Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 78

In a dense forest about ten kilometers from Yunjing City, thick smoke rose under the moonlight. More than a dozen soldiers clad in imperial guard armor, all wearing thick masks, moved through the forest with trained precision. Some carried swords, while others had bows slung across their backs. At the slightest rustle of wind, they would converge toward the source.

Not far from them, hidden among the thick foliage of a tree, was a figure.

This figure was none other than Wen Zhuojin.

Wen Zhuojin was in a sorry state. Her clothes were torn and stained, unrecognizable from their original color, and her skin was scratched and cut from the thorns in the forest.

Initially, Wen Zhuojin had relied on her keen sense of smell to detect the scent of her pursuers. She thought that since they couldn’t ride horses in the dense forest, their speed would be slow, allowing her to escape quickly.

However, she hadn’t expected that more and more people would arrive.

These men, after all, were well-trained imperial guards, and their speed in the forest wasn’t much slower than hers.

This alone made it difficult for Wen Zhuojin to evade them.

To make matters worse, the pursuers had brought hunting dogs with sharp noses to track her. Wen Zhuojin was soon in an even more dire situation.

She jumped into streams, rolled in mud, and hid in various places to mask her scent.

When the hunting dogs lost her scent, the pursuers began releasing thick smoke to force her out.

The smoke contained a poisonous fragrance, which Wen Zhuojin recognized as a toxic smoke from the northern Qiang region.

Ironically, this forced her to cover her nose, greatly diminishing her sense of smell.

Wen Zhuojin’s stamina was nearly depleted, but her pursuers showed no signs of stopping.

When she could no longer run, she struggled to climb a tree to rest for a while. But soon, she heard movement.

More than a dozen armed imperial guards arrived, making Wen Zhuojin inwardly groan. What kind of heinous crime had she committed to warrant such a manhunt?

Wen Zhuojin didn’t dare to breathe loudly. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, waiting for the men to leave.

Under the moonlight, the group approached. Just as Wen Zhuojin thought they would pass by without noticing her, the leader raised his hand, signaling the group to stop and search the area.

The trampled bushes where Wen Zhuojin had passed earlier served as clear markers. Soon, the tree she was hiding in was surrounded. One of the men began climbing the tree swiftly.

Wen Zhuojin clenched her fists, her body trembling. She felt that this was the end.

But she wasn’t willing to be caught.

As the climber drew closer,

Wen Zhuojin kicked out with all her strength, sending the man tumbling down.

“Ah! Someone’s up there!” the fallen man cried out in pain.

“You can’t escape. Surrender now and spare yourself the suffering!” the leader below shouted up at Wen Zhuojin.

“Whoever kills the rest of them, I’ll give them a hundred thousand taels of silver.” Wen Zhuojin said in a low voice, knowing she had been discovered.

“Don’t listen to her nonsense! This is the person the commander has ordered us to capture! Whoever captures her alive will be rewarded by the commander!” the leader barked, his voice stern.

The men, well-trained and disciplined, weren’t swayed by Wen Zhuojin’s offer. Soon, another man began climbing the tree.

Wen Zhuojin’s body tensed, sweat dripping down her back. She mustered all her strength to kick at the climber, but this time, the man was prepared. He grabbed her ankle, and though Wen Zhuojin bent down to attack with her dagger, she had to sacrifice her boot to free herself and kick him down again.

Wen Zhuojin panted heavily. If another climber came, she truly wouldn’t have the strength to resist.

“Wait! If you send anyone else up, I’ll kill myself with this dagger!” Wen Zhuojin said between gasps, trying to buy time to recover.

It seemed they wanted to capture her alive.

Otherwise, they would have used arrows or swords earlier.

“We don’t want your life. We just want to ask you a few questions. If you’re innocent, we’ll let you go.” the leader below said.

“…What questions? You can ask them now!” Wen Zhuojin naturally didn’t believe him, but her mind raced to think of a way to avoid implicating her beloved sister.

These men weren’t after her; they were after her sister.

To protect her sister, would she really have to kill herself?

Or perhaps she could feign ignorance, pretending not to know what was happening, and then use silver notes to bribe her way out?

