Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 109

The night was thick and heavy, but several palaces within the imperial city were brightly lit.

Wen Zhuojin quietly made her way deep into the palace and soon heard some familiar voices.

“How dare you! I am the Emperor of Northern Jin! By imprisoning me, are you seeking to exterminate your entire clan?”

“You rebels, I command you to step aside… cough, cough…”

An enraged voice came from a palace Wen Zhuojin passed by, followed by a fit of heart-wrenching coughs.

Hearing the voice of Emperor Yan Qi, Wen Zhuojin’s pupils contracted, and her heart raced. It seemed that Northern Jin had undergone a drastic change.

She had only come to see the “truth.” but she hadn’t expected to witness such a shocking scene.

The people outside claimed to be acting on the orders of the Princess. Had the Princess imprisoned the Emperor as well?

Weren’t the Princess and the Emperor on good terms?

To the outside world, they appeared to have a deep sibling bond.

Wen Zhuojin couldn’t believe it and cautiously moved closer to take a look. The once confident and noble Emperor was now surrounded by fully armed soldiers inside a lavish palace.

The soldiers weren’t dressed like imperial guards; their armor was thicker.

“If you keep shouting, don’t blame us for being rude!” A rough voice rang out, and the soldier shoved Yan Qi, who was trying to break out, back inside.

“I demand to see my elder sister! I’ve been poisoned, and I’m unwell. Summon the imperial physician! Who are you people? Cough, cough…” Yan Qi retreated a few steps, furious, before coughing again.

“Orders from above: burn more of the fragrant poison so His Majesty can enjoy it to the fullest!” the rough voice commanded again.

Wen Zhuojin heard Yan Qi coughing as if he were about to cough up his lungs and caught the scent of the fragrant poison in the air. It was clear that the Emperor had indeed been poisoned.

Using fragrant poison on the Emperor?

These rebels were truly bold!

Who could have orchestrated such a silent yet brazen rebellion?

Wen Zhuojin was puzzled but had no intention of rescuing anyone. As she was about to leave, she heard another familiar voice.

It was the voice of County Mistress Yunshu!

“I am the daughter of General Zhenyuan, a concubine personally appointed by His Majesty! You traitors, prepare to die!”

County Mistress Yunshu’s sharp rebuke echoed as she brandished a sword and fought with the soldiers guarding the palace where Yan Qi was held.

“…” Wen Zhuojin was shocked. She then remembered that County Mistress Yunshu had participated in the selection process and had been chosen to enter the palace as a concubine.

County Mistress Yunshu, being the daughter of a military general, had some martial skills and had brought a few skilled maids with her. However, against these fully armed guards, they were no match and were quickly captured.

Wen Zhuojin watched as they were taken away, her eyes trembling. She didn’t have the ability to save them.

Wen Zhuojin continued to sneak deeper into the palace, carefully making her way to the brightly lit Taihe Hall. The area was guarded by fully armed imperial guards, so Wen Zhuojin dared not approach further. She hid in a corner outside the hall and peered inside.

Various scents wafted from within—different people’s smells, the metallic tang of bl00d, and a faint, cold fragrance.

Wen Zhuojin’s eyes immediately fell on the person seated in the center of the hall.

The person wore a golden phoenix crown adorned with tassels and a crimson embroidered palace gown, exuding an air of nobility. Her features were strikingly beautiful, yet her expression was cold, her eyes sharp and filled with overwhelming authority.

Words like “commanding presence” or “intimidating aura” couldn’t fully capture the state she was in at that moment.

Wen Zhuojin’s body tensed involuntarily, and she took a sharp breath.

The face was so familiar, yet the aura surrounding her was terrifyingly unfamiliar.

It was her beloved elder sister, but also the Princess of Northern Jin, Yan Qinglan.

So, the one in control of the situation was Yan Qinglan?!

The one who had imprisoned the Emperor and used fragrant poison on him was also Yan Qinglan!

Weren’t they supposed to have a deep sibling bond?

Was this what a deep sibling bond looked like?

Coming from a simple marquis household, Wen Zhuojin couldn’t comprehend it.

Could someone really kill their own sibling for power?

“By the Princess’s order, drag them out and execute them immediately!” a eunuch’s shrill voice announced.

“Your Highness, have mercy! My family has served Northern Jin for generations. Even if we have no merit, we have toil! Your Highness…”

“Yan Qinglan, don’t forget you’re just a woman! A hen trying to crow at dawn—you’ll die a horrible death!”

The person being dragged away screamed in despair.

“By the Princess’s decree, cut out their tongue first, then execute them. Be careful not to dirty the place with bl00d.” the eunuch’s voice rang out again.

Wen Zhuojin’s eyes widened as she watched the person being dragged away, their curses turning into muffled groans before falling silent.

The person on the throne merely moved her full, red lips slightly, her posture and expression unchanged.

Wen Zhuojin’s eyes gradually reddened.

Was this the same person who had been timid in front of her, often shedding tears at the slightest provocation?

Among those captured, the high-ranking officials seemed to have been brought here for Yan Qinglan to decide their fates.

Wen Zhuojin recognized a few of them, including the Prime Minister, whom her uncle had greatly admired, and an elderly man who had worked tirelessly to protect the Qingliu faction. Even they had been captured.

Wen Zhuojin’s breathing quickened. Whether it was due to lack of sleep or the shock of what she had witnessed, she felt her vision darkening.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t stay long. There was no need to continue watching.

Moreover, her time was limited.

Once Qing Chenning was discovered and revived, she would have at most an hour.

Wen Zhuojin moved away from the brightly lit Taihe Hall, feeling disoriented.

Was what she had seen with her own eyes really true?

Was the person on the throne, who coldly decided life and death with a few words, the same person who had trembled in fear and shed tears at the slightest tease?

