The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 24

The boat had been traveling for several days, passing by several towns, but Wei Zhao had stayed aboard the entire time. She had thought about going to look for the provincial soldiers again, but for some reason, she felt an odd reluctance to do so.

Life on the boat was different. Without any maids around, she had to handle her own meals and clothing, but on the flip side, there was no one chasing her, no exhausting meditation, and no daily need to gauge others’ thoughts or intentions. Wei Zhao propped her chin on her hand, watching the river sway, the waves gently slapping against the boat with soft sounds. In the distance, a clear cry from a hawk echoed. They had left yet another town behind, and on the plain ahead, small hills dotted the landscape—round and full of greenery, looking like little green dumplings from a distance, young and cute.

“Let me stay a while longer,” Wei Zhao thought. “I want to enjoy this peaceful life a little more. Just like Fa Yilian said, we should go straight to Haizhou and strike right at the heart of it, avoiding any other issues.”

Lazy, she stretched out under the sunlight, squinting her eyes like a satisfied little cat.

Suddenly, the sounds of shouting reached her ears. Wei Zhao looked out and saw a few men running past. They wore short shirts and were barefoot. Although small in stature, their muscles were solid, and their skin was tanned dark from the sun. These were the boatmen. They greeted each other, speaking in a dialect thick with local accents, making it hard for Wei Zhao to understand. She frowned and tried to make out the words, but after a while, she couldn’t figure out what they were saying.

This wasn’t unusual. The official language of the Great Zhou was the common tongue, but only scholars and those with a certain standing usually spoke it. Since they were far from the capital, even if people here could speak it, their accents were often heavily influenced by the local dialect. Boatmen and even the captain typically didn’t speak the official language. It was only the innkeepers and merchants who would speak it more clearly, for business reasons.

Still, even if they couldn’t communicate clearly, Wei Zhao knew something was going on.

“Fa Yilian!”

She instinctively called out.

“You called me?” Fa Yilian appeared in the doorway, holding a basin of laundry. She sounded confused when she heard Wei Zhao’s voice.

Wei Zhao turned around and saw her servant in the humble attire of a low-ranking servant.

For a moment, Wei Zhao found it hard to reconcile this image with the person she had seen in the forest—standing tall with a knife in hand, calm yet sharp. Anger flared up in her heart. She marched toward Fa Yilian and glanced down at the basin. Inside, there were several pieces of clothing, including some intimate garments that clearly belonged to Wei Zhao herself.

In an instant, her anger melted away like snow, replaced by a feeling of shame and annoyance.

“You… you… why are you washing these?!” Wei Zhao shouted, her eyes wandering, unable to meet Fa Yilian’s gaze.

“What else would you wear if I didn’t wash them?” Fa Yilian, ever straightforward, asked in return as she moved aside and began hanging the clothes. The delicate women’s garments were not suited for outdoor drying, so she hung them inside.

The strong scent of soap lingered in the air, and whenever Wei Zhao looked up, she saw her own intimate garments. Since her birth, she had never had to wash anything herself—let alone take care of her bath—someone else always did that for her. But now, why did she feel so uncomfortable?

Wei Zhao thought it over and decided it was probably because Fa Yilian was no ordinary person.

Fa Yilian, her servant. Over the years, Wei Zhao had never given her much thought. But even ignoring her, Fa Yilian had been a thorn in her side. Now, that thorn had been pulled out, and suddenly, seeing her do something like this—like a pearl covered in dust, or a hidden sword—it all seemed a little too tragic.

“This is something a low servant does,” Wei Zhao muttered.

“We are the only ones here,” Fa Yilian replied seriously, continuing to hang the clothes. With each shake and pull, the air made a crisp sound, like a slap on Wei Zhao’s face, making her feel embarrassed. Fa Yilian paused and then said, “I’m a slave, my status is lower than that of a low servant.”

That was true. The tattooed branding marks of a slave were harder to erase than a piece of official paperwork.

“…We should find someone to do the chores,” Wei Zhao said, puffing out her cheeks and turning to look out the window.

“We need to save money,” Fa Yilian replied, her tone dismissive as she finished hanging the clothes.

Wei Zhao had nothing more to say. She pursed her lips, frowned, and changed the subject awkwardly. “What’s going on outside?”

“They say we’re entering Pingji Lake,” Fa Yilian answered as she finished her task, placing the basin aside before sitting down in front of Wei Zhao. She didn’t act like a servant at all, something Wei Zhao had long gotten used to. Fa Yilian took out a charcoal pen—a tool invented by Wei Zhao’s great-grandfather—and began sketching on a piece of paper.

The winding river curved through Qiongzhou and into Ganzhou.

Wei Zhao recognized it immediately. “This is our current location,” she said.

“Mm, I went to the captain to check the map,” Fa Yilian replied. She had drawn a large, poorly shaped circle, indicating a lake. Despite her lack of skill, the sketch was still recognizable as a body of water. Fa Yilian lightly pointed to the center of the drawing, “This is Pingji Lake.”

