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

Youlan Courtyard is indeed a nice courtyard, but no one mentions that Gu Hanjiao is still stubbornly staying in the courtyard and unwilling to move out.

Although the room she's currently staying in is a bit small, it can't hide the beauty and grandeur of the courtyard. It makes her very proud when her girlfriends come to visit her.

"Chunlu, has Gu Qingwan made any moves lately?" Gu Hanjiao asked, touching her newly painted nails.

"Replying to Miss, over there... ever since the eldest young lady returned from her medical appointment, she hasn't left her room. Judging from the constant supply of medicine in the small kitchen, it seems that the eldest young lady's health is still not fully recovered."

Hearing this, Gu Hanjiao couldn't help but feel a little excited. "Hmph, as expected, a worthless person has a worthless life. So what if she comes back and becomes a young lady? She has the life of a young lady but can't enjoy the blessings of one."

“That’s right,” Chunlu chimed in from the side.

“Miss, look, these are all new clothes that Madam had sent over this morning. They’re so beautiful.” Qiu Shuang, standing next to Gu Hanjiao, gestured to the newly delivered clothes.

"The style of this dress is novel, but the color... I'll just throw it away." Gu Hanjiao looked at the dress, which was pale yellow, and remembered that Gu Qingwan had also worn a pale yellow dress that day, and felt a little displeased.

“The color of this dress makes Miss’s complexion look even more delicate. It’s only because Miss has fair skin that she can pull off such a beautiful and delicate color,” Chunlu said.

No woman dislikes being complimented on her beauty, especially someone like Gu Hanjiao who cares so much about her appearance. After Chunlu said that, Gu Hanjiao actually started to find the dress more pleasing to the eye and picked it up to touch it.

"My darling's clothes are mostly light and simple. It's good to keep these warmer colors. My darling is at a joyful age, and she shouldn't always be dressed in such light and simple clothes."

Gu Hanjiao turned around and saw that it was her mother, Wang Ruyan, who had come to see her.

"Mother, what brings you here?"

"What? You won't go see your mother, but can't your mother come to see you? You little ungrateful thing." Wang Ruyan tapped Gu Hanjiao's forehead with her finger.

Gu Hanjiao pouted and rubbed her forehead, saying sweetly, "No way, Mother knows perfectly well that I've been busy embroidering my wedding dress lately."

"Good child, I know you're busy, so your mother came to see you." With that, she pulled Gu Hanjiao inside. "I heard you received some new clothes, and I also picked out some pretty jewelry for you from the storeroom. Come and see if you like it."

Gu Hanjiao glanced at the jewelry box in Xue Niang's hand. She didn't care about the styles inside, but since she was about to get married, she wanted to save up as much money as possible for herself.

"The babies my mother gave me were all ones I liked."

Hearing this, Wang Ruyan laughed: "Xue Niang, look at her, she's going to be a prince's consort after all. Her way of speaking and doing things is different from before. Before, Jiao'er was so picky, but now she's much more easygoing."

"Madam is too kind. Our young lady was personally taught by the palace matrons. When she goes out, everyone praises her for having the demeanor of royalty."

Hearing Xue Niang's praise, Gu Hanjiao felt a little unhappy. Only she knew how difficult those days were, with the palace tutor personally instructing her. However, the palace tutor's visit did give her a boost, but Gu Qingwan also benefited from it.

“I think the color of this dress is quite nice. I heard that the Imperial Concubine doesn’t like you always wearing white clothes. You should pay more attention to it and not always wear white clothes. Even your father often says that wearing white is unlucky. Besides, there is an old lady in the family. You should avoid gossip.”

While tidying Gu Hanjiao's clothes, Wang Ruyan kept talking, which made Gu Hanjiao a little impatient.

“Mother, you always nag like this. Besides, what does Father know? This is a matter of refinement. It doesn’t matter whether others like it or not. As long as the Third Prince likes it, that’s all that matters.”

Hearing her daughter say that about her, Wang Ruyan felt a little embarrassed, but she didn't show it immediately. Instead, she sat down next to her daughter, took her hand, and said...

"I'm doing this all for your own good. You're my own daughter, how could I possibly harm you? You think I'm being long-winded? Why don't I go and nag that brat over there?"

