The Prime Minister Claims She's Pregnant - Chapter 31

Gu Jinse was about to blow her top. Not only had he attacked her height, but he was also trying to drive a wedge between her and Ming Yi. It was exactly as her mother had said: this man would stoop to any level to achieve his goals.

Seeing the young girl fuming with rage, Ming Yi spoke up first. “I do not care about the past; I only look toward the future. Master Huo, are you feeling unwell? Your face is pale, and that masculine vigor you once had seems to have vanished. Could it be that you are pushing yourself too hard day and night just to conceive a son?”

“We have known each other for many years, Chancellor Ming, yet this is the first time I have seen you protect someone so fiercely.” Huo Ji did not get angry. He kept his gaze fixed on the youth behind her, whose eyes were clear and transparent. “Back then, you rejected me so decisively. Am I inferior to him? Aside from age, I believe I am much stronger than he is.”

Ming Yi let out a mocking laugh. “Master Huo, you and I have met only twice. Where does this ‘known each other for years’ come from? I rejected you just as I rejected everyone else. Why do you always insist on thinking you are special?”

Huo Ji looked troubled. “I thought you rejected me because of my family background.”

“Master Huo, even if you were a member of the imperial family, I would still have rejected you,” Ming Yi added, twisting the knife.

Gu Jinse wanted to laugh. Huo Ji was the definition of a “confident-beyond-reason” man. Someone rejecting you simply meant they didn’t like you; it had nothing to do with your family background, yet he insisted on acting as if he were being looked down upon for his status.

“Chancellor Ming, you have certainly grown more fond of joking over the years.” Huo Ji tried to find a way to save face.

The two ignored him. Gu Jinse, in particular, was stifling her laughter. Unable to hold it in, she turned to look at the rockery. Water dripped down with a rhythmic patter.

The water was flowing, which was curious. She took a closer look; the rockery seemed very new, without even a trace of moss. Logically, any place with water and stone should have moss.

Suddenly, Huo Ji asked, “Scholar Gu, I heard that Liu Yehong was left behind at the Gu family home in Yuhang?”

Gu Jinse’s temper finally exploded. She snapped, “What do my family affairs have to do with you? You keep picking at my weaknesses, so let me ask you: you toil day and night but still have no heir; is it because there’s something wrong with you? Those children who died young, were they born weak? Let me tell you, the problem lies with your own body. Your sperm is defective. I didn’t say it before to give you face, but your constant prying into my faults shows you have no manners whatsoever.”

Huo Ji’s expression darkened. Ming Yi instinctively stepped in front of Gu Jinse and looked up at Huo Ji. “Master Huo, he is still young.”

Huo Ji was thirty, while Gu Jinse was only seventeen. He was indeed young. By comparison, Huo Ji was an old man, while Gu Jinse was in the prime of youth.

Huo Ji’s face turned ashen. He glared coldly at Gu Jinse and sneered, “I did not expect Scholar Gu to have such a sharp tongue.”

“You flatter me. It was forced out by you,” Gu Jinse shot back immediately.

Huo Ji snorted coldly and fell silent. A moment later, a subordinate arrived to report that everything in the Huo Manor appeared normal.

Gu Jinse was deeply disappointed. Just as Ming Yi was about to comfort her, Huo Ji spoke again. “Scholar Gu, I know you are jealous of me, but these petty tricks are beneath us.”

“Master Huo, where do you get the nerve?” Ming Yi retorted without hesitation. “In terms of family background or talent, you couldn’t catch up to Official Gu even on horseback. He was famous in the capital at seventeen, and his career has been smooth. You are thirty now; do you even hold an official title?”

Fuming, Huo Ji turned and walked away. Gu Jinse huffed, “Typical ‘Puxinnan,’ an average but overconfident man.”

Having found nothing, the two had no choice but to leave. On the way back, Gu Jinse asked Ming Yi about her history with Huo Ji.

“It’s not much of a history. To be honest, I had no parents and a lowly status. I met Huo Ji once after leaving the palace. Later, he sent someone to propose marriage, and I refused. It was that simple. Perhaps he thought that because I was an orphan of unknown origin, and the Huo family was powerful, his interest in me was a blessing I should have cherished,” Ming Yi explained.

