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

"Since this matter has nothing to do with the Second Prince, then it's much simpler," the Empress said. "Just ask Miss Meng and Miss Gu, and the matter should be basically resolved, Your Majesty?"

"Hmm." The Emperor glanced at Old Madam Meng and Madam Ning sitting over there, already having his own plans in mind.

"Third Prince, you haven't said a word yet. Have you thought of how to explain this to me?"

"Your Majesty, you know what kind of character our Third Prince is. This time, someone must have done it on purpose to ruin his reputation. You must give my son justice!" Consort Yu pleaded with the Emperor, sobbing. "Miss Gu, think carefully about whether you went to that pavilion or saw any suspicious people while playing in the garden. You must testify for the Third Prince."

Gu Qingwan originally wanted to watch the show from the back, but Consort Yu had taken a liking to her and insisted on dragging her into the mess. If she testified for the Third Prince, wouldn't that mean Gu Qingwan had accepted the olive branch thrown by the Consort Yu?

"Besides, Miss Gu the Second is your own sister. She wouldn't mistake her own sister for someone else. Miss Gu, do you have some concerns?"

"Your Highness, what do you mean by this!" Madam Ning couldn't sit still upon hearing this. What did this mean? They had just cleared the Second Prince's name, and now they were trying to drag her Wanwan into it?

"Madam Ning, please don't be angry. We've all been through this, so how could we not understand what's going on between children?"

"Your Highness, although Qingwan and her sister were born into the Gu family, they are still half-sisters. Moreover, Qingwan was ordered to serve her maternal grandparents from a young age and rarely returned to the capital. She also had little time to spend with her sister. It is reasonable that her sister mistook her for someone else."

Gu Qingwan responded to Consort Yu with neither servility nor arrogance, indicating that she was unwilling to associate with Consort Yu.

"As for your concerns, Qingwan is new here and probably doesn't even know what the Third Prince looks like. I'm afraid she's willing but unable to testify for him." Gu Qingwan politely declined Consort Yu's offer.

“Why do you say you don’t know the Third Prince? Didn’t you meet him at the Caiyi Pavilion?” Gu Hanjiao immediately added.

"We did meet once, but given the dignity of the imperial family, how could Qingwan dare to peek? I kept my head down the whole time." Gu Qingwan faced the Emperor and Empress. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, just as Miss Meng said, we have always been together. Miss Meng was also Qingwan's first friend in the capital. We had a very pleasant conversation and felt like we had known each other for a long time. We did not go to the small pavilion. We only found out about what happened there afterward when we went there with the other ladies."

"Hmm, you are the granddaughter of the Duke of Ningguo?"

"Your Majesty has excellent judgment."

"Hahaha, it's not that I have good eyesight, but you look too much like the old lady when she was young. I was still young then, but I was fortunate enough to witness the old lady's charm. No wonder the old lady Ning was so fond of you, her granddaughter. You really do look alike."

"Your Majesty is too kind," Madam Ning replied. "My old lady, the Duke, and the General are most reluctant to part with this child, and we are also grateful for Your Majesty's kindness in granting our request back then."

"It has been many years since I last saw the old Duke and the Duke of Wei. Are they doing well over there?"

Weiguo is my uncle's name. I heard from my uncle that he and the emperor often studied and practiced martial arts together when they were young. After they grew up, he kept his promise and helped the emperor protect the country.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My maternal grandfather and uncle will be extremely grateful when they find out. They are still in good health, but they occasionally miss home, which is why they asked Qingwan to come back and spend more time with my maternal grandmother and aunt."

"Wanwan, don't talk nonsense!" Madam Ning scolded, then apologized to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, this child is still young and doesn't understand anything. Please don't blame her..."

"It's alright, we have indeed walked for a long time..."

“Your Majesty…” Consort Yu became restless when she saw the Emperor chatting casually with Gu Qingwan. “My son is still kneeling.”

"Third brother, have you thought this through?"

The Third Prince waited for a long time before finally being called upon by the Emperor. The Emperor deliberately didn't let the Third Prince speak, just to keep him waiting. After all, such things were just a trick used in the inner quarters.

The Emperor himself was also observing whether the Third Prince wanted Gu Hanjiao or whether Gu Hanjiao wanted to curry favor with the Third Prince. The difference between the two was huge. The Emperor knew that the Third Prince had ambitions to seize the throne. No matter how well he hid it, the Emperor, who had gone through the struggle for the throne, could see through the other party's thoughts better than anyone else.

Having appropriate ambition is a good thing, as it can help train the heir apparent, but if the ambition is too great, it needs to be properly tempered.

"Your Majesty, it was your son's foolishness, your son..."

"Your Majesty, please grant my request!" Gu Hanjiao could see through the Emperor's test. In order to win the Third Prince's heart, Gu Hanjiao had no choice but to bear this burden alone.

"Oh?" The Emperor looked at Gu Hanjiao with great interest.

"Your Majesty, I have long admired the Third Prince. Although what happened today was not my intention, I did hope that I had met the Third Prince. If it weren't for that hope, perhaps this undeserved disaster wouldn't have happened to him," Gu Hanjiao explained, kneeling on the ground.

"Unforeseen disaster?"

“Your Majesty is wise. When I went in with the Third Prince, the incense burner in the room was clearly faulty. Your Majesty can send the imperial physician to examine it, which will prove that my wife and the Third Prince were indeed framed by someone with malicious intent.”

"Your Majesty must do justice for the Gu family!" said Madam Gu.

When the Emperor heard that Gu Hanjiao had requested to examine the incense burner, the Empress nodded to him, indicating that she had made preparations in this regard.

"When I returned from Anqing, I had someone deliver the incense burner according to Miss Gu's wishes. I also sent someone to invite Physician Wang to take a look."

The Emperor nodded. He trusted Physician Wang; he had always been the one who checked the pulses of the Emperor and Empress, so he was considered reliable.

"Then bring them in for questioning."

Upon receiving the imperial decree, Fuming immediately went outside the palace and invited the Imperial Physician Wang, who was waiting there, in.

King Xiao Jingchen of Chu looked at Gu Qingwan, who smiled and gently shook her head at him. Xiao Jingchen couldn't help but chuckle to himself that he was just too worried. Although he had guessed that this matter was related to her, he should trust her. How could she not handle such a small matter?

However, Gu Qingwan is still involved. We need to find an opportunity to give her a prestigious status so that these people can't get involved.

As soon as Physician Wang entered the door, he knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your subject greets the Emperor, the Empress, and Consort Yu."

"Get up, let's get to the point."

"Your Majesty, I was ordered to examine the ingredients in the incense burner, and they are just ordinary incense with nothing wrong with them."

"How is that possible!" Gu Hanjiao exclaimed in surprise.

"Does Miss Gu have anything else to say?" the Emperor asked.

"Impossible! There can't be no problem!" Gu Hanjiao exclaimed in surprise, "Gu Qingwan, did you tamper with it?"