Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 114

After Dr. Mo left, Wen Zhuojin sat by the bed, staring at Yan Qinglan, who was curled up under the blankets, her expression frozen.

Yan Qinglan’s current state still made Wen Zhuojin’s heart ache, making her want to hold her tightly and protect her in her arms.

But did Yan Qinglan need that now?

She was so strong—did she need her?

“Come here, hold me!” A weak voice came, almost commanding, as Yan Qinglan opened her eyes slightly to call Wen Zhuojin.

“You… haven’t forgotten the consequences of disobedience, have you?” Sensing Wen Zhuojin’s hesitation, the frail woman threatened.

Wen Zhuojin sighed softly, looking at Yan Qinglan, then took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed to hold her. She placed her hands on Yan Qinglan’s abdomen and back, transferring her own warmth to her.

Yan Qinglan’s body curled up in a way that fit perfectly with Wen Zhuojin’s embrace.

Through the thin layers of fabric, warmth quickly spread.

Yan Qinglan’s actions told Wen Zhuojin that she still needed her.

Over the past few days, every time Yan Qinglan came, Wen Zhuojin had made her cry, not caring for her as tenderly as before, yet she hadn’t faced any more severe “punishment.”

Wen Zhuojin realized that Yan Qinglan genuinely enjoyed their physical intimacy. Otherwise, given her current status, she wouldn’t have needed to go this far.

“By my calculations, the Princess has been poisoned for six years now. The poison… was administered by a palace eunuch through a female doctor. That doctor came from a family skilled in poisons, and I had studied under her mother before entering the palace, so I knew her. She secretly told me about it the day before she died in an ‘accident.’ Many palace doctors and imperial physicians were implicated. At the time, I wasn’t qualified to treat the Princess, but when I saw the other doctors’ diagnoses, none of them detected the poison, only calling it regular menstrual pain. I knew something was wrong and secretly prepared medicine for myself. I fell seriously ill and was eventually released from the palace.”

Wen Zhuojin recalled Dr. Mo’s words.

This poison, which caused infertility and harmed the body, had been administered long ago and kept hidden for so long. Who else could have done it but that despicable emperor?

Thinking of Yan Qinglan’s low spirits when she first learned of her condition from Dr. Mo, Wen Zhuojin finally understood how she must have felt at the time.

There were also things she hadn’t carefully considered over the past few days.

Back when she thought Yan Qinglan was Liu Suniang, she had automatically assumed the “he” in her stories was Liu Suniang’s husband. Now, it seemed more likely that it was the emperor.

Yan Qinglan hadn’t believed the emperor was behind the poisoning and had hoped to return.

The dire situation she had fallen into was the result of those two working together.

Wen Zhuojin’s eyes lowered, and her arms tightened slightly around Yan Qinglan.

The incense poison Yan Qinglan had suffered was real, as was the infertility poison that damaged her body. Her frail health and the numerous illnesses and injuries she had when Wen Zhuojin took her from the Fragrant Pavilion were all real.

Jiang Xiao and the emperor—these two people closest to Yan Qinglan—had hurt her the most. Their current fates were well-deserved.

Being born into the royal family, perhaps many things were done out of necessity for survival, gradually making one colder and more ruthless.

The soft exterior she displayed might have been a facade, a survival instinct.

The other aspects of this soft body were born from hardship and pain.

Wen Zhuojin seemed to understand Yan Qinglan now, even feeling a sense of pity for her.

However,

The shadow of being captured a few days ago still lingered, as did the memory of the smell of bl00d. Under the threat of obedience, her feelings for the person in her arms grew increasingly complicated.

In the past, Wen Zhuojin had believed Yan Qinglan was easy to understand—pure and clear. Relying on her understanding of her, she would tease her and often get the results she wanted.

Now, Wen Zhuojin wasn’t so sure. What she had thought was purity and clarity might have been an illusion.

It was as if a thick barrier had once again formed between them, making everything uncertain.

Regardless, Wen Zhuojin had accompanied Yan Qinglan through several menstrual cycles and had some experience.

At this moment, Yan Qinglan was extremely weak, her body delicate, and she was most dependent on Wen Zhuojin.

For a moment, Wen Zhuojin even forgot the thick barrier between them, holding her, warming her, and feeding her medicine spoonful by spoonful.

Everything seemed unchanged, except this time Yan Qinglan only rested for half a day before forcing herself to get up.

Her outdoor clothes and hairstyle were arranged by specialized palace maids. Once dressed, with her hair tied up, her demeanor changed again—aloof and unapproachable, as if the vulnerable person who had nestled in Wen Zhuojin’s arms moments ago wasn’t her.

However, from her posture and the subtle movements of her eyebrows, Wen Zhuojin knew she was still in great discomfort.

“May I accompany you outside, Princess?” Wen Zhuojin stood silently watching for a while, and as Yan Qinglan was about to leave, she finally spoke.

