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

Chapter 259 The Ning Family is Leaving the Capital

Gu Hanjiao was just changing locations to continue her antics. Moreover, the Third Prince's harem was not as clean as it appeared from the outside. Although he did not have any concubines, he had many maids. Because he had not yet married the Princess Consort, these maids were left without any official status.

The first person Gu Hanjiao would face upon entering was Yu Xinqiu. Yu Xinqiu was not someone to be trifled with. Born into a merchant family, she was quite familiar with household affairs and would do everything in her power to control the management of the prince's residence.

Whether Gu Hanjiao can keep her belly, which she is so proud of, is still uncertain.

Gu Qingwan wasn't worried that Gu Hanjiao had any other ideas or was causing trouble; in her eyes, she was just a grasshopper in autumn.

Now that she saw Xiao Yuheng so devoted to Gu Hanjiao, she was relieved, at least she had shifted his attention to Gu Hanjiao.

As the saying goes, it's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you. Back then, Xiao Yuheng was so determined to marry her not only because he valued the Gu and Ning families, but also partly because of what the fortune teller had said.

The fortune teller predicted that she was the one, but due to a twist of fate, Xiao Yuheng has gone astray and found the wrong person. In this life, Xiao Yuheng's venomous eyes will no longer be fixed on her.

Her wedding to Xiao Jingchen was just around the corner, and she couldn't think about anything else. Now, all she could think about was marrying Xiao Jingchen; that would be the only way to make her life complete.

Baoqin came in with a smile and said to Gu Qingwan, "Miss, the old Duke is practically sitting in our courtyard himself, just in case the Prince sneaks over to see you."

Hearing this, Gu Qingwan couldn't help but laugh. Xiao Jingchen, despite his silence, had somehow developed a habit of climbing over walls, and his grandfather had accidentally discovered him, so his grandfather grabbed a spear and beat him up.

Xiao Jingchen was persistent and came every day. Now that he had been discovered, he stopped sneaking around and came whenever he thought of it, day or night, but he never managed to get in.

His maternal grandfather and Hao'er blocked the doorway, preventing him from coming in.

With Gu Qingwan's wedding day fast approaching, the Ning family was overjoyed. They were about to have a princess in their family, and they felt proud wherever they went. However, they also felt a sense of melancholy.

On this day, Xiao Jingchen brought Xiao Yi to the door again, and the old Duke and Ning Chenghao blocked the gate.

"What are you doing here again!" The old Duke glared, his beard practically bristling.

Xiao Jingchen was not annoyed. Standing at the door, he replied with his body straight, "Xiao Yi, take the sword I gave to the young master and go play with him."

"No way! Humph, you bad person! My cousin is mine, and Hao'er will marry her in the future."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchen's face darkened. This kid always boasted to him that he wanted to marry Wanwan. Although he knew that he was just talking nonsense, he still felt uncomfortable.

"Hao'er, you must not be rude to the Prince."

Although the old Duke disliked that Xiao Jingchen had taken a liking to his granddaughter and even blocked him from entering the gate, he was still dissatisfied with Hao'er's rudeness towards the prince. No matter how bad the prince was, he was still the prince, and they were his subjects.

Ning Chenghao pursed his lips, but his eyes lit up when he saw what Xiao Yi was holding. It was clear that he really wanted it. He looked at his grandfather, wondering if his grandfather would agree.

The old Duke couldn't help but want to kick his grandson when he saw him like that. He was easily bribed with a little something, and his stance was not firm at all. However, he could also tell that the King of Chu seemed to have something to say this time.

"Since it was a gift from the Prince, why don't you quickly thank him?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Watching Ning Chenghao leave with Xiao Yi, Xiao Jingchen asked, "Old Duke, I wonder if the Duke and the eldest son are at the manor?"

The old Duke suddenly became serious and instructed his subordinates, "Go and summon the Duke and the eldest son to the study. Have tea prepared and invite the Prince to the study."

In the study.

"Your Highness, what do you mean..." Duke Ningguo frowned.

"After my wedding with Wanwan, the Ningguo Duke's family will probably have to return to the northern border."

Ning Chenglin said, "It's already so fast? Didn't we say we could wait until after the New Year..."

"Lin'er, shut up. We'll leave whenever His Majesty tells us to. There's no reason to haggle."

"Father, your son knows he was wrong."