“Where does he get such confidence?” Gu Jinse was shocked. “Had you entered the imperial court as an official by then?”

“Yes, just a minor official,” Ming Yi nodded.

Gu Jinse clicked her tongue. “My mother said Huo Ji is a sinister man. Did he harass you afterwards?”

The girl asked very seriously, her clear eyes sparkling in the sunlight. As she craned her neck to look, she was inexplicably adorable. Ming Yi smiled. “A few times.”

That understated sentence made Gu Jinse feel that Huo Ji was truly detestable. Remembering the rockery from earlier, she spoke up.

Ming Yi pulled on the reins and looked at her. “The Huo Manor was built many years ago. Unless the ground beneath it is kept dry.”

Gu Jinse was startled. “If it’s dry, that means the space below is hollow, inhabited year-round, and heated by candlelight.”

There were people underground.

“Why didn’t you say so just now?” Ming Yi sighed.

Gu Jinse felt ashamed. “He kept attacking me, and I got distracted by him. Thinking back now, there were definitely problems.”

“We’ve already alerted the enemy. Going back now would be useless.” Ming Yi’s expression was solemn as she looked at the girl. “You are still a bit naive. Huo Ji is an old fox.”

“Chancellor Ming, I like that term, ‘old fox.’ He’s old, but I’m still young. That’s why you should look at me more.” Gu Jinse suddenly felt a surge of pride. Being young was great; she could mock all of Ming Yi’s former suitors.

As the saying goes: The waves of the Yangtze River behind drive on those ahead; the old waves die on the beach.

Ming Yi gave her a helpless look.

Having missed the best opportunity, Gu Jinse reflected seriously. She wanted to find a chance to go back to the Huo Manor, but after years of watching TV dramas, she knew that impulsive risks usually led to big trouble. So, she consulted Ming Yi.

Ming Yi said she would handle it.

Gu Jinse had a sudden thought. “Huo Ji likes you and knows you well. Does that mean he knows your every move? As they say, ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.'”

She clicked her tongue, thinking of modern-day “sasaeng” fans who knew every detail of an idol’s itinerary. The thought was terrifying.

“If that’s the case, I won’t handle it directly. If you want to scout the Huo Manor again, remember to tell me. Do not go alone. Remember, do not put yourself in danger. People your age are at a time when you are prone to being impulsive and headstrong.” Ming Yi sighed, her gaze toward Gu Jinse softening with a hint of pity.

Gu Jinse felt a chill from her gaze. “What do you mean ‘people like us’? Who else?”

“Tutu is impulsive, and so are the Emperor’s sons. People your age are all very impulsive,” Ming Yi said with a faint smile.

Gu Jinse nearly choked on her own saliva. “The way you say that makes you sound like an old auntie looking at a junior. It’s creepy.”

“Is it? I thought it was just ordinary advice,” Ming Yi smiled.

Gu Jinse didn’t buy her nonsense and instead asked about Wang Liang. “Do you think the two of them know each other?”

Initially, they had no target, like headless flies. Now it was different; they could test them. She asked with a straight face, “Is Wang Liang a man or a woman?”

“A woman, twenty years old, currently in the Secretariat. I have people following her. You can rest easy; I won’t be blinded.” Ming Yi was suddenly pleased. Gu Jinse actually had a talent for investigating cases; she wasn’t just a typical sheltered lady.

Since the marriage was set, Ming Yi had thought that even if Jinse were a bit foolish, it wouldn’t matter; she could be patient. No one is perfect, and Gu Jinse was already very good.

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Gu Jinse had a beautiful face but was supposedly lacking inside. Now, it seemed she was quite capable.

Gu Jinse nagged incessantly, turning things around to warn Ming Yi not to be heartbroken.

Ming Yi calmly brushed the dust off her clothes and replied, “Don’t worry. Even if you brought back other girls and asked me to let you take concubines, I wouldn’t be heartbroken.”

Gu Jinse was about to explode again. “What does that have to do with me!”

