Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 368 Not Capable of a Single Night of Folly

Chapter 368: Chapter 368 Not Capable of a Single Night of Folly

Murong Jiu’s swollen red hand was not faked; indeed, it looked rather shocking because her skin was so pale that any redness and swelling were more pronounced.

Of course, she hadn’t been stung by a bee. Before setting out, her master had soaked her hand in a medicinal concoction that caused redness and swelling and a slight itch, but no other discomfort. The effect could last for three or four days.

Before coming here, she had anticipated that Imperial Noble Consort Qin would cause trouble, and sure enough, she did.

The adversary was the Fourth Prince’s person, and naturally, they would want to eliminate her.

Moreover, she was skilled at using poison; after all, Murong Jiu herself had fallen victim to her schemes, poisoned by Thin Line Heaven.

Imperial Noble Consort Qin’s change in attitude towards her was also because they had essentially torn their facades asunder.

This kind of person could do anything.

Murong Jiu believed she might very well repeat her old tricks and poison her, inducing contact with her skin, and thereby poisoning her further.

Although she had Ya Fu, a master at detoxification on her side, this was the Traveling Palace, and distant waters cannot quench a nearby fire.

Imperial Noble Consort Qin coldly glanced at her hand, stood up, flung her sleeves with a flourish, and turned to leave: "This consort has caught a chill and feels a headache coming on. I shall not keep Consort Qi and Consort Jing company any longer."

She didn’t even bother to mention Yun Pin, not sparing her a single glance.

With the Empress absent, she had the highest rank. She marched off, and there was no one to criticize her.

Her high-and-mighty attitude, disregarding everyone else, was reminiscent of a favored consort’s arrogance, quite similar to the former Noble Consort Qi.

Consort Qi’s expression darkened, and she glared at Murong Jiu.

If it weren’t for Murong Jiu’s rudeness, Imperial Noble Consort Qin would not have put on such airs in front of her and Consort Jing, both seniors in the palace.

The more such airs were put on, the more the eunuchs and palace maids understood who held supreme power in the harem, and the more people would curry favor with them.

Murong Jiu pretended not to see Consort Qi’s glare.

Consort Qi was failing to grasp the situation, and the Prince had also said that Murong Jiu had no need to curry favor with her.

So far, Consort Qi hadn’t done anything to undermine her, so it was best to simply ignore her.

She continued to converse with Yun Pin, who appeared completely unconcerned about being targeted by Imperial Noble Consort Qin, exuding a fearless attitude.

Murong Jiu felt that Yun Pin had truly come to a revelation.

"Your Majesty has returned!"

Consort Jing stood up and looked forward.

The Emperor was seen arriving on horseback, with prey slung over the saddle, a very satisfied smile on his face, followed by Jun Yuyan and the Third Prince among others.

Consort Qi, unwilling to be outdone, hurried ahead of Consort Jing to greet him.

Yun Pin whispered to Murong Jiu, "I have a new pattern for a hairpin at my place. If Princess Consort Ling is interested, you might want to come and have a look later."

Murong Jiu understood the implied meaning in her words and smiled, nodding, "I was indeed planning to get new hair accessories, so I will definitely take a good look later."

Yun Pin also smiled, then adjusted her skirts and walked toward the Emperor.

The Emperor had caught a deer, while the others had only managed to catch rabbits and the like, no match for the Emperor. His laughter was bright, seemingly more vigorous than the youth, as though he were still in his prime.

Murong Jiu noticed he was breathing heavily, struggling slightly to dismount, but this did not dampen his spirits as he loudly recounted stories of his accurate archery skills in his younger days, with Consort Jing and Consort Qi each chiming in more eagerly than the last.

Upon seeing the Emperor, Yun Pin’s demeanor became much softer; she smiled sweetly, her eyes full of admiration.

Consort Qi and Consort Jing, after all, were no longer young, unlike Yun Pin, who was in the prime of her looks. Standing there, slim and elegant, receiving such admiring glances from her, the Emperor’s smile grew even more joyful, and he reached out to pull Yun Pin close.

