Xiao Xiaoyu was raised as a boy for half a year after he was born. It was not until the day of his transformation that his two fathers realized what a big mistake they had made.
The newly born fish looked almost the same, so Qin Zhao and Jing Li didn't notice anything wrong. It was not until they turned into half-mermaids that Jing Li saw a slight difference between his daughter and the male fish through their tails.
As for why the two of them had always assumed that Xiao Xiaoyu was a son rather than a daughter, Xiao Yuzi should bear most of the responsibility.
Who made the fish call Xiao Xiaoyu "little brother" when he was not even born yet? Jing Li was used to his son saying everything would come true, so he took Xiao Xiaoyu as his son.
Unexpectedly, Jing Li's wish came true this time.
Afterwards, Jing Li seriously reflected on it for a long time. It was obvious that his daughter's fish shape was more slender than all the male fish, and her scales became more and more beautiful. How could he have mistaken her for a boy before
Of course, this is all hindsight.
Fortunately, we discovered the truth early and it didn't cause any trouble.
The most serious problem was probably that the little fish kept calling his younger brother "brother" for a long time afterwards and he wouldn't change no matter how much he was taught.
In fact, the brat couldn't tell the difference between his brother and sister.
As Xiao Xiaoyu grew up, Jing Li discovered that his little daughter was not stupid at all, nor was she unable to transform. She just simply liked being a fish.
The two fathers taught and coaxed Xiao Xiaoyu until she was one year old, and finally she formed the habit of maintaining human form for a long time.
The family was able to return to Beijing safely.
During the more than one year since he left the capital, the young emperor had not been idle either, and finally put Qin Zhao's proposal for civil service reform on the table. After resistance from many court officials, petitions, and many discussions and compromises, the cabinet was finally successfully established under the firm support of General Xiao Yue.
After returning to the court, Qin Zhao made an exception and summoned the young emperor to the cabinet, and appointed him as a cabinet scholar, a fifth-rank official.
When the cabinet was first established, most of the cabinet scholars were selected from the Hanlin Academy. Qin Zhao had only been an official for less than a year, so his entry into the cabinet naturally caused some controversy.
After all, others don't know that the idea of establishing a cabinet was originally proposed by me.
However, his current status is no longer an ordinary official, but a dignified prince. Even if outsiders have complaints, they dare not say anything more in front of the emperor.
Moreover, as the cabinet got on track, Qin Zhao's strength finally made everyone shut up.
Jing Li has always believed this.
There was no need to worry about Qin Zhao. After returning to Beijing, Jing Li continued his leisurely life of eating, drinking and playing. He even didn't get angry no matter how naughty Xiao Xiaoyu was.
My precious daughter is so adorable, how could she have any bad intentions
A few years later, when the little fish was old enough to enter primary school, Qin Zhao sent him to the Imperial Academy to study.
The primary schools in the capital were actually government-run elementary schools. The students were all children of ministers of the seventh rank or above. They mainly taught the young princes literacy, scriptures, and the six arts. The school lasted for seven years, and after completing it, they could directly enter the Imperial College. After graduation, they had the opportunity to be directly granted official positions and serve as officials in the court without having to pass the imperial examination.
This was the court's preferential treatment for the children of officials.
As for whether the little fish will eventually take this path, Jing Li does not force it.
The purpose of sending Xiao Yuzai to primary school was to teach him how to read and write, so that he could have a better life in the future. Jing Li and Qin Zhao respected the child's own ideas about his future and whether he wanted to be an official in the court, and did not interfere.
Fortunately, Xiao Yuzai has been interested in studying since he was very young and has no objection to going to school.
On the contrary, Xiao Xiaoyu found it hard to accept.
On the day when his brother went to the Imperial College for the first time, Xiao Xiaoyu cried loudly in the yard while holding his book bag and refusing to let go.
Xiao Yuzai is now seven years old, but actually only a little over six. However, he thinks that he is a big kid now and cannot cry in front of his sister.
