Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 422 - 401: One More Update

Chapter 422: Chapter 401: One More Update

Qi Ling hurriedly followed, no longer caring about whether it was appropriate.

"Your Highness—" Zheng Nianru turned around and saw the anxious look on Qi Ling’s face, feeling somewhat amused. Why? Were the people not well arranged?

"Your Highness, those memorials—" Qi Ling pressed on awkwardly.

Qi Zhu also immediately came forward.

"Commandery Princess, Steward Hu said that today’s fish were freshly brought from Wei Port, waiting for you to personally pick them..." Qi Zhu slowed down, grateful that his mind was still working and he remembered this excuse.

Zheng Nianru glanced at Qi Zhu, seeing the "sneaky" look on these two, she wasn’t angry anymore. Over the years, such incidents weren’t just once or twice. Although each time it inevitably led to a commotion, each time she managed to draw out Zheng Congyuan’s "attitude." In her previous life, towards the end, the Empress had even more tricks and schemes, almost eager to learn all of Emperor Jingzhi’s tactics.

Zheng Nianru was originally not angry, but seeing Qi Ling and Qi Zhu so earnest, what, were they afraid that if she found out, she would make it difficult for those two people? Did she lack the capacity to accommodate others?

Indeed, she lacked it. Not to mention that Ju Nanyi wouldn’t dare, after she became the Empress Dowager, Ju Nanyi dared even less, and she was only attended by servants. Therefore, Zheng Nianru felt she didn’t have the capacity for tolerance, and thus, she couldn’t perform any acts of tolerance.

"What? Did the person not hide well, and you’re in a hurry to trip me up?" Zheng Nianru directly didn’t give Zheng Congyuan time, asked Qi Zhu with a cold sneer.

Hearing this, Qi Zhu fell to his knees with a thud, his face pale, kneeling before both Zheng Nianru and Zheng Congyuan.

"Commandery Princess, spare my life, at this moment the Crown Prince is unaware, we only just found out upon our return." Qi Ling immediately knelt down too. The person was indeed delivered yesterday afternoon, but the Crown Prince did not return to the mansion yesterday, Qi Ling only hoped that this time, the Commandery Princess would consider their usual loyalty and not cause a scene.

"Who?" Zheng Congyuan asked in a deep voice, feeling a sense of foreboding because he was happy and had not noticed. Who? That still needed to be hidden.

"Your Highness, it’s two ladies sent by the Empress yesterday afternoon, currently in the back courtyard," Qi Ling said desperately, his head knocking on the cold long stone.

"Just send them back then, it’s not as if you don’t know the rules, do I need to inquire about such things personally! A waste of time." Zheng Congyuan felt a headache coming on, just when days had been settling down, what was the Empress Dowager trying to do now, did she think acting like the Emperor was the right approach?

Zheng Congyuan took hold of the young girl’s hand beside him again, about to speak, Zheng Nianru had already withdrawn her hand, her gaze cold and full of grievance.

"Since it’s inconvenient, I might as well go back first." Zheng Nianru suddenly lost her mood, not that it was completely gone, but the courtyard, no matter how nice, if it meant sharing with another woman, Zheng Nianru felt she could never do it.

Qi Ling and Qi Zhu suddenly became anxious. As Zheng Nianru turned and walked away, Fu Dong and Nian Xia’s faces showed panic, wanting to say something but not daring to, Nanny Yun quickly signaled to Qi Ling and Qi Zhu with her eyes, don’t worry, it’s okay, it’s okay...

"Commandery Princess—" Wait for us.

The Crown Prince’s Mansion immediately fell silent, Steward Hu, who received the message and hurried over, walked to the edge of the veranda and immediately kneeled when he saw the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, this old servant, this old servant is confused—" Steward Hu felt very wronged, he had clearly tried very hard to refuse, and even "fell ill" planning to send the people back first, and then talk when the Crown Prince returned. However, Nanny Du, who was used to seeing their tricks, directly led the people into the back courtyard.

There was another one—literally out for his life—in the backyard.

Zheng Congyuan coldly watched his people on the ground, barely alive. This was not the first time he had encountered such a situation; the Empress Dowager wanted to plant someone inside, and naturally, they were not capable of stopping her.

But what Zheng Congyuan considered was not this issue, rather, the fact that this person had arrived at the Crown Prince’s Mansion only yesterday afternoon, and he hadn’t even been aware. Naturally, his people below couldn’t have possibly spread the word.

"Go check it out. Find out who leaked this," Zheng Congyuan no longer felt like going out. Weren’t there still documents he hadn’t reviewed? He turned around and re-entered his study.

Qi Ling and Qi Zhu were startled, check what? The next moment, they immediately understood their prince’s meaning. Damn it, they were almost tricked. Yes, this urgent matter, Steward Hu was always efficient in handling affairs. This matter just needed to wait until the prince returned, and Steward Hu would definitely send the person back exactly as they were.

So, it was clear someone intended to harm them. If they couldn’t find this person, they wouldn’t have the face to mix in the Crown Prince’s Mansion anymore.

...

Batch after batch of rewards flowed into Zhongling Palace, the sheer scale of it making it difficult for anyone not to notice. Suddenly, the whole palace seemed to explode.

Several lower-ranking concubines lived in Zhongling Palace. With the Emperor being chronically ill, they didn’t even hold a primary position in the palace. On ordinary days, these Talented Ladies idled their time away. Suddenly, Talented Lady Jing was promoted to Jing Chongrong, and the continuous rewards made the eunuchs’ list something to envy.

Just because Talented Lady Jing had served for one night?

Naturally, there was no shortage of ladies serving the ailing Emperor, doing everything from serving tea to bringing water. They could differentiate each task’s quality; no one was a fool. On their designated service days, didn’t each of them act with utmost care, refusing even to sleep through the night to ensure they served well?

The service referred to here was just that—service. After all, with Emperor Jingzhi being ill for so many years, no one would think otherwise.

Talented Lady Jing—oh, no, Jing Chongrong—could she possibly have four hands, four legs?

After a day or two of confusion, some information slowly began to leak out. The events of that night were vaguely passed around, and suddenly, the concubines who knew the truth immediately regretted not being the ones in attendance that day. Since Emperor Jingzhi fell ill, their chances of seeing the Emperor had been few, let alone having any real interaction. If this development continued, then the highly fortunate Jing Chongrong might capitalize on this streak of luck to bear a child, making these many years’ wait worthwhile.

Such good fortune was like seeing a ghost in broad daylight.

From initial curiosity to now, envy and jealousy pervaded the palace. Jing Chongrong reveled in her superficial vanity and a heart full of trepidation; she often woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, afraid that if the Emperor summoned someone else, this matter would become the laughing stock of the entire palace.

Empress Xiao was also very surprised when she heard about it. She felt that if Emperor Jingzhi could speak a few words without gasping, the Imperial Physician might as well declare him cured; where would he find the energy to do such things.

Zheng Congyuan’s expression remained icy, not responding to his mother’s mocking words. Emperor Jingzhi’s illness naturally could not be cured, so how could such a rumor suddenly arise?

Had he used those things? Zheng Congyuan remembered Emperor Jingzhi had always been averse to those things and was well aware of the significant side effects once they were used.