Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 83

Yan Qinglan thought that Wen Zhuojin was broad-minded, believing that the events of the previous day would be left in the past once they were over. However, when she heard Wen Zhuojin and Qing Chenning discussing their plans to oppose the Tianxuan Palace, she couldn’t help but glance at Wen Zhuojin’s figure through the screen, her eyes flickering with emotion.

Even though she was afraid, Wen Zhuojin was still willing to do everything in her power to stand against the Tianxuan Palace.

By a twist of fate, the incense formula Yan Qinglan had developed would also become a crucial element in overthrowing the Tianxuan Palace.

However, the process of detoxifying the incense poison required Wen Zhuojin’s scent.

How could she detoxify others from the incense poison without Wen Zhuojin?

When she heard Wen Zhuojin mention various incense formulas but not a specific method to detoxify the poison, Yan Qinglan felt both relieved and worried. Without Wen Zhuojin as the “catalyst.” could the incense poison be successfully detoxified?

Or could it be done in a short time?

After the two outside finished discussing the details, Qing Chenning had brought the news she was supposed to deliver, along with an unexpected bonus, and didn’t stay much longer.

Once Qing Chenning left, Wen Zhuojin took the wooden box she had given her and went behind the screen.

While speaking with Qing Chenning, Wen Zhuojin had been full of vigor, but once she stepped behind the screen, she looked like a wilted eggplant.

Yan Qinglan, who was about to ask Wen Zhuojin something, was taken aback by her expression.

“What’s wrong, A’Zhuo? Weren’t you just talking fine a moment ago?” Yan Qinglan asked.

Wen Zhuojin walked over to Yan Qinglan with the box and crouched down.

“Sister, you asked Qing Chenning to handle the identity token without even mentioning it to me. Are you closer to her than you are to me?” Wen Zhuojin asked, her tone filled with a sense of grievance that struck Yan Qinglan directly.

“…” Yan Qinglan didn’t know what to say. In truth, the golden fish token was her real identity token, so she didn’t need a fake one.

However, after Wen Zhuojin’s recent incident, she had asked Qing Chenning to bring a fake token along with the golden fish token when delivering it, mainly because she was afraid Wen Zhuojin might still be fixated on it and cause another mishap.

“Am I really second to Qing Chenning in your heart? Wuwuwu…” Seeing that Yan Qinglan didn’t respond immediately, Wen Zhuojin began to sob.

“No, it’s not like that. It’s different. A’Zhuo, you’re not the same as Qing Chenning. Please stop comparing yourself to her.” Yan Qinglan said hurriedly, her voice tinged with panic as she reached out to hug Wen Zhuojin, patting her to comfort her.

Yan Qinglan had noticed that Wen Zhuojin was extremely “petty” when it came to Qing Chenning. Even though she knew Qing Chenning was a woman, Wen Zhuojin would still act “strangely” at times.

She was truly jealous.

“How is it different? Sister, I want to hear it. Otherwise, I’ll feel really, really bad…”

Wen Zhuojin hugged Yan Qinglan tightly, resting her head on her shoulder as she asked.

“…” Yan Qinglan couldn’t quite understand Wen Zhuojin’s distress, but since Wen Zhuojin said she was feeling bad, Yan Qinglan wanted to comfort her.

“A’Zhuo, didn’t you say that we’re family now that we’re married? How can Qing Chenning compare to that?” Yan Qinglan thought for a moment and replied.

“What else? Sister, tell me who you like.” Wen Zhuojin asked, her lips curling into a smile, clearly wanting to hear more.

“…” Yan Qinglan glanced at Wen Zhuojin’s expression and realized there were no signs of tears. She had clearly been tricked into saying sweet words to comfort her.

This little rascal.

“I like A’Zhuo.” Yan Qinglan said, giving in to Wen Zhuojin’s request. As soon as the words left her lips, Wen Zhuojin kissed her.

“I like you too, sister.” Wen Zhuojin said, her voice now filled with joy.

Just as Yan Qinglan was about to pinch Wen Zhuojin, Wen Zhuojin let go of her.

“Sister, I just gave Qing Chenning four thousand taels of silver. The identity token inside this box is essentially something I paid her to handle for you. In this matter, you don’t owe her anything.” Wen Zhuojin said seriously to Yan Qinglan.

Yan Qinglan hadn’t known exactly how much silver Wen Zhuojin had given Qing Chenning, but upon hearing the amount, she couldn’t help but inhale sharply.

That was too much!

