Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot-Chapter 309 - 289: Master Has Arrived

Princess Wanping simply assumed Meng Qianqian was flattering her taste and didn’t give it much thought.

Soon, Bai Yuwei and Tan’er also arrived on horseback, carrying bows and arrows on their backs.

"Princess!"

Tan’er greeted Princess Wanping cheerfully.

Princess Wanping nodded slightly: "I heard you’re planning to kidnap my chef?"

Tan’er’s smile froze: "Princess, how did you even find out about that?"

Princess Wanping replied, "Lu Yuan just sent someone to inform me. For the next month, you’re not allowed to come to the Princess Mansion to eat braised pork."

Tan’er felt as though the sky had collapsed!

Grand Commander, what have I done to offend you?

You actually made Princess Wanping confiscate my braised pork!

My braised pork—ah!

After dealing with the silly girl, Princess Wanping turned her attention to Bai Yuwei standing beside Meng Qianqian. She asked curiously, "You two have made up?"

Back when they competed at her mansion, weren’t they the pair who nearly dismantled her courtyard?

Bai Yuwei pouted slightly: "It was my grandfather who insisted I listen to her. If I don’t, he’ll send me back to Miaojiang. What choice do I have?"

Princess Wanping remarked, "So easily conceding? Then why were you fighting so fiercely at my mansion that day?"

The much-anticipated drama between sisters-in-law turned out to be a total disappointment.

Bai Yuwei turned her head away.

Meng Qianqian chuckled: "Princess, everyone’s gone ahead. Let’s go hunting too, or else all the prey will be snatched by them!"

The hunting grounds were divided into three areas: one small fenced area for children and women to "hand-hunt"; deeper in the forest started the real hunting grounds.

Using the creek as the boundary, the southern side was relatively safe, with rare appearances of fierce beasts. Cross the creek, however, and you’d enter the dense forest, where predators roamed, the terrain was treacherous, and you might even encounter traps left by previous hunters.

To hunt the dreaded tiger, you must cross the creek.

But for ordinary noble youths, hunting in such dangerous areas wasn’t necessary.

"Stay close and do not wander off. If we get separated, absolutely do not cross the creek," Meng Qianqian warned Bai Yuwei and Tan’er.

Tan’er replied, "Understood!"

Bai Yuwei, however, was dismissive: "What’s the fun in that?"

Meng Qianqian retorted, "If you can beat Tan’er, I’ll let you go."

Bai Yuwei, still defiant, stomped on her stirrup: "Hunting is about archery, not fistfights!"

Meng Qianqian raised an eyebrow: "Fine, then let’s see who bags the first prey today."

Within seconds, Bai Yuwei’s fighting spirit was ignited. She lashed her riding crop and galloped off: "When it comes to hunting, none of you can match me!"

Tan’er spurred her horse in pursuit: "That’s not necessarily true! I’m pretty good at hunting myself!"

Bai Yuwei glanced back and sneered: "I bet you just grab animals with your hands, don’t you?"

Tan’er’s horse surged ahead with a few thunderous strides, overtaking Bai Yuwei: "Even if I catch them with my hands, it’s faster than your arrows!"

Bai Yuwei gripped her stirrups tightly, urging her horse forward to catch up: "Let’s bet on it! If you win, I’ll treat you to braised pork!"

Tan’er kept pace alongside her: "Deal!"

On a tree branch, a hunting eagle flapped its wings, let out a sharp cry, and soared into the high skies.

Princess Wanping and Meng Qianqian also rode into the forest.

Princess Wanping remarked, "Meng Xiaojiu, this princess wants to compete against you. Do you dare?"

Meng Qianqian replied, "As you command, I wouldn’t dare refuse, Princess."

Princess Wanping said coldly, "Don’t underestimate me. My archery skills were personally taught by Chu Grand Marshal!"

"Ah–hem!"

Meng Qianqian pulled her horse to an abrupt halt, nearly crashing into a tree.

