CHAPTER 569: CHAPTER 548 SECOND UPDATE

Nanny Yun and others were busy in Chende Palace for two days, there was actually not much to tidy up, just some personal clothes and utensils. Prince Duan had already sent them over, and furthermore, they were gifts from Zheng Congyuan back then.

However, having waited for two days, Zheng Nianru felt increasingly that something was off because in these two days, Chenyuan Hall had repeatedly found various reasons to refuse her meetings with Zheng Congyuan.

Initially, Zheng Congyuan was asleep, and Zheng Nianru did not suspect anything, because during these two days, Zheng Congyuan had mostly been asleep. The Imperial Physician said it was due to a severe loss of vital energy, so Zheng Nianru did not doubt this.

However, Zheng Nianru suddenly realized that the three meals a day entering Chenyuan Hall had changed. The moment she turned to go back to her palace, she noticed that there was much less food, which was different from the previous days.

Zheng Nianru waited another day and indeed, it remained the same. She realized that Zheng Congyuan was intentionally avoiding her.

In the evening, Xing Yu quietly returned. It was difficult for her to move around the palace now, but after hearing Nanny Yun’s method, she did not start with Chenyuan Hall but went to the Imperial Kitchen instead. There, she bribed a Little Eunuch who delivered meals and found out that Zheng Congyuan had awoken two days ago and had already started to review the Memorials to the Throne.

Hearing this news, Zheng Nianru naturally knew that Zheng Congyuan was intentionally avoiding her. As for why, she also faintly guessed some reasons.

With Zheng Congyuan’s proud character, he naturally believed that his hand had led to this defeat, and that he had created the current situation himself, so he felt too ashamed to see her.

So, was he prepared to throw away the situation that Ju Nanyi had barely regained for nothing?

Zheng Nianru thought for a day. The situation was already so bad, how much worse could it get? Moreover, she had done some things in her past life, and this time, she didn’t feel the panic and helplessness she’d felt waking from a drunken stupor in her previous life. All things considered, it was all the same.

If it could relieve her boredom, it would, oh, no, she thought wrong, this life was somewhat different, now, she was the one relieving others’ boredom.

So, Zheng Congyuan couldn’t figure it out. When she married Ju Nanyi in her last life, hadn’t he agreed to it then?

"Empress, the Emperor has really gone to bed—" The eunuch following behind her hurriedly caught up, trying but not daring to stop her; Zheng Nianru had already barged in, with Fu Dong and Nian Xia daring only to follow.

Zheng Congyuan sat at the head of the bed, piles of books stacked high as the bed itself, almost covering his figure, but Zheng Nianru still saw him. She stopped and quietly watched Zheng Congyuan.

Zheng Congyuan glanced at the eunuch behind him; neither Qi Ling nor Qi Zhu could stop her, so naturally these eunuchs couldn’t either. Now he didn’t have many people to use, so naturally, he couldn’t keep them close.

The eunuch, receiving the order, silently retreated. The room fell silent, and Zheng Congyuan in front of her had noticeably lost weight.

"You’re here, sit—" Zheng Congyuan’s eyes softened, nodding toward the chair in front of Zheng Nianru.

The furnishings in Chenyuan Hall were very Spartan now, except for necessary utensils, there was almost nothing else, except for those stacks of books. Zheng Nianru looked at the books, which were clearly not the ones Zheng Congyuan usually read. The pages were yellowed, quite old, and the script on them was not the script commonly used nowadays in Nanzheng, and several of the books featured more than one type of character.

"Nian Xia, move the books away," Zheng Nianru spoke.

Zheng Congyuan opened his mouth to refuse, but seeing Zheng Nianru’s expression, he knew she was angry. Opposing her now would only make her angrier, he could move them back later.

"Why have you come?" Zheng Congyuan beckoned with his hand, trying to appear calm, even amidst anxiety, even as he was eager to break the current impasse, he did not want Zheng Nianru to worry.

"Changed places, thought you might not sleep well at night, so I came," Zheng Nianru said composedly as she approached. She did not sit, but had already walked up to the bed, making it seem very much as if it were the most natural thing to do.

Zheng Congyuan’s expression shifted slightly, and he subconsciously wanted to get up, while Zheng Nianru glanced at the still dumbfounded Fu Dong.

"Dazed? Help me change my clothes," said Zheng Nianru as she reached out her hand.

Just as Fu Dong was about to join Nian Xia in moving books, she hesitated. She felt it was better to move books. Behind her, the Crown Prince... The Emperor signaled her to leave, leaving her unsure who to obey.

"Nian Ru..." Zheng Congyuan grabbed Zheng Nianru’s hand, "You go first."

Fu Dong did not leave, watching her own Commandery Princess with her eyes.

Zheng Nianru felt there was nothing she couldn’t say in front of Fu Dong, but perhaps Zheng Congyuan was reluctant, so be it.

Fu Dong immediately felt relieved and went down, not knowing what her Commandery Princess was about to do—even if it were that, it should wait until The Emperor was better...

"Nian Ru—" Zheng Congyuan barely started speaking when Zheng Nianru had already kicked off her shoes and climbed to the edge of the bed, seizing the opportunity to cling onto Zheng Congyuan’s arm without letting him continue.

"I am your Empress; now, it is only natural for us to be like this." Zheng Nianru tried to make her tone lighter while holding onto his arm, actually not wanting to think of other displeasures; she was almost at the closest to her dreams.

"Nian Ru, wait until I am better—" Zheng Congyuan, after a long time, placed his hand over the back of Zheng Nianru’s hand.

He had to consider the worst scenario. If their plan failed again, if they could not find a way to contain the Ghoul Ravine, then he would rather have Zheng Nianru live on well, giving Yin He no reason to kill her.

Such a person, unpredictable in mood, Zheng Congyuan was uncertain if he could endure all of Zheng Nianru’s flaws, especially...

Thus, he wanted to leave a way out for Nian Ru.

"I don’t intend much, just to hold you as we sleep. Besides, I am your Empress, shouldn’t I?" Zheng Nianru’s voice was soft. Why bother about other things? If they could survive each day as it comes, so be it, even if it meant dying again without the mess of Nanyi, as long as death was quick, preferably when she was unaware...

Just as Nanyi had laid down to sleep, a person burst into his room silently, and Nanyi got up without any defense, not that he lacked the ability, but at this moment, he need not provoke the other party.

"You can’t even keep watch over a person; it seems our master has overestimated your abilities." A cold and somber voice slowly drifted out of the darkness, and Xia Wei, hearing the voice and seeing the person who entered, immediately froze where he stood.

Nanyi looked at Xia Wei, whose intrusion was not necessarily due to the people of Ghoul Ravine; he had Xia Wei watch over the palace, probably because there was some news in the palace.

Nanyi gestured for the other person to speak, and Xia Wei spoke.

"My lord, the Empress has entered Chenyuan Hall..."

Nanyi immediately understood what it meant; clearly, their people were not as fast as their opponents. This was to confront him with accusations.

"Regarding this matter, how does Lord Ju intend to explain?" The man inside the room spoke again, his tone filled with barely concealed anger. If the Young Master could swallow this grievance, they could not, especially when the bloodline of the heir to the Ghoul Ravine must not be muddled?