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

Gu Qingwan tapped the edge of the medicine bowl lightly with her fingers, once, twice. She put down the bowl, walked to the dressing table, and took out a longsword from a hidden compartment. The longsword was Gu Qingwan's most handy weapon, but she didn't have many opportunities to use it. So, even when she did use it, she usually only took out a silver soft whip.

Baoqin and the others looked at each other, their expressions inevitably showing some tension.

"princess……"

Gu Qingwan waved her hand and said, "Since that person is going to make a move, it won't be so calm. Let's just consider tonight that I was overthinking it. After all, it's better to be prepared."

"Go and call the housekeeper and Ningyi here, immediately." Her voice remained calm, yet it sent a chill down Baoqin's spine.

Just as Baoqin turned around, a muffled thud came from outside, like someone falling. Immediately afterward, a sharp whistle pierced the rainy night.

Gu Qingwan's expression changed drastically—it was an alarm signaling an attack on the Prince's mansion's sentries.

"The rebels are here," she whispered, a cold glint in her eyes. "Siqi, go and ring the alarm bell to alert everyone to assemble in the front yard."

Siqi quickly ran out the door. A moment later, the bells in the palace rang out loudly, sounding particularly jarring in the rainy night.

Gu Qingwan quickly changed into a set of practical clothing and tied her long hair up high. She picked up her longsword, her determination unwavering.

More than thirty guards from the Prince's mansion had gathered in the front yard. Ning Yi, Ning Er, and Xiao Bing stood at the front, soaked to the bone, their faces solemn.

"Your Highness, the rebels number at least a hundred and have already surrounded the palace," Xiao Bing said, clasping his hands in greeting. "I have already sent men out of the palace through a secret passage to request reinforcements, but the reinforcements will not arrive for at least an hour."

Raindrops lashed Gu Qingwan's face, icy cold. She glanced around; the guards, though tense, none flinched. These were elite soldiers who had served the prince for many years, and now her only support.

"Archers, take the high ground; the rest of you, divide into three teams." Gu Qingwan's voice was clearly audible in the rainy night. "One team guards the main gate, the second team ambushes the flanks, and the third team will provide mobile support as I move. Remember, our mission is to defend the Chu Prince's residence and not give the enemy any opportunity!"

She paused, her gaze sharp: "The Prince's residence is a vital stronghold of the imperial court. If it falls tonight, not only will our lives be in danger, but it will also greatly boost the morale of the rebels. Gentlemen, are you willing to fight to the death with me?"

"We swear to defend the Prince's Palace to the death!" the guards shouted in unison, their voices drowning out the sound of the rain.

Gu Qingwan nodded, then turned to the steward: "Send someone to the storeroom to fetch kerosene and place it along the main gate and the walls on both sides. If the rebels break through the defenses, set it on fire immediately."

The steward accepted the order and left. Gu Qingwan then led ten elite guards to the highest watchtower in the palace. From there, she could overlook the entire defensive layout of the palace.

The rain grew heavier, large raindrops pounding against the tiles with a dense, rhythmic sound. Gu Qingwan squinted, and through the rain, she saw shadowy figures approaching from outside the palace walls.

"Archers, prepare," she whispered the command.

Thirty archers immediately drew their bows and aimed at the wall. Gu Qingwan raised her hand, waiting for the perfect moment.

Suddenly, a loud crash rang out—the main gate of the Prince's mansion was smashed open. Dozens of men in black, wielding sharp blades, rushed in. The leader was a tall man with an iron mask on his face.

"Release the arrows!" Gu Qingwan gave the order.

Arrows rained down, and the first few rebels fell to the ground. But more rebels continued their advance, stepping over the corpses of their comrades, and soon engaged the royal guards in close combat.

The sounds of clashing metal, shouts of battle, and screams mingled together, sounding particularly jarring in the rainy night. Gu Qingwan gripped her short sword tightly, calmly observing the battle.

"Your Highness, there are too many rebels, and the main gate is about to fall!" A guard covered in blood ran up to report.

Gu Qingwan bit her lip: "Light the oil!"

At her command, several walls of fire suddenly rose at the main gate of the palace, forcing back the rebels who had rushed in. However, the fire could not last long in the rain and was quickly extinguished by the rain.

"Second team, flank from both sides!" Gu Qingwan continued to command. "Archers, aim at the one wearing the mask; he must be the leader."

Another volley of arrows rained down on the masked man, but was blocked by the shield bearers beside him. The man looked up at the watchtower, seemingly sensing Gu Qingwan's presence.

"As expected of the Princess Consort of Chu," the masked man's voice pierced through the rain. "Indeed, her reputation is well-deserved. It's a pity that after tonight, you'll be reporting to the King of Hell."

