novelcrest Chapter 396 Resembling His Father, Yet So Humble
Chapter 396 Resembling His Father, Yet So Humble
Li Yuanke felt quite aggrieved. Pointing to the doorway outside, where Consort Shu's figure was long gone, he said, "What's she doing here? Coming to you over something so trivial? Who are you to her? Why does she always come to you when she has something to say?"
That's an exaggeration!
She was practically pointing her finger at Shen Shixi and asking, "What's your relationship with that guy... no, with that girl? Did you two do something behind my back?"
[What's wrong with him! This bastard is seriously ill. I'm straight, what am I thinking? Even if I like women, I wouldn't want a woman you've slept with!]
Shen Shixi thought it was no big deal and tried to get up from his lap, but Li Yuanke stopped her and leaned down to kiss her.
Shen Shixi was kissed by him, his breath on her. She took the initiative to bite Li Yuanke's lips and started kissing him. The two hugged each other tighter and tighter, but it was broad daylight, and the children might come back at any time.
That little rascal Wangshu would start fussing if he couldn't see his parents for even a short while, and the wet nurses couldn't do anything about it.
The couple kissed for a while, then braked and separated from each other.
Having a child means the days of being able to do whatever you want are gone forever.
"When the Crown Prince grows up, I'll take you to live in the imperial palace, so you won't have to stay with these little puppies."
Li Yuanke's voice was hoarse as he pulled her into his arms, and Shen Shixi nestled softly in his embrace.
"What do you mean? The Crown Prince is grown up, so you're going to hand over the political affairs to him?" Shen Shixi asked.
Li Yuanke said, "Let me practice first. I'm not going to live to be a hundred. Sooner or later I'll have to do it myself. It's bound to happen eventually, so I might as well start sooner."
Shen Shixi was quite impressed with him. "Don't even dream about it! After the New Year, I won't help you with the work anymore. You can do it yourself. I'll take care of Fuguang and Wangshu."
"You're kidding me! Do you think I don't know you? You say you'll take care of him yourself, trying to dump him on a wet nurse? Dream on! It's my baby, I'll take care of him myself!"
Shen Shixi sat up from him. "Fine, Li Yuanke, now we can't even have a proper conversation, can we?"
Li Yuanke softened, tightening his grip on her waist. "You said before that children should be raised by their parents, and I always listened to you! You just have to work hard for two more years, and once Fuguang and Wangshu are older and start school, you'll be able to relax."
"That will take another three or four years!" Shen Shixi said angrily.
There's really no other way.
If she were to actually take care of it, she was afraid she wouldn't have the patience and would end up handing it over to the wet nurse, just as Li Yuanke had suggested.
Children who lack affection for their parents are unlikely to obey discipline. Children who grow up without love are easily manipulated, and they will see anyone who treats them kindly as a savior.
The Ming Dynasty Emperor Zhu Jianshen, who insisted on marrying a palace maid who was seventeen years older than him, is a prime example.
That's what raising children is like, and Shen Shixi has experienced it firsthand.
She prefers working to taking care of the children.
After the Crown Prince and Xihe studied for a few days, Shen Shixi couldn't stand it anymore. Every day at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), Li Yuanke would see him off, and he would have to get up too, inevitably waking Shen Shixi up.
This is an hour earlier than the time for court. Why make such young children study so hard?
I didn't study well and my health deteriorated from overwork.
After Li Yuanke dropped off the children, he went to court. When he returned, Shen Shixi was scolding Fuguang and Wangshu, "You're not going to eat, are you? You won't eat this or that, then you can go hungry!"
Never mind them, they're just spoiled by their father. They'll be fine after a few meals of hunger. When they're really hungry, they'll eat!"
They eat everything!
Li Yuange was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed. He rushed over, picked up his child, and yelled at Shen Shixi, "You bastard, what are you saying? My child can't even eat something good, is that it?"
After he finished yelling, he was still not satisfied and muttered, "What kind of mother are you?"
"Oh, no!" Shen Shixi said bluntly. "Go ahead and spoil him, Li Yuanke. Let me tell you, if you spoil him so much that even cats and dogs hate him, don't get impatient."
