Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 455 - 434: Second Update

Chapter 455: Chapter 434: Second Update

"Why is there still no movement?" Noble Consort Wen, who had been anxious all night, was restless, just waiting for the lights of the Chenyuan Hall to slowly quiet down, as if peace had been restored.

But how could Emperor Jingzhi be at peace? Someone had broken into his lair and had almost toppled his domain, could he even sleep?

"Talented Lady Lin is dead, her body was dragged up to the Southern Ridge." Eunuch Yu whispered as he came in, without even a simple mat wrapping her body, the unclad corpse in the filthy mire was particularly glaring to the eye, and even the worldly Eunuch Yu could not help but sigh, lamenting the loss of her tender skin, smooth as a peeled egg; it truly was a pity.

So it is said, serving the ruler is like living with a tiger.

Yu Qinghuai had just been promoted from the lower ranks, acting with considerable swiftness and deftness; in a short span, he had already gained the favor of Noble Consort Wen, and now he was deeply cherished by her.

Noble Consort Wen had no time to pity Talented Ladies like Lin or Mu, her heart filled with unease, uncertain what Emperor Jingzhi would do next, and if they would be implicated...

Noble Consort Wen knew her second brother’s plan and also wondered if tonight’s actions were carried out by the Wen Family. If so, she should not still be safe in the palace; if not, then who would dare target Emperor Jingzhi?

Noble Consort Wen was not entirely clear about Emperor Jingzhi’s Death Warriors; they were trained from a young age with their own set of rigorous grooming practices, chosen from thousands upon their birth, and had consumed a particular poison. Only Emperor Jingzhi had the antidote, and they would only obey his command, loyally and unequivocally.

Thus, Noble Consort Wen, despite her many years in the palace, had seen these men enter the palace only a few times. If it hadn’t been for Prince Duan’s rebellion, perhaps no one would know that Emperor Jingzhi had such a group at his side.

What was even more terrifying was that these men could come and go without a trace, and without Emperor Jingzhi’s summoning, it was impossible to find any sign of their existence.

Naturally, Prince Duan also had such men; it was said that Prince Duan was once deeply favored by the Former King, even considering a change of the Crown Prince. Therefore, in the same way Emperor Jingzhi had Dead Warriors, Prince Duan was given a group of his own.

These men were rigorously trained from childhood, and even after Prince Duan’s failure, they disappeared immediately upon receiving his command, evaporating from this world, leaving no trace of their existence.

Noble Consort Wen said she wasn’t afraid would be a lie, worried that tonight’s incident had ulterior motives, if the Wen Family were to be framed...

"Noble Consort, do not worry. A servant has checked outside the palace, and it seems that something happened out there," Eunuch Yu began, but the news was vague: Prince Duan’s carriage was startled on the mountain road, and instead of summoning an Imperial Physician, only a common physician was consulted.

Noble Consort Wen shook her head, Prince Duan no longer held sway, those men hadn’t resurfaced for many years, and furthermore, at yesterday’s banquet, it was clear to anyone with eyes that the Empress Dowager wanted the brothers to reconcile. So, in such a short time, it was unlikely that the Empress Dowager would let them cause trouble.

Noble Consort Wen’s mind raced with wild thoughts, the more she thought, the more likely it seemed that the Wen Family was involved. Yet for the Wen Family to do such a thing was superfluous; killing Emperor Jingzhi would be much easier than targeting those men. With Emperor Jingzhi dead, a few words of an "Imperial Edict" would give them all the reason they needed.

The news came quickly; Old Master Wen Kang entered the palace early the next day to request an audience, under the pretext of the family matriarch’s birthday celebration.

Noble Consort Wen knew she needed to avoid suspicion and be cautious in her actions but couldn’t help wanting to see her own brother.

"Fourth Prince, the Noble Consort has not yet risen, you should come back later..." The eunuch following him had not yet approached when Zheng Haoyuan kicked him out.

