The Eighth Princess's eyes widened as she looked at the familiar face standing at the door.
Eunuch Li De, isn't that the chief eunuch who serves His Majesty?
Since Eunuch Li is here, who could be inside?
The Eighth Princess's heart trembled.
What exactly did that brat Lin Chaozong do behind her back?!
The Eighth Princess's heart leaped with anxiety, but upon seeing the person inside, she finally died.
"It's been a long time since we've seen the Eighth Princess Consort. She's as beautiful as ever."
Qingyin smiled and said to the group of people who walked in.
The Eighth Princess and Xia Yuemin knelt down.
"This humble woman/your subject...pays respects to Your Majesty."
"Princess consorts, please don't stand on ceremony, please get up and sit down."
Qingyin waved her hand, gesturing for the tense group to sit down.
The tables provided by the restaurant were neither small nor too big.
Several people sat at a round table carved with wood grain. At the head of the table sat a young man dressed in casual clothes who looked like a wealthy young master, while at the foot of the table sat the Eighth Princess, an older noblewoman, a tall and slender young lady, and a young gentleman.
At first glance, the youngest-looking boy sitting at the head of the table, while an older noblewoman sits below, creates a tense and somewhat absurd scene.
But upon closer inspection, the boy's breathtakingly beautiful appearance and extraordinary demeanor completely overshadowed his youthful appearance, making him seem like a peer and eliminating any sense of disharmony.
Sitting behind her mother, Xia Yuemin secretly glanced at Qingyin above.
This was the first time he had seen his cousin, the emperor, up close. The last time he had only glanced at him briefly, he knew that his cousin was indeed strikingly handsome. He had thought that upon closer inspection, he might not be so good-looking, but today, upon closer inspection, he was even more handsome.
A look of amazement flashed in Xia Yuemin's eyes.
Qingyin glanced at her unlucky cousin with amusement, only to meet his furtive gaze.
Xia Yuemin froze, then lowered her head in embarrassment.
The Eighth Princess noticed her son's little trick and secretly glared at him before turning her attention back to Qingyin.
She swallowed hard, pondered for a moment, and then spoke to Qingyin: "Your Majesty, you didn't just invite us here for a meal, did you?"
Qingyin smiled and said, "The Eighth Princess is right."
"I have a request for Your Highness."
The Eighth Princess was stunned. His Majesty needed her help, but what could she possibly do for him? Could it be related to the Eighth Prince?
Qingyin could tell from the Eighth Princess's eyes that she had misunderstood, so she explained, "It has nothing to do with the Eighth Prince, it only has to do with the Princess."
Despite her advanced age, the Eighth Princess, whose beauty was still evident in her youth, looked puzzled. She was unaware that she was already married and had nothing to do with the Eighth Prince, so how could she possibly help His Majesty?
The Eighth Princess Consort wasn't one to hesitate or be indecisive, so she asked directly, "How can I help His Majesty?"
Qingyin raised her head, her eyes bright, "Has the Eighth Princess forgotten her vast knowledge?"
The Eighth Princess Consort paused. At this moment, she looked at the Emperor, who was even younger than her son, with unusual excitement in her eyes, and her heart even felt a little unbelievable.
Even later, when the Eighth Princess Consort achieved great success and became a renowned prime minister for three generations under her own name—Lin Chuxue—she still vaguely remembered the gentle yet firm eyes of the First Empress when she walked up to her and said that her talent was her treasure.
Even many years later, she never forgot that without the Ming and Qing Empress, she might still be buried in that outwardly luxurious cage, and her son would still be unable to escape that attire. But after meeting her, she was no longer the Eighth Princess Consort, but Lin Chuxue—Prime Minister Lin.
Back in the present, Lin Chuxue looked at His Majesty, who was enthusiastically inviting her to help build a girls' school and become its principal, on the condition that she and her son leave the Eighth Prince's mansion. Lin Chuxue agreed without hesitation.
Even when her son was trying to persuade her, she didn't hesitate.
At that moment, when she saw His Majesty, she had a vague premonition that the future was about to change.
It felt like she had returned to her teenage years, when her father asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up.
Qingyin cheerfully persuaded the Eighth Princess Consort—no, she should be called her future minister Lin Chuxue—and her cousin Xia Yuemin, who was getting a buy-one-get-one-free deal, and they happily began to enjoy the delicious food at Zuixianlou.
After speaking with the group, Qingyin bid farewell to Lin Chuxue and the others, whose expressions were a mix of complex emotions but also hinted at excitement, and returned to the palace.
As they left the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, Li De cautiously asked His Majesty, "Young Master, shall we return to the palace now?"
Qingyin pushed aside the folding fan in her hand, smiled wickedly, and said innocently, "Why go back? Anyway, Third Sister is in the palace. Let's wander around outside some more."
Li De: "..."
Li De gently advised, "But... the Third Miss might be angry in the palace."
After all, with so many memorials to review, the Third Miss would probably go crazy if she had to review them all by herself.
Qingyin replied matter-of-factly, "It's alright, there are still the older sisters here, it's alright."
Li De: Enough, Third Princess. It's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that His Majesty has such a temperament, no matter how much we try to persuade him, he simply won't listen.
Inside the palace.
The Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Xia Jingyao, sitting at the table reviewing memorials, had messy hair and large dark circles under her eyes. She stared intently at the densely packed small characters in the memorials in front of her and couldn't help but swear.
"Damn it, if you're going to write about something, just write about it. Why write all that random, useless stuff?! Ugh, I'm going crazy."
After finishing reviewing the memorials in her hand, Xia Jingyao vigorously ruffled her smooth, black hair.
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