Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 16

The next day, Ling Yue woke up with dark circles under her eyes like a panda’s.

Staring at her haggard reflection in the bronze mirror, she could only offer a bitter smile. Staying up late was one thing, but after finally falling asleep, she was haunted by dreams of her past life. The agony of flames licking at her skin had her tossing and turning restlessly. Just as she was about to jolt awake, unable to bear it any longer, an ethereal flute melody accompanied by the faint scent of plum blossoms soothed her suffering.

Only then did she manage to find some peace in the latter half of the night.

Yawning once more, Ling Yue watched as Chun Tao’s nimble fingers swiftly worked on her hair. Just as the intricate updo was about to take shape, Ling Yue quickly stopped her. “Keep it simple.”

Seeing Chun Tao pout, Ling Yue smiled and explained, “Now that I’ve earned the title of top scholar, I’m a military official of the court. Simplicity is better.”

Though Chun Tao understood, she couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. After all her young mistress had endured over the years, this was finally their moment to shine. In her opinion, the more extravagant, the better.

Despite her inner grumbling, Chun Tao’s hands moved deftly. She undid the elaborate hairstyle, gathered all the hair, and tied it neatly at the crown of Ling Yue’s head. Instantly, the reflection in the mirror looked more spirited.

“Young mistress, isn’t this too plain?”

“Not at all,” Ling Yue reassured her. “With the current tense situation, even the royal family advocates for frugality. Draping oneself in jewels and finery isn’t appropriate. Don’t worry, others will do the same.”

Chun Tao still wasn’t convinced. Today was the day the results would be announced. A procession would parade through the streets to deliver the joyous news, then escort Ling Yue to the palace for an audience with the emperor, where she would be granted an official position.

After that, the Ministry of War would host a banquet in her honor.

Once all these formalities were completed, Ling Yue would officially become a disciple of the emperor, no longer needing to endure the disdain of the Ling family.

Such a momentous occasion, yet her young mistress remained as composed as ever.

Chun Tao couldn’t help but admire her. Remaining unshaken by honor or disgrace was a rare quality.

But Chun Tao was mistaken. In her previous life, her young mistress had been the highest-ranking military commander. A small achievement like this was hardly enough to excite her.

Bored, Ling Yue propped her chin on her hand, lost in thought about the plum blossom fragrance from her dream the scent, the flute melody, and the wine, all recurring elements in her dreams.

The plum blossom scent naturally reminded her of the Eldest Princess, but the princess neither drank nor enjoyed the sound of the flute; in fact, she detested it.

Glancing at the scattered trinkets on her dressing table, Ling Yue murmured to herself, “It couldn’t have been her. Then who was it?”

“Or perhaps it was just a dream, nothing more.”

The sound of commotion grew louder, accompanied by the distinct clang of gongs. Ling Yue lifted her head from her reverie and peered through the open door to see a procession of people draped diagonally in red silk sashes.

Amid the lively beating of drums and gongs, the group shouted in unison, “Congratulations to Ling Yue, second daughter of General Ling Fu, for achieving first place in the military examinations!”

Soon, they stood at her doorstep, their faces beaming with joy as they cupped their hands in congratulation.

The leader, a woman dressed in official attire, stepped forward. “Congratulations, Miss Ling. A disciple of the emperor at such a young age truly remarkable.”

Ling Yue accepted the scroll from her hands and bowed her head slightly, allowing the woman to drape a red silk ribbon over her shoulders. “Thank you for your kind words, madam.”

Impressed by Ling Yue’s composure, the official nodded approvingly. “You’re too modest, Madam Ling. The horses are ready. Please accompany me to the palace for an audience with His Majesty.”

Ling Yue remained humble. “I am in your debt, madam.”

As she departed from the dilapidated courtyard, the servants and guards of the Ling household watched in astonishment, their surprise mingled with deep-seated fear.

Due to Ling Yue’s previous lack of status, they had often treated her with neglect and disrespect. Now that she had risen to power, they feared retaliation.

