Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

Qin Zhongxun, dressed in a scarlet official robe, with slightly white hair and beard, stood with his hands behind his back beside a pillar, his brows furrowed and his expression solemn, as if waiting for someone.

When he looked up and saw Shui Rong, the expression on his old face changed abruptly, showing a hint of urgency, a hint of doubt, and a touch of deliberate aloofness—he had many questions in his mind, but due to his status and the task at hand, he dared not step forward rashly.

In the end, he only gave Shui Rong a deep look, did not go forward to say anything, and turned around and left in a hurry with several Imperial Guards.

Shui Rong watched his retreating figure, a knowing smile flashing in her eyes.

He knew in his heart that Qin Zhongxun must have heard the rumors circulating in the streets—rumors that the Jia family's divorced daughter-in-law, Qin Keqing, was remarkably similar in age and appearance to Qin Wan'er, the missing daughter of Qin Zhongxun, the Minister of War.

This rumor was baseless and Qin Zhongxun certainly wouldn't have believed it at first. But he was so eager to find his daughter that he had searched everywhere over the years and never given up. Now that he heard about this, how could he sit still?

Shui Rong also knew that Qin Zhongxun had secretly investigated the matter and naturally found out that the Jia family originally wanted to fabricate a scandal of incest between Jia Zhen and Qin Keqing. It was he who rescued Qin Keqing and placed her in Cixi Temple, and then the assassination attempt on him occurred.

Now that Qin Zhongxun has been appointed by His Majesty as the temporary commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, in charge of searching the residences of officials, His Majesty already knew a little about his search for his daughter. This appointment is both an reliance on him and a check on him – relying on his abilities, wanting to use him to put pressure on the princes and noble families, and at the same time checking his relationship with the Jia family.

Qin Zhongxun was extremely anxious at this moment, wishing he could go to Cixi Temple immediately to see Qin Keqing and verify her identity. However, due to his status and the current task of searching the mansion, he dared not make contact with her rashly. After all, the Prince of Beijing was of noble status, and as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, if he were to have private contact with her at this time, it would inevitably give others cause for gossip and damage the reputation of both of them.

"The fish has finally taken the bait."

Shui Rong was secretly delighted. This plan wasn't particularly clever to begin with, but it struck right at Qin Zhongxun's weakness—his desperate search for his daughter—leaving him no choice but to take it seriously. With Qin Zhongxun, this key pawn, in the game, the subsequent arrangements would proceed much more smoothly.

Before long, the carriage from the Prince of Beijing's residence was already waiting outside the palace gate.

Upon seeing the water dissolve, the driver quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and helped the man bend over to get into the carriage. Inside, thick felt mats had already been laid out, and the stove was burning brightly, dispelling the winter morning chill.

Shui Rong leaned back on the soft couch, closed her eyes to rest, and a faint smile still lingered on her lips.

This court assembly not only pleased His Majesty and demonstrated loyalty, but also brought Qin Zhongxun, a key pawn, into play, achieving two goals at once.

The carriage moved slowly, its wheels rolling smoothly over the bluestone pavement. He closed his eyes in deep thought, calculating: once back at the Prince's mansion, he needed to pack everything up as quickly as possible. The hidden items in the mansion must not be discovered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

Meanwhile, Qin Zhongxun's carriage was heading in the opposite direction.

Inside the carriage, Qin Zhongxun frowned, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white, his heart filled with anxiety and unease.

My daughter has been missing for many years without a trace. Now that we finally have a clue, we've been caught up in this mansion search mission.

He wanted to verify Qin Keqing's identity as soon as possible, but he dared not disobey the emperor's will, nor did he dare to have private dealings with Prince Bei Jing. He could only suppress his eagerness, complete the search of the mansion first, and then make further plans.

Half an hour later, Shui Rong's carriage slowly arrived at the Prince of Beijing's residence.

As soon as he got out of the car, he walked straight towards the main hall. On the way, he encountered his trusted steward, Zhao Zhong, and solemnly instructed him, "Zhao Zhong, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will definitely be searching the mansion today. You must immediately arrange for someone to clean up any items that shouldn't be there, leaving not a single trace, understand?"

Zhao Zhong's heart skipped a beat, knowing the matter was of utmost importance. He quickly bowed and replied, "This servant understands, Master. Rest assured, this servant will arrange it immediately and will not dare to make the slightest mistake!"

Shui Rong nodded, said no more, and turned to walk quickly toward the hidden secret room in the mansion.

Inside the dark room, a cabinet against the wall contained secret letters from his private investigations into the four major families and the Eastern Palace's power, as well as evidence of his secret training of bodyguards and accounts of money transfers. If these items were discovered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, not only would his plans be exposed, but he would also be accused of "forming private forces and having ulterior motives," with unimaginable consequences.

He lit the fire tinderbox and carefully took out the secret letter and vouchers one by one, throwing them into the fire pit.

The orange flames licked at the paper, gradually turning the hidden writing into ashes. Shui Rong stood by the brazier, watching quietly until all the paper had burned to ashes, before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Outside, Zhao Zhongzheng was methodically arranging various matters: he ordered the maids sent by the Crown Prince to be sent out to the market to buy miscellaneous items for the year-end, away from the scene of the search of the mansion, so as to prevent them from inadvertently revealing the affairs of the mansion.

