Princess Anping was not dressed in formal attire, a stark contrast to her glamorous appearance at the Imperial Academy that day. She simply tied her hair up in a bun, rolled up both sleeves, placed one foot on a guard's shoulder and the other on a tree trunk, while her hands were reaching for a bird's nest in the tree.
Hearing the commotion, Princess Anping turned around and simply waved her hand casually: "You all go first, don't be shy!"
"A little higher, but still a bit short."
Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi nodded blankly, somewhat caught in a dilemma, while Zhao Xile sat down naturally on the stone bench to the side: "Princess, what are you doing?"
Jiang Bai's gaze remained fixed on the princess.
“I noticed that one of the swallows looked injured, so I wanted to take it down to check on it.”
Finally, after a long struggle, the princess managed to remove the swallow. Sure enough, its right foot was festering and it was on the verge of death.
Anping frowned: "Go and find another veterinarian for this princess."
The guards took the injured Yanzi away, and Princess Anping quickly cleaned her hands before sitting down: "You've come, I'm sorry."
"Your Highness, you are too kind." Zhao Yi bowed.
Jiang Bai, however, found this princess quite interesting. She was not at all pretentious and had a free-spirited, chivalrous air about her.
She smiled and said, "Your Highness, you helped my Le'er out of that predicament that day and appreciate her so much. It is truly a blessing for the Zhao family. This is a small token of our gratitude, and we hope that Your Highness will not refuse it."
Princess Anping was not a stingy or coy person. She had her servants put the things away and smiled at Jiang Bai, saying, "It was nothing."
"Alright, lunch is coming soon. Let's eat together at my residence. I've spent a lot of money to hire a chef from Jiangnan. You should all have a taste."
Seeing the princess's cheerful demeanor, Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi felt less awkward.
Jiang Bai looked at the table full of dishes. In fact, she was originally from Jiangnan before she transmigrated. Now, looking at this table full of exquisite food, she suddenly felt a little emotional.
After the meal, the princess invited the three of them to stay for tea, and as they chatted, they naturally began to talk more.
The princess admired Jiang Bai's personality, and Jiang Bai also appreciated the princess's hospitality. The two even felt a sense of regret for not having met sooner.
The princess has only just come of age and is not much younger than Jiang Bai. However, Jiang Bai feels that although the princess seems carefree, she is actually quite steady in her actions and speaks as if she has experienced many great things.
But then I thought, being in the royal family, this is naturally the case.
However, it is truly remarkable that the princess was able to cultivate such a personality and outlook on life amidst this vortex of power.
It's a good thing that Le'er is associating with people like this.
The three of them got into a lively conversation, and the princess also remembered that there had been a constant stream of people coming and going at the Zhao residence these past few days, and that every time her people went to pick up Zhao Xile, there were many people coming and going.
"If I'm guessing, these people must have caused you a lot of trouble," the princess said with a smile.
Jiang Bai was on the verge of tears: "To be honest, Princess, it is true. My Zhao family is just a group of merchants, and it is difficult for us to weigh things in this matter."
“I understand. These old foxes in the capital are cunning and shrewd. We can’t let Le’er be corrupted by them.”
When the princess spoke of these people, she seemed to express great disgust.
Jiang Bai had no better solution, after all, his status and position were constrained. Even with the protection of the General's Mansion, he couldn't trouble Lei Yun with everything.
The princess smiled slightly, as she had just come up with a good idea: "If you trust me, I will take Le'er as my disciple."
"Although my reputation has been ruined by those old foxes, I still have some ability. I can't guarantee anything else, but as long as someone belongs to me, Princess Anping, they should not be allowed to receive any blessings outside."
"In this way, you won't have to deal with those people's disturbances, and you'll save yourself a lot of trouble."
Jiang Bai was indeed somewhat tempted by these words.
She looked at Zhao Yi, who did not deny it, but the best choice was still in Zhao Xile's own hands.
Jiang Bai held Zhao Xile's hand. Zhao Xile was eating lotus root candy, making her mouth look like a little cat's, and she was completely oblivious to what the adults were saying.
"Le'er, how about your elder sister, the princess, becomes your teacher from now on?"
Zhao Xile looked at Anping, then at Zhao Yi, and finally grinned, "Great! I like Princess Sister!"
“Princess, you play chess exceptionally well. I want you to be my teacher.” These words delighted Anping.
She had always wanted a younger sister, but her father and mother had both passed away early, and she was raised under the Empress Dowager's care. She never had the chance. Zhao Xile's appearance seemed to be fulfilling her dream.
She felt an instant connection with the little girl the first time she saw her.
In this capital city, there aren't many people who catch her eye.
And so, things were settled.
That night, Anping went to the palace, spoke with the emperor, briefly greeted the empress dowager, and then left the palace, seemingly not wanting to stay a moment longer.
Meanwhile, a carriage was speeding towards the Zhao residence, and He Yu inside was somewhat anxious.
After the Imperial Academy selected female scholars that day, he was sent by the emperor to handle official business in the provinces, but one thing was always on his mind.
His colleagues in the capital all wanted to win over the Zhao family and bring Zhao Xile under their wing, and he naturally wanted to as well. Besides, he always felt that Zhao Xile and Sheng Bai were too similar.
Brother Sheng's wife was indeed six months pregnant at the time, but she died with her belly flat. So all these years, he has been hoping that their child is still alive.
When he saw Zhao Xile, he felt as if God was giving him a miracle.
Zhao Yi, however, was wary of He Yu. This man was too focused on Zhao Xile, and he was the only one in the world who knew the secret of Le'er and Ping An.
However, He Yu is like a danger, about to expose a shocking past.
He will not allow such a thing to happen.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Zhao family's house, and the servant knocked on the door.
Butler Li Si put on an outer robe and stood up: "At this hour, why are there still people coming?"
"May I ask who you are? It's so late, my master has already gone to bed. Please come again tomorrow."
He Yu couldn't wait any longer. He hadn't returned to the capital for three days, and upon hearing that no one had yet accepted Zhao Xile as a disciple, he came without delay.
"Please inform your master that I am He Yu, the head of the Imperial Academy, and I have come to visit you with important matters to discuss."
Upon hearing that they were from the Imperial Academy, Li Si dared not be careless and immediately went to find Tong Zijiang and Zhao Yi.
Inside the room, Zhao Xile was already sound asleep. Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi had just turned off the lights when they heard a knock on the door: "Master and Madam, the people from the Imperial Academy have arrived."
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