Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 478 - 457: One More Update

Chapter 478: Chapter 457: One More Update

Master Huo Yi glanced at Master Yu Sheng and did not deny his disciple’s speculation; Master Ling Yi was the youngest.

"Master, isn’t this too..." The prophecy, although it revealed the critical information of age, was still puzzling in many aspects, and for this prophecy, so many young mages from Qiandao Temple would have to be sacrificed.

Master Yu Sheng strongly disapproved of his master’s approach, even feeling an impulse to argue with him. Those young mages were the future hope of Qiandao Temple.

"Yu Sheng, I have also been struggling for a long time. Otherwise, this matter wouldn’t have been delayed for so long. As the day approaches, and what should be fulfilled has already been fulfilled, I had no other choice..." In the candlelight, Master Huo Yi’s exceptionally beautiful features looked even more exquisitely perfect than usual, his delicate skin finer than a woman’s, his slightly furrowed brow as if bearing all the sorrows of the world, invoking pity.

"Master, isn’t there still one thing that hasn’t been fulfilled?" Master Yu Sheng looked at his own master, who was to marry a princess from the Imperial Palace. Currently, in the imperial family, there was simply no suitable princess, eliminating that possibility.

"Have you found Yunqian?" Master Huo Yi seemed to deliberately avoid the topic, asking about Zong Yunqian’s situation.

Master Yu Sheng shook his head, his expression becoming forlorn as he lowered his head and sighed.

"There has been no news of Junior Brother Yunqian." Since Yunqian left the Imperial Capital, there had been no news from him, and neither Zong Yunqian nor his two attendants seemed to have vanished completely, with no word coming through, not even making contact with Junior Brother Ling Yi and the others.

Master Huo Yi remained silent. Regarding Zong Yunqian’s presumption, he had not interfered, wanting to see if these events would change the general situation afterward.

"We still have many matters at hand, and beyond the North Boundary, Qiandao Temple currently has even more pressing matters." Master Huo Yi, carrying a lantern, gestured for Master Yu Sheng to follow. Seeing this, although Master Yu Sheng still had much to say, he could only helplessly follow...

...

Countless secret reports from all directions flooded into Zheng Capital, landing in the hands of various powers. These reports, like snowflakes, were carefully sorted and processed, turning into very secretive and accurate information by the time they reached the hands of their respective powers, with an error rate of no more than one percent.

Only the most urgent, most critical news reached the hands of Zheng Congyuan.

One was the news that the Wen Family was secretly mustering troops and dispatching generals;

The second was about a strange power quietly infiltrating Nanzheng State at a very fast pace, entering from the Nanyu boundary and passing through six districts and counties in less than ten days on a secret path.

Zheng Congyuan could not figure out which power this was. Besides the Wen Family in the imperial court, there was the power led by the senior officials centered in several major districts and counties, and their forces were scattered. There were also the two powers from the Southern and Western Borders. However, they were all under their control; as soon as anything stirred, news would arrive within three days.

Therefore, Zheng Congyuan could not see through it, and the other party didn’t have many people, just a few dozen. Could it be a force from the Wen Family?

"Let’s not act rashly; let’s wait and see," Zheng Congyuan reflected aloud.

The attendant kneeling on the ground, Lord Qi, was unsure to which secret report the instructions applied, frozen in place. Was it to watch the Wen Family’s movements or those mysterious few individuals?

Qi Ling glanced at Qi Heng, "Aren’t you leaving yet? What are you doing standing around here?"

With a grit of his teeth, Qi Heng decided to act as if the Crown Prince had agreed to wait, and he withdrew.

Zheng Congyuan suddenly thought of a possibility—could it be Prince Duan’s people? Over so many years, he had not been able to uncover the full extent of Prince Duan’s forces, but, at this moment, why would Prince Duan make a move? Was it because he had already perceived the rumblings within the Imperial City and thus took precautions in advance?

At this time, there was not a single piece of news from the Northern Border, nor did he know how the plan at Qiandao Temple was progressing. His appointed men were mainly tasked with tracking Zong Yunqian’s whereabouts. Each step he took next had to be extremely cautious; there was no room for error. First and foremost, he needed to find Zong Yunqian to prevent the young man from ruining everything.

The atmosphere inside Zheng Capital City was now tenser than usual, almost to the point of panicking over every small sound. Yet there were those completely oblivious to it, like those marginalized minor officials isolated within the imperial court who, while complaining about the court’s injustice and the people’s suffering, drowned their sorrows in alcohol. The common people on the streets still peddled their bits of lively business as usual.

Of course, there was also Zheng Nianru feeling very content, thus making her days even more comfortable. Every day, she enjoyed a variety of food cooked in the small kitchen, picked her favorite flowers, her complexion was rosy, and she carried a buoyant temperament as if blessed by a festive occasion, quietly waiting for the final outcome.

Although Zheng Congyuan had not said anything, Zheng Nianru could tell that Zheng Congyuan had made up his mind. Moreover, given the frequency of Qi Ling and Qi Zhu’s deliveries, the plan seemed to be progressing smoothly.

Prince Duan, however, was nowhere near as relaxed. For several days, without any news from Ju Nanyi, the pent-up frustration in Prince Duan had already become unbearable. Yet, time after time, he failed to catch the person.

Prince Duan expended quite some effort before he learned from the mouths of Qi Ling and Qi Zhu that Ju Nanyi had gone to the Northern Border. At a time like this, what could be more pressing than the issues at hand that would warrant a trip to the Northern Border?

What’s more, Qi Ling and Qi Zhu were hesitant in their speech, implying that Lord Ju had volunteered to go to the Northern Border?

At this juncture, how could Prince Duan not understand what Ju Nanyi meant? This backstabbing scoundrel was fleeing the battlefield, a truly disgraceful act.

Qi Ling and Qi Zhu, afraid that Prince Duan might literally explode with rage, secretly disclosed some unknown details to him.

For instance, did Lord Ju still have an old flame back in his small village?

How did Qi Ling and Qi Zhu know everything?

Unsettled, Prince Duan personally sent his men to inquire. Yet, there was no need for inquiries as everyone in that village knew the gossip. Prince Duan felt like smashing everything in his study room would hardly soothe his anger.

The news reached Zheng Nianru’s ears, and she merely laughed it off— if her father couldn’t bear even this news, how could he withstand the blows to come? She did not bother to intervene verbally.

However, Zheng Congyuan had Qi Ling and Qi Zhu personally apologize that very day. Kneeling in the study room of Prince Duan’s Mansion, they consciously admitted their wrongdoing for spreading rumors without confirming the facts, mentioning they had heard them casually.

Upon hearing this, Prince Duan could hardly breathe with rage—what falsehoods? He had personally verified the information; how could there be any falsehoods in it? Zheng Congyuan, always a man of integrity, naturally disapproved of speaking ill of others behind their backs.

But Prince Duan was no fool, he clearly understood for whom Qi Ling and Qi Zhu were speaking. Containing his temper, he gestured for everyone to leave.

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