Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 49

Wen Zhuojin wanted to try a new hairpin on Yan Qinglan. As she spoke, she helped Yan Qinglan tie her hair into a simple bun and inserted the jade hairpin into it.

The white jade hairpin accentuated Yan Qinglan’s already snow-like complexion, adding a touch of elegance.

Even with such a simple adornment, Wen Zhuojin felt that Yan Qinglan looked even more beautiful.

She couldn’t help but lean in closer to admire her.

Yan Qinglan could sense Wen Zhuojin’s proximity, and the blurred outline of her face gradually became clearer, allowing her to distinguish the features of her eyes and nose.

“You little brat, do you really need to get this close every time?”

“Sister, you’re so beautiful! What kind of jewelry do you like? Jade, gold, silver, or perhaps rosewood? Do you have any specific patterns in mind? I want to have a whole set of hair accessories made for you. You would look absolutely stunning!”

Yan Qinglan listened to Wen Zhuojin’s words, sensing her enthusiasm for dressing her up.

“A Zhuo, running a shop and earning money is hard work. You don’t need to spend it all on me,” Yan Qinglan said.

“Sister, the money earned from the shop is meant to be spent. What’s the point of saving it? Spending it on you is never a waste!” Wen Zhuojin immediately replied.

“…” Yan Qinglan was slightly moved by Wen Zhuojin’s unwavering response.

This little brat had spent so much money on her without a second thought.

“I’m blind and weak, and I can’t help you much. Yet, you spend so extravagantly on me, which makes me uneasy. When I was at home, I managed the household accounts and took care of the finances. Although I can’t see, I can still handle the accounts if someone reads them to me.”

Yan Qinglan thought for a moment before speaking.

If Wen Zhuojin allowed her to manage the accounts, she would know exactly how much money Wen Zhuojin had and could decide whether or not to use it.

If Wen Zhuojin refused, she would have to think of another way.

Wen Zhuojin, who was standing nearby, listened to Yan Qinglan’s words and gazed intently at her face.

Yan Qinglan’s cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes were half-closed, making her look particularly pitiable.

Wen Zhuojin realized that Yan Qinglan had been staying at home all day with nothing to do, and being blind, she must have been very bored.

Although Wen Zhuojin had arranged for someone to read novels and play the guqin for her, it still wasn’t enough.

From her words, it seemed that Yan Qinglan didn’t want to be simply taken care of; she wanted to do something within her capabilities to help!

Wen Zhuojin leaned in closer and wrapped her arms around Yan Qinglan.

Yan Qinglan stiffened slightly, unsure why Wen Zhuojin had suddenly hugged her.

“Sister, do you want to help me manage the household? Do you know who is usually responsible for managing a household?” Wen Zhuojin whispered in Yan Qinglan’s ear.

“…I can assist with managing the household, or perhaps act as a senior maid,” Yan Qinglan replied, sensing something unusual in Wen Zhuojin’s tone.

“Sister, only my wife can manage my household. Would you be willing to marry me and become my wife? I would let you manage everything,” Wen Zhuojin asked.

Yan Qinglan’s face flushed with heat.

Although the two had already been intimate, they had never defined their relationship, especially since they were both women.

Wen Zhuojin’s sudden question left Yan Qinglan speechless, and a strange feeling welled up in her heart.

When had their relationship progressed to this point?

Wen Zhuojin noticed that Yan Qinglan’s face had turned visibly redder, and her eyes glistened with tears, making her look incredibly delicate.

Hmm, she’s so easily flustered. This beautiful sister is truly soft and easy to tease.

Unable to bear teasing her further, Wen Zhuojin hugged Yan Qinglan and gently patted her back.

