The Grand Tutor said with a complicated expression, "If you want to find that kind of extraordinary person... I can ask the Astronomical Bureau."
Artemisia said, "The Astronomical Observatory..."
"The Astronomical Observatory has always been used for observing celestial phenomena," the Grand Tutor said. "Perhaps someone will be able to see the person you are thinking of."
Ai Cao smiled. She sensed that the Grand Tutor thought she wanted to communicate with a specific dead person, but in reality, she had too many dead people she wanted to communicate with.
The fact that the Song family could abandon their daughter in a remote courtyard suggests that if Song Tang hadn't been blessed with good fortune, she would probably have become a skeleton in the courtyard long ago.
Even the Song family has some sense of shame, while those families who hide their shamelessness in the shadows are likely to abandon even more daughters.
Even though the Emperor is a woman, why are there still so many families in the world that abandon women?
Ai Cao smiled and thanked her.
The Grand Tutor had concealed her earlier complicated expression. She asked Song Tang with a smile, "I'll teach you some palace etiquette tonight, so you won't be disrespectful when you meet the Emperor tomorrow, shall I?"
Songtang released her grip on Ai Cao's face and nodded awkwardly.
The Grand Tutor thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you want to study here, or go to the small courtyard you rented for middle school?"
Song Tang pursed her lips and said, "It's fine here."
The Grand Tutor's smile held a hint of sincerity: "Then come with me."
They stood up. The maids filed into the pavilion and cleared away the leftover food and the tables and chairs.
A maid stood beside Ai Cao and whispered to her, "Please come with me, Madam. His Highness will call you if he needs anything."
Ai Cao smiled, hung the sword back on her waist, and gently patted Song Tang's head: "See you next time?"
Songtang stared longingly at Aicao. This was the first time they had parted since she had met Aicao. Although she felt reluctant to part, she simply looked at Aicao and said "okay."
Songtang watched Aicao leave with the maid. She took a deep breath and turned to look at the smiling Grand Tutor.
Songtang said, "Please also teach me palace etiquette."
The Grand Tutor nodded with a smile.
Songtang then followed the Grand Tutor to learn etiquette. On the other side, Aicao followed her maid through a complicated and long road, arriving at a small side room.
A girl who looked similar to the Crown Princess, but was slightly younger, sat in the center of the side room.
The girl wore a dark purple round-necked robe with phoenix patterns and gold thread, and loose black trousers. Her hair seemed to have been cut, much shorter than that of girls her age; and it was neatly combed up and tied into a short braid close to her scalp.
“This is Her Highness the Eldest Princess,” the maid said, her head bowed.
Ai Cao casually cupped her hands in a gesture of greeting. The girl looked up at Ai Cao and said with curiosity, "I've never seen a woman as tall as you before. Are you from Beijing Foreign Studies University?"
Artemisia smiled and said, "No."
The eldest princess nodded seriously: "Then it seems I can grow that tall too, not bad."
She took off the purse from her waist and poured out a few gold leaves. She walked over to Ai Cao in a few steps, took her hand, and placed the gold leaves into Ai Cao's hand.
The eldest princess said, "I see you are tall, so these few gold leaves are a reward for you."
Artemisia blinked, put the golden leaf into her pocket, and said thank you.
The eldest princess asked again, "I heard from my elder sister that you want a new sword?" Her eyes finally left Ai Cao's face and fell on the short sword at Ai Cao's waist.
She reached out and took the short sword, holding it up to the light.
Now only the last rays of the setting sun remain. The warm light falls on the cold blade, revealing faint cloud patterns.
The eldest princess said, "So it was that guy's stuff." She casually twirled the sword beautifully, "His sword is still the same as before, it's not good at all."
Ai Cao listened to her in silence.
The eldest princess then asked, "Do you know whose dagger this is?"
Ai Cao shook her head, telling half the truth and half a lie: "I don't know. There were too many people coming to kill me at the time, and I didn't notice who they were."
The eldest princess chuckled.
She asked, "Do you know how many factions are currently vying for power in the court?"
The mugwort shook its head again.
“At the very least, there are four factions.” The eldest princess held up a finger. “There’s the struggle for the throne between my eldest sister and that boy, the infighting between the emperor and his direct descendants, and… the emperor’s brother, who is my uncle, is on one side.”
“My uncle is the only prince in the current dynasty, and also the emperor’s only brother,” the princess said. “The emperor treats him very well, not only making him a prince, but also giving him a lot of land.”
"He seems to support that kid, but the kid is only three years old and can't even speak properly yet. If things really go as he wishes..."
At this point, the eldest princess fell silent. She calmly met Ai Cao's gaze and said, "He is the new king."
Ai Cao smiled and said, "His Majesty wouldn't let him do these things, would he?"
The eldest princess sneered: "His Majesty has long intended to retire."
Artemisia: "Huh?"
The eldest princess sneered, "Ever since the Emperor gave birth to me, he has been obsessed with having a son. She, the ruler of a country, actually washed her hands and cooked for a man, and even went to that man's family to please his parents—even an ordinary woman would not do such a thing."
Ai Cao asked, bewildered and confused, "Then why is His Majesty His Majesty?"
If the emperor of this world were not a woman, she would not ask such a question.
If the emperor were not a woman, then, similar to the previous world, she would only need to lead a group of like-minded women to storm the palace.
But the current emperor is a woman, yet the social atmosphere remains the same as before.
This inconsistency between the top and bottom left the mugwort a little confused.
The eldest princess gave a cold snort.
“Omit the beginning and the end,” the eldest princess said, “She ascended the throne disguised as a man.”
The dried-out mugwort asked, "Huh?"
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