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

Moreover, he had heard that Shui Rong had recently presented the Crown Prince with a method called "gambling," which was said to be very profitable and had relieved the Crown Prince of many financial difficulties.

If Shui Rong truly had ulterior motives, why would he so readily hand over such a lucrative opportunity?

He realized he was overthinking things; he simply wanted to know which people and events to keep an eye on after heading south, so as to successfully complete the imperial mission.

Thinking this way, the weight on his heart eased slightly, but another concern surged up, making it hard for him to breathe.

He slowly turned around, walked to the table, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp. The coolness of the tea could not suppress the heat in his heart.

Although Shui Rong was a good match, Daiyu would become the principal wife of the Prince of Bei Jing's mansion after marrying him, enjoying wealth, honor, and a stable life.

Daiyu and Jia Baoyu had known each other since childhood and shared a deep affection.

Although the two families did not openly agree to a child marriage, Grandmother Jia doted on Daiyu, and Lady Wang never objected. Relatives and friends in the capital all tacitly approved of the marriage.

Now that he has signed a marriage contract with Prince Bei Jing, how could the Jia family not have any resentment?

If she offends the Jia family because of this, Daiyu will lose an important support in the capital.

Moreover, upon arriving in the capital today, he first visited the Jia family to pay respects to Jia Lian.

The sudden departure of Jia Lian was a devastating blow to the already declining Jia family, which was now facing even greater hardship.

He kowtowed before the Jia family's spirit tablet, his heart filled with countless emotions. However, because he was in a hurry to come to the Prince of Beijing's mansion to finalize Daiyu's marriage, he did not even get to see Daiyu's face, which made him feel even more guilty.

I wonder if Daiyu is willing or unwilling about this marriage?

She is sensitive and loyal. If she had Baoyu in her heart, how could she have been willing to marry into the royal family?

Lin Ruhai stroked the edge of the table, his eyes filled with the worries of a father. If Daiyu was unwilling, he would risk his old life to resign from Shui Rong's position and would never let his daughter suffer the slightest grievance.

If Daiyu is willing, then everyone will be happy, and he will be able to put this matter to rest.

On one side is the daughter's lifelong happiness, on the other is the family's stable future, on one side is the affection of the Jia family, and on the other is the power of the Prince of Beijing's mansion.

Countless thoughts swirled in my mind, a tangled mess that I couldn't untangle.

Lin Ruhai sat at the table, gazing at the moonlight outside the window, remaining silent for a long time. It wasn't until midnight that he lay back in bed, his heart filled with turmoil. He tossed and turned for a long time before finally drifting off to sleep amidst deep contemplation.

That night, in the study and the west wing of the Prince's mansion, two lights shone, and two thoughts swirled, both concerning the Jiangnan region after the New Year and the betrothal they were about to have.

As dawn broke, the chilly morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the rising sun in the east was shrouded in a thin fog, its warmth tinged with a hint of shivering.

Lin Ruhai pushed open the door to the west wing, his clothes damp with morning dew, and looked up to see Shui Rong standing under the eaves waiting.

The young man wore a moon-white brocade robe, a jade belt around his waist, and his black hair was tied up with a jade crown. His features were exceptionally handsome.

The morning light fell on his sharply defined profile, making him appear even more gentle than the cold morning sun.

He stood tall and straight, his hands clasped behind his back. Seeing Lin Ruhai emerge, he immediately stepped forward, a perfectly measured smile playing on his lips, his tone both respectful and affectionate:

"Father-in-law, did you rest well last night?"

"Today I will personally escort you to the palace. After you finish your report to the Emperor, we can discuss my marriage to Daiyu and give her a proper status as soon as possible."

Lin Ruhai's gaze fell on Shui Rong, sizing up this son-in-law he was increasingly accepting. A gentle expression appeared on his lean face.

He raised his hand and made a slight gesture, then said, "Rong-ge'er, there's no need for you to trouble yourself. You can go to the Jia residence first and have the women there fetch Daiyu, and then we can all go to the palace together."

"As for me, you can have someone take me there later, so there's no need to delay your business."

He had his own considerations. Since Daiyu was staying at the Jia family mansion, and the Prince of Bei Jing's mansion had sent someone to pick her up, it was only proper to first pay respects to the elders, such as Grandmother Jia, to ensure proper etiquette.

It would be more legitimate for Daiyu to leave the mansion, and it would also allow the women of the Jia family to see Daiyu's status as a future princess, so that they would not dare to treat her lightly in the future.

