Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 108

By the time it got dark, the patrolling soldiers outside showed no signs of slacking off.

The manager of the Fragrance Pavilion, along with several imperial physicians and female doctors who were helping out, were all trapped inside the Fragrance Pavilion, with no room for negotiation.

“Dr. Ye, you should stay here tonight. Given the current situation, there’s no need to worry too much. Once it’s safe to move outside, I will definitely have someone inform you.” the manager said earnestly to Wen Zhuojin.

Wen Zhuojin glanced at the manager and returned to her room in the Fragrance Pavilion. She dismissed the servants and sat down alone.

The density of patrolling soldiers outside the Fragrance Pavilion was unusually high. With such a deployment, it was unclear how many soldiers were being mobilized across the entire Yunjing City. It was unlikely that other areas had this many soldiers.

Wen Zhuojin felt that this was either targeting her or the Fragrance Pavilion itself.

Now that Jiangxiao had essentially been destroyed, were the people outside sent by the Emperor or the Princess?

Wen Zhuojin wasn’t sure. Both sides seemed to have reasons to increase the guard presence around the Fragrance Pavilion.

Wen Zhuojin could sense that there were people surrounding her room inside the Fragrance Pavilion as well. Several scents felt very close.

As time passed, it grew later. Wen Zhuojin washed up, returned to her room, blew out the candle, and lay down.

But she couldn’t sleep.

As the night deepened, the surroundings grew quieter, though faint sounds could still be heard in the distance. The footsteps of the patrolling soldiers outside grew softer, and their numbers seemed to have decreased slightly.

The scents in the air were changing, and Wen Zhuojin felt that something major was happening outside.

She wondered how Yan Qinglan was doing. Was she also trapped?

She probably didn’t need Wen Zhuojin’s protection.

Perhaps it was Yan Qinglan who had ordered these people to confine her?

Or maybe it was the Emperor.

It was said that the Princess and the Emperor had a deep sibling bond. Wen Zhuojin had cursed the “damn Emperor” in front of Yan Qinglan several times…

Would Yan Qinglan hold a grudge and tell her brother, and then…

Wen Zhuojin tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The unknown and an inexplicable sense of worry made it impossible for her to stay in her room.

She carefully sniffed the changing scents outside, trying to discern the pattern of the patrols.

At midnight, Wen Zhuojin got up in the dark, dressed, tied her hair, and climbed out of the window.

She avoided the direction where the soldiers were and instead moved horizontally to the neighboring building, then continued to the next one, eventually making her way out of the street. Her breathing grew rapid, and a thin layer of sweat formed on her forehead.

The number of patrolling soldiers outside had indeed decreased, but…

The remaining soldiers seemed more aggressive, moving in squads. They would break into houses, and the sounds of women screaming, children crying, and men pleading echoed through the air, accompanied by the smell of bl00d.

They were arresting people!

It felt even more terrifying than during the Qingliu case.

The area around the Fragrance Pavilion where Wen Zhuojin had been was mostly shops, and with so many soldiers patrolling, it had been relatively quiet at night. She hadn’t expected such things to be happening outside.

“By the order of the Princess, the Minister of Revenue has colluded with rebel forces… Those who resist will be killed!”

As Wen Zhuojin walked further, she witnessed another arrest and faintly heard these words.

By the order of the Princess?

Wen Zhuojin couldn’t help but shiver.

This Princess… who was she?

Wen Zhuojin didn’t dare get too close and hurried to Lanyuan.

She had her suspicions, but when she saw that the bed in Lanyuan’s bedroom was empty, her heart sank.

So, was it because Yan Qinglan had something to do tonight that she had ordered people to confine Wen Zhuojin, preventing her from returning to Lanyuan?

What was she doing with those soldiers at night?

Arresting those who opposed her?

The soft bedding still carried a warm, familiar fragrance, as if she could still hear Yan Qinglan’s soft, panting breaths.

Wen Zhuojin shook her head and clenched her fists.

How much of what she had seen was real, and how much was an act meant to make her believe it was real?

Perhaps she should look more carefully, rather than being deceived by appearances.

She needed to face the bloody reality, not be fooled by temporary warmth and comfort.

She needed to see what Yan Qinglan was doing, what she was hiding from her.

Wen Zhuojin left Lanyuan and decided to go to the palace.

However, getting into the palace at night wasn’t easy.

The high walls surrounding the palace were the first obstacle blocking Wen Zhuojin’s path.

Wen Zhuojin observed the surroundings quietly. The squads of soldiers were heading to several locations, mostly the residences of the nobility in Yunjing City.

Each squad claimed to be acting on the orders of the Princess, not the Emperor.

Wen Zhuojin followed the arresting soldiers to the vicinity of the prison where serious criminals were held.

She stayed in the shadows, not daring to enter, but even from outside, she could hear various screams.

From such a distance, Wen Zhuojin could still hear them. She couldn’t imagine how much pain those people were in to scream so loudly.

Were they being tortured for confessions?

There were also curses, directed at the Princess.

Whenever someone cursed, soldiers would rush in to beat them until they stopped.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t stay long. As she was leaving, she saw a familiar carriage.

The carriage bore the character “Qing” and from inside came the faint scent of fragrant ointment and a woman’s perfume. It was Qing Chenning.

Wen Zhuojin’s body stiffened slightly.

Qing Chenning was one of the Princess’s people. She should be able to enter the palace.

Having seen so much already, Wen Zhuojin wanted to see more.

What she had witnessed so far still felt insufficient.

Since she had decided not to run away and to look carefully, she might as well be thorough.

Wen Zhuojin thought for a moment, then stepped out of the shadows and blocked Qing Chenning’s carriage.

“Minister Qing, it’s me. I need to speak with you.” Wen Zhuojin said quickly, before the carriage driver could scold her.

