Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 400 - 379: First Update

Chapter 400: Chapter 379: First Update

"Ladies, no, there’s no need for formalities." Ju Nanyi immediately began to speak in a flustered manner. Seeing that Yu Yuan, who was there for the spectacle, didn’t leave, he noted Ju Nanyi’s composure unravel, and thought, aha, so even Lord Ju can have moments when he’s at a loss.

Nian Xia and Xue Liu, seeing Ju Nanyi in such a state, with his pale face now flushed with the embarrassment to the point of amusement, couldn’t help but be amused.

"Lord Yu, would you help Lord Ju change his clothes? We will take them to the Laundry Granny," Nian Xia said as she handed Yu Yuan a new set of robes. The men from the Fire Order Squad were all rough fellows, naturally inattentive to these details, never even thinking of them.

"Oh, oh," Yu Yuan took the clothes. Nian Xia and Xue Liu shared a smile and stepped out.

"Sir, you are quite fortunate—" While Yu Yuan was changing the clothes, he heard Nian Xia outside instructing the old women on brewing medicine and cooking with meticulous care, and Xue Liu dispatching a house servant to ask Housekeeper He for something. The whole familiar scene made Ju Nanyi feel as if he was in a daze.

Ju Nanyi tried hard to calm himself, telling himself over and over that his current life had nothing to do with his past one, that his relationship with her now should not intersect at all.

Even if he saved her, her character wouldn’t permit her to think highly of you. Ju Nanyi didn’t know why he entertained such a thought; in his previous life, up until the wedding, he had been in a daze, like he was hit by a stroke of fate, always cautious, cherishing every smile and frown of hers.

This feeling wasn’t cultivated amongst the humble attitudes of everyone after she became the Empress Dowager, but even during the chaotic times of war, through the days when life was uprooted, she remained the same.

Ju Nanyi carefully sifted through the memories that didn’t belong to his current self, piecing together a future he had no part in with those vague recollections.

He married her, which greatly pleased Prince Duan who showed him much favor. With the joy of a new marriage, he even felt that he had everything in the world, a contentment without any regrets.

Because of this relationship, the Crown Prince entrusted him with more important tasks. He began to grow busy, and gradually, she began to harbor some complaints, though it was more the shyness of a young woman.

Ju Nanyi indulged in the warm memories of their beginning and didn’t want to pull away, but he also had to confront the façade of togetherness that followed, and eventually, he, he actually came to hate her.

Those ludicrous memories didn’t take up much space in his mind, but they were enough for Ju Nanyi to understand why he hated her. No, it was she who started to hate him first, gradually becoming absurd. Ju Nanyi tried to remember in detail what exactly had gone wrong, but by then, the Crown Prince and Prince Duan were both dead, and the number of sincere people by her side could be counted on one hand.

Ju Nanyi felt that under such circumstances, any man would have been unable to bear it. In the end, she didn’t even bother to hide it, deliberately provoking him as if she wanted him to kill her with his own hands. The thought made Ju Nanyi shudder.

His memory stopped on the night she died when he deeply realized that nothing was worth more than her being alive. Even with the two children she had left behind and the entire region of Nanzheng, he became acutely aware that he didn’t care about any of it. Beyond hatred, there was a greater sense of loss, darkness, and the will to live began to dissipate slowly.

"Sir, sir—" Yu Yuan felt there was something off about his master, but knowing that Ju Nanyi was normally a composed person, he became reassured when Ju Nanyi turned his head and nodded with effort. Yu Yuan then thought he might be overthinking it.

"Thank you—" Ju Nanyi began, indeed disliking the feel of dirty clothes on his body. He felt a bit dazed. If in this life he were to marry her, could he perhaps avoid such an ending...?

But now, his circumstances were very different from those in his past life. Even more so, she was already betrothed to another.

...

Zheng Haoyuan crouched and scurried to the entrance of Prince Duan’s Mansion, ready to barge in. After all, the house servant of Prince Duan’s Mansion couldn’t stop him and might as well let him in.

But today, the house servant standing at the door didn’t move an inch. Zheng Haoyuan was somewhat surprised and couldn’t help but glance at the new house servant.

Zheng Haoyuan stopped in his tracks and circled around to stand in front of this new house servant, turning around him twice.

"I recognize you, you’re from the Crown Prince’s Mansion!" Zheng Haoyuan suddenly realized as he spoke, mentioning how familiar the servant looked, and it wasn’t just once that he had seen him before.

"This subordinate has seen the Fourth Prince—" The guard spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, not trying to ingratiate himself just because Zheng Haoyuan had recognized him.

"What are you doing here?" Zheng Haoyuan asked suspiciously, "Is the Crown Prince here?"

"Fourth Prince, this subordinate is here on the Crown Prince’s orders." The Imperial Forest Guard answered truthfully, which left Zheng Haoyuan even more puzzled.

Nowadays, the Imperial Forest Guard was divided into three parts: one part under his control, one under his father’s, and another under Zheng Congyuan’s. However, when most of the Imperial Forest Guards were under Zheng Muyuan’s command, Zheng Haoyuan had seen quite a few of them, so many faces were familiar to him.

Zheng Haoyuan also knew he wouldn’t glean any more information by asking, so he immediately walked inside. He hadn’t visited Prince Duan’s Mansion for some time, and there had been some new changes; the more exquisite the gardens became, the more it revealed the trees’ value, a clear departure from the verdant but unrefined trees of the past.

Zheng Haoyuan marveled, thinking how clever his cousin’s touches were.

"What brings you here today?" Zheng Nianru asked casually, continuing with her unfinished embroidery.

"Isn’t it that Master Yu Sheng is finally leaving, and I no longer have to sit through his sermons?" Zheng Haoyuan looked eagerly at the embroidery, so vivid and beautiful that it practically came to life.

"Your Highness, Fourth Prince, this is not something men should meddle with." Nanny Yun snatched the item from Zheng Haoyuan’s hands, resolutely preventing him from touching it; they couldn’t afford to waste their many days of hard work just because of his tampering.

"Why don’t I see Nian Xia or Xue Liu?" Zheng Haoyuan asked absentmindedly, looking around the room, huh, he should get a screen like this for his own hall, it’s attractive.

Nanny Yun glanced at Zheng Nianru, noting that Zheng Nianru had no intention of speaking up.

"Where else could they be, probably off somewhere playing in secret," Nanny Yun said with a smile.

"Even that girl, Xing Yu, is missing."

"Fourth Prince, if you’d like some pastries just say the word, I’ll go tell the cook." Fu Dong stood up, glanced at the time, knowing the Commandery Princess must be getting hungry soon.

...

"Princely Heir, the Prince has ordered that you cannot enter." The guard at the door stopped Zong Yunqian from coming in, Zong Yunqian’s displeasure evident on his face, but he managed to hold back his annoyance after a glance at the familiar house servant.

"Please announce me, this Princely Heir has urgent matters to discuss with Princess Chao Ren—"

"Princely Heir, there’s no need. The Prince has already instructed us, and if I let you in, it will cost me my life, and there’s no chance I could let you see the Commandery

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