Scent Of Time

Chapter 22

The palm prints on my face faded after three days. Mrs. Hua kept sending me letters saying she wanted me to return and apologize to Minister Hua. I ignored those letters. If I couldn’t change their ideas, I want them to know my attitude, even if it only slightly affects them.

Counting up to this point, it should be close to the storyline of the third male, Wu Shuomo. During the last commotion, he wore a mask, so only the female lead knew his appearance. Hence, he could strut around as an envoy on a mission. For this man who shot an arrow at me, I’m not interested. Yet, after all, it was me who bumped into that arrow. I can’t blame him.

In the novel, Hua Qian sensed Wu Shuomo’s thoughts on Mu Yao. She privately approached him to beg for cooperation so he could take away Mu Yao by any means necessary. Wu Shuomo at first agreed. However, the battlefield reversed, so Hua Qian took the consequences and was eventually abandoned by Zhong Yelan. However, because of Hua Xiang’s power, Zhong Yelan didn’t repudiate his wife on the spot. But the male and female main characters begin to do their best to bring down Hua Xiang.

Hua Qian was unwilling to sit and wait for death, so she gave some money to the subordinate to escape from the King Jin Mansion and wanted revenge by hiring assassins. But she mistakenly believed others and was sold to the brothel and suffered a lot of abuse.

In the end — don’t mention it. So, as long as I don’t ally with Wu Shuomo and don’t make any mistakes, I won’t end up like Hua Qian in the novel. With this idea in mind, I even wanted to call myself sick and not attend the Wu Shuomo’s reception banquet in the palace, so I just let them toss it around. However, the empress dowager sent someone to visit me. I could only dispel the idea of avoiding the front line.

Once again, we’re on the carriage to the palace. This time, Zhong Yelan followed by riding a horse. He was unwilling to share the carriage with me, so there was only me, Qian Zhi, and — Muyao.

Zhong Yelan was now favoring her. Naturally, he brought her wherever he went. The formation of the three of us was an awkward scene. But Mu Yao ignored me. She was probably thinking about how to find a backer for the Mu family to overturn the case of the Mu family in the palace. Although the Mu family was only exiled and not killed, they were still wrongly accused. The previous Mu Yao may be concerned about Zhong Yelan’s feelings. But now, their relationship has already harmonized with my help, so I guess it’s time for her to clean up Hua Xiang.

My views are fighting fiercely with the idea that I want to live. My wisdom tells me that the Hua Family deserved their comeuppance, but my desire to live reminds me that those things had nothing to do with me. If Hua Xiang could listen to my advice, resign from his post, and return to his hometown, it would be half the same as exile and barely be considered a consequence of designing Muyao’s family. Human beings are selfish, and I do want to live. Maybe that way, our family can save our heads. But unfortunately, the power-drunken Hua Xiang was too stubborn. I have a headache thinking about it and can’t tell which is more important or less important, so I couldn’t care less about chatting with Mu Yao. Only Qian Zhi was more focused. She concentrated on angrily staring at Mu Yao in the carriage.

After arriving at the palace, I honestly followed Zhong Yelan. On this occasion, I was still the Princess Consort Jin. He couldn’t be too distant but kept a distance from me as if he was scared that I would suddenly pounce on him again. I can’t help but snort. Narcissistic, I don’t always hug anyone, okay!

At the banquet inside, the guest were seated according to their respective positions. Coincidentally, diagonally across from me was the Hua Family. Hua Shen squeezed his eyes at me. I could not help but smile and nod at him. Hua Xiang was leisurely drinking wine and didn’t see me. This old man is stubborn and temperamental.

At the same time, I noticed a handsome man sitting opposite me. He occasionally glanced behind Zhong Yelan – where Mu Yao was. Mu Yao looked at him with shock on her face. I knew that he should be the third male lead, Wu Shuomo. In the novel, Mu Yao doesn’t know his true identity. That’s why she’s so surprised now.

I observed him for a moment. He was born with an aggressive heroic spirit but smiled with good behavior in a boyish manner. It’s a classic Mary Sue plot. All the excellent men will only surround the female lead, and the men around the female lead are all excellent.

He looked at me when he realized my gaze. His eyes flickered, then hurriedly turned away, picking up the wine glass to conceal. Perhaps he recognized that I was the one who blocked that arrow for Zhong Yelan, so he was a bit guilty.

