Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved-Chapter 720 - 655: Another Update

The middle-aged man made no apologies for his departure, standing up and moving forward. Having stepped out of the courtyard, he found the carriage already waiting at the gate. He boarded the carriage at a leisurely pace, and only when the curtain fell and he was sure no one was around did a cold smile spread across his face.

"Zheng Congyuan and Ju Nanyi truly have the patience of saints, waiting three full days before summoning me to the palace," he muttered to himself.

The carriage sped along swiftly, and upon reaching the entrance of the palace, he saw guards already waiting for him.

Seeing this, Ju Nanyi knew that the first thing Zheng Nianru did was to arrange this meeting; it was a good move. If he had brought this person, Zheng Congyuan would surely harbor doubts at this juncture, but if she was the one bringing him...

"Prime Minister Ju, Her Highness has decreed that you only need to bring the person to the palace gates, where our men will take over," said the guard as expected.

"I shall faithfully obey Her Highness’s commands." Although Ju Nanyi did hold the desire to sneak a peek, since she did not wish it, he naturally wouldn’t dwell on this one encounter.

"You’re not going in?" inquired the middle-aged man who had alighted from the carriage, looking puzzled at Ju Nanyi, prompting the guard to turn his gaze to the man.

Ju Nanyi simply nodded his head.

"Don’t worry, as long as you’ve done your best, no one will give you a hard time," Ju Nanyi reassured.

At this, the middle-aged man knew that Ju Nanyi would not accompany him inside, but his primary mission involved Zheng Congyuan; there would be other opportunities to deal with Ju Nanyi.

Ju Nanyi turned and walked away.

At this moment, aside from Zheng Nianru’s people, nobody in the Imperial Palace knew what this stranger’s business was within its walls. Along the way, neither palace maids nor eunuchs were to be seen, not even a single one.

"He agreed?" asked Zheng Congyuan, though his heart was already buoyed by the hope of recovery.

"The man is nearly here; you need not worry. However, I feel we cannot fully trust this individual’s capabilities. Perhaps it would be best to summon the others as well," suggested Zheng Nianru after some thought.

Zheng Congyuan fell silent for a moment before nodding, but what he was most concerned about was not that. He wondered what transpired between Zheng Nianru and Ju Nanyi, how the latter not only agreed to the expedition but also yielded the final bargaining chip.

Zheng Congyuan was eager to ask, but seeing that Zheng Nianru’s attention was solely on the mage from Nanmen State about to enter the palace, he remained silent.

Noticing this, Zheng Nianru gave Qi Jin a look, and Qi Jin promptly left.

The middle-aged man entered the Imperial Palace without looking around, simply bowing his head and following the lead of the guard, thus arousing no suspicion.

Qi Jin, who had just brushed past him, cast a glance at the man but didn’t pause, instead moving quickly past the procession and heading straight for the East Palace Gate.

"Hurry, hurry, is Lord Qi Yu there?" Qi Jin, with his retinue in tow, soon realized Qi Yu was not present and promptly inquired with his subordinates.

After the guards escorted the two individuals outside, they approached Qi Jin closer.

"My lord, Lord Qi Yu discovered a trail of some people yesterday, and he hasn’t returned since then," they informed him. The realization that Qi Yu hadn’t returned since the middle of the night troubled Qi Jin.

However, speaking of this mysterious group, Qi Jin and Qi Yu had incidentally discovered their tracks. These individuals were very secretive, seemingly attempting a stealthy approach to the Imperial Palace for some reason. Although careful in their actions, when they encountered the guards, they fled swiftly, leaving not a single trace behind.

The Emperor speculated these individuals were Ju Nanyi’s people.

Yet during the second attempt to infiltrate the palace, they were again discovered, not due to heightened vigilance on the guards’ part but because what was locked in the dungeon reacted sensitively to the scent of strangers.

So this was the third time last night?

But what exactly did these people want by sneaking into the Imperial Palace so quietly?

"My lord—" Just a moment ago, Qi Jin, the very person pressing them to bring the newcomer to Chenyuan Hall, now stood stunned in place, prompting the guards to speak up.

Qi Jin snapped out of his reverie. While the situation was odd, these individuals seemed not to want to be their enemies; moreover, they had twice had the opportunity to kill the guards but hadn’t taken any action.

This made Qi Jin question whether these people were truly Ju Nanyi’s.

"Let’s go—" Qi Jin spoke, deciding not to ponder on this matter for now. Once the current affair was resolved, he and Qi Yu would investigate these people together. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Two mages, right this way—" Qi Jin addressed the duo with utmost reverence; they nodded at Qi Jin in acknowledgment, indeed, their treatment here was far superior to what they experienced in Nanmen State.