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

Gu Hanjiao knew something was wrong as soon as she saw her mother's expression. Just as she was about to do something, she heard Madam Ning say, "Mother, it is indeed something from my Ning family."

"What!" As soon as Madam Ning finished speaking, Gu Ziming rushed forward and turned the jade Guanyin over to look at it. He saw a square mark on the base of the jade Guanyin, with the character "Ning" engraved in the center.

Gu Ziming's face immediately turned ugly.

When Wang Ruyan saw that the matter was already confirmed, she was also annoyed with herself for not being able to go outside and buy something or take something else from the warehouse. Why did she have to take Ning Jingxian's things?

Gu Hanjiao secretly cursed her mother for being more trouble than she was worth. She glanced at the Third Prince and saw that his expression was not good either.

"Madam, what exactly happened?" Gu Ziming used a lot of strength to avoid slapping his wife, and instead asked fiercely.

Wang Ruyan was already covered in sweat. A gust of wind in the courtyard made her shiver. She looked around and saw that everyone was watching her. She took the hand of Xue Niang, who was supporting her. Xue Niang whispered, "Madam, you must cheer up. You are the Prime Minister's wife. The Second Miss and the Third Prince are here too."

Wang Ruyan immediately felt more confident. She straightened her back, bowed to Madam Ning, and said, "Please forgive me, Madam. I was in such a hurry that I took the wrong thing and caused this commotion. I feel very sorry about it."

"Please forgive me, Mother-in-law!" Even though Ning Jingxian had already left, Gu Ziming still addressed her as "Mother-in-law" and "Father-in-law" outside, even though neither of them liked him calling them that.

“Prime Minister, I have told you many times that now that my daughter is gone, the marriage between our two families is over. Besides, you have taken a new bride. Your parents-in-law are from the Wang family of Qingzhou, not my Ning family. Please do not address them as such anymore,” said Madam Ning.

Gu Ziming's face was not good. Although the two of them had never liked him calling them that, and he usually didn't come over and had no chance to call them that, it was already very rare for him, the Prime Minister, to be so humble to them. Did they have to make him look bad again?

Seeing that things were about right, the Crown Prince gave the Crown Princess a wink. The Crown Princess immediately understood and stepped forward to ease the atmosphere: "Oh, Madam and Duke, I think it's possible that the Prime Minister's wife took the wrong thing. But it's quite a coincidence that we brought the late Madam's belongings. It can be considered as Madam's way of expressing her longing for her daughter. Consider it a birthday gift from the late Madam to you."

As soon as the Crown Princess said this, someone else chimed in, "That's right, that's right, this is fate. The late Madam would be pleased if she were alive."

Gu Qingwan didn't want her maternal grandmother's birthday banquet to be ruined, and she knew that the Crown Princess was trying to mediate. So, it's important to know your place and know when to stop. If you're offered a way out, you should take it. Today's goal has been achieved, and when she goes to collect the dowry the day after tomorrow, no one will think that Gu Qingwan has gone too far. Gu Qingwan looked at her maternal grandmother's expression and saw that her grandmother nodded to her. So, Gu Qingwan stepped forward and helped Wang Ruyan up.

"In that case, thank you very much, Madam. Qingwan has not been home for a long time. Today, I was so happy to see my mother's belongings that I blurted it out, which may have caused trouble for Father and Madam. I hope Father and Madam will not blame Qingwan."

Gu Ziming's complexion improved slightly.

“Actually, my father is extremely filial to my maternal grandmother. Whether my mother is here or not, he will often send good things to the Duke’s mansion. He will never forget his daughter if he has anything rare. Perhaps it is because Madam is too busy today,” Gu Qingwan continued to explain.

Gu Ziming nodded. Looking at his eldest daughter, he finally felt that although she hadn't been raised by his side, she was still his flesh and blood and would always side with his family. So he said, "Madam, whether Jingxian is here or not, you two are still my father-in-law and mother-in-law. I respect you two more than I respect you, and I am even more willing to take care of you on behalf of Jingxian. Today was Ziming's oversight, and Ziming will definitely make up for it later."

The old Duke nodded and waved his hand, "Alright, it's nothing serious, let's not talk about it anymore."

The birthday celebration continued, but Wang Ruyan, wiping her smudged makeup with a handkerchief, felt unhappy again after hearing Gu Ziming's words. So, in Gu Ziming's heart, only the Ning family was his in-laws. What did her Wang family mean then? And he even sent gifts to the Ningguo Duke's mansion and to that damned Gu Qingwan—she didn't even know! What did Gu Ziming take her for? He completely disregarded her!