“Don’t be rude.” the carriage curtain was lifted, and Qing Chenning’s head appeared, stopping the driver.

“Miss Wen, it’s you? What’s the matter?” Qing Chenning was surprised.

Qing Chenning had a lot to do tonight. She had just returned from interrogating prisoners at the prison and was on her way to report to Yan Qinglan. She hadn’t expected to run into Wen Zhuojin.

Others might not know about the relationship between Yan Qinglan and Wen Zhuojin, but Qing Chenning was well aware.

“Let’s talk inside the carriage.” Wen Zhuojin said in a low voice.

Qing Chenning didn’t hesitate and let Wen Zhuojin into the carriage.

“Yunjing City is under strict martial law. Why are you out? It’s dangerous.” Qing Chenning asked, placing a lantern inside the carriage and looking at Wen Zhuojin.

“I’m worried about the Princess.” Wen Zhuojin said directly.

“…The Princess?” Qing Chenning looked at Wen Zhuojin with a questioning expression.

Previously, Yan Qinglan had always hidden her identity from Wen Zhuojin. Even when she was discovered “eloping” with Qing Chenning, she hadn’t revealed her true identity and had asked Qing Chenning to cover for her. Why was Wen Zhuojin now worried about the Princess?

Qing Chenning didn’t dare reveal the Princess’s identity first and decided to play dumb.

“Minister Qing, there’s no need to keep up the charade with me. The Princess has already told me everything. Jiangxiao plotted against the Princess and even found a double to replace her in the palace. The Princess endured humiliation and hardship, which is truly admirable. I’ve known about these things for a while. Given my relationship with the Princess, how could I not know? Yesterday, at the Tianxuan Palace outside Yunjing City, it was I who used the fragrant poison to knock everyone out and rescue the Princess.” Wen Zhuojin said, trying to keep her expression natural.

She was gambling, betting that Qing Chenning had just returned and hadn’t yet communicated with Yan Qinglan about her.

“I heard about that. So it was you, Miss Wen. The Princess had people lying in ambush outside the mountain. If it weren’t for your fragrant poison, a fierce battle would have broken out then. Used skillfully, fragrant poison can be a powerful tool.” Qing Chenning smiled, her expression relaxing.

The details Wen Zhuojin mentioned weren’t something just anyone could know. If the Princess hadn’t told her personally, there was no way she could have known.

Moreover, the events had just happened. Qing Chenning had heard a bit from the people who brought back Xuanzhen and Jiangxiao and was also impressed.

Now that Wen Zhuojin knew, Qing Chenning’s defenses lowered.

From Qing Chenning’s words, Wen Zhuojin realized that the dark mass of people she had seen were indeed lying in ambush by Yan Qinglan.

In other words, Yan Qinglan didn’t need Wen Zhuojin’s rescue to escape. It was only a matter of time.

“What are you doing out so late, Minister Qing?” Wen Zhuojin asked. Aside from her own scent, Qing Chenning also carried a faint smell of bl00d.

“Ah, interrogations. We don’t know how many of Jiangxiao’s accomplices are still in Yunjing City. We need to arrest them all, or they’ll cause trouble later. And… some of ‘his’ people are also being arrested while we have the chance, to prevent them from causing trouble later…” Qing Chenning’s voice trailed off.

“…” Wen Zhuojin listened to Qing Chenning’s cryptic words and had a guess about who “he” referred to.

“By the way, you said you were worried about the Princess. What are you worried about?” Qing Chenning asked after a moment.

“The Princess has entered the palace. I was at the Fragrance Pavilion and didn’t get to go with her. I’m afraid that if she smells the fragrant poison in the palace, the residual toxins in her body might be reactivated. Her poison hasn’t been completely cleared yet. What if someone in the palace tries to harm her? I heard from Jiangxiao that there’s someone in the Emperor’s circle who is very knowledgeable about fragrances. Minister Qing, are you heading to the palace? Could you take me with you? You know my identity hasn’t been revealed yet, so it’s inconvenient for me to enter the palace at this time.” Wen Zhuojin explained.

Qing Chenning paused. Yan Qinglan was indeed in the palace at the moment.

She was also on her way to report to Yan Qinglan.

Bringing someone into the palace, especially at such a sensitive time, was risky.

But this was Wen Zhuojin, not just anyone.

And it was for Yan Qinglan’s health. Bringing her in probably wouldn’t be a problem.

“Minister Qing, I won’t cause you any trouble. Just take me in, and I won’t say it was you who brought me. I’m just too worried about the Princess. If it’s inconvenient, then forget it.” Wen Zhuojin added.

“…Alright, you can come with me. I’ll inform the Princess, and if she allows it, someone will come to take you in.” Qing Chenning said after a moment’s thought.

Wen Zhuojin secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, her tension rose again.

If Qing Chenning went to inform the Princess, wouldn’t that expose her?

Wen Zhuojin didn’t try to stop Qing Chenning, but as the carriage got closer to the palace, she secretly rubbed a piece of soft incense in her hand. Under her body heat, the scent of the incense quickly filled the carriage.

By the time Wen Zhuojin and Qing Chenning reached the palace gates, Qing Chenning presented her identification token, and they were allowed into the palace.

“Wait here for a moment. When I go to see the Princess, I’ll mention you.” Qing Chenning said to Wen Zhuojin as they arrived at a side hall in the palace where visitors waited to be summoned.

Qing Chenning felt a bit dizzy, guessing that it was due to several days of little sleep, rushing back to Yunjing City, and the arrests and interrogations. She didn’t pay it much mind.

But as she turned to leave after speaking to Wen Zhuojin, her body swayed, and she nearly collapsed.

Wen Zhuojin stepped forward to support Qing Chenning and whispered an apology.