Scent Of Time

Chapter 5

After returning to the Mansion, Zhong Yelan went to the study as usual to busy do his ‘business.’ I also went back to my chamber to rest. After a day full of fear in the palace, my heart was exhausted.

But someone didn’t want to let me rest like this.

“Princess Consort, it’s already late, but the King hasn’t come yet. This old slave has prepared a tonic soup. Why don’t you visit the King?”

The person who spoke was Mama Li, my dowry servant. She was loyal to Mrs. Hua, my — Hua Qian’s mother.

The saying to send soup was clearly asking me to invite a favor. I became impatient: “Your Highness has official business. I’d better not disturb him.”

Hearing my words, Mama Li immediately revealed a look of unhappiness, saying: “How can the Princess Consort not understand it? The King didn’t return to his room on the wedding night, and if he still stays elsewhere now, people may laugh at you. Princess Consort knew how to seize a man’s heart when you were still in the Hua Mansion. How come you lost your vigilance after you married over? You must ……”

“I’ll send, I’ll send!” Seeing that Mama Li’s speech was endless, I hurriedly showed my weakness first.

Mama Li nodded with satisfaction and saw me off with an “encouraging” look.

Taking Qian Zhi with me, I dragged my tired body to the study.

As soon as I entered the study, I saw Zhong Yelan holding a brush and writing something. Seeing me come over, he put down the brush and asked, “Why did Ah Qian come over?”

I signaled Qian Zhi to serve the soup and said, “I heard Your Highness is busy with political affairs. I ordered my subordinates to boil some tonic soup for you. Your Highness should not tire your body.”

“Thanks for your concern.” After a moment’s pause, Zhong Yelan added, “Today, the Emperor gave me another errand. I’m afraid I’ll be busier in these few days ……”

That is a euphemism to tell me that he can’t come to accompany me. That’s great. I immediately spoke with a deep understanding, “It’s fine. Your Highness, you can do your job. I won’t bother.”

Qian Zhi instantly revealed the same hateful expression as Mama Li.

Zhong Yelan also didn’t expect me to leave so swiftly. He froze for a moment and said, “I… I’m not shooing you away.”

“I’m leaving after delivering the soup. Your Highness, take care of your body. I’ll go back to my room first.” Without waiting for him to respond, I hurriedly left the study.

Having accomplished my mission, I can now finally rest properly.

“Miss ……”

“Don’t speak.” Qian Zhi’s voice was interrupted by me just as she sounded. I didn’t want to hear another lecture.

After returning to the chamber, Mama Li saw that I came back alone and immediately wanted to speak, so I treated them as invisible.

After bathing, I saw Qian Zhi come over with a gift list, “Your Highness, please take a look. This is the gift list for returning to the house.”

I stopped combing my hair. Oh right! In ancient times, there was a custom of ‘returning to the door on the third day.’ I’m about to meet the biggest villain in the novel — that’s Hua Qian’s father, the current Minister Hua.

As the villain, he certainly won’t have a good ending. Pulling Hua Xiang back to the right path was unlikely, so I could only design to make his hands less sinful and dirty. Thus, in the future, when he falls, the crime committed does not involve a family on the line. After all, I am also a member of the Hua family.

The third day after the wedding was the day to return to the maiden house. Qian Zhi had already pulled me up from the bed early in the morning. These ancient people are too diligent, right? The day was not yet bright.

After half an hour of packing and organizing, Zhong Yelan appeared. And after having breakfast together, we went out in the same carriage.

However, when the carriage was halfway there, a guard suddenly knocked on the carriage and whispered something in Zhong Yelan’s ear.

Looking at Zhong Yelan’s distracted eyes, I realized that in the novel, Mu Yao escaped from the King Jin Mansion while Zhong Yelan was accompanying Hua Qian to her house. The soldier almost captured her, but fortunately, Zhong Yelan arrived in time.

Thinking of this, I spoke, “If Your Highness has something to do, go ahead and get busy. I’ll go home first and wait for Your Highness at the Hua Mansion.”

“How can this be?” While saying this, his eyes were sparkling.

I added more fuel: “Since I said it, Your Highness should agree.”

After weighing his options, Zhong Yelan apologized to me and left. Outside the carriage, Qian Zhi was furious at my actions.

As Hua Qian’s eldest maid, this girl was mean and ruthless. But she was loyal, so she was not incurable.