With red eyes, she said firmly, "Don't worry, sister. I'll be back soon!"
It was so tragic that the two seemed to be parting ways between life and death.
Jing Li couldn't bear to see his precious daughter cry, and his eyes became red as he coaxed her. In the end, it was Qin Zhao who stopped this inexplicable emotional drama: "Qin Xiaoxiao, let go, you will be able to see your brother again in two hours."
Qin Zhao named Xiao Xiaoyu Yun Shu, with the word Yun being the name of Yunguan Temple and the word Shu being Qin Zhao's past name. Xiao Xiaoyu's full name was Sui Jingli's, and her childhood name was Xiao Xiao, so she was also called Qin Xiaoxiao.
"Really?" Xiao Xiaoyu, who had her hair in two buns and wore a light pink dress, said with tears in her bright eyes. "You can't lie to me."
"Well, I won't lie." Qin Zhao bent down and wiped her tears.
There are only two hours of classes a day in the first year of Imperial Academy Elementary School. Today is the first day of school, so classes will most likely be over in less than two hours.
Qin Zhao coaxed her in every way and even promised to let Jing Li take her to pick up her brother after school. Only then did Xiao Xiaoyu finally let her father take her brother out.
Xiao Yuzi was brought into the Imperial College by his father and paid respects to the instructor and teacher. Qin Zhao still had to go to the palace to attend court, so Xiao Yuzi said goodbye to his father and followed a young assistant teacher into the school.
There were already about ten children sitting in the school building.
The assistant teacher who took Xiao Yuzi to the school was also a student of the Imperial Academy. His surname was Zhao, and he was only about 17 or 18 years old, but he was already a student of the Imperial Academy. His father was also an official in the court. Before Xiao Yuzi entered school, Qin Zhao invited him and his father to visit his house.
I just hope that this teaching assistant can take better care of the little fish in school.
The young man liked Xiao Yuzai very much. He seemed to be worried and nervous. He said in a gentle voice, "Young Master Qin, please go find a place to sit down first. The teacher will come and talk to you in a moment."
"Okay!" The little fish happily shook off his wheels and ran into the classroom.
juvenile:"?"
This kid... doesn't look nervous at all.
The boy had been in the Imperial College for so many years and had seen countless new students crying and making a fuss, clamoring to go home, but this was the first time he had seen one as happy as Xiao Yuzai.
The princess and Lord Qin's children are obviously different from others.
The young man sighed and turned away.
Xiao Yuzi arrived a little late, and most of the seats in the dormitory were already occupied. He looked around, holding a small schoolbag and came to a boy in the back row: "Can you sit here?"
The boy's face instantly turned red, and he stammered: "Yes, yes."
"Thanks!"
Xiao Yuzai was not afraid of strangers since he was young. He was outgoing and lively. He became familiar with all his classmates in no time. He took out a bag of pastries wrapped in oil paper from his school bag, spread them on the table and invited everyone to eat. He proudly said, "This is made by my father. It's delicious!"
There was another cry of surprise in the school.
Before the arrival of the little fish, the atmosphere in the dormitory was still a little solemn, and some children were so nervous that they secretly wiped away tears. But now, all the children forgot the sadness of temporarily leaving their parents and happily ate cakes.
Friendships are formed so quickly among children aged six or seven.
As a result, when the teacher walked in, he almost thought he had entered the wrong school.
Years of teaching experience made him keenly aware that this group of students might not be as easy to deal with as before. The teacher looked at the little fish cub surrounded by the crowd and silently raised a few vigilance against this kid.
"Ahem, what are you arguing about? Sit down." The teacher was an old man in his fifties, with white hair and beard, looking serious. He stroked his beard, and after everyone was seated, he said slowly, "From now on, you are students of the Imperial Academy. You must abide by the school rules in the school. You cannot talk during class, eat, or..."
The teacher's tone of voice was so up and down that it made people want to doze off.
The little fish cub is at the age when he loves to play and make noises. He can't sit still at all, and his eyes wander around unconsciously.