Xiao Jingchen glanced at Ning Chenglin but didn't say anything to him. Instead, he continued speaking to the old Duke and the Duke of Ning, "Your Majesty does indeed want the Duke of Ning to stay in the capital until after the New Year. However, as you know, the envoy from the Northern Border will be arriving in a couple of days. Your Majesty is worried that the Northern Border might use this as an excuse to amass troops and plot against us. I'm concerned that without the Duke's presence, things might get chaotic. If someone tries to take advantage of the situation, I'm afraid..."

The old Duke nodded. "Your Highness's analysis makes sense. The Ning family has always been there to hold the northern border, but even so, those barbarians in the north still cause small disputes from time to time. Now that my son and I have been back in the capital for many months, we don't know how things are there. It's time to go back."

"Is Your Highness's visit at the Emperor's behest?" asked the Duke of Ningguo.

"No, it is my idea. The old Duke should not be angry with the young man. For the sake of the Ning family, I think the Duke should personally submit a petition to request to return to the Northern Territory. It would be good for both sides."

“Since His Majesty hasn’t issued a decree, we can simply wait until after the New Year to make plans.” Ning Chenglin felt there was no need to act on his own; since the Emperor hadn’t said anything, they should cherish the opportunity before them.

"I'm afraid that won't work. My scouts have reported that a lot of mysterious troops have gathered around the northern border. They said they were escorting the delegation across the border, but after the delegation crossed, they stopped and said they would wait for the delegation to return so they wouldn't bother with the back and forth. Moreover, some northerners have come to loot and cause trouble. Although the generals left behind by the old Duke have dealt with it, it's not enough. I'm afraid they want to provoke a conflict."

The old Duke couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Although his grandson was only a few years younger than the King of Chu, his vision and insight were far inferior. It was not without reason that Qingwan chose the King of Chu instead of his grandson.

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. Our Ning family must indeed return."

"Grandson doesn't understand."

The Duke of Ningguo grew up alongside the old Duke and had been active in the court for some time, so he naturally understood the other layer of meaning in the King of Chu's words.

"Lin'er, our Ning family has received the Emperor's grace to return to the capital to celebrate your grandmother's birthday. Moreover, the Emperor is merciful and has allowed your grandfather to retire and return to his residence, passing the title of Duke of Ning to your father and me, and also allowing you to inherit the position of heir. Not only that, our family has also produced a Princess Consort of Chu. Such a lot of attention is enough, and our family should also step aside for a while."

"It is the son's narrow-mindedness that is the problem. When does the father plan to submit his memorial to the throne?"

"What does Your Highness think?"

"I believe that after my wedding with Wanwan, the Duke of Ningguo can take his son and request permission to go to the Northern Border. In fact, it's better for him to leave, otherwise there will always be people eyeing the Ning family."

It makes sense, doesn't it? Now that the Ning family's granddaughter has married the Prince of Chu, who already has military power, and the Ning family also holds military power, if both families remain in the capital, the Emperor might develop suspicions over time.

This thing is terrifying. Since ancient times, there has been no kinship in the royal family. Perhaps the emperor is good to the Prince of Chu and the Ning family now, but once he becomes wary, all this kindness will become a slow poison.

Moreover, the situation in the capital is changing rapidly, and the struggle between the princes is also turbulent. The Crown Prince's faction has clearly gained the upper hand, but the Third Prince is not to be outdone, and everyone knows that he is using money to win people's hearts.

In particular, the Third Prince was going to marry the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, and also took the daughter of the Prime Minister and the daughter of the Yu family as concubines. In one fell swoop, power and wealth all went into his own pocket.

Although Li Xinhan seems to be neutral now, he might help the Third Prince for his daughter's happiness in the future. As for Gu Ziming, that old fox, although the Emperor has taken away his real power, he still has a lot of influence. Half of the scholars in the court were promoted by him.

As for the Second Prince, he's no pushover either. They couldn't tell before, but ever since that girl from the Meng family got into trouble, the Ning family has realized that he's a master of feigning weakness while actually being strong. They don't know what his trump cards are, but they've started to see them.

"Your Highness, may I ask which prince His Majesty sent to receive the envoy from the Northern Border?"

"The Third Prince and the Second Prince."

"The Second Prince was involved too? I thought it would be the Crown Prince." The Duke of Ningguo was somewhat surprised. It seems that none of the Emperor's children are easy to deal with.

"The Crown Prince still had some political affairs to attend to, so the Emperor did not allow him to take time to receive the envoys from the northern border."

The Duke of Ningguo thought for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Is the Prince in a good situation?"

