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

The turmoil in the capital will never cease, nor will the wars on the border ever end.

The King of Chu arrived safely at the southern border. With the King of Chu in charge, the turmoil in the southern border was stabilized. Xiao Jingchen led the Chu family army's Black Riders to sweep through several cities occupied by the southern border with swift and decisive measures. The divine physician Xue, who accompanied the army, also used his superb medical skills to treat those injured in the war.

People in the southern border region are known for their cruelty and unscrupulous methods. Poisoning wells and the wind is a common occurrence. Fortunately, the miraculous doctor Xue is a master healer. Now, people on the border are saying that the doctor comes from Medicine King Valley and that his ability to bring bones back to life is unparalleled. If you can get the doctor to come, even if you have already gone to the underworld, he can bring you back.

Gu Qingwan couldn't help but shake her head. The situation on the prince's side was better than she had imagined. The prince also mentioned in his letter that all the symptoms he had experienced had disappeared. The Gu King, which had disappeared for a long time, had returned to the bell at some point. Not only that, but there was also a small creature next to it, which looked to be about the same size as it, only slightly different in size and color.

Fortunately, the space inside the bell that Gu Qingwan prepared was large enough for the two little ones to live in.

Gu Qingwan was stunned. So the first thing the Gu King did after waking up was to go into Xiao Jingchen's body for a blind date? This... she really had never encountered such a situation. According to her thinking, the Gu King should have crawled into Xiao Jingchen's body after waking up and eaten the Gu worm. You know, eating a strong opponent would make the Gu King even stronger.

Who could have imagined that the Gu King would have such thoughts, actually wanting to reproduce the next generation?

The situation in the North was also alright, thanks to Prince Buffy's keeping of his promise. The North was peaceful. During this time, Prince Buffy even wrote to Gu Qingwan, saying that he had already gained a foothold in the Buffy royal family and had inadvertently discovered that Xiao Yuheng had sent people here to try to make a deal with the Buffy royal family, with the aim of weakening the Ning family army.

After reading it, Gu Qingwan couldn't help but sneer. With a slight effort, the letter in her hand turned into powder.

Although some things have changed in this life due to her rebirth, the overall direction remains the same.

For example, Xiao Yuheng was arrogant and self-willed. He believed that he would definitely be able to ascend to the throne, and he made plans early on to figure out how to take a piece of the Ning family army. Of course, he was also wary of the power of the Buffy Dynasty and knew that only the Ning family army could deter the ambition of the Buffy Dynasty. Therefore, he wanted to balance the two sides. The means of balancing the two sides back then was Gu Qingwan herself.

Unfortunately, this life is not the same as the previous one, and Xiao Yuheng's plan was destined to fail.

On the eve of the Spring Banquet, the air in the capital seemed even thinner, and there were very few signs of ordinary people going out. The once bustling streets were only filled with the sounds of vendors calling out their wares at noon, and the business in Yinping Fireworks Lane was not as lively as before.

Yin Ping somehow learned that Lu Yan, the heir of the Marquis of Yi'an, was planning to take action against the Princess Consort of Chu. So she ordered the brothel to close down and secretly followed the Princess Consort of Chu.

Gu Qingwan was unwilling to do so, saying, "You'll expose yourself if you do that."

"No, Your Highness, I know your methods, but the Prince is not in the capital. His orders to me were to ensure Your Highness's safety. Besides..." Yin Ping looked at the Princess's gently protruding belly, her tone becoming even softer, "The young master is still here. Does the Prince know?"

Gu Qingwan shook her head. "We didn't let him know. War is inherently unpredictable. Why add another weakness to his position? If this news is intercepted by someone with ulterior motives, things will be even worse for the prince. I imagine the prince will be able to return to the capital by the time this child is born."

Yin Ping stood silently beside Gu Qingwan, never leaving her side. Fortunately, Yin Ping's presence reassured Baoqin and the others. The princess was in a special period, and the more people protecting her, the better. Although the princess's martial arts skills prevented others from getting close, they all understood the principle of "better safe than sorry."

At that moment, Xiao Yuheng's face was gloomy. He took Gu Hanjiao to the Second Prince's residence, where Lu Yan, the heir of the Marquis of Yi'an, was also present.

