Xie Yuancheng blocked my way, made the Tenth Prince sit down, and even joked about how he was tricked by the beggars. My parents found it strange.

"Brother Yuancheng, let's just let this matter rest. The eldest has already been arrested and locked up. The two younger ones thought they could escape by running fast, so they were also sent back to their hometown by the yamen runners."

I specifically told the constables to scare them. They said if the two boys dared to lie again, they'd get twenty lashes and be forced to crawl around like snakes for the rest of their lives. That scared them.

"Are they from around here?" Xie Yuancheng deliberately changed the subject, and I sat in the back and laughed.

"No, their home was far away. They were hung on the city gate for public display. The two little ones cried and wailed, but no one sympathized with them, so they dared not make a sound. Then a country woman pulled them away."

The tenth prince spoke with a look of disgust, and his mother shook her head after hearing it: "It was all the Crown Prince and Empress who harmed a group of people back then, and now everyone wants to take shortcuts."

"That's right. The Crown Prince is cleaning house everywhere right now. I feel like if he doesn't get things sorted out soon, he'll probably be getting gray hairs already!"

The Tenth Prince really loves a good show; he could actually laugh and recount many embarrassing stories about the Crown Prince. I just don't understand, can someone who changes his tune so quickly really get anything done?

"Your Highness, it's almost noon. Why don't you stay at the manor for lunch?" His father must have been captivated by his voice, which is why he stopped him at birth.

"No need, I just came to the manor to talk to Brother Yuancheng, I'll be leaving in a bit."

The tenth prince peeked over, but Xie Yuancheng blocked him again. "Brother Yuancheng, this sister-in-law is really beautiful. Let me see her. I can use her as a reference when I look for a wife in the future."

"Forget about it. Just focus on your work and listen to your mother." Xie Yuancheng wouldn't budge an inch.

The tenth prince said wickedly, "Sigh, you're only three years older than me, and you already have children and a wife. I need to find a wife too."

He actually went to ask his parents if they had any daughters left in the household. His parents quickly shook their heads, and the tenth prince looked disappointed before finally leaving.

After he left, Xie Yuancheng turned to me and asked, "Ying'er, did you put on powder because you knew he wanted to see you?"

"Don't accuse me unjustly. If I had known he was so unlike a prince, I wouldn't have gone out with you to meet people, hmph!"

"Ying'er, Yuancheng is doing this for your own good. He's done so much for you, how can you be so angry with him?"

Mother is now biased towards Xie Yuancheng. I went over and put my arm around her: "Mother, he's the one who always wrongs me."

"Alright, you two should stop talking." I thought Daddy was going to speak up for me, but it turned out he was speaking up for Xie Yuancheng: "Ying'er, Yuancheng is really a very good husband, so don't always make him angry."

"I understand~" I was worried about being punished by copying books, so I obediently agreed.

Xie Yuancheng, that cunning fellow, started listing all the bad things I'd done outside. My mother took me to Yuanzi for several rounds, saying that I'm still young, but I shouldn't always bully him, and so on.

Who's bullying whom here? I just don't have his eloquence, so I always end up taking the blame from my parents. My mother, after saying so much, even took me to her room to look at her journals from over the years, to learn how to be a good daughter-in-law.

I spent the whole afternoon watching Yu'er and the others play happily outside, while I could only copy books inside. Xi Zhi came over with a ball to keep me company, and I held him on my lap as I continued writing.

"Mother~" Xi Zhi's voice sounds just like mine. I've always felt that he and Su Ling have swapped faces and voices. My youngest son really looks like me.

"Ying'er~ I heard you've become so well-behaved. You need to learn the ten commandments, twenty rules, and five things to know."

Xie Yuancheng walked in, fanning himself with a fan. I put down my pen and hugged Xizhi tightly, saying, "Xizhi, my little darling~ Go help Mommy fight the bad guys~"

Xi Zhi nodded very seriously. As soon as I put him down, he happily ran to Xie Yuancheng's side, tilted his little head up, and said, "Daddy~ Mommy, chirp chirp~"

Judging from his expression, my youngest son went to complain. I rubbed my forehead; in crucial moments, you can't count on anyone. Xie Yuancheng brought Xizhi over. Xizhi is so adorable, her little mouth is always smiling, she's always grinning like an idiot.

"Ying'er~ Have you forgotten? I watched all three children grow up~"

"Pah! Where did you see them grow up? How old are they? How can they be grown up?"

"Waaah~ Mother~" Xi Zhi actually cried in his arms when he heard me talking about Xie Yuancheng. I quickly comforted him and told him not to speak ill of their father in front of the little ones anymore.

"My good son, go out and play with your older brothers and sisters. Daddy has something to say to Mommy~"

Xie Yuancheng was a master at coaxing people. Xi Zhi, who had just been in tears, immediately hugged the little ball and smiled, then happily ran out to play.

"You're so annoying~" I went to the table to continue writing. I need to copy it ten times, and I've only copied it six times so far. I still have to memorize it.

"My sweet little Ying'er~" Xie Yuancheng brought over a stool and sat down next to me. He actually supervised my copying.

"If you go outside, I'll make sure you don't go inside to sleep tonight, and I'll make sure you're cold in the yard!"

"Ying'er! You've gone too far! Yuancheng is sick and can't eat or drink because of you, and you won't even let him go inside to sleep!"

I repeatedly assured Xie Yuancheng that I wouldn't raise my voice and that I would copy the text five more times before she finally left. As soon as she left, Xie Yuancheng started laughing and even slumped onto the table.

"You did it on purpose!" I looked outside and saw my mother taking the three little ones to play on the grass before I went over to pinch Xie Yuancheng's cheek.

"No, I didn't! You were just too mean. Now it's all good. I'm someone who can say what's going on in this family. If Ying'er bullies me again, a bunch of people will help her!"

Xie Yuancheng's smile was so irritating, I'll deal with him properly later, let's copy the book first. He was causing trouble on the side, but I pretended not to see it. I even fell asleep while writing, and when I woke up I found him sleeping on the copied paper.

"Yuancheng~ wake up!" How did we fall asleep? We don't even know what time it is now.

"Don't worry, it's all copied." Xie Yuancheng said and went back to sleep. I looked at the handwriting that was showing, and it was exactly the same as mine.

How did he manage to imitate it so perfectly? His handwriting is beautiful, just like him. When I first saw it, I even considered selling it.

Seeing that he was fast asleep, I draped the thin blanket over him and prepared to sneak out for a walk. Before I could even leave the house, he grabbed me and dragged me back inside.

"I'm copying books for you, and you're going to leave me to go play!" Xie Yuancheng's eyes were still tired, but he still spoke with the same domineering and confident tone.

"No, I'll be back in a bit. Let's put the copied books away and go back to rest."

I coaxed him gently, and by the time I had neatly stacked all the copied books, Yu'er and the others had returned. Xie Yuancheng had fallen asleep leaning against the table. I went out to tell my mother that I would take Xie Yuancheng back to rest first, and the little ones would go to sleep with him.