Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 106

The Hall of Blessings was so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping could be heard. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on Wen Zhuojin and Yan Qinglan.

As Wen Zhuojin held Yan Qinglan, she noticed the faint kiss marks on Yan Qinglan’s neck, hidden beneath the scarf. They were marks she had left just days ago.

It was easy to confirm.

No matter who this person was in terms of identity, she was the one who had been with her, intimate and close, all this time.

Wen Zhuojin held the pill to Yan Qinglan’s lips, and without hesitation, Yan Qinglan opened her mouth and swallowed it.

As Yan Qinglan swallowed the pill, Wen Zhuojin quickly took a piece of preserved fruit from the pouch at her waist and fed it to Yan Qinglan to counteract the bitterness of the medicine.

Yan Qinglan’s mouth was filled with a sweet and sour taste, but her heart was a whirlwind of emotions.

She had specifically instructed Lady Li to keep Wen Zhuojin in the palace overnight. After leaving the palace, she had arranged for the Embroidered Uniform Guards to keep an eye on Wen Zhuojin. How had they failed to stop her from leaving? And how had she managed to find her way here, of all places?!

In such a dangerous situation, why had Wen Zhuojin come to interfere?!

Wait, the real question was: why was Wen Zhuojin here? Had she seen her? Did she know her true identity?

Had she come to save her because she didn’t mind her identity?

Or did she not know her identity at all, and that was why she had come to rescue her?

As these thoughts raced through Yan Qinglan’s mind, her eyes quickly welled up with tears, making them glisten.

Wen Zhuojin’s heart tightened as she looked at Yan Qinglan, feeling a surge of pity and doubt about her earlier judgments. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. She simply bent down and scooped Yan Qinglan up into her arms.

In the entire hall, amidst the sea of collapsed bodies, Wen Zhuojin was the only one still standing.

Holding Yan Qinglan’s soft body, Wen Zhuojin’s arms tensed.

She had originally planned to escape and lay low for a few days, but when she heard about the extreme poison smoke the Northern Qiang had used, she couldn’t help but come.

Wen Zhuojin had prepared a variety of incense poisons to deal with being pursued, so she didn’t need to return to the manor to retrieve anything.

When she turned back, she followed the Northern Qiang soldiers through the poison smoke.

From a distance, she saw Yan Qinglan and Jiangxiao descending from the Lecture Platform and heading toward Tianxuan Palace. At that moment, Wen Zhuojin knew there was no turning back. She hurried ahead, found a Taoist robe to change into, and blended into the crowd of Tianxuan Palace disciples in the Hall of Blessings.

As soon as she entered the Hall of Blessings, she noticed something was off with the incense burning in the censers—it was laced with poison.

The Tianxuan Palace disciples had all taken antidote pills, but when Wen Zhuojin saw the Northern Qiang soldiers who had come to rescue Jiangxiao enter the hall, she guessed what was happening. She decided to add her own poison to the incense burner.

The doors of the Hall of Blessings were closed, supposedly to keep out the poison smoke, but in reality, it created a massive enclosed space where everyone would be poisoned.

Wen Zhuojin had planned to wait until everyone lost consciousness before making her move.

But when she saw Jiangxiao grab Yan Qinglan’s wrist and start talking, and noticed Yan Qinglan’s discomfort as the poison took effect, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Wen Zhuojin, let her go!” Jiangxiao’s voice rang out. She had been pushed aside by Wen Zhuojin and was now struggling to stay upright, her eyes filled with anger as she glared at Wen Zhuojin.

Wen Zhuojin glanced at Jiangxiao, her eyes unconsciously flashing with a hint of ruthlessness. She kicked Jiangxiao, causing her to collapse to the ground.

No matter who Yan Qinglan was in terms of identity, the person who had imprisoned and tortured her was Jiangxiao. Wen Zhuojin’s hatred for Jiangxiao remained unchanged.