The traveling carriage suddenly stopped, causing me to stagger and almost roll out. I heard Qian Zhi, whom I had just praised in my heart, angrily scolding, “Where did this dead beggar come from, dare to block the carriage of the King Jin Mansion? You want to die?”

She was really — a villainous style.

A pleasing middle-aged man’s voice came from outside the carriage, “This beggar stole my money. He panicked and rushed to your carriage. I will take him away.”

Then, the sound of punches and kicks was coming, followed by muffled grunts.

Qian Zhi’s voice sounded again. Presumably angered by Zhong Yelan’s departure, she spoke coolly. “If you want to fight, you should stay away. Don’t let this pariah’s bad luck taint our carriage.”

The pleasing sounds from outside came over, but only the begs for mercy from the beaten were absent.

I sighed. This Qian Zhi is still young. She contracted bad habits because of Hua Qian, like the villain on the TV who is bullying people. But based on the point that she was loyal, I am still willing to nurture her.

“Qian Zhi, who allowed you to address others as a dead beggar and a pariah.”

I lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage. Qian Zhi was stunned and hurriedly walked over and said, “Why did the Princess Consort come down? It’s better to get back on the carriage. Don’t let this pariah defile your eyes.”

“Let me hear you address others with this title once more, and you’ll lose one month’s wage,” I spoke with an expressionless face.

Qian Zhi’s face showed aggravation but said nothing. I walked around her and walked in front of that pile of people.

I saw a child huddled on the ground. He should be ten or so years old, in dirty clothes, and skinny to the point of resembling the African refugee photos I had seen. A middle-aged man who looked like a merchant smiled at me. He should be the person who just opened his mouth.

“You said he stole your money?” I asked.

The merchant hurriedly replied, “Reply to Your Highness, I came here to talk business. I was walking on the street, and this beggar suddenly bumped into me, and then I lost my money bag. I don’t know how he does it. I searched his whole body but didn’t find it.”

“You mean you didn’t find your money bag on him?” I asked with a slightly raised eyebrows.

The merchant hurriedly explained, “This kind of beggar is all tough-talking. Without a beating, he won’t say where he hid my money bag.”

I ignored the merchant and walked over to the child. I squatted down to speak, “Did you steal his money bag?”

The merchant was still trying to speak, but I glared at him, and he became silent.

After waiting a long time, I heard a voice as thin as a mosquito fly ringing out, “I…didn’t.”

“He lied, it’s him. Little beast ……”

“Shut up.” I cut off the merchant’s explanation, “You didn’t find the money bag nor catch him in the act, but you committed violence against him. Do you listen to empty words only?”

The merchant opened his mouth but didn’t know how to refute me.

Sure enough, ancient life was cheap and worthless, so he punched and kicked the little beggar, yet no one cared. They would have killed that child if he hadn’t hit my carriage.

But how can I change the ancient people’s concept of corruption and other things with my one person’s power?

“Now, I give you two options. One is to report to the government so that the capital magistrate can determine the fault. Or, is to admit that you arrested the wrong person and compensated some medical expenses to this child.” I said.

The Capital Magistrate would naturally favor the King Jin Mansion. That merchant wasn’t stupid, and he immediately took some taels and stuffed them into that beggar’s hand with a smile.

I also didn’t tangle with him anymore and let him leave.

Looking at the child curled on the ground, I squatted down again. His wrist holding the silver money was so thin that it seemed to be a skeleton with a thin layer of skin hanging on it.

My heart gave birth to some partiality. I softened my voice and asked, “What is your name?”

I vaguely heard a ‘Zhou’ from his mouth, so I said: “Are you surnamed Zhou? That merchant gave you silver that should be enough to wash up and have a full meal. There are many people here, and I’m afraid you won’t be able to keep the silver if I give you. I see that you were young but were very capable of enduring. If you want to find a job in the future to support yourself, you can come to the King Jin Mansion to find me. I promised.”

Seeing that he kept his head down and appeared in unbearable pain, I didn’t say anymore. I called a guard to accompany him to the medical center. I was afraid that the merchant would come back to retaliate.

Now, I must build up my positive image to pave the way for the future overturning of the Hua Family.

When I got on the carriage, I felt gazes on my back. I always have good intuition, so I followed my feelings to look in one direction but only saw a half-covered window of a tavern, and there were no silhouettes.