Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 100

When Yan Qi and Yan Qinglan stepped over the threshold into the grand hall, the Consort Feng, who followed behind them, had a glint of schadenfreude in her eyes.

It was she who had arranged for Wen Zhuojin to be brought to this hall.

From the moment Wen Zhuojin was chosen by Dowager Consort Li to the time she was summoned by Yan Qi and rewarded with a plethora of gifts, Consort Feng had been aware of it all. She instinctively felt that Yan Qi had a soft spot for Wen Zhuojin, so when Wen Zhuojin entered the palace and she learned that Yan Qi was coming to pay his respects, she had someone deliberately lead Wen Zhuojin to this hall.

No matter how much Yan Qi favored this Wen Zhuojin, he wouldn’t be pleased to see her appearing uninvited before his mother’s memorial tablet.

There had even been a concubine who was framed and sent to the cold palace for such a reason.

Consort Feng suppressed the urge to smirk as she walked inside, but after a few steps, she sensed something was amiss. She didn’t hear any unusual sounds, and when she looked around, she didn’t see Wen Zhuojin.

How could this be?!

The eunuch she had sent was quite clever, how could he not have brought the person here, or had they arrived a step too late?

While Consort Feng was puzzled, the incense for the worship ceremony had already been lit in the grand hall.

The cold, vast, and solemnly decorated hall was exquisitely arranged. Yan Qinglan looked up at the portrait of her mother, and her mother’s voice and smile automatically appeared in her mind.

She wondered how sad her mother would be if she were watching from heaven and saw the relationship between her and Yan Qi.

This thought flashed by, and Yan Qinglan lowered her eyes, no longer looking.

The incense sticks were lit and placed in Yan Qinglan’s hands. Guided by Yan Qi’s voice, Yan Qinglan inserted the incense into the burner.

Consort Feng also offered incense and knelt on the prayer mat with Yan Qi and the others.

Until everyone left the hall, the person Consort Feng was waiting for never appeared.

This almost made Consort Feng grind her teeth in frustration.

At this moment, the person Consort Feng was thinking of was walking towards the palace gate.

Wen Zhuojin had just been staring wide-eyed as Yan Qinglan and Yan Qi entered the hall. Her eyes were red from staring too hard and too intently, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Were these two unrelated people actually one and the same?!

Wen Zhuojin’s head felt as if it had been struck by something, both dull and painful.

Quickly, a thought rose rapidly in her mind: this was impossible!

Her beautiful sister was so delicate and pure, she couldn’t possibly be the same person as the decisive and scheming Princess!

They just looked alike!

Her beautiful sister’s original name was Liu Suniang, the wife of a Hanlin scholar.

She must be lying obediently in the house on Wu Jiu Lane, breathing lightly, startling at the slightest noise, her eyes opening with a layer of mist, like a cat, soft and pitiful.

Yes, they just looked similar!

It’s normal for people to look alike!

It’s also normal for their scents to be somewhat similar… right?

By the way, during the Lantern Festival, the emperor and the princess released Kongming lanterns with the officials on the Phoenix Terrace, as bright as day!

She had even caught a glimpse from afar.

At that time, her beautiful sister couldn’t even walk, and she had mentioned this to her when she returned!

Thinking this, Wen Zhuojin’s heart beat a bit more steadily, suppressing some thoughts she didn’t want to dwell on.

The earlier scare made her want to quickly see her beautiful sister, to hold her and calm her nerves.

She didn’t want to see the emperor anymore, so Wen Zhuojin turned and left.

Wen Zhuojin wanted to quickly leave the palace and go to the house on Wu Jiu Lane to check.

However, without a guide in the palace, it was indeed difficult to navigate. Even though Wen Zhuojin was sensitive to smells and could avoid patrolling soldiers or passing maids and eunuchs, not knowing the way easily led to detours.

After walking for a while, Wen Zhuojin found a maid, slipped her some silver, and asked her to lead the way out, hoping to leave the palace quickly.

When she reached the waiting area, Wen Zhuojin naturally didn’t wait any longer and directly left the palace.

Inside the palace, she had to restrain her speed, but once outside, Wen Zhuojin urged the coachman to hurry to Wu Jiu Lane as fast as possible.

The coachman was quite fast, but they got stuck in traffic for a while, causing a delay.

When they arrived at the house, Wen Zhuojin almost ran into the courtyard and then to the inner room.

Pulling back the curtain, Wen Zhuojin saw that the bed was empty.

Her heart, which had just calmed down, leapt into her throat again, feeling a chill rising from the soles of her feet!

How could she not be here?!

Had she been taken away like last time?