“Wen Zhuojin, what do you think you’re doing? How dare you disrespect Master like this? What are you doing?” Xuan Zhen said, her voice filled with shock. But as she met Wen Zhuojin’s gaze, her words trailed off.

“That’s right, you’re a traitor! A spy planted by the Princess in Tianxuan Palace! Don’t forget, your wife is still here…” Xuan Zhen continued, struggling to crawl toward Wen Zhuojin’s fake wife.

When they had entered, Xuan Zhen had enthusiastically placed the fake wife near Jiangxiao. Now, though weakened, she still had enough strength to use her sword to threaten Wen Zhuojin.

Xuan Zhen’s constitution was relatively strong, so she still had some energy left. But as she reached the woman, before she could act, the woman on the ground snatched the sword from her hand. In one swift motion, the sword was now in the woman’s hand, and she pointed it at Xuan Zhen’s neck. It was clear she was a skilled fighter.

The woman, who had seemed so delicate and frail, now stood—albeit unsteadily—with more strength and endurance than Xuan Zhen.

Xuan Zhen stared in shock at the woman who was supposed to be Wen Zhuojin’s “weak and helpless” wife. How could this be?!

Wen Zhuojin, still holding Yan Qinglan, walked over and took an antidote pill from her pouch, handing it to the woman.

“This pill will take some time to take effect. Can you walk on your own by then?” Wen Zhuojin asked.

“Thank you. I can walk on my own. Don’t worry, Miss.” the woman replied immediately, taking the pill.

Wen Zhuojin had originally told her to leave at the first opportunity, but she had stayed, waiting for Yan Qinglan’s orders.

As Xuan Zhen listened to their conversation, her worldview continued to crumble.

This “sister” she had bonded with over their shared “hobby”—what was really going on?!

Had she been deceived from the very beginning?

From the moment she took that first step, Wen Zhuojin knew some things could no longer be hidden. She didn’t explain or justify herself. After speaking to the fake wife, she carried Yan Qinglan and headed for the exit. She wasn’t sure if all the Tianxuan Palace disciples were in the Hall of Blessings. If more people showed up, things would get dangerous. Taking advantage of the current chaos, Wen Zhuojin wanted to get Yan Qinglan out of there as quickly as possible and escape for good.

“It’s her, isn’t it? You’re only with her because of the divine incense poison. It means nothing… She’s just reaping the benefits of my work. Your feelings for her are only because of the poison… Why, why her and not me? I’ve been by your side for nearly twenty years. Why… why are you so cruel…”

Wen Zhuojin had only taken a few steps when she heard Jiangxiao’s voice.

Jiangxiao’s voice had always been calm, almost devoid of worldly desires, as if she existed above it all.

But now, her voice was filled with sorrow, resentment, and anger… It didn’t sound like Jiangxiao at all.

Xuan Zhen, whose understanding of the situation was still collapsing, felt as if a bolt of lightning had split the fog in her mind, illuminating everything.

Wen Zhuojin’s wife was the Princess, Yan Qinglan!

If that was the case, then Wen Zhuojin’s acting skills were truly top-notch. She had spoken of her wife as delicate, timid, and prone to tears!

Which of those traits matched the Princess?!

From the very beginning, Wen Zhuojin had been deceiving her, and she had believed every word!

No matter how shocked Xuan Zhen was, Wen Zhuojin’s expression shifted slightly at Jiangxiao’s words.

The circumstances of her meeting Yan Qinglan had been too unique, impossible to replicate. In a way, it was because of the conditions Jiangxiao had created that they had met.

And back then, Wen Zhuojin had only been attracted to Yan Qinglan’s beauty. Her initial motives had been far from pure. Yan Qinglan, too, had gone from resistance to compliance…

Wen Zhuojin paused, having taken a few steps forward, then turned back and kicked Jiangxiao a couple more times.

“Jiangxiao, you have no right to compare yourself to Ah Zhuo. I will never like you, no matter how much time passes. It’s not that it couldn’t be you—it’s that it can only be Ah Zhuo.” Yan Qinglan said softly before Wen Zhuojin could respond. She wrapped her arms around Wen Zhuojin’s neck in an intimate gesture.

