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

Spring rain is always fine and continuous, a bit chilly and damp. Gu Qingwan returned to the courtyard and instructed the others to take turns watching over Ye, and asked Baoqin and Shishu to take Siqi to check if she was injured. She also told Ruhua to go to the kitchen to get some snacks.

After all that had happened, she couldn't sleep, which is why she decided to spend the night in this manor.

The Prime Minister's wife, whose real name was Wang Ruyan, came from a humble background and was of average appearance, but she was very cunning. She rose from a concubine to the position of Prime Minister's wife and even tried to embezzle her mother's dowry, of which this estate was one of them.

This manor, using the Ning family's name to bully men and women, ultimately became a reason to bring down the Ning family. It gave that person an excuse to say that the Ning family was deceiving their superiors and subordinates, disrespecting the emperor and harboring rebellious intentions. They ordered a thorough investigation of the Ning family and found so-called letters of treason, as well as weapons stored in this manor. In this life, Gu Qingwan is determined to nip this in the bud and close this loophole.

In her previous life, Wang Ruyan tricked Gu Qingwan into helping her manage her dowry, and made a lot of money off her. Now, it's time for the Prime Minister's wife to collect her interest.

After Baoqin helped Gu Qingwan light the lamp, she went to do what she was told. Gu Qingwan went to the table, took a small spoon, scooped some water into the inkstone, and was about to grind the ink when she heard a man coughing in the room.

"Cough cough cough..." A low cough came from inside the bed curtains.

Gu Qingwan paused in her grinding, inwardly cursing. Was this another elaborate scheme? Had she dealt with one wave, or had she been too careless to escape the second?

But everyone is busy right now, and she's all alone in the house. She can't panic. She touched the whip belt her grandfather had given her at her waist. If they really fought, she might not lose.

Thinking of this, Gu Qingwan steadied herself and continued grinding ink without stopping: "You've come uninvited, sir. I wonder if there's anything I can do to help?"

Springtime is rainy, and it seems to be raining again outside, accompanied by a chilly wind rustling through the bamboo grove. You can't hear the conversation inside unless you listen carefully.

"Hehe." The deep laugh indicated that the person was in an extremely relaxed state. "Miss, there's no need to be nervous. I'm just here to take shelter from the rain."

Upon hearing this person's voice, Gu Qingwan was startled. Even if she died again, she would never forget this voice that haunted her dreams. Her hands trembled slightly, not from fear but from excitement.

She suppressed her impulse, otherwise she really would have pounced on him without thinking, and she couldn't scare him away.

He was probably lying on her bed with no intention of getting up, as if he really was there to avoid the rain and had no other intentions.

"Since you're seeking shelter from the rain, I can arrange a guest room for you to rest comfortably."

"I'm really tired and don't want to move anymore. Staying here is the safest place for me. There are quite a few people outside the manor."

Gu Qingwan was immediately alarmed. She also smelled a faint scent of blood. Thinking that there was a group of people outside the manor, she mustered up her courage and went forward to pull back the bed curtains.

Lying on the bed was a tall man, soaked to the bone by the rain. His face was pale with an unnatural flush, suggesting he had a fever. The cause was likely an infection from the rain-soaked surgical wound on his arm. Gu Qingwan gasped when she saw the scar on the man's cheek.

The man touched his face: "What, did I scare you?"

“No.” Gu Qingwan shook her head. She wasn’t really scared. Instead, she was certain that he was indeed the current emperor’s only younger brother, Prince Chu, Xiao Jingchen. Prince Chu had been training on the battlefield since he was eleven years old, accompanying the emperor all the way. The two depended on each other for survival, and the emperor trusted him immensely. It could be said that he personally taught him everything from reading and writing to martial arts. After the emperor ascended the throne, in order to avoid suspicion, he went to guard the border like his maternal grandfather. The scar on his face was from when he was cut by an arrow while saving the emperor.

"Your Highness, where are your men? Will the outsiders come in? I'm afraid I don't have enough men with me," Gu Qingwan asked softly.

"You recognize me?" Xiao Jingchen asked, squinting.

