The boy smiled.
Li Xingyi said calmly, "Don't worry, I am now the Empress, her sister-in-law, and I am capable of handling this."
Ji Xi and Li Yanzhang then stopped saying anything more.
Li Xingyi suddenly asked, "Brother, what's going on with Zizheng? I noticed it just now, but you and I were discussing other things, so I overlooked it."
Li Yanzhang then noticed Zizheng standing next to them; his face was still swollen.
Li Yanzhang stood up in a panic and said, "Oh dear! Zizheng, I'm so sorry! I was so busy talking to Xingyi that I forgot about your injury."
He hurriedly said to Li Xingyi, "Xingyi, why don't I take Zizheng back to the manor to apply the medicine first?"
Having said that, he grabbed the child and was about to leave.
Seeing this, Li Xingyi said calmly, "Wait, I have some excellent ointment here. Qingyi, go and get it for Zizheng."
Zizheng was flattered and said with difficulty, "No...no need, Your Majesty, this servant's little injury doesn't need such a good ointment."
Only after he finished speaking did he realize that Qingyi had already brought out the ointment and was walking towards him. He was flustered and didn't know what to say.
Seeing this, Li Yanzhang put his arm around Zizheng's shoulder and said, "Zizheng, stop making excuses. Don't you want to get better soon? You can't keep stuttering like this, can you?"
Upon hearing this, Zizheng did not refuse and bowed to Li Xingyi, saying, "This servant thanks Your Majesty the Empress."
He then took the ointment and was about to apply it himself when...
Qingyi suddenly said, "How about I help you? You can't see it, how can you apply the medicine?"
Upon hearing this, Zizheng hurriedly hid behind Li Yanzhang and said, "No need, Miss, I'll ask my young master to do it."
Men and women should not touch each other, let alone you, the Empress's personal maid.
Li Yanzhang glanced at Zizheng behind him, understood his meaning, and immediately said, "Yes, I'll do it."
Qingyi meant well, but after hearing what they said, she didn't say anything more.
Li Xingyi asked, "Brother, how did Zizheng get injured?"
While applying medicine to Zizheng, Li Yanzhang explained, "Well, he said the wrong thing and got beaten up by the girl."
Li Xingyi looked puzzled, and Ji Xi, seeing that Li Yanzhang's explanation was unclear, explained, "Your Majesty, let me explain! We encountered Consort Duan before coming to Fengyi Palace. It was nothing unusual, but because Yanzhang had left the palace earlier..."
Li Xingyi understood; Li Yanzhang had gone off to do something else again. She asked, "And then?"
Ji Xi continued, "Then I dragged him back to the palace and said a few words to him, but who knew he would suddenly run away, and later..."
Ji Xi covered his head and said helplessly, "Later, he almost accidentally took liberties with Consort Duan, and then his maid called him a 'lecher.' Coincidentally, Zi Zheng came over, and when he heard someone call Yan Zhang a 'lecher,' he got angry and went up to argue. He was just going to say a few words, but Zi Zheng insisted on calling the maid a 'shrew.' That's how he angered the maid, and she got beaten up by Zi Zheng before she stopped."
Li Xingyi, Qingyi, and Qianwu were stunned. This was truly shocking!
Li Xingyi lowered his eyes and said, "I see. Well, since it's already resolved, let's not pursue it any further."
Ji Xi glanced out the window and realized that it was already late. He, Li Yanzhang, and Zizheng had been there long enough, and it seemed that they had even delayed Li Xingyi's meal.
Ji Xi then pulled Li Yanzhang and Zi Zheng to bow to Li Xingyi and said, "Your Majesty, it's getting late, we should be going."
After hearing this, Li Yanzhang realized that they had indeed stayed a bit too long, so he added, "Oh right, Xingyi, we have to go. Take care of yourself."
Li Xingyi looked at them, nodded, and said, "Okay, be careful on the road."
He watched them leave.
Seeing that the food on the table had gone cold, and worried that Li Xingyi was hungry, Qingyi said to Qianwu, "Sister Qianwu, look, the food has gone cold, and Her Majesty hasn't eaten yet. Why don't you reheat it or rearrange the meal?"
Qianwu glanced at the food on the table; it was indeed cold. She then looked at Li Xingyi, sighed, and said, "Alright, I'll go prepare it."
After saying that, Qianwu asked the palace servants to help carry the food out.
After confirming that Qianwu had gone far away, Qingyi looked around and saw that only she and Li Xingyi were in the room, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
Qingyi walked over to Li Xingyi and asked, "Your Majesty, why did you let Qianwu stay? She's only been with you for a short time, and you already trust her?"
Then she pouted and muttered under her breath, "I've been with you since I was a baby, how could I be inferior to her who's only a few months old?"
Li Xingyi looked at her and said, "Qingyi, do you know how Qianwu came to be by my side?"
Qingyi asked, puzzled, "Wasn't it bestowed upon you by His Majesty?"