Ming Yi pursed her lips and smiled, her eyes shimmering like ripples. Gu Jinse, refusing to back down, leaned in, gave her a hard kiss, and then bolted.

She ran so fast she nearly tripped over the threshold, looking quite comical. Ming Yi was so amused she leaned against the desk laughing, the lingering warmth in her eyes spreading like ripples.

After missing the golden opportunity, Gu Jinse was filled with regret. Just as she was thinking of how to go back, the opponent came straight to her, startling her out of bed.

Madam Gu scolded her a few times, saying, “I’ll go. You stay. A girl should stay clean and not get mixed up in ugly business.”

“Mother, I suspect him. It’s just a suspicion; I have no proof. Be careful; that man is eerie. Don’t talk to him more than necessary.” Gu Jinse’s heart was pounding. Based on TV drama experience, anyone who did these kinds of things was a psychopath.

Ordinary people radiated a certain kindness; even if they disliked you, their features remained dignified. Huo Ji was different. A sense of malice clung to his brow, making one uncomfortable at a glance, not to mention the “yin” energy surrounding him.

Madam Gu waved her hand. “I know. I’ll just say you aren’t here.”

Gu Jinse stayed in her room alone. Huo Ji was like a ghost; once he latched on, he was hard to shake. Her luck had been poor lately; she decided she’d raise some koi fish to change her fortune.

Half an hour later, Huo Ji left.

Madam Gu was so angry she smashed a teacup. Gu Jinse poked her head out. “Mother, why are you so angry?”

“He dares to bully our family because we have no one powerful in court! He wants to marry you as an equal wife! He, he…” Madam Gu couldn’t catch her breath, her face turning deathly pale. Gu Jinse rushed into the room, quickly rubbing her mother’s back to help her breathe. She comforted her: “Don’t be afraid. Let Chancellor Ming handle him. We don’t need to worry about this and get covered in filth. The Chancellor is a powerful official; dealing with a mere merchant is easy. Don’t be angry, don’t be angry anymore.”

After half an hour of water and comforting words, Madam Gu finally caught her breath. She grabbed her daughter’s hand. “If you were your brother, and your sister was being bullied like this, what would you say?”

Gu Jinse was stunned. In the modern world, she would have gathered friends to beat the guy up at his own house, but she couldn’t do that here.

With this commotion, the whole world would know Huo Ji wanted to marry her as an equal wife. Modern people would find Huo Ji disgusting, but ancient commoners might not think that way; they would assume there was some illicit affair between the man and woman, and she would be drowned in gossip.

She wasn’t that angry when it concerned herself, but if it were her sister, she would never tolerate such an insult.

“Mother, what do you want to do?”

Madam Gu closed her eyes, her breathing still uneven. “A-Se, this cannot be left as it is. Your uncle won’t care.”

She was visibly livid. Gu Jinse hurriedly said, “I will submit a memorial to impeach the Huo family and bring this to the Emperor’s attention. Don’t be angry; it’s not worth getting upset over trash. Think about it: the Chancellor would never let herself be wronged. If you don’t trust me, you should trust the Chancellor.”

Madam Gu spat in anger. “What’s so great about an Imperial Merchant? Write a letter to your uncle. Tell him to suppress the Huo family. Even if it costs our entire fortune, we must vent this grievance. One lives for their pride. A-Se, write the letter.”

“Alright,” Gu Jinse agreed readily, gesturing for Chun Yue to fetch Chi Mei.

Madam Gu lay on the bed for a long time without speaking, the anger blocked in her chest. Gu Jinse kept comforting her, giving her water and washing her face. When Chi Mei arrived, she didn’t even check the pulse before feeding Madam Gu a pill. She gave Gu Jinse a secret wink before starting the examination.

Before the pulse check was even finished, Madam Gu slowly closed her eyes.

Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Gu Jinse slumped into a chair. Chi Mei said, “The Madam had an attack of fire in her heart. I gave her a sedative. She’ll be fine after some soothing soup once she wakes up. But don’t let this happen again.”

Gu Jinse promised she wouldn’t.

