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

After days of instruction, Shui Rong, who was naturally gifted, grasped concepts very quickly.

In addition, Lin Ruhai's explanations were meticulous, with every word and sentence fitting the context of everyday life in the Jiangnan region.

Within a few days, Shui Rong had mastered the Jiangzhe dialect and gang slang to perfection, and his daily conversations were so fluent that not a trace of his northern accent could be heard.

Seeing this scene, Lin Ruhai felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

He had spent half his life navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, witnessing countless powerful princes and nobles, but he had never encountered one so humble, studious, and utterly devoid of arrogance.

Over time, the bond between the father-in-law and son-in-law grew stronger.

The servants and guards in the mansion all recognized Lord Lin, who frequently visited the Prince's mansion, and they all greeted him respectfully.

That afternoon, the study in the Prince's mansion was warm and cozy, with the silver charcoal burning brightly and freshly brewed pre-rain Longjing tea on the table, its steam rising gently.

Shui Rong took a sip of tea, looked up at Lin Ruhai opposite him, and casually asked:

"Father-in-law, where do you plan to spend the New Year this year? At the Jia residence, or back at the Lin residence?"

Lin Ruhai put down his teacup, his fingertips gently tracing the rim, a knowing glint in his eyes, and slowly said:

"I understand Rong'er's feelings. However, Daiyu is still unmarried, and it is improper for men and women to spend the New Year at the Prince's Mansion."

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong waved his hand dismissively, his tone casual:

"What's the harm? If my father-in-law is staying at the Lin residence, I'll go there to celebrate the New Year with you."

"If we were at the Jia family mansion, I would prepare generous gifts and pay a visit. After all, I would be accompanying my father-in-law and Daiyu."

Lin Ruhai stroked the three strands of white beard under his chin, and suddenly laughed, his tone somewhat teasing:

"Enough, Your Highness, there's no need to go to such trouble."

"I've heard that Your Highness has a close relationship with a woman named Qin Keqing. Does Your Highness not plan to spend the New Year with her?"

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong paused slightly in her teacup, looked up and met Lin Ruhai's ambiguous smile, and her ears turned slightly red.

He hurriedly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked somewhat awkwardly, "Father-in-law, how...how did you know?"

"Ha ha."

Lin Ruhai laughed loudly, "It was Daiyu who told me. She said that the prince saved Miss Qin, and the two fell in love with each other."

He shifted his tone slightly, his voice becoming increasingly serious.

"Ru Hai is not a pedantic person. He knows that since the prince is in the royal family, there are bound to be other people around him, so he has no objection."

"But as you know, Daiyu has been taught by me since she was a child to be independent and proud, and she always cherishes the idea of ​​being with one person for life."

"When she talked to me about this a few days ago, her eyes were full of sadness and she seemed depressed."

Lin Ruhai paused, looking calmly at Shui Rong, his words perfectly tactful, subtly revealing Daiyu's thoughts while offering a suggestion without leaving a trace:

"Ru Hai thought, since that's the case, why not find an opportunity to let the two women meet, get to know each other, and resolve their differences? That way, if they live together in the same household in the future, they can get along harmoniously."

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong was taken aback, then nodded solemnly, his tone sincere:

"Father-in-law is right. I didn't think it through. They should have been allowed to meet."

"But Qin Keqing is currently praying at Cining Temple, so it is not convenient for us to meet for the time being. Let's wait until after the New Year and find a suitable time."

He pondered for a moment, then looked at Lin Ruhai with a firm gaze.

"Father-in-law, apart from this matter which I need to make some arrangements for and cannot agree to immediately, please feel free to make any other conditions, and I will comply with them all."

Lin Ruhai gave a soft "hmm," slowly stood up, his expression calm:

"Although my Lin family is not a prestigious family, it is not a small or insignificant one either. There are still some rules and requirements that should be followed when our children get married."

"For example, the most basic dowry and betrothal gifts, I will discuss them in detail with the steward of the Prince's Mansion. We will make sure that we do not overstep the bounds and that Daiyu is not wronged."

