SFS Chapter 176 Hongjing Reading
Chapter 176 Hongjing Reading
Chapter 176 Hongjing Reading
Because of the Fourth Lady's disbelief, Bu Erhe personally took her to Hongchang's yard. Sure enough, when the two of them stopped by the window outside the door, they could hear Hongjing reciting from a few meters away, and occasionally heard Hongchang's voice correcting him.
The Fourth Lady was completely stunned at this moment. She quietly walked to the window and looked inside, only to see her naughty little devil sitting in front of Hongchang and reciting his lessons obediently, while Hongchang was practicing calligraphy while being supervised. It seemed that this was not the first time this had happened.
Facts speak louder than words. Without disturbing the children's studies, Buerhe took the dizzy Fourth Lady back to the main courtyard.
After sitting on the stool, the Fourth Lady spoke in a daze: "Second sister-in-law, I am not dreaming! Is that Hongjing? Is he actively studying?"
Buerhe chuckled. Hongjing must have been so mischievous that even her fourth sister-in-law couldn't believe he was studying. But she felt relieved when she thought of her own son Hongye, who was always reliable and knowledgeable in front of outsiders, and only showed a hint of childishness in front of her.
The Fourth Lady finally reacted after a while. The scene just now was too exciting for her. You know, in the Prince's Mansion, apart from the Fourth Master who could make Hongjing study quietly for half a day, Hongjing would only half-listen to Honghui's words, not to mention her mother. As long as she mentioned studying to him, Hongjing would run away in a blink of an eye.
She had never expected Hongjing to behave like this in front of Hongchang. However, thinking of the scene when Hongchang came to visit her family before, the Fourth Lady had another question: "But that's not right, Second Sister-in-law. The last time Hongchang came to visit us, Hongjing didn't mention studying at all? The two of them even played marching chess for a long time!"
Speaking of this, Buerhe really knew the reason: "I later asked Hongchang about this matter. It was really because his behavior that day was inconsistent with his usual style. You know, Hongchang's daily routine is very regular. What to do at what time is arranged very well and basically does not change.
Then guess what Hongchang said?"
Seeing the Fourth Lady staring at him eagerly, Bu Erhe did not keep him in suspense: "Later, Hongchang told me that he and Hongjing had made an agreement. If Hongjing came to visit Yuqing Palace, he would abide by the rules he set. He would do whatever he asked and would not regret it. Similarly, when I visit your house as a guest, whatever Hongjing asked me to do, Hongchang would do as well."
The Fourth Lady suddenly understood, and at the same time she was a little curious about how Hongchang persuaded Hongjing to agree to such an agreement. After all, according to Hongjing's personality, it was really difficult for him to be patient and study.
Buerhe: "If you really want to know, then wait until the children are done and call them over to ask. They are still young and only have a vague understanding of many things. They don't understand what adults mean by "doing it for their own good". Besides, I have never thought that Hongjing doesn't like reading. I have seen it many times. Hongjing and Hongchang are so happy reading together."
The Fourth Lady nodded in agreement. It was the first time she saw Hongjing not only not averse to studying, but even seemed to have a faint fondness for it. Thinking of the scenes of Hongjing skipping classes in the mansion and the reputation of Hongjing as an unlearned little bully in the mansion, the Fourth Lady made up her mind to find out the reason behind it later.
After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, the two children returned to the main courtyard under the guidance of the maid. Seeing the two little kids, Buerhe's eyes were full of tenderness. He personally took the handkerchief from the maid's hand and wiped the sweat and hands of the two children who ran over in a hurry. Hongchang and Hongjing also obediently let Buerhe do what he wanted, and called them mother and aunt happily.
Seeing her own little devil acting like a kitten with its claws retracted in front of the Crown Princess, the Fourth Lady felt as if she had overturned a bottle of vinegar and felt extremely bitter in her heart.
