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

When Lu Yan returned, he indeed saw the steward directing the servants to busily pack things. Lu Yan stopped one of them and asked, "What are you doing?"

"The young master is back!" The steward stopped what he was doing and stood in front of Lu Yan to answer.

"Reporting to Your Highness, we have some good news in our household. Miss Su Xi is pregnant, and our mistress is having us pack up so we can take her to the estate to rest and prepare for her pregnancy."

The butler's gossipy manner, as if to say, "Young Master, when did you and Miss Su Xi get together?" made Lu Yan feel uneasy.

"Is Madam in the main courtyard?"

"Yes, yes, Your Highness, would you like to go now or after you have seen the Princess Consort?"

"How is the Crown Princess doing?"

"Princess Zirui is currently visiting the Crown Prince's wife," the steward said.

Lu Yan smirked. Princess Zirui was nothing but a princess in name only; she was nothing in front of him now.

"Go to Madam's side."

While Madam Chen was having Cuiying pack her things, she lay on the chaise lounge eating sour grapes.

"Get out, all of you!" Lu Yan said as soon as he came in, kicking everyone out.

Initially, Madam Chen was quite happy to see Lu Yan return, but then, for some reason, she simply lay back down on the soft couch.

"Oh, so the young master does know how to come back after all. Why not just stay out and have his fun? What's the point of coming home?"

Hearing Xiao Chen's tantrum and sarcastic remarks, Lu Yan couldn't help but chuckle at her expression. He sat down next to her and slipped his hands under her skirt.

"Seeing how sore and weak Mother looks, she must have been too tired from managing the household. I am an unfilial son, so I will give Mother a massage now to help her relax."

Xiao Chen's cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes were alluring. Normally, she would have collapsed into a puddle and let that person do whatever he wanted to her. But things were different today, and she directly took out her hand that was playing tricks on her inside her clothes.

"In broad daylight, especially with maids walking around outside, you'd better behave yourself."

Lu Yan was taken aback. In this regard, Madam Chen had never refused him.

Lu Yan directly grabbed the mound in front of Xiao Chen's body. Xiao Chen's body tensed up, like an arrow about to be released from a bow. She quickly grabbed Lu Yan's hand, not wanting him to be so unrestrained, otherwise she would be like a taut string that could break at any moment.

"Yanlang, no!"

Lu Yan then realized something was wrong. He subconsciously thought that his father was coming back, which was why Madam Chen was acting this way, but he had not heard anything about his father's return.

Lu Yan's expression immediately darkened. He straightened his clothes, sat down at the tea table away from Madam Chen, and poured himself a full cup of tea.

"What, now that the Marquis is back, Mother no longer looks down on her son?"

Madam Chen naturally sensed that Lu Yan was angry. She quickly got off the couch, walked behind Lu Yan, and reached out to massage his shoulders.

"Yanlang, what are you saying? What does Lord Guan have to do with this?"

"Then why won't you let me touch you today!"

Ms. Chen hesitated, wanting to tell Lu Yan the truth, but afraid that Lu Yan would be furious if he knew. She couldn't help but touch her lower abdomen.

"I..." Madam Chen felt it was better not to tell Lu Yan. It would be better to wait until there was no room for maneuver before telling him.

“If you don’t tell me, and something happens later, don’t blame me for abandoning you. Also, my father will be back soon.”

"No! We can't come back!"

Lu Yan originally intended to trick Xiao Chen Shi, because Xiao Chen Shi was an extremely cunning person. If she intended to hide something, no matter what he did, Xiao Chen Shi would not tell him the truth.

However, Madam Chen's reaction was a bit too much, which made Lu Yan feel uneasy.

"Aren't you going to tell me the truth?!"

Madam Chen completely suppressed her little schemes. She knew Lu Yan was right. If the Marquis returned now, she wouldn't be able to explain herself no matter how many mouths she had, and the Marquis would definitely kill her.

"Yanlang, we absolutely cannot let the Marquis come back! We can't let the Marquis come back! If he comes back, not only am I finished, but you will be finished too!"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Lu Yan rebuked unhappily.

Clearly, Madam Chen was frightened. She took Lu Yan's hand and placed it on her lower abdomen, saying, "Yan Lang, I'm pregnant with your child."

Lu Yan was stunned and froze on the spot. He looked at his stomach under his palm in disbelief, seemingly unable to comprehend what it meant to be pregnant with his child.

Seeing that Lu Yan did not speak, Madam Chen said anxiously, "It really is Yan Lang, I am pregnant with your child, it has been more than a month."

"It's gone."

Ms. Chen was taken aback. She took a few steps back and said incredulously, "What did you say?"

"I said, abort it! You secretly switched the contraceptive potion behind my back, what do you mean by this! Do you want me to die?!"

"This is your child! How could you be so heartless! Yanlang, you can't do this! You know why I did this, you know!" Madam Chen questioned hysterically.

