The Prime Minister Claims She's Pregnant - Chapter 20

Ming Yi was somewhat troubled; compared to this, court politics felt much simpler.

Now that the betrothal gifts had been delivered, the remaining steps of the “Six Rites” had to be followed. Madam Gu sent word back to Yuhang to collect Gu Jinhuan’s original betrothal assets, but the Gu clan patriarchs refused to release them.

Without making a scene, Madam Gu turned to her younger brother in Jinling. Upon hearing the situation, he immediately dispatched tens of thousands of taels of silver to the capital, resolving the urgent financial crisis.

After purchasing the neighboring estate, Madam Gu led a month-long renovation. Under her direction, workers cleared the weeds, dug ponds, built heated pavilions, and relocated decorative rockeries.

As money flowed out like water, Gu Jinse’s lips twitched. “Mother, do you plan on living here forever?”

“It’s for you to live in for the long haul. You should be comfortable. I plan to plant an orchard for you: peach blossoms in spring, grapes and dates in summer, and yellow pears in autumn. Every fruit available on the market, I’ll have planted here. Oh, and I’ve bought some farmland in your name—Gu Jinse’s name. Additionally, I’ve secured a dozen storefronts: embroidery shops, a silver exchange, and a few restaurants.”

Gu Jinse counted on her fingers, then looked at the thick stack of land deeds in the lacquer box. She swallowed hard. Instant wealth. As she beamed with joy, Madam Gu continued, “Don’t go back to Yuhang unless it’s necessary. Stay in the capital after you marry. If you ever divorce, just have the Prime Minister find you someone more reliable.”

Gu Jinse: “…” Mother really believes in contingency planning.

If her family offered it, she would take it. This was a gift from her parents, not something she had schemed for.

The Gu family’s grand construction to welcome the “bride” and the union of the Gu and Ming households caused colleagues to look at “Supervisor Gu” in a new light. She had essentially skipped twenty years of struggle. Opportunities like “pancakes falling from the sky” were rare, and she cherished it. On her day off, she accompanied her mother to finalize the transfer of the fertile lands.

As they boarded the carriage, Madam Gu mentioned the sellers: “I heard it’s a prominent family, the Zhao clan. They were short on cash and sold at a low price. I’ve inspected the fields; there’s both irrigated and dry land. Se-er, be careful. Don’t end up like the Zhaos, selling off land just to get by.”

“The Zhao family?” Gu Jinse was intrigued. The Prime Minister’s mother was a daughter of the Zhao clan. She pressed her mother, “Which Zhao family?”

“There’s only one major Zhao family in the capital. The eldest daughter married the General of Weiyuan and died mysteriously; the younger daughter entered the palace and became Consort De.” Madam Gu gossiped, adding, “Speaking of that eldest daughter, she was a rare beauty. I quite liked her.”

“Is there any woman you don’t like?” Gu Jinse joked, patting her mother’s shoulder. “She was Prime Minister Ming’s mother.”

“Really?” Madam Gu was stunned. She tried to recall the face of the eldest Zhao girl and compare it to Ming Yi. Her gaze suddenly turned profound. “I heard she had… an affair with someone. Do you know who?”

Madam Gu’s heart for gossip was no less than that of a young girl. Gu Jinse leaned in and whispered the secret into her ear.

“It was him?” Madam Gu sighed. “Some say the Zhao family drove the eldest girl to her death to ‘preserve the family honor.’ How cruel. Se-er, listen to me: if you can’t make a marriage work, just leave. The princesses have divorced five or six times; you can handle two. The Zhao family is… despicable.”

Gu Jinse nodded with a faint smile. “Mother is wise. Why don’t you look into why the Zhaos are selling land? Are they really that desperate for money?”

“The Zhaos drove her mother to death; Ming Yi won’t let them off easily. Stay far away from the Zhao family.” Madam Gu felt a lingering fear. Her father-in-law always said Ming Yi was a poisonous woman with terrifying power. Madam Gu, however, disagreed. A woman with talent shouldn’t be scrutinized just for having it.

The day off flew by. Since it wasn’t a court day, Gu Jinse went straight to her job at the Ministry of Revenue in the morning and finished on time in the evening. She spent her nights overseeing the renovations. Money was disappearing rapidly, but Madam Gu didn’t blink—it seemed she had grown accustomed to the extravagance.

On the sixth day of the fifth month, the anniversary of the Empress Dowager’s death, the Emperor suspended court to show his mourning. Ming Yi sent word to Gu Jinse to wear plain mourning attire and join her for the sacrificial ceremony.

It had only been a year since the Empress Dowager passed. The Emperor, being a man of “filial piety,” held her in high regard despite her not being his biological mother. He made the ceremony exceptionally grand, leading the officials in the rites before taking his children into the hall to weep.

Ming Yi, having grown up in the palace as the Emperor’s “foster daughter,” naturally attended. Since she had a fiancé now, the two knelt together. Gu Jinse watched in shock as the Emperor dissolved into a blubbering mess.

As everyone kowtowed, the hall filled with the sound of wailing. The Empress cried the most piteously; in the past, the Emperor would never have dared to confine her for the sake of a mere official.

