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

In the Prime Minister's Mansion.

"What? You saw it clearly? The young lady is back?" Gu Ziming had just finished court and entered his study when a servant came to report that Gu Qingwan had returned to the Ning family yesterday evening.

“That’s right, sir. I saw it with my own eyes. When the young lady’s carriage arrived at the Ning residence, she was wearing a cloak when she got out of the carriage. It looked just like what was said outside. The young lady suddenly fell ill and went out for treatment.”

Gu Ziming felt a little heavy-hearted after hearing this. His eldest daughter was fortunate to have been by his side when she was young, and he was the one who personally educated her. However, after her mother passed away, she fell into the water and her health deteriorated. He heard that it was only through the efforts of the old Duke that she was saved.

When he returned this time, he noticed that Gu Qingwan's body, apart from being a little thin, was not sickly. In fact, she was even more robust than his beloved daughter, Gu Hanjiao.

But this time she fell ill so suddenly, and when she passed away, she was still saying that she wanted to make room for her sister to study palace rules.

He suddenly fell ill and left the city overnight, remaining gone for two months. The Third Prince frequently sent people to inquire what had happened, but naturally, his father had no idea what was going on.

Sending people to the Ning family to inquire only revealed that the old lady and the old Duke were deeply distressed about their granddaughter's illness and refused to see anyone. So, they could only send people to keep an eye on the area around the Ning family.

"Okay, you go down."

Gu Ziming began to wander around the study. The Third Prince was a man with a huge appetite. He hadn't expected that the Third Prince would not only be interested in his youngest daughter but also not want to let go of his eldest daughter. It was somewhat risky to have both daughters on his shoulders.

Logically speaking, both of his daughters are outstanding in appearance. The younger daughter's marriage is a done deal and cannot be changed, but the older daughter still has value. As long as she marries well, it will be beneficial to the Gu family.

But when he recalled what the Third Prince had said to him that day, Gu Ziming hesitated.

The Third Prince came to his residence late at night that day. When he saw the Third Prince in the palace during the day, he was still in a wheelchair, but now he could walk independently.

"Third Prince, you..."

"Lord Gu, please forgive me. My legs have been almost healed by the miraculous medicine that my maternal family found. However, in order to protect myself, I will have to remain in a wheelchair in front of my father for a while longer. After all, this incident seems to have been prepared for me. Having learned my lesson, I dare not be careless again."

Upon hearing this, Gu Ziming nodded in understanding.

"Yes, it's all too coincidental. That Taoist priest came at the wrong time of day, and he didn't go anywhere else but just happened to come to my residence. He even said those things when the Crown Prince's tutor came to visit. It's hard not to be suspicious."

Xiao Yuheng had naturally heard that the Crown Prince's tutor had brought his wife to visit the Prime Minister's residence. He had a question in his mind: Xu Taifu, that old-fashioned man, never interacted with Prime Minister Gu. Why did he take the initiative to visit his residence this time?

“Yes, what a coincidence that Grand Tutor Xu is here too.” Xiao Yuheng casually twirled the thumb ring on his thumb and added a casual remark.

However, Gu Ziming was a man of his word. He immediately sensed the displeasure and a hint of doubt in Xiao Yuheng's tone. The fact that Xiao Yuheng spoke up at this moment meant that he wanted to hear Gu Ziming's explanation, which was much better than not saying anything at all.

"Oh, it's like this. My daughter was on her way back to visit Old Madam Ning when she met Madam Xu. It just so happened that Madam Xu's carriage broke down, so my daughter offered her her carriage. That's how Madam Xu came to visit my daughter to express her gratitude."

Hearing that Gu Ziming's explanation was similar to what his men had reported, Xiao Yuheng's expression improved considerably. He stopped twirling the jade thumb ring on his thumb and instead clenched his fists, speaking with a relaxed and carefree air.

"Lord Gu, there's no need for so much explanation. From now on, we're all family. People outside know about these little things, and I, the prince, have naturally heard about them as well."

Hearing Xiao Yuheng's answer, Gu Ziming knew that the Third Prince no longer suspected that he had a relationship with the Crown Prince. After all, Grand Tutor Xu was the Crown Prince's real teacher, and with him coming to the house, people outside would inevitably speculate whether the Crown Prince was trying to win Gu Ziming over.

