Jiang Qianyu thought she must be crazy.
She was just a bit worried about Rui'er.
She must have dreamed about Rui'er and, by the way, Liang Wentao.
It didn't mean anything.
After dressing up in the morning, she quickly cooked a few small dishes and sent them to Ronghua Palace.
She still decided to plead with the Crown Prince.
Liang Wentao had feelings for her, and if investigated, he was indeed guilty.
However, the definition of some crimes was originally ambiguous.
One could also find reasons to say he was innocent.
Although the Queen had bestowed a jade ruyi on her, in the end, it was just a hint.
The date for taking a concubine had not been set, and the Crown Prince had not announced to the outside world that she was a member of the Eastern Palace.
Then, Liang Wentao's admiration could hardly be considered an offense to the Crown Prince.
Moreover, his calm confession of his admiration for her in front of the Crown Princess actually made Jiang Qianyu admire his boldness and frankness.
With a daughter as cute as Rui'er, how bad could his character be?
When she arrived at Ronghua Palace, the Crown Prince and Cheng Simian were having breakfast.
Jiang Qianyu was very sensible and waited outside.
This visit was different from the last one. She wasn't here to test the Crown Princess.
The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were deeply in love, and she didn't want to disturb them.
She waited outside for about two quarters of an hour. Then Cheng Simian sent the Crown Prince out.
The Crown Prince was already dressed in his court robes.
He took Cheng Simian's hand, leaned over, and planted a kiss on her forehead.
Jiang Qianyu lowered her head, not looking at the affectionate couple. Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow on her face, well hiding the thoughts in her eyes.
The Crown Prince didn't seem surprised to see her.
"Your Highness seems to be in a good mood today," Jiang Qianyu said tentatively when she saw the lingering smile on his face.
The Crown Prince smiled faintly, but there was a hint of cruelty in his eyes.
"After seeing someone in court later, my mood won't be so good."
Jiang Qianyu didn't think the Crown Prince was so angry just because she had been offended by Liang Wentao.
She knew her place.
She wasn't that important to the Crown Prince.
He was angry because Liang Wentao's frankness had offended his dignity.
Jiang Qianyu clenched and then relaxed her fists. After several struggles, she finally made up her mind and said, "Liang Wentao is guilty, but he has just been promoted and is a close official to the Emperor. If Your Highness punishes him at this time, it may cause unrest and criticism in the court.
The Emperor promoted him, hoping that he would become a help to Your Highness in the future. Harmony between the monarch and his ministers will stabilize the court, which is a blessing for the people.
I hope Your Highness won't damage the relationship between the monarch and his ministers because of a momentary fit of anger."
As soon as she said this, the Crown Prince and Cheng Simian exchanged a look.
Both of them saw surprise in each other's eyes.
They both knew that Jiang Qianyu wasn't a narrow - minded or venomous person.
They had already expected that she would be soft - hearted and plead for Liang Wentao.
What surprised them was that she didn't consider her own interests. She wasn't confined to the love and reputation of a young girl.
She had a broad vision and a magnanimous mind.
She could speak such sincere words from the perspective of the monarch - minister relationship, the court, and the people.
Many officials who had read the classics couldn't do this. For a young girl like her to have such thoughts was really rare.
A girl like this, even if she married into a noble family, wouldn't be easily looked down upon.
Cheng Simian timely gave Jiang Qianyu a hand. "Your Highness, what Xi'er said is reasonable. You should think twice before acting."
"But his behavior was really rude. He offended you and smeared your reputation!"
This time, it was the Crown Prince's turn to test.
Reputation was the foundation for a woman to stand in the world.
Moreover, she was already the Crown Prince's concubine designated by the Queen, so her reputation was especially important.
However, Jiang Qianyu wasn't as resentful of Liang Wentao as he had expected.
"What he said yesterday was indeed offensive, but at that time, only the Crown Princess and Princess Yuening were present. I think he won't tell others such words. My reputation hasn't really been affected. I don't want to hate him for such a trivial reason."
