Chapter 186 I Will Protect the Prime Minister's Mansion
"You often come to Zuixianlou to drink wine and tea. How much do you know about this returned hostage from the Kingdom of Yue?"
Gu Siqing didn't care about this person, but was worried that he would become an obstacle to Chi Hongyuan.
"I don't know much, but I do know that he is a timid person. When he met His Majesty in the palace, he didn't dare to breathe and kept his head down when he met anyone. To use the ministers' evaluation of him, he is a loser."
Bai Ziyu spent a lot of time drinking at Zuixianlou and got to know some gossip.
"So, if he is really humble and cowardly, it means he cannot compete with His Highness the Ninth Prince. But if he is deliberately hiding his incompetence, then the fight for the throne will become even more complicated."
"How come I didn't know before? Why do you still care so much about His Highness the Ninth? What benefit did he promise you?"
Bai Ziyu's teasing sounded a bit sour, and Gu Siqing was amused by him: "But there is no benefit at all. I agreed to cooperate with him. We are grasshoppers in the same boat."
Speaking of this, Gu Siqing regretted it even more, but she nodded at that time out of helplessness, as Chi Hongyuan did not let her choose.
Chi Hongyuan asked her if she was willing, because he didn't want to embarrass either of them, so she'd better not refuse the toast and drink the forfeit.
"He is bound to get that position. I naturally hope that he will have a smooth journey. Whenever things go wrong, it means that I have to get involved." Gu Siqing frowned and prayed silently that that day would not come.
"Don't worry too much. The Ninth Prince is good at hiding his emotions. No one can compete with him in the court now. He seems obedient and loyal to the emperor, but that's just an act to pave the way for himself."
Bai Ziyu said truthfully that Chi Hongyuan was like a wolf in sheep's clothing in the court, looking at everyone with the eyes of a hunter.
Even in front of this person, Bai Ziyu was sure that he was capable of protecting himself, but he could not deny that Chi Hongyuan was a dangerous person.
Bai Ziyu pursed his lips and said, "You are working with him, so you will inevitably meet him often. I can't accompany you. Don't take this person lightly. Be careful and guard against him."
Gu Siqing nodded: "I know, how can I expose my neck in front of a wolf?"
Bai Ziyu knew that she only had one meaning in mind, so he shook his head and said, "No, this man is dangerous not only because of his methods and ambitions. Don't forget that your grandfather is Prime Minister Yin."
His reminder hit the nail on the head. Gu Siqing's face stiffened slightly, and he naturally understood what Bai Ziyu wanted to say.
"Your grandfather is a veteran of two dynasties. When Chi Hongyuan ascends the throne in the future, your grandfather will be an old minister. Your grandfather is an upright person. I don't know how Chi Hongyuan will ascend the throne. If he uses unusual means..."
The man stopped talking halfway. If Chi Hongyuan's means of ascending the throne were not fair, Prime Minister Yin would never be willing to make him the head of the country. At that time, Prime Minister Yin, as a veteran of three dynasties, held a pivotal position in the previous dynasty and even in the entire Yue State.
If such a person can be used for one's own purposes, then that's fine. If not, keeping him will sooner or later threaten Chi Hongyuan's consolidation of imperial power.
Because of his scheming, Chi Hongyuan might not take action against the Prime Minister's Mansion immediately, but he would definitely be wary of the people of the Yin family.
"I will protect the Prime Minister's Mansion." Gu Siqing clenched his fists and said firmly.
Her attitude was so resolute and determined that Bai Ziyu was stunned.
Bai Ziyu looked at her for a long time, nodded, and said nothing more.
At this moment in the palace, Concubine Rong learned that Chi Hongyuan had entered the palace, and she specially ordered someone to go to the imperial study to pass on a message, asking the emperor to allow her to see her son after talking to Chi Hongyuan.
The emperor now relies heavily on Chi Hongyuan. After Chi Hongyuan moved out of the palace, he rarely met Concubine Rong. Since Concubine Rong had asked for it, he could not refuse.
After discussing state affairs with the emperor, Chi Hongyuan came to the bedroom where Concubine Rong lived. As soon as he entered the hall, he bowed to his mother and said, "Your son greets you, mother."
Seeing that her son was in a good mood, Rong Fei went forward and helped her son up.
Chi Hongyuan looked around the hall and saw that there were no palace servants waiting in the inner hall. He realized that his mother had asked him to come here to tell her something.
"Mother?" Chi Hongyuan helped Concubine Rong to sit down, and then he sat on the other side.
"You should have guessed that your mother has something to tell you. Soon, the beauty pageant will be held, and you have reached the right age to get married. Before, you were in the cold palace and had no talk of marriage. Now you are a famous young general. Have you ever thought about the matter of becoming a concubine?"
When Rong Fei spoke to Chi Hongyuan about the matter of establishing a concubine, her attitude was very serious. If Chi Hongyuan had no intention of becoming the emperor, he could choose a woman to marry as he pleased, but if he wanted to become a king in the future, the matter of establishing a queen could not be careless.
The woman he officially marries must be helpful to his future path to becoming an emperor, which means he cannot be willful.
Chi Hongyuan's pupils shrank slightly, and he was obviously a little surprised that Concubine Rong would mention the matter of establishing a concubine, but he quickly adjusted his mood.
"What are your plans, mother?" Chi Hongyuan had no idea about choosing a wife. After all, there was no emotional connection between the two of them. They only came together for each other's interests. It would be a rare way of getting along if they could respect each other in the future.
Rong Fei stared at her son's face, feeling bitter and complicated, and smiled helplessly: "It seems that you really have no idea at all."
The child she raised had outstanding abilities and great ambitions. The combination of the two would be a powerful driving force for Chi Hongyuan's future. He was not moved by love, and Rong Fei was happy for him, but not completely happy.
"I just want to reach that position as soon as possible, to give justice to my grandparents for the injustice done to the Rong family." When mentioning the Rong family, Chi Hongyuan's eyes were filled with indescribable emotions.
Rong Yu'er's eyes were slightly hot, and after calming down, she continued, "The emperor is old, and there is a high probability that he will not add any new people to the harem. Among the beauties selected in this selection, only a few will be selected into the harem at most."
The emperor is already over 40 years old this year. In terms of age, he is not very old, but he has lost his energy due to years of handling government affairs. Even if he takes in many beautiful girls, they will only wither away like flowers in the palace.
"It seems that my father also intends to marry the rest of the selected beauties to the princes." Chi Hongyuan said in a calm voice. Since his mother came to him to talk about this matter, she must have heard about it from the emperor.
Concubine Rong nodded slightly: "Yes, mother thinks that it is time for you to get married."
His son had originally been delayed in getting married, and now that he had finally achieved success, it would be a natural thing for him to marry a noble lady of suitable status.
Listening to the implicit meaning of his mother's words, Chi Hongyuan thought of something: "Has mother already chosen a suitable candidate?"
"Yes, mother has already chosen a woman who is suitable for your status and can help you in the future. I just don't know what your father means. I will see who he chooses as your wife."
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