Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 73: Not What You Should Be Worrying About

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Not What You Should Be Worrying About

Ju Nanyi had not expected the Crown Prince to summon him early in the morning, and without time to ponder, he arrived at the Crown Prince’s Mansion dressed in plain clothes.

Indeed, Ju Nanyi had matters to attend to, with the location of a crucial bridge under construction along the river being of great importance, and the draft designs for the Chuihong Pavilion and the Luohui Pavilion on the bridge also awaiting final decisions.

Only thing was, he had tried to see the Crown Prince over the past few days, to no avail.

As Ju Nanyi approached the Crown Prince’s Mansion, he knew something must have happened in the last two days. Moreover, the nature of the affair had exceeded what he was privy to. Ju Nanyi was not a curious person; he had no inclination to dig into others’ secrets. Over the two days, he had simply detailed some of the finer points in the draft drawings and caught up on other work that had not been completed.

"Scholar Ju, this way, please," said Qi Yu politely, leading the way inside. Ju Nanyi was taken aback to see Qi Yu emerge from the inner rooms, but as Qi Yu showed no sign of stopping, he had no choice but to follow.

The study? Ju Nanyi was uncertain, remembering that when he had previously visited the Crown Prince’s Mansion for business, it had usually been in the anteroom of the study, separated by a long corridor along the river. The light breeze on the riverbanks forced Ju Nanyi to pull back his wandering thoughts, clearing his mind of all ideas, and regain the composed expression on his face.

"This humble official pays his respects to Your Highness," he said upon entering the study. Indeed, something had transpired at the Crown Prince’s Mansion in the last few days.

"Nanyi, have a seat," Zheng Congyuan indicated towards a chair nearby.

Ju Nanyi glanced up slightly and chose a spot close to the main seat, yet inconspicuous, neither too familiar nor disrespectful.

Zheng Congyuan, not paying much attention, tossed the folded paper in his hand to Ju Nanyi, who caught it and saw it contained information on the villagers of a small district. He was somewhat taken aback, unable to guess what Zheng Congyuan intended.

"To my knowledge, Junze County is located in the coastal area of Dongyu, where villagers mostly engage in fishing and trading. May I ask Your Highness..."

"I want you to secretly investigate all the villagers in Pinghu Village, Junze County, and capture any who have evaded us," said Zheng Congyuan bluntly. "Remember, this must all be done covertly, and the mastermind behind them must be found out."

Ju Nanyi immediately stood up from his chair and solemnly accepted the token.

The task was not hard to understand. Given its nature, it was not fitting to be handled openly, and it seemed inappropriate for those in close quarters with the Crown Prince to deal with, which is why he had been asked.

"Rest assured, Your Highness." Even so, for Ju Nanyi, this was an opportunity. Relying on the Crown Prince’s support was the best choice he had made for himself after half a year of observation and analysis since entering officialdom.

"With you on it, I am at ease," said Zheng Congyuan, in a good mood. "There are a few other trivial matters as well, which you can take care of in your spare time."

Ju Nanyi acknowledged and listened patiently to Zheng Congyuan as he detailed each assignment, his gaze inadvertently falling on a corner cabinet in the study.

Initially, Ju Nanyi didn’t consciously notice the books in the corner of the bookshelf, but the distinctive design made it difficult for him to discern what they were. Then he noticed amongst them, in a small booklet, a silk bookmark—pink and rose red scattered flowers on white silk.

Ju Nanyi’s gaze wavered, and he suddenly remembered the figure beneath the trees in the spring, fluttering amongst the begonias.

Why would he think of her now?

Ju Nanyi discreetly withdrew his gaze, the brief lapse of concentration not even stirring the leaves outside the window.

Ju Nanyi suddenly remembered the bite marks that had once been on the Crown Prince’s arm and mused that the Crown Prince, being of a gentle and respectful nature, must hold someone with such a free-spirited temperament... in very high favor.

"What do you think?"

