Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 58

Yan Qinglan, on her way to the Changqiu Palace, excused herself to use the restroom and dismissed her attendants, leaving only a palace maid disguised as an embroidered-clad historian. She then summoned Yan Zisang, who had been following her in the shadows.

“Go to the Zhonghe Palace and check on Wen Zhuojin. Find out the result of the polo match and make sure to retrieve the devil’s work ball. Try not to alert anyone or be noticed. Meet me at the Zichen Palace in an hour.” Yan Qinglan instructed Yan Zisang.

Yan Zisang immediately set off to carry out the orders.

Yan Qinglan’s unease did not subside. She visited the Changqiu Palace and, after leaving, wandered around another palace.

Her heart remained unsettled, and soon, she began to feel that something was amiss.

She was worried about Wen Zhuojin, but her emotions gradually became unstable, veering toward a strange and uncontrollable direction.

A familiar sensation, like the onset of an addiction she hadn’t experienced in over a month, began to stir.

Her emotions grew restless, her mouth dry, and she even felt a craving for the scent of the medicine she had previously spat onto her sleeve.

Realizing something was wrong, Yan Qinglan called for her attendants to return to the Zichen Palace, where the princess resided.

On the way back, the sensation she had just experienced grew stronger.

Yan Qinglan’s expression turned grim, and her heart grew colder.

She had been poisoned with a fragrant toxin. Inhaling the “divine incense” burned by Jiangxiao would cause her to lose her mind and hallucinate, while not inhaling it would trigger withdrawal symptoms.

From the beginning of her imprisonment in the Tianxuan Palace, it had always been the people from Tianxuan Palace who dealt with her.

This had led her to hold onto some hope for Yan Qi.

But now, the situation was clear. The medicine she had just taken likely contained something similar to the fragrant toxin.

Yan Qi, who had repeatedly expressed concern for her health and insisted on summoning renowned doctors to treat her, had sent her poisoned soup.

When Yan Qinglan arrived at the Zichen Palace, Li Gonggong, a eunuch from Yan Qi’s side, arrived with two young eunuchs carrying a food box.

“Your Highness, His Majesty has sent some spring pears and mulberries. They are newly tributed and extremely fresh. His Majesty thought of you first and specially sent me to deliver them to you.” Li Gonggong said to Yan Qinglan.

Yan Qinglan clenched her hands beneath her sleeves.

Yan Qi often sent Li Gonggong with gifts, ensuring she received the best of everything in the palace.

It seemed that was still the case now.

“Please convey my gratitude to His Majesty. Li Gonggong, the medicine today was much more bitter. Has the prescription been changed?” Yan Qinglan asked softly.

“Your Highness, the prescription has not been changed recently. Your medicine is prepared by His Majesty’s orders, and I personally oversee its preparation. There have been no changes in the past few days.” Li Gonggong replied firmly.

“Perhaps my mouth is just bitter. These fruits have come at the perfect time.” Yan Qinglan said softly, her voice growing even quieter.

After a few more polite exchanges, Yan Qinglan waved Li Gonggong away.

Yan Qinglan dismissed her attendants and pressed her fingers to her temples, sitting alone in the vast hall of the Zichen Palace.

The withdrawal symptoms she had been trying to suppress began to surface, tormenting her senses.

Compared to the worst of her withdrawal episodes, these symptoms were mild, and Yan Qinglan could still endure them without losing her mind.

But a vast emptiness had opened in her heart, and the bloody reality had shattered any remaining hope or illusions she had clung to.

Jiangxiao was someone Yan Qinglan had met in the cold palace, someone who had shared both good and bad times with her. Her betrayal had hurt Yan Qinglan deeply.

Since then, it had been difficult for Yan Qinglan to trust anyone new.

But she had still reserved a small part of her trust for Yan Qi.

Now, even that had crumbled.

After a bout of illness last year, her health had begun to decline.

Since then, Yan Qi had sent Li Gonggong to deliver medicine to her.

It was likely that she had been poisoned from that time onward.

Yan Qi could casually dispose of the gifts she had given him for the sake of his favorite concubine.

