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

Chapter 226 Gently Requests the Empress Dowager to Grant a Marriage

Sitting next to her, Gu Hanjiao appeared calm and collected, but in reality, she felt a strange mix of emotions.

How come Gu Qingwan gets all the good things? If Gu Qingwan really succeeds, then she'll have to become her elder, not only bowing to her when they meet, but also calling her "Imperial Aunt".

Thinking of this, Gu Hanjiao had already found a palace maid when no one was looking.

She gave a jade bracelet to a young palace maid and sent her to deliver a message to Miss Wen in the Empress Dowager's palace. But why was Miss Wen so slow? Wasn't it rumored that she had been in love with the Prince of Chu for a long time? If she didn't come soon, all her efforts would be in vain.

"Your subject, Gu Qingwan, pays her respects to Your Majesty."

"Get up. You heard what the King of Chu said. I want to hear your opinion. Even though you are royalty, you can't force a girl to marry."

As a young woman, Gu Qingwan's face turned as red as a ripe apple, and she didn't know how to answer for a moment.

At the Ning family banquet, Ning Chenglin clenched his fists under the table, suppressing his emotions.

Madam Ning naturally knew what her son was thinking. She quietly took Ning Chenglin's hand under the table. Ning Chenglin knew what he should do at this moment, but he couldn't let go so easily.

"Your Majesty, I believe we should not only listen to my cousin's words. As the saying goes, marriage is arranged by parents and matchmakers. Your Majesty should also ask your grandparents for their opinions. After all, you promised that your grandparents would make the decision regarding my cousin Qingwan's marriage."

Madam Ning sighed. Her son still couldn't resist. Yes, the girl he had liked since childhood was going to marry someone else. He had to find a way to fight for her, otherwise he would regret it for the rest of his life.

“Young Master Ning is right. It just so happens that the old Duke and Madam are here as well. What are your opinions, sir?”

With his fiery temper, the old Duke Ning was about to refuse outright: "This old minister will naturally..."

However, the old lady stopped them.

She stood up and said politely and respectfully, "It is my great fortune that my child has been favored by the Prince of Chu. However, as Your Majesty said, we should respect the children's wishes. If Qingwan is unwilling, I will fight against Your Majesty even if it costs my whole family."

That's quite interesting. They are enlightened elders. If the children are willing, then everyone is happy. After all, they all have to get married eventually. As long as it doesn't involve factional strife, then it's fine.

The Duke of Ningguo's current status is so coveted that everyone wants a piece of it, but the old lady also said that if her children are unwilling, they will fight to the death to agree.

Xiao Yuheng reminded her from the side, "Madam, the Imperial Uncle is always on the battlefield and has very little time to spend with Miss Gu. Even if he goes to join the army in the future, it means that he will not see you often. Are you really willing to give him up?"

Xiao Yuheng was no longer afraid of offending the Prince of Chu. He had to do something, otherwise Gu Qingwan would really become his imperial aunt. If that happened, all his efforts would be in vain.

"My son, why are you worrying about this?" Consort Yu said cautiously from above, displeased. He was already a criminal, so why was he trying to displease the Emperor?

"Mother, I am only concerned about the old lady's health and mood. As everyone knows, the old lady truly cherishes Miss Gu."

"Thank you for the reminder, Third Prince. My Ning family has made a living on horseback for generations. We have escaped death on the battlefield countless times and are used to it. If Qingwan makes a choice, then it is her fate and there is nothing to say. Besides, my Ning family will take pride in protecting our country and will not complain about being apart for long periods of time."

"No, Madam, I didn't mean that..."

Oh no, the old lady's words make it sound like he was deliberately trying to sow discord between the Ning family and the royal family.

Does the phrase "more separation than reunion" imply that the emperor is heartless, sending people to the battlefield to risk their lives while simultaneously distrusting their families as hostages, thus leading to frequent separations?

As expected, the Emperor's expression was rather unpleasant. When Consort Yu noticed this, she quickly smiled and tried to smooth things over: "In my opinion, our Prince Chu and Miss Gu are a very good match. I just don't know what Miss Gu thinks. She should at least say a few words to him."

The topic was suddenly brought back to the present, and everyone's attention was once again focused on Gu Qingwan.

Gu Qingwan suddenly felt a little nervous. She didn't dare to look up at Xiao Jingchen. Why didn't he tell her beforehand? Even just informing her would have been better.

