Chapter 89 Flower Notes

"She said the Xiao family couldn't produce two royal companions, and your third brother was enough."

The Empress's words made sense. Xiao Yuxuan thought for a moment and asked:

"In that case, would you like to leave the palace and study at Yuxiu Academy? The Princess is currently in charge of Yuxiu Academy, so it would be easy for her to take care of you."

Qi Minying's eyes lit up.

Yes, how could she not have thought of that!

"I'll go find my mother right away!"

Qi Minying ran off in a flurry, while Xiao Yuxuan smiled and packed her things before leaving the horse farm.

The carriage swayed, but did not return to the Xiao residence.

Lan Xin smiled and said, "Miss Xiao, Her Highness the Princess instructed that after you have finished your studies, you should go to the Princess's residence first. She wants to test you. She didn't say anything earlier because she was afraid that you would feel pressured if you knew."

Lanxin did not follow them to the horse farm, so she naturally did not know that the Crown Prince was injured and had not taught her anything.

Bi Sui followed them inside, and just as she was about to speak, Xiao Yuxuan raised her hand to interrupt her and shook her head slightly.

"I see. Your Highness doesn't trust me enough. I will certainly learn diligently from this excellent opportunity and will not let Your Highness down."

Lan Xin concealed her expression well, but Xiao Yuxuan still saw through it.

The eldest princess was not preparing to test her all along; rather, she wanted her not to return to the Xiao residence.

But why?

What happened at the Xiao residence in just a few hours?

As they were about to pass by the Xiao residence, Xiao Yuxuan lifted the curtain of the carriage window and glanced out.

At this moment, the gate of the Xiao residence was completely blocked by several carriages and a group of people. Judging from the decoration of the carriages and the clothes worn by the people, they seemed to be the carriages and servants of an official family.

Xiao Yuxuan was not familiar with the high-ranking families in the capital. She could only look at these people and did not know which family had come to visit.

Her chest was pounding, as if something bad had happened.

The Princess's residence had been preparing to welcome Xiao Yuxuan. Her carriage came to a steady stop at the gate, and servants and maids surrounded her, helping her inside.

The eldest princess sat upright, a rare sight for her. Master Nie sat beside her, both of them frowning as they meticulously compared the countless calligraphy scrolls piled on the table, their faces contorted with frustration.

"Yu Xuan, you're here. Come over here quickly."

Hearing Xiao Yuxuan enter, the Princess looked up, her brow relaxing slightly. She then beckoned for her to sit beside her, and watched as Xiao Yuxuan drank a cup of tea and obediently ate two pieces of pastry before saying:

"I called you here for no other reason than to ask you about Xiao Jue's marriage, right?"

Xiao Yuxuan nodded blankly, but her heart skipped a beat.

Dai Cheng came to talk to her about the flower stationery today. Has it been leaked so quickly?

"When Xiao Jue found out that the Dai family girl came to see you today, he suddenly went crazy. He abandoned his post, left work early, and rushed to the Dai family, saying that he wanted to break off the engagement with the Dai family girl and that she was too young—forget it, why should I tell you all this?"

The princess's restless, gossipy heart suddenly calmed down when she met Xiao Yuxuan's inquisitive gaze.

Xiao Jue's words were too harsh and hurtful. Even the elderly Minister Dai was so angry that he almost fainted.

Moreover, Xiao Jue is now Yu Xuan's older brother, so she can't say anything.

She can't lead the children astray.

"Did Miss Dai show you this flowered stationery? In any case, she was furious with Xiao Jue and publicly said that he and the owner of this stationery had secretly pledged their lives to each other, which was unjust. If anyone should break off the engagement, it should be the Dai family... She also said that the owner of this stationery was a student of Yuxiu Academy."

"As you know, I am now in charge of Yuxiu Academy. Minister Dai is a man of principle. Since Xiao Jue refused to speak, he came directly to me with some things, asking me to compare the handwriting."

Xiao Yuxuan never knew that Xiao Jue, who was capable of passing the imperial examinations and entering officialdom, could be so crazy.

In this lifetime, she did indeed establish a good relationship with Dai Cheng beforehand, precisely so that she wouldn't actually marry Xiao Jue.

That's why Dai Cheng rushed over to find her in a panic.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Jue reacted so strongly.

She told Dai Cheng that the person whose handwriting was there might be at the girls' school, just to give her some advance notice so that she wouldn't be too shocked or overwhelmed when she found out the truth.

It now seems that all plans need to be started ahead of schedule.

“Yuan Yuan and I have compared these handwritings several times, but none of them are the same. You are young and have sharp eyes, so please come and help us take a look.”

The eldest princess placed the stack of girls' schoolwork in front of Xiao Yuxuan, then rubbed her wrist and muttered:

"Is this Miss Dai mistaken? Where did she get this information?"

Xiao Yuxuan's fingers paused slightly; Dai Cheng hadn't actually said what she meant.

The eldest princess continued, "Although not everyone at Yuxiu Academy is an outstanding individual, surely no one there would do something so shameful?"

Nie Youran lifted her eyelids and glanced at Xiao Yuxuan, then looked at the Princess.

"You can't see into someone's heart. Not everyone is focused on going to school."

"Alright, even if she really is a student at the girls' school, this is not your oversight."

As the dean of the academy, the princess was furious to see such a bad apple among her students.

But after comparing them until their eyes were blurry, they still couldn't find out who the person was, and their anger turned into suspicion.

Nie Youran remained calm throughout. She took out a small calligraphy scroll with floral patterns, held it up to let the sunlight shine through, frowned, and squinted as she read through each word.

"This handwriting is extremely neat and precise."

The paper in her hand was written in Xiao Yuyao's handwriting.

"The only flaw is that it's too rigid and lacks any personal integrity; it's more like a printed book."

Nie Youran dislikes people who are so rigidly disciplined.

While worldly customs may have their faults, those who are born free yet willingly confine themselves to them and find pleasure in them are also indulging in a form of self-degradation.

The eldest princess followed her finger and saw the three characters "Xiao Yuyao" neatly written on the table.

"That little girl hasn't gone to girls' school yet?"

She didn't handle these administrative affairs; most of the time, the tutors below her took care of them. However, she was deeply impressed by Xiao Yuyao's repeated requests for leave.

Although she had some prejudice against Xiao Yuxuan as her older sister, just because she couldn't be a daughter or an older sister didn't mean she couldn't be a student.

"I didn't go. I'm sick. This time, I'm afraid I'll be sick for a long time."

Nie Youran gently placed the paper aside, her eyes clear and bright, as if she could see through everything.

While the two seniors were talking, Xiao Yuxuan sat to the side, comparing and listening attentively.

Although Master Nie didn't say it explicitly, she had a hunch that Master Nie must have guessed that the owner of the floral note was Xiao Yuyao, and perhaps even guessed that it was written with Xiao Yuyao's left hand.

If the eldest princess was outspoken and hated evil, then Master Nie was shrewd and insightful.

Their friendship can be attributed to mutual support and exchange.

"How is it? Can you tell who wrote it?"

The eldest princess asked her anxiously.

Xiao Yuxuan also shook her head: "Your Highness, it may just be a guess that the owner of the flower letter is a female student. Why don't I go and ask my elder brother myself?"