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

When Xiao Yuheng returned, Duke Wen's expression was indeed not very pleasant.

"Third Prince, you should also pay more attention to the restraint of your female relatives. The Third Prince's wife is capable of great responsibility. When necessary, the Third Prince should show his favor to all his relatives equally. This is the attitude of an emperor."

Xiao Yuheng was naturally displeased after being told this. After all, Duke Wen was just a subject; what right did he have to interfere in his private affairs?

However, what Duke Wen said was not without reason, so Xiao Yuheng could only keep this matter to himself and could not show any dissatisfaction for the time being.

"The Duke of Wen is right. I was not thoughtful enough. Tonight I will go to the Princess Consort's place and have a good talk with her about how to manage the people in the inner palace."

Hearing Xiao Yuheng being so obedient, Duke Wen nodded, unable to help but think that this was an obedient prince.

"I don't have time to concern myself with the Third Prince's affairs. I just want to remind him that a small leak can sink a great ship. We've reached a critical point and none of us want to fail at the last minute."

"It is indeed a critical moment, but the Crown Prince is doing things in a very conventional way and there is nothing seriously wrong with him, which is really troubling."

"His biggest mistake is not making any big mistakes."

"How do you say this?"

"As the Crown Prince, he should set an example. Now that he has not made any achievements, it will naturally arouse dissatisfaction in the court. Moreover, the Crown Princess has not conceived yet, and the Crown Prince is unwilling to take concubines. In the long run, the Emperor and Empress will also be unhappy. As long as the Third Prince can remain calm, once Concubine Gu gives birth to the little grandson, the Third Prince's reputation and prestige will rise to a higher level."

"The Duke of Wen is right. The best thing for us to do now is to stay calm."

"Gu Ziming's death is suspicious. Since it has nothing to do with us now, it must have been someone in the imperial court who targeted him. But this time, the scale is quite large, even implicating the Ning family. If the Ning family falls because of this, then..."

"If it really is the Ning family that did it, whether it's out of respect for Consort Gu or because of Gu Ziming's planning for me, I will make an enemy of the Ning family. If we can't get the Ning family's support, we will also try to take back some of the Ning family's military power."

"In this way, we are now completely on the opposite side of the Ning family."

"But Duke Wen, what if the Ning family really has colluded with the enemy?"

Duke Wen was clearly taken aback. Although he had some reservations about Ning Guozhong, that stubborn old man, he had never doubted that this old scoundrel would do something like colluding with the enemy and betraying the country. Even his descendants would not do such a thing under his supervision.

“The old Duke… he shouldn’t be so confused. Even if we take a step back and assume that the Ning family really did commit treason, it wouldn’t be good for us either. Now the Ning family and the Chu Prince’s Mansion are tied together. If something happens to the Ning family, then the Chu Prince’s Mansion will also be affected.”

As Duke Wen spoke, he couldn't help but feel uneasy; there must be someone pulling the strings behind this.

"Is he the Crown Prince...?"

"No, although the Crown Prince hasn't made any moves, he definitely wants to win over the Ning family. Even if he can't, he'll want the Ning family to remain neutral." Duke Wen thought for a moment and realized that among these princes, there were very few with real power.

"Sigh, what a mess. Gu Ziming's death was too suspicious. Jiao'er is about to give birth, and I don't know how much it will affect her. I'll have someone inform the second son later and ask him to find a way to investigate."

"The Second Prince?" Duke Wen squinted. Why didn't he think of the Second Prince? But the Second Prince does seem harmless. He just wondered if he was really like that.

"What happened to the second son?"

Duke Wen said, "Third Prince, there has never been any kinship in the royal family. It would be best if you were more careful."

Xiao Yuheng said nonchalantly, "What future could Xiao Yuhuai have? He still has to rely on my mother and me to survive. You can rest assured, Duke, Xiao Yuhuai has no foundation."

Suddenly, Duke Wen remembered something. This morning, he had seen the heir of the Marquis of Yi'an stop the carriage of the Princess of Chu. He asked, "Is this heir of the Marquis of Yi'an a cousin of the Second Prince?"

Xiao Yuheng thought for a moment and said, "They've played together since they were little, so they should be cousins. If the first wife of the Marquis of Yi'an hadn't left, the second son's mother would have had a better life in the palace. Now that the Marquis of Yi'an's maternal family is gone, otherwise the second son would really be qualified..."

At this point, Xiao Yuheng suddenly stopped. Although Xiao Yuhuai's maternal clan had no one left, he was indeed very close to the heir of the Marquis of Yi'an. Moreover, the Marquis of Yi'an was a powerful border official who held considerable military power. If he supported Xiao Yuhuai, it was not impossible for him to compete with him.

Duke Wen had obviously thought of this as well.

"Third Prince, you should have someone investigate the Second Prince. I feel that he has improved too much lately. Also, regarding the Second Princess's marriage, you should try to persuade her. This marriage is only beneficial to us. By the way, has Prince Buffy said he is willing to support you, Third Prince?"

