Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 370 - 353: First Update

Chapter 370: Chapter 353: First Update

Ju Nanyi continued with his work, not expecting her to come out from the inner courtyard. This was Prince Duan’s Mansion, where the rules were somewhat stricter than the usual aristocratic gentry clans; there was no chance a young lady would appear in the courtyard when an unrelated man was present.

However, Nanny Yun watched Ju Nanyi with a smile, her demeanor not only respectful but also tinged with warmth.

He was by the side of the Crown Prince, after all. Moreover, she had heard that this Lord Ju was of high moral standing and noble character, a rare talent indeed, the kind that even the Prince seldom praised.

Ju Nanyi felt uncomfortable under Nanny Yun’s overly enthusiastic gaze, and although he remained composed, he also felt somewhat...

Ju Nanyi didn’t know quite what to feel at the moment, so he only managed to pull his thoughts back to rational considerations, like what sort of husband she would find if Prince Duan rejected the Duke of Qing’s offer.

Ju Nanyi was not blindly confident in himself. This was the first time he had appeared before Prince Duan several times, yet the Prince had not considered him, focusing instead on a few young scholars newly arrived at the Hanlin Academy. Apart from the factor of age, Ju Nanyi thought, perhaps the Prince also cared about whether he could be easily manipulated.

So, had he appeared too capable?

Ju Nanyi’s hand paused briefly, and Yan Guang, about to bury the Silver Thread Ring, suddenly found himself unable to continue. He turned, puzzled, to look at Ju Nanyi, but by the next moment, Ju Nanyi had already set aside what he was holding, as if Yan Guang’s hesitation had been nothing but a figment of his imagination.

"My lord, have you discovered something?" Yan Guang stepped closer, glancing around mysteriously. Although the sight of flowers filled his vision, more than he’d seen in his entire lifetime, with chrysanthemums of various shapes and colors, his mind was not on the flowers.

Ju Nanyi looked at Yan Guang, making sure the other man was just blindly excited and had not noticed anything specific, and shook his head calmly.

"Oh—" Yan Guang stepped back and continued his task.

"Don’t dig there; those are the flower seeds I just scattered." A pretty voice, anxious, followed by her body stepping in front of Yan Guang, with round, apricot eyes full of urgency.

"Miss, these things should be buried right here." Yan Guang said helplessly. Although he was not very experienced, he guessed she was a maid from Prince Duan’s Mansion, dressed and ornamented more elegantly than other maids he had seen.

"You can’t bury that here—" Xing Yu insisted, those flower seeds she’d carefully sown were precious, only a few were available, and even the Commandery Princess was looking forward to seeing them sprout.

Yan Guang was about to retort when Nanny Yun already came running from a distance.

"Xing Yu, what are you doing out here? Didn’t I tell you to accompany the Commandery Princess inside? Why are you running around!" Nanny Yun was frantic, signaling Xing Yu to leave quickly. There were unrelated men present, and with the Commandery Princess’s marriage falling through, they had no idea what kind of family would be assessing her next. It was improper for her to appear casually.

"Nanny Yun, they dug up the flower seeds the Commandery Princess had just planted." Xing Yu pouted.

Upon hearing this, Ju Nanyi’s gaze fell uncomfortably on the soft soil. She planted them? Personally?

Nanny Yun was startled by the realization, but she knew she shouldn’t be outside. She looked at the soil, which had indeed been planted by the Commandery Princess herself.

"Lord Ju, you see, this..." Nanny Yun hesitated, unsure of what to do. Other matters were one thing, but these flower seeds were hard to come by and had taken effort to secure.

"Nanny Yun, you should have someone recover the seeds and find another place to plant them," said Ju Nanyi evenly, leaving no room for discussion. Yan Guang nodded in agreement. They were burying items strictly according to designated positions, and Lord Ju making a personal trip for such a minor task showed how seriously it was taken, as it was directly entrusted by the Crown Prince. Naturally, they had to do it well.

Nanny Yun was taken aback, unsure of how to proceed. Those flower seeds were highly valued by the Commandery Princess; what was the right thing to do?

Yan Guang had already started digging, and Housekeeper He personally brought over some tea, approaching with a smile.

"Both of you sirs, thank you for making the trip here. Our Prince specifically instructed that we serve you tea. Please have a drink before getting back to work," said Housekeeper He, who was profoundly grateful to the Crown Prince. Being considerate to the two of them was akin to respect towards the Crown Prince. Although he did not have many opportunities to see the Crown Prince personally, the Prince executed all of the Housekeeper’s requests, no matter how big or small, with utmost patience.

Not to boast, but their Prince’s current standing in Nanzheng was awkward, and yet the Crown Prince had been so accommodating - a testament to his humility and the genuinely deserved acclaim of his reputation.