The Prime Minister Claims She's Pregnant - Chapter 1

On the second day of the second lunar month, when dragons raise their heads, the east wind brought warmth, and orioles sang in the taverns of the capital. Under the tender spring sun, numerous carriages halted at the city gate for inspection.

Travelers from outside the city were required to present their travel permits and local documents. The Gu family’s carriage was stuck in the middle of the queue, stretching so far back that the end was nowhere in sight.

Gu Jinse stepped out for some fresh air but was unexpectedly jostled forward. Dressed in men’s robes as part of her disguise, she was mistaken for a young man and pushed all the way to the inspection point.

After showing her travel permit, she was allowed into the bustling capital.

Somehow, she had made it inside. Gu Jinse glanced back but could no longer spot the Gu family’s carriage.

The Gu family had been blessed with twins, a sister, Gu Jinse, and a brother, Gu Jinheng. Their parents favored the sister, while the grandparents doted on the brother.

The real Gu Jinse had died long ago, at the age of eight or nine, pushed into a lake and left to drown. The soul now residing in Gu Jinse’s body was from the 21st century. Surrounded by a jostling crowd, she couldn’t even tell which direction was which. She followed the flow of people into the city but couldn’t wander off, she had to wait for the Gu family’s carriage.

She found a tea stall and drank a large bowl of coarse tea, finally feeling a bit better.

It was the season of the imperial examinations, and scholars from all over had gathered in the capital. Gu Jinheng, her brother, had studied diligently for years, only to be seduced by a courtesan just before the exams. He had taken the family’s savings and run away.

The Gu family panicked. While sending people to search for him, they begged Gu Jinse to go to the capital and take the exam in his place. If she passed, it would be a blessing; if not, at least there would be no absence. If Gu Jinheng returned, she could simply treat the trip as a sightseeing tour.

The Gu family was a prominent household in Yuhang. Her father served as a local magistrate and had poured all his efforts into raising Gu Jinheng. From a young age, Gu Jinheng had shown promise, passing the child-level exams early and earning the reputation of being a literary star descended to earth. He had even topped the county-level exams, and the family had high hopes for him. If word got out that he had run off with a courtesan, the Gu family’s century-old reputation would be ruined.

The people of Yuhang were eagerly awaiting Gu Jinheng’s success. If they found out he had fled, the Gu family would become a laughingstock. So, while sending Gu Jinse to the capital, the family also dispatched people to track down the courtesan. Though she had been redeemed, she remained of low social status, and the Gu family would never allow her to marry in. Now, they had lost both their son and their money.

Gu Jinse was so furious she considered running away too, but halfway through her attempt, she was captured by a human trafficker. After a period of hardship and displacement, she was fortunately found and brought back by the Gu family.

Now, she had resigned herself to the fate the Gu family had arranged for her.

The sun was making her dizzy. Even after drinking tea at the stall, there was still no sign of the Gu family’s carriage. Instead, she noticed many carriages cutting in line.

Frustrated, she thought about confronting them, but halfway there, she remembered the saying: “Money makes the mare go.”

Fine, she’d back down. She was too timid to make a scene.

Vendors crowded under the city gate, hawking their wares, while girls stood by the roadside carrying sticks of candied hawthorn. Bored, Gu Jinse bought two sticks and strolled along, snacking as she observed the scene.

She had come to the capital to enjoy herself, not to take the exam. Though she was well-versed in poetry, the exams didn’t test ancient verses, so her knowledge was useless here.

Grumbling inwardly, she continued walking. The vendors’ cries filled the air as she moved through the crowd. Dressed in a blue brocade robe and black boots with hidden lifts, she wasn’t as tall as some, but she wasn’t short either.

Her parents had told her that as long as she passed as a tongjinshi, the lowest tier of successful candidates it would be enough. The top tier included the zhuangyuan, bangyan, and tanhua, followed by the jinshi, with tongjinshi being the lowest rank.

Gu Jinse thought it was a long shot. She was just here to muddle through. After walking a hundred steps, the crowd grew even denser, shoulder to shoulder.