The other maids and servants in the mansion were all doing their jobs. On the surface, they were calm and normal, busy cleaning the courtyard and tidying up the rooms. But in secret, they were all tidying up and putting away some unimportant items to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.

When Shui Rong emerged from the dark room, Zhao Zhong had already arranged everything in the mansion and was waiting respectfully outside the door.

He nodded, strode towards the main hall, sat on the rosewood chair, picked up the hot tea that the maid had just brewed, took a small sip, and quietly waited for the arrival of the Imperial Guards.

Before long, a series of synchronized footsteps echoed outside the mansion gates, accompanied by the imposing shouts of the Imperial Guards, breaking the tranquility of the palace: "The Imperial Guards are on duty! The Prince of Beijing's mansion, open your gates to receive the imperial decree!"

Shui Rong slowly rose, straightened his robes, and calmly strode out of the main hall, heading towards the gate of the mansion.

Qin Zhongxun was dressed in a scarlet official robe, holding a bright yellow imperial edict. Behind him were dozens of Jinyiwei guards dressed in flying fish robes and wearing embroidered spring knives at their waists. They all stood solemnly in front of the mansion gate.

"Greetings, Lord Qin." Shui Rong bowed slightly, his tone humble and polite, yet still exuding the noble dignity of a prince.

Qin Zhongxun glanced at him with a complex expression. Although he had many doubts and anxieties, he suppressed his emotions and said in a deep voice with a frown, "Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, receive the decree! By His Majesty's oral order, immediately search the Bei Jing Prince's residence. Report immediately any suspicious persons or objects found. No favoritism is allowed! Search!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Imperial Guards behind him filed in and dispersed to search various parts of the Prince's residence.

These Imperial Guards were all shrewd and capable men. Knowing that Prince Bei Jing was a prince whom His Majesty relied on and a hereditary prince with an iron-capped title, with an extremely noble status, they naturally dared not cause any major damage. They simply searched the various parts of the mansion cautiously and only asked the servants a few simple questions about daily affairs, without making things too difficult for them.

Half an hour later, the Imperial Guards who had gone out to search various locations returned to the main hall one after another, all bowing and reporting: "Sir, no suspicious items were found!"

Only one Imperial Guard, carrying an exquisite brocade box, stepped forward quickly, bowed, and reported: "Sir, we found these pieces of jewelry in the residence of several maids sent from the Eastern Palace. Judging from their style and material, they seem to be items commonly used by the Eastern Palace."

Qin Zhongxun took the brocade box and slowly opened it. Inside were indeed several gold hairpins and a pair of jade bracelets, all of which were jewelry made according to the regulations of the Eastern Palace, and there was nothing unusual about them.

He closed the brocade box, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Shui Rong, and said with a hint of apology, "Your Highness, I am here to search your residence on His Majesty's orders. I have no choice in the matter and have disturbed Your Highness's peace and quiet. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

"Mr. Qin, you flatter me."

Shui Rong smiled faintly and raised his hand to indicate that he did not need to be so polite. "Serving the country is the duty of a subject. Even though I am a prince, my residence is no exception. Cooperating with the search and eliminating the kidnappers is what I should do."

The two bowed to each other, and Qin Zhongxun said no more. He turned and ordered the Imperial Guards, "Dismissed!" Then he led the Imperial Guards away.

Watching their figures disappear outside the mansion gate, Shui Rong slowly withdrew his gaze, turned to Zhao Zhong beside him, and asked in a deep voice:

"Those maids sent by the Crown Prince just now, did they say anything wrong when questioned by the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Especially about my relationship with Second Mistress Lian."

Seeing the cold glint in Shui Rong's eyes, Zhao Zhong quickly bowed and replied:

"Your Majesty, we had already made arrangements in advance and repeatedly instructed them not to say anything carelessly. When the Imperial Guards questioned us earlier, someone asked about Your Majesty's relationship with Second Madam Lian. They only said that Your Majesty had been feeling unwell recently, and Second Madam Lian came to the mansion to have her pulse checked and treated. They didn't say anything more and did not reveal anything they shouldn't have."

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong slowly nodded, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

"Yes, well done. This matter only needs to be covered up slightly, there's no need to be too deliberate. Even if His Majesty hears some rumors, it doesn't matter, he might even be pleased."

He knew perfectly well that what His Majesty feared most was the princes and meritorious families forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices, threatening the imperial power.

His involvement with Wang Xifeng, seemingly a violation of the rules for princes, actually disrupted the possibility of an alliance between him and the Jia family, putting His Majesty at ease—after all, the estrangement between princes and meritorious families, and even personal grudges, was most beneficial to the stability of imperial power.

Zhao Zhong understood immediately and bowed, replying, "This servant understands what Master means."

Shui Rong picked up the teacup, took a sip of the warm tea, and a deep light flashed in his eyes.

Qin Zhongxun had already taken the bait, and the Imperial Guards' search of the mansion went smoothly. All the secrets within the mansion had been properly dealt with, leaving no room for further worry.

Next, it's time for Qin Zhongxun to verify Qin Keqing's identity. Once he confirms that Qin Keqing is his long-lost daughter, he will surely be grateful to him. At that time, this pawn can be used for his own purposes.

He only needs to observe the situation and wait for it to develop in the direction he expects.