Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 117

Wen Zhuojin thought she was dreaming, but the pain in her back quickly brought her back to reality.

She wanted to say something, but the bl00d in her mouth made it difficult to speak. She first spat out the accumulated bl00d, which looked even more terrifying than the small trickle of bl00d that had seeped from the corner of her mouth while she was unconscious.

Yan Qinglan, who had just been relieved to see Wen Zhuojin open her eyes, was immediately frightened again when she saw her vomiting bl00d.

The feeling of impending loss was even stronger than when she had learned of Wen Zhuojin’s departure. It felt like an irreversible fate, gripping her throat and suffocating her.

“Quick, examine her! If you do well, you’ll be rewarded. If not, you’ll be executed!”

Wen Zhuojin, uncomfortable with the metallic taste of bl00d in her mouth, wanted to ask for water to rinse it out when she heard Yan Qinglan’s icy voice.

“…” Wen Zhuojin looked up at Yan Qinglan. The woman who had been crying pitifully just moments ago now exuded a fierce aura. The imperial yellow robe she wore added to her imposing presence, making her appear intimidating.

Several trembling imperial doctors were summoned to examine Wen Zhuojin.

By now, the embroidered envoys had brought them to the Imperial Medical Bureau, where several doctors were called to attend to Wen Zhuojin.

“Your Majesty, this young lady is not seriously injured. The bl00d she vomited was stagnant bl00d…” an elderly doctor said after taking Wen Zhuojin’s pulse.

“You call this ‘not seriously injured’? How many people in the Imperial Medical Bureau still tell the truth? Take him away!” Yan Qinglan said coldly.

“…” Wen Zhuojin’s heart raced as she listened to Yan Qinglan. She reached out and grabbed Yan Qinglan’s wrist, fearing that if she didn’t intervene, the doctors attending to her would all be executed.

Wen Zhuojin had a rough idea of her condition. Having spent time with Zheng Qianqin, she knew a bit about medicine. While it looked serious, she had only suffered some internal injuries and mostly external wounds. It really wasn’t a big deal.

“Ah Zhuo, what do you want?” Yan Qinglan turned to Wen Zhuojin, her expression softening into one of delicate sorrow.

“I want a bowl of water…” Wen Zhuojin struggled to speak, finally managing to get the words out. The metallic taste of bl00d in her mouth was overwhelming.

Yan Qinglan hurriedly brought water to Wen Zhuojin and helped her sit up.

After rinsing her mouth, Wen Zhuojin felt a bit better.

“…Ah Zhuo, don’t worry. I will find the best doctors to treat you. If the imperial doctors here are no good, I will find others…” Yan Qinglan said.

Hearing the tearful tone in Yan Qinglan’s voice and seeing her anxious expression, Wen Zhuojin noticed that the colors and patterns on Yan Qinglan’s robe now seemed softer and more gentle.

At this moment, Yan Qinglan’s emotions were extreme, and she appeared very fragile.

Wen Zhuojin sensed that something was off with Yan Qinglan’s emotions, as if the residual poison had been triggered, causing her to lose control.

Was it because of her fainting earlier that Yan Qinglan had been so affected?

Wen Zhuojin suddenly realized something: perhaps Yan Qinglan had only hidden her identity and had never been acting. Yan Qinglan was both the delicate beauty who evoked her pity and the cold-blooded ruler who instilled fear in her…

Was it possible that these two extreme personalities were both real parts of her?

“Everyone else, leave!” Wen Zhuojin said, gripping Yan Qinglan’s wrist tightly.

The treatment was paused. Regardless of who Yan Qinglan was, Wen Zhuojin wanted to confirm a few things first.

At Wen Zhuojin’s words, the imperial doctors and embroidered envoys in the room all looked at Yan Qinglan.

“Everyone, leave!” Yan Qinglan ordered.

As soon as Yan Qinglan spoke, everyone quickly exited.

“…I’ve called for doctor Mo and doctor Zheng. Don’t be afraid, you’ll be fine…” Once everyone had left, Yan Qinglan hugged Wen Zhuojin, her voice trembling with anxiety and fear despite her words of reassurance.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t have the strength to support herself and leaned entirely into Yan Qinglan’s arms, which held her firmly.

“Sister, I heard you say earlier that as long as I wake up, I can go wherever I want. The emperor’s words are not to be taken lightly, right?” Wen Zhuojin asked softly.