She was done for there was no turning back now.

Gu Jinse turned around there was no other choice but to head back. However, the crowd was too dense, and moving against the flow was exhausting.

She slipped into the entrance of an alley, took a bite of her candied hawthorn, and before she could even swallow, she spotted several men carrying swords, pushing aggressively through the crowd.

In the shadow of the emperor’s authority, danger lurked everywhere. Instinctively, she retreated further into the alley.

Fear began to set in. She chewed the candied hawthorn twice, and before she could catch her breath, she saw the same men shoving their way back. One of them had even lost a shoe in the chaos. Cursing under their breath, their eyes fell on Gu Jinse.

Gu Jinse’s face paled with fright. Driven by a survival instinct, she offered him a stick of candied hawthorn. “Brother, would you like some?”

“Bad luck! What kind of man eats candied hawthorn? Coward,” the man spat, then glanced into the alley behind her. “Has anyone come through here?”

Gu Jinse shook her head and stepped aside. “I don’t know. Why don’t you check for yourself?”

Though Gu Jinse was a woman, her fair complexion stood out even without makeup. The burly man glared at her and muttered, “Pretty boy.”

After cursing, he turned and left.

Gu Jinse snorted disdainfully, taking an angry bite of her candied hawthorn. With a hint of scorn, she instinctively glanced deeper into the alley.

It was past noon, and the sun was shining brightly, casting light onto the ground. The alley housed a few residences and didn’t feel particularly eerie. She took a couple of quiet steps forward.

Hmm…

A low groan echoed, and Gu Jinse spun around and bolted. Ghosts in broad daylight?

When she reached the alley entrance and saw the bustling crowd, her courage returned somewhat. Looking back, her fear had subsided.

The noise of the crowd filled the air, while the alley remained relatively quiet. After a moment’s thought, her feet unconsciously carried her back into the alley.

She stuffed a candied hawthorn into her mouth, the sweetness calming her nerves.

After walking about ten steps, the groaning grew clearer, it sounded like a woman?

Yes, a woman. Out of empathy for her own gender, she quickened her pace. The alley was a straight path, with a few households boasting grand gates and two steps at their entrances. At first glance, no one was visible; one had to approach the doors to realize the depth within.

Leaning against one of the gates was a woman, dressed in a blue cross-collared robe with wide sleeves. The collar was intricately embroidered with gold and silver threads, clearly marking her as someone from a wealthy family.

The alley was narrow and deep. Gu Jinse glanced back at the entrance and instinctively stepped onto the doorstep, hiding from view.

The woman’s face was flushed, her eyes tightly shut. Despite the lingering chill of early spring, she was drenched in sweat.

Gu Jinse continued munching on her candied hawthorn. The woman leaned helplessly against the doorframe, her expression pained, as if injured.

What was she enduring?

Gu Jinse didn’t understand. She looked toward the alley entrance again, the men from earlier were nowhere to be seen. Could they have been searching for this woman?

Was she an assassin?

After a moment’s hesitation, Gu Jinse reached out to check the woman’s breathing, to see if she was still alive.

But as soon as her hand moved, the woman’s eyes snapped open, dark and icy. Gu Jinse quickly spoke up, “We’re both women, no need to be afraid.”

“Women?” The woman pressed her lips together, struggling to sit up straight. Her teeth were clenched, as if she was on the verge of collapse.

Gu Jinse offered her a stick of candied hawthorn. “Want some?”

The woman didn’t move, her gaze fixed intently on Gu Jinse.

“Forget it if you don’t want to eat. I really am a woman. Are you injured?” Gu Jinse asked bluntly. She wasn’t foolish after watching so many dramas and reading so many novels, she knew that if a woman was in such a state, she must be wounded. She pressed further, “Are the people outside looking for you?”

The woman didn’t answer.

Gu Jinse asked again, “Did you escape from some brothel?”

The woman’s gaze sharpened slightly as she struggled to lift her head. “How dare you.”

The words, which should have carried authority, now sounded soft and delicate, tinged with an unexpected charm.

