother Ju said cryptically, but Luh Xingze still nearly spat out the tea in his mouth upon hearing this.

"Auntie, did you see something?" Luh Xingze asked with a cheerful expression, excited at the prospect. It was a joyous occasion, for Brother Nanyi to have found someone he liked. What kind of woman could possibly be worthy of Brother Nanyi?

Mother Ju grabbed Luh Xingze’s hand, realizing she should not have brought him to this conversation.

"I haven’t seen anything; if I had, I wouldn’t have come to you," Mother Ju said. "Keep an eye out, see who the other person is. Whether good or bad, you must tell me."

Luh Xingze was slightly taken aback. What did she mean? What did she mean by no matter good or bad? How could anyone that Brother Nanyi fancied be unworthy?

Of course, Mother Ju didn’t think so. Nanyi always went straight home after his duties at the Hanlin Academy were over, and he left early in the morning for work. How could he encounter any women in the Hanlin Academy, which was entirely male?

This was what Mother Ju had speculated over the past few days, recently unsettled by the horrifying rumors discussed by neighbors about beautiful young men in the Art Houses being used like women.