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

Chapter 266 The Imperial Uncle Calls the Crown Prince a Stupid Thing

Gu Qingwan and the others did not stay in the Empress Dowager's palace to have lunch together before leaving. The Empress had a lot of things to deal with in the harem, and it was the Crown Prince and Crown Princess who saw them off.

"If the Crown Prince isn't waiting in the Imperial Study, what if the Emperor can't find you? Won't that cause problems?" Gu Qingwan kindly reminded the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince has it tough. He has an Empress as his mother. Sometimes she's a reliable teammate, but other times she's impulsive and a master at ruining her son's life.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. It's nothing. Father is currently engrossed in the map of the territory that Your Majesty gave him. It's best for us lower-ranking officials not to disturb him."

"Don't worry about him. If a crown prince needs others to worry about him, then let someone else have his seat." Xiao Jingchen didn't like his princess consort caring about other men, even if that man was his nephew.

Speaking of his nephew, Xiao Jingchen thought of that bastard Third Prince. Did he think he was blind to look at Wanwan with that kind of gaze? He really wanted to gouge out his eyes.

The Crown Princess covered her mouth with a handkerchief and chuckled, "Look, the Imperial Uncle really cares about our Imperial Aunt. I say, Crown Prince, you should flatter our aunt properly in the future; it's much more effective than currying favor with the Imperial Uncle."

Unexpectedly, the King of Chu nodded seriously and said, "Your wife is right. Just give your royal aunt any good things you have."

The Crown Prince tapped his forehead with his fan: "Alright! From now on, if Aunt needs anything, just tell your nephew."

Gu Qingwan felt a little embarrassed. The Crown Prince was about the same age as her, and now he was calling her "Auntie" because of their seniority. She was not used to it, but she would have to get used to it sooner or later.

"By the way, have the Crown Prince and Crown Princess been taking care of their health with my prescription?" Gu Qingwan suddenly remembered this question. She had just seen that the Crown Princess's complexion seemed to be improving, but since she hadn't personally taken her pulse, it would be better to ask.

Upon hearing this, the Crown Princess's face was filled with gratitude, but since they were in the palace, she couldn't be too flamboyant.

"Your Majesty's prescription is very effective, and now..." The Crown Princess noticed that the Crown Prince and the Prince of Chu, two grown men, were both a little embarrassed to speak.

The King of Chu and the Crown Prince were sensible; the two grown men walked ahead of them, not far, but still keeping a certain distance.

The Crown Princess leaned close to Gu Qingwan and whispered, "To be honest, my periods used to be very irregular, sometimes they wouldn't come at all, and when they did, they weren't heavy. But ever since I started using your prescription, my period has been very regular this month. Does that mean...?"

The Crown Princess's eyes lit up. She and the Crown Prince had been married for many years but had no children. Although the Empress treated her well, she had started to have opinions about her because of the issue of having children. If it weren't for the Crown Prince standing in front of her, the Empress would probably have sent someone to the Eastern Palace.

She was also very grateful for the Crown Prince's true feelings for her. She was willing to endure any hardship for him, but things didn't go as planned, and her belly showed no signs of pregnancy.

Does this mean I can get pregnant now?

Gu Qingwan quietly grasped the Crown Princess's arm, frowned, and glanced at the Crown Prince's figure ahead.

Something seems amiss. The Crown Princess's body isn't as infertile as she previously thought. Even if her menstrual cycle is irregular, it shouldn't be that she hasn't been able to conceive for so many years. So the problem lies with the Crown Prince.

There are eyes and ears everywhere in the palace right now, so it's better to say some things outside.

"I wonder if the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have time to visit the Prince of Chu's residence?"

The Crown Prince was clever and knew that Gu Qingwan had something to say to the couple, so he said, "What a coincidence, I recently obtained some Pu'er tea, which is very fragrant. I wonder if my uncle would be interested?"

"Let's go."

Xiao Jingchen sat upright in the middle of the carriage, holding Gu Qingwan in his arms and letting her lean on his shoulder to rest. His other hand was also busy, constantly stroking her waist to massage and soothe her body.

Gu Qingwan was as lazy and unwilling to move as a cat. Although she practiced martial arts, she was indeed a little tired.

This man can't have sex, especially a long-time bachelor who's been a vegetarian for years. Last night, he really tormented her until dawn before he stopped.

If it weren't for her good health, she probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed today, let alone have fought such a tough battle to pay respects to the Empress Dowager in the palace.

"You're not allowed to touch me tonight, or you'll be sleeping in the study for the next two weeks."