Or…

Wen Zhuojin didn’t dare to continue thinking. She went to the bed, lifted the blanket, and felt every corner.

No one!

“Ah Zhuo, you’re back so early today, are you not busy anymore?” Just as cold sweat broke out on Wen Zhuojin’s forehead, she heard a familiar voice.

Wen Zhuojin looked up and saw Yan Qinglan, wearing a lotus-colored ruqun, made of the finest cloud brocade she had bought from a royal merchant, her hair loosely tied in a falling horse bun, her usual attire when not going out, looking soft and delicate.

Wen Zhuojin reached out and hugged her, her heart still racing, burying her face in Yan Qinglan’s neck and panting.

“Ah Zhuo, what’s wrong?” Yan Qinglan asked softly, gently patting Wen Zhuojin’s back.

Half an hour ago, Yan Qinglan was still in the palace. After paying her respects to her mother, she listened to Yan Qi reminiscing about the past, responded a few times, and then Yan Qi got to the point.

“Jiang Xiao said she wants to see you, do you want to see her?”

“I know she hurt your feelings, and you don’t want to see her, but Tian Xuan Palace has amassed a lot of silver, most of which Jiang Xiao has hidden. I hope you can help me find out where the silver is. I beg you, for the sake of the people of Northern Jin and…”

Yan Qinglan listened to Yan Qi’s plea, remained silent for a while, and then agreed.

Yan Qinglan had also wanted to see Jiang Xiao, so she went along with Yan Qi’s arrangement.

After Yan Qi left, Yan Qinglan wanted to take advantage of the fact that Yan Qi was asking for her help and no longer restricting her movements, to do something while she could move freely in the palace. But then Yan Zisang sent a message saying that Wen Zhuojin had entered the palace and then left, telling the coachman to return to Wu Jiu Lane.

The coachman Wen Zhuojin used was also an embroidered envoy, and when he returned to his residence, he would send a message to the embroidered envoys.

Yan Qinglan couldn’t stay in the palace for long and hurried back.

Just as she had changed into a set of clothes in the washroom, burned incense to remove the scent she had picked up, and was fixing her hair, Yan Qinglan heard Wen Zhuojin’s footsteps.

Coming out and seeing Wen Zhuojin’s troubled expression, Yan Qinglan was indeed a bit worried.

Wen Zhuojin hugged Yan Qinglan, and after smelling the familiar scent, her panicked and racing heart calmed down a bit.

She must have been crazy to think that the two people were the same.

How could that be!

The Princess was so powerful, how could she be imprisoned by Jiang Xiao, shackled, poisoned by incense, and so pitiful.

How could the Princess let her bully her?

Her beautiful sister just happened to look like the Princess and was imprisoned by that old scoundrel Jiang Xiao.

Jiang Xiao couldn’t do anything to the Princess, so she found someone who looked similar to torment!

It must be so!

Wen Zhuojin felt that she had figured it out and was much more at ease.

A cool hand touched her forehead, and Wen Zhuojin finally came to her senses.

“Ah Zhuo, are you feeling unwell? Or did something happen?” Yan Qinglan’s soft, naturally charming voice came through, and Wen Zhuojin looked up at her.

This face once again overlapped with that of the cold and stern Princess, and Wen Zhuojin’s newly settled thoughts wavered slightly.

They were too alike, not just similar, but identical in features.

Only their expressions were different.

Wen Zhuojin hugged Yan Qinglan again, burying her face in Yan Qinglan’s neck.

No!

She couldn’t let herself be afraid to look at her beautiful sister or let her thoughts run wild just because she looked like that detestable Princess!

It was already pitiful enough that her beautiful sister looked like the Princess.

“Sister, I’m not feeling well…” Wen Zhuojin said in a low voice.

“Where do you feel unwell?” Yan Qinglan asked.

“My heart feels uncomfortable… I’m afraid the emperor might suddenly want me to enter the palace as a concubine again… Sister, kiss me.” Wen Zhuojin whispered, with a hint of coquetry.

As if Yan Qinglan’s active kiss would help her overthrow the already overthrown conjecture.

Hearing Wen Zhuojin’s words, Yan Qinglan thought of what Yan Qi had said today and leaned in to kiss Wen Zhuojin, wanting to comfort her.

The familiar soft scent, with a slight coolness, made Wen Zhuojin feel more at ease.

Wen Zhuojin pressed Yan Qinglan down onto the bed, and soon Yan Qinglan was gasping for breath, her clothes in disarray.

Wen Zhuojin focused on Yan Qinglan’s tender and sensitive spots, eliciting soft moans from the person in her arms.

