Chapter 285: Bad Company Corrupts Good Character

Chapter 285: Chapter 284: Bad Company Corrupts Good Character

Xie Liuzheng had three children in total. When Xiao An was five, she gave birth to her third child, another boy named Xiao Yu.

Thanks to her, with her three sons around, no one was pressuring the Empress to have children.

The Empress had never been pregnant, but these three children all grew up in her presence.

Xiao Yu was still little, but Xiao An and Xiao Ning were practically raised in the palace, growing up before the Empress.

Although Xiao Yang was the Empress, if the throne were to need a future heir, the courtiers still preferred a legitimate child from Prince Jing’s line.

How could Xiao Yang not see through their little schemes? But as long as they didn’t cause trouble, Xiao Yang pretended not to notice.

She wouldn’t start disliking the two boys just because of the courtiers’ petty plotting.

Power, succession, the future—she was the one who called the shots.

And now, Xiao Yang was out with her people, searching everywhere for Xiao An.

That little rascal Xiao An was a little terror. Relying on the Empress’s affection, he was utterly lawless at such a young age.

Skipping lessons, running wild, breaking porcelain, and dragging his little brother through doggy doors were all minor offenses. Last time, he practically set a palace hall on fire just to roast a chicken.

The saying “spare the rod for three days, and he’ll tear the roof off” was practically invented for him.

“Your Majesty, the young master is hanging from a tree in the Imperial Garden.”

Xiao Yang rushed over when she received the news. In the Imperial Garden, a whole string of children was hanging from a tree.

The little boy who had climbed highest was seven-year-old Xiao An. Below him was his five-year-old brother, Xiao Ning, and hanging from the branches underneath were four identical toddlers—Xiao Cheng’s quadruplets.

The guards took the children down one by one.

Xiao Yang didn’t even have to ask. She raised her hand, and a palace maid placed a feather duster, long since prepared, into her hand.

“Xiao An, get over here.”

Seeing he was about to get a beating, he quickly raised his hands to reveal the bird’s egg he was holding, showing it off proudly. “Auntie, look at the bird’s egg I got!”

Xiao Yang smiled. “Come here. Bend over.”

Xiao An was no stranger to spankings and wasn’t scared at all. He turned tail and ran.

He had taken Li Wei as his master and was quite skilled in martial arts for his age, but no matter how good he was, he was no match for the Empress.

He was caught in moments, and a familiar wail echoed through the Imperial Garden.

“OWW~~ Auntie, I was wrong!”

Xiao An got one swat and hopped around, clutching his bottom.

Xiao Lv and Xie Liuzheng heard the miserable shriek from a distance. They showed not a single shred of parental panic, just an expression of weary, knowing resignation.

When they arrived, they saw Xiao An standing before the Empress, clutching his bottom and pitifully confessing his crimes.

“I shouldn’t have taken Xiao Ning and the others tree climbing, I shouldn’t have secretly taken them through the doggy door to skip class, I shouldn’t have poured ink into the tutor’s teacup…”

Xiao An recited his list of transgressions so clearly and fluently that it made you want to spank him all over again.

Xie Liuzheng sighed. “Who do you think he takes after?”

Neither she nor Xiao Lv had such boisterous personalities. Both were focused on their duties now and had grown more and more steady. Yet this child was both naughty and daring, getting into trouble from morning till night.

‘I never heard that Xiao Lv had this kind of personality as a child, either.’

Xiao Lv, however, was not puzzled. He had found the correct answer long ago. “This has nothing to do with us. You are who you surround yourself with.”

When Xiao An was still just a toddler, the Empress was already taking him tree climbing, hunting, and sneaking out of the palace in disguise.

Xiao An’s behavior was simply a miniature version of the Empress’s own.

Compared to the Empress, the things Xiao An did were all trivial.

Xiao An hated the tutor who rapped his palms and didn’t like to study. But not liking to study didn’t mean he couldn’t learn. When it came to learning ability, he was incredibly smart.