After Chi Mei left, Gu Jinse stayed to watch over her mother. While she was asleep, she sent for Tun Tun.

The walking gossip machine. She knew everything about the Huo family.

Tun Tun said, “It seems that as the Huo family’s business gets better, their offspring dwindle. When the old master was around, the business was average, but there were many children, rivaling the Yu family of Jinling. Later, for some reason, as the business thrived, sons started dying one after another. By the time Huo Ji became an Imperial Merchant and surpassed the Yu family, he had no sons at all, and his daughters never lived past three. Some say Huo Ji sacrificed his heirs for his business.”

“Others say the Huo father and son were so cruel they cursed their own descendants. I didn’t believe it at first, but Huo Ji has been married for ten years and doesn’t have a single son.”

As Tun Tun went on, Gu Jinse was left speechless. As a modern person, she wasn’t superstitious. Something in the Huo household must be physically harmful, preventing children from surviving.

But that had nothing to do with her. Huo Ji’s weakness was children. Her mind took a strange turn: “Could it be he wants to marry a woman born on the eighth day of the sixth lunar month just to have a child?”

Tun Tun rolled her eyes. “With him looking like a ghost, can he even father a child?”

Gu Jinse stared blankly. “Huo Ji is so sinister; he seems like the type to do something wicked. Go check if the Huo Manor has a basement, especially under that rockery.”

“The Huo Manor is decades old and heavily guarded. I can’t get in,” Tun Tun refused immediately. “Huo Ji himself knows martial arts; he’s no ordinary man.”

Gu Jinse was dejected but knew she had to find a way. She conspired with Tun Tun to have A-Gui go to the Huo family in her place. On the surface, it would be to demand an explanation, but they would act according to the situation. This was the best way; they had lost the initiative by being too direct before, so they had to make up for it.

After their discussion, Tun Tun went to find A-Gui while Gu Jinse continued to look after her mother.

Madam Gu slept for a long time, not waking until noon the next day. A-Gui had already set off for the Huo Manor. Gu Jinse was anxious at home, and her mind wandered even while serving her mother.

After yesterday’s rage, Madam Gu had recovered. Without needing comfort, she muttered to herself, “It’s not worth getting angry over such a piece of trash. It’s a waste of money. I’ve decided to ignore him. I’ll put a sign at the door: Huo family members and dogs not allowed.”

Her mother’s self-healing was so fast Gu Jinse hadn’t even processed it. No wonder her father said his wife’s anger faded quickly, though she would give the cold shoulder for a very long time. Once, she had even put a sign on the bedroom door: Gu Zhi and dogs not allowed.

Gu Jinse reflected for a moment. It seemed that in her mother’s heart, her father and Huo Ji weren’t all that different.

She nodded. Madam Gu ate two bowls of ginseng porridge and then clamored for a bath, telling the maids to set out incense. Gu Jinse was now completely an outsider. She sighed and said, “Let’s go, I’m heading back.”

Since her mother was back to her usual self, there was no need to stay. She still had to work at the Ministry of Revenue.

Back at the Ministry, Ming Yi was still too busy to see her. Gu Jinse went to her own room, unfolded a folding bed, and closed her eyes. She hadn’t slept much last night and needed to catch up.

She slept until dusk, the setting sun casting fragmented light through the window. Opening her eyes groggily, she saw someone standing there and jumped up in fright. Ming Yi was slowly sipping iced plum soup. She pursed her lips and said, “A report came in half an hour ago. The carriage of the Gu family’s eldest daughter, Gu Jinse, caught fire. She was burned to death in the middle of the street.”

Gu Jinse was shocked.

Still dazed from sleep, she rubbed her forehead and instinctively grabbed Ming Yi’s sleeve. “Is A-Gui dead?”

“I don’t know. The body has been sent to the Ministry of Justice for an autopsy. What you need to do now is go to the Huo Manor to demand justice and search it again. But I’m worried Huo Ji has already moved the people,” Ming Yi said coldly. “However, I had people watching all the gates of the Huo Manor. Since we left, it has been very quiet.”

