The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 21

The merchant ship was long, with cargo piled high at the back, while the front featured a two-story small building where the passengers stayed. Flags fluttered in the wind, and the merchant’s name was displayed on the banner.

Wei Zhao walked ahead, her steps unsteady as the deck swayed with the waves, making her feel a bit dizzy. But her attention remained focused on the figure of Fa Yilian behind her.

Fa Yilian moved with ease, as if walking on solid ground. Although the canals in the capital connected the north and south, it was still land, and most of the capital’s elite only visited boats for leisure. As for the skills to walk steadily on a ship’s deck, they were no match for those who made their living on the water, such as in the southern regions or at sea.

Wei Zhao couldn’t help but breathe a small sigh of relief. Fa Yilian’s behavior confirmed that what she had previously said about her past was true.

If this slave had been bold enough to deceive her… Wei Zhao’s expression darkened for a moment, but then relaxed again.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

“What happened?” Wei Zhao didn’t stop walking, and Fa Yilian, as expected, followed her onto the ship, which meant they couldn’t go to the county office.

Wei Zhao’s heart sank, though her face remained calm. She turned her head slightly, as if casually talking to Fa Yilian.

“Someone is watching the front and back gates. The beggar was stopped,” Fa Yilian replied, still wearing a wide-brimmed hat that mostly concealed her face. Dressed as a man, she looked like one of Wei Zhao’s guards.

Wei Zhao paused, her expression darkened with anger.

Fa Yilian quickly reassured her, “The beggar was stopped right at the gate, which means they haven’t infiltrated the officials yet.”

Wei Zhao’s face softened a little, and she looked at Fa Yilian, her tone gentler now. “I see… By the way, I haven’t asked you yet. You’re injured and have been running around. Are you alright?”

Fa Yilian slightly lifted her eyes, her greenish eyes peering out from under the shadow of her hat, fixing on her mistress’s face and committing every subtle expression to memory.

Fa Yilian knew her mistress better than Wei Zhao herself realized.

She had followed her mistress from behind, witnessing her moments of weakness, her false bravado, and her attempts to win people over. She knew the indifference hidden behind Wei Zhao’s sincere gaze and the calculated steps behind her apparent innocence.

Look, this is your mistress.

The small liar, always hiding the truth.

She had been like this before, and she was still like this now.

But now, Fa Yilian finally saw herself. Her gaze rested on her mistress’s face.

Fa Yilian lowered her head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “No worries. I made some preparations in advance. They’ll search for others first, and by the time they realize what’s happened, we’ll already be gone.”

Wei Zhao nodded, not probing further. This slave was gradually becoming reliable in her eyes. She no longer felt the need to inquire about the details or worry about potential mistakes.

“Should we disembark early and catch them off guard, then seek the local troops?” Fa Yilian asked.

Wei Zhao shook her head. After some thought, she made up her mind. “No need. Since they think we’ll try to find the county office, let them think that. We’ll just take the boat straight to Haizhou.”

Knowing that the people watching them hadn’t, or at least weren’t deeply involved in the official or military circles, Wei Zhao’s heart relaxed.

She placed her hands on the railing, watching the scenery around them gradually recede as the boat moved further out of the city. Once they left the city, the river widened suddenly. The river breeze blew against her clothes, making a soft rustling sound, and Wei Zhao’s mood lifted along with it.

“The world is so vast and open, it really is refreshing. And this is just a river. I can’t imagine how the ocean would be.”

Fa Yilian smiled. “The ocean is endless and blue, it will surely not disappoint you.”

Hearing this, Wei Zhao’s hand tightened slowly. “Will I… ever see it?”

“Of course,” Fa Yilian replied softly.

They both fell into a quiet moment, the vast sky and the wide river stretching beyond the confines of the palace walls. This world, the one that the ancestors of the Great Zhou had fought to protect, was a world that belonged to the Wei family.

Wei Zhao took a deep breath and pressed her lips together.

“A Zong, are there fish in this river?”

“Umm… probably…”

The voice reached them, and Wei Zhao couldn’t help but frown, feeling as if they kept running into these people everywhere. She gestured to Fa Yilian. “Let’s go.”

Fa Yilian raised an eyebrow but didn’t object. She simply followed behind Wei Zhao. At that moment, a joyful voice reached them. “Has your heart’s lover really arrived?”

Wei Zhao froze in her steps. What nonsense about a heart’s lover? It couldn’t be about her and Fa Yilian. With that girl’s personality, she most likely had run into someone else. Wei Zhao couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of which poor soul had been caught by this girl’s attention. So, without a care, she moved forward.

