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

Chapter 228 Competition with Princess Qinghe

Upon seeing Granny Chang approaching, Madam Jiang, the Duchess of Wen, changed her demeanor once again. She put away her earlier frightened appearance, clutched the handkerchief in her hand, and went ahead to greet Granny Chang.

“Granny Chang, you’ve finally arrived. How can we let the Empress Dowager’s family wait in this pavilion? Look at these palace maids, you should give them a good talking-to, otherwise outsiders will laugh at us.”

Granny Chang frowned, and said with some displeasure, "Who dares to laugh at the Empress Dowager? Do they have a death wish?"

Although Granny Chang was a servant, she still looked down on Madam Jiang's petty and narrow-minded behavior.

"Furthermore, Madam, this is the Imperial Palace. You should be mindful of your words and actions. Your reckless behavior has not only disgraced the Wen family, but also the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. What will people outside say about you?"

Jiang was surprised that Granny Chang would say such a thing to her, and for a moment she couldn't explain herself, which made her somewhat embarrassed and angry.

"Granny Chang, I am still the wife of a first-rank duke. Even if you are an old servant who has served the Empress Dowager, you cannot slander me like this."

Others might give Granny Chang some face out of respect for the Empress Dowager, but in Madam Jiang's eyes, Granny Chang was just a servant, and she never took her seriously.

Wenrou, who was listening from the side, was terrified. When she came to her senses, she quickly grabbed Jiang's hand.

Since Granny Chang dared to speak so openly to Madam Jiang in front of so many palace servants, it would be impossible for her not to have been authorized by the Empress Dowager.

Who is Granny Chang? She fought her way up from the palace intrigues alongside the Empress Dowager, and her fighting prowess is not to be underestimated.

“Mother!” Wenrou shook her head at Madam Jiang.

Seeing her daughter's expression, Mrs. Jiang swallowed the words she was about to say, but she was still somewhat unwilling.

Seeing Jiang's appearance, Granny Chang felt even more sorry for the Empress Dowager.

"Madam, you should reflect on your actions. The Empress Dowager said that today is a joyous occasion, and with so many people coming and going in the palace, she can't bear to say anything more to you. However, after you go home, copy the 'Precepts for Women' one hundred times. Don't rush, just have someone deliver it to you in fifteen days."

"What!" Madam Jiang was incredulous. Wasn't this a slap in the face? She, the dignified Duchess, was being punished by copying "Admonitions for Women." If other ladies knew about this, they would laugh their heads off.

"What, Madam Wen, are you even going to defy the Empress Dowager's decree?"

Wenrou, listening from the side, knew that the Empress Dowager was truly angry with her mother this time. If her mother continued to act so unreasonably, not only would her marriage be in jeopardy, but even her mother's position as the matriarch would be threatened. Moreover, the most urgent matter at present was her marriage to the Prince of Chu, which only the Empress Dowager could decide.

"Mother, please accept the imperial decree and express your gratitude. Aunt has been very good to us, especially to me. I have been taught by Aunt with great care and effort, and Granny Chang has taken good care of me."

"But...your marriage..."

"Mother, your daughter's marriage will naturally be decided by the Empress Dowager and Father, so you don't need to worry."

"If Madam is worried about Miss, she can take Miss home now," Granny Chang said suddenly from the side, startling Madam Jiang and her daughter.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant."

Seeing that Madam Jiang's attitude had finally softened, Granny Chang slowly began to speak.

"Someone, please invite Madam and Miss to rest in the side hall."

Seeing that Granny Chang was about to leave, Wenrou became a little anxious and stepped forward to grab Granny Chang's sleeve.

"Granny...I..."

Granny Chang naturally knew what Wenrou wanted to say. After all, she had watched Wenrou grow up, and Granny Chang's heart softened.

She sighed, patted her gentle hand, and said, "Miss, don't worry. After all, you still have the Empress Dowager to back you up. The Emperor and Prince Chu will be here soon, along with your father."

"Aren't we going to the main hall?" Wenrou was somewhat taken aback. Wasn't it agreed that the Empress Dowager would take her to bestow the marriage? Why...?

"The Empress Dowager naturally has her reasons, but whatever decision she makes will not harm you. Please stay here and have some tea with the lady, and wait a moment."

"Then, Rou'er, go in and serve your aunt."

Granny Chang politely declined, telling her to stay with the Duchess and not to talk nonsense anymore.

