Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved-Chapter 553 - 532: Second Update

"Zheng Haoyuan, this matter has nothing to do with Commandery Princess Chao Ren. I can promise you, I will give your Wen Family a way out," Zheng Congyuan suppressed the nerves within his heart, trying to appear calm, not wanting his present panic to affect his judgment of the whole situation.

Even now, Zheng Congyuan was almost certain that Zheng Haoyuan must have already known something. Had Zheng Haoyuan arranged his own people inside Prince Duan’s Mansion and even eluded his own spies?

But what did Zheng Haoyuan mean by wanting Zheng Nianru to die with him? Zheng Congyuan would rather believe that it was to control him that Zheng Haoyuan kidnapped Zheng Nianru, but it wasn’t like that, the kind of feeling Zheng Haoyuan had for Zheng Nianru.

"Fu Gong, what do you mean?" Old Master Wen Kang could not hold back any longer, stepping forward to ask.

Ju Nanyi also looked at Zheng Haoyuan doubtfully. What did Zheng Haoyuan mean, what’s this about dying with his cousin? Zheng Haoyuan and Zheng Nianru were not in any rush, not in the previous life, and not in this life...

No, neither in this life. Was there none? How could Zheng Nianru like Zheng Haoyuan, and besides, Zheng Haoyuan was still just a...

In the previous life, it was his own man who personally killed Zheng Haoyuan. When the news reached Zheng Nianru, she had not shown the slightest expression. Zheng Nianru’s indifference was innate, in her bones. Even though she had already borne him two children, did she ever hold him in her heart?

Ju Nanyi gave a bitter smile. If there was even the slightest bit, they would not have reached the state they did later on.

Ju Nanyi had thought it over, recalling sincerely all the memories, and even afraid of forgetting details, he had noted down each and every detail, from the bits and pieces to one complete narrative. From their meeting to their marriage, to her later becoming the Empress Dowager and his son ascending to the throne, these long years could not be explained by a meticulous dream.

Therefore, Ju Nanyi was certain that the previous life definitely existed, why this life had become different, he had no idea. But some things were strikingly similar, except, in this life, they had not come together.

Was it because of Zheng Haoyuan?

Ju Nanyi did not believe it. Zheng Nianru had witnessed the tragic death of Zheng Haoyuan with her own eyes, his body flayed and scarred without a good patch of skin left, and yet she felt nothing.

Zheng Haoyuan looked at Zheng Congyuan, laughing derisively, staring straight at Zheng Congyuan.

Prime Minister Lin was made somewhat uneasy by Zheng Haoyuan’s laughter. Although they had discussed that after everything settled down, taking the princess as his wife would silence the gossips of the world.

Yet, even if he didn’t marry her, Prime Minister Lin still believed that the Crown Prince was the people’s choice, and the populace would still support the Crown Prince.

"Fourth Prince, the Crown Prince is the people’s choice. The prophecy of Qiandao Temple cannot explain everything, and moreover, although the Commandery Princess is of the Imperial Family’s blood, she might not necessarily be..., if not, the Crown Prince marrying the Commandery Princess would mean nothing." They originally intended to fabricate a false prophecy to silence the gossips. Prime Minister Lin did not say so but knew that the Crown Prince’s plan must be something like this because it could not be the Eldest Princess.

Zheng Haoyuan continued to laugh, his gaze fixed solely on Zheng Congyuan, raising his hand slowly, pointing at Zheng Congyuan. His laughter was strange and chilling, intermittent, shrill, and manic.

Zheng Congyuan remained silent, his tall frame emanating a cold aura.

Ju Nanyi suddenly looked towards Zheng Congyuan, many hitherto unthought-of things, never considered before, suddenly sparked a very bold conjecture, a result that felt odd even to himself.

The next moment, Ju Nanyi’s mind exploded with a bam, and instantly, he felt Zheng Haoyuan’s laughter didn’t seem so eerie anymore; it made him want to laugh too.

