Help! The Frosty Noble's Son Is in Love With Me!-Chapter 334: The Dull Student and the Gifted Student
"Young Lady Pei had previously entered the palace to learn some etiquette, but unfortunately she was too busy back then and learned only a little before stopping. Now she has some free time and has asked the Empress for permission to enter the palace to learn etiquette with Nanny Gui. What a coincidence, she can accompany the Princess."
The lady official spoke quite eloquently, suggesting that Young Lady Pei wanted to learn palace etiquette herself, rather than being specially invited to accompany her. Otherwise, Princess Zhuyu might feel pressured.
Nanny Gui listened and said nothing, clearly understanding the benefit of presenting it this way.
Princess Zhuyu is simply too sensitive, unable to endure any stimulus. With the event approaching, it’s better to indulge in a few benign lies.
Indeed, Princess Zhuyu listened, silently breathing a sigh of relief. Perhaps having a companion is a good thing for her; otherwise, facing the serious Nanny Gui alone every day, she would easily become anxious and make mistakes.
Just as the lady official finished speaking, they arrived.
Qu Fulan and Princess Zhuyu exchanged a glance and, without needing introductions, guessed each other’s identities.
One is the Princely Heir’s wife, the other a princess. They share comparable status and performed greetings as contemporaries meet for the first time.
Qu Fulan addressed her as Princess Zhuyu, but Princess Zhuyu seemed a bit dazed, staring at Qu Fulan for a long time without moving her gaze.
In fact, not only men love to admire beauties, but women also enjoy looking at them.
Fortunately, Nanny Gui coughed lightly, and Princess Zhuyu snapped out of her trance, hurriedly returning the greeting to Young Lady Pei.
There was no need for extraneous formalities; Nanny Gui focused on teaching etiquette and protocol.
Nanny Gui has taught many people, no concubines entering the palace went without her instruction. Even the current Consort Zhang once suffered from her strict teachings but eventually mastered them. However, now with Princess Zhuyu, Nanny Gui has to adopt different teaching methods.
Though reluctant to admit it, the truth is that Princess Zhuyu is the worst she has ever taught.
With only one student earlier, it was less apparent, but now with two, the disparity is clear.
The same action, Young Lady Pei and Princess Zhuyu learned together.
Young Lady Pei mastered it almost instantly, while Princess Zhuyu struggled to do it correctly even after three attempts.
Which teacher doesn’t favor excellent students?
When Nanny Gui taught Young Lady Pei etiquette earlier she was extremely proud of her performance, believing her skills might have declined after so long without practice. But they hadn’t—she learned new protocols in one try, her movements precise, drawing nods of praise.
"Princess Zhuyu, learn this action from Young Lady Pei; her execution is very standard."
Upon these words, Qu Fulan didn’t know Princess Zhuyu’s feelings, but she herself felt a stab of betrayal.
Is this creating an enemy for her?
She discreetly observed Princess Zhuyu, whose face turned red.
Before, neither Nanny Gui nor others explicitly pointed out whether the princess performed well, though she had self-awareness that her learning was subpar—not knowing the exact extent.
However, today’s comparison made it clear—the same action, Young Lady Pei executed it more gracefully than Nanny Gui, who, due to age, lacked aesthetics despite her precision. But Young Lady Pei, with strikingly beautiful gestures, captivated observers.
Princess Zhuyu’s shame surged instantly, wanting to find space and hide, lacking confidence even more now compared to previous days.
Both Nanny Gui and the lady official were surprised—why would this happen? Clearly, with a peer companion, progress should improve, not regress!
Perhaps it’s due to unfamiliarity, their rush in teaching etiquette without time for familiarization.
Rules were studied in the morning, rest at noon, and continued learning in the afternoon.
At noon, when Nanny Gui left, she didn’t forget to tell the Princess, "We shall stop here today; the Princess and Young Lady Pei should rest. Later, if the princess has any doubts, feel free to ask Young Lady Pei; she knows everything."
This implied encouragement for the two to communicate more.
After speaking, they departed together.
It must be said, both Nanny Gui and several officials were seasoned in various scenarios, familiar with intrigues and tactics.
Yet, they made a simple mistake, creating pressure for Princess Zhuyu.
At its root, the mistake stemmed from being busy and confused.
Even the smartest people can make momentary blunders.
Qu Fulan had to stay until the afternoon, resting at the princess’s palace at noon.
Princess Zhuyu, characteristically timid, didn’t know how to arrange things as the host, leaving everything to the nanny in the end.
"Young Lady Pei will rest here for now. Whatever you wish to eat, we can have someone deliver it soon?"
Qu Fulan simply said anything would do.
The nanny then withdrew.
As for Princess Zhuyu, all she said to Qu Fulan was their initial greeting at the start.
Qu Fulan wasn’t troubled, considering she might not have adapted to returning to the palace and possibly wasn’t naturally outgoing and open.
Nanny Gui and the lady official wanted them to interact more and communicate, hoping Qu Fulan could enlighten the princess, as peers conversing is easier.
"This princess doesn’t seem very talkative," Bicao commented.
"Perhaps she hasn’t acclimated to interacting with so many strangers after returning to the palace," Ruyin replied.
Qu Fulan motioned them to avoid further discussion, as speaking behind others was generally improper, especially in someone else’s domain.
After a morning of etiquette learning, she fully understood why the Empress had her come to the palace—indeed to accompany the princess in learning etiquette.
For Princess Zhuyu learned slowly, not just slowly but also not perfectly, which Qu Fulan discerned. Yet, she didn’t obscure her own competence due to the other’s inadequacies; she presented her abilities naturally, knowing feigning poor learning wouldn’t elude Nanny Gui’s observation and might displease the Empress.
This palace is brimming with crafty individuals.
Though excelling herself might cause the princess to feel inferior or stressed, affecting her learning—such issues were amendable.
"Being close to virtue transforms, being near darkness tarnishes" as the saying goes, associating with high achievers inherently exerts influence. Qu Fulan didn’t wish to label herself a high achiever, but the situation resembled this.
She intended appropriate guidance; if truly unyielding, perhaps she would seek dismissal.
Soon, meals arrived, with five or six palace maids serving dishes. A group of eunuchs followed, with one young eunuch at the end drawing Qu Fulan’s attention.
Firstly, his height gave an impression of elegance—what impoverished child would choose to become a eunuch?
Secondly, from the moment he entered, his gaze remained fixed on her, making it hard not to notice.
There was a feeling of being offended; who could produce someone so improperly trained here? But this wasn’t her territory, so criticizing openly was unsuitable.
The situation felt somewhat peculiar.
