Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 68 Change

Chapter 68: Chapter 68 Change

Second Uncle Jing anxiously waited, with several groups of people standing at the street entrance in front of the Imperial Palace’s south gate, but there was still no news of the Princely Heir.

How could the Princely Heir leave, he had come to the inn early in the morning, and then just left.

"Have you found him, have you?" Second Uncle Jing grabbed the returning servant, anxiously asking.

"Second Uncle, we’ve searched everywhere, including San He, but there’s no sign of the Princely Heir." The servant looked about eleven or twelve years old, but appeared even younger due to their perennial refugee-like existence. Now dressed in the attendants’ clothes provided by the inn, he actually looked rather refined.

The other two servants, busy wiping tables and running errands, glanced at Second Uncle Jing but didn’t dare to come closer.

"Jing Qu—," Hearing the call coming from the back courtyard, Second Uncle Jing had to let go of the servant and head there.

Si An shrugged his shoulders and continued with the work of the inn. The days in Nanmen State had long become a memory, and Si An’s memories of Nanmen State were even fewer. Now, the life of being well-fed and clothed was almost beyond their wildest dreams.

Xing Le and Xing Cheng exchanged glances. The two brothers had grown much bolder than when they had first arrived.

"Brother Si An, what’s going on?" Although Second Uncle Jing was fierce, when he had kidnapped their family, he had not harmed them and even provided them with a place to live with food and drink, which truly matched what he had promised.

"It’s nothing, just some matters concerning our young master." Si An said dispiritedly. Although he did not know what the matter was, seeing Second Uncle Jing’s urgent demeanor, it must have been very important.

"Has he still not been found?" Inside the inner courtyard, an old man disregarded his injuries and propped himself up from the bed, his walking stick thunking heavily on the ground, cracking several bricks. Second Uncle Jing felt some distress; those were good bricks.

"Old man, don’t be anxious, perhaps the Princely Heir truly had an urgent matter." The Princely Heir was usually very steady in his actions; he had never given them cause for worry.

"Look at you all, leaving everything for him to worry about." But even if there were important matters, could anything be more important than today’s event, which had already been agreed upon?

That morning, everything was ready, they were just waiting for the right time to set off, but suddenly the Princely Heir disappeared. They had waited most of the day with no sign of him.

"Young Master—"

"Young Master—"

Just then, a voice rang out joyfully from outside the door, and Nanmen Yu entered the inner courtyard, followed quickly by several servants.

"What are you all doing coming in here, get out, out—" Second Uncle Jing immediately shouted at those rascals, and the servants scattered at once.

"Master—" With no unnecessary words, Nanmen Yu respectfully bowed to the elder inside the room, "Shall we set out now?"

Duke of Jing Ci, the current de facto ruler of the Jingmen Clan, after enduring the extermination of the Jing Tribe, had fled from Nanmen State to Nanzheng State with the remnants such as Jing Qu and Jing He along with a few of the younger members of the Jingmen Clan. It was after much ordeal that he had found Nanmen Yu.

Duke of Jing Ci was always satisfied with his disciple, who had determination and endurance. Even though the dosage of the medicine he used was double the usual, resulting in double the pain, Nanmen Yu never uttered a sound.

Especially in recent days, he could clearly sense that Nanmen Yu’s determination had grown stronger than before.

Ultimately, Duke of Jing Ci said nothing. The Princely Heir must be aware of the importance of the current moment; everything done over the past two years was for this day, and it must be a very important matter for him to suddenly go out.

"I have prepared everything. Now, Princely Heir, Clan Leader, shall we depart? If we hurry, we can arrive before dark. Should we bring two more reliable people?" Second Uncle Jing hurriedly offered, fearing the clan leader might reprimand the Princely Heir.

Duke of Jing Ci waved his hand, letting it go; at a critical moment like this, it was not advisable to create further issues.

A carriage stopped swiftly in front of the inn, just an ordinary green-shaded carriage, and the servant driving it appeared no different from any other.

"Are you sure about this? There’s no turning back from this matter." Duke of Jing Ci spoke with a steady voice. The medicine was potent and extremely risky, but it was a rite of passage for the warriors of the Nanmen Clan. As the Princely Heir of Nanmen State, this was a hurdle he must overcome.

