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

Shui Rong stood at the foot of the main hall steps, gazing in the direction Qin Zhongxun and his entourage had departed. The depth in his eyes had not yet faded as he pondered the future course of events after Qin Zhongxun verified Qin Keqing's identity.

Suddenly, a hearty laugh rang out from outside the mansion gate, carried by the winter chill through the courtyard, the tone carrying a hint of casual familiarity:

"Brother, I heard you want to establish an academy. Your royal brother told me about it a few days ago. Haha, you always have some novel ideas in your head. Today, your royal brother will come to help you!"

Before the words had even faded, a figure had already stepped into the snow.

The newcomer wore a moon-white robe embroidered with gold python patterns, a jade belt around his waist, and stood tall and straight like bamboo. His face was exceptionally handsome, and although he was a man, he possessed a captivating and alluring charm. He was none other than Prince Murong Zhao of Ping'an County.

He is half a generation older than Shui Rong and slightly older. Although he seems to be leisurely, he has more composure than Shui Rong, having experienced the ups and downs of the court.

Shui Rong's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm. He quickly straightened his robes, rose, and stepped forward to bow in greeting, his tone respectful yet measured.

"Greetings, Brother Wang. Shui Rong greets you, Brother Wang."

He never expected that Murong Zhao would visit at this moment, and so quickly—it was no coincidence that Murong Zhao arrived right after Qin Zhongxun finished searching the mansion.

Murong Zhao walked a few steps to the corridor of the main hall, raised his hand to help him up, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against Shui Rong's wrist. His gaze swept over the servants coming and going in the mansion with a half-smile, his tone casual:

"Brother, there's no need for such formalities. Just now, Elder Qin led the Imperial Guards to my Ping'an Prince's residence. Naturally, I dared not interfere with the imperial envoy, so I obediently allowed them to search the entire place. I heard that they had just left your Bei Jing Prince's residence, so I took the opportunity to stop by for a moment and have a chat with you."

These words, though seemingly casual, were actually quite pointed—they both indicated that he had already cooperated with the search of the government and sent a "synchronized" signal to Shui Rong, and also implied that the two of them were both targets of the search and were in similar situations.

"Brother Wang is too kind. My humble abode is simple and unassuming. It is an honor to have you grace it with your presence."

Shui Rong stepped aside to lead him inside, then turned to Zhao Zhong, who was standing to the side, and said in a deep voice, "Zhao Zhong, serve tea."

"Yes, Master."

Zhao Zhong bowed in agreement and gestured to the maid behind him.

Before long, two maids slowly approached with a tea tray. The teacups were made of top-quality official kiln porcelain, and the tea soup was clear and green. The rising steam dispelled some of the chill. They were placed steadily on the table.

After Murong Zhao sat down, Shui Rong picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and spoke first, his tone carrying a deliberate humility:

"The establishment of this academy is largely thanks to my elder brother's concern and my brother's willingness to lend a hand. To be honest, I have never handled such a task before. If it weren't for my brother's help, I would have been completely overwhelmed and wouldn't have known where to begin."

He deliberately feigned weakness, both to test Murong Zhao's intentions and to lull the other party into a false sense of security—after all, His Majesty's sudden involvement of the idle Murong Zhao in this matter was by no means a simple act of "helping."

Upon hearing this, Murong Zhao chuckled softly, his fingertips tracing the rim of the teacup, a profound meaning flashing in his bewitching eyes: "What's so difficult about that? My dear brother, you're just being too formal."

"Later, you will come with me directly to the palace and ask the Emperor for an imperial edict. Then this matter will be perfectly legitimate, and who will dare to stop us? As for the location, in my opinion, it should be at the foot of the capital city. It will be safe and show the Emperor's high regard for it."

"However, the case of the missing child is still unresolved, and the situation in the court is delicate. This matter needs to be put on hold for now. It will not be too late to deal with it after the case is closed."

His words, seemingly all for Shui Rong's benefit, actually hit the nail on the head—the imperial edict was a powerful sword that could restrain powerful and influential families;

The location chosen near the capital city serves both as protection and surveillance; mentioning the case is a reminder to Shui Rong that the most important thing right now is to stabilize the situation and not to be distracted.

Shui Rong understood, but showed gratitude on his face and nodded, saying, "Brother Wang is absolutely right. I was overthinking it. However, as an official of the Imperial Guard, even though it is a sinecure, I imagine you must have a lot of trivial matters to attend to. I feel bad for going to such lengths to help me."

He deliberately mentioned the position of "Imperial Guard" to test Murong Zhao's reaction—everyone knows that the position of Imperial Guard is just a sinecure, but as a prince, how could His Majesty really let Murong Zhao only be in charge of trivial matters of ceremonial guard? Behind this is clearly surveillance and checks and balances.

