Chapter 120: Princess

Princess Guangning raised her eyebrows slightly; she wanted to appear approachable, but given her background, her words still carried a sense of dominance.

"Is Ward Chief Wen returning to the ward? It is still quite a distance from here to Jingxing Fang; get in the carriage, and I shall take you there."

Wen Gu stepped back half a pace and bowed respectfully: "I dare not trouble the Princess!"

Princess Guangning continued to stare at him: "Do not overthink it. It is rumored that Ward Chief Wen is quite learned; I am merely curious and wish to hear about Ward Chief Wen's Study Tour."

Wen Gu stepped back again, bowed, and looked very troubled: "I have just come from the outer city and am covered in dust; I dare not soil the Princess's carriage."

"It is just a bit of dust, no matter." Princess Guangning's smile faded. It seemed this Ward Chief Wen was no different from anyone else; the rumors in the streets were somewhat exaggerated.

She was about to end this conversation.

Wen Gu put on an expression of being unable to refuse, hesitated, and said helplessly: "Since that is the case, it would be disrespectful to decline; then I shall trouble the Princess!"

As he spoke, he walked toward the carriage.

From a distance, he looked as if he were being coerced, but up close, Princess Guangning observed that he seemed somewhat impatient?

In a moment of distraction, the other party had already arrived, looking as if he were about to step onto the carriage.

Princess:??!

Wait a moment!

Stop right there!!

Why not continue to maintain your self-restraint, propriety, and humble demeanor?!

She had only acted on a whim and tested him casually; she never truly intended to let Wen Gu board the carriage!

If she really got entangled with this person, she would likely face the sharp glares of the Head of the Family Zhao!

Yet, this person actually climbed up the pole the moment it was offered!

There was not a hint of posturing; his foot was already raised, and he was about to step onto the carriage the next instant.

Damn you!

Fortunately, the Princess's trusted attendant reacted quickly—she was indeed a highly trusted personal maid—and upon catching sight of her Princess's expression, she stepped forward to block Wen Gu and scolded: "You are not permitted to carry swords or sharp weapons!"

She was referring to the academy badge Wen Gu carried every day—the Cen Tai Sword.

Without waiting for Wen Gu to remove the sword, Princess Guangning sat back in the carriage with an arrogant posture, looking quite bored, and lowered the carriage curtain.

"That is enough; I will not make things difficult for you today. I presume Ward Chief Wen has official business to attend to, so be on your way."

Immediately following this, the sound of a teacup being set down came from inside the carriage.

The coachman immediately drove the carriage away, not wanting to wait for Wen Gu to say even half a word more. The carriage wheels even moved with a bit more haste.

Once the carriage was far away, the other pedestrians and carriages on the road resumed their original pace.

The guard following Wen Gu wanted to speak but hesitated, eventually unable to hold back, and advised: "Ward Chief, were you truly going to board the carriage and ride with the Princess just now? Think carefully! That is inappropriate!"

Wen Gu smiled and comforted him: "Do not panic, it was merely a probe."

But he truly did want to get to know this Princess.

He wondered how much of the imperial family's intelligence agency had been preserved? Could he obtain more information?

Wen Gu recalled the relevant information about this Princess.

Princess Guangning, Yin Zhen, the eldest daughter of Prince An.

This branch of the imperial family, Prince An, held a specific hereditary title and had once produced an emperor who ascended the throne, so the treatment they enjoyed was different from other branches of the imperial clan.

They were permitted by the imperial clan to have more guards at their mansion than others.

When chaos erupted in the Imperial City, many members of the imperial family failed to escape; Princess Guangning, who resided in the Junzhu Mansion, was one of the lucky ones.

She gathered the remaining guards and servants and fled the capital region with the people from her mansion.

It is said—well, the street rumors say—that when the Imperial City fell into chaos and the people from the Junzhu Mansion were leaving, the Princess's husband was with his mistress and was even wounded by her; both of them died after being struck by evil.

The Princess was benevolent and took the husband's entire family with her when she fled.

That is what the rumors say; it is unknown how much of it is true.

None of that is important; what is important is that everyone knows the Princess contributed to the Zhao Family's capture of Xinzhou. Anyone with eyes could see that the Zhao Family and the Princess had reached some sort of deal and shared a tacit understanding.

The Junzhu Mansion in Xinzhou City was even more luxurious than those of other great families.

While Wen Gu was analyzing Princess Guangning and the imperial clan behind her, pondering whether he could dig up more information about this epidemic, the "benevolent" Princess Guangning had already returned to her mansion.

