Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Princess Consort Vomits in Public Due to Pregnancy
 

Murong Jiu threw two arrows with one hand, demonstrating not only accurate aim but, more importantly, excellent control over the strength of her throw, otherwise the shot would have definitely veered off course.

Admiration filled General Fu’s eyes.

He realized Princess Consort Ling was an expert at pitching pot, and his own Treasure Bead had a long way to go, at least Treasure Bead wouldn’t use such finesse.

Even men in the military might not possess such precise control over their strength.

The father and sons immediately applauded, lavishing her with praise.

Fu Baozhu’s face grimaced as her fist tightened secretly inside her sleeve.

Fifth Princess also became anxious. She had thought that Murong Jiu’s previous hit was just good luck, how could she know that she possessed such skill?

And Murong Jiu showed no flashy movements, simply tossing two arrows at a time, and she managed to land them in a pot mouth twenty feet away, time after time.

Fu Baozhu and Fifth Princess grew more tense, only two arrows were left. If these also hit the target, then both the Eastern Pearl Necklace and the jade bracelet would be lost to Murong Jiu!

Don’t hit! Don’t hit!

The two of them screamed frantically in their hearts.

Ding dong!

Another crisp sound rang out as the two arrows simultaneously struck their mark!

“Good! Well thrown!”

General Fu once again clapped in praise, “Princess Consort’s skill makes even men feel ashamed!”

Murong Jiu smiled modestly, “I am far from comparing to the General and the young masters, it’s just a little accuracy that’s all.”

She glanced at Jun Yuyan subconsciously and even in his eyes, saw admiration, noticing the corners of his mouth slightly curved beneath his mask.

“Princess Consort truly did not disappoint this prince.”

She replied, “Prince, you brought out something as precious as the Jade Annuli, naturally, I could not let you lose.”

Jun Yuyan’s smile deepened as he turned to Fifth Princess, “Leyang, isn’t it about time you handed over your Eastern Pearl Necklace?”

Fifth Princess internally seethed with rage; how could she have known Murong Jiu possessed such skill, to have wagered her Eastern Pearl Necklace in vain. How could she resign herself to this loss!

In a coquettish tone, she said, “Eldest Imperial Brother, Father gave this necklace to me…”

“A bet’s a bet. Leyang, you wouldn’t want the world laughing at you, would you?”

She hadn’t finished speaking when Jun Yuyan interrupted her.

Hearing this, she had no choice but to comply, as the prospect of being known as unable to afford a loss was intolerable for a princess, in the eyes of the world.

She even began to resent Fu Baozhu, for not being able to beat a mere country bumpkin, causing her to lose the Eastern Pearl Necklace; what a waste!

With clear reluctance, she handed over the Eastern Pearl Necklace.

Murong Jiu did not reach out to take it, merely glancing at Chun Tao.

She didn’t want to touch things others had worn, no matter how rare or noble they were.

Chun Tao immediately went over joyously to receive it, and after looking at it a few times, stuffed it into her sleeve, causing Fifth Princess’s eyelids to twitch with irritation.

“You impudent maid, do you know how precious the Eastern Pearl Necklace is, to handle it so carelessly!”

Chun Tao replied, “You lost it, so how you dispose of it is none of your concern anymore, right?”

Chun Tao’s short life in her past life was due to her being too bold and protective of her mistress.

Knowing that Fifth Princess held animosity towards her own mistress, always mocking her overtly and covertly, Chun Tao wanted Fifth Princess to taste the same bitterness.

As expected, Fifth Princess was infuriated, her face flushed with rage, and if it weren’t for the presence of Fu Heng, whom she adored, she would have given the maid a severe beating then and there.

Right now, all she could do was grit her teeth and say, “Eldest Imperial Sister-in-law, your maid has no manners at all; bringing her out is truly an embarrassment. People say that the servant reflects the master, and it might be best for the Imperial Sister-in-Law to find a new personal maid sooner rather than later.”

