Ju Nanyi’s insistence, just like a water bladder with a hole, had its bottom line floated to the surface in an instant, fragile and shaky.
"Nian Ru, I... I miss you," the man’s voice was swallowed up mid-sentence.
He didn’t want her to be talked about by others. Even if they couldn’t do it now, he had the patience to wait, ten years, twenty years...
Nanny Yun, carrying tea, suddenly froze at the door, suddenly realizing what had happened inside. Her hand trembled, how could this be? What in the world was Her Highness thinking?
Nian Xia’s face turned pale as she clutched Nanny Yun’s sleeve anxiously. "Has Her Highness gone mad? The people from the Imperial Forest Guard are still in Prince Duan’s Mansion."
Although Nanny Yun was panicking inside, she still managed to roll her eyes dismissively. "What’s there to panic about, what else could happen? Could you persuade Her Highness or keep Lord Ju from coming near?"
...
"Where is Her Highness?" Zheng Congyuan felt as if he had had a very distant dream, groggy, with flashes of swords and blades, but when he was clear-headed, he rembered Zheng Nianru.
He rembered that Nianru had gone to Bu Er Temple, but he hadn’t expected that, by the ti he woke up, Ghoul Ravine had already been eradicated.
Ju Nanyi had reported the events at Bu Er Temple in detail, which indeed justified Ju Nanyi’s high position. What initially impressed him was Ju Nanyi’s ability to handle affairs, cool and calculating at each step.
The matter at Bu Er Temple was such that one wrong step would have ant failure.
Ju Nanyi’s approach was indeed a gamble: entering the dungeon, he wagered that as a common man stepping into the dungeon wouldn’t be dangerous, a point they had discussed before departing, which he had disagreed with Ju Nanyi’s risky behavior.
Yet, Ju Nanyi was right, the current situation in Nanzheng was also the result of a bold gamble.
"Your Majesty, Her Highness has gone to Prince Duan’s Mansion," Eunuch Du stepped forward cautiously. He had just co on duty, as the previous eunuchs had been severely injured, and he didn’t know how long he would last in Chenyuan Hall.
The first batch of eunuchs who attended closely caught the contagion after serving His Majesty for three days, only then realizing that the disease was contagious. That batch of eunuchs also died the quickest, withering away within less than four days of the outbreak.
The dealings with this batch of eunuchs were highly secretive, hardly anyone outside of Chenyuan Hall knew of it.
The second batch knew that close attendance was the cause of the incidents, hence the rumor that Her Highness should not co too close began to circulate.
He was part of the fourth batch, Eunuch Du had seen the horrendous state of those who died, their bodies turning black, very similar to when His Majesty fell ill, eventually bleeding to death from all orifices.
Zheng Congyuan glanced at the nervously trembling eunuch, already accustod to it; new batches were always like this. However, the onset of the disease in those close to him had been getting progressively later, starting from three to four days and now prolonged to seven or eight days. With caution, it could even surpass twelve days. It was a good sign.
Nianru’s visit to Prince Duan’s Mansion wasn’t surprising; she was probably stifled in the palace.
Zheng Congyuan felt sowhat better thinking of Zheng Nianru desperately wanting to co in.
Ju Nanyi was making rapid progress in this respect; from initially having no leads, he had now traced the origins back to the Western Border. Ghoul Ravine originated there too, and the Southern Frontier also had a branch. Despite being unchecked and thus flourishing even more, they had other options, regardless of the stringent conditions set by Nann Yu.
"Send the set of glazed bottles from the storeroom to Prince Duan’s Mansion," Zheng Congyuan ordered. Though Prince Duan was dissatisfied with the arrangents made that day, owing to past relations and critical tis for the Nanzheng Imperial Clan, he had to relent.
Zheng Congyuan had bet correctly; if not for the sudden intrusion of Ghoul Ravine, this would have been the best outco.
But what of it, no one could guarantee that every decision made was the right one, and he had not completely lost yet.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Eunuch Du quickly responded and hurriedly prepared to leave. "By the way, is Lord Ju in the outer study?" Zheng Congyuan spoke again.
He felt sowhat better, with many state affairs yet to be decided upon.
"To reply to Your Majesty, Lord Ju is not here today; it appears he has gone out with the Monarch of Nann State."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Congyuan felt a stab of annoyance; rembering the harsh words spoken by Nann Yu, he had no inclination to discuss the deal any further.
Wait, he seed to recall, wasn’t today the day when Ju Nanyi accompanied Nann Yu to the Southern Suburb?
A decoy fortress might fool Nann Yu; ideally, it would keep him deceived, otherwise, he would have designs on them.
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