The Grand Secretary's Child-Raising Diary

Lu Shiyan personally carried Lu Youning all the way back to Songtao Courtyard.

Having just caused a major flood in her cheap father's territory last night, and finding him both handsome and somewhat pitiful today, Lu Youning didn't struggle to get down and obediently allowed herself to be held.

As soon as I returned to Songtao Courtyard, the doctor Huaiyan had invited was already waiting for me.

The old doctor held Lu Youning's ankle and examined it carefully. He moved it a few times and said to Lu Shiyan, "Don't worry, sir. The young master's injury looks terrible, but the bone is not broken. He only needs some medicinal wine to reduce swelling and bruising, and he will recover completely in a few days."

Although they knew that Lu Youning's ankle was probably fine, Zhang and the others breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the doctor's words. Even Lu Shiyan's eyes showed a hint of relief.

He patted Lu Youning's head approvingly and said softly, "You did a good job."

Lu Youning: Why are you suddenly praising him?

Having resolved the external crisis and seen the doctor off, the next step was to deal with internal matters.

Zhang Shi and Banxia Kuandong knelt down immediately. They were lucky that they hadn't protected their young master today. If their young master had been knocked into the lotus pond, they would have been guilty beyond redemption.

If the master punishes them, it means he still needs them.

"Later, Zhang and Banxia will each receive ten strokes of the cane, and Kuan Dong twenty. If the master is injured again in the future, Songtao Courtyard will not be able to keep you."

The punishment was lighter than they had imagined; they weren't even fined a month's wages. But the three Zhangs knew that this was truly the last time. If their young master were to get injured under their noses again, the Second Master would definitely not let them off easily.

Hearing Lu Shiyan's decision, Lu Youning secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't have any intention of pleading for Zhang Shi and the others. After all, if Banxia and Kuandong had reacted faster today, his ankle wouldn't have had to suffer like this.

Qin was personally escorted back to Chunhui Courtyard by Lu Xin. She was in a great state of mind and sat on the couch for a while before realizing that Qin's mother was not there.

"Mother Qin, Mother Qin..."

The person who was always by her side was now unresponsive no matter how she called out to him. Hearing the noise, the head maid, Chunyan, hurriedly pushed open the door and entered: "Madam, what are your orders?"

Qin Shi covered her forehead and said impatiently, "Where is Qin Mama? Call her over."

Chunyan lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly: "Reporting to Madam, Madam Qin, Madam Qin was taken away by the censor who came today."

Previously, when Qin learned that Lu Qi'an was injured, she angrily led her people to Tinglan Courtyard. At that time, Chunyan was not in Chunhui Courtyard and did not go with them. It was precisely because of this that she escaped a disaster.

Hearing from the sisters in the courtyard that Second Master had kicked Qin Mama unconscious, and she was still unconscious when the government officials dragged her away, even if she had woken up, a servant offending his master was a serious crime, and she was caught red-handed by the master and the censor, it seemed that Qin Mama would not be coming back this time.

But Chunyan didn't dare tell Qin Shi these things.

Even so, Madam Qin almost fainted. Everything today went wrong, not only failing to get justice for Lu Qi'an, but also dragging her mother into the mess.

Chunyan kept her head down, so she didn't see what her mistress looked like. After thinking for a moment, she continued, "Madam, Chunlan and Chunning have been taken away and sold. The First Madam said that it will be difficult to find maids for the time being, so you can let Chunwu and Xing from the Second Gate take over for now."

When Qin heard that her most trusted maids, Chunlan and Chunning, had also been sold off, she could no longer bear the blow and the disparity, and finally fainted.

Chunhui Courtyard, which already had far fewer people, was thrown into chaos once again.

Tinglan Courtyard

Aside from her son's bruised and swollen eyes, which was distressing to see, Cui was in a relatively good mood. She truly hadn't expected that she would benefit from today's commotion.

With her mother-in-law effectively confined to her quarters, the power to manage the household was completely in her hands. Now, the people she had planted throughout the mansion were finally put to good use. Looking at the key and account books that Lu Xin had sent over, Cui almost couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

Lu Jingyan was very unhappy and smashed a set of white porcelain teacups belonging to Cui Shi as soon as he entered the room.

Cui didn't care about him at all. When Lu Xin arrived with the official brokers, she simply and efficiently took the money and sold off all the wet nurses, maids, and servants who had followed Lu Qi'an.

Lu Qi'an's wet nurse cried her eyes out, begging Cui Shi to let her stay. A six-year-old child might be closer to his wet nurse than his grandmother or mother. Lu Qi'an finally pleaded, "Mother, please let the wet nurse stay."

Seeing that he had caused such a huge disaster and still dared to plead for a servant, Madam Cui had made up her mind to teach her son a lesson. She said coldly, "Qi'an, remember this: the reason these people have ended up in this situation is because you acted impulsively and without considering the consequences."

After all, he was her own son, so Madam Cui couldn't bear to say anything too harsh to him. But she wasn't so kind to her wet nurse. She kicked the wet nurse in the shoulder and said angrily, "My perfectly good son has been corrupted by you old hags."

These words weren't just directed at the wet nurse.

Lu Qi'an had been quite frightened today, and seeing his mother like this, he dared not plead for his wet nurse and quietly lowered his head.

After this commotion, the Chengen Earl's Mansion became much quieter than usual. Lu Qi'an was confined to the study by Cui Shi to study and temper his temper. Even when he went to Chunhui Courtyard to see Qin Shi, he was never allowed to stay for more than half an hour.

Gradually, Lu Qi'an's personality did become much more stable, but this had nothing to do with Lu Youning.

He walked with increasing steadiness and grew increasingly averse to being carried. The Songtao Courtyard no longer satisfied his need for physical exercise, so he made sure to walk to the garden every day. This time, every servant who encountered him had to respectfully address him as "Third Young Master."

Now that he has legs, Lu Youning's favorite places to go every day, besides the garden, are his cheap old man's study. When Lu Shiyan is around, he is forced to be held on his lap and taught to recite poems.

Lu Youning looked at his cheap father as if he were an idiot. Not to mention that he hadn't uttered a single word yet, even if he could speak, he was only one year old. Have you ever seen a one-year-old child who could recite ancient poems?

Lu Shiyan was not unaware of this principle, nor was he so arrogant as to think that his son was a child prodigy. However, anyone who saw a delicately carved little boy walking in with his hands behind his back and a serious expression would be unable to resist picking him up and teasing him.

His way of amusing the children was to teach them to recite ancient poems.

If Lu Youning knew what Lu Shiyan was thinking, she would definitely tell him, "You just love to flirt. Just chop off that hand."

In the thirty-third year of the Qianyuan era, His Majesty passed away, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne, changing the era name to Chenghe, which is historically known as the first year of Chenghe.