After returning, Hongli recounted the events to Lanqin in detail, including how Hongsheng had broken Hongli's jade-tube writing brush.
"Have you put the calligraphy brush away?" Lanqin asked.
"Yes, I've put it away. It was a gift from my grandfather. Mother, I love this brush very much. Could you please have a craftsman repair it?" Hongli's eyes immediately reddened. He hadn't shed a tear when Lady Nian forced the maid to hit him; but now, seeing his most beloved brush broken like this, Hongli couldn't hold back his tears.
Hongzhou stood aside and watched Hongli on the verge of tears, and tears welled up in his eyes as well.
Seeing the two children burst into tears, Lanqin quickly said, "Hongli, don't cry, Hongzhou, don't cry either. We'll fix the brush. It's no big deal. Your imperial grandfather has plenty of brushes; giving you one or two more as a reward is no problem."
Things that adults don't care about are of utmost importance to children.
"Mother, is it really okay? Can mine be repaired?" Hongli asked, blinking his little eyes.
"Yes, it'll be exactly the same as yours, okay? Don't cry anymore," Lanqin quickly comforted him. Then she instructed the maid to take the two children away to wash their faces, and then let them have some snacks and play with them. After Hongzhou had his snacks with them, Lanqin had someone send him back to Gengshi's place.
When the Fourth Master returned, the maids from Madam Nian's side were already waiting there.
"This humble servant greets Your Highness!" Lady Nian had specially changed her clothes, and her makeup was also newly done. "Hongsheng, quickly greet your father!"
"Hongsheng greets Father!" Hongsheng also changed his clothes, his face full of humility, and stood beside Nian Shi with his head bowed.
"No need for formalities," Fourth Master said, walking over and placing his hand on Hongsheng's back.
After everyone was seated, Madam Nian gave Hongsheng a wink, signaling him to go and discuss the matter with the Fourth Master. In fact, someone had already reported the matter of the primary school to the Fourth Master as soon as he returned.
"Father, I got into a fight with Hongli today. It was really wrong of me, please punish me!" Hongsheng stood in front of the Fourth Prince and said in a very low voice.
"Why fight?" Fourth Master's face remained calm, just as it always was.
“It’s all my fault. I didn’t dare to take the ink that my uncle sent out. Hongli is my younger brother and younger than me, so I should have given in to him,” Hongsheng said, following Madam Nian’s instructions.
Fourth Master's gaze softened slightly as he looked at Hong Sheng, but he still asked, "Why did you fight?"
Hongsheng raised his head and glanced at Nian Shi, then lowered his head again and said, "I originally wanted to take that ink stick and give some to the teacher, because the teacher told me that he loves ink very much, so I thought I would give some to the teacher as a token of my respect. Then I would share some with my brothers, but I did not expect that Hongli would not only not appreciate my kindness, but also make sarcastic remarks, which made me lose my temper for a moment."
The Fourth Prince had already learned about the matter from the headmaster of the primary school, but he didn't know the details of the quarrel between Hongsheng and Hongli. Seeing Hongsheng's words, he roughly understood that it was just a quarrel between children and nothing serious. So he said, "Don't let a small matter affect your brotherly relationship. Although you and Hongli don't have the same mother, you are both my sons."
Lady Nian, having finished speaking, said coquettishly, "Your Highness, Hongsheng has always been well-behaved and sensible, as you know. Today, over a mere ink stick, he's made such a fuss. I didn't even see it with my own eyes; I had no idea the Fourth Prince could be like this. He spoke to me without any fear, acting nothing like a child. Your Highness, this matter may not seem like a big deal, but the proper upbringing of the princes is what truly matters."
Upon hearing Lady Nian's words, the Fourth Prince realized that the character and upbringing of the princes were indeed a matter that could not be ignored. He also knew Hongli's temperament. From a young age, he had been very strong-willed, and the favor he had received from Emperor Kangxi had made him more assertive than the average child.
"I already know a little about this matter. Hongsheng, no matter what, brothers shouldn't fight. I heard you started it?" Fourth Prince said, ignoring Madam Nian's instigation.
"I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have laid a hand on my brother. Please punish me, Father!" Hongsheng quickly admitted his mistake. After listening to Hongsheng's account in her room, Madam Nian realized that her son was indeed in the wrong. He had broken the ink stick himself, and he had struck first.
Seeing that Hongsheng had already admitted his mistake, Fourth Master did not want to reprimand him further. In addition, he did not want Madam Nian to feel that she favored the South Courtyard, so he did not scold Hongsheng any more. Instead, he said a few words of brotherly respect to him, asked about his studies, and then left.
Lady Nian wanted to keep Fourth Master, but he remained uneasy, so she had no choice but to let him go.
Meanwhile, Lanqin had already received news that not long after the Fourth Master returned to the front courtyard, he was invited away by Nian's maid.
"My lord, that year, the concubine was trying to frame someone first!" Cui Niang said with some concern.
"Right and wrong are as they are, and His Highness is not the kind of person to be easily swayed. There is no need to panic," Lanqin said. "His Highness should know Hongli's temperament."
Before Lanqin and the others could even have their dinner, Fourth Master arrived with his long legs.
When the maids saw the Fourth Master arrive, they all looked worried. They wondered what the Fourth Master had heard from Madam Nian and whether he had come to interrogate them. After all, Lanqin had relinquished the Emperor's power to Madam Nian, and people outside were starting to have second thoughts, thinking that the South Courtyard had gradually lost the Fourth Master's favor and the winds of change had shifted.
Because the South Courtyard had its own kitchen and no external communication, the head nanny had always taken good care of it, so the maids didn't receive any special treatment. However, the Fourth Master was indeed visiting less often than before. The master didn't seem to be in a hurry, but the maids were starting to worry.
"They started using it before I even got a chance to see it?" Fourth Master glanced at Lanqin and Hongli, seeing them chatting and laughing, seemingly unaffected by the fight.
"Father!" Hongli quickly put down his chopsticks, jumped down, and ran towards the Fourth Prince.
"Hongli, be careful. Your father is tired, let him sit down and rest first!" Lanqin gave Hongli a reproachful look, then gestured to the maids to set out a bowl and chopsticks for the Fourth Master.
Fourth Master was already used to his presence, so Lanqin wouldn't specially order more dishes or ask anyone to serve him food. He naturally sat down opposite Lanqin, took the bowls and chopsticks brought by the maids, and began to eat by himself.
Seeing his reaction, Lanqin knew that Hongli and Hongsheng must already know about the fight in his mind.
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