"I'm willing!" Li Yuanke coaxed the child. "Alright, what do you want to eat? If your mother won't feed you, Daddy will."
He asked the wet nurse, "What happened?"
The wet nurse said, "Today's breakfast consists of minced meat porridge, steamed egg custard, and noodles, but neither of the princes wants to eat it."
Li Yuanke disagreed, saying, "Whatever they want to eat, they can just ask the kitchen to prepare it."
Shen Shixi said sarcastically from the side, "Oh, then ask them what your two sons want to eat, let them speak."
How could a baby who is only seven or eight months old speak?
Li Yuanke glared at her and asked, "Then drink the milk!"
The wet nurse added, "Neither of you princes want to drink milk."
Li Yuanke was at a loss and asked, "What exactly happened?"
The wet nurse hesitated, but under the emperor's pressure, she had no choice but to say, "Your Highnesses wish for the Empress to feed you."
"Dream on!" Shen Shixi said. Anyway, she wouldn't let herself be fed; she wanted someone else to feed her.
Wang Shu looked at his mother pitifully. Fu Guang glanced at him, unable to bear looking at this greedy younger brother. He was already satisfied with his father's love, but he still dared to enslave his mother. Where did he get the audacity?
Looking at Wang Shu's face, which resembled Shen Shixi's, and her expression, Li Yuanke was shocked to see such a sorrowful look on her face, which made his heart ache.
He was heartbroken and held Wangshu in his arms, coaxing her, "Daddy will feed her, Daddy will feed Wangshu."
So, Dad picked up a bowl and fed Wangshu. Poor Fuguang sat to the side, waiting for a long time without getting a single bite, and howled in anger.
He called out, and only then did his father remember to feed him a spoonful, his eyes fixed on his younger brother, not even glancing at him.
Looking like her father, yet so humble!
Fortunately, he's gotten used to it.
On the last day of the Lunar New Year, Shen Shixi finished discussing some details of the imperial examination with the Minister of Rites, such as sealing the examination papers and copying them, in order to ensure the fairness of the examination.
The fourteenth year of Yongxi was another year of the imperial examination, and it was decided that it would be held every three years. If the emperor issued a special decree to hold an imperial examination, that would be a different matter.
Before participating in the imperial examinations, students of the Imperial Academy and other academies were required to undergo three to six months of practical training, a task arranged by the Ministry of Rites.
This essentially meant that the Ministry of Rites had an extra task.
After saying this, Shen Shixi said, "The princes' school schedule needs to be adjusted. The princes are still young, so their health should be the priority. This is the timetable I have drawn up. Please follow this timetable, and the course schedule will also be arranged accordingly."
When the Minister of Rites took a look, he was surprised to find that the child had only gotten up at Chenshi, which is seven o'clock.
We arrived at the school promptly at 8:30 AM to begin our studies.
Read for an hour, from 9 am to 12 pm, and take a 15-minute break every 45 minutes.
There is one hour at noon, half an hour for lunch, and half an hour for a nap, which means you also need to take a nap.
These days, even students taking afternoon naps are considered hopeless, but how can a prince take an afternoon nap?
In the afternoon, half an hour is allocated for arithmetic study and half an hour for investigating things, with each half hour of study followed by a half hour of rest.
Then came an hour of mounted archery.
Homework can only be assigned for a maximum of half an hour; no more than that is allowed.
Shen Shixi meant that the burden of education should be reduced.
While the knowledge taught by the masters is important, extracurricular knowledge is equally important. There is knowledge to be gained everywhere in life. The royal children will not need to take the imperial examinations in the future, so there is no need for them to study day and night.
She hoped that the prince and Xihe would learn more about life and society, which would require them to participate in some practical activities.
Besides, personal interests and hobbies are more important, so you should spend more time developing them.
In life, those who can do what they love most, develop it into a career, and pursue it with lifelong passion are more likely to succeed.
As the saying goes, those who know it are not as good as those who love it, and those who love it are not as good as those who enjoy it.
The Minister of Rites was about to faint. If he agreed, he would probably occupy a page in the history books, but there would definitely not be a single good word about him.
Despite his advanced age, Lu Shixun knelt down shakily, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for being unable to comply!"