Chapter 84

Xiao Ze followed the direction of her finger and saw an old woman in tattered clothes, with hair turned white, not far away, in the grass by the base of the wall, as if searching for something,

She kept murmuring to herself.

The two approached and listened, "Yangyang! Where are you? Stop being naughty, come out quickly…"

"I don't know either." Xiao Ze frowned slightly, who was this old woman?

Tuan Tuan shouted loudly, "Grandma! Are you looking for something?"

The old woman heard the voice, turned sharply, and revealed a face covered with deep wrinkles, dirty yet still faintly showing the graceful features of her youth.

Seeing Xiao Ze and Tuan Tuan, her murky eyes widened suddenly, as if she had seen something extremely terrifying, and she shrieked in a high voice:

"Yangyang! Run quickly! Someone wants to kill you! Quick! Hide! You must not die! You are a prince! Run—!"

The mournful cry sounded like a night owl's wail, startling Tuan Tuan.

Xiao Ze's heart jolted, he stepped forward and asked in a deep voice, "Prince? You have a prince? Who are you? Where is he?"

The old woman suddenly fell silent, as if awakened from a nightmare, her face instantly filled with panic, she turned and fled; though stumbling, her speed was far beyond that of an elderly person.

"Hey! Your thing fell!" Tuan Tuan, sharp‑eyed, saw an inconspicuous old copper plaque with a slightly worn edge on the ground and quickly called to her.

But the old woman only paused slightly under her feet, didn't turn her head, and vanished quickly.

"She ran so fast." Tuan Tuan ran to the copper plaque, bent down and picked it up.

The plaque seemed to have some vague patterns etched on it, still stained with a bit of dirt.

She brushed off the dirt, "If you don't want it, then it's mine!" and opened the embroidered pouch at her waist to stuff it inside.

Xiao Ze stared at the direction where the old woman disappeared, baffled.

"Third Elder Brother? Let's go!" Tuan Tuan grabbed his hand, and the two continued forward.

Just as they left this desolate area, they ran straight into a familiar face, Guozijian Jiziu Cui Daisheng.

Xiao Ze immediately composed himself and respectfully bowed, "Student salutes the teacher."

The Jiziu of Guozijian was a great contemporary scholar, erudite and upright, and he sincerely respected this forthright elder.

Cui Daisheng slightly nodded, his gaze landing on Tuan Tuan beside him; his face instantly blossomed with an extremely warm smile, and he bowed to Tuan Tuan, "Junior Master! How did you find time to enter the Palace today?"

Xiao Ze: "???"

He looked at this usually aloof Jiziu, who even dares to challenge the Father Emperor's face, and while bowing to the little child beside him, still called her "Junior Master."

He just felt completely uneasy.

This Xiao Tuanzi is the Jiziu's Junior Master? What about me?!

Tuan Tuan, however, was already accustomed to Cui Daisheng's enthusiasm, waved a little hand and said, "Hmm, it's you, I'm here to play."

Cui Daisheng chuckled, "Junior Master, when will you have time to come to Guozijian and teach those unpromising disciples?"

"Not going, not going!" Tuan Tuan's little head shook like a rattle, "I don't want to go! I still want to go to Wanlingyuan to see the snow leopard!"

Cui Daisheng became anxious at once, hurriedly coaxed her, "Just one hour! No, half an hour will do! It won't delay Junior Master from going to Wanlingyuan!"

Tuan Tuan tilted her head, thought, and her black pupils flicked, "If I have to go, that's fine, then I want Third Brother to also go to Guozijian later! If he goes, I'll go!"

"No problem! Absolutely no problem!" Cui Daisheng replied swiftly, "Junior Master, rest assured, this matter is on my disciple."

"You are my Junior Master, already a master at Guozijian; this small matter can be solved with a single word from you! As as long as you're willing to go, that's all, just be willing to go!"

Xiao Ze stood rigidly aside, listening to this adult‑child exchange that completely ignored him, watching Cui Jiziu's almost "flattering" demeanor, and felt that he must have knelt too much today, his head still dizzy and not quite normal.

Mentioning Third Brother, Tuan Tuan exclaimed "Ah," and finally remembered, "It's over, over, Mother is still waiting for me at Imperial Aunt's place! Third Elder Brother, hurry and take me there!"

"Third Elder Brother?" Cui Daisheng glanced at Xiao Ze, isn't he the Seventh Prince?

"Yes! He is my Third Elder Brother!" Tuan Tuan replied.

Xiao Ze only then recovered from his great shock, his expression complex as he glanced at his teacher, then at her, and deeply bowed to Cui Daisheng, "Teacher, the student will first escort her there."

Cui Daisheng smiled, squinting, and waved, "Go quickly, don't keep Princess Consort Ning waiting."

On the carriage back to the mansion, Tuan Tuan happily told Cheng Ru'an about this.

"So, Mother! Starting tomorrow, Third Brother can go to Guozijian to study! I can also go with him!"

When Cheng Ru'an first heard, she could hardly believe it; that's Guozijian! Unless one is an outstanding student among the various academies, one has no right to step through its gates.

She was both shocked and delighted, "Tuan Tuan, are you serious? Your Third Brother can enter Guozijian to study? Did the Jiziu agree?"

"Of course!" Tuan Tuan nodded vigorously, a proud look on her face, "He's my disciple! Of course he has to obey me!"

Cheng Ru'an hugged her daughter tightly, both excited and emotional, her eyes a bit red, "Little Tuan Tuan, you truly are a good daughter to your mother!"

Early the next morning, Xiao Ningxun took Tuan Tuan to Guozijian.

Xiao Ningxun carefully lifted her sister from the carriage, looked up at the towering lintel, feeling both proud and a little nervous.

Tuan Tuan also tilted her little head and said, "This is Guozijian!"

"Yes." Xiao Ningxun was about to take her hand and step together through the grand gate of this highest academy.

A shrill, piercing voice rang in the ears.

"Xiao Ningxun! Why are you here? Oh, isn't this the countryside‑brought‑back Princess (Commandery) from your family?"

"This is Guozijian! Whatever your status, without passing the Master's examination, you have no hope of entering!"

Xiao Ningxun frowned slightly, looked up, and saw Wei Bing'an again!

Behind him were several students clearly following him, swaying together as they approached, each with an unfriendly expression.

Wei Bing'an, seeing the siblings, scolded, "Guozijian is the gathering place of the world's literary brilliance, not a playground for you Ning Prince's children!"

"Quickly take your countryside sister and get lost, don't tarnish the Holy Sage Book Qi here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a few dandy youths behind him burst into a raucous laugh.

Xiao Ningxun's face darkened instantly, shielding Tuan Tuan behind her: "Wei Bing'an! Clean up your mouth! Haven't you learned yet? My sister's affairs are none of your business to comment on!"

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Wei Bing'an stepped forward, his tone even more arrogant, "So what if she's a Princess? This is Guozijian!"

"A little child who can't even walk a straight path, how could she belong in Guozijian? She probably can't even recognize a few big characters."

"What are you doing here? Are you someone from the Ning Prince's Mansion?"