When the news reached Hao Yetang, Xue Zhi and Zheng Xiu were both shocked, especially Xue Zhi. In his opinion, Princess Guihe was very patient with children. He was naughty when he was young, and his sister-in-law always lectured him and never used family rules. It was always his elder brother who took action, and his sister-in-law always protected and helped him.
Xue Mian was just taken out to play by him, and there was absolutely no need for this.
He couldn't figure out the secret, so he went straight to Changfeng Garden.
In Changfeng Garden, Princess Guihe did not sleep well at night because she was angry the night before, and she was not in good spirits when she got up.
She wore a bright red jacket with a collar embroidered with gold lotus patterns, and leaned on the kang by the window to read a book.
Qiu Rui and the old nanny were very worried. The old nanny advised: "If you are not in good spirits, take more rest. Don't waste your energy."
Princess Guihe asked Xue Mian: "Where is Mian? Has the medicine been changed?"
Qiu Rui said: "I changed the medicine myself. The third young master just had a temper tantrum. He ate a few cakes and fell asleep again."
Xue Mian has only eaten a few cakes since last night. He refused to eat anything else and refused to let anyone come near to serve him.
Princess Guihe nodded, indicating that she understood, and did not say anything more.
"Princess, the second master is here." The maid came in and announced.
Princess Guihe threw away the book and sat up straight, "Let him in."
After Xue Zhi entered the room, he greeted Princess Guihe and said straight to the point, "I heard that my sister-in-law punished A Mian last night, so I came to see him."
Princess Guihe frowned and said, "Your injuries haven't healed yet, how can you walk around like this? I haven't told you about what happened yesterday, but you came here by yourself." As she spoke, she asked Qiu Rui to serve tea.
Xue Zhi sat down at the table and said, "When I was at home, didn't I often take A Qin out to play like this? I didn't see you so angry at that time. This matter is my fault. I didn't think it through."
"It's a different time now." Princess Guihe waved her hand, dismissed the others, and then said, "You just came back from the Jiangnan coastal area with the Crown Prince. Don't you know what that place is? The Empress Dowager's family, the Xiao family, is from that area. You and the Crown Prince have handled the salt tax case. From the perspective of the world, it is a great achievement, but from the perspective of the Empress Dowager and other relatives, it is indeed a crime worthy of death..."
Xue Zhi naturally understood the interests involved, but still hesitated and said, "Sister-in-law, you worry too much. Now we are celebrating. The Duke's Mansion is in a very tense situation. If anything happens to us, anyone with a discerning eye will know that it was the Xiao family who did it. Besides, it's in broad daylight, under the Emperor's feet, and I'm taking care of him, so nothing will happen to A Mian. "
Princess Guihe sighed and said, "A Mian has been the apple of my eye since he was a child, and nothing can happen to him. It's better to teach him a lesson through this incident, so that he won't dare to act so recklessly in the future. Don't take him out to play anymore in the future, especially..." Especially with Xue Shao. Princess Guihe didn't say the second half of the sentence. On the one hand, he was worried about Xue Mian's safety when he taught him a lesson, and on the other hand, he was worried because he saw Xue Mian excitedly mention playing with Xue Shao after he came back...
Xue Zhi's eyelids jumped, "Especially what?"
"Especially because you are not well yet, and it is not suitable for you to go out." Princess Guihe changed the subject.
Xue Zhi nodded, stood up and said, "I understand, I was reckless and made you worry. I will go see A Mian."
Princess Guihe nodded and did not keep him.
Xue Mian did not sleep well all night because of his swollen buttocks, and he did not eat anything. He could not hold on in the morning, and after eating a few cakes, he felt sleepy and fell asleep again, but he turned over unconsciously after falling asleep and was awakened by the pain again.
When Xue Zhi left, the wet nurse and the maid were waiting outside, saying that he was in a bad mood again.
As soon as he entered the room, a small porcelain pillow flew towards him. He leaned to the side, and the porcelain pillow flew past him and fell to the ground with a muffled sound.
"Get out! I don't want to see anyone!" Xue Mian's angry voice came from the bed.
The bedside was in a mess, with soft pillows and bedding thrown all over the floor. Xue Mian was lying on the bed.
"You have a bad temper. If it were the wet nurse and the maid, their heads would have been smashed by you." Xue Zhi said with a smile.
Xue Mian raised his head and saw that it was him, so he called out, "Second Uncle."
