Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 23

Melting snow slid from the vermilion tiles as the palace maids in the Hall of Cultivating Nature began sweeping the courtyard at the break of dawn.

Ling Yue stood at the entrance of the hall, hesitating for a moment before sitting on the steps to watch the two figures busily working in the courtyard.

On his first day of duty, he had noticed that all the palace maids in this hall were deaf. At first, Ling Yue thought they had suffered some form of persecution, but later, Qing Niao explained that they were all orphans she had picked up along her travels.

Qing Niao had taken in many orphans, teaching them skills to make a living and securing jobs for them once they came of age.

After hearing this, Ling Yue couldn’t help but view her in a more favorable light. However, this newfound respect was quickly dashed by Qing Niao herself.

No matter the topic of conversation, she always managed to steer it back to the Eldest Princess, displaying an unwavering determination to see this marriage through.

Ling Yue found this utterly unacceptable. Serving a ruler was like accompanying a tiger, who would willingly sleep next to one?

Lost in his thoughts, the hall door behind him creaked open, followed by Qing Niao’s voice.

“You’re here so early today?”

Her voice carried a lingering weariness. Ling Yue watched as she sat beside him and asked with some confusion, “Is Physician Yun unwell?”

Qing Niao’s eyelids drooped, giving her the appearance of someone who hadn’t fully woken up.

The previous night, after the Eldest Princess returned to her residence, she had suddenly fallen ill. Fortunately, it wasn’t as severe as before, and she remained conscious.

Seizing the moment of clarity, Qing Niao drugged her to induce unconsciousness. The ordeal lasted quite some time, but Qing Niao dared not sleep, staying vigilant until Lu Hao showed signs of improvement before allowing herself a brief nap.

Qing Niao sighed. “I didn’t sleep well.”

Ling Yue, who also struggled with sleep, couldn’t resist teasing her, recalling her recent jest at his expense. “Physician Qing Niao, why not seek a romantic fate for yourself?”

Qing Niao felt a shiver run down her spine. She waved her hands repeatedly, suddenly looking more alert though it was out of fright.

“Don’t mock me. Rather than chasing after something as elusive as love, I’d rather spend my time studying ancient medical texts.”

Ling Yue was speechless. “Then why do you keep filling my head with these impractical notions?”

Qing Niao showed no remorse. “I have a keen eye for these things. The two of you are quite fated.”

Then, with a hint of pride, she added, “My intuition is far more reliable than those worthless marriage divination sticks.”

Watching her transform from exhaustion to excitement with an almost unsettling fervor, Ling Yue was left at a loss for words.

He no longer wished to speak or look at Qing Niao’s increasingly lecherous expression, so he simply closed his eyes.

How could someone like this remain by the Eldest Princess’s side? Or had she gone mad from staying too long in the princess’s company?

A sudden fear gripped Ling Yue, what if he, too, ended up like this?

As he stewed in his unease, Qing Niao chattered on beside him.

“Lady Zhang from East Street and Shopkeeper Su next door have the aura of a couple. And those two embroiderers we met at the embroidery tower, they were definitely exchanging meaningful glances. Hmm, why are you closing your eyes?”

Ling Yue slowly raised his hands and covered his ears.

Qing Niao laughed in exasperation. “Don’t doubt me. Since you don’t know those people, let’s talk about someone closer to home. Take the second and third-ranked martial scholars from this year’s imperial exams, I think they’re very likely a match.”

Even with his ears covered, Ling Yue could still hear her. At the mention of the two scholars, he was taken aback.

It seemed Qing Niao might actually have some insight after all.

She opened her eyes and lowered her hand. “Why would you think that? When they sparred, they looked like mortal enemies.”

Qingniao suddenly grew serious, her expression mysterious. “The reason, of course, is…”

Ling Yue’s curiosity peaked, and she followed up with slight tension, “What is it?”

If the other party was truly that perceptive, could it be that she and the Eldest Princess actually had a chance?

Qingniao coughed. “Well, it’s because I saw them having a secret rendezvous in the deep mountains two nights ago.”

Ling Yue fell silent. For a moment, she didn’t know who to feel more exasperated with, the two who had gotten lost or the matchmaker-obsessed person in front of her. Or perhaps, she was exasperated with herself for having expectations of Qingniao.

Still, in the dead of night, such a scene was indeed easy to misunderstand.

Ling Yue sighed. “If Her Highness is willing, she could find someone better.”

Qingniao, having exhausted her excitement, grew even sleepier. She yawned helplessly. “I know all that, but for now, having you by her side is the best option. That’s the truth.”

Ling Yue didn’t agree. In this world, no one was indispensable to another, let alone someone as extraordinary as the Eldest Princess.

As they spoke, hurried footsteps echoed from the hall. Before they could react, the door was pulled open.

A dangerous aura made Ling Yue’s hair stand on end. Without hesitation, she pushed Qingniao aside and rolled away herself.

The sound of tearing fabric was unmistakably clear. The clothing on her shoulder was ripped open. Ling Yue looked up to see the Eldest Princess standing where she had just been, clutching a torn piece of fabric in her hand. The princess swayed slightly, shaking her head and gritting her teeth as if struggling against something.

Qingniao’s face turned pale. She instinctively hid behind Ling Yue and forced a bitter smile. “It’s happening again.”

Seeing the Eldest Princess’s unstable state, Ling Yue shielded Qingniao and whispered, “What is this?”

Qingniao’s face was full of worry. “It’s a side effect of the medicine. It drives people mad and robs them of reason. Find a way to restrain her. I have medicine that can temporarily suppress it.”

Unintentionally, Ling Yue seemed to have stumbled upon something significant. She felt her life was in even greater danger, but she soon realized it wasn’t just a matter of a little more risk.

The Eldest Princess, who had been struggling to maintain control, lost her rationality again upon seeing Ling Yue protecting Qingniao and attacked both of them.

Ling Yue felt a bitter taste in her throat. There was no way she could defeat the other party now, nor did she want to call for help. Over the years, there had been no rumors of the Eldest Princess’s madness. If she called for help now, the secret would surely be exposed.

Moreover, with the princess’s fierce attacks, restraining her would likely require risking her life.

Frantically, she searched through her memories of her past life, hoping to find something useful for the current situation.

But no matter how hard she tried, all she could recall was the other’s invincibility and her own desperate escapes. Thinking about it, she was quite remarkable herself, she had managed to escape every time. Perhaps this time would be no different.

Ling Yue comforted herself with this thought. But comfort was just comfort. She spoke solemnly, “Physician Yun, if I die here, please find that miracle doctor and ask them to treat my elder sister.”

Qingniao, who had been anxiously watching, paused at these words. She thought to herself, Isn’t that miracle doctor none other than me, Yun Qingniao?

Ling Yue didn’t notice the shocked expression on Qing Niao’s face. She rushed forward intending to restrain the princess’s hands but was instead swiftly countered, her own wrists clamped tightly. Struggling fiercely only made the princess tighten her grip. The princess seemed to stare at her in a daze, and Ling Yue lifted her leg to kick, causing the princess to lose balance and tumble forward.

Ling Yue’s head hit the ground, with the princess collapsing on top of her. As stars danced before her eyes, she mustered her strength and rolled over, reversing their positions.

She then felt the princess’s body shudder, a flicker of clarity surfacing in her dazed eyes before being swallowed again by confusion.

Puzzled by the princess’s sudden stillness, Ling Yue soon felt a wave of heat wash over her body and caught a faint scent of plum blossoms in the air.

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