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

"If it's a prince, Wenrou is willing." Wenrou seemed to have swallowed countless grievances.

"But I still refuse."

"Chen'er, I'm not discussing this with you, I'm just informing you. I can issue an imperial decree that your brother will bestow a principal wife upon you, so it would be reasonable for me to bestow a concubine upon you as well."

This time, the Empress Dowager directly used her status and position to suppress it.

Upon hearing that the Empress Dowager had gone to such lengths for her, Wenrou realized that becoming the Prince of Chu's woman was a foregone conclusion. No matter how strong the Prince was, he wouldn't dare to defy the Empress Dowager's decree.

"Waaaaah, my poor daughter, how did she end up as a concubine..."

"Alas, it's all the debt of children. Wenrou, you must think this through. Right now, you're only here in your aunt's palace with no outsiders. If you're unwilling, then this is none of your business. You can come with me to my family. In two years, I will definitely find you a good son," Duke Wen said earnestly.

"No, Father, your daughter is determined. I will marry no one but you in this life."

"Your Highness, there are no outsiders in the palace now, so I may be so bold as to call you Chen'er. Rou'er is your cousin and the most outstanding girl in our Wen family. Your mother has a hard time managing the palace alone, and you are often away from home. If you marry Rou'er, firstly, your mother will have someone to take care of her, and you can focus on fighting for the Emperor and our Great Qing Dynasty on the front lines. Secondly..."

"Mother is already the Empress Dowager of the country. Does she need someone to take care of her? Is Uncle saying that the Empress has not fulfilled her duties as a daughter-in-law, or does he have another meaning?"

"No, I absolutely did not say that Her Majesty the Empress was derelict in her duties. Her Majesty is the mother of the nation, a role model for all people, and her filial piety towards the Empress Dowager is evident to all."

"If that's the case, then everything Uncle said is just empty talk."

"Chen'er, do you know what a marriage alliance between our two families means?" The Empress Dowager glanced at the Emperor, who was sipping his tea, and paused before continuing, "Even for the sake of your mother..."

"Cough cough cough." The Emperor suddenly coughed twice, and the Empress Dowager did not continue speaking.

Xiao Jingchen frowned and said to the Empress Dowager, "Mother, this matter will not succeed."

"What? Can't even a mother give her own son someone?"

The Empress Dowager spoke with conviction, but Wenrou felt as if she had been pricked by a needle, and her chest even felt a little painful.

"Mother, please don't be angry. It is fine, but that imperial edict is Father's edict, and I wrote on it that I will only marry Gu Qingwan in this life."

"What! The late emperor's edict!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present stood up in shock, even the emperor, who had been watching the show, was so startled that he almost dropped his teacup.

“Jingchen, this is no child’s play. That imperial edict was clearly issued by me…” the Emperor said, frowning.

"Brother, do you still remember the blank imperial edict that Father gave me before he passed away?"

The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and even the Duke of Wen will never forget the disgusting things the late Emperor did to the Emperor and his mother before his death.

He left a blank imperial edict for the King of Chu, saying that even the emperor could abolish this edict. This undoubtedly created a barrier between the two brothers, enough to cause a rift between brothers who were as close as hands and feet.

Moreover, emperors have always been suspicious, and the late emperor's intentions were not only insidious but also disgusting.

"Mother, we all know what happened with that imperial edict. Father Emperor showed me mercy and granted me a favor, so I used that favor on my marriage. Please respect my choice. As for my brother's edict, I will ask my future wife to be a first-rank princess."

The Emperor stared intently at the Prince of Chu. This younger brother had always considered his needs and made sacrifices for him. Now, he had gone this far, helping him to consolidate his throne.

That imperial edict from the late emperor would make him uneasy every day, and would give rise to other thoughts among those with ulterior motives.

Although he trusts his younger brother, he is only human and cannot guarantee that this trust will never crack. In other words, he may be able to do so, but his next generation may not be able to.

Now that the late emperor's edict is gone, the greatest threat to the throne has also disappeared, and the best way to deal with it is to make it disappear so justifiably and quietly.

As expected, the Empress Dowager remained silent, clearly knowing that this was the best course of action.

"Chen'er, actually... you didn't have to do this." The Empress Dowager's expression seemed to be a mixture of relief and sadness.

