Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 3

Wen Zhuojin didn’t get to enjoy her steaming hot soup noodles until the evening, during the Xu hour.

After the imperial guards appeared, claiming there was an assassin, everyone in the Hall of Blessings was thoroughly searched, down to their personal belongings.

Among the crowd were high-ranking officials and nobles, yet they were searched all the same without exception.

Wen Zhuojin had brought many items, most of which were carried by Zirong. When the guards were inspecting her belongings, a box of scented biscuits fell to the ground, her spare gilded sachet was crushed, and the snow she had collected from plum blossoms into a water pouch was roughly dumped out by the boorish guards.

“All my fault for being useless! That was your favorite sachet…” Zirong was still holding the flattened sachet, tears streaming down her face, as Wen Zhuojin ate after the ordeal.

“It can be repaired. I’ll just deduct the repair cost from your monthly allowance. How about that?” Wen Zhuojin said as she patted the young maid on the head.

“Deal, deal!” Zirong replied immediately. Only then did her guilt and sadness ease a little.

“You’re so quick to cry, needing the young lady to comfort you. Useless. Go and prepare her bathwater at once,” Baitan, another maid, approached and scolded. Zirong blushed and quickly left to carry out her duties.

“Young lady, would you like some more refreshments?” Baitan asked Wen Zhuojin gently, her voice soft and her gaze full of tenderness.

Wen Zhuojin was always exceptionally kind to her servants.

Thinking of how her delicate young mistress had endured such a fright and grievance today, Baitan was even more careful in attending to her.

“I’m fine,” Wen Zhuojin replied with a smile as she glanced at Baitan.

Baitan felt that her young mistress truly seemed like a celestial being descended from the heavens.

As Wen Zhuojin sipped her tea, her expression momentarily grew serious.

The imperial guards claimed there was an assassin, but the scale of their actions made it seem more like they were searching for something. It seemed they weren’t just missing someone but something as well.

What kind of item could make the imperial guards think it might be hidden in a mere sachet or water pouch?

The imperial guards were under the jurisdiction of the Eldest Princess, so whatever was lost was likely hers as well.

If she was truly the reincarnation of the Heavenly Goddess, how could she possibly lose something?

Wen Zhuojin idly entertained the thought, her lips curling into a faint smirk, somewhat gloating at the situation.

The affairs of these nobles had little to do with her as long as they didn’t interfere with her current life.

While she was trapped in the Hall of Blessings by the imperial guards, Wen Zhuojin came up with an idea.

Since these people believed so devoutly in the Heavenly Goddess, why not use the Heavenly Goddess’s name to dissolve her engagement with the Rongguo Heir?

The people of Heavenly Xuan Temple could easily be bribed with silver—if they could fabricate incense omens, then fabricating matching horoscopes should be even simpler.

Thinking of this, Wen Zhuojin’s mood brightened.

She decided she’d visit Heavenly Xuan Temple again another day, bring more silver, and also take the opportunity to search for the pink-faced shy flowers.

The only issue was figuring out how much silver it would take to convince those people to help her.

After all, she had recently spent quite a bit on incense materials and didn’t have much loose silver left.

“Earlier today, the Countess of Changyuan sent a box of items for you, saying they were for your amusement. Would you like to look at them now or wait until tomorrow?” Just as Wen Zhuojin was deep in thought, Nanny Jiang approached to ask.

“Bring it here now!” As soon as Wen Zhuojin’s thoughts returned, she immediately instructed Nanny Jiang to bring the items over.

Wen Zhuojin opened the box and took a look. Inside were not only beautifully crafted velvet flower ornaments but also glass lanterns and small jade carvings, each exquisitely made.

Her uncle’s family had three sons but no daughters. Since Wen Zhuojin had lost her mother at a young age, they had always doted on her the most.

Whenever they had anything good, Wen Zhuojin was given priority.

Happily playing with the items for a while, Wen Zhuojin instructed Qinggui to help prepare a return gift for her aunt, planning to visit her uncle’s house the next day.

“What a pity that the Changyuan Earl’s family wasn’t chosen by the Heavenly Goddess to offer incense and prayers,” Nanny Jiang sighed, feeling regretful for them after seeing how well her aunt treated Wen Zhuojin.

Wen Zhuojin thought to herself, thankfully, they hadn’t gone.

Currently, the political factions at court could be divided into the “Skeptics of Supernatural” group and the “Heavenly Goddess Devotees” of the Heavenly Xuan Sect.

Her uncle, the Changyuan Earl, firmly belonged to the “Skeptics of Supernatural” group.

Even if the Grand Princess herself had invited his family, he wouldn’t have attended.

Having spent much of her childhood at her uncle’s house and studying alongside her cousins, Wen Zhuojin was also a staunch “Skeptic of Supernatural.”