If they hadn’t bathed, Wen Zhuojin would have…

“Ah Zhuo…” Yan Qinglan, moved by Wen Zhuojin’s actions, had teardrops clinging to her eyelashes and called out to Wen Zhuojin in a soft voice.

Wen Zhuojin only felt that she was too wicked, and her beautiful sister was too pitiful.

Without using her hands, Wen Zhuojin kissed downward.

“Don’t…” Yan Qinglan knew what Wen Zhuojin was about to do and felt very embarrassed, but after just one word, her voice turned into a soft moan.

After a long while, Wen Zhuojin’s lips parted.

Yan Qinglan had used a new pill she and the female doctor Mo had developed, with a floral scent and a slight sweetness, different from the last time.

Wen Zhuojin got up and saw Yan Qinglan with teary eyes, looking helpless, her slender white hand reaching out to her, so she took it and kissed her gently to comfort her.

“Sister, I’m sorry, my emotions were a bit off today, and I bullied you again… You can bite me, anywhere.” Wen Zhuojin said in a low voice.

“Ah Zhuo, don’t be afraid, everything will pass.” Yan Qinglan said softly, reaching out to hug Wen Zhuojin’s neck.

Wen Zhuojin’s eyes were slightly red.

Look, this was her beautiful sister, unique, gentle, and tolerant, soft and never angry with her, still comforting her.

How could she have doubted that her beautiful sister and the Princess were the same person?

“Are you feeling better?” After a while, Yan Qinglan looked at Wen Zhuojin and asked.

“I’m fine now. With you here, I’m not afraid of anything. I made you worry earlier. Sister, you’re so good, wuwuwu…” Wen Zhuojin said.

“…” Yan Qinglan was a bit helpless. This little rascal, did that count as decompressing?

“It’s broad daylight, don’t be so clingy. Have you had lunch?” Yan Qinglan patted Wen Zhuojin, who was still holding her, and said.

“Not yet, Have lunch with me.” Wen Zhuojin said, only then feeling a bit hungry.

Wen Zhuojin dressed Yan Qinglan, had the maid bring in the meal, and ate with Yan Qinglan.

There were still some matters at the incense medicine shop, checking on the conditions of a few people who were detoxifying from incense, collecting silver from newcomers for custom incense recipes, all of which required Wen Zhuojin’s personal attention.

Wen Zhuojin talked with Yan Qinglan for a while and then went out to attend to business.

Seeing Wen Zhuojin leave in high spirits, Yan Qinglan also felt relieved.

The deployment in Yun Jing City was almost complete. Yan Qinglan thought carefully again, checking for any gaps that needed to be filled.

Yan Qi and Jiang Xiao had agreed to meet at Tian Xuan Palace early the next morning, so Yan Qinglan would have to go out again tomorrow.

Tian Xuan Palace was quite far, and Yan Qinglan didn’t want a repeat of today’s situation. She thought of a way to deal with it; as long as Wen Zhuojin was busy and couldn’t return, she wouldn’t find out.

As for whether Wen Zhuojin could accept her identity, Yan Qinglan was still uncertain.

The more she interacted with Wen Zhuojin, the more reluctant she became.

Reluctant to part with Wen Zhuojin, afraid that Wen Zhuojin’s feelings for her would change.

After the major events were settled, she would tell Wen Zhuojin.

Even if Wen Zhuojin didn’t accept it, she would have the time and ability to slowly make her accept.

On the other hand, at the same time, Wen Zhuojin went out to the incense medicine shop and busied herself for a while. While making incense, a servant came to find Wen Zhuojin and handed her a letter.

After dismissing the servant, Wen Zhuojin opened the letter.

It was a letter from Wu Yuanheng.

The beginning asked about her current situation and if it would be convenient to meet and talk.

After Wen Zhuojin left the palace, the outside world didn’t know what had happened. She needed to clarify things with Wu Yuanheng.

Now that Jiang Xiao was about to be captured, Wen Zhuojin wouldn’t run away, so it wouldn’t involve Wu Yuanheng. There was no need to be cautious; they could meet and talk.

As Wen Zhuojin thought about finding time to meet Wu Yuanheng, she felt something thick in the letter, which turned out to be a folded piece of drawing paper.

Wen Zhuojin was puzzled and opened it to look.

The drawing depicted a young woman with her hair styled in a married woman’s bun, narrow eyes, and a round face, looking gentle and virtuous.

Wen Zhuojin paused, not quite understanding Wu Yuanheng’s meaning, and continued reading what he had written.

“Attached is a portrait of Madam Liu Suniang, painted by Hanlin Scholar Chu. Please take a look and see if you have ever met this person.”

Reading Wu Yuanheng’s words, Wen Zhuojin’s eyes widened.

This was Liu Suniang?!!