Ming Yi knelt perfectly straight, listening to the cries of the Imperial couple. Behind her were the Crown Prince and his consort. Gu Jinse, kneeling in front of the Prince, scanned the hall. The Emperor’s five sons and numerous princesses were all there in plain white.

The Emperor eventually fainted from grief. The Empress held him, crying out for her “Aunt,” and even the Crown Prince’s eyes turned red. Only Ming Yi remained unmoved.

With the Emperor unconscious, the Third Princess stopped kneeling. She sat up and pointed at Ming Yi. “The Imperial Grandmother favored you immensely, yet you are so heartless! I will tell Father to punish you.”

The Crown Princess Consort hurriedly pulled the Third Princess back. “The Prime Minister is busy day and night; she is likely just exhausted. Third Sister, do not be petty.”

“Busy day and night hooking up with ‘wild men,’ you mean?” The Third Princess smiled triumphantly. “Prime Minister, I suggest you slow down. Swapping men every night must be exhausting work.”

The hall fell into a dead silence. Half of Ming Yi’s figure was shrouded in shadows, her face cold. Gu Jinse glanced at her, her hands instinctively balling into fists. In the next breath, Ming Yi looked up and gave the Princess a faint smile.

“I thank the Princess for the reminder. I personally do not know what a man ‘tastes’ like, but I believe the Princess discovered that flavor when she was fourteen, did she not?”

Gu Jinse: “…” Holy scandal.

Gu Jinse’s eyes widened, and the tension in her hands relaxed.

Ming Yi swept her gaze over the room, her lips curved in a thin smile as she stood up. In an instant, she loomed half a head taller than the Third Princess. Though the Princess Consort held her back, the Princess continued to point, fuming, “This Princess only looks at men who are dragons and phoenixes among peers, unlike the Prime Minister, who toys with beggars from the street!”

“How does the Princess know such intimate details?” Ming Yi asked, unfazed. Her plain skirts brushed against the floor as she reached out, caught Gu Jinse’s wrist, and smiled at her. “Husband, what do you think?”

A suspicious blush crept onto Gu Jinse’s face. The “jade-like” youth lowered her eyes, looking bashful and elegant.

“When I first met the Prime Minister, she had been drugged and ambushed. I suppose that was the Third Princess’s doing as well?” Gu Jinse added.

“Gu Jinhuan, don’t you dare slander me!” The Third Princess jumped up. She was about to curse when she caught sight of Gu Jinse’s handsome, “crowned jade” face. Her anger dissipated instantly. She pointed at Ming Yi and shrieked, “Shameless! Even with my Father—”

Before she could finish, the Crown Princess Consort covered her mouth. She and the Prince exchanged a look and forcibly dragged the girl out.

Gu Jinse blinked. “What was the Princess trying to say?”

Ming Yi hummed noncommittally. “Likely that His Majesty favors me too much.”

The others in the hall kept their heads low. The Second and Third Princes stood like statues, showing no intention of getting involved. Gu Jinse took Ming Yi’s hand. Ming Yi stiffened slightly, her teeth pressing against her lip. She wasn’t used to public intimacy. Her heart began to race, and the tips of her ears turned red—it seemed she couldn’t handle even a bit of flirting.

Since the Emperor was still unconscious, they couldn’t leave. They stood in front of the hall waiting for him to wake. Ming Yi, enduring her discomfort, stepped out of the hall. The Third Princess had been calmed by the Crown Princess Consort, but her eyes flashed with malice.

The Crown Princess Consort whispered to the Princess, “Your Highness was too impulsive. Even if you like the young man, you must keep your composure. Gu Jinhuan is indeed an elegant soul.”

“You think he’s good too, don’t you?” The Third Princess’s obsession was reignited. She wished she could stare holes through Ming Yi.

The Consort advised, “Men like women who are gentle and chaste. Remember to be gentle, Princess, and do not indulge in ‘male charms’ anymore.”

The Princess froze. Do not indulge in male charms. Right—what man likes a woman who is “easy”?

The May weather was turning hot. Everyone waited under the blazing sun for the Emperor to wake. The Second Prince approached and asked Ming Yi, “I hear the Prime Minister’s happy day is approaching. Allow me to congratulate you.”

Ming Yi nodded but remained silent, not wanting to say a word.

The sun was intense, and a faint flush appeared on the girls’ faces. Ming Yi stood still; even the Crown Prince didn’t dare leave without permission.

Ming Yi stood with her hands behind her back, her spine as straight as a pine tree. She was hot, too, her lips slightly parted as she exhaled. Suddenly, a patch of green leaves appeared above her head.

She looked up to see a branch held over her, providing a patch of shade. It felt cooler instantly.

Gu Jinse, holding the branch, smiled at Ming Yi. “You are thin, and your body is soft. Your lips are even softer. So why is your personality so stubborn?”

Ming Yi was stunned. Her tongue pressed against the back of her teeth as she shuddered. She hissed, “Nonsense!”

“See? I just flirted with you once, and you’re already angry.”