"Your Highness, in my opinion, the addition to the water mill would be more beneficial than detrimental to the imperial court’s revenue collection. If you are concerned, Your Highness could start by first trying it in two districts and counties. If successful, it could then be promoted more widely," he advised.

Zheng Congyuan nodded in agreement.

When Ju Nanyi left the Crown Prince’s Mansion, Qi Yu provided him with the relevant clues related to the assassination attempt on the Crown Prince. As Ju Nanyi had suspected, the Crown Prince had decided not to handle the matter personally.

...

Ju Nanyi hadn’t refrained from inquiring privately about matters concerning Princess Chao Ren.

Although the information he gathered was very sparse, and even with his current network of connections, all he managed to glean were fragments and snippets. What impressed him most was how the Princess from Nanmen State had made such a profound impression, how her beauty had caused all men’s hearts to fall into chaos.

Ju Nanyi shook his head; this information was unnecessary.

Yet, from Prince Duan’s intentions, he hadn’t detected any sign of favoring Princess Chao Ren for any House. In fact, among Prince Duan’s usual associates, there was no Aristocratic Family that matched the image he saw that day.

Not an Aristocratic Family?

Then it must be an ordinary official, but that wasn’t right either. Ju Nanyi might not have a photographic memory, but he could recognize any official with a bit of status in Zheng Capital.

The matter was like an enigma he couldn’t unravel, no matter how hard he tried to figure it out.

Ju Nanyi stopped in his tracks; his carriage was fifty meters ahead. With due respect, he paid his formalities.

"Prince Duan—" Ju Nanyi had not expected to encounter Prince Duan at this time. The jumbled thoughts that had occupied his mind moments before now made him feel somewhat embarrassed, but he maintained his composure, showing no sign of disturbance.

"Lord Ju—" Although Zheng Boding was no longer young, the vigorous spirit of his youth and the presence cultivated by his lofty status had not diminished in the slightest. Prince Duan nodded slightly, his robe stirred by the passing breeze, showing no intention of pausing for the rising star before him.

"Your Highness—" Ju Nanyi was about to continue speaking but then promptly shut his mouth as Prince Duan had already walked past him without stopping.

That was Prince Duan, and even as an Idle Prince today, his status in the eyes of others was indeed too high for someone like Ju Nanyi to even consider. Ju Nanyi understood reality well and knew how to locate himself accurately within it.

Ju Nanyi laughed at himself self-deprecatingly and turned to walk towards his carriage.

Yet why would Prince Duan be seeking out the Crown Prince? Ju Nanyi could almost be certain that Prince Duan came for the Crown Prince, as he had also seen him at the Traveling Palace.

"Lord Ju, are you also here?" Lord Ling first hesitated to confirm, his vision wasn’t good until he came closer and dared to greet him.

To see Lord Ju coming out from the Crown Prince’s Mansion so early, what that implied went without saying.

Of course, Lord Ju’s capabilities were there for all to see, especially with the several cases he handled exceptionally well this year. If it wasn’t for his early allegiance to the Crown Prince, he might have been fiercely competed over by various factions as a promising newcomer.

"Lord Ling." Ju Nanyi reined in his thoughts, his manners meticulous and beyond reproach.

"Has Lord Ju already seen the Crown Prince? How is His Highness’s mood today?"

"Fair enough, Lord Ling. If you have matters to discuss, please speak frankly. The Crown Prince is kind-hearted and will not let his mood affect his judgment."

"Ah, Lord Ju is not aware, for ordinary matters I wouldn’t have bothered so much. However, this is concerning the major event of Master Ling Yi’s blessings at Qiandao Temple."

The Crown Prince was pragmatic and had little interest in these rituals for blessings and grand ceremonies. The opposing views within the imperial court had long since marked the temple’s substantial annual expenses as a cause for many people’s dissatisfaction.

"Lord Ling should just speak openly and report." The Crown Prince’s mood today seemed to be...

quite good.

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