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

"Let them come forward now that they're here. It just so happens that the Prime Minister is also accusing them."

When the Hulun prince came to court, he performed a traditional Northern Rong ceremony for the emperor. The emperor expressed his respect for their traditions and did not pay much attention to it.

“Your Majesty, I knew that Lord Gu would definitely come to the Emperor to complain. Coincidentally, I have come to your court from afar and have no relatives or friends. Now that my brother and I have been bullied, we have to rely on the Emperor to stand up for us.”

It was only then that the Emperor realized things were not so simple. He looked at the Prince of Chu, who gently shook his head at the Emperor, his meaning clear: this matter was not suitable to be discussed in public.

His Majesty the Emperor already understood the situation and instructed, "Third Prince."

"My son is here."

"I remember that you were in charge of handling the Dragon Boat Festival matters, but now this has happened. You need to explain this to me."

"Your Majesty, I..."

“Father,” the Crown Prince stepped forward, interrupting the Third Prince’s reply, “I believe that Your Majesty still needs to handle some matters concerning the people in court. As for the matter of the princess and the Gu family’s daughter, it would be more appropriate for Your Majesty to handle it personally after court.”

"The Crown Prince is right." The Emperor nodded. He had raised the Crown Prince himself, and the Crown Prince understood him very well. The Crown Prince was resourceful yet compassionate, and while kind, he also possessed the ruthlessness expected of an emperor. In short, the Emperor was very satisfied with him.

"Someone, take the prince to the side hall to rest for a while. He's come so early, he probably hasn't had breakfast yet. Tell the imperial kitchen to prepare something."

"Your Majesty! This old minister..." Gu Ziming wanted to say something, but was interrupted by the emperor raising his hand.

"Prime Minister Gu seems to have no interest in state affairs. I understand, my dear minister. Let's take Prime Minister Gu with us so he can have some morning tea and calm down. After court, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, one of you will be in charge of receiving guests and the other will be in charge of the Dragon Boat Festival arrangements. You will both come to the Imperial Study."

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty!" Prince Hulun was quite decisive and followed the eunuch who led the way, acting as if he knew His Majesty would stand up for him and his sister.

Gu Ziming, however, looked somewhat displeased. Not only had he failed to get the Emperor to make a decision for him in court, but he had also been asked to leave.

Gu Ziming sat in the side hall, eating the morning tea served by eunuchs and maids. He calmed down for a moment. Yes, he had been too impulsive and hadn't thought things through. If he dealt with it openly in the hall, the emperor would be in a difficult position. No matter how he handled it, it would be impossible to satisfy both sides. He might be a victim, but now he seemed to be acting aggressively.

Moreover, this is not a matter between ordinary officials; it involves neighboring countries. One wrong move and it could ignite war. Thinking of this, Gu Ziming broke out in a cold sweat. He had been an official for many years and had always been cautious. How could he be so impulsive now? He thought about it and realized that it must be because his wife had been crying to him all day yesterday, which had clouded his judgment.

Prime Minister Gu has finally found a reason: the pillow talk has made him lose his mind.

At this moment, Gu Ziming grew increasingly disgusted with Wang Ruyan and her daughter who was always causing trouble, as well as her unambitious son who always gave him endless worries. This reminded him of the gentle and understanding woman outside.

"Your Excellency, His Majesty has summoned you all to the Imperial Study." A young eunuch came over respectfully to announce this.

"Please lead the way, young eunuch."

"You're too kind, sir. Please come with me."

The Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Prince of Hulun from the Northern Rong had already arrived in the Imperial Study. In addition to these three, the Prince of Chu was sitting upright in the seat bestowed by the Emperor, drinking tea, as if he had been forcibly dragged here to be a spectator.

Indeed, it was the Emperor who kept the Prince of Chu here. He didn't need to do anything; he could just sit there and drink tea.

"Alright, everyone's here. Tell me what happened? Who wants to go first?"

"Let His Highness the Crown Prince speak; he is more impartial," suggested the Northern Rong prince.

The King of Chu subtly narrowed his eyes, a slight smile appearing on his lips, before blowing on the teacup at his lips and continuing to drink his tea, ignoring the commotion.

The crown prince, whose name was called, stepped forward and said, "Father, yesterday I was ordered to accompany the prince and princess to watch the dragon boat race. I was by Prince Hulun's side the whole time. As for the specifics... I really didn't see it with my own eyes. I have heard some things, but I'm afraid that if I say something, it might reveal something or be inconsistent with the facts, and I might wrong someone. That would not be good."

