Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 302 Second Update

Chapter 302: Chapter 302 Second Update

Yin He returned to Prince Duan’s Mansion and immediately went to see Elder Can. Elder Can was busy scheming, as this affair was bound to cause a big stir, and naturally, it wouldn’t be resolved just by having Ghost Shadow wander around in front of Ju Nanyi a couple of times.

If they wanted to make a big scene, then they needed to threaten someone whose words carried weight.

It was only natural for Elder Can to think of the Eldest Princess, the only high-ranking person he knew. Naturally, the Eldest Princess herself couldn’t be touched, with Lan Xing by her side. But those around the Eldest Princess were vulnerable, and that easily manipulated Prince Consort was someone they could work with. Thus, Elder Can had been busy these past few days stirring up news in the homes of several powerful families.

Then, gradually, as the incident fermented, the final curtain could be drawn back.

"Young Master—" Elder Can hadn’t expected Yin He to seek him out proactively and was momentarily startled, followed quickly by a bow.

"Come with me—" Yin He didn’t waste words. At this point, he had already decided to kill Zong Yunqian, not wanting to beat around the bush. Even if it was he who killed Yunqian, so what?

Elder Can was stunned, daring not to question directly and quickly followed Yin He out.

Ghost Shadow’s Gui San and Gui Si had not gone far; upon leaving the Riverfood Restaurant, they prepared to find a place near Prince Duan’s Mansion and wait. Just as they had sat down, they noticed Yin He and Elder Can’s figures and immediately revealed themselves.

"Young Master, Elder." The two of them quickly bowed.

"Is it done?" Yin He asked bluntly.

Gui San and Gui Si exchanged glances, their hearts suddenly filled with trepidation. Did the Young Master really want them to kill Zong Yunqian? Would there still be time to carry out the assassination now?

Just as Gui San was about to speak, Elder Can grew anxious, "No, Young Master, remember the plan? We can’t proceed directly; we need to play a bigger game."

"Young Master, we can’t kill him now. If we strike, we must make sure Zong Yunqian can’t recover, or else the risk would be too high," Elder Can blurted out, no longer caring if the Young Master would get angry.

Gui San heaved a sigh of relief and immediately spoke up.

"Young Master, Zong Yunqian is very cunning. We followed Elder Can’s plan and temporarily placed Ghost Shadow on Zong Yunqian to prevent him from noticing and quickly took it back. But I can assure you, everyone saw Ghost Shadow appear and disappear around Zong Yunqian," Gui San reported.

Elder Can breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at the still unsatisfied Young Master. The Young Master wasn’t happy with the result and always thought about immediately killing Yunqian to resolve the issue.

"Young Master, if Qiandao Temple discovers this, it will be difficult to clear our connection to the incident. So, we must not be the ones to act in the end," Elder Can quickly added.

The young master frowned. Not to act? Was he to let Zong Yunqian strut around before him, each strut increasing his urge to kill?

Today was already a perfect opportunity. He could have killed Zong Yunqian’s mother. If only Zong Yunqian had been a step late, then whether the Eldest Madam Zong was mistakenly killed or struck down by a concealed arrow amidst the chaos, at least, the matter would not have come to fruition.

"Young Master, don’t be anxious. Our inaction doesn’t mean Zong Yunqian will live," Elder Can quickly added, "Moreover, our goal isn’t to have Zong Yunqian die."

Yin He looked at Elder Can, wondering why he didn’t want Zong Yunqian dead.

"Young Master—" Elder Can glanced at Gui San and Gui Si, who, upon seeing this, quietly stepped back. Only then did Elder Can speak.

"Young Master, I’ve realized a very important issue, something even more crucial than dealing with Zong Yunqian," Elder Can spoke slowly. He had been pondering this not just for a day, and when the time came to speak, Elder Can once again looked at the overly frail young master.

Just as the impatience was about to get the better of the young man before him, Elder Can dared not tease further.

"Young Master, do you know what kind of man the Commandery Princess favors?"

Upon hearing this, Yin He looked at Elder Can, his gaze cold enough to induce a chill from deep within.

"Young Master, this servant believes that Heir Zong is inferior to you in every way—appearance, strength, status—all are lacking in comparison. However, there is one aspect that cannot be simply classified as better or worse, and that is the preference of Princess Chao Ren."

"What preference?" Yin He couldn’t resist asking. He knew instinctively that Zong Yunqian must possess some trait that attracted Zheng Nianru.

"Young Master, do you see how Heir Zong is much more robust in build, those arms—" Elder Can curled his arm, and although he was nearly skin and bones, Yin He understood Elder Can’s point immediately.

The next moment, the young man’s face turned red and white in quick succession, even recalling the casual remarks of Nanny Yun, and he instantly realized Elder Can had guessed correctly.

"So what, that’s not something difficult to deal with," Yin He said coldly, "Nanny Yun said, didn’t she, that all I have to do is eat more, train more..."

"Of course, with the Young Master’s abilities, this indeed is a very easy task," Elder Can immediately agreed. "Young Master, not only must we do so in this aspect, but we should also choose an appropriate moment, to inadvertently..."

...

Zheng Nianru sat in the courtyard, her demeanor more profound than her age would suggest, yet the plum-green gauze clothing that draped over her graceful figure added an air of poignancy like a maiden burdened with new sorrows.

Zheng Nianru wasn’t dwelling on her actions of the day but rather calmly watched the leaves fall and rise with the breeze, contemplating her path ahead.

The events of the day made her realize that perhaps marriage, even one treated as a transaction, was not suitable for her.

For there would always be those who expected her to be a properly submissive wife.

Zheng Nianru felt that during the years she was married to Ju Nanyi, she had not realized this. The ties of Ju Nanyi’s family were so simple they could nearly be described as flimsy. Even when she became the Empress Dowager, Ju Nanyi never once let his family trouble her in the slightest.

But what could be done about it?

The autumn wind picked up, and the tender yellow leaves spun as they fell to the ground. The plum-green silhouette was tinged with a hint of chill, making Nanny Yun, who was waiting, a bit anxious.

What was the Commandery Princess thinking about? Was it because of the events that happened today? Nanny Yun didn’t know how to console her, for Eldest Madam Zong probably disliked their Commandery Princess even more now, but then, who could swallow such grievances?

"Your Highness—"

"Your Highness—" Fu Dong knelt in panic, the differentiation almost plainly written on his face, too late to hide.

Zheng Congyuan quietly watched the silhouette, a moment of peace within his heart, as if that figure had always been there and he could reach out and touch her, so real.

Zheng Nianru did not turn around. Hearing the voice behind her, a wry smile crossed her mind. She understood Zheng Congyuan’s dilemma and suffering more in this life than in her last and thus, in this life, she intended to let go. But it seemed, in the end, it was always he, Zheng Congyuan, who could not let go.

Thus, no matter how she resolved to distance herself, he would still agonize, caught between fear of loss and desire, between yearning and clarity, where even entanglement could be a form of redemption.