Li Jin shook his head.
"Princess, what you said is not entirely correct. Sometimes, white lies are good for both you and him. Why wouldn't such a thing be acceptable?"
"But Teacher, lying is wrong!"
Duoduo looked completely serious.
"Then have you ever thought that perhaps the other person might be more willing to accept your deception?"
Duoduo was confused.
She felt that what her teacher and the Prince of Pingyang taught her were different.
Duoduo simply shut her mouth tight and stopped asking questions.
She curiously observed the cave.
The cave had been artificially hollowed out, so naturally, there were many uneven spots left behind that hadn't been cleared out cleanly.
Duoduo saw some exposed black stones and struggled out of Li Jin's embrace to get down on the ground.
Li Jin followed Duoduo to the stones.
Curiously, Duoduo reached out her little hands to break a piece off.
"Princess, this is iron ore. You won't be able to break it off; its hardness is very high."
"Hardness?"
Duoduo tilted her head, looking at Li Jin in puzzlement.
Li Jin touched the tip of his nose.
"Well, let me put it this way."
"You know about precious swords that can slice through iron as if it were mud, right? They are made from this kind of stone."
"Think about it, if it wasn't hard enough, how could it slice through iron like mud?"
Li Jin guided her patiently.
"Since it's so hard, how can it turn into a sword?"
Duoduo grew even more curious.
"Well, it's because of the melting point of iron... that is, if you put this stone into a very, very hot fire, it can turn into water."
"Craftsmen pour the molten iron into molds to get the shape they want."
"Then, they use a hammer to strike it thousands of times, quench it in water, and finally obtain a sword that slices through iron like mud."
Li Jin tried his best to explain it in simple terms.
Duoduo listened, half-understanding.
So, this stone could turn into water.
And the water, after being hammered, turned into the weapons used by soldiers.
"Clang, clang!"
Duoduo heard the sound of hammering.
"Teacher, listen!"
Duoduo pointed in the direction the sound came from.
Li Jin tilted his head to listen. "Yes, that is the craftsmen hammering."
Duoduo stood up. "Teacher, can I go take a look?"
Li Jin looked troubled.
"Probably not. Look, this place is heavily guarded; they definitely don't want outsiders to know."
"Let's just stay here. When we return to the city, I'll take you to a blacksmith's shop to have a look, how about that?"
Duoduo nodded.
"Okay, thank you, Teacher."
The two of them returned to the stones from earlier and sat down.
Duoduo rested her chin in her hands and looked at the stones on the ground.
"Teacher, do you think Mother has noticed I'm gone?"
"She definitely knows. I had Yingniang report it to the Princess Consort." Li Jin was also feeling a bit bored.
"Then will Mother be worried about me?" Duoduo's voice carried a hint of anxiety.
Li Jin glanced at Duoduo.
"She definitely will be! The Princess Consort might be worried sick!"
Duoduo's eyes lit up for a moment, but then the light faded away.
"But I am not Mother's biological child."
Li Jin looked at the deeply disappointed Duoduo. He thought for a moment, then raised his hand and gently patted her shoulder.
"The bonds between people are predestined by heaven."
"Besides, some biological mothers and daughters don't have as deep a relationship as adoptive parents do."
"Well, what I mean is, since you are so well-behaved and smart, there will definitely be many people who like you."
Duoduo lowered her eyes in dejection.
"But Father doesn't like me."
Li Jin hesitated for a minute.
"Perhaps His Highness is just not good at expressing it. A father's love is like a mountain, naturally different from a mother's love, which is like a gentle spring breeze."
It was the first time Duoduo had heard such an explanation. She tilted her head and looked at Li Jin.
"Are you the same?"
Li Jin nodded without hesitation.
"Mothers are constantly afraid that their children will fall, go hungry, or catch a cold. Like mother hens, they protect their chicks under their wings."
"Fathers, on the other hand, hope their children won't fear hardship or exhaustion, and will become strong and indestructible."
"So that even without their parents' protection, the children can survive and live well!"
Li Jin gave Duoduo several examples of how fathers and mothers handle the exact same situation differently.
Duoduo remembered.
Her father always kept a straight face and told her she wasn't excellent enough, while her mother would look at her with a heartache, saying she was still young.
She worked hard to meet her father's demands, just to see his gratified smile.
But then, her father would set even higher demands for her.
Duoduo couldn't understand. She was clearly already much better than her peers, so why was her father still unsatisfied?
Now, hearing Li Jin say this, Duoduo understood.
She remembered what the Prince of Pingyang had once said.
She needed to become stronger, so strong that she wouldn't have to rely on anyone, strong enough to hold the power of control in her own hands.
At the time, Duoduo didn't quite understand why she needed to become strong.
She merely obeyed and did as she was told.
But now, she seemed to understand a little.
Her father expected her to become better, which was why he had such high demands of her.
"Teacher, do you mean that a father is strict with his child because he loves her?"
Li Jin nodded. "Yes!"
Duoduo rested her chin in her hands and thought for a moment.
Her father loved her!
Lüdou had said that one must never deceive those who love them.
Once the other person realizes it, they will be very disappointed.
Just now, her father's expression must have been one of great disappointment, right?
"Thank you, Teacher!"
Duoduo jumped down from the stone.
She ran quickly toward the house.
"Hey!" Li Jin was about to stop her, but he halted his steps.
Whoever tied the bell must untie it.
From Duoduo's words just now, Li Jin astutely guessed that the father and daughter must have had a disagreement.
Even biological families bicker, let alone those who aren't.
It would be good to clear the air; he didn't want to see Duoduo wearing a bitter little face either.
Duoduo ran outside the house, but she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Deep down, she was extremely afraid of the Prince of Pingyang.
Not only because he had killed Old Maid Li the very first time they met.
But also because the way the Prince of Pingyang looked at her was always full of suspicion and guardedness.
Duoduo didn't understand. Since the Prince of Pingyang had acknowledged her as his daughter, why did he always have to guard against her?
She remembered what the Princess Consort of Pingyang had once told her.
Since childhood, the Prince of Pingyang had lived in a cannibalistic palace where he could lose his life at any moment.
It could be from a cup of tea, or perhaps a piece of pastry.
The Prince of Pingyang was able to grow up safely entirely because he was strong enough.
Therefore, the Prince of Pingyang hoped that Duoduo would also be strong enough.
Because in his eyes, only strong people could protect themselves and live safely.
Duoduo nervously scratched the palm of her hand.
Just now, she had wanted to apologize to her father and confess everything to him.
But upon reaching the door, the thought of the Prince of Pingyang's demeanor made her want to retreat.
What if her father found out her secret? Would he order someone to burn her to death?
Just as Duoduo was hesitating, the door opened.
A hand reached out and swiftly pulled Duoduo inside.