However, to avoid drawing attention or causing trouble, she kept her stance hidden, pretending to be frail and avoiding social circles, instead dedicating herself to studying the art of incense and enjoying her solitude.

Given today’s events, if her uncle’s family had gone, it would have been troublesome to deal with the poisonous incense.

Seeing that Nanny Jiang was still worried, Wen Zhuojin told her to prepare some incense for her.

With the return gifts for her uncle’s family ready and the bathwater prepared, Wen Zhuojin went to bathe.

Thanks to the underfloor heating, the room was pleasantly warm, and Wen Zhuojin enjoyed a relaxing soak in the bath.

Outside, the snow continued to fall. The night was deep and cold, piercing to the bone.

Those who had gone to offer incense had long since returned, but squads of imperial guards were still patrolling around the Heavenly Xuan Palace, their range extending all the way into Yun Capital City.

In a secluded side hall within the Heavenly Xuan Palace, the sound of a teacup shattering on the ground echoed as a young woman in palace attire glared in fury.

“Useless! The person escaped, the Golden Fish Talisman wasn’t found—what’s the point of keeping you around? I don’t care what methods you use, even if you have to turn the area upside down, you must find the Golden Fish Talisman. Once you find that person, kill them on sight!”

Her suppressed voice trembled with anger, laced with a hint of fear.

A man dressed in the uniform of an imperial guard officer bowed and retreated.

“Don’t be so angry. With today’s weather, even if she managed to escape, she likely won’t survive. Besides, the incense she inhaled was specially formulated by my master. Without the antidote, she’s nothing but a cripple. Once the addiction sets in, her mind will no longer be clear. You can rest easy.”

A slightly seductive voice came from behind, belonging to a woman dressed in crimson Daoist robes, holding a horsetail whisk, as she approached the woman in palace attire.

“I hope so. But you know as well as I do—she’s no ordinary person. She managed to wound your master and escape. If she survives and regains her strength, everything will be ruined…” The furrow in the palace-clad woman’s brow loosened slightly before tightening again.

“How could that be? Don’t overthink it—how about lighting some calming incense and getting some sleep?” said the woman dressed as a Daoist priestess.

“No, I can’t sleep! We must strike first, sever her wings, and not delay any longer. Let me think… Yes, we’ll use her name to eliminate a group of the righteous faction, and then…” The woman in palace attire stood up, muttering to herself. The Daoist-dressed woman stood silently, listening as she issued instructions.

Meanwhile, Wen Zhuojin had no idea what was happening outside. As she wrung her hair dry, she leaned back against the headboard and sketched with a charcoal pencil.

She had encountered new scents today, some pleasant and others not.

Wen Zhuojin had a habit of recording them, guessing the possible ingredients or combinations, then deciding which materials to procure—or heading to the incense market herself to search.

This time was particularly unique.

She had detected what she believed to be the lovely scent of Shy Blush Flower, as well as the poisonous incense emitted in the Blessing Hall.

Both were mysteries she was eager to solve.

Consulting the Materia Medica and her incense-making notes, she spent some time cross-referencing and recording her observations before finally going to bed.

Perhaps it was the day’s weariness, or maybe the Shy Blush Flower’s fragrance had left too deep an impression, but Wen Zhuojin had a vivid dream.

She dreamed she was back in that same setting, undisturbed by the sound of bells, following the trail of the scent to its source.

It was not the expected sight of a tree in full bloom, but rather a faceless woman.

Her long hair flowed loosely, uncombed, and she wore a simple white dress. Though her features were indiscernible, she exuded an ethereal beauty.

Wen Zhuojin’s heart raced as she slowly approached the woman, straining to make out her face, but it remained shrouded, like a mist.

Just as Wen Zhuojin tried to speak to the woman, she suddenly felt as if she were falling. The sensation jolted her awake.

Opening her eyes, Wen Zhuojin found herself staring at Nanny Jiang’s face.

“Nanny, what happened?!” Wen Zhuojin frowned and asked, pushing aside thoughts of her dream.

Nanny Jiang’s expression was filled with worry and anxiety.

“Miss, something terrible has happened!” Nanny Jiang said, her voice trembling.

Wen Zhuojin sat up straight, listening intently as Nanny Jiang continued.

“Steward Song sent word—today, the Marquis of Changyuan was detained in the palace! Someone accused him of embezzlement and bribery, and this morning, the imperial guards raided the Marquis’s residence and found a chest full of gold! Heavens, what are we going to do?” Nanny Jiang exclaimed, clearly distraught and at a loss.

Nanny Jiang, who had served Wen Zhuojin’s late mother and came from the Marquis’s household, felt an especially deep bond with the family. To her, this calamity was akin to the sky collapsing.

Wen Zhuojin’s expression immediately tightened, and she quickly instructed Baitan and the others to bring her clothes and prepare water so she could freshen up and get dressed.