Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot-Chapter 310 - 290: Really Very Doted On

Princess Wanping refused to give up and insisted on walking to the stream, claiming it was simply because she wanted to eat fish.

Meng Qianqian: "I don’t know how to fish."

Princess Wanping: "This princess will fish herself."

At this point, what else could Meng Qianqian do? She had no choice but to follow her.

When they arrived at the stream, it happened to be lunchtime. After walking such a long way, everyone was exhausted and famished, so Meng Qianqian suggested they rest and have some dry rations.

But Princess Wanping’s gaze remained fixed on the stream, her ardent ambition to spear a ferocious tiger practically radiating from her.

Meng Qianqian interrupted her thoughts: "Princess, aren’t we fishing?"

"Then let’s fish."

Princess Wanping commanded casually, "Bring the fishing equipment."

The accompanying guards immediately presented a variety of tools: nets, baskets, spears, fishing lines, and even makeshift fishing rods made from bamboo.

Meng Qianqian’s mouth twitched: "You may lack skills, but your gear is impressive."

Princess Wanping frowned: "What did you just say?"

Meng Qianqian replied solemnly, "As the saying goes, ’To do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools.’ The Princess’s preparedness is commendable. Little Nine admires you."

In the end, Princess Wanping chose a fishing spear.

Meng Qianqian: What gave you the illusion that you’re skilled enough to choose the trickiest tool?

But, to be fair, Princess Wanping did have some degree of martial skill.

The bad news? Only "some."

Standing by the stream, Princess Wanping thrust the spear down—only for all the fish to scatter—and ended up spearing the helmet of an Imperial Guard instead.

The guard stared in terror at his punctured helmet, nearly wetting his pants from fright!

Princess Wanping coldly demanded, "Why were you hiding underwater?"

Utterly wronged, the guard explained, "I was lying in ambush, hiding from enemy troops! And hoping to seize an opportunity for a sneak attack."

Who could have anticipated that while avoiding the enemy, he’d end up skewered by you!

Feeling incredibly jinxed, Princess Wanping moved to another spot to continue fishing.

Fifteen minutes later.

She had speared every scout of the three military divisions, without missing a single one.

Where others might catch a single fish per spear, she managed entire clusters of scouts with each jab.

The entire three divisions were exposed—now who could they complain to?

All by herself, Princess Wanping had transformed a routine autumn hunting expedition into something akin to hell-level difficulty.

And the soldiers couldn’t even get angry.

Surely this must be some sort of test from the Emperor—or maybe the Supreme Emperor!

"This is infuriating! I’m done fishing!"

Throwing away the spear, Princess Wanping sat under a large tree, sulking.

Meng Qianqian, already ahead of the game, had built a fire and roasted a rabbit. She sprinkled it with salt and spices she carried with her.

This season’s game was at its plumpest, its thick fat glistening and sizzling over the fire. Add to that a topping of wild scallions picked along the way, and the whole scene was mouthwateringly fragrant.

Meng Qianqian tore off a rabbit leg and handed it to Princess Wanping. "Here, my disciple... I mean, Princess, please enjoy your meal."

Good thing she corrected herself quickly.

Princess Wanping frowned suspiciously, as if she’d heard something strange, but could find no logical explanation and dismissed it as Meng Qianqian being off-kilter: "What’s wrong with you today? You seem scatterbrained." ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Meng Qianqian maintained a poker face as she explained, "Oh, I’m just worried about my cousin’s marriage. My family’s pressuring me, saying that if I can’t find her a match within a month, they’ll arrange something randomly. You know how it is in our remote You State—decent men are hard to come by."

Princess Wanping snapped indignantly, "Ridiculous! How can such a serious matter be treated so carelessly?"

"Exactly! So you must help me find her a husband?"

Every conversation Meng Qianqian had came back to matchmaking.

Princess Wanping sighed, "Fine. After we hunt the ferocious tiger, this princess will make sure to find your cousin a worthy match."

Meng Qianqian flopped onto her back.