From rumors to witnessing it firsthand, could she still deceive herself, still convince herself otherwise?

Was the person she had tried so hard to keep at a distance, the one she feared and distrusted, the same person who had disguised herself as someone Wen Zhuojin loved?

Was that love even real?

“She has insulted Your Highness so grievously—how can she be allowed to die easily? Keep her under close watch and don’t let her escape. Your Highness said she will deal with her once matters here are settled.”

“She’s lucky to have a few more days to live!”

“Once Your Highness has time, she’ll make sure to use every torture device on her!”

The voices of two people speaking made Wen Zhuojin freeze in the shadows.

Were they talking about her?!

Who else could it be?

The people at the Fragrance Pavilion were the ones keeping an eye on her, right?

Once Yan Qinglan had full control, would she come to deal with her?

Wen Zhuojin broke out in a cold sweat, feeling a phantom pain in her neck.

She pinched herself hard to regain some clarity.

At this moment, Wen Zhuojin only wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible.

But the imperial city was vastly different from before, with soldiers in armor patrolling everywhere.

When Wen Zhuojin had entered the palace with Qing Chenning earlier, the guards at the gate had been extremely strict.

Recalling the layout of the imperial city, Wen Zhuojin avoided the imperial guards and tried to find a smaller gate, perhaps one used for deliveries, to see if she could escape.

She had brought some incense with her when she entered the palace. If the guards were fewer, she could light the incense to knock them out and escape.

Before long, Wen Zhuojin caught a familiar scent.

It was the smell of divine incense, coming from a bedchamber.

Another chamber burning fragrant poison—it was the Princess’s Zichen Hall.

Wen Zhuojin remembered the person who looked exactly like Yan Qinglan, imprisoned in the Zichen Hall.

As Wen Zhuojin thought of that person, the smell of something burning came from the Zichen Hall, followed by flames and smoke. Something had been set on fire.

People shouted about a fire, and the Zichen Hall became chaotic.

Compared to other palaces, the Zichen Hall had fewer guards.

Wen Zhuojin initially didn’t want to get involved, but she noticed the scent of the fragrant poison seemed to be moving, from inside the hall to outside.

Following the scent, Wen Zhuojin saw two people taking advantage of the chaos to leave the Zichen Hall.

One of them was carrying another person, who appeared to be unconscious and motionless.

The moving scent of fragrant poison came from these two.

Having inhaled too much of the poison, their clothes and skin were saturated with it, making them walking sources of the scent.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t see the person’s face, but she guessed it was the fake Princess.

Were they trying to sneak the fake Princess out during the chaos?

Yet another faction at play.

Wen Zhuojin observed for a moment. Regardless of their intentions, they likely shared a common goal with her: to avoid the palace guards and escape the imperial city.

After a moment’s thought, Wen Zhuojin followed them.

The person carrying someone else moved swiftly, eventually reaching a flowing waterway within the palace known as the Dragon Canal.

Wen Zhuojin realized that by following this waterway, one could swim out of the imperial city.

She jumped into the water after them.

Even though it was summer, the water was still icy cold, and Wen Zhuojin shivered involuntarily.

The person dragging someone else swam surprisingly fast, and Wen Zhuojin struggled to keep up as they made their way out.

Meanwhile, in the Taihe Hall, Yan Qinglan sat on the throne, massaging her temples as she listened to the pleas of those below. Not hearing the answers she wanted or any pledges of loyalty, she waved her hand, signaling for them to be dragged away.

“Where is Qing Chenning?” Yan Qinglan asked.

“Your Highness, Minister Qing fainted unexpectedly while entering the palace. I summoned the imperial physician immediately, and she has just regained consciousness. She is outside the hall now, requesting an urgent audience with Your Highness.” a voice from outside the hall reported.

“Summon her at once!” Yan Qinglan ordered, sitting up straight.

“Qing Chenning, have you obtained any results from the interrogations at the prison? Do you know where Xuanzhen’s silver is hidden?” Yan Qinglan asked as Qing Chenning entered.

“Your Highness, Xuanzhen and Jiangxiao have not spoken. I am not here to report on that matter, but rather… it’s about Wen Zhuojin! On my way back from the prison to the palace, I encountered Wen Zhuojin. She said she was worried about Your Highness and wanted to accompany me into the palace…” Qing Chenning quickly explained.

“What did you say? You brought her into the palace?!” Yan Qinglan’s expression changed, and she rose from her seat.

“Yes. I deserve death for my crime! I intended to report to Your Highness before summoning her, but she used fragrant poison on me. Your Highness, Wen Zhuojin is likely still within the imperial city. Given her skill with fragrant poison, I fear the entire palace’s defenses…”

Qing Chenning knelt on the ground, not daring to rise.

Her first thought upon waking was that Wen Zhuojin had deceived her.

The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became.

If Wen Zhuojin had entered the palace to assassinate or use large-scale fragrant poison, it would be catastrophic.

However, seeing that Yan Qinglan was still safely seated and there had been no major disturbances in the palace, Qing Chenning felt slightly relieved.

“She said she was worried about me? Why would she want to enter the palace? What exactly did she say?” Yan Qinglan asked after a moment of stunned silence, her voice trembling slightly.

“She said Your Highness had already revealed your identity to her and that she knew about the double in the palace who looks exactly like Your Highness. She said Your Highness’s residual poison hadn’t been fully cleared and that she was concerned for Your Highness’s safety. Her words were sincere, so I brought her in. I thought… Could it be…”

As Qing Chenning spoke, she noticed Yan Qinglan’s expression and broke out in a cold sweat.

The relief she had felt moments ago vanished, replaced by dread.

She had committed an unforgivable crime.