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

Shui Rong turned to look at Zhu Changjun, her eyes filled with undisguised approval, her tone carrying a hint of admiration for a perceptive person:

"As for Chang Jun, your performance today far surpasses that of the Crown Prince."

"He is bold, quick-witted, and knows how to conceal his abilities and avoid trouble—he uses the trick of feigning madness and getting drunk to escape, and when used just right, it is the patience that leads to great things."

As he spoke, he bent down and took out a thread-bound booklet with a blue cloth cover from a hidden compartment in the desk. The booklet was embroidered with minimalist cloud patterns.

Inside are the key principles he personally wrote, combining modern military training concepts with the military system of the Ming Dynasty.

He raised his hand and handed the manual to Zhu Changjun:

I know you will be going to Jizhou after the New Year. This is a military training manual that I personally compiled. You will definitely find it useful when you take command of the troops in Jizhou.”

Zhu Changjun solemnly accepted the book with both hands, his fingertips tracing the tightly bound cover. He felt as if this thin book weighed a thousand pounds. He immediately bowed deeply, his tone earnest:

"Thank you so much, Uncle Wang, for your generous gift! Chang Jun will study diligently day and night and practice assiduously, and will certainly not let you down!"

Zhu Changming, who was standing to the side, had already calmed down from his previous panic and wariness, but his doubts had not yet dissipated.

He looked up and stared directly at Shui Rong, bowed respectfully, and voiced the question that had been troubling him most:

"Uncle, there is still one thing I cannot understand. My brother and I have already seen through your thoughts and your true intentions, so why don't you kill us to prevent future troubles?"

"With Uncle Wang's strength, there must be some kind of slow-acting poison in the manor that requires regular antidote administration. It could take our lives without anyone noticing."

"Yet you keep us alive. Aren't you afraid of raising a tiger that will eventually threaten your own future, and even more afraid that this matter will reach Father Emperor's ears?"

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong smiled knowingly, turned to Zhu Changjun, and calmly instructed, "Changjun, please clear up your brother's doubts for me."

Zhu Changjun pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Zhu Changming, and with a calm and insightful tone, he succinctly revealed the crux of the matter:

"Brother, Uncle Wang spared our lives not out of mercy or out of consideration for our uncle-nephew relationship, but simply because he weighed the pros and cons."

"Uncle Wang's strength is enough to subdue you and me, and to keep the Crown Prince in check, but he is not yet able to confront Father Emperor head-on, let alone to the point of changing the world."

"Keeping you and me around will not only keep the powerful Crown Prince in the capital in check, but also divert the Emperor's attention from my uncle."

"Killing you and me would only backfire, causing Father to point the finger at the Prince of Beijing's mansion. It would be a losing proposition."

"Well said, you get it right away."

Shui Rong lightly clapped his hands, exuding an aura of confidence that commanded the entire situation.

"What Chang Jun said is exactly what I was thinking. In the imperial court, only interests and disadvantages are considered, not kinship."

"The three of us are not enemies—you two brothers are vying for power with the Crown Prince to solidify your own positions."

"What I want is a balance of power among the three kings to stabilize the court and ensure my own safety before planning for the long term."

"Killing you would immediately break the balance of power, and I would be cutting off my own arm. I would not do such a foolish thing."

He picked up his wine glass, gently swirling the clear peach blossom wine within, his tone carrying disdain for such underhanded tricks:

"As for the slow-acting poison you mentioned, hahaha, as the ruler of the Prince of Bei Jing's mansion, I have never stooped to using such underhanded methods."

"There are legitimate ways to control the situation; why resort to poison?"

Zhu Changming was startled. All his previous calculations, tests, and precautions vanished under this straightforward discussion of the pros and cons.

He gritted his teeth and spoke again, voicing his final concern:

"Uncle, you've devoted so much effort to cultivating my brother and me, providing me with ways to make money, and bestowing upon my elder brother the methods of training troops. Aren't you afraid that Father will discover that you're secretly forming a faction?"

