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

Shui Rong held a celadon wine cup, her gaze fixed on Zhu Changjun, a faint smile playing on her lips.

On the surface, Prince Zhu Changjun of Qin appeared unrestrained and boisterous, drinking one cup of peach blossom wine after another, his face full of drunkenness, as if he knew nothing of the court intrigues and the scheming of people's hearts.

But Shui Rong knew perfectly well—if Zhu Changjun was truly such a naive and clueless fool...

He should have been like the carefree King of Chu, happily going to his fiefdom to enjoy his life. Why did he stay in the capital, fighting openly and secretly with the Crown Prince and maneuvering among various forces?

His careless and sloppy appearance is just the safest disguise.

Just as Zhu Changjun was pretending to be drunk and swirling his wine glass, Zhu Changming stepped forward again, looking even more anxious than before, yet still maintaining a degree of restraint.

He glanced left and right, and seeing that Qin Zhong had retreated to stand guard outside the door, he leaned close to Shui Rong's ear, his voice low and laced with a hint of probing and calculation:

"Uncle, my brother and I have very simple thoughts—since you're willing to help the Crown Prince, you should also lend us a hand. Only then can..."

He paused, his breath almost touching Shui Rong's earlobe.

"Only then can we achieve the balance of power among the three kings that you desire, Uncle Wang."

"Otherwise, after the New Year, when my elder brother goes to Jizhou to take command of the troops, only the Crown Prince and I will be left in the capital to confront each other. I am no match for him, and the balance of power will collapse at that time."

"For Uncle Wang, this might not be a good thing either, don't you think? My dear Uncle Wang."

Zhu Changming's calculations were straightforward and precise. He saw through Shuirong's core demands and deliberately used his own weakness to exert pressure, forcing Shuirong to make a statement.

Shui Rong slowly sipped the peach blossom wine. The wine was sweet and mellow, but it couldn't suppress the unwavering determination surging in his eyes.

He put down his wine cup and casually tapped his finger on the large mahogany table in the center of the main hall.

A soft "thud" had just finished

A black figure emerged from the shadows of the beams and pillars like a ghost, tall and expressionless.

Holding a thread-bound ancient book in his hands, he stood silently behind Shui Rong—without even making a sound.

Zhu Changming's face turned deathly pale, and his whole body stiffened.

He had long known that a royal family with such a deep-rooted foundation as the Prince of Bei Jing's mansion would certainly maintain private guards and secret agents.

But he never expected that Shui Rong's secret guards would be so powerful!

He had been so focused on Shui Rong that he hadn't even noticed the approaching presence of the guards. If Shui Rong wanted to take his life, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to react.

Shui Rong raised her hand, took the ancient book from the guard, then took Zhu Changming's cold wrist and gently placed the book in his palm.

The tone was gentle yet carried an undeniable force:

"Changming, you're right. This is a book that Uncle Wang compiled himself. Take it back and read it carefully, so as not to waste Uncle Wang's good intentions."

Zhu Changming stiffly took the book, his fingertips trembling slightly. He lowered his head and lifted the cover, revealing four powerful characters: "Commodity Economy".

He quickly flipped through a few pages, his pupils suddenly contracted, and the shock on his face almost overflowed:

The book not only provides a detailed analysis of the economic operation models of the Great Yin Dynasty, including the Grand Canal, salt and iron, and markets, but also records dozens of real-world case studies.

From silk shops in Jiangnan to tea-horse trade in the Northwest, the document even details the implementation time, location, and results of each case.

The theories presented in the book are novel and practical. If one acts in accordance with the book's advice, one will surely be able to accumulate enormous wealth quickly!

How could he not know the value of this book—it was not only a way to make money, but also a powerful tool to curry favor with the emperor!

Presenting the methods in the book to the emperor in batches would not only showcase my talent but also replenish the national treasury, thus surely winning the emperor's favor.

Shui Rong took in Zhu Changming's shock and secretly felt smug.

This book is not the work of one person alone; most of the real-life case studies were compiled and researched over several years by his father, Prince Shui Yanchen of Beijing, and his mother.

He merely combined his modern economic knowledge from his time travel with some supplements and embellishments, and it became a "weapon" powerful enough to shake up the political situation.

Zhu Changming slammed the book shut, looked up and stared directly at Shui Rong, his eyes filled with wariness and probing, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:

"Uncle Wang, why are you giving me such a valuable gift? Aren't you afraid that I might use this book to accuse you of secretly possessing statecraft and harboring ulterior motives?"

He stared intently at Shui Rong's face, hoping to catch a glimpse of tension, but all he saw was Shui Rong's composed smile.

