Duoduo was the last to walk out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Nanny Li and Lüdou hurriedly came forward to meet her.
Duoduo nodded at the two of them, then followed far behind Song Shuyu and the others as they headed towards the Imperial College.
Inside the palace, towering walls were everywhere. The red walls and green tiles looked beautiful against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds.
Out of the corner of her eye, Duoduo observed the palace surroundings.
For some unknown reason, the two groups of people walking in front suddenly stopped.
Duoduo heard what sounded like an argument breaking out between them.
"Why did you step on my skirt?" Xiao Yunning glared furiously at Song Shuyu.
"Who told you to stop so suddenly? It wasn't on purpose," Song Shuyu retorted, not losing any momentum.
Xiao Yunan tugged at his sister. "Forget it."
Xiao Yunning's face was full of displeasure. "Brother, she got my skirt dirty by stepping on it! Look!"
Xiao Yunan saw a glaring footprint on the hem of his sister's skirt.
He glared at Song Shuyu and then looked at the maidservant standing nearby.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and clean it for the Princess!"
The maid trailing behind hurriedly ran forward, using a handkerchief to wipe it for Xiao Yunning.
Princess Danyang walked behind them, watching the drama unfold.
Duoduo arrived behind the group and saw that they were blocking the path.
Eunuch Li was bent over in the front, lost in his own thoughts.
Regardless, he didn't urge them to hurry.
"Would the young masters and mistresses please make way?" Nanny Li stepped forward and bowed respectfully to them.
"Make way for what? Can't you see we are busy here?"
Seeing her skirt getting dirtier the more it was wiped, Xiao Yunning couldn't help but flare up.
Duoduo glanced at the sky. "It's almost the middle of the Chen hour. I heard we'll be punished if we arrive late!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunan grabbed Xiao Yunning and started to walk away.
"Sister, let's go quickly. Don't fall into someone's trap."
Xiao Yunning bit her lip and had no choice but to follow her brother's pace forward.
Song Shuyu hesitated for a moment but followed along anyway.
Danyang followed behind them at a leisurely pace.
Duoduo checked the sky again and quickened her steps.
She quickly passed Danyang and caught up with Song Shuyu.
Song Shuyu glared at Duoduo.
"What are you doing? Don't even think about passing me!"
After saying that, Song Shuyu lifted her skirt and sped up.
Xiao Yunning, who was walking in front, suddenly slowed her pace.
"Ouch! Why did you step on my foot!"
Song Shuyu cried out, clutching her foot.
Having gotten her revenge, Xiao Yunning raised her eyebrows smugly.
"Oops, I didn't do it on purpose. Who knew you were walking right behind me!"
Song Shuyu was in so much pain that tears streamed from her eyes.
"I've been walking behind you the whole time. You did that on purpose!"
Xiao Yunning glanced at Eunuch Li ahead, let out a haughty hmph, and then caught up with her brother.
Duoduo took the opportunity to pass Song Shuyu and walk ahead.
Song Shuyu was very unwilling to fall behind; she limped and hurried to keep up.
"Lame cat!" Danyang arrogantly passed by Song Shuyu.
Song Shuyu's tears fell like rain.
She never expected to be bullied by Xiao Yunning on her very first day in the palace.
Song Shuyu clenched her fists tightly.
No, a true gentleman must exact revenge!
The group rushed to the Imperial College, but the bell for class had already rung.
Eunuch Li dropped them off and turned to leave.
Xiao Yunan and the others stood at the door as everyone inside turned their gazes toward them.
"Alright, come in."
"Since today is your first class, I won't punish you."
"But if you are late for class again, you will stand at the door to listen to the lecture and submit an extra hundred pages of calligraphy as homework."
The teacher's tone was very stern.
He didn't know what the Emperor was thinking, suddenly stuffing these heirs and princesses into the Imperial College for classes.
"Yes," they replied in low voices.
"Find empty seats for yourselves." The teacher didn't plan to punish them severely, as it was their first time.
Xiao Yunan and Xiao Yunning took the two seats at the very front.
Duoduo took an empty seat by the window.
Danyang sat down next to Duoduo.
Song Shuyu walked in last; with no other choice, she had to take the very last seat.
Looking at the people in front of her, Song Shuyu felt incredibly resentful.
Seeing that they were all seated, the teacher began the lesson.
Before the lecture, the teacher first talked about etiquette and some rules of the Imperial College.
Only then did he start teaching.
Soon, the bell signaling the end of the first class rang.
Song Shuyu stood in front of Duoduo's desk and demanded self-righteously.
"Give up your seat!"
Duoduo looked at Song Shuyu, then stood up and gave up her seat.
Danyang, sitting to the side, was a bit surprised. Disdain appeared in her eyes as she looked at Duoduo.
"Coward!" Danyang sneered dismissively.
Seeing how obedient Duoduo was, Song Shuyu sat down in the seat triumphantly.
Duoduo walked to the last seat in the room and sat down to observe.
Because she was small, sitting in the back meant she was completely blocked from view by the people in front.
On her right, someone was sprawled over the desk, sleeping soundly.
Meanwhile, the classmate on her left was enthusiastically fighting crickets with the person at the next desk.
Duoduo rested her chin in her hands, feeling somewhat helpless.
She had already learned all the content the teacher was teaching.
Therefore, Duoduo had lost interest in what the Imperial College had to offer.
Her father had told her to hide her talents, probably knowing this would be the case all along.
Duoduo had originally thought she would be able to learn something different at the Imperial College.
In the end, it was just the basic knowledge she had learned when she first started studying.
Duoduo felt troubled.
Was she supposed to sleep during class like the classmate on her right?
Duoduo looked at the classmate on her left. He had one leg propped up on his chair, and his right hand was constantly poking the crickets in the cage with a blade of grass while shouting.
"Attack! Attack! You're so stupid!"
Suddenly, a book smacked him right on the head.
He clutched his head and looked around. "Who? Who hit me? Step forward!"
"Shut up! You're too noisy!"
The classmate on Duoduo's right roared impatiently, then turned his head and went back to sleep.
Upon hearing it was him, the person who got hit instantly didn't dare to make a peep.
Duoduo looked at the classmate on her right with some curiosity.
For a brief moment just now, this person's aura exuded an invisible pressure.
Lüdou quietly slipped in through the back door.
"Princess, why did you move from the front to the back? You made this servant search for a long time."
Duoduo smiled and pursed her lips.
"It's quiet in the back. The front is too noisy."
Just earlier, Danyang was moving her desk one moment, shifting her stool the next, touching the clothes of the classmate in front, and then talking to the person next to her.
Duoduo felt that this Danyang was a bit dangerous.
She might cause trouble one of these days.
Since Song Shuyu demanded to switch seats, Duoduo just went with the flow.
"Did you need me for something?" Duoduo asked in a low voice.
Lüdou pressed a small box into Duoduo's hands.
"This servant was worried you might get hungry. Eat a couple of these to tide you over if you do."
After saying this, Lüdou hurriedly walked out.
Servants were not allowed to stay inside the Imperial College.
Duoduo opened the box; inside were peach blossom pastries shaped like real peach blossoms.
Suddenly, a hand reached over and snatched the box away.