Lu Yan's face turned very ugly. He got up and walked to the door. He looked around and saw that there was no one outside the courtyard. He figured that Cuiying must have sent everyone away early on. He felt relieved and closed the door.

"I said, get rid of the child!"

"No!" Little Chen cried, clutching her stomach. "Yanlang, I truly love you. This child is the one I've longed for day and night. Please, Yanlang."

Seeing the way Xiao Chen looked like a balloon, Lu Yan felt a little soft-hearted and sighed.

"How could I not know your feelings for me? But you also know that if we keep this child, we will both die."

"No, no, as long as we do it perfectly, it will be fine. Yanlang, I have sacrificed so much and compromised so much for you. Now I only have one wish: to give birth to our child safely."

An eerie silence filled the air. Lu Yan remained silent, his eyes flickering as he stared at Xiao Chen's belly for a long time.

Madam Chen pressed her advantage, saying, "Yanlang, I've made all the preparations. I've already spread the word that Suxi is pregnant with your child, and I'll have a fortune teller say that the Crown Princess's zodiac sign clashes with the child in Suxi's belly. That way, I'll have an excuse to take Suxi to the estate for a short stay."

Seeing that Xiao Chen didn't care about her appearance at all, her tears had smudged her makeup, she was still desperately trying to explain her plan to Lu Yan, just to persuade him to accept the child.

"and then?"

"And then?" Little Chen was taken aback. "What, and then?"

"You're going to stay at the estate for a while. How long do you plan to stay?"

"I'll stay until Su Xi gives birth, then I'll make sure Su Xi has a difficult labor, and I'll just take the baby and take care of it myself."

After listening, Lu Yan felt that this young Chen was really thoughtful, even planning out the future arrangements for the child and the child's status.

"It's a shame you'll have to suffer; from now on, I'll only be able to call you 'Grandmother' and not 'Mother' anymore."

At this point, Xiao Chen's tears, which she had managed to stop, started flowing again. She gently stroked her belly and said, "As long as I can call you Father with dignity, what does it matter if I suffer a little grievance?"

Lu Yan sighed. This woman had been there for him through the dark times. He reached out and pulled Xiao Chen into his arms, and Xiao Chen leaned against his shoulder.

"But have you thought about what you'll do if your father comes back? You're quite far along in your pregnancy, there's no way you can hide your belly now."

"Yanlang, don't worry. The Marquis won't come back for three years, and it's unlikely he'll return so coincidentally. Even if he does, it doesn't matter. As long as Yanlang is there, just say I have a serious, contagious disease. The Marquis probably won't come. And even if he does, I'll have Cuiying wear my clothes and a veil. We should be able to handle it from a distance, as long as the Heir Apparent can help me out..."

Hearing this, Lu Yan finally understood that Madam Chen had made thorough preparations before daring to have this child behind his back. However, with the important matter not yet settled, he could not take such a risk.

"Xuan'er." Lu Yan rarely called Xiao Chen by her childhood name. He gently wiped away Xiao Chen's tears and lightly stroked her lower abdomen.

"Iwaro."

"Xuan'er, I'm happier than anyone else that you're able to have our child. You know that people my age already have children running all over the streets, but I'm still childless."

"Yanlang, it's all my fault. I know you did it because of me."

"So you understand, even if we don't have children, my feelings for you will never waver under anyone or anything."

Upon hearing this, Ms. Chen felt a sweet warmth in her heart, but then she realized something was amiss.

“Xuan’er, listen to me, this child has come at the wrong time.”

"Why?" Little Chen looked at Lu Yan with teary eyes.

“The Second Prince has begun to come out into the open, vying for the throne with the Crown Prince and the Third Prince. That means he will heavily rely on the Marquis of Yi’an’s family, since my father holds military power and I am very close to the Second Prince.”

"The Marquis wouldn't help the Second Prince so easily. If he wanted to help, he would have done so long ago, and he wouldn't have let the Second Prince live such a hard life all these years."

"Hehe, that person is extremely selfish. He only cares about his own safety and well-being, which is why the Marquis of Yi'an has been regressing and has no signs of glory. Once I become the Marquis of Yi'an, I will definitely make the Marquis of Yi'an's mansion reach a higher level."

"I believe in Yanlang."

“So, Xuan’er, we can’t keep this child. If people find out the child’s identity, not only will the two of us be unable to hold our heads up, but even his voice will be criticized.”

Xiao Chen remained silent. She chose to stay silent about the child's issue. Just when Lu Yan thought that Xiao Chen would sacrifice everything for him as before, she did not do so.

“Lu Yan, I know what you’re worried about, but I’m determined to keep this child. I’ve already seen a doctor. Because I’ve been taking contraceptives for years, my health isn’t as good as it used to be, making it even more difficult for me to get pregnant.”