Shui Rong remained silent for a moment, then her sharp gaze fell on Zhu Changming, and she asked only one question:

"The most foolish thing in the world is to take the weapons and skills your master gave you and teach you, and then use them to attack your master. Do you understand?"

These few words struck Zhu Changming like a thunderbolt.

He instantly understood that Shui Rong had already prepared a backup plan before daring to pass on "Commodity Economics" and the training manual.

Whether it's the key to economic strategy or the core of military training methods, it's all in Shui Rong's hands. Even if they learn the basics, they can never escape Shui Rong's control.

At this moment, Zhu Changming was completely convinced and no longer harbored any further thoughts of testing or disloyalty.

He knelt down with a thud, respectfully kowtowing three times, his tone full of heartfelt admiration:

"Changming thanks Your Highness for your guidance and instruction. Today's words are more valuable than ten years of study; I have benefited immensely and will never forget them!"

Shui Rong bent down and personally helped the boy, who was no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, to his feet. He gently brushed the dust off the boy's knees, his movements gentle, but his words went straight to the point:

"Get up. Your biggest problem, and that of Chang Jun, is that you are too weak."

"Your maternal relatives, the Prince of Qiyang, have long lost power, and Changjun's maternal relatives, the Duke of Cao, have only titles but no real power. Neither of these two maternal relatives can compete with the Crown Prince's maternal grandfather, the Xu family of Liaodong. This is the root cause of why you have always been suppressed by the Crown Prince."

"My brother's move to send Chang Jun to Jizhou was intended to use the border troops' military power to check the Crown Prince. I am merely going with the flow and giving you a push."

He straightened up, his tone calm yet exuding absolute confidence.

"Of course, you can choose to turn around and report me. I will never stop you, nor am I afraid of you telling anyone."

"After I travel south to Jiangzhe after the New Year, you will no longer have the chance to back out, pledge allegiance to the Crown Prince, or overthrow me."

Zhu Changjun quickly cupped his hands in greeting, his tone firm:

"Uncle Wang, don't worry. Right now, the three of us are in the same boat. We share the same fate, whether it's prosperity or ruin."

"No one can predict the future, but at least for now, my brother and I have absolutely no intention of betraying you, nor would we dare to."

Zhu Changming quickly echoed, "Your subject will remember your teachings and will never dare to have any disloyal thoughts."

"In that case, you may return to your residence."

Shui Rong waved his hand and called out, "Qin Zhong, see the two princes out of the mansion. Prepare two jars of peach blossom wine for them to take back to the palace for a drink."

"Yes, Your Highness." Qin Zhong responded and stepped forward, bowing as he led the two away.

Watching Zhu Changjun and Zhu Changming disappear outside the hanging flower gate of the Prince's Mansion

Shui Rong's composure faded, her fingertips lightly tapping the table, and a slight tension finally rose in her heart.

This move was ultimately a risky one.

He was betting on the two princes' insight and their ability to weigh the pros and cons, but human nature is unpredictable, and no one could guarantee that these two princes wouldn't turn around and reveal everything that happened today in order to curry favor.

What worries him even more is the backup plan in the capital.

But he had to do it; once he left the capital and headed south, his control over the city would inevitably weaken.

The Crown Prince is powerful, the King of Qin is heading north, and the King of Zhao is still too weak. There must be a check and balance in the capital, otherwise some of my plans will inevitably be disrupted.

As for the Jia family, if they continue to cling to the old aristocracy's pedantic arrogance and refuse to act according to his orders...

Then the Jia family would truly be nothing more than a discarded pawn, utterly incapable of supporting the checks and balances in the capital.

Just as he was pondering, Zhao Zhong strode in carrying a sealed letter, bowed, and said:

"My lord, this is a letter that I have prepared to send to the Shui clan in Sichuan. Please take a look. If there is no problem, I will immediately arrange for my guards to send it out by fast horse."

Shui Rong took the letter and read it carefully word by word. The letter contained both encouragement and comfort, as well as subtle warnings, which were exactly what he was thinking.

He nodded slightly and handed the letter back: "No problem, send it immediately. Tell the messenger to keep a secret all the way and not to reveal his whereabouts."

