Qiao Jinniang nodded. “I had thought that the Empress Dowager didn’t like the Queen, because His Majesty only loves the Queen, so the girls of the Li family can’t gain his favor.

  “So it turns out that it’s because of Imperial Concubine Zhou. Were Imperial Concubine Zhou and the Empress Dowager mortal enemies?”


  Zheng Xiao nodded and said, “When I was still young, I heard from my grandmother that before Imperial Concubine Zhou appeared, the late emperor’s favor for the Empress Dowager was unprecedented. However, after Imperial Concubine Zhou appeared, the late emperor’s love for the Empress Dowager completely disappeared.

  SS

  “When you marry into the East Palace, you must be careful of the Empress Dowager. Although the Crown Prince is the Empress Dowager’s own grandson, his mother is from the Zhou family that the Empress Dowager hates deeply.”


  Qiao Jinniang nodded, “I see.” Zheng Xiaodao said, “What Ruoyi said just now is not wrong. “But Ruoyi, you have to remember not to say these words again.”


  Qiao Ruoyi nodded obediently. “Yes, Mother.”


  The gate of Duke Wu Mansion was heavily guarded by Imperial Guards. No matter who you were, you had to walk in. Qiao Jinniang and Qiao Ruoyi carefully supported Zheng Xiao.

  And they happened to meet the Qin family.

  After seeing Zheng Xiao, Old Madam Qin snorted.”It must be hard for you to carry such a big belly at your age. Even an old clam can produce a pearl, but why can’t a young clam?!”


  Mrs. Qin tugged at Old Madam Qin’s sleeve. How could her mother-in-law make fun of Zheng Xiao like this? Although she divorced Duke Anyuan, they still lived together.

  An old clam producing a pearl was used to laugh at women who were pregnant at an old age in Chang’an.

  Duke Anyuan’s two sons and one daughter were born by Zheng Xiao. Qiao Ruoyi, who was born by a concubine, respected Zheng Xiao very much, not to mention Ruoyun, who was raised by Zheng Xiao. Even though they divorced, Zheng Xiao was never a pitiful abandoned woman.

  How could her mother-in-law despise Zheng Xiao like this?

  The women of the Tong family happened to pass by, and Mrs. Tong laughed when she heard the words.

  Zheng Xiao looked at Qiao Ruoyun worriedly.

  Qiao Jinniang felt that Mrs. Qin was really rude, so she said coldly, “Old Madam Qin, since you hold a string of Buddha beads in your hand, you must be a believer in Buddhism, so I think you should know karma.

  “When my sister was pregnant, who insisted on marrying off that concubine maid Yuzhui to my sister’s husband?

  “That almost killed my sister and her baby!

  “But because you are my sister’s elder, for the sake of my sister’s peace in the Qin family, our Qiao family forgave you. “But now what are you doing? At the door of someone else’s home, making fun of my mother and my sister? Just because my grandmother is not here doesn’t mean you can bully our Qiao family!

  “My mother is not someone you can laugh at in public. Please apologize.”


  If Qiao Jinniang didn’t fight back.

  Tomorrow, the people in Chang’an would definitely laugh at her mother and her sister, calling them “old clam” and “young clam”.

  Zheng Xiao was not young anymore.

  But it wasn’t uncommon even for a thirty-five-year-old woman to give birth to a child nowadays.

  Old Madam Qin frowned and said, “In terms of age, I am your mother’s elder. You want me to apologize to her?!”


  Qiao Jinniang nodded and said, “Yes, I want you to apologize to my mother.”


  Old Madam Qin snorted. “Bah, I have lived for so many years, and this is the first time I see such a rude junior like you.

  “In terms of seniority, I am your mother’s elder.

  “In terms of status, I am a duchess dowager, but your mother was only a duchess even before her divorce!

  “Not to mention that she has divorced Duke Anyuan.

