Prince Duan went to sleep past midnight, and as half of the lights in Prince Duan’s Mansion were extinguished, several shadows stealthily approached the mansion’s most exquisite courtyard. This was not the main courtyard; given that Prince Duan’s Mansion was originally a residence from the previous dynasty, Prince Duan, a man of simplicity, occupied what should have been the favored concubine’s quarters of the forr estate—every piece of foliage, every carving there was far more exquisite than elsewhere.
However, since it was situated too far from the main residence and with the passage of ti, those precious trees had beco increasingly somber. Prince Duan maintained the place originally for Zheng Nianru, but upon return, he found it too distant and, after a consult with a mage who proclaid it unsuitable for the Commandery Princess’s fate, he decided against moving there.
Zheng Congyuan was resting there at that mont. Qi Jin, Qi Yu, along with the swiftly arrived Qi Ling, and Qi Zhu efficiently organized everything; after all, the Crown Prince’s belongings were always simple, favoring no frills.
Because Master Yu Sheng had provided an elixir, not for ingestion but for dicinal bathing, and after Zheng Congyuan took one, his condition improved significantly. The dicinal bath was also ant to expel external malevolent energies, therefore, Qi Ling and Qi Zhu relieved Qi Jin and Qi Yu, instructing them to rest while they guarded outside the room.
The peace of Prince Duan’s Mansion was disturbed at this late hour. Master Yu Sheng suggested staying because Lord Ju Nanyi’s condition was severe, not to be delayed, and because Heir Zong’s illness was recurring, having been afflicted by evil spirits for too long, necessitating thorough treatnt, and the Zong Sheng Residence’s guards had already sent for him twice.
Qi Ling, though not having witnessed the dayti events in person, felt lingering fear simply from the brief description from Qi Jin and Qi Yu.
As for the conclusive opinion on the matter, the Master of Ghoul Ravine personally arrived with the intent to seek out Master Yin He, forrly at the Second Prince’s side. Master Yin He was quite unique, courted both by Qiandao Temple and Ghoul Ravine.
To these affairs, Qi Ling paid little heed. Ghoul Ravine was a remote and harsh location anyhow. Master Yu Sheng told him that after Master Yin He’s amnesia, his abilities were significantly reduced, and even with any ulterior motives, there was nothing to fear with Qiandao Temple there.
What Qi Ling couldn’t fathom, though, was why Master Yin He didn’t choose to leave. This whole affair could have been conducted in secrecy, spiriting the man to Ghoul Ravine, but instead, it turned into a grand, roundabout display. Qi Ling was baffled, uncertain of his master’s thoughts.
Was it to test the depths of Qiandao Temple?
Indeed, extrely plausible. Master Yu Sheng being too conspicuous a target, Heir Zong Yunqian from the sa temple would be the next best choice.
"Who’s there?" Qi Ling imdiately tensed, his sword pointing straight at Nian Xia’s face.
"Qi Ling, you’re gonna get it." Nian Xia cursed angrily, as Qi Ling quickly withdrew his sword.
"Commandery Princess, what brings you here?" Your grace, you’re injured, don’t wander about carelessly; should there be any mishap, they could not bear the responsibility.
"Ah, ah, Commandery Princess, the Crown Prince is..."
Creak—the door was opened. Qi Ling felt as if he spoke into emptiness; Qi Zhu, carrying an empty bucket and coming out from inside, was startled and imdiately stood his ground.
"Commandery Princess, His Highness is bathing—" Qi Ling forgot to bow, and though a large screen hid Zheng Congyuan’s figure behind him, the shadow cast on the screen by the light was very clear. Tongue-tied, Qi Ling wanted to urge Zheng Nianru, standing before him, to leave but was too apprehensive to do so.
Fu Dong and Nian Xia initially failed to detect the urgency in Qi Ling’s voice but now felt awkward, intending to pull their own Commandery Princess away. Though they saw nothing, their faces flushed red. Xing Yu, who had business to inquire of Qi Ling, stood outside without entering.
