Chapter 80: The Skill of the Duke

Such an unexpected change made Cheng Zhao and Fan Xiao turn pale.

Cheng Zhao clenched her back teeth, not letting herself cry out in alarm, afraid of frightening Zhou Yuanqi; and Zhou Yuanqi on horseback also didn't say a word, holding on to the reins tightly.

The pony was actually playing with him, constantly tossing him around at a very fast speed.

Cheng Zhao even suspected that when Zhou Yuanqi landed, the pony would step on his head.

"Quick, prepare bows and arrows!" Fan Xiao ordered immediately, "Call someone to help!"

Fortunately, it was in the Fan family's drill ground, not in the wild.

Just as everyone was going crazy with anxiety, Zhou Yuanshen had already rushed out.

He mounted a horse nearby and galloped towards the drill ground. When he got close to the pony, there was some distance between the two sides, but he actually stood on the horse's back.

Cheng Zhao covered her mouth, her eyes wide open, still not daring to make a sound.

Fan Xiao was also surprised, looking at this scene as if he had seen a ghost.

Zhou Yuanshen seemed to make a leap and landed on Zhou Yuanqi's horse.

He didn't miss.

The pony was not tall and strong, and couldn't bear the weight of two people. Its legs immediately went weak, and it didn't run as freely and easily as before.

But it was also fierce, wanting to throw both of them off its back, so it simply bounced on the spot.

Zhou Yuanshen pinched his brother's shoulder. While the pony was spinning, they had already reached several guards. Zhou Yuanshen easily threw Zhou Yuanqi down.

He had a lot of strength in his hands.

Two guards lent a hand and caught Zhou Yuanqi.

Zhou Yuanqi was dizzy and didn't move for a long time, obediently clinging to the guard's arms.

Cheng Zhao ran over there.

Zhou Yuanshen's hands had already tightened the reins and even wrapped around the horse's neck.

The pony galloped anxiously for several laps.

Fan Xiao was extremely tense.

Zhou Yuanshen's hands tightened, and the pony fell to its knees as if unable to breathe. He was not thrown off, but landed steadily.

After such a toss, the pony lay on the ground panting heavily, foaming at the mouth, and was really tired out.

Zhou Yuanshen's footsteps swayed slightly, and he stood steadily next to it, patting the dust off his clothes.

Zhou Yuanqi burst into tears with a "wa" sound.

Cheng Zhao couldn't care less about looking at Zhou Yuanshen and ran to Zhou Yuanqi: "Fifth Brother, how are you?"

Zhou Yuanqi could only stand steadily by leaning on the guard, crying bitterly: "I almost died, Little Uncle harmed me!"

Fan Xiao, who followed: "..."

Cheng Zhao gently patted his back: "It's fine, you're alive and well, not dead yet."

Zhou Yuanqi was still crying.

He had suffered a great fright, and after recovering his senses at this moment, he was somewhat unable to control himself.

Fan Xiao also coaxed him.

Zhou Yuanshen walked over and said to the guard: "Take him down. Order someone to call a doctor and give him some soothing medicine."

Afterwards, everyone in the Fan family knew that an accident had happened at the drill ground.

Fortunately, Zhou Yuanshen had excellent riding skills and was good at controlling horses, so no major disaster occurred.

The Old Dowager scolded Fan Xiao: "I told you before, this pony needs to be trained for a few more days, it looks restless."

Fan Xiao muttered: "It's beautiful. When it grows up, it won't look so good."

Showing off should be done early.

When it's a pony, it's the cutest and most beautiful, almost a bit like Zhou Yuanqi.

No matter how naughty it is, it's just a pony.

Fan Xiao had seen too many horses and didn't take it seriously. After all, a pony's endurance is limited. He didn't expect this horse to be so clever and understand human nature.

Usually, when adult guards trained it, although it was not docile, it wouldn't go crazy; when it found out that there was a child on its back, it started to make trouble and act badly.

"Slaughter it." The Old Dowager said.

Fan Xiao hurriedly said: "There's no need, right? It can still be raised."

"Must a life be lost before you listen to advice?"

Zhou Yuanshen, who was standing aside, spoke up after a long time: "Maternal Grandmother, keep it. Someone among the lieutenant generals at home understands horses, hand it over to him to train.

This horse is very clever. As long as it is tamed, it will be a rare good horse in the future. Maybe it can be given to Yuanqi."

The Old Dowager sighed: "You young people, one by one, don't believe in evil. Forget it, I'll give it to you. You lead it to the Pingxi General's Mansion. I can't bear to look at it."

Zhou Yuanshen said yes.

