When a child travels a thousand miles, a mother worries.
Su Xian knew that the Prince would never understand how she felt.
"I have matters to attend to. You do not need to wait for me for lunch today."
Xiao Yi instructed Su Xian before leaving with Yun Xiao.
Feeling empty, Su Xian returned to the manor alone.
Everyone was busy with their own affairs, so she also needed to gather her spirits and work hard.
In the carriage, Duoduo was questioning Lüdou.
"Did Shitou come back yesterday?"
Lüdou shook her head.
"I went to ask last night, and they said he had not returned yet."
"I went to look for him again this morning, but they said no one had seen Shitou."
Duoduo could not help but feel a little strange.
"So Shitou did not return to the manor at all last night?"
Shitou had been sent by Duoduo to help out Xu Jinxin and the others.
Yesterday, everyone agreed not to ask about the store's business operations.
Therefore, Duoduo had only instructed Lüdou to check on Shitou.
"I should have asked the gatekeeper just now; he would definitely know." Lüdou looked regretful as she remembered.
Duoduo shook her head.
"It is fine. Maybe we will see them when we come back today."
Before long, the carriage came to a halt. They had arrived at the imperial palace.
Carriages were not allowed inside the palace.
Duoduo alighted from the carriage with Lüdou and Nanny Li, and the three of them walked through the palace gates.
It took about the time an incense stick burns to walk from the palace gates to the Imperial Academy.
Duoduo and Lüdou walked with ease, but Nanny Li was getting on in years. Before they had gone far, her pace began to slow.
"Lüdou, Nanny, I am tired. Let us take a rest."
Duoduo stopped walking.
Nanny Li took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead, looking quite ashamed.
"Princess, it is all because of my useless old arms and legs. I am holding you back."
Duoduo gave Nanny Li a sweet smile.
"Nanny, I am the one who is tired. We will rest a bit before going on."
It was summer. Even though it was still morning, the air was already starting to feel muggy and hot.
Duoduo looked up at the cloudless sky. "Nanny, was it always this hot in previous years?"
While wiping her sweat, Nanny Li also glanced up at the sky.
"It was not this hot in past years. Moreover, I heard that it has not rained at all since summer began this year."
Duoduo turned her head and glanced at the nanny.
She recalled the drought they had encountered on their journey.
"It has not rained in the capital either?" Her eyes revealed her worry.
Nanny Li nodded.
While Duoduo attended classes, as an old servant of the palace, she had gone to chat with some of her former companions.
Naturally, she went to gather information.
"I heard that there were a few showers here in early spring, but they were very light."
"However, since the start of summer, there has been no rain at all."
"Word is that His Majesty is discussing with the ministers about going to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pray for blessings."
Nanny Li kept her voice very low as she finished speaking.
Duoduo nodded heavily.
"Let us go."
They were inside the palace. If someone with ulterior motives heard them privately discussing court affairs, they might be framed for something terrible.
In the palace, one had to be cautious with words and actions.
Having rested for a moment, the three of them soon arrived at the Imperial Academy.
The Imperial Academy had rules that serving attendants could not enter and could only wait under the corridors outside.
Nanny Li and Lüdou watched with worried faces as Duoduo entered the hall.
Carrying her book box, Duoduo walked into the room, only to see a very stern-looking old man standing guard at the door.
Duoduo did not know this person, but she respectfully bowed to him anyway.
The old man looked Duoduo up and down. "If you carve but give up, even rotten wood will not break. What is the next line?"
Looking at the old man's stern expression, Duoduo's eyes filled with curiosity.
This was from the text Encouraging Learning, which the teacher had asked them to memorize yesterday.
Could this person be the Grand Tutor?
Duoduo noticed a few people standing behind the old man, winking and making faces at her.
Duoduo weighed her options for a moment and then recited it.
"If you carve without giving up, even metal and stone can be engraved."
The old man pointed at Duoduo with the discipline ruler in his hand.
"Where is your calligraphy practice?"
Duoduo put down her book box, took out her calligraphy sheets, and respectfully handed them to the old man.
Upon opening them, his eyebrows almost twisted into a knot.
"Hand in ten copies tomorrow!" His tone was extremely displeased.
Duoduo obediently replied, "Yes."
The old man waved the ruler in his hand. Duoduo understood his meaning, picked up her book box, and quickly returned to her seat.
Duoduo was surprised to find that the person on her right had also arrived.
However, as always, they were sleeping.
After settling into her seat, Duoduo looked curiously toward the door.
She did not know who this old man was, but standing guard at the door to collect homework was so scary!
She wondered who would be next.
Just as Duoduo was thinking this, she saw Danyang's figure appear at the door.
Danyang was very unhappy to have her path blocked.
"Why should I answer whatever you ask?"
The old man poked someone behind him with his ruler. "Tell her who I am."
"Danyang, he is the Grand Tutor, and our teacher!"
"You actually dared to talk back to the Grand Tutor. You are done for, Danyang!"
The person who had been poked wore a face full of schadenfreude.
Hearing that the other party was the famously strict Grand Tutor, Danyang's face instantly turned pale with fright.
"Grand... Grand Tutor, I apologize. Your student did not know..."
The Grand Tutor pulled a long face. "You know now? Indigo is extracted from the indigo plant. What is the next line!"
Danyang stammered her reply, "Indigo... is extracted... from the indigo plant... from the indigo plant..."
Seeing the Grand Tutor glaring coldly at her, Danyang's mind went completely blank.
"I memorized it last night... from the indigo plant... Ice, ice, water makes... makes..."
"Enough, hold out your hand!" the Grand Tutor sternly interrupted Danyang's recitation.
Danyang held out her hand, not understanding why.
Smack!
The ruler in the Grand Tutor's hand struck Danyang's hand without hesitation.
"Ah!" Danyang shrieked, staring blankly at the Grand Tutor.
"Waah! You hit me!" Danyang let out an ear-piercing scream.
"Shut up! If you scream again, I will go to Prince Rui right now and tell him to revoke your qualifications!"
The Grand Tutor's words made Danyang's scream catch in her throat.
She tightly gripped her hand, forcing herself not to cry out loud.
"Calligraphy!" The Grand Tutor was completely unmoved, waving his ruler.
Danyang trembled in fear and hurriedly took out her calligraphy sheets from her book box.
Seeing the neat standard script, the Grand Tutor waved his ruler.
Danyang froze for a moment before realizing what he meant, then she quickly grabbed her book box and entered the room.
She sat down, only then noticing that the people who usually messed around in the room were all burying their heads in their books.
Danyang saw that Duoduo, sitting in the back row, was resting her chin on her hands and watching her.
Danyang was stunned for a moment. Duoduo actually had not cried?
Did she pass?
Danyang secretly peeked at the stern-faced Grand Tutor at the door, somewhat regretting that she had chosen a seat so close to the front.
At that moment, Xiao Yunan, Xiao Yunning, and Song Shuyu also arrived at the door.