Just then, Baoqin knocked on the door from outside. "Miss, the food is ready. Shall I bring it in for you?"

Gu Qingwan glanced at the person on the bed, closed the bed curtains, and went to the door. The person on the bed held a long sword in their hand, listening intently as the person opened the door and spoke.

"Give me the things, and you should go and rest too." Just then, Ning Yi and Ning Er rushed in from outside, and the person on the bed immediately held their breath.

"Miss, there are people outside the manor," Ning Yi said softly.

"Are you capable of handling this?"

"It's unclear at the moment, but I will protect Miss with my life."

"It's not that bad yet. Don't act rashly. Just pretend you don't know anything and keep an eye on them to see what they're up to."

"Yes."

Thinking that the person inside had a fever, she thought, "By the way, Baoqin, make a bowl of ginger soup. I think I might have caught a chill from the wind just now."

"Is Miss alright? Should we call a doctor?"

"There's a lot going on right now, and there are people outside. Keep an eye on the yard and don't wander around."

"Yes."

Hearing that the person had left, the person on the bed breathed a sigh of relief and continued to rest. It seemed that he was quite lucky tonight; who would have thought that Miss Gu would be here?

Outside, Gu Qingwan placed the food by the bedside, got up and rummaged through the box, finding wound medicine and wine. She then took out a large nightgown from her clothes box, which she used when she dressed as a man. She took a towel, lifted the bed curtains, and placed it by the bedside.

"Is this for me?" Xiao Jingchen raised an eyebrow.

Gu Qingwan didn't reply. She frowned when she saw the wet bedding, but didn't say anything and turned to leave. Before leaving, she set up the screen and lit incense. When Baoqin brought ginger soup to check on Gu Qingwan, she was reading at her desk and didn't notice anything unusual.

“There is ginger soup on the table. Drinking it will be good for Your Highness.” Gu Qingwan continued reading without looking up. “Ten years ago, Your Highness saved me in the lake in the back garden of the Prime Minister’s residence, so I will not harm you.”

A moment later, the man came out from the inner room, wearing clothes that Gu Qingwan had prepared. These were men's clothes that Gu Qingwan had prepared for herself, but now, on his tall frame, the trousers and sleeves were too short.

"Ahem, these are my usual men's clothes. They are new and I haven't worn them yet. They may not fit perfectly, but I hope Your Highness won't mind."

"It doesn't matter."

His wound was bandaged up. He walked to the table, looked at the bowl of ginger soup, hesitated for a moment, and then drank it all in one gulp.

"You still remember?" Xiao Jingchen asked, sitting at the table and looking at the woman who was reading a book with her head down.

"Ah."

Xiao Jingchen wasn't a talkative person to begin with, so he sat there eating the food Baoqin had brought him, and then quietly observed the woman in front of him.

He secretly returned to the palace, but people still found out. He was chased all the way, and this time he even paid people from the martial arts world to help him find out who they were.

He and his subordinates split up along the way to disperse the pursuit of the culprit. Taking advantage of the rainy night, he saw a manor with lights on that seemed to be very lively. He quietly climbed over the wall and saw the manor's maid fighting with the thief.

He looked at Gu Qingwan standing there alone, looking somewhat familiar but he just couldn't remember her. It turned out to be that little girl. It was rare that she still remembered him.

"My maid will be here soon, Your Highness, you should go to bed and rest."

Xiao Jingchen didn't say anything but obediently went to the bed. He needed to rest. He left a mark and waited for his guards to come find him.

He thought he wouldn't fall asleep, but he was too tired from traveling all night and dodging pursuers. He knew that the guards Gu Qingwan brought were not ordinary people, and he was safe for the time being. He actually fell asleep while smelling the girl's unique fragrance.

Gu Qingwan looked up at the bed, her heart filled with complicated emotions. She didn't know how she had run into the King of Chu at this juncture. Wasn't he guarding the border like her maternal grandfather? Why had he suddenly returned, and why was he being chased back?

Gu Qingwan thought of that jade-like face. Although it had flaws, it still couldn't hide his handsome features. Such a person had been in love with her in her past life. She wondered if things would change in this life.

Gu Qingwan's eyes darkened.