"Then I'll make the decision and let Lord Gu speak first."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I was careless in my thinking during the morning court session and caused you trouble. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me." Gu Ziming knelt down to plead guilty.

"I understand that you are worried about your daughter. Please help the Prime Minister up."

There was no need for anyone to actually help her up. Gu Ziming, with his keen sense of propriety, got up and said, "Yesterday, my daughter went to see the dragon boat races. Perhaps she offended Princess Nazha with her words. The princess actually threw my daughter from that building into the river below. If the river hadn't been so calm, my daughter would probably have died long ago."

After saying this, Prime Minister Gu burst into tears.

"Why doesn't Your Majesty tell the whole story? I'm still here, and you're still beating around the bush and only telling half the story? Your Majesty, the daughter of your Prime Minister not only mocked my Northern Rong as a defeated nation and said that my Northern Rong was useless, but she also dared to beat my royal sister! My royal sister has been pampered by her father and mother since she was a child, and this is the first time she has ever been beaten. How could she tolerate this! If your princess were beaten, wouldn't she fight back?"

The emperor thought to himself that if anyone dared to hit his daughter, he, as her father, would tear them apart with his own hands, without her even lifting a finger. Of course, he couldn't say it aloud, since this was his subject.

"Where was the beating? Prince of Beirong, watch your words!"

"With so many people watching, even if my wording was inaccurate, didn't Miss Gu slap my sister's face and make it swollen? Do I need to summon Princess to come and show the Prime Minister whether the handprint on her face matches Miss Gu's hand?"

"you!"

"What kind of nonsense is this? One minute they're beating the princess, the next they're throwing a noblewoman into the water. What's going on?" the Emperor asked, feigning a headache.

At this moment, the Third Prince, who had been silent all along, spoke up. The moment he saw Gu Ziming today, he was reminded of the humiliation he had suffered yesterday because of Gu Ziming and his daughter. It was as if his face, as a prince, had been rubbed into the ground.

"Your Majesty, I have entrusted this year's Dragon Boat Festival to you. I have failed in my duty. Please punish me."

"Oh? Then you tell us."

"Both sides are right. Princess Nazha came to see me, and I should have treated her well. However, the competition is about to start, and I need to host it. So I asked Miss Gu to help entertain the princess. I thought it would be more convenient since we were all women. Although I wasn't there when the incident happened, I asked the people around me. Indeed... Miss Gu spoke rudely and angered Princess Nazha. During the argument, Miss Gu slapped the princess, and the princess threw her down."

When Gu Ziming heard that the Third Prince was not on his side, he realized that the situation was not good. The Third Prince was indeed angry about what happened yesterday, and he might even break off the engagement. This would not do. The Third Prince's maternal family was the number one imperial merchant family in the world, and their wealth was comparable to that of a country. The Third Prince was also a promising young man. Gu Ziming did not want to lose this marriage.

But what remedial measures are available now?

The Emperor understood and looked at the people below with a somewhat displeased expression. He wondered why Gu Ziming, as the Prime Minister, was becoming increasingly unreliable in handling affairs, which displeased him. Moreover, the princess who was sent for a marriage alliance did not act like a defeated country seeking a marriage alliance. Was she looking down on him?

"Then what do you intend to do?" the Emperor asked in a low voice, his face displeased.

"Your Majesty, my brother and I have come from afar on the orders of our father. To show our sincerity, we have sent our most beloved daughter from the Northern Rong to marry into this peace alliance. This is my sister's dowry list. Your Majesty can see the sincerity of the Northern Rong."

Fuming presented the gifts brought by the Northern Rong prince. The emperor was immediately impressed by the sincerity shown. The gifts included not only fine horses, jewels, and silver from the Northern Rong, but also food seeds that the Great Qing Dynasty lacked. Most importantly, they included two prefectures. Bringing them back in this way would save the emperor a great deal of trouble. The emperor nodded in satisfaction.

"So my sister Wang definitely didn't do it on purpose, Lord Gu. I have already sent someone to deliver the owed gifts to your residence. My sister Wang has been spoiled by us and has become a bit willful. Fortunately, Miss Gu is not seriously injured. I hope that the Prime Minister can be tolerant and forgiving."

The Northern Rong have already lowered their stance so much, it would be too embarrassing if Gu Ziming still didn't appreciate it. But it would be too frustrating to let Gu Ziming swallow his anger.

