King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 624 I Also Had a Piece of Jade

About an hour later, a family banquet was held in Kunning Palace, and the emperor himself was also present.

Today's family dinner is a little smaller in scale, with only Zhu Xianming's concubines and children attending, but no other clan members.

Although they are a family, many of the dozen or so princes present have not seen the emperor for months, not to mention the emperor's grandchildren.

Therefore, the entire family dinner had little to do with the emperor, but the imperial concubines rarely saw their children and grandchildren, so they couldn't help but say more.

After the family dinner, we watched the lanterns. Everything was the same as in previous years, so there was nothing much to say.

When everything was over and Zhu Jinghong and his wife returned to the palace, it was almost midnight.

Although it was late at night and cold, the women in the palace still went to Yin'an Hall to welcome Zhu Jinghong back home.

"Baoqin hasn't come back yet?"

Hearing this, Baochai couldn't help laughing. With so many people waiting in the mansion, this man only thought of Baoqin.

"I'm at my uncle's house. I'll be back in a few days!"

"How many more days?"

Baochai continued, "We have to go to my aunt's house at least once!"

"She's out there alone, I'm afraid it's not safe!"

This made Baochai laugh out loud, and then she said, "Can it be that staying by your side will give me peace?"

"Of course!" Zhu Jinghong replied righteously.

"You...are becoming more and more shameless!"

Afterwards, Baochai quickened her pace and walked towards the group of women waiting in front.

Although it was late at night, there were still activities to be carried out in Prince Xiang's Mansion, so it was not time to rest yet.

The "small family banquet" of Prince Xiang's mansion was held in Yin'an Hall. Since everyone had already eaten, only fruits and snacks were served, accompanied by music and dance.

The main seat is naturally Zhu Jinghong and his wife, and on the left and right are Keqing and others.

Even though it is a royal palace, and even though it is extremely simple, the family banquets there are still many rules and a strict hierarchy.

To sum up, the royal "family dinner" is indeed difficult to feel like home.

Not long after the banquet began, Zhu Jinghong leaned on a cushion and watched Li Huizhen and others dancing.

At this moment, Baochai was chatting with Yang Jingting, and they seemed very close.

"Don't cover up for them. The palace is so small... What news can be hidden from me?"

Baochai's suddenly raised voice attracted the attention of all the women present.

"Qin girl, Nuomin, Qiqige!"

When Baochai pointed out their names, the three of them immediately stood up and lowered their heads as if they were listening to instructions.

"I have been learning the rules in the palace for such a long time. Today is the Lantern Festival, and you are fighting... You are all very capable!"

These girls are making trouble again? Zhu Jinghong sat up straight. He really didn't know this news.

He should have known about it, but he was only concerned with sowing seeds and was not willing to take care of the affairs. As time went on, few people talked to him about the "harem".

Baochai will take care of today's affairs, so Zhu Jinghong will certainly not interfere, so he is ready to watch the show.

"I guess it's because I was too weak, and you felt that the family rules could be violated, which is why what happened today happened!"

The word "weak" sounded particularly harsh to everyone, because they all thought it was outrageous.

Then, Baochai's tone became more serious: "It seems that today, I have to be the villain again..."

"Qin girl, you will be grounded for ten days and punished by copying the female code three times, and Nuominqiqige will be grounded for twenty days!"

"Did you hear everything?"

"I heard it!" the three people responded in a low voice.

Baochai was satisfied, and then she said, "Sit back!"

"Yes!"

This was just a small incident at the banquet, and no one dared to find fault with it after it was handled smoothly. This shows how solid Baochai's position in the palace is.

"What does the prince say?" Baochai listened to the opinion symbolically.

Zhu Jinghong replied calmly: "A harmonious family is the foundation of everything. Anyone who makes trouble does not take the palace seriously. I would not go too far in saying that they should be kicked out... The princess still favors them!"

After hearing this, Zhen Qin and the others were really scared. Being driven out of the palace was tantamount to death for them.

Zhu Jinghong's words also frightened the others, and they all began to reflect on themselves.

It is true that a harmonious family brings prosperity, and this is especially true for the wealthy and powerful Xiangwang Mansion. After all, they are being watched from all sides by outsiders, and anything can be made into a fuss.

Because of this little episode, the atmosphere of the entire banquet became more serious and it only lasted half an hour.

Zhu Jinghong rested with Baochai at night, and went to the small training ground to practice martial arts the next day.

Zhu Jinghong had nothing to do in the next few days, so he could relax his body and mind.

In fact, strictly speaking, it’s not that there is nothing wrong. For example, many people wanted to visit him, but they were all politely declined.

For example, on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, Zheng, He and Jia were turned away outside Prince Xiang's mansion, and now they could only prepare to return to their residence.

Four years later, Jia Yucun has grown into a high-ranking official and is qualified to stand with Zheng and He.

