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

Because Madam Ning is old, she will not attend the palace banquet. Ning Chenghao is still young, so Madam Ning keeps him by her side to take care of him. This time, only Madam Ning and Gu Qingwan will attend the palace banquet.

Before leaving, Madam Ning instructed, "Every time there's a banquet, those troublemakers will show up. You two need to be careful. I reckon the Emperor will issue an edict regarding the marriage alliance's target during the palace banquet."

"Mother, rest assured, after your daughter-in-law and Qingwan paid their respects to Her Majesty the Empress, they tried their best not to leave their seats."

"Yes, please pay your respects to Her Majesty the Empress for me. By the way, if you need to use the restroom, don't just bring your maids. The two of you should go together. Even if your aunt really can't leave, wait if you can. If you really can't wait, be sure to call Yanran. There are people from the Northern Rong tonight. We can't afford to be anything but extra vigilant. It's always better to be cautious." Old Madam Ning instructed earnestly.

"Grandmother, don't worry, Qingwan knows. Besides, you know how good Qingwan is. Ordinary people can't beat me."

"But we must not be careless! You have no idea how dirty and despicable the methods in the inner palace are. No matter what the number one martial arts master is, once you get there, it is a place that will devour people without spitting out their bones." As she spoke, Madam Ning looked at Gu Qingwan's attire and then nodded in satisfaction: "Our daughter has no desire to climb the social ladder. As long as she lives a carefree and unrestrained life, that's fine. Go, and come back soon."

"Mother, you should rest early too. If Hao'er disturbs you, you can punish him by making him practice calligraphy."

"Look at you, what kind of mother are you? You're always punishing people. You'd better leave now and let me have some peace and quiet." Old Madam Ning quickly chased them away.

Madam Ning took Gu Qingwan to the palace. There were many carriages queuing up at the palace gate, so it wasn't as simple as just entering. They had to be checked at the gate. Sharp weapons were not allowed to be brought in, and the amount of food outside was also limited. The palace was full of nobles, and it wouldn't be good if they offended someone.

Gu Qingwan thought they would have to wait a while longer. When they arrived at the palace gate, a nanny was already waiting there. When she saw the Duke of Ningguo's carriage approaching, she quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"Are Old Madam Ning and Madam Ning in the carriage?"

Madam Ning lifted the carriage curtain and saw that it was Granny Sun, who served the Empress. Madam Ning quickly said, "It's Granny Sun! What are you doing here?"

"Madam has a good memory, remembering this servant." Xu Mama's face was full of smiles: "It was Her Majesty the Empress who sent this old servant here to wait for the old lady and the madam, so that she could see you as soon as possible."

Madam Ning quickly got off the carriage and said, "My mother is not feeling well and couldn't come from home. I'm afraid she will disappoint Your Majesty."

"You're too kind, Madam. The old lady's health is still important. And who is this gentleman?"

"You've forgotten, haven't you? This is Qingwan," Madam Ning said, taking Qingwan's hand as she introduced her.

Xu Mama's eyes lit up as she looked at the pretty girl in front of her: "That's right, the last time I saw Miss Qingwan, she was still so small, and the old lady brought her here. Now she has grown into a beautiful young lady."

"Yes, yes, time really flies."

"Madam, this is not the place to talk. The sedan chair is ready. Please come with me to see Her Majesty the Empress. Her Majesty has been hoping for your visit to the palace so that she can speak with you."

As they spoke, the group followed Granny Xu through the side gate and boarded a sedan chair to go to the Empress's central palace.

Speaking of which, the Empress and Gu Qingwan's mother were close friends. Later, the two met the current Madam Ning, and the three of them got along very well. However, after the Crown Prince was appointed, they rarely visited each other. In addition, after Gu Qingwan's mother passed away, Madam Ning visited the palace even less. How could the Empress not know the Ning family's intentions? It was nothing more than Shao Luo's words protecting her and the Crown Prince.

Because they arrived early, there were no other people in the Queen's palace yet.

"Oh dear, if it weren't for the palace banquet, I don't know when I would have seen you! Why are you so slow? You must have been getting ready at home!" The Empress hurried out when she heard that Lady Ning had arrived, her words preceding her arrival.

"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress." Madam Ning pulled Gu Qingwan to bow.

"With a relationship like ours, there's no need for such formalities." The Empress stepped forward to help Lady Ning up, only then noticing the girl in palace attire beside her: "And this is..."

"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress, may Her Majesty be blessed with longevity and peace." Gu Qingwan stepped forward and performed a full curtsy again.

"Your Majesty, please take a closer look?" Xu Mama reminded the Empress with a smile.

The Empress stared at Gu Qingwan for a while, then suddenly seemed to remember something: "You are...you are...Little Qingwan, aren't you!"

Madam Ning nodded.

"Good child, you've grown so much over the years. If it weren't for the resemblance to your mother, I really wouldn't have recognized you." The Empress quickly took Gu Qingwan's hand: "You were only this tall when you left. How are you feeling? Are you feeling any better?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Qingwan is much better now."

"That's good, that's good. Now that you're back, you won't leave again, right? Please don't leave..."

Lady Ning stepped forward at the right moment to interrupt the Empress's sorrowful emotions. She knew that the Empress was probably thinking of Gu Qingwan's mother, such a woman who was untouched by worldly dust, yet whose beauty was short-lived.

"Your Majesty, please do not grieve. Shall I go and pay my respects to the Empress Dowager?"

"The Empress Dowager said that she is getting old, so there's no need to send anyone to pay their respects to her. Don't worry," the Empress said, patting Lady Ning's hand reassuringly.

"In that case, Your Majesty, I will not disturb you any further."