"Yes, from now on we're family. I will do my best to serve the Third Prince." Gu Ziming expressed his loyalty.

Xiao Yuheng nodded, but that wasn't his purpose in coming here, so he still needed to continue going in circles with Gu Ziming.

"Given your high position and great power, it is only natural that the Crown Prince would want to win you over. It would be abnormal if he didn't try to win you over in a calculated way."

Gu Ziming's eyes flickered, and he said, "Third Prince, please don't believe me. The Crown Prince has indeed not expressed this intention to me much."

“My elder brother has been more cunning than the other brothers since birth. Now that you have become my in-laws, if I want to win you over, I’ll have to do the same. I’ve heard that the Crown Prince and the eldest daughter are quite close.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Ziming was startled; how come he hadn't heard about this?

"Third Prince, where did you get this idea? My daughter has not been close to the Crown Prince's residence."

"If not, when the dowry was being displayed last time, I noticed that the Crown Prince was clearly helping the eldest young lady. Is he secretly trying to win her heart?"

Since being disciplined by Gu Qingwan last time, Xiao Yuheng calmed down and secretly pondered what went wrong. Logically speaking, a prince like him, who was handsome and whose family was wealthy, should not have any women who disliked him. But Gu Qingwan was an exception.

After thinking for a long time, Xiao Yuheng came to a conclusion: Gu Qingwan had her sights set on something higher, and she probably thought that she could marry the Crown Prince and become an imperial concubine.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yuheng sneered. He was laughing at Gu Qingwan for being a short-sighted and ignorant woman. She should know that after following him, she would not only become a concubine, but with her status, she would be more than qualified to become an empress. So it would be better for Gu Qingwan to realize the situation as soon as possible.

Mentioning the dowry, Gu Ziming's head involuntarily swelled again, and he could only sigh repeatedly, unable to say anything.

"What's wrong with Lord Gu?"

"To tell you the truth, Third Prince, this dowry... Alas, it's all my fault for not managing my household properly, resulting in such a laughable incident, which has also implicated you, Third Prince."

"It's alright, everyone has accounts that are hard to keep track of. What's wrong, Master Gu? Does he look troubled? Is he facing some difficulties?" Xiao Yuheng asked knowingly.

Gu Ziming thought and thought about it, wondering whether he should say it or not. But if he didn't say it, the agreed date was getting closer and closer. If he couldn't produce the dowry by then, the Ning family would definitely take him to court, and he would be utterly humiliated.

"Your Highness, it is clear that no one in the entire capital would forget how lavish Qingwan's mother's dowry was back then. Over the years... therefore, I... I am still unable to gather the full amount in a short time. In addition, my daughter is about to marry you, and the household is indeed facing some difficulties..."

Gu Ziming was a grown man. Even though the Third Prince was of noble status, from another perspective, the Third Prince was still his junior. It would be somewhat embarrassing for a father-in-law to complain about being poor in front of his son-in-law.

Xiao Yuheng couldn't help but laugh inwardly, but he didn't show it on his face. He just frowned and pondered for a while before speaking.

"You will be my father-in-law from now on. Your difficulties are my difficulties. So I should help you no matter what. Jiao'er's share belongs to Jiao'er. If it is touched, it will be unfair to Jiao'er."

“That makes sense.” Upon hearing that the Third Prince intended to help, Gu Ziming’s eyes lit up.

"How about this, tell me how much you still need, and I, the prince, will pay for it."

Hearing the Third Prince's generosity, Gu Ziming was overjoyed and quickly thanked him: "Thank you for your generosity, Third Prince. Of course, I will not use your things for nothing. Once the crisis is over, I will repay you with interest."

In Gu Ziming's heart, the Third Prince was already his son-in-law. It was nothing for a father-in-law to use his son-in-law's money; it was just a way for a junior to show respect. However, the Third Prince was no ordinary son-in-law, so he still had to be polite.

The Third Prince waved his hand and said, "No need, no need, and there's no need for Lord Gu to repay anything, it's just..."

The tone shifted, and Gu Ziming realized that the Third Prince had conditions. Although he was displeased, he couldn't show it and could only keep quiet and listen to what the Third Prince had to say next.