Times make heroes. The three of them caught up with Zhao Yushan's land survey and were forced to become the executive layer. They had been prepared to be crushed to pieces, but now they have all been able to ride on the wind.

Among them, Zhu Jinghong is an indispensable backstage figure.

Although he was called the backstage, Zhu Jinghong actually did not play much of a concrete role. However, these three people used Zhu Jinghong's reputation as a banner and were able to resolve many crises by simply borrowing his name.

But if there is a chance, the three of them would also like to get close to the Crown Prince and Prince Rui. After all, a clear stream is always better than a turbid stream.

It’s a pity that due to the circumstances of the time, they were labeled as sycophants and it was impossible for them to integrate into the clean stream.

"His Highness said that there have been a lot of things going on in the mansion recently, so it's better not to see him... Let's not disturb him!" Zheng Xianlin sighed.

He Gujin followed up with his reply: "Alas... Your Highness has been repeatedly framed, so it is normal for him to withdraw from the world!"

"Look... someone else is coming!" Jia Yucun suddenly spoke.

Zhan, Zheng and He looked towards the distance and saw a sedan chair coming over. It was accompanied by a maid and a servant girl, which showed that there was a woman sitting inside.

"I think he is looking for the princess..." Zheng Xianlin speculated.

However, the next moment, the sedan stopped at a corner gate not far away, and the old woman said, "Master Miaoyu, I have come to preach to His Royal Highness Prince Xiang. Please let me know!"

"Master? Nun? Your Highness would meet such a person?" He Gujin said in great surprise.

"It shouldn't be..." Zheng Xianlin was not sure.

At this time, Jia Yucun replied: "That sedan chair looks like the one in the palace. I'm afraid it can really fit in!"

After hearing this, Zheng and He took a closer look and found that the sedan chair was indeed the palace model.

Sure enough, after a few breaths, an eunuch came out of the palace and led the sedan chair into the palace.

Seeing the sedan disappearing through the door, Zheng Xianlin said, "Let's go... We'll come back in two days!"

The three of them were all fighting for the frontier, and the next task would be even more difficult, so they really wanted to meet Zhu Jinghong. After all, even if they wanted to bully others, they had to have someone to rely on.

The three of them left, and Miaoyu entered the palace.

She actually didn't want to come, so she kept putting it off, but she couldn't resist the Crown Princess's persuasion, so she finally came after the Lantern Festival.

If you can't change it, just accept it. So since yesterday, Miaoyu has been preparing herself mentally, thinking that there is nothing wrong with preaching the sutras.

But today on the road, and now at Prince Xiang's Mansion, her heart felt more and more uneasy, to the point that her mouth was dry and her tongue was parched.

He had already touched and seen her, so what was the big deal? Miaoyu was still trying to convince herself. For the sake of the great cause of the Divine Religion, in order to help the prince ascend the throne, it was only natural to sacrifice herself...

In an attempt to numb herself, Miaoyu tried hard to recall what happened in Yanshan, just to find the feeling and adapt in advance.

But those images appearing in her mind made her even more nervous, so much so that she clamped her legs even tighter!

"Miss Miaoyu, the prince invites you to meet him in the back garden!"

Outside the sedan was Deng An, his face full of smiles. He liked the job at hand the most.

"Is the princess here?"

Deng An replied: "The princess has something to do today, the prince wants to see you alone!"

Miaoyu continued, "I am good friends with the princess, and she also likes Buddhism, so we can invite her to meditate together!"

"The prince has already made arrangements for this matter. You should go quickly, young lady, and don't keep the prince waiting for too long!"

At this time, the maid outside the sedan chair also said, "Master Miaoyu, please go quickly!"

These old women are from the Eastern Palace, so naturally they speak from the perspective of the Eastern Palace.

Helpless, Miaoyu had to walk out of the sedan chair.

Although she was wearing the simplest monk's robe, she still had an elegant temperament. Even Deng An, a castrated eunuch, couldn't help but take a few more glances at her.

"Please come in, young lady!" Deng An stepped aside.

"Eunuch, I am a foreigner, not a girl!" Miaoyu said in a clear voice.

"It was my fault for speaking out of turn, please don't blame me, Master!" Deng An apologized quickly.

Although he said nice things, he actually sneered in his heart, because he had learned from Yu Hai what happened to Miaoyu in Yanshan.

In his opinion, this woman was pretending to be noble, and she had to throw herself at his prince once she met him.

This woman is really good at calculating. She uses cultivation as a cover to flatter her superiors... Deng An thought so in his heart.

Miaoyu could never have imagined that she, the saint of the White Lotus Sect who held more than 50% of the real power in the sect and worked to achieve world peace, would be regarded by Deng An as a villain.

Of course, even if she knew what Deng An was thinking, she wouldn't have the time to care about it at the moment, simply because she was becoming more and more nervous.

