The Prime Minister Claims She's Pregnant - Chapter 17

Gu Jinse was full of curiosity, listening intently. “Who is he seeing?”

“The wife of the Heir to the Marquis of Yongping,” Ming Yi said, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Gu Jinse was so shocked she covered her mouth, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings in disbelief. “That means… he’s effectively having an affair with his own cousin-in-law.”

Ming Yi nodded. She rested her chin on her hand and watched the girl, whose mouth was wide enough to fit an egg. She reached out and pinched Gu Jinse’s cheek. “And they haven’t ended it yet.”

“They… they haven’t?” Gu Jinse kept her hand over her mouth, her heart trembling. This was the Crown Prince, the future ruler of the nation. Even in the modern world, someone of that stature could shake an entire city just by stepping foot in it.

This was straight-up adultery.

Ming Yi enjoyed watching her look of surprise—especially the way her little mouth stayed open. Suddenly, her dull, tedious life felt a bit sweeter.

She thought for a moment and continued, “They are very careful when they meet; it’s always at a temple. They arrange things in advance. It was Tu-Tu who followed them and saw them from a distance.”

Gu Jinse asked, “Should we go and see them someday? You know, catch them in the act?”

Ming Yi laughed—a genuine, warm laugh. “What’s there to see? You’d be better off staying home and reading a book.”

“Catching them in the act! How exciting would that be?” Gu Jinse was puzzled. Ming Yi didn’t get along with the Marquis of Yongping’s household; why not catch the Prince in the act and give him a humiliating setback?

A maidservant brought in some pastries and refreshed their tea.

Ming Yi picked up her teacup, blew on the leaves, and took a shallow sip. “Things haven’t reached that point yet. There’s no rush. If you really want to catch someone in the act, I can take you to see other households.”

Gu Jinse’s mouth, which had just closed, fell open again. “There are many?”

“The secrets Tun-Tun holds aren’t many—perhaps only eight or nine cases. You could watch them for over a week without a single repeat,” Ming Yi said with total composure.

Gu Jinse was about to say how thrilling that sounded, but she looked at Ming Yi across from her. The Prime Minister set down her teacup with a scholarly grace and a mature aura that no youth could ever match.

Ming Yi lowered her gaze to adjust her cup. Her fingers were long and slender, her nails rounded with a faint pink hue. Her entire being radiated a refined, mature charm.

Gu Jinse had tasted that charm; she knew Ming Yi’s beauty, and she knew exactly which parts of her were the most captivating.

Unaware that she was being stared at, Ming Yi said slowly, “If you want to go, we can go tonight. However, your wound shouldn’t be exposed to the wind. Perhaps tomorrow; the weather should be fine then.”

Gu Jinse: “…” Why do I get the feeling this elegant Prime Minister is actually a huge gossip?

Shouldn’t a stateswoman spend her time elegantly sipping tea and discussing grand strategies?

During their conversation, Ming Yi looked out the window at the bright, midday sun.

Gu Jinse asked her, “Prime Minister, do you enjoy talking about these… ‘interesting’ stories?”

“I do. Don’t you?” Ming Yi turned back to the girl with a shimmering smile. “I grew up in the palace. I heard ‘interesting’ things every day. The Emperor has many concubines; those who never get to see him spend their time with palace maids or other unfavored consorts to pass the days. The palace is the filthiest place on earth, yet it is also the most ‘interesting.'”

“The palace…” Gu Jinse’s mouth hung open again. How scandalous.

Life with Prime Minister Ming was proving to be quite a joy.

Ming Yi knew so many “interesting stories,” and hearing them from her mouth added an extra layer of thrill.

The higher the rank and the more glamorous the facade, the more jaw-dropping the private habits were.

Gu Jinse rested her chin on her hand to listen, and Ming Yi did the same as she spoke—the two of them mirrored each other perfectly. It wasn’t until sunset that Gu Jinse sighed, “You could really write a book.”

“Write what?” Ming Yi asked.

Gu Jinse said, “Everything you just told me! Write a series of stories called ‘Secret Affairs of the Capital.’ It would definitely be a bestseller.”

Ming Yi sat up straight, her back regaining its usual poise. “It’s getting late. Have some dinner and get some rest tonight.”

Gu Jinse was no longer lethargic or feverish, so she didn’t need someone to watch her at night. Ming Yi moved into the eastern side room, which had originally been a study. A bed had been placed there a few days ago for Ming Yi to sleep in.

As the new day dawned, word came from the palace: the Empress had lost her composure in front of the Emperor and was now confined to her quarters. The Third Princess suffered the same fate. However, the Crown Prince was allowed to leave the Eastern Palace to attend court with the Emperor.

Deposing the Empress was impossible. Even if Gu Jinse had died, the Empress’s crime wasn’t enough to warrant being stripped of her title.

Ming Yi was satisfied enough. At that moment, the Gu family arrived at the Prime Minister’s manor to deliver the betrothal gifts. The entire city soon knew of the marriage between the Gu family and the Prime Minister. When the Third Princess found out, she flew into a rage in her chambers.

“How old is she? She’s twenty-seven! Gu Jinhuan must have been forced. Ming Yi is using her power and status to force a young man to marry her. How shameless! How utterly disgraceful!”

“So thick-skinned! I’m going to tell Father the truth—Gu Jinhuan is being coerced!”

The Third Princess screamed and smashed her belongings. Once the rage passed, she wept in secret. She realized she truly couldn’t compare to Ming Yi.

In front of her father, she was worth less than a dog.

As the Princess sobbed, her maids didn’t dare approach. A dark cloud hung over the palace, echoing her cries.

