The retired emperor, dressed in a bright yellow casual robe embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns and with a few strands of white hair at his temples, walked slowly with the gentle support of his personal maid.

Although she was over fifty, her back was still straight, exuding an air of authority without anger.

His eyes and brows conveyed both the majestic authority of an emperor who had weathered many storms and a gentle affection for his juniors.

The Emperor quickly stepped forward, bowed, and performed a standard courtly salute. While supporting his mother's arm, he lowered his voice.

With a hint of helplessness and a sense of "complaining," she said, "Mother, please don't spoil her too much."

Today at the lecture, the Grand Tutor was lecturing on the ancient adage of governance, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it," when she interrupted the lecture and blurted out the nonsense, "Water can also be used to cook porridge."

Enraged, the Grand Tutor smashed the jade ruler in his hand on the spot and threw his lecture notes on the ground. After returning to his residence, he summoned the imperial physician, saying that he was so angry that he could not calm down and even declined the lecture the next day.

"I just reprimanded her, and she argued back, saying that the Grand Tutor was 'narrow-minded and intolerant of dissent.' This girl is becoming more and more unruly!"

The retired emperor glanced at his son, his disdain undisguised, as if to say, "You can't even control a six-year-old child, and you still have the nerve to complain."

He then stretched out his arms and caught the little one who flew into his arms like a cannonball, gently tapping her round nose with his fingertips.

His tone was full of doting affection: "Has our Qi'er angered your father again?"

Let Grandmother see if our son has been wronged? Has your father scolded you again with a stern face?

The emperor watched from the side, on the verge of tears. Looking at the little guy who was curled up in his mother's arms and secretly making faces at him, he could only grit his teeth in silence.

Sure enough, with the Empress Dowager around, he, as the father, became an "outsider" and even lost the confidence to discipline his children.

The Emperor Emeritus gently bounced his granddaughter in his arms and rubbed his cheek against her fluffy bun, making her giggle. The solemn atmosphere in the hall instantly dissipated.

After a moment, she gently placed the little girl on the ground, and then squatted down to look her in the eye, her imperial majesty fading somewhat.

His tone softened, yet carried an undeniable solemnity: "Qi'er has always been intelligent and perceptive, understanding things instantly."

Your grandmother cherishes your rare talent most—you could recognize a thousand characters at the age of three and recite the Analects at the age of five.

She could even offer insightful opinions on court policy discussions, something that many princes and princesses could not match.

Grandmother knows you're quick-witted and always come up with fresh ideas that others wouldn't, which isn't a bad thing. But what happened today was indeed inappropriate.

She paused, then gently took the little girl's chubby hand in hers, her fingertips carrying the warmth of years gone by.

He continued, "Since you are my teacher, you are the one who guides me to the gateway of learning and to understand the principles of things, past and present."

Whether it is the Grand Tutor or the teacher who will teach you calligraphy and archery in the future, you should treat them with reverence and be respectful in your words and deeds.

Listening attentively in class, not interrupting unnecessarily, and not speaking out of turn are the duties and rules of being a student.

Grandmother knows that you think water is useful for more than just "carrying a boat and capsizing it"—that it can be used to cook porridge and water flowers—and that makes a lot of sense.

However, in a solemn setting like a lecture, to casually interrupt the teacher's lecture or interrupt with random remarks is to lose one's sense of propriety and to disrespect one's teacher.

This also disrupted classroom order, which is not the behavior expected of a bright child.

The Emperor Emeritus raised his hand and touched her bun, the pearls on the brocade ribbon swaying gently with the movement.

Her gaze softened further: "Grandmother is not blaming you for having novel ideas, but rather hoping that you understand that 'intelligence' is not just about having a quick mind, but also about knowing how to 'make sense'."

Respecting teachers and valuing their teachings, observing etiquette and rules—only then can your wisdom truly grow into a towering tree. Qi'er, think carefully, isn't what your Grandmother said true?

The hall was filled with the elegant fragrance of sandalwood, and the charcoal fire in the gilded bronze incense burner was burning brightly, making the hall feel warm and cozy.

The little girl stood with her head bowed on the bright yellow brocade carpet embroidered with cloud patterns. The pearl in her hair swayed gently with her subtle movements, making a barely audible rustling sound.

Her face flushed red like a freshly picked apple, even the tips of her ears were rosy, but she still didn't dare to look up at the person in front of her.

She secretly clenched her fingertips deep into the hem of her lotus-colored palace dress, the satin embroidered with lotus blossoms was pinched into deep wrinkles, and even her knuckles turned white.

She clenched her fingers around her sleeve, but still met the Emperor Emeritus's gaze and nodded earnestly.

"Grandmother, Father," her voice was as soft as cotton soaked in honey, yet it carried a clear hint of regret.

His voice trembled slightly at the end, "Your subject... Your subject has realized his mistake."

She secretly glanced at the emperor and saw that the anger on her father's face had faded somewhat.

Only then did he muster the courage to continue: "In class today, the Master was expounding on the great principles of governing the country. I shouldn't have casually said, 'Water can also be used to cook porridge.'"

That would be disrespectful to the Master and to learning.

As she said this, her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was regretting her rashness at the time.

"Your subject has just realized that what angered you, Master, was not that I was wrong, but that I treated the great principles of governing the country as a joke."

The Grand Tutor has been teaching me for three years, instructing me even on the exact height to raise my wrist when holding a pen, yet I've made him return home red-faced, without even finishing the lessons..."

Before she could finish speaking, her eyes welled up with tears. She sniffed, her small hands secretly clenching into fists behind her sleeves, but her tone became more resolute.

"Tomorrow morning, I will go to the storeroom to select the Taohe stone inkstone that Master loves most, and then personally grind a dish of pine soot ink—that is the fine ink that I saved up for half a year to buy."

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