Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 27

Before long, Ling Yue was urgently summoned back to the palace.

On her way to the Grand Princess’s chambers, Ling Yue pondered the situation. The term “fallen in battle” was likely just a polite euphemism. Given the normal pace, Ling Fu shouldn’t have even reached the battlefield yet could he have been assassinated within their own borders?

With insufficient information at hand, she decided it was best to speak with the Grand Princess first.

By the time Ling Yue arrived, the Grand Princess was deep in conversation with Qing Niao. Unlike her usual playful self, Qing Niao wore a grave expression.

The oppressive atmosphere made one unconsciously hold their breath. Ling Yue stood at the doorway and called out, “Grand Princess.”

Lu He looked up. “Come in, make yourself at home.”

Accustomed to such interactions, Ling Yue didn’t stand on ceremony. After taking a seat, she got straight to the point. “What really happened to my father’s death?”

In her previous life, Ling Fu had lost his life in a later battle. In this major campaign, he should have achieved a great victory.

Qing Niao sighed. “Before the troops even reached the front, General Ling was poisoned. We haven’t found the culprit yet, but it’s certain the perpetrator was one of our own.”

As she spoke, she observed Ling Yue’s expression. Seeing no trace of grief on the other’s face, she swallowed back the words “my condolences.”

This explanation made Ling Yue understand why the messenger had phrased it as “fallen in battle.” To be assassinated by their own people before even facing the enemy was nothing short of ridiculous.

Ling Yue wasn’t concerned about Ling Fu’s life or death; she only worried about the army’s morale and how Ling Ya would take the news.

Now that the northern expedition’s general had suddenly died, a replacement would have to be chosen. She wondered who the Grand Princess would select.

When she glanced up at the Grand Princess, she found the other already looking back at her. Startled, she didn’t lower her head in fear as she might have before. Instead, she asked, “Your Highness, do you have someone in mind for the northern expedition?”

Lu He seemed much more relaxed than earlier. “I’ve already chosen someone. However, since your father has fallen in battle, protocol dictates a mourning period. But the southern front cannot afford delays, the original plans must proceed as scheduled.”

Such matters meant little to Ling Yue. She nodded. “State affairs take precedence over family matters.”

Lu He smiled faintly, then remembered half a day had already passed. “How are your preparations coming along?”

“They’re finished.”

Lu He hadn’t expected her to be so quick, but it was just as well, this meant there was still one day left.

Lowering her head in thought, Lu He reflected that the Ling family’s main lineage was sparse. In Ling Fu’s generation, he was the only direct descendant. The other branches of the Ling clan weren’t in Rong City, and now the rightful heir was Ling Ya. But given her frail health, if other members of the Ling family harbored ill intentions, chaos would likely ensue.

She wondered if Ling Yue had any aspirations. If she did, Lu He could lend a hand.

After discussing the remaining important matters, Ling Yue was finally able to leave the palace. By the time she returned home, the General’s estate was already draped with white lanterns. The maids and servants bustling about greeted Ling Yue with unusual deference.

Ling Yue found it somewhat irritating. Having to respond to everyone repeatedly was more bothersome than their usual indifference, which at least left her in peace.

Amid the crowd dressed in mourning white, Ling Yue’s crimson attire stood out starkly. She didn’t head straight to her own room.

When she found Ling Ya, the latter’s eyes were red, clearly from recent tears. She didn’t reproach Ling Yue for her aloofness but, as Ling Yue sat down, murmured repeatedly, “Little sister, I only have you now.”

Ling Yue couldn’t bear to see it. “Sister, your health is frail, you mustn’t grieve too deeply.”

Ling Ya wiped her tears, forcing a fragile smile onto her pale face, like a delicate porcelain figurine that might shatter at any moment.

In the days to come, with Ling Yue gone, she truly worried, worried that Ling Ya wouldn’t be able to handle the storms alone. In her past life, when she had wrested power from the clan members, it had been incredibly difficult; without her military achievements to back her, she might not have succeeded at all.

The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached. After much reflection, Ling Yue realized that people couldn’t grow up overnight she still needed to make plans for Ling Ya.

She stayed with Ling Ya, chatting for a long time until night fell. Only after instructing the maid to help her sister to bed did she step out under the moonlight.

As she reached her own room, she sensed someone inside. Halting her hand before it could push the door open, Ling Yue moved to the window and gently poked a hole in the paper. Peering inside, she recognized the person and the familiar face noticed her, smiling as their eyes met.

Soon, the door opened from within. The Grand Princess stood at the entrance, smiling. “Would you like to come in and sit?”

This reversal of roles left Ling Yue momentarily speechless. Unless she was mistaken, this was her own room.

White lanterns hung by the doorway, paired with the chilly moonlight, giving the Grand Princess standing there an almost ghostly aura.

Ling Yue didn’t move, calmly asking, “What brings you here, Grand Princess?”

Seeing Ling Yue so formal, Lu He found it a bit dull. She returned to her previous seat and beckoned Ling Yue over.

Ling Yue obediently sat across from her, her eyes filled with confusion. “If you had something to discuss, Grand Princess, you could have summoned me. Why trouble yourself to come in person?”

If anyone found out, who knew what rumors would spread though the two of them were already entangled in ambiguity.

Lu He chuckled lightly. “Don’t you think this is rather thrilling?”

It was indeed thrilling. The first time the other had climbed through her window, Ling Yue happened to be bathing, making her so paranoid that she wanted to search the entire area for miles, terrified of a repeat of that awkward incident.

