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

"Did you see it clearly?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, I have seen clearly that the King of Chu does not appear to be poisoned. His complexion is somewhat pale, but he is in good spirits and is not wearing any extra clothing."

"That shouldn't be the case. Could they have made a mistake? If even they made a mistake, then it will be really hard to find them..."

"Well... I don't know."

"We still need to find a way to let you personally take the pulse of the King of Chu in order to find out what's going on. Could it be that this King of Chu has really achieved an indestructible body as the legends say?"

"I am merely a lowly imperial physician, and I am not authorized to take the pulse of the Prince of Chu without permission. Perhaps you could find the physician from the Prince's household who treats him? If so…"

"If that's the case, then we've really been exposed. Alright, thank you for your hard work. I'll figure out what to do next."

"Then I shall take my leave."

No one knew about the conversation in the study, but the room was filled with the air of conspiracy.

"Father, your daughter is coming in."

As the door was pushed open, sunlight streamed into the study, revealing that the person who entered was Wenrou, and the owner of the study was none other than the Empress Dowager's younger brother, Wen Hongbo.

"Rou'er, what brings you here?"

"I heard that Father has consulted Physician Li, so I came to ask if Father is feeling unwell."

"Hehehe, there's nothing wrong. My arm has been a little sore these past two days. It just so happens that I knew you were taking the token with Physician Li to visit the King of Chu today, so I thought I'd have Physician Li take a look at you while I was at it, so I wouldn't have to go through the trouble of handing over the token again."

"Arm? How is Father's arm?"

"It's nothing, just a chill. Just keep warm, no need for medicine. Oh, by the way, how did your cousin do at the Chu Prince's residence today?"

“Cousin…” Wenrou sounded a little disappointed when she mentioned the King of Chu, “My cousin doesn’t seem to like me visiting him, and he doesn’t like me calling him cousin either…”

Wen Hongbo stepped forward and gestured for his daughter to sit down. He then had a servant serve tea and gently comforted her, saying, "The King of Chu has always been like this since he was a child. He has suffered too much. He is not even very close to your aunt, so you don't need to take it to heart. As long as your aunt likes you, that's all that matters."

"Father, I know, but I still feel a little disappointed. Even though we all live in the capital, I rarely have the chance to see the Prince of Chu..."

"In a few days, you will have to go to the palace to pay your respects to your aunt. Your aunt will definitely ask about the condition of the Prince of Chu. Just tell her the truth. The Empress Dowager is really concerned about the Prince of Chu. You should take Physician Li to visit him again. He will get better with time."

Wenrou looked at her father with great admiration. Her father always seemed to know what she was thinking and had always unconditionally supported her since she was a child.

"Father, please take care of yourself. Your daughter's affairs are still a long way off."

"Children grow up and can't stay at home anymore, hehehe, you don't need to be embarrassed, you are my daughter, of course I have to make plans for you."

Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye. Sure enough, disaster victims began to appear one after another at the city gate. Because of the obstruction of information, they were the first to escape, so they did not know that the disaster in their homes had been brought under control.

It wasn't until they arrived in the capital that they were told that His Highness the Crown Prince had personally gone to provide disaster relief, that the disaster was already under control, and that His Highness the Crown Princess had recently raised some funds and supplies for them, which would soon be sent to the disaster area.

Upon hearing this news, the disaster victims initially did not believe it, because the Third Prince had also gone there before, but in the end, it had no effect. However, after hearing this from people both in the capital and from outside, they gradually began to believe it.

Since they had already arrived in the capital, they couldn't go back immediately. They planned to rest and recuperate, but the problem was that they had come to escape from war and didn't have much money. How could they stay in the capital where every inch of land was precious?

That same day, the King of Chu ordered the nearby garrison to set up some tents in the open area outside the city, and the Wen family followed suit by sending some essential household items such as bedding and cooking utensils.

Gu Qingwan had naturally received the news from Xiao Jingchen long ago and had already made up her mind that she would have to make the Yu family bleed money this time.

On this day, Gu Qingwan deliberately led Gu Changqing to talk in the pavilion in the garden. Gu Hanjiao passed by and overheard something. She quickly stopped and hid herself. She could only hear what they were saying.

"Elder sister, Qing'er heard from the teacher that there are many disaster victims outside the city. Some of them have secretly come in to steal food. They look so pitiful."

"Qing'er's concern for the suffering of the common people shows that your teacher is a responsible person and has not turned you into a bookworm."

"But there's one thing Qing'er doesn't understand. The imperial court has already made arrangements, so why did someone still come in to steal?"

“Silly child, the court’s resettlement only provides them with temporary shelter. Their theft is mostly for food. When they are hungry and penniless, they will naturally resort to extreme behaviors.”

