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

The Dragon Guards quickly formed ranks, with six leading the way, four bringing up the rear, and the remaining two protecting the Empress Dowager on either side. Just as the procession left the Cining Palace, shouts of battle erupted in the distance, followed by a burst of flames soaring into the sky.

"Take the back path," the Empress Dowager commanded in a deep voice.

The commander of the Dragon Hidden Guards gave a hand gesture, and the group immediately turned into a hidden alley. The moonlight was blocked by the high walls, and they could only move forward by the light of the scattered torches. The wife of the Minister of Rites almost fell because she tripped on the hem of her skirt, but a Dragon Hidden Guard caught her just in time, steadying her without hurting her in the slightest.

"Thank you..." The lady was about to express her gratitude when she saw that the Dragon Guard had silently returned to his post, as if he had never left.

After turning around a palace wall, a group of black-clad guards suddenly appeared in front of them, their swords gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

"Halt! By imperial decree, no one is allowed to..." the lead guard shouted sternly.

Before he could finish speaking, the Dragon Shadow Guard commander raised his right hand, and a flash of silver light appeared. A willow-leaf dart was already lodged in the throat of the guard leader, and he fell to the ground with wide eyes. The remaining Dragon Shadow Guards pounced out like ghosts, and amidst the flashing blades, more than a dozen guards fell silently to the ground without even a scream.

The Empress Dowager raised her hand to signal the women not to look at the bloody scene, but she herself remained expressionless: "Continue walking."

Just as the procession rounded the corner, dozens of torches suddenly lit up the palace path ahead. A squad of archers blocked the way, their arrowheads gleaming coldly in the firelight.

"Fire!" the enemy general commanded.

"Protect the Empress!" the Dragon Guard commander roared, and the twelve men instantly formed a circular formation, protecting the Empress Dowager and her female relatives in the center. They took out black iron shields from their backs and accurately blocked the first wave of arrows. The arrows struck the shields with a clanging sound, like the knocking of death.

The Empress Dowager shielded the Empress behind her, her voice as steady as a rock: "Don't be afraid, the Dragon Guard's shields are forged from black iron; arrows cannot penetrate them."

Sure enough, after the second volley of arrows, the enemy's formation was slightly disrupted. The commander of the Dragon Guard seized the opportunity, took a bronze whistle from his waist, and blew a sharp whistle.

As soon as the whistle blew, dozens of dark figures suddenly leaped down from the palace walls on both sides—it was even more Dragon Guards! They landed silently like night owls, firing their short crossbows in rapid succession, and the enemy archers fell in droves before they could even react.

"Charge!" the Empress Dowager decided immediately.

The Dragon Guards changed formation, with shield bearers in front and the rest protecting the flanks, carving a bloody path through the chaotic enemy ranks. A concubine slipped on the blood and was about to fall into enemy hands when a Dragon Guard leaped to her aid, shielding her with his body from a sword, but was himself pierced through the shoulder.

"You..." The concubine was so shocked that she couldn't speak.

The Dragon Guard simply stood up silently, casually pressed a few acupoints on his shoulder to stop the bleeding, and quickly returned to his guard position, as if he were not the one who was injured.

After passing through the last palace gate, the Qianqing Palace finally came into view. However, the palace gate was tightly closed, and two rows of armored guards stood in front of it. Judging from their attire, they were the most elite "Iron Eagle Guards" of the Imperial Guard.

The Empress Dowager gestured for the procession to halt, squinting as she scrutinized the guards: "The Iron Eagle Guards should be stationed at Xuanwu Gate, why are they here?"

The Dragon Guard commander whispered, "Empress Dowager, forcing our way in might..."

“I know,” the Empress Dowager interrupted him, raising her voice suddenly, “I am the Empress Dowager of Daqing. Who dares to stop me from seeing my own son?”

The guards exchanged bewildered glances, and the leading general stepped forward with a stiff upper lip: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, but the Emperor has ordered..."

"The Emperor?" The Empress Dowager sneered. "Are you sure it was really the Emperor who gave the orders inside?"

The general was speechless, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

The Empress Dowager pressed on: "Commander Chen, when your father fought alongside the late Emperor to conquer the world, he certainly didn't teach you to aid and abet evil!"

Commander Chen's expression changed drastically; he clearly hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to recognize him. In that instant of hesitation, a piercing scream suddenly echoed from within the Qianqing Palace—it was unmistakably the Emperor's voice!

The Empress Dowager's expression changed drastically, and without further hesitation, she commanded, "Dragon Guards, break in for me!"

The atmosphere inside the Qianqing Palace remained strange. The Emperor, lying on the bed, seemed quite angry. "Your Majesty, you should save your energy," Consort Xi said coldly. "Writing the imperial edict is the priority."

Xiao Yuheng waved his hand, and someone immediately brought over the prepared writing materials and a blank imperial edict.