"Yes, sir." Zhao Zhong took the letter, bowed, and withdrew.

Shui Rong reached out and opened the hidden compartment at the bottom of the table, taking out a small iron box.

Upon opening the box, one finds a small jar of black powder, the new type of gunpowder developed by his secret camp according to a formula.

He picked up a few grains with his fingertips, a complex look flashing in his eyes—this was the core source of his confidence to boldly devise plans, confront the princes directly, and gamble on people's hearts.

This gunpowder is more than three times more powerful than the gunpowder currently used in the army's artillery, with astonishing explosive force. If it were cast into firearms, it would be enough to sweep away ordinary military formations.

But he was a transmigrator who had witnessed countless deaths and injuries in chaotic times, and he was unwilling to easily start a war that would displace the people.

Furthermore, although he now has the advantage of firearms, his troops, provisions, and local foundations are still weak, and he is far from being able to overthrow the court.

Only by carefully planning, using checks and balances as the game pieces, and leveraging power as the strategic elements, can one achieve victory through steady progress.

"Let's take our time and plan this out. There's no rush." ​​Shui Rong sighed softly, put the iron box back into the hidden compartment, and locked it securely.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and called out loudly, "Qin Zhong!"

Having just seen off the two princes, Qin Zhong hurriedly ran in, bowing his head and obeying, "Your servant is here!"

"Pass down my order to hold a banquet in the flower hall of the manor this evening, and summon all the stewards and servants of the manor, as well as the managers of all the shops under the manor's name, both inside and outside the city."

Shui Rong said in a calm tone, "I'm here to reward everyone for their hard work throughout the year. All those who have worked diligently and managed things well will be rewarded. Everyone must be present."

"Your servant obeys!" Qin Zhong nodded repeatedly and turned to make the arrangements.

"Wait a minute," Shui Rong called out to him, personally taking the wine pot and pouring a cup of Peach Blossom Wine from the wine jar. He handed it to Qin Zhong, smiling, and said, "Try this cup of wine."

Qin Zhong was flattered and overwhelmed. His hands trembled as he accepted the wine cup, wondering what the prince meant.

Seeing his astonished expression, Shui Rong laughed loudly:

"Your elder sister, Keqing, will enter the mansion after her three-year prayer period at Cixi Temple is over, or even sooner."

"You are her younger brother. From now on, the management of the household affairs, shops, and internal and external affairs of the Prince's Mansion can all be handled by you. Sooner or later, the position of steward of the Prince's Mansion will be yours."

"Follow Zhao Zhongxue closely, familiarize yourself with the affairs of the manor and all the businesses, and do not disappoint my expectations, understand?"

After saying that, Shui Rong simply smiled, flicked his sleeves, and left with a laugh.

As for Qin Zhong, he was already frozen in place, barely able to hold the wine cup in his hand.

He had long known that his sister and the prince were in love, and he was also grateful for the prince's guidance and support along the way.

He never imagined that the prince would make such a straightforward promise and entrust him with the important power of the royal palace.

He stood there, stunned, his face flushed, unsure how to respond.

Just then, Zhao Zhong returned home after delivering the letter and overheard these words. Seeing Qin Zhong standing there dumbfounded, he couldn't help but smile and step forward, gently nudging him.

"Xiao Zhong, what are you standing there for? Put down your wine glass and quickly go and arrange the banquet!"

"His Majesty wants you to familiarize yourself with the affairs of the manor beforehand and build good relationships with all the managers and stewards. Ostensibly, it's a reward, but in reality, it's to establish your authority and power. This shows how much His Majesty values ​​you. Go and do it quickly!"

Qin Zhong then seemed to snap out of his daze, quickly placing the wine cup on the table and bowing deeply to Shui Rong's departing figure, his voice filled with excitement:

"This servant...this servant thanks Your Highness for your high regard! I will certainly do my utmost to manage everything in the manor and will never dare to be negligent in the slightest!"

After saying that, he hurriedly ran out to make arrangements, his heart filled with both fear and burning passion, feeling that he would follow the prince to the death for the rest of his life.