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

Chapter 287 The Princess Consort Invites the Prince Shopping

The third-day celebration went smoothly and wasn't too large-scale. Everyone knew that it would be much more lively when Marquis Yongyi returned to celebrate the full moon or 100-day celebration.

After dealing with the others, Gu Qingwan sat down next to Old Madam Ning and started talking.

“What’s going on outside? Why are you so angry? And when I came here just now, Old Madam Meng told me that a few days ago, her daughter-in-law Yanran invited you to the mansion after giving birth. You beat up her cousin for no reason. I was completely confused when I heard that, and I didn’t dare to say anything at the time. Now that you have some free time, why don’t you talk to your grandmother about it?”

Gu Qingwan cursed inwardly, thinking how petty people always complain. Before she could even say anything, Old Madam Meng had already gone to her maternal grandmother's side and said a bunch of things, avoiding the main issues.

"Hmph, instead of his family thanking me, why are they gossiping to my grandmother?"

Madam Ning knew her granddaughter was angry, so she took her hand and said, "Don't be angry. Tell me first, quietly."

Gu Qingwan couldn't help but burst out laughing, and then she moved closer to Old Madam Ning and briefly recounted what had happened that day.

Madam Ning was very surprised and said, "Such danger? Luckily we met you, otherwise it would have been fatal. By the way, doesn't this expose your medical skills?"

Gu Qingwan shook her head and said, "No, it just so happens that the Prince's doctor Xue is at the manor, and my granddaughter says that everything is thanks to Doctor Xue."

Madam Ning nodded and said, "That's good. It's better to avoid trouble. Now that you are the Princess Consort of Chu, adding anything else would be too much."

"That's exactly what it means."

"This old lady Meng is getting more and more confused. I remember she was a very clear-headed person when she was young. Perhaps she has lost her mind after a couple of peaceful days." Old lady Ning also disapproved of some of her actions.

Putting aside the fact that your own granddaughter is your daughter-in-law's savior, you shouldn't have fabricated the identity of the Princess of Chu like that. It's truly distasteful.

And then there was that cousin from the manor. When she arrived, Old Madam Meng specially brought her to her side and gave her a grand introduction, saying that she had come to the capital to find a good match and that she should tell her daughter-in-law to introduce her if there were any suitable matches.

It wasn't that she was looking down on people, but that woman named Shen Xiaoru was no good. She was obviously a troublemaker. Besides, she didn't know which impoverished family she came from. In the capital, she relied on the Yongyi Marquis's mansion. Even if she wanted to climb up the social ladder, she would have to be realistic about her abilities.

In short, she disliked that kind of woman from the very first meeting. She was sweet-talking and obedient, but little did she know that such a person was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Forget it. Since that old woman is so ungrateful, just ignore her. I don't want to talk to her anymore either. When our family was in trouble, she cut off all contact with me. Of course, I was understanding. A widow raised her only son with great difficulty. The Yongyi Marquis's mansion really couldn't afford any more trouble. Later, when she took the initiative to befriend me, I felt that the friendship from our youth was precious and thought about rekindling our relationship. Now it seems that the friendship is precious, but things have changed."

"Grandmother, please don't say that. You two sisters should continue to interact as you see fit. This is a matter between me and the Marquis of Yongyi's family. There's no need to involve unrelated people. Grandmother, please don't be upset over such a small matter. It's not worth it."

"I understand."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Old Madam Meng arrived, accompanied by Shen Xiaoru.

"So you are here."

Madam Ning composed herself and said with a smile, "We saw you were busy earlier, so we decided to talk here. It's almost time, so we'll take our leave soon."

"No, please. You've come all this way, stay for a meal before you leave. Come, let me introduce you. This is my niece, Shen Xiaoru, and this is the granddaughter of my older sister, Gu Qingwan, whom you've met before."

Madam Ning and Gu Qingwan exchanged a glance, wondering what Madam Meng meant.

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Old Madam Meng felt a little awkward, and Shen Xiaoru even reached out and tugged at Old Madam Meng's sleeve.

"Hehe, I knew Qingwan was a very good-natured child. She was personally taught by her older sister, so she couldn't be too bad. My niece said that some things had caused Qingwan to misunderstand, and she felt bad about it, so I brought her here to clear up the misunderstanding."

Shen Xiaoru stepped forward with a smile. She had found out in the past two days that her aunt had a very good relationship with the old lady of the Ningguo Duke's Mansion, and that Meng Yanran and the Princess of Chu also had a very good relationship.

