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

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the room responded and took their seats obediently. The melodious music of string and wind instruments resumed in the main hall, and amidst the clinking of glasses, everyone engaged in insincere pleasantries.

Qin Keqing sat awkwardly behind Prince Bei Jing, her fingertips clutching the hem of her skirt. Her eyes would occasionally rise timidly to steal glances at Grandmother Jia and the others in the main seats, her expression full of unease.

Jia Lian remained silent throughout. He knew Jia Zhen's character all too well. Since Prince Bei Jing had brought Qin Keqing to the banquet, the Jia family members could not say much and simply lowered their eyes to drink their wine.

Shui Rong sat upright at the table, his black sable coat making his face appear even more aloof. His fingertips gently caressed the rim of his cup, but the burning flame in his heart had not been extinguished.

His gaze swept over the various expressions on everyone's faces, a subtle, enigmatic smile curving his lips as he pondered silently for a moment.

After a moment, Shui Rong slowly stood up, his posture as upright as a pine tree. Ignoring the various gazes cast upon him, he walked straight toward Grandmother Jia, who was in the main seat.

Halfway there, without turning his head, he called out softly, "Spicy Phoenix."

The title carried a hint of casualness, yet it exuded an undeniable authority.

Wang Xifeng was dealing with the greetings and questions from the ladies at the banquet. What exactly happened at Tianxiang Tower?

She gave a reluctant reply, deliberately swaying her voluptuous waist.

Her full breasts swayed as she walked, drawing the stares of many men.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

She walked to Shui Rong's side, her voice extremely low, with a hint of deliberate sweetness, but her eyes glared at him with unyielding resentment.

Shui Rong didn't look at her, but went straight to Grandmother Jia, picked up the celadon teacup on the table, pinched the handle with his fingertips, and spoke in a very soft voice, so soft that only the three of them could hear it:

"Grandma, today's events had nothing to do with the Jia family, but because I disrupted the banquet, Master Zhen was implicated. I feel very ashamed."

As soon as she finished speaking, Grandmother Jia suddenly reached out and tightly grasped Shui Rong's wrist.

Her fingers were slightly thin and withered, yet they carried a hint of urgent warmth. A loving smile graced her face, but deep within her eyes lay an undisguised helplessness and heaviness.

"Rong-ge'er, you're being too polite."

"Back when your mother was alive, she often brought you to visit relatives at our house. We've been family for a long time, so how can there be any connection?"

She gently patted Shui Rong's hand, her tone becoming increasingly gentle, yet unable to conceal her anxious dilemma.

"Your safety is the most important thing, nothing else matters."

These words, seemingly out of concern, were in fact a mix of distancing themselves from the situation and subtly expressing closeness. They showed a fear of offending the powerful prince, while also worrying that the assassination attempt might backfire on them.

Shui Rong deeply understood the helplessness and scheming of that wealthy matriarch.

As for Wang Xifeng, who already harbored resentment towards Shui Rong, she leaned slightly forward, her soft chest almost brushing against Shui Rong's arm, and spoke in a very low voice.

"In my opinion, the prince has probably stayed in Liaodong for too long and picked up some rough habits, and has even developed a habit of lust at the sight of a beautiful woman."

"If it weren't for Qin's alluring figure and delicate appearance, how could I have gotten myself involved in the troubles of Tianxiang Tower?"

"In the end, he was blinded by the woman."

She has always been audacious and outspoken. Relying on Grandmother Jia's favor, she speaks without any restraint, even daring to speak like that to Prince Bei Jing.

After saying that, she deliberately puffed out her chest, the skin exposed at her neckline dazzling the eye, but her eyes were full of provocative light.

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong's expression remained unchanged; he simply shook his head slowly without replying.

He knew Wang Xifeng's personality; she was sharp-tongued and mean, yet she couldn't hide her thoughts, so there was no need to argue with her.

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia glared at Wang Xifeng and scolded her in a low voice:

"Feng girl, stop talking nonsense! How dare you joke about the Prince?"

Wang Xifeng pursed her lips, unwilling but not daring to say anything more. She simply twisted her waist and retreated to the side, her eyes still fixed on Qin Keqing with disdain.

Just then, a slightly unsteady sound of footsteps came from the doorway.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Jia Zhen being helped in by two servants.

His face was pale, his left eye was bruised, and his mouth was still swollen and red, clearly indicating that he had suffered a great deal. His brocade robe was also stained with some dust, and his former arrogance was nowhere to be seen.

As the host of this banquet, even though he was injured, he had to be there to maintain appearances; otherwise, if word got out, the Ningguo Mansion would be utterly disgraced.

Jia Zhen, forcing himself to remain calm, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to the people at the table, his voice hoarse:

"Please forgive me, everyone. I was feeling unwell earlier and missed the banquet. I hope you will all understand."

