The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

Chapter 1856 The Way of a Concubine

Just now, his mother was able to check his homework calmly, but now it was clearly not the same. His mother was staring at him with scrutinizing eyes, which meant she was about to interrogate him!

With Hong Jiutong sitting there, lying and making excuses are both shameful; it's better to be honest and admit it! Cheng Youning may be young, but she thinks a lot!

Shang Xi said seriously, "You Ning, I don't object to you training the dog occasionally. But you can't be obsessed with training the dog all day long. You are the Crown Prince, and you can't be too playful. If you spend all your time training the dog at home, you will go astray..."

At first, Cheng Youning was able to humbly listen to his mother's lecture, but when he heard the words "went astray," he instantly flew into a rage. Wasn't that what Hong Jiutong had said when he was reprimanding him? Now he was certain that this person had not only complained about him to his mother, but had also led his mother astray. His mother wouldn't just spout off something like "went astray" out of thin air. Where was the wrong path? Right in front of him was the bright road ahead!

Cheng Youning's anger rose from his chest, and he exploded in a flash. He ignored his mother's admonition and met Hong Jiutong's uneasy eyes with a sharp gaze. Cheng Youning roared, abandoning all his princely demeanor: "Hong Jiutong, you were the one who gossiped to my mother!"

The certainty in his tone and the imposing aura made Hong Jiutong and the little maid Jingjing tremble!

"I..." Hong Jiu was speechless for a moment. To say she hadn't complained was an understatement; her mother-in-law had indeed learned some things from her. But to say she had complained was also an understatement; she hadn't dared to say a word about the serious parts! She didn't want the Crown Prince to treat her like this, so fiercely, as if she were an enemy!

Cheng Youning slammed her hand on the table, as if possessed by Wan Lianxing, her tone filled with undeniable certainty: "Judging from your stammering, I know you've complained about me, the Crown Prince. As the Crown Prince's concubine, instead of sharing his burdens, you're causing trouble for your husband. It seems I've spoiled you too much for too long; you've even climbed over my head. Without rules, there's no family. Today, I'll teach you the ways of a wife!"

At this moment, Hong Jiutong was already kneeling in the center of the ground, not explaining, not arguing, and not admitting his mistakes, looking as if he was letting Cheng Youning deal with him!

Seeing Hong Jiutong like this, Cheng Youning gritted his teeth in anger. He was already so furious, already unleashing his fury, shouldn't Hong Jiutong be kneeling on the ground crying and begging for mercy? This woman really didn't respect her husband at all! The old saying goes, a woman's husband is her heaven! With so many people around, she acted like this, truly disregarding him! Was this woman trying to rebel?! In an instant, a multitude of thoughts flashed through Cheng Youning's mind! But while he had countless ways to deal with servants, he had no experience dealing with his concubine! He couldn't hit her, could he scold her? That wouldn't be right either; scolding his concubine would be incredibly unladylike! It seemed the only option was a reprimand!

Cheng Youning then looked at Qiao Rong, who had just finished eating and hadn't even wiped her mouth, and said sternly, "Qiao Rong, tell Consort Hong a lesson on how to be a wife!"

Qiao Rong was taken aback. He was merely a study companion, and his academic abilities were far inferior to the Crown Prince's. Besides, he had attended countless lectures with the Crown Prince, yet he had never heard any of them discuss the ways of being a wife! They were men, so it wasn't relevant to them, was it? And even if they talked about the ways of being a husband, he wouldn't know anything about it! It was obvious that the Crown Prince didn't know what the ways of being a wife were, and was trying to make things difficult for him!

Qiao Rong licked her lips, barely reacting. When Cheng Youning glared at her, Qiao Rong jumped up, her thigh slamming against the table with a squeak!

Qiao Rong glanced at Consort Hong kneeling on the ground, then at the Crown Prince with a tense face, and then at the Princess Consort who had risen and sat down in the armchair without saying a word. Something was wrong. Shouldn't the Princess Consort step forward to take charge at this time? Why wasn't even Yu Hua, that impatient person, saying anything? Did she really have to let him teach her how to be a wife?

Qiao Rong straightened his expression. If he didn't say something, the Crown Prince would definitely not let him off the hook after the others left, and who knows what kind of trouble he would cause!

So Qiao Rong began racking her brains to think of the so-called way of being a wife. Suddenly, Qiao Rong's eyes lit up: "Your Highness, Consort Hong is a concubine, not a wife. So you can't talk about the way of being a wife!"

Cheng Youning tilted her head and glared at Qiao Rong, then got up and sat down in another armchair next to her mother. She straightened her robe, which covered her knees, and said angrily, "Then tell me about the ways of being a concubine!"

Qiao Rong was dumbfounded again. Had he jumped from one pit into another? And he had dug the pit himself! He didn't even know the way of being a wife, how could he know the way of being a concubine?

Qiao Rong walked respectfully to Cheng Youning's side and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, the teacher didn't tell us about these things, did he?"

Cheng Youning slammed his hand on the small table beside him, as if possessed by his father, Cheng Feng: "Qiao Rong, you can't even explain things clearly without the teacher's instruction? Can't you apply what you've learned to other situations? You may not have eaten pork, but you've seen pigs walk, haven't you?"

Cheng Youning's words served as a reminder to Qiao Rong, who lowered her voice and said, "Your Highness, all I know is that a woman should follow her husband wherever he goes!"

Cheng Youning's long eyes widened into round ones. "What have you learned from me all these years? Even a metaphor like 'husband and wife in harmony' would be better than this chicken and dog analogy!"

Qiao Rong quickly said, "What I meant was that husband and wife should be in harmony, like a zither and a lute playing in sync. I was in such a hurry just now that I forgot! But Your Highness, the ways of being a wife and a concubine are things that women should learn. The teachers didn't teach us!"

Cheng Youning solemnly whispered to Qiao Rong, "Just because we weren't taught doesn't mean we don't know. My mother even used male virtues to admonish my grandfather, my father, and me. I should also know what female virtues are all about. Otherwise, how can I admonish these concubines in the future? I guess the teacher talked about it, but we didn't listen carefully!"

Shang Xi was nearby and heard Cheng Youning's words clearly. She had come today to reprimand Cheng Youning, so why was Cheng Youning bringing up both male and female virtues? She wanted to bring up the original topic, but seeing her son's expression as if he wanted to teach Hong Jiutong a lesson, she suppressed her anger. She wanted to see how her unruly son would act so arrogantly and domineeringly in the Crown Prince's residence! She also wanted to observe the situation calmly!

At this moment, Cheng Youning said to Hong Jiutong, who was kneeling in the center of the ground, "Consort Hong, when you entered my Crown Prince's residence, your father said that you were well-educated, reasonable, self-disciplined, and respectful. Since you are a concubine, then I, the Crown Prince, will test your way of being a concubine!"

Hong Jiutong said in a low voice, "The way of a wife is to manage affairs, and the way of a concubine is to be obedient. I should respect my master, honor my mistress, assist in managing household affairs, and be content with my lot!"

Cheng Youning's mind worked quickly, and she memorized all the advice Hong Jiutong gave about how to be a concubine.