"Master, no worries. I shall commit myself fully." Nanmen Yu was resolute without a moment’s hesitation; the Master had come all the way from Nanmen State, enduring great hardships for this day. As the Princely Heir of Nanmen State, carrying the deep-seated vengeance of his mother’s clan on his shoulders, he had no choice but to give it his all.

Duke of Jing Ci nodded, relieved. If successful, he would then be able to face the Queen Mother with honor.

"You need not be too nervous. Though you’re not like the other heirs of the Nanmen Imperial Family who have been prepared since childhood, the medicinal baths your master has brewed for you in these recent days are potent, and you’ve absorbed them well. Naturally, there’s no need for concern,"

Nanmen Yu nodded his head. As a scion of the Nanmen Royal Family, all this was his due. Besides, only when his identity was recognized could he truly stand before Prince Duan and openly ask for Zheng Nianru’s hand in marriage.

...

Cang Er never expected Princess Chao Ren to come in person. Her legs shook so violently that she almost collapsed in fear.

"So excited to see us that you’re at a loss for words?" Xue Liu patted Cang Er’s shoulder.

Zheng Nianru, dressed as a common palace maid, had already bypassed Cang Er and was walking toward the interior of the hall.

"Your Highness, the Commandery Princess and—" Cang Er quickly turned around to report, but Xue Liu grabbed her.

"You better honor me well," Xue Liu said wickedly, boasting to her that she had accomplished her task by deceiving and cajoling the Princess here, at the behest of the Fourth Prince who was injured and longed for the Princess’s presence.

Cang Er wanted to nod but dared not.

"Thank you, thank you, sister—Is there still time to call it off now? Is there still time to come clean now?"

Cang Er struggled to intercept people. Ever since the Prince’s return, he had locked himself inside the hall, surrounded by broken objects on the floor that Cang Er did not dare to clean up.

"Creak—" Zheng Nianru pushed open the heavy doors of the great hall, and a piece of porcelain smashed to the ground in front of her, shattering and scattering shards in all directions.

"Ouch—" Fu Dong immediately shielded Zheng Nianru. Fortunately, the porcelain was not large, and some fragments hit Fu Dong’s legs.

"Fourth Prince, what are you doing?" Fu Dong turned around with a displeased tone. The Fourth Prince was accustomed to making himself small and unobtrusive at the Qishun Building.

Zheng Haoyuan was startled, his gloomy eyes suddenly blank, looking at Zheng Nianru who came in with the sunlight, a mixture of grievance and sadness welling up in his eyes.

"Fu Gong, what happened?" Zheng Nianru asked, looking at the pieces on the floor. Cang Er, in a rush, was sweeping them away, trying to clear a path with his sleeve.

"The Commandery Princess may not know. The Empress punished His Highness for his unauthorized visit to the Traveling Palace," said Cang Er, as he swept.

Zheng Nianru had heard from Xue Liu and called out to Zheng Haoyuan, indeed because there were too many fragments on the floor, and she was afraid of injuring her feet.

Zheng Haoyuan froze, not believing that Zheng Nianru was really beckoning him. He wanted to refuse but couldn’t bear to.

Zheng Haoyuan took a step forward, and Cang Er immediately got flustered, hastily clearing the shards beneath his master’s feet.

"Cousin—" Zheng Haoyuan’s voice was filled with grievance and a bit of accusation.

"How serious is the injury? It’s my fault for not knowing you got hurt," Zheng Nianru said as she pulled Zheng Haoyuan, wanting to see the wound on his back. Despite slightly resisting, Zheng Haoyuan couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

Zheng Nianru had barely pulled back the young man’s clothing when she saw the blood-stained white undershirt.

"How did your servant take care of you? The wound has even split open," Zheng Nianru said, immediately pulling Zheng Haoyuan toward the bed.

"Where is the Imperial Physician? Does Noble Consort Wen not care? You servants deserve to die," she scolded, instructing Cang Er to help his master out of his outer clothing while Xue Liu already fetched the ointment and Nian Xia went to get hot water.

Zheng Haoyuan watched all of this, feeling even more aggrieved, but there was a hint of an indescribable feeling within his heart.

He should ignore her, push her away, and ask why she still wanted to be with...

"Cousin, you’re really kind." Zheng Haoyuan’s voice was muffled in the pillow crevice. He let them bustle about his body, busy with him at the center, and not with another.