The most intuitive manifestation was that her hand holding the whisk had turned red.

There are so many women in Prince Xiang's mansion, why didn't I see any of them today...

Although she was in a hurry, Miaoyu was still thinking about these things, because if there were other people, she could bring them along.

There are several women in Prince Xiang's Mansion, but three of them have been confined. Yang Jingting, Keqing and Yinglian don't want to get involved, so it is normal for Miaoyu not to meet anyone.

Soon, she was taken to a small courtyard, surrounded by a bamboo forest with new leaves.

"Master Miaoyu, the prince is inside, please come in!"

There were four eunuchs guarding the gate of the courtyard, but there was no one inside. The silence frightened Miaoyu.

"Please come in!" Deng An reminded again.

After hesitating for a while, thinking that she really couldn't escape today, Miaoyu took a step forward.

But after she took a few steps in, she heard a "bang" behind her. She turned around and saw that the door was closed.

She did not act rashly, but instead reminded herself to stay calm, especially at this time.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Miaoyu looked at the main building in front of her, and then took another step.

It was very quiet all around and you could hear the sound of bamboo leaves in the wind.

Miaoyu's footsteps were light. She had entered the main hall, but found it was still empty.

As she looked around, a voice suddenly came from above her head: "Upstairs!"

She was very familiar with this voice, it was the voice of someone she hated deeply.

But she still had to meet this man, and had to accept his flirtation.

For the sake of the great cause of God...

Reinforcing her resolve, Miaoyu walked up the stairs.

Going up to the second floor, there was another spacious hall, and Zhu Jinghong sat on the ground in front of the main seat.

Seeing the clothes he was wearing, Miaoyu almost ran away...

It's so cold, and this bastard is only wearing a single layer of clothes with his collar open. How can he not freeze to death...

Miaoyu cursed wildly in her heart, and at this moment she recalled all the evil words she had learned while wandering around the world.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Miaoyu finally uttered these four words.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Zhu Jinghong said solemnly: "Master... come and heal my wounds!"

"Your Highness, everything is in your heart. I have the true scriptures, but..."

Before Miaoyu could say anything, Zhu Jinghong spoke directly: "I also have the true essence. What I want is a magician. If you don't come... I will have no choice but to come over here!"

Miaoyu was really afraid that he would come over, so she quickly moved closer and sat down three steps away from Zhu Jinghong.

"Your Highness has a demon in his heart. I will resolve it with the Heart Sutra. Please listen to me recite..."

Then Miaoyu began to chant. She wanted to get to the point as soon as possible and leave early after finishing the ritual.

"The Master's Buddhist chanting is truly magical. I feel my heart is at peace. I think it will be even better if I listen closely..."

While speaking, Zhu Jinghong had already moved and finally sat opposite Miaoyu.

Miaoyu's voice is like a clear mountain spring, intoxicating the heart, and her elegant body fragrance makes people immersed in it unconsciously.

It's no wonder that under the recitation of this professional, Zhu Jinghong really felt inner peace, and even his lustful thoughts disappeared.

He was calm, but Miaoyu was so panicked that her voice was trembling and her face was red.

Zhu Jinghong then stretched out his hand, touched his forehead and said, "Master, are you sick?"

"Your Highness, please respect yourself!" Miaoyu quickly stepped back and issued a warning.

But before she moved far, she was grabbed by Zhu Jinghong and pulled into his arms, and then she let out a "ah".

Holding Miaoyu in his arms, Zhu Jinghong said with a sad face: "Master, you and I appreciate each other, why do you always keep me away from you?"

Who the hell would sympathize with a bastard like you...Miaoyu cursed in her heart.

She wanted to struggle free, but Zhu Jinghong's hands were like steel, preventing her from moving at all.

At least she wasn't stripped naked, and she could tolerate the hugging and cuddling... Miaoyu quickly adjusted her mentality.

But the next moment, Zhu Jinghong's hand reached for her collar, which made Miaoyu unable to bear it any longer.

"Your Highness, you can't..."

Fortunately, Zhu Jinghong did not put his hand in, but picked up the Buddha amulet around Miaoyu's neck, which was carved from the finest mutton-fat jade.

"This jade..."

When Miaoyu heard these three words and saw Zhu Jinghong frowning, her heart suddenly rose to her throat.

This amulet is a token of the saint, but in the religion only messengers and above know about it. It stands to reason that outsiders cannot recognize it.

It can be seen that Zhu Jinghong was staring at her, and Miaoyu was really afraid that he would notice something.

Even now, she didn't dare to move at all and let Zhu Jinghong hold her in his arms.

After a few breaths, Miaoyu asked carefully: "Your Highness, what happened to this jade?"

Zhu Jinghong smiled and then said, "I also had a piece of jade, but it's gone now!"

(End of this chapter)