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

Xiao Jingchen leaned against the carriage wall, reverting to his usual languid demeanor, admiring his princess's shy and charming face.

Gu Qingwan suddenly thought of something, and she said seriously, "I have compared the Xiaoyao Pill that Yin Ping sent with the health-preserving pill that the prince brought from the palace. Although the ingredients seem to be different, the health-preserving pill does use a lot of medicinal herbs that are good for the body. However, there is one thing that is the same. This thing should be a poison extracted from poppies. Although the content is not very high, it is enough to make people addicted."

Xiao Jingchen dropped his nonchalant demeanor, and thinking of how the Emperor had recently neglected state affairs, focusing instead on having the Crown Prince handle the many matters of the court, he felt a strange sense of worry: "Wouldn't that mean my brother..."

"We need to observe further today. It would be best if I could personally take the pulse. If there's still time, there's still a solution. But if the poisoning is severe..."

"I understand. I will find a way to give you an opportunity to examine the Emperor's pulse." At this moment, the image of Consort Xi flashed through Xiao Jingchen's mind. She personally delivered this health-preserving pill to the Emperor. According to Consort Xi, her master, who was traveling in the immortal realm, obtained it by chance and sent it to her to regulate her body and cure her throat. Coincidentally, a Taoist priest who does not charge for medical treatment has indeed appeared near the capital recently.

Whoever it is, they should all come to the surface after the New Year.

Upon arriving at the palace gate, Gu Qingwan lifted a corner of the curtain and saw a long procession of carriages already lined up outside. She recalled that before she became the Princess of Chu, she had to wait in her own carriage with these people to enter the palace for banquets. Now, she was no longer the person she used to be, and she could ride in the Chu Prince's carriage directly through a special passage.

He caught sight of Meng Yanran, who had also clearly seen the carriage from the Chu Prince's residence. She waved in greeting but did not approach. It seemed that Yanran had grown up a lot in the past year and was no longer so impulsive. Princess Qinghe should be in the palace by now. He would see her again once a few people went inside.

Just as Gu Qingwan was about to draw the curtains, she saw the carriage of the Duke of Wen's mansion arrive. Gently, she got out of the carriage and chatted with the young ladies she knew. However, what was surprising was that the Duchess of Wen, Madam Jiang, looked very unwell, as if she had aged a lot. Her cheekbones were much higher due to her thinness, and her eyes were sunken. She no longer had that arrogant feeling, but was very gloomy.

The Chu Prince's carriage could enter the palace, but Baoqin and the others had to get off and walk behind it. The carriage moved very slowly, swaying and rocking, until it stopped at the second gate. From there, they had to walk on their own.

Xiao Jingchen jumped off the carriage first, and without asking anyone else, he personally helped his princess down. Gu Qingwan placed one hand on his hand and the other hand on her lower abdomen, and they slowly descended step by step.

When the palace servants saw the King of Chu personally holding the Queen's hand, they all wisely lowered their heads. The King and Queen were indeed as loving as the legends said.

*

"Your Highness, this is in the palace. If the officials see this, they will impeach you in court again."

"Hmph, what business is it of those old scoundrels that my wife and I are so loving? I bet they're just jealous because they don't get along with their own wives." With that, Xiao Jingchen tightened his grip on the small hand in his.

Gu Qingwan was somewhat helpless, "Your Highness..."

Baoqin and Siqi followed closely behind their queen, while Xiao Yi dutifully stayed by the side of the King of Chu.

Gu Qingwan suddenly remembered the Jiang family she had seen at the palace gate earlier, and a sense of doubt crept into her mind. Even if the Duke of Wen had come to the surface, he shouldn't have become so haggard.

"Your Highness, I noticed that Madam Jiang, the wife of the Duke of Wen, seemed a bit off."

Xiao Yi, being a quick-witted person, immediately helped his lord understand the situation.

