Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved-Chapter 540 - 519 First Update

"Commandery Princess, there’s no one here." The small peasant’s courtyard was in disarray, with fallen farm tools, racks, and a few chickens flying atop the walls.

The rebellion instigated by the Wen Family had long since driven the villagers near the Imperial City to flee with their families. The occupants of this house had left in a hurry; the several rows of vegetable seedlings outside revealed that they were a diligent and honest peasant couple, with even a child among them—a wooden horse lay toppled inside the door, and the simplicity and sturdiness of the tables and chairs inside made them seem quite robust.

"Commandery Princess, I found some clothes," said Nanny Yun as she brought out a bundle from the inner room, clearly something the farming household had not managed to take with them. Nanny Yun selected a few clean pieces and glanced at her own Commandery Princess, feeling that this plan might not work after all.

Standing inside the main room, Zheng Nianru found that this place, which she had imagined as a worry-free enclave for living, differed somewhat from her expectations. The tables and chairs lacked ornamentation, with even the edges being rough to the touch, somewhat prickly. Zheng Nianru stood there in a daze—could it be that the life she was determined to lead in her past life was actually like this?

Nian Xia thought the Commandery Princess wanted to sit, so she took a handkerchief and carefully wiped down one of the chairs until it was clean.

"Commandery Princess, you must be tired. Why not rest here a while?" suggested Nian Xia. Although they had experienced several good years, they had also known times of clothing shortages and hunger within the Qishun Building, sometimes unable to light a fire and forced to eat cold buns as children.

Zheng Nianru turned to look at the clothes in Nanny Yun’s hands, thinking that since she had entertained the idea, she might as well give it a try to see just how disheveled she could be and to reflect on how ridiculous her thoughts from her previous life were.

If she could not bear it herself, let alone Zheng Congyuan who had always lived a life of luxury.

"Let me have a look—" As Nanny Yun was about to put the bundle away, convinced that her Commandery Princess would never wear those clothes, how could the princess, who was picky even about wearing silk, tolerate such coarse garments?

Fu Dong saw Nanny Yun freeze, took the bundle from her, and looked at Nanny Yun, also finding the Commandery Princess’s behavior rather strange.

Zheng Nianru chose a light blue cloth coat, which was very unevenly dyed, as if it had been tinted with homemade dyes—spotty here and there. Yet at that moment, through Zheng Nianru’s spontaneous eyes, it bore a peculiar charm.

Fu Dong glanced at Nanny Yun, somewhat incredulous that the Commandery Princess would actually take a liking to such clothes.

"Let’s change; aren’t we too conspicuous this way?" said Zheng Nianru. Fu Dong was taken aback, as was Nian Xia, who had been looking around for a clay pot to try and make some tea.

Zheng Nianru looked towards Fu Dong and Nanny Yun.

"You’re right, our current attire is indeed very eye-catching. Given the dangerous circumstances, it’s better to hide here for a couple of days rather than going to the villa. Who knows if we will encounter anyone on the way there. Once the situation clears up, we can leave. No one will think to find us hiding here," Zheng Nianru said with a playful smile, and the small room seemed unable to contain the brightness of her smile, infusing it with light.

"Indeed, Commandery Princess, that makes sense," agreed Nanny Yun. If they were to be caught on the way to the villa, it would be dangerous whether people recognized them or not.

Moreover, their intention was to escape the Fourth Prince’s grasp. Although they might be safe with him for the time being, Nanny Yun understood the difference between temporary safety and lifelong security.

If the Wen Family were defeated and the Crown Prince began searching for the Commandery Princess, she would be extremely unsafe.

Additionally, if the Fourth Prince’s side were to win, they stood to gain nothing. Although the Commandery Princess hadn’t said so, Nanny Yun could tell that she was deeply concerned about the current political situation.

Therefore, they had to escape, they absolutely had to make their escape, as for who would win or lose after that, they wouldn’t be able to provide much help.

But there was nothing here, and they didn’t know how many days they would stay.

"Commandery Princess, I caught a chicken, how about we roast it and eat before we go?" Xing Yu, holding a chicken, walked in from outside and couldn’t bear to look at Nanny Yun’s face, casting an ingratiating glance at her own Commandery Princess.

"Look around for more food, see if there is anything useful in the kitchen. The Commandery Princess said we are staying here for two days before we light a fire when it gets dark," Nanny Yun instructed while giving Fu Dong and Nian Xia a meaningful look.

Fu Dong and Nian Xia were far more sensible than Xing Yu’s carefree attitude, but right now they couldn’t help but worry, especially with the chaos outside, whether the Commandery Princess was safe here.

But where was truly safe now?

"Let’s change clothes first," Zheng Nianru reminded them. In no time, the masters and servants had all changed their attire. Nanny Yun and Nian Xia didn’t share Zheng Nianru’s enthusiasm, but they had already started to pack their belongings, and Xing Yu quickly found quite a bit of food.

Fu Dong, following Zheng Nianru’s orders, was tidying up the inner room. There wasn’t much to tidy, just a wooden bed so simple it was just a few wooden planks put together, but sturdy and firm. Searching through a cabinet nearby, Fu Dong found a new cotton quilt with a faded ’happiness’ character sticking to it.

Fu Dong also found new bedsheets and took advantage of the remaining sunlight to air them. The blankets from the bed were naturally of use too, as for the four of them facing such a cold night, one blanket was certainly not enough.

An hour later, the courtyard finally looked clean and tidy. The chicken Xing Yu had caught first on the wall outside was now locked in a cage, and the farm tools were neatly gathered to one side. The previously cluttered courtyard suddenly looked new and vibrant with life.

The two lurking in the shadows had waited a long while but still saw no one emerge from the courtyard. They looked at each other with suspicion, unclear about what was happening inside.

The two had been following Zheng Nianru for several days, ever since they received the message from their own Princely Heir. They had rushed to Prince Duan’s estate from the countryside and had not expected to encounter the Loyal Warriors of Wen Family bringing the Commandery Princess into the palace.

They were acutely aware of their unique identities at this time, daring not to show their faces too readily, just waiting for the Commandery Princess to come out before leaping off the carriage.

They had followed her all the way here, really not understanding what the Commandery Princess intended.

But the Princely Heir had clearly instructed them not to reveal their identities, so should they make their presence known?

Song Gao shook his head, deciding it was better to stay hidden. They could protect the Commandery Princess more effectively from the shadows, and with only a group of female servants by her side, it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to appear. They could just as well follow after she left this place.

Song Gao and Song Yuan made a swift decision and found a cave at the foot of the mountain behind the courtyard to hide. Song Gao thought that perhaps the Commandery Princess and her group didn’t have food, and Song Yuan immediately caught two wild chickens from the mountain, and as it got dark, he left them at the doorstep of the courtyard, luring Xing Yu out to see. Xing Yu was delighted when she saw the wild chicken on the ground.

"There’s another chicken, eh. We’re not lacking in chickens, just short on wild mushrooms and chilies. It would be nice if we had those," Xing Yu brought the chicken back, not wanting to waste it.

Song Gao and Song Yuan looked at each other, wild mushrooms? Chilies? This was a bit difficult, especially since it didn’t seem likely that these items would just fall at their doorstep.

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