Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 131

The autumn air was crisp and refreshing, and the four-horse carriage moved steadily along the official road.

When Wen Zhuojin leaned in to kiss Yan Qinglan’s soft lips, she felt Yan Qinglan’s body tremble slightly, and her shoulders were gently patted.

“Are you tired? Do you feel like sneaking a kiss during court recess, just like before?” Wen Zhuojin whispered during a brief pause, but as she leaned in again, Yan Qinglan lightly bit her lip. The bite wasn’t hard, just enough to make Wen Zhuojin’s lips tingle, deepening the kiss.

The child between them had been playing for a while and was now drowsy, her eyes struggling to stay open. Her body was held securely by Wen Zhuojin, and she seemed about to fall asleep.

“Sister, I’ll take her to the back of the carriage to sleep…” After the kiss ended, Wen Zhuojin supported Yan Qinglan with one hand, her voice low and husky.

Yan Qinglan was dazed from the kiss, feeling a mix of embarrassment and arousal. It was broad daylight, and they were on an official road!

But Wen Zhuojin’s kissing skills had improved so much that just a moment of it had already stirred Yan Qinglan’s desires.

Yan Qinglan pursed her slightly swollen lips and let out a soft hum of agreement.

Wen Zhuojin was delighted and picked up the child, about to call for the Embroidered Uniform Guard outside to take her away when the child, who had just closed her eyes, suddenly opened them wide. She lifted her head and stretched out her thin arms, blocking Wen Zhuojin and Yan Qinglan. Her already large eyes grew even wider, filled with alertness as she looked around, then let out a series of urgent sounds, as if trying to convey something.

Wen Zhuojin reacted instantly, her expression shifting immediately. All the earlier intimacy vanished as she wrapped her arms around Yan Qinglan and the child, pressing them down below the level of the carriage windows, flattening them against the seats.

Just as she did this, Wen Zhuojin heard the horses neighing and the sound of arrows piercing through the air, striking the carriage.

The wood splintered as if struck by an axe, and the arrowheads pierced through the carriage walls.

Three arrows at a time, each as thick as a baby’s arm—clearly not ordinary arrows.

“Your Majesty, there are assassins…” The voice of the carriage driver came from outside, clearly injured.

The driver and the horses pulling the carriage had been hit, and the carriage, now out of control, sped up abruptly, jolting violently.

The arrows that had pierced the carriage were dangerously close, and along with the smell of bl00d, Wen Zhuojin detected the scent of a potent poison.

Over the past few days, while helping the child identify incense materials, Wen Zhuojin had explained the uses of each material, including those that could be combined to create deadly poisons.

The child must have smelled it too.

Wen Zhuojin’s sense of smell was sharp, but she had been too absorbed in kissing Yan Qinglan, her senses filled with Yan Qinglan’s scent, her mind clouded with desire. It was the drowsy child who had detected the danger first.

Wen Zhuojin only realized something was wrong when she noticed the child’s unusual behavior and acted immediately.

The initial scent had been faint but had intensified rapidly. If they had reacted even a second later, the arrows would have struck them, even inside the carriage.

Being hit would have been bad enough, but the poison would have been even more troublesome, taking effect quickly upon contact with the wound.

Even now, without being injured, just smelling the poison made them feel uneasy.

Wen Zhuojin quickly reached for her pouch, pulling out antidote pills. She handed one to Yan Qinglan, then gave one to the child, and finally took one herself.

“Protect Her Majesty! Is Your Majesty injured?” The voice of an Embroidered Uniform Guard came from outside.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t answer the guard’s question. She gripped Yan Qinglan’s hand tightly, filled with both fear and anger. They had been living peacefully for too long, and her vigilance had weakened.

If Yan Qinglan had been injured or poisoned…

As Wen Zhuojin was lost in her thoughts, she felt a hand brush across her forehead. It was Yan Qinglan, wiping the sweat from her brow.

“It’s alright. We discovered it in time, didn’t we?” Yan Qinglan said softly.

Wen Zhuojin looked at Yan Qinglan. Even in such a situation, Yan Qinglan’s expression remained calm, and she was comforting Wen Zhuojin.

Wen Zhuojin’s fear didn’t subside, but she still managed to smile at Yan Qinglan.

Before Wen Zhuojin could speak, the jolting carriage came to a sudden, heavy stop, lurching forward before halting completely.

Two of the horses pulling the carriage had been hit by arrows and died, while the other two were dragged down, unable to move forward. The carriage continued to shake as the surviving horses struggled.

“Your Majesty, the arrows are poisoned! Be careful!”

