"Everyone, please stand up and sit down." Concubine Shu said slowly, while ordering her personal maid to pour tea.
"Thank you, mother." Zhong Ming'e and Zou sat down one after the other, both with their heads down for a while. They didn't say anything, and it was obvious that they were both worried.
Concubine Shu looked at Zhong Ming'e, then at Zou. She lowered her head to take a sip of tea, then looked up at Zou: "I heard that the Queen Mother gave you a purple jade Ruyi today?"
"Yes. The Queen Mother gave them to her daughter-in-law and the third prince's wife respectively. She said they were to be used as pillows," Zou said slowly, pausing. Then she added, "I heard that Da An didn't sleep much during her pregnancy, so I'm sure the Queen Mother has heard about it too."
"I've heard about it, too." Concubine Shu curled her lips in a sarcastic tone. She put down the teacup in her hand and sneered, "Being pregnant is like carrying a gold ingot. She wants to let the whole world know even the smallest thing."
Concubine Shu was not talking about Daan. Ever since Daan became pregnant, Concubine Zhao had been sending gifts to the Third Prince's residence, from bird's nests and shark's fins to jewelry and silk. She also talked about how difficult it was for Daan to get pregnant in front of Zhong Zhiheng. Even though Concubine Shu rarely went out, she would hear about Daan's situation from time to time, and she was really annoyed.
"Your Majesty doesn't have many sons. And even fewer grandchildren. This baby of Daan's is naturally precious." Zou said with lowered eyebrows.
"No matter how precious it is, it belongs to someone else's family," Concubine Shu frowned, her eyes wandering over the two of them, "What about you? Why haven't you made any move? Are you going to watch other people's melons ripen while your own melons can't even sprout?"
Zou's lips suddenly tightened. She wanted to say something but in the end she didn't say anything. She just held the teacup tightly in her hand.
"Mother, how can you be so anxious about this?" Zhong Ming'e, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke at this moment. He frowned and said impatiently, "Mother, don't worry so much. Just let everything go."
"Let everything depend on fate?" Concubine Shu sneered, "If it really depends on fate, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold my grandson in this lifetime!"
"Mother!" Zhong Ming'e's brows knitted even tighter, "Can you please stop forcing your son?"
"I forced you? I did it for your own good!" Concubine Shu's voice immediately rose twice as high. She glared at Zhong Ming'e with gritted teeth, "I raised you with great difficulty, just to watch you die without any offspring?!"
"Mother!" Zhong Ming'e stood up suddenly. He looked at Concubine Shu until his eyes turned red. Then he suddenly turned around and strode out of the warm room.
"Your Highness..." Zou hurriedly stood up and tried to stop Zhong Minge.
"Don't worry about him! Let him go!" Concubine Shu's chest was heaving violently with anger, and her eyes suddenly turned red. "How could I give birth to such a rebellious son? A rebellious son!"
"Mother, please don't get angry and make yourself sick," Zou rushed over and massaged Concubine Shu's back while comforting her, "Your Highness has always been filial to Mother, and today he was holding back his anger, so he was disrespectful in front of Mother, please don't be angry with Your Highness."
"He's still holding his breath? He's right!" Concubine Shu said coldly, but her voice was much lower. She sat up straight, pulled Zou to sit next to her, held Zou's hand, and asked with concern, "How is the effect of the secret medicine? Why is there no effect yet?"
"Mother..." Zou's nose suddenly felt sore and her eyes immediately turned red as soon as she opened her mouth. "Please don't ask anymore."
"What's wrong?" Concubine Shu was startled, and then asked in a low voice, "The medicine doesn't work?"
"Your Highness... His Highness doesn't want to..." Zou gritted her teeth and said this in a crying voice. While speaking, she covered her face with her hands and sobbed.
"This rebellious son! Rebellious son!" Concubine Shu was so angry that her face turned pale. She pounded the cushion hard. She was so angry that her lips trembled and she couldn't speak for a long time.
"Mother, if His Highness doesn't want to," Zou wiped her tears and choked up with Concubine Shu, "then don't force His Highness. In the past, His Highness could at least talk to his daughter-in-law. Ever since my daughter-in-law took the secret medicine back, His Highness has never been nice to her. Now, my daughter-in-law is living a miserable life..."
"Other things are fine, but how can we let him do this?" Concubine Shu sighed deeply, patted Zou's shoulder gently, and said, "Child, I don't mean to force you. If you don't have a child at home, you will really live a miserable life."
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