The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 50
It was a day of fierce winds, the sky darkening with impending storms. After the carriage driver had finished delivering Judith and returned, he also brought back news of the ambush. Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Jin realized the situation had changed and immediately grew anxious, reporting it to Wei Zhao.
Wei Zhao naturally did not take this lightly. The group sat together in the room, facing each other in silence. In front of them was a map, marked with the port and military distribution of Haizhou City. The light from the lanterns flickered gently, and Fa Yilian placed a small boat on the map of Haizhou City.
“Who are the Black Flags?” Wei Zhao glanced at the small boat and asked, frowning.
Shopkeeper Jin took a deep breath, bowed respectfully, and said, “The Black Flags are a group of pirates! Rogues!” His face showed anger. “There are three notorious pirate groups on the sea, but the Black Flags are the most savage. They never leave any survivors when they encounter a ship. They only raise their black flag, and it’s horrifying.”
“How can they enter the city?” Wei Zhao asked again.
“Your Highness may not know,” Shopkeeper Jin bowed deeply, “Haizhou City is full of all sorts of people. Many merchant ships enter the port as merchants, but when they leave, they’re pirates. These people have been here for a long time, and they have their own way of surviving. Although the Great Zhou has warships patrolling, they can only ensure safety on the main routes and can’t manage the rest. Recently…”
Recently, even official ships had been plundered, and the deterrence had dropped even further. However, Shopkeeper Jin dared not speak of this.
Upon hearing this, Wei Zhao’s brows furrowed slightly. She lowered her gaze and glanced at Fa Yilian, who sat quietly to one side, not speaking. It seemed that their earlier argument had not affected her. No, it definitely had an impact, because Fa Yilian had looked over at her, her gaze steady but without a smile. This slave was really too greedy. Wei Zhao felt that she should teach her a lesson—she couldn’t let her get too bold.
Was it possible that a dignified princess like her really couldn’t live without this slave?
Wei Zhao turned her head and asked, “And the ones who plundered the official ships before…?”
“They seem to be after money,” Shopkeeper Jin continued, “Although their methods are cruel, they don’t use the Black Flags’ typical way of silencing people. So I suspect they are probably not the Black Flags. Also, no official valuables have been found on the market. I suspect they might be from another country.” At this point, Shopkeeper Jin frowned again. “But with the Black Flags targeting us… I think Your Highness should temporarily stay at the Prefect’s Residence. Duobao Pavilion has a lot of money, but it has limited defenses…”
Wei Zhao snorted lightly. “A group of pirates like that, and they come and go freely in the city. Stay at the Prefect’s Residence? I’d rather accuse the Prefect of dereliction of duty!”
Shopkeeper Jin held his breath, his expression somewhat resentful. It was true that Duobao Pavilion was backed by the government, but it was still a business. And as a businessman, it was always best to be on good terms with everyone. Now that pirates were rampant, and the Black Flags dared to be so arrogant in Haizhou City, they must have something backing them. This chaos in Haizhou City was not something Shopkeeper Jin could easily downplay.
As a businessman, Shopkeeper Jin naturally hoped the Prefect would step in. But since he had been in Haizhou City for years, he knew how deep the waters ran, and he had his own suspicions but dared not speak them. He only said, “Your Highness, our guards have not yet arrived, and we are too weak.”
“Weak,” Wei Zhao stood up, walking around with her hands behind her back. “Is this city not part of Great Zhou? Are the soldiers here named Yu or Wei?”
“Your Highness!” Shopkeeper Jin’s face turned pale.
Wei Zhao waved her hand. “Let’s not discuss other matters. Since the city has been attacked, we should report it to the authorities.”
“Report to the authorities?” Shopkeeper Jin stammered. “Isn’t… that not a good idea?”
“Why not? Matters in the city are naturally the responsibility of the local officials. Go ahead.” Wei Zhao smiled. “Let’s see what Yu Jinye wants to do.”
Shopkeeper Jin bowed and sent someone to take care of it. Wei Zhao then turned to Fa Yilian, raising her chin. Fa Yilian lowered her head and said, “Master is sharp, always in control.”
Wei Zhao nodded and continued to look at Fa Yilian, resting her chin on her hand. After a long moment, she finally said, “Help me up.”
Fa Yilian quietly walked to Wei Zhao’s side, bent down, and held her waist, gently lifting her up. Fa Yilian moved her arm, as if wanting to pull away, but Wei Zhao held onto her arm, cupping Fa Yilian’s chin and looking into her eyes. Fa Yilian looked back at her, her lips pressed tightly together.
She didn’t seem happy.
But why should Wei Zhao care whether a slave was happy?
And why should she care if a slave was unhappy?