"I'm sorry, Xuan'er." A rare hint of guilt appeared in Lu Yan's eyes. The reason why Madam Chen was in such a state was largely due to him.

"No, Yanlang, I will not regret it, but there is one thing I cannot promise you. If it is discovered in the future, then you don't need to worry about me. Just consider it as me having an affair. You will be safe then. I only hope that, for the sake of our past relationship, you can find a way to save my child and me. Whether it's fleeing or becoming an ordinary citizen, I will accept it."

Seeing the determination in Xiao Chen's eyes, Lu Yan knew that the matter was already a done deal, and forcing it would be futile...

"Don't even think about having an abortion for me without anyone knowing. I've come this far, there's no turning back. If you really don't care about our feelings for each other, then I'll go down to the underworld with you to be with the child."

Madam Chen was determined to protect the child in her womb with her life, and Lu Yan had no choice but to compromise, after all, he had longed for offspring for many years.

"Alright, alright, since you've already made up your mind, then so be it. Just take good care of yourself, and if the estate needs anything, just send someone to tell me."

Ms. Chen breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Lu Yan would no longer make things difficult for her and would find a way to protect the child.

"Iwaro, I will, but inside the manor..."

"With me here at the manor, and the Crown Princess taking good care of things, that's not a problem. It's just that Su Xi..."

“I have poisoned Su Xi. The symptoms of this poison are the same as those of a woman who is pregnant. In order to make Su Xi believe me, I also got her drunk and took off her clothes. She woke up in your study that day.”

"Nonsense! You can't just go to the study like that!"

"Yanlang, don't be angry. You're never home. If you come back..." At this point, Madam Chen was a little sad. As a woman, she naturally didn't want Lu Yan to have sex with other women.

"Alright, I understand. Don't worry, since you don't like me, I naturally won't do things you don't like. But this is a one-time exception; you can't just go into the study without permission."

Little Chen smiled and said, "With me watching over things, I won't let that little girl do anything extra."

Is it a safe bet?

"To be on the safe side, I even found a doctor. The doctor's pulse diagnosis showed that she was pregnant. I will give her a small amount of this poison, which will also shut up the gossips outside. By the time I give birth, she will be almost dead from the poison."

Lu Yan nodded. If it could really be that simple, then Su Xi alone could fulfill his and Xiao Chen's wishes, which would be a good deed.

"Su Xi is alright, but Su Che, the Second Prince keeps urging me, it's driving me crazy."

Xiao Chen's eyes lit up, and an idea immediately came to mind.

"I have an idea. Your Highness could ask a senior official who has been the chief examiner every year to introduce Su Che. This way, the Second Prince can mediate and have that official take Su Che as his disciple. In this way, Su Che will have no choice but to accept the favor, whether it is from Your Highness or the Second Prince."

"That's a good idea. I'll set up a banquet for him and invite the Second Prince. After a few drinks, what can't be accomplished?"

“That makes sense.” Little Chen nodded, then suddenly remembered something and whispered in Lu Yan’s ear, “There’s a newly opened shop over in the brothel alley…”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan couldn't help but tap Xiao Chen's forehead and say, "You know quite a lot, it's a pity you're not feeling well right now, otherwise I would definitely buy them all so you could take a good look and avoid being so curious."

"Yan Lang..." Madam Chen said coquettishly, which made Lu Yan burst into laughter.

Cuiying, standing at the door, felt very heavy-hearted, while inside, there was laughter and joy, which meant that the lady had truly persuaded the prince to accept the child in her womb.

You must know that this child shouldn't exist. If the Marquis finds out in the future, she, as an insider, will surely be doomed.

Cuiying was filled with sorrow. Day and night, she felt that she was about to die. She just didn't know when she would breathe her last. She didn't care about dying, but it was a pity for her younger brother, who was a promising child.

After thinking it over, Cuiying decided that she should find a way out, not only for herself but also for her younger brother.

Zhu Xiaoyan's health has improved considerably, and she is finally able to spare the energy to properly contend with Madam Chen.

After thinking it over for a while, she realized that since Xiao Chen was so brazen as to openly and brazenly show her her affair with Lu Yan, she must have thought that even if she knew, she wouldn't expose it.

Only the dead can keep this secret.

She had her attendants prepare the medicine prescribed by the royal physician while secretly using medicine prescribed by the Princess Consort of Chu, and also obtained medicine from the Princess Consort of Chu's pharmacy to prepare the medicine. That's why she recovered so quickly.

Otherwise, she would have died soon after her confinement period.

Everyone says that even a day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of kindness, but no one expected Lu Yan to be so cruel. He actually had the physician administer a slow-acting poison to her, so that she would bleed uncontrollably during her postpartum period after her miscarriage, and eventually she would die.

"Princess Consort, the Prince is here." The announcement from outside interrupted Zhu Xiaoyan's thoughts.