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

Chapter 224 Gu Hanjiao's Idea

Madam Ning shook her head and whispered, "Go and ask Qingwan what's going on. The occasion is rather special right now, so don't say anything else. If there's nothing serious, just sit down. I'm sure the child has her own ideas."

Madam Ning nodded. Even if her mother hadn't told her, she knew what to do. After taking care of the surroundings, she went to Gu Qingwan's place.

"Qingwan, what's wrong with you? Do you need your aunt's help?"

Before Madam Ning could speak, Gu Hanjiao said with tears in her eyes, "Madam, I came alone today, so I want to sit with my sister. I hope you can grant my request."

These words left Madam Ning speechless, as if saying another word would cause Gu Hanjiao to burst into tears in front of everyone.

"Second Miss, since you've come today, it means the palace has made all the necessary arrangements. Did you not find her? Should I send someone to inquire?"

"Madam, is it really impossible for you to tolerate me?" Gu Hanjiao's voice was a little louder, which indeed attracted the attention of some people.

Xiao Jingchen, oblivious to everything, sat alone drinking tea. He had originally intended to drink alcohol, but Gu Qingwan had just given him a stern warning, so Xiao Jingchen, being pragmatic, quickly and consciously picked up his teacup.

Xiao Yuheng was greeting the other adults and was about to visit the Duke of Ning when he saw Gu Hanjiao inside. He initially thought that Gu Hanjiao had managed to get the Ning family to accept her through her own abilities, but it seemed that something was wrong.

"What happened to Madam?" Xiao Yuheng asked, pretending to be concerned.

"Oh, greetings to the Third Prince."

"Madam, you are too polite. Please rise. I was originally going to visit the old Duke and the Duke, but I see that something seems to have happened to you."

When Gu Hanjiao saw the Third Prince coming, her eyes welled up with tears, looking incredibly pitiful.

"In response to the Third Prince, it is Miss Gu who cannot find her place, and coincidentally, we do not know either. My aunt is just about to ask a palace servant to help Miss Gu find her way," Gu Qingwan explained.

"They're all sisters, but Qingwan calling me 'Miss Gu' this and 'Miss Gu' that makes it seem a bit distant."

"Prime Minister Gu... oh no, I should say Lord Gu, has already expelled Qingwan from the family register, so it's better to keep things clear."

Xiao Yuheng immediately guessed Gu Hanjiao's intentions. Seeing that her wishful thinking was not going to work out, she could only ask him to help clean up the mess.

"Hehehe, it's getting late. Madam and Miss should take their seats quickly. I will make arrangements for Miss Gu Er."

"Then I'll have to trouble the Third Prince."

Gu Hanjiao couldn't say much at this moment, she could only follow Xiao Yuheng. Xiao Yuheng walked to a corner and stopped to ask.

"What exactly are you trying to do? And what about Hongxiu?"

"Your Highness, I only wanted to help you, I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."

"Hmph, you're already in this state, so you should just obediently help this prince. Her Majesty the Empress has definitely arranged a seat for you, so just sit there quietly. Why do you have to go find Gu Qingwan? Do you think I can't see through your little schemes?"

"Your Highness is wise and surely you can see through Jiao'er's thoughts, but please give Jiao'er a chance to explain."

"Tell me about it."

"Jiao'er has been trying to establish a relationship with the Ningguo Duke's family. This way, the Third Prince will have a breakthrough point with the Ningguo Duke. Even if we can't win him over, we can still find a way to make them wary. If they can't be used by us at the crucial moment, it's better to destroy them than to leave them to others."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuheng immediately became alert. He looked around and, finding that no one was paying attention to their location, breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're incredibly audacious. Don't you even know what kind of occasion this is before you dare to say such things?"

"Your Highness has been too cautious for too long, so much so that the Empress is now thinking of suppressing you. Just look at the position she arranged for Jiao'er."

Xiao Yuheng knew that the Empress had arranged the locations, but he hadn't yet asked for the specific details.

"What happened to the location?"

"The Third Prince's maternal family contributed the most money to this disaster relief effort, but they were seated at the end of the table, while Jiao'er and the Yu family were seated together at the entrance."

Xiao Yuheng looked at the doorway with a gloomy expression. The Empress was openly slapping them in the face. How could she be so confident that her son's position was so secure?

"The Third Prince?" Gu Hanjiao knew that she had successfully aroused the Third Prince's hatred towards the Empress and the Crown Prince.