After saying this, King Chu's face immediately showed some displeasure. He had just tasted the pleasures of love yesterday, so why was the Queen suddenly angry and forbidding it? Was it because his performance yesterday had not satisfied the Queen?

Xiao Jingchen thought about it. Although they didn't explore each other very smoothly at first, he was able to learn on his own and perform quite well later on.

"Your Highness, this is not a good idea."

"How is it bad?"

"Yesterday you told me to stop, and I have already obeyed and not continued, so Wanwan cannot push her luck. If I move out to sleep in the study, others will laugh at me."

Gu Qingwan looked up at the serious-looking Prince Chu spouting nonsense, "When has Your Highness ever cared about what others think?"

"I have always cared about it."

Seeing Xiao Jingchen acting like a spoiled child, Gu Qingwan ignored him and found a comfortable spot to lean against him. She thought about the pulse she had taken for the Crown Princess earlier.

“I just took the Crown Princess’s pulse. Although she has some cold uterus, she is not someone who has difficulty conceiving. The two of them have not had children for so many years, so I suspect that there is a problem on the Crown Prince’s side.”

"The Crown Prince? Who has the audacity to do such a thing!"

Gu Qingwan shook her head and said, "I'm not sure yet, so I asked the Crown Prince to come to our residence. I need to take his pulse. If people see us outside, they'll gossip."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchen's face turned cold, and he said, "If anyone dares to say anything to you, just lash them out with that whip at your waist."

"Won't people say you married a tigress?"

Xiao Jingchen pulled Gu Qingwan out of his arms, gently pinched her chin, looked her up and down, and then came to a conclusion: "You tigress are too beautiful, this king has really struck gold."

This made Gu Qingwan burst into laughter, and she rolled into his arms, thinking to herself that the dignified King of Chu had such an adorable side.

Back at the Chu King's residence, the Chu King dismissed all unimportant people. Siqi brought Chunbo over, and Gu Qingwan briefly explained the situation, after which Chunbo knew what to do.

Originally, Gu Qingwan was prepared to take the Crown Prince's pulse herself, but the jealous and petty Prince Chu refused and insisted that Chunbo take his pulse. If Chunbo couldn't do it, she would take his pulse.

Fortunately, I didn't say this to Uncle Chun, otherwise Uncle Chun's beard would have stood on end in anger.

A legendary doctor is being questioned like this. Although he didn't personally cure the prince's ailment, without him, the prince probably wouldn't have been able to wait for the princess to come for treatment.

Chunbo placed his hand on the prince's wrist, and after a while, he placed it on the other wrist.

The Crown Princess looked somewhat nervous, and the Crown Prince frowned even more.

The Crown Prince had always been very concerned about his health, so he always sent the imperial physician to check his pulse. There had always been no problem, so he and the Crown Princess never thought that he was the cause of the problem. If he really had a problem, then unimaginable trouble awaited him.

"It seems the Crown Prince has been poisoned, but the poisoning is so mild that it's hard to tell unless you look closely."

The Crown Princess gripped the Crown Prince's sleeve tightly, while the Crown Prince's eyes flashed with cold light.

"Poisoned? Who is so bold as to harm the Crown Prince?" The Crown Princess found it unbelievable.

The Crown Prince, however, was very clear-headed. He immediately realized that this was a conspiracy against him. If he and the Crown Princess did not have a child for a long time, it would lead to the Empress Dowager forcing someone to marry him. At that time, he would definitely become estranged from the Crown Princess, and then the Crown Princess's family, the Kang clan, would no longer be on his side.

Although the Kang family was not a noble family, it was a century-old family with many talented and ambitious members. Among them, his father-in-law was the Crown Prince's tutor, so he and the Crown Princess were childhood sweethearts.

If things continue like this, it will become uncontrollable. No matter how many women he takes in, they will not be able to have children. Naturally, no one will be willing to follow a crown prince without an heir. At that time, this alone will be enough for the emperor to depose him from his position as crown prince.

One can imagine what the fate of a deposed crown prince would be: death is the only possibility. If his father were still alive, perhaps he and his crown princess could still live or be granted the title of prince and sent to their own territory. But once the new emperor ascends the throne, that will be the end for him and his crown princess.

Thinking of this, the Crown Prince couldn't help but shudder. He looked at his uncle standing to the side.

The King of Chu was cracking walnuts for his queen with his hands, and he naturally noticed the crown prince's gaze. Without looking up, he said, "You are really a waste. You were given such a despicable thing. You didn't even know that it was poison that could kill you. You would have been reporting to the King of Hell long ago. It is clear that the other party was still soft-hearted."

