Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 84

“Lady Yingshu was recommended by Princess Le’an, and it’s out of trust in… me that she hasn’t paid any silver yet. We can’t prove to others that you can truly cure the incense poison. Should we wait until after the cure to ask for payment?” Qing Chenning looked at Wen Zhuojin with some hesitation.

She wasn’t a businesswoman, and asking for money wasn’t as natural for her as it was for Wen Zhuojin. Moreover, Princess Le’an had recommended Lady Yingshu because she trusted them due to Princess Yan Qinglan’s status as the eldest princess, and she had also helped a lot, making it even harder to demand payment.

“These aristocratic families can spend a fortune on divine incense, which is actually harmful. What I’m doing now is saving lives, and the cost is much higher than that divine incense. You don’t need to save them any money. Forget it, I’ll handle the money matters myself.” Wen Zhuojin said, seeing that Qing Chenning wasn’t likely to negotiate or collect payment on her behalf.

“Alright. Just don’t ask for too much, lest we create enemies instead of earning gratitude.” Qing Chenning sighed in relief.

Qing Chenning took Wen Zhuojin to see the two people who had been brought to the estate.

Wearing a veil to conceal her identity, Wen Zhuojin went to meet them.

A man and a woman were kept in separate rooms.

Wen Zhuojin first went to see the young master Cui, who was in a frenzied state, obsessed with the divine incense, and had become extremely violent. The room was nearly destroyed.

“Give me the divine incense! I need the divine incense! If you don’t give it to me, I’ll kill you all!”

Young master Cui lunged at the servant taking care of him like a madman.

“Tie him up first!” Wen Zhuojin frowned, signaling her guards to act.

The Cui family’s servants wanted to protest, but Qing Chenning stopped them.

“If you want your young master to recover, you must listen to Lady Ye here! Otherwise, take him away and forget about the treatment!” Qing Chenning said, and the servants dared not move.

Lady Ye was Wen Zhuojin’s alias.

Since Princess Yan Qinglan had taken the surname Ye, Wen Zhuojin had also chosen the same surname for her disguise.

Soon, young master Cui was tied to the bed, with a soft cloth stuffed in his mouth. Wen Zhuojin selected the appropriate incense medicine for his condition.

“Here are two types of incense medicine. One will alleviate his addiction, and the other will detoxify the incense poison. Each pill costs a thousand taels of silver. If you want to buy them, I won’t sell them for less than two thousand taels. This one is a gesture of goodwill, so you can see the effects.” Wen Zhuojin held the incense medicine and looked at a woman in the room, the person in charge of bringing young master Cui here.

The actual cost of the incense wasn’t high, but the research and development had consumed a lot of resources, time, and effort, which Wen Zhuojin factored into the price. Even though the Cui family had some influence and could be an ally against the Tianxuan Palace, Wen Zhuojin wanted to make sure they understood the debt they owed.

The people around weren’t sure if the medicine would work, but they were willing to try. The Cui family head had previously betrayed Princess Yan Qinglan, and as part of the reconciliation, he had agreed to three conditions. Sending his son here was a last resort.

The woman in charge didn’t hold much hope but still thanked Wen Zhuojin politely.

Wen Zhuojin lit the incense and placed it in the burner. After a while, the people around noticed that young master Cui’s condition seemed to improve slightly. His struggles weakened, and his eyes showed signs of clarity.

The onlookers exchanged glances, still unsure, and leaned in for a closer look.

After observing the effects, Wen Zhuojin and Qing Chenning went to another room to see the daughter of Lady Yingshu.

The girl looked very young, petite, and delicate. Due to her weak constitution and blindness, she was curled up, crying and begging for the divine incense.

Wen Zhuojin felt a pang of sympathy, reminded of Princess Yan Qinglan’s past.

She looked pitiful.

“What should we do? Maybe we should give her another dose.” Lady Yingshu couldn’t bear to see her daughter suffer.

“Don’t. The more you use it, the worse her condition will get.” Wen Zhuojin said, approaching to examine the girl.

“It smells so good… what is it?” The girl, still begging, suddenly paused and sniffed the air, moving toward Wen Zhuojin.

Wen Zhuojin stepped back, and the blind girl crawled toward her, only to be held back by Lady Yingshu and her maid.

