Chapter 184.2

Erbao didn’t turn over, crawl, or stand earlier than Xiaobao. Naturally, he didn’t learn to walk at a younger age than his elder brother.

Fortunately, Yaoniang understood that everything happens at the right time. Whenever Erbao decides to walk is the day he will begin to walk.

In fact, Erbao was already able to walk, but he was timid. Although one would often hear his excited and loud voice all day, he doesn’t dare to walk after the wet nurse lets go. Once the wet nurse lets go, he refuses to take a step and would rather sit on the ground and crawl than walk.

The wet nurse supported Erbao and stood there, with Yaoniang on her knees not far away. With childlike innocence, she stretched out her hand to Erbao.

“Come here quickly and give mother a hug.”

Erbao looked eager to try, but he wouldn’t take a step forward for some reason. He seemed like he really wanted to go to where Yaoniang was, but he looked terrified of walking over. He stood there and started howling. However, his cries were all thunder and no rain as he howled at the top of his voice, and looked at Yaoniang, pretending to be pitiful.

Here they go again!

Frustrated, Yaoniang stood up and took a piece of cake from the Kang table, and used it to tease Erbao. Erbao stopped crying immediately and just stared at the cake.

“Come here towards mother. There is a cake here.”

Erbao pointed at the cake and said something that others could not understand.

Yaoniang took a bite, biting half of the cake, and said after eating, “If you don’t come here soon, mother will finish eating the entire cake.”

Erbao was so anxious that he couldn’t speak. Keeping his two chubby hands up to steady himself in case he falls, he stumbled over. Once he was close to Yaoniang, he immediately fell into her arms.

After teasing Erbao for a while, Yaoniang was very tired. She stood up holding Erbao, came to the Kang and sat down. While feeding Erbao some cake, she ordered Hong Fei to pour a glass of water.

“Your Highness, this servant can do this kind of work in the future. Just watch from the side,” said Hong Chou from the side.

“I’d love that. However, this kid is too stubborn. He doesn’t care when others are teasing or playing with him.” Only Xiaobao and Yaoniang could incite him to move. If it was someone else, even if Erbao liked what they were holding in their hand, he still wouldn’t walk over.

Even Yaoniang didn’t know who Erbao had learned this from.

As if he knew that they were talking about himself, Erbao showed a big toothless grin. Yaoniang stroked his little head, and Erbao continued to eat the cake with his head down.

“This servant saw that since the eldest young master is so clever, then other children must be like him too. Now that this servant saw the second young master, this servant knows the eldest young master is one in ten thousand…”

Before Hong Fei could even finish speaking, she was interrupted by Hong Chou.

“Shut up! Do you know how to speak properly?!” Hong Chou’s face was ugly.

Only then did Hong Fei return to her senses. She turned to look at Yaoniang.

Yaoniang’s expression was a bit forced. Hong Fei was so frightened that she immediately plopped down onto her knees.

“Your Highness, this servant did not mean to belittle the second young master. This servant just thinks that Your Highness is working much harder now than when the eldest young master was at his age back then. This servant…”

Yaoniang gave a forced laugh and said, “Enough, you have served me by my side for many years. I know you didn’t mean anything with those words. Get up quickly.”

Hong Chou went to pull Hong Fei up. Hong Fei lowered her head and cried softly, “This servant really didn’t mean to…”

The sounds inside alarmed Hong Die who was ordering the younger maids to work outside. She hurried in and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Hong Chou winked at her, handed Hong Fei to her, and asked her to assist Hong Fei out.

Hong Die knew that Hong Fei must have said something wrong and angered the consort. The consort had always been good-tempered, and she had never seen her lose her temper with a servant before. However, she also realized that something was wrong, so she helped Hong Fei out without asking any further questions.

The room was quiet. Erbao was still sitting in Yaoniang’s arms eating the cake without any inhibitions.

Hong Chou whispered, “Your Highness, Hong Fei has always been outspoken. You’re also well aware of how she doesn’t have a filter over her mouth. There’s no need to be angry with her.”

“You also said that she is outspoken. Xiaobao is smart, and Erbao is stupid…” After saying that, Yaoniang laughed and said: “Look, even a mother like me would say something like that by accident, let alone someone else. Erbao still doesn’t know anything yet. Once he becomes sensible, I don’t know how he would think if he were to hear this…”

“Think about what?” Suddenly, a male voice sounded. It was Jin Wang and it was unknown when he arrived.

Yaoniang hurriedly passed Erbao to Hong Chou before standing up to greet him. “It’s nothing. I’m just chatting with Hong Chou. Your Highness, why did you come back so early today?”

Jin Wang glanced at her, before turning to look at Hong Chou. “You speak!”

Hong Chou was at a loss. She looked at Yaoniang and then Jin Wang before lowering her head and recounting what happened just now.

Yaoniang acted like everything is fine and explained with a smile, “Your Highness, even though Hong Fei, that maid, has always been outspoken, she cares for me and she knows she’s wrong…”

At the end of her explanation, she looked at Jin Wang’s face. Seeing the look in his eyes, she couldn’t bear to continue.

Jin Wang came to the Kang and sat down. Then he ordered Fucheng who came in after him, “Take Hong Fei out to be flogged with ten strikes. In the future, if someone doesn’t watch their mouth and gossips about the two young masters, this will be their punishment.”

“Yes.”

“Your Highness, Hong Fei didn’t mean it.”

Jin Wang glanced at Yaoniang. “Whether she meant it or not, the words did come from her mouth. Dragons have nine sons, each of whom is different from the others, much less Xiaobao and Erbao. Xiaobao is smart. As the younger brother, Erbao would inevitably appear to be mediocre. If the servants don’t watch their mouths and spoke nonsense…”

Just as they were speaking, the bench outside was set up for the flogging to start.

Fucheng also understood Jin Wang’s intentions well. All the servants and maids who didn’t have any work at hand were called out to watch the punishment. Against the sound of the board, Fucheng’s slightly shrill voice echoed. Although he didn’t clearly specify anything, the meaning he wanted to express was fully expressed.

Inside, Yaoniang listened to the sounds of the beating with her heart in her throat. Finally, the sound of the board stopped, and she hurriedly said to Hong Chou “Go and bring some of the jade ointment to Hong Fei. Find a young maid to take good care of her, and let her come back after she recovers.”

Hong Chou nodded, “Your Highness, don’t worry. Hong Fei is not a foolish person. She understands His Highness’s intentions. This servant will thank Your Highness first on her behalf.”

After Hong Chou left, Yaoniang complained, “You’re really something. It isn’t impossible to use a different method. Why did you have to beat someone?”

Jin Wang snorted and chose to ignore her.

In fact, if one were to think about it, Jin Wang had always dealt with the affairs of the manor with simple and crude methods. However, one couldn’t deny that it worked.

Yaoniang also understood this. She looked down at Erbao, stroked her son’s little head, and sighed deeply. “I’m afraid it will take more effort to teach Erbao in the future.”

What Yaoniang just said was one of the reasons why Jin Wang had made such a big fuss. He had experienced all kinds of conflicts between brothers. He knew how the so-called brotherhood was often just an act to deceive the outside world. He didn’t want his sons to go through what he had experienced.

At this time, Hong Die walked in, “Your Highness, just now someone came to report that Master Su wants to see you.