The Eldest Daughter Returns: Imperial Uncle, I'm Pregnant!

Gu Qingwan and her entourage arrived at the Ningguo Duke's Mansion without incident. The mansion was brightly lit, and one side of the gate was already open. The steward and housekeeper were anxiously looking around at the entrance.

"Aunt Fang, Uncle Fu!" Gu Qingwan lifted the curtain and called softly to the people waiting for her at the door.

"My lady, you're finally back! Why are you so late? Didn't we send someone to say you'd arrive early this morning?" Madam Fang quickly stepped forward to help Gu Qingwan down.

"Something came up, why are you out there? Where is Grandma?"

"Madam, you've been waiting all day. You asked me to come out and see if you've returned. You must be tired. Please come inside quickly."

"It is Qingwan's filial impiety to have kept her grandmother and aunt waiting for so long." Gu Qingwan got off the carriage, put on her cloak, and instructed the others, "Baoqin, Siqi, Shishu, Ruhua, you all pack up and go back to the courtyard. Ningyi, go find Uncle Fu to settle the brothers. Mama Fang, let's go inside."

The Duke of Ningguo can be considered a veteran minister of three generations. In his early years, he and his wife followed Emperor Taizu in conquering the country, shedding blood and sweat. They even fought desperately to save Emperor Taizu. The Duke of Ningguo's family's merits were earned through sheer hard work and risking their lives.

Emperor Taizu passed away early and instructed his descendants to treat the Ningguo Duke's family well. The Ningguo Duke also understood that with each new emperor came a new set of officials, and that it was lonely to be in a high position. For the sake of his descendants, he chose to guard the border. During the years he was there, the border was very peaceful.

To reassure the royal family, the Ning family would keep the female members of the family in the Duke's mansion in the capital, entrusting the Empress to take care of them when she had time. Only after the male heirs of the family reached adulthood would they report to the Emperor and go to the border to train with the army.

The men of the Ning family never take shortcuts; they all climbed their way up from the ranks of other generals, starting as lowly soldiers.

The Ning family had always been small, and after several generations, it was the eldest son and daughter of the Duke of Ning. Gu Qingwan's mother was the apple of his eye. The Duke only had this one sweet and gentle daughter, and he cherished her dearly, so he couldn't bear to let her learn martial arts. Therefore, Gu Qingwan's mother was a true lady of high birth in the capital.

Gu Qingwan felt an urge to go to the Prime Minister's mansion and kill someone whenever she thought of her mother. Sometimes she felt disgusted because the blood of the Gu family flowed in her veins.

Lost in thought, he didn't stop walking and soon arrived at Rong'an Hall. Sure enough, the lights were still on inside, and a maid at the door was craning her neck and looking around when she heard the noise. When she saw that someone had arrived in the courtyard, she went inside to announce their arrival.

"Miss is back, Madam, Madam, Miss is back."

Gu Qingwan thought to herself that her maternal grandmother had always doted on her the most since she was a child. Everyone said that her appearance was the most like that of the young Madam Ning, while her temperament was like that of the Duke. Fortunately, her genes made her more like a member of the Ning family, which gave her some comfort.

"Granddaughter greets her maternal grandmother. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Upon entering the inner hall, Gu Qingwan immediately knelt down and kowtowed to the old lady standing there.

"My little Qingwan, come quickly and let your grandmother see you." Old Madam Ning's eyes were filled with tears as she hugged Gu Qingwan tightly. Every time Gu Qingwan went out, she was extremely worried. Although she knew that her child was skilled in martial arts, she still couldn't help but worry.

"Mother, don't be sad. Your child is back. Please sit down and rest." The aunt smiled and comforted the grandmother and grandson.

"Aunt, Qingwan hasn't paid her respects to you yet. Where is Hao'er?" Gu Qingwan asked.

"Why bother with all this formality at home? Sit down quickly. The child is too young to stay awake after playing all day and should go to bed early. But you, let your aunt take a look at you."

