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

My name is Zhu Xiaoyan. My mother is Princess Zirui. Even the Emperor and the Prince of Chu have to call my mother "Aunt". Although my father does not hold any official position, he is from a prominent family that is admired by scholars all over the country.

With such a background, I should have been pampered and spoiled growing up, but things turned out differently than I expected.

During my trip to the capital to accompany my maternal grandfather, a spring banquet brought me to know Lu Yan, the heir apparent of the Marquis of Yi'an.

The prince was a mature and steady person. Standing in the crowd, although he didn't talk much, he was so captivating that it was impossible to look away. Every move he made seemed to touch the hearts of others. At that time, I thought to myself, what kind of woman could be worthy of such a handsome and talented man with such a good family background?

The girl I was close to at the time teased me, saying, "Xiaoyan, since you admire the prince so much, you should get to know him. You don't know, the prince is not yet engaged, and there are quite a few girls in the capital who secretly admire him."

"You must be joking. I'm just marveling at how many talented young people there are in the capital."

"Xiaoyan, you don't come to the capital often. There are many talented young people in the capital. By the way, would the old prince like to keep you in the capital?"

"I don't know. Oh dear, don't make wild guesses. How could someone like the Crown Prince be someone I could possibly know? I'll be heading back after two days of fun in the capital."

"Oh, that's such a pity..."

The young woman's sigh unknowingly touched my heart. As I was leaving, I couldn't help but glance at that person again, and just then, that person looked at me too. With that one glance, I knew I would never forget that person for the rest of my life.

Sure enough, not long after I returned home, my maternal grandfather arranged for someone to introduce me to some eligible bachelors. Every day, I would listen to the nanny arranged by my maternal grandfather in the warm pavilion, telling me about the bachelors that my maternal grandfather had his eye on. They were all quite eligible, but I couldn't concentrate on listening to them. My mind was always on that one person.

That day, my grandfather asked me, "Xiaoyan, have you found someone you like? Cough cough cough."

I instinctively wanted to shake my head. Actually, I had no idea what the old woman was talking about these days. My mind was filled with that person's image. But when I saw my grandfather coughing until his face was red and his lips were white, I panicked.

My maternal grandfather was in poor health, yet he worked tirelessly day and night for my sake. I also knew that my mother sent me to the capital this time hoping to use the remaining influence of my maternal grandfather's royal family to secure a good marriage for me.

"Grandfather, don't worry, have some water."

"Alas, Xiaoyan, you are a good child, but I don't know how much longer your grandfather's health will hold. Your mother..." Speaking of his mother, his grandfather felt a pang of grief. "Your mother was my only child. I had hoped to find her a good husband after careful consideration. The Zhu family is a prestigious family, having served three emperors, and their disciples are countless. Your father's talent was comparable to that of a top scholar, but I never imagined that heaven would be so jealous of his talent, taking your father away from you and your mother so early. Cough cough cough..."

“Grandfather, please don’t think like that, it’s all…” I didn’t know how to persuade my grandfather anymore. I remembered that my mother had said something similar at home, and unconsciously I said the words that my mother always said: “Maybe it’s all fate.”

For a moment, both grandfather and grandson fell silent. Who could argue with that? It was all fate, a cruel twist of destiny.

To avoid upsetting my grandfather, I casually pointed to the people on the roster, though I didn't really know who I was pointing to.

“Grandfather, I think this person is very good. Why don’t you take a look at him?”

My grandfather looked at the name I was pointing to on the roster, and his brows furrowed involuntarily.

Are you sure it's this person?

I had no interest in finding out who this person was. I just figured that since they were on this roster, they must have been selected by my grandfather, so it couldn't be too far off. I nodded without hesitation.

I don't know how I left, but I knew in my heart that the capital city might be my final destination. I only hoped that I could be luckier than my mother and find a husband to grow old with, so that I wouldn't suffer the same hardships as her. My mother was a princess, and she still had a difficult life. If it were a woman like me with no status, perhaps...