If her aunt were to act as a go-between, she would be able to speak with the Duke of Ningguo's mansion and the Princess of Chu. It would be a great asset to her if she could befriend these two families.

She originally intended to replace Zhou Shi with her brother-in-law, Marquis Yongyi, but with so many talented young men present today, she was tempted. If she could get an introduction from the Princess of Chu, she might even become the first wife of someone.

Even if things don't go well, she can at least get to know and befriend these two families before the Zhou family does, so that things will be easier for her later.

"Qingwan, I..."

Shi Shu was the most eloquent. She stood aside expressionlessly and reminded her, "Our Princess Consort is a titled Lady of the highest rank, and her marriage was bestowed by the late Emperor's will. Apart from the Empress Dowager and the Empress, our Princess Consort is the most noble. Who are you to dare to address our Princess Consort by her given name in public?"

When Shen Xiaoru saw that Siqi was coming over, she was so frightened that she quickly covered her face and stood behind Old Madam Meng.

Madam Meng's face darkened. They had already brought up their status. The Princess Consort of Chu was a high-ranking noblewoman, while she was just a third-rank noblewoman, a title she only obtained because of the Marquis of Yongyi's family. No one would say it was wrong for her to kowtow and pay respects to a junior like Gu Qingwan.

So she could only say to Madam Ning with a sullen face, "Elder sister, I never expected your granddaughter to become so arrogant after getting married."

"Hehehe, of course. The princess has married the prince, and every move she makes represents the Chu Prince's Mansion and the royal family. Naturally, we cannot be negligent. Even I dare not address the princess by her given name so directly."

Madam Ning kept referring to her as "Princess Consort," making Madam Meng feel quite embarrassed.

Even respectable elders follow proper etiquette, so what kind of elder are you, acting like a big shot?

"Older sister..."

Shen Xiaoru was also embarrassed. She didn't expect that Princess Chu would be so difficult to get along with. She had just seen Princess Chu chatting very well with that brat Yanran in the backyard and thought she was easy to talk to.

"Madam, Yanran and I are very close friends, just like you and my maternal grandmother were back then. This bond cannot be broken so easily because of some nobody. Madam, you have supported this Marquis's mansion for so many years, and I'm sure you see some things more clearly than anyone else."

"Princess Consort of Chu, what do you mean by this!" Shen Xiaoru felt that Princess Consort of Chu was implying something about her, but she couldn't find any evidence.

"Alright, alright, you should be happy. Such a lovely pair of twins have suddenly appeared. Your daughter-in-law, Zhou, is a rare find. Come on, let me go see those two adorable children before I leave."

Madam Ning didn't want to get too involved in this topic, so she pulled Madam Meng to go see the two children again. Just then, Madam Ning returned after chatting with other ladies, and Gu Qingwan nodded to her and left with her maid.

Everyone was sensible enough to leave after a short while, as the Yongyi Marquis's household was filled with the elderly and the young, and the steward had just given birth.

Meng Yanran personally escorted her good friends, Princess Chu and Princess Qinghe, to the door.

"Yanran, go back and take care of your mother and your brother. Qinghe and I are not outsiders. We can get together again when we have time."

"That's right, that's right, you should go back quickly, don't see me off." Princess Qinghe also felt that at this time, there was no need to be particular about etiquette.

Princess Qinghe seemed to have thought of something and said, "Um... tell your brother not to be too busy. Taking care of his health is the most important thing. I noticed that he has dark circles under his eyes today. I'm afraid he hasn't slept well."

Gu Qingwan suddenly sensed something. She looked thoughtfully at Princess Qinghe, who felt uncomfortable under her gaze and shouted, "What are you looking at? I'm just concerned about my friend's brother, so what?"

Unfortunately, Meng Yanran, being oblivious, didn't notice Qinghe's unusual behavior. She was still explaining, "It's not that I didn't sleep well. My brother just rushed back from out of town last night. He didn't even have time to close his eyes before he was busy preparing for the two children's third-day celebration."

"Actually, since the Marquis is not at home, there is no need to hold this baby shower banquet."

"That's right, that's what my mother said too. But my grandmother was bewitched by my cousin, who kept saying that today was an auspicious day and insisted on holding the party. Look at this mess, at least nothing serious happened." Meng Yanran was also full of complaints, and her little mouth was like a torrent of beans.

"Alright, alright, hurry up and go in, help your brother!" Princess Qinghe was heartbroken to hear that Meng Jiyue hadn't slept, and without waiting for Meng Yanran to say anything more, she pushed her inside.

