Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 90 Assassination

Chapter 90: Chapter 90 Assassination

Zheng Haoyuan walked away without a hint of hesitation; if Nanmen Yu died, then he died. He was someone in Nanzheng State who could be either present or absent without stirring up the slightest ripple.

Eunuch Cang Er was somewhat worried but didn’t dare to advise against it, as the little prince was obstinate. Through the recent days’ interactions, Cang Er increasingly found the Fourth Prince’s behavior strange. Although it was not as wildly playful as before, there was an underlying fear that he couldn’t quite articulate.

Yan Cheng, accompanied by several trusted followers, did not dare to let his guard down for a moment. He even suspected that the Fourth Prince might not be aware of the forces behind Nanmen Yu. If that was the case, the prince’s situation was even more dangerous.

"Your Highness, your servant has brought people to throw the items in," Yan Cheng immediately stepped forward. Although he detected no danger at the moment, he had a feeling that things were not so simple.

"No need. I’ll go myself," Zheng Haoyuan gave Yan Cheng a disdainful look and snatched the bag from a house guard’s hand, heading straight for the dilapidated hut in the darkness.

San He slept in the side room. Now that the weather was warming up, even a thin blanket was enough to fend off the night’s chill. He slept soundly, deep in his prime years for sleep.

Zheng Haoyuan threw the bag into the room, opened the mouth, and his followers hurriedly did the same. The room quickly returned to silence.

Zheng Haoyuan had no interest in watching the spectacle of Nanmen Yu succumbing to the poison; he simply left. The snakes all had deadly venom, and a single bite meant certain death. If Nanmen Yu could survive among these poisonous snakes, that would surely be a feat.

Yan Cheng breathed a sigh of relief and immediately led his people away. As to whether their goal was achieved, he did not care. The Fourth Prince’s safety was what mattered most.

When Nanmen Yu hurried back, it was already the middle of the night. With a floor full of dead snakes, San He clutched his blanket and shivered, unsure if he was scared by the sight of the dead snakes or by the presence of two masters who looked exactly alike.

Nanmen Yu’s face was grave. If it had been him today, he might not have been able to deal with so many dead snakes so quickly and ensure San He was unharmed.

"Master, our men followed discreetly without alarming the snakes. The loyal warriors of the Wen Family are still in the Fourth Prince’s palace," Tan Zong said assuredly. Now, whether the master and the Fourth Prince had grievances was no longer important. What mattered was that Zheng Haoyuan again and again sought to kill, leaving them no room for hesitation.

Nanmen Yu’s brow furrowed, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Why?

Zheng Haoyuan had no reason to kill him, and furthermore, Nian Ru was Zheng Haoyuan’s cousin, and it seemed Nian Ru cared a lot about Zheng Haoyuan.

"Master, should we take action directly? Without any clues, no one would suspect us," Tan Zong wasn’t without his hesitations. After all, they couldn’t reveal their identity in Nanzheng, and the Princely Heir needed to rely on Nanzheng’s relations to return. It wasn’t a good time to take action.

"No, wait a bit longer." Why would Zheng Haoyuan want to kill him? "Do you know, Zheng Haoyuan once saved me?"

Tan Zong was startled. If the Fourth Prince had once saved Nanmen Yu, then why try to kill him?

"That’s why I think it’s most important to figure out why Zheng Haoyuan wants to kill me and who is behind it," Nanmen Yu spoke slowly, "Don’t take action yet. I have my ways."

Nanmen Yu had the mess on the ground cleaned up, and the old hut was once again swallowed by the night.

...

Early the next morning, Zheng Haoyuan had already arrived at Zheng Nianru’s Qishun Building, with Eunuch Cang Er and Eunuch Shun Zi bringing several boxes of freshly made cakes and fruits.