Having been startled by Wen Gu, Princess Guangning was in no mood to stroll outside and had the coachman drive directly back to the mansion.

She had not even finished a cup of tea in her room when a maid came to report: "Princess, your uncle has arrived."

The "uncle" the maid referred to was the younger brother of Princess Guangning's mother.

This uncle had originally brought his entire family to Xinzhou following Princess Guangning; their fortunes were closely tied to this imperial Princess.

Today, he was originally taking a nap at home when his attendant suddenly told him in a panic that Princess Guangning seemed, perhaps, likely... to have gone to provoke Wen Gu.

The uncle was so shocked that his hair stood on end; he confirmed with a pale face: "Really?!"

The attendant affirmed: "They say it was in broad daylight, in full view of everyone; the credibility is extremely high!"

In Xinzhou City, many people watched Princess Guangning, and even more watched Wen Gu; hearing that the two had met on the road and chatted for quite a while!

It was also rumored that Princess Guangning seemed to have intended to coerce him!

In short, in short, various versions of the rumors had already spread, scaring the uncle so much that he shivered all over; he could not wait a moment longer and rode his horse at full speed to the mansion where Princess Guangning resided.

His terrified rage surged; he wished he could confront her face-to-face immediately!

Is she courting death!?

The fate of his entire family was tied to this niece! She must not act recklessly!

The uncle strode into the mansion, and what met his eyes were those elite guards wearing armor and holding weapons. Even from a distance, he could still feel the chilling metallic reflection.

Uncle: "..."

Anger level -1, -1...

Then he thought of the methods of this imperial niece...

The old uncle's fury subsided rapidly; his heated brain cooled down, his pace slowed, and he adjusted his demeanor.

The bloodshot streaks in his eyes faded, and his complex emotions settled.

When he raised his eyes again, his gaze had become very clear.

The beard and hair that had flown about due to his anger just moments ago now lay perfectly in place.

After his reason returned, he once again felt with absolute clarity—the master of the Junzhu Mansion was, first and foremost, a royal Junzhu, and only secondarily his niece.

Led into the room by a maid, he did not dare to sit down immediately, instead bowing respectfully first: "Junzhu!"

Guangning Junzhu, sitting by the tea table, said nonchalantly: "Uncle, there is no need for such formalities. We are family; sit down and speak."

The old uncle grew even more nervous; he sat on only half the chair and said cautiously:

"The news of Junzhu intercepting... meeting Wen Gu on the road today has already spread..."

He weighed his words.

"It really is... er, slightly... ahem, I hope Junzhu will be a bit more cautious!"

The smoke from the Incense Burner curled in the air.

The room was silent for a moment.

As the old uncle hung his head, his inner trepidation deepening, he heard Guangning Junzhu say faintly: "I was indeed rash today."

The old uncle let out a sigh of relief.

It was good that she could realize it!

Guangning Junzhu toyed with the teacup in her hand: "Uncle, you are also offering a well-intentioned reminder; I understand."

The old uncle wiped the sweat from his temple.

To tell the truth, his family was currently living in the cracks, walking on thin ice. He had secured a mediocre official post in the city, but it held no real power, and certainly no military authority. He valued his life!

Their family's future depended on this Junzhu; if the Junzhu fell, their family would absolutely not have a good end, and would very likely be dragged out to feed the monsters outside.

It was fortunate she was a Princess; if she were a Prince, she would not have lived until now. Even if she hadn't died for the country, she would have been "made to die for the country."

He could only hope that the Zhao Family would keep their promise; as long as they remained well-behaved on this side, they could continue to live.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but raise his eyes and look at Guangning Junzhu.

Things had been calm and uneventful for so long, why couldn't you restrain yourself?

In this grim state of the world, if you want to keep entertainers or male favorites, there are plenty of people who would volunteer; are there not enough people in the mansion already? On this path, men and women are packed tight; if you called out, they could line up from the outer city to the center of Neicheng!

Nowadays, those rigid civil officials don't even care about such things; they might even hope the Junzhu helps support a few more people.

In any case, this Junzhu has deep family assets and can see the situation clearly, so she won't cause too much trouble. As for the rest, it doesn't matter, and the past won't be pursued.

But!

Why go and provoke Wen Gu?

That is someone the Zhao Family trusts and relies upon; are you afraid the Zhao Family won't keep a close watch?

Aren't you afraid that one day, suddenly, you'll be "made to die for the country" for no reason?