Zhou Yuanqi cried for a while, drank the soothing medicine, and fell asleep heavily.

Lunch was not very pleasant.

The Second Madam felt sorry for her son and didn't know who to scold; she also felt a bit embarrassed in front of her daughter-in-law, feeling very depressed.

After the meal, the group returned to the mansion.

The next morning, when Cheng Zhao went to Jiangyun Courtyard to pay her respects, she heard that the Second Madam had gone to see Zhou Yuanqi.

"...What's wrong with the Fifth Young Master?" Cheng Zhao asked the maid.

"He had a fever in the middle of the night. The people around him didn't dare to call a doctor, and just waited until morning to say it." The maid said.

It was almost as Cheng Zhao expected.

The child was frightened yesterday.

Rumor has it that a child's soul is unstable, and it's easy to get a fever when excessively frightened.

Even if he drank some soothing medicine yesterday.

When Cheng Zhao arrived, the Second Madam was ordering people to pack things: "Move him to Jiangyun Courtyard and let him live in my warm pavilion."

The maid said yes.

Zhou Yuanqi had already woken up.

Cheng Zhao went forward and touched his forehead. He just looked at her softly. At this time, he was completely a child, without the adult expressions he usually disguised, a bit fragile, making people feel particularly distressed.

Her heart also twitched.

"The fever is not too high." Cheng Zhao said, "Mother, don't worry."

The Second Madam was anxious in her heart, but not directed at anyone. She sighed, "Children will all have headaches and brain fever, it's fine."

She was relatively optimistic and didn't make a fuss, because she hadn't had a child die prematurely.

Therefore, she was still calm at this moment.

On the one hand, she ordered the older female servants to go out and call a doctor, and on the other hand, she told people to move Zhou Yuanqi's courtyard.

Cheng Zhao accompanied her.

After settling Zhou Yuanqi, it was getting late. The Second Madam asked her: "Don't you need to go to Chengming Hall?"

"Here on your side..."

"You can come back after you finish your work. It's useless for us all to guard him. He needs to recover slowly, you go ahead." The Second Madam said.

Cheng Zhao agreed.

Walking out of Jiangyun Courtyard, Cheng Zhao ordered the maid Suyue beside her: "Go tell Nanny Li to go home and ask my mother what medicine to use when a child is frightened, and whether there are any peace charms or the like."

Suyue agreed.

When Cheng Zhao finished her errand at Chengming Hall and returned, Zhou Yuanshen and the Second Master had both returned home from the government office.

The doctor had already been there.

Medicine was being boiled in the small side room of Jiangyun Courtyard, and there was a strong smell of medicine upon entering the door.

"How is it?" Cheng Zhao asked.

The Second Madam told her to go take a look.

She entered the warm pavilion in the inner bedroom and saw Zhou Yuanqi holding a book to read.

Cheng Zhao couldn't help laughing and reached out to touch his forehead.

He avoided it: "Oh, you can't, it's not proper."

Cheng Zhao: "..."

She had already touched his forehead. It was still a bit hot, but not too hot to the touch.

"You're still reading, aren't you dizzy?" Cheng Zhao asked him.

Zhou Yuanqi: "I just caught a cold. I sweated at the time and was blown by the cold wind. It wasn't from fright, why would I be dizzy?"

Cheng Zhao: "A cold and fever will also make you dizzy. I didn't say you got a fever from fright. You're trying to hide it but making it more obvious."

Zhou Yuanqi was so angry that he quietly blew out a breath, and said in a childish voice: "I decline your sick visit!"

Cheng Zhao came out of the warm pavilion.

"His spirits are okay." Cheng Zhao said to the Second Madam.

The Second Madam: "He's just a child, a headache and brain fever is nothing serious."

Zhou Yuanshen accompanied them and sat for a while.

After Cheng Zhao finished looking, she returned to Nonghua Courtyard. Nanny Li had already returned from the Cheng family.

"Madam said that since he suffered such a fright, he needs some spiritual healing. She knows a doctor who is skilled in it. Additionally, a strong person needs to sleep beside him for a few nights to help settle the child's soul," Nanny Li said.

Cheng Zhao replied, "Let's wait and see. I don't think Yuanqi would be willing to drink talisman water, nor could he accept someone else sleeping beside him."

That night, Zhou Yuanqi ran a high fever again.

He was tormented like this for four consecutive nights, suffering from a low-grade fever during the day and a high fever late at night. He grew visibly weaker; even when sitting idly, he lacked the strength to read.

Second Madam was frantic with worry.

Cheng Zhao immediately sent someone to inform her mother, asking her to bring the doctor skilled in spiritual healing to Duke Chen's Estate.