Speaking of which, the arrow he shot was not harmful. If I knew I couldn’t move Zhong Yelan, I would push Muyao instead and pretend to shout. After all, Zhong Yelan’s male protector aura can’t die, and I let myself suffer so much for nothing.

After a few moments, the Emperor and Empress Dowager and Noble Consort Qi came. A series of polite and boring diplomatic words sounded, and I bowed my head to make a virtuous and obedient look. But my thoughts drifted to somewhere I didn’t know.

“Put the chopsticks down.” Zhong Yelan, who was sitting beside me, suddenly spoke. His tone tinged with a bit of impatience.

I froze and only then reacted. I like to fiddle with my chopsticks when I’m in a daze, and the pastries on the plate had already been poked by me and broken into pieces, which was indecent to look at.

Zhong Yelan’s face was unhappy. I feel that he was being ridiculous. I did not poke his food. Is he angry because I am wasting food? Speechless. Due to the boring banquet, I asked to go to the toilet, but Zhong Yelan pretended not to hear. Hence, I left on my own.

The palace was too big. I didn’t dare to go far. I only sat on the rockery to get some air. After the banquet is almost over, I’ll go back. I heard a voice coming over: “How could Princess Consort Jin be here alone?”

The voice didn’t sound familiar. I inclined my head and couldn’t help but be dumbfounded. How could it be Wu Shuono?

“And how could the Grand Prince be here?” I got up, patted the grass clippings on the corners of my clothes, and made a proper bow.

Wu Shuomo looked at my movements and froze before speaking, “Princess Consort Jin appears to be very different from the rumors.”

Rumors? Rumors spoken by Mu Yao? She must not have anything good to say about me. I smiled and didn’t say anything. I wanted to find an excuse to leave. For this Mu Yao fanatic fan, my presence would not do me any good.

But he did not want to let me go: “In the past, I heard rumors that King Jin and Princess Consort were in love with each other. That makes me quite envious. But why did you two seem quite cold to each other?”

This idea! Isn’t this too familiar? In the novel, Hua Qian approaches him to ask for cooperation. How did it turn into him being the one who pushed back?

“The matter between husband and wife is not that simple. The couple that shows strong and cozy feelings may not have a good relationship. But a couple that respects each other like a guest is the one that lasts for a long time. The Grand Prince will understand these truths after he becomes a married man,” I responded with a smile, taking out my married woman’s advantage to press him.

Wu Shuomo laughed. His eyes revealed a brilliant light: “Speaking of getting married, I indeed have a sweetheart ……”

Your sweetheart and I have a thin relationship. Why did you mention it to me?

“That maid behind the King Jin. She looked suitable, but I’m afraid the King is unwilling to let her go.”

Wu Shuomo made a regretful face and paid attention to my expression.

Can this brother be more obvious? He almost said to me directly: I have my eyes on Mu Yao. If you fulfill me, you will also fulfill yourself and Zhong Yelan.

“Then ask King Jin. I can’t make his decision.” I didn’t pick up on it in the slightest.

Wu Shuomo couldn’t even conceal his shock. He had inquired that I was deeply in love with Zhong Yelan and covetous. There’s no reason not to accept the ally’s knock on the door.

However, I know the consequences of being in an alliance with him. The fact that he turned against me on the battlefield has fulfilled his persona of being affectionate and righteous, but that wasn’t the case for Hua Qian.

“Doesn’t Princess Consort not understand what I mean? I’m saying that we can work together to get what we need. You help me ……”

“Cough cough cough ……”

My cough interrupted his words. Meeting his frowning and dissatisfied expression, I deliberately made a weak appearance, “Grand Prince, please understand. Since I was shot by an arrow by a thief from nowhere during the Ancestor Sacrifice Ceremony, my body has gotten worse. I can’t stop coughing when I encounter cold wind, so I’ll take my leave first.”

Wu Shuomo’s face instantly became embarrassed. He thought I didn’t know who shot the arrow. I deliberately said it to him to see if he still had the dignity to continue pulling me around. However, I underestimated the thickness of his face. When I turned around, he took another step before me, stretching out his long arm to block my way, “Princess Consort Jin, wait ……”

“The whole dynasty is celebrating the Grand Prince. Why did the Grand Prince leave so many people and run out alone?”

A bright yellow figure flashed out from behind a rockery.