It wasn't until the day the matchmaker came to my door that I realized that the person I was referring to that day was actually Lu Yan, the heir of the Marquis of Yi'an. At that moment, my mood was like a swing, going up and down, but I was ultimately overjoyed.

Before my wedding, my mother came to the Prince's Mansion in the capital to prepare for my marriage.

"Xiaoyan, your mother can tell that you are very satisfied with the heir of the Marquis of Yi'an, but Xiaoyan, have you really thought it through?"

What does "mother" mean?

"Xiaoyan, Lu Yan is a man of exceptional looks, a man of both literary and martial talents, and his family background is also impeccable. However, his family is too complicated. Although he is the heir apparent, his stepmother passed away early, leaving him and his sister alone. The Marquis of Yi'an has remarried, and his wife is not much older than you. With such a young mother-in-law, I'm afraid your future days will not be easy. Not to mention anything else, you will have to worry about who controls the household affairs."

“Mother, don’t worry. The Crown Prince told me that after I marry into the family, I will naturally be in charge of managing the household affairs. He will not allow that woman to control the entire Marquis’s mansion.”

Her mother was still a little worried. She said, "Originally, I was thinking of having your maternal grandfather find someone with a clean and respectable background, but you have taken a liking to that kind of family. There is bound to be a lot of fighting. Also, you and Lu Yan have some differences in your lifestyle and values. In the future, when you live behind closed doors, Xiaoyan, your maternal grandfather and I will not be by your side. Can you really...? Otherwise, you should think about it. Let's find someone who is easier to manage. That way, even if your mother is no longer here, I won't be worried."

I didn't take it to heart. I knew what my mother was worried about, but I felt that she was going a bit too far.

"Mother, although our Zhu family doesn't hold official positions in the court, our descendants are scattered throughout the land. Although the Marquis of Yi'an is a marquis, he is not favored by the emperor. Compared to that, with my family's support, I can't be considered to be marrying above my station. If we're being serious, my mother is still a princess, and my maternal grandfather is still a prince. They have no choice but to respect me; how could they dare to bully me? As for the heir you mentioned, although we haven't met many times, I think he is a responsible and capable person. He is a sunny man with ambition. He will definitely not let his daughter suffer in the future. Moreover, we get along very well, whether discussing classics, historical records, novels, or miscellaneous topics. Mother, you don't know how rare it is that your daughter has found such a compatible person!"

Perhaps I was too engrossed in my speech and overlooked my mother's hesitant expression. At the time, I was filled with longing for this marriage.

Every day, the Crown Prince would have some fun little things sent in. He was very polite and never came to see me alone. He would just personally deliver the things to the door and have someone pick them up. Even so, I was secretly delighted. Every thing the Crown Prince sent suited my taste. To be cared for by such a person, I was probably the happiest bride in the world.

From our first meeting to our engagement and then to our wedding, it didn't even take a year before our wedding day arrived.

On my wedding day, I got up early and, with the help of the matchmaker, I dressed up. Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt both nervous and secretly delighted. A year had passed, and my mother and the others said it was too short, but I felt it was too long. I couldn't wait to marry the prince and be with him as soon as possible, to share his burdens, and to share his joys and sorrows and support the family of the Marquis of Yi'an. Fortunately, that day finally arrived.

I dared not eat or drink anything. After hurriedly getting dressed, I sat in my boudoir waiting. At first, it was quite lively outside, but as the auspicious time drew closer, the footsteps outside became more and more hurried. There was no other reason than that the prince had not yet come to arrange the marriage.

Fortunately, the young master arrived just before the auspicious hour. The explanation given to the Marquis of Yi'an's residence was that the young master had drunk too much and passed out because he was too happy about the wedding last night. He couldn't be woken up this morning, and they managed to get him to drink several bowls of hangover soup. After waking up, he came here to pick up the bride without stopping. In fact, the young master was still not sober.

There was no other way; the matter was already settled and had to be resolved. The marriage had reached this point and had to continue.

Life after marriage was just as I had imagined. The prince was gentle and considerate to me, and he did everything I asked. My mother-in-law was always smiling at me, and my father-in-law was extremely satisfied with me. I think I must be the happiest woman in the world.

