Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 45

“Hey! Have you heard? The Second Miss Ling defeated the enemy commander in her very first battle!”

“So impressive? Ah! The Grand Princess truly has an eye for talent!”

“Indeed.”

Wang Lan and Wen Yuanyuan, who were strolling through the streets, overheard the entire conversation.

Wang Lan couldn’t help but feel impressed. “That girl sneaked off to the battlefield without a word and accomplished such a great feat. We absolutely have to make her treat us to a feast!”

Wen Yuanyuan instructed the shopkeeper to tie up their horses and brushed the dust off her clothes. Seeing how excited Wang Lan was, she couldn’t hold back a sigh. “Didn’t you also achieve merits up north?”

Back when Ling Fu was poisoned, the court replaced him with Wang Fu to lead the campaign. A mother always thinks of her daughter, so Wang Fu requested permission from the emperor to bring Wang Lan along.

As soon as Wang Lan set foot on the battlefield, she displayed extraordinary talent, slaying three of the enemy’s junior commanders and driving the enemy forces back without Wang Fu even having to intervene.

To be honest, Wen Yuanyuan felt a bit envious. She had been left behind in Rongjing, dealing with trivial matters day in and day out. As someone who had also been selected for her martial prowess, she felt she was falling behind.

Wang Lan wasn’t particularly observant, but she was always gentle with those she cared about.

She chuckled, “It’s all about skill. You’ll get there someday too.”

Wen Yuanyuan sighed at her cheerful demeanor and stepped into the tavern.

The moment the owner spotted her, a regular customer, she immediately called out, “Miss Wen, surely you haven’t gotten lost again.”

Before she could finish, Wen Yuanyuan loudly interrupted, “Owner! The usual, please!”

The owner was sharp. Seeing that Wen Yuanyuan had brought someone along today, she understood that Wen Yuanyuan valued her pride.

But upon taking a closer look and realizing it was Wang Lan, her eyes lit up. “General Wang is here too! Waiter, quickly escort our honored guests upstairs.”

“Right away! Please follow me, esteemed guests!”

They followed the waiter upstairs to a private room. This was where the three of them usually gathered. The view was excellent, overlooking the bustling streets of Rongjing. Just by opening the window, one could take in the lively scene below.

Truthfully, Wen Yuanyuan found it a bit noisy, but both Ling Yue and Wang Lan loved this spot especially Ling Yue, who always preferred sitting by the window and gazing down at the street.

Wen Yuanyuan couldn’t quite describe the look in Ling Yue’s eyes when she gazed downward. It wasn’t until one day, as her mother saw her off and adjusted her clothes, that Wen Yuanyuan suddenly realized her mother’s gaze resembled Ling Yue’s.

So young, yet with such a tender look in her eyes yet when the two of them roughhoused, she still had the vitality of youth.

It had been a while since Wen Yuanyuan last saw Ling Yue, and she genuinely missed her. She always felt a certain connection with Ling Yue, which was why she had paid such close attention to her from their very first meeting.

The food hadn’t arrived yet, but the tavern served wine and peanuts first.

Wen Yuanyuan had no interest in them, but Wang Lan poured herself a cup and drank with great relish.

Seeing her enjoy it so much, Wen Yuanyuan couldn’t help but remind her, “Don’t drink too much.”

Wang Lan had just finished her cup. As she set it down, her eyes still held a hint of longing, but she gave up and smiled. “I’ll listen to you.”

Gazing at Wen Yuanyuan’s profile, Wang Lan felt a stir in her heart. She deliberately tried to start a conversation. “What do you usually do at home?”

“Accounting, practicing calligraphy, and training with the sword.”

Wang Lan: “Oh.”

It seemed there was nothing more to say. Wang Lan grew so anxious she scratched her head and ears. If only Ling Yue were here with three people, it wouldn’t feel so hard to find words.

Perhaps heaven had opened its eyes, for a commotion suddenly erupted downstairs.

“It’s the Grand Princess! And General Ling!”

