Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 43 The Eldest Princess

Back at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

As soon as Lin Chen stepped off the carriage, he saw a simple carriage parked at the entrance. The curtain was lifted, revealing the face of Princess Zhao Mingyue.

"Lin Guogong."

"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness, the Eldest Princess." Lin Chen bowed.

Zhao Mingyue smiled:

"I am going to Zuiyue Pavilion tomorrow, so I thought I would come and greet the Duke today in order to avoid being impolite."

"It is an honor for Zuiyue Pavilion to have Your Highness here," Lin Chen said.

"Does Your Highness have any special requests? I will prepare accordingly."

"No need for that," Zhao Mingyue waved her hand.

"I'm just curious, what's so special about this place that my younger sister praised? Oh, by the way..."

She paused, then lowered her voice slightly: "I've heard that the fourth floor of Zuiyue Pavilion offers some...special services?"

Lin Chen's heart stirred, but his expression remained respectful:

"There are some amenities available for members. If Your Highness is interested, you can go up to the fourth floor tomorrow to take a look."

"Then it's settled." Zhao Mingyue nodded. "Meet me at Lingxiao Pavilion tomorrow at noon."

The carriage slowly drove away.

Lin Chen stood at the door, lost in thought.

Is the eldest princess interested in the fourth floor?

Is it curiosity, or is there another motive?

In any case, tomorrow, Zuiyuexuan will welcome its first truly distinguished guest.

And he should also think about how to make this brand even more famous.

……

The next day at noon, on the fifth floor of Zuiyue Pavilion, in Lingxiao Pavilion.

Lin Chen and Wen Ruoxi stood side by side in front of the observatory, watching the maids make the final arrangements.

Outside the window, the lake shimmered, while inside, the delicate fragrance of orchids filled the air.

"Fifth Sister-in-law, have you found out the Princess's preferences?" Lin Chen asked.

Wen Ruoxi wore a light purple flowing brocade dress today, with a pearl hairpin tucked into her hair, looking both dignified and charming.

"Her Highness the Princess prefers tranquility, loves tea, is skilled at playing the zither, and dislikes extravagance."

I have prepared the Cloud and Mist Immortal Hairpin from Nanzhao, and the Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither) has been tuned on the Qin Terrace.

She paused, then lowered her voice:

"There is one more thing... Sixth Sister sent a message last night that the Princess and her husband have been married for seven years but have not yet consummated their marriage."

The prince consort comes from one of the five prominent families, the Zhou family. He spends most of his time away from home managing the family business, returning to the capital only two or three times a year.

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow: "This is... all name and no substance?"

"Exactly." Wen Ruoxi sighed softly.

"Although the eldest princess is a princess of the emperor, her marriage was arranged by the late emperor. After His Majesty ascended the throne, he also wanted to arrange a divorce for her, but the eldest princess did not agree in order to save face for the royal family."

Just then, an announcement came from downstairs:

"Her Highness the Eldest Princess has arrived!"

The two exchanged a glance and straightened their clothes to greet each other.

Zhao Mingyue was not wearing palace attire today, but rather a light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress).

She wore a moon-white gauze dress, and her black hair was simply tied up with a jade hairpin, making her look as elegant as a lotus emerging from the water.

She brought only two maids with her. After entering the pavilion, her eyes swept around and a hint of amazement flashed in her eyes.

"What a beautiful Lingxiao Pavilion." Her voice was gentle. "Duke Lin, Fifth Madam, you've put in a lot of effort."

"Your Highness flatters me." Lin Chen bowed respectfully. "Please take a seat."

Zhao Mingyue sat down in the main seat, and Wen Ruoxi personally served her tea.

The aroma of tea wafted through the air. Zhao Mingyue took a small sip and nodded in approval.

"Excellent tea, and this water... is it from the Jade Spirit Spring of Xishan?"

"Your Highness has excellent taste," Wen Ruoxi said with a smile.

"It is the sacred water from the deepest part of Yuquan Mountain, which was just transported here this morning."

