The Prime Minister Claims She's Pregnant - Chapter 30

Before transmigrating, Gu Jinse was originally a university student who, after years of hard study, was finally about to enjoy college life when she accidentally ended up forced into ancient times.

She never expected she would have to experience the life of an ancient office worker. Although she was technically a civil servant, it was nowhere near as comfortable as being a “salted fish” lying around.

In truth, she lacked the Chancellor’s ambition and Madam Gu’s sharp mind; she only possessed a heart that yearned to be a salted fish.

Consequently, she painstakingly built a folding bed at home and brought it into her room at the office so she could lie down for a while whenever she felt tired.

As long as no one was around, she could lie there from morning until night until it was time to clock out. With the Emperor away, all the departments had become lax, and following the disappearances of the young girls born at the Yin hour, the common folk were not very fond of going outdoors.

The morning was somewhat hot. Gu Jinse worked hard for two hours, and once it reached noon, she went to find the Chancellor right on schedule.

Ming Yi was just about to eat. Seeing the person peeking in, she understood immediately and beckoned her in. “I was just wondering why the Gu family sent their meal to my quarters.”

Gu Jinse smiled faintly. “I had no other choice.”

The two sat down. As they picked up their chopsticks, Ming Yi inquired about the situation at home.

“It’s quite good. I had everyone lower their guard so they don’t have to keep watch day and night; everything in the house has been arranged.” Gu Jinse picked up a piece of fish and continued, “I feel that the perpetrator is coming for you.”

“Is that so? Then it isn’t exactly a rare or major occurrence.” Ming Yi picked up a piece of stir-fried melon. “What kind of melon is this? I haven’t seen it before, and the way it’s prepared is novel.”

“It’s stir-fried to be very refreshing. I taught the cook how to make it.” Gu Jinse also took a piece. “If you like it, I’ll have someone send some to you. I grew them myself.”

Ming Yi nodded.

After lunch, Gu Jinse went back to sleep. Lying on her folding bed, she felt comfortable in body and mind.

Two or three days passed as usual, and the rest day arrived, meaning she could sleep in. Gu Jinse wanted to stay in bed, but Madam Gu pulled her up to go inspect their shops.

Gu Jinse was unwilling, so Madam Gu began to lecture her. “If you are this lazy, how can you manage the shops well?”

“Mother, say no more. I’m going right now.” Gu Jinse diligently interrupted her mother, got out of bed quickly, and dragged her mother out the door without even eating breakfast.

Madam Gu was quite satisfied with her reflective attitude and did not forget to call A-Gui along so the family could be harmonious.

The three boarded the carriage. Gu Jinse yawned, leaning lazily to one side while Madam Gu and A-Gui chatted about domestic matters.

They rambled for half the journey until they reached a silver bank. Two people stood before the entrance wearing light blue robes and carrying boxes, facing inward. Another person wore a black long robe with narrow sleeves, facing toward the carriage. Gu Jinse lifted the curtain and locked eyes with the man in the black robe. Madam Gu immediately pulled the curtain back down.

“He doesn’t look like a good person. Let’s find another bank.”

Gu Jinse laughed. “Mother, how many silver banks do you have?”

“Just one, but we aren’t looking at the silver bank today.” Madam Gu felt it was bad luck.

The man in the light blue robe hadn’t seen the carriage; he only glanced in the direction the man in the black robe was looking. “That is the Gu family’s carriage.”

The carriages of every noble house had insignias and were very easy to recognize.

The man in the black robe felt it was strange. “That man’s appearance…”

“Gu the Tanhua is famous throughout the capital, but in the end, Chancellor Ming plucked him first. It isn’t a secret.”

“Is that so?” the man in the black robe muttered. “I don’t think he looks like a man. He is feminine to the point of being excessively womanly.”

The man in the light blue robe laughed loudly. “The capital favors an elegant and refined style. People love those whose faces are like polished jade. The Third Princess once went crazy for this Tanhua Lang. You think he’s good-looking too, don’t you?”

