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

"You still have the nerve to cry!"

"Father! My sister was also an innocent victim!"

After returning home, Gu Ziming was furious and had nowhere to vent his anger, so he went to Madam's place. Coincidentally, Gu Hanjiao and Gu Changfeng were both in the main courtyard. Gu Ziming then gave Gu Hanjiao a long lecture, which made her cry.

"Shut up! You won't escape this time either! You're good for nothing, all you do is party and chase after cats and dogs. Look at you, you're not even a fraction like your father was back in the day!"

Gu Changfeng originally wanted to stand up for his sister, but ended up getting himself into trouble and quickly shrank back, not daring to say a word.

"Look at you, from childhood to adulthood, when have I ever not given you the best? I've given you whatever you wanted. In the early years, I was afraid you wouldn't have a good life, so I tried my best to make sure you and your mother had a better life. And this is how you repay me!"

Gu Ziming's beard was practically flying up.

"Father, I'm innocent too! I just want everything to go smoothly and peacefully, but... sob sob sob..."

"My lord, please don't blame my son anymore. If you must blame someone, blame me." Wang Ruyan felt sorry for her child. When she heard Gu Ziming say such things about her son, she was shocked and immediately apologized without thinking.

"Sigh! I've always told you to keep a low profile, but look at your reputation now! There's a whole line of matchmakers outside the door, all trying to propose marriage. What kind of people are they? They're insulting the Gu family! Your grandmother was so angry she fainted, woke up and fainted again, she was on the verge of death. Tell me what kind of mess you've made!"

Gu Hanjiao slowly figured it out. Her father must have tried to seek justice for her in court but didn't get any benefit. If she were really so unforgivable, her father would have sent someone to give her a rope to hang herself in her room long ago. So the reason he was still willing to curse her and her two children so recklessly was simply to vent his anger.

Having figured this out, Gu Hanjiao felt somewhat dissatisfied. No matter how much her father said he loved her, he would still abandon her without hesitation if his own interests were involved. However, she still needed to rely on the Prime Minister's Mansion and couldn't let him give up on her.

"Father! I'll go and take care of Grandmother right away. Once Grandmother is better, I'll become a nun to pray for the family's well-being, sob sob sob..." Gu Hanjiao cried with tears streaming down her face, a sight that was heartbreaking to see.

"Never mind, never mind." Gu Ziming waved his hand wearily.

"Master, what did they say in the palace? About Jiao'er's marriage to the Third Prince..." Wang Ruyan was still very concerned about this. If her daughter married the Third Prince, her son's position in the family would be more secure.

The mention of Gu Hanjiao's marriage made Gu Ziming feel a little better. He calmed down, drank a cup of tea, and then slowly said, "The Third Prince has deep feelings for Jiao'er, and His Majesty doesn't seem to blame him. So, he will probably bestow a marriage upon Jiao'er and the Third Prince at the Fifteen Palace Banquet to make up for our family's misfortune. So, it can be considered a blessing in disguise."

"Really!" Gu Changfeng found it hard to believe that his younger sister could become a prince's consort even in her condition.

"What do you mean, brother? Does that mean you wouldn't be surprised if your sister was rejected?" Gu Hanjiao was secretly pleased, but after hearing her brother's tone and seeing her expression, she couldn't help but ask.

"No, no, I'm overjoyed for you! My sister is beautiful and talented, the Third Prince will definitely not be able to let her go." Gu Changfeng flattered Gu Hanjiao profusely. You see, Gu Hanjiao is not only his sister, but also the future princess. If the Third Prince ascends the throne, he will definitely get his share of the benefits.

"Hmph, you at least know that your sister is good at everything, but what about you? You're a hopeless case, completely spoiled! Get back to your studies! The imperial examinations only come once every three years. If you don't pass them next year, don't blame your father for being impolite!"

