Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 101

“This is indeed a portrait of my wife. I have no reason to deceive you. Your aunt has met her, as have many ladies in the inner chambers of Yunjing City. My wife and I shared a deep bond. Since my exile, every time I think of her, I feel as though my heart is being torn apart. I hope Miss Wen can help me find her. I would be eternally grateful.” said the man, who appeared somewhat haggard, as he bowed to Wen Zhuojin.

“I don’t recall her, but I’ll ask around.” Wen Zhuojin replied after a long pause, her face pale and her lips colorless.

Unable to sit still after receiving the letter from Wu Yuanheng, Wen Zhuojin hurried to meet him and asked him to summon the Hanlin scholar, Chu, for a confrontation.

Previously, when she learned that the beautiful sister was a virgin, Wen Zhuojin had suspected that she might not be Liu Suniang. However, the beautiful sister had never denied being Liu Suniang, and when she asked for the deed of sale, the one given to her was indeed Liu Suniang’s. Wen Zhuojin had seen it and said nothing.

Wen Zhuojin had leaned toward believing her beautiful sister, silently assuming that this Hanlin scholar, Chu, might be lacking in some way.

Now, the man she had mentally cursed for months stood before her, his anxious and worried demeanor seeming genuine, and his words easy to verify.

“Ah Zhuo, what’s wrong? You look unwell. Are you sick?” Wu Yuanheng’s voice came through.

“Nothing.” Wen Zhuojin waved her hand and left.

Wen Zhuojin still had many doubts. Although Jiangxiao had fallen, making it less troublesome to inquire about Liu Suniang, most of the people ransomed during the Qingliu case had been sent away, making it difficult to gather information.

After some thought, Wen Zhuojin went to a shop near the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, changed into men’s clothing, and quietly slipped out through the back door to visit the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

The air was filled with a mix of scents, and Wen Zhuojin couldn’t distinguish the one she had encountered before. She booked a private room and paid a servant to summon Luan Niang.

Soon, Luan Niang entered the room. Seeing the elegantly dressed, slender figure with half her face covered, Luan Niang smiled before speaking.

Before Luan Niang could utter a word, Wen Zhuojin stepped forward and pressed a dagger to her neck.

“Be honest. Answer whatever I ask!” Wen Zhuojin said, her voice harsh and laced with anger.

“Young master, just ask. No need for the knife…” Luan Niang was startled by the cold blade against her neck.

“Enough! Do you remember Liu Suniang?” Wen Zhuojin demanded.

“Ah, so it’s about her… Young master, don’t be angry. Of course, I remember her. Didn’t you ransom her?” Luan Niang replied.

“You know what I’m asking. That woman wasn’t the Hanlin scholar’s wife! What’s going on? If you don’t explain clearly, don’t blame me for being harsh!” Wen Zhuojin pressed the dagger closer, drawing a small cut on Luan Niang’s neck.

“Ah! Young master, please, I’ll talk. During the first month, the Jiaofangsi sent many people here. Among them was indeed the Hanlin scholar’s wife. She was quite beautiful but had a fierce temper. She escaped in the middle of the night. When we went out to search for her, we couldn’t find her. Instead, we found the woman you ransomed. Her looks were truly…”

Wen Zhuojin tightened her grip on the dagger.

This seemed to make sense.

Her beautiful sister had escaped from Jiangxiao and was picked up by the Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Seeing her as a vulnerable woman, they used Liu Suniang’s identity tag, regardless of whether she was from a respectable family.

Furious, Wen Zhuojin knocked Luan Niang unconscious and quickly left the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, heading to the nearest shop through an alley.

She briefly wrote down Liu Suniang’s information and sent a message to Wu Yuanheng before changing her clothes.

After changing, Wen Zhuojin stood in the room for a while, her expression dazed.

During the first month, the weather was bitterly cold. Her beautiful sister, blind and hunted, must have suffered greatly, feeling so helpless…

Even now, her beautiful sister didn’t trust her enough to reveal her true identity and name. Or was it that this identity and name couldn’t be disclosed?

If she were just a stand-in found by Jiangxiao, why couldn’t she say so?

