Chapter 1060: Reunion (3) Chapter 1060: Reunion (3) Editor: Atlas Studios Due to the Empress’s instructions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs quickly finished checking the children’s gifts and sent them to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.

The guards and eunuchs carried the items into the side hall.

The side hall of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility was a row of three houses, which had been converted into one single house for the children to play in.

There was a small desk for the children to read and a soft couch for them to rest on.

The other side was filled with their toys.

There were also screens in the middle to form three large spaces, so it was not messy.

After the gifts were sent in, Little Bear brought his younger brothers to distribute gifts.

Qi Wensu had prepared the most.

Because not only had he prepared gifts for the Emperor, the Empress, and his brothers, but he had also prepared them for the consorts, his gifts occupied two large boxes.

After giving out the gifts and exchanging a few more words, Qi Wensu took out the gift for his Mother Consort and wanted to see her.

Little Treasure had already grown up.

In the past two to three years, he had become more sensible and now understood the conflict in the harem back then.

Seeing Qi Wensu wave goodbye to them happily, he hurriedly followed.

“I’ll go with you.” He didn’t want him to be bullied.

Qi Wensu no longer remembered how to navigate around the palace, so he was naturally happy to have a familiar big brother accompanying him.

Hence, after asking Little Bear to keep an eye on this group of little ones, Little Treasure took Qi Wensu to meet Concubine Zhao.

Over the years, Concubine Zhao’s life had not been easy.

Although Qi Xiuyuan did not ground her again, he almost never went to her palace.

Concubine Zhao had been promoted to Consort Shu not long after giving birth to the Second Prince.

During this period, she had offended many people with her smugness.

Therefore, after she fell out of favor, even if the Empress suppressed the harem from causing chaos, some slights and ridicule were inevitable.

Moreover, Concubine Zhao had always been worried about her son in Guangzhou.

In her heart, the Emperor had sent Qi Wensu to Guangzhou to let Prince Rong lead him astray.

Although he would send a letter back every few days to say how happy he was, Concubine Zhao still stubbornly believed that her son was living a miserable life in Guangzhou.

Because the letter was sent by His Highness the Crown Prince, what accurate news could she receive after the letter passed through the Empress and Crown Prince’s hands?

She could only imagine her son was suffering in Guangzhou and had been forced to write these letters against his will.

Therefore, Concubine Zhao cried every time she received a letter.

Every time, the Crown Prince would sigh at Concubine Zhao’s motherly love, thinking that she was crying tears of worry and joy.

Li Jinghua saw everything but did not point it out to her son, allowing him to misunderstand.

However, Little Treasure was smart.

Every time he sent a letter, Concubine Zhao would look at him with a mixture of hatred, resentment, and flattery.

After many times, he vaguely understood.

It was impossible not to be disappointed, but he could not let his second brother face Concubine Zhao alone.

Back then, he was the one who brought his second brother to Guangzhou.

Thus, no matter what, he had to put in a good word for him with Concubine Zhao, even if it was to scare her.

He could not let her bully his second brother like she did when he was young.

Concubine Zhao had been waiting at the entrance of the palace for a long time.

Although she didn’t have many eyes and ears in the palace, she knew that Prince Rong had entered the palace today and there was going to be a palace banquet tonight.

However, after waiting for more than two hours, just as she was about to lose patience, she saw the Crown Prince bring a child and a group of palace maids and emissaries over.

Concubine Zhao looked at the dark-skinned child in a daze and tears fell.

This was her son.

How much had he suffered to become like this?

Why were Prince Rong and Princess Consort Rong so ruthless?

Little Treasure patted his second brother, who was rooted to the ground, and said, “What are you waiting for?

That’s your Mother Consort.

Can’t you see that she’s so excited that she’s crying?

Hurry up and greet her.” Qi Wensu came back to his senses and hurriedly ran over.

