After Transmigrating into a Book, I Was Entangled by the Paranoid Eldest Princess - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

“Your Highness, I have fortunately fulfilled the mission. The item has been brought back.”

Si Jinghua’s gaze fell upon the long mahogany box in Handan’s hands: “Go and deliver this black ginseng to Physician Gongsun.”

“Yes.”

“Everyone, dismiss yourselves,” Si Jinghua said, pressing her brow. The lingering aura of illness had slightly diminished the sharp, piercing edge of her presence.

Fuqu and Handan lightened their breathing and stepped outside together. It wasn’t until they had walked some distance that Handan couldn’t help but speak: “Has Her Highness’s toxin flared up again?”

Fuqu shook her head: “Her Highness fell ill a few days ago with a persistent high fever. She has only just begun to feel better these last two days.”

Handan gasped: “Her Highness has always been of robust health. How could it be so serious?”

Fuqu also seemed somewhat bewildered. She sighed: “Perhaps there are other reasons.”

She did not specify, yet in an instant, Handan’s gaze shifted toward the direction of the Chun Guang Pavilion.

“In such a short time, how could Her Highness have fallen so deeply in love?”

Fuqu, who often accompanied the Princess, also found the phrase “deeply in love” hard to believe. Recalling Her Highness’s past temperament, she said hesitantly: “…Perhaps it is because that person has been constantly refusing her.”

The two exchanged a look, sharing a sense of mutual understanding. With Her Highness’s personality, that was indeed a possibility.

Because the Princess was ill and in a foul mood, the atmosphere in the villa had been incredibly oppressive for several days. Everyone did their work with their heads tucked in, and even their conversations were conducted with extreme caution, fearing they might disturb something.

Fuqu accompanied Handan to find Physician Wang. They encountered no one along the way, so they leaned in close, exchanging whispers about recent events.

“The Third Prince isn’t exactly being wronged. He intended to act against the Fourth Prince anyway; we merely swapped the medicine he was planning to use.”

When Her Highness signaled to leak the news to the Third Prince that the Fourth Prince intended to marry the daughter of the Minister of War, the Third Prince truly couldn’t sit still. Although Lord Zhu, the Minister of War, lacked the power to move troops, he managed the selection of military officers, soldier registries, and weaponry, possessing an undeniable influence within the army. Such a prime piece of meat was something everyone wanted to sink their teeth into.

Thus, the Third Prince definitely wanted to delay the Fourth Prince’s footsteps and seize the initiative for himself. Her Highness did not wish to alert the enemy prematurely, so she had them swap the Third Prince’s medicine, keeping a clear count of the dosage. She used this opportunity to perform a “switch-the-beam-with-a-pillar” trick on the Fourth Prince’s Hundred-Year Black Ginseng.

At this point, a hint of mockery flashed in Handan’s eyes: “He doesn’t even consider whether the Emperor would permit it.”

Even the Fourth Prince had to act in a roundabout way, let alone the Third Prince, who was far less favored.

Fuqu furrowed her brows: “His Majesty…”

Mid-sentence, she and Handan locked eyes again, both seeing a deep sense of helplessness. Handan and Fuqu were part of the same group sent to serve the Princess; having spent years in the inner palace, they were the most sensitive to its changes.

They remembered that in earlier years, His Majesty had been extremely lenient with his subordinates. But in recent years, perhaps due to failing health, he had become increasingly temperamental and volatile. Palace servants serving before him would be dragged out and beaten for the slightest mistake. In the imperial court, it was said he often suddenly promoted or demoted ministers over trivial matters, acting with growing caprice.

Several princesses and princes had grown to adulthood. Except for the Second Princess, who was naturally weak due to premature birth and lived quietly in her mansion without any official posts, the others all held various idle positions.

After the Princess had her dispute with the Emperor, she brought her retinue to the villa and sent word to the Minister of Honglu. The fact that Lord Sun hadn’t sent anyone to urge her back all these days only proved that she had no urgent business. Even if she didn’t go, it wouldn’t matter.

Sigh, His Majesty truly distrusted the Princess and the two Princes with the same impartiality.

The two remained silent for the rest of the way. They delivered the black ginseng to Physician Gongsun. Once she identified it as genuine, they both let out a long sigh of relief.

Fantastic. The toxins within Her Highness’s body could finally be eradicated.

After the servants dismissed themselves, Si Jinghua sat withered with a book for a while, but eventually, she could sit no longer. Placing the book—of which she hadn’t turned even two pages—on the desk, she walked to the bronze mirror and studied herself carefully.

After several days of illness, her face looked a bit haggard. Si Jinghua expressionlessly loosened several strands of her hair to make her bun appear messy, and she even specifically sought out the hairpin Wen Chenqing had once given her to wear.

The person in the mirror appeared increasingly pale and fragile, projecting an air of one desperately needing pity.

Si Jinghua thought to herself: I have never gone to such trouble for anyone.

She did not summon anyone, walking alone toward the residence where Wen Chenqing was staying. The sunlight was gradually thinning; stepping on her own dim shadow, she soon arrived.

Si Jinghua did not enter the room, nor did she even knock. She stood before the steps, wondering what Wen Chenqing was doing at this exact moment.

A-Qing was always a person with a plan. According to her past habits, she should be reading history right now. When she applied herself to her studies, she was always single-mindedly focused; it was only during her set breaks that she would be intimately inseparable from her. Naturally, there were times when they lost track of time because of that intimacy, but having a schedule in her mind, A-Qing would surely make up for it later.

From this, one could see: once she was firm about a matter, she would definitely persist to the end.

