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

Chapter 234 1 Will Definitely Be Happy

"Your brother... your brother is a very, very good person, so your future sister-in-law must also be a very, very good woman."

"But I think you're great."

"Don't talk nonsense. What's so great about me? Yanran, don't worry. Your brother will definitely be very happy, won't he?"

"Hmm...you're right. Besides, with me, his sister, looking after him, it's hard for him not to be happy. And if things don't work out, there's always you, isn't there? You have a very sharp eye. You can help my brother choose the right people too."

"Don't worry, don't worry about me or your brother. In this world, whether it's a man or a woman, everyone gets married, and you will too. Feelings are the foundation of a relationship, but nowadays most marriages are arranged, and those who are truly in love are a minority. The prince and I are already lucky. I believe that you and your brother will also meet people who are in love with you. Take it slow and don't rush."

“You’re right. I’ll definitely tell you this to my grandmother and mother when I have time, so they won’t keep pressuring me to get married.”

“Those are your family, they are naturally the best to you, you silly little thing, you don’t know how lucky you are.”

"Ouch, why are you poking my head?"

"Alright, go to sleep now. After breakfast tomorrow, let's invite Princess Qinghe to go to the Makeup Pavilion."

"That's great, let's go to sleep!"

Soon, she heard soft snoring beside her. Gu Qingwan turned around and looked out the window, where the white moonlight shone.

Gongzi Jiyue, you will definitely find your happiness, you definitely will.

Gu Qingwan was not sleepy. She stared blankly at the moonlight falling on the window screen, lost in thought. For some reason, she suddenly remembered a poem she had heard Gu Hanjiao write in her previous life.

"I can't bear to give it away, but I still have a good night's sleep."

As she was muttering to herself, she suddenly felt that something was wrong. She had just sat up when her dark hair slipped off her shoulders and the moonlight draped a veil over her head.

A tall figure appeared outside the window. Without even turning on the light, Gu Qingwan could see that it was none other than the King of Chu.

Gu Qingwan's lips twitched slightly.

"I cannot bear to offer you this handful of sweet memories; I return to my bed to dream of our happy reunion. What, whose dream are you returning?"

"Your Highness, it's the middle of the night. Aren't you tired after a long day?"

The King of Chu thought for a while and said, "I'm not tired. I'm a little excited and can't sleep, so I came to see if you feel the same way."

Gu Qingwan was speechless. This person looked so mature, but acted so childishly. That's what she thought, and that's what she said.

"Your Highness, how can you be so childish?"

Looking at the woman who walked to the window in her nightgown to talk to him, she had shed her white nightgown from the daytime and now appeared even more gentle and charming.

Xiao Jingchen was extremely happy today, his eyes shining brighter than the stars in the sky.

Xiao Jingchen reached out and gently placed his hand behind Gu Qingwan's head, and the two of them leaned their foreheads together through the window.

Gu Qingwan blushed, wondering what was wrong with this guy tonight. When she came to her senses, she could smell a hint of alcohol.

"What's all the fuss about? Yanran is still sleeping inside. If she sees you like this, don't you have any shame?"

"No, that girl sleeps like a log and snores, she won't wake up."

"How can you talk about a girl like that? Have you been drinking?"

Xiao Jingchen let Gu Qingwan go and leaned against the window, chuckling softly.

"Yes, I'm happy today, and my brother is happy too, so he invited me to stay in his study for a few more drinks. But the wine my brother has been hoarding is really good, though it's quite potent. Hehe, he's already drunk. I'm still the best drinker; my brother's capacity isn't what it used to be."

Looking at the person in front of me who keeps rambling on and on, it's hard to associate this person with a cold-blooded and ruthless war god. Maybe it's his rambling that's working, maybe it's the alcohol, or maybe it's just the right amount of moonlight.

At this moment, Xiao Jingchen actually gave off a cute feeling, and even the scar on his face seemed to soften.

Gu Qingwan leaned against the window, listening quietly to the person rambling on and on without interrupting.

After talking for a while, Xiao Jingchen stopped, looked intently at Gu Qingwan, and carefully took her hand.

"I am now a king with a queen."

Seeing Xiao Jingchen like this, Gu Qingwan's heart couldn't help but soften. "Is the Empress Dowager facing any difficulties?"

