Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 71

Wen Zhuojin began making incense, with Yan Qinglan assisting her by the side.

Yan Qinglan knew that Wen Zhuojin was skilled in making incense, but she had never seen her actually do it before.

Now, as she watched, the tall, elegant woman gracefully mixed the fragrances with her slender hands. Different scents wafted through the air as her fingers moved, creating a truly pleasing sight.

Somehow, Wen Zhuojin seemed to exude an air of mystery and a unique charm, making her appear even more captivating.

This was the person, using such techniques, who had created incense that had taken the noble circles of Yunjing by storm.

“In traditional medicine, there’s a hierarchy of ingredients: the monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy. The same applies to incense. The right combination is essential for it to work. Some incense needs to release its fragrance quickly, while others are designed to linger longer, with a lighter scent. Each type requires a different method of preparation, and there’s a lot of nuance to it. If you’d like to learn, sister, I can teach you everything. Oh, and I also have a notebook on incense-making. If you’re interested, you can take a look.”

Wen Zhuojin spoke as she worked, her hands moving deftly through the process.

She held nothing back from Yan Qinglan. If Yan Qinglan wanted to learn the art of incense-making, this would be an excellent opportunity.

As Wen Zhuojin prepared the incense paste, she handed her notebook to Yan Qinglan.

Yan Qinglan took the notebook and flipped through it, surprised by what she saw.

It was a thick volume, filled with detailed notes on the characteristics of various fragrant materials, accompanied by intricate illustrations, as well as the effects of different combinations.

It would have taken years to accumulate this much knowledge.

Yan Qinglan glanced at Wen Zhuojin, realizing that this little rascal could be so dedicated and passionate about something. She had both talent and diligence.

To share something so important with her showed that Wen Zhuojin had no reservations.

“Why did you start making incense, Ah Zhuo?” Yan Qinglan asked, curious after glancing through the notebook.

“It started when I was young. Actually, it was because… my mother passed away, and I missed her dearly. I wanted to create a fragrance that captured her scent, so I read many books on incense-making and even consulted the female physician who often treated me. But so far, I’ve only managed to recreate something similar. It’s not exactly her scent. Everyone’s scent is unique, and it’s difficult to replicate with existing materials.”

Wen Zhuojin paused her work and spoke softly.

The thought was strange, and this was the first time she had shared it with anyone.

Yan Qinglan listened and realized that Wen Zhuojin had also lost her mother at a young age. She could understand that feeling.

Though she herself hadn’t had much time to grieve back then.

Yan Qinglan stepped closer to Wen Zhuojin and gently touched her cheek.

“Ah Zhuo, being able to recreate something similar is already impressive. Your mother would be proud of you.” Yan Qinglan said.

Wen Zhuojin met Yan Qinglan’s gaze and smiled, leaning her cheek into Yan Qinglan’s hand.

“That was my initial goal. Now, I make incense mainly to earn a lot of silver to spend on you, sister. You haven’t told me what kind of fabrics you like, or what style of jewelry you prefer. In the past, I always chose for you, but I don’t know if you liked them. Now that you can see, you can pick for yourself.”

Wen Zhuojin laughed, changing the subject.

In the past, if someone had said they were earning money just to spend on her, she would never have believed it.

But now, after seeing Wen Zhuojin’s expenses, she realized that a large portion of it was indeed spent on her.

As Wen Zhuojin finished making the incense and began testing the fragrance, Yan Qinglan’s expression changed slightly.

Wen Zhuojin noticed Yan Qinglan frowning, looking uncomfortable, and immediately led her out of the incense-making room.

“Perhaps you’ve been in there too long, and it’s making you feel unwell. It shouldn’t be serious. It’s not an addiction, just a bit of discomfort.” Yan Qinglan explained when Wen Zhuojin asked.

“The materials in the incense room aren’t toxic on their own. But when combined, some might produce a mild toxicity, or they could be triggering the residual poison in your body. It’s best if you don’t stay in the incense room anymore. Let’s go somewhere else.” Wen Zhuojin said.

In the incense room, even though Wen Zhuojin had a keen sense of smell and could detect unpleasant scents, she never felt unwell.

The maids and servants who cleaned the room had also never experienced anything like this.

If the environment wasn’t the issue, then it must be something related to Yan Qinglan’s own condition.

It seemed that Yan Qinglan’s residual poison hadn’t been fully cleared, so they needed to be cautious with fragrances and the surrounding scents.

