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

The Second Prince's wife was annoyed that the Second Prince had messed up at this crucial moment. If she couldn't explain herself clearly, she would become a laughing stock in the capital. People would be polite to her on the surface, but who knows what they would say about her behind her back.

"Oh dear, why are you trembling? Father Emperor told us to speak, Second Prince, why don't you speak?" The Second Prince's wife impatiently shoved the Second Prince.

Upon seeing this, the Emperor's eyes revealed a hint of displeasure. He glanced at Consort Yu with great displeasure. Consort Yu had been the matchmaker for the Second Prince's wife. Even if her own son was not very good, no one should be allowed to disrespect a prince like this.

Consort Yu received the Emperor's signal of displeasure, immediately sat up straight, and spoke softly: "Don't be in a hurry, Second Prince, think about it carefully. You're probably too scared to react yet."

The second prince wiped the sweat from his forehead, swallowed hard, and then slowly began to speak.

"Your Majesty, I drank too much at the banquet. They were discussing Miss Gu's poetry, which I found boring, so I left. I felt a little sleepy while walking in my garden, but I thought that there were female guests at the Prince Consort's place in the backyard, so it was inconvenient to go back. I happened to pass by the small pavilion, so I went in and took a nap."

"You've been sleeping? Why are you so disheveled?" the Emperor asked.

"I don't know either. Maybe he drank too much and felt hot, so he took his clothes off."

Those from Consort Yu's faction breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, as it at least proved that the Second Prince hadn't done anything else, had simply taken a nap, and coincidentally, the Third Prince and Gu Hanjiao had gone inside without knowing.

Actually, what the Second Prince said was partly true and partly false. He left his seat heading towards the small attic, as a servant reported seeing Miss Meng enter it. He went there simply to create a chance encounter and win her heart.

But this absolutely cannot be told the truth. Not to mention whether the Emperor and Empress would suspect him of having ulterior motives—after all, it's the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion, renowned for its military achievements—even Consort Yu and the Third Prince Xiao Yuheng would be wary of him. He and his mother already live under Consort Yu's command; if this…

Everything was going well, but somehow I felt dizzy as soon as I entered the room, and when I woke up I found myself in bed, disheveled.

Just then, Fuming came in to report, "Your Majesty, the Second Prince's mother, Consort Xiang, is kneeling at the door pleading for the Second Prince's life."

"Hmph, what's the point of her coming here to cause trouble? She knows nothing." The Emperor's words were full of disdain.

The second prince was even more depressed after hearing this. His mother was just a singing girl in the palace. She was only temporarily favored by the emperor because of Consort Yu. She knew in her heart that she was just a pawn used by Consort Yu to consolidate her favor. However, she was very lucky to get pregnant with a prince on her first try. But because of her low status, no one respected her. So she and her son had always depended on Consort Yu.

"Consort Xiang probably heard that His Majesty was questioning her here, and for some reason, she thought that the Second Prince had made some mistake, so she came to plead for him. In the deep palace, how could news travel so quickly? I only found out after I returned from Anqing. It's all out of a loving mother's heart, Your Majesty must understand." The Empress explained to Consort Xiang at just the right moment.

Gu Qingwan stood silently behind Madam Ning, inwardly giving the Empress a thumbs up.

This is a double entendre. Indeed, the inner palace is a closed-off place, and news of what is happening outside would not be timely. Even the Empress only found out because the eldest princess returned, so how could the Consort know faster than the Emperor?

However, Consort Yu was only focused on her Third Prince and did not notice the Empress's words or the changes in the Emperor's eyes.

Gu Qingwan was secretly praising him when she inadvertently caught a glimpse of the warning look in Prince Chu Xiao Jingchen's eyes. She immediately felt embarrassed, but then she thought to herself, "I haven't done anything wrong, so why should I lack confidence?"

Seeing Gu Qingwan's mischievous appearance, Xiao Jingchen felt somewhat helpless. What a reckless little girl, not even restraining herself in front of the Emperor.

Of course, the Emperor saw this scene and couldn't help but wonder if his brother, who was as stubborn as an iron tree, had suddenly developed feelings for someone. He thought, "Gu Qingwan looks pretty good, and someone raised by the Duke of Ningguo shouldn't be bad either. I should take some time to investigate her properly."

Consort Yu was just relieved that the Second Prince was no longer involved, as things would be much simpler from now on—it would simply be a charade of mutual affection. She was about to plead with the Emperor to explain when she noticed him staring intently at Gu Qingwan. Consort Yu's heart skipped a beat. Had the Emperor also taken a liking to that little girl? That wouldn't do! Instantly, her feelings for Gu Qingwan vanished.

“Yes, Your Majesty, the Empress is right. Consort Xiang is timid by nature and has only ever cared about the safety of the Second Prince. Please don’t blame her.” Consort Yu successfully drew the Emperor’s attention back.

"Alright, since this has nothing to do with you two, hurry back and don't cause any more trouble here."

"Your Majesty, I thank you!" The Second Prince and his wife kowtowed repeatedly. During this time, the Second Prince's wife dared not say a word, because she had also seen the warning look in Consort Yu's eyes and was afraid of making a wrong move.

"However..." The Emperor paused, "You two couldn't even manage a small banquet properly, and a fight broke out during the banquet, which damaged the royal family's reputation. Go back and confine yourselves for three months, Second Prince's Consort."

"My son is here."

"If you fail to manage the affairs of the household properly, go back and copy the 'Women's Virtue' text a thousand times, and send it to the Empress's desk five days later."

Gu Qingwan thought that the Emperor was punishing the Second Prince's wife for disrespecting the Second Prince. Sure enough, the royal family members were all petty. Even if they didn't like her, they would still protect her. However, with the Second Prince's wife's brain, even if you copied it ten thousand times, it wouldn't have any effect unless you explained it to her clearly. But the Emperor was very helpful. He then said...

"After you go back, don't just copy things. Think carefully about how to be a good wife and mother." The Emperor thought for a moment whether he should consider taking a concubine for his second son to help him. Otherwise, things would really be in chaos in the mansion. He would take some time to discuss the idea with the Empress.

"Your Majesty, please leave the children's affairs to me. You can rest assured." The Empress and the Emperor had been husband and wife for many years, and she immediately understood what the Emperor was thinking. This tacit understanding was something that Consort Yu had never experienced before. She couldn't help but feel jealous, but at this critical juncture, she dared not cause any more trouble.

"I have always trusted the Empress to handle things." The Emperor patted the Empress's hand, and Consort Yu noticed that the handkerchief in her hand was almost torn apart.

"Get out of here right now! Your mother is waiting outside!"

The Second Prince and his wife were scolded and driven away by the Emperor, but they were finally relieved. They wanted to get away from this troublesome place as soon as possible. Sigh, they would have to stay home and live a quiet life for a while. They should hurry back to their residence and see what kind of mess it was in.