Madam Ning held Gu Qingwan's hand and looked her over. She was still the girl she had raised, but her skin was a bit darker and she had lost weight. Her red dress made the child look more energetic, and she seemed more stable than before she left.

"I really don't know what you, a young lady, were doing running off to the border for training. Look how you've been through it." As she spoke, Madam Ning's tears were about to fall.

"I'm just about to recover, and you've come to provoke me again. You should stop now." Old Madam Ning rested on the soft chair, taking advantage of Madam Fang's support.

After falling into the water, Gu Qingwan was forcibly taken to the Ningguo Duke's Mansion by Old Madam Ning. The old lady petitioned the Empress, saying that she needed comforting because of the pain of losing her daughter, otherwise she would not live long. In order to put the Ningguo Duke at ease, the Emperor personally issued an edict to place Gu Qingwan under Old Madam Ning's care to take her mother's place.

Gu Qingwan's aunt was also a well-educated lady from a prominent family in the capital. She had three sons and Gu Qingwan was the only girl in the family, so she raised her as her own daughter. In terms of literary talent, Gu Qingwan was no less than other noble ladies.

“I told the kitchen to keep the food warm on the stove. I’ll have someone bring it to you. Your uncle doesn’t care about you at all. Look how thin you are.”

"Aunt, don't rush, Qingwan has something urgent to tell you."

When Madam Fang saw that Gu Qingwan's expression was serious, she knew that something important had happened, so she took the maid in the room to the kitchen to prepare food. Before leaving, she thoughtfully closed the door for her.

Gu Qingwan recounted everything that had happened on the estate and also reported on the situation on her maternal grandfather's side.

"It really is true!" Old Madam Ning stared wide-eyed and slammed her hand on the table. Gu Qingwan quickly went over to help Old Madam Ning calm down.

"That Gu family! How dare they squander my sister's dowry like this! If they're like this in a small suburban estate, who knows how filthy their other estates are?" Although many large families have their share of shady dealings, this Gu family is blatantly trying to steal their eldest daughter's dowry. "Mother, we must get my sister's dowry back for Qingwan's sake!"

"I thought your father was a man of status and dignity, and he would never do something so despicable as to embezzle your mother's dowry. I never expected him to do it..." With Gu Qingwan's help, Old Madam Ning sat back down in her chair.

"That's not the important thing. There's a cellar in the estate, filled with silver and weapons that have been continuously transported in..."

"What!" Old Madam Ning and Madam Ning exclaimed in unison.

"This is no joke, are you sure you're sure?"

"In response to Grandmother, I took Ning Yi and Ning Er with me. Ning Er went down to see for herself, so there is no doubt about it."

"This is an attempt to drag the Ning family down with them, but I wonder whose handiwork this is," Old Madam Ning murmured. "How did you handle it?"

"Qingwan has already sent Ning Er to find Prince Chu."

"How did this involve Prince Chu? Isn't he also on the border?" Madam Ning was a little confused. Madam Ning was proficient in all the arts, but she wasn't very sensitive to politics.

"That night, it seemed that the prince was also being chased, and I saved him."

"Good heavens, you're a young lady, not even married yet. What will you do if someone sees this?" Madam Ning looked at Gu Qingwan disapprovingly.

Madam Ning frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, "Prince Chu has returned? After thinking it over, this is the only way. All the men in the family are out, and if we make any move, others will keep a close eye on us. Prince Chu is an upright man and the current emperor's younger brother, so it is the most appropriate person for him to handle this."

"That's what my granddaughter thinks too. This matter can't wait for my uncle to come back to handle, nor can we handle it ourselves. After thinking it over, only His Highness can help us with this. I wonder what Ning Er's situation is now, and whether His Highness will lend a hand."

"You don't need to worry about that, the Prince will definitely help." The old lady nodded with a smile, seemingly with a deeper meaning.