This little rascal, who was usually so good at business, was being unusually generous this time!

“Sister, take a look. What’s your name now?” Wen Zhuojin handed the box to Yan Qinglan and asked.

“Hmm. I used my mother’s surname, Ye. The full name is Ye Yuanniang.” Yan Qinglan said as she opened the box and took out a copper identity token from inside.

Yan Qinglan’s mother was indeed from the Ye family, a prominent surname in Northern Jin. The name Yuanniang was also a very common name for girls, often given to the first daughter in a family.

Yan Qinglan happened to be the first daughter of her generation in the royal family.

Hence, she had chosen this name.

“What a beautiful name! As expected of something my sister came up with!” Wen Zhuojin immediately exclaimed.

“…” Yan Qinglan glanced at Wen Zhuojin, who was genuinely sincere in her praise.

Yan Qinglan placed the identity token back into the box and reached into the bottom layer, where the golden fish token was hidden.

“Sister, remember, you and I are the closest. From now on, if there’s anything, you have to tell me first.” Wen Zhuojin said after looking at the identity token.

“Alright.” Yan Qinglan replied after a pause.

Knowing how much Wen Zhuojin cared about this, Yan Qinglan felt increasingly uneasy.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t notice, however, as her mood had improved, and she began discussing future plans with Yan Qinglan.

“Detoxifying the incense poison—will it be easier without your scent?” Yan Qinglan asked Wen Zhuojin.

“Sister, actually, I’ve prepared a blended incense that smells very similar to my scent. I’m just not sure if it will work. We can try it when we detoxify Young Master Cui.” Wen Zhuojin said.

“When did you prepare that?” Yan Qinglan looked up at Wen Zhuojin.

“The fish today was really fresh, and it’s even better when you catch it yourself. If we have time tomorrow, let’s go fishing again, okay?” Wen Zhuojin suddenly became evasive, her eyes darting around as she changed the subject.

Yan Qinglan reached out and pinched Wen Zhuojin’s cheek.

“You prepared the blended incense behind my back and then tricked me into kissing you! Wen Zhuojin!” Yan Qinglan said through gritted teeth.

“Sister, no, it wasn’t ready back then. It’s not easy to make… Wuwuwu, sister, I was wrong…” Wen Zhuojin tried to defend herself, but Yan Qinglan pinched her harder, forcing her to admit her mistake.

Yan Qinglan wasn’t really angry, just a bit embarrassed and annoyed.

By dinnertime, Yan Qinglan had somewhat softened under Wen Zhuojin’s relentless coaxing.

After dinner, Manager Lin came by to report that the people sent to Yunjing City had returned.

They had brought back four familiar maids, as well as the kittens and puppies they had been raising. They also brought along Doctor Mo, and the bulk of the shipment was a cart full of supplies.

“Reporting to Miss, entering and exiting Yunjing City now requires a long queue for inspection. We were also stopped twice for checks along the way, so it took a bit longer. Otherwise, everything went smoothly.” the servant who had gone to Yunjing City reported to Wen Zhuojin.

It had taken more time, but fortunately, nothing had gone wrong during the journey.

Wen Zhuojin gave the servants who had made the trip some reward money and had Bai Tan and Zi Rong, who had come along, organize the items.

With the current restrictions on entering and exiting the city, Wen Zhuojin wanted to bring more incense materials to prepare the incense medicine, but it would take some extra time.

Since her hands were still injured, Wen Zhuojin wasn’t in a hurry.

She and Yan Qinglan spent some time playing with the kittens and puppies in the outer room while the bedroom was being tidied up.

The general layout remained the same as before, with the bedsheets, quilts, and curtains all resembling those from Lanyuan.

Once they entered the inner room, Wen Zhuojin called for Doctor Mo to give Yan Qinglan an acupuncture session.

Yan Qinglan was somewhat afraid of acupuncture, so Wen Zhuojin held her, covering her eyes and whispering soothing words to help her get through the session.

After the acupuncture, Wen Zhuojin helped Yan Qinglan get dressed and laid her down on a soft pillow.

“Doctor Mo, you mentioned last time that you were preparing some medicinal pills. Are they ready?” Wen Zhuojin asked as she went out to fetch Yan Qinglan’s medicine and saw Doctor Mo off.

“I’ve prepared eighteen pills. I was just about to inform Miss Wen. These pills are for internal regulation. They’re in this jade bottle, and one pill should be used each time. They’re not for oral consumption but for external use, or rather, internal use. They need to be inserted into the Xuanpu point. When using them, lie on your back and insert them as deeply as possible. They will melt and be absorbed by the next day. They should not be used during menstruation.”

