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Little White is a tiger, a carnivore by nature, and its wild instincts surface at the sight of chickens and ducks, naturally wanting to pounce on them and then devour them.

However, since Shen Chuwei said it couldn’t eat, Little White also didn’t dare to eat them so openly.

Shen Chuwei, carrying Susu, led the three little ones back to Hehuan Hall.

She had heard from the maids that Lady Liang had fallen into the water and was unconscious, and now had a persistent high fever.

Suddenly, Shen Chuwei thought of the modern world, where drowning incidents among students frequently occurred during the summer vacation; she looked at Susu who ran about everywhere, more daring than anyone else and fearless of people.

Mostly, this was because she was spoiled, but another part of the reason was the company of the three little ones by her side. Each time they went out with her, she seemed invincibly spoiled.

What if one day while playing outside she carelessly fell into the water? Even if Little White could swim to save Susu, there could still be accidents.

Shen Chuwei, watching Susu drinking milk, thought for a while and decided to teach her daughter to swim. Actually, her son needed to learn to swim, too.

Thinking of her son, she realized that she hadn’t seen Taotao for a while.

"Where’s Taotao?"

"I saw Taotao sitting in the corridor before I left, but I don’t know where he has gone to play now. I’ll have someone look for him," Chun Xi said, quickly turning around and running out.

Shen Chuwei, watching her children running around everywhere, started to doubt whether her free-range parenting method was right.

At this moment, Taotao had wandered around in the Crown Prince’s bedchamber for a good while before coming to the study room, as if there were some great magic in the study room; every time he came to the Crown Prince’s bedchamber, he visited the study room.

Looking at the spacious study room, he toddled over to the writing desk, and after a struggle, he finally managed to climb up onto the chair, fascinated by all the interesting objects on the desk, and his eyes were immediately drawn to the vermillion brush.

As he reached for it, his whole body sprawled across the desk.

When he finally got the brush, he was overjoyed.

Taotao took the brush and, imitating Xiao Jinyan, dabbed a bit of ink before he started to scribble.

He imitated the whole set of motions accurately.

Taotao often saw Xiao Jinyan practicing calligraphy; children have very strong memories and imitation skills, and after seeing it many times, he could imitate it himself.

Once he got tired of writing, Taotao put the brush down, clambered off the chair, and roamed around in the study room. When he saw a bed behind a folding screen, he scampered over, climbed onto it quickly, and was almost instantly asleep, much like Shen Chuwei.

At this time, Chun Xi, having searched all of Hehuan Hall with others, was fraught with worry upon not finding Taotao.

Shen Chuwei suddenly remembered finding Taotao in Xiao Jinyan’s study room before, so she stood up and headed to the adjacent bedchamber.

When Shen Chuwei arrived at the study room and pushed the door open for a quick glance inside, the writing desk was emptily awaiting and Taotao was nowhere to be seen.

Shen Chuwei closed the door, confusion flashing in her eyes, "Strange, where has Taotao gone?"

With no sign of Taotao in the study room, Shen Chuwei had no choice but to look elsewhere.

When Xiao Jinyan returned, he first went to the study room. Holding a few memorials, he approached the writing desk only to see the paper smeared with ink.

The vermillion brush was not returned to its place either; instead, it had been put into the pen holder.

"Could it be that Taotao has been here again?"

After tidying up the desk, Xiao Jinyan moved behind the screen and paused when he saw the figure on the bed.

He stepped forward, bent down, and looked at his son, fast asleep, his little form bearing an uncanny resemblance to Xiao Jinyan’s sleep.

"Your Imperial Mother is right, you’re only one year old but already love the study room, fond of holding a pen. It seems you like studying, that’s something you have in common with me," Xiao Jinyan said.

Xiao Jinyan bent down to pick up his son and turned to walk out.

Just as Shen Chuwei was about to notify Xiao Jinyan that their son was missing, she saw him returning with Taotao in his arms.

"Your Highness, where did you find Taotao?"

"In the study room," Xiao Jinyan placed his son into the small bed.

Shen Chuwei followed, puzzled, "I looked in the study room and didn’t see Taotao there?"

Xiao Jinyan, watching his sleeping son, said, "I found him on the bed. He must have played until he was tired."

Shen Chuwei let out a sigh of relief, but when she remembered her son’s fondness for playing with the vermillion brush and scribbling, she thought of what might have happened in the study room...

She asked cautiously, "Your Highness, Taotao didn’t cause any trouble, did he?"