Seeing her mother's increasingly out-of-control expression, Gu Hanjiao suppressed her disgust and stepped forward to take her mother's hand: "Mother, I see that the hem of your clothes is dirty. Let's go to the carriage to change and then come back."

Gu Ziming ignored her completely, and Wang Ruyan had no choice. She had done something wrong today, and since no one was going to pursue the matter, and she didn't want to continue making a fool of herself here, she simply returned to the carriage with Gu Hanjiao.

At this moment, Eunuch Fuming from the palace actually came in person.

"Oh dear, it's the old lady's birthday! This servant wishes the old lady good health and a long life." Eunuch Fuming, with a fair complexion and not a single beard, entered with a kind smile, accompanied by eunuchs and guards, to offer his congratulations.

"Welcome, Eunuch Fuming!" the old Duke said, standing up.

"Greetings to the old Duke and Madam. This servant has His Majesty's decree in hand, so I will not perform the full ceremony for you two. Please forgive me."

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Ning and his wife quickly composed themselves and led the entire Ning family to kneel down to receive the imperial decree. The surrounding guests also knelt down upon seeing this.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have heard that it is the old lady's birthday today, and hereby bestow upon her a dragon-headed walking stick, hoping that even after the old lady leaves the battlefield, she will continue to contribute to our Great Qing. So be it." After reading the imperial edict, Eunuch Fuming handed it to Old Lady Ning.

"Madam, please get up. Congratulations! I've heard that the dragon ball on this scepter was made from a death-exemption token. I'm sure you two understand the deeper meaning behind Your Majesty's words."

The old Duke looked at the cane in shock, feeling immense gratitude for His Majesty's great kindness. His eyes welled up with tears: "Your Majesty's grace is beyond repayment. Even if the Ning family were to give their lives, they could never repay it."

"Father, please don't get agitated. The doctor said you need to rest."

"Old Duke, this is good news, this is good news..."

Duke Ningguo stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting: "Thank you for making this trip, Eunuch Fuming. Please take a seat."

"No, no, this servant still has to return to the palace to serve His Majesty. I'll be leaving now that I've finished this matter," Fuming said.

"Are you leaving already? Xiu Lan, quickly see Eunuch Fu Ming off," the old lady said.

"Yes, please, Eunuch Fuming."

Upon reaching the door, Duke Ningguo took a heavy purse out of his pocket and handed it to Eunuch Fuming.

"This……"

"Father-in-law, you've come all this way, and you can't even have a cup of wine before you leave? I feel really bad about it. It's just a small token of my appreciation, and I hope you won't find it offensive."

Upon hearing this, Fuming smiled and took the item, saying, "Then this servant will respectfully comply."

After seeing off Fuming and the people from the palace, the Ning family became even more lively. No one expected that the grand finale of the birthday gifts would be His Majesty's gift, which further demonstrated His Majesty's favor towards the Ning State Duke's Mansion.

Only Gu Qingwan looked meaningfully at the Prince of Chu standing in the corner. Why did His Majesty send this gift? He must have done a lot of work. With such a golden shield protecting the Ning family, Gu Qingwan felt at ease. Gu Qingwan really wanted to go to his side and thank him. He always understood what she wanted.

Xiao Jingchen noticed Gu Qingwan's intense gaze. He looked back and saw her standing gracefully in the crowd, smiling at him. The Prince of Chu clenched his fists to maintain his composure. Oh no, he was smitten.

Time flew by, and the stage was all set up. The old lady humbly allowed the Crown Princess and the princes' wives to choose a few plays first, and then she chose a few herself. The gates of the Ningguo Duke's Mansion were wide open, and the common people who came to watch the excitement gathered in suitable spots outside the mansion to watch. For a time, the Ningguo Duke's Mansion was bustling with activity.

Xiao Yuheng was very dissatisfied with the Gu family's behavior today. Thinking of Gu Hanjiao's appearance and seeing Gu Qingwan, he suddenly felt that Gu Qingwan was more suitable to be the head of the family. Gu Hanjiao was a bit petty like her mother. However, things had already come to this point, and he could not do anything else, otherwise it would arouse his father's dissatisfaction, which would be a loss.

