After breakfast, the courtyard was sunny and breezy. Qingyan sat in the armchair, watching the children playing in the yard. It was the time for the southern tour, so Yiken'e and Hutulifengsheng Zhalafen were able to let loose. Hafeng'a, on the other hand, was different. He moved his short, thick legs and strolled around on the side.
"Yiken'e, you two should hurry up and practice your calligraphy. Your father will be back to check it soon!" Qingyan was very relaxed about Yiken'e's studies. During breaks, as long as she could complete Yin's assignments, that was fine.
“Mother…” Yiken’e ran to Qingyan’s side and said coquettishly.
"Go quickly, your mother can't do anything about it. Your father is still in charge of your studies!" Qingyan shrugged and said helplessly.
Yiken lowered her little head and walked together toward the stone table, where the twins' calligraphy practice brushes and inkstones were placed.
"Mother, you've come to see Hafeng!" Hutulifeng Shengzhalafen walked to her younger brother's side, bent down, carefully examined him for a while, and quickly called out to Qingyan.
Qingyan walked over and looked at her daughter. What had happened this time?
"Mother, look at Hafeng'a's body." Qingyan followed the direction Hutulifengshengzhalafen pointed and found that Hafeng'a's body had many light purple marks, which were obviously caused by something strangling him.
Qingyan picked up Hafeng and walked quickly towards the inner chamber. Sulan came from a distance and was also called in by Qingyan.
In the inner chamber, Qingyan roughly undressed Hafeng'a and looked at his chubby little body. Sure enough, his thighs were covered with bluish-purple marks.
What... what exactly happened?!
"Sulan, hurry up and find Imperial Physician Yuan for me!" A hint of seriousness appeared on Qingyan's face. Such injuries were probably due to abuse.
"Yes!" Su Lan glanced at her young master and quickly ran away.
Qingyan touched Hafeng's leg tenderly: "Silly son, does it hurt a lot?"
When Hafeng asked her the question, he immediately smiled, thinking that his mother was teasing him.
A moment later, Yin arrived with Imperial Physician Yuan. Neither of them looked very well.
When Qingyan saw Imperial Physician Yuan coming over, she quickly made way for him to examine her.
"Madam, this might be a bit troublesome!" Imperial Physician Yuan sighed. Now there was another problem. It seemed that someone had deliberately strangled Hafeng'a's legs with a rope, which caused this situation.
"What's going on?" Yin Yi heard that things were in trouble and quickly came over. This time, he absolutely couldn't let the culprit get away.
"Fourth Prince, Fourth Princess, this is basically caused by the children's leg binding. It must have been the nannies who bound the legs for the little prince's good!" Imperial Physician Yuan said helplessly. Some people followed his advice and did not bind their legs, but others did not think so and thought that leg binding was a fashion.
What?!
Yin's face darkened. Qingyan didn't have the habit of binding her legs when she was a child.
"Imperial Physician Yuan, what's going on here? I remember Qingyan didn't have bound legs when she was little!" Yinxiang had a special affection for Qingyan, but not much for others.
"Fourth Master, quite a few people have stopped binding their legs. It seems my words have had an effect. Some of the nannies felt it was for the young masters' own good and simply kept it a secret. They bind the young masters' legs every time they go to sleep." Imperial Physician Yuan's words directly enraged Yin.
Yin's face revealed a sinister look: "Imperial Physician Yuan, apply the medicine to Hafeng first. Sulan, you stay here and take care of him. Xiaoguai, come with me for a bit!"
The old women around Hafeng need to be given a good talking-to. Qingyan has been busy taking care of the twins lately and hasn't been as attentive to Hafeng as before. Yin even said that Hafeng is getting old and they are planning to move him out.
"Fourth Sister, shall we go find the nannies?" Qingyan was seething with anger. She had told the nannies that if Hafeng made a fuss at night, they should just bring him back.
The nannies of Hafenga were instantly alarmed by Qingyan's actions. Ever since Hafenga was born, Yin and Qingyan had been taking care of her, and some of the rules had been disregarded by Yin.
Now that Hafeng is finally able to sleep alone, the nannies certainly don't want their young master to fall behind others.
"You two go to the study to practice calligraphy!" Yin bent down and said to the twins.
The twins' eyes were shining brightly. Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen also mentioned Hafeng'a's injuries. Yiken'e understood that the servants must have played a part in this, so he specially arranged for An Yi to keep an eye on the old women. Anyone who dared to leave would be brought back directly.
After the children left, Su Peisheng brought over two chairs, and the two sat down. All the servants around the children were left in the middle of the courtyard, while Su Zhu went to the study to serve the twins.
"What happened to Hafeng's leg?" Yin asked directly, without saying anything beforehand.
The old women around Hafeng knelt on the ground, saying that these actions were done according to the rules. Yin smiled coldly, "According to the rules? Why didn't Yiken'e do that?"
"Did Yiken also bind his legs?" Qingyan asked directly.
"This servant wouldn't dare. His Majesty and Consort Tong have instructed that the children's legs don't need to be bound!" said the nanny beside Yiken'e.
Previously, she had tried to persuade Yu, Hafeng's wet nurse, but the latter claimed to have experience and wouldn't listen to her at all.
"Yu Shi, what about you?" Qingyan looked at Yu Shi. She was a decent person. As someone who was under the control of the nannies, if she didn't have any ulterior motives, the nannies wouldn't dare to do anything.
"This servant was doing it according to the rules taught to princes by the Imperial Household Department, and it was also so that the little prince could have a pair of straight legs." Madam Yu didn't think she had done anything wrong.
"Your son should be tied up too, right?" Qingyan looked at Madam Yu. When the nannies entered the mansion, she had them bring the nearby children into the mansion.
“My son wasn’t tied up, and he’s not the eldest son in the family!” Madam Yu said matter-of-factly.
Qingyan sneered: "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you!"
Yin clapped his hands, and Su Peisheng came over from a distance carrying a child, who was Yu's son.
"Now, bind your son's legs," Yin said, looking at Madam Yu.
Ms. Yu felt no panic; she just needed to get some bags to bind her son's legs.
"Master, I..." Madam Yu was terrified.
"Don't look at me. As long as you can tie it up, you can dismantle it according to your schedule!" Qingyan wanted to make the censor suffer the consequences. This bad habit must be changed.
Madam Yu stepped forward and immediately began binding her son's legs. Yin, seeing her actions, scolded her twice.
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