Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved

Perhaps it was the absurdity of Murong Jiu's words that caused a flicker of astonishment to pass through the cold depths of Jun Yuyan's eyes.

"I said I am already pregnant, unable to become Princess Consort Ling, and I dare not occupy your Princess' position. My marriage into the Prince Mansion was clearly someone else's deliberate doing."

Perhaps it was because she had died once before, but Murong Jiu's voice was very calm, no longer timid and fearful as in her previous life, worried about saying something wrong.

"Is the child the Second Prince's?"

Jun Yuyan asked, narrowing his eyes.

"It's not his!" Murong Jiu answered firmly.

Recalling her past life, those two sickly children didn't resemble the Second Prince at all, yet she had never noticed.

Jun Yuyan's gaze was profound, as if he was scrutinizing whether she was lying or not.

She calmly met his gaze, waiting for his response.

After a long while, Jun Yuyan finally spoke, "This Prince does not wish to marry Murong Man, for this Prince already has someone else in mind."

Just like in her previous life, Jun Yuyan did not drive her out of the Prince Mansion but allowed her to stay.

He and Murong Man had long been engaged, but he did not like Murong Man. To him, marrying anyone made no difference.

"Your Highness, rest assured, when the woman you love enters this house, I will surely step down voluntarily," Murong Jiu assured him.

Moreover, she needed to find the real father of her child.

Jun Yuyan realized that she was very tactful, unlike what the rumors suggested.

He nodded slightly, "That would be best. Since you are now Princess Consort Ling, this Prince will also grant you the respect you deserve."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Jun Yuyan did not leave immediately but sat down in the chair.

He sat there for a full hour before he rose to leave.

As he had said, he had given her due respect and did not leave right away on their wedding night. Even in the future, when her belly grew big, no one would dare call the child a bastard.

Murong Jiu's eyes were red, and tears dropped one by one. She hadn't expected that the first warmth she received after being reborn was from the stranger-like Jun Yuyan.

And those so-called relatives of hers only wanted to throw her into the fire.

Previously, she did not understand why, though she was also a legitimate daughter of the Marquis Mansion, she was treated so differently from the other daughters, and even worse than a concubine-born daughter.

She had always been raised in the countryside until she came of age, then she was brought back.

It wasn't until before her death that she realized she was not the blood of the Marquis Mansion!

But who were her real parents?

Murong Man said that her real father and brother died because of her, but she could not figure out who in the Capital City was her family.

Her identity had been switched since she was young, so the other party must have been more powerful and influential than the Marquis Mansion, otherwise, the Marquis Mansion wouldn't have sent their own daughter away.

But the Marquis Mansion had been internally weak for a long time, appearing prosperous and splendid outwardly but actually in decline. This was also why Murong Man was unwilling to marry Jun Yuyan.

A prince with a disfigured face and a limp could not become the next Emperor, and the Marquis Mansion could not afford to back the wrong side.

"Miss, the Prince has ordered me to bring water for you to rest well!"

Chun Tao directed the servants to carry water in, and after they left, she helped Murong Jiu bathe.

"Miss, actually, Prince Ling is quite good. You should consider staying," Chun Tao cautiously said, worried about saying the wrong thing and angering her.

In her previous life, it had been Chun Tao who always advised her to stay away from the Second Prince, but she had thought Chun Tao had ulterior motives and gradually distanced herself from her, trusting only the other two maidens, which led to their tragic deaths.

Now looking back, she realized how blind and foolish she had been.

"Chun Tao, was I very foolish before? Always doing foolish things."

"Miss, why do you say that? You're not foolish, just too young. The Marquis and his wife never guided you, which led you down the wrong path."

Yes, others had parents to teach them, while she had only deceitful nannies by her side.

Murong Jiu thought she would not be able to sleep that night, but unexpectedly, lying on the grand red wedding bed at Prince Ling's Mansion made her feel more at ease than anywhere else.

She caressed her still flat belly and drifted deeply into sleep.

"Miss, wake up; it's almost time to go to the palace for the tea ceremony."

It was still dark when Chun Tao woke Murong Jiu.

She groggily opened her eyes, and Chun Tao exclaimed softly, "Oh dear, Miss, why are you sweating so much? Did you have a nightmare?"

Yes, she dreamt that her two children were being viciously bitten by wild dogs and washed away by a flood after falling off a cliff. When they were found, only their swollen little corpses remained.

Seeing her pale face, Chun Tao brought some hot water and carefully helped her wash and dress.

As Chun Tao was finishing up, there suddenly came two voices from the doorway.

"Miss!"

"Miss, we are late!"

Murong Jiu's emotions had already calmed down, and she looked up to see two maids, carrying bundles, rushing in.

The moment they arrived, they pushed Chun Tao aside and fussed over her with warm concern.

"Miss, we were knocked unconscious yesterday, and had no idea what happened. The people from the Marquis Mansion just brought us here today. Boo hoo, Miss, you must have been mistreated. Did His Highness Prince Ling do anything to you?"

The maid Zhen Zhu said with a sobbing tone.

The other maid, Cai Yun, said, "Miss, rest assured, we will definitely help you escape from Prince Ling's Mansion! The Second Prince has also sent a message, asking you not to be afraid, he will help you at the palace today!"

Suddenly, Murong Jiu remembered that she had not intended to go to the palace today in her previous life; it was only because of Cai Yun's words that she went and caused a disaster, implicating Jun Yuyan to face severe punishment.

The Emperor had few heirs, only four princes and two princesses. Among them, the Eldest Prince Jun Yuyan was born to Noble Consort Qi and the Second Prince was born to the Empress. The mother's family status of the Third and Fourth Princes was not high, and their abilities were not outstanding.

Therefore, the biggest rival of the Second Prince had always been the Eldest Prince.

Even though the Eldest Prince was now disfigured and limping, he still posed a great threat in the eyes of the Second Prince, for the Eldest Prince had been too brilliant in the past.

As the wife of Prince Ling, she had become the best pawn for the Second Prince.

Chun Tao was anxiously stamping her foot beside her. Just as the Miss had started to make sense of things, the words from Zhen Zhu and Cai Yun might reignite her despair.

However, Murong Jiu said calmly, "I am now the wife of Prince Ling. If you speak such treasonous and unnatural words again, do not blame me for driving you out."

Chun Tao's eyes brightened, and her mouth curved into a smile; she felt that the Miss was different from before.

"Princess Consort, the Prince is asking if you are ready. He is waiting for you."

A middle-aged eunuch's voice came from outside the door.

Murong Jiu immediately stood up, pushed the two maids in front of her aside, and asked Chun Tao to come over.

"You two stay in the Prince Mansion, Chun Tao will come with me to the palace."

"Miss!"

Zhen Zhu and Cai Yun widened their eyes in disbelief.

Murong Jiu walked out expressionlessly and saw Jun Yuyan standing at the entrance of the courtyard. His tall figure inexplicably offered her a sense of comfort.

She glanced at his right leg, and after they both sat in the sedan of the Prince Mansion, she softly said to Jun Yuyan,

"Prince, perhaps, I have a way to heal your leg."

Jun Yuyan opened his half-closed eyes and looked at her, saying in a faint voice, "How comes I was not aware that the young Miss of the Murong Family knew medicine?"