The Crown Prince said, "It is better to resolve enmity than to perpetuate it. If the Prime Minister has any requests, he may raise them before the Emperor. We will make amends as much as we can."

Gu Ziming did not speak.

“Prime Minister, are you still troubled by what you said yesterday about the damage to your family’s reputation? It’s alright, I can ask for Miss Gu’s hand in marriage,” said Prince Hulun.

It would have been better if the name hadn't been mentioned, because this reminded the Third Prince Xiao Yuheng of what happened in the courtyard yesterday, making him furious.

Xiao Yuheng saw through his father's thoughts and now needed to find a way for his father to back down. So the Third Prince stepped forward and said, "Actually, I went to see the Second Miss yesterday and also asked the imperial physician, who said that she was fine and would be better after two days of rest. I also went to visit the Princess. Although she has servants, she is still a young lady and doesn't have that much strength. She should be better by tomorrow. Moreover, the Northern Rong prince's apology was indeed very sincere. Your Excellency should prioritize the overall situation and try to settle things peacefully."

"Third Prince, you!" Gu Ziming was somewhat shocked, and his heart grew increasingly uneasy.

"Furthermore, there's no need to trouble Prince Hulun. Miss Gu and I are of one mind. It's alright for her to suffer some grievances for the sake of my father and my Great Qing Dynasty. As long as she is safe and sound, I will be at ease and I don't care about anything else."

"Oh? It sounds like the Third Prince and the Second Miss are getting married soon?"

The Third Prince was elegant and composed, but he smiled without saying a word. Only he knew how unhappy he was inside, as if he had been forced to swallow a rotten egg.

"That's for the best. We can turn a big problem into a small one and a small one into nothing. Besides, both sides are girls. If Princess Nazha stays behind for the marriage, she might become close friends with the Second Miss. As the saying goes, 'No fight, no friendship.' In a few days, when things are better, I will have the Crown Princess host a banquet to mediate between them."

Gu Ziming was initially somewhat displeased, thinking that the Third Prince was angry and prepared to abandon the marriage. However, he himself said in front of His Majesty the Emperor that he did not care, which made the Third Prince appear to be magnanimous, considerate of the overall situation, and loyal.

This pleased the Emperor greatly, so he smiled and said, "I am very pleased that the Third Prince is so sensible. However, I will not let the Crown Princess spend any more money. Let me be the peacemaker. The fifteenth of this month is an auspicious day. I will host a banquet in the palace to entertain the Northern Rong delegation. To be honest, I have been too busy and have not yet been able to properly host a welcoming banquet for you."

"Your Majesty is too kind. During my stay, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, especially the Third Prince, have made all the arrangements perfectly. My brother and I have felt right at home."

"Hahaha, very well, Lord Gu, please forgive the willful Princess Nazha for my sake. When the palace banquet is held, bring the Second Miss here, and I will make amends and bring some joy to your family!"

Since the Emperor had said all that, Gu Ziming felt a little better. The Emperor had not forgotten his hard work as the Prime Minister. As for compensation, it was basically just issuing an imperial decree to grant the marriage. Compared to the Empress's decree, the imperial decree carried much more weight. The Emperor had given him enough face, so he would naturally act accordingly.

"With Your Majesty's approval, it is naturally the best. My daughter is also spoiled by me and willful, otherwise she would not have caused today's trouble. I hope the Prince of Beirong will not take it to heart."

"No, no, girls from Beirong are really willful. My sister even dared to hit me."

"Haha, Princess Nazha has a forthright personality." The Emperor nodded.

The King of Chu, who had been sitting to the side as if he were invisible, stood up with a cold face and said, "Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now."

"Alright, alright, go ahead. I'm going to the inner palace to discuss the palace banquet with the Empress. Crown Prince and Third Prince, you've both been busy lately, so go to the palace and visit your mothers."

"Yes, Father. Your son and elder brother will go to pay our respects to Mother, and then we will go to see our mother," the Third Prince said dutifully. The Crown Prince didn't seem to care much about the Third Prince's attempt to make his presence known, and let him go.

His Majesty the Emperor waved his hand, dismissing them all.

Upon reaching the palace gate, the Northern Rong prince politely greeted the King of Chu, saying, "I haven't had a chance to speak with the King of Chu before. I never expected that the King of Chu would be so refined and elegant after taking off his armor."

"Your Highness is too kind."

Having said that, he left without giving the Northern Rong prince a chance to speak. The Northern Rong prince touched his nose, thinking to himself that the King of Chu was indeed an unyielding, stubborn rock.