Chapter 9: Could it be that she copied it with her feet?

"Does Grand Tutor have any evidence to prove that I had someone else ghostwrite this punishment transcription?"

Although she did indeed have the idea of asking Liu Ziming to write it for her.

But the copy before them was clearly the one she had painstakingly transcribed with her own hands last night!

Yun Shu used the very words the Grand Tutor had pressed her with yesterday to push back with full confidence

"If Grand Tutor is unwilling to teach Yun Shu, you may simply report it directly to Imperial Father. Why must you falsely accuse someone without cause?"

"When did this old official ever..."

"Report what to me?"

Just as the atmosphere in the Imperial Study grew increasingly tense, a bright yellow figure suddenly appeared outside the door.

It was only after the morning court session today that Emperor Xuanwu suddenly remembered the information reported by the Dragon Shadow Guards yesterday. On a whim, he decided to come personally to see exactly what was so special about his unlearned, useless daughter.

He had stopped the duty eunuchs outside from announcing his arrival, intending to observe secretly before leaving.

He hadn't expected to overhear that conversation the moment he approached.

Waving his hand to signal the people inside to cease their formalities, Emperor Xuanwu first cast an imperceptible glance at the instantly well-behaved Yun Shu. While finding it amusing, his gaze then fell upon Grand Tutor Cui

"I seem to have heard something just now... a false accusation?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, it was while this old official was assessing the Fifth Princess's learning progress yesterday that I unexpectedly discovered that although Her Highness has reached thirteen years of age, she has not even read the *Great Learning* or the *Doctrine of the Mean*. In my distress, I punished Her Highness by ordering her to transcribe the *Doctrine of the Mean* ten times."

Grand Tutor Cui was a man who had always been serious, old-fashioned, and extremely rigid in his principles. He held the most contempt for those unlearned, profligate youths.

As luck would have it, in his eyes, Yun Shu currently embodied that exact image.

He intended to teach Yun Shu a lesson, so when clarifying the situation to Emperor Xuanwu, his choice of words was quite deliberate

"Just now, the Princess fell asleep during this old official's lesson and even made excuses, claiming it was because she stayed up too late transcribing her punishment last night. Furthermore, the transcription she submitted was clearly written by someone else, yet the Princess refuses to admit it!"

"Oh?"

Emperor Xuanwu took the transcription handed over by Grand Tutor Cui and glanced at it. His brow furrowed imperceptibly—

Although the handwriting on this transcription was still a distance away from that of a master calligrapher, such flamboyant and sweeping strokes could absolutely not be produced without a certain level of skill!

After finishing dinner last night, he had gone to the inner palace and had not inquired further about Yun Shu's situation.

But the Dragon Shadow Guards had clearly said before that Yun Shu struggled even to write thirty words...

Returning the transcription to Yun Shu's hands, Emperor Xuanwu was also puzzled, but he did not jump to a conclusion as readily as Grand Tutor Cui did. He merely said in a heavy voice

"Do you have any explanation?"

"Replying to Imperial Father, it is actually not difficult to prove that these words were written by this daughter. I only need to write a few more words in front of you all.

However..."

It was rare for her Emperor father to visit at such a perfect time, and he seemed to have a decent attitude toward her. If she didn't seize this opportunity to secure some benefits for herself, it would be a great pity.

Yun Shu paused deliberately, putting on an expression of a mix of grievance, endurance, and stubbornness

"However, this daughter cannot be falsely accused for nothing!

If I prove that these words indeed came from my own hand, Grand Tutor Cui must waive the remaining nine transcriptions!"

"Very well."

Seeing the transparency in Yun Shu's eyes and the complete lack of guilt, Emperor Xuanwu agreed casually, feeling somewhat gratified.

Grand Tutor Cui was half a step behind; at this point, it was naturally impossible for him to say anything in refusal.

He could only maintain a stern face and take a brush from Cen Yiyi's desk

"Princess, please!"

"I won't use that."

Yun Shu stood still, casting an expectant look at Emperor Xuanwu

"Imperial Father, as long as this *Doctrine of the Mean* is transcribed by this daughter, that's enough, right?

What I use to transcribe it... shouldn't be important?"

Emperor Xuanwu: "?"

Based on her meaning, could it be... she was going to transcribe it with her feet??

Emperor Xuanwu fell silent for a moment.

He couldn't exactly blame his wild imagination.

After all, following the logic of a normal person, if one doesn't use a brush to write, what else could they use?

A brush is irreplaceable; the only thing that could be changed was the place where one held it.

For a dignified Princess of the realm to take off her shoes and socks in front of so many people—what kind of spectacle would that be?

The mere thought of that scene flashing through his mind was suffocating.

"You..."

Emperor Xuanwu took a deep, silent breath, already prepared that if this little brat actually dared to say she would use her feet, he would double her punishment to twenty transcriptions

"What do you want to use to transcribe it?"

"Using..."

Yun Shu pulled a chicken feather out of her book box

"A different kind of brush."

Emperor Xuanwu: "?"

"Absurd!"

Grand Tutor Cui, who had been holding it in for so long, finally couldn't help but speak up when he saw that chicken tail feather

"Studying is a refined pursuit. How can one use such... such vulgar things to write?"

"How is a chicken tail feather vulgar?"

Yun Shu was displeased

"Aren't the brushes you use also made of wolf hair, rabbit hair, or sheep hair? Do a few hairs really need to be categorized by high and low status?"

"You!"

Having not seen a student as "unorthodox" as Yun Shu in many years, Grand Tutor Cui, who valued the integrity and etiquette of a scholar above all else, was infuriated

"How can these be compared!"

"Why can't they be compared? They are all just hair from animals, and they can write just the same!"

As Yun Shu spoke, the feather in her hand was already dipped in ink—

To be precise, it was the harder, hollow quill in the middle of the feather that was dipped in ink.

"What Heaven ordains is called Nature; following Nature is called the Way; cultivating the Way is called Education."

In front of Emperor Xuanwu and Grand Tutor Cui, with a few swift strokes, Yun Shu finished the first sentence of the *Doctrine of the Mean*.

Upon closer inspection, the characters were actually slightly different from those written with an ordinary brush, but the strokes were continuous and the rhythm was smooth, looking exactly like the handwriting on the previous transcription.

"Grand Tutor Cui, how is it?"

"Hmph!"

Grand Tutor Cui flicked his sleeve with a stern face

"Heterodox! It is not something a gentleman should do!"

"According to the Grand Tutor's logic, a gentleman can't do this and can't do that, and just maintaining a lofty posture every day is what a gentleman is supposed to do?"

Seeing that Emperor Xuanwu did not immediately take a stand to reprimand her on Grand Tutor Cui's side, Yun Shu gained a bit more confidence

"But who is born a gentleman? To become a scholar, one must first study, right?

How many people these days can afford to study? A single brush is enough to buy many meals for an ordinary commoner!

But a chicken tail feather is different..."

Emperor Xuanwu: "Well said!"

Yun Shu: "...?"

Although she had indeed raised a grand banner of righteousness to make Emperor Xuanwu realize how impoverished this little princess without any silver notes from her maternal family lived—not even having a few copper coins to her name—she felt quite embarrassed by her cheap father's enthusiastic support!

(End of Chapter)