Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved-Chapter 29 - Princess Consort, I’ve Grown Up to Protect You

Chapter 29: Chapter 29 Princess Consort, I’ve Grown Up to Protect You

Manager Chai was truly a shrewd businessman.

When Murong Jiu mentioned hoarding grain, he was immediately able to weigh the pros and cons and pinpoint the issue.

“Manager Chai, I’ll let you in on a secret,” she said. “I know an eccentric who can read celestial patterns. He says this rain will last for a full half month before it stops. While it won’t cause floods, it will significantly reduce the harvest. This one hundred thousand taels will double by the end of the year.”

Manager Chai and Lou Zixi exchanged glances, wondering if Princess Consort Ling had been deceived.

Who could be so skilled as to predict that it would rain for the next half month?

Murong Jiu knew they probably didn’t believe her, but it didn’t matter. She couldn’t say she had been reborn; this excuse was more credible.

...

“This is just to warm you up, Manager Chai. The main event is yet to come.”

Her goal was far greater than this sum of silver. Getting Manager Chai to hoard grain was just a smokescreen to befuddle others.

One hundred thousand taels of silver, just to warm him up?

Manager Chai wouldn’t say he wasn’t surprised, as he couldn’t imagine there being a bigger deal to come.

“This one hundred thousand taels includes the money to buy the warehouse and shops. As for where to buy, I trust you have your own ideas,” she said.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll run off with your silver? Or give you fake accounts?” he asked.

“Trust those you use, and use those you trust. Since I’ve sought you out, it’s because I believe in both of your characters,” she replied.

Deep gratitude flashed across their eyes.

To them, Murong Jiu was sending charcoal in snowy weather, pulling them from the dark quagmire they were stuck in.

With such benevolence shown to them, they would surely repay it.

…

Before returning to the Prince Mansion, Murong Jiu reset Lou Zixi’s bone. This scholar, who seemed rather frail, bit down hard and didn’t utter a sound.

He could endure.

Indeed, he was the top strategist under Jun Haoze in his previous life.

On the way back to the mansion, Murong Jiu took Xiao Wen with her and personally selected some suitable clothes for her.

After returning, she had Chun Tao give her a bath.

Bai Aoshuang and Zhen Zhu, who fetched the water, wore looks of disgust. They couldn’t understand why the Princess Consort brought back such a dirty little beggar from the streets, hair tangled with knots, probably teeming with lice.

After fetching the water, the two quickly left.

Chun Tao tried to undress Xiao Wen, but Xiao Wen clung tightly to her clothes and refused to cooperate.

Chun Tao had no choice but to find Murong Jiu.

“Miss,” she said. “She won’t let this servant undress her; I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“I’ll go and bathe her,” Murong Jiu decided. She suspected Xiao Wen wasn’t used to it and was afraid of being touched.

After she went over, Xiao Wen let her guard down and said to her, “Princess Consort, my mother told me not to undress in front of strangers.”

Murong Jiu patted her head. “That’s right. You’re a girl, and you shouldn’t be seen naked by others. But Chun Tao and I will help you bathe. You can trust us.”

Xiao Wen hesitated for a moment, then obediently nodded. Without Murong Jiu’s help, she undressed herself.

When she did, Murong Jiu’s face changed dramatically.

Chun Tao too covered her mouth in surprise.

Not a girl? But how could there be…

Murong Jiu was taken aback because, as it turned out, Xiao Wen was actually a boy!

She took Xiao Wen into the water and asked him, “Do you know that you’re a boy?”

She was concerned Xiao Wen might not have a correct understanding of his own gender.

Xiao Wen nodded, “I know, but my mother told me not to tell anyone else.”

Murong Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that Xiao Wen knew, otherwise, it would have been difficult to change his perception.

She speculated that perhaps Lady Yu did this to save Xiao Wen’s life.

Xiao Wen’s father must be a man of high status and power, or perhaps a wealthy gentry in some place. These kinds of people often have many concubines vying for favor. As a boy, Xiao Wen might have been in someone’s way and could have easily become a target for assassination. It was much safer for him to be a girl.

“Do you still want to continue being a girl?”

“But my mother…”

Murong Jiu looked at him earnestly, “Your mother was just afraid that she couldn’t protect you. But now, it’s different. I have the ability to protect you, and you can go back to being yourself.”

Xiao Wen pursed his lips, thought it over seriously, and nodded, “Princess Consort, I want to be a boy. I want to become very powerful and protect the Princess Consort in the future.”

Hearing him say this, Murong Jiu’s heart melted. This little guy even wanted to protect her.

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Perhaps because he had lost his mother, the only person he could rely on now was her.

Poor little guy.

Murong Jiu gently bathed Xiao Wen and washed his hair. He wasn’t too dirty, perhaps Lady Yu had washed him when she was healthy. His face might have been deliberately dirtied by Lady Yu as well.

He was very cute but far too thin. The skin exposed outside was deeply tanned, while the skin covered up was pale and tender. Yet, he was malnourished and scarcely had any flesh on him.

She asked Chun Tao to prepare some easy-to-digest food.

“Xiao Wen, do you have any other relatives in the Capital City?”

Xiao Wen nodded, then shook his head, “I have an aunt, my mother’s sister. My mother and I went to see her, but she drove us away. My mother said that from then on, we had no relatives.”

Murong Jiu frowned deeply.

If she was really her sister, how could she abandon her in such circumstances?

Lady Yu’s health hadn’t deteriorated overnight. If she had been properly taken care of earlier, she wouldn’t have died in a foreign place like a lamp running out of oil.

Murong Jiu gently tapped Xiao Wen’s nose and told him, “It’s okay, from now on, I am your family.”

Xiao Wen nodded earnestly.

After eating, Murong Jiu soothed Xiao Wen to sleep.

After his bath, he remembered his mother and cried bitterly. He didn’t eat much, but he was good, not insisting on looking for his mother. He knew his mother had left him forever.

Murong Jiu asked Chun Tao to take good care of Xiao Wen, worrying that he might have nightmares. She then changed her clothes to meet with Jun Yuyan.

Bringing a child back to the Prince Mansion, she needed to inform Jun Yuyan personally as a basic token of respect.

However, what she didn’t know was that Hidden Guard Zhou Chen had already told Jun Yuyan everything that happened today.

Zhou Chen was merely tasked with secretly protecting Murong Jiu, which was several times more dangerous outside the mansion than inside. He had not expected her to go to the refugee area, let alone win over people’s hearts, one of whom was the former Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch, Chang Chonghai.

The man whom both the Prince and the Second Prince were looking for without success.

Who would have thought that the once proud and high-spirited Alliance Leader Chang would grow a full beard and sit among beggars like a drunken wanderer?

Even if his enemies saw him, they wouldn’t recognize him.

Zhou Chen was full of curiosity, but he couldn’t ask the Princess Consort about it.

“My lord, the Princess Consort has arrived,” another Hidden Guard came in to report.

Jun Yuyan waved his hand, and two Hidden Guards silently leaped out the window.

Before Murong Jiu entered, he put on the mask that lay on the desk.

“Prince,” she greeted.

Jun Yuyan knew why she had come but feigned ignorance as she approached, “Is there something you need?”

“I have brought a five-year-old child back from outside and wanted to inform the Prince. If the Prince is unhappy about it, I will send the child away.”