Chapter 76: The Rascal Still Isn't Satisfied Yet

Cui Daisheng suppressed the turmoil in his heart, decided to try another question, drew a sheet of paper from his sleeve, and reverently held it up with both hands before Tuan Tuan.

"Little Princess, your wisdom is extraordinary! I have another question for you: there is an unknown number; when divided by three it leaves a remainder of two, when divided by five it leaves a remainder of three, when divided by seven it leaves a remainder of two. What is the number?"

He thought that this problem required the Great Expansion One Technique to solve, extremely complex, and wondered whether this Little Princess could, as just now, find some simple method.

Tuan Tuan listened, reached out to take the paper, didn't look at it herself, and handed it straight to her father; Xiao Yuanhang took it with a bewildered expression.

Tuan Tuan lowered her head, stared at the tip of her embroidered shoes, kicked her little foot as if playing a game, opened her mouth and began to chant:

"Dividing by three leaves two, dividing by seven leaves two, so it must be a multiple of three and seven plus two. Three times seven is twenty‑one, plus two makes twenty‑three."

She lifted her head, eyes sparkling: "Twenty‑three... that leaves three exactly! Right? The smallest is twenty‑three, and thereafter it's twenty‑three plus all common multiples of three, five, and seven—one hundred twenty‑eight, two hundred ninety‑three... so many!"

Solved in a second! Cui Daisheng felt as if struck by lightning, froze completely; he had devoted his life to arithmetic and had never seen such ingenuity!

Xiao Yuanhang looked at the paper in his hand, then at his daughter, then at Cui Daisheng: "The little girl's calculation... correct?"

Then, to his astonishment, this Guozijian Jiziu, a giant of the literary world, bowed deeply before his own five‑year‑old child, his voice trembling with excitement:

"The accomplished become teachers; learning knows no seniority or youth!"

"Little Princess's words, like parting clouds to reveal the sun, illuminate my lifelong wandering! Cui Daisheng is dull‑witted; I earnestly ask Little Princess to accept this old man as a disciple and impart to me the true essence of arithmetic!"

Tuan Tuan looked at him, pointed to herself with her hand: "Me?"

Xiao Yuanhang could not believe it: "Jiziu Cui, truly? To take my little girl as teacher?"

Cui Daisheng nodded emphatically: "Please, Little Princess, grant it!"

Tuan Tuan looked up at Xiao Yuanhang: "Daddy? May we?"

Xiao Yuanhang pondered briefly: "If Jiziu Cui truly wishes to spar with my little girl, he may come to my residence at any time to discuss with her; the formalities of taking a teacher are... unnecessary."

Cui Daisheng, however, seemed resolute, staring at him: "Prince, that statement is wrong! Learning has no precedence; the accomplished become teachers!"

"I have delved into arithmetic for decades, believing I have some insight into this path, yet today the Princess's few words solved my years‑long doubts; she is enough to be my teacher!"

His tone was earnest: "Prince, this Cui is not acting on a whim. Whoever imparts knowledge becomes a teacher! Though the Princess is young, her attainment in arithmetic already far surpasses mine."

"Cui's act of taking a teacher is about talent, not age. Please, Prince, grant us your approval!"

These words rang out with authority, causing Xiao Yuanhang to rise in solemn respect: "Jiziu Cui truly lives up to being Guozijian Jiziu! Such single‑minded devotion to learning, disregarding worldly conventions, earns my admiration."

He respects him, but regarding the distinguished Jiziu taking his own daughter as teacher, Xiao Yuanhang truly does not know what to do.

Helpless, his gaze unconsciously turned to the Emperor Xiao Jieyun, seated behind the desk, a hint of playful smile at the corner of his mouth.

Xiao Jieyun watched with great interest, finding this scene more entertaining than the dances in Taiji Hall.

Seeing Xiao Yuanhang's helpless gaze seeking his aid, he gave a slight smile.

"Sir Cui is a cornerstone of the nation, rigorous in scholarship; yet now he bestows such a great honor upon a small child, calling her master—truly a rarity in ages past."

