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

Chapter 51 Hanging Gu Hanjiao

Look what you've done!

The Prime Minister was dealing with some state affairs and wanted to report to the Emperor, but was told that the Emperor had been summoned by the inner palace. Gu Ziming thought to himself, "As expected, the women in the inner palace are nosy." But as soon as he left the palace, people outside secretly pointed and whispered about him, and those looks made him uncomfortable all the way.

Finally back at his own residence, Gu Ziming asked why his wife and daughter hadn't returned yet. Instead, his attendant Rong Chao came to report what was going on outside. Only then did Gu Ziming realize what had happened, and in his anger, he smashed two teacups on the spot.

Just as he was about to go to the palace to plead for mercy, a servant reported that the Third Prince had brought his wife and daughter back together. In front of the Third Prince, Gu Ziming did not dare to make a scene, but just kept smiling and being very polite.

Now that Madam Gu and Gu Hanjiao were both in the main house and there were no outsiders, Gu Ziming angrily smashed two teacups.

"The news has spread throughout the streets and alleys. That's when I found out. So many people pointed and whispered about me along the way. Do you know what they were saying? They said Miss Gu's talent was learned from brothels, and even her flirting mannerisms were copied from those brothels. So many people saw a man and a woman alone together, disheveled!"

"Daddy..."

"Don't call me father! You unfilial daughter! You dare to come back after doing such a disgraceful thing? You might as well hang yourself!" Gu Ziming angrily pointed at Gu Hanjiao's nose as she knelt on the ground and cursed loudly, spitting saliva onto Gu Hanjiao's face.

"It wasn't my fault, why should I hang myself!" Gu Hanjiao retorted, her neck held high.

"You dare talk back! I think you've gone too far!" Gu Ziming said, raising his hand to slap Gu Hanjiao hard.

"Master!" Madam Gu knelt on the ground and hugged Gu Ziming's arm. "Master, our beloved child is still so young. You've always been kind to her, never raising your voice to her. How can you hit her now? Master..."

"You...you've spoiled her!" Gu Ziming looked at the lady hanging on his arm, helplessly shook her off, and returned to sit on the couch. He wanted to have a sip of tea to calm himself down, but when he opened the cup, he found that there was no water.

"A doting mother spoils her son! And Feng'er, what an unfilial son! Rongchao, I told you to go and call for help, where is he!" As Gu Ziming spoke, he remembered the incident of Gu Changfeng getting into a fight at the Third Prince's residence earlier that day.

"Reporting to Master, the eldest son... he has not returned yet."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than another cup shattered.

“Father, smashing everything in the house won’t help. Instead of doing that, you should think of a better way to deal with it.”

"Heh, you're so calm! Tell me, what should we do? What do you want me to do!"

"Father, in the palace, the Third Prince told the Emperor that he was in love with me, and I also like him. The Imperial Concubine has already given her her tacit approval."

"Is that really the case?" Gu Ziming looked at his wife.

"Yes, yes, before she left, the Imperial Concubine held my hand and told me not to worry, but..."

"But what?"

"The Emperor did not nod, saying he needed to consider it."

Upon hearing this, Gu Ziming began to ponder. As the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. He had studied diligently for many years and had only achieved some success in officialdom at this age. He was cautious and careful in managing his career, not wanting to let this hard-won wealth and honor disappear.

The current emperor trusts him quite a bit, but the emperor is getting old and the princes are all adults. If he continues to remain neutral, then no matter who comes to power, his position will be replaced for various reasons. Therefore, he needs to take sides.

Even if he had such a plan in mind, he wasn't prepared to launch it so early. Now that this has happened, he has no choice but to make plans sooner.

"Father, the only solution now is for your daughter to marry the Third Prince and become his consort. Otherwise, the Gu family's reputation will be completely ruined, and no one, whether brother, sister, or younger sister, will dare to associate with the Gu family in the future."

