"Okay, you're a sensible person."
As he spoke, he had several more gifts delivered before sending the guests away.
Situ Mingji gave Shen Hechuan a deep look before turning and leaving.
After Situ Mingji left, the Empress Dowager said:
"I have already discussed this with His Majesty. After all, Jingchun has given birth to Jinxi."
Therefore, His Majesty has specially permitted her to be your concubine; as for the principal wife, you still need to choose one.”
"I think this Miss Situ is quite nice."
As I mentioned to you last time, she is a model of a noble family in both status and conduct, and she is also kind and tolerant. Once she becomes the Crown Princess, I'm sure she will treat Jinxi with utmost care, and she certainly won't mistreat Jingchun either.
Upon hearing this, Shen Hechuan almost laughed out of anger.
"Grandmother has probably forgotten that her grandson is not allowed to touch women."
"Don't try to fool me. If you can't handle women, where did all these rumors about you and Gu Jingchun come from?"
Do you think I'm a fool?
Shen Hechuan had no way to refute this. The story about getting a rash whenever he touched a woman was something he had deliberately fabricated.
With Gu Jingchun by his side now, he could no longer pretend and could only let out a cold snort.
“In that case, Grandmother, just tell Father that the position of Crown Prince can be given to Prince Rui. I will then go and enjoy my leisurely life with Jingchun and Xier.”
“Grandmother, since you like this Miss Situ, you can let her take good care of you. However, you must forgive your grandson’s lack of filial piety. I’m afraid I will have to live outside the palace.”
"However, your grandson is concerned about your health and will definitely come back to visit you often."
"You bastard!"
"Cough cough cough..."
The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table in anger, and coughed violently due to her extreme agitation.
Upon seeing this, Li Mama, who was behind her, immediately stepped forward to pat the Empress Dowager's back, and looked at Shen Hechuan with some reproach.
"Your Highness, you know perfectly well what the Empress Dowager is thinking, so why do you say these things and deliberately upset her?"
Shen Hechuan was also quite helpless.
"It was clearly the grandmother who angered her grandson first."
Shen Hechuan's face turned cold as he spoke.
“I told you long ago, my grandson, that I will marry no one but Gu Jingchun. I will never marry another woman in my life unless she becomes my Crown Princess.”
"Not only that, my grandson has also sworn that he will only marry Gu Jingchun in this lifetime."
Besides her, there will absolutely not be any other women.
“If you threaten me with the position of Crown Prince, then I will give it up.”
"These words will not change no matter how many years pass. Please, Grandmother, give up the idea of letting your grandson marry someone else in the future."
Shen Hechuan had said this to the Empress Dowager before, but the Empress Dowager thought it was just something Shen Hechuan said in a polite way.
Unexpectedly, Shen Hechuan actually intended to do so, and he stood up in shock.
"You are the Crown Prince!"
"Since ancient times, which emperor or crown prince didn't have three palaces and six courtyards?"
"It is the emperor's responsibility to have many children. Even if your father loved your mother deeply, didn't he still end up taking in countless concubines?"
"You actually dare to dream of marrying only one person in the future? How is that possible?"
Shen Hechuan merely sneered at this and offered no explanation.
"If Grandmother feels that her grandson cannot marry only one person, then let Father depose her as Crown Prince, as her grandson has suggested!"
"After all, I am tired of this life of flattery and deceit in the palace. Rather than living in fear and going against my own heart, I would rather be an ordinary person, which would be much easier and more carefree."
After finishing his speech, Shen Hechuan didn't look at the Empress Dowager's reaction anymore. He bowed and turned to leave.
The Empress Dowager watched Shen Hechuan's departing figure with shock and sighed.
"This child... with this kind of temperament, what should we do?"
Granny Li couldn't help but say:
"Your Highness, you know His Highness's temperament. You should consider this matter carefully. You must not go against His Highness, otherwise, there is no guarantee that His Highness will not take a dangerous approach."
The Empress Dowager was well aware of Shen Hechuan's temperament, and it was precisely because she knew this that she deliberately spoke to test him. She did not expect his reaction to be so strong.
Actually, she liked Gu Jingchun very much.
However, given her current status, becoming the Crown Princess would be quite difficult.
Moreover, it's certainly hard to say what will happen to Emperor Rongcheng.
"Never mind."
The Empress Dowager sighed.
"Since the child likes it, then I will grant their wish. However, I will need to put in some effort to persuade His Majesty."
"I just hope things will go smoothly."
The Eastern Palace.
After bringing Gu Jinxi back, Gu Jingchun unusually lost his temper.
"Xi'er, what did your mother teach you before?"
Gu Jinxi looked up at Gu Jingchun's obviously angry face, hesitated for a moment, and then said:
"My mother said that if you feel wronged, you should tell her; if you are unhappy, you should also tell her."
Laugh when you want to laugh, cry when you want to cry; don't hold it in.
Gu Jingchun's voice became even sterner.
"So how did you do it?"
Gu Jinxi tilted her small face up, her eyes slightly red, and stared at Gu Jingchun without moving before she spoke.
"I...that's what I did."
"Yeah?"
Seeing Gu Jinxi's restrained expression, Gu Jingchun could no longer hold back and slapped him on the butt.
Say it again!
Gu Jinxi's eyes were already glistening with tears, but he held them back and didn't let them fall.
"I...I wasn't wronged."
This time, Gu Jingchun could no longer hold back. He squatted down, looked into Gu Jinxi's eyes, lowered his voice, and asked him softly.
"Do you miss your mother?"
Gu Jinxi nodded, but then shook her head as if she had thought of something.
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingchun immediately stood up.
"Since you don't want your mother, then I'll leave. You don't like your mother anyway."
Gu Jingchun was about to leave when he said that, but he could only take one step before he could not go any further.
Looking down again, she saw Gu Jinxi clutching the hem of her clothes, looking up at her with pleading eyes.
"Mother..."
He called her name in a trembling voice.
"Don't go, Mother, I...I really miss you."
As she spoke, Gu Jinxi could no longer hold back, and tears instantly streamed down her face.
Large tears rolled down her cheeks, a sight that pained Gu Jingchun.
She could no longer hold back, so she squatted down, looked at Gu Jinxi, and spoke in a trembling voice.
"Then why didn't you say so just now?"
Gu Jinxi wiped away her tears and said, "I... I'm afraid that if I tell you, Mother will be heartbroken, and I won't be able to see Mother again."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingchun's tears also flowed down his cheeks.
She hugged the person tightly and began to sob.
Feeling the scent of her mother, Gu Jinxi couldn't help but burst into loud sobs.
When Shen Hechuan entered, he saw the two of them hugging and crying.
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