"No, I took out the late emperor's edict, which was filled in to grant us a marriage, so even the Empress Dowager can't do anything about it."

"what!"

Gu Qingwan was somewhat surprised. She naturally knew about the late emperor's will. It had always been just a rumor that the late emperor gave his youngest son a blank edict stamped with the imperial seal and his personal seal before he died. This edict was very powerful and could even be abolished by the emperor.

However, some say that the late emperor intended for the Prince of Chu to ascend the throne, but because the Prince of Chu was too young, the current emperor usurped the throne. The late emperor couldn't bear to see his youngest son suffer, so he left him this life-saving measure.

However, some people say that this is just a rumor. The emperor and the prince of Chu are brothers, and their relationship is so good now. It's just that some people with ulterior motives are spreading rumors.

Are they on good terms? If they are, why has the King of Chu been away on the frontier for so many years? But if they are not on good terms, why has the King of Chu devoted himself so wholeheartedly to assisting the Emperor?

These are just outsiders' speculations.

As for that imperial edict, Gu Qingwan knew about it. Back then, Xiao Yuheng had sent people to the Chu Prince's residence and the border to search for the edict many times, and even tried every means to plant people around the Chu Prince to find out where the edict was hidden.

In the end, the late emperor's edict never appeared. At first, she doubted whether it was real. Now, hearing that the Prince of Chu had personally confirmed it and even used it to bestow a marriage upon her, Gu Qingwan finally believed that the late emperor's edict was indeed real.

"How could you bring something so important, with such far-reaching implications..."

Xiao Jingchen shook his head and said, "To me, you are the most important thing."

Xiao Jingchen never put on airs in front of Gu Qingwan, and addressed her as "you" and "me" just like any other couple.

Yes, that thing breeds far too much greed, so it's a win-win situation that it's been dealt with this way.

No wonder the Empress Dowager didn't pursue the matter further; no wonder the Emperor was so happy tonight that he kept Prince Chu to drink a few more cups; no wonder Xiao Jingchen came to talk to her while looking at the moon with a sense of relief.

I originally thought that pursuing the King of Chu would be difficult if I could do it all over again, but I didn't expect it to be so simple. Could it be that the King of Chu had feelings for me in my past life? It's just that he was not good at expressing himself, and I had already gone down the wrong path without realizing it.

"It's getting late, you should go to sleep."

Gu Qingwan was about to ask Xiao Jingchen when he had started liking her, but before she could ask, Xiao Jingchen pushed her back to sleep and thoughtfully closed the window from the outside.

"Although Qinghe is a reckless girl with a bad temper, she's still a good person. So if you like her, you can get to know her better. Go to sleep."

Before leaving, Xiao Jingchen said something that made Gu Qingwan laugh. She stopped worrying about when he had fallen for her. It was getting late, and she had to get up early the next day, so she went back to bed and felt sleepy.

Outside, Xiao Jingchen heard Gu Qingwan's even breathing and knew she was asleep. He walked slowly outside with his hands behind his back and saw someone standing at the archway.

Xiao Jingchen naturally recognized this person; he was the eldest son of the Duke of Ningguo's mansion. Clearly, this wasn't the first time they had met like this.

Ning Chenglin looked at the King of Chu with a complicated expression, and after a long while, he turned and left.

Xiao Jingchen was not one to speak up, so Xiao Yi appeared from the shadows and walked to his side.

"Master, what does this Young Master Ning mean? He's been here for a long time, ever since before we arrived."

"What do you mean? I don't know either. Why don't you go and ask?"

"Subordinate? Never mind, how could I dare to ask?"

"You dare not ask him, yet you dare to come and ask me?"

Xiao Yi quickly shut his mouth, lowered his head, and stood behind the King of Chu, not daring to say another word.

Xiao Jingchen naturally knew Ning Chenglin's feelings for Gu Qingwan, and he also knew what the old lady had planned back then, but those were just plans. Since they were not spoken out, they were meaningless.

Furthermore, he believed in Ning Chenglin's character, and it wouldn't be a bad thing for Wanwan to have such an older brother to protect her in the future. However, with him around, it wouldn't be the turn of other men to protect her.

The King of Chu, who disappeared into the night, was clearly in a good mood. Even after returning to his palace, he was still in a good mood, so much so that he kept his subordinates from sleeping and forced them to train until dawn.