The Third Prince watched the figure leave and wanted to chase after her, but there were too many people, and he could no longer see the beautiful figure in the blink of an eye. The Third Prince was a little annoyed and left with a flick of his sleeve.

Xiao Yuheng didn't give Gu Hanjiao and the Prime Minister's wife a friendly look when they entered the doorway.

"Third Prince!" Gu Hanjiao thought the Third Prince had come out specifically to find her.

"Madam, may I have a few words with the Second Miss alone?"

"Oh, oh, oh, that's fine, Jiao'er, go on ahead, your mother will be waiting for you." Wang Ruyan was very happy to see the deep affection between the Third Prince and her daughter, so that her son could also receive the Third Prince's care in the future.

Gu Hanjiao followed the Third Prince shyly to a less crowded side of the garden. Xiao Yuheng stopped and looked at Gu Hanjiao with icy eyes: "Why are you so good at causing trouble? Look at you, you've been causing trouble all this time. Can't you learn from your sister and stay at home and be a proper young lady?"

"Third Prince, I..." Gu Hanjiao didn't expect that the Third Prince had called her over just to reprimand her, and even compared her to Gu Qingwan, which made Gu Hanjiao feel even more uncomfortable.

"I have a lot on my plate right now, and my father's behavior towards me has been ambiguous lately. You're about to become my princess consort, can't you act like one? Give me a break and make me look good?"

Xiao Yuheng has indeed been having a difficult time lately. The Crown Prince handles everything flawlessly, leaving no room for error or manipulation. Meanwhile, Xiao Yuheng's side is always in trouble. Whether it's the Dragon Boat Festival or the Northern Rong delegation, none of his tasks have satisfied his father. In particular, his father is not very happy about his marriage to Gu Hanjiao.

Therefore, Xiao Yuheng found everything about Gu Hanjiao annoying.

Gu Hanjiao knew that this was not the time to argue with the Third Prince and prove herself. She knew a little about the Third Prince's situation. If he was not doing well, then she would not be doing well either. Thinking of this, Gu Hanjiao took out a stack of papers from her sleeve and handed them to the Third Prince.

Xiao Yuheng was somewhat surprised when he saw this thing. He opened it and saw that the drawings on it were ones he had never seen before. He frowned and asked, "What are these things?"

"Third Prince, please don't worry. I heard that the Empress Dowager's leg ailment has recently flared up. The increased rain in summer has aggravated her leg ailment, and she can't even attend banquets. This is a picture of a wheelchair, a movable chair."

"What does this chair have to do with the Empress Dowager's leg ailment?"

"Third Prince, you can find skilled craftsmen to make this and present it to the Empress Dowager. Then she can be pushed around and go wherever she wants. Didn't you say that the Emperor is somewhat dissatisfied with you? You can start with the Empress Dowager and let the Emperor see your filial piety."

Xiao Yuheng's eyes lit up when he heard this. He found the so-called wheelchair particularly pleasing to the eye. His father was a man who valued filial piety highly, and he was sure his father would be pleased.

Seeing that the Third Prince's complexion had improved, Gu Hanjiao said sweetly, "I think the Empress Dowager's appetite has not been very good recently. I have recently developed a few very appetizing dishes, which are also very novel. The Third Prince can try them first, and if he likes them, I will present them to the Empress Dowager."

"My dear, I never expected you to have such talent."

"Alas, I am a woman, but I also wish to lend Your Highness a hand. A few days ago, I checked and found that I did not have any pastry shops. If I did, these novel designs could be of some help to Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will not find them distasteful."

"Oh? What kind of dessert?" Xiao Yuheng suddenly became interested.

Gu Hanjiao whispered her explanation in his ear, and Xiao Yuheng's eyes lit up as he looked at Gu Hanjiao with great delight.

"You have such an idea, this could make a lot of money. I just don't know how it tastes. I'll try to set up a pastry shop for you, and then we can see how it tastes." Xiao Yuheng stretched out his long arm and pulled Gu Hanjiao into his arms.

Gu Hanjiao was overjoyed. Seeing that no one was around, she leaned shyly against the Third Prince and said, "Your Highness is happy, and so is I."

"But you should just stay in the manor and wait for your marriage. Your mother has been very unhappy about you these days. When the time comes, your mother will send a palace maid over to prevent any further trouble."

"I will do as Your Highness says." Gu Hanjiao said sweetly and obediently, but her eyes betrayed a different story.