Of course, not all the gazes directed at her were filled with such apprehension.

Ling Yue saw the joy in Ling Ya’s eyes and couldn’t help but stop in her tracks, a faint smile appearing on her calm face. “Elder sister, wait for me at home.”

Ling Ya was taken aback, seemingly not expecting her younger sister to stop and greet her. She smiled and said, “Mm, be careful out there. Don’t get lost like last time.”

Why bring up such an embarrassing topic?

Last time, she had taken a nasty fall and nearly lost her life. Luckily, she had been quick-witted.

Feeling awkward, Ling Yue nodded hastily before hurrying out.

Ling Fu wasn’t present, but who cared?

Mounting her horse, Ling Yue headed toward the imperial palace. The snow was still falling, but it couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the common folk, who crowded the streets hoping to catch a glimpse of the top scholar.

“Is that the top scholar? She looks more like the third-ranked candidate.”

“She is the top scholar, the second daughter of the Ling family.”

“Oh? Does she know martial arts?”

“The Eldest Princess personally tested her. There’s no mistake.”

“I heard she could hold her own against the Eldest Princess. Tsk! And she’s only eighteen? Is she married yet?”

“Save it. She comes from a military family. Even if your family has a bit of money, you’re nowhere near her status.”

“Ah, you’re right. I wonder who this fine young lady will end up with.”

“You all are just watching the show, but I bet my entire fortune on Wang Lan. Who would’ve thought Ling Yue would come out of nowhere? Only one person in the entire gambling den bet on Ling Yue everyone else lost big.”

“Really? How much did that person bet on Ling Yue?”

“A thousand taels! A full thousand taels!”

Ling Yue was momentarily stunned. This scene was common in her past life, but back then, she was already a well-known young general, and people were familiar with her.

Moreover, at that time, her affection for Lu Weiying was widely known, so discussions about her personal life were rare.

Surprisingly, this felt rather nice as if she had broken free from the shackles of her past life and was heading toward a different possibility.

But what was this about the bet?

She vaguely sensed that the person who placed the bet was the Eldest Princess. Once she figured it out, Ling Yue realized she had been played.

Although she couldn’t afford to pay back either a thousand or ten thousand taels, the latter was ten times the amount! If she had really lost, she would’ve foolishly tried to repay that ten thousand taels.

Ling Yue’s expression shifted dramatically. She wanted to be angry, but the moment she remembered it was the Eldest Princess, her anger vanished.

There was no helping it, she had provoked such a formidable figure.

The roaring crowd seemed to melt the winter snow, and amid the clamor, she gradually approached the imperial palace.

“Hey! You, surnamed Ling!”

Ling Yue turned her head with a faint smile, tightening the reins to halt her horse. “Are your injuries better?”

This direct concern caught Wang Lan off guard. To hide her discomfort, she lifted her chin and snorted, “What are you to me? Mind your own business.”

Ling Yue remained unruffled, smiling gently. “Naturally, we’re friends. It’s only right for friends to care for each other.”

Wang Lan was left speechless. She snorted and turned away but didn’t deny it.

Before she could finish stewing, she spotted Wen Yuanyuan approaching slowly in the distance.

Wen Yuanyuan looked somewhat awkward, her hair styled high and adorned with so many accessories that not a single strand of her black hair was visible.

That alone would have been tolerable, but Wen Yuanyuan’s face was caked with heavy makeup her complexion as pale as if she’d seen a ghost in broad daylight, and her lips an unnaturally bright red.

Wang Lan burst into laughter, not caring about anyone else’s feelings. Her laughter grew louder and more unrestrained.

“Ha ha ha! Is this the third-ranked scholar? This is absolutely hilarious!”

Ling Yue had initially wanted to laugh, but she forcibly held it back to protect her friend’s dignity.

It was obvious whose doing this was. The Wen family was in business and had no shortage of money, but their rise to prominence had been too recent for them to understand the meaning of discretion.

