Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 506 - 485: First Update

Chapter 506: Chapter 485: First Update

Zheng Nianru didn’t think too much, and immediately pulled Zheng Haoyuan over. After glancing around, it seemed she had bet correctly—Zheng Haoyuan had relatively free movement at this time, and she could only turn to him for help in this moment.

"Fu Gong, can you let my cousin see the Crown Prince?" Zheng Nianru asked.

Zheng Haoyuan was slightly startled, a bit pleased but also somewhat melancholic. It wasn’t him, nor was it Zheng Congyuan; it was only natural for his cousin to be concerned about the Crown Prince.

Zheng Haoyuan nodded slightly; he felt he should be able to do it. But didn’t his cousin have anything else to say?

Zheng Nianru didn’t have anything else to say. She had already experienced such a rebellion before, but still hadn’t understood which forces belonged to whom, because in the end, most of those people had died, leaving only those carefully chosen by Ju Nanyi.

Prince Duan arrived quickly, escorted by two guards. They treated him with a degree of respect in both actions and words, as it was Eunuch Cang Er who had personally led the men there.

Zheng Nianru smiled at Prince Duan as he approached. Upon seeing Zheng Nianru, Prince Duan’s smile vanished, and he quickened his pace.

"How did you get in here?" You can still smile? What’s the situation now?

Zheng Nianru drew Prince Duan closer and scrutinized him from head to toe, noting that Prince Duan appeared unharmed and seemed to have suffered no hardships.

Zheng Nianru knew that even if the Wen Family desired the throne, resorting to armed conflict was the least favorable option. They could undermine the people’s support for the Crown Prince in the name of Qiandao Temple and use the prophecy to silence everyone.

However, what Zheng Nianru found strange was why the Wen Family was so certain that Qiandao Temple would stand by their side.

Moreover, in the past life, in the midst of the chaos, the result of the prophecy wasn’t made public before the Wen Family made their move. Zheng Nianru hadn’t paid attention to what had happened between those events.

"I’m alright. You hurry back, no, no—hurry to the estate outside of the city; the situation is critical," Prince Duan said, glancing at Zheng Haoyuan with a mix of wariness and a sense of powerlessness.

"Father, don’t worry. Do you have anything else you want to say to me?" Zheng Nianru took the coat handed to her by Nian Xia and helped Zheng Boding put it on. While doing so, she asked, "Father, take your time and think carefully about who can protect the two of us now."

Zheng Nianru’s seemingly casual tone instantly caused Prince Duan’s head to throb with pain, as if he remembered something, but then again, as if he recalled nothing at all. His trembling fingers instinctively reached for something at his waist, but upon Zheng Nianru’s glance, there was nothing on Prince Duan’s belt—not even the items signifying his identity.

"Nian Ru, what are you saying?" Zheng Boding turned, staring blankly at Zheng Nianru. He thought he had just thought of something, but then felt as if he must have misunderstood her earlier words: someone to protect them, father and daughter.

Who could protect them, father and daughter? Full of puzzlement, Zheng Boding looked towards Zheng Nianru. He had a vague sense that Zheng Nianru’s risky entry into the Imperial Palace wasn’t entirely out of concern for him, but for some other purpose.

Yet, why couldn’t he understand what Zheng Nianru was saying?

Zheng Nianru sighed inwardly as she looked at her father, unsure whether at this moment he thought it wasn’t yet the critical time to divulge the hidden power or whether he had simply forgotten about it entirely.

"Father, you must take good care of yourself in the Palace; nothing else matters," Zheng Nianru slowly said. Although she trusted Zheng Haoyuan, she had no intention of revealing this secret in front of him, and given how many people were present, it was unclear how many were loyal to Zheng Haoyuan and how many were not—in fact, Zheng Haoyuan himself might not even be clear on this.

Prince Duan nodded, glanced at Zheng Haoyuan, and at this moment felt relieved that Nian Ru and Zheng Haoyuan had a good relationship, someone reliable at a time like this.

"Cousin, do you want to take Prince Duan away?" Zheng Haoyuan suddenly asked. If that was the case, and his cousin was here only for Prince Duan, he would help her—so long as it wasn’t for Zheng Congyuan.

"My only concern was for his safety. Seeing him reassures me, and staying in the Imperial Palace is much safer than at Prince Duan’s Mansion," Zheng Nianru said. She believed Zheng Congyuan would ensure Prince Duan’s safety.

As long as she could slow down the progress of events, aligning them with her previous life, then in this life, as long as she had no intentions of rebellion, of turning Ju Nanyi against Zheng Congyuan, or stabbing him in the back, she wouldn’t need to worry about the Wen Family’s rebellion. Zheng Congyuan had long been strategizing behind the scenes, simply waiting for the right moment.

"Cousin, I can let Prince Duan return," Zheng Haoyuan said quickly, eager to make a point that even if the Wen Family was afraid of chaos, she needn’t fear. She could still be the Commandery Princess. No, if Zheng Congyuan could defy ancestral teachings, why couldn’t he?

Zheng Nianru shook her head and looked at Zheng Haoyuan. More than Prince Duan, she didn’t want to see Zheng Haoyuan meet a tragic end in this lifetime.

Prince Duan nodded in agreement. If the Wen Family rebelled, they certainly wouldn’t spare him. As long as he stayed in the palace, the Wen Family wouldn’t consider Nian Ru a target. Her safety in the Prince’s Mansion was much greater, which is why he had initially decided against letting Nian Ru enter the palace for mourning—to avoid any unexpected calamity occurring there.

"Fu Gong, have someone take my father back."

Zheng Haoyuan looked at Zheng Nianru, puzzled. Although he did not understand her thinking, he wondered why she would send Prince Duan back during such a prime opportunity.

"I have something more important to discuss with you," Zheng Nianru said, looking at Zheng Haoyuan.

A sense of tension suddenly gripped Zheng Haoyuan’s heart. Subconsciously, he didn’t want to hear what Zheng Nianru was about to say. Nonetheless, he waved his hand, signaling Eunuch Cang Er to personally escort Prince Duan away.

Zheng Nianru took a step forward and glanced at Zheng Haoyuan.

"That day at Prince Duan’s Mansion, you left without saying goodbye. Were you angry?" Zheng Nianru patted the young man’s shoulder.

Zheng Haoyuan shuddered, turning to look at Zheng Nianru. He wanted to say he was angry. He had heard something, not entirely clear but he had heard it. And yet, why did she have to deal with Zheng Congyuan...

Zheng Haoyuan dared not ask, turning his head petulantly.

Zheng Nianru paid no attention and slowly began to speak.

"I know you dislike the idea of taking that position, and you have no desire to be Emperor. It is your Mother Consort and the Wen Family who insist on this." Zheng Nianru watched Zheng Haoyuan, remembering how disastrously it had affected him. She had seen with her own eyes his mutilated body displayed in the Imperial Palace square, unclaimed, half-eaten by crows. Were it not for his clothes, his remains would have been unrecognizable.

"Beyond my father, I’m also worried about you," Zheng Nianru continued, ignoring the disbelief and distrust in the young man’s eyes as he looked up. She extended her hand towards him.

"So, are you willing to come with me? I can take you to a safe place until all of this is over," Zheng Nianru said slowly, trying to appear as sincere as possible. She genuinely wanted to save Zheng Haoyuan.

"Cousin—" Zheng Haoyuan murmured, slowly reaching out his hand.

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