Chapter 60: Meet Again
"How is it? Are you still feeling bad?"
Wu Miaosu smiled gently and said softly, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I've been feeling much better for a long time. I asked the imperial physician a while ago, and he said that the baby should be moving around by now. It's just that the baby seems to be very quiet and there's no movement at all."
Zhu Youtong came over curiously, reached out and touched Wu Miaosu's bulging belly, and said curiously: "Are your younger brothers and sisters hiding in there?" Her movements were very cautious, even more careful than when she held the pipa, as if she was afraid of scaring the child in the Concubine Xian's belly.
Wu Miaosu smiled and said, "Yes, the two princesses were also hidden in the Queen's belly like this when they were little."
Hu Shanxiang touched her daughter's head and said, "Neither of you two was quiet when you were little. You always bothered me, especially your sister, who was very active." She looked at Zhu Yuhuan not far away. She was being punished to do the horse stance.
For Zhu Yuhuan's martial arts practice, horse stance is the simplest thing. She often squats for half an hour on weekdays. It can't be said to be a punishment. However, it is now the time of Frost's Descent and the house is very warm. She started to sweat after squatting for a while.
But Hu Shanxiang called it "punishment" in name only because she didn't want Zhu Yuhuan to take risks all the time.
Zhu Yuhuan chuckled and said deliberately, "I remember this. When Daddy came to touch me, I was floating in Mom's belly, so I kicked it away."
She spoke so seriously, as if it were true, that Zhu Youtong was shocked and kept asking what happened next.
Zhu Yuhuan felt very awkward when he first became a baby. Thinking back, although he felt comfortable at that time, he was more in pain from not being able to take care of himself.
A living person suddenly lost control of his body. The people around him chattered in a language that was incomprehensible to him. Zhu Yuhuan wished he could grow up overnight...
Hu Shanxiang scolded helplessly, "You believe everything your sister says."
Zhu Youtong pursed his lips and said, "Sister is a child prodigy, of course I believe it."
Wu Miaosu picked up a tiger eye candy and stuffed it into Zhu Youtong's mouth, saying with a smile, "Tongtong is also a child prodigy. Cai Wenji could only distinguish musical notes at the age of nine, but Tongtong can already play ancient music. She's no less impressive."
Zhu Youtong was so delighted by the praise that he felt as sweet as a melt-in-your-mouth tiger eye candy. He immediately threw himself into Wu Miaosu's arms and said, "Madam Wu, when will a younger brother or sister be born? Tongtong will teach him to play the pipa!"
Hu Shanxiang was afraid that she would frighten Wu Miaosu and the unborn baby, so she scolded her, "Tongtong, your wife Wu is pregnant now, you can't be so startled like before."
Wu Miaosu didn't take it seriously. She hugged Zhu Youtong and said with a smile, "It's no big deal. Madam Xu said it's only important for the first few months. The pregnancy is stable now, so you don't have to worry about me."
Zhu Youtong hugged Wu Miaosu's waist and suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "My brother and sister seem to be moving!"
Zhu Yuhuan, who was originally doing horse stance, couldn't help but come over and gathered around Wu Miaosu, asking, "Are you really moving?"
“Really, really!”
Seeing the two sisters gathered together like this, Hu Shanxiang and Wu Miaosu couldn't help but smile at each other.
Whether you are a prince or a princess, as long as you have children by your side, you will never feel lonely in this deep palace.
Zhu Yuhuan was spared the punishment. He changed into clean clothes and returned to the house, but found that Wu Miaosu was gone. He was slightly startled and asked, "Where is Empress Wu?"
"Just now, His Majesty sent for Consort Xian, but it was Wang Dayun who came to pick her up personally." Hu Shanxiang showed a rare look of uneasiness. "I wonder what the matter is."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled upon hearing this and said, "Don't worry, mother. Empress Wu once risked her life for father. Father, remembering our old friendship, will definitely not make things difficult for Empress Wu."
