The Prime Minister Claims She's Pregnant - Chapter 27

When a host inquires about one’s health, it is typically a sign of concern. However, Ming Yi found herself unable to look the woman in the eye, even avoiding her searching gaze. Gu Jinse quickly interjected, “The weather is simply too sweltering; the daytime temperatures have been punishingly high.”

The Vice Minister’s wife remained half-skeptical. The other ladies stopped their chatter to observe the pair; while Gu Jinse appeared perfectly composed, the Chancellor’s face was flushed a deep crimson. It was clear they had been sharing intimate whispers.

 

Ming Yi rose, stating she needed some fresh air outside. Gu Jinse followed closely behind, leaving her mother and aunt to their conversation.

 

The aunt whispered, “I heard the Chancellor was pregnant? And then she lost it?”

 

Madam Gu feigned ignorance. “Is that so? I would not know; they have not told me anything.”

 

The aunt was shocked. “Sister-in-law, that would be a descendant of the Gu family after all. How can you be so indifferent? Are you dissatisfied with this match?”

 

Madam Gu continued her act. “Those two are a match made in heaven.”

 

When it came to the art of being perfunctory, if Madam Gu claimed second place, no one would dare claim first.

 

The summer night was filled with the incessant chirping of cicadas. The two did not wander far; the banquet was held near a water pavilion, and they walked toward the lake. A warm breeze drifted across the water, carrying a misty heat that felt inexplicably stifling.

 

Willow branches brushed against them, lush and green.

 

Ming Yi found a large stone and sat down. The many lights of the water pavilion shimmered, reflected in the lake. Gu Jinse squeezed in to sit beside her on the large rock, but the physical closeness only intensified the stifling heat. After a moment’s thought, she chose to stand back up.

 

The space beside Ming Yi suddenly cleared, and the surrounding air seemed to grow lighter. Ming Yi looked up at her, surprised.

 

“It is too hot; I was crowding you.”

 

Warm gusts continued to blow from the lakeside, and the temperature seemed to spike. Maidservants bustled back and forth; the atmosphere was thick with the lively energy of a busy household. The Gu family was bustling and boisterous, a stark contrast to the cold silence of the Chancellor’s manor.

 

Gu Jinse thought of her elder sister. Once Gu Jinhuan returned home, there was no telling how he might bully her. After a moment, she asked Ming Yi, “Chancellor, can I bring my sister here? She will not cause any trouble.”

 

“You may. I will have someone arrange it, but I do not know if the Gu family will let her go. I cannot forcibly take her away; after all, I am an outsider. Even if I intervene as the Gu family’s eldest daughter-in-law, people would gossip,” Ming Yi said, gazing out over the lake.

 

Gu Jinse pursed her lips. “Do you have a way?”

 

Ming Yi snapped back to the present and turned to look at her, her eyelashes trembling slightly. “Why should I help you? We are married by agreement; we are not to interfere in each other’s affairs.”

 

Gu Jinse was dumbfounded. To have her partner bail at a critical moment made her feel indignant. She opened her mouth to protest but swallowed her words. “Just consider it a personal favor I owe you?”

 

Ming Yi asked bluntly, “What will you use to pay it back?”

 

Gu Jinse replied, “I will pay it back with my body.”

 

Ming Yi: “…” (Note: Keeping the visual silence icon as is.)

 

The moon climbed over the willow branches, and both fell into a silence. This sudden tension made them both uncomfortable, especially Ming Yi. She looked up at the bright moon and asked, “Gu Jinse, do you covet my beauty, or do you truly think I am a good person?”

 

“Both. You possess auras of nobility and purity. Have you ever heard of the snow lotus of the heavens? Pure and sacred, many say it is a miraculous medicine that saves lives.”

 

“I have heard of it. What of it?”

 

“In my heart, you are like that snow lotus.”

 

Ming Yi’s expression remained indifferent as she continued to watch the moon. “When did the Ministry Official learn such flowery words?”

