Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 296: Eldest Imperial Sister-in-Law, Where Do You Feel Uncomfortable?

Chapter 296: Chapter 296: Eldest Imperial Sister-in-Law, Where Do You Feel Uncomfortable?

"Before the birth of our child earlier this year, this man was gathered for the Second Prince, a swindler through and through. Somehow, he became known as an old immortal, gaining notoriety that reached our father’s ears, and naturally, the Emperor invited him into the palace."

Upon hearing this, Murong Jiu frowned and said, "The Second Prince’s goal was to prove to the world that our child is a calamity, wasn’t it?"

Jun Yuyan nodded, "You can’t hide anything from Ah Jiu; you’re right, that was what the Second Prince intended. However, he didn’t anticipate that this old Taoist was a debaucher, he was caught molesting palace maids by the Emperor and had his head chopped off before he could do anything significant."

The Emperor despised those who bedeviled the harem the most, and this old Taoist might as well have walked into the line of fire.

Murong Jiu believed that Jun Yuyan must have had a hand in the matter, but since the old Taoist was no good man, his punishment was well deserved.

It was fortunate that the old Taoist died early. She suddenly remembered, in the months before her death in her previous life, she vaguely heard someone mentioning an old immortal who had concocted an ’Immortal Pill’ for the Emperor.

She recalled her master mentioning that the so-called ’Immortal Pill’ of the Taoist sects often contained substances like alum, realgar, cinnabar, evergreen, and mercury.

All these ingredients were harmful, causing dizziness, nausea, and weakness. Consuming them in large quantities led to unstoppable bleeding from the eyes and nose, ultimately resulting in death from blood loss.

If the Emperor had been taking the ’Immortal Pill’, it meant his death was not far off.

In this lifetime, his trajectory had changed; the old Taoist came before the Emperor sooner but was executed for molesting palace maids.

"What reason did that old Taoist use to convince Father to enact the maritime ban?"

This point seemed crucial to Murong Jiu.

If the Emperor was swayed once, he could impose the maritime ban again for the same reason.

Such a blockade was no trivial matter.

If the Xiongnu could develop terrifying weapons like ’Fire-thunder’, what about other countries?

One must know the enemy and oneself to win every battle.

Jun Yuyan’s tone was mocking, "He divined from the stars at night, claiming there would be a great calamity between heaven and earth, and that halting maritime trade could avoid this worldwide disaster."

"Absurd! If he were so powerful, how did he not foresee losing his head upon entering the palace?"

Murong Jiu was infuriated.

Since the man was brought into the palace by the Second Prince, it was clear he was acting on the Second Prince’s behalf.

The Second Prince had long been envious of the prosperity of her trading association. Minor sabotages were bearable, but now he had instigated a ludicrous maritime ban over Great Yan for his own benefit.

"Don’t be angry, Ah Jiu, it’s not worth it. The old Taoist is already dead, and for now, the Emperor won’t impose a maritime ban without reason. He still sees the benefits it brings," Jun Yuyan comforted.

Murong Jiu took a few deep breaths as Jun Yuyan softly patted her back to help her calm down.

"Alright, I won’t be angry. Now that the Second Prince is missing half of his leg, the number of reliable people around him must have diminished. I want to see when he’ll run out of tricks," Murong Jiu declared.

"Yes, and even if Father really does impose a maritime ban, there’s no need to worry. I will help you keep the maritime trade routes open." Jun Yuyan’s tone carried a hint of assurance.

Murong Jiu looked up at him in surprise.

"You..."

"If Ah Jiu wishes for me to be Emperor, then I will remove all obstacles and ascend to the throne. Give me just one year, not two, and I will seat Ah Jiu in the position of Empress."

Murong Jiu’s lips curved into a smile.

"Ah, that’s right, the guard is still outside."

Jun Yuyan, holding her waist with affection, gave a sign to the outside, and the guard immediately relayed the information gathered.

It turned out that when Murong Jian’s entire household lived in a small courtyard, it was a place of constant discord, filled with the sounds of quarreling and beating. All maids and matrons, including the concubines taken by the three masters, were sold off, among them was Murong Qian’s Aunt Lian. Despite bearing children for their masters, the concubines ultimately faced the fate of being sold.

But these people were used to squandering, and they hadn’t spent a penny on anything substantial.

Eventually, because they couldn’t afford to renew their rent, they were driven out.

In the freezing cold, they had nowhere to go and could only seek refuge in a shelter for the displaced.

Not many days later, the Second Lady and Third Lady ran out of the city with their sons and daughters-in-law.

Murong Jiu asked curiously, "Where did they go?"

"They went to the Tianjin Guard. The Second Lady and Third Lady have a mutual friend there; they thought she would take them in. Little did they know, by the time they got there, the friend had already fallen on hard times and become a madam."

Murong Jiu couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

It seemed that even at their age, the Second Lady and Third Lady could fall so low.

But it was normal. In the brothels, there were all sorts of men, and some preferred mature women. Besides, she remembered several of her "sisters-in-law," who often bullied her, were quite attractive.

"What about the sons of the Second Lady and Third Lady?"

"They became the lowest and most exhausted of servants, specifically tasked with carrying water and emptying chamber pots. They thought of running away but had their toes smashed. After that, they no longer dared to think of escaping and became much more obedient."

The Second Lord died of illness, and the Third Lord was critically ill and lying in the shelter. All those who could run had run away, including Murong Jian’s favorite youngest son and the old lady’s most beloved legitimate grandson. He disappeared one night without a trace, leaving only several young illegitimate children behind.

Murong Jiu laughed so hard she could barely contain herself, "I was wondering why the old lady had nobody to serve her, why she was out trying to scam people herself. It turns out there was no one left by her side."

This entire family had fallen so low; it was truly what they deserved.

"However, are there only a few young children left in the shelter now? Prince, what do you think, should I do something?"

After all, the children were innocent.

The old lady was sent to the Government Office, and Murong Jian was taken to the pigsty, leaving only the severely ill Third Lord and a few children incapable of fending for themselves.

"Princess Consort, they have already been sold by the old lady to others as servants. There is no need for you to do anything," the guard outside said, calling the old lady what Murong Jiu had referred to her as.

"What? Her own grandchildren, even though they were illegitimate, were still her flesh and blood. How could she bear to sell them?"

"The old lady wanted to get money for the Third Lord’s medical treatment. Someone came to buy, and she sold them. The money has been taken, and the children have been carried away by the trader, just this morning."

Murong Jiu cursed the old lady in her heart, but she also decided not to meddle.

She wasn’t able to eat more than usual during dinner, having only one bowl of persimmon egg noodles, which left her feeling stuffed.

The Cold Food Festival arrived quickly.

Early in the morning of that day, Murong Jiu awoke from a nightmare.

"No! Don’t!"

She was in a state of immense panic until she was embraced by warm arms and, with tender soothing, managed to fall back asleep.

When she woke up, she still felt rather startled.

She had forgotten the content of the dream, but the ominous feeling lingered, causing her to space out frequently during the day.

"Eldest Imperial Sister-in-law, are you feeling unwell? You look pale and tired. Perhaps the Eldest Imperial Brother should take you to rest. Leave the ancestral rituals to me," said the Fourth Prince with a tone of concern.

Murong Jiu looked up at him, her expression briefly distant.