After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
All eyes were focused on the tiny figure inside the hall.
Those words just now came from the mouth of a three-year-old child?
Why are her words so convincing?
"Enough..." Lord Zhang cupped his hands and said, "It's just a tiger cub. It's not a threat in the short term. Even if the princess can't subdue it, there's still the Ninth Prince."
Upon hearing this, the ministers knew they could say nothing more.
Furthermore, Princess Yuan Yao is truly adorable. At such a young age, she is beautiful and well-behaved, like a little fairy. Moreover, she is kind-hearted yet discerning; who could bear to refuse her?
How could that treacherous minister, the Ninth Prince, raise such an adorable daughter?
I hate it so much...
I really want to steal the baby...
The old man with the long, narrow eyes glanced at the Chu envoy for a moment, then said to Yuan Yao, "It's not impossible for little Yao to raise this tiger cub, but in exchange, you must study at the National Academy."
"Study...study?"
Yuan Yao's eyes widened, and she swallowed hard.
Having finally survived the college entrance exam and graduated from university, a bolt from the blue forces her to start school all over again?
What kind of human suffering is this?!
But the white tiger cub in my arms is so soft, cute, and adorable!!!
Yuan Yao blinked her big eyes, trying to bargain, and sweetly called out, "Daddy..."
The Ninth Prince, with a slight smile, interrupted her in a light voice: "Either study, or kill this tiger cub."
Yuan Yao: "..."
My attempt to be cute failed, I'm so annoyed!
She stroked the fluffy tiger cub, her expression one of fierce determination, as if she were going to her execution. Her sweet little voice rose high: "Fine, I'll go to school!"
At worst, she can just find a way to drop out of school...
On both sides, the ministers were already whispering among themselves—
The National Academy, the highest institution of learning in the Great Qi Dynasty, was established after the Ninth Prince became Regent. In its nearly ten years of operation, the National Academy enrolls a new batch of students every three years, cultivating numerous talents for the Great Qi. Besides the princes and princesses of the Great Qi, students at the National Academy also include the children of high-ranking officials and nobles…
Those who wish to enter the National Academy must be citizens of the Great Qi Kingdom and must be at least six years old.
For nine years, the rules have never been broken!
This year, not only did they recruit princes from other countries, but they also recruited a three-year-old girl.
What is the purpose of the Ninth Prince's actions?
Even if you indulge your daughter, you can't disregard the rules, can you?
Someone tried to speak, but the Ninth Prince waved his sleeve and said, "Let's discuss the arrangements for the princes of the two countries first. We can discuss the rest later."
Upon seeing this, Danqing bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this servant will take the princess away first."
The Ninth Prince nodded, walked leisurely to Yuan Yao's side, bent down, and pinched the bun on her head: "Big dumpling, take the little dumpling to the side hall to play first, and then give it a name. After Daddy finishes dealing with state affairs, I will come to find you."
"Okay, Daddy." Yuan Yao nodded obediently, hugged the tiger cub, and left with great effort.
Upon entering the side hall, tea and refreshments had already been prepared.
Yuan Yao put the tiger cub on the ground, squatted down, and poked the markings on the cub's forehead: "Little guy, what should I name you? Little White? Big White? Snowball?"
"Aww..." The tiger cub raised its little head and rubbed its wet nose against her, wiping her hand with snot.
"What, you don't like the name?" Yuan Yao didn't mind at all. Instead, she stroked the tiger cub's head and whispered, "Tigers are the kings of the mountains. I really wanted to name you 'Great King.' It's a powerful name and it suits you well. But, this name sounds like you're about to rebel..."
"You're so soft and round, how about you take my and Daddy's surname and be named Yuanxiao?"
"Princess, His Majesty will probably be angry if he finds out that his surname was given to a beast," Danqing said with amusement and a helpless reminder.
