The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 171 Monkey

Driven by curiosity, she opened the system anyway.

When Jingyang first arrived at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, he harbored resentment towards Zhao Xiulan.

Jingyang looked at Zheng Xun in surprise, while Zhao Xiulan maintained her faint smile and covered her mouth.

Jingyang let out a scream but swallowed it back, her face turning bright red.

The evil deed was committed by her son; it was because she spoiled and indulged him that her sister died. As a family member of the deceased, it's normal for her to take her anger out on him.

She thought that using her enemy to escape her parents' control was the smartest thing to do, but Zhao Xiulan took her away from that home, let her study, and gave her a life free from want.

She still had a conscience, so gradually, she began to feel guilty.

The interplay of these two emotions gradually made her depressed, and she became more and more silent each day.

Seeing that this wasn't working, Zhao Xiulan tried to distract her.

How do I transfer it?

Having learned a valuable lesson from Ding Kang, she chose to treat Jingyang with stricter discipline, so she decided to give Jingyang something to do.

Every day, I would get up and practice martial arts for half an hour, then have breakfast, followed by half an hour of horseback riding. While practicing martial arts, I couldn't neglect my literary studies either, so I would practice calligraphy for another hour.

After lunch, I took a short nap, then read for half an hour, then practiced flower arranging for half an hour to cultivate my temperament. After that, I went out for a half-hour stroll, and then practiced abacus for half an hour after returning. Near dusk, I went to bathe the dog in the mansion. After a tiring afternoon, it was finally time to have dinner.

However, Zhao Xiulan would then flexibly assign her tasks, ensuring that the content was different every day.

Hmm... how can this not be considered a surprise?

Jingyang considered herself a person who refused to admit defeat, but after several days, she dreamt one night that Zhao Xiulan made her go mining at night. She dug until her back and legs ached, but she couldn't stop. Finally, she woke up in fright and cried, begging Zhao Xiulan to let her go.

Jingyang's eyes well up with tears again when she recalls those days.

She really was so tired back then, she looked decades older.

Zhao Lingyin and Zheng Jin cast a reproachful look at Zhao Xiulan, seemingly blaming her for abusing the child.

Zhao Xiulan felt no guilt whatsoever.

Let's put everything else aside for now and just talk about whether her method will work or not.

Let's talk about whether Jingyang has gotten over those conflicted emotions.

If it works, why can't it be used?

[An ordinary person would have gone crazy after trying this method for a while, but Zhao Xiulan knew her resilient character and her desire to become stronger, so she devised this schedule for her.]

[This approach, which combines literary and martial arts training with refined and mundane affairs, and cultivates a benevolent heart, is comprehensive. If one continues to study according to this plan, it could potentially cultivate an all-around talent.]

Of course, this is on the premise that you don't break down halfway through learning.

Jingyang nodded in agreement. Let Xiaoyang handle the life-or-death situation!

She really liked Aunt Zhao's arrangements; she even felt they weren't enough and would do extra training on her own.

Sometimes she even wondered if she didn't know what it meant to be a tired wooden doll.

Jingyang initially came into contact with medical books because she desperately wanted to find a way out. Once she had a clear goal, Zhao Xiulan would no longer pressure her.

However, she was unwilling to hastily decide her future, so she was initially unsure of the direction she wanted to take. Then one day, she saw a book called "The Materia Medica" in the study, which opened the door to a new world for her.

Zhao Lingyin couldn't help but look at the little girl who only reached her chest.

She is so young, but she has already learned to restrain herself and make choices, and is even willing to bear the hardships in front of her. As long as she makes up her mind, she can succeed in whatever she does.

Her expression turned serious: "Then I'll test you."

Jingyang's eyes lit up slightly, and he quickly pried Zhao Xiulan's hand away.

"Take the test as you like!"

Asarum.

Zhao Lingyin simply read out the name of the medicinal herb without asking any specific questions.

Jingyang waited a moment, and seeing that she really wasn't going to speak again, she said, "Asarum, its medicinal properties are based on its aroma. All medicinal herbs with a fragrant aroma..."

Zhao Lingyin listened quietly as she finished reciting the contents of the book before asking, "How do you distinguish between Asarum and Asarum?"

"One should carefully distinguish them by the color and taste of the roots and shoots..."

The two of them asked and answered questions.

Zhao Lingyin asked questions faster and faster, and the questions became increasingly tricky.

Jingyang went from being confident at the beginning to being cautious later on, and what's remarkable is that she managed to handle every difficult challenge she was given.

Finally, Zhao Lingyin stopped, satisfied: "You're very good."

Jingyang breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile finally returned to his face.

Zhao Lingyin's aura was so strong that she almost lost her composure.

Thanks to Zhao Xiulan's training some time ago, her ability to withstand pressure and her concentration time have increased significantly.

It seemed she had no choice but to accept this favor.

“However,” Zhao Lingyin changed the subject, “you cannot enter Yuanxiu Academy.”

Jingyang's upturned lips instantly vanished.

Zhao Xiulan gave her a light tap: "Alright, stop being so mysterious. Look how scared you've made the child."