Would someone kindly rescue this mentor of yours?

For Princess Wanping, it was the first time trying roasted rabbit in the wild. Expecting it to taste awful, she was pleasantly surprised when her first bite exploded with juicy, savory richness. It was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and totally lacked the gamy taste she had feared. The heavy seasoning slightly overpowered its natural flavor, but it was otherwise delightful.

"When did you learn to cook like this?"

"Oh, just something I picked up," Meng Qianqian replied lifelessly, lying flat on the grass without a care.

Suddenly, a woman’s scream came from the eastern woods: "Help! Someone, help—"

Princess Wanping froze mid-bite and ordered the guards, "Go check it out!"

The Guard Commander assigned four skilled fighters to investigate, armed with their weapons.

About fifteen minutes later, the group returned, escorting three frazzled noblewomen—Miss Li from the Minister of Rites’ family, Miss Huo from the Minister of War’s family, and Tao Shiyu, who was soon to become Meng Qianqian’s sister-in-law.

It turned out the three had also entered the woods for hunting.

Miss Huo, the daughter of a general’s family, trained in martial arts and accompanied by Imperial Guards arranged by her brother, had heard the roar of a black bear. Their horses panicked, and they became separated from the guards.

The one who screamed for help just now was Tao Shiyu.

"There was such a big snake," Tao Shiyu quivered tearfully.

"It wasn’t even venomous," Miss Huo retorted.

Princess Wanping said, "I’ll have someone escort you back shortly."

The three women thanked her profusely: "Thank you, Princess Wanping."

Miss Li, who’d met Meng Qianqian in the Empress’s palace and admired her wit, greeted her warmly.

Miss Huo, unfamiliar with Meng Qianqian, focused her attention solely on Princess Wanping.

As for Tao Shiyu, having suffered humiliation at Meng Qianqian’s hands before, she wasn’t even acknowledged by Meng Qianqian.

"Are you hungry?" Princess Wanping asked.

The three women nodded slightly.

Princess Wanping turned to Meng Qianqian.

Taking the hint, Meng Qianqian tore off a rabbit leg and offered it to Miss Li.

Overjoyed, Miss Li accepted it. "Thank you, Young Madam Lu!"

With two rabbit legs left, Miss Huo and Tao Shiyu both gazed expectantly at Meng Qianqian, already guessing who would get one first.

Meng Qianqian took the remaining two rabbit legs, bit down firmly on one, and declared, "The rest, share amongst yourselves."

The two of them: "..."

Meng Qianqian not only kept the rabbit legs for herself but also hoarded the fruits she had picked earlier, handing out just one each to Princess Wanping and Miss Li. The rest were saved for herself.

She sat under a large tree, leisurely snacking on the wild fruits as a palate cleanser.

Tao Shiyu approached and sat down beside her.

Meng Qianqian glanced at her strangely, clutching her stash tighter. "Miss Tao, we’re not exactly close."

Tao Shiyu opened her mouth wide to speak: "I’m not here to take your fruit."

Meng Qianqian said, "Even so, we’re still not close."

"Little Aunt—"

"Ah—" Meng Qianqian cut her off, "Your master was expelled ages ago. I’m not your martial aunt, so stop clinging to me."

"Young Madam Lu, I was wrong before. I’m here today to apologize and hope you can forgive me, giving us a chance to start again."

Meng Qianqian replied, "Once a betrayer, always untrustworthy!"

On the verge of tears, Tao Shiyu pleaded, "I know I’m being presumptuous, and I understand you won’t easily forgive me, but I... I have no other options, I beg you."

Meng Qianqian was resolute: "Rely on yourself rather than others. Even Buddha only helps those who help themselves!"

Tao Shiyu was so taken aback she was tongue-tied for a moment before finally speaking: "Aren’t you curious about what’s happened to me?"

Meng Qianqian declared firmly, "Everyone should sweep the snow from their own doorstep instead of worrying about the frost on their neighbor’s roof!"