Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 54

Ling Yue remained in the imperial palace, too hesitant to venture outside, so she stayed in the Hall of Cultivating Nature. The Eldest Princess seemed to have left in a hurry for some urgent matter, which suited Ling Yue just fine, she had no idea how to face her anyway.

She was slowly becoming aware of her own improper thoughts and found herself troubled by them. First, the other’s status was far too exalted for her to dare hope for anything. Second, she was a coward, afraid of being hurt again. And third, what about her was even worthy of love?

“Ah!”

This was who-knew-how-many-times she had sighed. She reached out and turned the teacups on the table, making sure the side with the characters faced outward. But before long, she rotated them again so the characters faced inward, repeating this cycle over and over.

When Ling Ya entered the room and saw her like this, she couldn’t help but laugh. “What are you doing?”

Ling Yue looked up. Ling Ya’s health had improved significantly lately, she no longer coughed from just a little exposure to the wind. For Ling Yue, this was good news.

She had once suspected that Ling Ya might also be reborn, but now it seemed entirely unlikely. Yet her elder sister’s innocence was another cause for concern.

Ling Yue stopped her pointless cup-turning. “Elder Sister.”

Ling Ya sat down opposite her. With only the two of them left in the Ling household, they often discussed matters together. Today, after hearing news from the Emperor that Ling Yue was staying in the Eldest Princess’s Hall of Cultivating Nature, she had come to find her. She hadn’t expected her usually careless younger sister to have transformed so dramatically in appearance.

She couldn’t hold back her admiration. “You look absolutely stunning today.”

Ling Yue felt a flush of embarrassment at the compliment and offered an awkward smile.

Seeing her discomfort, Ling Ya changed the subject. She had come to discuss serious matters. “Our mother’s coffin will take a few more days to reach Pengzhou. There was an incident on the water route, but don’t worry, I’ll find a way to handle it.”

Thinking of their mother deepened Ling Yue’s sorrow. She had already sent people to Pengzhou to find someone to tend the grave, but after all this time, no suitable candidate had been found.

Her worries mounting, Ling Yue couldn’t help but ask, “Which river was the incident on?”

There was no need to hide it. Ling Ya replied, “It was on the Lishui River, a small band of water bandits, said to be formed by some of the disaster victims after the heavy snow. It shouldn’t be too difficult to deal with.”

Ling Yue nodded, then suddenly remembered something. Urgently, she said to Ling Ya, “Elder Sister, if among those bandits there’s a woman named Sun Ru’an, make sure not to harm her. It would be best to offer them all amnesty and enlist them.”

Though unsure of Ling Yue’s reasoning, Ling Ya trusted her implicitly and nodded earnestly. “I understand. But does this Sun Ru’an have some particular talent?”

It wasn’t easy to explain. In her previous life, Sun Ru’an had led a group of disaster victims to raid merchant ships on the Lishui River. They never took much and never killed anyone, making them relatively gentle water bandits.

There were other ruffians on the Lishui River, but in the end, they were all driven away by Sun Ru’an and her companions. At that time, Lu Ai was still the emperor. Upon hearing of this, she sent envoys to recruit Sun Ru’an into the imperial service, putting an end to her drifting life on the river. Sun Ru’an was naturally grateful for this. However, court conflicts were incessant. After Lu Weiying overthrew Lu Ai and seized the throne, she began purging those in the court who had supported Lu Ai and Sun Ru’an was among them.

This in itself was not a major issue. Sun Ru’an calmly accepted her fate, but she was worried about Lu Ai’s situation. So, she led her followers north to Rongcheng. Yet, upon arriving, she received the news of Lu Ai’s death.

As Lu Ai’s coffin passed by her, Sun Ru’an, who had remained composed for days, suddenly drew her sword and took her own life. Ling Yue remembered that Lu Weiying’s expression had turned grim upon hearing the news.

Ling Yue admired such loyalty and integrity, so she quietly arranged for Sun Ru’an’s burial.

Now that she had been reborn, Ling Yue did all she could. Yet, this manner of death reminded her of her previous life’s Ling Ya. Gazing at her elder sister’s face, she sighed and said, “It’s nothing. I met them once before. These people aren’t truly evil. If you do find them, just say that the current emperor, in her benevolence, has decided to pardon them.”

Ling Ya couldn’t understand how the conversation had shifted to the emperor. Ling Yue didn’t seem particularly loyal to the emperor; she ought to be more devoted to the Grand Princess instead.

Suspicious, she glanced at Ling Yue. “Why are you trying to win people’s favor on behalf of the emperor?”

The real reason was, of course, hard to explain. Ling Yue had learned to adopt a facade of hypocrisy. Lowering her head to conceal her expression, she replied matter-of-factly, “We are all subjects of the emperor. Winning hearts for her is hardly a wrongdoing.”

Ling Ya didn’t believe her, but she had no intention of pressing her younger sister. After all, she still felt she owed Ling Yue something. But Ling Yue had moved too far, too fast by the time Ling Ya wanted to make amends, she could no longer catch up. Ling Ya couldn’t help but blame herself.

After saying so much, Ling Yue felt somewhat relieved. With a calmer heart, she began to consider other matters. She recalled that the reception banquet was to be held in the palace, and Ling Ya had been residing there for a long time. If things went awry, Ling Ya might run into Lu Weiying.

Ling Yue couldn’t resist warning her, “Elder sister, stay in your room today and don’t wander outside.”

Seeing how serious she was, Ling Ya was startled. “Alright.”

Relieved by her agreement, Ling Yue relaxed. She looked out the window at the dimming sky, guessing it would rain again. She wondered if the Grand Princess had taken an umbrella when she went out.