“Tiger cubs aren’t animals!” Yuan Yao cleared her throat and puffed out her chest, saying, “Yuanxiao doesn’t sound very nice. Let’s change the name. How about Tangyuan?”
"Awooo~" the tiger cub let out a soft cry, rolled over, and showed Yuan Yao its chubby little belly, blinking its icy blue eyes.
Yuan Yao paused for a moment, then reached out and rubbed the tiger cub's belly, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "So, you'll be called Tangyuan?"
"Aww..."
A man and a tiger, causing quite a commotion.
After a long time, Tangyuan got sleepy and lay down on the ground with his head drooping.
Yuan Yao had a blanket brought and spread on the chair, then placed the glutinous rice balls on it before asking Danqing, "Sister Danqing, do you know who the little prince sent by the Chu Kingdom is?"
Danqing was fanning a cup of hot water with a round fan, and said as he fanned, "I heard that the prince sent by Chu this time is the son of Chu's deceased empress. He is only seven years old and is a sickly child."
Born to the late empress?
In this era, wouldn't that be the eldest son of the legitimate wife?
Yuan Yao cupped her face in her hands and asked Dan Qing, "Is the relationship between the Great Qi and the State of Chu very good? How dare the State of Chu send its crown prince to study in another country?"
"This..." Danqing hesitated for a moment, then said tactfully, "The young prince is not the crown prince of Chu. Since the late empress passed away, the emperor of Chu has established a new empress, who has also given birth to a legitimate prince, who is only one year younger than the princes born to the previous empress. Chu has not yet established a crown prince."
Is that how it is?
Yuan Yao suddenly understood.
Although this young prince of Chu was the eldest son of the legitimate wife, his birth mother had died, and he himself was sickly. In addition, the new queen had given birth to another legitimate son... Therefore, his position in Chu was very awkward and dangerous!
The late empress's maternal family would certainly hope that the young prince would live and become the crown prince and then the emperor.
However, the new empress definitely wants him dead. If he dies, her son will become the eldest son of the legitimate wife and can rightfully become the crown prince and then the emperor.
He's been able to live this long probably because of the checks and balances between the old and new forces...
The children struggling to survive in such a precarious situation are so pitiful!
Yuan Yao glanced at Tang Yuan, who was fast asleep, and then cupped her face in her hands, her mind wandering.
She probably misunderstood before.
The Chu Kingdom's gift of tiger cubs was not intended to mock the Emperor, but rather to imply that he was raising a tiger that would become a threat. This "tiger" was none other than the six-year-old Chu prince.
The person who gave the tiger cubs probably didn't want the little prince to live to adulthood...
"well……"
Yuan Yao sighed.
Suddenly, a slightly teasing, feminine voice sounded behind Yuan Yao: "My little dumpling, is something troubling you?"
Yuan Yao was startled.
She rubbed her numb arm and sighed, "The thought that Father might kill the tiger cubs makes me very unhappy. When I'm unhappy, I just want to sigh."
"Who told you that I was going to kill the tiger cubs?" The Ninth Prince lifted her up with one hand and held her in his arms.
Yuan Yao grabbed the sleeve of the Ninth Prince and said in a serious tone, "But all those adults say that tiger cubs, once grown up, will hurt and eat people!"
"Hmph..." The Ninth Prince chuckled disdainfully, his voice sharpening slightly: "I don't need them to teach me how to do things!"
“Aww…” Yuan Yao nodded as if she understood but not quite.
The Ninth Prince pinched the bun on her head with his slender fingers, his voice and expression unreadable: "Little Yao'er, tiger cub, I have entrusted you with my care. How big you can raise her is entirely up to your abilities."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao was terrified.
Tiger cubs are roughly equivalent to the young princes of the Chu Kingdom.
Hearing what the Ninth Prince said, it seemed that the life and death of the young prince of Chu, whom she had never met before, was now connected to her?
Yuan Yao stroked the fluffy glutinous rice ball, developing a strong curiosity about the little prince...
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