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

Upon returning to Xitong Palace, Consort Yu was so angry that she smashed several teacups.

"Your Highness, please calm down! You can't smash this. It was a gift from the Emperor. If he asks about it..." Amber quickly grabbed the double-eared vase that Consort Yu was about to smash.

"Hmph!" Although Consort Yu was still angry, she stopped smashing things.

The Third Prince's expression wasn't good either. He looked at the messy ground around him and said, "Someone, clean this up."

Amber hurriedly told the palace maids to clean up the mess in the hall, and after serving fresh tea, Amber left with the maids, leaving Consort Yu and her son to talk in the inner hall.

"Didn't you say everything was arranged? Why is Your Majesty..." Consort Yu took a sip of tea but still couldn't swallow her anger.

“My uncle has indeed been trying to find a solution as my mother suggested, and he has put in a lot of effort with the Ministry of Rites. At the banquet just now, Lord Song also helped us,” the Third Prince explained.

"Then how will the Emperor repay it?"

Thinking of this, the Third Prince's eyes showed some sadness. In fact, he admired his father very much. He had taken his father as his role model since he was a child and wanted to become a person as courageous and resourceful as his father. So he worked hard in everything, whether it was in his studies or in his interactions with others. He tried his best to do his best and imitate his father. But even so, his father only had eyes for the Crown Prince. Even if the Crown Prince did nothing well, his father would still favor him.

"Father Emperor is probably blaming me somewhat," Xiao Yuheng said dejectedly.

Seeing her son like this, Consort Yu was heartbroken and quickly came down to comfort him, saying, "My son, there's no need to be so sad. His Majesty still loves you. When you were little, His Majesty always held you in his arms, a privilege that no other prince has ever enjoyed. Moreover, we wanted to arrange this marriage in the first place. After all, Miss Gu is the Prime Minister's beloved daughter, and the Prime Minister is the head of the civil officials in the court, with countless outstanding students under his tutelage. A marriage alliance with him would be the best thing."

“My darling is indeed very good. I like her very much, both in terms of talent and appearance. But Mother Consort…” The Third Prince knew that what his mother said was true, but he still felt somewhat unwilling, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.

Consort Yu naturally understood her son's meaning and sighed slightly, "Alas, it can only be said that fate had other plans. Your mother originally wanted you to marry Miss Gu, but you said that Miss Gu was uncouth and lacked manners, unlike Miss Gu who was gentle and charming. But no matter who it is, they are both daughters of the Gu family. Although their status is somewhat different, they are still sisters. They are all in the same boat and no one can escape. Besides, your mother sent people to inquire, and Miss Gu is a frequent visitor to the Duke of Ning's mansion. When she sees Old Madam Ning outside, she calls her 'Grandma'. So their relationship must be quite good, right?"

Upon hearing his mother mention Miss Gu, Xiao Yuheng recalled the image of her standing in the center of the hall, dressed in palace attire with her hands folded in front of her waist. Her long, black hair cascaded down to her waist, making her skin appear even whiter. Although her face looked somewhat aloof, she was undeniably captivating.

Xiao Yuheng couldn't understand why, despite meeting Gu Qingwan infrequently, her eyes always held not only indifference but also disgust. He had no idea what he had done to offend her.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yuheng stood up.

"My son, where are you going?" Consort Yu asked.

"Mother, please rest. I have some things to do, so I'll take my leave now."

Consort Yu sighed slightly as she watched the Third Prince's departing figure. She said to Amber, who had just entered, "Tell me, the Third Prince is so outstanding, how come he can't see it?"

Amber immediately became alert. Seeing that no one was around, she quickly closed the door of the main hall and said, "Your Majesty, please be careful what you say, lest someone overhear."

"Alas, I just feel sorry for the Third Prince. I pleaded with His Majesty so much back then, but he didn't reply. He just told me not to worry. Now, with the Yu family helping out, I thought that making her a concubine would satisfy Heng'er's wishes. Then I could find a way to marry Yu Heng someone, even if she wasn't Miss Gu, but someone with a similar background. But how did things turn out like this..."

“Your Majesty, we’ve been too naive. He is, after all, the Prime Minister. He might see through our schemes. He probably wouldn’t agree to let his precious daughter become a concubine. Moreover, while Miss Gu seems to have a good background, she is still separated from the Duke of Ningguo’s family by the name Gu. She has not been raised in the capital for many years. I’ve heard that Miss Gu has been frail and sickly since childhood, and she may not be able to bear children easily in the future.”

Consort Yu nodded, feeling that what Amber said made sense. If Old Madam Ning really loved her granddaughter, how could she bear to send her away from home year after year instead of letting her be pampered in the mansion? If she really loved her, why didn't she let her go back to the Gu family to visit and distance herself from the Gu family?

Thinking of this, Consort Yu felt a little better: "You're right, Miss Gu might not be favored. If that's the case, we'll have lost more than we gained. But Miss Gu's reputation..."

"Your Highness, please rest assured. A lost reputation can be regained. I've heard rumors that Miss Gu is destined for greatness and will rise to the top. Now that she's married to our Prince, isn't it a sign that even Heaven approves of our Prince?"

"Really?" Consort Yu had not heard any rumors from the common people. In fact, it was not her fault. Information was scarce in the deep palace, and it would cost money to inquire about any news.

"Would a servant girl lie? Besides, with you here, you can give her a good talking-to, and no one will say anything."

Consort Yu was relieved and began to think about how to help her son properly train Gu Hanjiao. Although she accepted Gu Hanjiao, she still felt that her son was being wronged and thought that she should choose a good concubine for him.