Scene after scene suddenly floated into Ju Nanyi’s mind like falling snowflakes.

Why Zheng Nianru would turn against him, he did not know. The rebellion was bizarre, with her followers, a rabble of demons and freaks, causing such a commotion that he had no choice but to retaliate. It forced Prince Duan to reveal those hidden forces; that’s why she finally got what she wanted.

But after she obtained that position, was she happy?

Was she happy?

What she did the most was to go to the prison to humiliate Zheng Congyuan. He thought she hated Zheng Congyuan so much that she kept him alive to torture slowly as retribution for the years she spent imprisoned in the palace.

Grievance?

Ju Nanyi smiled bitterly. Grievance—she was confined by Empress Dowager Yan Ping, what did it have to do with Zheng Congyuan? It wasn’t because almost everyone in the Imperial Palace was dead, leaving only Zheng Congyuan, that she vented all her anger on him. Rather, it was because she...

Out of past kindness, Ju Nanyi had secretly saved Zheng Congyuan many times, improving his situation.

Therefore, after Zheng Congyuan died, she didn’t even want to live anymore, wishing only for death. Even those things that disgusted her daily no longer interested her. Didn’t she used to love those disgusting things the most?

It was only after the fact that Ju Nanyi felt how stupid she was, thinking she was heartless.

"Brother Crown Prince, I thought you loved your cousin so much. She really should see with her own eyes, see with her own eyes..." Zheng Haoyuan said, laughing as he spoke.

Everyone thought Zheng Haoyuan had gone mad, his behavior incomprehensible—even Old Master Wen Kang felt Zheng Haoyuan had lost his mind.

Suddenly, Zheng Congyuan looked towards Ju Nanyi, but Ju Nanyi stared blankly ahead, wearing a bizarre expression, lost in reverie, completely unaware of his own demeanor.

"Fine, Zheng Congyuan, you be your emperor. I never had any interest anyway," Zheng Haoyuan snorted coldly, stepping back steadily until he was at Old Master Wen Kang’s side.

The Marquis of Zhenbei still watched Zheng Congyuan, for he saw panic in Zheng Congyuan’s eyes. What alarmed Zheng Congyuan? How much of what Zheng Haoyuan said was true?

As the Marquis of Zhenbei hesitated, Zheng Congyuan suddenly spoke up, and his next words stunned everyone on the spot.

"Just hand over Princess Chao Ren, and I will let all of you leave alive," Zheng Congyuan said slowly, testing Zheng Haoyuan’s reaction. Zheng Haoyuan appeared slightly startled, seemingly unable to believe that Zheng Congyuan would say such a thing.

"Your Highness—" Prime Minister Lin was the first to exclaim in panic.

"Your Highness—" The other courtiers were equally bewildered.

In that moment, Ju Nanyi felt as if he were nailed to a post, all the answers starkly revealed before him.

"Lay down your weapons, and once we safely leave the city, we will release Princess Chao Ren," the Marquis of Zhenbei said immediately, as if he saw a glimmer of hope for life.

Prime Minister Lin immediately looked at his prince in alarm. Surely, his Highness wouldn’t agree to such an absurd deal.

"Fine—" Prime Minister Lin was instantly proven wrong, anxiously looking at Zheng Congyuan. Was this still the Crown Prince he knew?

Ju Nanyi sneered inwardly. What did this all mean? It meant that from the beginning, Zheng Congyuan had seen through everything, that he was clearer than anyone else about Zheng Congyuan’s painstaking schemes. From the very start with Qiandao Temple’s collaboration, to the prophecies, and the seemingly casual decision to make Zheng Nianru the empress, what looked like a reluctant move was actually the outcome after Zheng Congyuan had considered and reconsidered.

Thus, in this lifetime, he was never necessary. Thus, Zheng Nianru’s gaze had never once fallen on him.

Suddenly, Ju Nanyi wanted to laugh, to laugh at the fact that he had been an "accomplice" to all this.

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