Princess Lingwei
Her Highness Princess Lingwei Bazhu | |
|---|---|
Ximei Zhi | |
| Born | 2001, Age 21 Shaozi Palace |
| Nationality | Michu |
| Other names | Yazhunci Zhi |
| Citizenship | Michu |
| Education | Shaozi University |
| Occupation | Princess of the Great Zhi |
| Years active | 2014 - 2022 |
| Era | Xuande |
| Known for | Activism, streaming, world tours |
Notable work | “Destitution and Defiance” (Unfinished) |
| Height | 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) |
| Television | “Romance on the Sea”
“Affection and Adoration!” “History of the Bazhu” |
| Office | Princess |
| Term | 2001 - Present |
| Political party | Minzhu Party (2021 – 2022) |
| Movement | Popular Movement for Justice (2022 – 2023) |
| Opponent(s) | Hongli Cuyan |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives | Xuande Emperor |
| Awards | Order of Shaozi Beauties
Order of Exemplary Virtue Order of Supreme Service to the Imperial Throne |
| Website | HerHighnessLingwei.zhi |
Princess Lingwei, (2001) real name Ximei Zhi, is a Princess of the Great Zhi Empire, as well as a former activist and entertainer. Immensely popular in Michu throughout the late 2010s, Lingwei was among the chief opponents of Hongli Cuyan's new government, despite it containing several of her siblings. Her overt political career was cut short by the Eladia Kidnapping incident (2023), following which Lingwei withdrew from public life, remaining in the Palace since.
Opposition to Hongli Cuyan
In 2021, Hongli Cuyan usurped power in Michu, at the head of a military junta in collaboration with the aristocracy, due to numerous factors including rampant corruption, financial disasters, alleged anti Weishun policies, and the overruling of the 2017 election. The Xuande Emperor’s Regency Council was formally dissolved, with its members imprisoned for corruption and abuse of power. Hongli married the Emperor in an elaborate ceremony, solidifying his power and tying his own political fortunes to the Imperial Throne. Lingwei was heavily involved with the Regency Council, though was not a formal member, she sympathised with their cause and fled the Palace. Joining with the Popular Movement for Justice, a broad coalition of democrats, plutocrats and socialists, with a small moderate conservative presence. She also formally joined the Minzhu Party, prompting it to be fully suspended by Hongli. The Popular Movement, although formally banned, continued to have a presence online and in universities, where Lingwei's beauty and influence could reach the youth. When interviewed about her ideal of a Michu following Hongli's removal, she indicated she was in favour of restoring the Regency Council, an incredibly unpopular position with the reformers and the young, though reflected her conservative view. She undertook voluntary exile under the guise of an international tour. This led to the disastrous trip to Nioep.
Aelad kidnapping incident While visiting Nioep, Lingwei was given a small military escort of elite women, typical of Nioepian aristocrats and valued foreign guests. While on a routine trip to the capital, the convoy was seized by Aeladian raiders, Taken to a secure complex on the Sekhras mountain range, Lingwei was ransomed back to Michu over several months of tough negotiations. Thoroughly traumatised by the experience, she was saved by an Imperial taskforce. She was hastily shipped back to Michu, with all details of the event classified.
Withdrawal from Public Life Following her return to Michu, she was briefly photographed entering the Imperial Carriage from Zhijing Southern Airport. Travelling to Shaozi Palace quickly, she was ushered into the arms of her family with a grand ceremony, though she offered no words and did not emerge from her carriage. Once the carriage entered the Palace walls, Lingwei was not seen or heard from publicly for several months. Her social media accounts were made private, and became inactive. Official spokesmen from the Palace asserted that Lingwei was undergoing ‘recovery and self reflection’, though it is widely believed that she remained in captivity. An internet movement calling for her release was extremely popular online, to such an extent that she was allowed to make a series of announcements online in April 2023, wherein she thanked her supporters but asserted that she was being treated fairly. During this period, her life is only hinted at in rumours and leaks from within the Palace bureaucracy, none of which are substantiated.