After finishing her breakfast, Duoduo immediately began her intensive lessons with Nanny Li.
"You did well, Commandery Princess. Thank you for your hard work."
Seeing that Duoduo had done very well today, Nanny Li offered a few words of praise.
Duoduo straightened her back and gave Nanny Li a smile.
[This nanny seems alright right now, but unfortunately, she will soon betray them for the sake of her child.]
Golden words suddenly appeared before her eyes.
The smile on Duoduo's face froze.
The golden words continued to scroll.
[Because of his gambling addiction, her son will be set up by the Second Prince's men.]
[He not only sold his wife but also sold his child.]
[In the end, unable to pay off his debts, he is about to be killed by the casino thugs.]
[He thought of Nanny Li and begged her for help.]
[To save her son's life, Nanny Li was forced to follow the orders of the Second Prince's men.]
[Later, she secretly poisoned the tea of the Princess Consort of Pingyang, killing her.]
[However, she did not know it was poison. The Second Prince's men told her it was just a drug to make someone weak.]
[To save her child, Nanny Li, who had been smart her whole life, had a moment of foolishness, ultimately ruining both others and herself.]
[In the end, not only did she die, but even her son was torn to pieces by the Prince of Pingyang and burned to ashes!]
The golden words kept scrolling, making Duoduo a little dizzy.
Seeing Duoduo staring blankly at her, Nanny Li felt an inexplicable chill down her spine.
Could the Commandery Princess be possessed?
"Commandery Princess? Commandery Princess?"
Nanny Li reached out and gently nudged Duoduo.
Duoduo snapped back to reality and blinked.
"Nanny Li, what is it?"
Seeing that Duoduo seemed fine, Nanny Li thought her previous state must have been an illusion.
"What happened to you just now? Did you not sleep well last night?"
Nanny Li reached out to touch Duoduo's forehead; it wasn't hot.
Duoduo tilted her little head up and gave Nanny Li an obedient smile.
"I had a nightmare while sleeping last night."
Nanny Li felt relieved.
"Dreams are the opposite of reality. You shouldn't believe them, Commandery Princess."
Duoduo nodded. She pointed at a stool. "Nanny, I'm tired. Sit down, let's rest for a while."
"Yes, Commandery Princess."
Nanny Li curtsied and sat down.
Duoduo rolled her large eyes, thinking about how to bring up the subject.
Nanny Li sat perfectly straight, her head half-lowered, her eyes focused downward in deep concentration, her etiquette absolutely impeccable.
Duoduo picked at her palm.
"Nanny, do you have any children?"
Nanny Li was taken aback for a moment. Why would the Commandery Princess ask such a question?
She nodded. "This old servant has a son and a daughter."
Curiosity appeared in Duoduo's eyes.
"Where are they? How old are they? What do they do?"
If anyone else had asked these questions, Nanny Li would definitely have been suspicious.
However, since the person asking was Duoduo, Nanny Li had no guard up.
"This old servant's daughter is twenty-five. She is married, and her husband's family is in the capital."
"This old servant's son is twenty. He lives not far from Xianyang."
"Why doesn't your son come to the prince's manor?" Duoduo was full of curiosity.
Nanny Li seemed to sigh.
"He is a good-for-nothing, so I won't trouble the Prince with him."
"Besides, he has now taken a wife and become a father. He has people to protect, so it's not convenient for him to run around."
Nanny Li patiently explained to Duoduo.
Duoduo rolled her eyes. "Then don't you miss him, Nanny?"
Nanny Li pursed her lips.
"When little birds grow up, they must fly out of the nest."
"When children grow up, they no longer rely on their parents."
"As long as they live their lives well, this old servant has nothing to worry about."
"Alright, Commandery Princess. We have rested long enough. Please continue."
Nanny Li strictly monitored the rest time.
"Oh."
Having found no solution, Duoduo was somewhat absent-minded afterward.
Although Nanny Li was very strict with her, after spending time together, Duoduo felt that Nanny Li was a good person.
Duoduo believed that only bad people deserved to die, while good people should live well.
Duoduo wanted to help Nanny Li, but it seemed she couldn't make any headway from Nanny Li's end.
What should she do?
Duoduo was a little anxious because the golden words hadn't specified when Nanny Li would administer the poison.
Had Nanny Li's son already sold his family members?
With her mind divided, Duoduo's performance was noticeably less satisfactory than before.
Nanny Li assumed it was because Duoduo hadn't slept well the night before, leading to her lack of focus.
"Alright, Commandery Princess, that will be all for today's lesson."
Nanny Li checked the water clock; Duoduo had already studied for two shichen, which was enough.
"Thank you for your hard work, Nanny!"
Duoduo gave Nanny Li a half-curtsy, and Nanny Li hurriedly returned the gesture.
"You are too polite, Commandery Princess. It is all this old servant's duty."
Duoduo's eyes curved into a smile. "I'm going to look for Mother."
Nanny Li nodded. She called for Lüzhu to accompany Duoduo to the Princess Consort of Pingyang's quarters.
As Duoduo walked, she pondered how she could get her mother to help her.
The Princess Consort of Pingyang was sitting with Lianxin, doing some embroidery.
Hearing a servant report that Duoduo had arrived, the Princess Consort of Pingyang put down her embroidery.
"Duoduo is here?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang smiled and waved at Duoduo, who ran over to her.
"This servant greets the Commandery Princess." Lianxin put down what she was holding and curtsied to Duoduo.
Duoduo smiled at Lianxin and then leaned into the embrace of the Princess Consort of Pingyang.
"Mother, what are you doing?"
"Mother is embroidering a bellyband for you. It's almost finished. Take a look, do you like it?"
The Princess Consort of Pingyang picked up the red bellyband beside her.
Upon seeing it, Duoduo's eyes lit up. "Wow, it's so pretty!"
On the red silk, a golden carp swishing its tail was embroidered with golden thread.
The carp was embroidered so vividly that it looked as if it would jump right off the fabric in the next second.
"Do you like it? Mother just has a little bit of finishing work left. When this one is done, Mother will make another one for you to change into."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang carefully set the bellyband aside, afraid that the embroidery needle might prick Duoduo.
"Mother, you don't need to. Having Lianxin and the others embroider it is the same. Your daughter doesn't want you to work too hard."
Duoduo snuggled against the Princess Consort of Pingyang, acting softly coquettish.
"It's not hard work. Mother is just passing the time."
"By the way, weren't you learning etiquette from Nanny Li? How do you have free time to come over?"
Duoduo's large eyes darted around.
"Mother, has Nanny Li been away from home for so long that she is homesick?"
"I was chatting with her today, and when she talked about her son, she sighed."
The Princess Consort of Pingyang thought for a moment.
"Nanny Li has been in the manor for quite some time now. Her daughter-in-law recently gave birth, so she must be worrying about her family."
"How about this: when we have lunch, Mother will discuss it with your father."
"We'll see if we can give Nanny Li a few days off so she can go back and visit. That way, she can work with peace of mind."
Duoduo broke into a wide smile.