“They’ve returned!”

“Grand Princess! General Ling!”

Wang Lan quickly leaned out to look and saw a grand procession of people. Among them, Ling Yue sat upright on a chestnut-red horse, her back straight and her spirit soaring.

Overjoyed, Wang Lan shouted, “Ling Yue!”

Hearing her call, Ling Yue turned and spotted Wang Lan on the upper floor of a building to her right, grinning widely and waving.

Thrilled to see her friend, Ling Yue shouted back, “Wang Lan!”

But before she could wave more than a few times, she noticed Wang Lan’s expression change. Wang Lan was staring at something behind Ling Yue, slowly retracting her hand before finally closing the window.

Ling Yue: ?

She turned her head slowly and saw the Grand Princess beside her, smiling with an exceptionally kind and gentle expression.

Scanning the surroundings, she couldn’t spot anything that would frighten Wang Lan. Puzzled, she muttered to herself and then excitedly requested permission from the Grand Princess.

“Your Highness, may I take my leave?”

The Grand Princess tightened her grip on the reins, yet her smile remained as beautiful as ever. She nodded and said gently, “Go ahead.”

Ling Yue thanked her happily, then reined her horse and left the procession.

The Grand Princess dispatched two guards to stand at the entrance of the tavern, ensuring Ling Yue could reunite with her friends without worry.

After handing her horse to the waiter, Ling Yue hurried upstairs. Pushing the door open, she found Wang Lan as timid as a quail and Wen Yuanyuan looking helpless.

Though confused, Ling Yue was overjoyed and sat opposite Wang Lan, exclaiming with a laugh, “I’m back!”

Wang Lan sneakily glanced toward the door. Seeing that Ling Yue hadn’t brought anyone else, she sighed in relief. The Grand Princess’s earlier glare had nearly scared her to death.

She poured herself a cup of wine and downed it in one gulp. After a long sigh, she said, “That scared me to death!”

Ling Yue didn’t understand. In their past life, Wang Lan had feared Wen Yuanyuan’s anger the most, but now Wen Yuanyuan seemed perfectly calm. So what was she afraid of?

“Food’s here!”

Before Ling Yue could ask, the waiter arrived with their dishes.

“Enjoy your meal, honored guests.”

Ling Yue took a closer look and realized every dish on the table was her favorite.

“What’s this?”

Wang Lan had also recovered from her earlier fright. She pulled out chopsticks from the table and handed a pair to each of them, saying cheerfully, “Eat up. We’ve been waiting for you to return.”

Ling Yue accepted the chopsticks, momentarily unsure how to react.

Seeing her hesitate, Wang Lan picked up some meat for her. “What are you afraid of? Today’s feast is on Miss Wen. Eat up, eat up!”

Wen Yuanyuan, always gentle, smiled and said, “Go ahead. The food on the battlefield couldn’t compare to this.”

Ling Yue looked at the two of them, feeling as though it were all a dream.

She ate the meat in her bowl it was her favorite flavor but her throat felt tight, making it hard to swallow.

Hiding the moisture in her eyes, Ling Yue raised her cup with a smile. “From now on, I’m no longer the Second Miss Ling or Guard Ling. I’m a general now!”

Wang Lan was happy for her but couldn’t resist teasing, “What’s there to be so proud of? Hurry up and call me General Wang too!”

Wen Yuanyuan felt a bit wistful, but she didn’t want to dampen the joyous mood. Rolling up her sleeves, she raised her cup. “Congratulations to both of you. Let’s toast.”

They drank merrily. Wen Yuanyuan wasn’t much of a drinker and stopped after just one and a half cups, then repeatedly urged Wang Lan not to drink any more.

This scene was no different from their past life.

Ling Yue drank until she was dazed and muddled. After downing another cup, she was so drunk she had no idea what day it was. Struggling to open her bleary eyes, she grinned and said, “I killed Song Xuanze.”

