Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 44

At the merchant house of the Dashi Kingdom, Wen Zhuojin, accompanied by Odesse dressed in Dashi attire, was selecting incense materials.

With Odesse, a native of the Dashi Kingdom, and a bit of silver, Wen Zhuojin quickly gained access to the merchant house and secured the opportunity to choose incense materials.

Previously, she had mostly purchased incense materials from official stores, and some that were unavailable there she acquired through Zheng Qianqin’s connections. However, the quality and variety were often limited.

This Dashi merchant house was backed by a large trading fleet, offering a wide range of incense materials in various grades. Compared to the official stores, the prices here were significantly lower for the same quality.

Thinking about how much silver she had overpaid at the official stores, Wen Zhuojin felt a pang of regret.

Seeing the affordable incense materials, Wen Zhuojin couldn’t resist the urge to buy in bulk.

Odesse knew several popular Dashi methods of incense-making, and with the newly purchased materials, they could experiment further.

“If we had our own trading fleet, wouldn’t the costs be even lower?” Wen Zhuojin whispered to Odesse.

“Wenwen, first you’d need to buy ships, which would cost a lot of silver. Then you’d need a guard to protect them—pirates are a real threat on the seas. Otherwise, how do you think I ended up in the Imperial Music Bureau?” Odesse shrugged.

Wen Zhuojin coughed lightly and decided to drop the subject.

For now, she needed to focus on running her shops well. Once she had more silver, she could consider training her own guards. Otherwise, even if she earned a lot, she wouldn’t be able to protect it, and it would all be for nothing.

If only she could find a partner with strong martial skills, loyalty, and a high status in Northern Jin, that would be ideal.

Wen Zhuojin thought about the people she had met so far but couldn’t think of anyone who fit the bill.

“Miss, once you’ve selected the incense materials, please note them down, and the shopkeeper will discuss the details with you. Please follow me to the private room to wait,” the merchant house attendant said, leading Wen Zhuojin inside.

Odesse, as a servant, was not allowed to enter the private room and waited outside.

Wen Zhuojin had already familiarized herself with the process here. There was indeed a procedure for negotiating prices based on the quantity purchased, so she didn’t think much of it.

She also wanted to speak with the merchant house owner to discuss a potential partnership, aiming for a stable, long-term supply of incense materials and early notifications of any new products.

When Wen Zhuojin entered the private room, no one was there yet, so she waited.

After a few moments, she began to feel something was off.

The room was filled with the scent of burning incense, which was common in an incense materials shop, but the aroma was unusual—not the ordinary kind. It felt familiar.

Wen Zhuojin suddenly remembered: the scent contained ingredients similar to the aphrodisiac incense she had once obtained from the Fragrance Hall.

It must be something similar.

Wen Zhuojin immediately covered her nose and mouth, stood up, and headed for the door.

But just as she reached it, the door was pushed open from the outside. A man holding a folding fan entered, giving her a smug and flirtatious smile.

“Miss Wen, we meet again. What a coincidence,” the man said with a grin.

Wen Zhuojin vaguely recognized him. He seemed to be the son of the wife of Prince Anqing—the heir of Prince Anqing, whom she had seen earlier that day!

His intentions were clearly malicious.

Wen Zhuojin had no intention of engaging in conversation with him.

“Move!” she said, charging forward and kicking at him.

However, the man seemed to have some martial skills and managed to block her sudden attack.

“Miss Wen, you are indeed different from ordinary women!” the man said, stepping further into the room as his guards closed the door behind him.

Wen Zhuojin took a few steps back, cold sweat forming on her forehead.

When dealing with Shen Yuque, she had caught him off guard and had the leisure to light a sedative incense. But this man was clearly prepared.

The man before her was taller and stronger, and with his guards present, the situation was dire. Even though Wen Zhuojin had covered her nose and mouth and tried to control her breathing, she had still inhaled some of the incense in the room. A faint, uncomfortable warmth was beginning to spread through her body.

“Miss Wen, you can scream all you want. Let everyone know that we’re alone together in this room. Ah, what a shame—a young, unmarried woman, always out in public like this. It’s not proper. My mother tried to help you, but you refused. So, I had no choice but to come myself. Miss Wen, don’t resist unnecessarily. It’ll be easier for everyone if you just cooperate…”

The heir of Prince Anqing stepped closer, forcing Wen Zhuojin to retreat until her back was against the window.

“Stop! Wait! Your Highness, this is completely improper! You’re a member of the imperial clan—how can you act like this?” Wen Zhuojin spoke quickly, her mind racing for a solution.

The door was blocked by his guards.

If he had gone so far as to light the aphrodisiac incense here, he must have bribed the people in charge.

They were on the second floor. The window seemed like it could be opened—should she jump?

Wen Zhuojin’s scalp tingled with fear, but the thought of the man approaching her made her feel even more disgusted.

“Miss Wen, is it proper for you to be out in public running a business? What does propriety mean to people like us? Today, you’re outmatched. Just give in. From now on, we’ll work together, and the Prince’s household will give you the respect you deserve. Am I not a worthy match for you?” The man smirked and reached out to grab her hand.

“Your Highness, you’re right. You are indeed charming and dashing… Actually, I…” Wen Zhuojin spoke distractedly as she reached into her sleeve and flung a handful of scented powder at him.

Without waiting to see the effect, she turned, opened the window, and climbed out.

The second floor was about twice her height from the ground, with a ledge in between.