Gu Qingwan is an early riser, but Meng Yanran is clearly not. She talked too much with Gu Qingwan last night and went to bed too late, so she couldn't get out of bed early the next morning.

Gu Qingwan saw that it was still early and didn't wake her up. Instead, she quietly went outside to practice her skills. But when she came back, she saw Xingye standing by the bed with a bitter face, trying to comfort Meng Yanran.

"Miss, you should get up quickly. This isn't our own home. If people find out you're a guest and still sleeping in, they'll laugh their heads off."

"Well, Qingwan is no stranger, Xingye, please let me sleep a little longer, just a little while."

As they were talking, the person on the bed fell asleep again.

Xingye looked at her young mistress with a helpless expression, then at Gu Qingwan standing to the side, and apologized.

Gu Qingwan waved her hand and said, "It's alright. Your young lady went to bed too late last night, so let her sleep a little longer. Princess Qinghe will be here in a while anyway, so I'll go to the door to greet her myself. But don't let your young lady sleep too long, or she'll miss breakfast."

Gu Qingwan led Siqi to the gate to wait for Princess Qinghe. She also asked Baoqin to send a message to the old lady and madam's courtyard, saying that Princess Qinghe would come back later to have breakfast and go out to play together, and asked if the old lady and madam had any instructions.

Not long after arriving at the gate, Princess Qinghe arrived on a tall horse.

"Qingwan! Why are you the only one waiting for me, this princess? Where is that brat Meng Yanran?"

Gu Qingwan smiled and said, "Sister Yanran is still sleeping in. I couldn't wake her up, but last night I dreamt that she was still talking about the princess."

"She would mention me, the princess? That's quite unusual."

Princess Qinghe was dressed very appropriately for riding a horse. She dismounted gracefully and handed the horse to the servant beside her.

"Let's go, let's pay our respects to the old lady and the madam first, then we'll have breakfast at your place. Oh, I'm starving."

As the two of them walked inside while talking, Baoqin, carrying a box, returned to give their reply.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

"Get up."

"Princess, Miss, I just came from the Old Madam's place. It just so happened that Madam was serving the Old Madam in her courtyard. I told her that the Princess would be coming to play with you later. The Old Madam was very happy to hear this and said that you don't need to take the Princess to her courtyard to pay your respects today. Etiquette is just formality and would spoil the fun. You should take the Princess and Miss Meng to have fun. If you need anything, just ask Madam."

Princess Qinghe smiled and nodded, saying, "The old lady is so magnanimous. I really hate these rules. They're so boring and complicated that I feel it would be better to take a knife and go to the battlefield to kill a few people."

“The princess is a person of strong character and naturally cannot stand these things. Since the old lady has given us a holiday, then the princess should come with me to my courtyard.”

"Exactly."

“By the way, Miss.” Baoqin said, holding a box, “This was given to me by the Madam when I came. She said it was pocket money and that the Princess should enjoy it. It doesn’t matter if it gets late; she can stay at the mansion. But we need to send someone to tell her as soon as possible so she can inform the palace.”

"Madam Ning is so thoughtful." Princess Qinghe opened the box while holding the zither and saw that there were loose silver coins and silver notes inside.

"Wow, that's quite a lot! Even if the three of us play for several days, we won't spend it all."

"Since it's your aunt's kind gesture, then let's accept it. Perhaps she feels that if she gives too little, we'll feel constrained and uncomfortable. If we don't need it, there's always another time."

"Haha, then I won't stand on ceremony. Emerald, you go with Baoqin later to deliver the gifts I prepared to the Old Madam and Madam, and also thank the Old Madam and Madam for their kindness on my behalf."

"Princess, rest assured, this servant will take care of it."

With that, the two of them went inside hand in hand.

When Ru Hua learned that the princess had arrived, she hurriedly started preparing the small kitchen to serve the dishes, and the old lady also sent someone to deliver two exquisite pastries.

Princess Qinghe was not in a hurry. She first took her little leather whip and ran to Gu Qingwan's bedroom. She saw Meng Yanran sitting in front of the dressing mirror with her head bobbing slowly, and a maid was combing her hair behind her.

Princess Qinghe's eyes darted around, and she gestured for the maid to be quiet. She quietly stepped forward and raised the whip in her hand.