Zhao Mingyue put down her teacup and looked at Lin Chen:

"Lord Lin, I have heard that the Zuiyue Pavilion has four levels of membership, with the highest membership costing 100,000 gold coins per year."

I wonder what I can get for 100,000 gold coins?

Here we go, to the main topic.

Lin Chen calmly replied:

"Your Highness, the annual fee of 100,000 taels of gold is exchanged for three things."

First, Lingxiao Pavilion is always available, offering all the conveniences.

Secondly, the protection of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion—as long as it is within the territory of Dayan, the Lin family can send people to ensure the personal safety of its members.

Third, an opportunity for a grandmaster-level expert to make a move.

"A Grandmaster has intervened?" A hint of surprise flashed in Zhao Mingyue's eyes. "Mr. Yuan?"

"That's right." Lin Chen nodded. "Mr. Yuan promised that if a VIP member encounters a life-or-death crisis, he can intervene once to save their life."

This promise carries immense weight.

For a half-step Celestial being ranked first on the Earthly Ranking to make a move, 100,000 gold coins is indeed not expensive.

Zhao Mingyue pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What if I wish to offer a VIP membership?"

Lin Chen and Wen Ruoxi exchanged a glance.

"Your Highness is too kind," Lin Chen said respectfully.

"Your Highness is of noble birth, why would you need a membership? Zuiyue Pavilion is always ready to welcome Your Highness, and Lingxiao Pavilion is always open to you."

"No," Zhao Mingyue shook her head, "If I want to do it, I'll do it the proper way. I can afford the 100,000 yuan fee for two years."

She took out a gold note and placed it on the table:

"Here is 100,000 taels. I want the VIP membership, but there's no need to announce it to the public."

Wen Ruoxi looked at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen pondered for a moment, then nodded:

"Since Your Highness insists, I will obey. Fifth Sister-in-law, please carry it out for Your Highness."

"Yes." Wen Ruoxi accepted the silver note, her heart trembling.

The eldest princess has truly gone all out, and this also shows her attitude.

The formalities were completed quickly.

Wen Ruoxi handed over a purple jade token, with the words "Drunken Moon" engraved on the front and "Soaring Clouds" on the back:

"Your Highness, this is His Majesty's decree. With this decree, you may enter the cabinet at any time."

Zhao Mingyue took it, played with it for a moment, and suddenly said:

"I would like to try the meditation hall on the fourth floor."

"Your Highness, this way please."

……

Fourth floor, meditation hall.

Upon entering, the room is filled with a spiritual atmosphere.

The ground was paved with spirit-gathering jade bricks, the walls were engraved with intricate formations, and a futon was placed in the center.

The spirit-gathering array set up by Li Chunfeng was as effective as the cultivation room of the Heavenly Mystery Academy.

As Zhao Mingyue stepped into the room, sensing the rich spiritual energy, her eyes gleamed with wonder:

"What a fine formation, Duke Lin! Your Drunken Moon Pavilion is truly a place where hidden talents reside."

"Your Highness is too kind," Lin Chen said. "This formation was set up by Mr. Li of the manor. He is an expert in formations."

"Mr. Li..." Zhao Mingyue seemed to be thinking, but did not ask any further questions. She sat cross-legged on the futon and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.

The spiritual energy flowed into her meridians like a gentle stream, and her previously somewhat sluggish bottleneck began to loosen.

After an incense stick had burned, she opened her eyes, feeling refreshed.

"This formation... has actually allowed my cultivation to improve."

Wen Ruoxi smiled and said:

"If Your Highness likes it, you are welcome to come often. The meditation hall is only open to VIP members and will not be disturbed on ordinary days."

"Alright." Zhao Mingyue stood up. "Then I'll come and bother you often."

After visiting a few more places, Zhao Mingyue suddenly said, "I am a little tired and would like to rest for a while in Lingxiao Pavilion."

"Duke Lin and Fifth Madam, there's no need for you to keep me company. Please make yourselves at home."

This means I'll be spending time alone.

Lin Chen understood: "Then we shall take our leave. Your Highness may ring the bell if needed."

The two left Lingxiao Pavilion and gently closed the door behind them.