“Good-looking,” the man in the black robe said, a smirk playing on his lips.

Leaving the bank, Gu Jinse and her mother went to the family’s embroidery shop. A-Gui followed silently, attending to them. Gu Jinse, however, was curious about the layout of the shop, looking left and right and asking about the prices of various silks. She discovered that they were all wholesale imports from her eldest uncle’s family in Jinling, so the prices were cheap.

No wonder her mother was so confident; her maternal family was very supportive, so she didn’t have to worry about her in-laws’ opinions. Thinking of herself, she truly was far inferior to her mother.

Gu Jinse felt dejected for a moment. Returning to the counter, she looked up and saw the man in the black robe from the silver bank. Her heart skipped a beat; he was looking at her.

That gaze was like a venomous snake hidden in the shadows, making her heart turn cold with fear.

Gu Jinse turned to avoid him, but the man spoke first. “Gu the Tanhua.”

Gu Jinse felt increasingly uneasy. She didn’t like talking to strange men. She wasn’t sure what the protocol was in ancient times, but in the modern world, it felt weird for a man to start a conversation with another man for no reason.

“Hello,” Gu Jinse replied dryly.

The man was handsome but had a pale complexion, even paler than Gu Jinse’s. His eyes held a trace of ferocity. He said flatly, “Hello. I am Huo Ji, the head of the Huo family.”

“The Huo family of Jinling silk merchants?” Madam Gu asked, walking over upon hearing them.

Gu Jinse took a step back, cleverly hiding behind her mother. It wasn’t that she was incompetent and relying on her mother, but rather that the way he stared at her felt disgusting.

Huo Ji continued to look at Gu Jinse and smiled. “Official Gu, I visited Yuhang last year and even spoke with you. Now that you’ve become an official, you don’t recognize an old friend?”

Old friend? Gu Jinse’s heart skipped a beat. She hated going out precisely because she feared meeting Gu Jinhuan’s friends. Gu Jinhuan’s companions had all failed the exams and returned to Yuhang, so there shouldn’t have been any overlap.

As Gu Jinse struggled, Madam Gu spoke first. “Is that so? How is it I didn’t know you visited Yuhang? To tell you the truth, Jinhuan was not in Yuhang last year. Have you misremembered?”

“Is that so? Perhaps I remembered incorrectly. Then it must have been the year before last,” Huo Ji said dismissively.

Madam Gu was displeased. “That is also impossible. The Gu family does not use your family’s silk. There is no intersection between the Huo and Gu families. Master Huo, you haven’t misremembered; you are intentionally trying to strike up a conversation, aren’t you? I’ve seen many people like you who bully young men who don’t go out much, trying to talk to them just to cling to their status.”

Gu Jinse: “…” Mother, you are so direct. Does he not deserve some dignity?

Huo Ji looked embarrassed. Madam Gu led her two children away. Before leaving, she instructed the display clerk: “Remember his face. He is not allowed to enter this shop in the future.”

Gu Jinse was bewildered.

Once they were in the carriage, she immediately asked for an explanation. Madam Gu’s expression was flat as she said, “Since ancient times, those in the same trade are rivals. He has always been at odds with your uncle’s family. There is no need to be polite when he tries to talk to you. Gu Jinhuan wouldn’t dare associate with him; he was likely trying to trick you.”

“Trick me for what? Mother, did you feel a wave of Yin energy on him? Like someone who has stayed with the dead for a long time. Did you feel it?” Gu Jinse weighed her words. “That feeling… like a sudden chilly wind. it makes one’s heart feel frantic.”

Madam Gu recalled the encounter. “I’ve seen him before, and this time seemed different.” She paused. “He’s clearly a man, yet his face is so pale; it isn’t normal.”

A-Gui spoke up. “Official Gu is incorrect. He hasn’t stayed with the dead; he has suffered excessive blood loss.”