 

Gu Jinse rubbed her ear awkwardly. “Chancellor, is it a mistake to speak the truth?”

 

“It is not a mistake.” Ming Yi shook her head and withdrew her gaze, her eyes calm once more. “But Official Gu, I do not like your sweet talk. Over time, I will lose the ability to distinguish your truth from your lies.”

 

Just as her mother had been blinded by the Emperor’s charms.

 

“Chancellor, do you truly detest words of affection that much?” Gu Jinse asked. This was the simplest of dialogues between a couple, with no malice and no harassment, yet Ming Yi was exceptionally repulsed by it.

 

That lecherous dog of an Emperor!

 

“It is getting late. Let us head back.” Ming Yi stood up and walked toward the brightly lit pavilion.

 

Gu Jinse followed behind like a lost puppy, explaining repeatedly, “Chancellor, I meant no harm. If you do not like it, I will not say it again.”

 

As they entered the hall, the male and female guests were separated. Before she could finish her explanation, Gu Jinse was dragged off to the men’s tables by her cousin, while Ming Yi sat beside Madam Gu. They gazed at each other from across the room.

 

As it was a common banquet, there was no requirement to drink, and Ming Yi managed to leave unscathed.

 

After the banquet ended, they headed their separate ways. Gu Jinse returned to the Gu residence with her mother, while Ming Yi returned to the Chancellor’s manor.

 

The summer heat was draining, leaving one feeling weak and sluggish. Gu Jinse felt lazy and requested two days of leave from her superior, claiming heatstroke, while she secretly saw her father off to Yuhang.

 

Old Man Gu tried his best to drag her along, pleading and lecturing her until he was blue in the face. Gu Jinse turned a deaf ear, then suddenly asked, “Is my elder sister truly your flesh and blood?”

 

Old Man Gu was so startled by her gaze that he took a step back. Gu Jinse stood up in anger, looking at him coldly. “Father, as a man, you should take responsibility.”

 

“She is not my daughter; she is your young aunt,” Old Man Gu hissed, covering his daughter’s mouth and gently pressing her back into her seat. “Why do you care so much? Whether she is your sister or your aunt has nothing to do with you. What you need to do is return to Yuhang to wait for your wedding, be a proper lady of the Gu house, and marry with dignity. You should not be meddling in this mess. Gu Jinse, you are seventeen; it is time you were married.”

 

“Father, Mother wants to divorce you. You should worry about yourself. Gu Jinhuan committed such a massive error; has there been any punishment at home? You want me to go back just so you can call him back too? Father, are you not afraid Chancellor Ming will report you? Also, Grandfather is old; can you not have your own thoughts? With Gu Jinhuan being this absurd, can he truly sustain a household?”

 

“Gu Jinhuan made a mistake and forced me to come to the capital. From the moment you all conceived this ridiculous plan, I could never go back.”

 

“Father, what are you thinking? Do not think I do not know. The position of Ministry Official is hard to come by. He is only seventeen; with a bit of tempering, his future would be limitless. You wanted to use me as his stepping stone; do you think I am a fool?”

 

Old Man Gu’s face flushed with shame. He frowned and said, “Be quiet. If you had not provoked Chancellor Ming in the first place, none of this trouble would have happened!”

 

“Is it my fault?” Gu Jinse was furious, forcing herself to meet her father’s eyes. “You are biased.”

 

“A-Se, it is not that I am biased. You simply should go home and marry. You have no real scholarly talent; staying in the capital tied to Ming Yi is nothing but a waste of your life. Is it not better to marry and have children? Rest assured, I will give you a generous dowry.” Old Man Gu had a headache.

 

“I do not want your money. Ming Yi has already given me plenty; land, gold, and silver are beyond count.”

 

Old Man Gu was choked for words. He wanted to say more, but Gu Jinse cut him off. “Money, I have. But you, you are about to lose your wife.”

 

“You are mocking me!” Old Man Gu’s face turned red with rage as he pinched her ear. “Gu Jinse! I am truly angry now!”