“No, you can’t leave…” Yan Qinglan’s lips trembled as she spoke, her expression stern.

“Do you want me to die, or do you want me to leave?” Wen Zhuojin asked.

Yan Qinglan looked at Wen Zhuojin, her eyelashes and shoulders trembling.

“…If you want to leave, then go.” Yan Qinglan finally said, her expression turning ashen as she lowered her head. From Wen Zhuojin’s angle, she could see large tears falling.

“Why do you want to leave? Why can’t you stay… Ah Zhuo, please don’t abandon me…”

Wen Zhuojin’s heart trembled at the weak, pleading voice. This was the most pitiful and helpless person in the world!

Her beautiful sister cared for her, needed her, and didn’t want to hurt her.

She was truly delicate and pitiful.

Wen Zhuojin couldn’t help but reach out and touch Yan Qinglan’s face. The cool skin and hot tears sent a sensation straight to her heart.

At this moment, Wen Zhuojin only wanted to hold her tightly, comfort her, and stop her from being sad.

However, while the palm of her hand felt soft flesh, the back of her hand felt like iron thorns.

“Sister, stop crying for now. I need to ask you something. Why did you arrest my uncle’s family and throw them into the dungeon? Even if my uncle misjudged someone, it shouldn’t warrant being thrown into the dungeon, right? He had just returned to the capital after being demoted and hadn’t done anything. Moreover, you even arrested my aunt, cousins, and younger brothers. Was it to pressure me, or do you truly believe they committed serious crimes worthy of collective punishment? Be honest with me, don’t lie.” Wen Zhuojin pushed aside her own thoughts, lifted Yan Qinglan’s chin, and looked into her eyes as she asked.

“I didn’t want to punish them. Someone leaked the news that you are the detoxifying leaf female doctor Ye. They couldn’t find you, so they went after your family… I know how much you care for your uncle’s family, so I had them arrested and placed in the dungeon for protection. I also wanted to use them to make you stay.” Yan Qinglan said in a low voice, her tone filled with grievance.

“Are they still there? Lady Li said she would help me rescue them. Did her people succeed?” Wen Zhuojin asked.

“They’re still there. The dungeon was intentionally left with vulnerabilities, and anyone trying to rescue them has been captured.” Yan Qinglan replied.

Hearing that her uncle’s family was still safe, Wen Zhuojin breathed a sigh of relief.

Given the cruel methods of the Southern Chu, she feared that things would have turned out worse if they had been rescued.

“What about the people from the Marquis’s residence? Why weren’t any of them arrested?” Wen Zhuojin asked again.

“The Marquis’s residence has been under surveillance. They were used as bait, and we’ve caught several people this way. No one was hurt.” Yan Qinglan said.

“…” Wen Zhuojin fell silent, realizing that Yan Qinglan had a clear distinction between those close to her and those who were not.

“Ah Zhuo, you were injured while saving me earlier. You still care for me as you did before, don’t you? Please don’t leave, okay?” Yan Qinglan’s voice sounded like a soft sob.

When Wen Zhuojin had saved Yan Qinglan, her mind had been blank, driven purely by instinct. The only thought that had sustained her was the need to protect Yan Qinglan and ensure she wasn’t hurt.

Now, hearing Yan Qinglan’s question, Wen Zhuojin smiled bitterly. She had always wanted to escape, always felt that the cold-blooded, decisive princess only inspired fear, not affection. Yet, at the critical moment, she had still chosen to protect her.

Now, hearing her voice and feeling her tears wet her palm, Wen Zhuojin’s heart softened.

The biggest hidden worry had been resolved. The soft flesh in her palm was something she truly cherished and loved to the core, while the thorns were something she genuinely feared and disliked.

But even if the person before her was a giant porcupine that could pierce her a thousand times, she was willing to try for the sake of that softness.

How would she know if she would truly be pierced a thousand times if she didn’t try?

Wen Zhuojin reached out to hug Yan Qinglan, but the movement tugged at her wounds, causing her to gasp in pain and start coughing. Within moments, her face turned red.

“Embroidered envoys, open the door! doctors, come in! Ah Zhuo, until doctor Mo and doctor Zheng arrive, if they don’t treat you properly, I’ll…” Yan Qinglan’s voice was filled with urgency.

