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

The Second Princess got up with Consort Yu. Just as they were about to leave, the Second Princess suddenly took the hairpin that Gu Qingwan had given her and said, "Aunt, Changping really likes the gift you gave me. Aunt, please don't be angry. She's just a concubine. Changping will tell her brother to keep her in line."

After saying that, she followed Consort Yu and the others.

Princess Changping's actions truly astonished Gu Qingwan, and even Siqi, who was with her, became more vigilant. This was like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—it was clearly a case of bad intentions.

The master and servant exchanged a glance, both feeling uneasy about Princess Changping's actions.

In fact, the Empress Dowager was a kind person, which also meant that she was not very smart. Otherwise, she would not have been bullied so badly by the favored concubine when she was the empress and had two sons. If it weren't for the emperor's wisdom and the prince's bravery, the three of them would probably have become victims of palace intrigue.

Palace maids came up to serve the masters fresh tea. As the weather grew colder, charcoal stoves were lit early in the Empress Dowager's palace.

With a gentle smile, she stepped forward, picked up the teacup from the maid's tray, and said to Gu Qingwan, "I haven't congratulated you on your wedding yet, sister. I have nothing to give you, so I'll offer you a cup of tea instead of wine. Please have some tea."

Suddenly everything became very quiet. Why did this scene look so much like the mistress of the house wanting to drink tea with her concubines?

Gu Qingwan glanced at the Empress Dowager. Could this be the Empress Dowager's doing? Did she intend to force the eldest daughter of the Wen family into Xiao Jingchen's side?

This Miss Wen is quite flexible and adaptable. I heard that she wanted the Empress Dowager to issue an edict to have the Prince of Chu marry her, but the Prince of Chu refused. She was willing to be a concubine to follow the Prince of Chu.

Gu Qingwan was now caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to accept the offer or not, while the Empress Dowager simply watched and let things unfold as they would.

Gu Qingwan looked at the Empress again. The Empress was willing to help Gu Qingwan out of her predicament, but the Empress Dowager coughed a few times, and Gu Qingwan retreated without daring to speak.

Gu Qingwan knew that she was the only one who could break this deadlock. She did not accept the tea, but instead smiled and stood up to help Wenrou up. She then took Wenrou's hands and placed them firmly on the table next to her.

Gu Qingwan was skilled in martial arts, and even a gentle young lady from a wealthy family could not exert any strength to struggle against her.

“Miss Wen, you’re too kind. If you call the Prince ‘cousin,’ then you should call me ‘cousin’s wife.’ I’ve heard that you’re a few years older than me, so you can’t call me ‘sister.’”

She smiled gently and awkwardly, without calling him "cousin-in-law".

"Of course, if Miss Wen feels that I am too young to be called 'sister-in-law,' you can call me Princess Consort of Chu, but I feel that would be a bit too formal."

"How could that be? Your Highness is overthinking it."

Gu Qingwan nodded, took off a bracelet from her wrist and said, "The prince didn't tell me that Miss Wen would be here as well, so I couldn't prepare a gift for you. Please accept this bracelet as a gift, Miss Wen. I hope you won't mind."

Wenrou was seething with hatred. Gu Qingwan was holding her hand, seemingly without using much force, but she couldn't break free. She couldn't do anything she wanted.

Wenrou originally planned to deliberately knock over the teacup while Gu Qingwan was serving tea, so that the Empress Dowager would scold her. If the new bride was scolded on her first day of meeting her elders, she, the Princess Consort of Chu, would lose face.

But who knew that Gu Qingwan would have such a strong grip?

"I don't mind at all. How could I possibly refuse a gift from the Princess?"

"That's fine, that's fine."

Gu Qingwan patted the back of her hand and then suddenly let go, almost causing Wenrou to drop and break the bracelet she was holding. Wenrou steadied herself, cursed inwardly, and returned to serve the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager watched as Gu Qingwan sat there drinking her tea as if nothing had happened. She suddenly thought that this daughter-in-law was not bad. She had some skills and was not like her younger sister who was always crying and looking like a vixen, which was annoying.

Having experienced the oppression of favored concubines, the Empress Dowager naturally had no fondness for such things. Even though she didn't know Gu Qingwan very well before, she still wanted her son to have a capable and respectable princess to keep order in the Chu Prince's mansion.

However, Gu Qingwan was being too disrespectful to the Wen family, which was not good. Her idea was to get the Emperor and the Prince of Chu to get closer to the Wen family.