"No, but..." Xiao Jinyan paused.

Shen Chuwei’s heart instantly rose to her throat, "But what?"

Xiao Jinyan continued, "I left a piece of Xuan paper on the desk, filled with Taotao’s writing. Although I can’t understand what he wrote, Taotao indeed likes the study room very much."

Shen Chuwei secretly let out a sigh of relief. Speak properly, why the heavy breathing? She was scared to death, afraid her son had gotten into trouble again.

"I’ve always said Taotao has a talent for this, which he gets from Your Highness."

Xiao Jinyan looked at his son’s fair cheeks, stained with plenty of black ink, "I don’t ask much of him, being like me is enough."

Shen Chuwei felt that Xiao Jinyan’s expectations for their son were slightly high, especially since the boy had inherited her fondness for sleep in full. If he inherited her laziness too, well, that would be problematic~

At this moment, Liu Xi bowed and came in to report, "Your Highness, Lady Chang has fallen into the water and her high fever won’t subside."

Xiao Jinyan frowned, "How did she fall into the water in the first place?"

Liu Xi bowed his head in acknowledgment, "This servant does not know. Lady Chang was rescued by passing guards. The Imperial Doctor said that if they were any later, she might not have survived."

Xiao Jinyan huffed, "I’m not an Imperial Doctor; what use would my going there be? Send a couple more Imperial Doctors to see her."

"As you command." After Liu Xi had left, he saw Huai Xiang at the door, a strangely familiar scene.

Huai Xiang hurriedly approached and inquired, "Eunuch Liu, what did His Highness say?"

Liu Xi answered indifferently, "His Highness is busy, he asked me to call for two more Imperial Doctors to attend to Lady Chang."

Huai Xiang, not yet losing hope, said, "Eunuch Liu, please go back and tell him again, my master is really severely ill; it will be enough if His Highness comes to see her for a moment."

Liu Xi grew impatient, "No matter how many times I go back, His Highness is busy and can’t leave. Right now, the most important thing is to have Lady Chang recover."

Huai Xiang was momentarily stunned and had to return to Xinlan Hall.

The mention of drowning brought to Shen Chuwei the idea of teaching the babies to swim, and she shared it with Xiao Jinyan.

But Xiao Jinyan opposed the idea.

"The babies are too young; it’s not suitable for them to learn to swim."

Shen Chuwei insisted seriously, "Your Highness, the babies can learn, and knowing how to swim can save their lives."

It wasn’t that Shen Chuwei was whimsical; one-year-old babies can learn to swim, of course under professional supervision, and gradually.

Swimming lessons for babies are less common domestically, but they are quite popular abroad.

Xiao Jinyan also spoke seriously, "Chuwei, I am naturally aware of the benefits of swimming, but the babies are too small, and swimming could be very dangerous for them."

Shen Chuwei heaved a helpless sigh, this was probably the divide between the modern and ancient times.

Lady Chang woke up the next afternoon, suffering from a throbbing headache after having slept feverishly for so long.

When Huai Xiang saw Lady Chang awaken, she wept with joy, "Young mistress, you are finally awake, you nearly scared this maid to death."

Lady Chang’s consciousness gradually became clear, remembering the chill of falling into the lake, almost thinking she would die.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

Huai Xiang said, "For a day and a night."

Lady Chang asked again, "Has His Highness come to visit?"

Huai Xiang hesitated before shaking her head, "No, his highness was too busy when this maid sought him, and he never came. However, he had the Imperial Doctor come to treat you."

Lady Chang clenched the bedclothes, Xiao Jinyan was indeed heartless; she was so ill, yet he had not visited her once.

Thinking back to Susu laughing so happily when she fell into the water, it was clear mockery.

Huai Xiang comforted her, "Young mistress, perhaps His Highness really is busy; when he isn’t, he will surely come to see you."

Lady Chang huffed, "I don’t think His Highness cares about me at all, otherwise, he would have inquired even with my burning fever."

Huai Xiang felt sympathy for Lady Chang, "Young mistress, we must think of a plan, we can’t go on like this, otherwise..."

Lady Chang looked down in contemplation; of course, the situation couldn’t continue this way. What should be hers, must remain hers, and she wouldn’t let anyone snatch it away.

...

Recently, Xiao Jinyan was busy reviewing memorials, solely because the Emperor had saddled him with additional tasks, hence he was busier than usual.

At that point, Guard Qin Xiao entered to report, "Master, the person you sent to investigate Feng Wuyou in Nanzhao Country has returned."