Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 402 She Made the Right Bet

Chapter 402: Chapter 402 She Made the Right Bet

Deng Yuan was excited, not because of the chance for an external transfer, but because he was elated that Prince Ling actually appreciated him and thought him suitable for such a position where he could benefit the local people.

This gave him the thrill of meeting a true connoisseur of talent.

He noticed his own improper demeanor and quickly apologized to Murong Jiu, "I was momentarily overexcited, please forgive my foolishness."

Murong Jiu laughed lightly and said, "It seems that the Prince has a keen eye for people. My brother-in-law truly is the pragmatic type."

Murong Qian saw the gleam in her husband’s eyes and also smiled.

Murong Jiu said to her, "People are restless, and the Imperial Court lacks individuals who are down-to-earth like my brother-in-law. The Prince has always valued talent and will not let my brother-in-law’s abilities go unrecognized. I believe that the official orders from the court will arrive before long, and when that time comes, I will see you and my sister off."

"This... is that really appropriate?"

Murong Qian hesitated as she spoke.

"Actually, my brother-in-law was originally meant to be an official serving outside the capital. It’s not just the Prince who appreciates my brother-in-law’s talents, but because he offended someone, he ended up being assigned as a junior registrar with no hope for promotion and no visible future."

As she spoke, Deng Yuan clenched his fists, "I know who it is now. I thought if I was careful enough, no fault could be found with me, but their ungrounded dislike for me was something they had arranged in advance!"

"Who?" Murong Qian quickly asked.

"Yin Zizheng! It must be him!"

Murong Qian was incredulous, "How could it be him? You both participated in the imperial examination together and became good friends. Until recently, he was still often visiting you, and it’s only in the past half month that his visits have become less frequent."

Murong Jiu asked, "Brother-in-law, was Yin Zizheng coming over because of Sister Qian?"

"What?"

Deng Yuan found it difficult to broach the subject but nodded nonetheless.

Yin Zizheng was, after all, a scion of Capital City, his refined and amiable demeanor only a facade, internally considering nobody his equal, with dirty and vile thoughts.

"It’s indeed my fault for not seeing his true colors, not knowing he had a purpose in getting close to me. It wasn’t until half a month ago, when he suddenly wanted to give me his most favored concubine, suggesting we swap..."

Swap what? Obviously, women.

Although Deng Yuan was of humble beginnings, he had been in the capital for quite some time now and understood Yin Zizheng’s intentions in approaching him.

He remembered how Yin Zizheng’s attitude towards him changed from disdain to eagerness; it was after he and Lady Qian had bumped into Yin Zizheng during an outing.

While Lady Qian may not compare to a stunning beauty like Princess Consort Ling, she was nevertheless pretty and desirable. In his eyes, she was unmatched, so it was unsurprising that Yin Zizheng took a fancy to her.

But initially, he had not been on his guard nor aware that Yin Zizheng, who affectionately referred to him as a brother, had long been suppressing and sidelining him in the shadows, trying to drive him to a desperate state where he would sell his wife for glory.

Deng Yuan, with a remorseful expression, said to Murong Qian, "I didn’t tell you before because I feared sullying your ears. I have cut ties with him, and I will surely be more discerning in my friendships from now on."

Murong Qian felt some annoyance. She remembered the way Yin Zizheng looked at her, especially after she had become more voluptuous following the birth of Nannan, Yin Zizheng became more frequent in his visits, sometimes intentionally peering into her room when she was nursing, causing her to feel more and more nauseated the more she thought about it.

Murong Jiu timely said, "Experience is a gain from a loss. From now on, my brother-in-law will surely contemplate anyone approaching him, which is a good thing. There’s much more to be faced once you are in the local post."

Deng Yuan humbly accepted the lesson, "Princess Consort Ling is right, there is still much for me to learn."

"Ah Jiu, Ninth Sister, thank you for telling us this and for the Prince’s appreciation. From now on, my husband and I will definitely..."

Murong Jiu interrupted with a smile, "There’s no need for us sisters to say such dramatic things. To tell you the truth, I only wanted to renew our sisterly relationship because I saw that you had truly changed. My brother-in-law is a man with his own talents and ambitions. All we are doing is helping the Imperial Court to use each person’s strengths to make the citizens of Great Yan live better."

There was another point she didn’t mention, but Murong Qian was well aware of it. Today, when Murong Man came to her door, and Murong Qian didn’t agree under her threats and inducements to do something to hurt her, then in her eyes, Murong Qian was a trustworthy person.

Prince Ling’s Mansion didn’t keep idle people; Jun Yuyan would have his subordinates thoroughly investigate all possible connections and events related to her. So before she left, Murong Jiu simply made inquiries and obtained all the information on Murong Qian and Deng Yuan.

The couple’s life was indeed very poor. The former Murong Qian was a woman who despised poverty and loved wealth, and she hadn’t come around when she first married Deng Yuan.

But as their relationship grew closer, the two slowly fell in love, and after giving birth to their daughter, Little Nannan, Murong Qian had an epiphany.

After giving birth, she was physically weak and consumed nourishing medicine for over a month, which nearly spent all their savings, including the gifts Murong Jiu had given them for their wedding; otherwise, they wouldn’t have gotten through the tough times.

This was also why Murong Jiu later received a visiting card and thank-you gifts from Murong Qian.

However, at that time, Murong Jiu had lost her memory and returned to Prince Mansion, and no one had seen her.

All in all, Murong Qian’s refusal was beyond Murong Jiu’s expectations; she thought that given their current situation and Murong Qian’s original nature, she would not refuse.

But not only did she refuse, she even gave Murong Man a hard time.

Murong Qian had considered the possibility of retribution, but she still firmly refused, leaving no room for negotiation.

The moment Murong Man heard her defense, she decided to help them.

"You should start preparing in advance. When you’re free, bring Little Nannan over to the mansion to play. It might be several years before I return from the official assignment."

"I haven’t even invited you inside to sit yet."

Murong Qian said somewhat restrainedly, her home was poor, and she had difficulty offering adequate hospitality; she also worried that Murong Jiu would scorn it.

Murong Jiu saw through her thoughts and smiled, "Murong Man was planning to do something outrageous today. I actually came for this matter. Next time when I am free, I will come and chat with Sister Qian."

Murong Qian quickly said, "Then you should go quickly. Does my husband need to go over and help?"

"I’ve brought Hidden Guards and guards with me."

With these words, the two said their farewells, and Murong Qian watched her leave.

Murong Jiu found a place to put on a human skin mask, with Zhou Li managing the horse carriage ahead, she actually arrived at the residence of Guard Shi’s elderly mother earlier than Murong Man, who had set out earlier.

Mother Shi was actually just in her fifties but looked very aged. Having become a widow early in life and then driven out by her clan, she supported herself and her son Guard Shi through needlework, sending him to a martial arts school until he became a guard in the Second Prince’s Mansion.

To the noble folks, guards were just servants, but for suffering common folk like them, serving as a guard for the Prince was an honor that brought glory to the ancestors.

Unfortunately, Mother Shi hadn’t been able to enjoy the fruits of her labor. Although she hadn’t ruined her eyesight, the constant sitting and needlework over the years caused frequent back and leg pain. As she aged, the pain worsened, her body weakened, and she became prone to illness—she was always sickly.

Guard Shi became involved with Murong Man after she accidentally learned that his mother had fallen severely ill, and even the Court Physician could not cure her.

Murong Man had once got a few nourishing prescription ideas from Murong Jiu. They were meant to be a last resort—dead for dead, alive for thankful. Surprisingly, her gamble paid off.