Chapter 78

Han Xueling flashed a hint of contempt at the corner of her mouth: "The princess actually doesn't know? The Guozijian is our dynasty's highest academy, and Senior Cui Daisheng, the Jiziu, is profoundly learned, admired by scholars worldwide……"

Before she finished speaking, Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up: "Cui Jiziu?"

Isn't he my newly accepted disciple? "I know him! He's my disciple!"

"Pfft—" someone spat out a mouthful of wine.

The hall instantly erupted in an uproar.

Han Xueling's smile froze completely, as if she'd heard the most ridiculous joke in the world, and she cried out sharply: "Princess Jiayou! You can't talk nonsense like that! Senior Cui is a great scholar of the present age, the Jiziu of the Guozijian! How old are you? How dare you tarnish his reputation!"

"Exactly, at such a young age, how can you spout nonsense!" Immediately someone echoed.

"Even if the emperor favors you, he certainly won't tolerate the princess spouting such nonsense!"

"With Senior Cui's erudition, how could he possibly take a few-year-old child as his teacher?"

"Absolutely impossible!"

Not to mention others, even Cheng Ru'an couldn't believe it, and he whispered: "Tuan Tuan, no nonsense!"

Everyone thought this child was just boasting, utterly clueless to the extreme.

Voices of doubt and ridicule echoed through the hall; the Empress Dowager's sneer was clearly visible to all, and they spoke with even greater vigor, especially Murong Yuyiao, Huo Wenxuan, and Zhou Yuwei.

Eunuch Cheng sighed inwardly, stepped forward, his face showing no expression, his voice steady and thin:

"I report to the Empress Dowager, the Eldest Princess, and all esteemed persons."

"Just now in the side hall of Zichen Hall, the Guozijian Jiziu, Senior Cui Daisheng, personally and formally took the Little Princess as his teacher. This matter, His Majesty and Prince Ning both witnessed."

"What the Little Princess said, 'Senior Cui is her disciple,' is true in every word, not false."

……

The noisy hall suddenly fell silent; even the musicians playing on the side sensed the atmosphere was off and stopped their string and wind instruments.

Everyone looked at each other, at a loss for how to react.

Han Xueling felt as if her throat had been instantly choked; the mockery, doubt, and smugness on her face froze, turning bizarrely comical.

The Empress Dowager was shocked beyond belief, her grip on the wine cup tightening suddenly.

Murong Yuyiao and Huo Wenxuan's expressions were as if they had just swallowed a whole egg, their mouths open and forgetting to close.

Cheng Ru'an also went blank, looking at his daughter and then at the composed Eunuch Cheng, wondering if he was dreaming.

Cui Daisheng? That old fogey who only cares about learning and dares to rebuff the imperial family's dignity? He really became the teacher of her family's merely five-year-old Tuan Tuan?!

Eunuch Cheng returned to his original place, eyes on nose, nose on heart, standing perfectly upright.

Lu Qingjia secretly gave Tuan Tuan a thumbs-up, "My ally, you're truly awesome!"

Cheng Ru'an let out a breath of relief.

Since Tuan Tuan is already the teacher of the Guozijian Jiziu, the Empress Dowager naturally won't bring up the matter of the governess again; otherwise, wouldn't that be telling the world that the Jiziu's teacher lacks propriety?

That would truly be opposing all scholars under heaven—it's absolutely out of the question.

In that way, at least we managed to brush off the Empress Dowager's earlier suggestion.

Cheng Ru'an steadied his mind, somewhat wanting to laugh; these people had just been mocking her for Tuan Tuan not knowing the Guozijian, yet they didn't expect the Guozijian Jiziu to be her disciple.

This child! Truly beyond expectation.

She gazed tenderly at her daughter and placed a snack on the small dish before her.

Tuan Tuan ate happily, completely unaware that she had just done something remarkable.

She contentedly licked the sugar crumbs from the corner of her mouth, "The palace's pastries are so delicious!"