Yan Qinglan had already threatened her and confined her to this place. She wasn’t sure if she could leave.

She just wanted to test if she could go out—it definitely wasn’t because she was “blinded by desire” and wanted to go out to take care of her.

“Princess, I know the consequences of disobedience. I dare not run away.” Wen Zhuojin added, seeing Yan Qinglan’s gaze fixed on her.

“Fine, you may come with me.” Yan Qinglan paused and said. She was indeed feeling terrible and needed Wen Zhuojin by her side.

Over the past few days, Wen Zhuojin had been quite “obedient.” Apart from being overly enthusiastic in bed and not as gentle and considerate as before, everything else was fine…

Yan Qinglan didn’t say more, simply reaching out her hand. Wen Zhuojin took her cold hand and supported her.

These past few days, Yan Qinglan had been extremely busy.

The notices posted around the imperial city stated that Yan Qi had been assassinated by rebels and was recuperating, with the Princess now overseeing state affairs.

All sorts of matters fell on Yan Qinglan’s shoulders—the remnants of Jiang Xiao’s faction, court officials supporting Yan Qi, the influence of the four consorts’ families, and spies from Northern Qiang and Southern Chu. Many incidents had arisen, all requiring Yan Qinglan’s attention, leaving her no time to rest.

Yan Qinglan rode in a palanquin when she went out, with Wen Zhuojin following on foot.

Once outside, Wen Zhuojin recognized the familiar architecture—they were inside the imperial palace.

These past few days, she had been living within the palace. The palace she and Yan Qinglan stayed in was Yan Qinglan’s former bedchamber, the Zichen Hall.

They went to the Taihe Hall, where many people were already waiting, including someone Wen Zhuojin recognized—Qing Chenning.

When Qing Chenning was about to report to Yan Qinglan, she saw Wen Zhuojin supporting Yan Qinglan as she took her seat on the throne. Qing Chenning was stunned.

That day, after she left, she heard that the Princess had intercepted a merchant group and imprisoned them all in the dungeons.

Qing Chenning had guessed that Wen Zhuojin had been found.

Imprisoning everyone in the dungeons—wasn’t that a death sentence?

Yet here she was, seeing Wen Zhuojin.

Wen Zhuojin wasn’t dressed as a maid. Her attire was simple but made of extremely precious materials. This was no death sentence—it was more like living in luxury!

Qing Chenning couldn’t wrap her head around their current relationship.

It must be beneficial for her; otherwise, she would have been punished long ago.

The more harmonious their relationship, the better.

“Princess, several disciples of the criminal Li Cangping have joined forces with some failed scholars and renowned scholars outside, slandering Your Highness. They believe the charges against Li Cangping were fabricated by you and are demanding justice for him. The number of these people is large, and some are highly respected. Arresting them might provoke greater discontent among the scholars.”

“From interrogating the Southern Chu spies, we’ve learned that they have a long-embedded mole in the palace, to be used only in dire situations. If this is true, Your Highness may be in danger within the palace.”

“In the past few days, a flood in Yanzhou has left tens of thousands homeless. We implore Your Highness to quickly allocate disaster relief funds and send people to assist.”

Wen Zhuojin stood to the side as people reported to Yan Qinglan.

Yan Qinglan was clearly uncomfortable, but she sat upright, making decisions swiftly and decisively.

Wen Zhuojin could clearly sense that Yan Qinglan’s thinking was sharp and resolute.

Li Cangping was the former Prime Minister of Northern Jin. Wen Zhuojin had known that Yan Qinglan had arrested him.

Listening to the reports, she now learned that Li Cangping was also part of Jiang Xiao’s faction, though he appeared neutral. He had secretly accepted large sums of money from Jiang Xiao, which was why he hadn’t been implicated in the scholars’ case. Instead, he had gained even more prestige by pretending to advocate for those scholars.

After Jiang Xiao’s arrest, he had tried to collude with Southern Chu to rescue her, which led to his capture by Yan Qinglan.

Yan Qinglan had exposed this hypocrite’s true nature, only to be attacked by the scholars.

This Prime Minister Li was not a man of virtue—he deserved his punishment.

Watching Yan Qinglan handle these matters, Wen Zhuojin realized that Yan Qinglan was truly dedicated to managing state affairs.

Back when Yan Qinglan had managed her household, those tasks were trivial in comparison.

At that time, Wen Zhuojin would praise Yan Qinglan lavishly for even the smallest gestures.

After handling affairs for over an hour, Yan Qinglan stood up to change clothes but could barely stand, her entire body leaning on Wen Zhuojin’s supporting hand.

When Wen Zhuojin helped Yan Qinglan to the back of the hall, Yan Qinglan grabbed her hand.

Wen Zhuojin’s hands rested on Yan Qinglan’s abdomen and back, transferring warmth to her.