She would definitely persist to the end…

At this thought, Si Jinghua’s breathing took on a suppressed, hurried quality.

Inside the room, Wen Chenqing, who was studying a historical record, noticed the subtle movement outside. She realized who was out there, but since the other party made no move, she feigned ignorance. Her thoughts didn’t pause for a second as she continued reading the characters on the page.

She didn’t know how much time passed this way until Fuqu, using the last rays of dusk to look for someone, was shocked to see the Princess standing silently before the door.

“Your Highness?!”

This cry shattered the long-standing, stagnant silence. Fuqu jogged over: “Your Highness, Physician Gongsun has finished brewing the antidote.”

Si Jinghua remained staring at the closed door. “Bring the medicine here.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Fuqu looked at her, then at the door, asking tentatively: “It’s almost dark. Why doesn’t Your Highness go inside and wait?”

Si Jinghua gave an “Mhm.”

Fuqu quickly pushed the door open. She moved to support the Princess, who had been standing for who-knows-how-long, but was waved away. Si Jinghua dragged her stiff body, slowly lifting her feet to walk inside. Because of her physical discomfort, she walked extremely slowly.

Inside, Wen Chenqing acted as if she had only just realized someone had arrived and rose to salute. The two stood a few paces apart, staring at each other calmly.

Wen Chenqing was the first to curve her lips into a detached smile: “Has Your Highness reached a decision in your heart?”

Si Jinghua answered with something unrelated: “I am ill.”

Wen Chenqing withdrew her polite smile and said, “Since Your Highness’s illness has not yet healed, you must take good care of your health.”

Si Jinghua stared deeply at the unmoved Wen Chenqing and said, “I am not just ill; I have been poisoned.”

Wen Chenqing froze, looking at her haggard, pale face. Then, she said slowly, “Since Miss Fuqu said just now that the antidote is ready, Your Highness will surely recover in the coming days.”

She was so cold, as if there were a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers between them.

Si Jinghua finally couldn’t hold it back anymore. She stepped forward several paces: “Medicine can cure poison, but it is hard to cure the depression in my heart. A-Qing, do you truly not care even a fraction about b—A-Jin anymore?”

Her voice carried a trace of a tremble she hadn’t noticed herself.

Wen Chenqing saw the cautiousness in those phoenix eyes that were usually filled with wanton arrogance, but her heart no longer fluttered at the name “A-Jin.”

“Your Highness possesses boundless good fortune and is naturally protected by the heavens. The depression in your heart is likely temporary.” Wen Chenqing added gently, “Furthermore, I have already expressed my feelings very clearly before. Your Highness truly has no need for such testing.”

The word “testing” caused what little color remained on Si Jinghua’s face to fade even further. The strength propping up her chest seemed to be drained away; she stumbled, frightening Fuqu into lunging forward to support her, only to be shoved aside.

Si Jinghua let out a low laugh: “Wen Chenqing, between the two paths you gave me, what if I choose to never let go, even in death? What will you do?”

Wen Chenqing said without hesitation: “Nothing. I would simply be a caged bird from then on, depressed and unhappy, with life and death uncertain.”

Depressed and unhappy, with life and death uncertain.

Those eight words caused a dense, prickling pain to rise in Si Jinghua’s heart. Does she loathe me to this extent now?!

Looking at the person before her who remained calm to the point of being cold even when faced with her vulnerability, Si Jinghua felt that this moment was more painful than any toxin.

“Do you find me ridiculous standing here right now?” Si Jinghua’s voice turned sharp. “Exhausting my mental efforts, making myself look this weak and pale just to get a sliver of pity from you, to make you change your mind… in your heart, do you find me utterly debased right now?”

She, Si Jinghua, had always been proud and arrogant. When had she ever been so wretched, so pathetic?

This is debased?

Wen Chenqing’s first reaction was surprise. Then, seeing her look of near-collapse, she said seriously, “I do not think so. Your Highness, we haven’t known each other for very long. Perhaps your feelings for me aren’t that deep, but rather a psychological effect of ‘desire for the unattainable’ at work.”

In short, the more you can’t have it, the more you want to force it.

“Why must Your Highness force yourself so much for someone as insignificant as me?”

“Force… Hahaha…” Si Jinghua repeated the word, her whole body shaking with laughter. “Yes, clearly knowing there is no more affection in your heart, I still vainly attempted to use this sickly appearance to awaken your old feelings. If that isn’t forcing it, what is?”

She suddenly raised her hand, using her sleeve to fiercely wipe away the tear tracks on her face. Her gaze became cold and sharp in an instant.

“Wen Chenqing, remember this.” She stared at her, enunciating every word as if to carve them into the other’s bone and blood. “I am letting you go today, but let there be no next time you cross my path.”

“Otherwise…” She tilted her chin up slightly, her tone grim. “I will surely make you truly understand what it means to be a caged bird, and what it means to be a true plaything.”

With those words, she plucked the hairpin from her bun and threw it down with all her might!

With a crisp snap, the hairpin broke in two. The lifelike butterfly was snapped at the waist, lying miserably on the cold floor.

“Get out. Let me never see you again.”

Having said that, she walked straight into the heavy twilight outside the door. Her figure was thin, yet it carried a decisiveness that severed everything.

Wen Chenqing stood in place. The air seemed to still hold the faint scent of medicine brought by that person. Outside the window, the last trace of light was swallowed by the night.

She had gambled correctly.

Wen Chenqing’s lips curved slightly, but as her gaze swept over the shattered butterfly on the floor, she dazed for a moment. Deep in her heart, a flicker of emptiness passed through—one she hadn’t even noticed herself.