Seeing her so confident, Hu Shanxiang shook her head helplessly, and said with some worry, "I heard from Madam Xu that the imperial concubine's baby is big this time, and she has found two more midwives to enter the palace. We must not let anything go wrong..."
Zhu Yuhuan asked curiously, "Mother, don't you doubt the Imperial Concubine?"
Hu Shanxiang hadn't expected Zhu Yuhuan to bring this up so suddenly. Glancing at the palace attendants around her, she said, "Didn't you submit a petition requesting that the matter not be pursued? Why are you bringing this up again?"
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "I'm just asking casually. Don't worry, mother. The imperial concubine is a blessed person. This pregnancy will be safe and smooth."
Meanwhile, Wu Miaosu was allowed to ride in a sedan chair to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. As she reached the entrance, a eunuch lifted the curtain, and a wave of hot air blew in her face. Through the screen, Wu Miaosu saluted Zhu Zhanji, who was sitting at the desk, and said, "I pay my respects to your majesty. May your majesty be well."
Zhu Zhanji was painting at the table. Hearing this, he smiled and asked, "Why did you think of going to Kunning Palace today?"
Wu Miaosu took off her cloak with the help of the palace maids and warmed herself by the stove before walking over to Zhu Zhanji and saying, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine is about to give birth, and I didn't want to bother her, so I thought of going to the Empress to ask for advice on raising a child. I unexpectedly found the Empress punishing Princess Shunde, so I offered some words of advice."
Zhu Zhanji uttered an "oh" and raised his voice slightly, asking casually, "Why did the Queen punish Princess Shunde?"
"The Empress scolded the Princess for not cherishing her own life. I'm sure she feels more resentment than punishment." Seeing him paint a mouse with just a few strokes, Wu Miaosu couldn't help but sigh, "Your Majesty's painting skills are truly exquisite. They say painting requires careful consideration, but Your Majesty can pull it off in a single stroke. I'm truly envious."
Zhu Zhanji smiled when he heard this and said, "None of the three sisters studied painting. Tongtong has some talent, but I have never heard her talk to me about wanting to learn it."
Wu Miaosu followed his words and said, "The princess may not know your majesty's talent in painting. If she knew, she would definitely learn the pipa as carefully as she did from you."
Zhu Zhanji added two smaller mice next to the larger one. The three mice had different shapes and were vivid, but they were all looking at the bitter melons growing on the vines.
Wu Miaosu immediately understood the meaning of the painting, but still pretended to speculate, "Could the rat at the head be Princess Shunde?"
Zhu Zhanji saw through her thoughts and said with a smile, "Doesn't this little mouse look like her? The melon is ripe, and as her elder sister, she should also be looking forward to it with her two little mice."
Wu Miaosu disagreed in her heart. Rats were looking for food everywhere, so of course they were looking forward to it, but they were probably just looking forward to sharing the food after it was ripe.
But how could a concubine disobey His Majesty's wishes? Therefore, Wu Miaosu just smiled along.
Seeing that Zhu Zhanji had almost finished painting, Wu Miaosu asked the palace maid to bring water while she helped roll up her sleeves. "If the princess knew that Your Majesty teased her like this, she might lose her temper."
She had been serving Zhu Zhanji before she became a palace concubine. In addition, Wu Miaosu was very meticulous and knew Zhu Zhanji's habits very well, just as well as Wang Jin, who had been serving Zhu Zhanji for many years.
Zhu Zhanji washed her hands, then lowered his sleeves, took Wu Miaosu's hand and sat down, saying, "Only the two of us know about this, so let's not let her see it, okay?" He looked at Wu Miaosu's belly and said, "My mother, the imperial concubine, often came to the palace to take care of me. I think you should have a few more people on your side."
Wu Miaosu said humbly, "When the Empress was looking for help for the Imperial Concubine this time, she also assigned six palace maids to me. Your Majesty need not worry."
Zhu Zhanji patted her hand and said, "That's not what I'm talking about." He waved his hand and Wang Jin led people in.
Wu Miaosu was startled, but her body had already moved. She walked over quickly and cried, "Mom!"
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