Although my father-in-law was not at home, Madam Chen was very meticulous. From the beginning, she entrusted me with the management of the household affairs. It was the Crown Prince who said he wanted to take me out to play and temporarily not care about the affairs of the household, so that we, the newlyweds, could relax. For this reason, the Crown Prince even took leave from his post and accompanied me to send my mother back to Jiangnan.

After we returned, I became pregnant, and my mother-in-law was even more afraid to let me overwork. I originally thought this was for my own good, but at the same time, the prince stopped coming into my room. My mother-in-law said that we were young and didn't know what was important, and that we should take good care of our first child.

"Xiaoyan, this is our first child. Let's be patient and I'll come to be with you when the baby is a little older. You know how I feel about you. Only your mother has experience giving birth in the family, so don't worry. Your mother is a very good person. Just focus on your pregnancy."

"Your Highness, rest assured, this is my first child, and I will be very careful."

The Crown Prince is virtuous and has never had any concubines or maids. All the sisters in the family listen to him. If anyone disrespects me, the Crown Prince will stand up for me immediately. My mother-in-law sends a constant stream of tonics to our courtyard. She makes sure I eat the tonics and take the medicine to prevent miscarriage before she can go back to rest in peace. I don't think even my mother could do that.

From then on, the young master never came to my room again. Even when he occasionally came to have dinner with me, he would be called away by Madam Chen in various ways. Gradually, rumors began to circulate in the mansion about the young master and Madam Chen. At first, I didn't believe it and even scolded the servants who spread rumors. But as time went on, even I began to have doubts.

Until one day, when the Crown Prince was having dinner with me in the courtyard, Cuiying, who was by Lady Chen's side, came.

"Greetings to the young master and his wife. The wife has sent me to invite the young master to the courtyard."

Lu Yan frowned subconsciously, looking quite displeased.

"Is there anything Mother wants to tell me?"

Cuiying seemed a little apprehensive, and it was unclear what was wrong with her. "Madam said there's a problem with the accounts and she wants the young master to come and discuss it..."

Lu Yan's brows furrowed even deeper. He slammed down his chopsticks and bowl, startling Cuiying so much that she knelt on the ground.

Perhaps because of my pregnancy, I was also a little tired and wanted the young master to stay with me until I fell asleep, and then I would go to Madam Chen's place the next day. However, Madam Chen sent people to invite me again and again, and in the end, the young master still went.

I couldn't sleep either. Looking at the pitch-black night outside, I inexplicably put on my clothes and followed them. But I never expected to see Lu Yan and his stepmother having an affair. This scene shocked me. Little Chen seemed to have noticed me. I slipped and fell, and I lost the baby.

From then on, I exposed the most sordid things in the Marquis's mansion. My body has never recovered since the miscarriage. I know that Lu Yan and Madam Chen will not let me get better. They will definitely find a way to kill me. Unfortunately, I am all alone in the capital and have no way to do anything but wait to die.

It wasn't until a girl named Su Xi appeared in the Marquis's mansion that I felt a vibrant life had emerged from this filthy mire. Every day, Miss Su would come to my place to keep me company and talk about interesting things happening outside. Later, my people found out that Madam Chen actually wanted to wait for me to die so that Su Xi could become Lu Yan's second wife. Su Xi was her niece, and her simple and kind personality made her easier to control.

I thought Su Xi felt the same way. But after several tests, I found that Su Xi was not deceived by Lu Yan, that hypocritical and sanctimonious man. She did not want to enter the Marquis's mansion to become the so-called wife of the heir. So I was relieved. I only wanted to treat this girl better and give her the life I had not completed.

How could such a pure and beautiful person appear here?

The Second Prince, who is in cahoots with Lu Yan, is a homosexual. He has his eye on Su Xi's older brother, Su Che, who is a promising young man. Su Che is willing to do anything for the Second Prince, Lu Yan. The Second Prince, Lu Yan, and Madam Chen are in cahoots to plot against the Su siblings.