Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved

When Murong Jiu spoke those words, Marquis Murong was so furious that steam seemed to rise from his head, and he wanted to hit her again, but the pain from the silver needles in his palm almost shattered his teeth.

"Unfilial daughter! Unfilial daughter!"

Old Madam was so angry that she gasped for air, looking as though she was about to faint.

"Grandmother!"

Murong Man hurriedly went to support her, shouting for her grandmother.

Marquis Murong immediately asked whether the servants had summoned the Imperial Physician yet.

Lady Wang's eyes were red as she painfully said to Murong Jiu:

"Do you want your grandmother and me to die of anger? When I gave birth to you, I almost bled out. The fortune teller said your fate was ill-starred, that you couldn't be close to your parents, and that you could only survive if raised on the manor. That's why we painfully sent you away. How can you say such heartless things!"

Lady Wang cried her heart out.

If it hadn't been for overhearing Murong Man reveal the truth in her previous life, perhaps Murong Jiu would have been deceived by Lady Wang this time too.

Her face showing a cold smile, she directly exposed them:

"Mother, stop lying to others and to yourself; I've already found that fortune teller. He admitted that he made up the story after being given silver taels. If those present don't believe me, I can bring him here to confront him face to face."

"That's not true..."

Seeing the changing expressions of Marquis Murong and Lady Wang, she didn't give them a chance to interrupt and continued:

"Furthermore, I went to Yongfu Temple and consulted a master, who said that I have a fate of immense wealth and nobility. Mother, why don't you tell me now, why did you abandon me at the manor? Could it be, just as those servants have said, that I'm not really your biological daughter?"

"Who said that! They are spreading nonsense!" Marquis Murong shouted angrily.

Old Madam no longer seemed faint; she sat up anxiously.

Murong Man frowned, wondering, could Ninth Sister genuinely not be our biological sister?

Lady Wang paled, "How could you possibly not be my own child? Who has been gossiping about us!"

"Is that so? That's strange; why then would you bribe the fortune teller to declare such a fate for me? I really can't understand it."

Lady Wang fumbled for words, momentarily at a loss for an excuse.

Marquis Murong was about to deny it, then planned to find an opportunity to silence the fortune teller for good.

However, Murong Jiu spoke for herself, "Is it because of my face? Do you find my birthmark embarrassing, and that's why you didn't want to raise me in the Marquis Mansion?"

She intentionally gave them an out, wanting to not let them suspect she knew the truth, yet also wanting to make them feel threatened so they would slip up and lose their composure.

Maybe one day, she would discover them searching for their biological daughter who had been switched at birth with her.

"Enough, I am merely humiliating myself; Prince, let us return to the mansion."

Murong Jiu looked at Jun Yuyan with a disappointed expression on her face.

Jun Yuyan saw that her eyes were not very distressed, deepening his suspicion, but he disliked prying into others' private matters, nodded in agreement, and they left together.

"Ninth Sister, wait!"

Overwhelmed with shock, Murong Man only reacted when they were at the door.

She couldn't let Murong Jiu leave like this; the Second Prince was still waiting for her at the back door.

"I believe our parents wouldn't dislike their own biological daughter. Don't just believe the fortune teller's side of the story; there must be some misunderstanding. Look how heartbroken our parents and grandmother are. Ninth Sister, don't leave, stay and have lunch with us. Let's clear up this misunderstanding, ok?"

"Yes, yes, Xiao Jiu, surely someone is deliberately trying to drive a wedge between our kinship; don't be fooled."

Lady Wang also followed, now that the eldest daughter in the Marquis Mansion was calling the shots, and she wanted Murong Jiu to stay, there must be a reason behind it.

Moreover, they couldn't just let Murong Jiu go out and tarnish their reputation.

Not to mention, they hadn't gotten the silver from her yet!

After speaking, Lady Wang gestured to Marquis Murong to smooth things over.

Marquis Murong's expression was grim; he couldn't bring himself to apologize, and his palm still throbbed painfully, not beating Murong Jiu to death was already merciful of him.

Murong Man felt that Murong Jiu must have wanted to stay to clear up the misunderstanding; in the past, even if her mother just gave her jewelry she didn't like, she would happily wear it for a long time.

At this moment, she probably needed an out, so she gently stepped forward and said:

"Ninth Sister, I know you're upset right now. How about this, why don't you go to my boudoir first, and we can have a heart-to-heart talk, okay?"

Jun Yuyan looked at Murong Jiu, waiting for her response. The Hidden Guard said that the Crown Prince was now at the back door of the Marquis Mansion, apparently wanting to see Murong Jiu.

"Talk about what? How I helped you substitute into Prince Ling's Mansion for the wedding?"

Murong Jiu's words choked Murong Man until her pretty face turned red, and since Prince Ling himself was right there, she feared for her reputation and whispered softly:

"Ninth Sister, the mishap with the marriage wasn't your fault or mine; let's not let this affect the sisterly love between us."

"I've only been at the Marquis Mansion for six months; what sisterly love do we supposedly have? Eldest sister, don't cross me."

With that, Murong Jiu stopped lingering and strode towards the door.

Jun Yuyan's eyes deepened, and he followed her steps.

"Ninth Sister!"

Murong Man was getting somewhat annoyed, but she was good at restraining herself, and her voice betrayed no frustration.

Murong Jiu didn't turn her head back at all.

She slowed down once outside Old Madam's courtyard, expecting to wait for Jun Yuyan whose mobility was not as good as hers, but turned around only to crash right into his chest.

Ouch, that hurts.

What is his chest made of, it's so hard.

In a flash, her mind unexpectedly drifted back to that night a month ago, to the firm chest she encountered when they had coyly made love.

Why did she think of that? She hurriedly tossed the memory out of her mind.

The man that night definitely wasn't Jun Yuyan. He seemed very abstinent, but that night… she was taken for a whole night.

"Sorry, are you alright?"

Jun Yuyan's deep voice rose above her head.

"No problem, no problem."

She rubbed her nose, shook her head, turned to see Murong Man had actually chased after them, frowned, and told him to hurry away.

She really didn't want to see Murong Man again because she feared she couldn't help slapping that hypocritical face a few times.

With a glance from Jun Yuyan, the guards stationed outside the courtyard came forward, blocking Murong Man's entanglements.

Soon, the two of them left the Marquis Mansion and boarded the carriage back to Prince Mansion.

"Ninth Sister!"

It was Murong Qian's voice.

Murong Jiu's brow furrowed slightly, but she still lifted the carriage curtain.

Murong Qian seemed to have run over, her cheeks slightly flushed, a few strands of hair damp with sweat. Her gaze initially fell on Jun Yuyan inside the carriage, shyly, then she said to Murong Jiu:

"Ninth Sister, can I… can I come to visit you at Prince Mansion in the future?"

Murong Jiu subconsciously looked towards Jun Yuyan, who was bowing his head, reading an Art of War book, and did not glance up at Murong Qian even once.

"Alright."

After hesitating for a moment, she nodded to Murong Qian.

In fact, she also wanted to clarify if the person in her past life who wanted to disgrace her was Murong Qian, and if it was, why she would do such a thing.

She believed she had never done anything to wrong Murong Qian.

The carriage started, and Murong Qian's expectant face was still there, smiling and waving at her, showing no signs of deep scheming.