Reincarnated as the daughter of my mortal enemy, all I want is to ascend the throne.

"Dad~"

Li Qingyan blinked her big eyes and put on a flattering smile.

"explain."

Li Yan served her some food, looking on with amusement. This obsequious behavior was probably causing quite a stir outside.

Li Qingyan took a deep breath and rubbed her nose. She closed her eyes and steeled her resolve.

"I went to Duke Wencheng's house and 'interrogated' him, or rather, I asked him some questions." (Speaking at three times the speed)

After Li Qingyan finished speaking, she let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Upon hearing this, even Grandpa Laifu froze. That was Duke Wencheng! Duke Wencheng!

"This little rascal is really good at causing trouble."

Duke Wencheng was a veteran of two dynasties in the previous dynasty and served two more dynasties in the Great Yu Dynasty. He was known for his integrity and uprightness and enjoyed high prestige among the officials.

Li Yan simply nodded. "What was your reason for entering the residence?"

"I visited him in the hospital and brought him some top-quality tonics. The question came up during our casual conversation."

Li Qingyan didn't understand what he was trying to do.

"The princess visited the seriously ill old minister with a generous gift, and they only had a brief chat. If someone uses this to impeach you, it would be their fault."

Li Yan spoke calmly, assuring him that his little brat would never rashly barge into Duke Wencheng's house. It was merely a few extra words exchanged during a visit to the sick; what could possibly be the big deal?

Back then, when Duke Wencheng used his connections to change someone's household registration, Li Yan knew about it. Not only did Li Yan know, but the Emperor Emeritus also knew. Everyone just turned a blind eye.

Who would have thought that ordinary person would be part of a corruption scandal?

The Wencheng family wouldn't hold a grudge against Li Qingyan for asking a few questions, but Li Yan was quite happy that his little brat had learned to ask for help, which was not bad.

For Li Qingyan, the worst thing about returning to the palace was having to attend the morning court session with Li Yan, which was truly exhausting.

Li Qingyan's unsteady gait was noticed by Li Yan.

'This little brat has really been slacking off at the Yan residence. Yan Xu really doesn't know how to raise children, making her get up at dawn.'

Li Yan's expression was cold.

The Vice Minister of Personnel who had just spoken was covered in sweat.

"What did I say wrong? Why does Your Majesty look like that?"

The person at the very front of the unrelated procession felt a chill run down their spine.

Why is there still a murderous aura in the main hall?

Even after the morning court session ended, Li Qingyan escorted Li Yan for quite a distance, tidying his clothes and helping him onto the imperial carriage. Her attentiveness was even more excessive than that of a junior eunuch.

Only then was permission granted to leave the palace.

Li Qingyan hurriedly ran outside, afraid that she wouldn't be able to find him later.

"Banquet Prelude..."

Upon hearing the name "Yan Xu," everyone turned around, as few dared to call the general by his full name.

Upon seeing that it was Li Qingyan, the group dispersed.

The young prince usually addresses people by their names, and they are all used to it.

Today, Li Qingyan was dressed in a moon-white dress by Li Yan, with short-eared hair adorned with matching white pom-poms. She looked like a whole moon-white bunny.

Today's clothes just have a fluffy rabbit tail on the back.

She grabbed Yan Xu's hand. "Let's leave the palace."

Yan Xu handed her the ceremonial tablet and then picked her up, saying, "Let's walk faster this way."

Li Qingyan was naturally happy to be carried around without having to wriggle around on her short legs.

She planned to go to Changning Academy today and also see Yan Feizhang.

If Yan Feizhang hadn't intervened, she would have been kidnapped last time.

Yan Feizhang is a talented and persevering person. She originally intended to keep him here, but he said that he could not leave Changning Academy because he had not yet repaid his debt of gratitude.

Yan Li was waiting for Li Qingyan in another carriage outside, while Hong Yu and Cui Ping were already standing on either side.

It must be said that although Yan Li is a bit unreliable, he is very popular and became familiar with Hong Yu and Cui Ping in just a few days.

Yan Xu carried her to the carriage, saying, "Your Highness, come back soon."

Li Qingyan nodded. "I want to eat meat cake."

"it is good."

