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The principle is not to impose on others what you do not desire for yourself, thus she went around the matter, enlightening Xiao Linzi with righteousness, making him feel that memorizing poetry was indeed necessary, and getting him to willingly accept it without resistance.

Of course, she could have commanded Xiao Linzi to memorize, but as a good master, she was fully aware of the pain of rote learning and thus wanted to dispel his aversion. If he did not resist, or better yet liked it, perhaps memorizing would become a bit easier.

Having settled the matter, Lian Hua felt refreshed. When she turned around, she saw several pairs of eyes staring at her, their expressions a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

Nanny Qi looked amused, her eyes seeming to see right through the situation.

Pang Ya was somewhat confused, although memorizing an entire Book of Poetry did seem a bit much...

Xiao Jizi was left speechless, his expression one of not bearing to look directly, as if to say, what a waste of the master’s talents, just to cajole Xiao Linzi—an overqualification indeed...

Xiao Qing, who had just learned to read, knew all too well the difficulty of memorizing. She hesitated and said, "Master... "

Before she could finish, Xiao Jizi pulled her aside and interjected, "Master is wise!"

To that blockhead, it should be no big deal. The master was projecting her own perspective...

"Haha, just average, not that wise..." Lian Hua chuckled awkwardly, feeling somewhat embarrassed after having swindled someone, and coughed uneasily, saying dryly, "Ahem, well, reading more does indeed have its benefits."

"What the master says is very true..." Everyone agreed, for who could disagree after the master had even involved His Majesty in her argument?

Lian Hua chuckled sheepishly again, feeling guilty, as memorizing an entire Book of Poetry seemed overly demanding. So, she said to Xiao Qing, "Xiao Qing, take this plate of cakes to Xiao Linzi, let him nourish himself more."

"Yes." Xiao Qing went over, picked up the plate of cakes, and prepared to leave.

Lian Hua called her back again, saying, "If... if it’s too difficult, then forget it." She would think of another method.

Xiao Qing acknowledged with an "Okay" and walked out, just about to exit the door.

Lian Hua suddenly remembered something, "Oh my, that collection of poetry was a gift from His Majesty, make sure Xiao Linzi doesn’t dirty or damage it."

That was close, she almost forgot to mention it. If it were damaged, she would be heartbroken.

After giving several such instructions back and forth, Lian Hua finally felt at ease.

And so the matter was settled.

Lian Hua had already decided that if Xiao Linzi could not do it, she would not force him. If worse came to worst, she would simply find another solution, and her slight guilt immediately dissipated.

She ran off cheerfully to act coquettishly with Nanny Qi. After being reminded of her duties, she started working on her needlecraft with a heavy heart...

After the afternoon rest, Lian Hua sat on the embroidery stool, focusing intently on sewing clothes. Nanny Qi said that at her pace, she would be finished in a few days.

She decided that once she was done, she would learn from Nanny Qi and sew a simple little lotus, her unique mark, onto the undershirt intended for His Majesty.

Just thinking about His Majesty wearing the clothes she made filled her with sweetness; she could hardly wait.

With this belief, she worked with great diligence, this time without any distractions, arousing Nanny Qi’s surprise and silent praise. When the young miss set her mind to it, her needlework was quite admirable, showing the traces of a skilled teacher’s guidance.

Lian Hua, so engrossed in her work, did not even notice when Xiao Linzi sauntered in.

The speed she achieved while serious was many times faster than before, reassuring Nanny Qi that the young miss’s needlework still had hope.

Worried about her tiring from working too long, Nanny Qi had the afternoon tea brought in, reminding her it was time to rest.

Lian Hua finally stopped, ah, it had been so long since she had sewn so smoothly; the feeling was truly delightful.

She laid down her needlework, stood up, and stretched contentedly—how comfortable!

Smiling, she walked toward the table, wondering what the midday refreshment would be today as she moved.

The red bean soup she had previously was exceptionally delicious, though the process was quite tedious: first, she had to boil the red beans for a shichen, then she fished out the beans, mashed them, used a sieve to remove the skins, leaving behind the bean pulp, which had to be finely ground, then mixed with glutinous rice flour, sugar, and water, and cooked again.

Throughout cooking, she had to constantly stir to prevent it from burning.

This red bean soup, when finished, was soft and silky, rich and delectable, truly leaving her with an insatiable craving; one bowl left her fully satisfied.

She sat down at the table and, from the corner of her eye, suddenly spotted someone who should not be there at this time.

She turned her head in surprise and said, "Xiao Linzi?! Eh, aren’t you supposed to be memorizing poetry? What are you doing standing here?"

Lian Hua was astonished; this young eunuch usually obeyed, so why was he being disobedient today? Could it be that she hadn’t made herself clear?

Xiao Linzi gave a bashful smile, "This servant has memorized it all."

Lian Hua widened her almond-shaped eyes, "You’ve memorized the first poem just like that?"

Xiao Linzi nodded.

"You remember it all?"

Xiao Linzi nodded again.

"Then recite it for me," Lian Hua said, not quite believing him. Just like that, no questions asked, no clarifications sought—how could he have memorized it all?

The student in the eyes of the teacher was incomprehensible; it took her much effort to memorize a single poem, starting with learning the unfamiliar words. While reciting, she had to ask for their meanings; in short, it wasn’t so smooth.

"Yes," answered Xiao Linzi, and began reciting "Guān Jù" from the Book of Poetry, "Guan guan go the ospreys, on the island in the river..."

Lian Hua felt that Xiao Linzi’s recitation was quite proper, so she nodded and swayed her head to the rhythm, mumbling and following along in a low voice until he finished. Hmm, eighty words in total, not one wrong, quite similar to how she recited it.

Ah, this young eunuch had a talent for reciting poetry.

Lian Hua’s eyes brightened. Very good, a promising start, unexpectedly smooth—most satisfactory.

She was very pleased, and couldn’t help but compliment him a few times, making Xiao Linzi flash a smile that revealed his canines.

Xiao Qing looked on admiringly at Xiao Linzi; she had quietly asked him earlier, and he truly was impressive.

Xiao Jizi smiled from the side, his smile deepening as he listened; his mistress seemed to have misunderstood something. If she found out later, she would probably drop her jaw in surprise; he found the anticipation quite entertaining.

He nudged Xiao Linzi and pointed at the copy of the Book of Poetry that Xiao Linzi had been holding all along.

Xiao Linzi remembered; he had come to return the book of poems.

Holding the Book of Poetry in both hands, he said, "Master, here is yours. This servant didn’t damage or dirty it. Brother Xiao Ji earlier told me not to disturb you, so I am returning it now."

Lian Hua took the book, flipped through it, indeed it was neither dirty nor damaged, but she said, "Why are you giving it back to me? Continue reciting it. Don’t be complacent. Memorizing the first poem is not enough; you have to memorize the subsequent ones too."

Otherwise, reciting the same one over and over will raise His Majesty’s suspicions.

She handed the book back to Xiao Linzi, but Xiao Linzi waved his hands, refusing to take it, and said, "Master, this servant has memorized it all; there’s no need for it anymore."