To be honest, although the Empress Dowager had two sons, she was closer to the Emperor in her heart.

Because Xiao Jingchen had been with his elder brother, the Emperor, since childhood, he hadn't spent much time with his own mother. Moreover, at that time, the Empress Dowager herself was in dire straits and also suffered from some illnesses, so her feelings for the Prince of Chu were more of guilt.

Duke Wen was even more surprised. He knew that the late emperor's edict had made everyone in the world eager to seize it. Given the current state of the Prince of Chu, it would be easy for him to take the throne, and he even had the support of the people.

It was precisely because of that imperial edict that the Wen family harbored other intentions. They even sent people to the Prince's residence to search for him, but to no avail. But now…

"That thing is like waste paper to my son, it's useless, but there are always people who covet it. Because of this waste paper, my royal palace has been plagued by unrest. Now it's being used on my queen, so no one can covet it anymore. Don't you think so, uncle?"

"Ah? Hehe, how come Your Highness has learned to joke? Who has the guts to covet the Prince's mansion and Your Highness?"

Mrs. Jiang didn't understand much about what was going on, but seeing her daughter's ashen face, she was immediately heartbroken.

"My lord, this won't do! What will we do with Rou'er? Your Highness, please have mercy! She's your cousin, your own cousin! You can make her your concubine; it won't be a loss for you!"

"I am indeed not at a disadvantage, but my queen is."

"This..." Madam Jiang was speechless. Since ancient times, it has always been women who suffer losses, and she had never heard of men suffering losses in this regard.

Wenrou knew she had no other options.

If it were the Emperor's decree, the Empress Dowager's decree could be used to suppress it. However, this is the late Emperor's decree, which clearly states that he will only marry one princess. It is obvious that the Empress Dowager cannot make the decision for her this time.

"Your Highness, are you truly so heartless?" Despair flickered in Wenrou's eyes; she desperately hoped to see even a hint of hesitation from the King of Chu, but alas...

"Feel sorry."

Wenrou clenched her fists so tightly that her nails broke and bled, but she was completely unaware of it. After a moment, she kowtowed three times to the Empress Dowager, stood up, and left the door in a daze.

"Very well, as expected of His Highness Prince Chu. I hope you will not regret it! Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, please forgive my family's rudeness. I will definitely discipline them properly when I return."

The Empress Dowager seemed genuinely tired. She waved her hand and said, "I am sorry for what happened to Wenrou. I will make it up to her in another way. You should take her back now."

Duke Wen was furious. Few people had ever shown him such disrespect in all these years. His daughter had already lowered her stance and was still humiliated. Did they really think the Wen family had no one left?

Duke Wen glanced at the Empress Dowager, said nothing, and turned to leave, completely disregarding the Emperor sitting above. This behavior made the Empress Dowager's face turn pale.

Seeing this, the Emperor smiled and said, seemingly unconcerned, "Uncle must be quite tired, having to go home to discipline his wife and comfort his cousin. He doesn't need to come to court tomorrow; he should rest at home."

Duke Wen paused in his steps. He had originally planned to suddenly ask for leave early the next morning, using the excuse of not being well. But what would outsiders think? He was drinking well last night, and now he's unwell after visiting the Empress Dowager's palace? It would definitely lead to all sorts of speculation.

Unexpectedly, the Emperor, that little fox, had already taken the initiative and allowed him to rest at home. Duke Wen sneered inwardly.

Without turning his head, he continued walking into the night.

Upon seeing this, the emperor narrowed his eyes, a chilling murderous intent flashing in them.

"emperor……"

"Mother, things have come to this point, will you still continue to protect her?"

"But he is your uncle after all, connected by blood. Even if the bones are broken, the tendons are still connected. If it really doesn't work... we can give him another good talking to."

The Emperor laughed in anger. If his mother hadn't acted foolishly all those years, he and his brother wouldn't have suffered so much and almost lost their lives.

"Let's leave the matter of the Princess Consort of Chu as it is. Since the Emperor's will has been issued, even I, as the Emperor, cannot disobey it. As for my decree of marriage, let's grant Miss Gu a rank and bestow her favor, just as the Prince of Chu said. Since Mother is not feeling well, she should rest early."

