Xiao Yun'an had met the Grand Tutor before.
When he saw the Grand Tutor standing at the door, he respectfully bowed to him.
"Student Xiao Yun'an greets the Grand Tutor!"
Walking behind Xiao Yun'an, Xiao Yunning heard her brother's words and hurriedly bowed as well.
"Student Xiao Yunning greets the Grand Tutor!"
Song Shuyu, who was walking at the very back, hadn't quite figured out what was going on, but she immediately followed suit and mimicked their bow.
The Grand Tutor kept a stern face. He stretched out the disciplinary ruler in his hand, blocking their path.
"The rise of all things must have its beginning. What is the next sentence?"
Xiao Yun'an clasped his hands behind his back and recited while swaying his head.
"The rise of all things must have its beginning. Honor and disgrace come in accordance with one's virtue. Meat rots and breeds worms..."
"Enough. Calligraphy practice!" the Grand Tutor interrupted Xiao Yun'an's recitation.
A trace of regret appeared on Xiao Yun'an's face.
He had been preparing to show off a bit more!
Xiao Yun'an took out the homework he had meticulously written last night from his book box and respectfully handed it to the Grand Tutor.
The Grand Tutor opened it, took a look, and waved his ruler.
"Thank you, Grand Tutor!" Xiao Yun'an bowed.
"Brother..." Seeing her older brother enter the classroom, a cry for help was called out.
Xiao Yun'an gently shook his head and walked to his seat to sit down.
Xiao Yunning walked to the door nervously.
The Grand Tutor's ruler blocked her line of sight.
"Accumulating earth to make a mountain, wind and rain will rise from it. Next sentence!"
Looking at the Grand Tutor's dark, imposing face, Xiao Yunning's mind instantly went blank.
Xiao Yunning looked at her brother for help, on the verge of anxious tears.
Xiao Yun'an originally wanted to prompt her, but when he looked at the Grand Tutor, he changed his mind.
Their father had warned him never to offend the Grand Tutor.
The Grand Tutor was the teacher who had taught their imperial grandfather, and their imperial grandfather listened closely to his advice.
If he wanted to make a name for Prince Ling's Mansion, he absolutely could not leave a bad impression on the Grand Tutor.
Xiao Yun'an lowered his head and took out his textbook, pretending not to see his sister's gaze.
"Answer!" The Grand Tutor's words struck Xiao Yunning like freezing icicles in winter, pouring down over her head.
Xiao Yunning shuddered in fear.
"Grand Tutor, I forgot. I had it all memorized yesterday!"
"Hold out your hand!" The Grand Tutor kept his stern face and strictly raised the ruler.
Seeing this, Xiao Yunning immediately hid her hands behind her back and stepped backward.
"I don't want to!"
The Grand Tutor stared fixedly at Xiao Yunning.
"If you cannot recite it and do not wish to be punished, then leave!"
Xiao Yunning saw Xiao Yun'an gesturing to her. Remembering her mother's instructions, she closed her eyes and stretched out her hand with the look of someone facing death unflinchingly.
"Smack!"
"Ah!" Xiao Yunning felt a piercing pain in her palm and screamed, bursting into tears.
"Calligraphy practice!" Unmoved, the Grand Tutor raised the ruler in his hand again.
Crying, Xiao Yunning took her calligraphy practice out of her book box.
The Grand Tutor looked at the neat handwriting on it and waved his ruler.
Xiao Yunning hugged her book box and rushed into the room.
Xiao Yunning's ordeal terrified Song Shuyu, who was next in line, to the extreme.
Trembling, she walked up to the Grand Tutor and cautiously held out her hand.
"I can't recite it."
The Grand Tutor gave Song Shuyu an extra glance.
As the current dynasty's Grand Tutor, he naturally knew that Prince Pingyang and Prince Ling had each adopted a foster daughter.
Of course, he also knew that the princess under Prince Ling's name was said to be a lucky star.
