Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved-Chapter 651 - 630: Second Update

Zheng Nianru looked towards Zheng Boding, hope reigniting in her heart, no longer caring about the item in her hand, she dropped it straight onto the ground.

"Father, have you recalled something?" Zheng Nianru walked towards Prince Duan.

Housekeeper He, distressed, came forward. Such fine Jun porcelain, oh dear, Her Majesty...

Prince Duan seemed bewildered, yet appeared to indeed recall something.

"My son, didn’t I give that thing to you?" He hadn’t forgotten that matter; he remembered that important issue.

Zheng Nianru immediately nodded in agreement.

"Right, right, Father, do you remember? But don’t you remember there was another item? We need two items for it to work..."

Housekeeper He looked over at this moment, somewhat puzzled. Over many years, he had become Prince Duan’s trusted aide, and there was no major or minor affair in the mansion he didn’t know of, but what Her Majesty wanted to find, he truly did not know.

"Housekeeper He, do you remember?" Zheng Nianru turned to look at Housekeeper He, with no intention of keeping him in the dark.

"Your Majesty, this old servant does not know..." Housekeeper He immediately said, but why was Her Majesty certain it was hidden in the hall?

"In the hall?" Prince Duan, looking at the disordered hall, grew confused, "I usually hide things in the storeroom."

Saying this, Prince Duan was about to take Zheng Nianru toward the storeroom when Zheng Nianru held him back.

"Father, think carefully, this item is not like the others; you placed it in the hall. Think carefully."

Zheng Nianru spoke patiently, trying to discern something from Prince Duan’s expression.

Zheng Nianru was so certain the item was in the hall because in her previous life, during a crisis, Prince Duan had entered the hall and in just a moment brought out the item. In such a brief time, there couldn’t have been a secret chamber or anything; not even enough time to dig out a single brick.

Therefore, the item must be hidden in a very conspicuous yet easily overlooked place.

"Your Majesty, perhaps the item isn’t here? If you trust this old servant, you might as well speak out, and let me help you look," Housekeeper He said, looking somewhat worriedly at Prince Duan. Prince Duan had been prone to dozing off these days, and he had also sat on the carriage for such a long time today; he should rest a while.

"Housekeeper He, it is not that I deliberately wish to hide it from you, it’s that Father did not make it clear to me. At that time, matters were urgent; it was during the Fourth Prince’s rebellion. Father only managed to give me one token, saying the other was within the hall," Zheng Nianru spoke.

Housekeeper He, hearing this, glanced at Prince Duan and sighed internally.

"Your Majesty, I’ve let you down, I’ve never heard of it. If in the future, when I attend to Prince when he is lucid, I will be sure to ask for you," Housekeeper He said, very penitent that he couldn’t be of any help.

"Prince, don’t worry, sit down and rest a bit, this old servant will pour you a cup of tea." Housekeeper He said, helping Prince Duan to a vacant chair, not minding the items on the ground, first made a cup of tea for his Prince, then slowly went to fetch a pillow, to bring some pastries.

Seeing this, Zheng Nianru held little hope, it seemed even if she was anxious, she couldn’t hasten things, and prepared to make other plans.

"Father, your daughter will return to the palace first. If you have any matters, let Lin Sheng report at the palace gates, and your daughter will come back," Zheng Nianru carefully instructed, and meticulously arranged Zheng Boding’s outer robe.

"Father, what are you looking at?" Zheng Nianru asked Prince Duan, noticing he hadn’t responded to her. She followed his gaze to the ceiling where a wooden hanging lamp dangled. It had fallen out of use over the years as floor-standing brass lamps and later, the brighter Goat Horn Lamps, came into fashion in Nanzheng.

Zheng Nianru withdrew her gaze and saw that Prince Duan was still looking, but his eyes had begun to lose focus, causing her to sigh inwardly.

If some things are bound to repeat themselves from one life to the next, then how could Prince Duan’s memory have grown foggy so early in this life?

Seeing that Prince Duan still didn’t respond, Zheng Nianru glanced at Housekeeper He who had come in with some pastries.

"Your Highness, I’ve kept your courtyard well-maintained. It’s messy here, and you haven’t returned to the Prince’s Mansion in a long time. At the very least, have a meal before you leave," Housekeeper He said warmly. He had just confirmed with Nanny Yun that Her Highness had been longing for the few signature dishes of the Prince’s Mansion.

Fu Dong and Nian Xia, who had followed him in, looked at Zheng Nianru with ingratiating faces. Here, they had more freedom, could enjoy banter with Lin Sheng, and the palace was too oppressive, especially these days as the Empress Dowager was restless to leave the West Palace, seemingly having recovered.

"Nian Ru, where are you headed?" Prince Duan suddenly spoke.

"Father, I’m not going anywhere. What would you like for lunch?" Zheng Nianru replied. The Imperial Physician had checked the pulse in the morning; Zheng Congyuan was recovering well and his spirits had much improved. The predictions of the eccentric from Nanmen State didn’t hold; indeed, the afflictions inside Zheng Congyuan’s body had been temporarily suppressed. In a few days, normal walking should be achievable.

That’s why she felt assured enough to leave the palace, though she didn’t dare enter Chenyuan Hall, and even if she did, she would only dare to look from afar. But without sure signs of Zheng Congyuan’s improvement, she would remain anxious.

"Whatever you eat, Father will eat," Prince Duan stood up.

"Old He, can we start the meal now, Mother? I’ve been walking all morning and I’m already hungry," Prince Duan grumbled as he stood up, prompting laughter from everyone in the room; the Prince had finally remembered.

"Your Highness—" As Prince Duan walked away, Zheng Nianru started to follow but then stopped and looked up once more at the aged wooden lamp overhead.

"Your Highness—" Nian Xia called softly. What was Her Highness looking at?

The wooden lamp, though made from wood, featured exquisitely detailed carvings and complex patterns that looked lifelike. The next moment, Zheng Nianru suddenly reached for a chair, but couldn’t move it.

Lin Sheng quickly came to help and moved the chair to the middle.

Zheng Nianru, not relying on others, climbed onto the chair herself to get a closer look at the wood lamp’s carvings. The next moment, as if struck by a realization, it was no wonder she had turned the entire hall upside down yet failed to find it.

"Lin Sheng, quick, take this thing down," Zheng Nianru pointed at the lamp while stepping down from the chair and immediately said.

Lin Sheng was puzzled, but by then, he had realized that the item Her Highness had been looking for must be this lamp, so he hurried up to it.

The lamp was large and heavy, so Lin Sheng called two attendants to help, and together they lowered the wood lamp.

Zheng Nianru approached and inspected the wooden carvings closely. Her eyes lit up the next moment; she had indeed found it.

This pattern was seamlessly integrated with that of the entire lamp, hidden but obvious when isolated—a pattern within a pattern, ingeniously designed.

The next moment, Zheng Nianru took out a palm-sized wooden block, neither iron nor wood, with a texture that instantly affirmed to Zheng Nianru that it was indeed the object she had been seeking.