 

Gu Jinse was forced to stand. She grabbed his hand. “What does your anger have to do with me? I am not Mother; I will not coax you. You can give up on that idea.”

 

The father and daughter parted on bad terms. Gu Jinse left him with a threat: “If you do not go back, I will report you. I will sacrifice family for justice. By then, the Emperor will likely spare me for the sake of Chancellor Ming and will not hold me liable. I will get Mother out, and the two of you can get your divorce immediately.”

 

“You…” Old Man Gu stared at his stubborn daughter. “What kind of spell has Ming Yi cast on you?”

 

“Father, it is not a spell. It is the absurd things your son has done. To raise a son who is unfilial and to indulge a son in his crimes; that is your fault.” Gu Jinse held her head high. “I may lack talent, but I know shame, I understand filial piety and justice, and I love my siblings. What about him? Father, you should think hard about how your son can change. I am going to be married; I will not stay in the Gu family forever. If you want the Gu family’s generations of foundation to be destroyed in an instant, then continue to indulge him.”

 

“Father, missing an exam is a trivial matter. You insisted I come here solely because you wanted Gu Jinhuan to be famous at a young age to satisfy your vanity.”

 

“Impudent!” Old Man Gu roared.

 

Gu Jinse took two steps back, her strength failing but her resolve firm. “If you do not go back, I will have someone tie you up and send you back. Tutu, knock him out and throw him in the carriage. I will take the responsibility.”

 

Tutu immediately leaped in from outside the door. Old Man Gu’s heart nearly stopped from the shock. After a long silence, he squeezed out: “What is this fuss? I will go back myself. But I will say it again: your Grandfather will never acknowledge Chancellor Ming as his granddaughter-in-law.”

 

“It does not matter. Whether you acknowledge her or not has nothing to do with her. However, if you do not leave now, disaster will strike your head.” Gu Jinse was fearless. She had only stayed in the Gu family before because she had nowhere else to go and the family was wealthy. Now, she had a better place to be; she naturally would not return.

 

Tutu packed Old Man Gu into the carriage and watched him all the way, taking the opportunity to head to Yuhang to bring the Gu family’s eldest daughter to the capital.

 

Peace returned to the Gu household. People arrived from Jinling with congratulatory gifts and several shops in the capital area. Gu Jinse was surprised, but Madam Gu said calmly, “These were all part of my dowry. Servants have been managing them all these years. I had them sell the shops in Jinling to buy ones in the capital. I was going to return sooner or later anyway, so I am giving them to you now.”

 

“Mother, you are a master businesswoman.” Gu Jinse’s eyes crinkled with joy as she hugged the box full of property deeds.

 

Madam Gu gave her a look. “It is called managing a household well. Do not go squandering it. You are not a fool; manage them yourself. And remember, never flaunt your wealth. You must not even tell the Chancellor.”

 

“I know. You always say even the person sharing your pillow has their own motives and cannot be fully trusted. By the way, Mother, are you truly going to divorce?” Gu Jinse sighed.

 

“I do not know. It depends on your father’s attitude of repentance. The late Empress Dowager granted women many conveniences, saving us much trouble.” Madam Gu was not sure herself. She knew her husband’s character best; he was honest and kind, but his father’s word carried more weight than an imperial decree.

 

In her daughter’s words, he was a “Daddy’s Boy.”

 

Gu Jinse stopped asking and happily began organizing her new shops. She planned to visit them during her time off; she still had much to learn from her mother. While Madam Gu was in the capital, she intended to learn as much as possible.

 

In contrast to her happiness, clouds gathered around Ming Yi. A “Flower Thief” had appeared in the capital, and many girls had gone missing. They were all seventeen years old and, curiously, born on the same day.

 

Women usually marry within two or three years of their coming-of-age ceremony. Most of these girls were already betrothed but had not yet wed; one had disappeared just the day before her wedding.

 

If it were an ordinary case, it would not have reached the Chancellor. But with the Emperor away and the sweltering heat making everyone irritable, this matter caused widespread panic. Families with girls born on that specific day kept them locked inside, guarding them every second.