“There are assassins! Protect Her Majesty!”

The voice of the lead Embroidered Uniform Guard came from outside, and Wen Zhuojin’s heart sank. The smell of bl00d mixed with the scent of strangers approached rapidly.

The direction from which the arrows had come and the direction of the approaching assassins were different.

They were being attacked from both sides.

The enemy was using long-range attacks followed by close combat, aiming to wipe them out completely!

“Sister, the situation outside is complicated. I brought the Nine-Poison Incense Cannon, but it’s not easy to hand it to someone. The carriage isn’t a good position. I’ll go out and use it. You and the child stay inside and don’t move. There are antidote pills and defensive incense poisons here. Do you remember how to use them…” Wen Zhuojin whispered quickly into Yan Qinglan’s ear, handing her the pouch containing the defensive poisons and antidotes. At the same time, she opened a hidden compartment and took out the improved version of the Nine-Poison Incense Cannon.

“It’s dangerous outside, Let me go!” Yan Qinglan grabbed the box from Wen Zhuojin’s hand.

Yan Qinglan understood Wen Zhuojin’s intention.

This time, she had traveled incognito, and her departure hadn’t been announced. Yet, someone knew their route and had used long-range crossbows. The distance was too great for Wen Zhuojin to detect in time, and the arrows had pierced through the sturdy carriage, clearly a well-planned attack.

The people Yan Qinglan had brought were carefully selected and trustworthy.

But Yan Qinglan had long known that nothing was absolute.

In this world, apart from Wen Zhuojin, no one could be trusted completely.

No matter what she did, Yan Qinglan always prepared for the possibility of betrayal and had contingency plans in place.

The guards were divided into two teams: the visible team and the hidden team. If something went wrong, the hidden team would need some time to arrive.

“Sister, listen to me!” Wen Zhuojin pressed Yan Qinglan down firmly, reaching for the wooden box, only to find it empty.

Wen Zhuojin’s heart sank. At the same time, the child, who had been pinned under her arm, suddenly crawled out of the carriage.

“Come back!” Wen Zhuojin shouted urgently, trying to grab her, but the child was small and quick. In just a breath, she was out of the carriage.

What was the child planning to do with the item she had taken?

Wen Zhuojin hadn’t yet fully assessed the child’s character. The Nine-Poison Incense Cannon was well-known in Northern Jin, and each one was extremely valuable.

If the child took it, with her abilities, she might be able to replicate it!

If she had any connection to the assassins, it would be even more dangerous.

Most importantly, Yan Qinglan had just started to show her kindness, and if the child betrayed them now, it would be another blow to Yan Qinglan.

But just moments ago, the child had detected the poison and her first reaction had been to protect them, which made Wen Zhuojin doubt that the child would do something treacherous.

“Take another box, and let’s go out together!” Yan Qinglan said quickly, leaving no room for Wen Zhuojin to refuse.

Wen Zhuojin looked at Yan Qinglan’s expression and felt a pang of worry. She quickly took another box from the hidden compartment, along with the launching tool.

At this point, unless she knocked Yan Qinglan unconscious in the carriage, if Wen Zhuojin went out, Yan Qinglan would definitely follow.

Wen Zhuojin prepared both of them, placing antidote pills in their mouths and covering their faces with veils.

From the direction of the arrows, Wen Zhuojin roughly determined the location of the assassins. She listened carefully to the sounds outside before cautiously peeking out.

She didn’t see the child but noticed the Embroidered Uniform Guards surrounding the carriage, blocking the incoming arrows.

In addition to the heavy arrows, which came in groups of three at intervals, there were also ordinary arrows, more densely packed.

The guards blocked most of the arrows.

Wen Zhuojin assessed the situation and, taking advantage of the brief pause before the next volley of heavy arrows, quickly led Yan Qinglan out of the carriage, moving in the opposite direction of the arrow rain.

A few stray arrows whistled through the air. Wen Zhuojin instinctively moved to shield Yan Qinglan, but she saw a flash of sword light as Yan Qinglan deflected the arrows with her sword. The movement was so fast that before Wen Zhuojin could react, Yan Qinglan had already pulled her to the side of the carriage.

Pressing their backs against the carriage, Wen Zhuojin looked at Yan Qinglan, who held a long sword, her expression cold and fierce, and took a deep breath.

Her beautiful sister was usually so gentle that Wen Zhuojin often forgot how skilled she was with a sword, how she had once fought on the battlefield and personally slain enemies.

