Chapter 52: Harmony After Class

The carriage drove directly into the inner courtyard of the Duke of Ding'an's manor through the West Gate.

A group of maidservants and female servants waited outside the second gate, rising to pay their respects as Yang Hui alighted from the carriage.

"Congratulations on your return from your studies, Miss."

Before the words had even faded, Yang Hui let out a sharp scream and hurled her book bag at them. "Shut up!"

The maids and servants were left bewildered. What was happening? She had been so happy this morning, and since this wasn't an exam, she couldn't have failed—so why was she back in such a foul mood?

"Mother!"

As Yang Hui rushed in shouting, the Duchess of Ding'an was reclining in a rocking chair, listening to a maid play the zither and sing.

Despite some setbacks, after prompting the Duke of Ding'an to cause a scene with the Marquis of Yichun, their daughter had indeed been selected to serve by Princess Pingcheng.

Though her title was "Attendant Reader," the specific name didn't matter; what mattered was that she had been chosen.

Now they could rest easy. The world would see that the Duke of Ding'an's manor was not to be underestimated.

After seeing her daughter off to the Imperial Academy, the Duchess had allowed the Duke to go boating for leisure, while she herself selected gold and silver jewelry from the shops before returning home to listen to some music.

She was just drifting into a nap when her daughter's shout startled her awake.

Time truly flew; before she knew it, her daughter's school day had ended.

"Huihui, you're back." The Duchess hurriedly rose. "How was it? With the Princess—"

"I'm going to die of anger!" Yang Hui interrupted her mother, sitting down with reddened eyes as tears began to fall patteringly.

The Duchess quickly dismissed the maids and asked anxiously, "Did the Princess bully you?" She then muttered under her breath, "That daughter of the Chai family was difficult enough; her daughter must be the same."

*Was that daughter of the Chai family the Empress?* Yang Hui wondered. *Mother has dealt with the Empress before? Even with all the palace visits over the years, I've never seen Mother speak much to her.* A thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly brushed it aside, feeling a hint of smugness. "No, Princess Pingcheng was very kind to me. She even held my hand."

Then, her tone turned resentful.

"It was that country girl named Liu!"

Hearing that Princess Pingcheng had held her daughter's hand, the Duchess breathed a sigh of relief. She asked, "A Liu? The one who snatched your spot?"

Yang Hui nodded. "That's her! When she saw me today, she actually tried to steal my position as Attendant Reader! She pushed me aside to cling to the Princess."

When her daughter had failed to be selected that day, she had clamored that someone had stolen her spot. The Duchess hadn't taken such words seriously—how could one "steal" a position? She had simply assumed the young lady from Fuzhou was exceptionally learned. She hadn't expected the girl to be so brazen.

*Is it true?*

"It's true!" Yang Hui stamped her foot. "Everyone saw it in front of everyone else. She is truly shameless!"

*I see,* the Duchess thought, a realization dawning on her. It must be someone sent by their family to curry favor with the Princess. Being from Fuzhou, far from the capital, this was a rare opportunity to attach themselves to the imperial family; naturally, they would be shameless and desperate.

"It's not wrong for her to want to curry favor; everyone wants to do that," the Duchess said, then frowned. "But she shouldn't bully others."

Yang Hui nodded vigorously. "Exactly, exactly!" She felt both aggrieved and indignant. "And she only picks on me! She says I wasn't selected, calls me shameless, and says our family relies on the Empress and the Marquis of Yichun."

Of course, that last part was something she had said herself.

It was only upon saying it that she remembered her parents' instructions not to speak of such things to outsiders. Thus, she didn't dare claim she had said it; she simply pinned it on the country girl.

The Duchess was instantly enraged and slapped the table. "How can such a person without any sense of shame be allowed to stay by the Princess's side!"

Yang Hui nodded. "Yes, yes." She tugged at the Duchess's arm. "Mother, please tell Father to speak to the Marquis of Yichun and the Empress to have her sent away."

The Duchess gave a disdainful laugh. "A girl from a Fuzhou academy doesn't require the intervention of the Marquis or the Empress."

