According to the "Zuo Zhuan · First Year of Duke Yin," Duke Zhuang of Zheng had a younger brother. His mother, Lady Wu Jiang, experienced a difficult childbirth when delivering Duke Zhuang, which caused her to develop an aversion towards him. She named him "Wusheng" (meaning "born feet-first," an omen of bad luck). In contrast, she doted on his younger brother, Shuduan. According to ancient customs, Wusheng, as the eldest son, naturally inherited the throne and became the ruler of the State of Zheng. Lady Wu Jiang, increasingly resentful, went to great lengths to build up Shuduan's power, hoping he would grow strong enough to replace Duke Zhuang.
She first petitioned Duke Zhuang to grant Shuduan the fief of Zhiyi (modern-day Shangjie District, Zhengzhou), but he refused. Lady Wu Jiang then requested that Shuduan be enfeoffed in Jingxiang City (modern-day Xingyang), which Duke Zhuang agreed to. After Shuduan arrived in Jing, he became known as "Tai Shu of Jing" (the Grand Uncle of Jing). He began recruiting soldiers, amassing horses, building fortifications, and preparing to rebel. The minister Ji Zhong discovered this and reported it to Duke Zhuang. Duke Zhuang replied, "As long as my mother, Lady Wu Jiang, wishes it, what does it matter?" Ji Zhong cautioned, "Lady Wu Jiang will never be satisfied. It would be better to deal with them now and assign them to a suitable place before it becomes difficult to handle." Duke Zhuang responded, "He who commits many unjust acts will inevitably bring about his own downfall. Just wait and see!"
In the twenty-second year of Duke Zhuang's reign (722 BC), Shuduan felt the time was ripe. He consulted with his mother about the date for the rebellion. After Lady Wu Jiang made her decision, she sent a letter instructing Shuduan to launch his troops immediately, promising to act as an internal supporter. However, Duke Zhuang had long since discovered their plot and intercepted the secret letter. With this evidence in hand, Duke Zhuang immediately dispatched Gongsun Lu with two hundred chariots to besiege Jingxiang City. Caught completely off guard, Shuduan fled in panic to Yanling, was pursued and attacked by Duke Zhuang, and was finally forced to flee to Gongcheng (modern-day Huixian, Henan), where he committed suicide.
Following these events, Duke Zhuang's resentment towards Lady Wu Jiang intensified. He declared, "We shall not meet again until we reach the Yellow Springs (the underworld)!" Consequently, he sent Lady Wu Jiang to live in Yingdi (modern-day Yingyang, Dengfeng).
After some time, Duke Zhuang began to feel regret. During a banquet hosted for Ying Kao Shu, the official governing Yingdi, Ying Kao Shu, wishing to reconcile the mother and son, secretly tucked some delicious food into his sleeve while eating. Duke Zhuang found this very strange and asked, "What is the meaning of this?" Ying Kao Shu replied, "My mother has lived in the countryside for years and has never tasted food bestowed by a ruler. I wish to take some back for her, as a token of my filial devotion." Duke Zhuang then recounted the story of how his relationship with his own mother had broken down. Ying Kao Shu said, "This is easily resolved. We can dig a tunnel down to the Yellow Springs, constructing a corridor and a chamber. There, you two can meet without breaking your oath!" Duke Zhuang deeply felt this was an appropriate solution and entrusted Ying Kao Shu with carrying it out. Ying Kao Shu acted swiftly, quickly digging a tunnel in Jingxiang City, and invited Duke Zhuang and his mother to meet there. When the mother and son saw each other, they embraced and wept bitterly, and from then on, they were reconciled. This is the origin of the famous story known as "Meeting Mother Underground."