Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 291 Part 1

Chapter 291: Chapter 291 Part 1

The starlit night waned, as a group of figures dashed swiftly through the dense forest, several black silhouettes leaped onto tree branches, but no trace of the ghostly figure could be seen in the dark night.

The men immediately climbed down from the trees and quickly converged on one person.

"Lord, we’ve lost sight of the Ghost Shadow," said Qin Yu, the leader, followed by his three brothers. They had been with Yu Yuan for five or six years and were well aware that the Fire Order Squad was dealing with a tricky situation.

"This is the third day," Ju Nanyi frowned slightly upon hearing this. Over these three days, they had frequently received news of the Ghost Shadow, but whenever they gave chase, within a few hundred meters, they would lose its trail.

Moreover, this happened on three consecutive days, as if someone intentionally led them to discover it. What was the purpose behind it?

"Lord, should we..." Qin Yu hesitated before speaking again. They had lost their quarry for three days in a row and it was embarrassing.

Yu Yuan, who was leading another team, had already returned with an equally troubled expression, clearly having achieved nothing.

"Lord, we’ve stationed our men at the foot of the mountain everywhere, but that Ghost Shadow is truly cunning, having escaped the Maze Formation I laid out," said Yu Yuan, looking at Ju Nanyi as if waiting for his command.

Qin Yu and the others had always thought that the Crown Prince would hand the entire Fire Order Squad over to Yu Yuan, but to their surprise, Lord Ju was suddenly brought in.

However, in just a few days, Ju Nanyi, who took over the Fire Order Squad, had already silenced most of their suspicions. His meticulous thoughts pointed out the flaws in the squad, and in these days of chasing the Ghost Shadow, Ju Nanyi personally took the lead, performing his duty diligently, earning the respect of all the brothers in the squad.

Looking up at the dark night sky, Ju Nanyi did not immediately give chase like the previous nights, after spending a whole night without any gain.

"No more chasing, let’s head back," Ju Nanyi turned and headed back to the Fire Order Camp.

Yu Yuan and Qin Yu, among others, were taken aback, but their trust in the newly appointed Ju Nanyi was already forming. Despite some confusion, they had failed for two days and feared there would be no gain today either.

The members of the Fire Order Squad disappeared into the dense forest, and after a long while, a black figure suddenly emerged from the bushes, swiftly darting out of the thickets with a black urn on its back, nimble as a swallow.

Elder Can emerged early from a side room of Prince Duan’s Mansion and quietly approached the young master who had already awoken in the side courtyard.

"Young Master, everything is in place. Now we must wait and see what Song Gao and Song Yuan can do." Given that the Young Master didn’t want to reveal his own strength, it was only fitting to involve these two.

Elder Can had subtly tested the backgrounds of those two, and realizing they were not from Nanzheng State, seemed to have accents similar to those from the Western Border. Elder Can knew that the Princely Heir of the Zong Sheng Aristocratic Family enjoyed wandering the mountains and seas, and must have committed some wrongdoing in the Western Border, hence being chased here.

Therefore, Elder Can naturally wouldn’t delve into what deep-seated hatred Song Gao and Song Yuan had with Zong Yunqian, as long as they could be of use.

"There’s no rush at this time; if we act, we must make it convincing," said Yin He with a nod.

"Yin He, what are you doing?" Miss Xing Yu appeared unexpectedly behind Yin He and slapped his shoulder hard, smiling as she looked at the fan in Yin He’s hand fanning the brazier.

Elder Can immediately went to add charcoal, cheerfully telling Xing Yu.

"Miss Xing Yu, the hot water will be ready soon. Don’t worry, it will be prepared before the Commandery Princess wakes up."

"That’s good, Sister Nian Xia has already asked twice. Oh, and Yin He, I’ve saved some roasted lamb for you. I’ll bring it to you later," Xing Yu said with a hint of mystery.

"Thank you, Sister Xing Yu," said Yin He sweetly, as Elder Can magically produced a Jade Bead Chain from his robe, presenting it to Xing Yu with a fawning gesture.

"Miss Xing Yu, this is a gift from our Young Master to you."

Xing Yu took the jade bead chain, obviously pleased, but looked at Elder Can with some confusion.

"Elder Can, what is this about a ’Young Master’? This is the Prince’s Mansion, aside from the Prince and the Commandery Princess, there are no other real masters here. Be careful or Housekeeper He might hear you and have you both thrown out," Xing Yu sternly said, pointing at Elder Can and Yin He.

"Miss Xing Yu, you don’t understand. Our Young Master saved my life; he is my master," Elder Can immediately replied. Xing Yu pouted and shrugged her shoulders.

"Hurry up and boil the water." After she finished speaking, she walked away happily with the jade bead chain.

...

Ju Nanyi had already been waiting outside the Crown Prince’s Mansion early the second morning. When Qi Yuan, who was opening the door, saw Ju Nanyi, he stepped aside, noting that it had been some time since Lord Ju had visited the Crown Prince’s Mansion.

"Thank you, sir—" Ju Nanyi bowed to Qi Yuan.

"Sir is too much; how can we servants accept such respect from a lord," Qi Yuan replied, but his words already showed a greater respect for Lord Ju.

"Lord Ju, please this way," as usual, Qi Yuan led Ju Nanyi into the adjacent Guest Hall, "I will go and report your arrival. Please wait here for a moment, Lord Ju—"

Qi Yuan paused, as if deciding to add something more.

"Lord Ju, the Crown Prince seems to be in a bad mood today," said Qi Yuan, clearly intending to caution Ju Nanyi that today might not be the best time to see the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing this, Ju Nanyi glanced at Qi Yuan.

"Thank you, but please go ahead and announce my presence," insisted Ju Nanyi.

Qi Yuan nodded and turned towards the study.

Ju Nanyi waited for no more than a moment before Qi Yuan came back. He had worried too much; the Crown Prince did not have the habit of taking out his anger on others.

"This humble official pays respects to Your Highness—" Upon entering the study, Ju Nanyi saw Zheng Congyuan sitting inside. However, the desk in front of him was devoid of the usual piles of petitions, books, or writing materials.

This sight slightly startled Ju Nanyi, as something seemed off; the Crown Prince sitting in front of the empty desk looked somewhat odd. Reflecting on Qi Yuan’s words, Ju Nanyi immediately lowered his head.

Was the Crown Prince in a bad mood because of the Ghost Shadow matter in the Northern Border?

"Nanyi, you’re here," Zheng Congyuan slightly withdrew his distant thoughts and rubbed his forehead. Since his return from Prince Duan’s Mansion, he had sat there the entire night, lost in contemplation that felt like an elusive dream.

"Your Highness’s information is very accurate. In Zheng Capital alone, I discovered traces of at least three Ghost Shadows," Ju Nanyi reported truthfully. These days, although they had not caught any Ghost Shadows, they were not without leads; they had marked each one with a unique identifier.

Zheng Congyuan then showed a bit more vitality, turning to look at Ju Nanyi.

"Your Highness, these three Ghost Shadows are different from the ones we’ve encountered before; it seems, it seems that they can be controlled by someone—" Ju Nanyi began to explain.

Zheng Congyuan looked at Ju Nanyi, his expression growing grave as he stood up straight.

"Are you certain?" Could it be that everything that Master Yu Sheng said was beginning to unfold?

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