"Hey, Third Brother, what's the rush? Consort Xi is in the palace helping you keep an eye on this old man. You're just waiting for him to die so you can sit on the throne." Xiao Yuhuai lay half-reclined on the main seat as if he had no bones, completely unconcerned about Xiao Yuheng's visit.

"Second brother, please be careful what you say!" Xiao Yuheng's face was very unpleasant. There were some things he had done that were not wrong, but he could not say them. If Xiao Yuhuai were not still useful, he would have wanted to kill this brother. He had been like a little shadow following him since childhood, and now that he was grown up, he was like a stink bug.

"Tch, whether I'm careful with my words or not, that's just how it is. I only hope that when my third brother ascends the throne, he will remember the past favors we had and take care of me a little, so that I can also be a carefree prince and enjoy my life."

"Second Prince, there's no need for such sarcasm. Your bloodline is exceptionally strong, a descendant of the Xia King... I just don't know if the Chu King and the others would allow you to live if they found out about this bloodline." Gu Hanjiao stopped standing and found a comfortable place to sit down. She then picked up the teapot in front of the Second Prince and poured tea for herself and the Third Prince.

These words caused a huge stir, making Xiao Yuhuai, who was lazily slumped in the chair, sit up straight, and even Lu Yan next to him narrowed his eyes.

Only a few close confidants knew about this matter. How did Xiao Yuheng's concubine find out? Could it be that someone betrayed him?

"The Second Prince also had to guess who among his entourage told me this." As she spoke, Gu Hanjiao glanced at Lu Yan, smiled, and continued, "Since some things are true, there will be traces. Nothing in this world exists without a reason. Everything is interconnected. As long as someone is willing to investigate some clues, they will surely find a bit of the truth, right?"

Xiao Yuhuai glanced thoughtfully back and forth between Lu Yan and Gu Hanjiao a few times, then suddenly chuckled and continued to lie back in his chair.

"Third Imperial Brother, your concubine is truly audacious, daring to say anything that comes to mind." Xiao Yuhuai sipped the tea leaves he had just drunk a couple of times, then casually spat them at Gu Hanjiao's feet. "We are both Father's sons. Besides, what competitive advantage do I, a cripple, have over you? You insist on slapping such a heavy label on me. You should know we are still allies. It's said that you should discard the bridge after crossing the river. The river hasn't even been crossed yet, so what bridge are you planning to dismantle?"

Xiao Yuheng was clearly startled. He had been at a loss for what to do these past two days. He knew that Xiao Yuhuai probably still had some trump cards up his sleeve, but Xiao Yuhuai was reluctant to reveal them, which made him anxious. The Duke of Wen was also making quick moves, but unfortunately, the Duke of Wen had no intention of telling him at all. It seemed that the Duke of Wen was going to use him as a puppet. How could Xiao Yuheng become someone else's puppet?

In the morning, Gu Hanjiao ran over to tell him that she knew Xiao Yuhuai's weakness and that she was able to persuade Xiao Yuhuai to help her wholeheartedly. With this weakness, they could easily eliminate this major threat after using Xiao Yuhuai, which was much more convenient than using Duke Wen.

When Xiao Yuheng found out, besides being shocked, he also wondered for a moment why Gu Hanjiao knew this news.

"Xiao Yuhuai, you know perfectly well whether what my concubine said is true or not."

Xiao Yuhuai's eyes darted around as she said, "You don't need to try to scare me with this. If we're talking about descendants of the Xia Prince's Mansion, then it should be your concubine. Didn't Father Emperor already confirm the County Princess's identity? If what the County Princess says is true, and I am a descendant of the Xia Prince's Mansion, then wouldn't we be siblings?"

Gu Hanjiao choked. Her father had given her this idea to protect himself. Now, for his only daughter's sake, he was paving the way for her and her husband. That's why he told Gu Hanjiao that Xiao Yuhuai had members of the Xia King's rebel faction. If used properly, the moment Xiao Yuheng ascended the throne would be the day Xiao Yuhuai died.

"Second Prince, there's no need to pretend to be so good. Since we're here, we have our trump cards. We were mining in the Western Hills, but we never expected that the mantis would stalk the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. The Second Prince has actually raised a private army in the Western Hills and even lured the Prince of Chu to the Third Prince's residence, trying to kill two birds with one stone. The Second Prince should have the appetite for that."

