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

"Qing'er, you always called me 'Mother' when it was just the two of us."

Hearing Aunt Li's complaints, Gu Hanqing's displeasure eased slightly. He took Aunt Li's hand and led her to the table to sit down, gently comforting her.

“Aunt, the past is the past. Now I am registered under the name of the legal mother, and I am the legal mother’s son. My elder sister is my own sister, without a doubt.”

Aunt Li couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. "Even so, there's no one else in the house right now. What's wrong with you calling me 'Mother'? You can just call me 'Auntie' outside. Why bother..."

“I would never be the kind of person who is outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant. If my aunt regrets making me acknowledge my stepmother as my mother, then when my father returns, I will ask him to register me under your name.”

Aunt Li looked shocked. She grabbed Gu Hanqing's arm tightly and said, "How can this be? If you're registered under my name, you'll be a son of a concubine. You're a legitimate son now!"

"As you know, I don't care about whether someone is a legitimate son or a concubine's son. What does it matter to me? I'm here to take the imperial examination anyway. If I upset my mother because of whether someone is a legitimate son or a concubine's son, what difference does it make whether I'm the legitimate son or not?"

"The princess will be angry."

"No, my eldest sister isn't that kind of person. She will definitely respect her son's decision."

Aunt Li fell silent. She knew her son meant what he said sincerely, and if she nodded in agreement, Qing'er would definitely do it.

But she couldn't be so selfish. Qing'er had finally made it through, how could she let her own selfishness drag him down for life?

It's better to register it under Madam Ning's name than under hers. She is the first wife and legitimate wife. If it's registered under her name, then the Princess Consort of Chu will be Qing'er's own elder sister, and the Duke of Ning's mansion will be Qing'er's maternal grandparents' family.

If she were to be registered under her own name, given her already lowly status and the fact that her maternal family had virtually no members, even if she were fortunate enough to be formally recognized as the wife in the future, she would still be a second wife, and although she would be the legitimate wife, she would still be inferior to others.

Moreover, the master will also marry a new second wife.

Thinking of this, Aunt Li couldn't help but feel a little bitter.

“Auntie was just saying that casually. You have read many books and know much more than Auntie.”

"I am very pleased that you think this way, Aunt, but I must put your feelings first. If you are unhappy that I call someone else 'Mom,' please tell me."

"Don't think so much. How could I be unhappy? Madam Ning is an excellent woman. It's a blessing from your past life that you can recognize her as your mother. Besides, you're right here by my side now, so I can see you every day. How could I feel wronged?"

Hearing her aunt say this, Gu Hanqing felt a little relieved, but she still felt she needed to give her aunt some more instructions before she could feel at ease.

"Your aunt knows about the feud between my elder sister and the Gu family, so please stop saying that it's good for my elder sister if the Gu family is good. My elder sister is now the Princess Consort of Chu. Even if she didn't have the Gu family, she still has the Ning family, and even if she didn't have the Ning family, she still has the Prince of Chu."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Li let out a long sigh.

Yes, Gu Qingwan is so lucky. She was born as the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family. Even without her mother, she still has her maternal grandparents to support her. Even if she doesn't acknowledge her biological father, the Prince of Chu still cherishes her. Who would dare to say a word against her?

"Perhaps I've been too tired lately, and I've been blinded by greed. I won't say such things again in the future."

Xiao Kui, who was eavesdropping at the door, gritted her teeth and quietly turned around and went to the kitchen.

Since there were few people in the mansion, only Gu Hanqing had a meal with Aunt Li in the courtyard, and then went back to rest.

After seeing Gu Hanqing off, Aunt Li sat on the couch, lost in thought.

She knew there was nothing wrong with what her son said, but she still felt uneasy. After all, he was someone she had carried for ten months and had gone through so much trouble to grow up while keeping his identity a secret. How could he suddenly become someone else's son?

Thinking of the hardships she had endured over the years, Aunt Li couldn't help but feel a deep sadness. But if her son were to learn to read and become her mother, what future would he have? His status as an illegitimate child would only make his career path more difficult.

It's all Gu Qingwan's fault. Why couldn't she have fulfilled the bond between mother and son, making herself a second wife while also giving Qing'er the status of a legitimate daughter? Wouldn't such a win-win solution be better than anything else?

At this moment, Xiao Kui came in from outside to serve.

"What's wrong, Aunt? Why are you crying?"

"No, it's just that I was thinking about that time in the past, and it was really tough, so I couldn't help but cry." Aunt Li quickly wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.

Xiao Kui's eyes darted around quickly. Without making a sound, she removed the lampshade from the room, picked up a pair of scissors from the side, trimmed the wick, and watched as the flame became softer before putting the lampshade back in place.

Then she turned around and helped Aunt Li make the bed.

Aunt Li wiped her eyes and said, "Xiao Kui, don't be busy anymore. Sit down and rest, and talk to me."

"I'm not tired. Is this all the work I'm doing?" Xiao Kui replied as she tidied up.

"I know you're not tired, I just want to talk to you, okay? You silly girl."

"Very well, my lady, what would you like to say?"

Hearing Xiao Kui's teasing, Aunt Li couldn't help but laugh.

"You brat, how dare you joke with me! Sigh, what kind of lady am I? I'll only ever be a concubine." At this point, Concubine Li frowned. "My son finally managed to get ahead, but..."

Xiao Kui naturally knew what Aunt Li was talking about, but she had already explained it so clearly that afternoon, and going any further would probably backfire.

"Don't worry, Aunt. Young Master really needs Miss right now, so we can't just turn our backs on him. Although Miss said that Master wants to remarry, it's just talk, and it's still nothing at the moment."

Aunt Li waved her hand and said, "I'm not sad about this matter, but I feel that I will never have the chance to hear Qing'er call me 'Mother' again."

"Couldn't the master grant you the title of concubine because you are the young master's birth mother? I think if the young master were to plead with the master, there shouldn't be any problem, right?"

"It's not that simple. If you want to return to the court, you need help, and the most convenient way is through your wife's family. Right now, it wouldn't be an exaggeration for the Duke of Ning to say he wants to kill you. So how can you talk about helping or not helping? Therefore, you can only make a fuss about remarrying."

"This servant is foolish. If the young master passes the imperial examination, wouldn't that be a help from the master?"