“I’ll do it!” Yan Qinglan said to Wen Zhuojin, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Wen Zhuojin hesitated for a moment, but seeing the seriousness in Yan Qinglan’s eyes, she obediently prepared the weapon for her.

Wen Zhuojin’s improved Nine-Poison Incense Cannon was much smaller than before and easier to use. It no longer required a catapult for launching. In addition to the original nine poisonous incense materials, gunpowder had been added, with a fuse that could be lit to explode. The range was slightly larger than the original, but the toxicity near the center remained just as potent.

Later, Wen Zhuojin had someone replicate the structure of a musket to create a launching tool, which, when paired with the improved Nine-Poison Incense Cannon, was extremely powerful.

Since Wen Zhuojin had developed it, its use had been strictly controlled, and only she could produce it.

Every single cannon used was meticulously recorded.

It was precisely because of the Nine-Poison Incense Cannon that Yan Qinglan hadn’t immediately fled on horseback.

But Yan Qinglan’s strength was limited, and the recoil from firing the cannon once would likely be too much for her to handle.

That was why Wen Zhuojin had hesitated earlier.

Wen Zhuojin prepared the cannon for Yan Qinglan, helping her adjust her sword and handing her the iron launching tool. She supported Yan Qinglan from the side, doing her best to assist.

“Make way!” Wen Zhuojin commanded, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards blocking the front immediately cleared a path.

Before Wen Zhuojin could light the fuse, she heard an explosion from the direction of the archers, followed by a cloud of smoke.

It was the effect of the Nine-Poison Incense Cannon.

“It’s the child! She ran over there!” Wen Zhuojin was shocked by the scene.

Not only did the child have no connection to the assassins, but she had also taken the Nine-Poison Incense Cannon to attack them!

Yan Qinglan also paused, looking in that direction.

Over the past few days, she had been kind to the child, mostly out of pity. She hadn’t fully trusted her.

When the child had snatched the box from Wen Zhuojin’s hand earlier, Yan Qinglan’s heart had sunk. She hadn’t expected the child to risk her life to attack the assassins.

Now, she couldn’t help but worry about the child’s safety, scanning the area for any sign of her.

But the archers were hidden among trees and tall grass, and the child’s small frame was completely obscured, making her impossible to see.

The arrows stopped flying, clearly affected by the poison.

“Guard Five, take a team and check that area. Find the child and bring her back!” Yan Qinglan ordered one of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, who immediately obeyed.

Yan Qinglan then turned her attention to the assassins approaching from the other direction.

Wen Zhuojin had the guards clear another path so Yan Qinglan could adjust her position.

Before Wen Zhuojin could help Yan Qinglan get into position, she felt all of Yan Qinglan’s weight shift onto her shoulder. Almost simultaneously, without any time to react, Wen Zhuojin handed the sword she was holding to Yan Qinglan.

In the next moment, Wen Zhuojin saw Yan Qinglan use the sword to deflect several hidden arrows, then swiftly strike down a guard in front of her with precision.

Wen Zhuojin immediately realized that the suspected traitor had revealed themselves. She swung the long iron tube she was holding.

The other guards reacted quickly, stepping in to help, and soon had the traitor under control.

After that, Wen Zhuojin didn’t let Yan Qinglan help anymore. Her aim wasn’t perfect, but the general direction was correct. She fired several shots, covering the area thoroughly.

After a series of explosions, the assassins on horseback were thrown into chaos.

It seemed like the crisis on both sides had been resolved, but Yan Qinglan remained vigilant.

“I deserve death for failing to notice a traitor among us!” The leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guards knelt before Yan Qinglan.

“You are guilty of negligence!” Yan Qinglan said coldly, her expression stern and her eyes flashing with anger, exuding immense pressure.

Wen Zhuojin was filled with fear, worried that she hadn’t protected Yan Qinglan well enough. Yan Qinglan, at this moment, felt similarly. The hidden arrows were standard equipment for the guards. If one had hit Wen Zhuojin at close range, what would they have done?

Wen Zhuojin could tell what Yan Qinglan was thinking from her expression. Without caring about the many people watching, she reached out and took Yan Qinglan’s slightly cold hand.

Over the past few years, Yan Qinglan had improved a lot, but now that a traitor had been discovered among her trusted guards, it was unclear if it would make her more sensitive and suspicious, feeling less secure.

This matter definitely needed to be thoroughly investigated.

Most of the guards stayed behind to maintain the defense, while two teams were sent to deal with the poisoned individuals on both sides.

After a while, several guards returned, bringing the child with them.

This made both Wen Zhuojin and Yan Qinglan breathe a sigh of relief.