The Grand Secretary's Child-Raising Diary

When Lu Youning went to pay her respects at Kunning Palace, she was far away and was blocked by Cao Li, Meng Yue and others, so she did not get to see the Empress's face. She only had a general feeling that she was an extremely dignified woman.

The people in this palace are not easy to get along with. Who knows which word or deed might offend someone? They said to dispense with the formalities, but Lu Youning didn't dare to lie there and talk to the Empress Dowager. Xiao Linzi was also very perceptive. Without Lu Youning saying anything, he reached out a hand to support Lu Youning's back and made him sit up.

A hand clad in gold and jeweled armor rested lightly on Lu Youning's shoulder. The Empress's voice was much gentler than it had been that day in Kunning Palace: "You child, didn't we say you were exempt from formalities? Why are you still standing?"

Lu Youning: "Youning greets Her Majesty the Empress."

Seeing his small stature, his face covered in thick ointment, yet his stubborn insistence on bowing, the Empress, seated in a round-backed chair brought by a palace servant, smiled at Granny Gui behind her and said, "What a good child! You suffered greatly yesterday; does the injury on your face hurt terribly?"

Lu Youning: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I'm much better today."

The Empress seemed to genuinely only come to care about him. She was extremely patient, asking about everything from whether the palace servants were attentive to his needs to whether he could eat the food. Lu Youning was very cooperative, answering whatever the Empress asked. Occasionally, he would look up to check on Xiao Linzi, behaving like a real four-year-old child.

However, he didn't quite believe that the Empress, who was in charge of the six palaces and had countless affairs to attend to, would really pay attention to him, the son of a sixth-rank censor, for no reason. But in some ways, he was also a very patient person.

When Emperor Chenghe returned from the previous court session, he heard from the palace servants that the Empress had arrived, so he went straight to the inner palace.

Upon hearing the palace servants' announcement, the Empress's face lit up with joy. She took a few steps forward and was about to bow when Emperor Chenghe grabbed her arm, asking, "Zitong looks quite well today. What brings you to the Zichen Palace?"

"I heard that yesterday, Young Master Lu and the Eighth Prince had a conflict in the Chongwen Hall, and he ran out of the palace and encountered a fire. I don't know how badly the child was injured, so I brought some Yu Rong Ointment with me, thinking I'd ask Physician Su to see if it's suitable for him."

Before anyone knew it, Granny Gui had a tray in her hands, on which were two crystal-clear jade bottles.

His Majesty gave him an approving look: "Zitong, you've put your heart into this. Since it's your kind intention, then let Physician Su take a look."

Lu Youning didn't know exactly what this Jade Complexion Cream was, but since the Empress had to wait in front of the Emperor to bring it out, it must be extremely precious.

He couldn't pretend to be dead, so with Xiao Linzi's help, he thanked the Empress, saying, "You Ning thanks Your Majesty for the reward."

The Empress chuckled and said to Emperor Chenghe, "Your Majesty, look at this child. I wonder how Imperial Censor Lu raised him. He's so well-behaved that it breaks my heart."

Speaking of Lu Shiyan, the Empress sighed softly: "I heard that Imperial Censor Lu only has this one child, so he must cherish him dearly. If I knew that the child would suffer so much after he left, I don't know how heartbroken I would be."

Emperor Chenghe's smile faded slightly: "Indeed, it was my oversight."

Empress: "Your Majesty is so busy with state affairs that it's all because the servants below are not doing their jobs properly."

Lu Youning was practically leaning on Xiao Linzi when he noticed Xiao Linzi's body tremble violently as soon as the Empress finished speaking.

Lu Youning had no idea what kind of riddle the imperial couple were playing, but he couldn't pretend to be confused now.

He quickly widened his eyes and said urgently, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, it's all You Ning's fault. You Ning was audacious and reckless. Please punish me."

He was still just a child, a child who had just suffered a great injustice. He sounded like he was about to cry from fright. The Empress, before Emperor Chenghe could react, pretended to be serious and said:

"It's good that you know you were wrong. You're still a child. If you're ever wronged next time, you can come to me. I and His Majesty will stand up for you. Just don't act impulsively again."

Lu Youning: He seems to know the main purpose of the Empress's visit today.

Lu Youning said with a wronged expression that she would never dare to do it again. The Empress then got up to take her leave, and Emperor Chenghe went to the front hall with her.

Xiao Linzi's back was covered in a layer of cold sweat. This time, he completely forgot his little grievances against Lu Youning.

On the palanquin, the Empress rested her forehead on her hand, gazing thoughtfully at the long palace road ahead.

Granny Gui whispered, "Your Highness, that one from Changshou Palace is becoming increasingly arrogant, and even the Zhao family is causing trouble."

The Empress withdrew her gaze, her fingers unintentionally stroking the ruby ​​on her nail guards, and said with a smile, "I never expected that the Zhao family would dare to enter the palace at this time and offend His Majesty. It's truly a case of one person achieving success and all their relatives and friends benefiting from it, their tails wagging in the air."

It's a pity that His Majesty is in the prime of his life, while the children should be focusing on their studies.

Granny Gui was an old woman who had been immersed in the palace for more than ten years. She had witnessed the rise and fall of the concubines in the late emperor's harem and naturally understood the situation. Seeing that the empress had thought things through, she felt at ease.

After His Majesty ascended the throne, the eldest prince born to the Empress was naturally named Crown Prince. With the Empress watching over him, at least until the Crown Prince comes of age, his position in the Eastern Palace is unshakeable. Those who are now jumping around because of a little favor are truly stupid.

Take Consort Zhao, for example.

Longevity Palace

The Eighth Prince, Xiao Shizhen, was angrily pestering Consort Zhao: "Mother, Mother, please let me out. I'm not really sick, why do I need to take medicine?"

Consort Zhao patted her son's hand, her face showing impatience, but her tone was full of doting: "It's not like you've been complaining every day that you don't want to get up early to go to Chongwen Academy, but now that your mother has granted your wish, you're not happy about it."

Xiao Shizhen kicked the blanket and said, "Lying in bed on such a hot day, I'd rather go to Chongwen Academy."

Seeing that her son was genuinely unhappy, Consort Zhao was also quite annoyed: "You still have the nerve to say that? If I hadn't had someone suppress the matter of you and that little mute from the Lu family competing with each other at Chongwen Hall yesterday, you would have been punished by your father today."

When the topic of what happened at Chongwen Hall yesterday came up, Xiao Shizhen became even angrier. He never expected that Xiao Shubai, that little fat boy, would dare to push him and even try to hit him. He was his father’s most beloved son. How dare Xiao Shubai do that?

The little boy, though small, was fiercely competitive and couldn't stand being wronged in the slightest: "Mother, that Xiao Shubai dared to push me! Father loves me the most, why can't he punish that chubby boy to vent my anger?"

Consort Zhao was furious that Xiao Shubai, a grandson of a prince, dared to push her son. However, if the matter were investigated further, it might implicate her own family.

After all, her mother went to the palace yesterday but did not pay her respects to the Empress. The gossip they had exchanged was spread by her son. The little mute girl from the Lu Imperial Censor's family ran away from the palace and was almost burned to death. If she didn't want His Majesty to blame her, she could only wrong her son Shizhen for now.