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

Inside the palace.

The palace is filled with magnificent pavilions arranged in a harmonious and orderly manner. Every detail shows the ingenuity of the craftsmen, and every embellishment exudes the grandeur of the royal family.

But looking down from above, it seemed bottomless. The palace was like a maze, and one could never get out. The colors were solemn and dignified, but also extremely oppressive. It was quiet outside the imperial study. Even the eunuchs and palace maids who walked by tiptoed carefully, afraid of making any noise. The emperor had been in a bad mood these days.

The Emperor sat at his desk reading through a huge pile of official documents and memorials, which was his favorite thing to do. However, he had been feeling rather irritable lately, not for any other reason than his younger brother, Prince Chu, Xiao Jingchen, had recently made a move.

Xiao Jingchen secretly returned to the capital by imperial decree. Of course, there were things he was asked to do along the way. The emperor felt that his younger brother had a higher status and position, and with his martial arts and military achievements, those people would have to think twice before taking action against him.

I never expected that these people would even dare to hunt down the emperor's own brother!

A few days ago, when someone reported that Xiao Jingchen had arrived injured, he sent someone with his trusted imperial physician and told Xiao Jingchen to rest for two days until his condition stabilized before coming over.

The imperial physician returned and reported back to him, saying, "Your Highness's wound is very deep, it seems the other party was ruthless. In addition, it got infected from the rain, but it has become inflamed. It has a fever but it will be fine. Fortunately, Your Highness is very skilled, but I'm afraid he will die there."

At this thought, a fierce look appeared in the emperor's eyes.

The King of Chu, with his hands behind his back, walked towards the Empress Dowager's Longevity Palace. His black robes made his resolute and upright figure appear even more clean and neat. Generally speaking, girls would blush and their hearts would race at the sight of such a heroic figure.

However, King Xiao Jingchen of Chu was an exception. The palace maids dared not raise their heads when they saw him, and all bowed and greeted him in a low voice.

Before even entering the palace, Xiao Jingchen heard the Empress Dowager's happy laughter, occasionally accompanied by the melodious, playful words of a young girl. He paused, hesitated for a moment, and then went inside.

"Greetings to Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has been waiting for you for a long time." The palace maid who was holding up the curtain at the door saw Xiao Jingchen arrive and quickly opened the curtain to announce his arrival.

"Greetings to the Queen Mother."

The Empress Dowager was overjoyed to hear that Xiao Jingchen had arrived: "Chen'er, get up quickly. What's the point of these formalities? You promised to have lunch with me. What has delayed you?"

The Empress Dowager stepped down from her throne and helped her son up. She carefully examined him. She would never forget the scars on his face. Her son's body was even stronger and more robust, but his exposed dark skin and his hands, which had become rougher to the touch from years of holding weapons, were still very dark.

She had two sons in her life. One was the emperor, who lived a life of luxury in the palace but still worked hard for the country every day. The other was a prince, her uncle, who was second only to the emperor but had been on the battlefield for many years and risked his life every time.

"It's been a year since I last saw you. Look at you, you must be having a hard time out there." The Empress Dowager said, her voice tinged with sadness.

"I'm sorry to have worried Mother. Everything is fine." Xiao Jingchen grew up with his elder brother and didn't have a deep affection for the Empress Dowager. However, every time he returned, he would first pay his respects to the Empress Dowager before going to see his brother. And every time, the Empress Dowager would see him with tears in her eyes and feel heartbroken.

Behind the Empress Dowager stood a young girl. Ever since she heard someone announce that the King of Chu had arrived, her eyes had never left him. She hadn't seen this cousin for a long time. He was aloof and cold, and even though he had some flaws, it didn't stop her from having fallen for him long ago.

People outside were saying that the King of Chu was a ruthless killer, a bloodthirsty man, and a famous war god. He was said to be able to scare the enemy to death with just his terrifying face on the battlefield. So even the children in the city were too scared to cry when they heard the name of the King of Chu.

"Your Majesty, please don't be too sad. Take care of yourself. It's a happy thing that the Prince has returned," the young girl said, taking the Empress Dowager's arm and comforting her.

"Yes, yes, Ling'er is right. It's a good thing that you're back." The Empress Dowager patted the girl's hand and held it in her hand, pulling her in front of Xiao Jingchen. "You probably don't recognize her yet, so let me introduce her to you."

Xiao Jingchen subtly took two steps back to maintain a safe distance, glanced at the girl, and then shifted his gaze to the Empress Dowager.

"This is your uncle's youngest daughter, named Wen Ling'er. She's a lovely girl, and you should call her your cousin."

Wen Ling'er blushed slightly, took small steps forward, and bowed to Xiao Jingchen: "This humble woman greets Your Highness."

"Hmm." Xiao Jingchen remained expressionless. He had never been particularly interested in noble ladies like this. "Mother, my brother has some matters to discuss with me, so I will go ahead."

Xiao Jingchen bowed to the Empress Dowager and then withdrew.

The Empress Dowager was quite helpless to see her son like this. Every time she introduced a girl to him, he would ignore her like this. This time, she deliberately sent Wen Ling'er to the palace to accompany her. Chen'er was of age and should not always be on the battlefield. The emperor had several sons, but he was still single and did not even have a concubine or maidservant.

"Empress Dowager, did Ling'er do something wrong that displeased the Prince?" After Xiao Jingchen left, Wen Ling'er felt an indescribable sense of loss. Her father had told her some things before she came here, and she understood her mission, but they hadn't even exchanged a few words before it was over.

Seeing Wen Ling'er's disappointed look, the Empress Dowager smiled, took her hand and slowly led her to the soft couch: "He's always been like this since he was little, he doesn't like to talk much, it has nothing to do with you."

Wen Ling'er nodded, but the sense of loss in her heart still lingered, because the King of Chu didn't even glance at her.

What do you think of your cousin?

"Aunt..." Wen Ling'er blushed instantly when asked the question, and quickly lowered her head, her fingers twisting the handkerchief incessantly.

"I understand your thoughts, and I appreciate that you don't mind Chen'er's situation. Don't worry." The Empress Dowager put her arm around Wen Ling'er's shoulder and pulled her into her embrace. She was thinking about how to create another opportunity for the two of them. She would call the Emperor over tomorrow to discuss whether Chen'er should not be sent back to the frontier. Once he was settled down and had a healthy baby boy, she would have no more interest in him.

Sigh, it's all debts owed to children.

Wen Ling'er, who was leaning against the Empress Dowager, was staring at the doorway where the King of Chu had left. Although it was just a curtain, she felt a longing look in her eyes. She was also thinking about how to make the King of Chu look at her differently.

After leaving the Empress Dowager's Wanshou Palace, Xiao Jingchen went to discuss important matters with his elder brother, as it would be inappropriate not to report back immediately upon his return.

"Greetings to Your Majesty!" Xiao Jingchen lifted the hem of his robe and bowed.

"Why didn't you rest properly at home? It's the same if you came over after your injuries healed." When the Emperor saw his younger brother coming over, he quickly came out from behind the table and helped him up.

"Small injury, nothing to worry about."

"I heard from the imperial physician that although there is no serious harm, it was still a close call. Those people were too crazy. If I catch them, I will tear them to pieces!" These people are simply challenging the imperial authority. How can they be forgiven?

"Come over here and let's talk."

The two went to the study's rest room together. Fuming personally brought up the tea. Knowing that the Emperor had something to discuss with the Prince, he took all the eunuchs and maids serving in the room with him before leaving, and thoughtfully closed the door and stood guard at the door for the Emperor.