“Right, I remember now. Pingji Lake stretches seven hundred miles, east into Ganzhou, west into Haizhou, and is vast. The sun and moon seem to rise and set within it,” Wei Zhao said, her energy suddenly lifting. “Crossing Pingji Lake means we’re close to Haizhou!”

Although she had read about it before, only now, seeing it firsthand, did she fully appreciate the significance of what she had learned.

Fa Yilian nodded. “But lately, Pingji Lake has been unsettled. They’re flying the flag of the Cang Gang.”

The Cang Gang usually had connections with the government, otherwise, how could they travel freely within the empire?

Wei Zhao wasn’t surprised by this but was shocked by the situation Fa Yilian described. For a moment, she even felt a chill. “Are there bandits in Pingji Lake? Why hasn’t it been reported?”

Covering up such a matter was serious. Pingji Lake stretched for seven hundred miles—how many bandits could be hiding there? If they were united, they could cause a major threat to the Great Zhou!

Wei Zhao took a deep breath, gritting her teeth and looking at Fa Yilian. Fa Yilian remained indifferent, not concerned about the future of the Great Zhou. Wei Zhao, frustrated, thought to herself how she had ended up with such a servant. But soon, she realized her anger was misdirected, and it was only because she was venting her frustration on Fa Yilian. She forced herself to calm down, speaking in a cold tone, “Go and find out how many times these bandit incidents have occurred.”

Fa Yilian nodded and stood up, looking down at Wei Zhao’s darkened expression.

“Since the captain is so concerned, I’m sure it’s happened more than once.”

Wei Zhao gave a bitter smile. She knew exactly what Fa Yilian meant. Still, hearing it so bluntly, she looked up with a hint of helplessness in her eyes. “You… You shouldn’t speak so directly at times like this. Maybe if you’d said something more comforting, it wouldn’t seem so bad.”

“That wouldn’t help,” Fa Yilian replied, lifting the corner of her lips. “No one ever taught me to sugarcoat things. I just speak the truth.”

Wei Zhao wanted to say something, but nothing came out. She simply said, “I suppose that’s good, too.”

Just then, they heard the cheerful voice of Song Sisi. “Is Sister in the room?”

Fa Yilian looked at Wei Zhao, who nodded. Fa Yilian opened the door, stepping aside to let Song Sisi enter. Song Sisi froze when she saw Fa Yilian, retreating a step, only to find herself pressed against the familiar warmth of A Zong behind her. She smiled faintly and whispered, “I’m fine.”

“Miss…” A Zong looked at her with concern, glancing briefly at the ship’s bow, where the flag was fluttering in the strong wind. She lowered her eyes and then said, “The wind is strong. I’ll go get a cloak for you.”

Song Sisi seemed a little unhappy. She grabbed A Zong’s sleeve. “It’s fine…”

“Your health is more important.” A Zong coaxed softly.

Song Sisi sighed, releasing her grip reluctantly. “Alright, then. Hurry back.”

“Of course,” A Zong responded, looking at Fa Yilian.

Fa Yilian did not react, merely saying, “Miss Song, my master has been waiting for you.”

“Oh!” Song Sisi suddenly realized. Her face flushed red, and she clasped her hands together. Fa Yilian stepped aside, allowing her to go inside. Wei Zhao, already composed, stood up and greeted Song Sisi, “You’re here, just in time. Let’s have some tea and chat.”

“Lin sister!” Song Sisi skipped forward with a smile. “I feel like we’ve known each other forever. Don’t mind my chattiness.”

Where did that sense of familiarity come from? Wei Zhao smiled. “How could I mind when you’re so cute?”

She glanced at Fa Yilian, her voice lowering. “Why are you still standing here?”

Fa Yilian raised an eyebrow, not saying much, and left. But behind her, Song Sisi’s voice rang out, “Sister, you’re too harsh on her.”

“…If I wasn’t, she’d be climbing all over me!” Wei Zhao thought, laughing lightly and not bothering to respond. Instead, she looked at Song Sisi, asking, “And your… lover?”

Song Sisi quickly covered her face, blushing even more. “A Zong went to get my cloak.” She looked at Wei Zhao with those innocent, doe-like eyes. “Sister, A Zong is mine. Don’t steal her from me. You’ve got your own person.”

Wei Zhao paused, shaking her head. “I won’t steal what’s yours.” Seeing Song Sisi relax a bit, Wei Zhao slowly added, “But, little sister, since you’ve chosen to keep her as your lover-slave, remember that she will always be a slave. A slave is a slave, and a master is a master.”

Song Sisi’s face paled slightly. Her complexion was naturally pale, and now she looked even more so, making her large eyes even more striking. She lowered her head, staring at her pale fingers before looking up at Wei Zhao’s smiling face. Finally, she whispered, “Then what? She’s my A Zong. She’ll always be my A Zong. I’ll find a way to keep her by my side.”