After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

When Xie Xun carried Afu back to the side room, the cold water on her body was still dripping down his arm, leaving a trail of tiny watermarks on the ground.

He walked very fast, bumping his shoulder against the door frame as he entered, but he didn't even pause, and put the person directly on the couch.

Bai Zhi followed behind and saw Xie Xun carrying the soaking wet Afu towards the side room. She was completely incredulous.

She had seen countless times in this courtyard how the young master would change his clothes even if a maid accidentally touched the hem of his robe. But now, Sister Afu was soaking wet, her skirt covered in dust, and the young master was just holding her like that, without even frowning.

Bai Zhi suddenly understood: the young master wasn't indifferent to dirtiness; he was selective about who he was with.

Xie Xun reached out and brushed away the damp, sticky strands of hair from Afu's forehead. His fingertips touched her forehead, and the heat made him pause. "Go and fetch Doctor Lu. Be quick."

Bai Zhi then came to her senses and turned to run away.

Doctor Lu arrived quickly. As soon as he entered, he took Afu's pulse. His brows furrowed more and more, and it took him a while to relax his grip: "Heatstroke, fever, deficiency of both qi and blood, and then being attacked by both heat and cold, that's why she couldn't hold on any longer."

"She needs to be taken good care of; her body can't withstand going back and forth like this, or she'll develop health problems later."

Xie Xun stood by the window, his gaze falling on Afu's sleeping face. "Prescribe the best medicine; don't skimp on the ingredients."

Doctor Lu acknowledged and withdrew.

Xie Xun stood by the window for a while, looking at the pale face on the bed, his brows slowly furrowing.

His mother wanted to set rules, and he couldn't say anything, but he had to keep an eye on the direction of the people below.

We should give her more face, otherwise, with her personality, she won't even have a chance to establish herself in Shi'an Academy.

"Bai Zhi," he turned around, his tone a few decibels lower than usual, "take good care of her these next few days."

He paused for a moment, then said, "If you encounter any further criticism, just come back to me directly."

Bai Zhi bowed her head and replied, "Yes."

After giving his instructions, he changed into a moon-white casual robe and headed towards Ci'an Temple.

Every time he returned home from a trip, Xie Xun would have dinner with his mother at Ci'an Courtyard, a rule he never broke.

After taking their seats at the lower end of the dining table, the Lady Hou sat in the main seat, with a table of exquisite dishes separating the mother and son.

Lady Hou casually asked, "How's the case in Xishan going? Why has it taken so long to investigate?"

She paused for a moment, then said, "Do you want me to ask your uncle for help? He's been in the Ministry of Justice for years and is a master at solving cases. With his help, you won't have to struggle alone."

Xie Xun didn't stop picking up food with his chopsticks, and replied calmly, "No need to trouble Uncle, I already have a plan."

Lady Hou glanced at him and slowly changed the subject: "Your courtyard is really in disarray without a mistress in charge. The maids and servants are undisciplined, and they either run wild or scatter."

Xie Xun didn't reply, but lowered his head and took a sip of soup.

Lady Hou glanced at him, her tone turning slightly somber: "That girl named Afu looks obedient, but she's actually quite arrogant. She even dares to bully Taoyao."

Xie Xun was unwilling to contradict his mother, so he simply said, avoiding the main point, "She's just a maid. She's easy to use, so why bother with such things?"

Lady Hou disagreed, saying, "Even if you're easy to manage, you still need to be disciplined. You're not a child anymore; you should know what kind of people are around you. If you spoil them too much, they'll develop inappropriate thoughts."

Xie Xun didn't say anything more, but finished the soup in the bowl and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

Seeing that he was unmoved by reason, Lady Hou said directly, "The other day I had dinner at the Princess's residence, and the Princess mentioned her youngest daughter. The child is charming and cute, has a good temperament, and is a good match for you in age."

She paused, her gaze falling on Xie Xun's face, and asked, "What do you think?"

A flash of disgust crossed Xie Xun's eyes. He put down the handkerchief: "No."

Lady Hou's brow twitched slightly, and her voice rose a little: "She's a county princess, the daughter of the eldest princess, and you're not good enough for her?"

Xie Xun did not reply immediately. He stood up and bowed to the Lady of the Marquis: "Anyone will do, but not her. I will take my leave. Please enjoy your meal, Mother."

After he finished speaking, he turned and walked out.

Granny Cui came over and refilled her tea, then asked in a low voice, "Madam, we've already agreed to the proposals from the Princess and the Princess of Qinghe. What should we do?"

Lady Hou was so angry that she slammed down her chopsticks: "This person was born to collect debts."

.

Afu fell ill and stayed in the courtyard for more than ten days. Naturally, no one mentioned the Lady Hou's punishment of standing in the corner anymore, and Xie Xun gave the order that she did not need to do any work.

Poor Baizhi and Yunxi, these days all the work in the main house and study has fallen on their shoulders, and they have been picked and chosen by Changsong, and have been scolded countless times.

Fortunately, Yunxi was indeed capable and had studied diligently beforehand. Xie Xun reluctantly nodded in approval of the house she had cleaned.

Therefore, as soon as Afu recovered, Changsong came to invite her personally.

"Miss Afu, you're finally all right." Changsong stood at the door, his tone carrying a hint of relief and politeness. "The young master is waiting for you to come over."

As soon as Afu entered the study, she saw Xie Xun sitting at his desk, holding an official document in his hand, reviewing it without looking up.

He didn't even lift his eyelids when he heard footsteps, as if he knew who was coming.

Afu stopped a few steps away and curtsied, saying, "Young Master."

Xie Xun put down his pen, glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before he looked away, asking in a flat tone, "Have you recovered?"

"Your Highness, I am now fine," Afu said, her eyes lowered and her voice gentle.

Xie Xun didn't ask any more questions, but simply pushed the inkstone in front of him forward: "Come and grind the ink."

Afu responded, stepped forward, rolled up her sleeves, took the ink stick, and slowly swirled it in the inkstone. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed several books on the low table next to her, the one on top of which seemed to be frequently read.

Of the five characters in the book title, she only vaguely recognized "元" and "治", and didn't recognize the others.

She's practically illiterate here now; books are precious these days, and very few people can read and write. She's been here for three years, and she hasn't even had the chance to recognize characters, let alone write them.

Thinking of this, Afu was a little worried. If she couldn't read, what would she do if she couldn't even understand the contract when buying a house or opening a shop?

Xie Xun seemed to have finished his official duties. He followed her gaze and casually asked, "Have you read this book?"

Afu shook her head: "This servant does not."

Her eyes were filled with desolation as she said this.

Xie Xun's heart clenched slightly, and he said, "Come here."

Afu put down the inkstone, walked around the desk to him, and stood in front of him.

"I'll teach you."

Afu was taken aback.

"I'll teach you to write," Xie Xun said casually. "How could my woman not know how to write?"

When he said this, his tone carried an undeniable certainty.

Afu's heart skipped a beat, not because she was tempted, but because of this opportunity to learn to read.

She turned her head and looked at the face so close to hers, the light in her eyes genuine. "Thank you, Your Highness."

Xie Xun was slightly taken aback by her admiring gaze.

Her eyes were beautiful, but they were usually lowered, concealing most of their brilliance. Now, when she suddenly looked up at him, her eyes seemed to hold a pool of clear water, shining with an astonishing brightness.

Xie Xun got up, walked to the bookshelf, flipped through it, pulled out a thin book, and walked back to place it on the table.

It's the "Hundred Family Surnames," used for beginners.