"Aunt, when Rou'er went to the small kitchen to check if the pastries I made for you were ready, she saw Granny Gong. Wasn't Granny Gong serving at the Prince's mansion? How come she's back here again..."

"Gong Mama?" The Empress Dowager was also somewhat surprised. Gong Mama and several palace maids were the ones she had specially brought over yesterday.

The Empress Dowager glanced at Gu Qingwan and saw that she had no reaction. She felt a little uncomfortable. On the very day of her son's wedding, she had given him a beautiful woman. If word got out, even she, as the Empress Dowager, would feel embarrassed.

But since it was someone I personally rewarded, I still need to check on them.

"Qingwan, Granny Gong has been with me for a long time. Since there are few people in the Prince's Mansion, I decided to let them stay and help out. But is there anything they have done wrong?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, the people Your Majesty arranged are all capable and clever. Yesterday, thanks to the help of Granny Gong, the Prince was very satisfied with their performance and gave them a generous red envelope."

"Then what?"

"Just as Mother said, the Prince's mansion has few people and doesn't need many servants. I am already extremely grateful that the palace maids are willing to help. How could I shamelessly ask them to stay for so long? So today, I brought the maids back with me when I went to the palace. Mother, just send someone to check and make sure that not a single hair is missing."

Gu Qingwan looked extremely grateful, thanking the Empress Dowager for thinking of the young couple. The young couple were also sensible and returned the items as soon as they were used.

"Your Highness is truly... the first person to return someone bestowed by my aunt." Wenrou said this casually, feigning disbelief.

The Empress Dowager was indeed displeased. "What, are you complaining that I'm meddling in other people's business!"

"Your daughter-in-law would never dare to do that. It was only because Granny Gong herself said that the Empress Dowager was used to it that I felt it was inappropriate for her to take what she preferred."

The Empress Dowager also backed down, saying, "It's alright for Granny Gong to come back now that she's old, but you can take those other palace maids with you when you go back later."

Siqi was already cursing in her heart. What kind of person would arrange someone for their son as soon as he got married?

This matter was handled well by Miss Wen. She said that the prince had no children and no servants. In the past, the prince himself disagreed, but now it's different. With the princess, the princess can arrange things for the prince. This is also the princess's duty.

Gu Qingwan just wanted to pull out the whip from her waist and beat Wenrou to death to vent her anger, but she didn't say anything and just sat there.

The Crown Princess, who was by the Empress's side, had already sent someone to the Imperial Study to invite Prince Chu over. If Prince Chu didn't come, the Empress Dowager would probably make it public and force the Imperial Aunt to either acknowledge Miss Wen or take the palace maid back.

She is also a woman, so clearly neither of them is a good choice.

As expected, the Empress Dowager spoke up, "Rou'er has been by my side for many years. I always ask her to go out and have some fun, but she always says that it's boring to be alone. Well, Qingwan, you're not in a hurry. You're about the same age as Rou'er. You can take her back to the Prince's Mansion later and let Rou'er have some fun for a few days."

Gu Qingwan looked at him like he'd seen a fly. She wondered how powerful the Emperor and Prince Chu must have been to pull this drag on the family up, with a mother like that around.

Just as Gu Qingwan was pondering how to phrase it, the voice of the King of Chu came from the doorway.

"Are all the Wen family members dead? They need my queen to accompany them out for fun. What a show of respect."

“Cousin…” Wenrou’s face turned deathly pale.

The Empress Dowager was surprised that the King of Chu, who had only left not long ago, had returned.

"Chen'er, how can you speak like that?"

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty, but I feel it is inappropriate for Miss Wen to have my Princess accompany her. My Princess has only been back from outside for a short time and I am not familiar with her yet. How can she bring others along?"

"I just heard that the princess knows martial arts, so it should be safer with the princess around," Wenrou explained softly.

"Safe? Is the capital not safe? Is Miss Wen blaming me for not protecting Daqing properly?"

"No, no, no, I didn't..."

"If you want protection, I will ask my elder brother to send the Imperial Guards to accompany Miss Wen shopping. Now Mother should be at ease."

The Empress Dowager slapped her thigh in anger and said, "This is your cousin! Can't I bring her back to your palace for a couple of days to stay and have some fun?"

"No, Miss Wen is not yet married, and there is only the Princess Consort in the manor. It would affect Miss Wen's reputation, and I do not want to take responsibility for it, so let's forget about it."

"Then let's take those palace maids with us, that way no one will gossip."