Saw the boy next to him.
The boy sat upright on the stool. He looked taller than me and was very good-looking, but he was introverted, shy and didn't like to talk.
When the little fish ate the cakes just now, it seemed that he didn't eat any of them.
The little fish thought for a moment, took out a small piece of cake from the oil paper bag, and handed it to him from under the desk: "Please have some."
The boy was startled, but subconsciously looked towards the teacher in front of him.
The old man was still earnestly explaining the rules that needed to be followed in the school and didn't pay any attention to us.
The little fish boy blinked at me and said, "Take it."
The boy hesitated, and the little fish didn't urge him, just holding the cake and waiting. The boy had no choice but to take the cake, and after a long pause, he managed to utter, "Thank you."
My ears are red.
Really interesting.
The first day of school was mostly spent explaining the rules, and formal classes began on the second day, so classes were over in less than two hours.
As the class time approached, several carriages were waiting at the gate of the Imperial College, all of them were here to pick up their young masters after class. However, most of the people who came were servants, and there were only a few who came in person like Jing Li.
Jing Li is now a princess, and many people in the capital know her. She doesn't want to attract too much attention, so she just stands across the street holding her daughter in a low profile. Xiao Xiaoyu stares at the gate of the Imperial College, looking up from time to time: "Why doesn't my brother come out yet?"
"It should be soon, just wait a little longer." Jing Li comforted.
It was Xiao Yuzai's first time going to school, and Jing Li was actually a little worried. He didn't know if he would be able to adapt well, and if he would get along well with his classmates...
The father and daughter waited anxiously for less than a quarter of an hour before the gate of the Imperial College finally opened slowly and several children aged six or seven came out in groups.
The little fish's eyes lit up and it poked its head to look inside.
The little fish walked out slowly behind the crowd.
There were five or six children surrounding them. I didn’t know what they were talking about, but they were laughing and the atmosphere was lively.
Jing Li saw with his own eyes the expression on his daughter's face fall.
"Look, look, brother is coming out." Jing Li coaxed in a weak voice, "Brother will be able to play with you soon, are you happy?"
"Hmm..." Xiao Xiaoyu managed to pull the corners of her mouth, her eyes red, "Happy."
Jing Li: “…”
Xiao Xiaoyu is only three years old now, and is very possessive. How can she stand having so many friends around her brother? Fortunately, although Qin Xiaoxiao is young, she knows not to cry in front of outsiders, so she kept it to herself and went home.
That night, the eldest daughter of the princess's mansion tugged at the sleeves of her two fathers, insisting that she also wanted to go to school.
This really made Qin Zhao a little embarrassed.
Just as the imperial examinations did not allow women to participate and the court did not allow women to serve as officials, the Imperial College also never admitted female students.
When Xiao Xiaoyu heard the answer, she couldn't hold back her tears any more and tears started to fall down her cheeks.
Jing Li's heart was broken, and he quickly hugged Xiao Xiaoyu and coaxed her into a hug. After much persuasion, he finally made Xiao Xiaoyu understand that the Imperial College only accepted children over seven years old, and even if she wanted to enroll, she had to wait until she was seven years old.
Xiao Xiaoyu wiped his eyes and said, "Okay, I'll try my best to grow up to seven years old."
… At least I managed to coax him into submission.
"If you use this reason to appease her now, what should you do when she turns seven?" Given Xiaoyu's fickle temper, Qin Zhao didn't think she would forget this matter when she grew up.
On the contrary, because of this agreement, the kid would definitely be counting the days until he turned seven.
"What should I do? It should be what I should do, right?"
Jing Li held her daughter, who had finally fallen asleep, in her arms, and said to her husband, "There are still a few years left. We still have a chance to reform the Imperial College and allow them to admit girls. Come on, Master Qin!"
Qin Zhao: “…”
A year later, another year of students entering the Imperial College began.
Seven-year-old Xiao Xiaoyu, carrying a school bag, walked into the Imperial College hand in hand with her brother.
Got what I wanted.