Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 205 - First Update

Chapter 205: Chapter 205 - First Update

"Prince Duan, I wish to marry Princess Chao Ren," Zong Yunqian didn’t beat around the bush, speaking directly and earnestly, even wanting to state his position.

"In your dreams—" Prince Duan would not allow him to continue, already grabbing the door bolt, "Get out, you whelp."

"Prince Duan, let’s talk—" Zong Yunqian had anticipated a strong reaction from their family, but he had not expected Prince Duan to react so vehemently.

"Talk? There’s nothing to discuss, I will never agree," Prince Duan said, wielding the door bolt as if to strike Zong Yunqian. Gu Dao and Xi Feng, panicked yet not daring to intervene, quickly stepped in front of their young master.

"Prince Duan, please calm down, our Princely Heir has something to say," they pleaded.

"I have nothing to say to him," Zheng Boding gasped, the breath caught in his chest, his grip tightening on the door bolt as it came down harshly on Gu Dao’s arm.

Gu Dao winced in pain, attempting to seize the bolt in the chaos, but Housekeeper He and his men had already charged in.

"Stop, dare you strike the Prince?" Housekeeper He bellowed, breathless. How could this fight have erupted in such a short time, and he hadn’t called people fast enough?

At the sound, Gu Dao quickly dropped the door bolt in fright.

"We wouldn’t dare," they said.

"Prince, please listen to what I have to say—" Zong Yunqian persisted, knowing that once he was ejected, returning would not be so easy, so he couldn’t allow himself to be turned away, no matter how shamelessly he had to cling.

The next moment, Zong Yunqian was pushed out of Prince Duan’s mansion’s grand entrance. Gu Dao and Xi Feng sat on the ground disheveled, surrounded by scattered gift boxes from which jewelry glittered in shining splendor.

Zong Yunqian stood there dazed, realizing the matter was more difficult than he had imagined; outside the mansion, a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered, pointing and whispering about him and his servants.

...

The Zong Sheng Residence was in complete disarray; a row of pale, trembling old nannies in charge of household affairs knelt down, not daring to utter a sound.

The Old Madam’s walking stick landed heavily on the floor tiles.

"Hasn’t the person been found yet?"

"Back to the Old Madam, we’ve searched around the house several times, and we’ve divided into two groups to chase down the road to Qiandao Temple," the butler replied hastily, the servants were clearly lacking foresight.

The Old Madam was silent. Sneaking back to Qiandao Temple, what did they want with the stolen items? To stop her from proposing marriage? That seemed to be the only reason now.

"Old Madam—" An old woman in charge barged in from the outside, which made Old Lady Zong frown.

"What’s the rush?" she asked.

"Old Madam, the palace has sent someone, the palace..." Old Lady Zong was startled and quickly stood up.

"Why has someone come so suddenly?" Old Lady Zong didn’t understand, but she didn’t dare neglect the matter and gave careful instructions to those sent out to search. She tidied her dress and went to meet the eunuch from the palace personally.

"Aiyo, Madam, why trouble yourself to come personally? It’s just a small matter. The servants could’ve conveyed the message. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager took a sudden fancy to listen to the Enigma Sutra from Qiandao Temple and remembered the Princely Heir, so she invited him to the palace," the eunuch explained.

The Old Madam smiled graciously at the eunuch and signaled for Nanny to offer a token of gratitude, which the eunuch feigned to refuse twice before accepting.

"You go ahead, Sir. I will send someone right away to call the Princely Heir back and have him enter the palace," said Old Lady Zong immediately.

"Oh, in that case, I will take my leave first and report back," the eunuch said.

"Send the eunuch off—"

The next moment, servants from the Zong Sheng Residence were dispatched in five or six groups; the mansion was like ants on a hot pot. The palace had summoned the Princely Heir, but at this particular time, the heir was nowhere to be found. What were they to do?

"Old Madam—"

"Old Madam—" Just then, two servants from the outer courtyard suddenly burst in, kneeling before Old Lady Zong, their faces a portrait of panic, wanting to say something but not daring to speak.

"Why are you kneeling here? Did you find him?" Old Lady Zong had lost the composure she once had; as more and more people left to search, her heart sank further. She would have to enter the palace once again to explain the situation.

"Old Madam, the Princely Heir, the Princely Heir... has been found."

"Found him? Bring him in quickly, quickly." Old Lady Zong at that moment could not afford to question the morning’s events; she needed the person brought in first.

"Old Madam, the Princely Heir is outside the main gate of Prince Duan’s Mansion."

Old Lady Zong was startled, right next door? Suddenly, Old Lady Zong thought of a possibility, her face turning ashen as she stood up, her walking stick thudding against the floor.

What the servant said next confirmed the Old Madam’s guess.

"Old Madam, the Princely Heir was driven out by Prince Duan. He is still outside the gates of Prince Duan’s Mansion, loudly demanding to see Prince Duan, requesting, requesting Prince Duan to marry... to marry whatshername, the Commandery Princess to him..." The servant was trembling with fear, but he knew that this was not something the Princely Heir should be handling in person. Shouldn’t it be Old Madam or Eldest Madam Zong sending a respectable emissary to discuss the matter?

The Princely Heir’s behavior was truly...

"Hmph, that brat stole something, turns out it was for this big endeavor." Old Madam snorted coldly. It seemed that Prince Duan too was not brainless, knowing this matter would certainly not end well.

This matter absolutely must not proceed, not unless she was dead and the Zong Sheng family order was overturned; otherwise, this matter was absolutely impossible.

Eldest Madam Zong also rushed over in a fluster, her face alternating between red and white, utterly failing to notice and looking pleadingly at the Old Madam.

"Old Madam—" Eldest Madam Zong felt like crying; she too had only just received the news. What were they to do? It was said that many people had already gathered in front of Prince Duan’s Mansion. Wouldn’t this bring shame to their Zong Sheng family’s name...?

"What’s the panic? I’ll go and fetch this good-for-nothing boy myself." Old Lady Zong said, heading towards the door. Eldest Madam Zong came to her senses; how could she allow Old Lady Zong to lose face like this?

"Old Madam, let me go, I will go." Eldest Madam Zong was strong, pulling the Old Madam off balance, the crowd of servants unable to stop her.

Old Lady Zong, her face turning dark with anger, waved her hand in resignation.

Eldest Madam Zong immediately took her people to Prince Duan’s Mansion. From inside the carriage, Eldest Madam Zong could see the crowd that had formed three layers deep within and without, and yet her worthless son’s voice was still unmistakable.

"Prince Duan, I sincerely request to marry Princess Chao Ren."

Eldest Madam Zong nearly ran out of breath and didn’t bother to get out herself, turning instead to two guards from her parental home.

"You two, dead or alive, bring that boy back to me." Eldest Madam Zong panted, wishing she could go down and tear him apart herself.

The two guards quickly made their way through the crowd, coming straight to Zong Yunqian’s side.

"Princely Heir, Eldest Madam has come. You must come back with us now." Zong Yunqian glanced around and didn’t persist; his goal had been achieved. And so, turning around, he bowed respectfully toward the gate of Prince Duan’s Mansion.

"Prince Duan, I shall not give up. If not this time, then the next; if not the next, then the third. I believe the day will come when you agree." After saying this, Zong Yunqian left and followed the guards back to the carriage.