"Too deceiving!"

"Third Prince, there is no need to worry. Although Jiao'er's father has lost power, it does not mean that he cannot make a comeback. I believe that Father still has a backup plan."

Xiao Yuheng's eyes flickered for a moment before he asked, "Did your father ask you to tell me this?"

Gu Hanjiao hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, Father cannot act rashly now and it is inconvenient for him to contact the Third Prince. So he sent me today to deliver a message to the Third Prince, telling him not to be discouraged and to wait and see. We are now in the same boat. Even if Father is no longer of use, he will still lend His Highness a helping hand."

Xiao Yuheng nodded. How could that old fox Gu Ziming not have left himself a way out? Xiao Yuheng was also looking forward to Gu Ziming's backup plan. At the same time, he also understood Gu Ziming's meaning. He suddenly had no idea how much Gu Ziming knew about him. He took a deep look at Gu Hanjiao.

Just then, Hongxiu arrived and, seeing that the Third Prince was also there, quickly apologized.

"Third Prince, it was my fault for not doing my job properly."

"You've worked hard too, so go and serve Miss Gu well."

"But Third Prince, I still haven't found a suitable position..."

"It's alright, Jiao'er, go sit over there first. Hongxiu, after you've settled Miss in, go to the Imperial Concubine and briefly explain the situation. Your mother will know what to do."

Gu Hanjiao knew she didn't need to concern herself with what happened next. She glanced at Li Qianyu and, sure enough, Li Qianyu was looking in their direction. Gu Hanjiao raised her chin at Li Qianyu in a show of defiance, and Li Qianyu looked away with a gloomy expression.

Li Qianyu knew that Gu Hanjiao had always been an extremely difficult person to deal with, and she would likely become even more difficult in the future. Since she had already chosen this path, she would certainly not surrender easily in the future.

Gu Qingwan covered her nose and mouth with a round fan, but the cunning in her eyes was not hidden at all, like a little fox that had smelled something interesting.

Soon, everyone took their seats. The Emperor and Empress arrived hand in hand, followed by the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, the Imperial Concubine, and other concubines.

Xiao Yuheng was somewhat unhappy. His father still treated the Crown Prince well, always keeping him by his side, from childhood to adulthood.

"Long live the Emperor, long live the Queen, and live the Queen a thousand lives."

"Haha, my beloved subjects, please rise. Today is a welcome feast for the Crown Prince, and also to let everyone relax after the success of this disaster relief effort. In addition, the Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, so this can be considered an early family banquet with everyone. So please don't be reserved, just treat it as usual!"

"The Emperor's grace is boundless!"

The Emperor said it was a family banquet, but who would dare to actually treat it as such? Serving the Emperor is like serving a tiger; one must be on high alert and extremely vigilant.

"Where is the Empress Dowager?" the Emperor asked.

"Oh, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager sent someone to say that she is too old and probably doesn't have much energy for such a lively occasion. Her presence might spoil the fun, so she asked the Emperor to drink a few more cups on her behalf with all the officials as a way of apologizing," the Empress explained.

"Yes, the Empress Dowager has been resting and is indeed not fond of such lively occasions. How about this, I will certainly drink a few more cups on behalf of the Empress Dowager and all the ministers."

Everyone echoed this sentiment, saying it was ridiculous. She was the emperor's own mother; she could come whenever she wanted and not come whenever she didn't want. What could anyone say?

"Your Highness has done an excellent job this time. Not only has he handled the disaster relief work very well, but he has also investigated and punished a large number of corrupt officials. Your Majesty must reward Your Highness handsomely!" the ministers below flattered.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Not only that, the Crown Princess has also raised a lot of useful items for the people in the disaster area, which has greatly reduced the burden on the court."

The emperor was overjoyed to hear this. What father doesn't like to have his son praised? However, although he was happy, as the emperor, he still remembered to restrain himself.

"You flatter me, sirs. My achievements today are entirely due to the Emperor's divine power and blessings, as well as your strong support. None of these factors could have been achieved without them."

"The Crown Prince is right. You should not praise him like that, lest he lose his composure due to his youth. If it weren't for all of you ministers working diligently for me, the court, and the people, we wouldn't have such a peaceful and prosperous era. Come, let me toast you all."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After the first round of drinks, the atmosphere of the banquet became increasingly lively. The Empress ordered the prepared songs and dances to be brought up, and for a time the hall was bustling with activity.