Shui Rong did not directly answer his question, but instead looked up at Zhu Changjun, who was already slumped on the table, seemingly drunk, and calmly gave the order:

"Qin Zhong, help His Highness the King of Qin to the guest room on the west side to rest, and take good care of him."

Qin Zhong stepped forward in response.

Shui Rong's gaze returned to Zhu Changming, and she spoke slowly, her tone carrying an undisguised disdain:

"My little nephew, are you really going to report Uncle Wang?"

He took a step forward, his aura suddenly unleashed, his eyes sharp as knives, piercing straight at Zhu Changming:

"You say you're clever, but in Uncle Wang's eyes, you and your brother are nothing but two stupid fools."

"Each time the Crown Prince visits the Prince's residence, he always knows to bring the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guard with him, ensuring thorough security."

"And you two, completely unprepared, barged into my territory alone, without even a single guard—with your paltry intentions, do you think you're worthy to speak to me about reporting you?"

Shui Rong's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Zhu Changming's heart like a hammer:

"Today, Uncle Wang will teach you a lesson: never hand over the power of life and death to someone else. Do you understand?"

"Once you're dead, you're dead. There's no going back."

"Even if I am convicted of killing you in the end, you will surely die before me, without even a chance to beg for mercy."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold, carrying a hint of sinister intent:

"Oh, by the way, your mother should be being watched by my secret guards right now, right? I'm quite aware of what's going on in the palace."

"I'm genuinely curious, why would you so underestimate a royal family that once held immense power in the court?"

"Hahaha……"

Shui Rong laughed loudly, his laughter filled with an air of complete confidence, until he was almost out of breath.

Zhu Changming's face grew paler and paler, his cheeks and neck completely drained of color, cold sweat trickled down his forehead, soaking his collar, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.

Only then did he fully realize that he had been completely under Shui Rong's control from beginning to end.

So-called probing and scheming are nothing but self-deception in the face of absolute power.

If he dares to harbor even the slightest disloyalty, he and his mother could lose their lives at any moment.

After laughing enough, Shui Rong reached out and patted Zhu Changming's shoulder, leaning her body slightly against his shoulder.

His tone softened somewhat, but still carried an undeniable warning:

"My little nephew, always remember, never underestimate any prince who holds real power, especially one like me."

"Your little schemes are utterly insignificant compared to mine."

"Of the princes who have inherited their titles to the present day, how many of them are not adept at political maneuvering?"

He glanced up and swept his gaze towards the guest rooms, a playful smile playing on his lips:

"Speaking of which, your brother is much smarter and more quick-witted than you."

"You think he's really drunk? He's just pretending to be insane, using his drunkenness to avoid trouble and secretly observe."

"I'm afraid that the moment you stepped through the gates of the Prince's mansion, he realized he had made a fatal mistake—coming alone and completely unprepared."

Shui Rong straightened up and looked down at Zhu Changming: "I told you from the beginning that this is my territory. Do you understand, my little nephew?"

Zhu Changming's legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, his forehead pressed against the cold blue bricks, his whole body drenched in cold sweat, unable to utter a complete sentence.

So that's how it is. He always thought he was the most clear-headed and patient of the two brothers.

Little did he know that he was the most foolish and least able to see the situation clearly.

My brother's roughness and drunkenness were all a facade; and my own probing was nothing more than a clown's performance.

Shui Rong slowly walked to the head seat, sat down, picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said in a calm tone:

"Get up. However, you are right about one thing—I truly will not kill you."

He stood up and personally helped Zhu Changming up, patting the dust off his clothes, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.

"How was it? Wasn't the lesson Uncle Wang taught you very useful?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shui Rong suddenly looked up at the back door on the west side of the main hall, and his voice abruptly turned deep:

"Come out, Zhu Changjun. Eavesdropping outside the door is not a good habit."

The back door creaked open, and Zhu Changjun walked out with a flushed face. His drunkenness had completely disappeared, and his eyes were clear. He showed no signs of being drunk at all.

He walked up to Shui Rong, bowed respectfully, and spoke sincerely:

"After hearing Uncle Wang's words today, Chang Jun is extremely grateful and his understanding has been enlightened."

Zhu Changming stood aside, looking at his brother with disbelief, his eyes filled with shock and confusion—it turned out that his brother really wasn't drunk; he had been eavesdropping outside the door the whole time!

Shui Rong waved his hand, gesturing for Zhu Changjun to sit down. His gaze swept over the two brothers' faces as he slowly spoke:

"Changming, your mind does work faster than your brother's, but sometimes, being too fast can lead to overlooking important details and not considering things thoroughly. This trait of yours still needs some work to be honed."

"Study the book 'Commodity Economy' that I gave you carefully. If you have any questions, you can come to the Prince's Mansion to ask me for help anytime."