CHAPTER 566: CHAPTER 545 FIRST UPDATE

"Nian Ru—," Prince Duan only relaxed after seeing Zheng Nianru, and immediately grabbed her wrist, "Come, go back with me."

Zheng Nianru looked at Prince Duan, feeling guilty. At that moment, she had forgotten about Prince Duan, who had always treasured her like a precious gem, her father.

"Why aren’t you leaving?" Prince Duan was somewhat anxious. A child doesn’t understand these things. Given the current dire situation, how could she stay in the palace? Prince Duan glanced around and whispered, "It’s not safe in the palace now; it’s dangerous for you to stay here."

Zheng Nianru smiled faintly. Yes, she knew it was not safe, but then where was?

Zheng Nianru took hold of Prince Duan’s hand, leading him slowly toward the small garden outside Chenyuan Hall.

There were things she needed to tell Prince Duan. If there was anyone in the world who could understand her, it would have to be Prince Duan.

"Father, you know that three years ago, Brother Crown Prince saved Nian Ru’s life from Ice Lake...," Zheng Nianru began slowly.

Prince Duan stopped in his tracks, looking at Zheng Nianru. So what?

"After that, it was Zheng Congyuan who quietly replaced the poisonous ingredient in your medicine. This change has lasted for three years; otherwise, you would have been crippled by now, not even recognizing Nian Ru," Zheng Nianru continued.

Prince Duan frowned, looking at Zheng Nianru, puzzled. Talking about this now...

"Also, there have been countless assassination attempts, tumbling down from Golden Edge Mountain into the lake. Father, if Nian Ru can still stand in front of you today, it’s all because of Brother Crown Prince," Zheng Nianru said deliberately, looking at Prince Duan.

"Nian Ru, these..."

Prince Duan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, then looked at Housekeeper He, not knowing what to say, but vaguely realizing that what Zheng Nianru was about to say next was not what he wanted to hear.

Zheng Nianru sighed inwardly. Her father wasn’t unaware; he was just deliberately ignoring these issues, shirking his responsibilities, ever since their mother died.

"Father, now is the time for us to repay him. I want to stay by his side." It was to repay, the figure who appeared like a Heavenly God on the bridge in her moment of despair, who took all her light. So in the following years, everything she did, heeding Nanny Yun’s advice, was to get closer to him, to approach her sole light.

"Nian Ru, what can you save? Zheng Congyuan can’t even save himself; how can you save him?" Prince Duan suddenly became anxious. Things were going around as he had feared. He just knew, he just knew...

Prince Duan didn’t know what to say, but as a father, how could he not see?

Zheng Nianru smiled faintly, her smile despondent and helpless. Upon hearing this, Nanny Yun’s nose also tingled. How bitter was the Commandery Princess’s fate. Clearly...

Zheng Nianru also knew she couldn’t save him, but as long as she was there, Yin He wouldn’t change his mind. Although she didn’t know what agreement Ju Nanyi had reached with the other party, as long as Zheng Congyuan was alive, that was enough.

"That guy is unreliable; you can’t necessarily trust what he says, and he’s unpredictable, not a... good person..." Prince Duan immediately said again; that guy was never a good person to begin with.

"I know." But what did it matter?

"No, I will go find Ju Nanyi; there must be another way," Prince Duan said, about to leave.

Zheng Nianru didn’t stop him. If Ju Nanyi had another way, he wouldn’t have been pushed to this extreme.

So, even living a second lifetime, it doesn’t necessarily mean it would be any better than the last.

...

When Zheng Nianru returned to Chenyuan Hall, Prince Duan was not there, and Zheng Congyuan had taken his medicine and fallen into a deep sleep. Everyone said Zheng Congyuan was no longer in mortal danger, but a person in good health shouldn’t be so drained of energy just to get out of bed.

Zheng Nianru was not in a hurry, nor was she eager to rush and ask what the agreement reached with Lord Ju was exactly. She wasn’t interested, yet she was sure it had something to do with her.

When Zheng Nianru came out again, Lord Ju was indeed waiting in the outer hall. The sunlight seeped in from outside the hall, leaving layers of dripping silhouettes of the man, oddly making Zheng Nianru feel, for a moment, as if she had returned to her past life.

Zheng Nianru withdrew her gaze. In this life, they had no connections and needn’t have any further dealings since things had progressed beyond their control. There were no impulsive starts on her part, no deliberate seduction or exploitation.

Fortunately, they still maintained a relatively distant relationship, and could even sit down to discuss the pros and cons; he remained Zheng Congyuan’s most devoted servant.

"Lord Ju, please have a seat," Zheng Nianru casually took a seat on a chair in the great hall, its high back and heavy ebony wood oppressively stifling.

Turning around, Lord Ju felt the formality and aloofness of her address, characteristic of this lifetime’s Zheng Nianru, whose gaze had not once fallen upon him.

At that moment, he also had to tell her something she was entirely unwilling to hear.

Empress Xiao and Empress Dowager Yan Ping had tacitly agreed because Zheng Nianru was disposable to them, and if she could save Zheng Congyuan, they would agree despite their reluctance.

Prince Duan disagreed, but he didn’t have many options. He just mentioned what had happened on that day, and Prince Duan shut his mouth. After all, losing Zheng Nianru was the most unbearable outcome for him.

Yet, Lord Ju didn’t know how to initiate the conversation with her.

Zheng Nianru waited for a moment, but seeing that Lord Ju had no intention of speaking, she was somewhat surprised.

"Lord Ju, you wait here; surely you have something to say to me?" Zheng Nianru’s gaze, free from the antipathy of their past life, swept through the interplay of light and shadows on the window lattice, landing on Lord Ju. He looked clear and fresh, like the first time she had seen him, like a pine tree on a mountain, noble and sublime, almost unreal.

Lord Ju hurriedly averted his gaze. Their eyes had nearly met just then, and his heart, which had calmed, throbbed violently. Awkwardly trying to suppress it, he stepped forward to regain his composure and sat down opposite Zheng Nianru.

Even then, Lord Ju still didn’t know how to begin.

Zheng Nianru could guess what Master Yin He felt towards her. Now, if Zheng Congyuan wanted to live, he must bow to the denizens of Ghoul Ravine, just as she and Prince Duan had discussed—it was time for her to repay the favor.

"Is his goal me?" Zheng Nianru asked directly when she saw that Lord Ju remained silent, bypassing the awkwardness of their past lives.

Lord Ju didn’t deny it. Perhaps with the memories of their past life, he could empathize more with this persistence, even if he clenched his teeth in frustration and felt utterly disillusioned, letting go was like forcibly tearing out a piece of his own heart.

"He agreed to let you stay in the palace, but the Emperor needs him to use Ghost Shadow to replenish his vitality every month. Whether he is willing to come, depends on the Commandery Princess," Lord Ju slowly began, trying to phrase his words as indirectly as possible.

Zheng Nianru understood and gave a cold laugh, causing Lord Ju, who was sitting across from her, to slightly narrow his eyes.

"I have persuaded Master Yin He. The Commandery Princess will soon be the Empress of Nanzheng. The coronation will follow the enthronement ceremony," Lord Ju spoke again.

Hearing this, Zheng Nianru looked at Lord Ju, somewhat surprised, beyond his expectations.