CHAPTER 590: CHAPTER 569 FIRST UPDATE

Zong Yunqian nodded his head, this answer did not surprise him, or rather, he had been prepared for it.

Zong Yunqian put down the wine jar and stood up.

"Good, your word is enough for me," Zong Yunqian said as he turned to leave.

Ju Nanyi’s gaze deepened, if his previous words were merely spoken in passing, now was different, Ju Nanyi was considering another possibility.

"Wait a moment," Ju Nanyi spoke.

Zong Yunqian turned around, puzzled. He did not believe Ju Nanyi would change his mind and cooperate with him, but to his surprise, Ju Nanyi, who previously appeared to scorn his presence, now had a clear gaze, and stood up as Zong Yunqian turned.

Ju Nanyi also put down his wine jar, his tone regaining calm and clarity.

"Tomorrow evening, two miles from Bu Er Temple, you’ll only get one chance. After that, it’s all on your own skill," Ju Nanyi spoke, a daze in his voice, "Before that, there’s something you need to do."

Ju Nanyi took a step forward and whispered to Zong Yunqian.

Gu Dao and Xi Feng, watching the scene from the top of the wall, did not know what the two men were saying but hope was already kindling in their hearts.

It wasn’t long before Zong Yunqian was hurrying back.

"Let’s go—"

Ju Nanyi, watching the retreating figure of Zong Yunqian, desperately wanted to laugh, yet he only forcefully downed a gulp of wine, followed by countless more, refusing to think, not thinking about anything.

...

Zheng Nianru was indeed very angry, Ju Nanyi’s strong reaction was not incomprehensible, but Zheng Nianru felt that in this lifetime, Ju Nanyi had no right to meddle in these matters anymore.

Even if there were entanglements, they were between her and Zheng Congyuan, and those other irrelevant people.

At least, matters of national duty and interest swaps are easier for people to accept than Ju Nanyi’s short-sightedness, concerned only with a single person or object.

"Your Majesty, it’s getting late. This servant will assist you to rest now, we have to continue our journey tomorrow," Nanny Yun said, lighting the way and spreading out the bedding. There were no partitions like in the palace here, so Nanny Yun and the others could only set up their bedding on the floor. Although the weather had warmed up from the previous days, there was no heating system here. Only two charcoal basins brought down from the carriage were available.

Zheng Nianru walked toward the bed, its frame carved with exquisite lotus and branched patterns, and couldn’t help but reach out to touch it, feeling as if some memories were both real and fake. So what is real and what is false at this moment?

Just like, in her past life, Ju Nanyi’s affection for her at this time was sincere, but later...

He probably harbored thoughts of killing her, and indeed, Ju Nanyi had done so, and she had indulged him. Now in this lifetime, let it be, it’s too exhausting.

Ju Nanyi, treading through darkness and muddleheadedness, only felt flashes of swords and glints of blades continually flying before his eyes, while the screeching of warhorses and the splatter of warm blood echoed in his ears. It was his first time witnessing the cruelty of the battlefield, his arm numbed after beheading an enemy, his stomach tumultuous. He endured it, knowing he could not falter; if he did, Zheng Nianru and their child would become playthings in someone else’s hands.

Ju Nanyi did not know when he had started to become numb, it was only when he returned here that his heart came to life again. Her concerned gaze, the news of winning battles, even his speech became much warmer and softer. That was when he should have realized, apart from winning battles, her gaze no longer rested on him.

It was not until they once again faced danger, when intruders burst in and she truly realized the threat of death, that Ju Nanyi arrived in time. She threw herself into his arms, crying with red-rimmed eyes and a runny nose, her hair not as neat as usual. Yet Ju Nanyi firmly remembered her like that, so beautiful that he couldn’t take his eyes off of her, and for the first time, he truly smiled at her, truly cried for her.

Thus Ju Nanyi walked on, just like he always did when exhausted, like a fish desperate for water, he took uneven steps towards that familiar place.

"Bang—" In the darkness, a loud noise erupted.

The person who had fallen asleep was jolted awake from her dreams. Xing Yu looked suspiciously at the pitch-black sky; she was sleeping in the outer room. She furrowed her brows. What was that noise?

Before Xing Yu could get up, footsteps were already sounding in her ears. With that, Xing Yu immediately sprang up, watching the direction the sound came from with a wary face, her pillow already thrown in that direction in the same instant.

Ju Nanyi caught it effortlessly and continued towards the main door as if nothing had happened.

Xing Yu was just about to speak when she saw the figure in the moonlight, staggering step by step. She recognized him, and with that recognition came the realization of the strong smell of alcohol on him.

Xing Yu’s first reaction was, did Lord Ju drink? How could Lord Ju drink? Especially while escorting the empress? Could this person not be Lord Ju? Was someone impersonating Lord Ju?

Nian Xia had quietly stood beside Xing Yu, about to speak up. Like Xing Yu, she immediately recognized Ju Nanyi. The two of them had been sleeping in the outer room. At this moment, Nian Xia glanced at the closed door of the inner room. It was already midnight, and it seemed they hadn’t heard the noise.

But the figure of Ju Nanyi was still unsteadily approaching the main door. Nian Xia and Xing Yu were well aware that the empress and Lord Ju had had an unpleasant disagreement today. At this time, it was best if the empress didn’t see Lord Ju.

The two women thought of the same thing at once, threw on their clothes, and prepared to hustle Ju Nanyi out the door.

Nian Xia and Xing Yu sprinted towards Ju Nanyi, and as they were about to touch the man’s arm, he eluded their hands with surprising agility and proceeded into the house.

"Lord Ju—," Xing Yu and Nian Xia called out anxiously in hushed voices, afraid of being heard by the person inside.

Ju Nanyi kept walking in, ignoring the two annoying maids behind him. Over the following days, these two maids tried to stop him countless times for countless reasons. He wouldn’t listen; he didn’t want to listen at all.

Nian Xia pushed Xing Yu. Quick, catch him! Were they really going to let Lord Ju go inside?

Offending Lord Ju in his current position was not a good idea.

Xing Yu hurriedly reached out to grab him again, but the man deftly avoided her hand a second time. Even Xing Yu was puzzled; although his steps appeared wobbly, he moved fast.

Was Lord Ju coming to apologize?

Nian Xia thought, even if Lord Ju wanted to apologize, he didn’t need to come in the middle of the night.

"Lord Ju—" Seeing Lord Ju about to step through the door, Nian Xia finally couldn’t hold back and called out loudly, no longer caring if she might disturb her own mistress.

Nian Xia’s shout successfully awakened everyone. Nanny Yun came to the door, and a dark figure appeared suddenly in front of her. Before she could make a sound, the shadow had already entered and headed directly into the darkness, going by memory.

"Who is it?" Zheng Nianru frowned, half-asleep and drowsy, wavering between clarity and confusion. She instinctively asked the question to Fu Dong and Nanny Yun, who were asleep on the floor under the bed, but the calm voice that answered her was Ju Nanyi’s.

"It’s me—"