Zhi’er nodded her little head.
"Yes, Daddy, Aunt Yinling is so nice, she always brings me food and takes me out to play."
At this point, the little one yawned, her eyes teary with sleepiness.
"Well, but I delayed practicing calligraphy, so now I have to make up for it."
Bai Xilie looked at the little one’s big eyes, full of fatigue, and felt very distressed.
He pondered for a moment: "How about this, Daddy will arrange a task for Mo Yanchi tomorrow, so he can’t enter the palace temporarily. You can go to sleep first, okay?"
Zhi’er was exceptionally persistent, she shook her head: "No, Daddy."
She pouted, her voice soft and pitiful: "I was the one who played around and forgot to practice calligraphy. I can’t lie to my tutor because of this."
"Daddy, go to sleep first, Zhi’er must finish writing before resting!"
After saying that, Zhi’er climbed onto the chair with effort, picking up the brush again, her little body sitting up straight.
Bai Xilie couldn’t persuade her, so he moved a chair to sit beside her: "Daddy will accompany you."
Soon, Qingmei returned with a bowl of sweet and sticky lotus seed porridge.
Bai Xilie cast a stern glance at her, making Qingmei’s heart tremble. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI-Fire.ɴet
She hurriedly paid her respects, then explained: "Emperor, this servant went to cook porridge for the Princess."
In front of his daughter, Bai Xilie did not want to say anything blaming.
He just furrowed his handsome eyebrows, his face showing suppressed displeasure: "Bring it over, I will feed Zhi’er."
The little one seriously practiced calligraphy while turning her head to sip some porridge from the spoon her daddy fed her.
The Princess wasn’t sleeping, so the Emperor naturally didn’t rest either.
Everyone in Ruizhu Palace, even if not on duty, dared not sleep.
Since the Emperor was staying up with the Princess, they certainly couldn’t sleep soundly.
Nearly an hour passed, and Zhi’er finished the assignments Mo Yanchi had given her.
The little one put down the brush and stretched lazily: "Finally finished!"
Bai Xilie promptly said: "You must be so tired, shall Daddy carry you to bed?"
Zhi’er could barely keep her eyes open, nodding her head with half-closed watery eyes, her soft voice extremely sleepy.
"Daddy, I’m seeing double of you now."
Bai Xilie hurriedly picked up the little one and placed her on the bed.
Qingmei and several palace maids neatly extinguished several candles, leaving only one dim lamp.
The room immediately fell into a comfortable dimness.
Zhi’er’s round, adorable little face was full of sleepiness.
She mustered her strength to look at Bai Xilie: "Daddy, although playing was fun, it’s so hard when the assignments aren’t finished."
With that, she fell asleep.
Bai Xilie pursed his thin lips tightly, his facial features etched with deep concern.
After seeing Zhi’er fall asleep, he drew down the bed curtains for her and went outside.
Qingmei had already led the palace maids to bow and wait outside.
"Come here, I have a few words to ask you." Bai Xilie said coldly to Qingmei.
He walked to the side, with Qingmei quickly following.
"Zhi’er is a very well-behaved child and never falls behind on her assignments, often finishing early."
"This time she had to rush to finish them before going to sleep. Didn’t she practice calligraphy every afternoon before? What has she been doing in the afternoons now?"
"I’ve heard her say that Su Yinling frequently comes to take her out to play. Is this true? Tell me everything clearly."
Hearing Bai Xilie’s inquiry, Qingmei finally stopped hiding and informed him of everything Su Yinling had done in recent days.