“Could there be an underground tunnel?” Gu Jinse asked with difficulty. “Chancellor Ming, let’s just arrest him.”

“I have already arrested Huo Ji. I will interrogate him tonight, but before that, we are going to the Huo Manor to investigate.” Ming Yi handed the plum soup to the anxious girl. “Take a sip to calm your nerves.”

Frenzied, Gu Jinse took a large gulp. As she set the bowl down, she noticed a trace of rouge on the rim.

She touched her own lips. She was a man and hadn’t applied rouge. Where did it come from? Her mind was a mess, so she didn’t think further and prepared to leave.

Ming Yi followed slowly behind her, a subtle, cunning smile playing on her lips in the sunset.

By the time they reached the Huo Manor, it was dark. Points of lamplight flickered against the black summer night. Gu Jinse dismounted, and Ming Yi followed. Together, they entered the manor.

Without needing a guide, they hurried to the rockery. Many people were gathered around it, illuminated by firelight. Gu Jinse approached; the men didn’t know how to find the mechanism.

Gu Jinse knelt down. As a guard held a torch, she saw clearly that there was no moss where the water dripped. As she reached out to touch it, Ming Yi pulled her back. “Let others do it.”

Huo Ji was treacherous; they couldn’t take risks.

Two strong men took the order. Following Gu Jinse’s instructions, they felt the rockery while Ming Yi walked around it. There was a path between the two rock formations, wide enough for one person. Several willows were planted nearby, their branches swaying in the evening breeze.

Ming Yi stood in the passage, her hands searching the stone wall. Gu Jinse’s voice echoed nearby: “Look there! Is there a loose spot? There, or there; is there a protrusion?”

The moon was bright, its light filtering through the willow tops. Ming Yi looked at the willows and then at the positioning of the rockery. It seemed to follow the Five Elements.

She immediately called a guard. “Go find out Huo Ji’s birth stars.”

Everyone’s birth date corresponds to different elements: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. The rockery had Wood, Water, and Earth, but the orientation was confusing.

As the guard went to find the steward, Ming Yi heard a cry of surprise. She looked over to see a flight of stairs appearing beneath the rockery. The entrance was exactly where the “no moss” spot had been. Since the stone stairs were opened frequently, moss naturally couldn’t grow.

Gu Jinse was about to go down when Ming Yi barked, “Stop right there.”

Gu Jinse’s excitement was dampened. She muttered, “I just want to look.”

“You are not allowed. Is it your turn to go?” Ming Yi scolded. The girl grumbled, “Then tell them to hurry up. A-Gui is still inside.”

“Stand back.” Ming Yi pulled the girl to the side to keep her from running down, gripping her sleeve tightly as she ordered the guards to enter with torches.

Ten men went in, ropes tied to their waists, torches in one hand and swords in the other. They were going into a place they might not return from.

Gu Jinse couldn’t bear it and reminded them repeatedly, “If anything looks wrong, run back out! You are scouts, not sacrifices. Do you understand? Your lives are most important. Come back out, and we’ll figure out a new plan.”

Ming Yi remained indifferent. Gu Jinse didn’t blame her, nor did she think she was cold-hearted. In ancient times, there was a hierarchy; those at the top didn’t grieve for low-level guards. They were like soldiers; where there was trouble, they went.

As the first team of ten entered, Gu Jinse felt restless. She looked down at her sleeve; Ming Yi’s slender fingers were gripping it very tightly. She was puzzled. “Chancellor Ming, I’m not going to run. Why are you holding so tight?”

Ming Yi kept her eyes down, her heart racing, yet she didn’t let go. She only said, “If you run, I won’t be able to catch you.”

Gu Jinse looked at her, so plain, elegant, and cold, exuding an air of total restraint. She didn’t seem like the type to say such suggestive things.

She clicked her tongue. “Chancellor Ming, don’t worry. You don’t have to chase me. I’ll stay right here and wait for you to kiss me.”

Ming Yi’s expression froze. Under the lamplight, the girl’s skin was like snow and her features like a flower, a beautiful blossom blooming on a spring branch, breathtakingly exquisite.