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong smiled and stood up, gesturing for him to proceed, her tone carrying a hint of mystery:

"Father-in-law, please wait a moment. I'll show you some things, and you'll understand my feelings about this marriage. It's not a trivial matter."

With that, Shui Rong led Lin Ruhai out of the study.

Passing through the layers of pavilions, towers, and carved beams and painted corridors of the Prince's Mansion, we arrived at an extremely secluded courtyard in the northwest corner of the mansion.

This courtyard differed from others in its elegance; eight heavily armored soldiers stood outside the gate.

They were all clad in dark steel armor inlaid with the inscriptions of the Prince of Bei Jing's mansion, wielding long spears that gleamed with a cold light. Their postures were as upright as pine trees, and their faces were solemn.

Even their breathing was rhythmic and synchronized. Upon seeing Shui Rong approach, the eight men knelt on one knee in unison, their voices booming like bells: "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Get up.

Shui Rong raised his hand slightly, his tone calm, yet exuding an air of authority.

Lin Ruhai stood aside, secretly astonished.

The guards in this courtyard are so tight that they are far more numerous than those elsewhere in the Prince's residence.

Judging from the equipment and imposing presence of these guards, they are no ordinary protectors, but rather the most elite personal guards of the Prince's mansion. Anything guarded by such a large number of people must be extremely valuable.

Upon entering the courtyard, one is greeted by a simple and imposing main house. The sandalwood door is carved with a pattern of a hundred beasts paying homage to the phoenix, and the bronze door knockers are gilded and inlaid with jade.

The door creaked loudly when it was pushed open.

At first glance, the room is nothing special, with only a few antique display shelves, on which are displayed various official kiln porcelains and ancient bronze vases. Each piece is a treasure, but it is not particularly shocking.

Lin Ruhai was wondering to himself when he saw Shui Rong walk to the innermost display shelf.

Reach out and grasp a celadon-glazed white dragon-patterned plum vase, gently rotate it three times in a specific order, and then push it half an inch to the left.

With a soft "click," a slight whirring sound came from the floor inside the room, as if a mechanism was turning.

The display shelf slowly moved to one side, revealing a hidden ebony door, from which a soft, faint light shone.

Shui Rong pushed open the hidden door and turned to Lin Ruhai, saying, "Father-in-law, please come in."

Filled with curiosity and surprise, Lin Ruhai stepped into the hidden door. As soon as he entered...

He was stunned by the sight before him, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he even subconsciously slowed his breathing.

This was no ordinary secret room; it was a treasure pavilion paved with luminous pearls!

The four walls and the dome above were inlaid with luminous pearls of varying sizes, some as round as a fist, others as delicate as a pigeon's egg.

Each pearl is a high-quality deep-sea gem, emitting a soft, luminous white glow that is gentle yet not dazzling.

The entire secret room was illuminated in perfect detail, revealing even the texture of the Hetian jade floor tiles.

As the soft light shimmered, the room was filled with dazzling jewels, so bright it was mesmerizing. Even the imperial palace's treasure vaults could hardly compare.

In the center of the secret room were dozens of carved wooden boxes, all made of the finest Phoebe zhennan wood, with lotus scroll patterns carved on their surfaces.

The clasps are all made of pure gold and inlaid with rubies.

Shui Rong stepped forward, gently lifted the black velvet curtain in front of her, then opened several wooden boxes one by one, turning to Lin Ruhai with a smile:

"Father-in-law, please take a look."

Lin Ruhai walked slowly forward and looked down. He saw that inside the wooden box, there were neatly stacked silver ingots, each worth fifty taels of official silver. They were gleaming silver, layer upon layer, filling the huge wooden box to the brim.

Inside the other wooden box were pure gold ingots, including horseshoe-shaped gold ingots and pure gold ingots, as well as various gold-inlaid jade ornaments, gold ruyi scepters, and gold ingots, all dazzlingly bright and blinding.

