Mistakenly Treated The Princess As A Concubine - Chapter 92

“Madam, before the young lady left, she instructed that you must take your medicine on time, undergo acupuncture, and use the incense. She said these are newly made, and if you feel any discomfort while using them, stop immediately and continue with the old ones. You must not stop any of them. Madam, would you like to take your medicine now?”

The maid’s voice reached Yan Qinglan as she looked over.

Wen Zhuojin had prepared a delicate carved wooden box for her, containing the pills, incense, and other items she needed. Inside was also the box Yan Qinglan used to store her golden fish talisman and the identity token under the name Ye Yuanniang.

The female doctor, Mo, had also come along.

Only Wen Zhuojin was missing.

Yesterday, Wen Zhuojin had been quite happy when she learned that Yan Qinglan wasn’t leaving.

Despite the intense emotions of the previous day, Wen Zhuojin had never intended to let her stay. It truly felt like a final farewell.

Yan Qinglan recalled how she had shamelessly begged for mercy, crying out in pleasure, yet feeling too embarrassed to face Wen Zhuojin afterward. A sense of guilt inexplicably washed over her.

And just like that, they had parted.

The sound of that little rascal’s low panting still seemed to echo in her ears.

It felt as if her fingers were still pressing against that spot.

Yan Qinglan composed herself, silently took her medicine, and excused herself to rest, sending the two maids to another carriage. She then called in the female embroidered-uniform guard who was accompanying them to report.

“Regarding Lord Qing, we’ve already sent someone to inquire. A fast horse should be able to bring back news within a day and a night.”

The female guard reported the situation to Yan Qinglan.

There were only four days left before the selection, and Yan Qinglan didn’t have much time to prepare.

The northern border was quite far, and even if they sent an urgent message, there wouldn’t be enough time for a round trip.

If the rebel army could be utilized, it might be possible to borrow their help temporarily.

This would depend on how Qing Chenning negotiated with the rebels.

After some thought, Yan Qinglan instructed the guard to add another letter, directly asking Qing Chenning to come meet her from the rebel stronghold.

Meanwhile, the route Yan Qinglan planned to take differed slightly from the one Wen Zhuojin had arranged. Instead, she chose a path near the capital that had military garrisons along the way.

The leader of the embroidered-uniform guards, posing as a “bodyguard.” would convince Manager Lin of this plan.

The golden fish talisman was placed in the box with the identity token, saving Yan Qinglan the trouble of retrieving it later. Along the way, she could gather several garrisons to escort her toward the capital.

On the other side, Wen Zhuojin continued to immerse herself in the study of incense at the manor. Every day, she spent an hour accompanying her “wife” on outings, delaying for another day. When the Marquis’s estate sent someone to urge her, and the Tianxuan Palace also demanded that Wen Zhuojin send her “wife” there, she finally had no choice but to act.

Wen Zhuojin first sent the “wife” to the Tianxuan Palace.

This “wife” was actually one of the bodyguards Wen Zhuojin had hired, also an undercover embroidered-uniform guard planted by Yan Qinglan. As long as she was paid enough, she would do anything. She was skilled in martial arts and capable of self-defense. Wen Zhuojin provided her with the necessary incense to prevent poisoning and arranged a time for her to escape.

After visiting the Tianxuan Palace, Wen Zhuojin didn’t see Jiang Xiao but met Xuanzhen instead.

Xuanzhen had always been curious about Wen Zhuojin’s “wife.” so Wen Zhuojin allowed the disguised guard to reveal her true appearance.

Her looks were passable, dressed in an extremely delicate manner, walking as if swaying in the wind, fitting Xuanzhen’s stereotypical image.

Xuanzhen wasn’t particularly fond of such women. After a glance, she lost interest and had a young disciple arrange accommodations.

Wen Zhuojin tried her best to treat her as if she were her beautiful sister, showing great care. She personally helped her settle into the quiet room and bid her a reluctant farewell before leaving under Xuanzhen’s urging.

“Junior Sister, you are truly devoted. Don’t worry, I will make sure she is well taken care of.” Xuanzhen reassured Wen Zhuojin, seeing her worried expression.