Xiao Jingchen was also very nervous. Although he knew that Gu Qingwan had feelings for him, he was afraid that the girl would be too shy to reject him.

After what seemed like a long time, Xiao Jingchen felt a pang of sympathy for Gu Qingwan.

He wondered if he had been too sudden and made things difficult for the girl in front of him. His palms were sweating. He had never felt this nervous before, not even when fighting on the battlefield. He clenched his fists and then released them several times, as if he was about to give up.

Just when everyone thought Gu Qingwan was rejecting the King of Chu's marriage proposal with silence.

A pair of cool little hands grasped his large hand, which was about to move. The voice, though soft, was firm and clear, echoing throughout every corner of the hall.

"Your subject, Gu Qingwan, has been in love with the Prince of Chu since childhood. I am grateful that Your Highness does not mind our mutual affection. I wish Your Majesty would grant us this wish."

Xiao Jingchen didn't know how to describe his feelings at this moment.

He held Gu Qingwan's hand tightly, fearing that she might suddenly change her mind. Before anyone could react, Xiao Jingchen suddenly grabbed Gu Qingwan and tossed her into the air, pulling the stunned crowd back to reality.

The Emperor smiled, and everyone else smiled too.

No one blamed the King of Chu for his rash actions and disregard for etiquette; on the contrary, everyone was happy for him because of his genuine feelings.

Yes, King Chu had it so tough. He faced life and death countless times before he finally found someone he loved and was able to start a family.

At this moment, the King of Chu was like a child, and all the ministers felt their eyes well up with tears, raising their wine cups to congratulate him.

The Crown Prince was also happy. With his uncle happy, he would have better days ahead. His wife would no longer misunderstand him, and he no longer had to worry about his mother playing matchmaker. Moreover, the Ning family would be safe.

Although the Empress felt some regret, she was able to let go of her resentment towards Xiao Jingchen. This younger brother-in-law had indeed suffered a lot for their family, and now things had finally turned around for them.

Consort Yu originally liked Gu Qingwan and wanted her to be her daughter-in-law. However, seeing how much her son valued Gu Qingwan, Consort Yu was unhappy and even less willing to have her as a daughter-in-law. Now that Gu Qingwan had married the Prince of Chu, it was as if she had put an end to her son's thoughts. Therefore, Consort Yu was happy.

Xiao Yuheng sat there drinking alone, probably the most depressed person there. He never expected that someone as aloof as Gu Qingwan would be so attracted to someone like the Prince of Chu, who had a physical disability and whose hands were filled with countless lives.

Xiao Yuheng couldn't understand what was wrong with him. Was it power? Wouldn't he be more prestigious than the Imperial Uncle when he ascended to that position? Why couldn't Gu Qingwan see that? Thinking of this, Xiao Yuheng drank a few more cups.

Besides Xiao Yuheng, Ning Chenglin also felt a mix of emotions. Although he knew about the relationship between his cousin Qingwan and the Prince of Chu, he was still somewhat saddened to hear his beloved admit it herself, since he had liked this cousin since childhood.

His family had hinted at whether he was willing to marry her, and no one knew how happy he was at that time, but he knew that Qingwan would be the one to grow old with him in the future.

Although the old Duke was also angry and drank wine, his eyes were filled with gratified appreciation. He had watched the King of Chu grow up, and his character was beyond reproach. Although he was a bit older, he was a perfect match for Qingwan.

Of course, he knew his grandson's thoughts. Compared to the Prince of Chu, Ning Chenglin could not decisively protect him. Moreover, Qingwan's marriage to the Prince of Chu was good for both sides, and the Ning family was at peace from then on.

Most importantly, it's the child's wish. Of course, if Qingwan is unwilling, the old Duke will do his best to fight for the child, just as the old lady said.

Meanwhile, in the Empress Dowager's palace, Wenrou panicked immediately upon receiving the news. She disregarded etiquette and image and rushed to the Empress Dowager's resting chamber.

Just as the Empress Dowager was about to go to sleep, she saw Wenrou push open the door and kneel down in front of her bed, crying.

"What kind of behavior is this!" the Empress Dowager said with displeasure.

"Empress Dowager, Aunt, Rou'er was forced into this situation. Aunt, please help Rou'er."

"what happened?"

"Just now, someone just came to say that the King of Chu proposed to Miss Gu in the main hall."

