Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 182 Second Update

Chapter 182: Chapter 182 Second Update

"Miss Zhang, is there someone on the lake’s surface?" One of the ladies from prominent families pointed at the lake, and the group looked over to see what indeed appeared to be clothes floating on the water.

Someone in the crowd suddenly exclaimed, causing two guards to step forward and head towards the lake.

Zong Yunqian was about to pull the person beneath him up, planning to surface before saying anything. But, just as he prepared to float upward, the person next to him suddenly exerted force, shaking off his hand and swimming towards the bottom of the lake.

Zong Yunqian was puzzled. Did she think he was also there to kill her? But under the water, she had clearly seen him coming to her rescue.

Nian Ru was about to leave, but upon turning around, she yanked the man who had suddenly appeared right into the water, drowning him outright. That solved the immediate problem significantly.

It wasn’t that Nian Ru was overly confident in herself. Had it been on shore, she would never have acted so impulsively, but in the water, she remained somewhat confident. Nanyi had trained her rigorously to ensure she wasn’t afraid of water, so she wouldn’t sit on the Empress Dowager’s seat with such a fatal weakness.

Nian Ru was confident. Her movements were agile under the water, and by pulling the man, she quickly untied the assassin’s belt, binding his hands and feet in a matter of moments. The assassin, entangled by Fu Dong, wasn’t expecting an attack from below and was momentarily stunned, forgetting everything else as he immediately kicked downwards.

Zong Yunqian was kicked, and instinctively fought back.

"Help—" Fu Dong managed to catch a breath and immediately cried out for help again.

"There are people in the river, more than one—quick, save them!" The guard on the bank immediately ran over.

Xing Yu, hearing Fu Dong’s call for help, kicked the assassin forcefully, sending him away, and swam directly towards Nian Ru.

Gu Dao came to his senses only to find himself unsure of whom to save. Suddenly noticing clothes afloat on the lake, he paused—they were the Princely Heir’s clothes! Shocked, Gu Dao didn’t bother saving anyone else and urgently swam towards his own Princely Heir.

At this moment, Zong Yunqian was entangled with the assassin. Fu Dong, careless of danger, continued to clench onto the assassin’s upper body, biting and poking with her eyes closed.

Nian Ru slipped out from the fray, surprised by the man who had suddenly appeared and had secured her a way out.

"Let’s go—" Nian Ru didn’t hesitate to tug Fu Dong. Fu Dong, startled, heard her Commandery Princess’s voice and allowed Nian Ru to pull her into the water.

"Quick, save them—someone’s fallen into the water—" Shouting came from across the lake, and as Nian Ru and others grappled, they had unwittingly drifted towards the center of the lake. Amid the reeds, struggling figures could vaguely be seen by the onlookers, who hastily called for help.

Nian Ru darted out like a fish for several meters, leaving a baffled Fu Dong and Xing Yu unsure of what their princess was planning. They stopped thinking and followed Nian Ru as she swam past.

Seeing Zong Yunqian entangled, Gu Dao immediately plunged in while the assassin, kicked away by Xing Yu, also lunged at them, not finding a trace of Nian Ru and her servants but encountering two reluctant individuals instead.

"Who is it?" Gu Dao shouted fiercely, even though his actions remained swift. At this point, Gu Dao realized the two in the water were clearly not ordinary palace attendants, and the two assassins, seeing they were men and that their orders were not to take Princess Chao Ren’s life, attacked ruthlessly without holding back.

Zong Yunqian also sensed it. His arm had already been sliced, a frown formed, and he immediately counterattacked, no longer tangling with the assassin. Within a few moves, he had gained the upper hand.

The assassins were shocked, not expecting the two who had suddenly appeared to be skilled in Kung Fu. Continuing the fight would not only prevent them from killing but also risk exposing their master. Recognizing that Princess Chao Ren had apparently been rescued, they realized their failure and stopped killing, retreating as they fought.

"Retreat—" one of them said hurriedly, and the two immediately swam in opposite directions.

"Gu Dao, don’t chase—" Zong Yuanqian immediately called out to stop Gu Dao, who was about to pursue, thoughtfully watching the lake gradually calming. He slowly reflected on everything that had just transpired.

"Princely Heir, what should we do?" Gu Dao immediately returned to Zong Yunqian’s side, and the spreading blood in the water suddenly made him look at Zong Yunqian in panic.

"Princely Heir, are you hurt?" Gu Dao quickly checked on him.

"It’s nothing serious, just a minor injury," Zong Yunqian glanced at the lake, and amid his confusion, he was certain of one thing—they had been drawn into a murder plot. So, had they fallen into these schemes just after arriving at Zheng Capital?

"Princely Heir, is there a problem?" Gu Dao looked at the guard who had already jumped into the water. At this moment, it seemed that only the two of them were left in the lake. Was this meant to save them?

"Let’s leave this place first." Zong Yunqian sank toward the water’s surface, revealing only his head, and took a glance into the depths of the lake.

Gu Dao immediately followed Zong Yunqian, and the two plunged with force directly to the bottom of the lake.

"They’ve gone under, they’ve gone under," the people on the shore exclaimed. Now that the wind and waves were picking up, amidst the bobbing waves, no one could be seen.

Zong Yunqian and his companion swam a long distance underwater before they surfaced quickly to catch their breath and then dived back down, continuing to swim toward a distant place.

Zong Yunqian followed the winding path of Siyan Lake and had now swum out of sight of Lake Heart Island, arriving at a desolate area connected to Siyan Mountain.

While swimming, Zong Yunqian recalled the fleeing master and servants.

"Princely Heir, we can get out from the opposite side; no one will notice us," Gu Dao pointed at a vast expanse of reeds opposite them. By getting ashore there, they could leave quietly without attracting attention.

"Move on," Zong Yunqian commanded in a low voice, glancing around but still not spotting the master and her servants.

...

The news first reached the ears of Commander-in-chief Ling, who was in charge of the escort this time and was friends with Wen Zhuu. After hesitating briefly, he promptly went to report to Crown Prince.

Zheng Congyuan was currently inside Lake Heart Pavilion when Ju Nanyi handed him the list for the second round of the poetry contest.

Zheng Congyuan paused slightly after hearing the news but did not put down what he was holding.

"By the time our guards went down, there was no one in the lake," Commander-in-chief Ling reported truthfully, "However, I have already sent three more groups down."

"Let it be, pass the poetry out," Zheng Congyuan handed the list back to Ju Nanyi.

Ju Nanyi obeyed and withdrew.

Ju Nanyi did not think much of it, especially since it was not within his area of concern. Commander-in-chief Ling was experienced and meticulous in his actions. Since he hadn’t found anything amiss, it probably wasn’t anything serious.

The results of the second round of the poetry contest had been announced, immediately dispersing the news of someone falling into the water. The verses from the second round were also distributed to various aristocratic families.

The first place was naturally taken by Crown Prince Zheng Congyuan, but more attention was now paid to the runner-up, the Princely Heir of Zong Sheng’s Family, especially because of his mysterious identity, which particularly intrigued the ladies from prominent families.

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