In order to stop Li Si'er from shamelessly sticking up to her again, Changning directly instructed the people around her that if they received another invitation from Li Si'er, they should reply with, "Is your neck itchy?"
As a result, she indeed became much more obedient.
Now, Changning is ready to focus on her pregnancy.
These past few days, without his brother's company, Fei Yang'a has become increasingly careless in his studies. He's always daydreaming in class, doesn't write characters properly, and always gives vague answers to the teacher's questions.
The teacher could only tell the truth. When Changning heard this, she was shocked! Her second son had become averse to school! So she quickly called Fei Yang'a back, feeling she had to fulfill her duty as a mother and comfort her youngest son's wounded heart.
However, how to educate children remains a question: should one be a loving mother or a strict mother?
Changning hasn't decided yet, but starting with pastries and delicacies is definitely a good idea.
Fei Yang returned to Qingzhi Garden looking dejected. He didn't even have the interest to play on his favorite slide and seesaw. He only greeted his sister when he saw her.
Hutu also sensed something was off about him. Usually, this kid would fly over like a little bird whenever he saw him. So he was both curious and a little worried.
Seeing Hutuli and Feiyanga walk in together, Changning pushed a plate of newly made cakes on the table. She asked Eunuch Ma to whip the egg whites, add sugar to make cream, and then add some colorful fruits on the cake base, including cantaloupe and Xiangfei grapes.
Children love these novel and attractive desserts, and sure enough, the eyes of the two children lit up. Fei Yanga was especially happy eating them, his cheeks puffed out like a little hamster.
Seeing the children eating happily, Changning breathed a sigh of relief. Actually, these children were all exceptionally well-behaved and intelligent; in today's world, they would definitely be the little angels of any family, requiring almost no care from anyone.
Changning felt that Fei Yang'a's current emotional state was not right. It must be because he had suddenly been separated from his older brother whom he had been attached to since childhood, so he was in a bad mood and had no enthusiasm for studying or archery.
As she was pondering how to bring it up, Fei Yang had just finished eating his cake. He patted his little tummy contentedly and smiled sweetly, "Mommy, this was so delicious! When my brother comes back, shall we make this again?"
Changning nodded eagerly: "Of course!"
Looking at her younger brother, Hutuli casually asked, "What's wrong with you today? You seem to be in a bad mood."
Fei Yanga pouted, blinked her eyes, and looked like she was about to shed tears.
"I'm fine."
"Oh?" Changning and Hutuli exchanged a glance. How come Feiyanga has already learned to swallow his own bitterness? They thought he would complain and whine for comfort.
But after all, he was her own son. Seeing his pitiful look, Changning couldn't help but soften. She took his little hand and said gently, "Did you miss your brother? The teacher said you haven't done your homework well these past few days."
Fei Yanga felt even more aggrieved: "My brother used to help me with my homework! Now I'm all alone! Even my brother Lin and the others are gone."
Changning thought to himself, "That's really true."
Before, Fei Yang'a and Feng Sheng'e were not the only ones studying together; there was also Hong Hui and their two boys, Haha Zhuzi—about ten boys in total. Now, in the blink of an eye, he's the only one left. Isn't that a huge drop in status?
Moreover, even though the husband tried his best to pay attention to the dozen or so boys in the past, his energy was limited, and he certainly couldn't give the same level of focus to every child.
Fei Yanga, taking advantage of his young age, was able to take advantage of the chaos.
Now, he was all alone in the huge study. His teacher's eyes were fixed on him, and he felt suffocated, let alone slacking off.
Changning felt she could understand his feelings quite well. He was a child, still young, and definitely needed playmates. Those young eunuchs could play with him, but their status was unequal. The fact that his own brothers and his close cousins had all entered the palace to study together created a sense of disparity for him.
Fei Yang'a, still holding back tears, tugged at Chang Ning's sleeve and asked, "Mother, am I not favored by Grandfather? Why can both of my brothers go, but I can't?"
Changning was at a loss for words to explain to him that her brothers' entry into the palace to study had another symbolic meaning.
Logically speaking, is the education they received in the palace necessarily better than that in their own homes?
Not necessarily.
In the palace, it was a communal dining system; regardless of the children's abilities, everyone was treated the same.
Inside the mansion, it's a private, customized, personalized tutoring service, equivalent to one-on-one private coaching.
However, studying in the palace meant being considered superior and destined to be the future heir of each household.
This has extremely important symbolic significance.
No prince would be so careless as to send all his sons into the palace.
Even the usually carefree Fourteenth Prince only sent Hongchun in this time.
This is an unspoken agreement among everyone.
So Changning could only comfort him: "Your brothers are just getting older. Look at the other princes who came in with you from other households, aren't they all a bit older? When Fei Yang'a grows up a bit, Mother will think of a way to help you, okay?"
Fiyan pouted, still unhappy. Hutuli snorted, "I didn't go in either, so what do you have to complain about?"
"Why can't my sister enter the palace? Mother, my sister is already old enough!" Fei Yang'a exclaimed as if she had discovered something new, then turned to Chang Ning and pleaded, "Then why don't you come with me to study in the front courtyard, sister!"
Hutuli used to study in the front yard with his brothers in the morning, but ever since Fengsheng got the Haha Bead, and boys and girls are separated, he hasn't gone there anymore.
Currently, only Fiyana is in the front yard, so it wouldn't be a problem to let Huturi go with him.
So Changning patted his little head and smiled, "Of course Mother agrees! But you should ask your older sister's opinion first."
Fei Yanga quickly clasped her hands together, looking at Hu Tuli with pleading eyes, her eager gaze making Hu Tuli feel a little embarrassed.
Hutuli casually agreed: "Alright, alright, I'll reluctantly go with you. But I'd like to go to my maternal grandfather's house in a couple of days to learn some swordsmanship from Guo Luoma."
Fei Yang'a's eyes lit up immediately: "Mother, Mother! I want to go too! I like learning swordsmanship!"
Changning was getting fed up with him and was thinking to himself that Feng Sheng'e had clearly improved his reading skills, while Hu Tuli and Fei Yang'a were more interested in learning martial arts.
Her daughter is now very skilled with a whip, and she's also good at horseback riding and hunting.
Fiyana was strong from a young age and loved Bodell's weapons.
Since the children liked it, she decided to send a special team to escort the two children to and from the Fucha Mansion.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
