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

"Alright, it's getting late. Shulan, take Wan'er back and pack your things, then go and rest. Hao'er will wake up and start making a fuss if he can't find you." The old lady saw that it was getting late and wanted some peace and quiet. She wanted to write a letter to the Duke. And you were right, the dowry should be returned, otherwise it will be a problem in the end.

"Okay, Mother, what about you over here?"

"I have a room for you all. You should go quickly. Qingwan, have something to eat and get some rest. You don't need to come to pay your respects tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Grandmother, you should rest early too. I'll come to keep you company again tomorrow."

Just as I was leaving, my mother returned home.

"Are you going back, Madam and Miss?"

"Yes, I'll take Qingwan back to rest. Madam Fang, please go in and help Mother rest. It's getting late, and the old lady seems a bit tired." Madam Ning instructed Madam Fang, pointing inside.

"Yes, Madam. I've already sent dinner and hot water to Miss's courtyard. This old servant will go in and serve you now."

Madam Ning helped Gu Qingwan straighten her cloak, had the lantern bearer lead the way, and then held Gu Qingwan's warm little hand as they went into Gu Qingwan's courtyard.

In the Ningguo Duke's mansion, there were only two female relatives, Old Madam Ning and Madam Ning. The relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was very harmonious, just like that of a biological mother and daughter. This was not without reason. Old Madam Ning had a straightforward personality, and the old Duke did not have any wives or concubines or other messy affairs. The backyard was very clean, so she was also very open-minded and clear-headed. In addition, she had lost her daughter in her old age, and she would cherish having such a knowledgeable and reasonable daughter-in-law by her side.

Madam Ning lost her mother at a young age and treated Old Madam Ning as her own mother, because she knew the pain of not having a mother, so she was especially fond of Gu Qingwan.

A servant held up a lamp to light the way, and although it was dark, we walked smoothly.

"Are your uncle and brothers doing well over there?"

"Don't worry, Aunt. Everything is fine. If there's any change, it's that Uncle and Brother have gotten even darker."

"Pfft, so what if they're dark-skinned? Neither of them has ever been fair-skinned, and your brother won't be either. Look how fair I am, how come I ended up with your uncle's dark face?"

"It's alright, Hao'er takes after his aunt."

"Yes, Hao'er is a worry, always climbing up and down, it's a real headache." Madam Ning continued, holding Gu Qingwan's hand. "Although your uncle sends letters regularly, I can't help but ask when he'll be able to come home."

"It should be soon."

"What do you mean?" Madam Ning stopped and asked.

"My maternal grandmother's birthday is coming up soon..."

A look of joy immediately appeared in Madam Ning's eyes, and even in the darkness, her boundless anticipation was evident: "This is wonderful news! This is the best thing I've ever heard of."

"I'm just a messenger. Aunt, I'll be there soon. You should go back early too. Hao-ge'er is still in the courtyard." Gu Qingwan didn't let Madam Ning come with her. She told her to go back early to take care of her little cousin Hao-ge'er. They would naturally meet again early tomorrow morning.

Madam Ning was also worried about her young son, so she didn't insist and gave some more instructions before sending Gu Qingwan to the courtyard and returning home.

The four maids had already packed Gu Qingwan's luggage and made her bed. After everything was settled and Gu Qingwan had taken a bath, she told them to go back and rest, and that they would come back to serve her early the next morning.

"This is home, there's nothing to worry about, go ahead."

"But Miss hasn't eaten yet."

"It's alright, I'll just leave it here after I finish eating. You can come and clean it up first thing tomorrow morning. Go ahead, I'm not really in the mood to eat right now, so I'll leave it for now."

The group looked at each other, realizing they were indeed tired. With Baoqin nodding and leading the way, they went back to rest. It was a night they could sleep well because they were home.

After they all left, Gu Qingwan dried her hair and sat there, not eating anything, but thinking about things.

It was getting late, and Ning Er went to find Si Qi after returning. Si Qi also came to tell her that the matter had been settled, but Gu Qingwan was still a little uneasy. Would the Prince of Chu suspect her if she rashly asked for his help, or would it backfire?

What are you thinking about so intently?

A sound coming from outside the window startled Gu Qingwan. Why was there a man in the house? Gu Qingwan hurriedly put on her coat and looked closely. Standing outside the window was none other than the Prince of Chu, whom she had just been thinking about.

"Your Highness? Your Highness, what brings you here?"

Upon hearing Gu Qingwan's question, Xiao Jingchen's expression became somewhat unnatural. He hadn't originally intended to come; such a nighttime visit to a secluded boudoir was certainly not something a prince like himself should be doing. However, after Ning Er left, Gu Qingwan's aloof face kept appearing before him. Touching the jade pendant Ning Er had brought, he felt as if he could still feel her warmth.

The woman remained calm despite the situation, and he wanted to see if she was truly unperturbed. However, when he arrived, she was taking a bath. He stood under the tree for a while, and after everyone else had left, he saw her staring blankly out the window, seemingly troubled.

"I've come to give this to you." Since he had shown himself, he had to have some excuse or reason, otherwise people would think he had ill intentions. King Chu handed the jade pendant in his hand to Gu Qingwan.

Gu Qingwan was somewhat stunned when she saw that it was still the jade pendant engraved with Xiao Jingchen's name. "This jade pendant is yours, it should be returned to its rightful owner."

"You saved my life, so take this and I'll help you if needed."

"So you've helped me this time?"

"It's a small matter, something I can do easily, nothing much. I'll send someone to that manor tonight, and tomorrow they'll disguise themselves as merchants and deliver the goods to the border. That should ease the burden a bit. I'll also take all the wine and cured meat you've hidden in your manor to give to the soldiers."

Gu Qingwan was speechless. This meant that someone would come to report that the manor had been robbed by thieves the night before. After all, it was indeed impossible to transport a lot of things without letting anyone know, but it was a different story if bandits came to rob it.

Gu Qingwan's eyes darted around. Perhaps she could take this opportunity to reclaim the estate, or even use it as part of her dowry.

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness." The two remained silent, one inside and one outside, separated by a window. "Would you like to come in and sit for a while?"

"No, it would damage your reputation. I'll be leaving now."

The hidden guard couldn't help but grumble inwardly. "You know you're affecting the young lady's reputation, yet you still sneak into her secluded chamber at night, waiting for her to finish bathing..." He had thought the prince was out late at night on some important business, but it turned out he was just visiting Miss Gu at the Duke of Ningguo. This guard naturally knew Miss Gu, because he was the one who came to pick up the Prince of Chu that night and even gave him a jade pendant symbolizing his status.

The guard pondered for a moment, then thought, "Should I... go back and tell the steward that our prince's love star has moved?"

Gu Qingwan watched Xiao Jingchen's figure disappear into the night, her hand still warm from touching the jade pendant, her heart instantly filled with warmth.