He knelt on the ground and was about to kowtow to Concubine Zhao when the latter hurriedly pulled him up and caressed his face.

“W—why are you so tanned and thin?

How much hardship have you suffered?” Qi Wensu said with a silly grin, “Mother Consort, I’m fine.” Concubine Zhao was even sadder upon seeing that her son didn’t even dare to complain to her anymore.

She could only imagine how he was threatened in Guangzhou.

She opened her mouth and, seeing the Crown Prince standing at the side, quickly closed her mouth and wiped her tears.

She forced a smile and said, “Your Highness, do you want to go in and sit?” Little Treasure glanced at his happy brother and shook his head.

“There’s no need.

I’m guessing you have a lot to say to Second Brother after all this time.

I won’t impose on you anymore.

We’ll talk at the banquet tonight.” He then instructed Qi Wensu, “Do come over early for the banquet tonight.

You haven’t seen Royal Father yet.” Qi Wensu hurriedly agreed, and Little Treasure bade farewell.

Seeing that the Crown Prince had walked far away, Concubine Zhao hurriedly pulled her son back to the inner hall and chased out all the palace maids and emissaries.

Qi Wensu didn’t notice anything amiss because his Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt didn’t like having too many servants in the house either.

When the Qi family was gathered together, the servants would typically await orders outside the door.

He thought that Mother Consort just wanted to be alone with him, so he happily took out the gift he had prepared.

“Mother Consort, come and take a look.

I bought this for you.” As soon as he finished speaking, Concubine Zhao hugged Qi Wensu and cried until she was out of breath.

Qi Wensu was stunned.

These didn’t seem like tears of joy.

He pushed his mother away slightly and asked in confusion and heartache, “Mother Consort, what’s wrong?” Concubine Zhao took the box from his hand and touched him from top to bottom.

Seeing that there were calluses on his hand, her expression instantly twisted.

She asked, “They even make you do rough work?” Qi Wensu looked at her in confusion, not understanding.

However, Concubine Zhao said fiercely, “I knew that the Empress was up to no good.

She must have urged your Royal Father to send you to Guangzhou.

You must have suffered a lot over the years.

Prince Rong is atrocious.

No matter how unloved you are, you’re still His Majesty’s son.

How can he, a mere Prince, make you do rough work?

How dare he torture you like this…” Qi Wensu slowly pulled his hand away with a sad expression.

Though he didn’t remember much about his childhood, some things were engraved in his bones.

He knew that his Mother Consort was being stubborn again.

Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt doted on him as their son and treated him even better than they treated Tiger Head and Little Lion.

How could he let his Mother Consort humiliate them like this?

“Mother Consort.” Qi Wensu interrupted her and explained seriously, “The calluses on my hands were left behind by practicing martial arts.

Not only me, Brother Little Bear, Tiger Head, Little Lion, and even Brother Little An have calluses on their hands.

I lived very well in Guangzhou.

Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt treat me like their own son.” Concubine Zhao looked at him in a daze.

“You’re actually talking back to me because of them?

How can they possibly treat you well?

If they treat you well, why are you so tanned?

If they treat you well, why are you so skinny?” “Mother Consort, I’m not tanned.

I’m healthy.

This is a bronzed skin tone.

I only achieved this skin tone after spending much time under the sun.

Also, I’m not skinny at all.

I’m just not fat.

If you don’t believe me, look.” As Qi Wensu spoke, he was about to lift his sleeve for her to see.

All these years, he had practiced martial arts and often followed his cousins up mountains and into the sea.

His body was extremely strong.

However, Concubine Zhao’s expression twisted in obvious disbelief.

The mother and son couldn’t help but quarrel on the first day they met.

Qi Wensu was no longer the soft little bun he was when he was young.

After being under Mu Yangling’s care for three years, he had long learned how to express his opinion to the adults and how to argue his point.

However, it seemed especially unfilial to do that in front of Concubine Zhao.

As a filial son, how could he refute his mother’s words?

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