Wei Qing could not understand the actions of Grand Tutor Wei and Wei Yu. She could not forget the look of disappointment in her grandfather's eyes when she left.
She said, "I will not harm anyone, but as a member of the Wei family, I will not interfere in your grievances with the Princess of Ding'an. I will not harm her, nor will I help her."
She left the Wei family in a daze.
Wei Yu watched her leave, her heart filled with an indescribable emotion.
It was only when Grand Tutor Wei snorted and said, "Fortunately, it wasn't her who was made Crown Princess back then," that Wei Yu snapped back to reality.
What use was a woman who did not seek benefits for the family and forgot her origins?
Even as the Princess of Rong, Wei Qing could cast the family aside. If she truly became the Crown Princess or Empress, for the sake of her so-called conscience and justice, would the Wei family still have a way to survive?
Grand Tutor Wei's gaze fell on Wei Yu. "You are very good."
Wei Yu lowered her head humbly, "This time, I was too careless and fell into Wang Qingyao's trap."
"It matters not," Grand Tutor Wei sneered, "She is still too soft-hearted."
What use was a woman? Even if some unsavory rumors spread, they would not be a fatal blow to Wei Yu.
If he were Wang Qingyao, with such a good opportunity, he would have simply found a man to slander Wei Yu and himself, ruining Wei Yu's life and possibly even her life.
"Woman's benevolence!" he sighed.
Wei Yu asked, "Grandfather, what should I do now? Mother and Eldest Aunt... If Wang Qingyao refuses to keep quiet, what if she spreads it?"
Grand Tutor Wei sneered, "I have already sent someone to invite the Crown Prince. This matter is not a great one, but the Crown Prince should be aware of it. Even if it spreads, hah, such gossip will die down after a few days of discussion."
"But my reputation..."
Grand Tutor Wei looked at her, "Ayu, you must remember, in the face of absolute power, reputation is nothing! Only those who stand at the pinnacle of power are the victors! The winner takes all! As for the rest,呵呵..."
The Crown Prince arrived soon after.
Wei Yu briefly explained the matter of Rong Wangfu to him.
The Crown Prince frowned. He knew that Wei Yu and Wang Qingyao had some animosity, mostly initiated by Wei Yu, and that Wang Qingyao's current retaliation was already considered merciful.
However, he had been trying to win over the Prince of Ding'an and had repeatedly told Wei Yu to maintain a good relationship and friendly terms with the Princess of Ding'an.
But Wei Yu refused to listen, and instead, the situation escalated.
Now, the two had directly clashed and were tearing each other apart.
The Prince of Ding'an would surely know about this, and it would be difficult for him to win him over again.
He had once thought Wei Yu was so intelligent, but now he found her so annoying.
She was young, after all, and did not understand the gravity of the situation or prioritize the bigger picture.
He sighed heavily, "Why did you provoke her again?"
"I haven't provoked her recently," Wei Yu said.
"It's probably about the matter of Mother's Sheng Hua hairpin in the palace," the Crown Prince said.
Although Consort Wei had told him it wasn't her doing, the Crown Prince didn't quite believe it. It was still the Wei family. He didn't know why they insisted on targeting Wang Qingyao. Didn't they know how valuable an ally the Prince of Ding'an was?
The wealthiest man in the realm, a close minister to the Emperor.
Thinking of this, the Crown Prince's gaze towards Wei Yu carried a hint of blame.
Grand Tutor Wei's voice rang out, "You don't need to blame Ayu. Some things were done on my orders."
"Maternal Grandfather?" The Crown Prince looked at Grand Tutor Wei in surprise.
In his opinion, the animosity between Wei Yu and Wang Qingyao was just a petty squabble between girls. How could Grand Tutor Wei be involved?
"Ayu, you go out first."
Wei Yu knew that Grand Tutor Wei was about to tell the Crown Prince things he hadn't told her.
She hummed and walked out of the study.
Grand Tutor Wei looked at the Crown Prince and slowly, in a cold voice, spoke about the matter of the Emperor's eldest son.
The Crown Prince's expression was identical to Consort Wei's when she had first heard about it.
His mouth hung open, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
"The Emperor's eldest son?"
He had always thought the Emperor's second son, the current Prince of Rong, was the Emperor's eldest child. To think that after all his efforts, there was an Emperor's eldest son before him!
The Emperor's eldest son, the legitimate heir to the throne.
He visibly panicked.
"Maternal Grandfather, what can we do?" he lost all composure.
"What is there to fear?" Grand Tutor Wei said, "We will meet the soldiers with a block, and the water with an embankment. We will kill gods when we meet gods, and Buddhas when we meet Buddhas!"
His gaze was colder than the biting wind of the ninth month of winter. Even the Crown Prince, who could harm his own siblings, couldn't help but get goosebumps.
"Remember this," Grand Tutor Wei said in the end, "If you want to secure the throne, Wang Qingyao must die."
Not only because she knew the whereabouts of the Emperor's eldest son, but also because she was somewhat of an enigma.
Meanwhile, Madam Wei the Elder and Madam Wei the Second also visited the homes of some female guests and subtly hinted at a few things.
They were all intelligent people, and none of them wanted to offend the future Empress.
The one who came to find Wang Qingyao was Madam Wei the Second, Wei Yu's mother.
Wang Qingyao was very accommodating, "Don't worry, Madam. We are not those gossipy women."
Madam Wei the Second left with peace of mind.
However, the next day, news of Wei Yu's preference for women spread throughout Duanjing.
The love between men was not uncommon. There were a few young men in Duanjing who played quite wildly in private, and some even kept male companions.
But lesbianism, there was no such term in ancient times. It was called "grinding mirrors." It existed, but it was rare and almost unknown.
For Wei Yu to cause such a public uproar was truly unprecedented.
Those ladies and young ladies who attended the banquet at Rong Wangfu had promised not to spread it, but they didn't expect it to have already leaked.
Everyone had a gossipy nature. As everyone was spreading it, they couldn't help but join in.
This further increased the credibility of the matter.
Everyone was secretly discussing whether the future Crown Princess, being like this, was essentially cuckolding the Crown Prince.
Some even joked that the Crown Prince could take that maid into his chambers as well, and the three of them could play together...
All sorts of unspeakable things were said.
Of course, this was just fodder for conversation over tea and meals. No one dared to mock Wei Yu or the Crown Prince in front of the Wei family or the Crown Prince.
No one dared to openly offend the future Emperor.
The Crown Prince turned a deaf ear to these rumors, and Wei Yu, on the other hand, faced the challenge head-on, becoming even more high-profile than before the rumors. Even the maid Zi'er, one of the rumored protagonists, received no punishment.
Her psychological resilience was truly remarkable.
After the Prince of Ding'an left the capital, another month passed, and the rumors about Wei Yu's "grinding mirrors" finally subsided.
Wang Qingyao felt a bit regretful.
Xiao Yun said, "People just stopped talking about it, that doesn't mean they forgot. As long as Wei Yu is alive, people will naturally associate her with it when they see her. She isn't the Crown Princess yet. When she becomes the Crown Princess, she will understand how important reputation is."