Did Buerhe see it? Yes, she did, but she didn't say anything to comfort the Fourth Lady. Instead, she focused on providing the two little ones in front of her with a variety of snacks and milk tea. When they were almost done, she asked Hongjing, "Hongjing, tell Second Auntie, do you like reading? Are you happy studying with Brother Hongchang?"
Hongjing subconsciously glanced at the Fourth Lady, but since the person asking the question was his favorite Second Aunt, he answered honestly: "I like it. My brother said that reading can make you wise and forget the troubles in life." He glanced at the Fourth Lady again and said: "It can also make Mother like me."
The Fourth Lady opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped by Buerhe. She continued to ask patiently, "Since you like reading so much, why don't you study hard in the Prince's Mansion? I heard that you often skip classes and make your teacher angry."
When Hongjing heard this, he was like an angry little lion: "No, Second Aunt, those people are wrong. I like reading, but every time I listen to the teacher's class in the study, my pen and ink are always broken, and my books have been broken several times. I even lost the homework assigned by the teacher twice for no reason.
I asked someone to investigate and I also talked to my teacher, but he said I was disrespectful to my teachers, uneducated, and unrepentant when I made mistakes and made excuses to avoid it.
The Fourth Lady was heartbroken listening to this. She didn't know all this. She usually only cared about whether Hongjing's life was comfortable. She spent more time and energy on Honghui and government affairs. As for Hongjing's studies, she basically listened to the master and the teacher and didn't really check it carefully.
This was also the first time she knew that Hongjing had suffered so much injustice in places she could not see.
The Fourth Lady asked, "Where are the servants around you? Are they all dead? My prince was wronged, but there was no reaction, and no one reported it?"
Upon hearing this, Hong Jing quickly pleaded, "Mother, don't blame the maids. Brother Hongyun is in poor health, and you need to spend more time taking care of him. Big sister's upbringing also requires your attention. The maids also said that you are very busy every day. If you have to trouble you with such a small matter, you must be very tired!"
The Fourth Lady finally couldn't hold back her tears. She hugged Hongjing tightly and was so distressed that she couldn't speak for a long time. She just kept calling Hongjing's name.
At that moment, the only words that came to Buerhe's mind were "a slave bullying his master". When Buerhe saw that Hongjing was beginning to be at a loss because of the Fourth Lady's behavior, Buerhe stepped forward to pull the Fourth Lady away, and asked Hongchang to take Hongjing to play somewhere else. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the Fourth Lady's tears: "Okay, don't scare Hongjing. It seems that there is something wrong with the people around Hongjing. You also need to check the front yard. Targeting a child for no reason, and using such childish means, I believe you have your doubts."
The Fourth Lady had stopped crying by now, her face filled with anger and ferocity. "These wicked slaves! My methods were too gentle, causing them to forget who their master is. They actually dared to bully the young master and alienate our mother-son relationship. Their crime is unforgivable. Originally, I left the affairs of the front yard to Master, but it seems Master has been busy lately, and the people in the front yard have started to make small moves."
Thinking of this, the Fourth Lady turned to Buerhe and pleaded, "Second sister-in-law, I have a favor to ask of you. Would you mind letting Hongjing stay in Yuqing Palace for a while?"
Buerhe understood what the Fourth Lady meant. The wet nurses and maids around Hongjing needed not only to be cleared out but also to be retrained, which would take time. Furthermore, Hongjing had feelings for his wet nurse. If he was dealt with in front of him, what would happen if Hongjing felt unhappy in the future? After much thought, it would be better to keep Hongjing in Yuqing Palace for a month or two. By then, when Hongjing returned, he would be surrounded by his own people.
Buerhe nodded and said, "Put them here. I have enough servants here. You can take the ones around Hongjing back with you. If you miss Hongjing, come and see him anytime. I'll give Fourth Brother a heads-up for you."
The Fourth Lady was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes: "Thank you, Second Sister-in-law, for your understanding. Yinzhu is very grateful."