 

The date was the eighth day of the sixth lunar month, seventeen years ago, during the hour of the Rat.

 

Ming Yi was startled for a moment. She ordered all girls born at that time to be brought to the official yamen so the government could protect them.

 

A subordinate said, “There are only three left. If we put them together and they are snatched all at once, it would be our failure. Should we protect them separately?”

 

Concentrating manpower in one place created a larger circle of protection, but by the same token, if one was targeted, twenty could be targeted.

 

Nothing was foolproof; protecting them together could still lead to errors.

 

After some thought, Ming Yi agreed with the subordinate and sent men to fetch the girls and place them in a secret location.

 

After making these simple arrangements, she deployed military forces to search the capital. For several days, soldiers on patrol were visible throughout the city.

 

After Tutu left the capital, Tuntun followed Gu Jinse day and night. As the two were preparing to head to the yamen, Madam Gu hurried out and grabbed her daughter.

 

“I have not been feeling well these past few days. You should take leave to look after me.”

 

Gu Jinse did not believe it. At dinner last night, her mother had eaten two large bowls of rice and praised the food. How could she suddenly be ill?

 

She was suspicious, but Madam Gu decisively sent Tuntun to request leave on her daughter’s behalf.

 

Tuntun, unaware of the hidden details, bowed and left quickly.

 

Gu Jinse found it strange. Madam Gu pulled her back into the main room and said, “A strange thing has happened in the capital. It is best if you stay indoors.”

 

“Are you talking about the Flower Thief?” Gu Jinse stood still. “What does that have to do with me?”

“Oh, my silly daughter, you were also born during the hour of the Rat on the eighth day of the sixth month! Gu Jinhuan is only an hour younger than you.” Madam Gu was so anxious she nearly called out to the ancestors. Of the dozen or so girls, only three remained, yet her daughter had noticed nothing at all.

Gu Jinse laughed. “Right now I am Gu Jinhuan, not Gu Jinse. What are you afraid of? Besides, how would a thief know I am a girl? They only kidnap girls.”

She wanted to say more, but Madam Gu pulled her by the ear back to her room. “If you dare take one step outside, I will break your legs.”

Gu Jinse tried to persuade her mother. “It is not that serious. Just treat me as a boy, all right? Outsiders do not know my true identity. If I do not go out, people will become suspicious instead. Trust me.”

“I am sick. As a junior, it is your duty to resign from your post to serve me,” Madam Gu replied, abandoning all reason.

Gu Jinse had no choice but to obey. She intended to send word to Ming Yi, but stopped herself just as the words reached her lips. Ming Yi was so busy that it was best not to disturb her. It would be enough to simply stay home quietly.

She requested a half-month leave. Her superior did not make things difficult; having learned from previous experiences, he agreed quite readily.

Gu Jinse began a life of sleeping late and waking late at home. With three meals a day plus desserts and fruit, her days were leisurely and very happy. Madam Gu, forced to fake her illness at home, could not go out either, so the mother and daughter ate and lived together.

Five days after Gu Jinse vanished from the public eye, the person who had been dizzy with work finally remembered that she had not seen the young youth for several days.

Upon asking the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, she was told that Madam Gu was ill and Official Gu was at home attending to her.

Madam Gu was ill? Ming Yi did not believe it. Madam Gu’s constitution was incredibly robust; she looked capable of going up a mountain to fight a tiger without issue. For her to suddenly fall ill felt inexplicably suspicious.

After work, once the sky had turned dark, Ming Yi visited the Gu residence.

The Gu mother and daughter were sitting on a small couch playing a game. Unlike Go, it only required five pieces in a row to win. Gu Jinse was shouting about her mother playing dirty, while Madam Gu smiled and told her that “old ginger is spicier than young ginger.”

Ming Yi: “…” She knew there was something fishy going on.

