Zheng Nianru waited another day, but Zheng Haoyuan didn’t co. Could it be because there was a lot going on these last two days? Zheng Nianru hadn’t heard about any particular events, and Noble Consort Wen was busy with birthday preparations. He should have had both idle and bustling tis.
Wen Zan went to wait at the entrance of the Hanlin Academy early the next morning, only to see the academy’s ssengers coming out again.
"Second Young Master Wen, it’s truly unfortunate, but Scholar Ju is not here. He didn’t co to the academy and went straight to the riverworks."
Zheng Nianru frowned. By the ti the ssage arrived, it was already afternoon. So, during these three days, had Ju Nanyi really not found any ti to see Wen Zan?
Not to ntion the Floral Design, which was still unknown whether it was completed or not?
No, Zheng Nianru imdiately rejected this notion. The drafts that Ju Nanyi usually presented, based on her understanding, were never half-finished initial sketches. In her heart, there was already a finished product, and the content for the lower half of the piece had already leaped onto the paper. According to what she knew about Ju Nanyi, he would never start painting unless he had completely thought it through in his mind and ran through it dozens or even hundreds of tis.
And once he started, it was impossible for him to only draw half and leave the other half unfinished. For him, it wouldn’t take that much ti at all.
So, was it intentional?
If Ju Nanyi intended to deliberately do sothing, he would certainly make it so that no traces could be detected.
Otherwise, with his intelligence, how could he not know why Wen Zan had been seeking him out for two consecutive days? If he truly had no ti, he could have left the draft at the Hanlin Academy for Wen Zan to collect himself.
Zheng Nianru was more convinced that Ju Nanyi, that cunning rabbit, was plotting sothing by not handing over the draft. In this lifeti, she had no dealings with Ju Nanyi, so naturally, it couldn’t be targeted at her. That left either Wen Zan or Zheng Haoyuan as targets—or perhaps neither of them.
With Ju Nanyi’s actions, there never ca a mont where people understood his motives until the very end.
Zheng Nianru decided not to wait anymore; otherwise, this matter could drag on until she lost her interest in making clothes.
When Zheng Nianru, accompanied by her retinue, ca out, they saw that Zheng Haoyuan was a step behind in becoming aware and followed the usual route he took for entry and exit. The guards from the Loyal Warriors of Wen Family, well-aware of Princess Chao Ren’s identity, let them through without question.
Zheng Nianru only brought Nian Xia, Xing Yu, and Yin He with her. As soon as they left the Imperial Palace, Zheng Nianru headed straight for the riverworks. If Ju Nanyi said he was at the riverworks, then he truly was there and was genuinely busy. In these matters, he never allowed anyone to find fault.
The Zheng Capital’s Outer City River was ford from the streams flowing down from the mountain tops of Weixing Mountain, where snow accumulated all year round. Due to the recent dry weather, the water level of the Outer City River had been declining for years, and the shallowest part only reached an adult’s thigh. The original plan was to connect the water from the Ming Canal with the Outer City River and let it flow into Wei Lake. Wei Lake was a major river that ran through the entirety of Zheng Capital City, with ample water supply. If successful, Zheng Capital wouldn’t have to worry about the silting of the Outer City River for a decade.
But distant water could not quench imdiate thirst. This project was a massive undertaking that couldn’t be completed in two to three years. Now, a solution was needed to address the safety problems caused by the blocking and silting of the Outer City River.
Old Pri Minister Lin imdiately proposed dredging as a temporary solution to the urgent problem. The dredged mud could also be used to reinforce the embanknts, so dredging was carried out alongside the river engineering work.
Old Pri Minister Lin was extrely fond of Ju Nanyi’s calm and collected nature. While he regretted that the Crown Prince had snapped up Ju Nanyi before he could, he also resented the fact that the Crown Prince had recognized a talent that he had spotted first. The discernnt of people in their position was so sharp that judging a person or evaluating food often required just a glance, and at most a second look, to distinguish a dusty pearl from a decorative pillow.
Old Pri Minister Lin was not one to hide his knowledge, and even though Ju Nanyi had been taken by the Crown Prince, when it ca to work, he always thought of Ju Nanyi, clearly intending to give him a chance to exercise his abilities.
Ju Nanyi was also hardworking and complained of nothing. As long as the Crown Prince allowed it, he would certainly take the initiative and work diligently, which gradually silenced those who had been complaining.
"Scholar Ju, look, this dredged silt, in another two or three days of effort, will be completely cleared." All the progress had been calculated from the start, including the amount of labor and the number of ships involved. Otherwise, too many ships would clog the already narrow river, hindering progress.
What touched them even more was that despite this, Scholar Ju made sure to visit the site every two days, sotis even joining them in the river to inspect the work, which prompted many officials to change their views of this disciple of the Crown Prince.
Ju Nanyi glanced at the sky, noting it was almost ti to finish work. He shed his raincoat; even though he hadn’t needed to do any physical work himself, it was possible to get splattered with mud. Ju Nanyi wasn’t concerned about the dirt, as the twilight had already started to obscure the dust and stains on his clothes.
Stepping up on the riverbank, Ju Nanyi’s first sight upon leaving the construction enclosure was a carriage that seed quite out of place here. A mont of mild surprise was quickly supplanted by a thought that made his heart skip a beat, but he imdiately dismissed it.
How could it be? It was just a Floral Design, and his intention to delay for a couple of days was to make an impression on her, to ensure she understood that the craft ca from his hands and not so random artist assigned by Wen Zan.
Moreover, all of this was contingent on her recognizing the quality and being able to discern the sumr charm he had woven into the dress. In fact, at the beginning, he wasn’t even sure if she would realize the reason he left it half-finished, but clearly, she had understood.
Ju Nanyi imdiately regained his composure and began to slowly walk toward the official road. His residence wasn’t far from there, and he had planned to walk back when he arrived, hence he had dismissed his carriage earlier.
Along the way, Ju Nanyi greeted several officials he encountered.
It was likely an official’s family mber. There were many officials present at the river dredging, not necessarily watching every day, but during critical monts, there were more, including younger officials like Lord Lin, Lord Ke, and Lord Ji, all around his age.
Just as Ju Nanyi took a few steps, the carriage behind him suddenly moved. Even so, Ju Nanyi felt that the thought in his mind was the most ludicrous and impossible guess.
The carriage abruptly stopped ahead of Ju Nanyi, rudely blocking his way. It even encroached upon two-thirds of the official road, leaving no room for another carriage to pass if one ca from the opposite direction.
Xing Yu lifted the curtain but did not look at Ju Nanyi, nor did she lift the curtain further, clearly indicating that the person inside the carriage had no intention of coming out.
Yin He, clad in the plain black attire of a common servant, his eyes dark like ink and his skin unbelievably pale, caught the attention of Ju Nanyi, who could not afford to gaze inappropriately. His eyes were instantly drawn to the overly handso youth.
"Scholar Ju," a soft voice ca from inside the carriage, revealing no hint of joy or anger, like ripples on water, causing Ju Nanyi’s heart to sway.
Ju Nanyi bowed his head. The rippling was a re blink of an eye, yet Ju Nanyi was aware of his lapse. When had she acquired such a young companion? Soone from the palace?
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