He could neglect her, failing to notice the imposter posing as the princess in the palace.

She could accept all of that.

But wanting her dead, poisoning her—that was like a sharp blade piercing her heart.

Her and Yan Qi’s mother had gained favor due to her beauty but had no political power. After being framed, they had followed their mother into the cold palace, relying on each other since childhood.

She had thought their bond was unbreakable.

But it turned out to be so fragile.

At this moment, Yan Qinglan’s emotions felt like they had returned to over a decade ago, when her mother had passed away.

“Your Highness!” A voice pulled Yan Qinglan out of her thoughts.

It was Yan Zisang.

“How are things outside?” Yan Qinglan asked, forcing herself to remain calm.

“Your Highness, after Wen Zhuojin fell from his horse, he was helped to the imperial hospital. He should be fine and was able to walk, but I haven’t seen him since. The polo match was won by the Northern Jin team, and the prizes were distributed to the noblewomen on the team. The devil’s work ball was chosen by the second daughter of the Minister of Rites. There were too many people around, so I couldn’t find an opportunity to retrieve it. I’ve returned to report to you and have already sent someone to keep an eye on the Minister’s daughter. Once she leaves the palace, I will find a way to retrieve the devil’s work ball.” Yan Zisang reported.

Yan Zisang’s words slightly eased Yan Qinglan’s worries.

It was good that the devil’s work ball was still with the Northern Jin team. If it had been accidentally awarded to the Northern Qiang, the situation would have been even worse.

The fact that Wen Zhuojin had been promptly taken to the imperial hospital and was not seriously injured also allowed Yan Qinglan to relax.

“Good. I’ll have Huixin take me back. You go and keep an eye on things. Make sure to retrieve the devil’s work ball today.” Yan Qinglan said, taking a deep breath.

Yan Zisang immediately arranged for someone to escort Yan Qinglan out of the palace, while he went to track the Minister’s daughter.

There were many ways to enter and exit the palace, and Yan Qinglan followed a small eunuch’s carriage that was leaving on official business.

As evening approached, the temperature dropped.

Inside the carriage, Yan Qinglan was slowly tormented by the withdrawal symptoms. Her body, from her exposed skin to the bones and flesh beneath her clothes, felt cold.

Yan Qinglan longed to return to Lanyuan as quickly as possible, to see Wen Zhuojin.

But when she arrived at Lanyuan, Wen Zhuojin had not yet returned.

Yan Qinglan waited for a while, but instead of Wen Zhuojin, Yan Zisang arrived first.

“Your Highness, I have failed in my task. Please punish me! The gift box brought out by the second daughter of the Minister of Rites contained a different prize, not the devil’s work ball. I questioned the embroidered-clad historian who had been tracking Lady Yunshu, and she said that the Minister’s daughter had taken the gift box to meet with Lady Yunshu along with her polo teammates. Lady Yunshu’s residence is heavily guarded, so I returned to report to you first. I will go to Lady Yunshu’s residence to find an opportunity to investigate.” Yan Zisang said.

Yan Qinglan’s already restless and gloomy mood worsened.

Nothing was going well.

“Where is Wen Zhuojin?” Yan Qinglan asked in a low voice.

“The embroidered-clad historian sent to watch him reported that Wen Zhuojin left the imperial hospital and was helped onto Lady Yunshu’s carriage by her. She did not return to Lanyuan.” Yan Zisang replied softly.

“Go back and continue searching.” Yan Qinglan said, her voice unconsciously growing colder.

After Yan Zisang left, Yan Qinglan curled up on the soft bedding.

The withdrawal symptoms grew stronger, disrupting her calm and causing her emotions to spiral out of control.

Nothing had gone well today.

The carefully chosen virtuous and kind consort was actually a malicious person allied with the Tianxuan Palace.

Her own brother, whom she had trusted, was deceitful. Not only had he given away her gifts as prizes, but he also seemed to want her dead.

The most important item, the golden fish tally, had not been found.

And to top it all off, that little rascal had gotten into someone else’s carriage and left with them!

Everything felt like an invisible hand pulling her into an unknown, dark abyss.

