Chapter 226 Bad Mood

That person was Chi Hongyuan who was secretly keeping an eye on Gu Siqing.

After being named the crown prince, Chi Hongyuan still lived in his original Ninth Prince's Mansion instead of moving to the Eastern Palace, in order to dispel the emperor's suspicion and make him believe that his son was upright.

If Chi Hongyuan lived in the East Palace, he would often meet Rong Fei, and the emperor would not be able to sleep well. In order to maintain his image of never interacting with ministers in private, the Ninth Prince rarely had guests and kept the door closed all year round.

A man dressed in cloth like an ordinary citizen walked hurriedly to the gate of the Ninth Prince's Mansion. The guard at the gate was about to stop him, but the man raised his head and took out a token.

When the guard saw the visitor's face and the token in his hand, he put away his halberd and opened the door to let him in.

The visitor said "thank you" and hurried into the Ninth Prince's Mansion, walking quickly towards the backyard.

"Your Highness, the eldest prince has dismissed most of the women in the backyard. Although a few have been left, they are rarely seen."

The personal guard told Chi Hongyuan about the eldest prince's recent situation, and reporting on the daily life of the eldest prince's mansion has become one of his daily tasks.

"Pay more attention to my brother's mood. If he loses his temper or is extremely unhappy, be sure to tell me in time."

Chi Hongyuan put away the reviewed documents and placed them on the side of the desk. He was too busy these days and had no time to visit the eldest prince.

Ever since he broke his leg, Chi Hongrui has become moody. He rarely loses his temper, but he has become much more detached.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. If His Highness behaves in an unusual manner, I will report to you immediately." Just as the personal guard finished speaking, hurried footsteps were heard behind them. Upon hearing the sound, the master and servant looked towards the direction of the courtyard gate at the same time.

Chi Hongyuan, who was an eye in the market, tightened his grip on the letter and asked, "What's the matter, eldest prince?"

The middle-aged man walked back quickly. Although he didn't run or jump too hard, it was indeed a bit tiring. However, the matter was urgent, so he didn't dare to slow down. He stood still, bowed, and said, "The eldest prince is fine. It's the prime minister's mansion."

Chi Hongyuan narrowed his eyes slightly. Some of the surprises were related to the Prime Minister's Mansion. The court had been stable recently, so there wouldn't be any turmoil in the Prime Minister's Mansion.

"What's wrong?" Chi Hongyuan untied the straw rope that bound the scroll and asked in a calm tone.

"Bai Ziyu, the great doctor, brought a team of people to the prime minister's residence today to propose marriage to Miss Gu. What a grand ceremony!"

The man spoke in a rhythmic and passionate voice, and his personal bodyguard immediately signaled to him with his eyes.

The man then noticed his master's face suddenly darkened, and was startled and sweat broke out on his forehead: "That's it."

Being planted by Chi Hongyuan in the market as his master's eyes and ears, he had to find out all the news that was beneficial to his master. When he first saw someone proposing marriage, he watched the excitement in the crowd, and when he saw that the person was going to the prime minister's residence, he knew that things were not going well.

"Bai Ziyu has come to the prime minister's residence to propose marriage." Chi Hongyuan murmured these words, his mind filled with Gu Siqing's voice, appearance and smile.

How could it be so fast? He had only guessed that Gu Siqing had feelings for Bai Ziyu, but he didn't know that someone like Bai Ziyu also had feelings for her.

The guards and spies had retreated without him noticing, and Chi Hongyuan did not come to his senses until his hand holding the scroll began to ache.

Not long ago, he looked everywhere for Bai Ziyu but couldn't find him. Now he's back?

The eldest prince has been suffering from leg disease for a long time. Even if Hua Tuo were reborn, he would not be able to make him walk normally.

Why did he come back at this time? He had married his beloved woman and missed the best time for his brother to get his leg treated. Chi Hongyuan was furious and smashed the scroll in his hand on the table, leaving a crack on the fine pear wood.

"I'm going to deliver food to His Highness today. If you don't want to be punished, be careful with your words and actions. Speak less and make fewer mistakes. Don't make His Highness angry."

When the kitchen staff came to deliver the meal, the guards standing outside the courtyard gate specifically reminded them that if His Highness got really angry, no one would have a good time.

"What happened to Your Highness today? Wasn't there anything wrong with the previous dynasty? Your Highness is in charge of state affairs and is respected by court officials. His Majesty also praises Your Highness. What happened?" The servant who came to deliver food scratched his head.

Chi Hongyuan usually treats his servants kindly, and the servants in the mansion have never seen him angry.

"Mind your own business and ask questions. Did you forget so quickly what I just reminded you? Go and serve the food and come out after you're done!"

The guard kicked the servant on the butt. The servant cried out "ouch", rubbed his butt, and quickly went to deliver the meal.

The servant knocked on the door with a food box in his hand: "Your Highness, I have brought you today's dinner."

After a long while, Chi Hongyuan's dull voice came from inside the room: "Just put the food on the table."

The servant swallowed his saliva, pushed open the door and entered the room, put the food away quietly and quickly walked out.

I wondered why there was no one left in the master's room to serve, and even the lights were not on. It looked so gloomy and scary.

It was unknown how much time had passed before Chi Hongyuan sat up from the chaise longue, covering his forehead.

The man slowly opened his eyes, and all he saw was darkness. He could only vaguely see the outline of the furnishings in the room. Gu Siqing took out a tinder and lit a few candles in the room, and the room became bright.

The food on the table was motionless and had gone cold. Chi Hongyuan glanced at it with little interest and was about to look away when he saw a dish of Dongpo pork.

The chefs in the Prince's Mansion were good at cooking, and the food they cooked was better than that in the restaurant or the imperial kitchen. Dongpo pork was Gu Siqing's favorite dish, and she always ordered this dish when she went to Zuixianlou.

Chi Hongyuan walked over and sat down, picked up the chopsticks and started eating the Dongpo pork. The dish was already cold, and Chi Hongyuan felt mixed emotions while eating.

He also wanted to find an opportunity in the future to invite Gu Siqing to his home and let her taste the cooking skills.

At this time, Chi Hongyuan sat in the study room all night, unable to sleep.

When the sky was slightly bright, the guard pushed open the door with concern and said, "Your Highness, would you like me to go to the palace and ask for leave on your behalf?"

The guard had been standing guard outside the house all night, so he naturally knew that his master had not slept all night.

"No need." Chi Hongyuan was holding a handkerchief in his hand, which was dropped by Gu Siqing in Zui Xiang Lou by mistake.

"I originally thought that she didn't have anyone she liked. Bai Ziyu is missing. Given her personality, she would definitely not like any of the people in the capital."

Chi Hongyuan clenched the handkerchief tightly in his hand, unable to tell what he was feeling at the moment.

The guard was just about to go and get some clothes for Chi Hongyuan to change into, but he froze in his tracks when he heard this, not knowing whether to leave or not.

"Your Highness, in fact, if you go to the palace to ask for His Majesty's permission, there is still time." The guard reminded. Bai Ziyu only went to the Prime Minister's residence to propose marriage, and there was still a process to go through for the marriage certificate. Everything was still in time.

Chi Hongyuan was silent for a while and shook his head. He knew everything that Gu Siqing had experienced before, from her to Liu Mingyue. He knew that she was a person who would rather die in glory than live in disgrace.