"Wang Ruyan, what a fine daughter you've raised! Even at a time like this, you still dare to haggle! You dare to use your reputation as an excuse? Even if you die, the Gu family's reputation will remain." The words had barely left her lips when Old Madam Gu entered from outside.

Old Madam Gu was short, and her back was hunched from years of washing and sewing to support her son's education. She wore a dark red outer garment, and her black and white hair was adorned with gold and silver jewelry, making her look like a nouveau riche. Her triangular eyes were glaring at Gu Hanjiao, and her cane clattered against the bluestone slab.

"Mother, what brings you here?" Gu Ziming hadn't expected his delicate daughter to be so calm and bargaining with him at this moment.

"Why am I here? Humph, if I didn't come, this old woman would be too ashamed to show her face!" Old Madam Gu was helped to sit in the main seat by her personal maid, Magpie. "Tomorrow, even an old woman like me living in this secluded mansion heard about it, which shows how much the rumors are going on outside!"

"Didn't the Third Prince escort us back...?" Madam Gu also disliked her lazy and gluttonous mother-in-law, who always cared most about saving face.

"You dare talk back! I'll hang your daughter right now and that won't be the end of it!"

"No, sir, I only have this one daughter. She can't die!"

“Father, Grandmother is right. I can hang myself with a rope.” Gu Hanjiao knelt there calmly, looking at Gu Ziming with a firm gaze: “Hanging myself or sending me to become a nun are both easy, but have you thought about what will happen afterward?”

"What later?"

"The Third Prince and Consort Yu must think that your actions are telling them that you have chosen the Crown Prince. Do you think your career path will continue to be so smooth and successful?"

Gu Ziming narrowed his eyes; he hadn't expected Gu Hanjiao to understand his thoughts.

What about between you?

“Father, since things have come to this point, and the Emperor has also given this matter some thought, we might as well openly admit that this is just a matter of personal feelings, that the Third Prince and I developed feelings for each other, and that it has nothing to do with you adults. Perhaps the Emperor will think that you are magnanimous and have no other intentions.”

"This is……"

“Fight fire with fire.”

"What do you mean by fighting poison with poison! I don't understand, but I know you've disgraced the whole family. How will Feng'er and Qing'er get married in the future! Even your father will be talked about behind his back when he goes out!"

“Grandmother, even if I die, people will still gossip about you behind your back. But if your granddaughter becomes the Third Prince’s wife, then our family will be related to the royal family. Whether it’s your brother or sister’s future marriage, they will all have to consider the Third Prince’s reputation when they try to marry into our family. Who would dare to gossip about our Gu family then!” Gu Hanjiao explained.

As expected, Old Madam Gu stopped cursing. Her triangular eyes darted around, as if she thought Gu Hanjiao was right. If Gu Hanjiao became a prince's consort, then the Third Prince would have to call her Grandmother. At that time, everyone who saw her would have to flatter her.

"Ming'er..."

“Mother, I didn’t expect to cause you any worry today. It’s my fault. Jiao’er is right. We can’t hang her. As for what happens next, let me think about it carefully. You should go back now.”

"Mother is just worried and confused. You've always been a person of your own mind, so I won't cause you any more trouble. I'll take Magpie back now. But, Jiao'er can't go unpunished! Otherwise, what will people outside think of our Gu family?"

"Yes, Mother is right. Let Jiao'er and Changfeng be punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall together."

“Changfeng? That won’t do. I heard Changfeng was beaten up. His body won’t be able to take it if he kneels in the ancestral hall. He shouldn’t go.” Old Madam Gu refused. She had always doted on her only grandson. “No, I have to go see my grandson and see if he’s alright.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Old Madam Gu left in a hurry, and Gu Ziming didn't even have time to tell her that Gu Changfeng hadn't returned.

Gu Hanjiao cursed the old woman in her heart, thinking she was so sexist and favored boys over girls. Why didn't she die sooner? She's a scourge that lives on for a thousand years!