“Sister, I was just joking. If you want to help me manage the household, I’d be more than happy to let you. The shops each have their own managers, and Jin Rui takes care of the household affairs. The money I earn is managed by me, and the profits from the shops are sent directly to me. Jin Rui keeps track of my daily expenses and withdraws money from my account. She also holds the keys to the household storeroom. From now on, I’ll hand everything over to you. Jin Rui will report to you daily, and if she needs anything, she’ll ask you for the keys. The shop managers will come once a month to report their accounts to you.”

Wen Zhuojin spoke softly, her voice tinged with laughter.

Their relationship had just taken a step forward, and Wen Zhuojin wanted to test the waters but was afraid of going too far, so she quickly pulled back.

Yan Qinglan still looked somewhat uncomfortable.

What had started as a casual offer to help with the accounts had now taken on a different meaning.

“Sister, would you like to start today or tomorrow?” Wen Zhuojin asked again.

Seeing Yan Qinglan’s expression, Wen Zhuojin knew that her earlier words had struck a chord.

She wondered if Yan Qinglan would still want to manage the household.

“Let’s start today…” Yan Qinglan said, closing her eyes.

Thinking about the northern army, her current situation, and the overall state of affairs, Yan Qinglan steeled herself and decided to help Wen Zhuojin manage the household.

“Great, let’s start today!” Wen Zhuojin’s lips curled into a smile as she leaned in and nuzzled Yan Qinglan’s cheek.

Yan Qinglan didn’t open her eyes, as she couldn’t see clearly anyway.

Wen Zhuojin found her utterly adorable and couldn’t resist kissing her cheek.

“Sister, wait here. I’ll go get the keys and the account books.” Wen Zhuojin said cheerfully.

“…” Yan Qinglan remained silent, pretending to be dead.

Wen Zhuojin went out and found Jin Rui.

“Miss, are you really going to hand over all these matters to that lady?” Jin Rui asked after gathering the items, unable to hold back her question.

“Jin Rui, I know you’re aware of my feelings for her. From now on, treat her as the mistress of the household. Whatever she says, follow her orders as you would mine.” Wen Zhuojin said seriously, looking at Jin Rui.

“Understood, Miss!” Jin Rui replied immediately, though her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

When she had been chosen as Wen Zhuojin’s senior maid, she had expected to accompany her mistress when she married into the Duke’s household.

As Wen Zhuojin’s senior maid, she would likely have been arranged to serve the groom as a concubine if Wen Zhuojin was unavailable, and eventually elevated to the status of a secondary wife.

If nothing unexpected happened, that would have been her life.

But the mistress she served was unlike anyone else.

Now, she was to serve not Wen Zhuojin’s husband, but her wife?

“From now on, you’ll read the accounts to her, just as you do now. If there’s anything that needs to be purchased, discuss it with her first and see what she needs. Then withdraw the money from her account.” Wen Zhuojin added before taking the items and returning to Yan Qinglan.

“Sister, there’s something you should be prepared for. There are a lot of accounts, but there isn’t much surplus money. I’m a bit poor right now, and there’s not much money to manage at home. Maybe next month there will be some extra.”

Wen Zhuojin handed the items to Yan Qinglan as she entered the room.

Yan Qinglan was surprised by Wen Zhuojin’s words. According to Yan Zisang, Wen Zhuojin earned a considerable amount of money each month. How could there be no surplus?

Had she opened new shops or bought a lot of raw materials?

“Let’s start from the beginning of this month.”

“Withdraw 500 taels to buy top-grade bird’s nest.”

“Withdraw 3,000 taels to buy an 800-year-old ginseng.”

“Withdraw 2,000 taels to make ginseng and antler pills.”

“Withdraw 3,500 taels to buy a mutton-fat jade bracelet.”

“…………”

Jin Rui’s voice came from outside, reading out the accounts recorded over the past few days.

Yan Qinglan listened, her lips trembling slightly.

So that’s how it was.

Out of the long list of expenses, only a small portion was spent on purchasing new materials for the shops.

The largest expenses were on food, medicine, fabric, and jewelry.

And most of these were bought for Yan Qinglan.

