Lady Liu arrived very quickly.

Dressed in white robes and skirt, her hair bound high, her brow serene, she gave people a gentle feeling.

After Lady Liu exchanged greetings with Yun Chu, she went to the schoolroom.

The two girls had already seated themselves obediently, looking at Lady Liu with wide, curious eyes.

“My surname is Liu. You may call me Teacher Liu,” Lady Liu smiled warmly. “Today is our first meeting, so I’d like you both to come forward and introduce yourselves. Is that acceptable?”

Chu Changsheng was very afraid. She had always been timid, not daring to stand before others, even though there were only three people here.

She immediately looked at Xie Xian.

Xie Xian wasn’t much better off than her. In the past at the Xie family, she had never dared to take the lead in anything.

Now at Prince Pingxi’s residence, such an unfamiliar place, how could she dare walk to the front? She wished she could find a corner to hide in.

But she was the County Princess’s study companion—she couldn’t hide anymore.

Xie Xian gritted her teeth and stood up, but her whole body was trembling.

Chu Changsheng pressed her lips together: “I’ll go first.”

She pressed Xie Xian’s hand once and strode up to the lectern.

This was her home. She should set an example first, so Xian wouldn’t be afraid and would be willing to stay and be her friend.

Chu Changsheng walked up and mustered her courage: “My name is Chu Changsheng. You can just call me Changsheng.”

Having said this, she immediately walked down and let out a deep breath of relief.

She said softly: “Xian, it’s not—not scary at all. I’m watching you, don’t be afraid.”

Xie Xian nodded, imitating her example. She walked up to the lectern and said: “My name is Xie Xian. Teacher can call me Xian’er.”

Lady Liu smiled: “Both Changsheng and Xian’er are very good. Next, we’ll begin our studies. Please open the Three Character Classic on your desks…”

Yun Chu stood outside the schoolroom. There was a latticed window here through which she could clearly see Changsheng.

Seeing this scene unfold in the schoolroom, Yun Chu’s anxious heart settled.

Earlier she had worried that two timid girls together would make each other increasingly timid, and had privately considered finding a bolder girl to be a study companion.

Facts proved she had worried too much.

Changsheng and Xian’jie, two timid girls, were both willing to become the bold one for the other’s sake.

The two girls would progress together and grow together.

Yun Chu had servants wait at the schoolroom entrance while she returned to the flower hall to handle household affairs.

The volume of household affairs had multiplied—first her own dowry, second the inner courtyard matters of the prince’s residence, and third the prince’s residence had a large amount of property requiring management.

She was just instructing Nanny He on some matters when Tingfeng came in: “Princess, Nanny Er requests an audience.”

Yun Chu set down the account book and indicated to let her in.

Nanny Er walked in with her head lowered: “This old servant greets the Princess.”

“Nanny Er is too polite.” Yun Chu smiled. “Tingxue, serve tea.”

A cup of tea was brought over. Nanny Er received it but didn’t dare drink, her voice muffled: “Those three servants who caused trouble last night were all trained by this old servant personally. Their mistakes are, fundamentally speaking, actually this old servant’s fault… This old servant thought all night and increasingly felt she’s grown old and useless. Therefore, I’ve specially come to seek a grace from the Princess.”

Yun Chu curved her lips: “What grace?”

“This old servant requests the Princess allow this old servant to leave the residence.” Nanny Er lowered her head. “Having committed such a grave error, this old servant has no qualification to remain at the prince’s residence to spend her remaining years. I only seek a place to shelter from wind and rain, and that would be satisfying. Please grant this, Princess.”

The corners of Yun Chu’s lips curved upward.

This tactic of retreating to advance—Nanny Er had mastered it thoroughly.

She sighed and spoke: “If Nanny Er’s mind is made up, then I’ll arrange a manor with mountains and water for Nanny Er to retire.”

Although Nanny Er had selfish intentions, she had nevertheless raised Chu Yi.

No matter what, she wouldn’t treat Nanny Er poorly regarding retirement.

She had long since obtained all the prince’s residence properties. Under Chu Yi’s name was a large manor with mountains and water, and a large mansion had been built there. The provisions in all aspects were no worse than the prince’s residence. Letting Nanny Er live there, she could completely enjoy her remaining years in peace.

Nanny Er’s fingers suddenly clenched tight.

Her proactive proposal to leave the prince’s residence wasn’t to preserve her dignity, but to retreat in order to advance, hoping the Princess would take the initiative to keep her.

She had thought that if the Princess took the initiative to keep her, then Nanny Guo couldn’t find fault with her.

Who would have thought the Princess wouldn’t play by conventional rules at all?

She paused for quite a while before speaking: “This servant is grateful for the Princess’s grace.”

She turned and walked out of the main courtyard.

She was very clear that if she wanted Ding Dong to become the Prince’s woman, then she as the wet nurse absolutely could not remain in the prince’s residence.

However, there wasn’t even a hint of progress between Ding Dong and the Prince. She wanted to wait until there was some development before leaving.

She had thought retreating to advance would buy herself some time, but unexpectedly it had directly blocked all her escape routes.

Now she had no choices left.

“Mother!” Having heard about last night’s events, Ding Dong strode over. “Those servants Li and the others caused trouble—the Princess didn’t blame Mother, did she?”

Nanny Er shook her head: “The Princess granted a grace. Your mother will soon leave the residence to retire in honor. In the future when you’re alone at the prince’s residence, you must be careful in everything…”

“How can the Princess do this?” Ding Dong’s eyes widened. “I’m going to find the Prince and have him clearly see who his real people are. One is the wet nurse who raised the Prince, the other is a princess who’s been here less than half a year. How can…”

Nanny Er grabbed her daughter’s arm: “Nanny Guo said that of us mother and daughter, only one person can remain at the prince’s residence.”

These words were like a basin of water poured over Ding Dong’s head.

She had originally thought that with her mother’s help, she would definitely be able to quickly become the Prince’s concubine. With her mother’s position in the residence, she might even become a secondary consort…

She never expected that this prince’s residence couldn’t accommodate their mother and daughter at the same time…

Her lips parted, her voice dry and hoarse: “Mother, don’t worry. I won’t let you leave in vain.”

She used to be someone who acted boldly, because she knew her mother would handle everything. From now on, she would be alone—she wouldn’t be reckless anymore.

Nanny Er touched her daughter’s hair. If her departure could exchange for her daughter’s happiness for the rest of her life, she was willing to leave the residence.

Mother and daughter talked intimately for a while before separating.

At this moment, Tingxue led Chu Changsheng and Xie Xian, who had just left the schoolroom, into the courtyard: “Princess, the County Princess and Miss Xie have arrived.”

“Mother…”

Chu Changsheng directly pulled Xie Xian’s hand and rushed into the flower hall.

Nanny Er’s brows furrowed.

Miss Xie?

Among the high-ranking families in the capital, there wasn’t any surnamed Xie.

However, the Princess’s former husband’s family was surnamed Xie. Could this Miss Xie be a concubine-born daughter the Princess had previously kept under her name?

A gleam flashed through Nanny Er’s shrewd eyes.

Since she was leaving anyway, why not pave the way for Ding Dong…

She went directly to the front courtyard and waited at the prince’s residence gate for Chu Yi to return from court.

Around noon, the sound of horse hooves finally rang out at the residence gate. Nanny Er immediately rushed forward: “My lord!”

Chu Yi dismounted, removed his court robes and tossed them to a young servant nearby, walking while speaking: “What is it?”