The old uncle remained silent, his thoughts churning; several times he wanted to say something, but he opened his mouth and then retreated in cowardice.

Guangning Junzhu pondered for a while and said: "Enough, prepare a gift and send it to Jingxing Fang."

She called for a maid and selected an Incense Burner and incense.

Most of the items in the storehouse were tributes used by the imperial family, and the set she just picked was also a fine piece among the tributes.

Things of this level were becoming scarcer by the day.

The old uncle, however, disagreed: "Although one should be a bit cautious, with your status, why go to such lengths?"

It was equivalent to a concession!

A dignified Junzhu—even if the royal family could no longer rise, her status and rank were still here!

Guangning Junzhu ignored him and said: "Consider it an apology for today's rash actions."

The old uncle was still puzzled: "If you are worried about the Zhao Family, you just need to not provoke Wen Gu in the future; why take this step?!"

Guangning Junzhu impatiently threw the teacup in her hand onto the table:

"If I don't take this step, I'm afraid he'll latch onto me!"

That would bring even more trouble!

This cousin of the Zhao Family really does have something sinister about him!

Just consider it paying for a lesson.

Hearing her say this, the old uncle did not continue to persuade her, but began to worry again: "What if Wen Gu doesn't understand?"

Guangning Junzhu said: "He will understand."

Jingxing Fang.

Wen Gu looked at the generous gift sent from the Junzhu Mansion and sighed.

Alas.

He understood this Junzhu's intention to refuse further contact.

It was truly a bit of a pity.

As expected of someone from the royal family, sharp, suspicious, and decisive.

It doesn't matter; there is plenty of time ahead.

Besides, with his current status, it was indeed not appropriate to get involved with royal secrets or imperial secret service agencies.

Wen Gu admired the delicate structure of the tribute Incense Burner for a while, marveled at the aesthetics and craftsmanship of this era's artisans, and took out the incense to light it.

"As expected of an imperial tribute, the scent alone is extraordinary!"

It calms the mind and spirit, and performs Exorcism to ward off evil.

He picked out another incense ball and had someone send it over to the Daoist Priest.

He wondered if Qingyi Daozhang would be able to analyze its ingredients.

The original tribute version would certainly be difficult; even if it were analyzed, the raw materials would likely be impossible to gather.

But with the Daoist Priest's expertise in unorthodox methods, his skill in Alchemy, and his familiarity with medicinal substances, if he put in the effort, perhaps he could find suitable substitutes to make the effects as close as possible.

In this era of plague, incense is an essential supply; one more formula means one more layer of safety.

However, having only one incense ball as an experimental sample might not be enough.

Wen Gu had someone send a message over to spur the Daoist Priest on: if he could make satisfactory progress within half a month, he would be given another one.

Qingyun Fang.

Qingyi Daozhang was planning to set up a Daoist ritual for disaster relief and blessings.

No one is going to stop me!

Especially that Gou Shusheng!

As for the refining lists Wen Gu had given him earlier, he spent every day pondering ways to delay them.

It's not that I'm not doing these things, I'm just clearing out a little space to do something else, something more meaningful; what can you do to me?

He was just writing his plan when someone from across the way sent over an incense ball.

A premium item among the imperial tributes!

Qingyi Daozhang was first delighted, then furious.

That dog! What a clever scheme!

I am an alchemist! You should be going to an incense maker or a Pharmacist for something like cracking an incense formula!

Why dump everything on me?

However...

It's a palace tribute!

Something used by the imperial family!

The best of the best!

Every bit used is a bit less in existence; it's rare and hard to come by, and it might even be a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

If I could refine this...

In the short term, it certainly wouldn't compare to the original tribute, but as long as it could mimic it by thirty or fifty percent, it would be a huge boost to our cause.

When the time comes, using this as a promotional tool, with the halo of an imperial tribute...

Punching above one's weight class is equivalent to elevating one's status.

My prestige will soar!

It can be done!

It's just that...

This, this...

He was still somewhat unwilling. He looked at the notes Wen Gu had provided, analyzed the pros and cons, and chose carefully.

Forget it, I'll focus on cracking the incense first and push everything else back.

At the same time, he coached himself, silently reciting: Sharpening the axe will not delay the woodcutting!

When the next ritual is held, I must make it an even grander scene, and by using the cracked version of the imperial tribute incense, it will elevate my status even more.

Anger, hesitation, compromise.

Fine then.

Start refining!

(End of chapter)