Gu Jinse’s wound had healed significantly. Taking advantage of a beautiful day, a relaxed Ming Yi actually took her out to “catch someone in the act.”

The target was a supervisor from the Ministry of Revenue who was seeing an unmarried girl and using his position to threaten her. Before they arrived, Gu Jinse sighed, “That poor girl must be so pitiable.”

Ming Yi countered, “Not necessarily. She was the one who initiated it.”

Gu Jinse was shocked. “Why?”

“Her father was caught in corruption, so she approached the supervisor to ask him to look the other way,” Ming Yi explained. There was another reason, too: since the Emperor was hesitating to act, Ming Yi had to create an opportunity to transfer Gu Jinse away from the Emperor’s personal service.

Gu Jinse didn’t quite catch that last part and just blinked.

“The Ministry of Revenue controls the nation’s wealth. A supervisor is a key position. Do you understand?” Ming Yi explained.

Gu Jinse understood. “You’re going after the Ministry of Revenue, aren’t you? And you invited me along to watch the show.”

Ming Yi gave a secret smile and said nothing more.

Gu Jinse still had gauze on her forehead, though it was thinner than before. It was still quite striking. When the dressing was changed, Ming Yi had seen the long scar. Once the gauze was gone, it would be very obvious and would likely mar her beautiful face.

The carriage entered an alley and hid in the shadows. The two stayed inside and waited. After a while, they saw a man in a green robe with a narrow, rat-like face. He walked to the door, knocked, looked left and right to make sure no one was watching, and slipped inside.

His behavior made Gu Jinse gulp. She felt inexplicably nervous and reflexively grabbed Ming Yi’s hand. “Are you nervous?”

“You aren’t the one cheating; why are you nervous?” Ming Yi found it funny. She held the girl’s cold hand, her thumb brushing against a palm that was actually sweaty.

Tsk tsk. Even watching a play makes her nervous.

Gu Jinse asked her, “Have you decided who will replace him?”

“You,” Ming Yi said.

Gu Jinse didn’t hear her clearly. A young woman appeared, her face covered in white silk, her figure graceful and curvaceous. Gu Jinse was puzzled. “Do men all like that type?”

Ming Yi pressed her lips together to keep from laughing because Gu Jinse looked so serious. She explained, “I don’t like that type.”

Gu Jinse agreed wholeheartedly. Her gaze drifted—intentionally or not—toward Ming Yi’s chest. “I don’t like that type either. I like people like you, Prime Minister.”

Cold, noble, elegant—a flower on a high peak. But in reality, she was gentle and even more beautiful when she smiled.

She glanced back at Ming Yi, who looked ethereal in her jade-colored robes.

Suddenly, a group of people arrived carrying clubs, led by an old woman. Gu Jinse’s heart jumped. “A fight is starting!”

Ming Yi didn’t move; this was her setup, after all. She watched as the door was kicked open.

“Let’s go,” Ming Yi said.

Gu Jinse was confused. Ming Yi sat up and gave a slight smile. “It’s filthy. It will only soil our eyes.”

She looked so noble—her words so detached that she seemed like a celestial being returning to the sky, far above the mortal world.

Gu Jinse sighed and followed Ming Yi back to the manor.

Within half a day, the scandal of the Ministry of Revenue supervisor’s affair was known throughout the city. Ming Yi submitted a memorial. The Emperor looked at the name “Gu Jinhuan” on the document and let out a cold laugh. “She really is protective of her own.”

She had orchestrated this whole drama just to promote her fiancé. Wasn’t she afraid of shooting herself in the foot?

Ming Yi had never experienced romance before. To have her heart captured by a youth the moment she showed interest was, in the Emperor’s eyes, not a good thing. Those in high positions must be free of emotion.

He chuckled coldly and summoned a Hanlin official to draft a decree, appointing Gu Jinhuan to the position of Supervisor.

The Ministry position was 6th rank, while a Hanlin official was 7th rank. Though the latter served the Emperor directly, the Ministry of Revenue was a “lucrative” post that many fought tooth and nail for.

Gu Jinse had been promoted. While she was gaining experience in the Ministry, Tun-Tun grabbed a handful of silver and stuffed it into the eunuch’s hand. “Thank you for your hard work.”

The eunuch left with a beaming smile.

Gu Jinse’s wound hadn’t fully healed, so she remained at the manor. Chi Mei checked her pulse daily, and her headaches had subsided. Madam Gu was busy beyond belief preparing for the wedding. Since Ming Yi had no parents, Madam Gu had taken over the dowry arrangements and all necessary tasks.

Ming Yi visited Gu Jinse often, talking about court politics and various “interesting stories.” Her voice was soft and her explanations clear, creating a cozy, domestic atmosphere.

Gu Jinse listened intently, gaining a new understanding of the capital, a place that seemed prosperous on the surface but was filthy underneath.

Ming Yi spoke a great deal. As she talked, her gaze drifted toward the window. Adultery was rampant in the capital; even the “pure and noble” current Emperor had done unspeakable things in the dark.

She smiled to herself. When she looked back at Gu Jinse, the girl was staring at her dotingly. Suddenly, Ming Yi’s heart softened.

For some reason, Gu Jinse always managed to make her heart feel tender.

She reached out and stroked Gu Jinse’s smooth cheek. Gu Jinse paused and said indignantly, “You touched me! I’m at a disadvantage now.”

You won’t let me kiss you, but you get to touch me? Only a fool wouldn’t see how unfair this is.

Ming Yi gave a smile as refreshing as spring rain. “Let us make an agreement.”

Gu Jinse: “?”

“I am allowed to touch you. But if you want to kiss me, you need my permission first.”