After yesterday’s events, Wen Zhuojin had warned herself not to doubt her beautiful sister, but…

Wen Zhuojin rubbed her face vigorously, suddenly realizing there was someone else she could ask for confirmation.

After leaving, Wen Zhuojin hurried to Lanyuan to find Xuan Zhen.

“Did you follow my instructions and have someone look into it?” Xuan Zhen asked anxiously as soon as he saw Wen Zhuojin.

“Yes, I did, but I haven’t received any concrete information yet. Don’t worry. There’s something I need to ask you. Did you ever find the person you were looking for back then?” Wen Zhuojin responded, brushing off Xuan Zhen’s urgency.

“Ugh, don’t even mention it. Our master’s current predicament is all because of that woman! The master still has feelings for her and couldn’t bring herself to be ruthless, otherwise, things wouldn’t have come to this. If it were me…” Xuan Zhen’s expression darkened, his tone filled with bitterness.

Wen Zhuojin felt her heart tighten.

“That woman… is she the Princess?” Wen Zhuojin asked slowly.

“…Ah Zhuo, you guessed it. There’s no harm in telling you now. Yes, it’s that venomous woman! The master has served by her side since childhood, even sacrificing a leg to protect her. Yet, she showed no gratitude and wanted the master dead.” Xuan Zhen said angrily, seeing no need to hide the truth anymore.

“…” Wen Zhuojin felt as though the breath had been knocked out of her.

Her beautiful sister had personally admitted that she was the one Xuan Zhen and the others were looking for!

Mobilizing so many imperial guards, searching for so long, just for a stand-in? Was that possible?

“Wasn’t the Princess always in the palace? Why did you need to search everywhere for her?” Wen Zhuojin asked, still in disbelief.

“The master searched everywhere and found someone who looked exactly like the Princess. But that person was spineless, timid, and weak. Though they looked alike, they had none of her abilities. The master arranged for that person to enter the palace, while the real Princess stayed in Tianxuan Palace. Who knew the real one would escape! I have no idea how that woman managed to turn the tables. The master controlled the finances, yet she still managed to get money and rally people, even maintaining her own loyal guards! Perhaps the person who helped her escape was also incredibly powerful and resourceful.” Xuan Zhen explained.

“…” Wen Zhuojin was at a loss for words. There really were two people who looked exactly alike!

At this point, Xuan Zhen had no reason to lie to her.

But hearing is one thing; seeing is believing.

Why should she trust these unrelated people? Was their information absolutely accurate?

Perhaps the Princess was an excellent actress, and the one who escaped was a fake, arranged by her, while the one in the palace was the real Princess?!

The time she saw her in the palace, those eyes, that demeanor…

Completely different.

Her delicate, helpless beautiful sister couldn’t possibly be that Princess!

But nothing is absolute. What if she was?

Seeing is believing, but what if what she saw was an act?

A scheming, cunning Princess, playing the role of a helpless, delicate woman in front of her?!

Her return to Yunjing City wasn’t to share life and death with her, but to deal with Jiangxiao?!

All the bad things she had said about the Princess in her ear, and the Princess had endured it all.

Only to wait until she regained power in the palace to settle the score later!

Wen Zhuojin shivered involuntarily.

As for why the Princess would stay by her side, allowing herself to be “bullied.” perhaps it was because she had value—able to treat the incense poison and provide money…

The Princess endured humiliation, bending but not breaking!

Now that Jiangxiao had fallen, and the Princess was close to regaining power, her own death was likely near.

Wen Zhuojin felt her scalp tingle, her head about to explode.

“Surely you’re not that shocked? Calm down. To save the master, we need to take some risks. You’re not scared, are you?” Xuan Zhen patted Wen Zhuojin, noticing her expression.

“…Yes, I’m a little scared.” Wen Zhuojin muttered.

How could she not be?!

Her life was at stake.

“The Princess isn’t all that formidable. She’s been using divine incense for so long that she can’t live without it. If you burn divine incense in front of her, she’ll enter a trance-like state.” Xuan Zhen said.

“…” Wen Zhuojin was speechless. This was what Xuan Zhen considered the Princess’s weakness? She had already nearly cured her of the incense poison!

