The little milk bun had just had his medicine applied.
The ointment on the wound was probably a bit irritating, so he was now lying on the bed with red-rimmed eyes, clutching the quilt in grievance.
“Does it hurt?”
“No…”
“Stubborn,” Feng Zhao said, deliberately slipping her hand into her sleeve and making a rabbit-shaped milk candy from the Cookbook. “Next time, don’t stand in front of me. I can handle it.”
Today, calling Wen Meier over had been intentional on her part.
Xiao Hongyi shook his head quickly while hugging the candy and licking it. “No, I have to. If I had another chance, I’d still do the same.”
“What if it’s a knife?” Feng Zhao cut off his thinking. “If Wen Meier rushed at me with a knife, would you still stand in front of me?”
Without hesitation, Xiao Hongyi answered, “Yes.”
“Why? Are you stupid? You’d die, don’t you know that?”
“I’m not afraid!” Xiao Hongyi said through a mouthful of candy, his words lacking deterrence, but Feng Zhao could feel his sincerity.
“Even if I died, it doesn’t matter. As long as Mother is safe.”
Feng Zhao didn’t understand. “Why?”
Have you forgotten how I treated you before? I even left you alone in the Hall of State for a long time!
Xiao Hongyi hesitated for a moment. There were some things he was too embarrassed to say, so he turned his back to her before speaking.
“Xiao Jiu knows Mother has always been protecting me. I really like the teacher you found for me, and I also like the books you gave me. I’ve never seen so many books before!”
Before, Xiao Hongyi never dared to imagine he would have a famous teacher or a bookshelf filled with several layers of books.
“Just because of this?”
Feng Zhao was surprised that the little bun would risk his life for her just because she found him a teacher. She felt both amused and complicated.
“I had other reasons for finding you a teacher. You don’t need to do this for me. Just protect yourself. If there’s danger, stay away.”
Xiao Hongyi shook his head and turned back to meet her eyes very seriously.
“No matter what Mother’s reason is, Xiao Jiu only needs to know my own reason.”
Maybe he wasn’t smart enough yet and didn’t have strong enough abilities to give her the best, but he would work hard.
Feng Zhao said nothing more. She simply adjusted his blanket and left.
“The imperial physician said you need to rest well. If anything happens, have Xiao Lizi report to me.”
Feng Zhao’s mind was slightly unsettled by the five-year-old child. She thought she was really becoming softer with age.
In the Fragrance Palace.
Wen Meier was lying on the bed after being punished, unable to sit or lie properly, so she could only smash things in anger.
Wen Chenglin, upon hearing of her injury, came to visit but could only stand behind a screen. A medicine bottle was thrown at his feet.
“It hurts so much! Useless people! I’m still in pain—what good are you all!”
Wen Meier wanted painkillers that worked instantly, but the imperial pharmacy had none, and she was throwing a tantrum.
Wen Chenglin, unable to enter due to propriety rules, asked from behind the screen, “What exactly did you do today?”
Wen Meier, hearing her father’s voice, restrained her temper and sent the others away before complaining.
“Father, Feng Zhao and Xiao Hongyi are going too far! They actually dared to hit me! They don’t respect our Wen family at all!”
Wen Chenglin, knowing her temperament well, did not fully believe her and called for her maidservant, Cuiyu, to explain.
Cuiyu recounted everything truthfully.
After hearing it, Wen Chenglin said coldly, “Didn’t I tell you to endure for now? Why did you try to splash water on Feng Zhao?”
“Father, do you know what she said? She made me peel grapes for her! Why should I listen to her?”
Wen Chenglin’s tone darkened. “Because you are a demoted consort now, and she is the Empress Dowager. And she is far more capable than you—she even made me suffer losses!”
He also thought of Nie Huai’s matter, feeling annoyed. “If you had dealt with her earlier, or been more careful when poisoning the late emperor, things wouldn’t have come to this.”
Wen Meier’s anger flared even more. “So you came into the palace just to scold me?”
“Of course not.” Wen Chenglin softened his tone. “Just endure for now. I will handle today’s matter.”
Wen Meier reluctantly calmed down. “What plan do you have? Do you need my help?”
“No.” Wen Chenglin refused. “Stay in the palace and protect the imperial seal. That’s enough.”
“Remember, Feng Zhao is now the Empress Dowager. You’ve already lost one round—you cannot lose a second.”
Meanwhile, Feng Zhao was in Fengming Palace teaching Xiao Hongyi how to read memorials.
After learning from Nie Huai for a few days, Xiao Hongyi could already roughly understand simple state affairs. Feng Zhao selected some memorials and placed them in front of him.
“Try reading them yourself.”
Xiao Hongyi didn’t take them. “Mother, just tell me what to write and I’ll copy it. I can’t do it.”
“I say you can, so you can. You’ll have to handle these yourself sooner or later.”
Feng Zhao placed more than ten memorials on the table.
“Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Making mistakes is good. Once you make it once, you won’t make it again next time. And besides—”
She patted his head.
“Mother is here. What are you afraid of? Just write. I’ll check afterward.”
With that reassurance, Xiao Hongyi finally picked up the brush.
Because he was afraid of making mistakes, he didn’t write directly on the memorials but used separate sheets of paper instead.
Even for small matters, he treated them seriously, filling page after page with dense notes.
By the time Feng Zhao finished her own memorials, Xiao Hongyi had only just handed his over.
“These are all well written. Very good,” she said. “The only problem is that you don’t trust yourself enough.”
She circled a sentence on one page.
“There’s no need to write so much. One sentence is enough. The officials below are smart—they don’t need you to explain everything. The more detailed you are, the more you show concern, and the more they will push their luck and think you are easy to bully.”
The Wen family must never be treated kindly. A simple, clear directive is enough.
Xiao Hongyi was puzzled. “So reviewing memorials has so many rules?”
“Of course,” Feng Zhao replied. “This is how those in power control their subordinates. You are the emperor—you must have authority, or they won’t obey you.”
In her past life, she had managed a listed company and also ran martial arts schools across the country.
She knew very well that running an organization was never about doing everything yourself—otherwise, you would exhaust yourself without achieving results.