Lin Youning couldn’t figure out what Consort Zhou intended, but she understood that Consort Zhou wouldn’t come over for no reason.

Now that Consort Zhou brought the conversation back to her father, Lin Youning lowered her head and listened, wanting to see what Consort Zhou’s purpose was.

Prince Shou was clear in his heart, but no matter what Consort Zhou said, he didn’t speak. If he couldn’t avoid it, he would only answer "yes," simply, without uttering a single additional word.

Consort Zhou happened to come when the Holy Emperor was attending court. She knew that time was limited and she couldn’t delay any longer, but thinking of her son’s efforts over the years, and her own pride, if all these were just illusions, and they were merely jokes, how could she be content?

So when she heard that Prince Shou entered the palace, Consort Zhou had someone watch the front hall where the Holy Emperor was attending court and then came to the back hall. Now, after finally getting the topic out, seeing Prince Shou silent, Consort Zhou became anxious, "When you left the palace, the Crown Prince had been born. At that time, I remember you often went to the Empress’s palace, but unfortunately, your mother, being nurtured there, didn’t recover and eventually passed away like that."

"You were such a heartless child; when your mother passed, you left too. By rights, the Crown Prince was born while your mother was still alive in the Empress’s palace, so your feelings for the Crown Prince should be special. How could you bear to leave like that? Have you seen the Crown Prince since you returned? After the Empress passed away, the Crown Prince seldom entered the palace over the years; I can only see him once or twice a year," Consort Zhou lamented.

Prince Shou didn’t raise his head, still respectfully replying, "I haven’t met the Crown Prince yet. If Her Highness wishes to see the Crown Prince, she can simply summon him to the palace. I was young back then, and those matters are long forgotten, not as deep as Her Highness’s feelings."

Consort Zhou faintly smiled, "Yes, you were young at that time."

Seeing a young maid’s shadow moving outside the hall door, Consort Zhou stood up, "It’s getting late, I should also return. Sister Ning, who stays outside the palace all year round, and Yuanhua live near you, usually, I must take more care of her."

"Your Highness favors me too much; Princess Yuanhua does not need my care," Lin Youning directly declined.

She wouldn’t give Princess Yuanhua and herself the chance to link up; she hadn’t forgotten how Princess Yuanhua and Consort Zhou had made things difficult for her back then.

Consort Zhou took a few steps, hearing Lin Youning’s refusal, glanced at her, faintly smiled, and strode off, saying no more.

Once Consort Zhou left, the atmosphere in the back hall was noticeably more relaxed; Prince Shou, with a gloomy face, didn’t look better even when the Holy Emperor returned, and the Holy Emperor didn’t care to ask more, just called Sister Ning to sit by his side and chatted, occasionally bursting into laughter.

Lin Youning didn’t understand why the Holy Emperor found her seemingly ordinary words amusing.

It wasn’t until midday, after having a meal in the palace, that Lin Youning and her father left the palace. Lin Youning felt tired, and Prince Shou, feeling sorry for his daughter, suggested, "Before childbirth, don’t enter the palace for now; your body can’t handle it."

"Alright." Lin Youning agreed readily.

As for whether the Holy Emperor would summon her or how to refuse, it wasn’t her concern, her father would handle it.

Yet still, Prince Shou showed no pleasant expression; after sending his daughter back to his son’s mansion, he didn’t even enter the gate but took the carriage directly, instructing it to head to the Crown Prince Mansion.

Crown Prince Li Ren, hearing his elder brother had come, went out to greet him directly. After the brothers saluted, they went straight to the study to talk.

In fact, Prince Shou had met the Crown Prince when he returned. That day, after hearing Prince Shou was back, the Crown Prince also entered the palace, but after staying a while with the Holy Emperor, he left the palace again.

After the brothers sat down, finding no outsiders in the study, Li Ren smiled, "Elder brother, did you come from the palace? Did you encounter Consort Zhou?"

Prince Shou raised his eyebrows, only drinking tea, not speaking.

Li Ren laughed, "Elder brother’s temperament has always been aloof, only Consort Zhou could make you put on a gloomy face. Was she testing your relationship with me again?"

"Since you guessed it, then tell me what her purpose is and what should be done?" Prince Shou finally spoke.

Li Ren, exuding an air of elegance, smiled lazily, "What’s difficult about this? Haven’t they been hopping up and down all these years? They just aren’t reconciled. I’m rather curious to see what else they can stir up. Doesn’t elder brother find it interesting?"

Prince Shou snorted, "You find it amusing, but if it involves Sister Ning, I won’t stand for it."

Li Ren laughed, "Elder brother, don’t worry, with Dingyuan Marquis there, nothing will happen to Sister Ning. It’s just that, with my niece over there, I haven’t been able to see her, which is a pity."

Speaking of his daughter, a faint smile appeared on Prince Shou’s face, "Sister Ning has a good temperament, like her mother. When you have the chance to meet, you’ll know. She is a child that makes one feel sorry; whatever you say, she will agree with, never opposing, very obedient."

Li Ren laughed heartily, "Elder brother, do you prefer her because she agrees with everything you say?"

Prince Shou glared at him, and Li Ren quickly gestured, "Consider that a slip of my tongue."

Yet the laughter only grew louder.

Meanwhile, that afternoon, Second Prince Li Min also received a letter from Consort Zhou sent from the palace. After seeing the content, Li Min crumpled the letter and threw it away, his face full of shame and rage.

"Already a defeated general, what’s the point in doing these things?" Li Min growled in a low voice, while Liu Xin beside him dared not speak, scared and kneeling on the ground.

Since Prince Shou returned, the master’s temper had been unstable. Today, it was unclear what Her Highness wrote in the letter that provoked such a great fury.

After venting his anger, Li Min sat back on the soft couch, "Are Yuanhua and Gu Er still at the hot spring estate?"

Liu Xin then dared to step forward to respond, "They have always been at the hot spring estate."

"Find a time to tell Yuanhua, if she doesn’t want to bow in front of Lin Youning in the future, she should plan well and not just enjoy now," Li Min coldly instructed, Liu Xin agreed and went to arrange for someone to send the message to the estate.

Li Min was unwilling, but there was nothing he could do. He knew his father was surely watching him, so he couldn’t do anything at the moment and had to endure until he wasn’t being watched, then he could slowly take action.

In the back courtyard, Dong Poming was full of worry. Times were tough in the mansion, and there had been no visit from the Second Prince for a while; even the meals from the kitchen seemed to get worse day by day, and she couldn’t endure a single day more.