“Oh, he has an injury,” Madam Gu picked up the thread. “He must have encountered assassins on the way to the capital.”

Gu Jinse tilted her head, feeling strange. A layer of cloud and mist had settled in her mind—she couldn’t grasp it, couldn’t see it, yet it wouldn’t dissipate.

After wandering for most of the day, the three returned home. Once back, Gu Jinse grabbed Chi Mei and asked, “What does someone with excessive blood loss look like? Would they emit Yin energy?”

“Yin energy? Not really. They would be weak and pale.” Chi Mei countered Gu Jinse’s words. “Emitting Yin energy…” she pondered for a moment. “I have seen people emitting Yin energy in the palace. People who have stayed in cold places for too long, those who stay with corpses year-round and never see sunlight, or those who have lost so much blood they are about to die.”

After rambling for a while, Gu Jinse finally asked, “Someone about to die? But he was active and healthy. He’s a merchant who travels year-round; what you mentioned seems unlikely.”

“That… I wouldn’t know then.” Chi Mei shook her head; the question was beyond her ability.

Gu Jinse didn’t push further; Chi Mei was a doctor and would need to feel a pulse to be certain. She went back to ask Madam Gu about the Huo family’s background.

The Huo family was like Madam Gu’s maiden family, the Yu family—both started in business and had been merchants for generations. The Yu family had produced two first-rank officials. The Huo family had stopped at being merchants, but in recent years, they had become Imperial Merchants, standing on equal footing with the Yu family.

By the time of Huo Ji’s father’s generation, the offspring had dwindled; only one of over a dozen sons survived. Huo Ji was also capable, becoming an Imperial Merchant and possessing methods that subtly overshadowed the Yu family.

Madam Gu commented: “Huo Ji is someone who uses any means necessary and acts ruthlessly. You should stay far away from him. You have a soft personality; you are no match for him. As for Gu Jinhuan, those two might have met. Ah, they are all as black as crows.”

The evaluation was fair, and taking the opportunity to bash Gu Jinhuan was typical of her mother’s style.

“What is the deal with Imperial Merchants?” Gu Jinse continued to ask. She didn’t know much about the status.

“Their silk is good. Everything used in the palace is theirs, even the rewards bestowed by the Emperor. Your uncle’s business isn’t as good as theirs. Huo Ji has some connections in the palace, but you don’t have to be afraid now. With you and Chancellor Ming around, at worst we can replace the Huo family with your uncle’s.” Madam Gu said casually.

Gu Jinse reflected on her mother’s words. Huo Ji was talented and wore a narrow-sleeved robe, indicating he had some skill. After thinking for a while, she decided to have someone follow him and see.

She asked Tuntun, whose gossip brain activated. “Huo Ji? The Zhao family once wanted to marry a concubine’s daughter to him, but he refused. He once hinted that he wanted to marry Chancellor Ming.”

Gu Jinse’s eyes widened. “Tutu didn’t mention this!”

Tuntun rolled her eyes. “It’s a secret; few people know. After he was rejected by the Chancellor, the Emperor bestowed a marriage, and Huo Ji married the concubine’s daughter of a noble family. His family is rich and willing to donate silver. However, his wife didn’t get pregnant. He took countless concubines and they gave birth to several daughters, but none of them lived past a year.”

Gu Jinse: “…” Is this what they call a low sperm count in the modern world?

“The dwindling of the Huo family’s offspring isn’t a huge secret. Why are you asking about him? Have you heard some rumors? Don’t worry, the Chancellor has no feelings for him, otherwise you wouldn’t have a chance. Many people try to sow discord; don’t pay them any mind.” Tuntun explained, “You don’t know how poisonous men’s mouths can be, just like women. They are jealous of the Chancellor so they talk nonsense, even saying things are unclear between the Chancellor and the Emperor. Don’t believe any of it.”

“I’m not jealous. I saw Huo Ji today and he was emitting Yin energy; it was a bit strange.” Gu Jinse muttered. Her thoughts were entirely different from Tuntun’s; Huo Ji perfectly fit her suspicions.

