Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 449 - 428: Second Update

Chapter 449: Chapter 428: Second Update

Prince Duan was momentarily taken aback, looking towards Qi Zhu, "What do you mean?"

"Prince, based on the current situation, Lord Ju is likely to be with the Commandery Princess. If she is found in the cave, the fact that they are alone together overnight... would inevitably tarnish the Commandery Princess’s reputation."

Prince Duan stopped in his tracks, yes, how had he not thought of that? And with so many witnesses, wouldn’t it affect Nian Ru’s reputation?

"What should we do?" Prince Duan hadn’t considered this aspect. Now that Qi Zhu had brought it up, he was burning with anxiety. Finding her wouldn’t be good, but not finding her wouldn’t be good either. Ju Nanyi was different. After all, Nian Ru had once been betrothed to Heir Zong, and now she was not. By now, half the night had passed. If they found her, indeed, it would lead to speculation...

"Prince, the Crown Prince also thought of this, which is why he has personally gone to search. Therefore, finding the Commandery Princess is the priority. After that, as long as we act swiftly, if necessary... for the sake of rescuing the Commandery Princess, should Lord Ju suffer a fatal wound, her reputation..." Qi Zhu spoke quickly, the firelight flickering, and Prince Duan saw the determination and decisiveness flash across Qi Zhu’s face, and he instantly understood Qi Zhu’s implication.

Alone together overnight in this cave, what the situation was now, nobody knew, but naturally, finding them was of the utmost importance. Therefore, they couldn’t reduce the search party. But what about after they were found? If they encountered such a scene, under the scrutiny of so many eyes, Nian Ru’s reputation...

The more Prince Duan thought about Nian Ru’s reputation, the clearer his gaze became. He nodded decisively. For the sake of Nian Ru, how did it matter if he played the villain once?

"Rest assured, when the time comes, I will not make things difficult for the Crown Prince..." Prince Duan continued, feeling grateful for Zheng Congyuan’s sake, who would even sacrifice his trusted aide for Zheng Nianru. It wouldn’t do to let him play the role of the villain, and besides, if he did it, the role of the villain would fall to him.

Qi Zhu immediately felt relieved. The current Prince Duan was naturally not as meticulous as the former Prince Xian, so such clumsy persuasion could have easily failed, even Qi Zhu himself had doubts, but it had worked, and Qi Zhu felt a surge of admiration for Qi Ling’s ability to read people’s hearts.

The team moved forward slowly, the cave being much larger than anyone had anticipated, with its winding and rugged path, leaving no one to know where its end laid.

...

He Ling knelt on the hard floor tiles, surrounded by shattered pieces of the oil lamp. He Ling quietly picked up the fragments, careful not to draw the attention of his master.

Also kneeling were two black-clothed people, heads bowed, motionless. Compared to them, He Ling’s situation was much better.

But He Ling did not dare to feel fortunate. Although there was no sound in the great hall, He Ling knew that today’s events were unlikely to end well.

The Emperor... alas...

"He sure is well-informed," Emperor Jingzhi finally snorted coldly after a long while, his closed eyes emitting a venomous light, "I am not dead yet. It is not his turn to be the lord of Nanzheng—"

The two people on the ground did not dare to speak.

"Is he dead?" Emperor Jingzhi asked again.

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes as he fell. From such a height, death or crippling would be certain," the black-clothed person immediately said.

He Ling glanced at the black-clothed person and sighed inwardly. Death or crippling, you’re probably not far from death yourselves.

As expected, the atmosphere immediately grew colder. Though Emperor Jingzhi was bedridden, the innate authority of a ruler capable of controlling life and death didn’t need deliberate display.

The black-clothed people immediately kowtowed.

"My lord, it’s the Crown Prince’s men who are relentlessly pursuing us, they were prepared from the start." A black-clothed person immediately said, his forehead hitting the porcelain shards, blood flowing freely but he dared not move.

"The Crown Prince? He’s only the Crown Prince because I allow it..." Emperor Jingzhi said discontentedly, not even finishing before he began to cough endlessly.

He Ling immediately stepped forward to help his master catch his breath.

The black-clothed person didn’t dare to speak, knowing that he probably wouldn’t live much longer.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince’s power in the court is now stable. Our actions could hardly escape his notice."

The black-clothed person was surprised that He Ling spoke on his behalf, touched by the gesture. They all knew why He Ling, who was not a eunuch, had ended up becoming one.

"If that’s the case, what use are you to me?" Emperor Jingzhi pushed He Ling away. He wasn’t dead yet. It was just a woman, after all. That woman was taken by Zheng Boding, and what wrong was there if he now took away his daughter?

He Ling didn’t dare to persuade further, and as Emperor Jingzhi thought more about it, his coughing became uncontrollable.

"Summon the Imperial Physician—" He Ling stood up decisively, signalling with his eyes for the two men to leave quickly, and the two black-clothed people didn’t dare to stay any longer, leaving right away.

The Imperial Physician arrived quickly, as he had been waiting just outside the hall. He Ling stepped out to see the two people still loitering outside, initially not wanting to deal with the matter further. However, knowing full well that Emperor Jingzhi’s days were numbered, he approached them anyway.

"Go clean up properly, don’t leave anything that could get you caught," He Ling said, then, without heeding their shocked and confused expressions, left.

...

Although Zheng Nianru was uncomfortable, she knew staying here wasn’t a long-term solution, so she could only follow Ju Nanyi to find an exit. Luckily, they didn’t take too long to discover a narrow passage, with Ju Nanyi first going in to scout ahead, before coming back to lead her forward.

Zheng Nianru suddenly felt the atmosphere was a bit odd, as if Ju Nanyi, after she’d fallen asleep, had turned into someone else. If she didn’t know Ju Nanyi so well, with his quiet nature, she might not have noticed anything with just a bit of carelessness.

But Zheng Nianru knew Ju Nanyi too well, and this familiarity was not intentional but had formed naturally over the many years of their association. Even without looking at Ju Nanyi, she could feel the oppressive atmosphere.

Zheng Nianru became puzzled. Was Ju Nanyi unhappy? She immediately connected this to their current situation. Clearly, Ju Nanyi hadn’t said anything, but the low pressure already told her that it was very likely they were facing a dead end, and they might just die trapped here.

Zheng Nianru suddenly stopped and refused to go any further.

Ju Nanyi had walked some distance before realizing Zheng Nianru wasn’t following. By the time he turned back, her silhouette was already beyond the light of the fire, small and thin, wrapped in his jacket amidst the darkness.

Ju Nanyi turned back again.

Zheng Nianru glanced at Ju Nanyi, looking like a frostbitten eggplant, and she knew there was a problem. To others, Ju Nanyi might seem normal, but she could tell that he was holding something back.

"We might as well not go. It’s more reliable to wait for a rescue." Zheng Nianru didn’t want to move. Since they couldn’t find a way out, why waste the energy? She refused.

"Can’t move anymore?" Ju Nanyi asked, tempted to leave the woman behind and just walk away. He feared he couldn’t control himself and would constantly think about it. Who did she like? Who had she fallen in love with?