"It's Father." Although Gu Changfeng was a big scoundrel outside, he was still very afraid of his father. After all, his father had always been very strict with him and would not hesitate to ask for family discipline if he said so.

Upon seeing this, Wang Ruyan gave her son a wink. Gu Changfeng, after receiving the signal, quickly and quietly withdrew, seemingly to follow Gu Ziming's advice and go to study. However, only he knew how much he disliked those books; the mere sight of those words gave him a headache and made him want to doze off.

A moment later, a steward came in to deliver a message: "Master and Madam, it is said that the apology gifts sent by the Prince of Beirong have arrived. I dare not let them in, and they are waiting outside the second gate."

Gu Ziming glanced at the list handed over by the steward and nodded in satisfaction: "Madam, you can handle it. The Emperor has allowed us to accept these things, so let's give them to Jiao'er as her dowry."

Wang Ruyan glanced at the list and thought it was full of good things, perfect for her daughter's dowry. However, Gu Hanjiao had a lot on her mind and nudged her mother with her elbow.

"Oh, by the way, sir, my daughter's wedding is coming soon, and I'm also thinking about the eldest young lady. She's a bit older than my daughter, so it's time to set a date for her marriage."

"Qingwan, you don't need to worry. She has the Duke's Mansion to take care of her. We don't need to worry about her." Gu Ziming pictured a face that seemed indifferent to the world. It was somewhat similar to his wife's features, but she wasn't as rigid and boring as her. However, she was still pitiful. Although she was in the Duke's Mansion, she was still living under someone else's roof. She was so thin. He wondered if she was doing well.

"Yes, yes, yes, the Duke's mansion will naturally make the arrangements for the eldest young lady. I have no intention of interfering with the eldest young lady's marriage. However, since Jiao'er is getting married, why don't you go home for a few days to see your own younger sister off?"

Gu Ziming thought to himself that he was somewhat reluctant to bring Gu Qingwan back, because if he brought it up, Old Madam Ning would definitely go to the palace to cry and complain about missing Gu Qingwan. The Emperor might even get angry with him because of this. At this critical juncture, Gu Ziming didn't want to cause any more trouble for himself.

"Let me think about it. Let's talk about it after the palace banquet." Gu Ziming felt that even if he didn't call Gu Qingwan home, his eldest daughter would still come back to see Gu Hanjiao off when she got married. Just from the fact that she took the initiative to come and bring clothes after Jiao'er fell into the water, he knew that Qingwan still cared about the Gu family and understood the principle that they would share both glory and loss.

"Where are you going, sir? Would you like to have a family reunion dinner tonight?" Wang Ruyan quickly asked Gu Ziming to stay when she saw him about to leave.

"I have something to do up ahead, so I won't be coming over tonight."

Seeing Gu Ziming leave without hesitation, Wang Ruyan felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Gu Hanjiao didn't notice her mother's subtle change; instead, she went to the table to look at the things on it. She saw that there were indeed some nice items, but they were all large items that couldn't be converted into cash.

"Mother, what will happen to my dowry if Gu Qingwan doesn't come back?" Gu Hanjiao muttered.

Wang Ruyan turned around and said, "Mother will find a way. Besides, I still have some savings over the years, plus what your father gave us years ago, it's not bad. And at that time, not only will the public fund contribute a portion, but your grandmother will also have to contribute a portion."

"Grandmother?" Gu Hanjiao thought that her grandmother was a very stingy person, and her father was an extremely filial son. Perhaps she really had a lot of good things. Women valued their reputation highly when they got married. The more dowry they had, the more important they were. But even with the betrothal gifts from the palace, Gu Hanjiao still felt that something was missing. If Gu Qingwan couldn't come back for the time being, she could start with her grandmother.

Gu Hanjiao clenched her handkerchief tightly, thinking: "Grandmother, if you cooperate well, I will definitely appreciate your kindness. If you don't cooperate well, then don't blame your granddaughter for being impolite."

