Physician Peng and the others quickly escorted the Crown Prince back to the Left Hall. Everyone else followed suit, with the Empress Dowager in front, Zhao Shu behind, and Huo Danlan and Sun Yun beside her. They were all preparing to enter the Left Hall, but there were too many people, which was extremely detrimental to the treatment. These people who supposedly 'cared' for the Crown Prince had no medical knowledge whatsoever, and they just thought that it would be better to crowd around the Crown Prince's bedside to appear caring.

But Zhao Shu stopped at the door and turned to the members of the imperial clan in Guanzhou, led by Zhao Zisheng, a second-rank military officer, and said, "Everyone, please disperse for now. When the Crown Prince is feeling better in a few days, come and pay your respects to him."

Zhao Zisheng, being of advanced age, was extremely adept at handling people. After hearing Zhao Shu's words, he turned to the others and said, "Go back first." Then, looking back with a worried expression, he said to Zhao Shu, "Princess, I am truly worried. I will wait here until Your Highness is alright, then I will take my leave."

His tone was firm and his attitude sincere, and the members of the Guanzhou clan listened to him very much. Zhao Shu thought for a moment, then nodded and stopped talking. She blocked the doorway, refusing to let anyone in.

Consort Hao gracefully approached Zhao Shu, "Am I not even qualified to enter the palace to visit His Highness the Crown Prince?"

As soon as she spoke, Zhao Zisheng, who was standing at the bottom of the steps, changed his expression, but quickly returned to normal.

Zhao Shu looked at Consort Hao and saw that she was smiling gently, but she could give people a very worried look. She really had some skills. Zhao Shu thought that if she had met her in her previous life, she would definitely have died at her hands in one move.

But now, with a cold laugh, she said, "Men and women are different. The Imperial Concubine is a lady of the inner court. Although the Crown Prince has not yet come of age, he is no longer a child. I hope the Imperial Concubine will respect herself and not tarnish the reputation of the royal family!"

"I am the Crown Prince's stepmother, yet the Princess prevented me from entering based on the distinction between men and women. I found this quite amusing. The Princess is truly humorous; no wonder the Empress Dowager favors you more. Rumor has it that the Princess resembles her father, and now it seems that's indeed the case. She is also frank and adorable, which I find very endearing." She spoke casually, her composure giving Zhao Shu a sense of having met her match.

When engaging in verbal sparring, it's best not to involve either party's family, or someone might die. Zhao Shu retorted playfully, "My father was recommended by the ministers to tour the country on behalf of the emperor. I am extremely proud of him, and I thank you for your praise, Your Highness. If you want to talk about 'my father's style,' I wonder if Your Highness knows the words? Oh, Your Highness is new here and must not know your father's heroic deeds. There are storytellers in the palace. In early spring, go and summon Yang Wuwei and tell Your Highness the story of this disloyal, unjust, unkind, and cowardly Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery."

Hao Shumei was furious. Relying on her pregnancy and her status as a Noble Consort, she was practically an elder and raised her hand to strike Zhao Shu. However, she was not as tall as Huo Danlan, and Huo Danlan grabbed her hand as soon as she raised it. "The Noble Consort should be a well-educated and reasonable person. How can she be so vulgar? The Hao family has been loyal and brave for generations. Not only has a scoundrel who used his own nephew as a shield has emerged among the descendants, but also a vulgar woman like the Noble Consort? It is truly worrying for the Hao family."

Before coming, Hao Shumei had already investigated and found out that the veiled woman was the old maid of the Huo family. She chuckled, and the anger on her face disappeared in an instant. She changed the subject very gently and said, "I suppose this is Miss Huo. When I was still a young lady, I admired Miss Huo very much. It is a great honor to meet you today."

She glanced seductively at Huo Danlan's hand gripping her arm. "I was merely trying to straighten the hairpin in my hair. It seems crooked. Why is Miss Huo doing this? You're accusing me without even knowing the facts. Is this all the Huo family's upbringing is like?"

Huo Danlan let go of her hand and wiped it with a handkerchief in disgust. "The Imperial Concubine is not qualified to comment on the Huo family's upbringing. If a woman of Imperial Concubine's birth is qualified to comment on the Huo family, then how many scholars and literati will be heartbroken that morality has been lost and the world is going downhill?"

After she finished speaking, she raised her hand as if to hit someone. Hao Shumei instinctively took a step back. She chuckled and placed her hand on the hairpin with dark patterns. "Doesn't the Imperial Concubine have dragon energy in her belly? Why are you retreating?"

Hao Shumei's anger was not shown on her face. She was beautiful and had skin as white as snow. Every glance and smile was full of charm. Her gaze fell lightly on Huo Danlan's face mask. "I have heard that the Huo family produces beauties. I wonder what kind of fairy Miss Huo is? Does Sister Sun know?"

Zhao Shuxin's heart skipped a beat. The Sun family, the Yang family, and the Wei family were all in the same camp. What if Sun Yun also got the news and chose to side with his family? But she couldn't be blamed for it.

All eyes were on Sun Yun. She glanced at Consort Hao with a haughty air, neither humble nor arrogant, and gave a slight curtsy as a sign of respect. "With men present, it would be best for Consort Hao to cover her face with a veil." With that, she took out a veil from her wide sleeve and covered her cheeks.

At this moment, Chu Chun returned and led the storyteller Yang Wuwei, saying, "Sheng Xia, go and fetch a chair for the Commandant to sit on. As for Consort Hao, as she just said, a concubine is a lowly concubine. As a lowly concubine, she has no right to sit in front of the legitimate son, let alone my Crown Prince brother. She can just stand. Consort Hao, don't try to coax me with the dragon's aura in your belly. I was also born with dragon's aura."

Trying to compete with her backing? Even adult princes have to treat her with deference. This lump of flesh thinks he can compete with her backing? He's simply courting death.

Consort Hao did not seem angry upon hearing this, but suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out in pain, "My stomach hurts... ah... it hurts so much... save my child, save my child."

There were five imperial physicians in total. They all went into the inner hall, and Zhao Shu blocked the entrance. Consort Hao shouted loudly, and everyone inside and outside heard it instantly.

"Guards, help the Imperial Concubine to the Buddhist hall. The dragon energy in her womb is too strong, and she is ill-fated. She will be killed by her own son. Let the Buddha suppress the dragon energy in her womb!" Zhao Shu's order was obeyed by all the eunuchs and maids around her. They had served the Empress Dowager for decades and knew that the Empress Dowager loved this princess the most.

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