How had he died?!
Ye Linxun kept his ears pricked. Not just him-everyone was listening intently.
[My second brother was framed for trying to usurp the throne, and that tyrannical scumbag father of mine had him beheaded without bothering to distinguish right from wrong. My poor second brother! He even lost his head!]
[Second brother, your head is gone! In this life, I'll definitely find your head and see you off on your final journey.]
Ye Linxun: "..."
His head was gone?
He immediately reached up to feel his neck. Thank goodness his head was still there. It was so good to be alive.
Ye Tangtang had barely sat down before a crowd gathered around her: the Seventh Princess, the Second Prince, the Fifth Prince, the Eighth Prince, and several others.
[Hahaha, Little Useless System, who knew I'd be so popular? They all like me so much!]
[Pleasant Goat, Pretty Goat...]
Ye Tangtang happily hummed a little tune and opened the booklet she had just been given.
[I'm the wildest on the Green Green Grassland! I'm DJ Pleasant Goat!]
Pleasant Goat?
What was that?
They exchanged bewildered looks. They all wanted to hear something useful!
"What are you all crowding around her for? She's just a lowborn woman from the Cold Palace. Lu Wuyou, Song Jinshi, why are you two crowding around her too?"
"Get over here!"
The Third Princess gritted her teeth in fury. Lu Wuyou and Song Jinshi were both hers. Hadn't she just told them to teach Ye Tangtang a lesson first and put her in her place?
Song Jinshi and Lu Wuyou continued hovering around Ye Tangtang, hoping she would reveal more useful information. What had happened to them afterward?
At that moment, both of them were thinking the same thing: Stay away from the Third Princess to stay safe.
"Lu Wuyou, Song Jinshi, what on earth are you two playing at? Get over here right now!"
Lu Wuyou said, "Third Princess, I... suddenly think this seat is pretty nice."
Song Jinshi said, "Yes, I think so too."
The Third Princess trembled all over with rage. This little bitch had only just arrived, and she had already bewitched her two devoted admirers.
She really was a fox spirit!!
Ye Tangtang looked at the seats around her. Quite a few people seemed to be missing.
[Can we skip class here? Then maybe I won't come tomorrow either?]
Grand Tutor Yun immediately spoke up. "Those who aren't here have already requested leave. That seat belongs to Crown Prince Jun Yuyuan. That one belongs to your eldest imperial brother, who is away on the battlefield. And those belong to your fourth imperial brother and your sixth imperial brother... that is why they aren't here today."
"But if anyone dares to skip class..."
Grand Tutor Yun deliberately rested his gaze on Ye Tangtang. "Do you see that disciplinary ruler by the door? Ten strokes for every class you skip."
Ye Tangtang shuddered in fright and glanced at the disciplinary ruler by the door.
[That... that's practically bigger than my whole body! Ten strokes would send me straight to heaven, damn it! I'm a princess, for goodness' sake. Is this reasonable?]
Grand Tutor Yun said sternly, "Also, anyone who fails to memorize today's classical poems will receive one stroke."
Classical poems!
Ye Tangtang nearly cracked apart on the spot. Back in elementary school, the hardest thing to memorize had been the Three Hundred Tang Poems. All that "Goose Goose Goose" and "The white sun sinks behind the mountains"... her head spun, and she wanted to sleep.
Who would have thought that even after coming to ancient times and becoming a princess, she would still have to memorize poetry?
Ye Mushuang whispered, "Tang Tang, you must memorize them properly, or you really will get hit. Grand Tutor Yun is the strictest of all the grand tutors."
Ye Tangtang nodded pitifully. This was too hard. Far too hard!
Luckily, classes here were only held twice a week. If she had to come every day, she really would drop dead!
She still had gossip to feast on. Where would she find the time to study here? Speaking of which, Little Useless System hadn't spilled any juicy gossip today. A single day without it left her itching with impatience.
A youth approached from nearby, dressed in black robes and holding a book. His face was cool and aloof, and his dark eyes were so piercing that they seemed capable of seeing through everything.
"Yuyuan, didn't you request leave today? Why are you here?"
