Aunt Jingxi bent down slightly, took three steps back, and then turned around and walked to the back.

Yun Duoduo watched her movements and felt that she was very reserved.

Good heavens, she can leave whenever she wants, run away whenever she wants, and Father hasn't said a word.

[But now that I think about it, Zhao Zhongquan and the others, as well as Kang Fuguo and Huang Meipin whom I met last time, all walked backwards while facing the Emperor when they left the Zichen Palace, only turning their backs to him when they reached the door.]

"Ninth Princess, have you learned it?"

The guard silently stared at Yun Duoduo with a blank expression.

"Yes! Yes!" Yun Duoduo was very afraid of the ruler in Aunt Jingxi's hand. She remembered that's how it was portrayed in TV dramas.

Ministers, eunuchs, and palace maids were not allowed to turn their backs to the emperor.

"Now that you've learned it, Ninth Princess, please demonstrate it!"

Yun Duoduo stepped forward, forced to walk with a stiff upper lip. She bent slightly, bowed her head, raised her hands and clasped them in front of her, and retreated step by step.

"This is wrong!" The discipline nanny raised her ruler and grabbed Yun Duoduo's forearm.

"Keep your arms straight, don't bend them!"

"What kind of state is this, so weak and powerless?!"

Yun Duoduo pouted and stretched out her arm forcefully.

...

Two hours passed, and just when Yun Duoduo was about to give up (her mind went blank and she felt weak all over), Aunt Jingxi announced that today's etiquette instruction was complete and the princess could go eat.

"That's wonderful, thank you so much, Aunt Jingxi!" Yun Duoduo exclaimed happily, her eyebrows and eyes sparkling.

"Ninth Princess, mind your manners." Aunt Jingxi frowned, clearly dissatisfied with Yun Duoduo's performance.

“Ninth Princess, you must not show your emotions on your face; this is a basic etiquette for members of the royal family.”

"Okay, okay!" Yun Duoduo waved to Aunt Jingxi and walked outside.

"Lunch is served! Time to eat!"

Today is another day of hard work and business!

"Let's go eat! If you're not enthusiastic about eating, there's something wrong with your thinking." Yun Duoduo urged Jin Zhuangzhuang, Guan Guan, and Sun Huohuo behind her to hurry up.

"Princess, please rest. This servant will go to the imperial kitchen to prepare the meal," said Ah Xiang.

"No need for that, let's go straight to the Imperial Kitchen!"

The process of serving food back and forth takes a long time, so it's better to go directly to the imperial kitchen where the meal will be served faster.

The group skipped and hopped towards the imperial kitchen, and could smell the aroma from afar.

"Greetings to the Ninth Princess, greetings to Princess Jianing!"

Because these people were frequent visitors to the imperial kitchen, the staff there all knew them. After exchanging greetings, the palace maids and eunuchs conscientiously prepared bowls and chopsticks.

"Old servant, take the food to the side hall next door. The Ninth Princess can dine there." Aunt Wu was about to leave with a plate of crispy pork.

"No need, Aunt Wu, don't bother, we'll just sit here and eat."

"This princess is so hungry she's about to faint."

Yun Duoduo took the plate of crispy pork from Aunt Wu's hand, grabbed a piece, and popped it into her mouth.

"Ouch, it's so hot! It's so hot!"

"Ninth Princess, be careful! Quick, get the plum blossom dew!" Aunt Wu was so anxious that sweat was pouring down her forehead.

"It's alright, Aunt Wu, it's really delicious!" Yun Duoduo took a big gulp of plum blossom dew.

Sun Huohuo, Jin Zhuangzhuang, and Guan Guan sat around the stove, eating from their bowls.

Yun Duoduo grabbed a steamed bun and took a big bite.

[Hmm, holding this steamed bun in my hand feels so reassuring!]

The big, white steamed buns are soft and fragrant.

Mmm, this smells amazing! So great, I feel like I've reached the pinnacle of life!

"Princess, if the discipline nanny sees this, she will definitely say you're behaving improperly," Guan Guan whispered a reminder from the side.

"Sigh, Aunt Jingxi isn't around either," Yun Duoduo said nonchalantly.

"By the way, regarding the flyers, thanks to your help, that pervert is now under house arrest in the manor," Yun Duoduo whispered in Guan Guan's ear.

"I'm happy to be able to help the princess." Guan Guan's face flushed slightly, and she smiled shyly.

“My father had also heard about Tan Biao’s evil deeds. When he heard that it was a report of his crimes, he immediately agreed to write this report on Tan Biao’s crimes.”

"Copying so many copies must have taken a lot of time, right?"

The lack of movable type printing in this era was very inconvenient.

“My father has many friends who are all talented writers and skilled in calligraphy and painting. It just so happens that they can help us this time.”

"Moreover, my father used hemp paper for this flyer. This kind of paper is very thin. When a dozen or so sheets are stacked together, the ink will seep into the next sheet layer by layer when writing. Once you write, you can get ten sheets."

"I see. In any case, this time, we owe a lot to you and your father for your help."

"Here, have a piece of this Buddha's Hand Pastry, it's delicious!"

"Thank you, Ninth Princess."

On the other side, Jin Zhuangzhuang was very picky and picked out all the green peppers, only eating the eggs in the plate.

"Zhuangzhuang, we can't be picky eaters!" Yun Duoduo glanced at Jin Zhuangzhuang.

Jin Zhuangzhuang said "Oh," picked up a slice of green pepper, and put it in his mouth.

"Duo'er, Zhuangzhuang really listens to you!" Sun Huohuo said with a smile.

"That's right, from now on, we'll be a group of four, and I, Yun Duoduo, will protect you!"

[The quartet, that nickname is a bit unlucky...]

"Uh, from now on, the four of us sisters will be F4!"

"Aifu Si, what is that?"

Sun Huohuo shook his head, "Let's not worry about this 'caressing four' or 'caressing eight' for now."

“Duoduo, I’m a proper young man!” Sun Huohuo jumped up and down when he heard Yun Duoduo’s words.

"Okay, okay, we're all best friends when we're together!"

Yun Duoduo picked up a piece of steamed pork rib and stuffed it into Sun Huohuo's mouth.

...

Three days later, Zhen Quede had almost recovered, and Tan Biao asked him to gather information about Grand Secretary Guan and the Guan family.

"Que De, I seem to remember that many of the princess's companions were members of the Guan family."

Zhen Quede looked at Tan Biao with some confusion, and said tremblingly and somewhat fearfully, "Your Highness, this... I really don't know anything about what's going on in the court!"

"You eat and use the manor's food, and what have you been doing all day?!"

"Yes, yes, Your Highness is right to reprimand me."

"At that time, in order to have Grand Secretary Guan select some well-behaved children to serve as the princess's study companions, His Majesty sent Zhao Zhongquan, who was close to him, to personally invite them!"

Tan Biao explained coldly, "Later, that old man sent some people into the palace to be the princess's companions."

"Go and find out which of these Guan family members is closest to Grand Secretary Guan."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Once you find out, there's no need to report to me. Just arrest them and bring them back."

"Since he's trying to trip me up, I won't let him get away with it!"

Zhen Quede's expression tightened slightly, then he nodded, "Yes, I'll take care of it right away."

...?