Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved

Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Jade Pendant, Token of Love
 

“Prince, can you really be so ruthless? This is your own flesh and blood!”

Murong Qian couldn’t believe Jun Yuyan would actually act against his child. In her eyes, Prince Ling was a War God, a forthright gentleman. How could he not want his own child?

Even an ordinary man, upon hearing he had a child, would only be excited and thrilled.

“If it truly were my child, I would naturally want it. But I don’t know whose seed is in your belly, daring to deceive me to my face. If not for the fact you are Ah Jiu’s cousin, I would have let you walk in here but carried out lying down.”

Jun Yuyan’s tone was extremely cold.

Murong Qian’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Jun Yuyan, forcing herself to remain calm, “I have only been with one man, and if the child isn’t yours, then whose could it possibly be?”

He had previously mentioned “illegitimate child”, so why was he now saying it wasn’t his child?

Could she have said something wrong?

“Miss Murong Qian, there’s no need to play dumb with me here. Bring her over, tie her up,” he ordered.

“What, what are you going to do?”

At that moment, Murong Qian panicked, especially as the guards came in and tied her hands and feet, making her kneel on the ground, heightening her anxiety.

She still defiantly said, “If you don’t want this child, I’ll just leave, why must you treat me this way!”

“No one tries to scheme against me and gets away unscathed. I have given you a chance for Ah Jiu’s sake.”

Did he know that Murong Jiu was the person that night?

No, it couldn’t be possible. Murong Jiu was wholeheartedly with the Second Prince, thinking she had lost her virginity to him. Even if she lived in Prince Mansion, she wouldn’t have any interaction with Prince Ling. And how could he possibly pay much attention to an ugly freak?

Her expression was miserable, “Prince, you…”

“The woman that night didn’t drug me. It was just a small test and you’ve shown your slip-up. Now, tell me, where did you get this jade pendant!”

Jun Yuyan’s expression was icy cold as he indifferently looked at Murong Qian.

Murong Qian’s heart sank. She hadn’t expected Prince Ling to be so cautious that he’d test her silently.

She knew that no matter how much she said now, Prince Ling wouldn’t believe her anymore.

She gave a sad smile, “I found it.”

“Not telling the truth? Asking for a beating!”

The guard next to them struck her immediately with a lash.

Jun Yuyan did not stop it. He only wanted to find out why the jade pendant he had given to Ah Jiu had ended up in Murong Qian’s hands.

The guard was skillful and didn’t hit Murong Qian’s stomach. Since it wasn’t Prince’s child, there was no need to deal with it within Prince Mansion, believing Murong Qian herself wouldn’t tolerate this bastard child.

Murong Qian screamed twice, and yelled loudly, “Prince, the jade pendant is truly one I found, together with some burnt clothes. I only recognized your jade pendant! If there’s a single lie, may the heavens strike me with five thunders!”

Where in the world could such a coincidence happen?

“Even if you found the jade pendant, how do you know about the events of that night? Who was the woman that night, tell me!”

“I don’t know! I know nothing!”

Jun Yuyan’s eyes narrowed coldly, “Continue the beating!”

Lash after lash fell on Murong Qian’s body. Surprisingly, she clamped her teeth hard, proving herself to be tough, truly not uttering a word.

There was no need to beat someone to death in Prince Mansion. If Jun Yuyan did not know that Ah Jiu was the woman from that night, he might still use some special methods.

“Enough, throw her out of Prince Mansion, and from now on, she’s not allowed to step half a foot inside again.”

Jun Yuyan waved his hand, letting the guard handle the situation.

Murong Qian, her face pale with pain, was dragged out by the guards.

Jun Yuyan didn’t spare her an additional glance, his eyes only on the jade pendant in his hand.

Murong Qian deeply regretted her past actions. It was because of this jade pendant that she had harbored inappropriate thoughts. She believed everything was under her control, but she hadn’t realized that Prince Ling was not easily deceived.

A virgin, she had lost her chastity and was now pregnant, her whole life ruined by a single moment’s folly!

After Murong Qian was expelled, Jun Yuyan summoned Eunuch Shi and handed over the jade pendant:

“Go and have a cord braided for this jade pendant exactly like the old one, by the same person, it must be identical.”

Eunuch Shi hesitantly said, “Your Majesty, the cord for this jade pendant was previously made by a nanny from the Internal Affairs Office. I remember that this nanny has already been released from the palace for retirement.”

Jun Yuyan said, “Then send someone to find her.”

This jade pendant was not only a love token he had given to Ah Jiu, but had also been used to bind her hands during a passionate moment in bed.

Although he didn’t know why she had burned it, Jun Yuyan wanted to restore it to its original condition and present it to Ah Jiu once again.

…

Fu Baozhu and Nanny Fan had been waiting in the guest room for a long time and had not seen Murong Qian return.

“This old servant guesses that Miss Murong Qi will not be coming back.”

Nanny Fan said, squinting her eyes.

“Strange, what exactly happened? Nanny, it feels like someone is scratching at my heart. What did she want with the Prince?”

“Let’s first inquire at the Princess Consort’s place. If Murong Qian has indeed left the Prince Mansion, this old servant will send someone to the Marquis Mansion to ask.”

Fu Baozhu frowned, “You should limit your dealings with the Marquis Mansion, don’t let them catch anything they can use against you.”

Nanny Fan quickly replied, “This old servant understands.”

The two then went to Murong Jiu’s Qiyun Courtyard.

Murong Jiu hadn’t woken up from her afternoon nap, so the two only waited in the floral hall.

Zhen Zhu wanted to wake Murong Jiu directly, given Fu Baozhu’s prestigious status, but Chun Tao, protective of her mistress and knowing her increased need for sleep during pregnancy, and how lack of rest could exacerbate her morning sickness, did not allow Zhen Zhu to proceed.

After waiting nearly an hour, Fu Baozhu became impatient. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Murong Jiu, dressed and walking out slowly.

“Princess Consort Sister, are you feeling unwell? Why is your afternoon nap longer than our grandmother’s?”

Fu Baozhu suppressed the anger in her heart and feigned innocence with her question, implying that Murong Jiu was sleeping too much, making a distinguished guest wait so long.

Murong Jiu replied softly, “Indeed, I caught a bit of a cold, but since Miss Fu is a distinguished guest, I had to summon the energy to entertain.”

The reply was impeccable. Fu Baozhu clenched her fists, then suddenly laughed:

“It’s quite peculiar, Princess Consort Sister. Your seventh sister went to find the Prince with a jade pendant, and she hasn’t returned yet. Could she still be with the Prince? Isn’t it rather improper for an unmarried lady to act this way?”

Murong Jiu was shocked. Murong Qian had actually gone directly to Jun Yuyan?

She was too audacious.

And what was this jade pendant Fu Baozhu mentioned? She wasn’t aware of the full situation.

But speaking of the jade pendant, she inevitably recalled that night, her long nails had lacerated the man’s back until it was a bloody mess, causing him to hoarsely call her a wild cat, after which he had used a rope to bind her hands.

That wasn’t just any rope; it had clearly been the cord from a jade pendant. The pendant had rested in her palm, cool and silky against her skin, yet her body heat had warmed it intensely.