Looking at Duoduo's retreating back, Princess Consort Pingyang was just about to speak when Prince Pingyang raised a hand to stop her.
"You seem quite idle, my Princess? You haven't forgotten about the household account books, have you?"
Princess Consort Pingyang understood; the Prince did not want her interfering in Duoduo's affairs.
"Yes, Your Highness. I shall take my leave."
She hurriedly stood up and left.
Even she was afraid of Prince Pingyang when he wore such a stern face.
Duoduo returned to the side room, where Li Jin and Yingniang were already waiting.
Seeing Duoduo walk in, Li Jin stood up and bowed.
"Your Highness, the Prince has asked me to adjust your coursework and increase its difficulty. If there is anything you do not understand, please be sure to point it out."
"If you feel tired, please try to persevere."
"The Prince has stated that I must teach you all of this coursework within half a month."
Duoduo's face was filled with determination.
"Teacher, please begin!"
At noon, Prince Pingyang summoned Li Jin to his study.
He inquired about Duoduo's progress, and Li Jin was full of praise for her.
"The young princess is exceptionally gifted. She understands everything at once and has a photographic memory."
"If supplemented with unique teaching methods, given time, she definitely has the potential to become a top imperial scholar."
"I have drafted a new set of coursework for her. Three years! Within three years, she will be able to master all the necessary knowledge."
Going from his initial doubts to his current admiration was something Li Jin had never expected.
Encountering such a talented disciple was the greatest joy for any teacher.
Regardless of whether Duoduo could participate in the imperial examinations in the future, being able to teach a female student who could top the exams in just three years...
...would be a matter of great pride for him.
When Li Jin said this, he originally thought Prince Pingyang would be extremely surprised.
However, the expression on the Prince's face didn't change in the slightest.
"I am only giving you fifteen days!"
Li Jin's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
"What? Fifteen days?" Li Jin thought he must be hearing things.
Prince Pingyang clasped his hands together and looked straight at Li Jin.
"If it were going to take three years, why would I need to hire you?"
Li Jin opened his mouth, wanting to argue.
But the next second, he closed it.
What Prince Pingyang said was not wrong.
With Duoduo's talent, any teacher could have taught her.
So why him?
"Your Highness, fifteen days is still too short. After all, the young princess is still of a tender age."
"Li Jin, a native of Jinzhong, originally named Li Zongyuan."
"Spoke at six months old, could recite the Three Hundred Tang Poems at one year old."
"Passed the county exam at three, passed the provincial exam at six..."
Prince Pingyang paused here and looked at Li Jin.
From the moment Prince Pingyang uttered the name Li Zongyuan, Li Jin knew that the Prince had long since investigated his background.
Li Jin cupped his hands toward the Prince in a respectful salute.
"I will certainly go all out!"
"It's just that the young princess is too little; she might not have the same temperament I had back then."
Prince Pingyang looked down at the faint indentation of a jade thumb ring on his hand.
The jade ring had only been removed for a few days, and the mark on his hand had already faded significantly.
In another dozen days or so, the mark should disappear completely.
"I do not require her to speak in archaic academic jargon."
"What I want is for her to be able to answer fluently, no matter what the question is!"
"Even if she is wrong, she must be able to answer in a way that makes people feel she makes perfect sense!"
Li Jin was stunned for a moment.
This request from the Prince was somewhat strange.
"Yes, I will obey your command."
After returning from the Prince's study, Li Jin thought over what the Prince had just said from beginning to end.
Why did Prince Pingyang demand that he must teach the young princess within fifteen days?
Even if he desperately hoped for his daughter to succeed, he wouldn't make such a demand.
What's more, there was no precedent in this dynasty for women to take the imperial examinations.
Besides, even if it were for the examinations, there were still several months left.
Yet it had to be fifteen days!
Li Jin suddenly remembered something Prince Pingyang had told him before.
After fifteen days, their entire family was going to take a trip to the capital.
Li Jin also recalled the information he had gathered before coming to Prince Pingyang's mansion.
The Emperor's original preferred choice for the Crown Prince had been Prince Pingyang.
However, ever since Prince Pingyang became paralyzed, the Emperor had never again mentioned the matter of establishing a Crown Prince.
Now, the one with the highest support in the court was the Second Prince.
On this trip to the capital, Prince Pingyang would definitely clash with the Second Prince.
Li Jin also thought of what his wife had once told him: Duoduo had a twin sister.
The sister had been taken to Fengcheng by her grandmother, and Fengcheng was the Second Prince's fiefdom.
Of the twin sisters, the older sister was considered a lucky star and had now become Princess Funing of Prince Ling's Mansion.
Could it be that Prince Pingyang wanted to use Duoduo to suppress the Second Prince?
But what was the ultimate meaning behind this?
If Duoduo were the heir apparent, there would still be hope for a fight.
Prince Pingyang had a physical disability, and Duoduo was merely a commandery princess. Could it be that the Prince wanted to fight for an empty title for her?
Hoping that the Emperor would treat Prince Pingyang's mansion well on account of the young princess's excellence?
Li Jin shook his head.
Based on the few short days he had spent with Prince Pingyang, he felt that the Prince was absolutely not such a shallow person.
Li Jin thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out what Prince Pingyang's purpose was.
However, the Prince's words also sparked Li Jin's competitive spirit.
Fifteen days. He was going to challenge something that no one had ever been able to do since ancient times.
He thought back to his own childhood, the days when he burned the midnight oil reading day and night.
As long as Duoduo could endure it, he felt it wasn't impossible to give it a try.
Furthermore, Prince Pingyang's meaning just now was very clear.
What he wanted was not a scholar who could pass the exams.
Li Jin organized his thoughts, preparing to take an unconventional path and teach Duoduo using an alternative method.
Li Jin went to Prince Pingyang to ask for past imperial examination papers.
Prince Pingyang casually pointed to a stack of files on the top shelf of the bookcase.
"Up there, go find them yourself."
Li Jin was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Prince Pingyang to place such things so casually on the bookshelf.
However, he had no time to ponder over it.
He took the exam papers from the past few years and began his preparations.
Therefore, when Duoduo called out to begin, Li Jin directly placed a file in front of her.
Duoduo looked at Li Jin strangely.
"Sir, what is this?"
Li Jin gestured for her to open it. "This is the file for last year's imperial examination."
An expression of both astonishment and curiosity appeared on Duoduo's face.
Is this the exam paper Lüdou said could make someone a top scholar?
Duoduo opened the file, and it was densely packed with words.
She took a look and discovered that some of the questions on it were actually ones Prince Pingyang had discussed with her.
"Teacher, Father has talked about this with me."
Li Jin leaned over to look and saw that Duoduo was pointing at a policy essay question.
A bizarre feeling welled up in Li Jin's heart.
He instantly dismissed it.
Impossible, he must be thinking too much!
"Your Highness, looking at this paper, which questions do you think you can answer?"
