"Duoduo? Duoduo!"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang gently patted Duoduo.
"Wake up, it's time for your lessons!"
"Duoduo, wake up!" The Princess Consort of Pingyang gently patted her again.
Duoduo forced her eyes open. "Mother?"
"Wake up. If you sleep anymore, you'll lose your drowsiness and won't be able to fall asleep tonight."
Duoduo let out a big yawn and was pulled up by the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Why are you so sleepy? Did you not sleep well in my bed?"
Looking at Duoduo's extremely sleepy appearance, the Princess Consort of Pingyang felt a bit of heartache.
Duoduo yawned again and rubbed her eyes.
"Mother, it wasn't the bed. I had a nightmare."
After saying that, Duoduo flashed a bright smile at the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Fortunately, you woke me up, Mother, otherwise I definitely would have been late!"
Duoduo said, affectionately hugging the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"A nightmare? Don't be afraid, dreams aren't real!" Relieved, the Princess Consort of Pingyang gently stroked Duoduo's back.
"Mhm! Mother, I'm going to class!"
Duoduo nodded. She was carried out of bed by the Princess Consort of Pingyang, washed her face, and left with Lüzhu.
When she arrived at the study, Yingniang was already waiting there.
"Duoduo, you're here!" Yingniang happily came forward to greet her.
"Duoduo, I have good news for you!"
Duoduo smiled.
"What good news? Tell me quickly."
"Our whole family is going to the capital with you!"
Yingniang couldn't contain her joy.
"Really? That's wonderful!"
Duoduo couldn't help but hug Yingniang, jumping up and down.
"My father said that the Prince once mentioned bringing him along to the capital."
"However, considering my mother and me, he didn't agree back then."
"But today, when my mother brought it up to my father, they discussed it and decided to go with you."
Yingniang whispered the whole story to Duoduo.
"That's so great! We can look at sheep together!" Duoduo excitedly threw her previous unpleasantness to the back of her mind.
"What are you two so happy about?"
Li Jin walked in.
Duoduo's eyes lit up as she looked at Li Jin.
"Master, Big Sister says your whole family is also going to the capital with us?"
Li Jin nodded.
"Yes!"
"I thought about it. You can't fall behind on your studies, so I can still give you lessons on the road."
Duoduo was so thrilled she was beside herself with joy.
"That's wonderful, I'll have a companion!"
Infected by Duoduo's excitement, Li Jin smiled.
"Aren't you afraid your workload will increase, Princess? If you don't finish your assignments, I'll smack your palms!"
Duoduo shook her head with a beaming smile.
"You never hit anyone, Master. Your ruler is only used to shoo away bugs!"
Li Jin touched the tip of his nose.
Er, when the student is too smart, the teacher feels the pressure.
Li Jin waved his hand, signaling the two to sit down and get ready for class.
Duoduo suddenly remembered something.
"Master, when is Master Zhang coming back?"
Li Jin opened his book and looked up.
"Why think of Master Zhang all of a sudden? Do you want him to go to the capital with us too?"
Duoduo smiled sheepishly.
"You're so smart, Master. You guessed it right away."
Li Jin thought for a moment. "He probably won't go."
"By the way, the Princess Consort has already sent someone to deliver a letter to Master Zhang. He should be back a bit later."
Li Jin looked at Duoduo.
"Have you finished the homework Master Zhang left for you?"
"Master Zhang really will smack your palms, you know!"
Duoduo stuck out her tongue.
"I've already finished it! I'll look over it again when I go back tonight. There definitely won't be any problems."
Li Jin pondered for a second. "Princess, let me discuss something with you."
"How about this? Since I am going to the capital with you, we might as well do our lessons while we travel."
"Before we depart, spend all your time studying with Master Zhang!"
"You have a good memory. Just have Master Zhang go over all the material with you once."
"Later, you can slowly figure it out on your own. If there's anything you don't understand, you can write a letter to Master Zhang."
"This way, if you run into a situation like last time, you won't be completely at a loss."
After hearing this, Duoduo nodded vigorously.
"Okay!"
"I also have to learn palace etiquette from the nanny. Big Sister, will you learn it with me?"
Yingniang hurriedly waved her hands.
"I'm not learning that!"
Li Jin, however, expressed his agreement.
"Yingniang, having many skills is never a burden. It doesn't hurt to learn more."
"Besides, an ordinary family couldn't even hire Nanny Li with money."
"You will only benefit from learning etiquette from Nanny Li; there's no harm in it."
"I'm agreeing on your behalf. You're going!"
"You are the Princess's study companion. Naturally, where she is, you will be!"
Yingniang pulled a long face.
"Father, Nanny Li is so scary!"
"A strict teacher produces outstanding students. With a teacher like her, you will definitely benefit a lot!"
"Alright, it's settled. Open your books, class is starting."
Li Jin made the final decision.
Yingniang had a bitter expression. What could she do if she didn't want to learn?
Duoduo comfortingly pulled Yingniang's hand.
"Big Sister, Nanny Li just looks cold. In reality, she's very soft-hearted."
"I hope so."
With Li Jin making the decision, Yingniang had no way to resist.
Actually, at noon, Xu Jinxin had quietly asked Yingniang about it.
Yingniang had refused without hesitation.
She told Xu Jinxin what Nanny Li was like. She was terrified just looking at Nanny Li, let alone learning etiquette from her.
Xu Jinxin was so amused by her daughter's description of Nanny Li as a man-eating monster that she laughed uproariously.
In the end, Xu Jinxin respected her daughter's wishes.
As a result, when it came to her father, it became a foregone conclusion.
Yingniang was unhappy. She was going to complain to her mother when she got back!
Duoduo wasn't in the zone either; she was a bit distracted.
After Li Jin finished teaching the day's material, he looked up and realized that the two girls below were both absent-minded.
There was no need to mention Yingniang.
Because the lesson he was teaching now was truly too difficult for Yingniang.
However, it was quite rare for Duoduo to space out.
Li Jin walked up to Duoduo and tapped the table with his ruler.
Duoduo snapped back to reality. She stood up abruptly, her face flushing red.
"I'm sorry!" She lowered her head in embarrassment.
Li Jin tapped his palm with the ruler.
Duoduo obediently held out her hand, which Li Jin found amusing.
"Are you admitting your mistake and accepting punishment on your own initiative?"
Duoduo kept her head down and nodded.
"Master, I was wrong just now. I wasn't listening."
"Recognizing and correcting your mistakes is the greatest virtue. Hitting is just one method of education, not the only way."
Duoduo looked up.
"You aren't angry, Master?"
Li Jin found it a bit funny and gently patted Duoduo's shoulder.
"Why would I be angry? My duty is to impart knowledge."
"Whether you learn or not is your own business."
"If you learn, I will naturally teach you wholeheartedly. If you don't, it's not like I can crack open your head and pour it in."
Duoduo was amused by Li Jin's words and laughed.
"Come, tell me, what problem have you run into? Your brows are tied in knots."
