Rebirth of the Duke's Daughter and the Little Imperial Uncle

Chapter 130 Going to the Duke's Mansion

In a short while, they arrived at the gates of the Duke's mansion. Fan Junyu escorted her through winding and secluded paths, and soon they arrived at the quiet courtyard where Qin Yaoyao lived.

It turned out that Fan Junyu had already sent someone to inform Qin Yaoyao that she would be bringing the princess to visit today. So, as soon as they stepped into the courtyard, they immediately saw Qin Yaoyao sitting elegantly at the stone table in the center of the courtyard, with two equally beautiful women beside her—He Mingxuan and Shen Xiaoran. The three of them were chatting and laughing, creating a harmonious and warm atmosphere.

Fan Junyu quickly stepped forward, bowed to Qin Yaoyao, and said, "Aunt, I have safely delivered the princess here. Now I have some important matters to attend to, so I will take my leave." After saying that, he turned to leave.

Qin Yaoyao smiled slightly, a smile as beautiful and charming as peach blossoms in spring, and replied softly, "Okay, I'll take care of the princess here, so you can go ahead without worry!"

Just as Fan Junyu was about to leave, Qin Yaoyao seemed to suddenly remember something important and hurriedly called out to him, "Wait, Junyu, regarding the princess's return journey, should you personally escort her, or should I send someone else to escort her back to the palace?"

Before Fan Junyu could even respond, He Mingning couldn't contain himself and said impatiently, "I'll go back with Xuanxuan." As he said this, a hint of anticipation and excitement shone in his eyes.

Hearing her older brother say this, He Mingxuan, who was standing to the side, rolled her eyes and quickly waved her hand to refuse, saying, "Oh, I don't want to go back with my older sister! I have very important things to do!" As she spoke, she winked mischievously.

Seeing this, He Mingning asked with some doubt, "What important thing could you possibly have to do?" He Mingxuan deliberately kept her in suspense, pretending to be mysterious as she replied, "I can't tell you that, hehe, it's a secret!" As soon as she finished speaking, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Just then, Fan Junyu, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up: "I'll deliver it myself, Aunt, you don't need to bother." His tone was calm and firm, leaving no room for argument.

Upon hearing this, Qin Yaoyao, who was standing to the side, smiled slightly and agreed, "Okay, then I won't worry about it." After receiving permission, Fan Junyu nodded slightly to everyone, then turned around gracefully and strode away.

Watching Fan Junyu's receding figure, He Mingxuan was filled with curiosity and couldn't help but turn to her sisters and ask, "How come eldest sister is with Lord Fan?" Shen Xiaoran, who was equally curious, chimed in, "Maybe they just happened to meet at the door!"

Hearing his two younger sisters' chatter, He Mingning's previously calm face suddenly flushed crimson, as delicate and alluring as a ripe apple. His heart raced, his mind replaying the scene of his recent encounter with Fan Junyu, and he pondered to himself… Qin Yaoyao smiled, watching He Mingning's face, which was as red as the evening glow, with great interest, and teased, "Judging from your expression, it couldn't have been just a chance encounter at the door! Junyu probably escorted you here specially!"

As soon as she finished speaking, He Mingxuan and Shen Xiaoran immediately turned their gazes to He Mingning. Both of them stared wide-eyed at her, intently trying to discern something from her face. Under the intense gaze of the crowd, He Mingning appeared somewhat shy and uneasy. She lowered her head slightly and nodded gently, indicating her agreement.

Seeing this, He Mingxuan became excited. She tugged at He Mingning's sleeve and eagerly asked, "Big sister, aren't you usually staying in the inner palace? Why are you here with Lord Fan today?" Shen Xiaoran chimed in, "Yes, yes, big sister! You usually never leave the palace, you almost never step outside. Why are you making such a surprise today? Tell us quickly!" He Mingxuan nodded repeatedly, urging, "Yes, yes, big sister, stop being so mysterious, tell us already!"

Faced with her two younger sisters' barrage of questions, He Mingning couldn't help but feel helpless. She bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly opened her mouth, explaining softly, "Today I did have to leave the palace because I had some trivial matters to attend to." After speaking, she raised her head and looked at Qin Yaoyao with a slightly pleading look in her eyes.

However, Qin Yaoyao remained silent, a faint smile playing on her lips, quietly observing the lively scene before her. She knew perfectly well that she didn't need to ask any more questions; someone else would naturally ask them all for her. Sure enough, the opportunity soon presented itself. He Mingxuan then asked curiously, "What important matter requires you to personally leave the palace to handle it, sister? Couldn't you just send someone else?" Before He Mingning could answer, Shen Xiaoran said softly with a smile, "In my opinion, this matter is definitely related to Lord Fan. Am I right?"

He Mingning stared at her in astonishment. Seeing He Mingning's reaction, everyone else understood perfectly. So, the impatient He Mingxuan eagerly pressed on, "Big sister, stop keeping us in suspense! Tell us quickly!" Looking at everyone's expectant faces, He Mingning finally began to speak slowly, recounting in detail the cause and effect of her chance encounter with Yang Tian yesterday.