"Your Highness, you may not know this, but it's no secret that the Duke of Wen has been secretly seeking out doctors for treatment. Although he has never admitted to having an affair with Song Yue'e, everyone knows that Song Yue'e is ill, especially since the Duke of Wen unfortunately also has the same symptoms. However, he claims to outsiders that a relative of his often frequents brothels and has also developed this bad habit."

"The Duchess of Wen has found out? Could it be that she also has these symptoms?"

"I don't know about this, and I haven't heard that Lady Wen has been seeking medical treatment outside."

The King of Chu, who had been silent all along, suddenly tugged at his queen's hand and said, "I had nothing to do, and I heard that Lady Jiang went to Qingquan Temple. I also heard that the Taoist priest at Qingquan Temple told Lady Jiang's fortune and said that her fate was not good. Although she was destined for wealth and honor, it was built on the sacrifice of her offspring. However, fortunately, she accumulated good karma in her previous life, so she will have a child by her side in this life and will not be lonely for the rest of her life."

Nothing to do...

Gu Qingwan was speechless. Her prince had been quite idle since he returned. If this wasn't the explanation, probably no one could give a suitable answer as to why the Prince of Chu was suddenly being so gossipy.

Gu Qingwan suddenly realized something and asked, "One heir? The Jiang family clearly has a legitimate son and a legitimate daughter, so how can it be just one?"

Xiao Jingchen wore a mask, so others couldn't see what the King of Chu's expression was like. He only parted his thin lips slightly, saying, "To destroy a powerful enemy, we must gradually dismantle them from within. Song Yue'e's personal maid confessed that Song Yue'e, after getting drunk one night, said that the eldest son of the Duke of Wen was her son, and that she was destined to be an official's wife. Soon she will become a member of the Duke of Wen's household, and then that little maid will become her most trusted confidante..."

Gu Qingwan fell silent, unsure whether to call Song Yue'e clever or foolish. How could she speak so eloquently while drunk, especially to her maid? Now, her arrest and death sentence were all orchestrated by this very maid.

Judging from Jiang's appearance, she must have gone back to confirm that Wen Liang was definitely not her biological son. This Duke Wen is truly shrewd; he has manipulated his children like pawns. I really don't know whether Duke Wen's plan and scheme were clever or foolish.

The couple strolled leisurely along the palace path, not in a hurry to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager, because today was a special day and many noblewomen would surely be there to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

Thinking back on what Qingwan had said in the carriage, Xiao Jingchen simply took her to find the Emperor.

"No, I haven't paid my respects to the Empress Dowager yet. Even if she doesn't blame me, people will still gossip."

Xiao Jingchen never cared about these things. He said, "Let whoever wants to say it say it. If you don't want to go, then we won't go."

"Your Highness, please go see the Emperor first. You can send someone to fetch me later. I'm going to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. I know Your Highness cares about me, but she is also Your Highness's mother. It is only natural for a daughter-in-law to pay her respects to her mother-in-law every day. The Empress Dowager is kind and has not made me come every day. Now that I'm in the palace, it would be very impolite not to pay my respects."

Xiao Jingchen knew that the princess was right, and seeing her insistence, he agreed and went to see the emperor alone.

"His Majesty is not in the Imperial Study at this time, but in the Library Pavilion. You have never been to the Library Pavilion before, so I will have someone bring you there in a while."

"What is His Majesty doing at this time in the library?"

"My brother is actually a book lover. Today is New Year's Eve, and he will take a break to relax. If he stays in his palace, the concubines in the harem will definitely come to disturb him, so my brother will hide in the library."

When Gu Qingwan went to pay her respects, the other ladies-in-waiting had not yet arrived, and the Empress Dowager had just woken up from her afternoon nap and was getting ready. Gu Qingwan had finally gotten a chance to serve the Empress Dowager, so she naturally did everything herself, which pleased the Empress Dowager.

She patted Gu Qingwan's hand and said, "It's kind of you to be so filial and come so early to serve this old woman like me."