"How is the old lady? Why didn't she come?"

"My mother asked me to apologize to Your Majesty. She should have personally led me to pay my respects to Your Majesty, but she has been unwell and it has been delayed until today, so I have led you here instead."

"Is the old lady unwell? Should we see the imperial physician?"

"It's nothing, just some old problems. It's been raining a lot these days, and my knees and other areas are still uncomfortable."

The Empress nodded. These were all ailments that the old lady had developed years ago while fighting alongside the old Duke. Her years of pampered life had not improved her condition.

"Granny Xu, go and get it."

Granny Xu brought out a thick pair of knee pads from the back hall and handed them to Madam Ning: "This... Shulan, please take this to the Old Madam when you go back."

"The Queen..."

"Madam, please take this back. It was made by Her Majesty herself; it's just a small token of her affection," said Granny Xu.

"How could this be!" Madam Ning was somewhat apprehensive. Only the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Princess had the privilege of having the Empress make things by her own hands. Wouldn't they, as her subjects, be overstepping their bounds?

"Shulan, you should understand my thoughts."

"My lady..."

Gu Qingwan remained silent, her head bowed, but her mind was racing. The Empress's kindness towards the Ning family was partly due to her mother and partly due to the Crown Prince.

Although the Crown Prince had been appointed long ago, the Third Prince and Consort Yu had not been idle over the years. It was said that the Third Prince was a wise and virtuous king, and Consort Yu was even more generous, often sending noblewomen who came to the palace to pay their respects with precious gifts.

Consort Yu's wealth and power made the Empress and the Empress's palace seem somewhat strained.

In order for the Crown Prince to hold military power, the Empress maintained a good relationship with the Duke's Mansion. Even at the risk of offending Prime Minister Gu, she helped Old Madam Ning get Gu Qingwan back.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, the Crown Prince is doing well. If you can stay calm, there will be no major problems."

"You don't know...sigh." The Empress sighed, unsure what to say. Suddenly, she remembered something and asked, "Shouldn't Qingwan be looking for someone soon? Is there anyone suitable?"

Gu Qingwan's heart skipped a beat. Although the Empress had not forgotten their past relationship, she had also set her sights on Gu Qingwan for the sake of her son.

Madam Ning remained unfazed. Her mother had already mentioned this to her the night before. Following her mother's instructions, Madam Ning replied, "Your Majesty, as you know, this child is young and frail. My mother is reluctant to part with Qingwan. I've watched her grow up, but I haven't taught her much about manners. So, my mother will probably let Qingwan stay in the Duke's mansion to avoid her suffering outside."

Madam Ning spoke very tactfully: Qingwan is unruly and not suitable to marry the Crown Prince. Moreover, my daughter cannot be a concubine, even if the other party is the Crown Prince. Even if she has the opportunity to become the Emperor in the future, she will still be a concubine.

The Empress couldn't understand, but she felt that if the key could allow the Crown Prince to marry Gu Qingwan, the Ning family would be firmly bound, and it might even ease their relationship with Prime Minister Gu.

only……

"Yes, yes, such a lovely girl is loved wherever she goes. When the good things happen, I hope that the old lady and madam can grant this old servant a cup of celebratory wine to taste," Xu Mama chimed in at the right moment.

Gu Qingwan smiled to herself without saying a word. Her grandmother was right after all; the fickleness of human nature is an eternal truth.

At this moment, a young palace maid outside brought a senior palace maid from Consort Yu's side and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress. Consort Yu heard that Miss Gu has arrived and wishes to meet her."

Upon hearing this, the palace suddenly felt cold. Was Consort Yu really going to come here so brazenly, without any regard for the consequences?

"Your Majesty, I will accompany you." Madam Ning dared not offend Consort Yu. Following her mother's instructions, she was determined not to have any conflicts with anyone. It was truly remarkable that the Ning family was able to maintain such a peaceful situation.

"In reply to Madam, Her Majesty said that it is not easy for Madam to come to the palace, so it would be good to spend some time with Her Majesty. The reason for inviting Miss Gu over is that Her Majesty wants to make amends for what happened last time, and has prepared some small trinkets for Miss Gu."

Gu Qingwan knew that Consort Yu was up to no good, like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken, but she didn't expect her to be so shameless. It seemed that she knew about Gu Hanjiao's affair. It was true that Consort Yu couldn't forget her, no matter what her past or present life was.

"This..." Madam Ning was somewhat embarrassed, unsure how to refuse.

"Aunt, Your Majesty, it's nothing for me to go. It's my first time in the palace, so I should pay my respects to the Imperial Concubine Yu." Gu Qingwan didn't want to make things difficult for them, and besides, the Imperial Concubine Yu's reason was so plausible.

"Mother." At this moment, the eldest princess happened to arrive: "Daughter, please accompany Miss Gu on this journey."

The Empress felt somewhat relieved. With the princess around, even if Consort Yu had any ulterior motives, she would have to keep them hidden.

"Greetings, Princess Anqing."

"Get up. I remember you. I told Mother about you when I came back. Let Aunt Lan chat with Mother. I'll go with you, and then we can be together."

Gu Qingwan smiled and nodded: "Then thank you, Your Highness. Coincidentally, I found a Phoenix Jiao Qin, but I don't know if it's real or fake. I'll have someone send it over for Your Highness to see later."

Princess Anqing, a lover of music, nodded in satisfaction: "Very good."

"Look at these two sisters, they seem to have hit it off immediately." The Empress was pleased to see her daughter and Gu Qingwan become good friends. "Anqing, go with them, but come back early, it's getting late."

"Yes."

The two left together with Consort Yu's maid.