Upon hearing this, Murong Zhao suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter carrying a hint of self-mockery and a touch of enlightenment: "Haha, my brother certainly knows how to joke."

"I'm just a nobody. Every day, besides going to the palace for a free meal, I visit various princes and noble families to get a drink. What trivial matters do I have? As you know, my brother has always doted on me and couldn't bear to let me work hard, so he gave me this idle position to relieve my boredom."

"Now that you've come up with such a great idea as establishing an academy, I can lend a hand, so it won't be a waste of time."

He spoke of it casually, but Shui Rong was well aware of the deeper meaning behind it.

His Majesty sent Murong Zhao to "help" on the surface, out of consideration for his younger brother and support for the younger generation, but in reality, he sent a pair of eyes to keep an eye on his every move. Establishing an academy may seem like a matter of education, but it can secretly win over scholars from poor families and win over the sons of noble families. How could His Majesty trust him to handle it alone?

Murong Zhao's arrival is His Majesty's measure of checks and balances, serving as both oversight and a warning.

Shui Rong suppressed the turmoil in her heart, a faint smile appearing on her face. She neither exposed nor agreed, but simply said:

"Since you say so, Brother Wang, then I am relieved. However, I suppose your visit today wasn't solely to discuss the academy and the search of the residence?"

The smile on Murong Zhao's face gradually faded, and a sharp glint flashed in his bewitching eyes. He picked up the teacup, drank the tea in one gulp, and slammed the bottom of the cup heavily on the table, making a crisp sound that broke the tranquility of the main hall.

He looked up at Shui Rong, his tone becoming heavier, carrying a hint of a heartfelt secret:

"My dear brother, you are indeed wise; nothing can be hidden from you. To tell you the truth, I came here today simply to see you."

"We are both members of the imperial family, with the blood of the imperial family flowing in our veins. But what about now? Although my elder brother outwardly trusts us, he is secretly wary of us princes and dukes, regarding us as thorns in his side."

He paused, then changed the subject, lowering his voice even further, each word piercing the heart: "I can sense that your intentions are not pure; you are definitely not just looking to establish an academy."

"That's good. After all, the emperor has never truly trusted us members of the imperial clan. No matter how indulgent or trusting he seems to me on the surface, it doesn't change the fact that he's wary of the imperial clan and wants to weaken our power."

These two sentences are extremely bold, directly pointing to the suspicion of imperial power and the predicament of the imperial clan. They are not only Murong Zhao's own feelings, but also a test and attempt to win over Shui Rong.

Shui Rong was deeply shaken, but her face remained calm and composed. She neither answered nor denied the turmoil in her eyes, but simply lowered her gaze slightly to conceal the turmoil within them, and said in a calm tone:

"Brother Wang, you flatter me. The case of the missing child is the most important matter at the moment. We need not worry about other things for now. Brother Wang, the roads are slippery in the snow and it is still early. Please be careful on your way back."

He deliberately avoided Murong Zhao's probing, neither allying with him nor becoming his enemy, maintaining a delicate distance.

Seeing his expression, Murong Zhao's eyes flashed with understanding. She said nothing more, rose, straightened her robes, and bowed slightly to Shui Rong. Her tone returned to its previous nonchalant manner, yet carried a hint of ambiguity:

"Very well, I'll leave it at that. It's good that you understand. Shui Rong, after this case is over, we can discuss the academy in more detail, and also other things. I have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

"Take care, Your Highness." Shui Rong also stood up to return the greeting. The two bowed respectfully, their movements displaying the majesty of princes of the imperial family, yet concealing an unknown test and contest.

Watching Murong Zhao's figure disappear into the snow and vanish outside the mansion gate, Shui Rong's calm gradually faded, and her eyes surged with an unquenchable resentment and coldness.

Murong Zhao's words struck his deepest sore spot—the imperial family members, though seemingly noble, were in reality nothing more than appendages of imperial power, their every move under the emperor's surveillance.

His Majesty appointed Murong Zhao to oversee him and Qin Zhongxun to check the powerful families. The court is full of scheming and traps.

He picked up the cold tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp. The chilly tea slid down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.

He knew that Murong Zhao's visit today was both a test and an attempt to win him over, but he was also well aware of the Prince of Ping'an's loyalty to the emperor.

The plight of the imperial clan members gave them a common enemy, but he also knew that Murong Zhao was no pushover, and forming an alliance with him would be tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin.

At present, the only way to stabilize the situation, investigate the case of the missing child, use Qin Zhongxun to restrain the four major families and the power of the Eastern Palace, and secretly accumulate strength through the academy incident, is to gain a foothold in this turbulent court and avoid being swallowed up by the imperial power and various forces.