Wenrou blushed, feeling embarrassed to speak to her mother again. Watching Granny Chang and the palace servants leave, anger rose on Wenrou's face.

What do you mean by "I won't harm her"? Is it really that difficult for the Empress Dowager to issue a decree to grant a marriage?

With so many people in the main hall, only in this way could she act legitimately. What kind of situation is it to invite the King of Chu and her father here for a private discussion?

"Rou'er..."

Just as Jiang was about to say something, she was startled by the gentle yet cold and slightly resentful look in his eyes, but it disappeared in an instant, and Jiang thought she had seen wrong.

She watched her daughter sitting there silently wiping away tears, and felt an indescribable sadness in her heart.

"Rou'er, your father will be here soon. He will definitely stand up for you. If all else fails, there is your brother. He won't stand by and watch you suffer."

She nodded gently and buried her head between Jiang's waist and abdomen.

Only she herself knew what she was thinking. It was going to be a tough battle, and she couldn't appear too strong, as that would only backfire. She had to appear more pitiful so that the Empress Dowager would be on her side.

Wenrou glared fiercely in the direction where Granny Chang had left. The Empress Dowager's sudden change of heart must have been due to Granny Chang's instigation. That old woman was really too nosy.

Inside the main hall, singing and dancing filled the air. Everyone tacitly avoided discussing official matters and politics, instead engaging in lively conversation. The emperor, seeing the harmonious scene among his ministers, couldn't help but feel gratified.

Even if they argue fiercely in court, to the point of life or death, it's all for the sake of the court and the people. Only by putting aside their grudges can the emperor's ability to manage his subordinates be demonstrated.

Gu Hanjiao felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Gu Qingwan next to her had been even more low-key since being proposed to by the Prince of Chu. She sat there very quietly. When someone came to talk to her, she would respond with a smile. When no one came, she was still happy.

Gu Hanjiao was furious. This honor should have belonged to her, and she should have been the one being fawned over.

Why is it that Gu Qingwan, a country bumpkin, can become the Princess Consort of Chu, while she went from being the eldest legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family to the second legitimate daughter, and now she can't even be called a legitimate daughter anymore? Now her mother has lost her chastity, her father has lost his official position, and she has missed the chance to become the Third Prince's wife and can only become a concubine...

Gu Hanjiao grew angrier and angrier, feeling it was unfair. She was the time traveler and the female protagonist of the whole story, and she absolutely couldn't be suppressed by a pedantic ancient person like this.

And what's going on with that Miss Wen? Isn't it said that her sweetheart is the King of Chu? Why hasn't she shown up even though the King of Chu has proposed to her? What is she waiting for? Is it even going to work out?

Gu Qingwan calmly sipped her tea at the imperial banquet in the palace.

It looked good, but the taste was rather disappointing. It wasn't that the imperial chefs were bad at cooking, but rather that the dishes were prepared well in advance and were already cold by the time they were served. Only the dishes in front of the emperor were still slightly warm.

In comparison, the tea in the palace was quite delicious, since it was all offered as tribute and certainly not of inferior quality.

Gu Hanjiao sat next to Gu Qingwan, and Gu Qingwan naturally noticed the anxious and somewhat resentful look on Gu Hanjiao's face.

"What's wrong, little sister? You can go out for some fresh air."

Gu Hanjiao was taken aback when Gu Qingwan suddenly spoke to her. After a moment of surprise, she replied, "Go out? Could it be that you've set some kind of trap for me outside, sister? Look at you, you're already looking down on me before you've even become the Princess Consort of Chu?"

"What are you saying, sister? My dislike for you didn't just start today. I've been disliking you since the first time I met you. You know that, right? What does this have to do with whether or not I become the Princess Consort of Chu?"

"You!" Gu Hanjiao didn't expect Gu Qingwan to suddenly attack.

"I hope that you can keep smiling, sister. I heard that the eldest daughter of the Duke of Wen is determined to become the Princess Consort of Chu. She also has the Empress Dowager backing her up. We shall wait and see if you can hold on to this position."

Gu Qingwan didn't reply, but instead picked up her teacup and took a small sip. Her nonchalant attitude made Gu Hanjiao's chest tighten with anger.

However, she quickly swallowed these emotions because the banquet began a new segment: writing poems and songs.

In times of peace and prosperity, rulers naturally enjoy writing and painting, especially promoting the peaceful and prosperous era they have ruled, which makes the vanity of those in power explode.