If they were to take Yan Qinglan out, they would need to be extra careful.

Yan Qinglan felt a bit regretful leaving the incense room, as she wouldn’t be able to watch Wen Zhuojin make incense anymore.

But her body was truly uncomfortable, so she had no choice but to leave.

Wen Zhuojin accompanied Yan Qinglan to the main courtyard, where she had the maids prepare dinner. She then went to the inner room and read to Yan Qinglan for a while.

Yan Qinglan leaned against a soft pillow, listening to Wen Zhuojin read.

Her clear, lively voice narrated a strange tale from a storybook, occasionally teasing Yan Qinglan to scare her.

Yan Qinglan watched Wen Zhuojin’s antics, a faint smile unconsciously forming on her lips.

The discomfort she had felt in the incense room gradually subsided, and soon, she began to feel much better.

On the other hand, Wen Zhuojin, after reading for a while, sneezed twice.

She felt her head growing dizzy, and her throat began to feel sore.

“Ah Zhuo, it seems you’ve caught a cold. We should call a physician to take a look. Your forehead feels a bit warm.” Yan Qinglan said, leaning closer to feel Wen Zhuojin’s forehead.

Just this morning, Wen Zhuojin had been worried about her falling ill, but now it seemed she was the one who was sick.

Yesterday, Wen Zhuojin had been drenched in the rain more than she had. Even after they returned to the house, she hadn’t changed out of her wet clothes, letting them dry halfway on her body before finally changing.

“…It’s not necessary, I don’t need medicine when I’m sick. I’ll be fine…” Wen Zhuojin’s words were cut off by another sneeze.

“I’ll go to the outer room, I don’t want to pass this on to you.” Wen Zhuojin said, putting down the book and not daring to stay in the room any longer.

“Ah Zhuo, call the female physician you usually consult. Let her take a look before it gets worse. Don’t think that just because you’re healthy, you don’t need medicine.” Yan Qinglan said, pulling Wen Zhuojin back as she tried to leave.

“Listen to me.” Yan Qinglan said firmly.

Wen Zhuojin fell silent, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Yan Qinglan.

Ah, sister really cares about me!

Before dinner, Zheng Qianqin arrived.

It was still drizzling outside, and Zheng Qianqin’s face was stern as she entered.

“You called me just as I was about to rest, That little wife of yours is truly precious to you.” Zheng Qianqin grumbled.

“Auntie Zheng, this time it’s not her who’s sick, it’s me. I didn’t want to trouble you, but sister insisted on having someone examine me. I truly appreciate your coming. I’ve prepared double the usual fee, along with some calming incense and body fragrance pills.” Wen Zhuojin said with a smile.

Zheng Qianqin looked at Wen Zhuojin, feeling as though she wasn’t just paying a consultation fee but handing out wedding candies!

But just because someone wanted to call a physician for her, she could be this happy?

“Alright, sit down. Let me take a look.” Zheng Qianqin said, motioning for Wen Zhuojin to sit as she began to check her pulse.

“It is indeed a cold, but it’s still in the early stages and not too severe. I’ll write you a prescription. Make sure to take a dose tonight.” Zheng Qianqin said after examining Wen Zhuojin.

“Could you please tell us what to watch out for and if there are any dietary restrictions?” Yan Qinglan’s voice came from the inner room.

Wen Zhuojin’s eyes curved into a smile as she looked at Zheng Qianqin.

“Keep warm at night, eat light foods, and drink plenty of water…” Zheng Qianqin listed off the precautions, avoiding Wen Zhuojin’s gaze.

After giving some instructions, Zheng Qianqin wrote out the prescription. Wen Zhuojin had someone fetch the medicine and then arranged for a carriage to take Zheng Qianqin home.

While speaking with Zheng Qianqin, Wen Zhuojin had been putting on a brave face. She was genuinely happy, but the cold was starting to take its toll.

After seeing Zheng Qianqin off, she sneezed a few more times. Her throat felt dry and sore, the discomfort growing stronger. Her body felt sluggish, and she didn’t want to move.

“Sister, I’ll have dinner in the outer room. You can eat in the inner room. I don’t want to pass this cold on to you.” Wen Zhuojin said, standing at the doorway without entering.

“Come in. If you were going to pass it on, you already would have. If you don’t come in, I’ll come out.” Yan Qinglan’s voice called out.