With that, she called out to the servants.

"Go and fetch the Duke!"

For a small matter like this, the Duke only needed to write a letter. The officials in Fuzhou would surely handle the Liu family, teaching them how they raised such a daughter and taking this arrogant girl away.

If they were eventually driven away by the Empress or the Emperor, the family's reputation would be utterly ruined. By warning the Liu family now, they were actually doing them a favor.

After giving her instructions to the servants, the Duchess smiled and stroked her daughter's shoulder.

"Alright, it's a small matter, don't be angry," she said. "You must be tired from school. Come, let's eat. I've had your favorite dishes prepared."

...

...

When Princess Pingcheng entered the Empress's hall, she saw that the Emperor was also there.

"Why has Father come?" she asked happily.

Although her parents were a devoted couple who had weathered many hardships together, after more than ten years of his reign, they were no longer constantly by each other's side. The Emperor was busy with state affairs, worrying about the entire realm, and the inner palace had grown to include many concubines.

Of course, the Emperor still visited the Empress most frequently, though he had rarely come for several consecutive days.

"To examine your studies, of course," the Emperor said, intentionally putting on a stern face. "How was your first day of school?"

Princess Pingcheng was not at all intimidated by her father's sternness. She sat down beside him with a smile. "Father, perhaps you shouldn't examine my studies, lest it cause you trouble."

The Empress chided from the side, "How can you speak to your father like that?"

The Emperor laughed heartily. "My daughter is just like me—proud and confident."

The Empress glanced at him. "Proud? She's saying your scholarship is lacking."

Princess Pingcheng chimed in, "Every measure has its short and long points. Father's only shortcoming is that, but I am here to make up for it now."

The Empress glared at her. "Such boastfulness!"

"How can it be boastful?" the Emperor said with a laugh. "Our Pingcheng is simply ambitious." He stroked his short beard. "Even before I was as old as Pingcheng, I already harbored the ambition to pacify the chaotic world."

Princess Pingcheng gave a solemn bow. "It is clear that Father was bestowed with the Mandate of Heaven and has lived up to Heaven's heavy trust to achieve that ambition."

The Emperor laughed again. "My daughter will surely achieve her wishes as well and become a person of great learning."

The Empress shook her head. "You two..." A smile played on her lips as she asked, "How was the Imperial Academy today? Could you understand the teachers' lessons? Are you getting along well with the other young ladies?"

Princess Pingcheng nodded, her expression pausing slightly. *Getting along with the other ladies... that was somewhat unexpected. For instance, that Miss Liu Chan from Fuzhou.*

She had already memorized the name.

However, such a trivial matter was not worth mentioning to her parents.

"It's a pity the Chancellor does not lecture us," she said. "I hope to attend his lectures in the future."

She then tugged at the Emperor's sleeve.

"Father, I'm hungry. Please stay and eat with Mother and me today."

The Emperor smiled. "I came here specifically to eat with my daughter."

Princess Pingcheng was delighted. "Father is so good to me."

"Because you are my daughter," the Emperor said, then looked at the Empress. "I must trouble the Empress to prepare my daughter's favorite dishes."

The Empress shot him a look.

"And I must trouble Mother to prepare Father's favorites as well," Princess Pingcheng said with a grin.

The Empress could no longer suppress her laughter.

Standing outside the hall, the palace maids and ladies watched the family of three inside with joyful expressions, whispering among themselves.

"The Empress and His Majesty haven't been this lighthearted like a normal couple in a long time."

"His Majesty truly loves his daughter."

"That depends on which daughter. The Empress and His Majesty are lifelong companions, and the eldest Princess was born the year His Majesty ascended the throne; she is different from the others."

"All three princesses go to study, but the eldest is the only one whom His Majesty personally inquires about."

...

...

"Miss, it is time for dinner."

Yang Luo was sitting at her desk, staring at the scrolls before her, when she suddenly heard the call.

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see a young guard holding her meal.

Yang Luo looked outside; the twilight had already draped itself over the small courtyard.

(End of Chapter)