“Shh—” The princess held a finger to her lips. “We’ll just take a quick peek and leave.”
“But…” Jin Lanyue grew even more nervous, her speech slurring with anxiety. “We snuck out secretly. Will we, will we get caught and have our hands smacked?”
The little princess paused in her tracks, falling into deep thought before shivering slightly. “No, they wouldn’t… right?”
“I’m scared…” The little toddler buried herself into the princess’s arms.
But the princess wasn’t much taller than she was, so the two tiny tots just clung tightly to each other, trembling with fear. “Ugh… now that you say it, I’m scared too.”
“Then, then shall we go back?”
“No way!” The princess shook her head, seemingly having made up her mind. “We went through untold hardships and beat up the bad guys just to get here. How can we give up just like this?”
She placed both her tiny hands on Jin Lanyue’s shoulders, assuming a tragic solemnity as if quoting an ancient warrior heading into battle: “We cannot retreat!”
Infected by her determination, the little toddler also put on an expression of heroic sacrifice. “Okay! We get beaten together!”
“Let’s charge!”
Holding hands, they turned past a veranda, and the gold-painted doors of the Imperial Study were finally right before their eyes.
Just as the two tiny tots were about to sneak closer, a grand eunuch dressed in a deep purple official robe suddenly stepped out from behind a pillar, blocking their path like a small mountain.
“Oh, my little ancestors!” The grand eunuch stopped them. “The Emperor is currently discussing state affairs. You two cannot go inside!”
The princess pouted and put her hands on her hips. “I have important matters to report to Imperial Father!”
“This…” The grand eunuch bent his waist awkwardly. “How about Your Highness tells this old servant first, and I will relay it for you?”
“No!” The princess’s eyes darted around, and she suddenly sat down on the ground. “I don’t care! I want to see Imperial Father!”
With that, she began kicking her legs, her embroidered shoes thumping loudly against the ground.
Little Jin Lanyue had never seen such a display before. Her eyes widened in shock as she stood to the side, completely stunned.
The princess’s tantrum only grew wilder. In the end, she simply lay on the ground and began rolling around, causing her hair buns to fall half undone.
“Oh dear, my goodness!” The grand eunuch was sweating profusely in panic. He frantically tried to help her up but didn’t dare touch her. “Princess, please get up! The ground is cold!”
“I don’t care! I want to see Imperial Father!” The princess wailed as she rolled, her voice loud enough to lift the roof. “Imperial Father doesn’t want Chaoyun anymore! Waaah—”
Inside the Imperial Study, the young Emperor, who was in the middle of discussing matters, looked out of the room upon hearing the noise.
He was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with sharp eyebrows, star-like eyes, a high-bridged nose, and a posture as straight and upright as a pine tree.
Hearing the commotion outside, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. He shook his head and looked down at Qu Zijin, who was currently presenting a report. “I apologize for showing Grand Tutor Qu such an embarrassing sight.”
Hearing this, Qu Zijin turned around. Sure enough, through the carved window lattices, he could see two tiny figures throwing a tantrum outside.
One was rolling and throwing a fit on the ground, while the other stood blankly to the side.
To be honest, Qu Zijin was also somewhat surprised—the side the little princess had shown in front of him wasn’t even her bratty peak.
The Emperor, Wei Xiuming, seemed very used to this. Instead of being angry, he could barely suppress his amusement. He waved his hand at the Chief Eunuch beside him. “Let them in. If they keep this up, my roof really is going to be lifted.”
As if granted a grand amnesty, the grand eunuch hurriedly bowed and retreated.
Before long, the two tiny tots appeared timidly at the entrance of the Imperial Study.
The princess’s hair bun was lopsided to one side, and the hem of her skirt was stained with a few blades of grass.
Jin Lanyue’s heart was thumping wildly with nervousness. Peeking up stealthily, she saw her Grand Tutor, and her Grand Tutor’s Grand Tutor.
She clenched her tiny fists, trying hard to comfort herself: Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, hands won’t get smacked!
Even, even if I get smacked, it’s no big deal!
Sob… I’m even more scared now.
“What are you standing there for? Why haven’t you walked forward yet?” The Grand Tutor’s Grand Tutor spoke up out of the blue.
His voice was very pleasant, and he was even smiling.
Yet, Jin Lanyue couldn’t help but feel that in the next second, he would turn into a big bad wolf and swallow them whole with a single gulp.
The little princess had already stepped forward, so she quickly followed suit, keeping pace step by step.
“Greetings, Imperial Father,” the princess greeted with perfect etiquette, completely erasing any trace of her previous tantrum.
Little Jin Lanyue’s mind went entirely blank. She hurriedly copied the princess’s movements, her tiny body trembling like a leaf in the wind. “Gr-Greetings, Imperial Father…”
“Ah, it seems I now have two daughters,” Wei Xiuming said with amusement in his eyes. “Rise. Chaoyun, what kind of act are you putting on this time?”