"What are you saying, Mother? It is only natural for a daughter-in-law to serve her mother-in-law. The fact that you don't make me come to pay my respects every day is already a sign of your love for me. I will remember this kindness."

The Empress Dowager looked at herself in the mirror with great satisfaction. She said, "I used to think you were too young and inexperienced to manage the Chu Prince's residence well. But now it seems that I was narrow-minded. Jingchen's judgment is much better."

Gu Qingwan was startled. She knew that the Empress Dowager had always been dissatisfied with her, but this dissatisfaction wasn't directed at her personally. Rather, it stemmed from the Empress Dowager's long-held desire for a daughter from the Wen family to marry into the royal family, a desire that had never been fulfilled. But now, why was the Empress Dowager…

The Empress Dowager, being an experienced woman herself, naturally noticed the Princess Consort of Chu's surprise.

"I originally thought the Emperor was too wary of the Wen family, but I never expected that people's hearts could devour an elephant. It's good that things are like this now. However, your cousin is a good person. I think it would be better to find a good match for your cousin."

So that's how it is. It seems the Empress Dowager knows about the Wen family, but I wonder how much she knows.

"That's easy. Mother, just go ahead and choose. If you find someone you like, and my cousin likes them too, wouldn't it be great to have the Emperor bestow a marriage upon her? Besides, if Mother likes her, you can grant my cousin the title of Princess. That way, even if she gets married, she won't be bullied."

The Empress Dowager's eyes lit up. She thought the Princess Consort of Chu's idea was excellent. A while ago, the Duke of Wen came to see her and subtly revealed his relationship with Consort Yu and the Third Prince. This almost made the Empress Dowager follow the late Emperor on the spot.

If it were anyone else, the Empress Dowager would surely punish the entire family for deceiving the royal family. But these were her own maternal family members, her own brothers. What could she do?

Duke Wen's intention was to let the Empress Dowager know and then support the third prince who had Wen family blood. However, although the Empress Dowager pitied her own family, she was a married woman and a member of the Xiao family. How could she not see the Wen family's ambition? She would never allow the Emperor to favor his concubine over his wife and support a son born out of wedlock to ascend the throne.

If the crown prince were not a good one, that would be one thing, but it is obvious that the crown prince is an excellent heir apparent. After a few years of training, he will be able to stand on his own. Most importantly, the crown prince is an extremely filial and good child.

After much deliberation, the Crown Prince told the Emperor about the Crown Princess's pregnancy, and the Emperor told the Empress Dowager. However, he did not tell the Empress, fearing that she might reveal her pregnancy prematurely.

With the Crown Prince having an heir, the Empress Dowager was even less willing to support the Third Prince.

Therefore, Gu Qingwan, who now sits comfortably in the position of Princess Consort of Chu, is now particularly pleasing to the eye.

"Mother, please don't worry too much. The Emperor and the Prince will take care of everything. You've worked hard for most of your life, so it's time for you to enjoy your retirement."

The Empress Dowager was very easy to talk to. Gu Qingwan gently helped her sit on the soft couch. "It's time for me to enjoy my life. Now, I don't want to think about anything else. My only concern is your and Jingchen's offspring."

Gu Qingwan gently stroked her lower abdomen, smiled and said, "Mother, there's no need to worry. Qingwan's health has been well taken care of, and the imperial physician said there's nothing wrong. The child may soon be with Qingwan and the Prince."

The Empress Dowager patted her hand and said, "Yes, yes, you're right. You two are still young, take it slow."

Gu Qingwan was surprised that the Empress Dowager had become so agreeable. Back then, for Xiao Jingchen, the Empress Dowager had forced the couple to make Wenrou a concubine and had even tried to find ways to send women to the Prince's residence.

What exactly did the Duke of Wen say to the Empress Dowager that caused such a dramatic change in her.

The two chatted intimately for a while, and then the Empress and the Lady of Imperial Decree came to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager. Gu Qingwan thought she should just return to her seat.