Xiao Jingchen was taken aback, not expecting the Ningguo Duke to ask such a question: "I am currently doing well, but a scout has reported that things are not quite peaceful in the Southern Frontier."

The situation in the southern border is more complicated than in the northern border, and it's unlikely that asking will yield any clear answers. Since the prince is so confident, there's no need for them to worry.

"If Your Highness needs anything, just send someone to deliver a message. After all, we'll be family from now on." The Duke of Ningguo was also worried about the Prince of Chu.

"Thank you, Uncle. However, I think we should still avoid political and military ties as before, so as not to give anyone a chance to spread rumors and cause trouble."

Yes, it's true. If two people with military power are interacting so closely in private, people will only wonder if the King of Chu is planning a rebellion. Although the Emperor may not suspect anything now, it's hard to say what might happen in the long run. For the sake of both families, it's best to keep some distance.

"Thank you for your reminder, Your Highness. My son and I will certainly keep it in mind." The Duke of Ningguo stood up, clasped his hands in thanks, and said, "After Your Highness and Qingwan's wedding, I will definitely submit a memorial requesting a divorce."

"No, you should submit a memorial tomorrow requesting permission to leave." The old duke pondered for a while before coming to this conclusion.

"Grandfather, is there really such a rush?"

In Xiao Jingchen's view, Ning Chenglin still misses Wanwan and is reluctant to leave. Alas, the old Duke and the Duke of Ning are both decisive and ruthless people, so how come the young master is so sentimental?

"My son, you should submit a memorial tomorrow to show your determination. His Majesty is merciful and will surely allow you to stay until after Qingwan's wedding. If nothing unexpected happens, His Majesty will definitely allow you to leave the capital on the day the delegation enters the capital."

"The old Duke is wise."

"Your Highness, stop flattering me. Even so, I will not allow you to see Qingwan. Your Highness should go back now!"

Seeing the old Duke suddenly turn his back on him, Prince Chu touched his nose, feeling a little uncomfortable. He was quite sensible, knowing that the wedding was not far off and it was indeed not appropriate for the bride and groom to meet at this moment. However, it didn't matter; he could find a way to make it happen.

Knowing that the Ning family father and son still had something to say, the King of Chu tactfully left.

After seeing the Prince of Chu off, they indeed closed the door and continued to discuss leaving the capital. Ning Chenglin felt even more inadequate, feeling inferior to the Prince of Chu in every way. No wonder his cousin didn't choose him. Thinking of this, Ning Chenglin felt even worse.

To their surprise, the King of Chu did not leave through the main gate, but instead blatantly turned a corner and headed towards Gu Qingwan's courtyard.

"Why are you here?" Gu Qingwan was a little surprised when she saw Xiao Jingchen. She looked behind Xiao Jingchen but did not see her maternal grandfather.

That shouldn't be the case. What method did Xiao Jingchen use to get his maternal grandfather to agree to let him in?

"Cough cough cough, don't look anymore. I sneaked in when your grandfather wasn't looking. I'm here to bring you this."

As he spoke, he took out a jade hairpin from his chest and inserted it into Gu Qingwan's hair. He looked at it for a while and then raised his hand to tidy it up.

"Hmm, it's quite beautiful. I'm leaving now."

Xiao Jingchen used his light-footed skill to scale the wall and leave. Before Gu Qingwan could figure out what was going on, she heard her maternal grandfather's powerful voice coming from the other side.

"You brat, don't think that just because you're a prince I won't dare to do anything to you! You dare to come looking for Qingwan when I wasn't looking! Let's see if I dare to beat you up!"

When the old man arrived, he saw his granddaughter standing there gracefully. He didn't see the King of Chu, so he knew that the King of Chu had already run away.

"Hmph, at least he ran fast, that wolf cub."

Gu Qingwan was both amused and exasperated. Her grandfather was becoming more and more like a child. "Grandfather, the prince meant no harm."

“I know, but when I think about how he’s been thinking about you since he was a child, I feel like I’ve let a wolf into the house.”

Gu Qingwan felt as if a feather had gently brushed against her heart, stirring a different kind of excitement within her. So he had taken a liking to her so early on. Fortunately, she hadn't missed out on him or let him down in this life.

Gu Qingwan touched the hairpin in her hair, feeling a warmth in her heart.

Seeing his granddaughter acting like a sentimental little girl, the old Duke knew that his granddaughter had fallen for him. Seeing this, the old Duke was even more heartbroken, feeling as if his own beloved cabbage had suddenly been trampled.