Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 389: The Fourth Prince, Imprisoned

Chapter 389: Chapter 389: The Fourth Prince, Imprisoned

Murong Jiu hadn’t had a nightmare for a very long time.

Sometimes, she was unwilling to recall the tragic past life seen in her dreams.

She knew what The Fourth Prince was trying to do; he wanted her to repeat her past mistakes, to watch helplessly as the people she cared about died in the most humiliating way.

Treason was the gravest crime in any dynasty, one that implicated the entire family for generations and brought eternal infamy.

After Yu Yan entered the palace, Murong Jiu became restless.

She knew that even if she followed him into the palace, she wouldn’t be of any help; the Emperor wouldn’t allow a woman to meddle in court affairs.

Unable to calm down, she went to Zhijin and Zhiyu’s room.

The wet nurse was awakened, but Hong Yi waved to them to rest outside while Chun Tao quietly brought Murong Jiu a chair to sit and watch over the two young masters.

Zhijin and Zhiyu were sleeping soundly and deeply. Their skin was fair and delicate, their features were elegant, and their breathing was soft and long. Seeing them, Murong Jiu’s heart settled a bit.

She thought to herself that times had changed; in her previous life, Yu Yan had gotten into trouble because of her and their children, willingly entering a dangerous game just to secure their safety and smooth future.

Now, no one could threaten him with her and their children anymore.

Moreover, in her eyes, Yu Yan had always been a composed, calm, and incredibly intelligent man; The Fourth Prince could think ten steps ahead, but Yu Yan was no less capable.

Nothing would happen, Murong Jiu comforted herself in her heart.

Time passed slowly as Murong Jiu quietly watched over the two children, feeling as if a long time had elapsed. She glanced outside the window and saw that the sky was still dark.

She stood up, then sat down again, constantly twisting her Buddhist bead bracelet, suppressing the wild thoughts in her heart.

Hong Yi and Chun Tao could see her anxiety and felt it in their hearts.

Just then, as if the children had a psychic connection with their mother, they began to toss and turn and suddenly burst into loud crying.

Murong Jiu had no time for wild thoughts anymore, and immediately picked up the two children.

The two wet nurses quickly came in.

After checking and finding out that both little ones had wet themselves and were crying uncomfortably for attention, the situation was clear.

Wanting to find something to do, Murong Jiu saw that her sister was more restless, so she went to help change the baby’s nappy. After the change, her sister sulked, looking very aggrieved. She wouldn’t drink her milk when the wet nurse offered it and kept reaching out her hands to her mother, making "ah ah" noises.

When Murong Jiu took her into her arms, she stopped crying.

Now her brother wanted his mother’s embrace as well.

Murong Jiu held one child in each arm, and they both giggled happily when she tickled them.

They were both surprisingly heavy, each a match for the other, feeling solid in her grasp.

But she loved this weighty feeling. It showed the kids were growing well and being well nourished, making them heavy to hold rather than skinny and light.

Their weight was the best change in this life.

Murong Jiu placed them on the bed and took out their favorite toys to play with them.

The wet nurses were surprised; usually the two young masters slept very well. During the night, a few grunts about wet nappies, a change, a flip, and a few sips of milk were enough for them to fall back asleep, sometimes even skipping their night feeding to sleep until daylight.

It was uncertain whether the young masters sensed that the Princess Consort was in a poor mood and deliberately tried to cheer their mother up.

After playing for half an hour, the two little ones were dozing off in Murong Jiu’s arms. Xiao Zhijin was holding his favorite small wooden sword, and Zhiyu was holding a pretty little bracelet, which was inlaid with gems of various colors.

The two little fellows had their own preferences, unlike in their previous lives where they were frail and obedient to a fault. Instead of having preferences, under the Second Prince’s instigation, the servants wouldn’t even feed them enough.

Murong Jiu watched them struggling to stay awake while clinging to her, and her chest softened with tenderness.

She lay down with the children in her arms, gently patting their little arms to lull them to sleep.

Before she knew it, drowsiness also overcame her.

As if she had just closed her eyes, Hong Yi came over and gently nudged her, whispering with a jubilant voice,

"Princess Consort, the Prince has sent a message for you. The Fourth Prince has had an accident!"

The drowsiness that had enveloped Murong Jiu instantly vanished completely.

She quickly got up and, realizing that she had almost startled the children, gently patted them again. After the wet nurse arrived, she got out of bed and went out with Hong Yi and Chun Tao.

The letter Hong Yi brought her was transmitted by Zhou Chen from the palace gates.

After entering the room, Murong Jiu opened the letter by the candlelight and sighed in relief upon reading its contents.

The Fourth Prince had been imprisoned.

It turned out that after Jun Yuyan and General Fu entered the palace, they had immediately reported the matter of the Great General of the Western Regions using Fire-thunder to bomb the soldiers at the Frontier Pass. At that time, the Emperor was unaware, and it took half an hour before he received the war report, as well as a suspicious letter from Vice General Chen about Prince Ling.

The letter stated that the soldiers at the Frontier Pass suspected that the Fire-thunder used by the Great General of the Western Regions was provided by Prince Ling. It also mentioned that General Fu was conspiring with Prince Ling, intending to commit treason and defect.

The Emperor naturally also harbored suspicions towards Jun Yuyan.

He knew the strength of his eldest son and doubted if he, dissatisfied with his father’s arrangements, had conspired with foreign enemies in an attempt to usurp the throne.

Meanwhile, the Fourth Prince had entered the palace to see the Emperor, intending to expose the Eldest Imperial Brother and presented "evidence" that Jun Yuyan had made Fire-thunder in secret and conspired with the Western Regions.

His evidence was a commoner from Tea Ridge County who, through this person, could testify that iron ore was being taken out from the deep mountains before the landslide occurred, and explosions were heard several times.

However, the Fourth Prince hadn’t expected the commoner to suddenly turn against him, claiming that the Fourth Prince had threatened his own family’s lives to coerce him into lying and providing false testimony. But plagued by guilt and with Prince Ling and Princess Consort Ling’s arrival making life in Tea Ridge County more bearable, he could not bear to wrong Prince Ling. If he were to frame Prince Ling, he would be Tea Ridge County’s greatest sinner in history. He would rather die than lie.

When the Fourth Prince saw Jun Yuyan’s calm demeanor, he realized that all his plotting had been anticipated by Jun Yuyan.

This despicable commoner had never been bribed or won over by him from start to finish. It was all just an illusion to confuse him. Every move he made in secret had been within Jun Yuyan’s sight.

It was then that he understood that he had underestimated Jun Yuyan. He had directed all his hatred and wariness towards Murong Jiu, a woman, and that was a grave mistake.

Of course, the Fourth Prince naturally refused to admit that he was behind it, claiming instead that the commoner had come to him seeking to swindle money.

Tea Ridge County was under Princess Consort Ling’s jurisdiction, so these troublemakers must have been instructed by Princess Consort Ling and Prince Ling.

Yet, Jun Yuyan took out a stack of letters and presented them to the Emperor.

It wasn’t only the Fourth Prince who could fabricate evidence; he could as well.

The letters were certainly forged, yet the handwriting was indistinguishable from that of the Fourth Prince. Although there was no private seal, the Emperor was suspicious by nature and did not favor the Fourth Prince. Upon seeing the letters, he slammed the sandalwood tray down violently on the Fourth Prince’s head.