Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 11

Wen Zhuojin had already extinguished the aphrodisiac incense, yet she still felt a bit overheated.

She was too eager to verify the scent and hadn’t studied the antidote.

Fortunately, she had burned only a little, and it wasn’t uncontrollable. She still retained her clarity.

However, the more lucid she became, the more she realized what she was thinking, and the greater her shame.

In her mind, it wasn’t just an image of the woman that she saw, but an awakening desire.

She wanted to touch, wanted to taste, wanted to tug at the loose shoulder strap of the woman’s garment…

“Miss, it’s getting late. Should we return to the Marquis’ residence?” Zirong’s voice came through, bringing Wen Zhuojin back to her senses.

She pressed her hand against her hot, burning cheek.

She felt like a lascivious fool.

Glancing outside, the sky had already darkened. Wen Zhuojin exhaled a heavy breath.

“Pack up, we’re leaving.” Wen Zhuojin said.

When she was about to leave, Wen Zhuojin glanced at the room where Yan Qinglan was. She wanted to go see but hesitated.

She took a few steps out, then couldn’t resist turning back, ultimately deciding to take one more look.

On the bed, the woman appeared to be asleep, eyes closed, brow furrowed. Her eyelashes were still damp, her hand wrapped in several layers, fingers spread wide and unwilling to bring them together. Her body was slightly curled, and the shape under the blanket was visible.

Harmless, soft, pitiable.

Compared to her previous view of Yan Qinglan, Wen Zhuojin now found her even more pitiable.

Deceived and still foolishly trusting, yearning to see her husband again.

In the past, Nanny Jiang and the others worshiped the Heavenly Goddess. Wen Zhuojin knew that no words would change their beliefs. In fact, speaking up would make them think she had violated a taboo, so she had said nothing.

But in this current situation, if that scholar truly was a false Taoist and a villain, how could she make this woman see the truth?

Wen Zhuojin, lost in thought, used the back of her hand to wipe away the woman’s tear stains. Perhaps uncomfortable, the woman turned over, and a corner of the blanket slid off.

The fallen corner revealed the line of her shoulder and neck, along with the white jade-like curve of her shoulder. Clearly, her inner clothes were disheveled under the blanket.

Wen Zhuojin’s gaze froze for a moment, then quickly recovered. She pulled the blanket back up and, without lingering, turned and walked out.

As the room fell quiet, Yan Qinglan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Just now, she had felt someone approach, even felt their touch on her face. Her body had tensed, thinking the other person might do something, but instead, they had simply covered her with the blanket.

Was this patience?

Well, let’s see just how patient they can be.

Wen Zhuojin, of course, was unaware of Yan Qinglan’s thoughts. After leaving the room and shutting the door, she carefully instructed Jin Rui on some matters before leaving with Zirong.

The snow had already stopped outside, but it was still very cold, which helped cool Wen Zhuojin’s burning cheeks a little.

She and Zirong carefully avoided the patrolling night guards on their way.

When they arrived at Qinfang Pavilion, Wen Zhuojin sat down to eat the warm meal that Nanny Jiang had prepared.

“Miss, there’s an invitation from Chunhui Pavilion, asking you to attend the flower-viewing banquet. Why wasn’t the banquet held before? I think they’re trying to introduce the young ladies to others. Madam has carefully arranged your marriage. If it weren’t for you mourning the old lady, you would have been married before the New Year. Now, with this trouble, your engagement might be broken off. If the Marquis casually marries you off, what should we do?”

As Nanny Jiang served Wen Zhuojin her meal, she couldn’t help but speak her mind.

The words of Nanny Jiang made Wen Zhuojin realize something else.

Her uncle could no longer be relied upon to handle her marriage arrangements.

If she were to obey her parents’ wishes and the matchmaker’s words, her marriage would no longer be in her hands.

She might end up being matched with someone even worse than the heir of the Rongguo Duke.

Marriage, it seemed, was an inevitable fact.

No matter who she married, Wen Zhuojin had no expectations.

What she longed for was…

If she didn’t marry, how could she refuse, and where would she go?

She had to treat that woman, try to change her way of thinking, but then, was she supposed to marry her?

She had initially thought that the quiet environment in the Marquis’ residence, as Nanny Jiang constantly nagged her, would clear her mind, but instead, her thoughts became even more chaotic.

Wen Zhuojin silently finished her meal, washed up, and then read a little of the aphrodisiac notes by candlelight before going to bed.

She wasn’t sure if it was the weight of her thoughts or the lingering effects of the aphrodisiac.

Wen Zhuojin had a dream. In the dream, she was married, wearing a bright red wedding gown. And the one she married was “Liu Suniang,” also dressed in wedding attire, with a phoenix coronet and a red veil. Under the veil, her eyes were clear and pure, and the blush around her eyes was like a blooming peach blossom.

Her lips parted slightly, and her soft tongue moved, as if saying something.

In the dream, Wen Zhuojin had no hesitation. She leaned forward to kiss her lips and tugged at her wedding gown.

As the layers were peeled away, the image became blurred, as if covered in mist.

Wen Zhuojin’s heart raced, wanting to do something, but unsure what, only licking little by little, like eating candy.

Before she could taste anything, she was pushed away. The previously fragile, obedient person became extremely resistant, holding a bloodied broken hairpin…

Wen Zhuojin woke up, her nightclothes soaked in sweat, her forehead beading with perspiration. She pressed her chest where she had been stabbed in the dream, dazed and disoriented for a long while.