She told Tuntun: “I think Huo Ji is very strange and likely has something to do with the disappearance case. This is just my suspicion; I have no evidence.”

“Huo Ji is an honest man; it doesn’t seem likely,” Tuntun rejected the idea.

“I’ll have someone watch him. You go about your business.” Gu Jinse returned to her room and looked over the case files she had brought back once more.

She thought about it and decided to find Ming Yi to mobilize troops to search the Huo manor.

Before seeing Ming Yi, she racked her brain to find the right words; she couldn’t very well say she suspected him based on the “Yin energy” he emitted.

She expected it to take some talking, but the moment she mentioned searching the Huo manor, Ming Yi agreed. Gu Jinse was surprised. “You aren’t going to ask for my reason?”

“I won’t ask. I will go with you.” Ming Yi stood up, mobilized three thousand soldiers, and ordered her subordinates not to leak the news.

Seeing her so decisive, Gu Jinse felt a bit nervous. “What if we don’t find anything?”

“Then we don’t. As the saying goes, it’s better to kill by mistake than to let a culprit go. This isn’t a killing; it’s just a search.” Ming Yi was quite calm.

Gu Jinse breathed a sigh of relief. Ming Yi smiled and comforted her: “It isn’t a big deal; don’t be nervous. We’ll search the manor, and if there is nothing, we’ll just apologize. The dwindling of the Huo family’s offspring actually fits the ‘life-swapping’ theory we discussed earlier.”

“You agree with that?” Gu Jinse was stunned.

Ming Yi’s expression was indifferent. “We’ll only know once we’ve checked.”

The troop mobilization was fast. They gathered outside the office. Ming Yi changed into a robe suitable for riding, so Gu Jinse had to clumsily mount a horse.

Riding wasn’t very comfortable. An electric scooter has no thoughts—it does whatever you tell it to do. A horse is different; it has a mind of its own.

As Gu Jinse felt apprehensive, Ming Yi tightened her reins and looked back at her. Her royal blue dress shimmered in the sunlight.

With just that one glance, she whipped her horse and took the lead. Gu Jinse squeezed her horse’s flanks and followed immediately.

Wherever the three thousand black-armored soldiers went, the common folk fled upon hearing the news. In their frantic state, some even lost their shoes. Mothers grabbed their playing children and ran home as fast as they could. Peddlers ran down the streets, not daring to go back for dropped goods. Shops scrambled to close their doors, fearing they would suffer if they were too slow.

A phrase came to Gu Jinse’s mind: Terrified at the mere sight.

Arriving at the Huo manor, Ming Yi dismounted. Her attendants knocked on the door. Huo Ji emerged and, upon seeing Ming Yi, smiled and bowed. “So it is Chancellor Ming. It has been years. I haven’t congratulated you on your appointment as Chancellor yet.”

Ming Yi nodded. “I accept your congratulations, Master Huo. You are also aware of the case of the missing seventeen-year-old girls in the capital.”

Upon hearing this, Huo Ji looked somewhat mournful. “I only just saw Gu the Tanhua today, and already you have come to search my manor.”

His meaning was: Your husband is framing me because of old matters.

Ming Yi understood but feigned ignorance. “Master Huo, if you do not wish to be searched, that is also an option.”

“Chancellor, are you going to use force?” Huo Ji smiled elegantly, crossed the threshold, and looked at the youth on the horse. He beckoned to her and said, “Official Gu, dismount and let’s chat.”

Gu Jinse dismounted and walked to Ming Yi’s side. She first asked Huo Ji: “Master Huo, are you injured?”

“Yes, I encountered assassins on the way to the capital. This is a family matter; how did Official Gu find out?” Huo Ji was somewhat surprised.

“Your face is pale. You are either sick or injured.” Gu Jinse did not avoid his searching gaze. “But your body is healthy. To go out in the scorching sun, you don’t seem like someone who is sick, but rather someone who is injured.”

