Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 42 First Encounter

Chapter 42: Chapter 42 First Encounter

"You heard her, she admitted it herself," Wen Mengxin said as if she had caught her smoking gun, her anger intensified by Zheng Nianru’s attitude.

"You heard your mother’s fart," Nian Xia took a step forward and cursed loudly, startling the group of young ladies raised in seclusion, while Wen Mengyue bit her lip unsure what to say next, and Wen Mengrong’s eyes reddened. Wen Mengxin, mouth agape, never imagined she’d be cursed by a servant.

Ju Nanyi also blinked in surprise, feeling somewhat confused as to where he was. Such cursing couldn’t even be heard from the servants in the houses of fourth-rank officials.

"What are you standing there for, slap her face for me—" Wen Mengxin recovered and immediately scolded her nearby servants.

The servants certainly hadn’t expected this turn of events and hurried forward when they realized what was happening. Two nannies tried to grab Nian Xia, but she kicked them down, toppling them to the ground. Before the other servants could react, she punched out, knocking down a large group in a chaotic heap.

"You, you, you..." The four sisters of the Wen family stood among the fallen servants, like bare trees with their leaves shaken off by the autumn wind, trembling and nearly in tears.

Ju Nanyi withdrew his previously extended foot; it seemed he was not needed, as the movement matched the previous curse he had heard.

Nian Xia grabbed Wen Mengxin’s jaw with one hand, and Fu Dong, who hadn’t managed to make a move until then, grabbed Wen Mengshu. The remaining two, already drained of all strength just standing, were likely to faint if Nian Xia spoke again.

Zheng Nianru slowly walked over, looking at Wen Mengxin’s contorted face twisted with pain, her panic-stricken eyes, and her uncoordinated struggles that made her look as pitiful and self-inflicted as a chick in the beak of an eagle, in Nian Xia’s grip.

Zheng Nianru suddenly laughed, a laugh that made Wen Mengxin almost forget to struggle. Fear in her pupils magnified, and the face that slowly drew near Wen Mengxin’s had a gentle smile.

"That brother of yours, Wen Zan—his leg wasn’t broken by a fall. My men broke it deliberately, smashing it with a hammer, blow by blow, the flesh a bloody mess until the bone was exposed, as thick as this. Oh, and that eunuch, I had him chopped into pieces and fed to the dogs..."

Zheng Nianru spoke slowly, her voice soft, each word like a dewdrop sliding into the ears of the woman in front of her.

Ju Nanyi slightly furrowed his brows. He had heard it, although faint. The lightness in her voice oddly combined with the macabre content made his skin crawl, and a chill breeze only heightened this eerie sensation...

"Ah—" Wen Mengyue screamed sharply and fainted outright before Zheng Nianru had finished speaking. Wen Mengxin, in a daze, nearly forgot her fear, replaying Zheng Nianru’s words over and over in her mind until her face paled and her lips dried and trembled.

Wen Mengshu’s face turned deathly white, but as the oldest among the four, she still managed to kneel down quickly, despite the fear.

"Your Highness the Princess, it was us who offended you. We believed some idle gossip as truth. Please, have mercy on them," she pleaded.

Zheng Nianru looked down at Wen Mengshu on the ground, her innocent eyes like a sprite untouched by the world’s affairs.

"Finally, one who knows her place?" Zheng Nianru commented, observing Wen Mengshu on the ground. She hadn’t planned on doing much to these girls anyway—touching anyone from the Wen family now would just cause Zheng Congyuan trouble.

"Your Royal Highness, please spare us, please spare us," the ground full of servants seeing Wen Mengshu kneeling, all knelt down, begging for mercy in unison.

"Let them go," she said.

Nian Xia was taken aback. To let them go just like that seemed too lenient, didn’t it?

Fu Dong released her grip first, and then Nian Xia reluctantly withdrew her hand.

Wen Mengshu immediately fled with her sisters in tow, their soft sobs trailing behind them.

"Commandery Princess, you’re too kind-hearted. You should have slapped them a few more times, slap, slap, slap, to make it loud and clear," Nian Xia said, kicking pebbles on the ground.

Fu Dong supported Zheng Nianru and gave Nian Xia a glare. Aren’t you coming over? The princess is tired from walking, and she will get angry again later.

"Your Royal Highness the Princess—" Before Zheng Nianru could round the corner of the garden and reach the tree where Ju Nanyi was hiding, Ju Nanyi emerged from behind the tree and bowed respectfully.

Zheng Nianru stopped in her tracks. Even with his head bowed and in complete silence, just standing there bending slightly, the figure seemed like an unreal dream to Zheng Nianru.

The next moment, Zheng Nianru turned her head away. She doesn’t know him now, so why bother with him?

Nian Xia looked on in astonishment. That man is... too handsome. Handsome isn’t sufficient to describe him. The Crown Prince is handsome too, gentle like jade, and Nanmen Yu is attractive, with delicate features like those of a young lady. But this man, he’s like the unsung orchids in the mountains, an unforgettable presence.

Yet their princess just ignored him like that, which didn’t seem to make sense.

Ju Nanyi was slightly taken aback, but this wasn’t a time for him to stumble into a play without a role. So, he took a step forward, blocking Zheng Nianru’s path.

"Your Royal Highness the Princess, I have a question to ask you," Ju Nanyi said, still not lifting his head. From the corner of his eye, he could only see the edges of her light purple gossamer robe fluttering in the breeze, the robe’s embroideries of entwining begonias blossoming and swaying with the wind.

"Sir, our princess doesn’t know anything about it," Fu Dong interjected.

"Has the princess seen the Fourth Prince at the Traveling Palace?" Ju Nanyi didn’t want to waste words any further, and went straight to the point. He lifted his head slightly but only dared to gaze at the hem of her dress.

Zheng Nianru glanced at Fu Dong.

"Our princess does not know the Fourth Prince," Fu Dong said without a hint of hesitation and promptly replied.

Zheng Nianru stepped away, her skirt blossoming like spring flowers, carrying away all the hues of spring without a trace of nostalgia.

Ju Nanyi stood there for a long time, uncertain whether he felt a sense of loss or simply because he failed to fulfill Eunuch Ho Sheng’s entrustment. Perhaps he had hoped to hear her voice just once more.

"Princess, could that be someone from Noble Consort’s faction?" Fu Dong was worried. To stop the princess and question her, he must have known something. Wouldn’t that...?

"Doesn’t Noble Consort Wen always dislike Zheng Haoyuan getting close to me? Isn’t this just perfect?" Zheng Nianru said lightly, her mind calm, even filled with some reminiscence. Those unstoppable memories, upon suddenly seeing the person himself, became strangely boring all of a sudden.

Yes, in this life, she had not planned to provoke this person. Which eye, which nerve of hers in her previous life had thought he was easy to manipulate, obedient, and capable of handling matters gracefully? Someone she could use and discard, again and again?

Carefully, Nian Xia opened the courtyard door. Why had the princess suddenly become upset?

"Is it her?" Atop a hill, someone lay leisurely on a recliner, watching with interest as the trio, comprising of the princess and her two servants, slowly walked into the courtyard.

Zheng Muyuan seemed to be in a good mood. Perhaps in a few days, he would get to know her, disguising as Fu Gong. If Fu Gong could escape from the Imperial Palace for her, she must be quite the catch. Would he also be able to have such joyful times with her in the future?

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