After leaving the palace, Xiao Yuheng used his lightness skill to head towards the Ningguo Duke's Mansion. The palace banquet had just ended, and Gu Qingwan probably hadn't returned to the Ningguo Duke's Mansion yet. He should be able to catch up with her on the way.

Inside the carriage, Madam Ning was holding Gu Qingwan's hand, chatting happily.

"Qingwan, you are truly our family's lucky star. You told your aunt before that your maternal grandfather and uncles might come back for the old lady's birthday. Look, His Majesty really did want them to come back. Now that's great, we can finally see them."

"Qingwan was also very happy that her aunt was so happy."

"How could I not be happy? It's been so long since I've seen your brother and the others. I wonder how they are doing, whether they've lost weight again? I heard they just won a battle, I wonder if they have any more wounds on their bodies?" As she spoke, Madam Ning picked up a handkerchief and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Aunt, don't be sad. Your brother and the others will be fine. You'll see for yourself when the time comes. Don't cry. If you go home and Grandma sees you crying, she'll worry a lot."

"Yes, yes, don't cry, don't cry. Let's hurry back and tell your grandmother this good news so she can be happy too. Starting tomorrow, I'll arrange for someone to tidy up the yard and wait for them to come back. Qingwan, do you think we should buy some more things?"

"Aunt, Qingwan thinks we don't need anything, as long as we're home, that's enough. I'm sure Uncle and the others won't mind anything else." Seeing her aunt's excited expression, Gu Qingwan was also deeply moved. This is what it feels like to be a family, isn't it?

"To be honest, I was a little scared today. Why did those two little things stick to you like that? Look at your dress, it was so pretty, but it's been bitten and it looks like you can't wear it anymore."

Seeing the scratches and teeth marks on her skirt, Gu Qingwan felt a little helpless: "Qingwan doesn't know what happened either. I'll see if Baoqin can mend it when I get back. It's such a pity to throw away such a beautiful dress."

“Miss is kind. When you were out before, there were animals that were willing to be close to you,” Siqi said.

"All things have a spirit; this is a benevolent connection, but His Majesty said that since it has been given to you, what are you prepared for?"

"Tomorrow, Qingwan will go to the Chu Prince's residence to deliver a visiting card, see the two little ones, and discuss with the Prince when to bring them back."

Madam Ning couldn't help but feel a little scared and worried about having two wolves in the house: "Wouldn't it be dangerous to keep them at home?"

"Probably not. The prince will definitely train them properly before giving them to us. When our maternal grandfather and uncles return, we'll see what they think: whether they want to keep them in the manor or take them with them."

“Indeed, after all, this is His Majesty’s grace. How to deal with it still depends on Father’s decision when he returns. Tomorrow you are going to the Chu Prince’s residence… Do you want me to go with you? I’m always a little worried. I’ve heard that the Chu Prince…” Madam Ning had heard of the Chu Prince’s reputation, and she had even seen him kill the wolf with his own hands today, so she was still shaken.

“Aunt, don’t worry. The King of Chu may look intimidating, but he’s actually a kind-hearted man. Didn’t he even send people to look for me for you today?”

“Yes, in that case, the King of Chu is not bad either.” Madam Ning felt that what Gu Qingwan said made some sense.

The carriage was about to reach the gate of the Duke of Ningguo's mansion when it was suddenly stopped.

"What happened?"

"Madam, someone has blocked our carriage ahead," the coachman said.

"Go and ask what's wrong, but watch your words."

"Yes."

Before the driver could even ask clearly, the man spoke up himself.

"Miss Gu, please get out of the car and let's talk."

Gu Qingwan knew who it was as soon as she heard the voice. What should she do? She desperately wanted to kill him, and she couldn't control herself.

"Qingwan is looking for you? Do you know who it is?"

Gu Qingwan nodded, but did not go out. Sitting in the carriage, she said, "Your Highness, what brings you here so late? I haven't yet congratulated Your Highness on your marriage to my sister."

"Miss, may I move aside? I have something to discuss with you."

"Your Highness's presence is a courtesy that your aunt and I should dismount and pay our respects. However, it is already late and would be against etiquette. We would be grateful if Your Highness would grant us this favor. If there is anything else, you can discuss it with your uncle when he returns to the capital in a few days."

Seeing that Gu Qingwan had no intention of coming down, Xiao Yuheng didn't want to make things difficult for her. Since she wasn't coming over, he could go over to her.

“Miss Gu, you’d better come down, otherwise… after all, Madam Ning is here too.”

"I cannot agree with what the Third Prince said. I have been treated very well by the Ning family, and there is nothing that the Ning family cannot know." Gu Qingwan frowned, disgusted by Xiao Yuheng's behavior. He always thought he was doing everything for her, which was disgusting.

"I am doing this for your own good."

Madam Ning was also displeased: "Third Prince, Qingwan is still an unmarried woman. I wonder what she has to say that you would want to say here? Besides, you are about to get married. I'm afraid Miss Gu will be unhappy if she finds out about this."

Xiao Yuheng frowned: "Since you insist on saying this here, then this prince will not care. I only ask if Miss Gu is willing to be this prince's principal wife?"

Madam Ning's eyes widened upon hearing this, finding it somewhat unbelievable.

Gu Qingwan sneered after hearing this: "Third Prince, you must have had too much to drink. Your princess consort is currently in the Prime Minister's residence; she is my sister."

"You can be whoever you want," the Third Prince said confidently.

"Qingwan is unwilling!" came a deep, aged voice.