Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 425 - 404: Second Update

Chapter 425: Chapter 404: Second Update

"Alright," Zheng Nianru responded without much enthusiasm, but she had nothing else to do, and visiting the garden was her own suggestion.

Zheng Nianru wandered through the garden at leisure, her attendants had maintained it well, ensuring there was plenty to see. If it weren’t for Prince Duan’s illness seeming even more severe than in her past life, she feared the day when his dementia would cause him to forget everyone might come sooner. This thought troubled her.

She had resolved in this life to be particularly filial to Prince Duan, to bring him more happiness, so he wouldn’t have to run about on her behalf like in her previous life. He had even given her his all, which had allowed her the opportunity to ascend to that position.

"Commandery Princess—" Xing Yu rushed over, passing the cloak she had brought to Fu Dong.

"The sun hasn’t set yet, and it’s not cold." Zheng Nianru glanced around, the flowers blooming beautifully boosted her spirits, "Xing Yu, have the kitchen warm up a pot of wine, and place it in the Warm Pavilion over there. We shall sit and drink a bit." Zheng Nianru eyed the nearby Warm Pavilion, enveloped by thick curtains half-rolled up in the middle, "Bring over a brazier, too. Wouldn’t it be nice and comfy to sit there and enjoy the view?"

"The Commandery Princess thinks of everything—" Xing Yu immediately ran off again. Fu Dong followed Zheng Nianru, commenting on the number of buds that had recently bloomed and suggesting they move some in front of the pavilion. Zheng Nianru nodded in agreement.

"Who would have thought the servants in the kitchen are so..." Fu Dong was taking advantage of Zheng Nianru’s good mood, and as she spoke, she noticed from the other direction of the pavilion, Lin Sheng was leading someone slowly towards it.

Lord Ju? Fu Dong instantly realized that the Warm Pavilion was not prepared for them.

"Commandery Princess, perhaps we should..." Fu Dong hesitated halfway through her sentence. After all, she could tell that the Princess was not in the best of moods today, but returning to their courtyard and moving the newly bloomed chrysanthemums inside, closing the doors, and having a good time together did not sound like a bad idea.

At first glance, Ju Nanyi’s heart thumped violently as he caught sight of Zheng Nianru heading towards the Warm Pavilion. Despite his earlier reluctance, he stopped making excuses now that he had encountered her in the garden.

Ju Nanyi acknowledged how rare this opportunity was: it might be the last chance he’d have to encounter her like this in the future. As his heart thumped, Ju Nanyi didn’t know what actions might ease the tension between them.

Zheng Nianru saw him, but merely that; she felt in control of the future so there wasn’t much tumult in her heart. Instead, because she had been unintentionally recalling Ju Nanyi these past days, she felt somewhat flustered.

Zheng Nianru stopped in her tracks and sighed, believing that those of different paths do not make plans together. After all, Ju Nanyi was a good person and would unlikely condone her relationship with Zheng Congyuan, eliminating the chance of even being ordinary friends. So why waste the effort?

Zheng Nianru turned to leave, but this turning motion deeply pained Ju Nanyi and seemed to give him all the courage he needed. He finally spoke up.

"Your Royal Highness the Princess, my apologies for the intrusion. I did not realize the Princess was here, nor did I know you had such refined taste. If the Princess doesn’t mind, why not join me so as not to let these late autumn chrysanthemums go unappreciated?" After speaking, Ju Nanyi stared at the figure who had already turned halfway, unsure of what reaction he would face, or if he might be met with a harsh rebuke and she would simply walk away. Based on his understanding of Zheng Nianru, she wasn’t the typical shy and retiring type like other ladies from prominent families.

Indeed, he had personally witnessed her intimate interactions with Nanmen Yu and others. After discovering her relationship with that person in the palace for the first time, he had continuously reminded himself that she was raised in such an environment without guidance, developing a free and unrestrained disposition. No one had taught her the propriety of not interacting too closely with men, nor had she been taught the avoidances that ladies from aristocratic families should observe. That’s why she acted as she pleased.

Therefore, Ju Nanyi still didn’t understand the youth before her eyes. As long as she was willing, she would come over, regardless of whether it was appropriate or not.

Zheng Nianru was slightly taken aback; the Ju Nanyi she knew would never be so meddlesome, nor would he call a woman he barely knew to have tea with him.

Zheng Nianru felt that the sun must have risen from the west, for if Ju Nanyi were so open-minded, he wouldn’t have been unable to move on from his past life, spending all his days immersed in his own circle. Could it be that it wasn’t his finger that was damaged, but his mind?

Zheng Nianru originally had no intention of dealing with Ju Nanyi in this lifetime, but now, Ju Nanyi had successfully piqued her interest. If in her past life, she had deliberately enticed Ju Nanyi to obtain control over the soldiers and horses of the Northwest Border, so that Ju Nanyi would turn against Zheng Congyuan, catching Zheng Congyuan off guard. But now, she had no such intentions, and she remembered that initially, Ju Nanyi hadn’t been much interested in her deliberate approaches.

"Your Royal Highness the Princess—" Just as Zheng Nianru was about to step forward, Fu Dong spoke somewhat nervously, thinking that Lord Ju might just be being polite, after all, they were at Prince Duan’s Mansion, and perhaps, that was all he meant, without any further implication. More importantly, Lord Ju might not be aware of their Commandery Princess’s nature, who never turned anyone away.

Zheng Nianru didn’t pay any attention to Fu Dong and walked towards the Warm Pavilion, with Fu Dong following closely behind.

Ju Nanyi suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, still appearing calm. He had no reason to be worse than his past self, who had already lived one life. In this lifetime, it was entirely possible for him to change the situation of his previous life and prevent anything from starting in the first place.

"Commandery Princess, please—" Ju Nanyi respectfully offered a seat, as if everything were perfectly normal. Zheng Nianru raised her eyebrows and sat down.

Xing Yu huffed and puffed as she carried the brazier over, and her surprise was evident when she saw who was in the Warm Pavilion; however, considering their Commandery Princess’s temperament, inviting Lord Ju was not out of the ordinary. She knelt to start the fire, while Lin Sheng let down the curtains of the Warm Pavilion. In a moment, the Warm Pavilion was toasty warm, and through the partly open curtain, one could see the chrysanthemums in full bloom, creating an illusion of a warm spring with flowers blossoming.

Ju Nanyi suddenly felt his heart quiet down for the first time in many days, returning to its place in his chest. Memories of sitting and drinking together were not plentiful, and the person before him seemed too indifferent.

"Commandery Princess, I dared to invite you to enjoy the scenery together, first because the chrysanthemum blossoms are magnificent and not to be missed, and second, to thank you for your help. My mother’s illness has improved a lot."

Zheng Nianru listened to Ju Nanyi’s words, knowing that the more grandiose a man’s words are, the more likely they conceal a secret desire. Underneath the facade of seriousness, Zheng Nianru knew that the Ju Nanyi of the past would come running to her at the slightest beckoning, without a second thought.

Ju Nanyi sat quietly, thinking it would be nice to just sit like this, but he also knew that opportunities were rare. If he wanted to enter her heart, he had already forfeited the qualifications to play a game of cat and mouse in this lifetime, or perhaps, his cards had not yet been revealed?

"Does the Commandery Princess have a particular interest in flowers?" asked Ju Nanyi.

Zheng Nianru looked at Ju Nanyi, and suddenly, she started to laugh, realizing that she had claimed to see through men, so it was not hard to tell that Ju Nanyi, who was trying hard to find a topic, was interested in her.