A knowing glint flashed in Shui Rong's eyes. Lin Ruhai was being considerate of him, taking into account both Daiyu's dignity and the Jia family's reputation.

He nodded slightly, his smile deepening, and said earnestly, "Yes, father-in-law."

Having said that, he turned to look at Zhao Zhong, who stood behind him with his hands at his sides, and gave the order.

"Zhao Zhong, you will personally escort your father-in-law to the palace."

"Father-in-law, breakfast has been prepared in the carriage. It's all warm, so you can have a little something to eat on the journey."

Zhao Zhong bowed and replied, "This servant obeys the decree."

Lin Ruhai looked at Shui Rong and saw that he had thought of everything so thoroughly, even preparing breakfast for the journey, without a trace of the arrogance of a noble prince.

His satisfaction deepened, and the look in his eyes softened further. He nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

The two walked side by side toward the gate of the Prince's Mansion. Their footsteps were light and slow in the morning mist. They did not speak a word, but there was no awkwardness.

Upon reaching the main gate, two elegantly decorated carriages were already waiting nearby, their curtains embroidered with understated cloud patterns, clearly indicating the style of a royal residence.

Shui Rong personally stepped forward, took Lin Ruhai's arm, and carefully helped him into the car, his movements respectful and steady.

The moment their eyes met, Lin Ruhai's eyes held a hint of relief after the initial probing, while his watery eyes concealed a knowing smile.

Last night's idle chatter and suspicions were not spoken aloud, yet there seemed to be a tacit understanding flowing between them, with everything left unsaid.

Only after the carriage slowly drove away and disappeared from sight did Shui Rong withdraw her gaze, a gentle smile still playing on her lips.

But his eyes held a deeper look. He raised his hand to stroke the corner of his sleeve and murmured to himself, "My dear father-in-law, you mustn't let me down."

His tone contained both expectations for Lin Ruhai and a subtle, almost imperceptible, desire for control—he knew Lin Ruhai must have tossed and turned all night.

The suspicion, though faint, was real, and what he wanted was his father-in-law's complete trust and support.

Pulling herself back to reality, Shui Rong turned around and announced loudly, "Qin Zhong."

Qin Zhong strode forward and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate is here."

"You will come with me to the Jia family mansion to pay our respects to Grandmother Jia and the rest of the family."

As Shui Rong spoke, his gaze swept over the servants in front of the mansion gate, and he added, "Prepare two carriages, lest we be impolite."

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Mama standing to the side. This nanny was his mother's personal attendant before her death. She had served his mother for decades and was loyal to her. She was also one of his confidantes.

When Shui Rong looked at her, her eyes became more serious: "Zhang Mama, take a few reliable maids with you and come with me to the Jia Mansion to fetch Miss Lin. We cannot be careless about etiquette in the slightest, understand?"

Granny Zhang was a kind-faced but capable old woman. Upon hearing this, she bowed and replied, "This old servant understands."

Shui Rong nodded slightly, inwardly admiring him—he had been thinking of going directly to pick up Daiyu, completely forgetting the rules of feudal etiquette.

An unmarried woman must never ride in the same carriage as a man from another country. Last time, he impulsively carried her into the carriage, which was already impolite. He must not repeat this mistake.

This wicked set of etiquette, though restrictive, must be obeyed, otherwise it would only invite gossip for Daiyu.

Then, Zhang Mama turned around and instructed the women behind her to bring over the clothes and jewelry that had been prepared in advance—all of which were prepared according to the regulations for a future princess. The fabric was the finest brocade, embroidered with lotus patterns, and the headdress included a gold and kingfisher feather hairpin, pearl earrings, and a mutton fat jade hairpin. Each piece was exquisite, yet understated.

Then, she took stock of the manpower and arranged four carriages:

One carriage was for Shui Rong and Qin Zhong, another carried Zhang Mama and her maids, and the other two contained Daiyu's clothes and jewelry, as well as gifts prepared for the women of the Jia family.

Seeing that Granny Zhang was handling things in an orderly manner, Shui Rong acquiesced to her arrangements.

Before long, four carriages were ready, and the drivers were all old servants of the Prince's mansion, reliable and dependable.

Shui Rong looked up in the direction of the Jia family mansion, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes, and the smile on her lips softened a little—soon, she would be able to see Daiyu, paving the way for their future marriage and journey south.

"Let's go." Shui Rong climbed onto the front carriage, her voice steady.

The carriage moved slowly, its wheels making a soft sound as they rolled over the bluestone pavement, heading towards the Rongguo Mansion.