Chapter 198 Miss Gu, are you willing to marry me?
She hadn't checked the accounts for a month, and the account books of several shops were enough for her to check for several days. Huasheng and Guihua expected her to do so, so they followed her closely. Whenever Gu Siqing didn't want to rest, they would ask Yin Yaoxin to come.
Gu Siqing was under the control of the two of them and had no choice but to look at the account books for two hours every day.
As night fell that day, Gu Siqing drank some medicine and lay on the couch by the window to rest. He turned his head and looked at the signal in the direction of Zui Xiang Lou.
The woman slowly turned her head, trying to pretend she didn't see it. After half a cup of tea, Gu Siqing sighed heavily and sat up irritably. She had only been back to the Xiangfu for two days. What important matter did Chi Hongyuan want to see her at this time?
The selection of concubines in the palace has come to an end, and the princes are all busy with their own affairs in the backyards. It seems that nothing will happen for a while.
Although she was reluctant to go, Gu Siqing changed into men's clothes at night and asked Guihua and the others to help her leave the prime minister's residence.
Arriving at Zui Xiang Lou, Gu Siqing stood outside the threshold just one door away from Chi Hongyuan, and a flash of hesitation crossed her mind for the last time. Now that Chi Hongyuan wanted to see her, could it be that there had been an unknown change in the situation in the court?
When she pushed open the door in front of her, Gu Siqing didn't know that this door was like the last window paper between her and Chi Hongyuan. When the door was pushed open, Gu Siqing was caught off guard and fell into a pair of burning eyes.
Gu Siqing was startled, then reacted quickly and closed the door, walked forward and bowed generously: "Greetings, Your Highness."
"No need to be so polite, just sit down." Chi Hongyuan still acted like a prince, but Gu Siqing could tell that his tone was different from before.
Gu Siqing sat down doubtfully, praying silently that Chi Hongyuan hadn't gotten into any trouble and needed her help to cover up.
Seeing Gu Siqing's haggard face and frivolous behavior, Chi Hongyuan asked thoughtfully, "Are you sick?"
"I caught a cold, but I'm almost recovered. To prevent Your Highness from getting sick, please speak up if you have anything to say. The sooner you speak, the sooner you can leave."
Gu Siqing has not fully recovered from her illness. It would be a lie for her to say that she is not tired if she comes out today. However, Chi Hongyuan gave the signal, so she has to come.
When she raised her eyelids and saw the playfulness in Chi Hongyuan's eyes, Gu Siqing's heart skipped a beat, wondering if she had said something wrong. The man in front of her looked at her with too complicated eyes, so complicated that she felt a little uneasy, and Gu Siqing subconsciously avoided him.
"All of you leave." Chi Hongyuan dismissed the servants. Seeing this, Hong Girl led everyone in the room to leave quickly.
After all the people from Zui Xiang Lou had left, a careless smile crept onto the corners of Chi Hongyuan's mouth: "People's hearts are unpredictable. Even if it's someone you once thought you could trust, you still need to be more cautious."
Gu Siqing hadn't heard the hidden meaning in his words yet. She was always on guard against Chi Hongyuan and didn't respond easily.
Seeing that Gu Siqing was silent, Chi Hongyuan smiled and gently said something that she could never have imagined in her dreams: "Really, Miss Gu?"
Miss Gu? Miss Gu! Gu Siqing repeatedly rejected these words, and for the first time, she felt that her thoughts were a little confused.
The person sitting opposite him didn't control his emotions for the first time. He looked at him with wide pupils, and shock could not be concealed in his eyes.
Gu Siqing did not refute this immediately. Since the other party asked her to come and confront her, he must know everything. She was shocked that Chi Hongyuan guessed her identity so quickly.
Thinking of what the concubine who lived with him said, Gu Siqing suddenly realized. It seemed that when the princes ran to Tumi Garden to peek at the concubines, Chi Hongyuan must have been there too. However, it was magical that he could see them clearly even though they were so far away.
After a long silence, Gu Siqing finally calmed down. Since the other party came prepared, she couldn't avoid him, so she might as well ask his purpose: "Since Your Highness knows the true identity of this minister, what is the purpose of calling me here today?"
She tried to test the other party's intentions, but she already had a guess in her mind. Since Chi Hongyuan was confronting her, why else could it be?
The only thing about her that made Chi Hongyuan care about her was her identity as the granddaughter of Prime Minister Yin.
She really didn't want her identity to be known, but if Chi Hongyuan wanted to use her to pull the Xiangfu into his camp, he was making a wrong calculation and it would be impossible for him to succeed.
Among the emperor's several princes, only Chi Hongyuan is good at both literature and martial arts. If he ascends the throne, he will become a benevolent monarch, but other princes are not sure. Although the success rate of betting on Chi Hongyuan is extremely high, she can't drag the Prime Minister's Mansion into this muddy water.
Chi Hongyuan, what is his purpose? Gu Siqing thought about it again and again, and finally calmed down, waiting for the other party to give an answer. Chi Hongyuan did not intend to keep it a secret. He put his hands on his knees, sat upright, and spoke a sentence that Gu Siqing had never dreamed of.
"My intention does need to be made clear to Miss Gu. I originally didn't know how to say it, but since Miss Gu asked, I must say it. I wonder if Miss Gu is willing to marry me?" He said it solemnly, so solemnly that Gu Siqing didn't understand.
Gu Siqing was speechless for a moment and looked at him in surprise.
Chi Hongyuan asked Gu Siqing if she wanted to get married. For her, the shock was far greater than her recognition of her own identity.
She didn't know when their cooperation had reached the point of "self-sacrifice" and their relationship could even be said to be weak. Getting married? Gu Siqing was reluctant just thinking about living under the same roof with him.
"Don't worry, if you marry me, you will be the Ninth Prince's consort. The position of the Ninth Prince's principal consort will only be you, not anyone else."
The promise made by Chi Hongyuan was worth a thousand gold. For Gu Siqing, who was only the granddaughter of the prime minister, it was an excellent marriage. There had never been such a precedent in Yue State for a woman engaged in business to become the prince's consort.
But Gu Siqing disdained such a promise. She did not want a noble status, and what Chi Hongyuan could give her was not what she expected.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. The lifelong affairs of men and women must be treated with caution. Today is the first time that we have taken off our masks and talked to each other."
The implication was that it would be premature and inappropriate to bring up the matter of marriage right now, and she had no intention of doing so.
"Royal marriages have always been like this. There's only willingness, not suitability. But it is a lifelong event after all, Miss Gu can think about it carefully." Chi Hongyuan did not ask her to answer immediately, but gave her some patience and waited for her answer.
Chi Hongyuan is a man of many thoughts, and Gu Siqing has been in the business world for several years. To put it more succinctly, the other party's words are: Think about it carefully and give me an answer when you have made up your mind.
There was no affection between the two of them, and Chi Hongyuan's direct proposal to marry her could only be a desire to get help from the Prime Minister's Mansion. What Gu Siqing didn't expect was that he didn't want an alliance of interests, but wanted a safer way to tie her down with marriage.
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