The smooth, warm, and delicate bracelet on her wrist was actually worth over 3,000 taels.

The few clothes she hadn’t yet worn had also cost over a thousand taels each.

As for food, Wen Zhuojin had spent a fortune on nourishing her body, using the finest quality ginseng, antler, and bird’s nest, all of which were incredibly expensive.

Back when she was in the palace, the national treasury had been empty, and expenses had been cut back. Her daily allowances had never been so extravagant.

If this money hadn’t been spent on her, but on something else…

Yan Qinglan felt as If she had been showered with silver.

She truly realized that Wen Zhuojin was wholeheartedly devoted to her.

How could such a person exist?

“Sister, did you hear everything? Let me test you. How much was spent in March, and how much was left?” After Jin Rui finished reading, Wen Zhuojin sent her to rest and leaned in to ask Yan Qinglan.

“In the first ten days of March, 20,000 taels were spent. There’s still 9,000 taels unaccounted for. Is that the surplus?” Yan Qinglan paused before asking.

Having 9,000 taels left didn’t seem too poor, did it?

“No, that 9,000 taels was spent on something big, a surprise I wanted to give you. You found out about it, Sister. You’re really good at managing the household!” Wen Zhuojin laughed.

“…” Yan Qinglan felt that Wen Zhuojin was blindly praising her.

“What surprise?” Yan Qinglan asked.

“I’ll keep it a secret for now. I’ll tell you tomorrow.” Wen Zhuojin said.

“…Alright. Is there anything else you need me to do? Like preparing gift lists? I can help with that.” Yan Qinglan asked, genuinely wanting to assist Wen Zhuojin.

“There is! Sister, the day after tomorrow, I’m attending a scholarly gathering. I’m not sure what they’ll be discussing or what I should bring. Do you have any ideas?” Wen Zhuojin asked, though she had already discussed it with Min Xiwen. She still wanted to involve Yan Qinglan in her life.

“Is it hosted by the Third Miss of the Prime Minister’s residence?” Yan Qinglan asked.

“Yes, Sister. Have you attended before?” Wen Zhuojin immediately asked.

“…” Yan Qinglan had only been invited once and had stayed for less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea. Still, she shared what she knew with Wen Zhuojin.

“Having you manage the household is truly wonderful. It saves me so much trouble. Sister, from now on, if you want to eat something or buy anything, just tell Jin Rui to handle it and have her record the expenses.” Wen Zhuojin praised after listening to Yan Qinglan.

“A Zhuo, you’ve arranged everything very well. I don’t need anything else. A Zhuo, you don’t need to spend so much on ginseng. It’s too wasteful. And the ginseng and antler pills—I feel much better now, so I don’t need to take them anymore. As for the bracelet and hairpin, since I can’t see and don’t go out, you don’t need to buy them for me…” Yan Qinglan paused before finally speaking up.

“The physician said that the older the medicine, the more effective it is. When it comes to nourishing your body, we can’t skimp on expenses. Otherwise, if you fall ill again and your eye condition doesn’t improve, what will we do? The bracelet and hairpin were actually bought for me to look at. I feel happy seeing you wear them. Please don’t worry about it, okay? If you think I’m being too wasteful, you can manage me as well while managing the household.” Wen Zhuojin hugged Yan Qinglan, her tone both coquettish and slightly expectant.

A complex feeling welled up in Yan Qinglan’s heart.

She had been betrayed by those closest to her and had fallen into difficult circumstances, making it hard for her to trust others.

Yet, she never expected someone like Wen Zhuojin to appear, who would selflessly devote so much to her without asking for anything in return!

What did this person see in her to treat her so well?

“A Zhuo, if I manage the household and manage you, will you listen to me?” Yan Qinglan asked softly.

“If you kiss me and hug me, I’ll listen to everything you say.” Wen Zhuojin whispered in Yan Qinglan’s ear.