This corpse felt warm!

Fang Siwan did not know what the words "male lead" meant, but Jiang Yanchuan instantly recalled what he had heard in the little one's thoughts-

This boy would rally the common people and seize the throne, then nearly bring Great Rui to ruin through his inept rule.

He set the constantly squirming Jiang Yingcheng on the ground, then tapped his index finger against the desk.

Fang Siwan had only just suggested finding Jiang Yingcheng a study companion, and the "male lead" had slipped in among the children being considered.

That was far too much of a coincidence.

Jiang Yanchuan turned his head to glance at Fang Siwan, setting his doubts aside for the moment.

Fang Siwan slowly let out a breath of relief.

In the instant Emperor Mingze had looked at her, she had used nearly every ounce of strength she possessed just to keep her entire body from trembling!

None of the gathering storm between the two drew even a fraction of Jiang Yingcheng's attention.

Once on the ground, she ran straight toward Lin Jinshu, her little legs pumping furiously.

After that glare, Lin Jinshu had kept his head lowered, silently considering the questions he might face later, utterly oblivious to the change in the atmosphere around him.

When he came back to his senses, a round little head suddenly popped into his line of sight.

It startled him into stumbling several steps backward.

Only after he steadied himself did he see that it was the false princess who had swapped identities with him. She stood just in front of where he had been, bending over and looking back as though she wanted to examine his expression closely.

Lin Jinshu's gaze flickered.

Did this false princess know her true identity too?

Did she, like him, feel every day that she was living under someone else's roof?

Did she also lie awake through the night, terrified that someone would abandon her?

Hatred churned endlessly in his heart, yet to his surprise, the girl opposite him jogged another two steps toward him, grabbed his hand, and turned to announce in a clear, bright voice to the cold-faced sovereign above them, "Chengcheng likes him!"

Jiang Yingcheng did not know why her imperial father and consort mother had suddenly brought the male lead into the palace, but that did not matter!

Any excuse would do, as long as she could get close to the male lead!

Jiang Yingcheng thought this with absolute conviction.

Jiang Yanchuan remained silent. Seeing this, Fang Siwan hurried to speak, as though afraid he would change his mind. "As long as Chengcheng likes him. Your imperial father summoned these children to the palace today so you could choose a study companion."

Jiang Yingcheng froze.

[A study companion?]

[I have to start studying already?!]

Her hand abruptly released Lin Jinshu's as though she had been shocked, and a hint of tears crept into her voice. "A s-study companion?"

She had not had enough fun yet!

Jiang Yingcheng turned around, dragged Lin Jinshu a few more steps forward, and gave his shoulder three resounding pats.

"A playmate!" she stubbornly insisted.

[Not a study companion! Chengcheng hasn't even had her fourth birthday yet!]

In the palace, princes and princesses generally began their schooling around the age of five. Only a handful of consorts, hoping to win their children more of the emperor's attention, would petition early to have a tutor appointed ahead of time.

But she was only three and a half! Wasn't this a little too early?

Jiang Yingcheng's little mouth puckered. [Y-you're bullying a baby!]

Lin Jinshu, who had long since been assigned his first tutor, calmly shifted his gaze away from Jiang Yingcheng's face.

That spoiled, unambitious behavior made it obvious she had grown up being pampered.

But all of that should have belonged to him!

Jiang Yanchuan suddenly said, "Since Chengcheng doesn't like studying, let's forget about the study companion for now."

Fang Siwan was startled.

This sudden move had already stirred the grass and startled the snake, putting Fang Yiwan on her guard.

If she could not keep Jinshu in the palace, her elder sister would likely redouble her efforts to brainwash him once he returned.

She scarcely dared imagine how bitter and resentful her Jinshu would become if Fang Yiwan were allowed to continue teaching him this way.

But...

The little one was only three and a half. Accompanying Emperor Mingze to morning court every day was already tiring enough, and then she would have to listen to a tutor's lectures afterward...

Looking into the little one's aggrieved eyes, Fang Siwan ultimately could not bear to make her work so hard.

Her hand clenched, then loosened again. In the end, her heart softened.

"I like it!" A clear voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Fang Siwan's thoughts of giving up.

She turned in astonishment to look at the little dumpling in the middle, who had suddenly become resolute.

Jiang Yingcheng sniffled. "Chengcheng likes studying!"

[Boohoo, Chengcheng hates studying...]

[Who on earth actually likes studying?!!!]

Fang Siwan's heart melted completely.

The little one truly had shouldered far, far too much for her...

"You like studying?" Jiang Yanchuan repeated Jiang Yingcheng's words in amusement. "Then why don't we start today?"

Jiang Yingcheng felt as though she had been struck by lightning.

Fang Siwan gave Qingbi, who stood behind her, a slight nod, and attendants came forward to lead the other children out.

The tutor Jiang Yanchuan had found for her was a renowned scholar of the age, and the same teacher who had instructed his cohort of princes when he was young.

His surname was Liu, his given name Hongfei, and his courtesy name Huaijin. He looked like a kindly, white-haired old man, but her instinctive awe of teachers still left Jiang Yingcheng looking timid and refusing to take another step forward.

The ceremony marking the start of her schooling was not especially elaborate, and Jiang Yingcheng completed it smoothly in very little time.

The truly difficult part came afterward.

Jiang Yingcheng wriggled this way and that, refusing to cooperate.

First, she declared that she was so hungry she had no strength left at all and absolutely had to eat lunch before she could study.

After eating, she took two tottering steps across the floor and complained that she had gotten up far too early and was now so desperately short of sleep that she would drop dead if she did not take a nap.

After waking from her nap, she kicked up another fuss, demanding that her seventh brother come share the joys of studying with her.

By the end of all that commotion, three little dumplings sat in a row with their heads lowered, listening as Emperor Mingze laughed in sheer exasperation from above them. "Tell me, what else do you want?"

Jiang Yingcheng gave him an obedient smile. "N-nothing else~"

Jiang Yanchuan snorted softly and offered no further comment. He merely ordered Changshun to move all the memorials here, demonstrating through action that he would personally supervise the three children's studies.

Jiang Yingcheng pouted in grievance, then looked left and right at her two fellow sufferers and felt considerably comforted.

This corpse felt warm!

Only once the little princess finally stopped making a fuss did Liu Hongfei step forward with a cheerful smile.

Today was only supposed to be a formality. Their actual lessons would take place in the schoolroom prepared for the princes.

They could have finished as soon as the initiation ceremony was over, but Her Little Highness had managed to turn her fussing into an impromptu extra lesson.

Fortunately, he had ample teaching experience, and even on such short notice, he made that first lesson lively and vivid.

Only before the sky went completely dark did Emperor Mingze rub his brow and bring the day's chicken-flying, dog-jumping chaos to an end.

Before leaving, he patted Jiang Yingcheng's head twice, his tone laden with hidden meaning. "Go to bed early tonight."

"???"

Jiang Yingcheng's head was full of question marks.