So in the days that followed, Gu Hanjiao went to her grandmother's house every day to pay her respects and serve her, more often than before. At first, the old lady would scold Gu Hanjiao whenever she saw her, but Gu Hanjiao was not angry and still waited in the courtyard.

Strangely enough, this young lady was always thinking of ways to send food, drinks and tonics to the old lady and come to pay her respects every day. This went on for several days, but the old lady's attitude remained firm. She either refused to let her set rules in the courtyard or scolded her when she saw her. Even so, the second young lady did not show any impatience.

That night, Gu Qingwan led Siqi into a house. The house was a two-courtyard house, not very big but quite unique. This was the residence of Sun Peirou, Gu Ziming's cousin, and also a good place for Gu Ziming to keep his mistress.

"Don't worry, Miss. Although the Prime Minister has been staying here a lot lately, I have found out that he has a social engagement outside today and will not be able to come for a while."

Gu Qingwan nodded, and Si Qi led her to the vicinity of the main courtyard bedroom. They heard Sun Peirou inside instructing a maid to bring her bird's nest from the kitchen. After the maid left, the two of them went inside.

"Why are you back so soon?" Sun Peirou asked with her eyes closed, assuming it was Xiao Cui, who had brought her the bird's nest porridge.

"Madam, how are you doing these days?"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Sun Peirou immediately jumped off the bed: "It's you! Why is Miss here at this time?" Sun Peirou quickly went to the window and looked around. Seeing that there was no one there, she closed the window.

“Miss, if you need anything, just send someone to tell us. Come over in person… Your father has been coming quite often lately, what if we run into him…” Sun Peirou said hesitantly.

"Madam, please don't worry. I've come fully prepared and won't cause you any trouble."

"Oh, no need for 'madam' or 'madam' titles. Miss is too kind to me. If it weren't for you, I would be lost somewhere in the mud, my life hanging in the balance. Just call me Rou Niang, it sounds nice to me." Sun Peirou stepped forward and poured Gu Qingwan a cup of tea.

In fact, this was Sun Peirou's genuine affection for Gu Qingwan. Back then, she had saved Gu Qingwan, whom she had never met before, and had spent a lot of money to help her regain her free status. She had even given Gu Qingwan her household registration certificate, granting her her freedom.

A woman like her, who had served others so well, and was then sold by her husband's family, would have long been despised and treated like a mere fur mat.

“It’s different. You are already of good birth, and you serve by Father’s side. You are also Father’s cousin. Logically speaking, you are still an elder, so it is only right,” Gu Qingwan said.

Upon hearing this, Rou Niang immediately knelt down and said, "Why do you say that, Miss? Do you not want me anymore? Even though I am of good birth, I still intend to serve you for the rest of my life. What do you mean by elder? If you hadn't given me this opportunity, I wouldn't have such a good life."

"Get up, get up! Miss, that's not what you meant. You've misunderstood." Siqi quickly pulled her up from the ground.

"Rou Niang".

"Oh!" Rou Niang finally stopped crying and started laughing.

Now that the young lady has helped her and even found someone to teach her, she has found a new home. Even though she has served others, the master has not doubted her about the secret techniques of the brothel.

"Did Father ever suspect you?" Gu Qingwan asked.

Rou Niang shook her head and said, "No, I told my cousin that my family had forced me to marry, so I ran away. After many twists and turns, I ended up selling tofu pudding outside, and we even shared a bed..."

Rou Niang was a little embarrassed to tell Gu Qingwan, who was not yet married, about this. After thinking for a moment, she said tactfully, "Cousin seems to believe it very much. That morning, I dripped two drops of the blood I had prepared onto the bedding."

Gu Qingwan nodded upon hearing this. She was no longer the naive young girl she once was, and she didn't think much of it. Siqi, on the other hand, felt a little embarrassed.

"So I've come today to ask Rou Niang if she wants a child of her own?"