Chapter 449 - 428: Second Update
Prince Duan was momentarily taken aback, looking towards Qi Zhu, "What do you mean?"
"Prince, based on the current situation, Lord Ju is likely to be with the Commandery Princess. If she is found in the cave, the fact that they are alone together overnight... would inevitably tarnish the Commandery Princess’s reputation."
Prince Duan stopped in his tracks, yes, how had he not thought of that? And with so many witnesses, wouldn’t it affect Nian Ru’s reputation?
"What should we do?" Prince Duan hadn’t considered this aspect. Now that Qi Zhu had brought it up, he was burning with anxiety. Finding her wouldn’t be good, but not finding her wouldn’t be good either. Ju Nanyi was different. After all, Nian Ru had once been betrothed to Heir Zong, and now she was not. By now, half the night had passed. If they found her, indeed, it would lead to speculation...
"Prince, the Crown Prince also thought of this, which is why he has personally gone to search. Therefore, finding the Commandery Princess is the priority. After that, as long as we act swiftly, if necessary... for the sake of rescuing the Commandery Princess, should Lord Ju suffer a fatal wound, her reputation..." Qi Zhu spoke quickly, the firelight flickering, and Prince Duan saw the determination and decisiveness flash across Qi Zhu’s face, and he instantly understood Qi Zhu’s implication.
Alone together overnight in this cave, what the situation was now, nobody knew, but naturally, finding them was of the utmost importance. Therefore, they couldn’t reduce the search party. But what about after they were found? If they encountered such a scene, under the scrutiny of so many eyes, Nian Ru’s reputation...
The more Prince Duan thought about Nian Ru’s reputation, the clearer his gaze became. He nodded decisively. For the sake of Nian Ru, how did it matter if he played the villain once?
"Rest assured, when the time comes, I will not make things difficult for the Crown Prince..." Prince Duan continued, feeling grateful for Zheng Congyuan’s sake, who would even sacrifice his trusted aide for Zheng Nianru. It wouldn’t do to let him play the role of the villain, and besides, if he did it, the role of the villain would fall to him.
Qi Zhu immediately felt relieved. The current Prince Duan was naturally not as meticulous as the former Prince Xian, so such clumsy persuasion could have easily failed, even Qi Zhu himself had doubts, but it had worked, and Qi Zhu felt a surge of admiration for Qi Ling’s ability to read people’s hearts.
The team moved forward slowly, the cave being much larger than anyone had anticipated, with its winding and rugged path, leaving no one to know where its end laid.
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