Cheng Simian and the Crown Prince exchanged another look. They understood each other's thoughts.
Such a smart, beautiful, and sensible girl really shouldn't be hidden in the deep palace and be an unfavored concubine for the rest of her life.
She deserved better.
It was just that she didn't realize yet that the Crown Prince wasn't her best choice.
The Crown Prince's eyes softened, and he smiled at the corner of his lips. "Since you've said so, I'll forgive him this time."
Jiang Qianyu's hanging heart finally settled, and she showed a fresh smile. "Thank you, Your Highness!"
In the evening, when the Crown Prince returned, he sent Xiao Anzi to deliver a message to Jiang Qianyu.
"Miss, Liang Wentao heard that you pleaded for him. He's extremely grateful and said he wants to invite you to dinner and thank you in person."
Jiang Qianyu put down the book in her hand and was a bit surprised.
"There's no need for thanks. I'm not familiar with him, and we have nothing to talk about."
Xiao Anzi seemed to quite agree and nodded. "That's true. Miss is of noble status. How can he see you whenever he wants? It's just..."
"Just what?"
"It's nothing. It's just that little girl in his family. Liang Wentao said that Rui'er misses you so much. If she can't see you again, the little girl will be sad for a while."
Jiang Qianyu couldn't read a single word on the book page.
She could decline Liang Wentao's kindness.
But thinking of that cute little girl with such a bright smile, she really couldn't bear to make a little girl sad.
She heard a few maids chatting today and learned that Liang Wentao's wife had been dead for almost three years. Rui'er had no mother's company and guidance. It was quite pitiful.
"Alright then. I'll meet him."
Xiao Anzi left with a beaming smile.
The next day, she received an invitation from Liang Wentao.
Xiao Anzi said that the invitation was written by Liang Wentao himself.
Jiang Qianyu opened it, and the fragrance of ink slowly spread and lingered around her nose.
The characters on the invitation were elegant and upright, but the strokes were restrained, showing a gentle charm.
They were really good characters.
They were just like his temperament. Gentleness was his character, and his edge was hidden inside.
On the day of the dinner, the autumn sky was high and clear, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky.
Jiang Qianyu took Fang Xiao and took a carriage to the Starry Pavilion.
The Crown Princess cared about her meticulously and specially sent two elderly maids to accompany her.
"Sure enough, the Crown Princess is considerate," Fang Xiao sighed. "Liang Wentao is an outsider. It's always worrying that rumors might spread if Miss meets him alone. With the two maids here, no one would dare to gossip about Miss meeting an outsider."
Jiang Qianyu felt guilty towards Cheng Simian.
"The Crown Princess is really good to me."
"When Miss becomes a concubine, you don't have to worry about getting along badly with the Crown Princess."
Jiang Qianyu lowered her head and frowned, with complicated thoughts.
When she entered the Starry Pavilion, the waiter respectfully led her to the private room on the second floor.
Before she could knock on the door, there was a pattering sound of footsteps inside. As soon as the door opened, Rui'er happily threw herself into her arms.
"Pretty auntie, you're here!"
A clear and steady male voice came from inside the room. "Rui'er, don't be rude."
Liang Wentao was wearing a jade - colored long robe today, which made his eyebrows and eyes look handsome and his smile gentle.
"Miss Jiang, please sit down."
He personally poured tea for Jiang Qianyu.
Rui'er sat obediently beside her and carefully shelled peanuts.
"Thank you, Miss Jiang, for pleading for me. The Crown Prince has forgiven me, saying it's all because of you."
Jiang Qianyu smiled faintly and silently finished a cup of tea.
The fragrance of tea lingered on her tongue.
"Lord Liang, you're welcome."
She originally didn't plan to stay long.
She had a question in her mind and wanted to ask Liang Wentao. He kept saying that he admired her, but they had never met before, and she was hidden in the Eastern Palace. How did he know about her?
Just as the words were about to come out of her mouth, she changed her mind.