As spring neared its end and early summer was yet to arrive, the flowers in the courtyard grew even more lush against the backdrop of the dilapidated Qishun Building. Large clusters of hydrangeas huddled under the eaves, in shades of pale violet, powder blue, and rosy red. Dressed in a light pink gown, Zheng Nianru sat on a long couch under the eaves, while Nanny Yun fluttered a cloud gauze, teaching the movements of the sleeve dance, with the rose-colored gauze rising and falling.

Nanny Yun’s body was supple, and her movements appeared to Zheng Nianru, at that moment, excessively enchanting to the point of losing elegance, but Zheng Nianru watched with great interest, filled with nostalgia.

"Commandery Princess, the most important aspect of this dance is diligent practice. Practice makes perfect. Slowly experience it, and you will capture its essence..."

Xing Yu nibbled on pastries, sitting cross-legged under the veranda. Zheng Haoyuan squeezed onto the couch, also watching Nanny Yun dance.

"Auntie dances so beautifully."

"Nanny Yun dances so beautifully," said Zheng Haoyuan, joining in.

"Oh, Fourth Prince, you flatter me. Our Commandery Princess is smart, she gets it with just a hint. Her dancing has improved greatly these days," Nanny Yun praised sincerely, as the Commandery Princess’s dance truly seemed to have suddenly become enlightened.

"Of course, it’s because Nanny Yun is a great teacher, right, Fu Dong?" smiled Zheng Nianru, with the bright sunshine. Even though from the moment she awakened, unease and hesitance weighed on her like stones in her heart, but the spring light and passing days should not be wasted.

Frankly, when she was truly vexed, she would just stop thinking and live life as it came.

"Cousin, have these chilled lychees," Zheng Haoyuan pushed the lychees toward her, while Fu Dong picked up a lychee to peel, Nian Xia also peeled one for Zheng Haoyuan.

"He has just recovered, don’t eat too much cold food—" Zheng Nianru said with a smile, watching as Xing Yu and Xue Liu played with rabbits below. Three or four rabbits tumbled around the embroidered balls, and Nanny Yun watched without urgency. After all, although the Commandery Princess was already thirteen, her marriage was unlikely to happen soon.

"I’m already well—" Zheng Haoyuan immediately straightened up, showing Zheng Nianru.

Nanmen Yu entered Qishun Building amidst such laughter, his deep blue clothes not the most luxurious brocade, but the youth’s appearance needed no embellishment, growing more handsome, his brow prominent, accompanying the gentle breeze.

The smile on Zheng Haoyuan’s face vanished instantly. What was he doing here? He didn’t rise and drive the visitor away because this was his cousin’s place.

However, it was precisely because of Zheng Haoyuan’s presence that Nanmen Yu had made a special trip. After half a night’s thought, Nanmen Yu still couldn’t figure out why Zheng Haoyuan would suddenly attack him.

Upon reflection, there was only one reason: originally he didn’t want Zheng Nianru to be so close to Zheng Haoyuan because of Zheng Haoyuan’s irascible and unpredictable nature.

So, could it be that Zheng Haoyuan also disliked his proximity to Zheng Nianru for the same reason? According to Zheng Haoyuan’s temperament, it wasn’t impossible that he would kill him outright.

Therefore, Nanmen Yu’s visit was in the spirit of frankness. There was no deep-seated enmity between him and Zheng Haoyuan, and after all, he was Zheng Nianru’s cousin. If he could get another supporter for his closeness to Zheng Nianru, it would be...

"Fourth Prince—" Nanmen Yu was the first to speak, exceedingly polite, the desire to curry favor clearly written on his face.

Fu Dong glanced at her own Commandery Princess. Nanmen Yu had expressed his dislike for the Fourth Prince more than once. What was different today?

Zheng Nianru’s demeanor remained calm as she glanced at Nanmen Yu, vaguely remembering that in her previous life, Nanmen Yu suddenly grew confident, just like now. Even with a placid expression, his confidence was unmistakable.

So, it wasn’t her shops, nor was it the prosperous life she had painted for him that changed Nanmen Yu in her last life. There must have been something she had missed that had transformed him.