Gu Qingwan's heart skipped a beat. Before she could think any further, the Iron-Faced Man had already directed the rebels to split into three groups. One group continued to attack the main gate, while the other two groups began to climb the walls.

A determined glint flashed in Gu Qingwan's eyes: "Send the order down: everyone retreat to the inner courtyard and use the narrow terrain to maneuver against them."

She turned to Baoqin and Shishu beside her: "Go and take all the wine from the storeroom and pour it on the path leading to the inner courtyard."

Shi Shu immediately understood her intention and quickly ran to carry out the order.

The prince's guards fought and retreated, gradually closing in on the inner courtyard. Seeing this, the rebels thought victory was in sight and pursued even more frantically. As they rushed through a long corridor, they suddenly slipped—the ground had been covered in spilled wine, and the rain had made it extremely slippery.

Dozens of rebels fell to the ground, and their comrades behind them, unable to stop in time, collided with each other, creating a chaotic scene.

"Fire!" Gu Qingwan seized the opportunity and ordered the archers lying in ambush on both sides to fire.

Arrows rained down again, inflicting heavy losses on the rebels. The Iron-Masked Man roared and personally led his elite troops in a charge.

Gu Qingwan knew that the real test had arrived.

"Xiao Bing and Ning Yi, take men and guard the inner courtyard gate," she ordered. "The rest of you, follow me."

She led ten elite guards and circled around to the rebels' flank. In the rain, her figure moved like a ghost, each swing of her whip felling a rebel. Her pregnancy did not hinder her skills in the slightest; on the contrary, it caused the enemy to underestimate her threat.

"Gu Qingwan!" The masked man finally spotted her and charged at her with his knife.

Gu Qingwan raised her sword to meet the attack, and the two weapons clashed in mid-air, sparks flying. The masked man's strength was immense, causing her arm to go numb and forcing her to take two steps back.

"Who exactly are you?" Gu Qingwan asked coldly, while warily observing the other party's weaknesses.

The masked man sneered, "When you get down there, ask King Yama, and he'll probably find out who I am!" With that, he swung his sword down again.

Gu Qingwan dodged to the side, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen—the fetus seemed to have been startled by the violent movement. She gritted her teeth and endured the pain, seizing the opportunity to stab the masked man under the armpit with her sword.

"Ah!" the masked man cried out in pain, his eyes distorted beneath the mask. But he quickly adjusted his stance and attacked even more fiercely.

Gu Qingwan seized the opportunity and ripped off his mask with a single sword stroke.

In the rain, a scarred face appeared. Gu Qingwan's pupils contracted—Zhao Yuanlang! The traitorous general who had been captured by his maternal grandfather three years ago for plotting a rebellion, and who was said to have died in prison long ago.

"So it was you." Gu Qingwan sneered. "It seems my grandfather should have just chopped your head off back then."

A frenzied rage blazed in Zhao Yuanlang's eyes: "Ning Yuanshan killed my entire family! Tonight, I'll take his granddaughter and the Ning family's lives!"

He roared and charged forward, but Gu Qingwan raised her sword to parry. Even the disparity in strength did not deter her in the slightest. Zhao Yuanlang knew Gu Qingwan's fighting prowess; he had experienced it firsthand back in the army. However, he had not become complacent over the years. On the contrary, the Princess Consort of Chu, having enjoyed wealth and luxury in the capital for so long, was certainly not as capable as him.

Zhao Yuanlang raised his long sword, about to strike, when suddenly an arrow shot from the side and hit him squarely in the shoulder.

"Protect the Princess!" Ning Er arrived with reinforcements and surrounded Zhao Yuanlang.

"Ning Er, didn't I tell you to go to the Ning family? Why are you here?"

"Your Highness, do not worry, the Second Young Master has returned with his men!"

Her cousin is back? It seems she doesn't need to worry about the Ning family anymore. Now that her people are back, they won't be in such a passive position as they are now. Gu Qingwan felt much more at ease.

"Zhao Yuanlang, surrender. You have no chance of winning." She put away her blood-dripping sword and said.

Zhao Yuanlang looked around and realized that he had very few men left. He let out a beastly howl and suddenly pulled a tinderbox from his pocket.

"Let's die together!" He grinned maliciously as he lit the fuse on his body—he had already strapped himself with gunpowder.

"Back off!" Gu Qingwan shouted, as she lunged to the side with all her might.

With a loud bang, a large crater was blasted into the spot where Zhao Yuanlang was standing, and several soldiers around him were also affected.

Gu Qingwan was thrown over by the blast and fell heavily to the ground. She felt dizzy and her abdomen suddenly started to hurt.

"Your Highness!" Yin Ping, covered in blood, ran over and helped her up.