Doctor Mo handed a jade bottle to Wen Zhuojin.

As she spoke, Doctor Mo’s expression remained unchanged.

Wen Zhuojin was momentarily stunned. When she took the jade bottle, she suddenly realized what it was for, and her face gradually turned red, her eyes widening as she looked at the bottle.

What kind of internal regulation medicine was this, to be used in such a manner?

Yan Qinglan, lying in the inner room, felt the soreness and numbness from the acupuncture gradually fading when she heard Wen Zhuojin’s footsteps. She looked up and saw Wen Zhuojin entering, her face flushed.

“Did someone upset you while you were out fetching the medicine?” Yan Qinglan teased.

“Doctor Mo gave me the medicine she prepared. She said it should be used in the next few days, and it will help with your next menstrual cycle.” Wen Zhuojin said as she placed the medicine and the jade bottle on the table.

“Oh, is that what this is about?” Yan Qinglan asked.

“…Yes, the Doctor said…” Wen Zhuojin began, her face turning red.

Although she was usually bold in front of Yan Qinglan and often teased her, this was something Wen Zhuojin had never done before. Just mentioning it made her face burn, and her voice grew softer as she leaned in to whisper the rest into Yan Qinglan’s ear.

“…” After hearing the explanation, Yan Qinglan’s face also turned slightly red.

This medicine didn’t sound very proper.

“Sister, can you manage it yourself? If it’s too difficult, I can help you with it.” Wen Zhuojin said softly, her dark eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at Yan Qinglan.

Yan Qinglan was momentarily stunned, realizing what Wen Zhuojin was hinting at.

This little rascal had been waiting for this!

“Do you think your hands are in any condition to help right now?” Yan Qinglan asked after a pause.

Even if Wen Zhuojin’s hands weren’t injured, Yan Qinglan would have found the idea extremely awkward.

The way they were close now was already quite intimate.

Wen Zhuojin, hearing Yan Qinglan’s words, looked down at her bandaged hands, which were still in rough shape, with not a single finger unscathed.

In her earlier embarrassment, Wen Zhuojin had forgotten about her current condition.

It felt like the sky was falling.

Ugh, she would never forgive that old fool Jiangxiao!

Yan Qinglan watched as Wen Zhuojin’s expression shifted from anticipation to disappointment, her lips visibly drooping. What had once been a source of embarrassment and even resistance now seemed different.

She really was pitiful.

“Alright, don’t cry. We’ll talk about it when you’re better.” Yan Qinglan said, pulling Wen Zhuojin into a hug and patting her back before she could start sobbing.

“Okay, but when I’m better, you have to let me help.” Wen Zhuojin murmured, voicing her request.

“Alright.” Yan Qinglan agreed, feeling her heart skip a beat.

Was it really going to come to that?

It wasn’t the time yet, and thinking about it now would only add unnecessary stress.

Yan Qinglan pushed the thought aside and changed the subject, chatting with Wen Zhuojin, whose mood had improved.

That night, to comfort the “injured” Wen Zhuojin, the two of them spent a long time cuddling.

The maids who had come from Lanyuan were already experienced and had prepared hot water in advance. As soon as Wen Zhuojin called for it, they poured the water into the bathtub for the two to bathe.

The next day, Wen Zhuojin wasn’t as leisurely as before.

She had to find a house not too far from their current location but unrelated to her, and she needed to arrange for trustworthy people to staff it.

The incense materials needed for the current formula also had to be transported from Yunjing City before she could start preparing the medicine.

Wen Zhuojin spent three days preparing everything. After notifying Qing Chenning, Qing Chenning brought the people to the estate Wen Zhuojin had mentioned.

“This time, two people have come. One is the eldest son of the Cui family head, and the other is the youngest daughter of Lady Yingshu. Both of them are in poor condition. They’ve already started clamoring for the divine incense after just a short while.” Qing Chenning briefly explained to Wen Zhuojin.

“Did Lady Yingshu pay?” Wen Zhuojin asked after a pause.

Wen Zhuojin remembered Lady Yingshu’s daughter. She had first learned about the divine incense at a banquet hosted by Lady Yingshu.

At the time, from the way they spoke, it was clear that Lady Yingshu adored her daughter and had spent a fortune on the divine incense for her frail child.

Even back then, Lady Yingshu’s daughter had been deeply affected by the incense poison.

Now, several months later, her condition had likely worsened.