Si Tu Yan was dejected for half the evening. By the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), he no longer had time to dwell on his petty emotions.
This was because Yao'er had suddenly developed a high fever.
Ever since Yao'er was born, the manor had hired a physician surnamed Lu, who was especially skilled in treating pediatric illnesses. When Nanny Xu came to report on Yao'er's condition, Qing Miao had already gone to fetch him. Si Tu Yan held the child, seeing his little face flushed red and hearing his whimpers. The child didn't even react when they tried to play with him, and Si Tu Yan's heart ached.
Upon hearing that Qing Miao had summoned the manor physician, he flew into a rage. "Why didn't you ask for an imperial physician from the palace? Were those snobs taking advantage of my absence from the capital to bully you?"
Lu Nian Fu: "......What are you thinking? Imperial Physician Lu was granted by Father Emperor. What more do you want?"
Only then did Si Tu Yan quell his anger and ask in a deep voice why the child had a fever.
It was July, how could he have caught a chill?
Nanny Xu calmly replied, "Your Highness, please do not worry. I just checked. Little Heir is teething, developing two milk teeth. It is likely caused by teething."
Lu Nian Fu leaned over and gently scratched his chubby chin.
Yao'er didn't smile, but he did open his little mouth.
Indeed, on the lower gum, two tiny teeth had emerged. They grew side by side, looking soft and adorable.
Si Tu Yan asked, "Does teething cause fever?"
Nanny Xu, with her seasoned experience, said, "Children, when they learn something new, they tend to become a little 'demonic'. Babies sit at seven months and crawl at eight. They develop teeth around half a year old. In the coming days, the Little Heir will likely develop teeth every ten to fifteen days. It may be a bit restless, but all children grow up this way. You just need to take good care of him during this period."
"Then should we find two more nannies to help look after him?"
"That would be advisable, but finding suitable candidates may not be easy." The people who look after children must be meticulous and, most importantly, loyal. If one accidentally hires someone with ill intentions, and the child gets hurt, there will be nowhere to turn for tears.
At this moment, Physician Lu, carrying his medicine box, walked in.
The cause of the illness was the same as Nanny Xu had said, caused by teething. A six-month-old baby could already take medicine himself. Imperial Physician Lu prescribed a very small dosage and gave a string of advice on how to care for children during this period.
Si Tu Yan noted everything down and, with concern, stated that he would personally look after the child that night.
Nanny Xu found this rather difficult. "Your Highness, this is not according to the rules. Moreover, Little Heir usually wakes up once in the middle of the night for milk. Now that he is ill, he may cry even more. You have court tomorrow, and it would not be good to be disturbed."
In the capital, which man took care of his own child?
Si Tu Yan waved his hand, stating it was absolutely no problem.
Lu Nian Fu: ......
As a result, neither husband nor wife slept well the entire night. Finally, the medicine Yao'er had taken took effect, and he slept more soundly. However, it was time for Si Tu Yan to go to court.
Lu Nian Fu was extremely sleepy. Hearing Xiao Wu Zi urging from outside, she reached out and nudged Si Tu Yan. "Your Highness, it's time to get up."
"I'm not getting up."
"It's morning court."
"I am currently without official rank or position. There is no place for me in the Golden Throne Hall. I'll report to the Hanlin Academy at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM)."
Lu Nian Fu, drowsy, found his reasoning quite sound and stopped bothering him, completely forgetting that holding a noble title required attending court. Thus, on the first day of Si Tu Yan's reporting to the Hanlin Academy, he skipped morning court. This angered Emperor Chang Wu, who summoned him to the imperial study again. "I told you so much, and you didn't take a single word to heart. You even openly skipped morning court. What, are you worried the censors will have nothing to do?"
Si Tu Yan pointed to his eyes and said weakly, "Father Emperor, look at these dark circles. Your son is truly exhausted. If you have anything to say, get to the point. Second Uncle has assigned me twenty large characters to write. I just want to finish writing them quickly and go back to sleep."
Perhaps due to his travels, Si Tu Yan's complexion was a bit darker. Combined with being a martial artist, an occasional sleepless night made no significant difference. Thus, Emperor Chang Wu stared at the area under his eyes for a long time but saw no dark circles. However, seeing his listless demeanor, he didn't suspect him of deceiving the emperor. He merely asked, "What were you busy with last night?"
Perhaps he was worried that Meng Chang Dong and Song Ming wouldn't be able to handle Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice, so he carefully gave them some instructions.
That was understandable.
Emperor Chang Wu had already thought of a reason for him. Who knew Si Tu Yan would open his mouth and say, "Yao'er had a fever, and your son coaxed him all night."
"Nonsense." Emperor Chang Wu was genuinely angry. He raised his hand and, unable to stop himself, threw an inkstone at him, but Si Tu Yan dodged it by stepping aside. "Does your manor not even have a wet nurse? Or at the very least, you have your wife. When did it become your place, a grown man, to coax a child?"
Si Tu Yan was stunned and said, "When I was a child and had a fever, it was always my father who stayed by my side."
That one sentence deflated Emperor Chang Wu.
If he hadn't failed to protect them, mother and son, how could the seventh prince have ended up wandering outside? After a long pause, he let out a hum, "Gu Rong really treated you like a son."
"My father was actually very good to me. He was just a bit lazy, and a bit henpecked before." It's much better now.
Thus, Gu Rong received a Suzhou new tribute screen, under the guise of "a job well done."
Gu Rong was completely bewildered, puzzled for a long time.
Lately, every day at the Ministry of Rites, he had been doing nothing but drinking tea and admiring famous paintings and calligraphy with his colleagues. What job had he actually done?