He paused, his gaze fixed on Tuan Tuan's face: "However, Sir Cui's words are not without reason. The path of learning indeed should not be bound by age. Since Cui's mind is set, Yuanhang, you need not be so rigid."

With the Emperor speaking, Xiao Yuanhang could only agree: "Since His Majesty has said so, and Jiziu Cui persists, fine then. Tuan Tuan, you may accept it."

Tuan Tuan looked at him and asked, "Apprentice? Also call me leader—will you obey me?"

"Daddy, will he listen to me in the future as well?"

Xiao Yuanhang was stunned, unable to imagine what it would be like for a scholar older than himself, Jiziu Cui, to obey her in everything.

Cui Daisheng replied enthusiastically: "Of course! I only wish Junior Master may pour out all his lifelong knowledge to me!" A look of ecstatic joy lit his face as he respectfully performed another bow.

"Junior Master? I like it! Daddy, I'm a Junior Master now!" Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands, overjoyed.

Xiao Yuanhang gently stroked the top of her hair, helplessly shaking his head.

"Yuanhang, I have heard you have already been to the capital's outskirts Main Camp; is the training there still adequate?" Xiao Jieyun asked.

Xiao Yuanhang replied immediately: "Your Majesty, I think..."

Tuan Tuan couldn't understand what they were saying, grew restless on her father's lap, slipped onto the floor, and wandered around the side hall.

Everyone was discussing state affairs, so no one paid her any attention.

Tuan Tuan alternated between climbing high and crawling low; only Eunuch Cheng's gaze constantly followed her, fearing she might stumble.

"Old man, here!" Tuan Tuan waddled to the screen behind the Emperor, raised her hand and pointed to a corner of it.

Eunuch Cheng hurried over quietly, whispering: "Little Princess, keep your voice down; His Majesty and Prince are discussing official matters. Here?"

He followed the direction of Tuan Tuan's finger and saw the screen, exquisitely crafted, embroidered with a golden dragon emerging from clouds.

"Princess, do you like this golden dragon?"

Tuan Tuan shook her head, her hand still raised: "This one, a bad thing!"

"Ah?!" Eunuch Cheng's heart seemed to leap out, "Ouch! Little Princess, I haven't lived enough yet! Can't speak nonsense! That's a golden dragon!"

"The dragon is His Majesty! Princess! Come, come, let me take you out to play for a while." Eunuch Cheng, trembling, grabbed her hand and tried to lead her outside.

Tuan Tuan became upset: "Old man, why aren't you listening to me?" She shook off his hand, ran to Xiao Yuanhang, and shouted loudly: "Daddy! Here! There's a bad thing!"

Several people halted their conversation; Xiao Yuanhang steadied his daughter as she rushed forward: "What's wrong, Tuan Tuan? Where? What bad thing?"

Eunuch Cheng wore a helpless expression, thinking, "It's over! The Little Princess is about to anger the dragon's face again."

Tuan Tuan grabbed her father's hand, pulled him to the screen, and still pointed: "Here! Daddy, the bad thing is right here!"

Xiao Jieyun turned around, lowered his head to the direction she pointed, and saw the golden dragon's tail.

He frowned slightly but did not become angry; had the child seen something else?

Xiao Yuanhang did not doubt his daughter's words at all: "Tuan Tuan, what did you see?"

Cui Daisheng also came over, glanced and said, "Junior Master, there's nothing here."

Tuan Tuan wore a puzzled expression: "You all can't see it?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Tuan Tuan's little face crumpled; she looked up and saw a tea cup on the table.

She ran over with a "ding‑ding‑ding", tiptoed, reached out and lifted the cup; it still contained half a cup of tea that Xiao Jieyun had not finished.

She raised her hand and splashed the tea onto the golden dragon's tail; the screen instantly became wet in a spot. "Now? Can you see it?"

A few people stared with wide eyes for a while, then shook their heads in unison: "Nothing! There's still nothing at all."