Wei Zhao narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on Fa Yilian’s chin. She leaned forward slightly, and Fa Yilian’s gaze, which had been lowered, met hers. Fa Yilian raised her eyes and looked at Wei Zhao. “Your Highness, are you really going to do this?”
Wei Zhao remained silent, then suddenly smiled. “Why not call me A Xian now? In moments like this, I’ll allow you to call me A Xian.”
“Your Highness, but I do not wish to be your concubine,” Fa Yilian said.
“You are my slave…” Wei Zhao’s fingers gently rubbed Fa Yilian’s small, delicate chin, the soft touch making her unwilling to let go. “Your opinion doesn’t matter.”
“Really?” Fa Yilian grabbed Wei Zhao’s hand, her gaze dark and brooding, as if it contained an angry storm, oppressive and making one uneasy.
Wei Zhao almost felt a shiver, her fingers involuntarily loosening. But Fa Yilian did not release her hold, and she stared at Wei Zhao, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “I am my own master. Even if it is you, my beloved, I am willing to be hurt for you, to charge into battle for you. But that does not mean you can trample on my self-respect or tarnish my love.”
Wei Zhao’s heart trembled slightly. It was faint, but she could feel it clearly.
She had grown up in a world that felt dead and lifeless. She knew that people like her, and her mother Empress, were always greedy and never satisfied. They had money and yearned for power. They had power and craved real love. But people like them, though greedy, were always selfish—they wanted more and more, to fill the emptiness inside them, but were unwilling to give anything to others. Perhaps because they were also barren, unable to offer anything.
But when someone like Fa Yilian appeared, they were always drawn in, captivated by simple desires and simple wishes, like a blazing fire that caught their attention, leading them to indulge and seize.
“A Xian, Mother Empress has so many children. No matter how they seem on the outside, only you, only you, resemble her the most.”
That woman’s nightmarish voice seemed to echo in her ears again.
Wei Zhao knew that deep down, she shared a madness with her mother. This was the core similarity between them. And that was why she could never reach that position—the power would only fuel the madness.
She looked at Fa Yilian, almost obsessively, reaching out to caress her eyes, wanting to possess that flame. But in an instant, Fa Yilian slapped her hand away. Wei Zhao bit her lip, and her delicate, pale hand instantly swelled with a red mark.
Fa Yilian lowered her head, pausing for a moment at the red mark. Wei Zhao raised her head to look at Fa Yilian, and after a while, Fa Yilian sighed. Wei Zhao curled her lips and watched as Fa Yilian gently took her hand, leading her to apply medicine. Then Fa Yilian looked at her and said, “Your Highness, you should take care of your health.”
Wei Zhao studied Fa Yilian’s expression and asked, “Then you…”
“Since we cannot come to an agreement, I want another reward.” Fa Yilian said seriously.
Wei Zhao’s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively grabbed Fa Yilian’s hand. Fa Yilian allowed it, her gaze calm. Wei Zhao tightened her grip, a small smile curving Fa Yilian’s lips. But that smile did not calm Wei Zhao’s anxiety as it usually did. Instead, it made her feel as though something precious was slipping away.
“Your Highness, I…”
“Don’t say it!” Wei Zhao suddenly stood up, turning away, not daring to look at Fa Yilian. Her heart was uneasy, nervous, and confused. But the only thing she knew was that she must not let Fa Yilian finish the sentence.
Those words—those words were something she didn’t want to know.
Wei Zhao clutched her chest, almost as if the pain was suffocating her.
“I don’t want to hear it right now.”
A long silence followed. After some time, Fa Yilian’s voice finally spoke again. “Alright, since that’s the case, we’ll talk about it later.”
Wei Zhao gritted her teeth. She wanted to turn around, but she couldn’t move. She heard Fa Yilian’s footsteps, slower than usual, but decisive and purposeful, like always. Even when things didn’t go as expected, she seemed to accept it naturally, walking forward without hesitation.
The door opened, and the sound of rain could be heard. Fa Yilian whispered to herself, “It’s raining.”
Then there was a sound of footsteps, the door closed, and Fa Yilian’s voice faded as she spoke, “Your Highness, please take care.”
Wei Zhao clutched her heart. She hunched over in pain, closing her eyes tightly. In her ears, her mother’s cursed laugh seemed to echo: “Wei Zhao, A Xian, my children. Like me, you will never love anyone, nor will anyone love you.”
Wei Zhao bit her lip, her head pounding, but she didn’t cry out. She just curled up, trying to fight back the memories and the pain.
Fa Yilian looked up at the sky. The once clear sky was now dark with clouds, and the wind was strong, mixed with the sound of rain. Standing in the corridor, the wind and rain soaked her clothes. She stood there silently, like a mute guardian, watching over her treasure.