The three sat down. Gu Jinse’s face was covered in long strips of paper, a punishment for the loser. Ming Yi casually tore them off and asked her, “The reason for your leave is a bit strange.”

Madam Gu answered on her behalf, “She was also born on the eighth day of the sixth month.”

Ming Yi furrowed her brows. She suddenly recalled that when she saw the birthdate on that day, it had felt strangely familiar; the crux of the matter lay here with Gu Jinse. When the two manors exchanged birth charts, the one provided by the Gu family was Gu Jinse’s actual chart. Only Ming Yi was permitted to see it, so they had given her the real one. She had glanced at it then, but the impression had not been deep.

“So that is how it is. In that case, stay home properly and do not go anywhere,” Ming Yi said, her tone grave.

Madam Gu agreed wholeheartedly, nodding repeatedly. “Exactly! Chancellor Ming is sensible. A-Se was unwilling, so keep her locked at home. If she dares to go out, her legs will be broken.”

Gu Jinse: “…” Previously one person controlled me, now there are two.

“The investigation is still ongoing. The way these girls are disappearing is extremely eerie; it seems they are being targeted. Official Gu, rest at home for a few days,” Ming Yi said in a normal tone.

“Chancellor, how does the perpetrator know the girls’ birthdates?” Gu Jinse pressed. She had seen many cases like this; most of the time, the culprit finds the birthdates through certain means first and then waits for an opportunity to strike. She added, “Since they share the same birthdate, it likely has nothing to do with a ‘Flower Thief.’ I think it should be…”

She struggled for a way to describe it, choosing her words carefully. “Could it be related to ‘Life Swapping’?”

“Life Swapping?” Ming Yi asked, puzzled.

Madam Gu explained, “Some traveling Taoists are frauds. When a patient is beyond medical help, they use dark arts to try and transfer someone else’s lifespan to the patient. These are dark underworld arts and are quite unethical.”

Ming Yi was surprised. “I have read about this in books. I will have men inquire at all the major pharmacies in the capital.”

“Chancellor, how many have gone missing?” Gu Jinse asked.

“Sixteen. More than twenty girls were born that year. Some have left the capital, but currently, there are over a dozen in the city. If you are included, that makes twenty,” Ming Yi said.

Gu Jinse’s heart skipped a beat. She said, “Children born at the hour of the Rat are born at a Yin time. Yin represents pairs; I am afraid the number nineteen would not satisfy the perpetrator.”

Ming Yi gazed intensely at Gu Jinse. “You are the twentieth.”

Madam Gu’s face turned pale. Ming Yi felt a pang of regret. “If I had known, I should have left Tutu here. Tuntun’s martial arts are insufficient. I will deploy soldiers to guard the Gu residence.”

“Chancellor, since you are already betrothed, just…” Madam Gu was so anxious she did not know what to do.

Gu Jinse remained calm. “Mother, what are you afraid of? I am Gu Jinhuan now, not someone born at a Yin hour.”

Madam Gu said crossly, “When it comes to mysterious matters, how can reason explain everything?”

Ming Yi echoed her, “Madam is quite right. Allow me to go back and make arrangements. Official Gu, rest peacefully at home. For the next few days, do not go out regardless of who invites you. By the way, you were born in the capital, correct?”

“Yes, she only left the capital when she was seven,” Madam Gu said, horrified. Her skin crawled; mysterious matters truly make one uneasy.

Gu Jinse comforted her. “I promise you, I will not go out, all right?”

Madam Gu poked her forehead. “You expect me to believe you just because you say you won’t go out? When you were little, you snuck out and almost got lost, and you had promised me then, too.”

“That was because Gu Jinhuan tricked me,” Gu Jinse said gloomily. Back then, she had just arrived in this world and was naive, so she had fallen for his trap. Since then, she never believed a word Gu Jinhuan said.

That small lesson had allowed her to see a person’s true colors, making her life at home much better.

Ming Yi smiled as she watched the mother and daughter banter, a scene of maternal love and filial piety in a happy family.

