Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 12

In a quiet room within the Heavenly Xuan Palace, a thin wisp of blue smoke curled from the incense burner. The golden statue of the Heavenly Goddess stood in the smoke, her flowing robes and face somewhat blurred in the mist.

A woman dressed in purple ceremonial robes sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, her expression solemn. Her gaze, however, was fixed on the statue of the Heavenly Goddess, her eyes glowing as if a flame were burning within them.

“Reporting to the Palace Master, a blind woman with iron chains on her feet appeared at the Xiangxiang Pavilion. She stayed for only a few days before someone came to redeem her. The person who redeemed her wore a veil, and appeared to be a young man. The people at the pavilion did not know who he was. They only said that he came to sell private incense and would return again. I have sent people to keep an eye on the pavilion. If he comes again, we will capture him. The woman left under the identity of the wife of Chu Haoting, the Assistant Secretary of the Hanlin Academy, Liu Suniang. Her identity has not yet been recorded in the official records. If she comes to register, we will capture her immediately.”

A person dressed in the light armor of the Imperial Guard, kneeling at the door, spoke in a trembling voice.

The woman sitting cross-legged, holding a whisk, slightly trembled it in her hand. The emotions in her eyes deepened, and her brows furrowed tightly.

“Continue to send more people to search. Check every household and investigate anyone without registered household status,” the woman said in a soft, slightly labored voice.

“Understood, Palace Master,” the man replied, but did not immediately leave.

“Palace Master, may I have this month’s sacred incense? I have been feeling ill recently, and I beg the true immortal to grant me some sacred incense,” the man said, then bowed deeply.

“I will give you half. Get the job done, or don’t come back,” the woman replied coldly, tossing a porcelain bottle to him.

The man hurriedly caught the bottle and bowed again, thanking her.

Once the room fell silent again, the woman raised her hand from the ceremonial robe, revealing her palm and fingers stained a deep crimson.

“You are so heartless. You hurt me and escaped to a brothel, that filthy place. How clean could you be now? When your cravings flare up, will you remember me?”

The female Taoist nun gazed at the statue of the Heavenly Goddess and softly murmured something. Then, frowning, she let out a low groan, her hand once again pressing against her abdomen, her face showing signs of pain.

On the other side, Wen Zhuojin walked down the alley and quickly reached the residence in Wujiao Alley.

As she entered the door, her heart fluttered with excitement at the thought of meeting the person she had been eager to see. However, after taking just a few steps inside, she was struck by the overwhelming scent of bl00d.

Wen Zhuojin hurried into the main room to investigate.

The room was very clean, and nothing appeared to have been broken. However, the person on the bed was curled up in the corner, the bandages on her hands had been torn off, and she was clawing at the bedframe. Bloody streaks marked the frame where her hands had scraped against it. Her already injured fingers were now covered in bl00d.

“Miss, I don’t know what happened… This woman woke up looking as though she was in great discomfort, scratching everywhere…” Jin Rui said to Wen Zhuojin, her voice trembling with fear.

Wen Zhuojin couldn’t immediately tell what had happened, but she quickly stepped forward and lifted the woman who was curled up, stopping her from continuing to scratch the bedframe.

The woman’s breathing was heavy, and as Wen Zhuojin carried her away, she seemed to resist, her body trembling as Wen Zhuojin held her tightly.

“Stop, don’t try to control me!” The woman’s weak voice came through, her face flushed, tears staining her lower eyelids, and her eyelashes trembling.

Wen Zhuojin felt a sharp pain in her heart.

“I won’t, I won’t. No one here will control you.” Wen Zhuojin whispered softly.

Yan Qinglan’s body was still trembling, but her chaotic consciousness began to clear.

It was the scent on Wen Zhuojin that roused her.

The first two times she had woken up, Yan Qinglan had sensed something was wrong, but now the feeling was much clearer.

The scent of Wen Zhuojin had become extraordinarily pleasant at the tip of Yan Qinglan’s nose. As her muddled consciousness cleared, she felt as though she were being seduced, wanting to inhale more of it.

It was as though Wen Zhuojin were a food that could satiate her, a cure that could alleviate some craving in her body.

It was far more rational than the fleeting clarity gained from pain, but there was another force that enticed her mind.

“Your Highness, do you want it? Beg me, and I will give it to you.”

A voice echoed in Yan Qinglan’s mind.

Yan Qinglan resisted.

So, this young girl was going to play that same trick on her?

To get what was on her, to humiliate her, to crush her bones without any scruples.

She would not use that poison again—poison that offered temporary relief but ate away at the very bones.

But whether or not she used it, she knew she no longer had control.

Her body had already stopped resisting, held firmly by the girl.