Yan Qinglan did not struggle, nor was there any external force to help her resist this pull.

She allowed herself to fall.

Her eyes gradually turned bl00d-red, and the tears that welled up seemed to carry a hint of bl00d, staining her vision with a faint red hue as they slid down her cheeks.

Everyone, everyone, deserved to die!

A hateful thought emerged in Yan Qinglan’s mind.

In her consciousness, a shadowy figure, like a demon crawling out of the depths of hell, appeared.

Her restless, gloomy emotions and bleeding heart became the shadow’s energy.

Yan Qinglan’s breathing grew heavy and rapid, and a metallic taste of bl00d filled her mouth.

An unprecedented thirst for bl00d arose.

She wanted to return all of this a hundredfold, a thousandfold.

As the thought took hold, the shadow in her consciousness transformed into a demonic figure, its black mist turning into sharp blades that slashed at everything around it, killing indiscriminately.

Suddenly, Yan Qinglan felt her body being embraced, enveloped in warmth.

“Sister, what’s wrong? Are you experiencing withdrawal symptoms? How could this be? It’s been so long since… Sister, don’t scare me!” Wen Zhuojin’s voice came through, filled with anxiety and a hint of tears.

Yan Qinglan still felt hatred and remembered that Wen Zhuojin had left with someone else. She felt angry and resisted Wen Zhuojin’s touch.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t understand why Yan Qinglan was acting this way.

Seeing Yan Qinglan’s red eyes, tear-streaked face, and trembling body, her heart ached, and she held her tightly.

Yan Qinglan struggled, and Wen Zhuojin could feel it.

This situation was very similar to the withdrawal symptoms she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Previously, Zheng Qianqin had said that if she didn’t experience withdrawal symptoms for a month and avoided the fragrant toxin, she would be considered cured.

The symptoms had indeed been absent for a long time, and Wen Zhuojin had thought Yan Qinglan would never experience them again, as Zheng Qianqin had said.

Why they had returned now, Wen Zhuojin couldn’t understand.

But seeing Yan Qinglan in pain, she held her tightly and, instead of coaxing her to kiss her, directly pressed her lips to Yan Qinglan’s.

Wen Zhuojin’s taste was a special sedative for Yan Qinglan.

At first, Yan Qinglan struggled, but she soon softened under Wen Zhuojin’s kiss.

The shadowy figure in her consciousness, wielding a long blade, also began to calm down.

“Sister, do you feel better now?” Wen Zhuojin asked softly after the kiss ended.

“No. Where did you go? Why did you only return now?” Yan Qinglan asked, panting, annoyed that she had lost her temper so easily after Wen Zhuojin’s kiss.

“Sister, I went to the palace banquet today. I played in the polo match. His Majesty rewarded each of the ten of us with a gift. Sister, I chose my gift for you. Didn’t you say it was too dark in your room at night? I chose the brightest and most beautiful glass palace lantern. Sister, look, isn’t it beautiful? Doesn’t it make the room brighter?”

As she spoke, Wen Zhuojin lifted Yan Qinglan and turned her toward the palace lantern she had just brought back.

Yan Qinglan’s eyes fell on the multicolored glass lantern, dazzling and radiant.

Yan Qinglan remembered how Wen Zhuojin had fought so hard during the polo match.

So, was it for this lantern that she had been willing to risk injury to win the match?

“Sister, this palace lantern is too big to play with. I also saw a small item among the prizes. It looked fun, but I didn’t choose it at first because it was too small. But it can be held and played with, and the craftsmanship is exquisite. Since we could only choose one prize, I didn’t take it. But sister, because I was the top contributor in the match, Lady Yunshu saw that I was interested in it and allowed me to choose two more items I liked, even if they were from her own collection. So, I didn’t hold back. I chose that small item and another one, giving her some incense in exchange.” Wen Zhuojin said excitedly, and at the same time, Yan Qinglan felt something being placed in her hand.

It was cool and smooth to the touch, with intricate patterns on its surface. When she gently turned it, the layered balls inside rolled.

It was the devil’s work ball!!