“…” Wen Zhuojin took a moment to catch her breath, then reached out to touch Yan Qinglan’s cheek, trying to calm her and pull her back from the edge of emotional collapse.

Wen Zhuojin remembered that Yan Qinglan’s previous illness had been concealed by the Imperial Medical Bureau, which was why she distrusted the imperial doctors and had doubted their diagnosis earlier.

“Alright, I trust you, Ah Zhuo…” Yan Qinglan, comforted by Wen Zhuojin’s words, immediately softened like a cat whose fur had been smoothed.

Seeing Yan Qinglan’s expression, Wen Zhuojin felt slightly reassured.

When the imperial doctors and embroidered envoys re-entered, Yan Qinglan no longer appeared furious, though her expression remained cold as she watched everyone.

Several imperial doctors nervously took Wen Zhuojin’s pulse, examined her, and prescribed medicine. By the time they were done, doctor Mo and Zheng Qianqin had arrived.

Doctor Mo was fine, having long known Yan Qinglan’s identity, but Zheng Qianqin was completely unaware. On the way over, she had been anxious, wondering why she, a female doctor, had been summoned to the Imperial Medical Bureau. Who in the bureau had fallen ill that required her expertise?

When she entered the room and saw the scene before her, she was so shocked that she dropped her medical box.

“What… what’s going on here? Have you been arrested, or…?” Zheng Qianqin stammered.

One person was dressed in a luxurious imperial robe, her hair disheveled and covered in soot, while the other was wearing the uniform of an imperial guard, equally disheveled and dirty. Both looked like they had been through a disaster.

“Aunt Zheng, don’t worry. Thank you for coming. I’ll double your fee. I accidentally fell off a horse and have some burns on my back and bruises. Do you have any ready-made medicine?” Wen Zhuojin looked at Zheng Qianqin and asked.

“You… again? Yes, I have some ready-made medicine. Here, use this first.” Zheng Qianqin wanted to scold Wen Zhuojin but felt something was off and held back, quickly picking up her medical box to show Wen Zhuojin.

Knowing about the issues with the Imperial Medical Bureau, Wen Zhuojin didn’t use their medicine and instead used Zheng Qianqin’s.

The diagnoses from several people were similar, and in the end, Wen Zhuojin used Zheng Qianqin’s prepared medicine—internal medicine to treat the internal bleeding and external ointment for her back.

Yan Qinglan didn’t let Zheng Qianqin leave immediately and arranged for her to stay in the Imperial Medical Bureau. When they were alone, Yan Qinglan applied the medicine to Wen Zhuojin.

Wen Zhuojin removed her upper garment, revealing her back.

The once smooth and beautiful skin was now red and swollen, with some areas forming blisters. Yan Qinglan’s hands trembled as she applied the medicine.

If Wen Zhuojin hadn’t been wearing the thick uniform of an imperial guard and the protective helmet, her injuries might have been even worse.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t hear Yan Qinglan speak, nor did she feel the touch of the medicine on her back. When she turned to look, she saw Yan Qinglan’s tear-filled eyes gazing at her back.

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault that you were hurt.” Yan Qinglan said softly, sensing Wen Zhuojin’s gaze.

“Sister, these injuries are just superficial. They’ll heal in a few days. You don’t need to apologize. It was my own doing. I wanted to use the Southern Chu people to escape, but I didn’t expect them to be so ruthless.” Wen Zhuojin said.

“No, their ultimate target was me. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been involved. Even without you, they would have found another way to trap me. Perhaps I really shouldn’t have forced you. Once your injuries have healed a bit, you should leave. Otherwise, there will be more danger in the future.” Yan Qinglan seemed to have calmed down a bit, her earlier loss of control subsiding. Her words were more measured now, but her emotions seemed even more subdued.

Wen Zhuojin, who had just been thinking about staying, was taken aback by Yan Qinglan’s suggestion that she leave. She moved closer to Yan Qinglan.

“Are you serious? Would you really let me go? Don’t tell me you’ll change your mind after I’ve taken a few steps and come after me again?” Wen Zhuojin asked softly.

“…Ah Zhuo, I… I can’t bear to let you go…” Yan Qinglan choked up, tears streaming down her face.

Wen Zhuojin looked at Yan Qinglan and sighed softly. She reached out to support the back of Yan Qinglan’s head and leaned in to kiss her lips.