“Those gold pieces are valuable. Both the Northern Qiang and Southern Chu covet them. Before being besieged, the master spread the word. I don’t know if those people will come to rescue the master for the gold or if they’ll only act after obtaining it. Ah Zhuo, you need to hurry. If we delay any longer, I fear something will happen to the master. The emperor’s Black Armor Army hasn’t stormed in yet, choosing to besiege instead, because the master has stored a lot of gunpowder for alchemy and a large amount of divine incense in Tianxuan Palace. If the emperor forces an attack, and those things are ignited, it will be uncontrollable. Your wife will also be in danger.” Xuan Zhen added.

Wen Zhuojin had little interest in rescuing Jiangxiao and only offered a few perfunctory words before leaving.

When she got back into the carriage, Wen Zhuojin’s face was ashen, her back cold with sweat.

“Miss, shall we return home or go to the shop?” the coachman’s voice came through.

Wen Zhuojin took a moment to calm down, then pulled open the carriage curtain to look at the coachman, breaking out in another cold sweat.

If her beautiful sister was indeed the Princess, she wouldn’t stay alone at their residence. She would go out to handle affairs.

After the incident with Qing Chenning, she hadn’t gone out again.

If everyone around her was the Princess’s people, she could easily track her movements!

The situation yesterday, being delayed on the road—was that deliberate?

Xuan Zhen mentioned the Princess’s Embroidered Uniform Guards, which Wen Zhuojin had heard of—elite soldiers selected from the best, essentially the Princess’s personal guard.

The people Qing Chenning brought that day, who cut through the imperial guards like slicing melons—were they the Embroidered Uniform Guards?

Otherwise, who could so easily handle imperial guards?

As this thought crossed her mind, Wen Zhuojin carefully sniffed the air around her.

There was a faint smell of bl00d and iron, familiar scents, coming from several directions.

“To the pastry shop!” Wen Zhuojin instructed the coachman, who promptly drove off.

The scents followed.

She had always assumed they were just people from the market.

Now, it seemed…

Wen Zhuojin felt as though she were already halfway into her coffin.

By the time they reached Wujiu Alley, Wen Zhuojin’s spirit seemed completely drained.

It was all speculation, with no concrete evidence. Why was she overthinking this?!

How could she doubt her beautiful sister’s sincerity?!

Ah, her life was on the line, and she was still deceiving herself?

Wen Zhuojin’s mind was a chaotic whirl of thoughts until the carriage came to a stop.

“Ah Zhuo, why do you look so listless?” A soft, sweet voice reached her ears, and Wen Zhuojin felt cool fingers touching her face and forehead.

“Did something happen while you were out?” Yan Qinglan cupped Wen Zhuojin’s face, asking.

Wen Zhuojin’s eyes focused on Yan Qinglan’s face, her pupils dilating slightly.

The woman before her, with dewy eyes reflecting only Wen Zhuojin’s face, had a flower hairpin adorning her beautiful brows, making her more enchanting than the flower itself.

So fragrant, so beautiful!

“Do you need a kiss to speak?” Yan Qinglan teased, leaning in to kiss Wen Zhuojin’s lips. As she pulled away, Wen Zhuojin pressed forward, kissing her deeply.

Without much conversation, they had a light dinner, and Wen Zhuojin kissed Yan Qinglan again.

Wen Zhuojin took Yan Qinglan to the washroom, where she teased her in the bathtub, then pinned her down on the bed for another round.

After a long while, Yan Qinglan’s skin had turned a deeper shade in several places, becoming even more alluring.

Her form had also grown slightly larger.

Her alabaster skin was marked with bite marks from Wen Zhuojin, including a few on her neck.

Yan Qinglan slowly came out of her daze, her body feeling an unprecedented soreness.

Looking up at the person panting above her, she felt as though something about Wen Zhuojin had changed.

Today, her energy was especially intense.

Before Yan Qinglan could think further, Wen Zhuojin’s mouth found her chest again, causing her body to tremble involuntarily.

By the time they finished bathing, Yan Qinglan was barely conscious, utterly exhausted and wanting only to sleep.

After drying Yan Qinglan and laying her on the bed, Wen Zhuojin’s slightly red eyes stared at the sleeping figure.