This year was no exception. The Queen presided over the meeting and asked everyone present to bring out a piece of their work, whether it was poetry, prose, calligraphy, or painting. There were no restrictions on the topic, and everyone was free to express themselves.

How could Gu Hanjiao possibly miss this opportunity to show herself? Those present who were also preparing to go on stage were all children of officials. These officials had a tacit understanding not to join in the fun and to leave the opportunity to the next generation.

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn quickly passed, and the main hall was completely silent. However, no one felt uncomfortable; some were engrossed in writing, while others were sipping tea.

Gu Hanjiao quickly wrote down her work from memory. Yes, from memory. She didn't know any poetry; she had only memorized a few ancient poems from modern times.

The Empress watched the commotion below with amusement. When she saw someone look up, she knew it was about time, so she asked, "Well, has anyone volunteered to let us have a good listen?"

"Your Highness, Qinghe sees that Miss Gu is very calm, so she must have a plan in mind. Why don't we let Miss Gu set an example for us?"

Princess Qinghe, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, made this suggestion, and everyone looked up at Gu Qingwan.

Actually, no one was too surprised. After all, everyone had heard that Princess Qinghe liked Prince Chu. However, since he was a princess and a member of the royal family, no one dared to gossip. Furthermore, Princess Qinghe's mother was a strict person, so even if Princess Qinghe had any ideas, she wouldn't dare to be too presumptuous.

Gu Qingwan put down her teacup, stood up, smiled apologetically, and explained to the Emperor, Empress, and Princess Qinghe.

"I grew up with my maternal grandfather at the border since I was a child and have never read any poetry or songs. I have read a few books on military strategy, but I don't understand them. So I really can't present anything of value to you."

Seeing Gu Qingwan's frankness, people grew to like her somewhat, but some people still wouldn't let it go.

"What? The future Princess Consort of Chu is actually an illiterate person? How can we noble ladies be convinced? It's really a bit unfair to the Prince of Chu." Princess Qinghe was unwilling to let Gu Qingwan off the hook.

This time, Gu Qingwan did not respond and remained standing there dignifiedly. Seeing Gu Qingwan's demeanor, Princess Qinghe became even angrier. Gu Hanjiao whispered a reminder to her from the side, but everyone could hear it.

"Sister probably doesn't know, that's Princess Qinghe, the only daughter of the King of Yunnan. I heard she's very much loved by the Empress Dowager and the Empress. Sister is very talented, just show a little bit of your talent, there's no need to be so petty with Princess Qinghe." Gu Hanjiao gently tugged at Gu Qingwan's sleeve, seemingly trying to persuade her but actually stirring up trouble.

Gu Qingwan glanced at Gu Hanjiao sideways, "Does my sister think I'm exceptionally talented?"

As expected, Princess Qinghe immediately flew into a rage upon hearing this.

"Gu Qingwan, are you looking down on me, the princess? Since your sister has already said you are exceptionally talented, why are you hiding it? Are you looking down on us all?"

“How could Princess Qinghe say such a thing? Qingwan is not that kind of person!” Meng Yanran couldn’t stand it anymore and retorted.

"Gu Qingwan hasn't said anything, so who are you, Meng Yanran, to criticize her!"

"you!"

Gu Qingwan stopped Meng Yanran. She was not angry because of Princess Qinghe's predicament. She smiled and said, "Princess, you misunderstand. Qingwan is indeed not very good at poetry and songs. If I have any skills, they are just some fancy moves."

Gu Hanjiao smiled and said, "My sister is very good at martial arts. Princess Qinghe also likes martial arts, so we share the same interests."

"Gu Hanjiao, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."

If she can't argue with Princess Qinghe, can't she argue with Gu Hanjiao? Meng Yanran just hates Gu Hanjiao's way of stirring things up. She really doesn't know what benefit Gu Hanjiao will get from Gu Qingwan's misfortune.

When Meng Yanran said something to Gu Hanjiao, her eyes immediately reddened, as if she had suffered a great injustice. Her mouth moved but she didn't utter a single word. This hesitant and unspoken expression made many of the young men present feel a strange protective instinct towards the former number one beauty in the capital.

"The second young lady was just telling the truth. The eldest young lady doesn't need to be so aggressive." Someone spoke up, unable to stand it up.

Princess Qinghe was initially somewhat afraid of the King of Chu, wondering if he would be angry if he saw her making things difficult for Gu Qingwan. So she had been observing him secretly. However, now that the King of Chu was sitting calmly and ignoring the situation, Princess Qinghe thought that Gu Qingwan was nothing special.