Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 438 - 417: One More Update

Chapter 438: Chapter 417: One More Update

The carriage suddenly lurched to one side, sending everyone inside tumbling towards the compartment, as boxes upon boxes struck the three individuals on their heads and faces.

Zheng Nianru’s first reaction was to assume an assassination attempt, but she didn’t panic; after all, they had encountered far too many incidents, and Nanny Yun had already swiftly lifted the carriage’s curtain.

"Commandery Princess, quickly—" Fu Dong was already helping Zheng Nianru, but at that moment, Zheng Nianru needed no assistance. Even with boxes striking her head, she felt no pain, and the normally breathless woman after a few steps was now as agile as a rabbit, wriggling out of the carriage, pulling Nanny Yun along, only to see figures moving outside the carriage, without enough time to spot the enemy.

"Under the carriage—" Nanny Yun’s voice had barely faded before the two of them had already crawled beneath the carriage. From climbing out the window to hiding fully underneath, the entire sequence was completed in one fluid motion, so swiftly that even Ju Nanyi and the accompanying guards couldn’t catch up in time.

"Fu Dong, hurry up—" Nanny Yun didn’t forget about Fu Dong, who was still standing there stunned.

Ju Nanyi and the guards from the Fire Order Squad were suddenly filled with an indescribable sensation, their outstretched hands unsure of what to do, whether to drag the sunken carriage out when the Commandery Princess was still underneath, or to feel it to be inappropriate to try and pull out the Princess herself.

As Fu Dong was half-way through crawling under the carriage, he heard Ju Nanyi’s voice.

"Your Royal Highness the Princess, it’s only that the carriage got stuck on the mountain path, there are no assassins." Ju Nanyi cleared his throat, recognizing the scene before him as all too familiar. However, back then, it was during the years when he was escorting her during their escape, constantly being chased, which in turn honed the woman’s skills at quick escapes.

Ju Nanyi had always thought that these life-saving skills were developed later on out of necessity, but now it seemed that the Commandery Princess had a natural talent for it. Especially just now—the coordinated, smooth actions of the master and her two servants were, in his eyes, somewhat... endearing.

What was he thinking about?

"What’s happened? What’s going on?" The occupants of the front carriage, having heard the commotion, had also stopped. Prince Duan was about to step out of his carriage when a guard at his side explained the situation.

"It wasn’t an assassination attempt?" Zheng Nianru was somewhat skeptical. It wasn’t an assassination? But why was her intuition so strong? With so many people watching, Zheng Nianru frowned, while Fu Dong went from crawling under the carriage to now extending a hand to drag his Princess out.

"Commandery Princess, please come out first, and let Lord Ju’s men pull the carriage out," whispered Fu Dong, her face involuntarily reddening as she helped Zheng Nianru climb out.

Zheng Nianru glanced around. Making a fool of herself didn’t matter to Zheng Nianru as much as saving her life did.

"Quick, get the Commandery Princess a cloak—" Nanny Yun immediately called out to a female servant who was following the carriage, and the servant quickly went to search for the cloak inside the carriage.

Ju Nanyi had regained his composure and was directing his men to start towing the carriage. The reason why the wheel had sunk was that the mountain path was soft and filled with loose stones mixed with soil, a common occurrence on such roads, and Ju Nanyi’s men were well accustomed to such events and quickly brought over the tools for pulling the horses.

"Lord Ju, thank you," said Nanny Yun, feeling awkward if she stayed silent.

Ju Nanyi nodded slightly in acknowledgment of Nanny Yun’s words. The severe chill of the afternoon was tempered by the warmth of the sun and a gentle breeze, one strand of which had caught and lifted the hem of Zheng Nianru’s skirt, made of dark blue chiffon, not very noticeable against the gold leaf design of the long dress, but now shimmering in the sunlight. Ju Nanyi knew Zheng Nianru took great care in such details, with even the smallest accessory demonstrating creativity.

Ju Nanyi had a secret in her heart, a tiny piece of the world untouched by others, harboring secrets unknown to them, secrets about her.

"Commandery Princess, your cloak—" The female servant brought over the cloak. Fu Dong, tall in stature, took the cloak from the female servant’s hands and was about to turn around.

"Commandery Princess, the outside is chilly—" Fu Dong’s words were cut off mid-sentence as her figure suddenly froze in place. It seemed her body had reacted before her mind, as Fu Dong slowly looked down. A sharp pain in her left arm made her scream out in the next moment. Her pale green jacket was quickly stained with fresh blood, spreading visibly.

"Ah—" Fu Dong’s scream shattered the noise of the guards calling out to the horses. An object hit her left arm hard, and it was the very female servant who had just handed the cloak to her. Due to her short stature, the arrow had pierced through the female servant’s neck. The previously lively servant’s eyes were still wide open, not yet closed, as her body slowly collapsed to the ground. The arrow had gone through the servant’s neck and embedded itself in Fu Dong’s arm, causing Fu Dong to scream and fall to the ground as well.

"An assassin—"

"Protect the Commandery Princess—"

"Protect Prince—"

In the midst of the chaotic cries, the guards didn’t have time to drop the ropes. Those with swords drew them hastily. Ju Nanyi, without a second thought, rushed in front of Zheng Nianru. The only thought in his mind was that Zheng Nianru had just been next to him. If it hadn’t been for the female servant’s presence, the target of the arrow would have been Zheng Nianru.

"Quick, save us—" Nanny Yun’s voice instantly heightened the tension. The next moment, she hurriedly pulled Zheng Nianru towards the underside of the carriage.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—" Several sharp arrows whistled through the air, embedding themselves into Zheng Nianru’s carriage with a thud, the arrowheads sinking completely into the wooden body of the vehicle. Nanny Yun, pulling Zheng Nianru, didn’t care about appearances anymore and hurriedly squirmed under the carriage. As proven by multiple escapes, this was the most effective method. Arrows couldn’t reach them, and horses and people wouldn’t harm them in the short term, giving their side enough time to recover.

Ju Nanyi’s men quickly gathered around the carriage, and despite several guards falling, none were hit in vital areas. Ju Nanyi quickly and calmly instructed all the guards to gather slowly, bringing all the people and horses together.

"They are in the trees across from us—" a guard yelled loudly. At this point, the Fire Order Squad had already used several dead horses as cover, and those few equipped with crossbows had already begun shooting back at the attackers.

After a flurry of arrows from the enemy, suddenly there was silence. Ju Nanyi felt that something was wrong, realizing that if this stalemate continued, they would be at a disadvantage.

"Her Royal Highness, we need to leave this place," Ju Nanyi said, looking down at Zheng Nianru under the carriage. Accidents could happen at any moment, and it was not safe to stay here any longer.

"Leave this place? Have you gone mad? Call for reinforcements quickly," Zheng Nianru, not minding the dirt beneath her, thought Ju Nanyi was crazy. Going out now was like offering themselves up as live targets.

Ju Nanyi frowned, unsure how to convince the person under the carriage. However, reality did not give him a chance to think further. A loud rumble came from the left and above, and when Ju Nanyi looked up, he saw thick smoke rolling down the left hillside towards them.

"Come out quickly—" Ju Nanyi shouted, already reaching under the carriage to pull people out.