"He's currently preoccupied with his own problems. What happened between him and Consort Wang that day in the palace?"

"I don't know about this matter either, let's wait and see."

When Gu Qingwan learned that Ning Chengze had been sent to prison by the Emperor, she was initially quite flustered. She had originally wanted the Emperor to protect Ning Chengze, but in the end, he was sent to prison instead.

As a result, Madam Ning sent someone to tell her to calm down. Only then did Gu Qingwan calm down a little and, like the Duke of Ning's mansion, stay at home.

Soon after, news spread that Gu Ziming had been assassinated on the spot by the second young master of the Ning family for discovering letters of treason against the enemy. People had all sorts of opinions. In the court, some defended the Ning family, while others insisted on punishing them.

The Emperor's attitude was also ambiguous. He listened to what people in the court were saying every day, but he did not say what should be done. However, the memorial submitted by Marquis Yongyi said that there was no real evidence, so it was too early to convict Ning Chengze of murder.

However, some people said that the Ning family's letters of treason were indeed true and that the emperor should take them seriously. Some even demanded that Marquis Yongyi directly imprison and transport Duke Ning back to the capital for trial, and some even wanted to confiscate the Ning family's property.

"What do you princes all mean?" The emperor, already quite annoyed by the arguing below, stopped the quarrel and asked.

Since the Crown Prince is in charge, he will definitely speak first.

“Father, I believe these are all baseless rumors. Moreover, Marquis Yongyi has also written to inform us of the details. Therefore, it is too early to draw conclusions about Ning Chengze’s murder. I think we should release the Second Young Master Ning. Keeping him locked up like this will discourage the soldiers on the frontier, which would be a greater loss than gain.”

"Your Highness is going too far. Ning Chengze is just a son of the Ning family. Even if he is imprisoned, the soldiers on the frontier will not be disheartened. Does the Ning family army have forgotten who they are?"

To everyone's surprise, the usually silent Second Prince suddenly spoke up, and the charge against him was quite serious.

The crown prince merely glanced at his usually obedient and even somewhat dull younger brother, and his eyes did not seem to reveal any surprise.

"Second brother, you've gone a bit too far. Ning Chengze is a promising young man who has also made meritorious contributions on the frontier. My point is that we shouldn't be too hasty in dealing with people who have made contributions."

"Your Highness is being too cautious. Merits and demerits are separate and cannot be offset against each other. Besides, Father has already rewarded you for your merits, so we shouldn't bring it up again."

The Crown Prince frowned, gave Xiao Yuhuai a deep look, and then glanced at Xiao Yuheng as if by accident.

Xiao Yuheng clearly didn't expect Xiao Yuhuai to speak up at this moment. He usually stammers and stutters when he's nervous, so how come he's expressing himself so clearly and fluently now?

The emperor was not in any interest at first, but suddenly the second prince's words piqued his interest, and he found the second prince quite interesting.

"It's rare for the Second Prince to speak in court. What does the Duke of Wen think of what the Second Prince said?"

Duke Wen was called out by name, and even though he didn't want to speak, he had no choice but to stand up.

"This old minister thinks both are good. What the Crown Prince said reflects his considerations, and what the Second Prince said reflects his stance. Both are good."

The second prince blushed and scratched the back of his head innocently, saying, "Father, you flatter me. I have only been by my third brother's side for a long time and have been influenced by him. I think that since he is a loyal subject, he is upright and has nothing to fear. Whether there is a problem or not, we can find out by investigating. There is no need to argue here."

"Oh? The Third Prince often discusses these things with you?"

Xiao Yuheng was taken aback. Where did this come from?

"No, Father, I have never said such things."

The Emperor waved his hand and said, "It's alright. What you said makes sense. Since ancient times, merits have been merits and demerits have been demerits."

"Your subject disagrees. If he can redeem himself through meritorious service, that would be the best outcome. Our Great Qing cherishes talent. You must know that cultivating a general requires not only energy and resources but also time. Right now, our Great Qing needs talent. If Ning Chengze is truly guilty, then let him go to the battlefield to redeem himself through meritorious service. If he is innocent, we should not wrong an innocent talent."

The Emperor was drinking tea when he heard what the Crown Prince said, and he threw his teacup onto the imperial desk.

“For every word I say, the Crown Prince has a thousand to say. It’s true that the Crown Prince has been in office for a long time and has developed his own views. Since you all have your own ideas, what’s the point of discussing this here?”

"Your Majesty, please calm down." The ministers immediately fell silent. The Crown Prince had offended the Emperor, but what the Crown Prince said was not outrageous.

Rumors are circulating that the Emperor is unable to fill the Eastern Palace due to the Crown Prince's lack of offspring, and there are even rumors that the Crown Prince is impotent. This is a fatal flaw for the heir apparent, and if the Crown Prince is truly impotent... then the Eastern Palace will inevitably change hands sooner or later.

"Third Prince, what do you say?"

