Scent Of Time

Chapter 18

“Light the lamp.” It wasn’t clear if Zhong Yelan was happy or angry as his voice rang out. I want to cry. Is he trying to scare people to death in the middle of the night? I placed the flint on the table in the center of the room, and now it’s so dark that I can’t see my fingers in front of my eyes. Me and Hua Qian were the same. We both have mild night blindness.

“I…I can’t see.” I held the oil lamp and crouched before the jewelry table, answering softly. I waited for a long time before hearing footsteps getting closer to me. Someone suddenly snatched the lamp in my hand. Like a fool, I dared not utter a breath but stared stupidly into the darkness.

After I heard the sound of firestone rubbing, a flicker of firelight beamed, and the bright oil lamp, I also saw Zhong Yelan’s expressionless face. Sure enough, this man has one expression. One when he loves you, and another when he doesn’t. He returned to the table and put the oil lamp away, not saying a word. I didn’t know what to do at once. Why would he come over in the middle of the night? It was not the right moment for business.

After struggling for a while, I stayed still and asked, “Your Highness came to think about the question in the daytime?”

Zhong Yelan’s face appeared to be fluttering under the swaying candle flame. But his voice did not have a single ripple, “Did you anticipate that I would drive you out of the house, and that’s why you’re packing up your luggage?”

My eyes rolled before I spoke, “It’s not what Your Highness thinks. It’s because I couldn’t sleep, and I remembered that my elder brother sent me a lot of jewelry while I was recuperating from my illness. I hadn’t even looked at it before.”

Zhong Yelan was unconvinced, “Don’t speculate on this king’s mind in the future.”

Oh, another threat. He even used ‘this king.’ Wait, it’s not right. I have requested a divorce. How can there be a future?

I was puzzled when I heard Zhong Yelan say, “I have a question I can’t figure out these days. You saved me at the ancestor ceremony just for the sake of offsetting merits and faults so that you can leave the King Jin Mansion?”

I couldn’t help but shiver. This prince was too clever. Although he might not be able to see my expression clearly in the dimness, I still made a distressed look, “How can you say that about this concubine, Your Highness? This concubine’s piece of love is evident in heaven and earth. It’s just that the previous obsession was too deep and made me go astray. Now that I have come to my senses, I must leave ……”

“Since you are so deeply in love, this king will fulfill your wish and let you stay.”

Zhong Yelan’s sudden sentence hard choked my confession in the throat. I — backfired?

I reluctantly opened my mouth again, “How can that be? This concubine is wrong. Naturally, I have to bear the consequences ……”

Zhong Yelan hooked the corners of his mouth and smirked: “You already know your mistake. You almost lost your life to save me. I am not an ungrateful person. King Jin Mansion can raise an idle person.”

What do you mean? Does it mean that I have to be trapped in this small courtyard for the rest of my life and die alone? I don’t want to! I still have tons of money and beautiful men in the ancient style! Should I admit I saved him because I wanted to leave King Jin Mansion and blocked the arrow only because I failed to push him? Then, he doesn’t have to weigh this favor.

Zhong Yelan seemed to have guessed my thoughts and said first: “Hua Xiang is so powerful that I still have to give a face to the Hua Family. Since you have earned it, you can stay here and live your days.”

Minister Hua? Then, if I make Hua Xiang fall, he won’t need to give him a face, won’t he? This thought made me want to smack myself in the mouth again. If Minister Hua falls, I’m afraid I’ll be even worse off. When I tried to say more words, Zhong Yelan got up and left, not giving me the slightest bit of time.

What’s even more unreasonable is that he even put out the oil lamp!!!!

“King — Your Highness?” I spoke with hope, “I can’t see a thing.” After waiting without hearing a single sound, I continued undaunted, “Your Highness, I really can’t see anything.”

Still no reply. I took a deep breath and began to crouch down. I slowly felt my way back to the bed as I remembered the place arrangement. Yet again and again, I was knocked on my knees by something unknown, and the third time I bumped into something, I finally couldn’t help but curse softly, “Zhong Yelan, you ungrateful and inhumane thing.”

It took a long time for me to return to the bed. I finally breathed a sigh of relief. My knee will probably bruised tomorrow. A gust of wind blew over. I crouched on the bed and saw that the window was still open, casting the moonlight in.