"Miss Gu? The one from the Ningguo Duke's mansion? The child to whom I bestowed the necklace today?"

She nodded gently.

The Empress Dowager thought about it and found that the child was satisfactory in terms of etiquette and good-looking. Apart from being a bit aloof, he was not bad. "He is a good match for Chen'er."

Wenrou was shocked and exclaimed, "Aunt! Aunt, you know how I feel! Please, Aunt, grant my wish!"

Although the Empress Dowager had been confused before, she naturally had a certain level of vision to become Empress Dowager.

Selfishly speaking, she naturally hoped that her son could marry a woman worthy of him, and also hoped that she could help her family. Wenrou had grown up in front of her, so she hoped that the marriage would strengthen their kinship.

However, she could understand her son's choice. The Duke of Ning's status was enough to ensure that Gu Qingwan's status was no lower than others, and she was also the only girl in the Ning family. Although she did not concern herself with court affairs, she had heard the Emperor say a few words about how important the Duke of Ning's position was.

Now that this has been done, the Emperor's worries are gone, and since it's something Chen'er likes, then so be it.

“Aunt, Miss Gu grew up on the frontier and is not a good match for my cousin at all. He should have a virtuous wife.”

"My child, how could I not know your thoughts? It's just that Chen'er seems to be treating you differently..."

"Aunt, please give Rou'er a chance, even if it's just as a concubine, please, Aunt, I beg you." Wenrou cried and kowtowed.

The Empress Dowager, feeling somewhat reluctant, asked, "Then what do you wish to do?"

"Rou'er...Rou'er begs her aunt to grant her an imperial decree to betroth her to the King of Chu." After thinking for a moment, Rouwen gritted her teeth and voiced her request.

The Empress Dowager frowned and asked, "Do you want an imperial decree to grant the marriage?"

Seeing that the Empress Dowager seemed a little unhappy, Rouwen quickly composed herself and hurriedly explained, "Aunt, Rou'er is only thinking of you. Although my cousin likes Miss Gu, and Miss Gu's family background is indeed good, she is not someone you watched grow up, so you don't know her very well."

Seeing that the Empress Dowager was listening, she continued gently.

"Wenrou has admired her cousin since she was a child. She always remembers his every move, every word, and even his preferences. Aunt, you know how she feels. Besides, you would feel more at ease if she had family to take care of her, wouldn't you?"

The Empress Dowager thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case. Her youngest son was getting married. Although families like theirs didn't need to deal with mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships, it would still be better to have a daughter-in-law who knew her well and was close to her.

She was already quite distant from her son, so if there was someone like this mediating between them, the distance between her and her youngest son would unconsciously be shortened.

"But... if I issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage, will it upset Chen'er?" The Empress Dowager was also quite worried about this. She owed this child too much, so she rarely forced him to do anything. Even if she had any ideas, she would discuss them with him in advance. Otherwise, she would have granted the marriage long ago and wouldn't have waited until now.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager seemed to be softening, Wenrou continued her efforts.

“Aunt, Rou’er has no ambition. Both of my cousins ​​are princes, and they won’t only have one princess. If the prince likes Miss Gu, he can marry her. I just hope that you can have pity on Rou’er. Even if you let Rou’er be a concubine, it would be enough to fulfill Rou’er’s deep affection.”

"What! You want to be a concubine!" The Empress Dowager was somewhat surprised. "How can that be? How can our eldest daughter of the Wen family be a concubine?"

"Aunt, Rou'er doesn't care about these things."

"You may not care, but I do, your father cares, and the entire Wen family cares! For so many years you have been taking care of Chen'er and fulfilling your filial duties to me. Even with me here, you were made a concubine for someone else. The entire Wen family will blame me." The Empress Dowager was somewhat angry. She believed that the daughter of the Wen family should not be so humble.

However, the Empress Dowager still had some concerns, and she asked cautiously.

"Rou'er, how about I ask Chen'er? If he doesn't have that intention, I'll personally arrange a marriage for you and make you the mistress of the household?"

Upon hearing this, Wenrou burst into tears, her face streaked with tears, and quickly shook her head.

"No, Aunt, please, Aunt, have mercy on Rou'er. Rou'er has never asked for anything. This is the only thing I'm willing to do, even if it means becoming a concubine. I will accept it willingly, even if my father punishes me, I will have no regrets."

After saying this, he kowtowed deeply to the Empress Dowager and remained there for a long time, unwilling to get up.