Gu Qingwan struggled to open her eyes. She had thought of everything, but she hadn't expected this person to bring explosives. She shouldn't have been so soft-hearted and kept Gu Hanjiao alive. She looked around; many of her brothers had lost their lives in the explosion, and those who hadn't were seriously injured. The rain had stopped sometime earlier, and a faint light of dawn was breaking in the east.

Her hand unconsciously went to her abdomen. She could feel that although the baby was a little uneasy, there was nothing wrong with him. Thinking of this, Gu Qingwan smiled. As expected of her and Xiao Jingchen's child, he was not afraid of such a scene. His father would be proud of him if he knew.

As the smoke gradually dissipated, the scene before her caused Gu Qingwan's pupils to constrict—a charred crater had been blasted into the spot where Zhao Yuanlang had self-destructed, and five or six corpses lay scattered around it, some of them rebel soldiers, others of the royal guards. Further away, the remaining rebels were fleeing in disarray.

An unprecedented rage ignited within her, instantly consuming all reason. Gu Qingwan picked up a longsword from the ground; its tip trembled slightly in the rain.

"Leave no one alive." Her voice was as cold as ice, yet everyone around her could hear it clearly.

"I said, leave no one alive!" Gu Qingwan turned her head sharply, and the murderous intent in her eyes made even the seasoned Commander Li take a half step back.

Without another word, she picked up her sword and chased after the fleeing rebels. Rain streamed down her cheeks, indistinguishable from tears.

"Follow the Princess!" Commander Li finally realized what was happening and led his soldiers to follow closely behind.

Gu Qingwan moved through the rain like a vengeful demon. She caught up with the first rebel, and with a flash of her sword, he collapsed, clutching his throat. The second rebel turned and saw her, and, terrified, knelt and begged for mercy, only to be pierced through the heart by her sword.

"You dared to come to the Prince's mansion, you should have known what would happen to you." Gu Qingwan's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, yet it sent the remaining rebels flying with fear.

The Prince's Garden became a battlefield. Gu Qingwan, leading the palace guards, cornered the remaining twenty-odd rebel soldiers and began a one-sided massacre. Some tried to escape by scaling the wall but were riddled with arrows; others knelt and begged for mercy, only to be hacked to death.

Blood mingled with rainwater, forming streams on the bluestone slabs. Gu Qingwan stood in the pool of blood, her sword rising and falling tirelessly. Her clothes were already soaked in blood, her hair disheveled, yet she remained breathtakingly beautiful—if one ignored the crazed killing intent in her eyes.

"stop!"

A clear male voice suddenly came from the garden entrance. Gu Qingwan slowly turned around and saw a young man in silver armor standing there with a troop of soldiers. Rainwater streamed down his armor, outlining his tall and straight figure.

Gu Qingwan revealed a wicked smile.

"What, Lu Yan, you bug, why aren't you hiding in the shadows anymore?"

"Qingwan, if you've thought it through, come with me. You know how I feel about you."

"Insolence!" Commander Li and Xiao Bing stood directly in front of the Princess. This was still the Chu Prince's residence. How could the heir of the Marquis of Yi'an speak so arrogantly? If the Prince knew, he would surely tear this man to pieces!

"You really are a bug. Not only will you not be able to take me with you today, you will also be going to die here."

The rain soaked Gu Qingwan's skirt, and Lu Yan noticed her slightly protruding belly. He squinted and said unhappily, "You're pregnant."

"Stop looking at me with those bug-like eyes of yours."

"Qingwan, come with me and get rid of this child. I will treat you well. You should know that I am the only one in this world who will treat you well."

The night was as dark as ink, and a cold wind howled past, swirling withered leaves. Marquis Lu Chen of Yi'an, draped in a black cloak, galloped on his horse, followed by more than ten elite guards led by Ning Chengze, the second young master of the Ning family.

"My lord, ten miles ahead lies the west gate of the capital!" Ning Chengze said in a low voice, his tone carried on the wind, sounding particularly cold and stern.

Lu Chen's face was grim, his eyes surging with murderous intent: "That wretched boy Lu Yan, does he really dare to collude with rebels and besiege the Chu Prince's residence?"

Ning Chengze gritted his teeth: "It's absolutely true! He not only led troops to surround the Chu Prince's residence, but also..."

Before the words were finished, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance, faintly mixed with a woman's angry shouts and a man's maniacal laughter.

Lu Chen's pupils contracted sharply, and he spurred his horse: "Giddy up—!"

Outside the Chu King's palace, flames soared into the sky.

Lu Yan, his brocade robe stained with blood, held a long sword, surrounded by dozens of black-clad assassins. He stared at the Chu Princess, who was cornered, and grinned maliciously: "Your Highness, you'd better surrender obediently! The King of Chu is dead, why struggle any longer?"