“Is that so? Official Gu’s reason is a bit far-fetched.” Huo Ji looked at the small person and mocked her heartlessly: “Official Gu, does your family not give you enough food?”

Gu Jinse: “…” A height attack? I can see you aren’t a good person.

“Master Huo, let’s not waste time.” Ming Yi interrupted their dialogue at the right moment.

Huo Ji took two steps back and said frankly, “The guest should follow the host’s lead. Please, after you.”

Ming Yi nodded. Gu Jinse walked quietly behind her, watching the soldiers flood into the Huo manor like a stream. Following the sound of footsteps, she spoke up: “Chancellor, I feel something isn’t right.”

“He is very calm. He believes we won’t find anything,” Ming Yi said.

Gu Jinse nodded. “Do you think he is normal?”

“He isn’t. The Yin energy on him is very eerie.” Ming Yi lowered her voice. When her mother died, she had guarded the body for three days. When she saw the Emperor again, he said she had been tainted with too much “death energy,” which was bad for her health.

The energy on Huo Ji was similar to how hers had been back then.

It meant he had spent a long time with corpses.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but grasp Gu Jinse’s hand. That gloom seemed to have returned.

Feeling her grip, Gu Jinse’s heart skipped a beat, and she gripped her hand back. “Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid.” Ming Yi took a breath.

The two walked with their fingers interlocked. Seeing this, Huo Ji smiled faintly and said, “Official Gu’s face is like a peach blossom. I heard you once spent a fortune on a singer. If I didn’t know these old stories, I would think you and the Chancellor were a loving couple.”

Gu Jinse: “…” Why is he attacking me again?

Gu Jinse ignored him and lowered her head. Ming Yi led her by the hand into the manor and said, “Let’s go see as well. That day you saw at a glance that the person was hiding in the wardrobe; it’s clear you have some talent. Look around today as well.”

The two entered the manor, ignoring Huo Ji completely, even acting as if he didn’t exist.

The Huo manor was large. Ordinary merchant manors had regulations on size, but with the title of Imperial Merchant, there were many conveniences. The buildings were scattered about, with rockeries, flowing water, pavilions, and towers. The scenery was no worse than that of the Chancellor’s manor.

The two reached the lakeside where rockeries were rugged and jagged. Gu Jinse whispered, “The Huo manor is huge.”

The lake before them was at least ten acres in size. Fresh water dripped down from the rockery. The two stood before the rockery, using it as a shield to block the sun.

Huo Ji followed behind, standing before them and gazing at the lake. He told them, “This is an artificial lake. My father had it dug out.”

Gu Jinse quietly stepped to one side. She wasn’t superstitious, but the feeling Huo Ji gave off was terrifying; she would have nightmares at night.

Ming Yi decisively pulled her behind her back and looked up at Huo Ji. “Master Huo, I heard your daughter is sick.”

The smile on Huo Ji’s face vanished instantly. Gu Jinse tilted her head and looked at him. Tuntun said all his daughters were dead.

“The Chancellor has remembered incorrectly. My daughters are dead.” Huo Ji narrowed his eyes, looking at Gu Jinse behind Ming Yi. “Official Gu, why are you always hiding behind a woman? You are being so timid; where is your masculinity?”

Gu Jinse felt like she had been shot in the chest again, and she clutched it. Ming Yi gave a cold smile and said, “Master Huo, why are you always staring at the two of us? We are just being affectionate. Master Huo has countless concubines; you likely cannot comprehend the sweetness of a couple in love.”

Gu Jinse echoed: “Yes, my heart is very small; it only has room for my little Chancellor. Master Huo has a stalwart body and a broad mind; I’m sure you can accommodate countless women.”

Huo Ji frowned. “Official Gu has forgotten Miss Liu Yehong of the Yuhang brothel. If she knew you had taken a new lover, she would surely be heartbroken.”