When Jiangxiao heard Yan Qinglan’s words and saw her embrace Wen Zhuojin without hesitation, a bitter taste rose in her throat. Bl00d surged up, and she spat out a mouthful of bl00d.

Wen Zhuojin felt Yan Qinglan’s cool forehead press against her neck, and for a moment, it felt as if hot bl00d was rushing through her veins.

The person she loved loved her back, and she was the only one!

“Wen Zhuojin, don’t be fooled! Yan Qinglan is a scheming woman. She’s not what she appears to be on the surface. She’ll stop at nothing to achieve her goals. To gain control of the military, she even…” Xuan Zhen seemed to have an epiphany. It wasn’t Wen Zhuojin’s acting that was good—it was Yan Qinglan’s. Seeing Wen Zhuojin about to leave, she added another comment.

Before Xuan Zhen could finish, Wen Zhuojin walked over and kicked her too.

“Nonsense! Shut up!” Wen Zhuojin hadn’t intended to expose this layer, but Jiangxiao and Xuan Zhen had said too much. They couldn’t be allowed to stay.

After saying this, Wen Zhuojin quickly carried Yan Qinglan toward the door.

Yan Qinglan glanced back at the “fake wife.” who was actually an Embroidered Uniform Guard. The woman nodded to Yan Qinglan, indicating that she understood.

No one in the hall could be allowed to leave.

The poison smoke outside Tianxuan Palace had grown thicker. As soon as Wen Zhuojin stepped outside, she pulled Yan Qinglan’s scarf up and pressed her face against her chest.

Wen Zhuojin’s chest heaved from her rapid breathing. Yan Qinglan didn’t speak, simply holding onto Wen Zhuojin.

Wen Zhuojin walked in the opposite direction of the poison smoke for a while, heading higher up Xuannü Mountain.

If they went back the way they came, the poison smoke would still be thick, and they might run into the Emperor’s men. Without the Northern Qiang soldiers to clear the way, the two of them would stand out and be easily captured.

If they took the other side of Xuannü Mountain, they could avoid both the poison smoke and people, though the path would be more difficult.

Wen Zhuojin quickly recalled the map of Xuannü Mountain in her mind. After carrying Yan Qinglan for a while, she was out of breath, sweat dripping from her forehead.

“Ah Zhuo, put me down. Let’s rest for a while.” Yan Qinglan said for the third time, and Wen Zhuojin finally stopped.

By now, they had left Tianxuan Palace and were at a pavilion on Xuannü Mountain. The poison smoke here was almost nonexistent.

Wen Zhuojin set Yan Qinglan down on a stone bench in the pavilion. She stood there, catching her breath, and reached for the water pouch at her waist, handing it to Yan Qinglan first.

Yan Qinglan watched Wen Zhuojin, who was still panting, took a sip of water, and then handed the pouch back to her.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t drink. After catching her breath, she looked down at Yan Qinglan sitting on the stone bench.

Yan Qinglan’s attire today was similar to what she had worn in the palace. She wore a lotus crown, her hair tied simply. Her Taoist robe was dark green, plain and unadorned, making her skin appear even paler and her demeanor even more delicate. Especially when she looked at Wen Zhuojin, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, she looked utterly innocent and vulnerable.

Was it all just an act?

Wen Zhuojin didn’t want to believe what others had said. She didn’t want to dwell on their words. She just looked at Yan Qinglan.

“Sister, when I left the palace today and didn’t find you at home, I searched everywhere. It turns out that Jiangxiao, that scoundrel, still hasn’t given up. She wanted to take you away. I don’t know how she found out you were with me or how she managed to take you. It’s truly despicable. Thankfully, I found you in time.”

Wen Zhuojin tested the waters, pretending she still didn’t know Yan Qinglan’s true identity, to see how Yan Qinglan would respond.