The boy's eyes were red, and he looked very aggrieved.
Xue Zhi picked up the bedding on the floor and put it back on the bed, then sat on the edge of the bed and asked him, "Does it still hurt?"
Although Xue Mian was still young, he already knew that being spanked was a very shameful thing, so he lowered his head again and said sullenly, "It doesn't hurt anymore."
This sounded like he was showing off, so Xue Zhi didn't expose him. He just said, "When I was a child, I also sneaked out to play. Your parents looked for me for a long time and couldn't find me. When I came back, your father beat me with a wooden stick." He gestured, "The wooden stick was so thick that I couldn't feel anything on my butt before your father let me go."
Ever since Xue Mian could remember, his father had been lying motionless on the bed. , after hearing this, he asked curiously: "Why is my father so fierce?"
Xue Zhi recalled: "He is not so fierce all the time, but he will be fierce when he is naughty. I also complained about him when I was a child, especially when I was in my teens, he could still teach me a lesson and didn't give me any face..."
He paused, and continued: "But I later figured it out. Your father did it for my own good and didn't want to encourage my bad temper, so he could be so cruel to me. And every time he beat me, he felt worse than me. Many times he came to see me secretly at night, applied medicine to me, and sat by my bed all night..."
He recalled the past, and Xue Mian listened attentively.
Xue Zhi talked about a lot of things, and Xue Mian listened quietly.
Finally, Xue Zhi said, "So, your mother is doing this for your own good. I just went to see her, and she didn't look very energetic. I guess she didn't sleep well the night before and was worried about you."
Xue Mian grumbled, "But I didn't want to go out by myself. It was you, Second Uncle, who took me out..."
Xue Mian smiled and said, "Yes, it's Second Uncle's fault. Second Uncle took you away without asking your mother's consent in advance, which made her worry. Your mother saved my face and didn't beat me, otherwise Second Uncle would be lying on the bed like you, unable to get up."
Thinking of the way that the tall and strong Second Uncle would be beaten so hard that his butt was swollen and he couldn't get out of bed, Xue Mian couldn't help but chuckle, "Well, my mother said that Second Uncle was injured outside before, maybe that's why she didn't beat you."
Xue Zhi pretended to agree and nodded, "What A Mian said makes sense."
"Then just hit me alone," Xue Mian said righteously, "My butt is so swollen and it hurts. I didn't sleep well all night. I woke up in pain every time I turned over."
The young man seemed to be very proud, so Xue Zhi did not ask to see his wounds, but helped him pull up the thin blanket, "Then you go to sleep now, your second uncle will watch over you and not let you turn over." Then, fearing that he would disagree, he added, "Just think of
it as compensation for your second uncle's failure to share the hardships with you." Xue Mian nodded, and agreed to Xue Zhi, considering him to be in the same camp. He fell asleep soon after closing his eyes.
Xue Zhi watched by the bed, and when he was about to turn over, he gently pressed him down with his hand.
The wet nurse and the maid outside heard that there was no movement inside, so they came in quietly to check. Seeing that Xue Mian had fallen asleep, she said to Xue Zhi, "Second Master, you can go back first. We are here with you."
Xue Zhi shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter. I promised to watch over him. Let him sleep."
The nurse and the maid stopped persuading him and went out again with a light movement.
Xue Zhi stayed on duty until the afternoon. In the middle of the night, he went out and asked the maid to tell Zheng Xiu that he would not go back for lunch.
When Xue Mian woke up, Xue Zhi was sitting on the bedside, bored and reading a biography.
"Second Uncle, you haven't left yet?" Xue Mian smiled and felt much better after waking up.
Xue Zhi stood up and stretched, "Second uncle promised to watch over you. Ah Mian, you are finally awake, second uncle is starving."
Xue Mian smiled embarrassedly, "Then I will ask the maid to serve the meal, second uncle will eat with me."
Xue Zhi stayed with him until lunch before returning to Haoye Hall.
Princess Guihe heard that Xue Shao was in a much better mood and finally agreed to eat, and she finally felt relieved.
Qiu Rui also said, "Second Master still has a way. It only took a few hours to coax Third Master."
Princess Guihe also nodded and said, "Ah Zhi always has a way. Ah Qin used to follow him all day long. She was happier to see him than to see me and his father..." Recalling the warm and happy years in the past, her expression softened.
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