Gu Hanjiao felt a little pleased when she heard this. Although her mother had been a bit nagging over the years, which displeased her father, Gu Hanjiao still admired her mother's shrewdness.

"How can that bitch compare to me? She's just a motherless thing."

"Shh... You can't say this out loud, or outsiders will just say you don't care about your sisterly bond."

Gu Hanjiao pouted: "Mother, this is clearly my home, and this courtyard is clearly mine too. Ever since she came back, I have been wronged in every way. Mother, when are you going to drive that scourge out?"

"My dear daughter, it will be soon. I will make sure you leave this courtyard in a grand and glorious manner. I will never let Gu Qingwan stand in your way."

As she spoke, a ruthless glint flashed in Wang Ruyan's eyes.

"By the way, Jiao'er, I heard that the Imperial Concubine wants her daughter from the Yu family to be the Third Prince's concubine. Did you know that?"

Gu Hanjiao was puzzled after hearing this, as she had been busy taking care of the Third Prince and was unaware of such a thing.

"Yu Shi? Jiao'er has not heard of this matter. Besides, even if she were to be a concubine, shouldn't it be that slut Li Qianyu? She disregarded all propriety and shame and climbed into the Third Prince's carriage. I haven't settled accounts with her for this yet!"

Thinking of this, Gu Hanjiao's teeth itched. This Li Qianyu usually seemed so noble, but it turned out that she was so despicable at heart.

Hearing this, Wang Ruyan sighed, "That Miss Li... although her father is highly trusted by His Majesty in the court, her family background is relatively weak and she is not worth worrying about. But this girl from the Yu family... Jiao'er, you still need to pay more attention to her."

Gu Hanjiao was so jealous that she almost tore the handkerchief in her hand to shreds. "No one can even covet the Third Prince. The Third Prince is mine alone!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ruyan was taken aback and, somewhat incredulously, pulled Gu Hanjiao aside. Seeing the madam's signal, Xue Niang quickly led the maids out of the room.

Seeing that no one was inside, Wang Ruyan slowly asked.

"Jiao'er, the Third Prince is a prince after all. He will have no shortage of concubines and mistresses in the future. Those thoughts... those ideas are absolutely unacceptable. Even your father has more than one woman in his harem."

In truth, it's not just one thing. If things had really gone according to her daughter's wishes, Wang Ruyan would probably be married off to some poor family right now, waiting for her son to endure twenty years of hardship before she could finally get ahead. She wouldn't have the glorious scene she has now, rising from a concubine to the principal wife.

However, Gu Hanjiao didn't care at all, and she said with a proud look on her face, "What's the point of having so many people? The Third Prince only needs me."

"Nonsense! Even His Majesty has three thousand concubines in his harem. How could he possibly only have eyes for you? Jiao'er, don't get the wrong idea. If word gets out that you're jealous, people will gossip about you behind your back."

Looking at her mother's old-fashioned face, Gu Hanjiao felt a strange sadness for her.

She sighed, took her mother's hand, and said, "Mother, you always think like this, so look at Father's courtyard with one concubine after another. Now that you're old and faded, Father doesn't like to come to your side anymore."

These words were like a knife stabbing straight into her chest, and it was done by her own daughter, almost making her choke on her own breath.

"But... I am still your father's legal wife."

Wang Ruyan also felt bitter and unspeakable. She knew that she had risen to the position of the principal wife by virtue of her husband's wishes. If she did not follow his wishes and was also jealous, how could she keep her position as the principal wife and secure a bright future for her two children?

"So, Mother, don't worry about me. Your own marriage failed, so don't use your flawed views on marriage to judge me. I'll take control of my future. What I want is a lifelong, monogamous relationship!"

Wang Ruyan was so shocked by Gu Hanjiao's words that she couldn't close her mouth. When did her daughter develop such unconventional ideas?

"Jiao'er...you...no, no, I need to find a nanny. Your idea is too terrible."

As she spoke, Wang Ruyan got up to go back, already planning to find that old woman to teach Gu Hanjiao about the nun's ring again. If things continued like this, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Oh, Mother!" Gu Hanjiao hurriedly grabbed Wang Ruyan, who was about to leave.

