Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 403 Who Will Save My Mother?

Chapter 403: Chapter 403 Who Will Save My Mother?

Guard Shi regarded Murong Man as his lifesaver and was utterly devoted to her.

Little did he know that Murong Man had never sincerely cared for him; she only saw him as a pawn.

Mother Shi lived in a small alley that prized tranquility, suitable for someone needing rest to recuperate, and finding such a place in the Capital City showed how thoughtful Guard Shi was towards his mother.

He had also bought a young maid to look after his mother on daily basis.

At this moment, the young maid had just gone out to buy groceries, and given the distance to the market, the round trip took approximately half an hour.

This was information Yang Shan had gathered.

No wonder Murong Man first went to see Murong Qian, and then timed her visit here, probably having casually asked Guard Shi earlier and had planned everything thoroughly.

Murong Jiu had not gone in; she was now in the two-story courtyard next door, standing on the attic, overseeing the neighboring courtyard completely.

Today was sunny, and Mother Shi was sunbathing in a chair in the courtyard.

"Where is Guard Shi?"

Murong Jiu asked Zhou Li.

"Princess Consort, Guard Shi has already been gagged and tied up in the storeroom," Zhou Li replied.

No sooner had he spoken than a knock sounded at the door.

"Who’s there?"

Mother Shi sat up, coughing a few times.

The door was pushed open.

The young maid had gone out to buy groceries and had not locked the door.

Mother Shi was somewhat alert, her body sluggish as she got up shakily.

"Auntie, it’s me, Murong Man. Has Brother Shi ever mentioned me to you?"

Murong Man slowly walked in, first scanning around to make sure no one else was there.

She had come alone, seemingly having managed to shake off the two maids who usually accompanied her.

"It turns out to be the Second Prince’s Side Consort. I apologize for not greeting you from afar!"

Mother Shi was very surprised and didn’t know why Murong Man would suddenly come to visit her; her son hadn’t mentioned anything in advance.

In the storeroom, upon hearing Murong Man’s voice, Guard Shi struggled frantically to free himself, but he was numbed by the muscle relaxant powder and powerless, unable to make any noise.

He didn’t know who had knocked him out and brought him here, and he could see the outside through a small window in the storeroom. He suspected a conspiracy, perhaps aimed at him and Murong Man; otherwise, why would she appear here?

"Please, you’re too kind. Brother Shi often talks about you; you are the person he cares about the most," Murong Man said.

With a warm smile, Murong Man approached and gently helped Mother Shi to sit down, her demeanor extremely gentle.

Mother Shi became even more restrained, her aged eyes occasionally darting towards Murong Man’s belly.

Murong Man smiled and touched her own belly: "It seems Brother Shi has already told you about my pregnancy."

Mother Shi hastily replied, "A Side Consort carrying the dragon’s descendant is indeed a matter for great celebration. My son is the Second Prince’s most loyal guard; he is happy for the Second Prince and shared the joy with me."

It appeared that this old woman wasn’t foolish; Murong Man liked people who understood their place, but she wasn’t going to change her plans because of it.

She said, "There are no other outsiders here, and you know, this is your golden grandchild. Brother Shi and I truly love each other, but our statuses are worlds apart."

Guard Shi, overhearing this, became exceedingly anxious.

He believed this was a trap set against them to bring Murong Man here, to make her reveal the truth so that the Second Prince could hear the facts.

However, no one burst in to question or scold angrily; the courtyard was so quiet that only the rustling sound of the breeze passing through the leaves could be heard.

Mother Shi had turned pale, her hands trembling as she repeatedly whispered in a low voice, "This is a capital offense! Side Consort, you shouldn’t have come! We should live honestly and decently. My son is foolish!"

Murong Man’s face was expressionless, "So are you saying that I shouldn’t have this child either?"

Mother Shi dared not respond.

Murong Man had thought that the old woman would be overjoyed to see her carrying her grandchild and that ideally, she would kill herself, saving Murong Man from dirtying her own hands.

Mother Shi’s lucidity somewhat disgusted her.

She suddenly sneered, "What a pity that Brother Shi loves me so much that he couldn’t help himself and was willing to die for me. Do you know why I came here today?"

Mother Shi was so scared that she fell from her chair and retreated. But her limbs were not agile, and she watched helplessly as Murong Man pulled out a dagger.

Guard Shi saw this scene from the narrow window and for a moment forgot to struggle.

No, why would his beloved Manman pull out a dagger against his mother? He couldn’t believe it, Manman would never kill his mother!

She was so kind, gentle, selfless, how could she kill someone?

Mother Shi hurriedly tried to flee, but her limbs failed her, and after moving only a few steps, she fell to the ground, unable to run away.

She had no choice but to resign herself, "Side Consort, if you want to kill an old woman, at least give me a reason, so I can die understanding why."

"Fine, I will let you die knowing," Murong Man said with a curved lip. "It’s because I cannot let the Second Prince know the child in my womb is your son’s. It’s as simple as that."

Of course, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to tell Mother Shi that she was killing her to make her son lose his head in rage, willing to die. Mother Shi, although old, had a fierce maternal love, and should she find out and strike back, it could be troublesome.

"If you must blame someone, blame your son for he insisted on revealing this secret to you; otherwise, I wouldn’t have needed to kill you."

Listening to this, Guard Shi’s face turned ashen. He suddenly remembered he hadn’t told Murong Man that he had spoken to his mother about her bearing his child. How did Murong Man find out?

Was this really why she wanted to kill his mother?

Guard Shi still found it hard to believe.

He even doubted whether the woman in the yard was really Murong Man or someone else in disguise.

But he was familiar with Murong Man’s voice and gestures and could not deceive himself.

Mother Shi suddenly said in agitation, "Are you going to kill my son after you kill me? What kind of daughter can be so cruel! My son has been absolutely sincere with you!"

Murong Man immediately went over and covered Mother Shi’s mouth, worried that her loud voice might attract outsiders.

Then she pulled a rope from her bosom and fiercely tightened it around Mother Shi’s neck.

Compared to a dagger, the rope was the better weapon, sparing her from blood splatter, which would be hard to explain.

As she tightened the rope, she sneered, "You’re right, after you die, your son will soon join you! Perhaps in the next life, you can be a better mother and son!"

Guard Shi struggled frantically, trying to make a sound to stop her, but his whole body was weak, and he couldn’t produce any sound or stop Murong Man’s actions.

He saw the harshness in Murong Man’s eyes, a stark contrast to the gentle and kind Murong Man he held in his heart.

Mother Shi was about to die.

Just then, voices of people talking echoed from outside the alley.

Murong Man’s hand shook, then she tightened her grip once more, making sure Mother Shi was dead before quickly stuffing the murder weapon into her bosom and calmly walking towards the door.

She pressed her ear against the door; the voices had faded away. She then opened the door to peer out, saw no one around, and slowly walked out.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

"Someone save my mother!"

Guard Shi watched his mother on the ground and screamed in his heart.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the outside!

Guard Shi thought it was Murong Man returning.