“Miss, don’t leave!” the girl called out in a hurry from behind.

Wei Zhao’s steps quickened.

The girl called out a few more times, but eventually, the sound turned into a cough. Her silent slave was full of worry. “Miss, don’t be upset.”

“Ah, A Zong! Stop them for me!”

Wei Zhao felt a gust of wind blow over her head, and the next moment, Fa Yilian was already in front of her, blocking her view.

“Friend, without a word, you’re stopping people. That’s not what good dogs do.”

Wei Zhao saw Fa Yilian block her way with one hand while the other rested on the hilt of her sword.

“Apologies. It’s just that my mistress wants you to stay,” Fa Yilian said calmly.

Wei Zhao curiously leaned out from behind Fa Yilian, looking at the woman with black hair and blue eyes. She wore an apologetic expression, though her body stood firmly on the swaying boat. Wei Zhao wasn’t skilled in martial arts, but she had seen enough fighters in the court to recognize the strength in people’s moves. There were few like this who were skilled enough to walk on rooftops or scale walls, as such people didn’t like to get involved in politics, and the court had no way of controlling them.

The slave had just shown some skill, and now with Fa Yilian looking like she was facing a formidable opponent, Wei Zhao realized the pale-faced, well-formed, and quiet woman in front of her was a martial arts expert!

Wei Zhao’s mind raced, and she lightly patted Fa Yilian’s arm, signaling her to relax. She then gave the woman a friendly smile.

“Is your mistress calling for me?”

The black-haired woman’s ice-blue eyes briefly met Wei Zhao’s, then quickly shifted away, her head lowering as if she wasn’t used to eye contact. “Yes, my mistress is calling for both of you.”

“I see,” Wei Zhao replied with a smile. Turning around, she noticed the girl nearby, leaning against the wooden board, looking at her with wide eyes and an apologetic expression. “I thought you were talking about something like a lover, so I didn’t think you were calling for me.”

The girl blinked her eyes rapidly. “Sister, I only recognize you two besides A Zong, so of course, I was calling for you!”

Who knows who you recognize?

Wei Zhao forced a smile. “What do you need us for?”

The girl straightened up, and as the boat rocked on the river, she wavered slightly. The black-haired woman quickly moved to steady her. The girl looked up at her with sparkling eyes, and the black-haired woman paused, her face flushing slightly as she whispered, “Yes, yes… I’m just a bit worried.”

Though she hadn’t eaten, Wei Zhao suddenly felt a bit full.

She glanced at Fa Yilian and whispered, “Look at them.”

“Does the mistress want me to learn from her?” Fa Yilian teased with a smile in her eyes, glancing slowly at Wei Zhao’s face.

Wei Zhao felt as though there was something she missed. Her slave always had a trick up her sleeve in matters like this. Wei Zhao cleared her throat and decided to ignore Fa Yilian, focusing instead on the girl. “It’s windy and the waves are strong here. How about we talk somewhere else?”

“That sounds good,” the girl replied eagerly, flashing a bright smile. “Why don’t we go to my room?”

No one invites someone to their room the first time they meet. Even if it’s not in her own house, a girl’s private room…

Wei Zhao was a bit helpless, but having seen the martial skills of the people around the girl, she had some thoughts of recruiting them. So, she nodded with a smile. “Alright.”

“Sister is so beautiful and generous, unlike other women who are so fussy and ugly,” the girl clapped her hands and laughed. “I, Song Sisi, have made two new friends!”

Wei Zhao also introduced herself and Fa Yilian, though she didn’t reveal her true name. “I’m Lin Xian, and this is my slave, Yilian. This is…” She turned to the black-haired woman beside Song Sisi.

Song Sisi smiled and glanced at both Wei Zhao and Fa Yilian before whispering, “I understand, I understand.”

Understand what?

Wei Zhao was puzzled, but Song Sisi, with excitement, grabbed her slave’s hand and said, “This is A Zong, she’s been with me since childhood, isn’t she beautiful?”

“Ah… well…”

Having seen many beauties, Wei Zhao nodded, though in her heart, she felt a bit dismissive. It’s not enough to just look good. Talent is what matters.

“Sister, you’re so beautiful. When you’re out and about, you must have a lot of trouble. If you need anything from us…” The girl said, her expression a bit lonely. A Zong quickly looked at her with concern. The girl forced a smile. “If you need anything from our A Zong, just ask.”

Wei Zhao stiffened.

So this girl was a total face-obsessed person.