"Ying Yi's skill isn't, that bad. She is the best among everyone in the Royal Infirmary. Even great grandpa recognized her skills." Mingyue said.

"I know," the Princess smiled. "I just wanted you to indulge me once in a while."

Mingyue stared at the Princess and smiled.

"Speaking about Ying Yi. She has been sulking because you refuse to take him with you to the mountain," the Princess said. "She's supposed to be with you, but you made her stay in the palace."

"I can't do anything about it. I need someone to look after you." Mingyue made a mental note to drop by the Infirmary and visit Yingyi. "I don't have many people that I trust, and grandpa can't always enter the palace. Come on."

The Princess held out her hand and placed it on the table.

She went closer to the Princess and put her fingers on her wrist to check for her pulse. She closed her eyes as she concentrates. She opened her eyes again and frowned. "You seem well. But it seems like there is something's bothering you?"

"You can see that there's something in my mind from examining my pulse?"

Jiang Mingyue took a sip from her tea. The fragrance from the flowers lingered in her mouth. "No. But I can guess from your expression. I know you long enough." She smiled.

The Princess retreated her hand and flickered her sleeves. She drank her tea in silence as her cousin watched her. She opened her mouth and closed it. She was hesitated to say what was on her mind.

After a few minutes of silence, the Princess finally spoke, "Watching you and the Captain, my parents think it is time for me to get married."

"Isn't that good news?"

The Princess looked at her with dread. "They are planning to hold a banquet for this purpose in a few months. They will be inviting a few eligible bachelors from neighboring countries."

Mingyue blinked. "As the heir of the throne, isn't it better to gain a steady foothold sooner? With a husband on your side, it will be hard for anyone to threaten your position."

In Da Cheng, the firstborn of the Emperor and Empress will automatically be chosen as the next heir to the throne, unless if she was proven unworthy.

The Princess might be the only child of the Emperor and the Empress, but she will still have to compete for the throne against her paternal uncle and cousins.

"That's true," the Princess forced a smile. "But sometimes, I wish that I could experience falling in love and marrying whom I like. But royal marriage isn't like that. I would be lucky if I could marry someone who I can tolerate to live with."

Mingyue inched closer to the Princess and patted her slowly on her hand. She opened her mouth to say something but decided that there's nothing she could say to comfort her. Mingyue knew that she was lucky that she gets to choose her partner.

After accompanying the Princess for almost half an hour, Mingyue retreated to return to the Royal Infirmary. She walked along the corridor in silence and enjoyed the blooming flowers in the garden.

But soon she felt someone grabbed her wrist. Just as she was about to scream, a hand covered her mouth. Soon, her back slammed into a wall.