Watching the two children leave, the Empress Dowager leaned back in her chair, feeling somewhat helpless. Seeing this, Granny Chang didn't know what to say and could only silently stay by the Empress Dowager's side.

On the road.

"You don't need to go to such lengths, you know I don't care."

The Emperor placed his hand on Xiao Jingchen's shoulder. He used to be a child with thin and weak shoulders, but somehow he had grown taller and had broader shoulders than him.

"Brother, I know, but it's still a potential threat. Now is the perfect time."

The Emperor nodded and patted Xiao Jingchen on the shoulder heavily to show his approval. Then the two continued walking side by side.

“Actually, Jingchen, even without this favor, your princess is unique in our Great Qing Dynasty, and her status is very noble.”

“That’s different. Only those who have the Emperor’s approval have the most secure position. Besides, the younger brother also wants to gain his elder brother’s approval and blessing.”

The Emperor was delighted and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely have your sister-in-law prepare a large dowry for your future wife."

"I imagine Qingwan will be very happy."

The Duke of Wen's Mansion.

After Wenrou returned home, she immediately went into her own courtyard without speaking to anyone. Jiang Shi chased after her to the door but was blocked by the tightly closed door.

"Rou'er, good child, open the door and let your mother in, Rou'er!" Jiang knocked on the door.

"Rou'er, listen to your mother. Even without the King of Chu, there are better men waiting for us. With our family's status and position, you will definitely marry well in the future."

No matter how earnestly Jiang tried to persuade her daughter at the door, there was still no sound from inside the room. The more silent she was, the more uneasy Jiang felt, fearing that her daughter might have done something foolish.

"Rou'er, listen to your mother's advice. If this man doesn't love you, you won't be happy even if you marry him. Although you've lost face now, with your father by your side, your marriage won't be bad in the future. Rather than marrying someone who doesn't love you, wouldn't it be better to find someone who cherishes you?"

"And your aunt is too much! She has no daughter of her own, yet she kept my daughter in the palace and by her side for so many years, wasting her precious youth. She promised to find you a perfect marriage, but now look what's happened! And she's the Empress Dowager, huh? I think..."

"shut up!"

Jiang was startled by the sudden shout from behind. He turned around and saw that it was Duke Wen, who had just returned, and his eldest son, Wen Liang.

"master……"

"You stupid woman, I really don't know what sins I committed in my past life to marry a stupid woman like you. You dare to say anything without thinking. How come you've already finished copying the 'Admonitions for Women' that the Empress Dowager ordered you to copy?!"

Upon hearing this, Chiang Kai-shek immediately flew into a rage.

"What sins have you committed? Shouldn't I be the one who committed what sins to marry you? What have I done? I bore children for your Wen family, the courtyard you're standing in is my daughter's courtyard, and the son standing next to you is the son who crawled out of my womb! Besides, would your Wen family be where it is today without me?"

"Say one more word!" Duke Wen said, staring at Madam Jiang with a gloomy expression.

Although Jiang was somewhat afraid, after so many years of marriage, she understood Duke Wen quite well. Although he looked down on her ways, they still needed her, so naturally he wouldn't do anything to her.

"Hmph, what can I say? Yes, you all look down on me because I come from a merchant family, and you think I've disgraced the Wen family. But if it weren't for me, a merchant's daughter, marrying you with a dowry, your Wen family would have vanished long ago. And that person sitting in the palace, without my family's support, I'm afraid..."

"Snapped!"

Before Jiang could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a slap from the Duke of Wen.

"Mother!"

Wen Liang, the heir of the Duke of Wen, was also startled by his father's sudden action. Although he did not approve of his mother's behavior, it was the first time he had seen his father slap his mother in front of so many people.

Jiang's ears were ringing for an unknown amount of time until a dull pain in her cheek brought her back to reality. She covered her face and looked at Duke Wen in disbelief.

"How dare you hit me?"

Faced with Jiang's incredulous expression, Duke Wen quietly tucked his trembling hands into his sleeves and placed them behind his back. He straightened his back and said...

"You brought this on yourself! Do you know that if anyone in the Beigong Clan heard what you just said, it would be enough to make our whole family lose our heads!"