Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 339: Does This Count as a Desperate Attempt?

Chapter 339: Chapter 339: Does This Count as a Desperate Attempt?

"...because you are by my side."

Jun Yuyan’s heart throbbed longingly because of Ah Jiu’s words.

His heart seemed to beat for her, swayed by her emotions.

He had thought about how difficult it would be between him and Ah Jiu if she couldn’t remember anything, forgetting their love for each other.

He clearly remembered the entanglement between her and the Second Prince before she entered Prince Mansion as a substitute bride. He had been afraid, of course, that Ah Jiu would not want him and their child and would insist on finding the Second Prince.

All the past turned to naught.

Although he was confident that he could make Ah Jiu fall in love with him again, he also worried that she would not give him the chance.

Thankfully, thankfully, Ah Jiu could see him.

Jun Yuyan hugged Murong Jiu, who was leaning on him, tightly, wishing they could be inseparable.

Murong Jiu could hear the strong, steady beating of his heart, which made her feel familiar and at peace.

Since waking up with amnesia, she had never felt as calm and at ease as she did now.

So what if she had lost her memory?

She was still herself, merely not remembering past events, but that did not mean they had never happened. Deep down in her heart, she still remembered the intimacy of their physical contact.

The sky outside gradually brightened to dawn.

Jun Yuyan carefully left a kiss on Murong Jiu’s forehead.

Murong Jiu blushed and lowered her head, then quickly looked up again to meet his gaze, the affection in his eyes bringing her joy.

Both of them couldn’t help but smile.

Gradually, the sounds of people on the road grew louder, the dawn sky was splendid as fire, and Murong Jiu lifted the carriage curtain to see many peddlers carrying goods, people hoisting vegetable baskets, peasants driving ox carts, and the rising sun in the east symbolized rebirth.

On either side of the carriage were General Fu and his sons on horseback, who, upon seeing the smile on Murong Jiu’s face, felt their spirits lift and smiled as well.

General Fu was someone who felt invigorated at happy events. His sickness had significantly improved after seeing Fu Heng, and a few days later, he was already brimming with energy.

There were also villagers who knew them and greeted them with smiles.

"Princess Consort Ling! It’s Princess Consort Ling!"

On an ox cart, a five or six-year-old child excitedly pointed at Murong Jiu, only to be hurriedly restrained by his parents, who told him it was impolite to point.

All the children on the other ox carts and donkey carts sat up and looked at Murong Jiu excitedly.

Jun Yuyan put on a mask and leaned next to her to look outside the window, saying to her:

"Before the accident happened, you had a school established in Capital City, hired many scholars, and provided a scholarly honorarium for children to receive foundational education. Many children whose families couldn’t afford schooling were brought into the city by their parents before dawn."

Murong Jiu opened her mouth in surprise.

"Me?"

She knew how important it was for children to receive a fundamental education. The difference between those who had learned and those who had not was vast.

Her master had taken her all over the place in her early years, and she had seen too many people languishing in ignorance. Their common trait was that they had never received fundamental education, couldn’t read, and were unable to gain knowledge from books or understand more. All their knowledge was confined to their small plot of land.

It wasn’t that educated people could never be ignorant, but at least, after learning to read, their horizons could be broadened.

She felt this was a significant accomplishment and had no idea it was her initiative.

"Prince must have helped a lot too, right?"

Starting a school was no easy task. Without the Prince, she definitely couldn’t have managed it.

Jun Yuyan smiled and said, "We are husband and wife, there’s no distinction between you and me."

Murong Jiu’s cheeks turned pink, and she quickly looked outside again. From these adorable children, she saw the hope for the future.

Just like the rising sun, filled with endless possibilities.

"What else did I do, Prince, can you tell me?"

"Of course."

Accompanied by Jun Yuyan’s soothing voice, the carriage continued on its way.

Only when they entered the city gate did his voice stop.

Entering the city required verifying identities. After the guard showed the badge of Prince Ling’s Mansion, all that was needed was a quick glance at the passengers through the lifted carriage curtain—sometimes not even that.

