Zheng Nianru ca to Prince Duan’s Mansion early the next morning, and to her surprise, Zheng Boding had indeed kept Nann Yu at Prince Duan’s Mansion and showed no intention of releasing him.
"Why have you co so early in the morning?" Zheng Boding did not expect to see his own daughter at the gates of Prince Duan’s Mansion, and he was even more astonished to see Nanny Yun and Xing Yu following right behind her.
Zheng Boding had no ti to say anything else; he hurriedly pulled Zheng Nianru into Prince Duan’s Mansion, questioning how she had co and whether she had been discovered, then uneasily instructed the butler to scout the situation in the Imperial Palace.
"I naturally missed Father." Zheng Nianru was absent-minded, and in the days to co, she would not spend much ti at Prince Duan’s Mansion. Although not large, Prince Duan’s Mansion was the most ancient and historically significant royal mansion in the Zheng Capital. The sea-buckthorn tree trunks in the main hall, hundreds of years old, entwined their roots bizarrely, and the ancient trees cast shimring spots of light beneath their lush canopy as several servants swept the fallen leaves with bamboo brooms.
As Zheng Nianru stepped into the courtyard, a cool breeze carrying the scent of ti passed through, and she looked up at the sky between the ancient trees.
Zheng Boding intended to urge Zheng Nianru inside, but he couldn’t help stopping in his tracks, filled with emotion. After all these years, Nianru was visiting Prince Duan’s Mansion for the first ti, returning to her own ho.
Even if it was the first ti, Prince Duan was still anxious. How could she co back, how could Nianru co back, which path did she take? Was it safe, or was it just her capriciousness?
"How did you manage to co out?" Zheng Boding didn’t have ti to ask anything else; he just looked and looked.
"I didn’t co from the Crown Prince’s Mansion." Zheng Nianru looked towards Zheng Boding. Although not yet forty and despite the harrowing years as a prince, Zheng Boding never lacked food or clothing. The sorrow on his dignified face could not obscure the innate nobility, and standing in front of Zheng Nianru, traces of his past vigor were still discernible.
"Then you, you..." was it through Nann Yu’s connections? That boy hadn’t deceived; he responded to each query without reserve, his submissive deanor nearly fooled him again.
"Father, rest assured, the route I took was unnoticed." Zheng Nianru looked around left and right. Didn’t Father have even one female servant at his mansion?
"I’m asking you, what are you doing here?" Zheng Boding brought the conversation back, thinking of what Zheng Nianru might be planning at this mont; he almost wished to kill Nann Yu right away.
"I naturally missed Father," Zheng Nianru turned her head, affectionately holding Zheng Boding’s arm as she spoke.
"Don’t play dumb." He hardly believed it, but felt pleased inside nonetheless. "You’re always talking about it, is it because of that Nann Yu?"
"Father, Nann Yu is but a hostage from Nann State, astute in his tasks and convenient to use. Moreover, I saved his life; if I chose to kill him now, it wouldn’t be improper," Zheng Nianru said nonchalantly, not wishing to add trouble. If she could kill Nann Yu, she wouldn’t take such a circuitous route. But was it possible to kill him?
It was impossible before, and now with those people arriving, it was even less feasible.
"A girl shouldn’t be consud by thoughts of violence every day," Zheng Boding beca uneasy again but he guessed correctly that Nianru had never entertained such thoughts. It was all Nann Yu’s nefarious intentions. Fortunately, he discovered it in ti; otherwise, would he not have allowed that boy to...
"Father, have you had breakfast yet?"
"No, you’ve upset ."
"How can that be? Getting angry with your daughter over an outsider is not worth it," she said. "If you fell ill from anger, wouldn’t it be my fault?"
"An outsider? Is he really just an outsider? Then promise your father that you will no longer associate with this person and clear up anything that involves him. I’ve already taken care of those deeds and shops for you," he said.
"Hmm, okay." So quickly? She still had use for those deeds.
"Good. I’ve dealt with this matter. You should stay well in the palace and wait patiently. Father has his own plans," Zheng Boding breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he had worried too much. Nian Ru, being uninford of worldly affairs, had been deceived by Nann Yu.
Zheng Boding imdiately concluded that these ideas must have been the devilish sches concocted by that youngster Nann Yu.
"So, does Father plan to release Nann Yu?"
"I have no plans to release him." How could he feel at ease without a proper chastisent?
"Father, your daughter will accompany you for breakfast." Zheng Nianru imdiately took Zheng Boding’s wrist, coaxing him further, as Nann Yu’s master was no easy target. If he had the audacity to visit her Qishun Building, then he would surely have the nerve to co to Prince Duan’s Mansion.
But why hasn’t he co now?
Zheng Nianru guessed that it was because she seed more vulnerable now.
However, Zheng Nianru was prepared to be magnanimous and not fuss over these small favors. If these small kindnesses could avert war with Nanzheng State in the future, then the possibility of her not becoming the Empress Dowager, yet having significance in Nanzheng State, would greatly increase.
"Uncle Han, I think we should wait a bit longer." Tan Zong sowhat disagreed; although the Commandery Princess had not outright asked for it, she had been cautiously trying to persuade Prince Duan to release Nann Yu.
What they had done yesterday was indeed too impulsive. After all, she was a Commandery Princess of Nanzheng State, and they had not formally proposed marriage. Intruding into a young lady’s residence uninvited was certainly not a wise move.
"Wait for what? Didn’t you hear what that kid said just now?" Uncle Han’s chest heaved; he felt that what they did yesterday was a matter of last resort but also justifiable, as their Princely Heir had been very humble and polite.
Tan Zong couldn’t be sure. The kid from yesterday truly had an extre arrogance; they simply couldn’t get a word in edgewise. So now, with this Commandery Princess again interceding, it indeed seed sowhat illogical.
"Really not releasing him?" Zheng Nianru asked once more, Zheng Boding’s stubbornness and obstinance exceeding her expectations.
"Of course not." Even if I were to release him, I wouldn’t let you know.
Zheng Nianru realized she had to consider another possibility: Nann Yu’s power had already grown beyond their control. When he returned to Nann State, it took him less than a year to beco the Monarch of the Nann State, and that wasn’t even the most important part; the most crucial aspect was the exponential growth of Nann State’s power.
Zheng Nianru contemplated a fact: as a child of Zheng Boding, if she truly married Nann Yu and there was a possibility of it, then she would be killed by Empress Dowager Yan Ping even before leaving Nanzheng State.
Having rebelled once, Prince Duan, with the backing of Nann State, would inevitably rebel a second ti. This is what Empress Dowager Yan Ping believed, and she wouldn’t trust otherwise, even if Prince Duan had no desire to rebel.
Therefore, courting favor should be done the way she used to do it, stealthily, so that once others returned ho, only gratitude would remain for her.
"Then just kill him." Since they cannot curry favor, might as well kill him and be done with the trouble that would follow, sparing herself future headaches.
Zheng Boding was about to speak again when he suddenly looked at Zheng Nianru sowhat strangely; the Zheng Nianru before him had ntioned killing Nann Yu twice, which puzzled him, as she appeared serious, as if earnestly contemplating the issue.
"Why kill him?" asked Zheng Boding.
"Because keeping him alive is troubleso." And very troubleso at that, it would affect all her plans. Even if she had so fondness for Nann Yu, that fondness was not enough to make her drop everything else. Even if she wished to avoid any involvent with Zheng Congyuan, she couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing him again.
Moreover, she couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing Zheng Boding again.
Reviews
All reviews (0)