It seemed she was a child who knew her own limits.
The Grand Tutor raised the ruler and brought it down with a loud smack.
Song Shuyu's whole body jolted, and tears streamed down her face.
She had thought that by taking the initiative to admit her fault, the Grand Tutor would surely be lenient.
In the end, the Grand Tutor remained fiercely impartial.
It hurt so much!
Song Shuyu put her hand behind her back and rubbed it vigorously, trying to ease the pain.
"Calligraphy practice!" The Grand Tutor waved his ruler.
Song Shuyu hastily placed her book box on the ground and rummaged through it.
Finally, among a pile of books, she found her written calligraphy.
Song Shuyu held the calligraphy with both hands and presented it to the Grand Tutor.
The Grand Tutor looked at the crumpled rice paper, his brows furrowing deeply.
He reluctantly took it and waved his ruler.
Song Shuyu hurriedly hugged her book box and prepared to walk inside. But in her panic, she failed to hold it securely, and it tumbled to the ground.
Books, writing brushes, and an inkstone rolled all over the floor.
The commotion caused those burying their heads in books inside the room to look over at her.
Feeling everyone's staring eyes, Song Shuyu wished the ground would swallow her up.
Song Shuyu saw Duoduo looking at her with a worried expression.
Song Shuyu bit her lip. Flustered, she hastily threw everything back into the book box all at once.
Then, hugging the book box, she bowed to the Grand Tutor and rushed to her seat.
Song Shuyu didn't see that the Grand Tutor's face was as dark as it could possibly be.
Duoduo, who had been observing the outside all along, saw it.
The Grand Tutor's surname was Zhao, and his given name was Hanqing.
The name was derived from the phrase, "Leave a loyal heart shining in the pages of history."
Zhao Hanqing was rigid in character and extremely strict in his demands.
However, he was profoundly knowledgeable, having taught not only the Emperor but also Prince Pingyang.
He despised those who lacked the desire to improve, and he hated sycophancy.
In the imperial court, he belonged to the pure and upright faction.
Furthermore, he never participated in the struggles of any of the princes.
His descendants, just like him, were all top-tier scholars.
They were all the same kind of bookworms, possessing the unyielding character of men of letters.
Even if their family could not afford to eat, they still couldn't bear to buy one less book.
In her mind, Duoduo silently recalled the information her father had given her about the Grand Tutor.
As class time approached, more and more people walked into the room.
Those who could not recite the text and had not done their homework stood in a row behind the Grand Tutor.
Because yesterday's teacher was only a substitute.
Therefore, many people had not taken the assignments he gave to heart.
Everyone was even more surprised that the Grand Tutor would actually block the door to collect homework.
As a result, half of the people in the classroom were punished by being made to stand outside.
Not only that, but they also had to memorize the text "Encouraging Learning" thoroughly before school ended in order to go home.
As for yesterday's calligraphy practice, they were punished to copy it ten times and submit it tomorrow.
The classmate on Duoduo's left was among them.
Several of his close friends did not escape either.
What surprised Duoduo a little was that Xiao Yunchuan from Prince Xian's Mansion had actually passed the Grand Tutor's test.
Duoduo clearly remembered that in the information her father gave her, it stated that Xiao Yunchuan disliked studying.
Duoduo looked at Xiao Yunchuan's figure thoughtfully.
Was the intelligence wrong, or did Xiao Yunchuan know in advance that the Grand Tutor would conduct a spot check?
Duoduo suddenly remembered that Prince Xian's Mansion had a secondary consort who seemed to be a concubine-born daughter from a collateral branch of the Grand Tutor's family.
Duoduo nodded to herself.
If the intelligence wasn't wrong, then this was the reason.
The Grand Tutor, keeping a stern face, brought the ruler in his hand down hard on the table with a loud smack.
"Now, we will begin today's first lesson!"
Duoduo hurriedly focused her mind and started to listen to the Grand Tutor's lecture.