Where he wished to go was his affair, the eunuch dared not follow, merely kneeling on the ground, trembling.

Meanwhile, Eunuch Yu, just by chance, had been sent by Noble Consort Wen to fetch a birthday gift for her mother, and Zheng Haoyuan, taking advantage of the situation, entered the hall unguarded.

"Second brother, could this be dangerous?" Noble Consort Wen finally felt her heart settle and couldn’t help but grab onto Old Master Wen Kang’s arm.

Zheng Haoyuan was slightly startled; was uncle there too? Before he’d fully entered the hall, he heard Old Master Wen Kang’s voice once again.

"Noble Consort, we’ve reached a point where there’s no use in worrying about the consequences. Consider last night’s situation—those people, if they share our goal, then it’s very likely they’re the Crown Prince’s men."

"How could Zheng Congyuan..." Noble Consort Wen looked at Old Master Wen Kang in surprise.

The Brother Crown Prince? Zheng Haoyuan stopped in his tracks, not moving any further.

"Why would he do that?" Noble Consort Wen still couldn’t believe it, her disbelieving gaze on Old Master Wen Kang.

"Your Highness, don’t panic. Although we don’t have concrete evidence yet, it’s not without foundation. Currently, only the Crown Prince could appear at the Emperor’s Death Warrior Camp without anyone noticing, perhaps because these Death Warriors have committed too many evils," Old Master Wen Kang said.

Noble Consort Wen didn’t respond, unable to believe it, yet unable to think of anyone else either.

"If it really was Zheng Congyuan..." Noble Consort Wen began, "No, we can’t let him get the upper hand. Wouldn’t Fu Gong stand no chance at all then?!"

Zheng Haoyuan frowned. What did this have to do with him? But he had overheard a very serious matter.

"Your Highness, there’s no need to be anxious. Since we’ve decided to take action, we should not hesitate. While Zheng Congyuan has not yet succeeded, we should strike first—" Old Master Wen Kang clenched his teeth. Zheng Congyuan was after Emperor Jingzhi’s Dead Warrior Camp. If they killed Emperor Jingzhi now, they could possibly pin it on Zheng Congyuan later.

Zheng Haoyuan’s expression grew colder as he thought about the serious secret he had accidentally overheard.

"Could it be dangerous?" Noble Consort Wen was still worried, looking at Old Master Wen Kang, "If it’s Prince Duan’s men..."

Zheng Haoyuan was about to leave when he heard the words "Prince Duan" and had to stop again.

"Then we might as well take care of Prince Duan as well," Old Master Wen Kang suggested. Dealing with Prince Duan was much simpler.

Zheng Haoyuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had no interest in the throne. Let whoever wanted it have it; he didn’t care.

Zheng Haoyuan didn’t go in. He turned around and walked away. The Little Eunuch, who was kneeling, watched Zheng Haoyuan emerge with trepidation, and Zheng Haoyuan kicked him again.

"Bad luck, not even a person around, and you didn’t tell me sooner."

The eunuch immediately kowtowed as Zheng Haoyuan had already passed through the gate and left.

...

"Hurry up—" In the midst of the endless Black Pine Forest, nestled between the cold, clustered icebergs of the Northwest Border, the entire mountain was already covered in a thick layer of snow and ice.

"We’ve been pursued for a month now, still being chased—damn it—" The speaker rushed forward while looking back at the direction they came from. Far away, several dark specks were chasing after them.

"Young Master, no good, those people are too cunning. It’s like they have dog noses, no matter what we do, we can’t shake them off." The speaker was bundled up in fox fur, and as he spoke, the breath he exhaled immediately turned into frost on the tips of the fur.

The young man in the middle, whom everyone was surrounding, turned back. Even though he too was wrapped up with only a pair of eyes exposed, those eyes were bright and lively, like flowing iridescence or the deadliest poison, gazing towards the distant dark specks.