If the girl forcefully fed her the medicine, she would be unable to refuse.

Would she fall into another cycle?

“Sister, hold on, just bear with it, and it will get better. Don’t be afraid, I’m here. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

The sweet voice of the girl came through, starkly contrasting with the dark, gloomy state of Yan Qinglan’s heart.

Why say such things at this time?

What is she pretending to be?

Also, didn’t she call herself “Madam” before? Why has it turned to “Sister” now?

Yan Qinglan thought in a daze, but before the medicine could be administered, before she could fall deeper into the illusion from the unusual incense that was enveloping her, she instead remained painfully awake.

Unlike the incense poison that person had used on her.

Her body was wrapped in something soft and warm, and a fresh, pleasant scent filled her nostrils, slightly easing the discomfort in her body.

However, it also made Wen Zhuojin’s presence all the more intoxicating to Yan Qinglan.

She wanted to get closer, wanted to press against her skin inch by inch and inhale.

Yan Qinglan buried her face in Wen Zhuojin’s arms, gasping for breath, and low moans escaped her, indicating her discomfort.

Wen Zhuojin inhaled sharply, a strange thought suddenly surfacing. The sounds in her ears felt seductive, and her chest felt as though it were being scratched by a cat’s paw.

Even though she had already recognized her strange feelings and had made the decision to deviate from the norms, this newfound thought still embarrassed her deeply.

Wen Zhuojin bit her tongue to clear her head.

She recalled the records from the incense poison notes and combined them with Yan Qinglan’s current state.

Wen Zhuojin made a conjecture.

“Sister, hang on, it will get better once you endure.”

“Sister, do you know you’ve been poisoned by incense? And it’s an addictive kind of incense poison. Incense poisons that can cause addiction aren’t formed in just one or two days. In the teaching halls and the incense houses, there hasn’t been enough time for that. So, you must have been exposed to the incense poison at home.”

“The person who poisoned you with incense deserves to be punished. They are a bad person. Don’t think about them anymore.”

“Sister, I will find a way to cure the incense poison for you.”

Wen Zhuojin whispered in Yan Qinglan’s ear.

Yan Qinglan could hear the voice and understood the meaning.

For a moment, she couldn’t tell whether the girl’s words were true or false.

The girl’s voice was so “deceptive,”

Like summer fruits full of vibrant life, sweet and pure, making it hard to suspect anything.

She wanted to cure the fragrance poison for herself?

Was that possible?

Whether it could be cured or not, Yan Qinglan couldn’t tell.

She didn’t know what strange fragrance the person holding her had used, but the more she was near the girl, the more she wanted to be close to her.

Her body was hot, and her cheeks flushed along with it.

But she was too weak, and tightly held, struggling with little strength.

“Sister, I know you’re feeling bad. Just hold on, it’ll get better. Be good, it’ll be fine…”

The girl’s voice kept encouraging her, her hand soothing her back, her head rubbing against hers.

Yan Qinglan felt as if her body were a flame, slowly being smothered by the girl.

Wen Zhuojin held Yan Qinglan for over an hour before she felt that Yan Qinglan’s condition had improved somewhat.

Or rather, perhaps she had just run out of energy, completely wilted. Her eyelashes were wet with tears, her face still flushed, and her previously pale lips were now red, marked with bite marks, like a delicate flower ravaged by wind and rain.

Wen Zhuojin merely glanced down and felt her breath catch.

She couldn’t help but think again of the absurd dream where she was close to the woman in front of her.

It was a pity that the memory of that dream had no scent.

At this moment, the woman who had just fought against the fragrance poison in her body was at her weakest, her injuries still untreated.

Wen Zhuojin watched as Yan Qinglan swallowed a few times before placing her on the bed.

As she turned to give instructions, Jin Rui had already placed the medical kit beside her.

“Jin Rui, prepare some easily digestible food,” Wen Zhuojin softly instructed.

Jin Rui responded and, not daring to look any further, turned to carry out the task.

Wen Zhuojin carefully rebandaged the wound on Yan Qinglan’s hand and wiped her cheeks and forehead with a warm cloth.

Without the energy she had earlier, Yan Qinglan appeared very obedient, allowing Wen Zhuojin to take care of her.

When Wen Zhuojin brought a towel to wipe Yan Qinglan’s teeth, she obediently opened her mouth.

Through the towel, Wen Zhuojin could feel the warmth and softness of Yan Qinglan’s mouth.

The delicate pink tongue seemed to be startled, shrinking into a corner, trembling lightly when touched.

Wen Zhuojin felt herself becoming strange again.

Absurd thoughts rose in her mind.

What if, what if it wasn’t a towel, but her own…!