He already knew it perfectly well.

When he was escorted to his bedroom by the guards, someone had already quietly told him the whole story—Prince Bei Jing had deliberately set up the assassination plot to cover up his scandalous affair with Qin Keqing.

Although this is a stopgap measure, it is also the best solution.

He secretly calculated in his heart:

Rather than letting the scandal of incest between the father-in-law and daughter-in-law spread throughout the capital and become a laughing stock for the founding meritorious family, it would be better to go with the flow, claim that they were attacked by foreign assassins, grab an insignificant foreigner to take the blame, and that would be the end of it.

As for Qin Keqing, Jia Zhen also had a plan in mind.

He knew that his son Jia Rong was weak and incompetent and was not worthy of such a beautiful woman. Since he could not have her himself, he might as well give her to Prince Bei Jing.

Firstly, it would be good to curry favor with this powerful prince and solidify the relationship between the Jia family and the Prince of Beijing's mansion.

Secondly, it can completely cover up today's scandal and preserve the reputation of the Ningguo Mansion.

He had already devised a plan: he only needed to inform the Emperor that Qin Keqing's birth chart was extremely compatible with Shui Rong's, and that he would allow her to go to a temple outside the city to pray for Shui Rong's well-being in order to repay the life-saving grace.

As for the letter of divorce, for a large family like the Jia family, it was just a piece of paper, easy to obtain.

By then, Qin Keqing would have become Prince Bei Jing's woman, and naturally, no one would dare to mention what happened today.

Thinking of this, Jia Zhen's gaze toward Qin Keqing became more complicated, but then turned resolute.

He forced himself to walk to the table, bowed respectfully to Shui Rong, and spoke in a deferential tone:

"Thank you for saving me today, Your Highness. If it weren't for you, I would probably be dead already."

Shui Rong looked up at him, her gaze indifferent: "Master Zhen is a lucky man, no need for thanks. Now that you're back, let the banquet continue."

Jia Zhen readily agreed and sat down in an empty seat, but his gaze unconsciously drifted toward Qin Keqing.

Qin Keqing was hanging her head, her long eyelashes concealing the emotions in her eyes, and the outline of her large breasts was faintly visible under her plain clothes, making her look even more delicate and helpless.

She felt Jia Zhen's gaze, her whole body trembled slightly, and a sense of unease welled up in her heart, but she didn't know what to do.

Grandmother Jia saw all of this and sighed inwardly.

How could she not know Jia Zhen's thoughts, and understand Qin Keqing's situation? But faced with the honor and disgrace of the family and the power of the people, she could only choose to acquiesce.

After all, the Jia family is no longer as glorious as it once was, and can only barely make a living by relying on Prince Bei Jing.

Just as the atmosphere at the banquet was easing, King Chungshun suddenly put down his wine cup, clapped his hands lightly, and the crisp sound echoed throughout the main hall.

A half-smile played on his lips as his gaze swept over everyone at the table, finally settling on Shui Rong. His tone held a hint of playful probing:

"Brother Wang, you truly have remarkable composure. You remained calm and collected even when faced with an assassination attempt, which I greatly admire."

"But who exactly is this assassin targeting?"

"Is it your immense power, Brother Chong, or the unsavory secrets that the Ningguo Mansion cannot conceal?"

These words were pointed and piercing, instantly pointing the finger at the affair between Qin Keqing and Jia Zhen, like a sharp knife piercing through the false tranquility of the gathering.

The music in the main hall abruptly stopped, and the atmosphere froze instantly, becoming so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

Grandmother Jia's face darkened slightly, her fingers gripping the silk handkerchief tightly until her knuckles turned white. She cursed Prince Zhongshun's treachery in her heart, yet she was helpless.

Wang Xifeng also restrained her previous spoiled manner, a hint of fear flashed in her eyes, and she subconsciously shrank her neck, not daring to speak easily again.

Qin Keqing trembled all over, her head drooping even lower, almost burying her face in her clothes. Her thin shoulders trembled slightly, and her weak and helpless appearance made her even more pitiful.

Shui Rong's eyes turned cold, and his aura instantly intensified. He raised his eyes to look at Prince Zhongshun, a chilling smile curving his lips, his tone carrying an undeniable air of authority:

"What you say, my brother, is quite interesting. Could it be that you already know some inside information? Or is the assassin's background related to you, my brother?"

With a single rhetorical question, the ball was kicked back, carrying an invisible sharpness.

A seemingly peaceful banquet was thrown into turmoil by these few words.

The probing and clashes between various forces intensified, and an invisible tension filled the air.

Qin Keqing, caught in the middle, was like a helpless duckweed, unable to control her own destiny in the vortex of power, unaware of where her fate would ultimately lead.