Clearly, this statement not only impacted Xiao Yuhuai, but also Xiao Yuheng.

Xiao Yuhuai was shocked that Gu Hanjiao knew he was using the Third Prince's name to facilitate her affairs. The fact that she knew could only mean that his closest confidant had betrayed him. At this moment, Xiao Yuhuai suspected no one but Lu Yan.

Although Lu Yan was always with him, he knew that Lu Yan was the kind of person who couldn't resist married women. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so bold as to flirt with Xiao Chen and even have a child with her. If he dared to covet the Princess of Chu, it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn't have designs on this alluring Consort Gu.

Lu Yan knows too much; we should find a way to get rid of him.

Xiao Yuheng was shocked to learn that back in Xishan, it was simply because the officials below him wanted to curry favor with him by presenting him with information about the discovery of a mine in Xishan. Under his protection, the officialdom in Xishan was monopolized, and the benefits he received were large amounts of minerals and gold and silver. However, later on, for some reason, he was targeted by the Chu Emperor.

Xiao Yuheng did smuggle some weapons, but that shouldn't be enough to attract such close attention from Chu Huangshu's men. The only reason is that Xiao Yuhuai is using his name to raise a private army, or there are other things he doesn't know about.

"Fine, Xiao Yuhuai, all the trust my mother and I placed in you and your mother has been for nothing. Is this how you repay me? Since we've come this far, there's no point in hiding anything anymore. Let's lay it all out." Xiao Yuheng completely disregarded Xiao Yuhuai's expression and knocked the teacup out of Xiao Yuhuai's hand.

The sound of the cup shattering on the floor was particularly sharp.

"Third Prince, this is the Second Prince's residence. You'd better not go too far!" As someone from the Second Prince's faction, if Lu Yan remained silent until now, that perverted Second Prince would probably cause him trouble again.

"Hmph." Xiao Yuheng completely ignored Lu Yan and said to Xiao Yuhuai, "Now, I want you to do everything you can to help me. Afterwards, I promise to make you a carefree prince and live a life of wealth and honor."

"Or else?"

"Otherwise? Otherwise, I was worried that Xishan would be discovered, so I secretly buried a lot of explosives there. If you don't help me, then your private soldiers are useless and will only bite me. Why should I be so merciful? It's just a matter of setting a fire. Xishan will be blown to smithereens."

"Explosives?" Xiao Yuhuai was completely unfamiliar with the word. "What is that?"

"It's just something I came up with in my spare time." As she spoke, she took out a small black ball from her sleeve. "It's just a failed half-finished product, but it's enough to broaden the Second Prince's horizons."

Gu Hanjiao threw the black ball out the window, where it hit the pond outside. With a loud bang, it shattered the artificial hill in the pond.

It would be highly unusual for Xiao Yuhuai and Lu Yan to remain calm at this moment. Their faces turned ashen as they quickly looked towards the pond outside, as the loud noise had already attracted the attention of the maids and servants in the mansion.

Xiao Yuhuai thought for a moment, exchanged a glance with Lu Yan, and then closed the window, completely changing his previous attitude.

"Third Prince, since I promised you, there is no reason for me to go back on my word. Consort Gu is right. I do have people in Xishan, but it is only for self-protection. If you need my help, Third Prince, I will offer them up with both hands."

Xiao Yuheng's eyes lit up, but Gu Hanjiao next to him said, "Second Prince, you make it sound so easy to talk. If you give us this army, how can you guarantee that it will be loyal to us?"

"So how are you now?"

"It's simple. Send them on a mission. If they succeed, it will be a great achievement; if they fail..."

The air in the study suddenly fell silent. Xiao Yuhuai had originally thought that Xiao Yuheng must be preparing to force the emperor to abdicate by ordering the army. He planned to have his men mixed in among them and then turn against him when the time was right, so he could reap the benefits. Who knew that the woman beside Xiao Yuheng would be so difficult to deal with.

"As expected of the Gu family, the concubine is in no way inferior to the former Prime Minister Gu or the current Princess Consort of Chu."

Whenever Gu Qingwan is mentioned, Gu Hanjiao reacts as if a cat's tail has been stepped on, jumping up and down in a fit of rage.

"Send your men to the Chu Prince's residence to intercept and kill Gu Qingwan! Go now!"