Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 345 - 330: Second Update

Chapter 345: Chapter 330: Second Update

Zheng Nianru had slept until the afternoon; Prince Duan personally visited several times. Seeing that Zheng Nianru was sleeping soundly, he did not disturb her until evening, when Zheng Nianru finally woke up fully.

Zheng Nianru was not in a hurry to wake up; she sat on the bed, meticulously recalling the warmth in the carriage. Zheng Nianru lowered her head, realizing that it was such a good opportunity she had forsaken—how foolish she was. Based on her understanding of Zheng Congyuan, she could have asked for much more. In the past, had she been wronged, she would have ensured Zheng Congyuan compensated her manifold; things from Zheng Congyuan’s treasury that she always wanted, those unique treasures, she could have asked for things she normally wouldn’t dare to.

But suddenly, Zheng Nianru found that she was no longer interested in those things; she knew almost better than Zheng Congyuan himself what was in his treasury. Maybe it was because she had become the Empress Dowager, and being accustomed to finer things, she now found them dull.

"Commandery Princess, the Prince is still waiting to dine with you," Nanny Yun said with a bit of concern, whispering.

Fu Dong glanced at Nian Xia, and that look said it all; they naturally noticed that the Commandery Princess’s moments of daydreaming were growing longer. Sometimes she would sit without moving an entire afternoon, if they didn’t call her.

The former Commandery Princess was not like this; she couldn’t sit still. Could it be that something went wrong due to her near-drowning?

Of course, it wasn’t only Fu Dong and Nian Xia who thought this; Nanny Yun and the others had been with the Commandery Princess for many years. The Commandery Princess had indeed changed a lot in these recent days. As for how exactly she had changed, by the time they realized it, the Commandery Princess was still the same as before, yet she was no longer the same Commandery Princess.

"Commandery Princess..." Just as Nanny Yun was about to speak again, Zheng Nianru had already turned over, got out of bed, and lazily glanced at the clothes set aside.

"Choose a simpler set; I’m not going out anyway."

Fu Dong immediately found a set of casual clothes, the soft brocade having no excessive embroidery. During these days, the Commandery Princess had come to prefer elaborate fabrics in her clothes and didn’t deliberately pursue extraordinary, colorful embroidery, or the need to be different from ordinary people.

After putting on her clothes, Zheng Nianru’s expression was as calm as if she had not just experienced a life-threatening ordeal, but as if she was a lady of a great house who had just woken up from a nap, exuding laziness and charm, instantly evoking a sense of tenderness in one’s heart.

Zheng Nianru did not linger too long in the front yard either; right after finishing her meal, she excused herself, claiming she was still sleepy. Though Prince Duan was very concerned, he also knew he should not ask too much—for instance, whether or not Zong Yunqian had last night...

Zheng Boding ultimately did not voice his question; it wasn’t that he believed Zong Yunqian to be a paragon of virtue, but because Zheng Nianru’s survival was his greatest hope. The rest...

Moreover, so many had seen, Zong Yunqian must take responsibility for Nian Ru.

"Nian Ru, this is a list of items that the Fourth Prince had sent as an apology," Zheng Boding said, not quite understanding why the Fourth Prince had such a good relationship with Nian Ru. However, after last night, Zheng Boding had changed his views of Zheng Haoyuan somewhat. Even though the young man might act foolishly on ordinary days, he was faultless when it came to Zheng Nianru, so when people from the Wen Family came with gifts, Zheng Boding did not refuse outright, but accepted them instead.

After all, even if Nian Ru were married off, she would still need the support of her natal family.

As for the rest, Zheng Boding weighed the pros and cons, and could only take things one step at a time.

Zheng Nianru had anticipated that Zheng Haoyuan would do this and was not surprised. Nanny Yun quietly accepted the list; though she could not read, the sheer length of the list indicated that it included no small number of items.

Wen Zan not only sent Zheng Haoyuan’s items but also privately added some valuable fabrics and several rare embroidery books, proving himself to be quite astute.

"Commandery Princess, the Fourth Prince really has put thought into this, and his gifts are indeed unique," Nanny Yun said, holding the ancient texts in her hands and picking cheerful words to say, seeing Zheng Nianru’s happiness.

After all, they had all witnessed Heir Zong’s behavior in the stands; though Zheng Nianru hadn’t mentioned a word about it after their return, Nanny Yun felt that the Commandery Princess must have had an unpleasant time with the Princely Heir.

Nanny Yun could only think this way because the Commandery Princess was clearly unhappy since returning.

Zheng Nianru suddenly stopped, standing at the entrance to her own courtyard. She really wanted to ask Nanny Yun if she was crazy for wanting to dedicate herself to someone, thinking only of his future, his people’s dawn, everything about him, without even wanting to worry about what she would get in return.

"Commandery Princess, do you feel unwell?" Nanny Yun handed the items in her hands to Nian Xia and looked at Zheng Nianru with concern, even going so far as to grasp both of Zheng Nianru’s hands urgently.

"Commandery Princess, could it be..." Nanny Yun, seeing it was outside, quickly led Zheng Nianru toward her own courtyard.

The entire day, Nanny Yun had felt that something was off with the Commandery Princess, and after much thought, she could come to only one conclusion—that young man Zong Yunqian must have done something. Surely, it had to be so, considering Nanny Yun’s extensive experience with men and their ways. Moreover, with the Commandery Princess’s beautiful looks, how many men could resist her?

"Commandery Princess, did Heir Zong do something?" Nanny Yun lowered her voice. If something had happened, though the betrothal was set, it concerned her reputation, and they needed to find a solution.

No, there was something even more important.

"No—" Zheng Nianru, hearing Nanny Yun’s concern, managed a slight smile. "Nanny Yun, you underestimate Zong Yunqian. His heart is not set on this, and besides, you know, between Zong Yunqian and me, it’s just a transaction."

Zheng Nianru turned away, no longer wishing to ask. What could Nanny Yun know, and why bother asking? Weren’t the experiences from her past life laid out plainly before her? Zheng Congyuan would never take that step forward. If she persisted like this, or remained as indecisive as she was now, then what would the outcome be, any different from her previous life?

Whether she wanted to let go for the sake of her exhausted self or could not bear to see Zheng Congyuan walk down the same path as in her previous life, Zheng Nianru suddenly thought of giving up this obsession.

Zheng Nianru suddenly felt that letting go of the obsession didn’t mean she stopped liking him; rather, she felt that she liked him even more.

"Your Highness—"

"Your Highness—" Just as Zheng Nianru crossed the threshold, she heard Nanny Yun and Fu Dong behind her kneel down in panic. Zheng Congyuan was standing there, watching the entering young woman, who, bathed in the moonlight and stepping on the starlight, struck the softest part of his heart instantly.

"What transaction?" Zheng Congyuan suddenly spoke up. He hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but from the moment her figure appeared in his line of sight, she had captivated all his attention. So what were these conditions between her and Zong Yunqian? Zheng Congyuan did not know why, upon hearing this secret, he felt his heartbeat quicken. The only possibility for a condition could be the marriage arrangement. So, this marriage arrangement, is it just a condition, right?

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