Scent Of Time

Chapter 12

I left the palace dazedly and still had palpitations in my heart even after getting on the carriage.

Zhong Yelan only opened his mouth at this time and asked, “Is there anyone in the palace who is giving you a hard time?”

I smiled perfunctorily and said, “No.”

Zhong Yelan frowned. He saw that I was lying, “Ah Qian, why do you like to hold everything in your heart now? In the past, you used to discuss everything with me.”

I hung my head and stopped speaking.

Not fully understanding the Hua Family’s status in the Emperor’s heart made me uneasy. In the novel, the heroine destroys the Hua Family. Now that I’ve resolved the blood feud between us, I don’t have to die again.

But why did the Emperor start to pay attention to the Hua Family? So, even without the heroine’s hatred, the Hua Family would still perish because of the Emperor’s unknown thoughts?

Is this the only way out for the villain? Why? It’s me! Why should the innocent me bear the bitter fruits of the bad ending?

When I was thinking to myself, a palm landed on my head. I looked up and saw Zhong Yelan looking at me. Although he was still expressionless, his eyes were solemn: “Ah Qian, you seem to have a lot of things on your mind since we got married. I won’t force you if you don’t want to talk about it. You only need to know that I will protect you.”

This confession did not let me relax at all. The person he wanted to protect was not me. In the future, if he knew the truth, I only want to be on the same path as him.

After returning to the mansion, I don’t know whether it was because I was scared or nervous, but I started to feel hot.

At one point, I felt like a fever was about to break from my body. It seemed that I was about to return to that modern society with all the traffic, yet when I woke up with a start, I was still in this old-fashioned house.

Although I was very sick, I got benefit from it. I had an excuse not to go to the palace. After all, I had been going there so often. Now, with one fright from the Emperor, suddenly I didn’t go there anymore. It was too intentional, so this disease has come in time.

The Empress Dowager sent someone over to look for me. When they saw me as sick and pale, they did not call me into the palace.

At the same time, I found — that this ancient medicine is too bitter!!!!

I was fond of bitter flavors, such as bitter melon, lotus heart, or coffee. But the bitterness of this Chinese medicine is unbearable. I also love the smell of herbs. However, when I drank it, I turned green in the face and almost threw up my stomach. From then on, I secretly poured out the medicine so I could get better unhurriedly. With tireless efforts, I managed to stay sick for half a month.

At the beginning of my illness, Mrs. Hua brought Hua Shen to visit me. Thinking of that culprit who made me sick, I didn’t have a good look on my face.

Even though I was ill, I asked Qian Zhi to observe the situation outside. After learning that Zhong Xiwu had not attacked the Hua Family, I felt relieved. But I was even more puzzled about what exactly he was planning to do.

“Qian Qian, you have been sick for a while. Why do you look so much thinner?” Mrs. Hua was full of unconcealed concern.

Nevertheless, she was Hua Qian’s relative. I hid my heart’s impatience: “Mother has not seen me for a long time, so there is this illusion.”

Mrs. Hua pulled me to babble a lot. Hua Shen sat in silence obediently. She said for a long time and finally pulled to the point: “Your father and I went to the clan to stay for a month before coming back because of…the matter in the palace, and just came back to hear that your brother has caused you trouble again, hasn’t he?”

I frowned. Hua Xiang suddenly refused to support Hua Meiren, so the people in the clan would call him back to consult with each other. However, I am not worried. Hua Xiang was always creative and wouldn’t go back on his words. He has decided that Hua Meiren has already turned against him, and he would rather believe it than not. He will not be easily swayed by listening to other people’s words.

That was also the most common fault of all clever people. The shrewder they are, the more suspicious they’ll be. His daughter or niece from his brother’s family, which one was distant and which one was closer to him, it’s clear at a glance.

Seeing that I was silent, Mrs. Hua gave Hua Shen a wink, and that fop shamelessly walked towards me, pulling out a box of jeweled ornaments from his pocket, saying, “I see that my sister has not added any jewelry since she entered the King Jin Mansion, so I’ve specially sought out some to send for you.”

Mrs. Hua added, “Shen’er has been thinking of his sister. He went to the jewelry store and wrapped up all the good ones first. Even I, as a mother, didn’t get a part in it.”

