Gu Chengyan requested an audience with the Crown Prince at the Crown Prince's residence. After waiting for the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, someone from inside called him in.
He bowed his head and followed the young eunuch who was leading the way to the Crown Prince, where he knelt down to pay his respects.
The Crown Prince said, "How dare you face me?"
The peony festival was a complete disgrace.
Gu Chengyan kowtowed repeatedly, prostrated himself on the ground, apologized first, and then explained his purpose.
"Your Highness, I have partnered with someone to open a shop selling ice bricks, and business is booming. I would like to cooperate with you."
"Oh, so you're the one behind that shop?" the Crown Prince said calmly. "That's a gold shop, why would you want to share the profits with me?"
“I have looked up to Your Highness since I was a child. Now that I have something to offer, I would like to present it to Your Highness.”
Shi Xiu reminded him in a hoarse voice, "Young Master Gu is making empty promises to cooperate with His Highness. What if your prescription is poisonous? Wouldn't His Highness's reputation be ruined?"
After all, you're unreliable when it comes to getting things done.
“Your Highness, this recipe is a family heirloom passed down through my cousin’s family. I can ask her for it and present it to Your Highness.”
Shi Xiu smiled and asked, "Your cousin is quite capable. How old is she?"
Gu Chengyan's mind went blank. What did this mean? Had the Crown Prince taken a liking to Guan Yingying?
He said respectfully, "My cousin is the daughter of my third uncle in Ouyang. She was kidnapped by abductors when she was young and was only recently found. She is a country girl and doesn't know any manners."
The crown prince hummed in agreement.
Shi Xiu then said, "As long as the young master can prove in person that it is not poisonous, the Crown Prince's residence is willing to cooperate with the young master. I just don't know how the young master intends to cooperate?"
Gu Chengyan cursed Shi Xiu inwardly. What other way was there to cooperate? They could just invest their money!
"I would like to ask Your Highness to be the behind-the-scenes owner of the shop, so that in case of trouble, Your Highness's reputation can be used to help me out."
The prince said slowly, "If I take over your shop, I will naturally support you. How about this, call your cousin over and have her make ice for me right here. If she succeeds, I will cooperate with you, how about it?"
Gu Chengyan immediately broke out in a sweat. He smiled and said, "My cousin is from the countryside. I'm afraid she might offend Your Highness."
"It's alright, I don't mind. What's wrong with country people? They're simple and honest, without so many ulterior motives. It's settled then, go and call her over."
Now that the Crown Prince had said this, Shi Xiu finally understood. The Crown Prince's interest in the ice shop and the silver was simply because he wanted to see the Crown Prince's cousin.
Could it be that the Crown Prince has taken a fancy to that crazy woman who works as a prostitute?
He quickly smiled and said, "Your Highness, shall I bring the person over?"
Gu Chengyan immediately said, "Let me go, I will bring my cousin back."
"That servant Shi Xiu is always idly chatting. Let him go. Young Master Gu, you come and play a game of chess with me. I'll see if you've improved."
Gu Chengyan was filled with regret at this moment, wishing he could turn back time.
Soon, Shi Xiu brought Guan Yingying to the Crown Prince's residence.
Guan Yingying entered the Crown Prince's residence with light steps, looking around curiously, showing no trace of the demeanor of a young lady.
The crown prince felt slightly puzzled.
Guan Yingying walked up to him, smiled generously, and curtsied: "This humble woman, Tu Qianyue, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Shi Xiu couldn't bear to look at that awkward and inappropriate bowing.
He couldn't help but say, "You should kneel down and answer me."
Guan Yingying said, "His Highness is wise; he would never force a commoner to kneel!"
The crown prince smiled and praised her for speaking well, saying he wouldn't hold such a grudge.
"Your Highness wants me to experiment with the ice-making process? Your Highness, this is my own invention, the only one of its kind in the world."
"I trust you."
Guan Yingying glanced at the Crown Prince; he was indeed a handsome man, though not quite as striking as Yin Jin'an, but he was the Crown Prince. Yin Jin'an, she would make him submit sooner or later.
She ordered the Crown Prince to dismiss everyone else, leaving only Shi Xiu and the Crown Prince, and began her experiment.
Take a large vat of water, put a basin of water inside it, then put saltpeter in the outside water, cover it, and place it in a cool place.
The prince blinked a few times. That's it?
That's it!
While waiting for the ice to freeze, the Crown Prince originally wanted to call the Crown Princess out to keep Guan Yingying company, but Guan Yingying was naturally outgoing.
Watching the Crown Prince and Gu Chengyan play Go, she pointed to the board and said she would play a game with the Crown Prince.
Shi Xiu frowned: "How dare you! Does Your Highness not belong to you?"
Guan Yingying said curiously, "What's wrong with having a friendly match? It's just a game of chess, why all the fuss?"
"You're too arrogant!"
Gu Chengyan reminded her, "Cousin, you must not be rude in front of His Highness."
The Crown Prince pointed to the person opposite him and said to her, "Come, let me see Miss Tu's chess skills."
Guan Yingying sat down gracefully and began fighting with the Crown Prince. As the battle raged, she forgot that she was in ancient times and exclaimed happily, "Hey, big brother, you're pretty amazing!"
“Shallow Moon…” Gu Chengyan reminded him.
"It's alright, don't worry about the details, the most important thing is to enjoy yourself," the Crown Prince said magnanimously.
Guan Yingying used all her skills, employing all the techniques she learned in 22nd-century Go lessons, and indeed she overwhelmed the prince.
The crown prince threw down his chess piece and laughed, "I have lost."
The game of chess continued until dusk, and by the time the lamps were lit, the ice had almost completely frozen.
The prince touched the almost completely frozen ice water and said readily, "I'll join that shop too."
Gu Chengyan and Guan Yingying left the Crown Prince's residence. Shi Xiu saw them off to their carriage and helped Guan Yingying open the curtain, saying, "Miss Tu, come visit the residence when you have time!"
As the carriage curtain fell, Guan Yingying felt something left in her palm.
After Gu Chengyan and Guan Yingying left, Shi Xiu asked the Crown Prince, "Why did Your Highness elevate Prince Gu and that woman?"
In Shi Xiu's opinion, Gu Chengyan was a good-for-nothing who almost caused the Crown Prince to lose face at the Peony Festival last time.
The Crown Prince smiled and said, "He has Grand Secretary Gu behind him. As long as he is on my side, the Marquis's Mansion will share my glory and my loss."
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