She said this to Wang Lan, whose tolerance for alcohol was even worse than Ling Yue’s. Wang Lan, too muddled to hear clearly, slurred her words, “Song Xuan… who?”

The only sober one present was Wen Yuan Yuan. After a moment’s thought, she replied, “I think he was the deposed crown prince of the Southern Xin Dynasty.”

Wang Lan shook her head, swayed over to sit beside Ling Yue, and then gave her a hearty pat on the shoulder. “Haha! Well done! You even killed a crown prince!”

Ling Yue’s eyes reddened. “I avenged you.”

Wang Lan’s foggy mind sensed something amiss, and she stammered, “Wh-what… what revenge?”

Wen Yuan Yuan, seeing both of them talking nonsense in their drunken state, couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

Her sense of direction really wasn’t great. She was familiar with the way to Wang Lan’s house, but she still didn’t know the route to the Ling residence well.

She quietly called over the waiter and asked with a worried expression, “Do you have any sobering soup?”

“Yes, we do. I’ll bring some for you esteemed guests shortly.”

Wen Yuan Yuan was extremely grateful. “Thank you for your trouble.”

Soon, the sobering soup was brought up. Wen Yuan Yuan first forced a bowl down Wang Lan’s throat, but before she could relax, the bowl she had just fed was vomited right back up.

Wen Yuan Yuan grew frantic. Before she could even finish dealing with this one, Ling Yue started causing trouble on the other side.

It turned out this kind-hearted soul, seeing Wen Yuan Yuan struggling with Wang Lan, tried to stand up to help. But as she rose, she nearly toppled backward, only steadying herself by grabbing the table.

Mumbling incoherently, she said, “I’ll help you… ugh!”

Wen Yuan Yuan felt utterly overwhelmed and quickly stopped her. “Just sit still.”

But Ling Yue acted as if she hadn’t heard. She staggered over, only to collapse onto a stool.

The impact left her stiff for a long while. Finally, she stared fixedly at Wang Lan’s head, then suddenly reached out and patted the top of it, grinning as she said, “Hey, the head is here. Found it.”

Wen Yuan Yuan found the whole scene unsettling and was at a loss when a voice sounded from the doorway: “Leave it to me.”

The voice sounded somewhat familiar. Wen Yuan Yuan turned to see the Eldest Princess standing at the door, she had actually rushed over from the palace again.

“Your humble servant pays respects to the Eldest Princess.”

Ignoring her, the Eldest Princess walked straight to Ling Yue. Her expressionless face suddenly softened into a faint smile. “Can you still walk?”

Ling Yue grunted in affirmation, struggling to her feet and stumbling a couple of steps before tilting backward as if about to fall. But she landed in a familiar embrace.

Only then did she regain a sliver of clarity. Gazing at that smiling face, the phrase “clear breeze and bright moon” unconsciously surfaced in Ling Yue’s mind.

Dazedly, she murmured, “Your Highness.”

Seeing how uncomfortable she was, the Eldest Princess sighed softly and picked her up.

Perhaps because she was drunk, Ling Yue was unusually docile, not struggling in the slightest, just staring blankly at her.

The Eldest Princess smiled. “Only for today.”

But her warning was useless at that moment. Ling Yue half-closed her eyes, looking utterly exhausted.

In this situation, the Eldest Princess had no choice but to sigh and say, “Let’s go.”

Only then did Ling Yue react. “Where to?”

“To take you back to the General’s Manor. Your sister is waiting for you.”

Ling Yue seemed quite puzzled. It wasn’t until they had left the tavern that she appeared to have figured it out, murmuring very softly, “Ah, right. This isn’t my past life, I still have my sister.”

The Eldest Princess abruptly halted her steps.

Unaware of the sudden change, Ling Yue looked up at the princess’s face and suddenly grinned foolishly. “Your Highness is truly beautiful,” she said.

Then she yawned and, without a care, fell asleep.

Under the moonlit night, the Eldest Princess continued walking and chuckled softly, “So are you.”

Support