Seeing this, Zhen Zhu, who was serving on the side, couldn’t help but feel delighted, hoping that the Prince would speak up and decide to sell Chun Tao off.

However, Murong Jiu spoke indifferently, “My maid is loyal and protective; there could be nothing better. She did not act rudely just now. Fifth Princess, if you can’t handle losing, I will return the necklace to you.”

Her people were pampered by her, and in this lifetime, she had the ability to protect Chun Tao, giving her the confidence to let Chun Tao be even more arrogant.

The Fifth Princess instinctively glanced towards Fu Heng, who was frowning, and immediately spoke loudly, “Who says the Princess can’t handle losing? It’s just a necklace, Father will reward me with Eastern Pearls in the future!”

“So it turns out I thought the Princess couldn’t handle losing. Since that’s the case, however I deal with my maid has nothing to do with the Princess, does it?”

The Fifth Princess was at a loss for words, unable to even force a smile.

She couldn’t comprehend where Murong Jiu got the courage to oppose her and embarrass her in front of Fu Heng.

Learning from the example of the Fifth Princess, and without waiting for someone else to speak, Fu Baozhu quickly removed her jade bracelet and handed it over to Nanny Fan to present it.

Chun Tao accepted it just the same and tucked it into her sleeve.

Fu Baozhu felt so heartbroken it was as if her heart was bleeding.

Although she knew it was very expensive, she also knew that her father and brothers could buy her another in the future, so this loss was not as severe as the Fifth Princess’s.

But losing to Murong Jiu was really humiliating for her.

Who could have imagined that Murong Jiu would hit all ten arrows?

If she hadn’t been shaky on the last shot, she certainly wouldn’t have let Murong Jiu win.

Fu Baozhu, even now, didn’t believe that Murong Jiu had that much strength; she was just a brash country woman—uncouth!

What bothered her was the reaction of the Prince; did the Prince know all along that Murong Jiu would win? She had thought the Jade Annuli was something the Prince had purposely meant to lose to her.

At that moment, General Fu said, “Baozhu, you should learn more from the Princess Consort; you still have a long way to go compared to her.”

Fu Baozhu felt unhappy inside, but obediently responded, “Father is right, I will certainly learn well from Princess Consort Sister.”

“That’s better. Now you understand that there are always others out there better than you. Someone can finally deal with you.”

General’s tone was very indulgent.

All of a sudden, Murong Jiu felt nauseous. She hadn’t rested at noon, and now she was starting to feel sick.

“Prince, my clothes are dirty; I will go back to change and then return,” Murong Jiu said.

Jun Yuyan, attentive as always, noticed her lips were slightly pale, likely feeling the urge to vomit due to pregnancy. He immediately stood up, “I will escort you back.”

Murong Jiu quickly said, “There’s no need for that; please stay and entertain the honored guests.”

Fu Jiang laughed and said, “Prince and Princess Consort have such a good relationship. No worries, go ahead; we are not such distinguished guests, we can entertain ourselves.”

Murong Jiu looked slightly embarrassed and was about to refuse again when a wave of nausea surged, causing her to uncontrollably start retching.

Jun Yuyan firmly grabbed her wrist to support her, while his other hand gently patted her back.

Chun Tao’s face turned pale with panic and confusion.

This was bad; the young lady was vomiting in public. What would the Prince think!

Zhen Zhu, among the servants, suddenly brightened up and pushed through the others to approach and said loudly and anxiously, “The Princess Consort is feeling very unwell! Quick, call the Mansion Physician!”

Chun Tao said, “No, no need to call the Mansion Physician! The Princess Consort just has a poor stomach lately, and she has already taken medicine for it!”

But Zhen Zhu knew that Murong Jiu was beginning to experience morning sickness; she wished that everyone knew Murong Jiu was pregnant, so Murong Jiu could be driven out of the Prince Mansion, allowing her to complete the task given by the Second Prince.

“Chun Tao, have you lost your mind? The Princess Consort is in such distress; of course we need to let the Mansion Physician take a look. What will you do if something happens to the Princess Consort?”