The banquet was exceptionally mild.

Yan Li got goosebumps just looking at him, and wanted to slap himself. "Is this my older brother? Has he been possessed by some kind of monster? I've heard that monsters can possess people."

Yan Li looked Yan Xu up and down, almost as if he was about to pull out a talisman from his pocket and press it onto Yan Xu's body.

Yan Xu gave a cold look and said, "Protect the young prince well. If he doesn't behave, he won't be spared from the military rod."

Seeing that cold face, Yan Li breathed a sigh of relief. It was definitely his older brother. Luckily, he hadn't been replaced.

This was the first time Li Qingyan had seen Yan Xu use this tone and expression, and she found it rather novel.

When Li Qingyan visited Changning Academy last time, it was before the festival and most of the students had gone home, so it wasn't very lively.

It was only today that Li Qingyan realized what the top academy in the capital truly meant; the crowd was densely packed with people dressed in identical student robes. She even recognized a few familiar faces in the crowd—the pampered grandchildren of royalty and nobility.

I heard they were all little tyrants at home, but at the academy they were all holding books and pulling their hair to memorize them.

It has to be said that Changning Academy is quite impressive. No matter what kind of person you are, you have to behave yourself here.

Because the academy had classes for children, you would occasionally see five or six-year-olds who also had a scholarly demeanor and looked prematurely old.

Li Qingyan had always studied on her own, never had classmates, and didn't know what it was like to listen to lectures with a group of people. She just thought they were very interesting.

Seeing that Li Qingyan seemed to find it very interesting, Yan Li introduced it to her as they walked.

"Your Highness may not know that Changning Academy has a history of 382 years, and has produced more than 100 top scholars in the imperial examinations, not to mention countless Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations)."

"The teachers here are all learned and knowledgeable about both ancient and modern times. It can be said that almost all of Dayu's most outstanding students are here."

Those accepted by the academy must be of good character and talent. Once someone is expelled from the academy, there must be something wrong with him. Let alone taking the imperial examinations, I'm afraid no woman would be willing to marry him.

Li Qingyan frowned more and more as she listened. There was nothing wrong with having a good academy, but... wouldn't such an academy form a clique of scholars and affect the imperial court?

If the academy's prestige is too high, it will influence the civil officials...

They could even use this influence to threaten the emperor.

Li Qingyan looked up at the plaque of Zhuyuntang, the characters on it having witnessed countless dynasties.

Li Qingyan slowly stepped into the courtyard.

"Mr. Zhou, it's been a long time." Li Qingyan gave a student's bow.

"Your Highness," Mr. Zhou returned the greeting, then asked, "Are you here to see Fei Zhang? He's in the backyard."

Li Qingyan shook her head. "Yes and no. The main reason I came here is to see your old dean."

Mentioning the old dean, Mr. Zhou's expression immediately changed, his eyes lowered, and then he sighed, saying that the old dean had passed away more than half a month ago.

When the former dean passed away, he left a will forbidding any funeral arrangements, only requesting that a thin coffin be prepared and that the students be allowed to quietly send him off one hour in the morning.

The old dean didn't want to delay the students because of his own affairs, so he didn't even stop his prayers.

Therefore, not many people in the city knew about it.

At this point, Mr. Zhou's eyes reddened. The old dean had no children and his wife had passed away thirty years ago. He had been guarding the academy all by himself until his death.

Li Qingyan narrowed her eyes. 'What a coincidence that this person died.'

She still wanted to go and take a look in the old director's room.

Just as Mr. Zhou said, the old dean had nothing but books in his life. Li Qingyan patiently browsed through the thousands of books, and finally accidentally opened a hidden compartment on the bookshelf.

Inside were only peace locks carved with strange patterns.

"This is……"

"These belong to the old director's twin children who died young. The boy and girl were frail and died ten days after birth. It was a great sorrow for the old director."

Mr. Zhou accepted the pair of peace locks, a look of sorrow in his eyes.

Li Qingyan took a piece of paper, traced the pattern on it, and then put the item back in its place.

As Mr. Zhou turned to put his things down, he slipped and bumped into the bookshelf with a 'bang,' and a box fell out from somewhere. Inside were letters.