Then, as if remembering something, she said, "Your Majesty, you are..."
Li Xingyi nodded and said, "Yes, I deliberately let her stay. She is His Majesty's person. She will surely report to His Majesty everything I do and everyone I meet."
“If His Majesty knew that I was alone in a room with Young Master Ji and my brother, he would inevitably be suspicious. But if Qianwu is allowed to stay and know what we said and did, it would be the same as His Majesty knowing as well.”
Qingyi then understood and said, "Yes, I see. That way, Tuo won't suspect you."
Li Xingyi said, "Good that you understand."
She then had Qingyi bring the booklet of ordinary women to continue the selection process, while Qianwu prepared the meal again.
As for Shi Yan, after parting ways with Ji Xi and Li Yanzhang, she continued to wander around the palace. Shi Yan was still sullen, while Fu Rong was quite energetic, probably because she had punched the person who had criticized her and was in a good mood.
But as she was walking happily, she suddenly heard the person next to her chuckle. It seemed that they were thinking about what Ji Xi and Li Yanzhang had just talked about and were laughing at Li Yanzhang's naivety.
Furong looked over in confusion and saw that Shi Yan was covering her mouth, but it was still clear that she was smiling.
Furong asked, "Miss... ah, no, Your Highness, what are you laughing at?"
To everyone's surprise, Shi Yan stopped laughing after hearing the Empress's name, and lowered her hand, as if she hadn't been smiling just moments before.
Seeing her like this, Furong didn't know what to do. Her mind raced, and as if she had thought of something, she said, "Ah, Your Majesty, why does that young master Li seem nothing like Your Majesty's brother?"
When Shi Yan heard Fu Rong mention Li Yanzhang, her mood seemed to improve, and she asked, "Oh? How is he different?"
Seeing that she was in a better mood and had spoken up, Furong happily described, "He's nothing like her at all. The first time we met him, he was very lively and not mature at all..."
Before she could finish speaking, she heard Shi Yan gently say to her, "You're very lively too."
Furong suddenly exploded, saying, "I...I...I'm not the same as that Young Master Li!"
Shi Yan seemed intrigued and pressed for more information: "Hmm? Then... how is it different?"
Furong said, "It's just different. That young master Li isn't even as smart as me. Everyone said there might be a difficult childbirth, but he still wanted to go in and help. Besides, what can a man like him do? We're different in this respect!"
Shi Yan covered her mouth and said, "Haha, Young Master Li is still a young man and inexperienced in the ways of the world. Besides, he is a man, so it is normal that he does not understand this kind of thing. You are a woman, so you naturally know much more about this kind of thing than him."
Upon hearing this, Furong hurriedly turned to Shi Yan and cried out, "Waaah, Your Majesty, why are you favoring that Young Master Li? You're not on my side anymore! Is Furong going to lose your favor?"
Hearing Furong's nonsensical words, Shi Yan said, "Alright, Furong, what are you talking about? I'm not biased towards anyone, I'm just stating the facts."
Furong exclaimed in surprise, "Really? Then I haven't lost your favor yet, right?"
Shi Yan said helplessly, "Yes, yes, you are still my good Furong."
Furong happily pulled Shiyan along as they jogged, saying, "Then let's not talk about Young Master Li anymore, let's hurry to Yonghe Palace, I'm starving after walking around for so long."
Shi Yan was pulled along at a trot, saying, "Hey? You still haven't told me why Young Master Li doesn't look like the Empress's brother."
As Furong ran, she said, "Let's talk about him next time! Let's go eat!"
Upon arriving at Yonghe Palace, Furong stopped and released Shi Yan's hand.
Shi Yan was panting heavily, and after catching her breath for a while, she said, "Furong, you ran too fast. Yonghe Palace can't run, why are you running so fast?"
Furong said in a serious tone, "Let's eat!"
After hearing this, Shi Yan said helplessly, "Alright, let's go in then."
The two then entered Yonghe Palace together.
But as soon as they entered, they heard a voice say, "Oh, you've finally deigned to return! Your Majesty, you're truly precious, making this servant wait for so long!"
Shi Yan frowned slightly and looked in the direction of the sound. She saw an elderly nanny sitting on a chair, surrounded by several palace maids who were fanning her and serving her fruit. The nanny was also looking at her sideways.
Shi Yan frowned and asked, "Who is this nanny? What is she doing at Yonghe Palace?"
Upon hearing Shi Yan speak to her in such a manner, the old woman became furious and quickly stood up, shouting, "Your Highness, don't you recognize me? Of course, Your Highness is so precious! You've only just entered the palace and you've already made us wait so long!"
Shi Yan, without showing any fear, asked, "So, who is this nanny?"
The old woman then proudly declared, "This servant is Empress Dowager Shi's person! I've come here on orders to instruct Consort Duan!"
Shi Yan remained silent, puzzled.
My aunt didn't say that someone would come to teach me, so where did this nanny come from?
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