Gu Jinse pursed her lips, a hint of a smile in her eyes. “What’s there to dare? Do you want me to save you?”

She reached out instinctively to help, but the woman’s expression turned cold, and she bit down hard on Gu Jinse’s wrist. The force was so fierce that Gu Jinse nearly leaped in pain. She shoved the woman away abruptly. “I was trying to save you! If it weren’t for the fact that we’re both women, do you think I’d even spare you a second glance?”

Gu Jinse gasped in pain, her wrist now marked with a ring of teeth imprints, already bruising. The woman, thrown back by the shove, hit the door, her forehead reddening from the impact.

“You bit me, I shoved you we’re even. Do you want me to take you out of here or not?”

“I’m only helping you because you’re a woman.”

“I understand your situation. I won’t harm you.”

The woman let out a muffled groan, her lips pressing together as she instinctively reached out toward Gu Jinse. Her hands were elegant, with slender fingers and delicate, pink-tipped nails, each joint distinct like finely carved jade.

Gu Jinse couldn’t help but steal another glance at those hands, reminding both the woman and herself, “I’ll save you. I won’t take advantage of you.”

But the woman suddenly grabbed her wrist, gazing at her with tender affection.

Oh no, she’s under the influence of some drug. Gu Jinse tried to reason with her patiently, “Don’t look at me like that.”

Before she could finish, the woman pressed closer.

Gu Jinse was stunned. One moment she was being bitten, the next she was being kissed. The drug, it must be the drug. Gu Jinse tried to console herself as her hands wrapped around the woman’s slender waist. The woman was incredibly soft, her lips even more so.

But Gu Jinse snapped back to reality and pushed her away. “Don’t act recklessly, it’s broad daylight.”

Emotions surged, and things seemed to flow naturally, but the woman before her had clearly lost all rationality. With every breath, the air carried a faint, sweet fragrance.

Gu Jinse’s ears grew hot, her cheeks flushed. As the woman’s hands wrapped around her waist, she jolted back to her senses, pressing her palms against the woman’s shoulders. “Why don’t women in your era know anything about restraint?”

“Do I know you?”

“I don’t know you! Let go, let go!”

Her palm accidentally brushed against the woman’s cheek, and the heat startled her. For a brief moment, clarity returned to the woman’s eyes. “Who are you?”

Those eyes were as deep and cold as a wintry pond, like a moonless night so dark it invoked fear.

Gu Jinse was no troublemaker. After a moment of stunned silence, she reached out to feel the woman’s forehead. Only then did she realize it was burning hot.

She was injured and running a fever.

Gu Jinse said, “Let’s change clothes. You can wear mine and leave. I’ll save you, I promise.”

The woman hesitated, breathing rapidly as she leaned against the door, her body devoid of strength. Her gaze slowly settled on Gu Jinse. In just a moment, she could no longer hold on, tilting her head back to take a deep breath. She knew the girl before her was pure and kind-hearted.

The young girl’s expression was innocent and charming, her slight smile like a hundred flowers blooming, reminiscent of a peony standing out among green grass.

Who wouldn’t love a peony, with its breathtaking beauty?

Gu Jinse was a model student who had never set foot in a nightclub, was unskilled at drinking, and had no idea what it felt like to be drugged. But judging by the woman’s state, she could somewhat grasp the sensation tormented, no, more like kindling ablaze under intense heat.

Of course, she had to save her. They were both women, and saving a life was a greater virtue than building a seven-story pagoda.

She took the initiative and asked, “Let me help you change your clothes. Endure it a little longer. Once the crowd disperses, I’ll carry you to an inn to rest. If you’re unwilling, blink three times. If you’re willing, close your eyes.”

The woman’s eyes were tightly shut as she took a deep breath. She glanced at the girl, her gaze filled with innocence. With each breath, her entire body gradually relaxed.

Gu Jinse pressed her lips together lightly. What a sin to treat a vulnerable young woman like this. If the culprit were caught, they deserved to be torn to pieces.

She hesitated for a moment, but the woman suddenly reached out, gripping her wrist, and asked, “Are you from the Gu family of Yuhang?”