Lu He seemed a bit deflated. After getting to know her better, Ling Yue realized that this Grand Princess, infamous as a formidable figure, had a penchant for teasing others and she always succeeded. All Ling Yue could do was offer a wry smile in response.

“Are you free? How about taking a walk with me?”

Ling Yue wasn’t tired, and since she had a favor to ask, she nodded in agreement.

Pleased with her compliance, Lu He stood and led the way, leaping nimbly onto the wall. Turning back to watch Ling Yue slowly emerge, she urged, “Hurry up.”

Afraid of displeasing the Grand Princess, Ling Yue quickened her pace. Only when she jumped onto the wall did she notice a faint path had been worn into the ground below, though it was still in its early stages.

One absurd incident after another had occurred in this life, leaving Ling Yue at a loss for how to even complain.

But the Grand Princess calling her out in the middle of the night surely had some deeper meaning.

Could it be that there was an underground palace in Rong City where the Grand Princess kept a troop of death warriors? Now that she was considered a trusted confidante, was she being introduced to them?

Or perhaps it was to familiarize her with the Grand Princess’s assets in Rong City, letting the newcomer get acquainted.

Ling Yue entertained many conjectures as she followed the Grand Princess, leaping across rooftops and occasionally startling a cat dozing atop one.

The cat yowled and dashed away. Ling Yue cast an apologetic glance in its direction.

As they approached the city gate, Ling Yue estimated it was the southern entrance.

The gate was high, but there was a tall inn nearby from which one could use qinggong to leap onto the wall.

Ling Yue felt uneasy not because she couldn’t make the jump, but because sneaking out after the gates were closed meant risking imprisonment.

However, since the Eldest Princess was involved, such concerns seemed unnecessary. Ling Yue, accustomed to acting alone, suddenly realized the benefits of having a powerful ally.

Seeing the Eldest Princess waiting on the city wall, she too jumped from the inn’s rooftop.

The moon appeared brighter from such heights, a stark contrast to how it looked on the battlefield. Though she had never been one for appreciation, in her past life, with the King of Wen by her side, even the most ordinary moonlit nights felt beautiful.

“Do you like the moon?”

Ling Yue shook her head. “Not particularly. But with someone by your side, any scenery becomes beautiful.”

As soon as she spoke, Ling Yue realized her words might be taken as flirtation after all, wasn’t the Eldest Princess the one beside her now?

She discreetly observed the princess, relieved to find her gazing upward at the moon with no visible reaction.

Ling Yue sighed inwardly, though she still didn’t understand why the princess had stopped here. Just as she wondered, a soft laugh escaped the Eldest Princess.

“The guards on duty are far too negligent. I’ll have to investigate this thoroughly tomorrow.”

A chill ran down Ling Yue’s spine, but the princess wasn’t wrong they had been standing there for some time without encountering any patrols.

Come to think of it, in her past life, Ling Ya had been abducted from the Ling residence at night.

The thought of Ling Ya still pained her. She was about to ask the princess to assign someone to watch over her when she turned and noticed the princess had already entered the tower.

“Eldest Princess!”

“Spare us, please!”

After a flurry of panic and pleas, a group of soldiers, bruised and battered, began their night watch.

Lu He had returned to her stern, unyielding demeanor, the expression Ling Yue remembered most vividly from her past life.

She cast a cold glance at the soldiers. “Hmph.”

Turning to Ling Yue, her face softened with a faint smile. “Let’s go.”

It seemed this wasn’t their final destination. Ling Yue followed her down the tower and through a maze of obscure paths.

Ling Yue grew more convinced of her suspicion: the Eldest Princess must have built an underground palace somewhere outside the city, housing numerous death warriors.

Excitement stirred within her as she trailed closely, careful not to lose sight of the princess.

As the moonlight grew clearer, Ling Yue realized they were ascending toward a mountaintop. After navigating another narrow path, they truly reached the summit.

“We’re here. This should be the highest point in Rong City.”

Ling Yue couldn’t help but admire the location. The paths were treacherous, many obscured by wild grass, making them nearly impossible to find without careful attention.

The Eldest Princess was truly cunning, building an underground palace in such a place would require immense effort just to locate.

The narrow paths were rough, and their clothes often caught stray leaves and grass. Lu He brushed them off before pointing to the stars above. “What do you think?”

Ling Yue still didn’t grasp her meaning, trapped in her own assumptions that the entrance to the underground palace lay somewhere above.

She looked up intently but saw nothing beyond the twinkling night sky.

Feeling foolish, Ling Yue thought the princess’s hint was obvious, yet she remained clueless.

Lu He didn’t mind her silence, merely pointing at the stars in the sky. “Aren’t the stars beautiful?”

Ling Yue was taken aback, genuinely puzzled.

Had she come all this way, climbing such a high mountain so late at night, just to look at the stars?

But the starry sky truly was breathtaking.

She had just mocked Wang Lan and the others, only to find herself doing the same thing.

Recalling her earlier series of speculations, Ling Yue couldn’t help but laugh. Underground palaces, death warriors she had truly overthought things.

At least Wang Lan and Wen Yuanyuan were heading in the direction of romance, but what about her and the princess?

The word “lovers” seared Ling Yue’s heart. Standing behind the princess, she watched the night breeze rustle her clothes, making her seem so ethereal, as if she might ride the wind and vanish at any moment.

Ling Yue didn’t dare look any longer, afraid that one more glance would stir improper thoughts in her heart.

“Look, a shooting star.”

The meteor flashed by, leaving no time for wishes. Ling Yue gazed at the princess’s face, rarely seeing her so genuinely happy.

The words Ling Yue had intended to say stuck in her throat. She simply watched quietly, her heart gradually settling into calm.

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