Xiao Yuheng was naturally unhappy. He had been confined to the mansion for so long, and his legs were still not fully recovered. On rainy days, they were still unbearably itchy.

Seeing the Crown Prince return in such a glorious manner, with not only the Emperor praising him but also the court officials following suit, no one noticed the work he had done beforehand. Feeling depressed, Xiao Yuheng picked up a wine cup and downed it in one gulp.

The Crown Prince sat at the head of all the princes and princesses, followed by the Second Prince, and then the Third Prince, Xiao Yuheng.

The Crown Prince, holding a wine cup, said to Xiao Yuheng, "My third brother also deserves credit for this. If it weren't for the groundwork he laid beforehand, my arrival wouldn't have been so smooth."

Just as he wished, the Crown Prince took a knife and stabbed Xiao Yuheng in the chest, almost making Xiao Yuheng choke.

"Come, come, third brother, let me offer you a drink, but your injuries still require rest, so please don't drink."

"Thank you, Your Highness. My health has almost fully recovered. My father sent the best imperial physicians to take care of me, so what could possibly go wrong? Come, as your younger brother, I should also toast Your Highness to celebrate your resounding success."

After saying that, he drank a glass of water.

None of the officials below dared to strike up a conversation. This was a power struggle between the princes, and they naturally couldn't say anything in such a setting. As the saying goes, when gods fight, the little devils suffer.

"Third brother, don't say that. The most important thing is for you to get well. Don't talk about how I, the emperor, have a good start. If anyone should be congratulating you, it should be me, the emperor. Your wedding is just around the corner, isn't it?"

Xiao Yuheng's wedding date is after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the second day of the tenth lunar month. It seems far away, but it's also very close.

Consort Yu had been watching all of this from above. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty, look how good the Crown Prince and Heng'er are. They have so much to talk about since they came back. The Crown Prince's return is just in time for Heng'er's wedding."

"Both children are good," the Emperor replied with a smile. Although he was the Emperor, he was also a father and naturally hoped that his sons could get along well.

After hearing this, the Empress thought for a moment and said, "The Third Prince is a good man, and even the princess consort and concubine he married are good men. Alas, children grow up so quickly. Your Majesty used to tell me that the Third Prince didn't have anyone who cared about him, but now he has three beautiful women in his life. Your Majesty doesn't have to worry about him anymore."

"They're all troublesome, but this is the only thing that makes me feel a little relieved," the Emperor said with a smile.

"Your Majesty must be pleased. Who knows, it might not be long before Your Majesty can hold your grandson. Look, Miss Li, Miss Yu, and Miss Gu have all come. Look at them, they are truly enviable."

Seeing this, Consort Yu covered her mouth and said sarcastically, "If we're talking about having offspring for the royal family, it should be the Crown Prince and Crown Princess who go first, since they are the elder brothers. How could Heng'er dare to be ahead of them?"

As expected, the Empress's face did not look good when she heard this. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess had been married for a long time, but there was still no news. Even though the Crown Princess was very outstanding, the Empress could not help but feel dissatisfied. She wanted to arrange for the Crown Prince to take a concubine, but the Crown Prince had a lot of reasons to refuse.

Seeing the Empress's discomfiture, Consort Yu felt an inexplicable joy. She took a sip of her drink and glanced at the seat where Gu Hanjiao was sitting. Then, she pretended to have just noticed and exclaimed in surprise.

"My goodness, how did Miss Gu end up sitting in such a remote spot? It's such a waste for a young lady to sit in the wind eating cold food and drinking cold wine."

When Consort Yu exclaimed in surprise, everyone naturally noticed Gu Hanjiao standing at the door.

The emperor couldn't help but frown when he saw it. Although he had successfully eliminated the position of prime minister, he did not want to be criticized for being an unkind ruler.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Jingchen glanced at the Emperor.

He knew that the Emperor had been planning to dismiss the Prime Minister for a long time. The Prime Minister's power was too great, as outsiders said, second only to the Emperor. Moreover, the Prime Minister participated in the selection of officials every year. If it weren't for this disaster relief effort, no one would have noticed that Gu Ziming's disciples had surpassed all others in the country.

Such a person, if he were only loyal to the emperor, that would be fine, but it is clear that Gu Ziming had other ideas. He actually let his beloved daughter have an affair with the third prince, forcing the emperor to grant them a marriage.