Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 150 Two more

Chapter 150: Chapter 150 Two more

"Princess Chao Ren," Wen Zan hastily withdrew his gaze and respectfully took a step back, realizing now that he had not expected the Fourth Prince to arrive in the same carriage as Princess Chao Ren, nor did he know just how familiar the Fourth Prince was with her.

"Cousin, be careful," Zheng Haoyuan, without sparing Wen Zan a glance, got out of the carriage first and quickly went around to assist Zheng Nianru.

Following behind were Nian Xia and Xing Yu, who were already accustomed to Zheng Haoyuan’s humble attitudes. Wen Zan was surprised internally, yet seeing Zheng Haoyuan’s face so openly affectionate, he felt his initial suspicions falter.

After Zheng Nianru alighted from the carriage, Wen Zan respectfully bowed once again. During this time, he had taken a clear look at the clothing worn by Princess Chao Ren, and he could find no words other than astonishment to describe them.

The intricacy was not expressed by the amount of embroidery, but rather the opposite; the light yellow clothing of Zheng Nianru was sparsely embroidered, so much so that it seemed almost nonexistent. But upon closer inspection, the patterns that one would take for woven were embroidered painstakingly, following the textures of the fabric, with veins and channels clear and distinct. Such embroidery was dozens of times more complex than ordinary needlework; how much skill must have been invested in this single garment?

"Fourth Prince, Princess Chao Ren, please come inside," Wen Zan dared not presume any greater familiarity and by now his eyes, like Zheng Haoyuan’s, were filled with admiration and excitement as he personally led the two into the courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, the sound of rushing water immediately reached their ears from a distance, and a cool breeze wafting through the vine-covered corridors tempered the heat waves outside.

"Young Master Wen has been thoughtful." Although Zheng Nianru had seen many ingenious designs, she sincerely praised this one. The cool wind brought by the water was indeed a clever touch.

Wen Zan barely contained his elation, leading the way with a smile. They then came to a house nestled between mountain fissures. The house was neither tall nor large, but beside the window a slender, meandering stream flowed down, its gurgling sound softly filling the interior. The room’s sparse furnishings consisted of dark, wide-backed chairs suitable for sitting or reclining, and at each corner stood a large glazed pot with yellow chrysanthemums and colorful butterflies, filled with ice that spread a faint coldness.

Yet Zheng Nianru’s attention was drawn toward the embroidery hanging before the wall by the window. The needlework, so lively and detailed, didn’t depict the usual flowers or auspicious patterns, but rather a landscape painting. The silk threads’ softness added a unique flavor to the watercolor mountains and bridges, which harmoniously matched the streamside house.

Wen Zan, suppressing his inner excitement, saw that she had noticed and lingered for such a long time; she must have examined it closely. He had pondered over every detail of these arrangements, all for the sake of winning the appreciation of a like-minded connoisseur right now.

Zheng Haoyuan naturally didn’t share this appreciation. Upon entering and taking his seat, he glanced at the fruit plate and pastries on the table—nothing particularly special, and then he signaled Wen Zan with a look.

What about the task you were assigned?

Wen Zan nodded subtly, unrushed. He waited until everything was in place, allowing the sound of the spring water trickling over the rocks to permeate all the sounds in the room, gradually bringing calm from irritation. Finally, he clapped his hands.

The guard immediately went out, passing through the corridor and rockery to a few rooms of similar design hidden among the rocks, with a gentle breeze blowing. The guard slightly started upon seeing the man who emerged from one of the rooms, but quickly returned with a stern expression, leading the man back.

...

The Eldest Princess, accompanied only by her personal female servant and two guards, walked down the cool corridor. Due to her fuller figure, she felt the heat even more than others in the summer, which is why someone had presented this place to curry favor using the Ma Family’s name. And since the Ma Family and the Wen Family had longstanding ties, Wen Zan was unaware that instead of someone from the Ma Family, it was the Eldest Princess troubled by the heat and seeking a cool retreat who had come.

Just moments before, she had been enjoying the natural coolness instead of the chill from ice blocks, her mood gradually calming down. But in the next moment, she stopped in her tracks, staring at the man being taken away by the guard.

The female servant Yan Xia beside the Eldest Princess shuddered, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes.

"Did you see that as well?" The Eldest Princess asked, looking at the person being escorted away. Initially, she hadn’t dared to recognize him, since her own people had reported back that the person was dead. But upon further thought, she realized that it was indeed Qu Xiang.

The Eldest Princess had felt a pang of regret at the time, but as one does when a person is gone, she knew there was nothing to be done about death.

The Eldest Princess immediately looked toward Yan Xia.

Yan Xia knelt to the ground with a thud.

"Princess, spare my life, Princess, spare my life, that day indeed Second Young Master Qu Xiang was hanging by a mere breath, and I personally witnessed it. The guards said he wouldn’t survive the night, and I thought, dying in the Princess Mansion would bring bad luck, so..." Yan Xia spoke tremulously.

"Let’s go have a look," the Eldest Princess decided to trust her own person, because the other had no guts to lie.

Yan Xia immediately stood up and followed.

Qu Xiang passed through a path shaded by a dense canopy of trees, as if forgotten by summer. The long robe of lotus silk he wore gave rise to a cool sensation. Qu Xiang was not a man untouched by the world, but to have such a garment, made from such material, worn on his body...

Qu Xiang didn’t know what he was about to face. Was he taken notice of?

Qu Xiang tried hard to recall the faces he had seen before; they were all strangers, but from their clothes and behavior, they were all wealthy or noble. Second Young Master Wen had a fondness for elegance and set a situation that was unobtainable.

So, the one he was meeting today must have had a chip that greatly intrigued Second Young Master Wen enough for a private meeting.

This was already the most secluded courtyard, not open to outsiders on regular days. It was also his first time in this mysterious house.

The guard opened the door and signaled for Qu Xiang to enter by himself. The man took a deep breath, stepped inside, and his entry suddenly softened the low-key and calm decor, the colors of the lotus root as sheer as misty gauze, tenderly diffusing with each step he took, permeating the room.

Zheng Nianru seemed to be instantly attracted by the man entering the room. Even though she knew him, at this moment, the cold white of his skin greatly accentuated the shade of the lotus root color, like pure white under the shade of willows.

The next moment, Zheng Nianru’s attention was already on the clothes. They were her own creation, but they had such an effect on another person, even more vivid and real than what she had imagined.

Zheng Nianru noticed that the lapel of the robe had been subtly altered, fitting the man’s temperament even better.

"Cousin, isn’t it nice?" Zheng Haoyuan knew his cousin was pleased, especially because it was his idea.

Zheng Nianru nodded, offering a fair and honest evaluation.

"Second Young Master Wen’s improvement on the robe’s lapel is the finishing touch." Zheng Nianru hadn’t met someone with such taste for a long time. Initially, Ju Nanyi also found many people for her, many of whom satisfied her, and those years were the most prosperous for Nanzheng State’s clothing.

"Commandery Princess flatters me too much, but it’s true that this garment is a stroke of genius, fully showcasing the fabric’s advantages, achieving great effects with little effort. Commandery Princess, to be frank, that day in the Traveling Palace, I chanced upon the garment Commandery Princess wore, and I went to great lengths to meet with Commandery Princess, please forgive my impudence..."

Zheng Nianru raised an eyebrow.

"Second Young Master Wen is interested in these things?" Zheng Nianru wasn’t surprised. If it were a woman’s interest, it would not be strange, but if it were a man’s, perhaps...