However, today the city gate guard said, "Your Highness Prince Ling, two highly skilled bandits have appeared in the surrounding area. His Royal Highness Prince Rui has ordered us to inspect carefully to ensure that no suspects slip into the city. Please forgive the inconvenience, Your Highness."

Murong Jiu already knew that Prince Rui was the Third Prince, the son in her dreams, and also the Emperor’s most beloved child, born to Consort Jing. But he had been eliminated by the Second Prince early on.

Jun Yuyan whispered, "No one in Capital City knows about your disappearance. I took leave from my father, saying that I would take you, your father-in-law, and others out of the city to find Fu Heng. Taking advantage of my absence from the Capital, my father granted the Third Prince some authority."

Murong Jiu understood.

She whispered in his ear, "So it’s the Third Prince who wants to harm us?"

Jun Yuyan’s ear tickled, finding her breathy voice rather adorable.

"He wouldn’t dare be so brazen. It must be the Fourth Prince who released the information about the bandits early. Don’t be afraid, I will protect you."

Murong Jiu, recalling the last frustrated expression of the Fourth Prince, couldn’t help but sneer, "Isn’t this a case of a cornered dog jumping over a wall?"

Jun Yuyan nodded with a smile.

He called out loudly to those outside, "This Prince will certainly comply."

With that, he lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down first, then carried Murong Jiu down.

General Fu and others had also dismounted.

The rest disembarked from the carriage as well, including Fu Heng, who had awakened and was helped forward by Fu Sheng and Fu Han. His complexion looked fine, which made Murong Jiu breathe a sigh of relief, but she noticed that Ya Fu was missing.

However, she didn’t ask about it, for she trusted that Jun Yuyan and the others had certainly arranged everything.

Several guards inspected the interior of the carriage.

Suddenly, two guards raised their hands, and a barrage of sleeve arrows shot toward Murong Jiu in quick succession—over a dozen of them. Jun Yuyan, well-prepared, raised his sword skillfully to deflect the arrows securely.

The Hidden Guard immediately slew the two attackers.

Yet at that moment, two lethal arrows flew in from the city wall, aiming straight for Murong Jiu’s throat.

Jun Yuyan raised his hand to block them, stopping only one arrow. The assailant, obviously intent on killing Murong Jiu, had multiple plans ready.

However, another arrow was sliced in two by a large saber.

Murong Jiu saw that it was a tall and burly middle-aged man. Beside her, Jun Yuyan’s expression was not surprised.

It was clear that this man had been waiting at the city gate for a while.

Jun Yuyan was not going to let himself fall into danger again.

The assassins on the city wall were also shot down.

The sudden turn of events had everyone present in a panic, but Jun Yuyan and General Fu quickly calmed them and sent for the Yamen officials to come and investigate the incident thoroughly.

On the way back to the mansion, no further incidents occurred.

Upon entering the mansion, Murong Jiu was almost knocked down by Chun Tao.

The girl’s eyes, swollen like walnuts from crying, were a comical sight, laughing and crying at the same time.

"This servant has failed to take care of the Princess Consort! Please punish me, Princess Consort!"

Another unfamiliar maidservant knelt down and said.

Murong Jiu quickly helped both of them up.

"I, too, have been negligent! Please punish me, Princess Consort!"

The speaker was the tall and burly middle-aged man from before. Murong Jiu remembered his face from the dream; he served under the Second Prince, but was also a man of misfortune.

Jun Yuyan said, "We can talk about it later; this is not the place for discussions."

They arrived at Qiyun Courtyard, where Jun Yuyan told them, "The Princess Consort has lost her memory and does not remember anything that happened inside the Prince Mansion. All of you are trusted by the Princess Consort, and this must be clear in your minds."

Surprise filled their faces, and Chun Tao cried even harder.

Murong Jiu, with a smile, said, "Memory loss is a trivial matter. Isn’t it enough that I am standing here alive in front of you? Alright, no more worries, and Chun Tao, stop crying. I really want to see Zhijin and Zhiyu; please take me to them."

The fate of the two children in her dreams had been too tragic; right now, she wanted nothing more than to see her children!