Strangely, I remembered that the window was closed just now. Forget it. I don’t care. I’m not freezing. If I go down to close the window again, I might get knocked a few times.

I heard noises outside when I wanted to stay in bed in the morning.

“Qian Zhi,” I yelled with my morning breath. I saw Qian Zhi come in with red eyes, looking like she was pissed off.

“What’s wrong?” I frowned and asked.

“Your Highness, the king’s private guard, Nan Feng, came and said that he…wants to …… “Qian Zhi lowered her head and stammered. Her tone was full of resentment.

“Speak properly.” I frowned.

“Nanfeng said the king wants to take the household seal.” Qian Zhi said and sobbed. She was a little girl, after all. “Princess Consort has not yet recovered from injuries. But, not only does the king not remember the favor, he also…”

Raising my hand and rubbing my temples, I spoke, “Give it to him.” I don’t covet a penny from this King Jin Mansion. All along, I wasn’t willing to take the household seal. It didn’t affect me if they took it back.

“But Princess Consort …… the king, how can he ……”

Looking at the unconvinced Qian Zhi, I sighed and said, “Qian Zhi, His Highness, he knows the truth about the temple back then and the trap I designed to marry him ……”

Qian Zhi’s face turned pale all of a sudden. In the end, she still couldn’t help but mutter, “Princess Consort almost lost your life for His Highness. He can’t be this heartless, right?”

Qian Zhi was my maid. Since she stood in my point of view, she felt that Zhong Yelan was too cold-blooded and did not remember old feelings. However, if we look at it from Zhong Yelan’s, Hua Qian has lied to him for so long and even designed him and the person he loves to be almost separated. How can he not hate it?

In the end, Qian Zhi reluctantly handed the key to Nan Feng. Then, I learned what was called the coldness and warmth of human beings. The servants in the courtyard saw that the wind direction was not right and gradually cast to other places. One after another, my courtyard became exceptionally cold, with only Qian Zhi, Cuizhu, Yinxing, and Mama Li four people. Oh, there was another one, called Hua Rongzhou, the soldier. Perhaps he was young and did not understand the world, so he still guarded my yard’s doorway and did not seek another way out.

I feel good with fewer people in the courtyard, lest I can’t even remember their names. Zhong Yelan did not restrict my freedom, so after I recovered from my injuries, I was free to go out, and it seemed that he was going to treat me as an invisible person.

There was no lack of treatment in my daily meals. After all, I still have Hua Xiang behind me. The subordinates dare not treat me harshly even though I am out of favor. This cozy and quiet life made me almost forget and not chase the future again. But I could not stay with Zhong Yelan all my life, ah. I’m at the right age. I must see more and find someone to talk to about love. So, I began to formulate a new route. Now, without any fear for my life, it’s time to go all out – so that Zhong Yelan can not resist kicking me out.

Coincidentally, I received a summon from the Empress Dowager, so I couldn’t wait to go and hug her leg. When I exited the courtyard, I heard Hua Rongzhou call me. I let Qian Zhi go to arrange the carriage first, and I walked back.

Hua Rongzhou stretched out his hands, and a square wooden box rested on his palm. I was puzzled and opened it. It was a silver bracelet. Another treasure from Hua Shen, that loser? I have told him many times, yet he is still not enlightened. He only sends me jewelry. He might as well give me money.

I closed the box and put it back in Hua Rongzhou’s hand. He froze and looked at me dumbfoundedly with his brown eyes. I said, “In the future if Hua Shen sends someone to send something over again, you can just help me return it. Say that I am not interested in these.”

Turning around and preparing to leave, I heard Hua Rongzhou shouting hurriedly, “Your Highness, this is not ordinary jewelry.”

I turned around and saw him take out the bracelet. He press the raised part of the bracelet’s interface and twist it. With a click, the bracelet turned into a delicate knife, about ten centimeters long. My eyes lit up, and I took the thing. I didn’t know what to call it, a silver bracelet or a small knife from his hand.

“This Hua Shen has finally grown a brain and sought out such a novel thing,” I spoke in awe. This small knife was not big but heavy yet delicate. I don’t know whether it was sharp, so I touched the blade with my fingers.

But Hua Rongzhou suddenly caught my wrist tightly. Looking up in confusion, I met Hua Rongzhou’s eyes full of nervousness. He said, “Princess Consort, be careful. Although this knife is small, it is exceptionally sharp.”