The emperor's gaze sharpened: "You think... you can succeed this way?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of orderly footsteps and the clanging of armor suddenly came from outside the hall. Xiao Yuheng's expression changed, and he turned sharply to look at the hall entrance.

"Report! Your Highness, something terrible has happened!" A bloodied assassin rushed in. "Large numbers of Imperial Guards have suddenly appeared at Xuanwu Gate and Zhuque Gate! Our men...our men have all been captured!"

Xiao Yuheng was struck dumb, looking at Consort Xi in disbelief: "You..."

Consort Xi had already retreated to a safe distance, a strange smile on her face: "The Third Prince, Xiao Yuheng, seized the opportunity of His Majesty's serious illness to stage a coup. The evidence is irrefutable. Why hasn't he been executed?"

"You wretch!" Xiao Yuheng roared, drawing his sword to charge at Consort Xi, but was suddenly kicked in the chest by someone who entered from the side gate, and staggered back several steps.

Xiao Yuheng was incredulous when he saw the person clearly; it wasn't the Emperor at all, but the Second Prince, Xiao Yuhuai.

"You didn't expect this, did you, Third Brother? This is a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

"why you!"

"Thanks to my third brother and Duke Wen for their planning, otherwise I would not have come this far. Guards! Duke Wen has rebelled! The Third Prince Xiao Yuheng forced the Crown Prince to death and is now trying to seize the throne. In order to protect my father, I have killed the traitor and captured the Third Prince Xiao Yuheng alive."

Xiao Yuheng was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of blood. He noticed that the blood was black and realized that he had been poisoned. Suddenly, he remembered that he had drunk a cup of wine at Consort Xi's place that afternoon.

"It's you! You bitch!"

"Third Prince, there's no need to be so shocked. I was originally someone you took from the Second Prince, so there's nothing surprising about it. I've just given you a little snack. As long as you behave, it's nothing serious, so don't worry," Consort Xi said expressionlessly.

At this moment, Xiao Yuheng looked at the dragon robe hanging in the distance, as if the dragon robe was already on his body. He had thought about this scene many times, but it was just a thought. Now it was finally going to come true.

"Hahaha, I've been waiting for this day for so long, and it's finally here!"

What's even more shocking is that the emperor, who had seemed to be on his deathbed, now stood up straight, his eyes shining brightly, showing no trace of illness.

"I have waited a long time for this day," the emperor said coldly. "You have all disappointed me greatly."

The palace doors were violently flung open, and dozens of fully armed imperial guards rushed in, surrounding Xiao Yuheng and his henchmen. Leading them were the Grand Tutor, who was believed to be "returning home to visit relatives," and the Left Chancellor, whose "son had been kidnapped," as well as the Crown Prince, who was already on the verge of death, now standing beside the Emperor with a ruddy complexion.

Xiao Yuheng's face turned ashen; he finally realized that he had fallen into a meticulously designed trap.

Consort Xi was already kneeling at the Emperor's feet, tears streaming down her face: "Your Majesty, please understand! After discovering the Third Prince's conspiracy, I pretended to cooperate, all so that we could wipe out the traitors today!"

The Emperor reached out and lifted Consort Xi's chin, his eyes filled with mockery: "My beloved consort is indeed commendably loyal."

Xiao Yuheng suddenly burst into wild laughter, his laughter filled with despair and madness: "Father! You think this vile woman is truly devoted to you? She has long been my woman! For three years, she has been spying on you, passing on messages, and in every bowl of medicine you've drunk..."

"Shut up!" Consort Xi interrupted sharply, turning to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, this traitor is desperate and resorting to slander!"

The emperor, surprisingly calm, replied, "I know."

Consort Xi was taken aback: "Your Majesty...?"

“I know everything.” The emperor released her chin, his tone as calm as if discussing the weather. “From your first secret meeting in the Imperial Garden to every detail of your conspiracy.”

Consort Xi's face turned deathly pale instantly, and she collapsed to the ground.

The emperor paced to Xiao Yuheng, looking at his once most beloved son: "Why do you think I suddenly became 'seriously ill'? Why were the Imperial Guards so easily bribed? Why were the palace gate guards suddenly reduced?"

Xiao Yuheng trembled all over, finally realizing that he had been like a foolish moth, willingly flying into the spider's carefully woven web.

“Why…” he asked hoarsely, “since you already knew…”

"Because I want to see just how ruthless my son can be," the emperor's voice suddenly aged considerably, "and I also want to see who in this deep palace is still trustworthy."

The Grand Tutor stepped forward: "Your Majesty, what should be done with the traitor?"

The emperor remained silent for a long time before finally turning around: "Xiao Yuheng is demoted to commoner status and immediately taken to the Imperial Clan Court. Consort Xi..." He paused, "...is granted a white silk ribbon."