Zheng Nianru did not move but glanced at the panicked and indecisive Qi Zhu.
"You go first, Commandery Princess only wants to ask a few questions." Zheng Nianru did not move, and behind her, Fu Dong and Nian Xia were startled. Isn’t the Commandery Princess leaving? Did she just tell them to leave as well?
Qi Zhu stood still, uncertain whether to go or stay, not daring to offend either side, so she braced herself to speak again, perhaps the Commandery Princess hadn’t clearly heard what she had said before.
"Qi Ling, you go first," suddenly ca Zheng Congyuan’s voice from behind the screen, Qi Ling didn’t dare to ponder further, perhaps the Commandery Princess really had so important matters to discuss with His Highness.
Zheng Nianru sat down on a chair outside the screen and glanced at Fu Dong and Nian Xia, who hesitated to speak, not daring to voice their concerns at this mont, and could only slowly push their way to the door.
Qi Ling silently closed the door, although he felt that his action of closing the door was inappropriate, not closing it seed even more so.
The room was filled with mist, and no one spoke first. After a long while, just as Zheng Nianru thought Zheng Congyuan was about to fall asleep, she couldn’t hold back any longer, she was truly angered.
Actually, her conduct today was childish, any person with a bit of sense could see the problem. Prince Duan couldn’t see it, but that was because Prince Duan’s brain had been damaged by the drugs given by Empress Dowager Yan Ping.
"It was my idea, I regret agreeing to the engagent with Zong Yunqian," Zheng Nianru said concisely, and although she couldn’t hear the man’s voice behind the screen, she could imagine the disdainful snort coming from his nose.
Was he not believing her? Zheng Nianru did not consider Zheng Congyuan an easy fool. One sentence of explanation couldn’t deceive Zheng Congyuan. She stepped forward, hearing the faint sound of water splashing from behind the screen, so faint it seed like a finger had accidentally touched the surface, with a careful tinge of tension.
"I do regret it, especially when I was close to death, the thing I wanted most was always out of reach, it made even dying feel suffocating." Zheng Nianru said, not looking at the screen, she tilted her head slightly, the shadow of the candle fla flickered, projecting an alternating light and dark on the ceiling, swaying with grace.
Zheng Nianru took another step forward, hearing the breathing from behind the screen; just as Zheng Congyuan was about to speak, she stopped, even turned around, moving closer but cleverly avoiding putting pressure on the person behind the screen.
"Zheng Congyuan, sotis I wonder, if I really reach the mont of death, do you know what you want the most?" Zheng Nianru’s voice drifted hauntingly.
"The forr Emperor Jinhan married his own cousin, and it was Emperor Jinhan’s imperial grandfather who established the Nanjin Kingdom, with the first Empress also being the Empress Dowager’s own niece," Zheng Nianru slowly began.
"Nianru, that was the forr dynasty, which is why Emperor Jinhan’s nation fell, and we in Nanzheng State have ancestral teachings," Zheng Congyuan finally spoke, and he had thought about all of this, it was just too late. When the ancestor established these ancestral teachings, he hadn’t even been born, and even the plotting ca too late. Besides, the issue between him and Nianru was not the only one, and each was an uncrossable trench.
If Nianru’s mother really was a princess from Nann State, such status couldn’t qualify for the Crown Princess Consort. Moreover, considering Nianru’s mother’s true identity...
Zheng Congyuan had not been without sches, such scheming started as soon as he stood in the imperial court, but it had been of little effect. He didn’t want to aggrieve Nianru, didn’t want her to live in an identity shrouded from daylight, and he knew well Nianru’s character, how reckless she was now was how much she would regret later.
"Have you ever thought about giving up everything?" Zheng Nianru suddenly asked, she had asked in the previous life, and now, Zheng Nianru wanted to ask again.
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