Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 407 - 386 Second Update

Chapter 407: Chapter 386 Second Update

"Lord Ju, let me escort you," Yu Yuan felt there was something odd about Lord Ju today, who wanted to part ways halfway after leaving Prince Duan’s Mansion. How could this be right? If the Crown Prince learned he had left Lord Ju in the middle of the road, wouldn’t he think that Yu Yuan had been negligent in his care?

"Lord Yu, the members of the Fire Order Squad have been resting for two days, and now is a critical moment to eradicate the Ghost Shadow Sorcery in Zheng Capital. Neither of us should be absent. If you are with the Fire Order Squad, I will feel more at ease even if I am recovering at home. Lord Yu, at this moment, we must prioritize imperial court affairs. Surely the Crown Prince will understand and not hold you to blame," Ju Nanyi said slowly, forcing himself to stand firm to show he had the capability to return on his own.

Upon hearing this, Yu Yuan’s expression turned serious, acknowledging that Lord Ju had thought things through, and he no longer insisted on accompanying him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Ju. I will head back now," Yu Yuan said, his expression solemn, as he felt deep admiration for Lord Ju, who always thought of the Fire Order Squad and was meticulous and selflessly devoted to public affairs.

Yu Yuan felt that walking slowly would be a disservice to the Crown Prince’s trust in their Fire Order Squad. After a hasty farewell, he immediately rushed to the squad.

Ju Nanyi watched Yu Yuan’s retreating figure, then glanced at Prince Duan’s Mansion not far away. For some reason, his heart ached sharply. Ju Nanyi pulled back his thoughts; compared to the panic and cluelessness of the night he awoke, he had now calmed down.

Memories slowly formed a concrete fact in his mind, as if another life was warning him at its dying moments, desperately trying to alert him to something.

But what was it trying to warn him about?

Not to repeat such a life in this lifetime? To have no entanglements with Princess Chao Ren? Ju Nanyi felt that was not it. The memory of her leaving, the pain that pierced his heart—a pain so intense he wished he could have followed her—was not diminished by adopting a new body or by being just a memory.

The heartache was unbearable even at the thought of it.

In this lifetime, until now, he had already tried twice to give up on getting close to her, hesitating and wavering. But each time he deliberately avoided her, resigning himself to their lack of fate, the depression and profound pain would sweep over him in waves, swallowing all his reason.

Ju Nanyi let out a bitter laugh. Since the first glance at her, from the dappled hawthorn shadows in the other courtyard to the city’s moat where she stood, even if she was beside another man, his suppressed pain was no less than the pain of losing her later on.

So why should he accept his fate? Because she did not spare him a glance? Because of his origin?

Ju Nanyi let the pain spread over his not yet recovered body, and in this pain, he was able to catch his breath for a moment. All the depression, the notion that they were destined yet not meant to be, and even now he had yet to see even a glimpse of his own reflection in her eyes—this lifetime he seemed even more unable to suppress his feelings than before.

At least, in the lifetime of his memories, his plans and deliberate arrangements had caught her attention, allowed them to draw closer gradually, and made Prince Duan an increasingly powerful pawn in his hands—one that could catch her eye... Even her deliberate flirtations were part of his plan, as he knew she had ambitions and was eager to have the power to protect herself and Prince Duan.

But now, he had the Fire Order Squad, a better pawn than his former self. Yet, he felt a sense of despair, sensing an insurmountable gulf between them; she had never, from the beginning to the end, really seen him.

Ju Nanyi seemed to remember more fragments, the everyday details of their life; she was a person who enjoyed luxury and couldn’t suffer the slightest hardship. Yet, during those hard years when they plotted rebellion, she remained by his side.

Ju Nanyi was puzzled as to what had led them to such an end.

It was because she became the Empress Dowager, that she was so flattered and sought after that she lost all sense of reality, even brazenly keeping her favorites within the Harem.

At that time, he had been busy in the Northwest Border, eliminating the threat of Ghoul Ravine, barely surviving to rush back to the Imperial Palace, only to be greeted by that ludicrous scene—it would have been a mercy to have slain him with a single blow.

And yet, there was the toddler who could barely walk, tenderly calling him "father" and asking him to take her to find her mother.

Ju Nanyi had slain half the people in the palace, and for the first time, touched those around her. He had wished to kill them all, even her, yet she claimed it was not her fault, that she had been framed, and that those people had deliberately deceived her.

Ju Nanyi even clearly remembered the tears on her face then, not crying to beg for his forgiveness, but instead blaming his distrust, not believing in her, for killing her female servant.

So, since when had they become strangers? It must have been from that moment on.

Ju Nanyi walked slowly, refusing the guard’s offer to get into the carriage behind him, step by step.

Thus, if there was anything he should be warned about, where should he begin now? The things he had done before were already done, yet they had not had the effect they did back then, so now it was different.

Ju Nanyi kept telling himself over and over again that he was not the man from his memories, and he had not yet reached a dead end. In fact, she hadn’t even started to notice him, unaware of the many things he had done for her that even now shocked him.

The prophecy of Nanzheng State had not yet emerged, the various powers had not yet become restless, the people from Qiandao Temple had not yet found him, to speak of that absurdity he had considered childish.

Ju Nanyi smiled, he did not believe in those prophecies from Qiandao Temple; the stranger from his memories had not believed, and neither would he in this lifetime.

He was born of humble beginnings, at the end of an era, and even at birth, there was no tale of auspicious omens, just the ordinary event of Mother Ju giving birth to him at home, severing his umbilical cord with a pair of glowing hot scissors, then taking a sip of water before getting back to work.

Thus, Qiandao Temple had said, due to him, the Nanzheng Imperial Clan would lose its power, and he, named in the prophecy as the enlightened monarch, would take its place.

By that time, he had already gone from the decimated troops who had fled back from General Ling, amassing strength enough to contend with any force in Nanzheng. He was the figurehead for a clean slate for the monarchy, opposing the brutal Fourth Prince, and victory seemed within reach, his son about to ascend the throne.

Therefore, he unhesitatingly took action against Qiandao Temple, sparing no one who spread rumors, all to secure his progeny’s legitimate claim to the throne.

Ju Nanyi suddenly stopped, something was wrong—the current events were starting to deviate from his expectations.

The carriage behind him came to a halt, and the lean and tall black horse pulling it, bored, kicked its hoofs and fiercely shook the mane on its neck.

Ju Nanyi looked up, finally realizing where things had started to go awry. In this lifetime, the people from Qiandao Temple had appeared too soon, the Fire Order Squad had appeared too soon, disrupting some of his plans.