Xiao Yuheng pondered his words for a moment before uttering them: "Since this money is for the eldest young lady's dowry, then let's just consider it her dowry. However, I still hope that this dowry can eventually be transferred to the Third Prince's residence, after all, we shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders."

Hearing the Third Prince say this, even the worldly-wise Prime Minister Gu was taken aback. "What does the Third Prince mean? Does he intend to make Jiao'er..."

"No, no, no, what I meant was Miss Gu..."

There was no need to spell it out any further. Gu Ziming immediately understood. He was shocked, not expecting the Third Prince to be so audacious. However, after the shock, a hint of anger rose in Gu Ziming's heart.

"Third Prince, I respect you as a prince, but you cannot humiliate my Gu family like this! If it is really as you think, how will your betrothed daughter face the consequences!" After saying this, Gu Ziming straightened his back and stood by the window with his back to the Third Prince.

Seeing Gu Ziming's somewhat angry expression, Xiao Yuheng's smile remained unchanged. Even though Gu Ziming held a high position, he couldn't shake off his scholarly air.

"Lord Gu, please calm down. My deep affection for my daughter is evident to all. However, the young lady was forced into this situation. Given your current status, my brothers will definitely try to marry her, which will put you in a difficult position."

"Oh? So, the Third Prince is still thinking of my best interests?"

"Of course, I also have my own selfish reasons. Putting aside personal feelings, Lord Gu, you have accompanied me all the way, and you must know better than anyone how arduous this path has been."

At this point, Gu Ziming let out a sigh from the window, and Xiao Yuheng knew that something was going to happen.

"I have the Yu family behind me and countless riches. I have you in the court and countless scholars and patriots come to join us. But in military matters, I really have nothing. When the time comes, everything may be in vain. Alas."

Hearing the Third Prince's dejected tone, Gu Ziming felt a pang of sympathy. Yes, he had done so much for the Third Prince along the way, and now that things had come to this, moving forward might lead to a brighter future, while retreating would only lead to an abyss. Therefore, Gu Ziming could understand the Third Prince's feelings.

Currently, the Ning family holds significant military power in the court, and everyone can see how much they value Gu Qingwan. Even if the Ning family is unwilling to help, with Gu Qingwan by their side, they won't have to worry about the Ning family's lack of compromise. At least from an outsider's perspective, the Ning family should side with whoever Gu Qingwan marries.

"Then what do you want to do?"

Upon hearing that Gu Ziming had relented, Xiao Yuheng immediately stood up from the head of the table and knelt on one knee: "Lord Gu, I assure you that I will never let Jiao'er down. When I achieve success, I will make Jiao'er the Empress, and the Gu family will also receive the wealth and honor they deserve."

Hearing this, Gu Ziming felt a little better. Moreover, the Third Prince had even condescended to kneel on one knee, which showed great sincerity. Gu Ziming knew when to stop and quickly helped the Third Prince up.

"Third Prince, what are you doing? This is simply too much for me."

"I hope you won't doubt me."

"Alas, how could I not know the Third Prince's predicament? But we still need to consider this carefully. My daughter... and the Ning family are not easy to deal with. I'm afraid..."

"Of course, we need to plan this carefully, but it's already late tonight, and I can't stay any longer. I'll send someone to deliver the dowry tomorrow. As for what happens after that, we can figure it out slowly. Right now, my marriage to Jiao'er is the most important thing."

Gu Ziming nodded. He was still very satisfied with the Third Prince. As long as his affection for his beloved daughter remained unchanged, coupled with his future contributions to the imperial family, the Gu family would surely rise to a new level.

Gu Ziming nodded, "Third Prince, you should take good care of yourself and think things through before you act."

After the Third Prince left, Gu Ziming's study lights remained on until dawn, and Gu Ziming continued to ponder in secret.

According to the Third Prince, he was interested in Gu Qingwan's maternal family. If he could marry Gu Qingwan, given how much the Ning family doted on her, they would have no choice but to take sides, even if they didn't want to.

Even if the Ning family didn't have such intentions, the Crown Prince would still be wary of them and wouldn't trust them completely. Even the Emperor would have to carefully consider the power behind the prince.

In any case, it can only benefit him and not harm him. With two daughters serving as imperial concubines in the harem, he will have more leverage in the future.

Thinking of this, a satisfied smile gradually appeared on Gu Ziming's face.