CHAPTER 593: CHAPTER 572 SECOND UPDATE

The emotions of the guards grew ever more intense, yet Ju Nanyi, standing outside the courtyard gate, remained perfectly upright, his respectful demeanor unchanged. Gradually, the guards began to quiet down, and as time passed, a hint of admiration slowly rose in everyone’s heart.

Such was their respect for Lord Ju; even faced with an unreasonable Empress, he remained as reverent as ever, without a single word of complaint.

Even someone as high-ranking as Lord Ju acted this way, so they, with their status, should be even less impatient. Gradually, many began to feel guilty for not living up to their roles as loyal subjects, and the formation quieted down, waiting in orderly silence.

Before long, the courtyard door began to open. The first to emerge were Nian Xia and Xing Yu, who glanced at the standing guards as if seeing nothing, continued on to remove the footstool from the carriage. Following them was Zheng Nianru, clad in a light purple cloak that instantly warmed the harsh cold, her white mink fur revealing its snowy tips with every step she took.

The crowd hastily bowed their heads as Ju Nanyi led them in kneeling down.

"Your subject welcomes the Empress—" Ju Nanyi’s voice was no different from usual, but only he knew how much more willing he was to say it now than at any other time.

The guards immediately followed suit and knelt.

"Rise—" Zheng Nianru’s voice was no louder than a whisper on a normal day, and only those at the front could possibly hear it, while the others probably couldn’t hear it at all. At that moment, it felt to Ju Nanyi as if every pore on his body had opened.

Ju Nanyi stepped forward to personally lead Zheng Nianru to the carriage. She paused slightly, giving the man a meaningful look, but he kept his head lowered, denying her the chance for eye contact.

In this way, Zheng Nianru could hardly refuse, after all, Ju Nanyi’s identity and status now were far more than just one of Zheng Congyuan’s trusted aides, having swiftly solidified his position in the imperial court with significant influence over the Northwest Border.

All this was nearly identical to her previous life, and she still wondered how he managed to act so decisively before others noticed, always preparing everything ahead of time.

The official behind Ju Nanyi was momentarily stunned... He felt that their lord’s posture was somewhat too humble.

While musing thus, Zheng Nianru had already been led by Ju Nanyi towards the carriage.

Just as Zheng Nianru stepped onto the carriage, and Ju Nanyi lent a hand, a gentle, cool object was already slipped into her hand. In an instant, Zheng Nianru understood the purpose behind Ju Nanyi personally guiding her.

A smile flickered in her heart; it was the same as before, an official using his position for personal affairs.

"This was left by my father, and it is the item I value most," Ju Nanyi said softly, seizing the moment before he turned around.

Without turning back, Zheng Nianru entered the carriage. Ju Nanyi, too, walked past the carriage, heading straight for his own, his expression calm and composed, for at least the task that needed doing was done—his part was completed.

The next moment, Ju Nanyi mounted his horse, and the procession’s pace finally quickened compared to the day before, aiming to reach Bu Er Temple by evening.

...

"Where is the person?"

"Why haven’t they arrived yet?" The young master paced back and forth anxiously, repeatedly asking the same question.

"Young Master, it won’t be long now, don’t worry—" Elder Can comforted his young master while directing the cleanup of the path from the temple gate to the Arched Flower Chamber. The various pot plants and flowerbeds on both sides were also meticulously arranged.

Yin He, upon hearing the words, didn’t feel relaxed; instead, he became even tenser.

"Are your people keeping a close watch?" Yin He still couldn’t ease his worries, this was no time for mistakes.

"Young Master, our men couldn’t get close, but rest assured, within a few hundred meters surrounding the troop, let alone a person, even a live creature can’t get through. A person came to report an hour ago, saying that they’ve already bypassed Jing Valley, meaning we are not far from arriving now," Elder Can patiently explained.

Yin He nodded along, not caring about what Elder Can was saying. As long as he was speaking, Yin He felt at ease.

Elder Can looked outside again, wondering where Old Man Su had hidden himself. The Young Master hadn’t mentioned punishing you, so why hide? Even when misunderstanding occurs, isn’t he still toughing it out and enduring the punishment?

"Elder Can, isn’t this outfit a bit too..." Yin He suddenly thought of something else, turned around in front of Elder Can, who became speechless—flowers and butterflies couldn’t compare to your beauty. But why was their Young Master so lacking in self-confidence?

"Young Master, wouldn’t it be better to let Old Man Su review the arrangements inside the room again? Isn’t that where he excels?" Elder Can carefully suggested, now that the Young Master was preoccupied with troubled thoughts and had no interest in dealing with Old Man Su, it would be even more difficult later if he didn’t plead on Old Man Su’s behalf at this moment.

Upon hearing the name Old Man Su, Yin He furrowed his brows; if it weren’t for the fact that he indeed lacked competent people right now, he would have taken care of this bothersome old man long ago—so recklessly audacious.

When he thought of the woman who had appeared in his room, Yin He felt he had been too lenient. Having followed Zheng Nianru for so long, how could he be unaware of her temperament? In her eyes, how could she tolerate such filth? Furthermore, he knew very well, in fact, he was certain...

Certain...

The youth blushed as he remembered, waved his hand irritably, and Elder Can left the room happily.

Yin He watched Elder Can’s departing back with a cold gaze and sneered inwardly. If these two weren’t still somewhat useful, they would have died hundreds of times over already.

"Oh dear, you’re going to be the death of me." Old Man Su started to complain upon seeing Elder Can. It wasn’t his decision alone, but the Young Master had only kicked him.

"I know, I know you’ve been wronged. I apologize to you. Haven’t I just rescued you?" Elder Can said with unusual good humor, cajoling and personally opening the cage.

"The Young Master wants you to check the room’s arrangements again, to see if there are any problems," Elder Can said, and as Old Man Su was about to leave, he was pulled back with one tug from Elder Can, "Come back—" thick-headed as ever.

"What’s the matter now?" It was already difficult to get out, and if the task wasn’t done well, how many heads did he have to spare?

Ah, Ravine Master, our hope rests on you arriving one day sooner. When you do, you will be able to make decisions for us seniors.

"That room’s arrangement needs only a brief look, but there’s something more important for you to do," Elder Can said, his expression becoming serious, sinking into thought for a moment before he seemed to make up his mind.

"I feel that Mage Huo Yi’s words weren’t unfounded. Have you noticed our Young Master’s power has increased terrifyingly fast these past days? It doesn’t seem like a good sign."

Old Man Su heard this and, after a long time, nodded his head in agreement, lost in thought.

"What do you think?" Old Man Su finally asked.

"Go to the Dungeon again, see if you can extract more information from Huo Yi. And once the Ravine Master arrives, report this matter promptly," Elder Can said, even though he had no other solution at the moment.