The Emperor was amused by Duoduo’s expression.
Back then, he had sent all his grandchildren to the Imperial Academy because he himself had been influenced by his elders from a young age.
He understood that only by reading extensively could one learn to distinguish right from wrong.
That was why he had treated all his grandchildren equally and sent them to the Imperial Academy.
He had even specifically instructed the Grand Tutor to teach them.
Naturally, the Grand Tutor reported their progress to him as well.
Duoduo was no exception.
According to the Grand Tutor, Duoduo was not the most outstanding of the bunch.
However, his overall evaluation of her was quite positive.
One had to know that the Grand Tutor was an extremely demanding man.
Even the Emperor himself had been reprimanded by him back in the day.
Thinking of this, the Emperor casually asked Duoduo a few questions.
She answered every one of them fluently.
A look of surprise flashed through the Emperor’s eyes.
After thinking for a moment, he increased the difficulty.
“The greatest danger to a nation lies in appearing peaceful and free of trouble while hidden dangers are actually waiting to erupt.”
“Should one sit back and watch events unfold, or rise and forcefully intervene?”
A flicker passed through Duoduo’s eyes.
She and her teacher had once discussed this famous essay on statecraft.
She remembered the standard answer word for word.
But what was Grandfather’s intention in asking her about it?
And why bring it up in this setting, at this particular moment?
Duoduo saw the serious look on her grandfather’s face as he waited for her answer.
After thinking for a moment, she began to reply cautiously.
“A true man must know both what to do and what not to do.”
“When faced with the greatest danger to the realm, one should naturally act.”
“When the nest is overturned, no eggs remain unbroken. Therefore, we must rise and forcefully intervene!”
The Emperor regarded Duoduo with a meaningful look.
He pondered for a long while, then suddenly asked, “How is your father’s health?”
Duoduo was nearly caught off guard by the sudden change of subject.
“Grandfather, Father is fine.”
Halfway through her reply, inspiration suddenly struck her.
“Grandfather, do you still remember the Miracle Physician?”
A moment of confusion flashed through the Emperor’s eyes, but he quickly understood.
“Mm. What about him?”
Duoduo blinked her large eyes.
“He said he might have found a clue to the antidote.”
The Emperor’s gaze froze for an instant.
“Oh? Has he discovered what kind of poison it is?”
Duoduo shook her head. “I don’t know!”
“The Miracle Physician only said he might have found something.”
“We won’t know the specifics until he tries it out!”
“Grandfather, you mustn’t let this slip.”
“If it doesn’t work, Father will be terribly disappointed!”
Duoduo gave him the warning with great solemnity.
The suspicion in the Emperor’s eyes vanished.
He had initially wondered whether the Prince of Pingyang had deliberately arranged for Duoduo to tell him this.
But now, it seemed that Duoduo had merely overheard the Miracle Physician by accident.
Poison?
Was he poisoned as well?
How could there be such a coincidence?
The Emperor recalled how the Prince of Pingyang had fallen from his horse. He had heard that the horse had suddenly bolted and could not be restrained.
Later, they had investigated repeatedly, but never discovered the cause.
The Emperor remembered that when he had first been poisoned, he had suddenly become extremely irritable and wanted to kill anyone he saw.
At the time, he had simply assumed that the pressure of his duties and lack of rest had caused his foul temper.
But thinking back on it now, it seemed that something was on the verge of surfacing.
Who had poisoned him?
The Emperor fell into deep thought.
Duoduo did not urge him. Instead, she curiously examined everything in the room.
On the table by the window lay a sheet of calligraphy that had not yet been finished.
Before the Emperor was an unfinished chess game.
Curious, Duoduo walked over to take a look.
She had learned chess from her father.
Although her skills were not very good, she could barely understand the current position.
Bored, Duoduo picked up the pieces and began playing against herself.
However, after only a few moves, she found herself in a stalemate.
Frowning, Duoduo propped her chin on her hand and pondered her next move.
At that moment, a hand reached over from above her head.
The Emperor picked up a chess piece and placed it in an empty spot.
Duoduo jolted back to her senses.
“Grandfather, I was only playing around!”
“I’ll put everything back where it was!”
As she spoke, she reached out to restore the board.
Her memory was excellent, after all. The game from just now was still imprinted clearly in her mind.
The Emperor pressed down on her hand.
“It’s fine. It’s only a game of chess.”
“Can you play?”
Duoduo blinked. “My chess skills aren’t very good!”
“Father always says my chess is terrible!”
A smile appeared in the Emperor’s eyes.
“That’s all right. You can play a game with your grandfather.”
“Let’s see just how terrible your chess really is.”
Duoduo mischievously scrunched up her nose.
“It’s not terrible!”
“It’s just that Father’s chess is too good!”
“I’m still young. When I grow up a little more, I’ll definitely be able to defeat him!”
The Emperor nodded in agreement.
“Indeed. A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger.”
“Not bad. You have ambition!”
“Go ahead.”
He nodded toward the board, indicating that Duoduo should make the first move.
Duoduo picked up a black stone from beside the board and placed it down without hesitation.
A strange glint flashed through the Emperor’s eyes.
With a smile at the corners of his mouth, he casually placed a white stone.
Duoduo immediately followed with another black stone.
The interest in the Emperor’s eyes deepened.
The two of them continued taking turns. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen stones had been placed.
This had originally been an endgame.
After their moves, there were hardly any empty spaces left to fill.
“I’m going to start capturing your pieces now!” the Emperor announced cheerfully.
Duoduo puffed out her little chest.
“Good! Bring it on!”
“I’m not afraid!”
A trace of astonishment crossed the Emperor’s face.
Then he laughed.
The pieces beneath his fingers began to fall faster and faster.
Duoduo sped up as well.
“Capture!” The Emperor’s white stones swallowed up a large group of Duoduo’s black stones.
“I’ll capture yours too!”
Duoduo captured a group of the Emperor’s black stones in return.
The Emperor froze.
How had he failed to notice that?
Duoduo proudly shook her head.
“Grandfather, it’s your turn!”
This time, the Emperor played much more cautiously.
He studied the board for quite a while before placing a stone.
Duoduo placed one as well.
After several more moves, Duoduo once again cried out happily, “I captured another group!”
Although it was only a few black stones, the Emperor’s expression changed.
Duoduo returned the captured pieces to the bowl.
She secretly glanced at the Emperor.
“Grandfather, you’re not angry that I captured your pieces, are you?”
The Emperor looked at the chessboard, where his pieces had been slaughtered and scattered in every direction. He was so furious that he laughed instead.
“Your chess skills are terrible?”
Duoduo blinked innocently.
“That’s right!”
“Whenever I play with Father, he scolds me afterward.”
“Grandfather, you’re so nice!”
“Unlike Father. He scolds me every time, and he never goes easy on me!”
“Grandfather, you must love Changle, so you deliberately let me win, right?”
Duoduo gazed up at him with wide eyes, her face full of expectation as she waited for the Emperor’s answer.
The Emperor looked at the chessboard, then at Duoduo’s innocent expression.
Only he himself knew that he had not gone easy on Changle.
On the battlefield, there were no fathers and sons.
At that moment, Yunxiao, standing guard outside the courtyard, was frantic with impatience.
Why hadn’t the Princess come out yet?