The Empress Dowager felt that he and Wenrou were not destined to be together because they had never spent time together. She believed that if they spent some time together, the King of Chu would be able to see Wenrou's good qualities, and then things would fall into place naturally, and Wenrou could become a concubine.

"Palace maids?" King Chu sneered. "If Mother really wants to give them to her son, that's fine, but if Mother gives them to her son, will they let me decide their fate?"

"Of course," the Empress Dowager thought the King of Chu had accepted, and she was overjoyed.

"Very well, let them pack up and come back with me in a little while. I'm going to the military camp tonight anyway, so I'll arrange for them to be assigned to eligible soldiers. It'll be a good thing that the Empress Dowager has helped to make this a happy occasion."

"When did I ever say such a thing? Are you trying to drive me crazy?!"

"Miss Wen, why don't you come along too? Miss Wen, haven't you always said that you admire my manly spirit of fighting on the battlefield? It just so happens that the military camp is full of fine men from our Great Qing Dynasty. Miss Wen, take a look and see if there are any you like. When you come back, I'll ask my mother to bestow a marriage upon you."

Wenrou never expected that the King of Chu would treat her so badly, even going so far as to pick a fight in the military camp. What kind of person did he take her for!

Wenrou ran away crying.

The remaining Empress and Crown Princess were also surprised that the usually taciturn King Chu could unleash such fierce firepower.

Gu Qingwan seemed unfazed, obediently following behind the King of Chu.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please don't be angry." Granny Chang, who was standing nearby, saw the Empress Dowager's chest heaving with anger and quickly went to help her calm down.

Gu Qingwan said softly, "Granny Chang, please help Mother unbutton her collar and massage the area between the thumb and index finger of her left hand. That's what Grandmother does when she's in a bad mood at home, and it helps her feel better."

After a short while, the Empress Dowager recovered and took a sip of water. She glanced at Gu Qingwan and thought, "This child is indeed a good child and has some skills. After all, she was personally raised by the elder sister of the Ning family. Oh well, children and grandchildren have their own blessings."

"Since you are unwilling, I will not force you. It is getting late, so I will not keep you any longer. Go now. The Empress and the Crown Princess should also return."

After the group left, the Empress Dowager's palace instantly became quiet and deserted. Granny Chang massaged the Empress Dowager while offering words of comfort.

"Your Majesty should just enjoy your retirement. Why bother with so much? The Emperor and Prince Chu have finally made it through. Your Majesty should be at ease."

"I know what you're talking about, but I still can't let go of the Wen family. The Emperor would never agree to let a woman from the Wen family enter the palace. Even if I force him, the Emperor would most likely not allow a woman from the Wen family to have royal offspring. Since that's the case, why should I harm a girl from the Wen family?"

"Since the Empress Dowager is so insightful, why does she treat the Prince..."

“The King of Chu is different. He has no ambition and is the Emperor’s brother. If the Wen family’s daughter marries the King of Chu, no matter how big a mistake the Wen family makes in the end, the King of Chu can always protect the Wen family.”

Granny Chang disagreed, saying, "The Empress Dowager is thinking a bit too far ahead. Even if the Emperor still had you, he would still have to consider your feelings."

"I can live, but what will become of the Wen family after I'm gone? I must find a place to protect the Wen family."

"The Empress Dowager's intentions are good, and I hope that the Duke can understand her."

"Sigh, I originally planned to marry Wenrou to Chen'er, but it seems impossible now. I'm already grateful that Chen'er is willing to marry me. I wouldn't have bothered to put someone in his courtyard, but Wenrou said..."

Granny Chang knew that the Empress Dowager doted on Wenrou, but she didn't want the Empress Dowager to be swayed by Wenrou like this. After thinking for a moment, she said, "The Empress Dowager has gone through so much with the Emperor and Prince Chu. She knows how powerful whispers in one's ear can be, so..."

The Empress Dowager nodded. "I understand what you mean. I am not unaware of Wenrou's charm, but I also want to give it a try. What if it works?"

When Granny Chang heard the Empress Dowager say this, she knew that the Empress Dowager was very perceptive, so she stopped worrying.

"That Granny Gong..."

"Qingwan already said that the reward has been given, so let's go back to where we were before, and don't mention this matter again in the future."

"Yes, I'll go and make the arrangements right away."

At the window, Wenrou held a handkerchief in her hand, her pearly teeth biting her lower lip, her eyes revealing grievance and resentment.