The little toddler instantly realized she had misspoken. Subconsciously, she looked toward the only adult present whom she was familiar with and felt she could rely on—Qu Zijin.
Qu Zijin happened to be looking at her as well, offering her a reassuring gaze.
On the other side, the princess peeked up stealthily, locking eyes right with her father’s smiling gaze.
She boldly edged her way over to the imperial desk and said coaxingly, “Your daughter simply missed Imperial Father~”
Wei Xiuming gave a soft cough. Instantly, like a startled little rabbit, little Jin Lanyue hid behind Qu Zijin, revealing only a pair of watery, wide eyes.
Qu Zijin originally thought these two tiny tots were incredibly bold. He had repeatedly instructed them not to run around, yet how long had it been before they appeared right in front of him?
However, seeing Jin Lanyue’s frightened appearance, his heart softened again. He began to feel that it was his own fault for leaving the two of them alone in the study hall.
He wanted to gently pat the little toddler’s head, but looking at the clutter of jangling ornaments covering her hair, he was temporarily left speechless, unable to find a place to lay his hand for a long moment.
It really was…
It really was a terrible sense of aesthetics.
On the other side, seeing the little princess acting spoiled, Wei Xiuming deliberately stiffened his face. “Grand Tutor Qu was just lodging a complaint against you, saying you aren’t studying diligently. Have you two still not memorized the first two chapters of the Three Character Classic?”
The little toddler shuddered with fear, her tiny hand instinctively grabbing the hem of Qu Zijin’s robe.
Qu Zijin looked down at her, only to see that tiny face filled with grievances. Her large eyes were brimming with two pools of tears that threatened to fall at any moment, looking utterly pitiful.
“Don’t be scared,” he mouthed to her silently.
But the little toddler clearly didn’t understand.
He sighed and turned around.
“Reporting to Your Majesty,” Qu Zijin said, cupping his hands. “The study companion Jin and… are still considered hardworking.”
Thinking about the little princess’s learning attitude in class—either sleeping, fidgeting, or talking back to him—Qu Zijin really couldn’t bring himself to praise her against his conscience.
Wei Xiuming raised an eyebrow and looked at the little princess. “Looking at it this way, it seems you are the only one who isn’t hardworking.”
“No! I-I-I am very hardworking! …Imperial Father, I have things to do, so I’ll leave first!” The little princess talked tough but chickened out instantly. Lowering her head, she ran off, not forgetting to stomp on Qu Zijin’s foot as she passed him.
Still clutching Qu Zijin’s robe hem, Jin Lanyue looked at the little princess and then at the Grand Tutor, unsure of whether she should run along.
After a moment of hesitation, she decided to run after the princess!
However, just as her tiny foot took a step forward, the Emperor up above called out to her.
“Speaking of which, I have never met the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Beiding before. The Grand Tutor previously praised her as a child prodigy, which makes me rather curious,” Wei Xiuming said, waving his hand toward little Jin Lanyue. “Come, come over to me.”
The little toddler jolted and looked up to the Grand Tutor for help, but the Grand Tutor gave her an encouraging look instead, gently nudging her out from behind him.
Left with no choice, the tiny tot braced herself and shuffled over inch by inch, slowly and timidly.
Wei Xiuming didn’t rush her either, watching her approach with a smile. When she finally arrived in front of him, he leaned down, lifted her onto his knees, and asked gently, “Do you know how to recite the third chapter of the Three Character Classic yet?”
Little Jin Lanyue nervously twisted her fingers and whispered, “I-I know a little bit…”
“Then how about reciting it for me?”
The little toddler took a deep breath and began to recite in a sweet, milky voice: “One to ten, ten to a hundred. A hundred to a thousand, a thousand to ten thousand…”
From time to time, she would steal a glance at Qu Zijin.
Wei Xiuming hadn’t expected her to actually be able to recite it. He listened intently until she finished before pinching her little face. “Well recited. Grand Tutor Qu has indeed taught you well.”
He patted her little face again and praised, “How impressive. To memorize the first three chapters of the Three Character Classic after only three days of learning, no wonder the Grand Tutor kept praising you as a child prodigy.”
Jin Lanyue felt a little guilty.
In truth, the entire text of the Three Character Classic was already covered within the “Mastery of Enlightenment Knowledge (Literature Edition)” provided to her by her System Auntie.
Wei Xiuming then looked at her hair ornaments and couldn’t help but chuckle. “This must be Chaoyun’s handiwork, isn’t it?”
He recognized many of the hairpins on her head; they were all top-tier items, priceless treasures that were imperially bestowed.
Wei Xiuming pinched her chubby little cheek, finding the texture extraordinarily soft and pleasant. “Since you’re already wearing them, I’ll gift them all to you.”