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

Since that incident between them, their relationship has become somewhat delicate. They used to be inseparable brothers, but now there seems to be something between them, something they both know but are unwilling to acknowledge.

Lu Yan remained silent for about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea before saying, "Actually, the Third Prince has no way out, and neither do we."

"Oh? How do you say this?"

"Your status means you can't reconcile with the Emperor. Either the Emperor will know nothing and pass the throne to Your Highness, but that chance is very small, at least while the Crown Prince is still alive."

"Yes, no matter what my status is, that dog emperor won't even open his eyes to look at me." Xiao Yuhuai thought of the trauma he suffered as a child, how even a eunuch could humiliate him, and his eyes filled with rage.

"So Your Highness, taking this opportunity, why not stage a 'mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind' scenario?"

Xiao Yuhuai naturally knew what Lu Yan was talking about. He had thought about this idea before, but he couldn't help but feel a little timid when he actually faced it.

"However... it seems that Duke Wen was on Xiao Yuheng's side before, and according to our investigation, Duke Wen is very likely to be Song Yue'e's lover. Anyone can see what Duke Wen is planning. The emperor does not allow the Wen family to have royal blood or the opportunity to become maternal relatives, so he secretly sent a daughter in to give birth to a prince. He is indeed shrewd and calculating. I'm afraid only Duke Wen has this kind of patience."

"So what? The Yu family has already filed a complaint against Song Yue'e with the Jingzhao Prefecture. Although Consort Yu was banished to the Cold Palace by the Empress Dowager's decree on the grounds of harming the imperial heir, it is probably mostly because this matter has brought shame to the royal family. Even the Third Prince, who is the grandson of Duke Wen, does not dare to admit it, otherwise he would be throwing a bucket of shit on his own head."

Xiao Yuhuai thought about it and realized it made sense. This Song Yue'e was a slut among sluts, having slept with countless men. If Duke Wen admitted that Consort Yu was his daughter and Xiao Yuheng was his grandson, wouldn't that be telling everyone that he was also a slut? Moreover, a doctor had said that the woman had syphilis, so Duke Wen might not be able to escape the same fate either.

Lu Yan got up and continued to analyze the current situation for Xiao Yuhuai.

"It's only a matter of time before Duke Wen rebels. Since he's unwilling to submit to us, let him be the vanguard. Once it's over, we can then cleanse the court of corrupt officials and do so legitimately!"

"Good, good, good! When things get chaotic, it'll be the perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters." Xiao Yuhuai was so happy he wished he could join Xiao Yuheng in the rebellion right now, but suddenly he remembered something, and his face turned pale. "But what about Uncle Chu..."

Lu Yan's expression was also unpleasant. He silently repeated to himself, "Yes, there's still Uncle Chu, there's that person..."

"No, no, I need to discuss this with that person right away. Cousin, I won't entertain you today. You should go back first."

The Chu royal uncle, who was being silently talked about, was currently playing chess with the queen in the Chu royal palace.

"Duke Wen's first move was truly a terrible one. He actually had Song Yue'e shot dead on the spot. Even if he wanted her dead, there were a million ways to do it, yet he chose the worst one." Gu Qingwan said with some regret, thinking that Duke Wen had been cunning and ruthless for so many years, and his methods should have been shrewd and steady.

"Concern leads to confusion. Duke Wen's ambitions have long been revealed, it's just a matter of time."

Gu Qingwan glanced at Xiao Jingchen. He was dressed in casual clothes, his hair was loose and unkempt, and he looked like he had no backbone. But it was this man who, when he learned that Yu Linglong had filed a complaint, sent Xiao Yi to inform Young Master Chen. It was because Young Master Chen was present that the assassin who tried to kill Song Yue'e was caught red-handed.

"The Duke of Wen is a man who is willing to make sacrifices. In order to kill Song Yue'e, he actually released the secret guards he trained. It just so happens that I was worried about not knowing where to start with such a tough nut to crack, so let's start from here."

In this way, Duke Wen will surface. The Emperor and Prince Chu's greatest desire, whether in their past or present lives, is to bring this big fish, Duke Wen, to the surface and kill him. Duke Wen is the biggest obstacle to the Emperor's implementation of new policies. However, Duke Wen is like a slippery catfish, extremely cunning and vigilant.

Now that the big catfish has finally decided to peek out to see what's going on outside, both the Emperor and the King of Chu must be excited.

"The capital is about to become unsettled. This thin veil is too thin; if it is torn open, these people may rebel," Gu Qingwan said with some worry.

"With me here, there is no need to worry." Xiao Jingchen understood Gu Qingwan's concerns. Back then, in such a chaotic situation, when the three of them were isolated and helpless, he was able to lead his brother and mother to fight their way out. Even today, he can do it again!

Alright, it's still that arrogant Prince Chu who's so conceited it's unbelievable. Even though he can't use his internal energy now, it doesn't stop him from being so proud.

Gu Qingwan touched her belly, thought for a moment but still didn't say what she was about to say to him, feeling that now was not the best time.

"Your Highness, it's best not to underestimate the enemy. The situation is much clearer now than before. The clues in Xishan point to the Third Prince. We've always thought it was the Yu family who were doing the work for you, but I asked Linglong. The Yu family does have businesses in Xishan, but it's just a kiln mine belonging to the second branch of the Yu family. It has absolutely nothing to do with the location of those jar figurines we saw before."

Xiao Jingchen stared intently at the chessboard, unable to find a good place to place the black piece in his hand.

"You mean there are more people behind?"

"Whether there are others or not, I can't say for sure. Right now, Your Highness, the enemy is in the shadows while we are in the open. You also possess something whose power is no less than that of the Gu King. Before the Gu King successfully evolves, you are just a prince who can't even kill a chicken. If at this time, the Southern Frontier suddenly..."

Xiao Jingchen paused in his hand holding the chess piece, then found a suitable place to put it down. "It doesn't matter. Yunna Wang is still there. He can hold on. Even if it really comes to that, there's still Marquis Chen. That place might be a good place for him to make his mark."

Gu Qingwan knew that their worries about the present situation were pointless; what was destined to happen would still happen. Following the trajectory of her previous life, the emperor would become obsessed with elixirs, and Xiao Yuheng would begin his rebellion.

Duke Wen paced back and forth in his study. His son, Wen Liang, knelt on the marble floor. Although it was already spring, the coldness of the floor made his knees feel unbearable.

“Father…” Wen Liang wanted to try to soften his father’s heart and forgive him once, “It’s just a woman. Killing her is better than her tarnishing the reputation of our Wen family.”

That's right, this time the assassination attempt wasn't on Lord Wen himself, but on his eldest son.

"You idiot, what do you know! Do you know what we lost after she died? She was someone I painstakingly recruited and invested so much money to train, but now you've killed her. She used to keep many important officials in check, and now that she's dead, who will be wary of us and work for us!"

Wen Liang seemed to realize what had happened, his face turning pale. He had personally broken his father's trump card. He asked tremblingly, "Then what should we do? Father, I didn't know! I didn't know that dirty woman was actually a thread you planted to control the other side..."

"What to do! You still dare to ask what to do! It's one thing to send someone to assassinate, but why did you send out the manor's secret guards? Do you know how much time, manpower, resources, and money it takes to train a secret guard? What if they get caught after you send them out like this!"