After hearing this, Shen Xiaoran's eyebrows shot up in anger, and she said indignantly, "That's outrageous! How can there be such a person in the world!" He Mingxuan chimed in, "Exactly! So, eldest sister, what brought you out of the palace today?" He Mingning paused slightly, then continued, "This morning I heard that Yang Tian's father, Yang Cheng, impeached Lord Fan at the morning court session, specifically regarding the incident of Yang Tian being beaten. I was thinking to myself, Yang Tian is the third prince's cousin, and I'm worried he might cause trouble for Lord Fan because of this..."

Qin Yaoyao suddenly interjected, her bright eyes blinking as she asked, "Are you worried that the Third Prince will help Yang Cheng against Jun Yu?" He Mingning nodded gently in agreement. Then, she slowly continued, "I heard Lord Fan mention before that Father Emperor has already issued an imperial decree regarding our engagement. This means that my Third Brother must know about it too. You see, he's never had a good relationship with my Crown Prince. I'm afraid that because of our engagement, he'll do everything in his power to suppress Lord Fan. That's why I decided to go find him."

Hearing this, Qin Yaoyao couldn't help but giggle, her voice clear and melodious like a silver bell. She teased, "So, Sister Ning, you went all the way to Dali Temple to find him?" He Mingning blushed instantly at the question, her face as adorable as a ripe apple. She nodded slightly, replying in a soft voice barely audible to herself, "Mmm..."

Seeing He Mingning's shy appearance, Shen Xiaoran became even more curious and quickly asked, "What happened next? Did you come here directly after you finished talking?" However, He Mingning's cheeks were still flushed, and she just kept her head down silently without saying a word.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Fan Junyu moved with the agility and speed of a swallow, emerging swiftly from the Duke's mansion like a gust of wind. His steps were light as the wind, his goal clear and resolute, heading straight for the Dali Temple.

Not long after, Fan Junyu arrived at the gate of Dali Temple. As soon as he stepped inside, he suddenly saw Zhang Yi and Lu Xia, who had just finished eating, walking towards him. Upon seeing Fan Junyu, the two of them charged at him like starving tigers spotting their prey.

Zhang Yi, who was the first to rush forward, had a fawning smile on his face, looking even more obsequious than a lapdog. He bowed and scraped to Fan Junyu, saying, "Boss, you're back!" Before he finished speaking, he hurriedly glanced outside the door a few times, then continued, "Why are you alone? Didn't anyone else come back with you?"

Faced with Zhang Yi's rapid-fire questions, Fan Junyu's expression remained ashen, as cold as ice. He glanced at Zhang Yi coldly and replied in a tone devoid of any emotion, "Otherwise what? Who else could be here besides me?"

Hearing Fan Junyu's words, Zhang Yi couldn't help but feel suspicious. At that moment, he was completely bewildered, like a monk scratching his head – utterly clueless. So, he scratched his head and cautiously continued to ask, "Um...where is Her Highness the Princess? Why didn't she come back with you?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Junyu narrowed his eyes slightly, his two sharp, hawk-like gazes instantly shooting straight at Zhang Yi. Caught in this sudden, intense gaze, Zhang Yi felt a jolt in his heart, thinking to himself, "Oh my god! That look is terrifying! I don't think I've done anything wrong! Could it be that I've offended the boss?" The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably. Forcing himself to speak, he stammered, "Uh… um, boss… if you need anything, just tell me. Please don't keep staring at me like that, it's really giving me the creeps, it's really creepy!"

Fan Junyu slightly raised his head and slowly said, "You actually knew she was a princess." At that moment, Lu Xia quickly chimed in, saying urgently, "Boss, we're not stupid or slow-witted people! Think about it, when you see women, don't you always avoid them like the plague? If any woman dared to approach you, you'd definitely order her thrown away like trash without hesitation, without a shred of pity or affection!" As he said this, Lu Xia leaned closer to Fan Junyu and continued in a low voice, "So, the woman you're treating so leniently this time, who else could it be but your yet-to-be-married fiancée—the incomparably noble First Princess?" As soon as he finished speaking, the others around him echoed his sentiments, nodding in agreement with Lu Xia's words.

Hearing this, Zhang Yi, who had been standing quietly listening, suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, boss! Are you just going to send Her Highness the princess back like that?" Seeing this, Cheng Feng hurriedly asked, "Did you invite Her Highness to stay for a meal or something?" Lu Xia's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief, and she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Impossible! How could our boss be so stingy?"

Fan Junyu slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping quickly over the crowd before him like a chilling wind. His eyes lingered only briefly before he nonchalantly continued walking inside. At the same time, his calm, emotionless voice drifted into everyone's ears: "Judging by yourselves, you all seem quite relaxed! In that case, you may only go home after you have finished handling all the cases at hand today."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi and the others felt a jolt of fear. They instantly realized their boss was punishing them for their loose tongues. A chorus of wails erupted throughout the room as they pleaded for mercy, crying, "Oh no, boss! We really know we were wrong! We promise we'll never talk nonsense again! Please, have mercy on us this time!" However, Fan Junyu seemed completely oblivious to the pitiful cries behind him, continuing his determined stride towards his room.

Entering his office, Fan Junyu sat steadily at the large desk. His mind drifted back to the scene of his stroll with the princess, the memories unfolding like a beautiful painting. A subtle smile unconsciously crept onto his lips, which had been tense. Then, as if suddenly remembering something important, his brow furrowed, and he thought to himself: "I need to escort the princess back to the palace tonight; I can't be late." With that thought, he quickly lowered his head, immersing himself in the mountain of documents, and began diligently handling official business.