Consort Xi let out a piercing scream and rushed forward to hug the emperor's leg: "Your Majesty, spare my life!"

Lost in his madness, Xiao Yuhuai was completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere. He was still clutching the dragon robe, lost in a deep hallucination. He imagined himself wearing the dragon robe, surrounded by beauties, with the Crown Prince and Xiao Yuheng begging him like dogs, and all the handsome men in the world, especially Su Che, pleasuring him from beneath him...

"Su Che, Su Che, I finally got you, hahahaha..."

At this moment, Su Che was standing beside the Crown Prince, and he couldn't help but feel disgusted by the person who kept calling his name.

The Crown Prince knew that Xiao Yuhuai was useless, yet he was blinded by a moment of joy and went mad.

Consort Xi kept backing away, "Impossible, absolutely impossible, Your Majesty, you clearly still have the Crown Prince and the others..."

"I'm afraid Consort Xi doesn't know that your medicines are all genuine. However, in front of Princess Chu, your things are nothing more than small snacks. Princess Chu has already neutralized those poisons."

Consort Xi felt as if she had been struck by lightning, her body collapsing to the ground. "Gu Qingwan, why is it always Gu Qingwan? I've already given the prince to her, why can't she just stay at home and be a good wife and mother? Why does she have to take him from me? When I wanted a man, she took him from me, and when I wanted power, she took it from me again. Why, why..."

Listening to Consort Xi's mutterings, the Emperor and the Crown Prince clearly did not understand what was going on.

"Father, what good is your meticulous planning?" Xiao Yuheng staggered to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth as he said, "Empress, Empress Dowager, the pregnant Crown Princess, and the officials' families are all in our hands, aren't they, Duke Wen?"

Duke Wen had no choice but to step forward at this moment.

"Your Majesty, you are getting old. Why not let one of the more capable princes ascend the throne, and you can peacefully remain the retired emperor? Besides, with the assistance of veteran ministers, the Third Prince will surely be more outstanding than the Crown Prince."

The prince, now treated like a dead man, touched his nose. It was indeed an unpleasant feeling to be ignored.

"Well, Third Brother, you don't need to worry about that. I've already sent someone to summon the Dragon Guards to protect Grandmother and Mother at the flower viewing banquet."

"The Dragon Guard!" Xiao Yuheng's pupils shrank, and he looked at his high and mighty father in disbelief. "Father, you actually gave the Dragon Guard to the Crown Prince!"

You should know that only the emperor is qualified to have the Dragon Guard. The fact that the emperor gave the Dragon Guard to the crown prince means that the crown prince will be the next emperor!

The Crown Prince shook his head and said, "Third Brother, you still don't understand what the Dragon Hidden Guard really means."

Xiao Yuheng sneered, "What does it mean? It's just power."

“The Dragon Shadow Guard has never obeyed any one person’s orders. This mysterious team has two tokens, one from the Emperor and the other in the hands of the Prince of Chu.”

"Everyone says that the Dragon Hidden Guard was founded by the late emperor. The Dragon Hidden Guard is destined to be an existence that cannot be seen in the world, responsible for protecting the true dragon emperor. The crown prince is right. The two tokens were made by the Empress Dowager herself for my brother and me. Your uncle and I agreed that the Dragon Hidden Guard would not be seen in the world. My token was given to your grandmother, and the other one is in your uncle's hands."

"What! It's actually in Uncle Chu's hands." Xiao Yuheng couldn't believe it. "Father, everyone says that emperors are inherently suspicious. Uncle Chu has the Dragon Guard in his hands. Aren't you worried that one day he will take over the throne?"

"Hehe, fool. If your royal uncle wanted this dragon throne, he only needed to ask, and I would naturally give it to him. Why bother with all this effort?"

"Since Father Emperor was willing to yield the throne, why can't he give it to his son?" Xiao Yuheng said unwillingly.

"Give it to you? You're a fool, and you don't believe me. If you had half of the Crown Prince or the Prince of Chu, I might be willing to consider granting you your wish. But look at what you've done; you've been completely outmaneuvered by your second brother."

Duke Wen sensed that something was wrong, so he quickly helped the Third Prince up and said, "Third Prince, stop arguing. It's easier for us to carry out our mission if the Dragon Hidden Guards aren't here!"

Outside the Qianqing Palace, the commander of the Dragon Hidden Guard waved his hand, and more and more rebels surrounded the palace, seemingly about to completely encircle it. The Empress Dowager and others were protected by the Dragon Hidden Guard in the very center.

"Your Majesty, the Duke said we must not harm you. But please rest assured, Your Majesty, the Duke is family to you and would not harm his own family. He is just discussing some family matters with the Emperor." Commander Zhao, the leader of the rebel army, said.

"I never knew that family matters could be discussed like this!"