After the mother and daughter bickered for a few more sentences, Madam Gu began to give up on her current plan and said, “It might be better to let A-Se stay at the Chancellor’s manor temporarily to hide. This residence is still being renovated with people coming and going; it is not as safe as your manor.”

Ming Yi frowned, and Gu Jinse said, “The Chancellor’s manor has many people. I am supposed to be serving my mother. If people see me going to the Chancellor’s manor, I will be impeached, and even the Chancellor will not be able to save me.”

Madam Gu fell silent, blaming herself. She shouldn’t have thought of such a flimsy excuse; she should have said Official Gu himself was sick, so he could stay at the Chancellor’s manor openly.

She was filled with regret!

After Ming Yi finished her inquiry, she also left the Gu residence to arrange matters at the yamen.

Her subordinates were also dumbfounded when they heard about the “Life Swapping.” “But they are all such beautiful young women.”

“Have you ever seen a Flower Thief who picks his victims based on their birthdates?” Ming Yi countered.

The subordinate was stunned. “Who would be cruel enough to pick young women for Life Swapping? It is too wicked.”

“Inquire at the Ministry of Justice to see if there have been similar cases. Investigate now as you have investigated in the past. Look into the channels through which the perpetrator found these girls’ birthdates and how they intercepted them; these are all paths we can trace.” Ming Yi’s tone was heavy. “Find some occult practitioners and ask if they know how Life Swapping is performed so we can take precautions early.”

The subordinate complied with each order and added, “I have done some checking. Many children were born that year. Some married into families elsewhere, and others left the capital. However, Official Gu’s ‘elder sister’ was also born at that hour. You should look after Official Gu more; I fear the culprit may target him.”

“There is an hour’s difference,” Ming Yi said calmly. Thinking of Gu Jinse’s smiling face, her heart tightened. She ordered, “Tighten security around the Gu residence as well. Aside from daily grocery shopping, no strangers are permitted to enter.”

“I will see to it immediately,” the subordinate replied and hurried off.

Ming Yi sat where she was, looking at the documents on her desk. She took a deep breath; the case seemed to have become even more troublesome.

With the Emperor away, the capital was in unrest. If anything went wrong, it would be her fault.

After reconsidering, Ming Yi summoned her subordinates and ordered them to strengthen the guard.

The summer was stiflingly hot. Gu Jinse did not leave the house; she spent her time tinkering with food at home, recording all the modern snacks from her memory into a notebook and working alone in the kitchen.

Madam Gu went out to play and brought back food when she returned. Now that she was the mother-in-law of Chancellor Ming, ordinary people showed her a great deal of respect.

After Gu Jinse had been resting at home for eight or nine days, the girls who had been kept in the yamen were taken away, their whereabouts unknown.

When Madam Gu came back and spoke of it, she was agitated the entire day. The people in the yamen did not even know how the girls had disappeared; they were clueless. They kept saying the girls were still there when they woke up and still there at breakfast, but they were gone by noon.

Madam Gu was in a state of panic. Gu Jinse comforted her repeatedly. Madam Gu grabbed her hand and said, “You are not allowed to go out.”

“Fine, I won’t go out. I will be obedient,” Gu Jinse promised. She instructed Chi Mei to check her mother’s pulse while she took the opportunity to go find Ming Yi.

Ming Yi was at the yamen, right in the room where the girls had vanished. Looking at the ordinary furnishings, she felt powerless to scold her subordinates for their incompetence.

Gu Jinse searched several places before finding her. It was rare to see her looking so despondent, so she simply took out the jelly she had brought and handed it to her. “To satisfy your little hobby.”

There were only the two of them in the room, so Ming Yi dropped her formal act. She looked at the translucent jelly on the small plate Gu Jinse handed her. Its shape resembled… Suddenly, her cheeks turned red. She said in annoyance, “Gu Jinse!”

Oh-ho, she was angry.

Gu Jinse laughed loudly, not caring for her image at all. “You said it yourself, so I made it for you to eat.”

Ming Yi’s face was bright red.