  “Yes, I laughed at your mother because she got pregnant at such an old age just to win back Duke Anyuan’s heart but still ended up being divorced.

  “Yes, I scolded Qiao Ruoyun for not being able to give birth to a child. But so what?”


  “Your family married a slave’s daughter into our Qin family and made our Qin family lose all our face.

  “Now I can’t even say that my granddaughter-in-law can’t give birth to a child?”


  Tong Yingying smiled and said, “County Mistress Qiao, Old Madam Qin is your elder. How can you say that to her?

  “Besides, what she said makes sense. It’s a bit too much for you to ask her to apologize, isn’t it?”


  Tong Xuan tugged at Tong Yingying’s arm. “It’s none of your business. Stop making trouble, okay?”


  But Mrs. Tong pulled Tong Xuan away. “Your sister is right. I have long heard of the rudeness of County Mistress Jia’an.

  “But here is Chang’an, not Lin’an. You can trick your clansmen into killing each other with your vicious scheme, but you can’t force Old Madam Qin to apologize to your mother!”


  Zheng Xiao also said to Qiao Jinniang. “Forget it, if they want to laugh at me, just let them. I don’t care.”


  Qiao Ruoyun also cried and said, “Jinniang, just forget it. I…”


  “You don’t care either?”


  Qiao Jinniang said, “This old witch killed your baby, and you almost died because of her.

  “If I hadn’t arrived in time, you would have died.

  “She humiliated Mother and you in public. How can you just swallow it?”


  For the first time, Old Madam Qin was called an “old witch”. She was shaking with anger. “How dare you scold me? Is there any law left? Mrs. Tong, your husband is an imperial censor. You have to testify for me!”


  Qin Miaomiao had a terrible headache. She really couldn’t understand her grandmother. Many people in Chang’an had indeed laughed at Zheng Xiao for being pregnant at such an old age.

  But they all did it in private. No one did it in Zheng Xiao’s face like her grandmother!

  Knowing Qiao Jinniang’s temper, Qin Miaomiao walked up to Qiao Jinniang and said, “Jinniang, for the sake of my sister-in-law, forgive my grandmother this time, okay? She’s old. If you fall out with her, Sister-in-law will have a hard time.

  “My brother has never blamed Sister-in-law for not being able to give birth to a child, but if you embarrass my grandmother, Sister-in-law may have a hard time in the Qin family.” Qiao Jinniang took a deep breath.

  Mrs.Tong said to Mrs. Qin. “Don’t worry, Old Madam Qin. Our Tong family will take care of this matter!

  “Qiao Jinniang, as the biological mother of the Crown Orince’s heir, how could you scold a duchess dowager as an ‘old witch’? Are you not afraid of implicating your son?

  “I’ll report this matter to His Majesty and Her Majesty. You must give an explanation to Old Madam Qin!”


  When she finished speaking, some servants of the Duke Wu Mansion carried out a soft sedan chair. Today, the Emperor and the Queen would come, so all carriages and sedan chairs could only go to the street entrance, and it would take more than a quarter of an hour to walk into the Duke Wu Mansion.

  Therefore, for some old noble ladies, the Duke Wu Mansion would pick them up with soft sedan chairs.

  Seeing this soft sedan chair, Mrs. Tong and Old Madam Qin both thought it was to pick them up. Old Madam Qin thought that her title was the highest here and she was also the oldest here. So this soft sedan chair was definitely for her.

  However, Mrs. Tong felt that she was Duchess Wu’s sister-in-law. She had just asked and the servants said the soft sedan chairs were only for royal family members.

  If there was an extra soft sedan chair, it would definitely be for her because she was Duchess Wu’s sister-in-law…


  When Mrs. Tong and Old Madam Qin both came forward.

  The mammy carrying the soft sedan chair walked up to Zheng Xiao and said, “Mrs. Zheng, our Duchess said that you are pregnant, and the ground is slippery in winter, so she specially ordered us to carry you inside. Please sit inside.”