My Daughter is the Empire’s Lucky Charm

From the moment they left the Tang residence, Yun Chuhuan's behavior had been... noticeably off.

He sat restlessly on the cushioned seat, shifting about as if there were needles beneath him. His shifty little eyes kept sneaking glances at Tang Muzhi.

"What are you doing?" After catching him in the act several times, Yun Shu narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What guilt are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything!" Startled by how easily she had seen through him, Yun Chuhuan raised his voice in exaggerated protest. "What did I do? What problem could I possibly have?"

"Mm, you have no problems at all."

Yun Shu snorted.

"Other than the fact that when you got in the carriage just now, both your rear and your eyes were stung by bees."

Yun Chuhuan: "..."

Was he really being that obvious?

A faint flush of embarrassment crept across his face. He cleared his throat and tried to change the subject.

"Fifth Sister, why did you invite Cen Yiyi today? You two already see each other every day in the study hall. Don't you ever get tired of it?"

"Then how come you don't get tired of being around Liu Ziming every day?"

Yun Shu raised a brow.

Come to think of it, this was odd. In the original novel, even if Yun Chuhuan and Cen Yiyi didn't fall in love at first sight, he certainly didn't dislike her.

Yet now, every time this brat saw Cen Yiyi, his face would scrunch up like he'd smelled something foul. Not only did he look thoroughly annoyed, but he would even snap at her from time to time, to the point of making the poor girl cry.

Could it be that his preferences as a child were completely different from when he grew up?

Yun Shu eyed him thoughtfully. Her expression, full of quiet contemplation, seemed to spark some unknown reaction in Yun Chuhuan.

In the next instant, the little prince bristled like a startled cat.

"Of course it's different! That Cen Yiyi is the most irritating girl ever. She's timid and cries at the slightest thing. Raise your voice just a little and she'll look at you like you've just bullied her half to death.

Tell me, who could possibly like someone like that?

Any man would find it annoying!"

As he finished, Yun Chuhuan snuck another quick glance at Tang Muzhi.

Only to hear Yun Shu's mocking laugh. "And what does a man's opinion have to do with you? You've only just stopped using your milk bottle."

"I'm already eight years old!" he shot back, his cheeks flushing red. "And that's not the point! The point is that Cen Yiyi is just not likeable!"

"Sounds to me like you're the unlikeable one." Yun Shu gave a little huff. "Yiyi is sweet and well-behaved. You're the one who bullies her, then complains she's too timid. I don't see her crying when she's with Ziming."

"When have I ever bullied her?" Yun Chuhuan refused to accept that and turned to Tang Muzhi, hoping to gain an ally.

"What do you think, Young Master Tang? Isn't it annoying when a girl cries all the time?"

"I have never met the young miss of the Cen family," Tang Muzhi said calmly. Though he had been quietly listening from the side, being suddenly dragged into the conversation didn't fluster him in the slightest.

"I do not know her temperament. But everyone is born different. Some are brave, some are timid. That should not be a reason to dislike someone."

"Exactly!"

Yun Shu nodded in agreement.

"Everyone has the right to be timid! What's wrong with that? She's not harming anyone. But you—if you're so bold, why don't you pick on someone stronger? What's the point in bullying a gentle little girl?"

"I…"

Yun Chuhuan found himself out-argued and snapped his mouth shut, fuming silently.

Before long, the carriage arrived at Lianxin Zhai.

Yun Chuhuan was the first to jump down.

On the second floor, Cen Yiyi and Liu Ziming, who had arrived earlier and secured a window seat, leaned over the railing and called out in greeting.

They were met with a fierce glare from Yun Chuhuan.

"Why are you shouting? I'm not deaf!"

Cen Yiyi shrank back, startled. Her radiant smile quickly faded into a look of confusion and concern.

"Is the Sixth Prince angry again?"

"...Maybe?"

Liu Ziming looked just as puzzled. He had no idea where all this bad temper was coming from so early in the day.

But his attention was soon drawn to the figure stepping down from the carriage behind Yun Chuhuan.

"Isn't that the one from the Tang family? What's he doing here?"

"The Tang family?"

With Yun Chuhuan already stepping into Lianxin Zhai and out of sight, Cen Yiyi summoned a bit of courage and peeked out again.

"Which Tang family?"

"Which else could it be? The family of the Fifth Princess's maternal relatives," Liu Ziming said, resting his chin on the railing. He eyed the young man assisting Yun Shu down from the carriage, tone dripping with envy.

"He's the one everyone talks about. A famed young talent in the capital, and now the top scorer in the provincial exams. Even my father keeps nagging me at home, saying I should learn from him."

"So impressive!" Cen Yiyi's eyes sparkled with admiration. She always paid attention in class but rarely stood out, and now she couldn't help but sigh. "I wish I could be as amazing as Young Master Tang."

"You?" Yun Chuhuan had just reached the second floor and happened to hear her words. He immediately sneered. "I've never seen anyone as dense as you. No brains, but your daydreams are sure ambitious."

"I was just saying…" Cen Yiyi looked down, voice small and pitiful.

But Yun Chuhuan wasn't done. It was as if he were determined to take out all the grievances he'd suffered from Yun Shu earlier on Cen Yiyi now.

"Always acting so aggrieved—who are you trying to fool? Did I say anything wrong?

'dé yī shàn, zé quán quán fú yīng ér fú shī zhī yǐ'—a line so easy to understand, and you managed to misinterpret it as, 'If you meet someone kind and easy to bully, just punch them until they submit so they don't run away.' With a brain like that, you still think you can match Young Master Tang? Try again in your next life!"

"I…"

Cen Yiyi clenched her sleeves tightly and was just about to respond when a soft laugh drifted over, warm and without malice.

She froze, and her round cheeks instantly flushed bright red.

At the same time, Yun Chuhuan arched a brow triumphantly.

"See? Even Young Master Tang is laughing at how dumb you are."

"You misunderstand, Sixth Prince."

Tang Muzhi spoke up gently.

"I was laughing just now... because when I was a child, I once said the exact same thing."

===

"得一善,则拳拳服膺而弗失之矣" is a classical-style sentence, often seen in moral education texts rooted in Confucian thought.

得一善 (dé yī shàn): "Upon gaining one goodness" — that is, when you learn or acquire a virtuous principle or deed.

则 (zé): Then, thus.

拳拳 (quán quán): Sincerely, earnestly, wholeheartedly. This repetition intensifies the emotion.

服膺 (fú yīng): To bear it in the heart; to accept and internalize it with reverence. "膺" refers to the chest, so "服膺" implies holding something close to your heart.

而弗失之 (ér fú shī zhī): "And not lose it" — to never forget or abandon it.

矣 (yǐ): A final particle that indicates affirmation or completion, often used in Classical Chinese.

Interpretation:

"Once you recognize a single good deed or virtue, you should cherish it with utmost sincerity, internalize it deeply, and never let it slip away."

It teaches the importance of valuing moral goodness, even if it's just one small virtue, and holding it dearly within the heart without ever discarding it.

In the context of the chapter, Cen Yiyi comically Interpret it as:

"If you meet someone who is kind and easy to bully, just punch them over and over until they submit. That way, they won't leave."

This absurd reading plays on the homophonic confusion and literalness:

"拳拳" (earnestness) is misread as "拳头的拳" (Quántóu de quán), meaning "fist."

"服膺" (internalize) is twisted into "让人服从" (Ràng rén fúcóng), meaning "force someone to submit."

The whole becomes a ridiculous suggestion of violence and domination, turning a phrase about virtue into a thug's motto.