Days passed quickly, and before they knew it, midsummer arrived.

That day, the weather was extremely sultry; Xiao Ningxun took Tuan Tuan to visit the snow leopards in the Wanlingyuan outside the capital.

On the carriage returning to the manor, suddenly there was a tumult of voices, mixed with noisy shouts and rebukes, and the horses' impatient neighing.

"What's going on?" Xiao Ningxun lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and Tuan Tuan also peered in; the two little ones clung to the window to look outside.

Ahead on the road, dozens of ragged, emaciated refugees were leaning on each other as they staggered forward.

An ornately decorated carriage was blocked by them.

On the carriage's shaft stood a richly dressed youth, waving his whip with impatience—none other than their old acquaintance, Wei Bing'an.

"Get lost! You bunch of stinking beggars! You've blocked my lord's way and dirtied his eyes!" Wei Bing'an said with impatience.

The refugees trembled with fright, scrambling to hide at the roadside.

A thin, frail old man stumbled, his legs unsteady, nearly falling; the half piece of dry biscuit in his hand dropped to the ground, covered in dust.

The old man gasped, then threw himself to the ground without regard, trembling as he tried to pick up the mud‑covered biscuit.

"You old fool! Still dare to block my lord's path!" Wei Bing'an showed no pity, instead seeming to have found amusement; he raised his whip and lashed the old man's emaciated back with a crack!

"Stop!" Two voices rang out simultaneously; Xiao Ningxun and Tuan Tuan shouted in unison to halt him.

Tuan Tuan's little face puffed with anger, her big eyes glaring at Wei Bing'an: "Villain! No hitting people!"

Wei Bing'an halted his hand, turned his head at the sound, saw it was them, and a surge of new and old grudges welled up—he had just managed to leave the Jingzhao Prefecture, only to run into them again!

He snorted coldly: "I wondered who it was—turns out it's you lot. How is this old beggar your relative? I'll hit him if I want; what can you do about it?"

Xiao Ningxun shielded his sister behind him and stepped down from the carriage with a calm expression.

"Wei Bing'an, the law is clear—how can you indulge in street violence? Though they are refugees, they are still the emperor's subjects; being displaced is already unfortunate, and while you need not sympathize or help, why must you harm them?"

His voice rang out clear and orderly, instantly drawing the attention of the nearby refugees and some passersby in the distance.

Wei Bing'an was stunned by his words, then flew into a rage: "Xiao Ningxun! Stop putting hats on me! What's wrong with beating a few lowly bastards? They blocked my road, startled my horse—they deserve to die!"

"What urgency could your carriage and horses have in a moment? They're unharmed, but if this old man were truly struck by your whip, he could lose half his life—what's more important?" Xiao Ningxun would not budge.

Tuan Tuan jumped down from the carriage, ran to the old person's side, took out the pastry from their carriage and handed it over: "Grandpa, here, eat this."

She lifted her gaze toward the group of refugees whose eyes were filled with panic, her brows knitting tightly.

A sound of horse hooves approached, as the constables of Jingzhao Prefecture surrounded and escorted Prefect Li Jing hurrying over.

Obviously, a passerby went to report to the officials.

Li Jing watched the chaotic scene, especially seeing the Tuan Tuan siblings and the Wei family kid confront each other again, and instantly felt a headache.

He first ordered the constables to disperse the onlookers, pacify the refugees, then stepped forward with a bitter face and said: "Several little ancestors, what's happened again?"

Last time it was the guards of the Ning Prince's Mansion who sent this Wei family kid to the Jingzhao Prefecture, and he had only just returned home from here a few days ago—how did they confront each other again?

Wei Bing'an, the wicked one, filed a complaint first, pointing at the refugees and shouting: "Sir Li, this gang of ruffians not only blocked the road, startled the horse, but also intended to ram this young master! Quickly arrest them all!"