"Mother, don't worry. I know what you've said. I'm just saying this to show that I will definitely win over my husband's heart."

Hearing her daughter's explanation, Wang Ruyan breathed a sigh of relief.

"You scared your mother to death."

Gu Hanjiao quickly helped Wang Ruyan sit on the couch and served her a cup of tea.

“Child, that Yu family’s daughter is not easy to deal with. You’ll have to put in some effort. If all else fails, you can ask your father.”

"Why should Mother boost the morale of others and diminish her daughter's prestige? So what if she's from the Yu family?"

"How about it? The Yu family is incredibly wealthy, and they are also the maternal family of Consort Yu, making them direct cousins ​​of the Third Prince. If it really comes down to it, Consort Yu will only side with them, not with you. Moreover, the process of your marriage to the Third Prince has already displeased Consort Yu."

"Even if the Empress is there, she's just the daughter of a merchant family. How can she compare to my father's high position and power? How could I, the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion, be afraid of her? It would be a laughing stock if word got out."

"You kid..."

Seeing that her mother was about to continue, Gu Hanjiao quickly interrupted, "Alright, alright, I know what Mother is going to say. I'll be more careful in the future."

Gu Hanjiao was speechless at how outdated the thinking of people in ancient times was. She believed that families with three wives and four concubines were simply because the women were too incompetent to keep the men devoted to them.

Look at the heroines in those novels, which one of them didn't eventually become a winner in life through hard work? Even if they had three wives and four concubines, they could still be devoted to the one they loved for life.

Gu Hanjiao believed that she was the chosen heroine, and with her talent and beauty, even ten Gu Qingwans or ten Consort Yu would not be a match for her.

Wang Ruyan didn't know what her daughter was thinking, but looking at the confident expression on her face, she felt that her daughter was a thoughtful person and she couldn't restrict her too much.

"That shouldn't be underestimated. By the way, I haven't seen you visit the Third Prince these past few days. Why don't you take some of the pastries Xue Niang made and go see him tomorrow?"

"Of course I know that my mother is doing this for my own good. I have already asked Chunlu and the others to prepare some novel snacks to go see the Third Prince. However, I think the most urgent thing right now is Gu Qingwan. No matter what method we use, we must make Gu Qingwan move out as soon as possible. Moreover, I always feel that things will definitely go wrong if Gu Qingwan is around."

"Don't worry about that. Your mother is here to take care of everything. You're about to get married, so we'll keep Gu Qingwan alive."

"Mother shouldn't have let Gu Qingwan into our family in the first place, and she made her daughter give up her courtyard so easily. She thought it was a good idea, but look at her now, she got nothing." Gu Hanjiao was furious when she thought about it.

"Jiao'er, why are you so impatient?"

Gu Hanjiao was not a pedantic woman after all. After being angry for a while, she calmed down and took her mother's hand, whispering, "Mother, I have a good idea."

"Oh?"

"Doesn't Gu Qingwan boast that she's the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife? Now that I, the younger sister, am about to get married, shouldn't she, the older sister, be even more eager to get married? We just need to marry her off, isn't that enough?"

"Let her marry someone else? Wouldn't that be letting that little bitch off easy?" Wang Ruyan's plan wasn't like that; she hadn't tormented Gu Qingwan enough yet.

“Mother, how can we let her get away with this? If anyone should get away with this, it should be Uncle Wang.”

Speaking of the Wang family, which is Wang Ruyan's maternal family, they have been giving her quite a headache these past few days. Her unreasonable sister-in-law keeps coming to her door. Once or twice, it was fine as long as she could just send her away with money, but now it's obviously not like that. Her elder brother and sister-in-law have brought their two children to the capital, which must be for the purpose of marriage.

No one has revealed it yet, but it must be the eldest sister-in-law who is secretly eyeing them. However, she doesn't seem to care about their family background, yet she dares to dream of a marriage alliance with someone from the capital.

However, what Gu Hanjiao said did touch her heart.

"Why didn't I think of that? They're cousins, so..." Wang Ruyan suddenly had an idea, "which actually benefits Gu Qingwan..."