Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 605 Teaching (1)
Qiqi, pulling her younger sister in a frantic rush, dashed out of Yangxin Hall, only to run headfirst into their mother and father at a corner. Qiqi, her heart trembling at the sight of her father’s darkened countenance, stiffly managed a smile and said, "Father, what are you doing here?"
"Hmph, when we get back, I’ll deal with both of you." He turned his head to look at his wife, who wore an expression of embarrassment, and tested the waters with a light tone, despite her usual eagerness to discipline the children. Now that someone else had taken charge, it seemed she had shifted to protect them instead.
"My lady, have you come to a realization?"
"Oh dear, I was just flustered earlier. Come on, let’s go. The Crown Prince’s Grand Preceptor is still waiting!" With a huff, she left without another word to the people behind her.
Dugu Chen watched his wife’s retreating figure, then turned back to glare at the two children: "Go back, face the wall to reflect on your mistakes. If by tonight you can’t figure out what you did wrong, then you shall stand until you do understand."
"Father~," Yueyue tugged at her father’s robe, hoping to appease him.
"Calling for your father now is futile, and calling for your mother is even less effective." He hardened his heart and lashed out at the two before turning to Xuan Yue and instructing, "You keep an eye on them for me. If they don’t reflect on their actions properly, have someone inform me."
"As you command, my lord." Xuan Yue bowed his head, accepting this difficult task, and hoped to avoid any retaliation from the two young masters.
Dugu Chen nodded, flung his wide sleeves, and took a few steps, then suddenly turned back to warn them, "If you dare to poison Xuan Yue, drug him, or threaten him, hmm, be wary of your own skins. Don’t forget, the thing I have no shortage of is Hidden Guards." Having said that, he didn’t wait to see the expressions of the two youngsters behind him, but twisted his body, took off from the ground, and pursued his wife.
Qiqi and Yueyue stared at their father’s departing figure for a long while, not wanting to return to Yangxin Hall and lingering idly where they stood.
"Crown Prince, Princess, please go back. If you dawdle any longer and the Emperor and Empress find out, I’m afraid..." Xuan Yue did not relish the thought of watching them face the wall and reflect, but he had to obey his master’s orders. Indeed, the palace had no shortage of Hidden Guards.
"Hmph, brother, let’s go." Yueyue glared at Xuan Yue, stamped her foot, and pulling her brother, returned to Yangxin Hall. There, they stood obediently in place, waiting for their father and mother to return.
Dugu Chen moved swiftly to catch up and, just as Feng Xuxu was about to step into the front hall, also arrived, and together they entered.
"Your subject pays respect to the Emperor. Long live the Emperor. May the Empress be blessed with peace."
Feng Xuxu saw the Crown Prince’s Grand Preceptor kneeling on the ground, a man about thirty years of age, not strikingly handsome but having a durable attractiveness, and the typical air of a scholarly person—full of integrity, with the proud aloofness of the learned, yet his willingness to come forth and admit his wrongdoing today indicated that he was not stubborn to a fault; otherwise, with the pride of a scholar, he would not have done so.
"Rise and be seated," Dugu Chen ordered with parted lips, emitting a voice coolly resonant within the great hall.
Unmoved, Wu Feng remained kneeling steadfastly: "Your subject has come to beg for forgiveness from the Emperor and Empress."
Feng Xuxu, leaning back in her chair, looked puzzled and asked nonchalantly, "Begging for forgiveness? I don’t quite understand."
"Your Highness, I have committed a grave error in severely punishing both the Crown Prince and Princess today."
"Oh? What’s this now? Let’s hear it," Feng Xuxu said, appearing curious as she straightened up. In truth, she really didn’t know why her son and daughter had been punished, being preoccupied with her anger at the time.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince and Princess are clever and bright. They took issue with my lessons, saying they had already read the books I offered. I responded, ’Having read them does not necessarily mean you have understood their meaning.’ The Princess then challenged me, saying, ’If you don’t believe it, let’s have a contest. If the teacher loses, the lesson ends for today.’ I asked, ’And if the Crown Prince and Princess lose?’ They thought for a moment and replied, ’Then it shows our studies are not up to par, and we will continue the lesson.’ I argued, ’That won’t do. Openly defying your teacher in class is disrespectful and must be punished.’ ’Punish us then’, the Princess boasted, ’I don’t believe we won’t be able to answer correctly.’ Eventually, the Crown Prince and Princess failed to answer, and I punished each with ten strikes of the rod."