“Is her sense of smell usually this sharp?” Wen Zhuojin asked. She hadn’t lit any incense yet, but the girl had caught a whiff of the scent from the previous room.

“Yes, it is. She didn’t like the smell of the divine incense at first, but she was weak, and the imperial doctors couldn’t help. I listened to the Tianxuan Palace’s advice and made her inhale the incense, even while she slept. Who would have thought…” Lady Yingshu began to weep.

Wen Zhuojin was speechless. The dangers of incense poison were still unclear, and with the Tianxuan Palace promoting it, who could have known it was harmful?

The Tianxuan Palace must have known the dangers but still used it as a tool for profit. Their intentions were truly vile.

Wen Zhuojin selected the appropriate incense for the girl’s condition and lit it. She then explained the situation to Lady Yingshu, much like she had with the Cui family.

Although she sympathized with them, she couldn’t just give away the incense for free.

“Alright. I’ll pay for the incense now. If Qin’er’s poison is cured, I’ll pay an additional twenty thousand taels as a consultation fee.” Lady Yingshu said, handing over the silver notes.

Wen Zhuojin was slightly taken aback. The aristocratic families were indeed wealthy, offering such a generous sum without even haggling.

It was said that Lady Yingshu doted on her daughter, and it seemed to be true.

With such a promise, Wen Zhuojin became more attentive, staying longer to observe the girl’s condition.

The girl, named Qin’er, though blind, wasn’t as violent as young master Cui when her mind was clouded. When she regained some clarity, she cried pitifully.

“After being poisoned by the incense, the addiction will flare up if the incense isn’t used. Don’t be afraid when it happens; just endure it, and it will pass. Based on what I see now, the next episode will likely occur in five or six hours. You can use the incense in this small bottle to alleviate the symptoms. Stop using it once the addiction passes. As for the other type…”

Before leaving, Wen Zhuojin explained in detail what to expect and how to handle the situation.

The initial effects of Wen Zhuojin’s incense were promising, and Lady Yingshu grew more confident in her, listening carefully to her advice.

“Lady Ye, will you come back?” Qin’er asked softly as Wen Zhuojin prepared to leave.

“Qin’er, I’ll come to check on you every day. You’re my patient now. Listen to your mother, eat well, and take your medicine…” Wen Zhuojin spoke gently, as if talking to a child.

Qin’er seemed very young, and with Lady Yingshu’s generous payment and promised consultation fee, Wen Zhuojin’s attitude was impeccable.

Qing Chenning, watching Wen Zhuojin interact with Qin’er, was struck by the stark contrast in how she treated the two patients.

After calming Qin’er, Wen Zhuojin checked on young master Cui again. He had regained some clarity but was still cursing. Wen Zhuojin instructed the guards to keep him tied up and ensure he didn’t get any more divine incense. Then, she and Qing Chenning left.

“I’ll leave them here for now and come back in a few days to check on them. If anything happens, send me a message. The city is still unstable, so it’s not safe to return yet.” Qing Chenning said as they left.

“Alright. Dealing with the Tianxuan Palace will be tough. If you need anything from me, don’t hesitate to ask.” Wen Zhuojin replied.

For several days, Qing Chenning didn’t return, and Princess Yan Qinglan never mentioned her. Wen Zhuojin’s impression of Qing Chenning improved slightly.

After discussing the situation in the city, Qing Chenning hurriedly left.

Wen Zhuojin quickly returned to the estate where Princess Yan Qinglan was staying.

Before she could see Princess Yan Qinglan, she ran into Manager Lin.

“Miss, you mentioned before that we should recruit more young men to train as guards. The people we sent out reported that there was a flood near the southern border with Chu, and many refugees are heading toward Yunjing City. But when our men went to recruit, they found that most of the refugees had been taken in by a nearby bandit stronghold. It’s strange, though. Why would bandits take in so many people? Feeding them would cost a fortune. If they keep growing, the court might send troops to wipe them out.” Manager Lin reported.

“Send more people to investigate. If possible, have some of our men pose as refugees and infiltrate the stronghold. Find out what they’re planning and how large their operation is.” Wen Zhuojin instructed after a moment’s thought.

Normally, Wen Zhuojin wouldn’t pay much attention to such matters, but given the current situation, she decided it was worth looking into. If the bandits were strong enough, they could serve as a potential escape route if she ever needed to flee.