Pregnant Before the Royal Marriage

Chapter 877: Chapter 877: Sitting on the Fence_1

But he said nothing else.

After leaving Crystal Frost Hall, Jiang Ruobai returned to Culture and Learning Pavilion.

This was his place of work.

Passing through Elegance Palace, he stopped momentarily, his eyes unintentionally catching a small head poking out from over a wall.

He took a closer look, getting quite the fright and called out hurriedly, “Lingzi, what are you doing up there?”

Lingzi was using both her hands and feet, struggling to climb up, and finally managed to mount the wall successfully.

Hearing the shouting, she looked down and was delighted to see her maternal grandfather. She waved her hands and cried out in a babyish voice, “Grandfather, look how amazing I am!”

Jiang Ruobai watched as her tiny legs dangled. His heart dropped as she didn’t seem to have a proper grip on the wall, but he was also afraid that shouting too loudly would scare her into falling. Quickly, trying to sound calm, he ran under the wall, extended his arms and said, “Lingzi, you’re really good at climbing walls. Come down and teach your grandfather.”

Lingzi blinked her eyes, “Grandfather, you’re a grownup and you don’t know how to climb walls?”

“… Your grandfather is really foolish and doesn’t know how. Lingzi, are you willing to teach me?”

“Alright then.”

Lingzi released a somewhat helpless sigh, sounding like an adult, “Grandfather, you need to learn properly. I’ll only teach you once. I’m coming down now!”

It seemed the three-year-old child was unaware of what danger and fear were. As soon as she made the statement, she twisted her body and jumped straight down.

Jiang Ruobai’s mind went blank.

Fortunately, his instinct kicked in even when his mind had blanked out. He caught Lingzi.

Despite the intense pain shooting through his arms, he managed to hold the child securely.

Staring at the little girl’s sweet smile, Jiang Ruobai’s mind slowly returned to normal.

Comforting her by patting her head, he put her down on the ground, his face immediately turning cold.

Only then, one of Lingzi’s wet nurses ran out anxiously. Seeing Lingzi unharmed, she was about to sigh in relief but was struck by Prime Minister Jiang’s stern face and knelt down in fright.

After a while, Jiang Ruobai, with Lingzi in tow, arrived before Li Hongyuan.

Li Hongyuan was sitting in the middle of the hall, listening to Lin Shimo lecturing.

Around him were a few officials of the East Palace, the emperor’s eldest grandson Li Tingqian, Wenzan, and a couple of other children studying with them.

Upon hearing that Lingzi had climbed the wall all by herself, without anyone accompanying her, the lecture could not continue.

Lingzi’s wet nurses, Nanny, palace maids, and eunuchs were all kneeling on the ground.

Jiang Ning, who had received the news, also rushed over in a hurry.

There was no doubt that someone had to be punished for this.

Without mincing words, Li Hongyuan ordered them to be beaten with sticks—sixty lashes each.

Jiang Ning felt that it was primarily because Lingzi was too naughty and even if those around her were to be punished for negligence, there was no need for such severity.

Sixty lashes could very well lead to death.

Jiang Ruobai pleaded, “If they are wrong, they should be punished, but if we suddenly change everyone familiar to the little princess, it might not be a good idea.”

Li Hongyuan took his father-in-law’s advice, and in the end, everyone was given ten strokes only.

Although Jiang Ning loved the child dearly, she did not hesitate in administering discipline when it was necessary.

She required Lingzi to watch as the punishment was carried out.

She also had Li Tingqian and Wenzan observe.

Watching as the nannies, wet nurses, and palace maids—who usually held her, coaxed her, and pampered her—were beaten amid miserable cries, Lingzi also burst into tears.

From then on, Lingzi began to understand that given their status and position, any mistake could lead to countless others getting involved.