Wen Zhuojin grabbed the windowsill, dropped onto the ledge, and then slid down, using her height to reduce the distance before jumping to the ground.

Fortunately, her experience climbing walls and trees paid off, and she managed to land relatively smoothly.

However, her leg hit the ground awkwardly, and a sharp pain shot through her.

Ignoring the pain, Wen Zhuojin steadied herself, glanced around, and quickly ran in the direction of the main street.

The back of the merchant house led to an alley, and Wen Zhuojin wanted to reach the bustling street as soon as possible.

The heir of Prince Anqing had said she was outmatched, and Wen Zhuojin had to admit he was right.

Lately, she had relied on her status as a registered disciple of Jiang Xiao, and people had treated her with respect wherever she went.

At her own shops, she was surrounded by her own people, so safety had never been an issue.

Today, she had come to this external merchant house with too few attendants. She should have brought Zirong, who was strong and reliable.

She had been careless.

She hadn’t expected that people would resort to such underhanded tactics just to get their hands on her silver.

It seemed that forming her own guard was indeed a priority.

At the very least, she needed a few highly skilled guards by her side.

Upstairs, the man, temporarily blinded by the scented powder, regained his vision just in time to see Wen Zhuojin jumping down from the window.

Seeing her escape, his interest only grew. He immediately called his guards and, with their help, climbed out the window to chase after her.

Wen Zhuojin hadn’t run far down the alley before her steps began to falter.

Even though she had covered her nose and mouth, she had still inhaled some of the incense. Combined with the exertion of jumping and running, her bl00d felt like it was boiling, her cheeks flushed, and her vision blurred as if a haze had settled over her eyes.

Unwanted thoughts began to surface.

Images from secret erotic paintings she had seen flashed in her mind.

Fantasies of her and Yan Qinglan entangled together resurfaced.

All Wen Zhuojin could think of was her beloved sister—she wanted to see her as soon as possible!

Gasping for breath, her mind fixated on this single thought.

Her stumbling body, driven by sheer willpower, pushed forward with all its strength.

But before she could run far, someone blocked her path.

Wen Zhuojin’s eyes burned with frustration at the person standing in her way.

“My, my, Miss Wen, you’re quite impressive. Jumping from the second floor—truly a paragon of virtue. I admire you even more now,” the heir of Prince Anqing said coolly.

Wen Zhuojin tried to turn and run, but she found her path blocked from behind as well.

“Aren’t you afraid of what my master will do?” Wen Zhuojin asked, her voice trembling.

“Master Jiang Xiao is still a mortal. If you’re already mine, do you think she’ll force us apart? Your parents would be thrilled for you to marry into my family,” the heir said, stepping closer and grabbing Wen Zhuojin’s arm.

“Enough. I know businesspeople value profit. Being with me won’t be a loss for you,” he added, pulling Wen Zhuojin along.

Wen Zhuojin followed for a few steps, but the effects of the aphrodisiac incense grew stronger.

She absolutely could not go with this man.

Wen Zhuojin had come out dressed in women’s clothing and hadn’t brought her belt, but she still had a hairpin.

As they reached a crossroads in the alley, Wen Zhuojin yanked the hairpin from her hair and stabbed it into the heir’s arm.

He cried out in pain and let go, allowing Wen Zhuojin to bolt down another alley.

This time, she ran even faster, pushing herself to her limits.

Every breath burned her throat and lungs.

Perhaps because her mind was so fixated on her beloved sister, Wen Zhuojin thought she caught a faint whiff of a familiar, cool fragrance.

How… how could that be?

Her beloved sister was in Wujiu Lane, a carriage ride of at least an incense stick’s time away from here.

Wen Zhuojin shook her head, convinced she was hallucinating.

The footsteps behind her grew closer. Her strength was fading, and she was slowing down, but instinctively, she turned toward the direction of that familiar scent.

As she drew nearer to the source of the fragrance, Wen Zhuojin collided with someone. Already exhausted from running, she stumbled and fell to the ground. The pursuers caught up.

“Sister…” Wen Zhuojin groaned in pain as she hit the ground. The effects of the incense grew stronger, and she felt as if her beloved sister were right in front of her. Overwhelmed with frustration and trembling, she called out.

The person Wen Zhuojin had bumped into was a tall man, standing protectively beside a woman wearing a veiled hat.

“We’re guards from the Prince Anqing’s household. This is our mischievous maid. Thank you for stopping her!” one of the pursuers said, cupping his hands in a gesture of thanks. He then bent down to pull Wen Zhuojin up.

“Seize them!” a cold voice came from the veiled woman.

The man beside her immediately stepped forward and subdued the Prince Anqing’s guard with a single move, pinning him to the ground.

The veiled woman crouched down, as if trying to hear more clearly.

“Sister, sister…” Wen Zhuojin’s familiar voice reached her ears. The woman’s pale fingers trembled slightly as she reached out, only to have her cold hand grasped by a warm one.

“No, sister, run! It’s dangerous! Don’t… don’t worry about me…” Wen Zhuojin, realizing she had grabbed her beloved sister, felt a momentary surge of joy before the sense of danger returned. She let go, tears in her voice, and pushed the woman away.

“How dare you lay hands on someone from the Prince Anqing’s household! Release them at once!” a voice shouted. It was the heir himself, who had finally caught up.

“Tie them up,” the veiled woman said calmly.

In moments, both the heir of Prince Anqing and his guard were bound and gagged.