Inside several wooden crates were stacked more than a dozen sets of exquisite and beautiful clothing, all made of rare Yun brocade, Shu brocade, and Hangzhou silk, with exquisite embroidery.

Shui Rong reached out and stroked one of the moon-white brocade dresses embroidered with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, her tone gentle:

"These clothes were all hand-embroidered by my mother before she passed away. There are nine sets in total, and each one is a work of her heart and soul."

"My mother came from a scholarly family in Jiangnan, and her embroidery skills were unparalleled in the capital. These clothes were originally prepared by her for her future daughter-in-law. Now they are given to Daiyu, which can be considered as fulfilling her wishes."

Lin Ruhai stood in the glittering secret room, speechless for a long time.

Having spent a long time in officialdom, he had witnessed the extravagance of the imperial court and the wealth of aristocratic families. The Lin family was also a prominent clan in Suzhou, and their household possessed many treasures.

But I have never seen such a shocking wealth.

The wealth of the Prince of Beijing's mansion had reached such a level—a secret chamber guarded by elite personal guards, filled with luminous pearls, piles of gold and silver, rare jade, and such precious family heirlooms.

This was far beyond what those dukes and other princes could offer, and he also knew that this was merely Daiyu's dowry.

Given that Shui Rong is such a sentimental person, he must have prepared gifts for his other concubines and other people. Just the gifts he gave out were more than dozens of Lin families could match.

His heart was churning, and a hundred thoughts raced through his mind.

At first, although he acknowledged Shui Rong's talent and character, he was also secretly worried that his daughter would be mistreated after marrying into the royal family because of Daiyu's desire for a lifelong, monogamous relationship.

Also, because Shui Rong had Qin Keqing by his side, he was afraid that Daiyu would be lonely and helpless in the mansion in the future;

She even secretly wondered how much confidence the Prince of Beijing's mansion could truly provide for Daiyu, despite its prestigious status as a prince.

But after seeing everything in the Thousand Treasures Pavilion today, and seeing Shui Rong so frankly displaying the most secret and precious treasures of the Prince's Mansion to him, all of Lin Ruhai's worries vanished.

Shui Rong's move was by no means a display of wealth, but rather an unveiling of its true strengths.

Show him how much you value this marriage, and promise him that you will ensure Daiyu has a dignified marriage, a respectable life, and enough confidence in the Prince's mansion.

These gold, silver, and jade stones were Daiyu's betrothal gifts and her reliance;

Those nine sets of hand-embroidered clothes were a token of Shui Rong's mother's affection and her recognition of Daiyu.

Such dedication and sincerity are something even an ordinary son-in-law might not be able to achieve.

Moreover, the Prince of Beijing's mansion has such great wealth and power, which means that after Daiyu marries into the family, she will definitely live a life of luxury and carefree happiness.

Such unfathomable resources were enough to protect Daiyu, ensuring that even if there were other people in the household in the future, no one would dare to bully her easily.

Lin Ruhai raised his hand to stroke his beard, the shock in his eyes gradually turning into relief, and a touch of emotion.

Looking at the calm and composed Shui Rong before him, he became even more certain that he had not misjudged him. Even if Daiyu could not have a lifelong, monogamous relationship with him, she would surely be well cared for and live a peaceful life.

He nodded slowly, his voice tinged with emotion: "Your Highness is too kind. It is Daiyu's good fortune to be treated this way by Your Highness."

Shui Rong smiled and shook his head, then closed the wooden box.

"Father-in-law, you flatter me. Daiyu deserves the best of everything in the world. These things are just a drop in the ocean. I will protect her for the rest of my life and make sure she lives a comfortable and carefree life in the Prince's Mansion."

Inside the secret room, the faint light of the luminous pearl flowed quietly, illuminating the figures of the father-in-law and son-in-law, and the air was filled with trust and tacit understanding.

After this incident, Lin Ruhai was completely at ease about Shui Rong, and the relationship between the two, father-in-law and son-in-law, became even deeper and more unbreakable because of this honesty and sincerity.