The Empress herself had been tormented by Grand Tutor Xu back in the day, suffering deeply. Xiao An was a complete carbon copy of her.

The couple saw the Empress disciplining the boy from a distance and didn’t rush over.

They had no objections whatsoever to Her Majesty educating their child.

It wasn’t that Xie Liuzheng and Xiao Lv didn’t love their child. But, well, they had three sons, which was like having three little demons. Their paternal and maternal love wasn’t exactly overflowing; in fact, there was even a hint of disdain.

The saying “a seven- or eight-year-old is so annoying even dogs avoid them” perfectly described Xiao An.

They themselves didn’t have much time to manage him, so for the Empress to be willing to do it was more than they could ask for.

Xiao An tried his best to squeeze out some tears to prove he truly knew he was wrong.

He knew he was wrong, but whether he would change his ways was another story entirely.

Only after the Empress had finished her lecture did Xiao Lv and Xie Liuzheng approach. “Your Majesty.”

Xiao Yang had a terrible headache. The moment she saw them, she shooed them away. “Take these two little rascals and get them out of my sight. I don’t want to see them for the next three days.”

Xie Liuzheng suppressed a laugh. “This subject obeys.”

The couple rarely had free time, and they had come to take the children home anyway.

Each took a child by the hand and headed out of the palace. Neither of them mentioned the scolding from the Empress for their misdeeds. Xie Liuzheng discussed where to take them to play, while Xiao Lv told Xiao An about the latest strange and unusual news.

The family of four was exceptionally harmonious.

It wasn’t until they had left the palace gates and boarded the carriage that Xie Liuzheng pulled Xiao An close and asked about his bottom with concern. “Does it still hurt?”

The Empress hadn’t held back, so it definitely still hurt, but Xiao An shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Xie Liuzheng didn’t plan to press the issue. Xiao Ning shuffled his little bottom over to his brother’s side and blew gently on the spot where he’d been hit.

“Brother doesn’t hurt.”

Xiao An didn’t bring it up, but Xiao Ning had a mouth and was happy to explain. “That little bird… it ate Auntie’s favorite flowers. We hate it, so brother said he would get revenge for the flowers.”

His parents’ gazes fell on him, and Xiao An became extremely uncomfortable, his ears turning pink.

He was embarrassed that his parents now knew about his childish little plan.

Xie Liuzheng and Xiao Lv exchanged a glance, suppressed their smiles, and patted Xiao An’s head. “Then why didn’t you just explain it to your aunt?”

If he had just explained, he wouldn’t have had to suffer that beating.

Xiao An said, “My brothers are young. I really shouldn’t have taken them tree climbing. It was my fault.”

‘Oh? So he can be reasonable after all.’

It was rather interesting, but most of the spankings Xiao An had received in his life had come from his aunt.

Ever since he was small, he was carried around by the Empress like a toy. She often spanked his bottom until he wailed. Now that he was older and caused trouble, it was still she who punished him.

But Xiao An still adored the Empress.

No matter how many times he was disciplined, he would still cling to her whenever he entered the palace. It seemed her years of tolerance and protection had not been in vain.

They took the two children back to their residence and had their nanny take them to wash up.

Only then did Xie Liuzheng let out a breath. “Xiao An is getting older, and some of the courtiers are getting restless. You need to handle it quickly. Don’t let it reach Her Majesty. No, you *must* handle it completely.”

She let her son get close to the Empress because she herself liked the Empress, and both she and her husband trusted her. It was not because she wanted her son to be adopted by the Empress and become the Crown Prince.

The Empress was still so young; if she took care of her health, she could still have children. And even if she couldn’t, Her Majesty would live a long life and could sit on the throne for another seventy or eighty years.

She and her husband would not covet the throne, nor would they let their children covet the throne.

Their family and the Empress were relatives, not pawns for courtiers to use in their power games.

Xiao Lv said, “I understand.”