Suddenly feeling irritable again, she muttered under her breath, “I wonder what time it is now.”

It was noon, and Lu Weiying’s stomach began to ache on schedule. Normally, she would scream, but now, surrounded by those waiting to mock her, she clenched her teeth, refusing to make a sound. She curled up on the bed, writhing in pain, until she rolled onto the floor along with the blankets. Yet, this torment was only just beginning.

In her pain-induced haze, she thought she saw a figure by the window someone she loathed with every fiber of her being. She would recognize that face even if it were reduced to ashes. As another wave of pain struck, she shut her eyes tightly. But when she opened them again, there was no one outside the window.

Just as she thought the pain was causing hallucinations, the Grand Princess’s voice rang out, laced with mocking amusement, “You’re quite resilient. It seems my poison isn’t potent enough.”

Lu Weiying instantly broke down. In her previous life, she might have deserved it, but in this life, she had done nothing, why should she endure such suffering? She loathed this so-called aunt to the core, yet she was utterly terrified, so she could only stare with venomous eyes.

The Grand Princess sat on a stool inside the room. She had specifically arranged for Lu Weiying’s room to be far away, so that if she spoke softly, no one else would notice.

She walked over and crouched down, looking coldly at Lu Weiying, who was curled up in pain. “I’ve seen too many eyes like yours,” she said indifferently. “Unfortunately, all of them ended up dead.”

Even amidst the pain, a chilling sensation ran down Lu Weiying’s spine, overpowering the agony. Memories of her past life reminded her that there was no hope of defeating this person before her, so she closed her eyes in despair.

A faint sense of disgust rose from the depths of her heart, growing stronger and stronger.

Once again, this strange, uncontrollable emotion surged within the Grand Princess. She feared losing control, as an impulse urged her: Dismember this scourge into pieces.

But this was still a useful pawn, how could she discard it now? The Grand Princess stood up and distanced herself from Lu Weiying. Yet, she was determined to uncover what had happened in the previous life. Since Qingniao remained silent and Ling Yue was not someone she could easily question worried that delving into the past might reopen painful wounds, she decided to probe the one person available.

Lu Weiying was in unbearable pain, which would surely expose many weaknesses. Resolved, the Grand Princess asked in a flat, emotionless tone, “How does the poison taste?”

Lu Weiying writhed in agony, unable to endure it any longer, and begged for mercy, “Your Highness, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have betrayed the kingdom. Please spare me.”

The Grand Princess snorted coldly, noticing the vacant look in Lu Weiying’s eyes. “Is that all you’ve done wrong?” she pressed.

Lu Weiying was momentarily stunned. In this life, her crimes were indeed limited to that though that alone was enough to warrant death a hundred times over. She didn’t believe she was in the wrong, but she continued to plead, “Your Highness! Spare my life, I’ll do anything.”

Watching her pitiful state, the Grand Princess suddenly wondered if Ling Yue had suffered just as painfully in her previous life. The thought made her crush a corner of the table in rage. Struggling to suppress her fury, she kept her voice steady as she approached, lifting Lu Weiying from the ground. Lu Weiying’s gaze was unfocused, and her pleas for mercy grew increasingly feeble.

“I really want to throw you into the fire as well.”

At these words, Lu Weiying’s eyes instantly sharpened. Her pupils contracted, and she desperately tried to pry the Grand Princess’s hand away.

Finding her efforts futile, Lu Weiying broke down sobbing under the Grand Princess’s gaze, only to be sharply silenced: “Shut up!”

Though the command was forceful, it wasn’t loud. Lu Weiying dared not cry anymore, trembling as she stammered, “I haven’t done anything to Ling Yue in this life! Let me go!”

“I don’t want the throne anymore! I don’t want anything, just don’t kill me! You already killed me once in the previous life, isn’t that enough?”

This reaction was somewhat unexpected. The Grand Princess suddenly felt that her assumptions might be mistaken had she been the one to kill Lu Weiying in the previous life?

Though somewhat unexpected, upon reflection it wasn’t entirely impossible. After all, Ling Yue’s talents were evident to all, and she did value capable individuals.

She wanted to extract more information, and taking advantage of the other’s terrified state was the perfect opportunity to begin her interrogation. She let out another cold laugh: “It seems you’ve remembered the wicked deeds you’ve committed.”

The physical pain combined with psychological terror overwhelmed Lu Weiying. As she stared at the Princess’s face, her eyes suddenly rolled back, and she fainted on the spot.

This was something the Princess hadn’t anticipated. After checking her breathing and confirming she wasn’t dead, she released her grip, letting the woman lie unconscious on the ground.

Footsteps approached quietly outside the door, but the Princess showed no urgency to leave. Only when the door opened did she turn her head. Her demeanor toward others was always devoid of warmth, and now she simply cast a cold glance in that direction.

Princess AnYi had come to investigate upon hearing strange noises, never expecting to witness such a scene. Though typically fearless, under the gaze of the room’s occupant she felt as if her throat were being squeezed. She instinctively took a step back, then cautiously asked, “What is the meaning of this, Your Highness?”

“Merely catching up with my niece.”

This was hardly a normal family reunion, but the Princess offered no explanation. She walked directly past AnYi without another word.

In that moment of passing, AnYi felt a chill penetrate her entire being. She didn’t dare press further, standing rigidly as she watched the Princess depart.

Only after a long while did the sensation of imminent death finally fade. AnYi bowed her head in dejection, seeming to understand the terror that haunted those at court. And so, her own courage deserted her too.

Support