Why Is the Princess Like That?

"You're the consort Father chose for me?"

That was the first thing Princess Yongning, Zhao Zhi, said to Song Zhuo. From that day on, they began their days of "she runs, she chases, and neither of them can get away."

At first, Song Zhuo didn't want to agree to the marriage.

Princess Yongning was sixteen, beautiful as a flower, and hailed as the most beautiful woman under heaven.

She, on the other hand, had only earned the title of general thanks to her father's distinguished service. She had no battlefield victories to make people respect her. Even though the emperor praised her in front of the assembled officials, plenty of people still looked down on her.

The wind of Lizhou couldn't reach the capital. How could the border's yellow sands be a suitable place for a delicate flower to grow?

Song Zhuo went to ask the princess to break off the engagement, but she snapped angrily, "My beauty has been praised throughout the Six Kingdoms! Men who want to be my consort are lined up all the way to Chen. How dare you try to break off our marriage?!"

"I only ask His Majesty to withdraw the decree. I'll tell people I have a hidden ailment, so the princess's reputation won't suffer."

"You've already hurt me by saying that! And as for whether you have an ailment, why don't we find out?"

"Huh? Wait... Princess, don't get physical!"

On the day Song Zhuo went to battle in her father's place, the princess saw her off.

She downed three bowls of strong liquor, then smiled at Song Zhuo. "Bring me a string of wolf fangs when you return. Then I'll believe you can kill the Wolf King on your own."

Song Zhuo drained her bowl and said boldly, "All right!"

It was the bloodiest battle she'd fought since joining the army. Corpses littered the land, and rivers of blood ran through it. But in the end, she won.

Lying in a heap of bodies, unable to tell friend from foe, Song Zhuo thought back over her short life. The only happy days she'd ever known were the ones she'd spent with the princess.

They had simply been too few.

If only she'd known, she would have married her sooner.

Zhi'er, in the end, I can't bring you a wolf-fang necklace from the northern frontier.

Theme: Life is short. Enjoy it while you can.