Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 606 Teaching (2)

After hearing this, Feng Xuxu felt a surge of annoyance within her, her face flushing red before turning pale. She had actually raised two arrogant children; she had truly failed as a mother. It seemed the teacher’s punishment had been too light.

Seeing the changing expressions on his wife’s face, Dugu Chen thought it over and decided not to say anything. He only needed to be a loving father in front of his children; his wife would handle everything else.

"There is no need for blame, Teacher, please rise," Feng Xuxu said, her face growing stern as she calmed her guilt, yet still feeling grateful to the teacher. This man had risked beheading, yet he dared to admonish the Crown Prince and the Princess. It appeared that he was indeed a man of integrity and honesty.

Wu Feng saw that the Empress’s demeanor wasn’t as forced as it had been before, her laughter not reaching the bottom of her eyes, her behavior affected. Now, the Empress’s reaction seemed more genuine than before. They say "third time’s the charm," and since he had already been asked to rise twice, it would be overly sentimental for him not to stand up now.

"Cough, cough, cough." Dugu Chen, noticing Wu Feng looking at his wife, coughed a few times as a reminder.

Wu Feng turned around and kowtowed in gratitude: "Thank you, Empress."

"Please, take a seat," Feng Xuxu said, not having noticed Wu Feng’s subtle movements, her mind preoccupied with how she would punish those two unruly children later.

Wu Feng sat properly halfway on the chair, his hands on his knees, head bowed, looking nowhere else but intently at his shoes.

Feng Xuxu was very curious about what question the teacher had asked that had stumped the clever children: "May I know what question the Teacher asked?"

At this, Wu Feng smiled, embarrassedly replying, "I asked which came first, the chicken or the egg."

Dugu Chen: "..."

Feng Xuxu’s face twitched uncontrollably, and it took a while for her to calm the tremble on her face, frowning as she asked, "This isn’t part of your teaching curriculum, is it?"

"To the Empress, indeed it is not, but the Crown Prince and the Princess did not point out that the question came from any particular book!"

Well then, there’s always someone better; the teacher’s mind was indeed quick on its feet.

"Your visit isn’t solely to admit fault, is it?" Feng Xuxu slightly furrowed her brows, recalling how he looked when she had entered the hall. He did not seem to be admitting fault; if it was not for that, then it must be something else.

Dugu Chen glanced at Feng Xuxu and nodded with satisfaction. Good, she had noticed. He picked up the tea from the small table and took a slight sip.

With a thud, Wu Feng knelt again: "Your Majesty, Empress, the Crown Prince and the Princess are extremely intelligent, and they have delved into most books. However, they are limited to reading without fully understanding. Therefore, I beseech you to allow me, each morning, to teach them the meanings of poetry and classics, and in the afternoon, I wish to expand their horizons by showing them miscellaneous records."

Dugu Chen and Feng Xuxu exchanged a swift glance. Feng Xuxu understood Wu Feng’s intention: he simply wanted them to know that there was much more in the world outside. However, based on her understanding of the ancients over the years, most people deemed miscellaneous records to be idle books that distracted from serious study and were not recognized by scholars. Yet, unexpectedly, Wu Feng had the boldness to suggest opening the eyes of princes to such knowledge.

"Do you understand what you’re saying?" Dugu Chen gave him a look, the sharpness in his eyes intensifying.

Wu Feng stood his ground, undaunted as he answered, "Your Majesty, many people believe the contents of miscellaneous records are fabricated, but I do not agree with them."

"State your reasons," Feng Xuxu said, very curious to hear his explanation.

"Empress, miscellaneous records speak of the customs and cultures of different places, as well as some mysterious phenomena. For example, in the Sunset Kingdom, the renowned Gouhun Mountain echoes one’s voice when called upon. Many believe this to be false, but as a child, I traveled there to verify it, and to everyone’s surprise, it turned out to be true. Some contents of the miscellaneous records are indeed factual."