“Do you know that the person you redeemed from the Xiaoxiang Pavilion is a wanted criminal? These imperial guards have been searching for her. If you tell us where she is and help us find her, not only will you not be punished, but you’ll also be rewarded. Think carefully. Don’t ruin your future out of stubbornness.” the leader said, signaling two soldiers to climb the tree.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never redeemed anyone from the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.” Wen Zhuojin said after a pause.

She had obtained a completely new identity. How could they recognize her as the one who had redeemed someone from the Xiaoxiang Pavilion?

Wen Zhuojin suddenly remembered encountering Luan Niang at the government office and roughly understood what had happened.

But her sister had already been convicted and demoted to a lowly status. Why were they still pursuing her so relentlessly?

The women who had been sent to the Jiaofangsi due to the Qingliu case—shouldn’t the government know their whereabouts?

If they were looking for someone, why not issue a public warrant with her name and portrait?

Weren’t the imperial guards supposed to be searching for the person Xuan Zhen had mentioned?

Wen Zhuojin couldn’t make sense of it and didn’t have time to think further. As she spoke, two more men began climbing the tree. Her pupils contracted, and she tightened her grip on the dagger.

She really didn’t want to die. If she killed herself, everything would be over.

Perhaps she could continue pretending to be ignorant, claiming she knew nothing.

But once she was captured, her identity would soon be uncovered, and her sister would still be implicated.

They could simply go to Lanyuan and find her sister.

Thinking of the worst possible outcome, Wen Zhuojin felt a wave of despair. Suddenly, chaos erupted around her. Shouts and the clashing of swords filled the air.

The two men climbing the tree were pulled down by others who had climbed up and grabbed their ankles.

Wen Zhuojin’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The new group of people wore ordinary clothes but were incredibly skilled.

In just a few moments, the once-threatening imperial guards were all subdued. Even through their thick masks, Wen Zhuojin could smell the bl00d.

This new group was even more ruthless than the imperial guards!

Wen Zhuojin wasn’t sure if she had been rescued or if the situation had just gotten worse.

In a matter of seconds, all the imperial guards were dead.

“We are bodyguards sent to rescue you. It’s safe now. You can come down.” a rough voice called from below.

Wen Zhuojin remained silent, not feeling safe at all.

Bodyguards who could take down imperial guards so quickly?

That was absurd!

“If you’re really here to rescue me, then move away.” Wen Zhuojin said after a moment.

“The imperial guards in the area haven’t all been dealt with. Leaving you alone is too dangerous.” the man below replied.

Wen Zhuojin took a deep breath. These people dared to kill imperial guards and planned to eliminate all of them!

Those were government soldiers!

These men were the real outlaws, the ones the imperial guards were supposed to capture.

Since they refused to move away, Wen Zhuojin didn’t dare to climb down.

Staying in the tree at least kept her safe for the moment. If she went down, who knew what would happen?

The men below didn’t pressure her. They stood in formation, some leaving to report, others disposing of the imperial guards’ bodies. They were very organized.

Wen Zhuojin watched from the tree, utterly confused.

Before long, a few more people arrived from a distance. One of them led a horse, on which sat a woman dressed in black, wearing a veil.

As they approached, Wen Zhuojin’s eyes widened. She caught a familiar scent—it was her sister!

“A’Zhuo, is that you?” the newcomers reached the base of the tree, and Wen Zhuojin heard a familiar voice.

“Yes, it’s me. Sister, how… how did you get here?” Wen Zhuojin’s voice trembled, her scalp tingling. After speaking, she felt a wave of panic.

Had this new group captured her sister?

Wen Zhuojin was filled with doubt, but the person below was indeed her sister. She had to go down.

After resting in the tree, Wen Zhuojin had regained some strength. She slowly climbed down.

The woman on the horse was indeed Yan Qinglan.

Yan Qinglan had been informed by the embroidered guards that they had found Wen Zhuojin but that she refused to come down from the tree. Knowing Wen Zhuojin was wary, Yan Qinglan had rushed over.

Seeing the figure climb down from the tree and hearing her voice, Yan Qinglan recognized Wen Zhuojin, though her appearance was completely unrecognizable.

Covered in dirt, her face was barely visible. In the torchlight, only her bright eyes were clear.

Yan Qinglan’s heart ached. She didn’t know how much Wen Zhuojin had suffered to end up in such a state in such a short time!

“Sister, how did you get here?” Wen Zhuojin asked as soon as she reached Yan Qinglan.

“It’s a long story. Are you hurt? Can you ride?” Yan Qinglan asked softly.

