The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 54: Unwilling to Learn

"Miss, it's the young master who has come!" Cai Lian quickly urged Yun Qianyue. "Shall we go out to welcome him?"

Yun Qianyue stood still. After all, she wasn't the real Yun Qianyue. It was difficult for her to approach a strange man. She shook her head. "No need; my brother has already entered."

Cai Lian nodded. Zhao Mama gave a knowing glance to Ting Yu and Ting Xue, and the two hurried to the entrance to lift the curtain. They respectfully greeted Yun Mu Han, "Young Master, please. The Miss has just awakened and is having her meal!"

Yun Mu Han slightly leaned forward, stepping into the room. He immediately noticed the messy table, with Yun Qianyue standing there, gazing at him. Her eyes were clear and pure, like crystal-clear snow, and although she appeared a bit lazy from just waking up, she looked fresh and bright. He paused for a moment before calmly saying, "Father sent me to see if my sister has woken up. If you have, we should start looking at the account books and managing the household!"

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, Brother. I can't manage the household," Yun Qianyue replied, shaking her head. She thought to herself that she couldn't sacrifice for anyone anymore. Compared to her leisurely life, managing the household was a huge hassle. She could only apologize to Cai Lian and the others, hoping to secure better conditions for them in the future.

"Father is worried that my sister doesn't know how to manage the household, so he ordered me to teach you how to read the account books and manage the finances," Yun Mu Han said.

Cai Lian and the others immediately looked pleased at this news. But before they could fully express their joy, Yun Qianyue immediately shook her head, "I won't learn!"

"You won't learn?" Yun Mu Han looked at her in surprise. Managing the household was a dream for many women, right? For years, the women in the back courtyard, whether it was the madams, concubines, or young ladies, had all fought tooth and nail to take over the management of the household. The eldest lady had been learning under Concubine Feng for years.

"Yes, I won't learn," Yun Qianyue reaffirmed, quite resolutely.

"Why not learn?" Yun Mu Han asked, his surprise fading into calm curiosity.

"Why should I learn? It's not like there's a million reasons!" Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes and suddenly thought of something. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Yun Mu Han. "Why don't you teach me martial arts? If you teach me martial arts, I'll definitely learn and study hard!"

Yun Mu Han was momentarily stunned. He looked into Yun Qianyue's clear eyes, which sparkled with interest and anticipation, almost drawing him in. He turned his gaze away, not meeting her eyes, and said flatly, "Your martial arts were always taught to you by grandfather; there's no need for me to teach you. But this matter of managing the household and looking at the account books is something Father has entrusted to you, so you must learn it. Therefore, you don't have a choice."

This time, Yun Qianyue was taken aback. Seriously? Was the king deliberately making her life miserable?

Yun Mu Han walked around her and sat down at the desk, picking up an account book to glance at it. He said to her, "Have you finished eating? If you have, hurry up and come over. We'll start learning now."

Now? Yun Qianyue's eyes widened as she looked at Yun Mu Han. She hadn't even agreed yet!

"I went to pay respects to grandfather on my way here. He said to teach you well, and in a few days, he would assess your progress. If you don't learn, you'll end up accompanying Concubine Feng, who has been demoted to a maidservant, to guard the ancestral hall. He has given up on teaching you. You will have to learn from the departed ancestors of the Yun family," Yun Mu Han said, not even lifting his head, his tone indifferent.

Upon hearing this, Yun Qianyue's anger flared up. So it was like that? Was it not enough that she had just arrived and hadn't even enjoyed a single day of peace?

She stood still, glaring at Yun Mu Han, her teeth clenched. "It's not like I have to start learning today, right?"

"Grandfather and Father both want you to manage the household as soon as possible. With no one managing the household, it's just a scattered mess. I have nothing to do today, so why not start learning today?" Yun Mu Han glanced at her and said lightly.

Yun Qianyue's face fell, feeling both frustrated and defeated. "You may have nothing to do, but I just woke up! My mind is still foggy! Can't we start tomorrow instead?"

"Do you think you won't be foggy tomorrow?" Yun Mu Han remained unmoved. "Stop procrastinating. Hurry up and come sit down. You've slept for two days and two nights. You must be more awake than anyone else in the household."

Yun Qianyue glared, "Then tell me how many days you'll teach me for!"

"Days?" Yun Mu Han glanced at her before turning his gaze away again. He said blandly, "I asked for a month off from the emperor yesterday. He heard you wanted to learn managing the accounts and was worried that you wouldn't be able to learn in a month, so he approved my two-month leave. Therefore, you'll be learning for two months."

Damn! This was an outright insult to her intelligence!

Yun Qianyue felt a vein throb at her temple. As the youngest and most talented general of the National Security Bureau, how could it take her two months to learn a few household account books? If she said that out loud, how many people would laugh at her? But seeing Yun Mu Han's calm demeanor made her deflate. Even if she was a hero, that was all in the past. Now, she was just a pampered and clueless Yun Qianyue, and learning to read the books was bound to be challenging for her. She could only imagine how many people would ridicule her for it! The more she thought about it, the more she felt downcast.

"Don't be discouraged. The emperor also said that if you don't manage to learn in two months, it'll become three months. He has approved my leave indefinitely to teach you until you succeed," Yun Mu Han added, noticing her gloomy expression and trying to console her.

Yun Qianyue felt a lump in her throat, nearly in tears. Was she really that stupid?

"Today, we won't look at the account books; I'll teach you how to recognize characters first!" Yun Mu Han suddenly sighed and instructed Cai Lian, "Prepare the ink, paper, and brush."

"Yes, young master!" Cai Lian joyfully ran out. With the young master personally teaching the miss how to manage the household, she was sure the miss would learn well.

Zhao Mama and Ting Yu and Ting Xue were also thrilled, happily starting to clean up the table. In no time, they had cleared the dishes completely.

Cai Lian brought out rice paper and writing supplies, laying them on the table. She happily began to grind the ink. Zhao Mama and the other girls stood at a distance, holding their breaths, eagerly watching Yun Qianyue. Their excitement was hardly concealed.

Yun Qianyue looked up at the ceiling, thinking that she truly had fallen into misfortune.

"You've really mastered the art of ink grinding!" Yun Mu Han praised Cai Lian.

Cai Lian quickly replied, "Before my father passed away, he was a teacher at a private school. When I served my father before entering the palace, I often assisted him with the ink and writing supplies. After he passed away, I entered the palace, and it's been a long time since I've ground ink, so I'm a bit rusty!"