Chapter 12 The Princess? My Lord!!

Inside the elegant private room, Ling Wei sat upright, her eyes downcast and her mind at ease.

There was no other reason than that the person who summoned her was someone she absolutely could not afford to offend at this moment.

With a soft tinkling of jade pendants, a figure stepped in.

Ling Wei immediately stood up and, in accordance with the etiquette of the Zhao Yin clan, performed a standard curtsy: "Your subject Ling Wei greets Your Highness the Princess."

The person who arrived was none other than Princess Xiao Yue of Ruian.

Although I had seen her from afar at the banquet, the princess was seated in the highest position at that time, her face hidden behind the canopy and beaded curtain. She seemed to possess an innate majesty and indescribable nobility.

The princess sat an arm's length away from her, dressed in a simple, elegant moon-white dress with cloud patterns. Her hair was adorned with only a white jade phoenix hairpin. Her face was gentle and peaceful, yet she exuded a composed and dignified air in every gesture.

"Do you know why I summoned you here?" Without any pleasantries, the princess put down her teacup and got straight to the point.

Ling Wei's mind raced, wondering how much the other person knew.

Ling Wei could only try a general approach:

"Your Highness, is it because I accidentally fell into the water during the banquet, disturbing your enjoyment and thus inappropriately?"

The princess chuckled softly but remained silent.

An invisible pressure spread out, the air seemed to freeze, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Ling Wei's forehead.

At this moment, a maid veiled in light gauze silently served a plate of delicate pastries, her voice carrying just the right amount of laughter as she reminded her, "Miss Ling, why don't you have some pastries and think it over some more?"

Ling Wei's gaze swept over the maid's face, and a sense of familiarity flashed through her mind. In a flash, she suddenly remembered.

Looking at the princess, she was casually sipping her tea, completely oblivious to her almost overbearing gaze.

Ling Wei instantly understood.

She bowed deeply again, her voice clear and frank: "Your Majesty, I am filled with fear! In order to protect myself and escape from the banquet, I did something extraordinary. Although there was a reason for it, it ultimately brought trouble to the Princess's residence and disrupted the Princess's spring banquet. I admit my mistake!"

She directly admitted to her affair with Tang Wen.

Xiao Yue's hand holding the cup paused almost imperceptibly, as if she hadn't expected Ling Wei to so readily admit to attacking Tang Wen on their second attempt.

She put down her teacup, her tone enigmatic: "Oh? You just admit it like that? My third brother is currently seeking justice for the Tang family from me. Aren't you afraid that I'll hand you over to appease public anger?"

“The princess will not.” Ling Wei raised her head, her gaze clear and resolute.

"How do you know?" A hint of genuine interest finally appeared in Xiao Yue's eyes.

Ling Wei: "Firstly, if the princess wishes to punish me, she can do so publicly without summoning me privately. Summoning me privately would leave room for maneuver and give me an opportunity to plead my case."

Secondly, although the incident involving Tang Wen originated from sordid scheming, the princess's swift and decisive actions have uncovered the true culprit and quelled the storm, further demonstrating the fairness and impartiality of the princess's household. Handing over the innocent woman who was caught in the crossfire and fought bravely to protect herself would appear as a mishandling of the situation and give the princess ammunition for criticism.

Thirdly… Ling Wei paused, her gaze subtly sweeping over the masked woman, her voice low yet clear, “The princess is discerning and insightful in managing her subordinates. My actions have helped Your Highness alleviate your worries; Your Highness should be able to tolerate my little act of self-preservation…?”

A glint flashed in Xiao Yue's eyes, and a half-smile curved her lips: "Relieve worries? What worries me?" She looked at Ling Wei with a leisurely air.

Ling Wei coughed lightly, her gaze once again drifting almost imperceptibly towards the masked maid, with a perfectly timed hint of unspoken words.

Seeing this, the princess chuckled, her expression a mixture of understanding and indulgence: "Speak freely. I will forgive you."

Ling Wei lowered her head slightly, her voice remaining steady: "This humble woman has also heard the rumors circulating about Your Highness and the Imperial Son-in-Law. However, judging from the demeanor and bearing of Your Highness's close attendants..."

She glanced at the veiled woman again, "and it's clear that rumors are unreliable. Your Highness has let these rumors run rampant without taking any action..."

Ling Wei stopped talking.

She recognized the veiled woman as the princess's delicate little cousin, who had appeared at the banquet and was currently the talk of the town in the princess's household.

So the princess wasn't someone who got caught up in romantic love, but she insisted on using this pretense, which clearly meant she was guarding against someone.

The princess gazed intently at Ling Wei, her eyes deep: "Go on."

Ling Wei took a deep breath, raised her head, her gaze clear and solemn: "This humble woman dares not presume to speculate. However, observing the current court situation..."

The Second Prince is lacking in compassion, stubborn and arrogant, and regards romantic love as the ultimate truth.

The Third Prince's maternal family was illustrious, but he was mild-mannered and easily manipulated by his maternal relatives.

With the location of the successor still undecided, undercurrents are surging.

As His Majesty's eldest daughter, the princess, who regency, possesses insight and breadth of vision no less than that of men. Her concerns and anxieties must surely lie in the stability of the Zhao Yin dynasty and the well-being of the people.

She stopped there; there was nothing more she could say, as it would be disrespectful to say anything more.

Xiao Yue was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. She turned her head slightly and said to Su Jingyu, who was veiled beside her, "You're right. This woman... is indeed cunning, and she has a pair of sharp eyes that can see right through you."

Immediately, Xiao Yue suppressed her smile and looked at Ling Wei with a serious expression:

"Ling Wei, what I lack is a pair of eyes that can see the big picture amidst the confusion and plan ahead."

Would you be willing to stay by my side and serve as my advisor? For my sake, and for yours, see clearly the path ahead?

She knew it!! She'd been waiting for this!!

Ling Wei's heart was filled with emotion. Without hesitation, she lifted her skirt, bowed solemnly, and said in a clear and firm voice, "This humble woman, Ling Wei, is willing to serve the princess. I will dedicate myself to her service until my dying breath."

"Very good." Xiao Yue nodded. "In that case, go back and study hard. There are still a few vacant positions for female officials in the palace."

Ling Wei was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously said, "But I have heard that the position of female official is now merely a name in name only..."

Xiao Yue gave her a meaningful look, then got up and left, leaving behind a resounding statement that echoed in the room:

"Soon, it won't be like that anymore."

After that, invitations from the princess's residence were delivered to the Gu residence every few days.

For examinations involving scientific research, policy essays, current affairs, and classical texts, a systematic and professional collection of classic texts is required.

The princess sent three whole boxes of books, covering classics, history, philosophy, literature, law, and policy.

Meanwhile, Su Jingyu, the "delicate and fragile" cousin of the imperial son-in-law, became Ling Wei's temporary tutor.

She wore a mask in public and frequently met with Ling Wei under the guise of being the steward of the princess's residence.

The excuse was quite reasonable—the princess wanted to take her husband to Jiangnan for sightseeing, and since Ling Wei was from Jiangnan, she specially summoned her to tell her about the scenery and customs of Jiangnan.

The people of the capital firmly believed in such elegant and romantic affairs.

Ling Wei couldn't help but find it strange, while Su Jingyu said there was nothing strange about it.

She smiled calmly: "I don't know why, but people are always interested in things that are just rumors. If it involves women and love, then people believe it even more, as if women are born to be only interested in such trivial matters, which saves them the trouble of speculating about other things."