“Thank you, Senior Sister. I appreciate it. Now that my wife is staying at the Tianxuan Palace, I can return to the capital without any concerns.” Wen Zhuojin replied.

“Go back in peace and prepare for the selection. By the way, the Emperor is still interested in the incense recipe for horse breeding. You had some progress before. Any recent developments?” Xuanzhen asked.

“Recently, I haven’t had any northern Qiang horses nearby, so there hasn’t been much progress. I’ll continue researching once I return to the capital.” Wen Zhuojin said.

“Good. Junior Sister, don’t forget your mission in the palace. Things like developing incense recipes should be sent to Master first. We’ll arrange for a trusted maid to contact you.” Xuanzhen reminded her.

Wen Zhuojin didn’t feel like talking anymore. They wanted her to be a spy, yet they expected her to openly send things back to them?!

If she didn’t wholeheartedly serve the Emperor, how could she gain his trust?

“Senior Sister, I understand. I will modify the incense recipes before presenting them to the Emperor. But if the incense isn’t effective, how can I gain his trust and secure the position of Empress? I heard the Emperor favors me because the treasury is empty, but I don’t have much silver. Most of the money I’ve earned has been used to open new shops. Senior Sister, could you provide me with some silver to help me gain the Emperor’s trust?” Wen Zhuojin asked after some thought.

“How much silver do you need?” Xuanzhen paused before asking.

“At least a hundred thousand taels. Otherwise, compared to the other concubines, I have no advantage.” Wen Zhuojin said.

“…” Xuanzhen hesitated upon hearing the amount.

A hundred thousand taels was no small sum.

“Giving the Emperor a hundred thousand taels would only strengthen him. Relying solely on silver to gain trust isn’t advisable.” Xuanzhen disagreed, shaking her head.

“Senior Sister is right. Then, instead of giving the silver to the Emperor, I could use it to expand my business. If my business grows large enough, even without immediate silver, the Emperor should still hold me in high regard, right? My current assets are too small compared to the royal merchants. If any of the concubines’ families ally with those merchants, I’ll have no chance.” Wen Zhuojin said earnestly.

“You have a point. I’ll need to discuss this with Master.” Xuanzhen said after some thought, as she couldn’t make the decision alone.

“Thank you, Senior Sister. If Master doesn’t agree, other arrangements would be fine too. Perhaps a disciple’s token that allows me to discreetly access some funds. The Tianxuan Palace has many businesses in the capital, as well as its own merchant caravans, banks, and pawnshops. Giving me one to manage would be good. I could make it even more profitable. Nominally, it would be for the Emperor, but in reality, it would all belong to the Tianxuan Palace and Master. Please explain this clearly to Master.” Wen Zhuojin added.

No matter what, she had to seize this opportunity to take a piece of the Tianxuan Palace’s wealth.

Xuanzhen left for a moment to discuss Wen Zhuojin’s request with Jiang Xiao in her quiet chamber.

Not long after, Xuanzhen returned.

“Master says a hundred thousand taels is too much. She will give you fifty thousand taels instead. Additionally, she will give you a disciple’s token, allowing you to withdraw up to twenty thousand taels from the bank at once, with a monthly limit of a hundred thousand taels. The borrowed silver will accrue interest, and you must repay it within the specified time to borrow again. Be careful when using the token, and don’t let anyone find out. As for the shops, you’ll have to open them yourself. We can’t hand over any of the Tianxuan Palace’s existing shops to you.” Xuanzhen relayed Jiang Xiao’s decision.

Wen Zhuojin inwardly clicked her tongue, thinking how stingy they were.

Although it wasn’t a huge amount, at least she had secured some silver. Moreover, with the disciple’s token, she could do more behind the scenes.

The Tianxuan Palace still trusted her quite a bit.

Especially now that they had a “hostage.”

“Thank you, Senior Sister. I will do my utmost to serve Master and contribute to the future development of the Tianxuan Palace!” Wen Zhuojin said with determination after receiving the token and silver notes from Xuanzhen.

Xuanzhen was pleased with Wen Zhuojin’s response and chatted with her for a while longer before letting her go.