Gu Changqing frowned and thought for a while before asking, "What should we do? This morning I bought a steamer of buns and gave them to a dirty little kid, but I can't give them to him every day. Actually, Qing'er is also very hungry."

Gu Qingwan laughed when she heard this: "Your strength alone is very weak, but if a large family steps forward to provide porridge, it would be a good thing. Firstly, providing porridge is a blessing, and secondly, it can bring honor to the family. After all, relief is not something that can be encountered just by chance."

Gu Changqing's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "Then I will suggest to Father that our family distribute porridge, so that our family can earn a good reputation."

"You act without thinking. If our family were to step forward, we would naturally gain the emperor's and even the people's favor. But for our family, not to mention anything else, the supply of grain is a major problem. Moreover, you also have to consider whether grain stores will take the opportunity to raise prices."

"Huh? Then there's no way to solve it?"

"After all, my elder sister is a woman and can't think of any good solutions. However, we shouldn't worry about it. Your studies should be your priority. You can take the entrance exam for the academy next year."

"Qing'er is already trying her best, but I don't know if she can do it next year."

"You need to be more confident. Your father is the Prime Minister, the head of all officials, and your second sister is the future Third Prince's wife. Such status is enough for you to stand tall in front of those noble young men."

Hearing this, Gu Hanjiao couldn't help but feel disgusted. Even if the son born to a concubine became a young master, so what? After all, he had been raised as a concubine's daughter for so many years, and he would never be able to get rid of that petty and narrow-minded attitude.

"Hey? If only Second Sister were more approachable, we could talk to her. Maybe the Third Prince would have some ideas?" Gu Changqing seemed to have discovered something and looked very excited.

“You’re right, but the Third Prince is still under house arrest…”

Upon hearing this news, Gu Hanjiao's mind began to stir. The Third Prince was currently struggling to find a reason to go out. If he could win over the Third Prince with this porridge distribution, it would surely win back most of the lost hearts of the people. Moreover, with the Yu family involved, none of the concerns Gu Qingwan had mentioned would become concerns.

And if this matter really comes to fruition, then even before she marries the Third Prince's wife, her reputation as a benevolent woman will already be established. No one will ever mention her plagiarism or those absurd things about falling into the water again. After all, this is an officially recognized good reputation.

After much thought, Gu Hanjiao decided to discuss with Gu Ziming whether the Gu family should also contribute and take the opportunity to get on board with the Third Prince and the Yu family.

“What can we do? The Prince of Chu has taken care of our lodgings, and the Marquis of Wen’s residence has provided everything we need. Your father is just a civil official. Even if he is in the hands of all the officials, he can’t manage so much. Last time, he already took out so much silver on your behalf. If the Prime Minister’s residence is generous again this time, someone will impeach your father for not being honest in his official duties.”

Hearing this, Gu Hanjiao couldn't help but roll her eyes. Her father was really hypocritical. He wasn't exactly clean himself, yet he wanted to earn the reputation of an honest and upright official. But she couldn't say that directly.

"Father is confused. Your daughter is already the nominal Third Prince's wife. If we can get the Third Prince to agree to set up a shed outside the city to distribute porridge, it would be a good thing. Perhaps the Third Prince will be released from confinement soon. Moreover, the Yu family is wealthy and powerful. How could they possibly worry about such a small amount of porridge?"

Gu Ziming thought about it and felt that Gu Hanjiao's words made a lot of sense. At present, the Third Prince was confined to his home because of his leg injury and could not go out. Although with the help of the Yu family and Consort Yu, people could visit the Third Prince's residence, he still could not leave the residence at will. The Emperor had not summoned the Third Prince for a long time.

This is not a good thing for Gu Ziming.

"If it is really as you say, then distributing porridge is entirely beneficial. I was being narrow-minded. My daughter is now showing the demeanor of a princess consort."

"No, Father is just worried and confused. But even for the sake of the Third Prince, Father still needs to think about how our Gu family can gain some benefits from this. We can't have all the ideas and plans, only to have all the credit go to someone else in the end."

"What is Jiao'er thinking?"

"Our daughter thinks that we can't contribute money or food, but we can at least contribute our labor. She hopes that her father can make some plans so that she can personally distribute the porridge."

Gu Ziming nodded in agreement. If this matter is handled well, then... "Alright, you can go now. I still need to think about the specifics carefully."

"Father, we must strike first. If other powerful families think of this, then it will be meaningless if we can't be the first to act."

"I know."

After Gu Hanjiao left, Gu Ziming began to plan this matter in his mind. Gu Ziming was a man who would not let his efforts go to waste, so he had to find a way to benefit both the Third Prince and himself.

Once he had figured it out, he sent someone to deliver a message to the palace, and then changed into his official robes and went to the palace himself.

When Gu Ziming met the Emperor, Consort Yu happened to be there serving him some food.