Jun Yuyuan's gaze fell on Ye Tangtang. "My schedule suddenly cleared."
Ye Tangtang: [Aaaaaah, the male lead is here! Points, my precious little points, here I come!]
Ye Tangtang's eyes shone. She could hardly resist throwing herself at Jun Yuyuan and hugging him.
[Last time, just one hug with Jun Yuyuan earned me 1,000 points! I drew so many great things. Jun Yuyuan really is a treasure.]
[There were Ice Skates too. After class today, I'll try out my new Ice Skates.]
[And that barbecue grill. If I sell barbecue in the palace, maybe I can make a little money too. Hehehe, I'm such a little genius.]
Jun Yuyuan: "..."
Sure enough, this was all he was good for.
But what were Ice Skates and a barbecue grill?
Jun Yuyuan was very curious.
Jun Yuyuan sat behind Ye Tangtang. That had always been his seat, and nobody dared take it.
Ye Tangtang turned around with a beaming smile. She held two fingers of her little hand upright and secretly walked them across the desk, but before she could touch the youth's hand, he moved it away.
Jun Yuyuan: I'm not falling for it again. This little girl uses me every day.
"Jun Yuyuan, we're classmates, aren't we? How about a handshake?"
"No."
Ye Tangtang: ...
[There go my points, boohoo! Jun Yuyuan is so mean •́‸ก.]
[What bad intentions could I possibly have? I just want points to draw yummy food.]
[Boohoo... no snacks for me today.]
Ye Tangtang was on the verge of tears.
"Tang Tang, why bother with him? He's so mean. Let's ignore him." Ye Mushuang squeezed her little sister's hand. Her little sister was simply too adorable.
[He is mean, but he has points! Waaaaah, I want points! I want points!]
The system: [...]
Could it throw this thing away? It really wanted to throw her away.
Jun Yuyuan: "..."
Finally, he helplessly held out a hand. "Go ahead."
If she didn't get her points, she could cry here all day. His ears were going to burst...
Ye Tangtang broke into a huge smile, shook his hand for three seconds, then hurriedly let go. She refused to touch the male lead for even one extra second-a textbook case of using someone and tossing him aside.
Jun Yuyuan: "..."
[Little Useless System! Fifty draws! All in, all in!]
[Yay, I got a little bag! This bunny bag is the cutest. It's so much prettier than my little cloth bag. And a flashlight-now that's useful!]
Nangong Qianling was beside herself with excitement. She had drawn so many great things this time. The bunny bag could serve as her little schoolbag.
Everyone pricked up their ears. A flashlight? What was that now?
Grand Tutor Yun stood at the front with a book in hand and taught the lesson himself.
"In this lesson, we will be discussing poetry. Every one of you had better pay full attention."
"Yes, Grand Tutor Yun."
Ye Tangtang had a habit of falling asleep as soon as a lesson began. She had developed it as a child, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Grand Tutor Yun had barely said two sentences before Ye Tangtang could no longer keep her eyes open. This was even more effective than a lullaby.
"Tang Tang, don't fall asleep. Whatever you do, don't fall asleep! Grand Tutor Yun is very strict."
Ye Mushuang hurriedly shook Ye Tangtang awake.
Ye Tangtang stayed alert for all of two seconds. She opened her mouth wide and yawned, and before long, her eyes closed again. Her little head bobbed lower and lower until, with a thunk, it struck the desk, bringing tears of pain to her eyes.
[Boohoo! My head hurts so much! Nobody noticed me dozing off just now, right? If they did, I'll get beaten!]
Grand Tutor Yun's voice trembled as he struggled not to laugh aloud.
Everyone around her was holding back laughter and was nearly at their limit. Song Jinshi, in particular, burst out laughing and was sent outside by Grand Tutor Yun to stand as punishment.
--
Ye Yubei sat at his desk, quietly reviewing memorials. Why had nobody come to bother him today? His ears were enjoying considerable peace too. But why did it feel so quiet?
Without that noisy daughter of his around, he really wasn't used to it.
Before you continue