Consort Qi’s face stiffened, and she put on a look of sorrowful distress, while Consort Jing seemed fine, still smiling gently and softly.

In the evening, they ate venison brought back by the Emperor’s hunt.

Murong Jiu had eaten it just a few days ago, personally hunted by Jun Yuyan when he came to set up the Traveling Palace, so she only nibbled a little and instead ate an extra two pieces of the neglected wild vegetable pancakes.

The Emperor, having drunk wine at the banquet and in high spirits, asked Imperial Noble Consort Qin and Consort Yun to sing and dance for him.

Both were favored consorts, and the attendees included princes, the Emperor’s close ministers, and their families—it was not a family banquet in the Imperial Palace. Asking them to dance like dancing girls was not a good look if word got out.

Imperial Noble Consort Qin said, "Your concubine caught a chill today and feels a bit under the weather. Let Sister Yun perform a song instead; I’ve long heard that Sister Yun’s voice is as melodious as an oriole, and your concubine is also eager to listen."

Consort Yun smiled and said, "Alright, I have no great talent. If I can delight Your Majesty, I would be happy too."

The Emperor was tipsy and didn’t think much of it. He immediately laughed and applauded, urging Consort Yun to perform.

After Consort Yun finished dancing, the Emperor stood up, wrapped his arms around her, and left. The others followed and dispersed from the gathering.

Murong Jiu had planned to look for Consort Yun, but it seemed there was no need now.

Jun Yuyan accompanied her back and asked on the way, "Did anyone give you trouble today?"

"No, only Imperial Noble Consort Qin wanted me to take her pulse."

Jun Yuyan frowned, tenderly holding her swollen hand, and they walked silently. Once inside the hall, after closing the door, he immediately brought over hot water that Chun Tao and the others had prepared, and soaked her hands.

After the soak, he wanted to personally help her wash up.

Blushing, Murong Jiu said, "You’ve had a long day; please don’t fuss over me. Go and wash up properly."

"Is it because I smell?"

"There’s no smell, how could I find you off-putting?"

She pushed him towards the bath, telling him to relax.

After his bath, Murong Jiu was already lying in bed. When she saw him come out, she immediately sat up.

"Just lie down; you should sleep first if you’re tired."

"I wanted to talk with you, and besides, you know I can’t sleep without you," she said in a diminished voice.

Seeing her cheeks flushed like blossoming peach flowers, Jun Yuyan couldn’t resist bending down to steal a kiss.

After one kiss came another, and soon they found it hard to let go.

"Mm... Husband, stop, we’re not at home..."

Murong Jiu gently pushed against his shoulders.

She wasn’t comfortable doing this outside, it was inconvenient, and she was embarrassed. If not for Jun Yuyan being with her, she wouldn’t even want to sleep in this strange bed.

Jun Yuyan laughed and stroked her hair, helping her dress properly and settling down before they lay together again.

"The Emperor drank too much today and will likely spend a foolish night. When he wakes, he probably won’t remember what happened at the banquet. Imperial Noble Consort Qin dared to decline because of this. Consort Yun, however, is clever; having agreed at that moment, she will likely bring it up over and over tonight, blowing into the imperial ear. Imperial Noble Consort Qin probably won’t have the opportunity to trouble you tomorrow."

Murong Jiu blinked, whispering, "I’m afraid the Emperor no longer has the capacity for such a foolish night; he’s not in good health."

Jun Yuyan laughed: "You needn’t worry about that. When the Emperor is in a good mood, even if it means taking medicine, he will indulge; Divine Doctor Miao has prepared quite a few medicines for the Emperor recently. By the way, what exactly did Consort Yun need from you today? Did she talk to you about it?"

Not wanting to delve into the Emperor’s affairs further and seeing the change in topic, she replied, "Not yet; I’ll go find her again tomorrow. She does seem to have a good disposition."

"I’ve had someone look into Consort Yun recently. One of her palace maids, named Gui Zhi, offended Imperial Noble Consort Qin and was beaten to death with clubs. Before that, there was a maid named Qing Zhi who stepped on a maid from Consort Jing’s entourage and later fell into water and died as a result of an accident."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.