"Alright then, I'll come visit you guys when I'm done with my work!" Meng Yanran, who had just been pushed in, was already inside the mansion before she even realized how she had gotten in.

At the door, Gu Qingwan looked at Princess Qinghe, wanting an explanation from her. But the princess pretended to be clueless, raised her riding whip, and said, "Then I'm leaving too. Come visit my residence when you're all free tomorrow."

"Qinghe..."

"Oh dear, I'm leaving! I'm leaving! I'm leaving!"

Before Gu Qingwan could say anything, Princess Qinghe ran away as if someone was chasing her.

"Your Highness, why is Princess Qinghe running away?" Shishu asked curiously.

“I think the princess might have someone she likes.” Siqi looked like she knew everything.

Gu Qingwan was a little surprised that even her maid had noticed this.

Shi Shu also looked surprised and asked, "When did you come to understand the feelings between men and women? How did you know that the princess has someone she likes?"

Siqi subconsciously looked towards the Prince's carriage, just as Xiao Yi was driving the carriage this way. Siqi looked away and unconsciously coughed lightly.

"Hehehe, just guessing."

Just then, the carriage arrived. Gu Qingwan got into the carriage, which was warm and cozy inside, making her feel very comfortable.

Xiao Jingchen poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Gu Qingwan, asking, "Are you tired?"

"I'm not tired. I just went to see Yanran's mother. She didn't look too well, but she's recovering alright." Gu Qingwan sighed as she said this. "Giving birth is like walking through the gates of hell for a woman. If she hadn't met me, she probably would have lost her life. And that old lady Meng is really outrageous."

"Did she provoke you again?"

"No, not at all. My maternal grandmother came today too, but she wasn't as warm towards Madam Meng as before."

“My maternal grandmother is such a shrewd person. If Old Madam Meng is not clear-headed, then we should not get too close to her. Otherwise, the people around the Marquis of Yongyi’s mansion may suffer in the end.”

Xiao Jingchen rubbed the still slightly warm cup with his thumb, and thought about the Marquis of Yongyi's residence for a while.

To put it bluntly, the Yongyi Marquis's mansion was gradually declining. Although the ancestors were not particularly outstanding, they were not mediocre either. It was only after the old lady of the Yongyi Marquis married into the family that it gradually began to become mediocre.

The old Marquis died young, leaving behind a widow and her son. Unfortunately, the old lady was rather timid and did not want her son to stand out, which led to the decline of the Yongyi Marquis's mansion.

Back when the old Marquis was still alive, he sent his young son to the military camp for training. He also heard that when the son left, his wife cried as she saw him off from the mansion gate to the city gate.

"A letter has arrived from the north. They are not slow; they arrived almost at the same time. The roads were blocked by heavy snow as soon as they arrived, and it was Prince Ning who led his men to clear a path for everyone."

Upon hearing the letter, Gu Qingwan immediately sat up straight and asked, "Weren't those large grains of salt I prepared used?"

"Salt is such a scarce commodity that the old Duke and his family must be reluctant to use it."

“I thought of that too. There’s also coal slag and carbon ash, which you can also handle.”

“I reckon they’ve used it too. Yongyi Hou thought to himself that prices haven’t risen outrageously due to the snow disaster. Although there have been some fluctuations, they’re all within an acceptable range. Wanwan, all the preparations you made before have worked perfectly.”

Gu Qingwan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "My strength alone is not enough. I should thank Yu Linglong, who has made a lot of contributions."

"The Yu family is not stupid after all. The scouts reported that the Yu family is very cooperative in this disaster relief effort, but they are not making a big fuss about it. It is probably Yu Linglong's doing."

Xiao Jingchen thought for a moment and said, "Did you promise Yu Linglong something? Why is she cooperating with you like this?"

Gu Qingwan gave Xiao Jingchen a look that said, "You're so smart," leaving him speechless.

"Of course I agreed to give her benefits. It's the mine I told the prince about before. I promised to let Yu Linglong develop that mine. However, I only allow Yu Linglong to do so. I absolutely do not allow anyone else from the Yu family to do so. I also told her that if I find out that someone else has been replaced halfway through, then she can't blame me for using my power to oppress her."

Xiao Jingchen was amused by Gu Qingwan, "You're quite good at using the 'fox borrowing the tiger's might' technique."

"Whether I'm using someone else's power or not, as long as it works, that's all that matters."

Xiao Jingchen gently touched her hair with his large hand and said, "This is the best way. Even the best of friends would be terrible if they didn't want anything in return. Having some mutual benefit makes the relationship more reassuring."