Princess Wanping glanced back at her while riding forward, promptly drawing her bow: "Meng Xiaojiu, watch closely!"

A streak of white flashed through the distant bushes—a plump rabbit.

With sharp focus, Princess Wanping aimed at the rabbit, exuding confidence as she loosed her arrow!

"Ahhh—"

With an accompanying cry of distress, the rabbit bolted.

Princess Wanping halted her horse, glanced suspiciously at the opposite side, then looked at her bow: "I clearly aimed accurately..."

Meng Qianqian thought: You brag about being taught by me, but your shots turn out to be like this? Just this?!

...It must’ve been Chu Nan who taught her!

"Ow! Who shot me in the butt?!"

From behind the bushes, an ornately dressed young man stood up, outraged.

Meng Qianqian squinted at him.

Oh, isn’t that Wei Mingxuan, Xun Yu’s cousin?

Princess Wanping shot him in the rear?

A moment of divine justice.

Princess Wanping said coldly, "This princess shot you. Do you have a problem?"

Wei Mingxuan dropped to his knees.

"What bad luck!" Princess Wanping couldn’t be bothered with someone like Wei Mingxuan. She pulled her reins and continued searching for prey.

Meng Qianqian followed leisurely behind her.

Throughout the journey, Princess Wanping spotted thirteen pieces of prey and fired thirteen arrows. None missed their mark. Three Jinyi Guards were "eliminated," three Imperial Guards were "eliminated," and one Imperial Guard member was "eliminated."

The remaining arrows landed respectively on Shangguan Ling and Han Ci’s shields.

Shangguan Ling stammered, "Princess, were you sent by Your Majesty to eliminate us?"

Princess Wanping: "...Sorry about that."

Meng Qianqian rubbed her chin.

Her archery skills seemed to all misfire, yet somehow only knocked off helmets without injuring anyone.

A helmet loss equaled elimination.

She managed to "take down" seven in total.

Princess Wanping furrowed her brows deeply: "So this is how the Grand Marshal taught me..."

Meng Qianqian, feeling guilty, swapped one of her arrows with the princess’s.

When Princess Wanping aimed at another prey, Meng Qianqian shot her own arrow simultaneously.

"Hit it!"

Princess Wanping was thrilled and instructed the guard beside her, "Go check whose arrow struck the target!"

"Yes, Princess!"

The lead guard dismounted, crossed a trench, and retrieved the prey from the grass, returning to report to Princess Wanping, "Princess, it was your arrow!"

Princess Wanping was pleased: "Meng Xiaojiu, what do you have to say now?"

Meng Qianqian smiled faintly: "Princess, your archery skills are remarkable; I concede defeat willingly!"

Princess Wanping softened upon seeing Meng Qianqian’s sincere attitude. She couldn’t bring herself to bully Meng Qianqian further.

"Don’t feel discouraged. This princess misfired so many arrows earlier, so perhaps this was merely lucky. Let’s go find more prey!"

Meng Qianqian’s body shivered. You’re shooting more?!

"Princess, have you forgotten the main task?"

"What, you mean your cousin’s matchmaking? This princess has no interest in men right now. Let’s finish hunting first."

Meng Qianqian: "..."

Hopeless disciple.

Princess Wanping hunted all the way, while Meng Qianqian schemed and cheated for her all the way, to the point her hand grew sore!

Princess Wanping felt her archery skills were terrifyingly strong.

"Meng Xiaojiu."

"At your service."

Meng Qianqian replied sleepily.

Princess Wanping frowned, casting her a glance.

Meng Qianqian jolted upright: "Hunting is truly... fascinating."

Princess Wanping suggested, "Shall we go hunt that tiger with shining eyes?"

Thud!

Meng Qianqian collapsed—

-

Hunting a tiger was absolutely out of the question.

Meng Qianqian’s goals today were just two:

Find a Prince Consort, get rid of the scoundrels!