Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 60

After placing Yan Qinglan into the medicinal bath, Wen Zhuojin left.

Soaking in the warm medicinal bath, Yan Qinglan leaned against the side of the tub, closed her eyes, and unconsciously furrowed her brows, her expression darkening.

Just because she didn’t discuss her worries with Wen Zhuojin didn’t mean they didn’t exist.

These worries had always been there.

Previously, she had suppressed them, surviving on a sliver of hope.

Now that hope was shattered, everything had changed.

With Wen Zhuojin gone and no one to divert her attention, those thoughts surfaced, crawling out and eroding every corner of her consciousness.

In her mind, shadows coalesced, forming sharp blades, yet they seemed lost, looking around aimlessly.

Retrieving the Golden Fish Token couldn’t erase what had happened today.

Her suspicions were confirmed, and everything she had done before now seemed like a joke.

From supporting each other in the cold palace, to becoming the last two direct descendants of the late emperor by a twist of fate, Yan Qi was installed as a puppet emperor. They had gone from humble submission, constantly fearing replacement or execution, to gradually reclaiming power from the royal family and noble houses, quelling rebellions, pacifying neighboring countries, and resisting foreign invasions. The hardships they endured were countless.

Just as the throne had stabilized, and the northern and southern borders had only recently ceased hostilities, he now wanted to kill her?

Who could have imagined that the saying “the rabbit is dead, the bow is stored; the birds are gone, the bow is hidden” would apply to her?

That was her younger brother, whom she had watched grow up and had shared life and death with!

The bond between them couldn’t be explained in just a few words; it was built over twenty years of companionship.

Yan Qinglan felt hatred, but more than that, she felt heart-wrenching pain.

The significance of obtaining the Golden Fish Token had changed.

What would she do after getting it?

Originally, she thought that Yan Qi had been deceived, and she could expose the traitors in the court, then use the Golden Fish Token to mobilize troops and turn the tide.

Now, Yan Qi and the Tianxuan Palace were aligned, and it was even possible that the actions of the Tianxuan Palace were directed by Yan Qi.

The scheme they had concocted, the play they had performed for her, who knows how long they had been preparing it.

They had sacrificed so many people, just to cut off her wings and cast her into infamy.

For her, the Golden Fish Token was no longer a tool to save Yan Qi, but a tool to save herself and seek revenge.

A path appeared before Yan Qinglan.

She knew what it was.

From the past until now, it had never been her intention.

But she had no heart to walk it, yet she was being forced onto that path.

Old memories resurfaced in her mind, intertwining with the events of today.

Yan Qinglan lowered her head, pressing her hand to her brow.

Wen Zhuojin stood under the eaves, staring blankly outside when she caught a strange scent.

It resembled the aroma of a few ingredients used in divine incense.

Wen Zhuojin frowned. Her incense-making room was in another courtyard, and people like Odette were also in other courtyards. How could she smell this here?

In Yan Qinglan’s quarters, she had made sure not to bring any incense-related materials, fearing it might trigger Yan Qinglan’s incense addiction.

Wen Zhuojin followed the scent and arrived at a side room where the maids washed clothes.

A few pieces of clothing belonging to her and Yan Qinglan were still unwashed, sitting in a wooden basin.

“Miss, I’ll wash these clothes right away.” the maid said hurriedly, afraid she had done something wrong.

Wen Zhuojin waved her hand and crouched down to examine the clothes in the basin.

“Whose clothes are these?” Wen Zhuojin picked up a garment that smelled of medicine.

“That belongs to Lady Liu, She just took it off today to be washed.” the maid replied quickly.

“…” Wen Zhuojin’s expression changed.

This was an outdoor garment, and the medicinal scent on it was off—it wasn’t any of the medicines she had given Yan Qinglan.

Where did this medicine, laced with incense poison, come from?

Coincidentally, Yan Qinglan had suffered a relapse of her addiction today, and Zheng Qianqin mentioned it seemed like she had used the incense poison again. Could it be related to this medicine?

Wen Zhuojin’s first thought was that there might be a traitor among her household staff.

But who would do such a thing without reason? After all, the ingredients in the incense poison weren’t cheap.

The servants assigned to care for Yan Qinglan had been carefully selected by Wen Zhuojin.

Who would do such a thing?

Wen Zhuojin considered overhauling the entire staff and temporarily replacing them with new people to care for Yan Qinglan.

She questioned the maid further, confirming that the clothes had indeed come from the inner chambers.

The maid, who was only responsible for laundry, didn’t know much. After asking a few more questions, Wen Zhuojin went to inquire with others.

During the day, Yan Qinglan had been alone in her room, not allowing anyone near. None of the maids had entered.

Only in the afternoon had someone been called inside, and the dirty clothes were sent out.

After questioning a few people, Wen Zhuojin felt something was off.

Soon, it was time for Yan Qinglan to finish her medicinal bath, so Wen Zhuojin temporarily set the matter aside.

“Sister, the medicinal bath is done, It’s time to move to the floral bath.” Wen Zhuojin said as she walked to the door of Yan Qinglan’s bathing room and entered.

When Wen Zhuojin entered, she saw Yan Qinglan enveloped in the steam.

Her complexion had improved, but her eyes were glistening with tears, her brows furrowed, and her expression seemed to be caught in a struggle of pain.

Wen Zhuojin’s heart ached.

Earlier, when the topic of excessive worry came up, her beautiful sister had changed the subject, clearly unwilling to discuss it.

But now, she was secretly dwelling on it alone.

What was she thinking about?