"Your Majesty, I believe it is best to put this matter aside for now. Your Majesty can send someone to investigate this matter. This would give Prime Minister Gu an explanation and also prevent the wrongful accusation against the Second Young Master Ning. This would be the best of both worlds. The Northern Border still needs the Duke of Ning to guard it, so if the Duke of Ning is suddenly recalled, the border may become unstable. I hope Your Majesty will think it over carefully."

"Hmm, what the Third Prince said is quite reasonable. Let's do it this way for now. As for the people investigating..."

Although Xiao Yuheng did not look up, he believed in his heart that since the emperor had agreed with his suggestion, he would definitely send him to investigate.

"It's rare for the Second Prince to offer such a suggestion, so let him investigate, with the Third Prince assisting him."

Xiao Yuheng looked at Xiao Yuhuai standing beside him with some disbelief. When did this Xiao Yuhuai catch the Emperor's eye?

"It's Father."

No matter what, he had no choice but to agree, otherwise he would end up like the crown prince kneeling on the ground, displeasing his father.

Although Xiao Yuhuai's face was slightly flushed, his usually fluent speech suddenly became somewhat stammering: "Thank you so much, Father Emperor, for your high regard, Your Majesty..."

"Alright, alright, alright, I'm a bit tired too. You may all leave. We can discuss Ning Chengze's matter another day. Court adjourned."

After the Emperor left, Xiao Yuheng stood up first, looked at Xiao Yuhuai beside him and said, "I didn't expect that Second Brother is such a wise and insightful person. I'm sorry that I was so blind and never noticed it before."

Xiao Yuhuai quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, Third Brother, you've misunderstood. This time, we still need to rely on Third Brother..."

"Hmph." Xiao Yuheng ignored Xiao Yuhuai and left.

The crown prince did not linger and also left.

Duke Wen and the others cast thoughtful glances at the Second Prince, but only for a moment.

News of what happened in the court naturally spread, and Gu Qingwan quickly received the news as well.

"These people are just clowns. They actually dared to incite the Emperor to search and confiscate the Ning family's property. I wonder if my grandmother has actually caught anyone suspicious from the Ning family."

Gu Qingwan noticed that the Ning family was attracting too much attention, but most people still believed that the Ning family wouldn't do such a thing. She just wished that the prince would be at home in court, so that he could know what the emperor really meant.

Just then, the letter from the King of Chu arrived. Gu Qingwan felt much more at ease after seeing the letter.

Gu Qingwan hadn't expected that Xiao Jingchen, with his icy demeanor, would say something so embarrassing. He immediately told her how much he missed his princess and asked if she also missed him every day at home. Of course, what Gu Qingwan found most interesting wasn't this.

In the letter, Xiao Jingchen told Gu Qingwan that a strange phenomenon had occurred in the southern border region. For example, someone reported that a village would disappear overnight. When people were sent to investigate during the day, there was no trace of them. However, at night, those who had disappeared would reappear.

Xiao Jingchen had also approached these villagers with the little bell that Gu Qingwan had given him, but the little bell did not react at all.

He also said that he saw the same Iron-Faced Men he had met in Xishan. These men were even more formidable than those in Xishan, and seemed to be impervious to swords and spears.

The people of southern Xinjiang seem to have resorted to any means necessary. In order to win the war, they asked the Miao holy woman to uphold justice.

"Even if the Holy Maiden went there, she would only be able to control some Gu worms. However, when facing the front lines, Gu worms are not very effective. The Holy Maiden herself can only control some special ones. If she wanted to infect all the soldiers with Gu worms and control them herself, I dare say that the Holy Maiden would not live past that day."

“No wonder. I knew it. If that Holy Maiden from the Southern Frontier were so powerful, she could have just used some kind of obedience curse on our soldiers. Why go through all that trouble?” Siqi said.

"Siqi, don't underestimate the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang. If she didn't have something remarkable about her, she wouldn't be able to gain the trust of others and make the surrounding neighboring countries only dare to observe her from afar. You must remember, never underestimate your opponent, or you are destined to fail."

"Understood, Your Highness, Siqi will keep it in mind."

Gu Qingwan felt much relieved to see that Siqi wasn't just going through the motions.

The situation with the Prince is relatively clear, and with the support of the Prince of Yunnan, things should go more smoothly in the future. Right now, we still need to deal with the Ning family's matter. Gu Qingwan plans to write back to Xiao Jingchen and tell him what happened in the capital. She knows the Emperor best, and he will definitely be able to tell her what the Emperor means by doing this.

However, we need to shift the pressure from the court to the Ning family so they don't have to bear so much pressure, otherwise, something uncontrollable might happen.

"Ningyi, go and secretly tell Wen Guogong's people about Consort Wang and the Second Prince. Although we don't know what Xiao Yuhuai is really thinking, it seems that he is not as innocent as he appears. Why can he hide in the shadows and watch all this? We must help the Second Prince come out into the open."

"The Second Prince is like a rat in a sewer, scurrying here and there, and he's even causing trouble in the harem. He's truly a case of one bad apple spoiling the whole bunch," Siqi muttered from the side.