Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 327 - 318: Second Update

Chapter 327: Chapter 318: Second Update

The guard was taken aback for a moment, then spoke with unwavering certainty.

"Prince, Heir Zong also fell down," he said. Anyway, at that moment, if they didn’t say anything, who would know?

Prince Duan closed his eyes momentarily, steadying his nerves. Nanny Yun had already rushed into the great hall, staring at everyone with a look of shock on her face.

Prince Duan had no time to explain; he gestured for Housekeeper He to come over.

"Go to the Crown Prince’s Mansion—ask the Crown Prince for the hunting dogs, all of them. Also, Nanny Yun, fetch some of the Commandery Princess’s usual clothes and belongings."

"Oh, oh, alright." Nanny Yun knew this was not the time to ask questions nor to panic; she immediately went to retrieve the items.

Soon, Nanny Yun brought over a handkerchief, a sachet, and outerwear. Prince Duan had already arranged all the carriages; irrespective of rank, both masters and servants squeezed into several of them.

Carrying these items, Nanny Yun’s mind was foggy—was the Commandery Princess truly missing? She had been fine when they left; how could she suddenly have gone missing?

Fallen into the river? Nanny Yun finally overheard Prince Duan’s voice, listening as he carefully inquired about the situation at the time.

The guard recited the details word for word, very thoroughly; except for the part where Heir Zong had voluntarily jumped in, there were nearly no differences in his account from the truth. With such a detailed description, no one could find grounds to argue; it was as though things had happened just as he described.

Prince Duan’s expression was icy. This was all his fault, knowing full well Heir Zong’s compassionate nature, naturally he would find these things intolerable. Still, after all, it was the Fourth Prince’s venue, and the Fourth Prince had already said repeatedly—if one did not like it, one could simply choose not to watch.

Prince Duan thought about the despair Commandery Princess Nian Ru must have felt as she fell, utterly helpless and frightened. Heir Zong was too presumptuous.

"Prince, Prince, don’t be anxious. The Fourth Prince has already sent out all the Loyal Warriors of Wen Family to search, not overlooking a single place," the guard evidently knew how to play up the situation, while mentioning their Highnesses’ intention to jump after to show the depth of the sibling bond, he also recounted how Lord Lu had convinced him to calm down and take charge of the rescue himself.

At that moment, Prince Duan could not care less about others; all he wanted to know was Nian Ru’s whereabouts. Only when he found Nian Ru would he have the peace of mind to think of other matters.

...

"Thump-thump-thump—" The grand doors of the Crown Prince’s Mansion were knocked urgently. A new guard, standing watch opened the door to see a stranger, clad as a servant.

"My lord, I am a house servant from Prince Duan’s Mansion. May I inquire if the Crown Prince is within the mansion?" The servant appeared panicked and was weighed down by his duties.

"The Prince is not here, do you wish to wait?" The guard did not look down upon the visitor, but Zheng Congyuan truly was not present.

"Not here?" The visitor became anxious but alas had no other recourse, "Then who else is there? What about Housekeeper He?"

The guard, finding the servant somewhat odd, was about to speak up when Qi Lu conveniently entered from the main gate, immediately recognizing the servant as unfamiliar.

"Whose are you?"

"Brother Qi Lu, this man says he’s a servant from Prince Duan’s Mansion, looking for His Highness." The guard explained.

Qi Lu was taken aback. Although his time in the Crown Prince’s Mansion was not long, he recognized that Prince Duan’s Mansion was considered a special entity in the eyes of the Crown Prince’s Mansion and immediately gave the matter due importance.

"Brother, is it Prince Duan who sent you to find His Highness?" The demeanor on Qi Lu’s face grew substantially kinder; he had personally witnessed the respect Qi Ling and Qi Zhu showed towards the people of Prince Duan’s Mansion.

"Yes, yes, may I trouble you to find either Lord Jin or Lord Qi Yu for me? Housekeeper He instructed, if the Crown Prince is not available, to seek out either Lord Jin or Lord Qi Yu."

Qi Lu was startled, sensing the gravity of the situation, as the servant before him was clearly anxious.

"Brother, to tell you the truth, neither Lord Jin nor Lord Qi Yu is here. Don’t beat around the bush with me; tell me exactly what’s happened. If it’s serious, I’ll take you to find them myself."

"Lord, lord, our Commandery Princess has gone missing. Prince Duan sent me to ask for the borrowing of hunting dogs—to search for her—" The servant hastily explained, understanding the urgency of the situation.

Upon hearing this, Qi Lu was taken aback—"Which Commandery Princess?" The very one whom Lords Qi Ling and Qi Zhu spoke of with such caution.

Qi Lu’s mind was on the verge of exploding with the implication of the news. Without a word, he pulled the servant from Prince Duan’s Mansion into the yard, fetched two horses from the stable, and immediately sped off toward the Imperial Palace.

Yet, halfway there, Zheng Congyuan’s carriage was on the road. Qi Lu, quick-witted, considered this possibility. Instead of choosing the nearest route to the Imperial Palace, he took the path Zheng Congyuan typically traveled.

"Your Highness—"

Seeing Zheng Congyuan’s carriage, Qi Lu leaped from his horse, hurling himself in front of the conveyance.

Lord Qi Yu was about to speak when Qi Lu could no longer contain himself.

"Crown Prince, Princess Chao Ren from Prince Duan’s Mansion has gone missing, and Prince Duan sent someone to borrow hunting dogs—"

Before Qi Lu could finish, the curtains of the carriage were flung open, and Zheng Congyuan looked out in shock at the figure before him.

"Repeat that," Zheng Congyuan’s voice was trembling, fingers quivering.

"The person I’ve brought with me," Qi Lu said, as the servant was brought to the front.

The servant, unaccustomed to such extraordinary circumstances.

"Crown Prince, in the evening, people from the Fourth Prince reported that the Commandery Princess had fallen into the river, and Prince Duan is leading everyone in the search."

Zheng Congyuan only heard the mention of Golden Spirit Mountain, the Fourth Prince, and Zong Yunqian, his fingers curling tightly.

"Lord Qi Yu, summon all Hidden Guards. Qi Zhu, bring the hunting dogs."

"Qi Ling, Lord Jin, follow me." Zheng Congyuan spoke coldly as the carriage sped through the streets. Qi Lu was dumbfounded, but the next moment, he mounted a horse and followed the carriage swiftly toward Golden Spirit Mountain.

Zheng Congyuan sat silently within. With the limited information received, he was certain that Zheng Haoyuan and Zong Yunqian were inextricably linked to the affair—those two damned men.