"I don't understand! And I can't just stand by and do nothing!" Duoduo's eyes were extremely determined.
"Father, neither I nor Mother will let you stand on the front lines all by yourself."
"Mother, am I right?"
Duoduo pulled on Su Xian's hand and shook it gently.
Su Xian wiped her eyes, nodding as she choked back a sob.
"Yes!"
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo and his wife, the iceberg on his face slowly melting away.
Suddenly, he raised his hand and flicked Duoduo's forehead with his finger.
"Such a big tone for such a little person!"
As Xiao Yi spoke, a smile played at the corners of his lips.
Duoduo boldly hugged Xiao Yi's arm and pulled Su Xian over, bringing the family close together.
"Daddy, Mother, and Duoduo, we are a family!"
"We will advance and retreat together with Daddy!"
Su Xian dried her tears and gave Xiao Yi a warm smile.
"Yes! Every time I see Your Highness worrying alone, I become so anxious that I cannot sleep."
"Your Highness, although I am quite useless, I will work hard to change!"
Xiao Yi felt the warmth radiating from his arm and saw his wife's warm smile.
He pursed his lips.
"Bringing you two along will only make things more tiring for me!"
"You're both so silly, not knowing how to enjoy a good life!"
Although Xiao Yi said this, he reached out and gathered the two most important women in his life into his arms.
At this moment, the hearts of the family grew even closer.
The next day at the crack of dawn, Duoduo got out of bed.
Following her usual routine, she exercised for a while first, then returned to her room to wash up and change clothes before going to pay her respects to her parents.
Xiao Yi looked at the fully dressed-up Duoduo and nodded in satisfaction.
"Your daughter pays her respects to Father and Mother!"
As soon as she entered the room, Duoduo obediently bowed to Xiao Yi and Su Xian.
Su Xian stood up to help Duoduo rise, pulling her over to sit at the dining table.
"Duoduo, when you enter the palace, you absolutely must not be nervous."
Su Xian instructed her nervously.
Su Xian had been so worried last night that she hadn't slept well at all.
She was afraid Duoduo would be bullied in the palace, and worried that something bad might happen to her.
Seeing the dark circles under Su Xian's eyes, Duoduo nodded obediently.
"Mother, don't worry, I am not nervous!"
Xiao Yi picked up his chopsticks. "After breakfast, Father will accompany you into the palace."
Su Xian's eyes lit up; with Xiao Yi accompanying her, she felt much more at ease.
Duoduo was a bit curious.
"Father, are you going to the Imperial College too?"
Xiao Yi chewed and swallowed the food in his mouth before speaking.
"His Majesty has shown grace by allowing you to study at the Imperial College. According to custom, one must enter the palace to express gratitude."
Duoduo nodded.
"Okay!"
"Duoduo, Mother has arranged for Lianxin and Nanny Li to accompany you to the Imperial College."
Lianxin was steady and poised; in emergencies, she could handle things calmly and well.
Nanny Li was a veteran nanny from the palace; whether in terms of connections or anything else, she was the best candidate.
Duoduo shook her head.
"Mother, I'll just take Lüdou and the nanny."
"Today is the soft opening of the barbecue shop. Have Lianxin go and see if Aunt Xu needs any help."
Su Xian paused, touching her cheek.
"Ah, I actually completely forgot about that."
Yesterday, she had been so preoccupied with worrying about Duoduo going into the palace that she forgot such an important matter.
Duoduo patted Su Xian reassuringly.
"Mother, you should go back and catch up on some sleep later. Let Lianxin and the others handle everything else."
As the Princess Consort of Pingyang, it was not suitable for Su Xian to show her face in public too often.
Su Xian nodded; she naturally understood this reasoning.
"After you enter the palace, aside from going to the Imperial College, you absolutely must not leave Nanny Li's side."
Su Xian instructed, still feeling uneasy.
"Mother, you've said that many times already," Duoduo replied, feeling a bit helpless.
Su Xian smiled with a face full of worry. "Eat up, make sure you're full."
Duoduo nodded and buried her head in her food.
After eating, Xiao Yi led Duoduo and they boarded the carriage.
"Father, I didn't see the teacher this morning," Duoduo remarked curiously.
The corners of Xiao Yi's lips curled up.
"He got obsessed with that pile of rocks and stayed up very late last night before going back to rest."
Duoduo smiled too.
"To think the teacher is also a money-grubber!"
Xiao Yi's gaze landed on Duoduo's waist.
"Why are you still wearing this jade pendant? Didn't I tell you that you don't need to wear it?"
Hanging at Duoduo's waist was still the jade pendant given by Prince Ling.
Duoduo picked up the jade pendant and touched it.
"I'll just wear it for today. Aren't we going to kowtow and thank Imperial Grandfather first?"
Xiao Yi understood Duoduo's intention and nodded.
Afterward, the two rode in silence until the carriage began to slow down.
Xiao Yi gently nudged Duoduo. "Duoduo, wake up."
Duoduo sat up straight, her face still clouded with sleepiness. "Father, where are we?"
Just now, the rocking of the carriage had lulled Duoduo to sleep.
She had fallen asleep leaning against Xiao Yi.
Worried that she might roll onto the floor, Xiao Yi had held her in his arms.
"We have arrived outside the palace gates."
Xiao Yi reminded Duoduo, "Give me the needles."
Duoduo rubbed her eyes, instantly waking up from her drowsiness.
"Father, let me do it!"
Duoduo took a cloth pouch from her robes, pulled out the silver needles inside, and swiftly inserted them into Xiao Yi's knees.
Duoduo looked at Xiao Yi with a pained expression.
"Father, you really didn't need to accompany me."
Duoduo didn't want to have to give Xiao Yi anesthetic acupuncture every time.
She was worried that if she ever made a mistake and hurt her father, she would regret it forever.
Seeing the sadness on Duoduo's face, Xiao Yi gently touched her cheek.
"It's fine. Besides, I had to make this trip today anyway."
"Why?" Duoduo asked curiously as she began to remove the needles.
"Because I suspect that His Majesty didn't just summon you alone."
The Emperor had always believed in distributing his favor evenly, so he absolutely wouldn't have notified only Duoduo.
Duoduo blinked.
"Father, do you mean that all the heirs and princesses who have come to the capital this time will enter the Imperial College?"
Xiao Yi nodded gently.
"Yes!"
"Yesterday, all the princes arrived in the capital with their wives and children."
"The fact that Imperial Father specifically chose to send the notification yesterday means there is definitely more than just you!"
Duoduo thought about how she would not only have to deal with the princes and princesses in the palace, but also interact with Song Shuyu.
For a brief moment, Duoduo felt a sense of bewilderment.
However, this was quickly followed by a strong surge of fighting spirit.
Duoduo understood the reason why her father wanted to enter the palace and let her administer the acupuncture.
"Father, Prince Ling and the others will all enter the palace to express their gratitude, right?"
"Of course. This is an opportunity to show themselves, and naturally, they wouldn't miss it."
Duoduo put away the silver needles, and the carriage came to a halt.
Duoduo grabbed Xiao Yi's hand. "Father, you must be careful then!"
The corner of Xiao Yi's mouth lifted. "Don't worry about Father. You are the one who needs to be careful."
"The people at the Imperial College are not easy to deal with."
"Remember what Father told you: play dumb at first, hide your true abilities, and do not stick your neck out!"
"Of course, if someone bullies you, you should know how to deal with them, right?"