In her past life, when she had picked up Wen Yuanyuan at the military camp gates, the other girl had been dressed just like this. Wen Yuanyuan had wanted to protest to her two mothers, but unfortunately, her objections had been in vain.

This time, it seemed her protests had failed again.

But Wang Lan, are you really this unrestrained? Did these two end up together in their past lives as well?

Ling Yue’s curiosity was piqued. She really wanted to know how these two had ended up together or whether they would even end up together this time.

“Who is that?”

“Oh my! The Grand Princess! She actually came in person to receive these three.”

“I can’t believe we get to see the Grand Princess. We never see her on ordinary days.”

Ling Yue was slightly startled. She had assumed the Grand Princess would be at the palace gates, but there was no one there. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the commoners looking up, and she had a sudden intuition.

She raised her head and saw the Grand Princess sitting casually atop the palace wall. A gentle breeze lifted her long hair, and her sleeves fluttered, making her look as ethereal as an immortal.

White robes against vermilion walls, it was like a painting.

And the person in that painting was looking right at her.

Sitting on her horse, Ling Yue unexpectedly met the other’s gaze. The horse occasionally let out low breaths, but Ling Yue paid no attention, as if she were enchanted and unable to look away.

The same palace wall, the same two people. In her past life, Lu He had stood atop the wall, aiming a bow and arrow at her, while she could only flee for her life.

Now, they gazed at each other from afar, admiration in both their eyes.

Seeing Ling Yue below staring dazedly, Lu He found it amusing and leaped down gracefully.

“Greetings to the Grand Princess. May the Princess live a thousand years.”

Ignoring the crowd’s salutations, Lu He walked directly toward Ling Yue.

Ling Yue, like the others, bowed her head in respect.

This horse had also been personally chosen by Lu He gentle, strong, and, most importantly, she thought the chestnut color would suit Ling Yue perfectly.

As it turned out, her judgment had been correct. The chestnut horse paired with the girl in red was a truly pleasing sight.

Noticing that Ling Yue still had her head lowered, Lu He suddenly remembered.

“Rise.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Only then did Ling Yue dare to look up. In her haste to pay respects, she had forgotten to dismount. Now, looking down at the Grand Princess from horseback, she felt somewhat awkward.

So, she swung her leg over and dismounted.

As she landed, someone steadied her. Following the hand that held hers, she saw the Grand Princess’s smiling face.

Ling Yue’s scalp tingled. She tried to pull her hand back, but the Grand Princess held on tightly.

Lu He commanded directly, “I’m taking this one with me. Treat the other two well.”

“Yes!”

In an instant, countless eyes fixed on Ling Yue’s back, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

Why was she being singled out for such special treatment?

Fortunately, the Grand Princess released her hand after a short while.

Lu He smiled and said, “My apologies, I forgot for a moment.”

Ling Yue rubbed her reddened wrist. Not daring to refute such a perfunctory excuse, she simply lowered her eyes and said, “It’s nothing.”

When she looked up again, she saw another familiar face.

Lu Weiying looked at Ling Yue with delight. She wanted to step forward and greet her but was too afraid of Lu He standing beside Ling Yue, hesitating where she stood.

She gazed at Ling Yue, her eyes filled with a hint of expectation hoping the other would approach her proactively, just as she had in their past life.

Unfortunately, this was not their past life.

Lu He’s eyes shifted between the two of them, and she suddenly smiled. “It seems you two are quite close?”

Ling Yue averted her gaze, afraid that if she looked for even a second longer, she wouldn’t be able to suppress the anger within her.

“Your Highness misunderstands, we’ve only met once.”

Lu He showed an expression of understanding. “Then let’s go.”

As Ling Yue walked past Lu Weiying, the latter seemed about to speak again.

Lu He glanced back, and Lu Weiying, pale-faced, withdrew her hand.

In the end, she could only watch the two of them leave.

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