Zhao Lingyin coughed lightly: "Your situation does not meet the criteria for Yuanxiu Academy to admit students. We cannot set this precedent. Otherwise, if more people come to us seeking help in the future, the academy will have no grounds to refuse them. If there are too many 'special cases,' it will crowd out the opportunities for those who truly need help. Do you understand?"

Although Jingyang was disappointed, she was well aware of the effort Zhao Xiulan had put into the academy, and she understood the significance of the academy to certain people.

So she forced a smile and pretended not to care, saying, "I understand, I won't be unreasonable anymore."

"but……"

Jingyang's forced smile instantly crumbled.

"But" and "however" became her most hated words from then on.

Zhao Lingyin patted her head: "However, I can take you as my disciple, are you willing..."

Before she could finish uttering the last word, "willing," Jingyang had already knelt down before her with a "plop": "I'm willing! Your disciple is willing!"

If she speaks quickly enough, Zhao Lingyin won't have a chance to say "but" or "however".

Yes, she's quite the clever little devil.

Zhao Lingyin, unaware of her thoughts, helplessly helped her up: "Alright, no need for such a grand ceremony. My requirements are strict, so you'd better be prepared."

Zhao Xiulan couldn't help but chuckle and said, "She was so well prepared. Before deciding to come to the academy, she inquired about your story everywhere and only made her choice after she had a pretty good understanding of it."

Zhao Lingyin sensed something amiss in her words, and her tone became somewhat dangerous: "So, you knew all along that she wanted to become my disciple? You two were in cahoots?"

Hehe, you guessed right, there's no prize~

Zhao Xiulan: ...

Oh no, I didn't hide it well, it's all out in the open.

Fearing that Zhao Lingyin might develop a prejudice against Jingyang because of this, she quickly explained, "I only concealed this fact; everything else was true."

Jingyang hung his head like a quail: "Master, I was wrong."

Zhao Lingyin: ...

He admitted his mistakes quickly, and he called his master quite naturally.

She said irritably, "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, and for going to so much trouble for me."

"You're welcome."

other people:……

Seeing that the atmosphere between them had become completely awkward, Zheng Xun tried to defuse the situation by saying, "It's almost time, aren't you going in?"

Zhao Xiulan quickly ushered them inside.

She prepared very carefully, specially designating a courtyard for Zhao Lingyin and even opening a small garden. The garden wasn't planted with many flowers and plants, but it was divided into sections for planting medicinal herbs.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw a group of women running towards them. In front of them, a dark figure darted up to them with a "whoosh".

Zheng Xun, who was walking at the front, sirens blared. Was it another pig?

She nimbly dodged, but Zheng Jin, who was walking behind her, was the one who got something hot smeared all over her face.

Zheng Xun: ...

Zheng Jin: ...

Zheng Xun, after clearly seeing the shape of the dark figure, suppressed a laugh and pulled the thing off and placed it on the ground: "Why are there monkeys here?"

Jingyang: "What an adorable little monkey."

Zhao Lingyin lowered her head guiltily: "This monkey is very intelligent. It was injured and came to the academy for help. There were so many people there, but it immediately chose me."

"Understanding human nature? That's more like a bully." Zhao Xiulan snorted, her tone full of resentment.

As if the monkey understood her words, it suddenly darted into the flower bed next to her, grabbed a handful of soil, and threw it at Zhao Xiulan.

Zhao Xiulan: ...

She wiped her face, rolled up her sleeves, and pounced on the monkey.

"You little brat, are you tired of living? If I don't teach you a lesson today, I'll change my name!"

The monkey grinned, flicked its tail, and leaped to the other side.

At this moment, the monkey chasers arrived, and Zhao Xiulan, unwilling to accept defeat, decisively joined them.

Zheng Jin was so shocked by the chaotic scene that she couldn't come to her senses for a long time.

Zheng Xun and Zhao Lingyin exchanged a look of utter despair. In their imagination, the opening of the class would be a spirited Zhao Lingyin waving her hand, thus beginning the history of gynecology.

But reality slapped them in the face.

The yard was a mess, and curses against the monkeys rose and fell. The dust kicked up by them as they ran by was as high as a person.

Zheng Xun asked in a daze, "How exactly did it manage to become so universally hated?"

Zhao Lingyin was both angry and helpless: "That damn monkey! It deliberately smeared horse manure before grabbing people's new clothes, and spat on people's food to steal their food. Today it steals this person's money bag to buy snacks, and tomorrow it steals that person's silk flowers to wear itself."

Zheng Xun: ...

This thing has truly become a spirit, and it's truly despicable.

Jingyang no longer finds the little monkey cute, and even keeps her distance from it with wariness.

Yan Hong: "Can today's assessment still begin?"

Zheng Xun: "Yes."

As the monkey ran past her again, Zheng Xun swiftly reached out her hand.

With what seemed like a casual scoop, the monkey was firmly gripped by the back of its neck.

Zhao Xiulan caught up, panting: "That's strange, why didn't she resist when you held her?"

“Because it bullies the weak and fears the strong,” Zheng Xun said, lifting the monkey and shaking it. “Find a rope.”

After getting the rope, she put it around the monkey and held the other end in her hand: "Alright, tidy up a bit, don't let it interfere with our business."