Chapter 188

Ning Si closely followed Gu Ying, seeing her flustered yet calm appearance, asked in confusion, "Ying, what exactly are you looking for?"

"Looking for the Eldest Prince."

"Isn't the Eldest Prince in the Diligent Government Hall?"

"But people in the Diligent Government Hall said that the Eldest Prince has already come out. Yet now he cannot be found..." Most likely like in the previous life... he was schemed against.

Ning Si was speechless for a moment. Gu Ying helped her, yet she was not able to help Gu Ying with anything at all, feeling quite anxious.

She was a kindhearted person. When someone helped her, she would definitely help them back. Hence she directly grabbed Gu Ying's hand, "There is no one in this palace more familiar than Prince Duan. Let's go find Prince Duan."

Gu Ying narrowed her eyes, seeing from afar the most favored prince, Li Yang, surrounded by people.

He smiled and looked over, his eyes carrying a trace of provocation and smugness.

As the most favored prince, Concubine Wan also only had him as her son. Naturally he was doted on and loved. As in the previous life, in order to obtain the Eastern Palace, King Shu Li Yang could be said to stop at nothing. This man completely did not match his gentle appearance on the outside. His heart was extremely deep.

Gu Ying knitted her brows. The ominous premonition in her heart grew even stronger. What happened to Prince Duan and Ning Si was definitely not an accident.

Since someone was secretly scheming, the matter of the Eldest Prince being drugged at the palace banquet... wouldn't it be the same as the previous life?

No... If the schemers truly wanted to drug the Eldest Prince, then the Eldest Prince would now definitely be in Princess Yueyan's hands!

Gu Ying's heart panicked all of a sudden. Not waiting for Ning Si to pull her to find Prince Duan, she instead used some strength to fiercely grab her wrist, "Sister Ning, how well do you know Princess Yueyan? Quick, take me to Princess Yueyan's palace."

Ning Si was only casually acquainted with Princess Yueyan. Right now she also did not care about anything else, gritting her teeth, "Let's go, I'll take you there."

Princess Yueyan's bedchamber was not far from the Empress's palace. When Gu Ying and Ning Si arrived at Fuyang Palace, there were palace maidservants guarding the doors, arrogantly not allowing anyone to enter. Gu Ying did not go in, but looking at the deliberately created illusion inside the inner palace, she knew Princess Yueyan was simply not inside.

Merely relying on Princess Yueyan alone, wanting to drug the Eldest Prince in the palace, then have an intimate relationship with the Eldest Prince in a well-grounded manner... would not be easy either.

Just thinking about the scene of the Eldest Prince together with Princess Yueyan, the irritation in Gu Ying's heart grew greater and greater.

She pursed her lips, her eyes cold and ruthless, appearing just like a vengeful ghost that crawled out from hell, causing Ning Si by her side to feel apprehensive.

"You are looking for Little Du?"

A clear and cold voice suddenly sounded.

Gu Ying turned around to see Prince Duan standing below the jade steps. He was wrapped very tightly in a thick fox fur coat, making his thin and frail figure appear even thinner. Flecks of white snow landed on the top of his head.

His indifferent gaze looked over towards them. Ning Si panicked in an instant.

Yet his line of sight did not completely stop on Ning Si. Instead it slowly turned to look deeply into Gu Ying's tranquil pupils. He coughed a few times, his voice hoarse as he said, "Follow me."

Gu Ying did not hesitate and directly followed the man's footsteps with Ning Si. Very soon, they saw a guard-looking man in a small heated pavilion.

Li Hao found a chair to sit on. The cold wind poured into his throat, unable to restrain it, he started violently coughing. After calming down, he hoarsely said, "Tell the Eldest Prince's wife where the Eldest Prince went."

That guard said, "I actually am not very clear either. Just one incense stick ago, Princess Yueyan suddenly said she had an urgent matter and needed to leave the palace... She forcibly made the guard Li open the palace gates. Li felt something was wrong so he asked me to come report to Your Highness."

Gu Ying's heart tightened. She anxiously asked, "Where did the carriage go?"

Wang Er hurriedly shook his head, "I don't know. I only heard the princess say she was going to the Duke of Yong'an's estate."

As expected... the Eldest Prince was in Princess Yueyan's hands.

The Princess Yueyan of this life was actually so smart. No longer stupidly causing a big joke in the palace like in the previous life... She chose to bring the drugged Eldest Prince out of the palace... No matter what eventually happens, as long as the disheveled princess was by the Eldest Prince's side...

The Eldest Prince would be implicated. Not to mention marrying the princess, at the very least she would also have to be taken as a concubine into the Eldest Prince's estate.

"When I discovered it, it was already too late." Li Hao's handsome face was flushed red as he closed his eyes and hoarsely said, "Yueyan only... likes Little Du too much. That's why she would make this mistake... *cough cough*... the one who helped her administer the drugs today was Concubine Wan... My spy said that right after Little Du left the Diligent Government Hall he had already started appearing drowsy and sleepy. It looks like... he was given hypnotics."

"Yueyan that child has a personality that is too simple-minded. I'm afraid she was fooled by Concubine Wan and Li Yang."

"The drugs are nothing serious. Don't panic..."

"Little Du's physique has always been better than an average person's. For Yueyan to be intimate with Little Du would not be easy." Gu Ying's brows were knitted extremely tightly together. Having roughly made up her mind, she looked at Li Hao, "Your Highness, may I borrow a horse?"

Li Hao knew of the severity behind tonight's matters and did not say much. "Si Fu."

That plump little eunuch hurriedly stepped forward, "Eldest Prince's Concubine, come with me."

Prince Duan had some connections built up over his many years in the palace.

Knowing it was not easy for him, Gu Ying took one final deep look at him before turning around to leave the pavilion without looking back.

...

Remaining in the heated pavilion was only Ning Si with flushed red cheeks. She still had a high fever, the fever's red flush instead made her look even more enchanting.

Wang Er blankly stared at the eldest young miss of the Ning family. It was said that Eldest Miss Ning was born beautifully, as clear as a hibiscus. Taking another look now, she indeed had captivating colors and features.

Especially that pair of bright and lovely large eyes, flickering about, simply enrapturing just by looking.

"Why are you still not scramming out?"

A burst of cold rebuke sounded by his ears. Wang Er shuddered in fright.

Prince Medicine Jar rarely became furious, but when angry, it still was not to be looked down upon.

Wang Er fled helter-skelter out of the pavilion.

Li Hao silently stood to leave as well without saying a word.

Ning Si mustered her courage. She walked over and grabbed his large hand, "Your Highness, let me help you."

Li Hao shook her off with a cold expression on his face, "No need for you to help."

Ning Si bit tightly on her lip. Recalling Gu Ying's words to her, no matter how Li Hao treated her coldly, scolded her, or got angry at her, she would just cry.

Thinking as such, tears directly fell.

She was taciturn by nature. At home she was taught how to be a virtuous, gentle and tranquil young lady. Such unreasonable bawling and crying was also her first time. Yet watching the weakened figure of the man, a piercing pain throbbed in her heart, like needles pricking - increasingly agonizing the more she thought about it.

"I know Your Highness does not like me. Today I came looking for Your Highness, merely to bid farewell." Face flushed red, her tears flowed down like broken strings of beads. She walked in front of the man, staring into his deep and aloof eyes, seriously saying word for word, "I will not marry King Shu. The day he comes asking for my hand will be the day I die."

Li Hao's handsome face froze in astonishment.