Was she thinking about how to leave her, or about that despicable husband of hers, or perhaps reminiscing about their previous life of love…

Beyond that, Wen Zhuojin doesn’t know what else Yan Qinglan might be worried about.

If she accidentally took a poisoned medicine today, why didn’t she tell her?

Does she still not trust her?

“Sister?” Wen Zhuojin leaned in and called out, but Yan Qinglan seemed not to hear, her expression unchanged, clearly deeply absorbed in thought.

Wen Zhuojin bit her lip, her eyes shifting, and she reached out to pull the person from the water.

Only then did Yan Qinglan snap out of her reverie, letting out a soft gasp.

Wen Zhuojin’s heart was unsettled. She hadn’t covered her eyes with the black veil or used a towel to wrap around her. As soon as she pulled Yan Qinglan out, her hands touched smooth, delicate skin, and her eyes fell upon Yan Qinglan’s uncovered, snow-white flesh.

Wen Zhuojin’s breath hitched, and impure thoughts immediately arose in her mind.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She had been angry, but now she was distracted.

To avoid losing control, Wen Zhuojin quickly carried Yan Qinglan to the prepared flower-scented bath nearby.

The strong fragrance of the flower essence masked the medicinal smell, but it couldn’t hide the emotions between them.

“Sister, what are you thinking about?” Wen Zhuojin asked in a low voice, still holding Yan Qinglan after placing her in the water. She leaned close, her clothes damp, but she didn’t seem to care, pressing her face near Yan Qinglan’s.

“…Nothing much. Why didn’t you call out to me when you came in, Ah Zhuo? Were you trying to scare me on purpose?” Yan Qinglan paused, then spoke softly, turning her face away.

She didn’t know how to explain what was on her mind to Wen Zhuojin.

Her emotions were still unsettled, and Wen Zhuojin had noticed.

How to explain was the problem.

Wen Zhuojin noticed Yan Qinglan’s lips pressing together.

She had called out several times, but there had been no response. Yan Qinglan truly hadn’t heard her.

Just how deeply lost in thought had she been?

“Sister, you’re clearly thinking about something, but you won’t tell me. Why can’t you share it with me?” Wen Zhuojin’s voice carried a hint of grievance.

“It’s… just some things from the past, unpleasant people and events. I…” Yan Qinglan hesitated, trying to explain but finding no words.

With that, everything was laid bare.

Hearing this, Wen Zhuojin became even more convinced.

Things from the past—it must be related to that husband of hers.

“Why are you still thinking about those things that hurt you so much? Haven’t you let go of him yet? You know he poisoned you, that he wanted to harm you, that he had no feelings for you, that he only saw you as a plaything. Yet you still care about him? Memories are just memories. No matter how good they were, the present reality is what matters. And the reality is that he poisoned you! He’s a scoundrel, a bastard!”

Wen Zhuojin spoke with anger, her grip on Yan Qinglan’s back and legs tightening.

Yan Qinglan was stunned. Wen Zhuojin had her own interpretation and had “explained” for her.

Last time, she hadn’t known, and the two had talked past each other.

This time, she understood.

Listening to Wen Zhuojin, she knew exactly what she was referring to.

Though the people and events were different, they strangely aligned once again.

Yes, why should she keep thinking about it?

The outcome had already proven everything.

What she couldn’t let go of was just a matter of time.

What she couldn’t accept immediately would eventually be digested and accepted.

Compared to death, what couldn’t be accepted?

“Sister, why can’t you think about me? Is there something wrong with me? Whatever he could do, I can do too. I’ll work hard. I can give you whatever you want. I can be your closest person, someone you can trust completely. After all this time, don’t you understand yet, sister? Please, just think about me, okay?”

Yan Qinglan’s thoughts shifted as she heard Wen Zhuojin’s voice, this time not filled with anger but with a hint of tears, pleading and pitiful.

Yan Qinglan reached out to touch Wen Zhuojin’s face, feeling the wetness of tears.

Something melted in Yan Qinglan’s heart, a place that felt both soft and aching.

“Ah Zhuo, there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s me who’s not good enough…” Yan Qinglan whispered, wrapping her arms around Wen Zhuojin’s neck

Wen Zhuojin leaned in to kiss Yan Qinglan, who tilted her head back and parted her lips, returning the kiss.

Wen Zhuojin leaned further down, most of her body now in the bathtub, her clothes soaked.

The kiss carried the bitterness of tears, and thinking of the pleading, aggrieved voice she had just heard, Yan Qinglan couldn’t help but be more gentle and proactive, trying to comfort Wen Zhuojin.

Her tongue obediently tangled with Wen Zhuojin’s, being drawn into her mouth, obediently cooperating.

The steam rose, and the floral scent in the bathtub seemed to grow stronger.

However, the attempt to comfort seemed to have failed.

Wen Zhuojin’s breathing became rapid, her kisses more urgent and forceful.

Soon, Yan Qinglan felt the water around her rise, and the person who had been leaning over her outside the water was now embracing her within it.

Before entering the water, Wen Zhuojin had already torn off her wet clothes.

Now in the bathtub, she was just like Yan Qinglan.

In the water of the same temperature, their skin temperatures were different.

Wen Zhuojin’s skin was burning hot, delicate, and resilient.

It wrapped around Yan Qinglan, entwining her.

The familiar sensations were stirred up, just like last time.

Heat rushed to her cheeks, especially around her eyes.

Her vision cleared again.

What she saw was skin flushed with a rosy hue, tightly closed eyes, and thick, curled eyelashes.