Looking at the two people singing to one another, I finally accepted the jewelry. Even though I disliked it, I couldn’t refute Hua Shen in front of Mrs. Hua.

However, I just accepted it, and Hua Shen’s old habits are back. He squeezed that fat face and smiled, “Just now, I saw a maid come out of my brother-in-law’s study. She was beautiful. How come I haven’t seen her around my sister?”

Zhong Yelan’s study? Isn’t that Mu Yao? Zhong Yelan likes quietness and rarely has maids around. Does this idiot think that the Hua Family won’t die fast enough? He dares to covet Zhong Yelan’s woman.

I immediately held back my anger and rebuked: ”Hua Shen, you put your brain clearly. Is the person beside Zhong Yelan also someone you can think about? Aren’t you afraid you’ll drag the Hua Family down with you?”

Hua Shen was scared by my stern look and shrunk his head back, hurriedly speaking, “I am just asking. Sister, don’t be angry. How would I dare to mess with your person?”

Seeing that I was still angry, Mrs. Hua hurriedly spoke, “Qian Qian, your brother is just like this, talking out of his ass. King Jin started having maids around him. Where did she come from ……”

Mu Yao grew up in a border city, so since she entered the capital, she has always disliked participating in those scenes of hypocrisy. Therefore, they haven’t seen her before.

“Mother, what you should be doing right now is supervising your son, not trying to stick your hand into the King Jin Mansion.” I opened my mouth unceremoniously.

Mrs. Hua’s face was also unable to hang on, “I am doing this for your sake. Why are you angry ……”

Seeing my face was not good, Mrs. Hua finally did not say any more. She let Hua Shen wait outside lest he provoke me again.

“Although your brother is a bit slow, he is sincere to you. He was always thinking of saving what he had for you first. Even I, as a mother, didn’t have this treatment.” After Hua Shen left, Mrs. Hua spoke well of him again.

This Mrs. Hua can beautify her son. Saying that he is slow is praising him, right?

“Back then, when I was pregnant with you, Shen’er was only 5. Every day, he would come and touch my belly, saying you should born faster. And, he, as an older brother, would come and take good care of you ……”

Unable to listen to Mrs. Hua intercede for that dude, I opened my mouth and interrupted her, “Please trouble Mother to go back today and bring a message to Father.”

Mrs. Hua looked at me confusedly, as if she didn’t expect me to turn the topic so quickly.

“A thousand-mile dike collapses because of an ant hole.”

Even if the Hua Family must fall, it won’t be so fast.

After Mrs. Hua left, I continued to recuperate from the disease comfortably, daily sunbathing and listening to the maids’ gossip, a rare freedom of life.

The maids saw my pleasant face, so they were not so formal.

Well, seeing that I was bored, Yinxing, who was in charge of embroidery, took the initiative to chat with me, “Your Highness, you may have heard that the residence had recruited some new soldiers.”

“So what?” I asked.

The fast-talking Cuizhu, however, snatched the opportunity to speak first: “This time, there is a person in the soldiers who is so good-looking that the maids in the residence can’t help but peek at him.”

It was true that regardless of any generation of women, they were all inevitably gossipy.

“Really? Why don’t I have an impression?” I spoke curiously.

“On the day the new soldiers entered the residence, Your Highness fell ill, so you never saw them.” Yin Xing replied.

Cuizhu’s face blushed, giggled, and said: “If Your Highness saw him, you would be surprised. I have never seen such a good-looking man.”

“Look at you! That uneducated look. A servant only, what is the use of good-looking?” Qian Zhi said disdainfully. Initially, she was extremely harsh to other subordinates, but with my hard work, she finally got better. Although her words were still unpleasant to the ear, they were not so mean.

Yinxiang and Cuizhu were not afraid of her. Lively Cuizhu couldn’t help but whisper a rebuttal: “If sister Zhi met him, you certainly wouldn’t say these words.”

Qian Zhi hummed disdainfully, “You think I’m the same as you guys who haven’t seen the world?”

Watching a group of maids hotly bickering, I couldn’t help but smile.

Such a precious time of youth! When I was sixteen or seventeen, my friend and I also talked about boys. That simple and wanton laughter is the most valuable, ah.