"Father, I already know I was wrong, so please don't scold me anymore."
Xiao Yanzi let go of Chen Nian's hand, walked up to the Emperor, and tried to grab his hand, but she restrained herself under the Emperor's "fierce" gaze.
"oh?"
The emperor clearly looked incredulous.
"Father, Little Swallow has really apologized. Don't scold her anymore, or she'll hold a grudge. She still remembers the time you punished her with a beating."
Yongqi chimed in from behind.
"Your Majesty, I am fine. What happened yesterday is not Princess Huanzhu's fault."
Chen Nian also stepped forward two steps and spoke up for Xiao Yanzi.
It wasn't that she didn't want to speak up for Xiao Yanzi first; it was that Xiao Yanzi took over as soon as the Emperor spoke, and when she was about to speak after Xiao Yanzi finished, Yongqi interrupted her again.
She didn't even have a chance to speak.
Helpless, I could only wait until they had all finished speaking before I spoke.
"Alright then, Little Swallow, I won't hold it against you for scaring Niannian yesterday. You're such a careless person."
The Emperor glanced at Chen Nian, who stood not far away with a normal expression, and then at the person in front of him who was bowing his head. The Emperor reached out and tapped Xiao Yanzi's head.
Watching the two interact, Chen Nian could see that the Emperor truly adored Xiao Yanzi, his eyes filled with envy.
"Alright, let's go in and start class. As for your matter, the Empress Dowager has already spoken to me, and your seat has been prepared."
The emperor waved and went in first, followed by the others.
...
"Niannian, I'm so bored."
Little Swallow looked at the person sitting beside her, who was also resting their chin on their hands and had a blank look in their eyes, and called out softly.
Finally, someone was there to share this torment with her.
She had initially thought she was the only one like this, since everyone around her was academically gifted, which made her feel quite inferior.
Unexpectedly, Shen Nian felt the same way as her, and she felt a sense of balance instantly.
Hehe~
"Um."
Hearing the sound, Chen Nian turned his head and met Xiao Yanzi's big eyes, nodding blankly.
She had thought going to school would be boring, but she never imagined it would be this boring, making her, who was already half asleep, even more drowsy.
Moreover, because of the addition of her, the position where Xiao Yanzi was originally facing the Emperor alone has now become one where she and Xiao Yanzi are facing each other. She can see the Emperor whenever she looks up, which makes her afraid to look up.
The only consolation was that Ertai was by her side, and she could steal a glance from time to time to perk herself up.
Looking at attractive people is one of the few remaining tools she has to stay alert.
"I'm sleepy."
Chen Nian replied to Xiao Yanzi in a breathy voice. The two were sitting close together, and their heads slowly came together.
Those who practice martial arts can hear it. Ertai glanced at the confused person out of the corner of his eye, and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and curl the corners of his mouth.
The emperor, seated in the highest position and sipping tea, looked down at the two heads leaning together below, a smile playing on his lips.
"Princess Pearl—"
"Eh."
Master Ji's voice came down, and he felt the gaze of the entire room focused on him.
The two who were whispering suddenly turned their heads away, sat up straight in unison, put their hands together, and looked guilty.
It's really unpleasant to be caught talking in class by the teacher.
"Hey, Princess Huanzhu, look at me, don't look down."
Master Ji, who was ahead of her, noticed that Xiao Yanzi was looking at the sky, the ground, left and right but not at him, so he called out to her.
"Little Swallow, Master Ji is calling you."
The emperor, sitting on the throne, looked at the person who was still pretending not to hear and called out.
He noticed that Master Ji's expression was very serious, with his brows furrowed. He was somewhat curious about what Little Swallow had done to make Master Ji, this serious old-fashioned man, even more serious than usual.
Since the Emperor had spoken, Xiao Yanzi couldn't pretend she hadn't heard. She glanced at Yongqi, then at Ertai, then at Chennian who was avoiding her gaze, before looking dejectedly at Master Ji and forcing a smile.
"Master Ji, are you testing me again?"
"No, no, no, I won't test you today. It's just that I saw the remarkable essay you submitted last time. The Emperor is here today, could you please have the princess recite this remarkable essay to him?"
As Master Ji spoke, he brought the so-called extraordinary text to Little Swallow.
Feeling the overwhelming pressure emanating from the teacher, Chen Nian silently moved to the side.
No matter what, she's still a kid who's afraid of teachers, not to mention she was just spacing out and her guilty conscience hasn't gotten over yet.
However, upon hearing the words "extraordinary writing," she perked up. She remembered what the plot was about. Now, hahaha, Little Swallow is about to recite her water-drinking poem.
She's here, she's here! Little Swallow is here with her drinking water poem, and she can finally enjoy a safe and immersive melon-eating experience.
Ertai, standing to the side, looked at the man who had suddenly become energetic with a puzzled expression. He glanced at Master Ji, then at the article in Master Ji's hand, and then chose to silently watch what would happen next.
"Ahem, Master Ji, this cannot be read."
As she read Master Ji's article, Xiao Yanzi's expression changed several times before she finally waved her hand.
"Why can't you read it, Little Swallow? If you do well, I will lift your confinement."
The Emperor's voice came from above; he was intrigued by Master Ji's words "extraordinary writing."
"Really? Father?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yanzi immediately perked up, her eyes brightening. She had missed her chance yesterday, but now another opportunity had presented itself, and she couldn't let it slip by this time.
But looking at the article in Master Ji's hand, he still felt discouraged.
"But I still can't read it."
Even with the immense temptation of being released from confinement, Xiao Yanzi still chose to give it up.
Upon hearing the words "lifting the ban," Chen Nian looked up in confusion and gazed at Xiao Yanzi.
Didn't she and Qing'er agree with the Empress Dowager yesterday to lift Xiao Yanzi's confinement? Why is Xiao Yanzi still confined?
Shen Nian had no idea that because of her accident yesterday, the Empress Dowager had changed her mind again.
With Shen Nian in trouble, Qing'er's attention was all on Shen Nian, so she couldn't notice Xiao Yanzi. The Empress Dowager didn't specifically mention this to Qing'er or Shen Nian either, so neither of them knew that Xiao Yanzi's confinement hadn't been lifted.
But Little Swallow was staring at Master Ji, so she couldn't notice Chen Nian's puzzled look.
"Then, Niannian, you read it."
The newly enthroned emperor couldn't wait to watch. Despite Xiao Yanzi's strong resistance, he insisted on watching anyway, and called out to someone who seemed to be watching the show but was actually lost in thought.
"ah?"
Upon hearing the Emperor's voice, Chen Nian subconsciously stood up.
The conditioned response to the teacher calling roll.
"You are here to read Xiao Yanzi's article. You cannot refuse; this is an imperial decree."
"Ah, okay."
To be honest, even though she had already watched the show once, she was still looking forward to Xiao Yanzi's amazing writing.
Moreover, the imperial edict had already been issued, so there was no way to refuse it.
"cough--"
...
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