The Crown Prince suddenly felt powerless. Being dealt such a blow by his own uncle was enough to completely destroy his motivation and enthusiasm.

The Crown Princess, who was standing to the side, didn't care about any of that. She quickly asked, "Divine Physician, how should the Crown Prince be treated?"

Chunbo stroked his beard and said, "The Crown Prince's poisoning is very mild. He can be cured by taking some good antidote pills. But the main thing is that you need to find the source of the poisoning. Otherwise, even though the poison is mild, it will accumulate over time and become troublesome."

When the Crown Princess heard that it wasn't particularly serious, she felt a little relieved.

Gu Qingwan said, "The Crown Prince discovered it in time. The Crown Princess should also go back and check if there are any problems around her."

“What my aunt said is true. Before I got married, I was always in good health. But after that time I fell into the water, I developed this ailment that I couldn’t cure no matter what I tried. As time went by, I didn’t think much of it.”

The Crown Princess clutched her handkerchief tightly, her eyes reddening. She knew her position wouldn't be peaceful, but she never expected someone to be so cruel as to use her child as a pretext.

Gu Qingwan stepped forward and took her arm, saying, "I smelled a fragrance on you earlier, but what kind of perfume did you use?"

"No, Auntie, I know how potent spices are, so I don't dare to use them too often. I even use very little calming incense."

"But I did smell a faint fragrance on you, a rather cool fragrance."

The Crown Princess sniffed her sleeve, and the Crown Prince also sniffed it and shook his head.

"Could my aunt have made a mistake?" The Crown Princess was unaware that Gu Qingwan was skilled in medicine, so it was understandable that she had doubts.

"How could the Princess Consort be mistaken? Think about it carefully yourself." Chunbo instructed the Crown Princess without even looking up. In fact, in the eyes of these Jianghu people, the royal family members were no different from ordinary people.

Green Sprout, the Crown Princess's personal maid, seemed to have an idea and said, "Ever since our Crown Princess fell into the water last time, she has been taking a pill called Xiangning Pill every month. Could it be that?"

Only after Green Sprout mentioned it did the Crown Princess remember that there was indeed such a thing.

"That's right. My father specially found a skilled itinerant doctor to make that pill. I only need to use it once at the beginning of each month, and it can improve my cold constitution."

Green Sprout added, "Yes, that pill is made from the stamens of the twelve flower goddesses and the first rain of the year. It is very rare. So when the princess mentioned the cool fragrance, it reminded me of the scent of Xiangning Pill."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Chun's lips twitched involuntarily. "Rainwater from all four seasons? Just storing this rootless water would cause it to rot and infest with insects by the end of the year, and you still treat it as a treasure? Humph."

"Uncle Chun..." Gu Qingwan reminded Uncle Chun with a hint of helplessness. Although people in the martial arts world might not care, it was, after all, the Crown Prince they were facing.

Chunbo smacked his lips and started eating the snacks that Ruhua, the little girl, had brought him.

The Crown Princess didn't mind Chunbo's rudeness, because the Crown Prince had told her that there was a divine physician living in her uncle's residence. It should be noted that a divine physician was far more skilled than the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital. Having such a capable person to assist would surely be a great advantage. Even if she couldn't win him over, she shouldn't offend him.

“But that Xiangning Pill really works! After our Crown Princess used it, her hands and feet are no longer cold. You know, even in the middle of summer, her hands were always freezing!” Green Sprout said to Uncle Chun with some satisfaction.

“Then it’s not that your hands and feet aren’t cold anymore, it’s that all the coldness has been concentrated in your uterus, so why would it be cold?” Uncle Chun muttered while eating, and Gu Qingwan shook her head helplessly.

The Crown Princess was so frightened that she quickly grabbed Gu Qingwan's hand: "Aunt, is it really as the divine physician said?"

The prince also realized that something seemed wrong with the pill.

"I haven't seen them either, so I can't say. Why don't you send someone to bring two over after we get back so Uncle Chun can take a look and make a judgment?"

The Crown Prince was a decisive man, and he immediately stated his position: "Thank you, Imperial Uncle and Imperial Aunt. I will have someone send it over shortly."

The King of Chu peeled the walnuts, skin and all, and placed them on a small plate before finally having time to speak to the Crown Prince.

"Go back and investigate how you got poisoned, and also find out where this pill came from. What an idiot. If you can't find out, just take poison and kill yourself."