Unable to fall back asleep, Wen Zhuojin called for Qinggui, who was keeping watch, to light a candle. After freshening up, she began reading the aphrodisiac notes again before dawn.

After the hour of Chen (around 7 AM), Wen Zhuojin had breakfast and then left.

Yesterday, Wu Yuanheng hadn’t sent her any news, and she didn’t know what today would bring. Wen Zhuojin first went to the agreed-upon shop, sending someone to call Wu Yuanheng for a meeting.

When Wu Yuanheng arrived, Wen Zhuojin was startled to see how haggard he looked.

“Cousin, how are things? You look so tired,” Wen Zhuojin asked anxiously.

“Yesterday, I sent my father and mother off, and I didn’t sleep well last night,” Wu Yuanheng said, looking weary.

“Sent off? Uncle and Auntie have already gone to Zhaozhou? Why didn’t you send me word? I wasn’t able to see them off,” Wen Zhuojin exclaimed, taken aback.

She had wanted to send her uncle and aunt off and leave them some money.

“Ah Zhuo, don’t worry. After I brought my father out, he found out I had used the money you sent to smooth things over, and he scolded me terribly. If it weren’t for me wanting to take part in the imperial exams, he wouldn’t have let me stay. This is the IOU my father wrote, along with all the remaining money. Take it,” Wu Yuanheng said, handing Wen Zhuojin a pouch of silver coins and a piece of paper, which had her uncle’s neat handwriting on it.

Wen Zhuojin looked at the silver and the IOU, unsure of what to say.

There wasn’t much silver, but Wen Zhuojin knew it was likely all that was left from her uncle and aunt.

“Ah Zhuo, the money you gave me, I was always going to repay you. As for my father’s situation, it’s better than it could have been. He wasn’t degraded to a commoner, and I can still sit for the exams. It’s all thanks to the silver you sent. But the engagement with the Duke’s family has been called off. My father is very upset, feeling like he’s let you down, and that you’ve lost so much of your dowry. In the future, you may be looked down upon when marrying. With the court in turmoil, any misstep could lead to trouble. My father said he couldn’t drag you down any longer, so he didn’t let me send you word. He also asked me not to see you again, or at least not let anyone know, so it wouldn’t affect your future marriage prospects. Ah Zhuo, don’t be afraid. I’ll do my best. I’ll try my hardest to do well in the exams. As for your dowry, I’ll work to help you save it up again. No matter what, I will protect you.”

Wu Yuanheng looked at Wen Zhuojin seriously.

Wen Zhuojin felt something surging in her chest.

Her uncle and aunt had just left like that!

They were afraid of affecting her, of influencing her marriage prospects?!

Her cousin was also avoiding suspicion for her, working hard for her future.

The calculations of the Marquis’ residence, her uncle and aunt’s actions, made Wen Zhuojin feel like she was being confined in a box, constantly being squeezed and squeezed, until she could hardly breathe.

At that moment, it felt like the pressure had become too much, and with a sudden pop, it exploded.

Wen Zhuojin had known since childhood that she was different from others. She didn’t want those differences to be known.

She had always tried hard to cover them up, to be a qualified young lady of the Marquis’ residence.

But no matter how much she tried to blend in, no matter how much she wanted to avoid attention, from the moment she climbed over walls, climbed trees, rode horses, shot arrows, and stepped into the Xiangxiang Pavilion, she had already strayed from the conventional path.

So why not continue to defy convention to achieve what she wanted?

Wu Yuanheng spoke, but then he froze when he saw Wen Zhuojin smile.

Her smile was different this time, not showing any joy, but more like determination and stubbornness.

“Ah Zhuo, what’s wrong? Don’t overthink it. It’s actually a good thing that Father left—he can avoid the court’s turmoil. Times change, and who knows what the future holds? Believe that there will be a day of revival. And if not, there’s still me,” Wu Yuanheng said, though uncertain about the future, trying to comfort Wen Zhuojin and calm her down.

Wen Zhuojin gave a soft acknowledgment.

After Wu Yuanheng left, Wen Zhuojin sat there for a moment, lost in thought, before quickly regaining her clarity. She began to go over her remaining silver and the shop inventory.

With the remaining money, she could only afford to continue buying the medicinal herbs needed for “Liu Suniang’s” recovery for less than ten days.

She still needed to study the aphrodisiac, and the costs of the incense materials were also quite high.

Looking at the situation now, making and selling incense seemed to be the most suitable way for her to earn money.

But she couldn’t keep going to the Xiangxiang Pavilion.

The primary consumers of the incense were the high-ranking officials and noble families. It wasn’t just women who used incense; men did too.

The more distinguished the family, the more extravagant the incense they used.

But private transactions couldn’t be made public, and sneaking around wasn’t a solution, especially if she wanted those high-ranking officials and noble families to buy incense.

She needed an identity that would allow her to legally make and sell incense.

Wen Zhuojin thought for a moment, then straightened her clothes and headed to the house in Wujiao Alley.

The pressure was released, and Wen Zhuojin felt that the chaotic, painful feeling in her head had lightened considerably.

Thinking of the woman living in Wujiao Alley, her heart burned with anticipation, eager to see her as soon as possible.