“Yes, I can.” Wen Zhuojin knew this wasn’t the time for lengthy explanations. Ignoring her filthy state, she mounted the horse and wrapped her arms around Yan Qinglan from behind, assuming a protective stance.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t smell pleasant, but Yan Qinglan didn’t care.

“Let’s get out of this forest first.” Yan Qinglan said.

Wen Zhuojin nodded, her mind racing.

The horse moved slowly through the dense forest, weaving around trees. It took a while to reach the edge.

Once they were on the open road, Wen Zhuojin grabbed the reins, spurred the horse, and they galloped away.

“Sister, those people claimed to be bodyguards, but they didn’t seem like it. Let’s go first. We can talk when we’re safe.” Wen Zhuojin said as they rode.

Wen Zhuojin wasn’t sure how things had gotten so tangled, but the men around them sent chills down her spine. Although they had rescued her, she didn’t know their true intentions and just wanted to get Yan Qinglan away as quickly as possible.

Yan Qinglan waved her hand behind her back.

The embroidered guards who had been chasing them slowed down, leaving only a few to follow secretly.

Wen Zhuojin’s stamina was far from recovered, but with Yan Qinglan by her side, she forced herself to stay alert.

After checking a few times to make sure they had shaken off their pursuers, she finally slowed down.

“Sister, how did you know I was being chased by the imperial guards?” Wen Zhuojin asked softly as they rode.

“Qing Chenning told me. She has informants in the government. I told you before that my identity would bring trouble. Big trouble—the kind that could cost us our lives.” Yan Qinglan said, her voice bitter.

From the moment she left the city to search for Wen Zhuojin, Yan Qinglan had prepared herself for the worst.

Wen Zhuojin had been chased by the imperial guards because of her. She had chosen to leave the city to protect her.

But why the imperial guards were so determined to capture her was hard to explain.

The last time she and Qing Chenning had been caught, she hadn’t explained it clearly, and it had made Wen Zhuojin uncomfortable. If she kept hiding and lying now, Yan Qinglan felt she would be betraying Wen Zhuojin’s trust.

But if Wen Zhuojin learned of her identity as the despised princess, what would happen?

Yan Qinglan wasn’t sure.

When facing Xuan Zhen and a group of imperial guards, Yan Qinglan hadn’t been afraid. But now, she hesitated.

“Sister, the imperial guards said you’re the wanted criminal they’ve been searching for. Is that true?” Wen Zhuojin asked after a moment of silence.

Her sister was just a delicate, soft-spoken woman, incapable of harming anyone. She had been sent to the Jiaofangsi because of her husband’s family.

How could she be a wanted criminal?

“Yes, they’ve been searching for me. A’Zhuo, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault that you’ve suffered so much today…” Yan Qinglan said, her lips moving silently.

To spare you more trouble, let’s part ways here, as if we never met.

The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say them. Yan Qinglan felt a lump in her chest.

Perhaps it was best to separate. It was better if Wen Zhuojin knew nothing.

Otherwise, today’s events were just the beginning.

Who knew how many life-threatening troubles she would bring Wen Zhuojin in the future?

For now, the most important thing was to ensure both of their safety.

Perhaps a temporary separation was the best option.

Today’s events had stirred up conflict between Yan Qi and the Tianxuan Palace. The Tianxuan Palace would likely target her even more.

Peace would be hard to come by from now on.

Feeling Wen Zhuojin’s body tense and her breathing grow uneven, Yan Qinglan took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

“A’Zhuo, I…” Yan Qinglan began to speak, but Wen Zhuojin tightened her embrace.

“Sister, I understand. I understand everything!” Wen Zhuojin said in a low, trembling voice, resting her head on Yan Qinglan’s shoulder.

Yan Qinglan was stunned. She hadn’t said anything yet. What did Wen Zhuojin think she knew?

“The person Xuan Zhen mentioned they were searching for—is that also you?” Wen Zhuojin asked softly.

The kind of trouble that could cost them their lives!

Wen Zhuojin suddenly remembered what Xuan Zhen had said about the person they had been searching for, and it all clicked.

If the two were the same person, it made sense.

Otherwise, Wen Zhuojin couldn’t think of any other reason why Yan Qinglan would be a wanted criminal, pursued so relentlessly without her name or identity being publicly disclosed.