The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

However, Du Yuejiao had always been like this, so Shui Rong didn't take it to heart, so he changed the subject and said, "Miss Du, let's go around the courtyard first."

It's not worth it to argue with a woman.

Du Yuejiao understood Shui Rong's little thoughts, but she didn't expose them. She covered her mouth and smiled, with a playful look on her face.

Shui Rong raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw this. He didn't care about the ridicule, as it wasn't just the first or second time. But the shaking made people feel dizzy.

Du Yuejiao noticed Shui Rong's strangeness, and a faint rouge appeared on her jade cheeks, but she did not act shy like other women. She took a step back and invited him, "Master, please come in."

Shui Rong nodded slightly upon seeing this. Although Du Yuejiao spoke in a frivolous manner most of the time, she was still serious when it came to business, so she didn't dislike him.

Du Yuejiao led the way and they entered from the west corner gate, where there was another path. There were artificially planted plants in the courtyard, with tall trees blocking the sun. The carved rockery was also ancient in color, and the excavated clear pond was several acres wide. It was midsummer and the lotus was in full bloom. There were two broken boats in the pond. The scenery was quite elegant, like that of a Jiangnan garden.

When you look up in the central hall, you will see winding and magnificent halls, pavilions, terraces and gardens, all of which are complete. The green curtains and canopies, and the flowers and trees are hidden among the red railings and curved pillars, which are all very relaxing and pleasant.

After wandering around for a while, both of them were sweating profusely, and Shui Rong could feel that his leggings were getting sticky.

Du Yuejiao's face was red, with beads of sweat on her forehead, flowing down her snow-white skin into the grooves, attracting people to find out what was going on.

Du Yuejiao led Shui Rong into an elegant room. In the middle of the room was an ice jar with white mist covering it, making the room cool and refreshing.

The maid brought the porcelain cup, Du Yuejiao wiped the sweat from her forehead with the handkerchief, took it, held it up, and said in a clear voice: "Master, this is sour plum ice soup. Eat it to relieve the heat."

Shui Rong nodded, took it, took a sip, and immediately felt cool. The weather was so hot, it would be better to stay in the pavilion in the middle of the lake. If it weren't for the affairs of the guild hall, he really didn't want to come out.

Du Yuejiao naturally also had sour plum ice soup, she sipped it gently, her brows relaxed a lot, glanced at An Ran's Shui Rong, and then asked, "Boss, is there anything wrong?"

For Du Yuejiao, this was her first time to do something independently. It concerned her future, so her tone was a little bit nervous, but also a little bit expectant.

Shui Rong nodded when he heard this and said, "The decoration inside the courtyard is elegant. Miss Du really has good taste."

The scenery in the courtyard was quite similar to that of a Jiangnan garden, yet it also had the charm of a brothel. It was indeed quite nice, and he had made the right choice.

Hearing this, Du Yuejiao smiled, dimples appeared on her face, as if this was undoubtedly an endorsement, which made her feel inexplicably happy, so she said with a smile: "Since the boss has entrusted the matter to me, I will do my best. Now everything is ready, only the east wind is missing, I hope the boss can get it done as soon as possible."

Shui Rong nodded when he heard this. Now that the decoration of the guild hall was complete, each courtyard should also welcome its owner, so Shui Rong said, "Don't worry, Miss Du, I will go and bring someone here in the next two days. Miss Du can come when she has made all the arrangements."

Shui Rong had earlier asked Prince Zhongshun to help him get a note from the Ministry of Rites, which would allow him to bring in a group of wives of convicted officials, so he would never have to worry about not having girls.

But things have to be prioritized. After a pause, Shui Rong said, "Miss Du, even if the guild hall has been built, the first thing to do is to spread the reputation of our guild hall so that it won't be deserted when it opens."

When doing business, marketing is very important. If you try to use the old-fashioned approach of "good wine needs no bush", it will be a waste of time and effort.

Du Yuejiao obviously understood this truth, and nodded slightly, saying, "Master, don't worry, I can wake up, but our guild hall's signboard has not been erected yet, so it's not easy to publicize it. So please give me your calligraphy to name the guild hall."

After saying this, Du Yuejiao gestured and the maid brought the four treasures of the study.

Shui Rong looked at the fully prepared equipment and felt extremely satisfied. It seemed that Du Yuejiao had been prepared, otherwise she wouldn't have been so efficient. It must be said that this girl was very thoughtful and it was the right choice to let her be the curator.

The four treasures of the study were placed in front of the table. Du Yuejiao lightly gathered her sleeves, revealing her arms. She held the ink stick with her slender jade fingers and gently ground it on the purple-blue inkstone.

Shui Rong smiled silently upon seeing this, then took the wolf hair brush and lightly twisted the tip of the brush with his fingers. This scene had the charm of a red-sleeved lady adding fragrance to the scene.

After the inkstone is ground, Shui Rong picks up the brush and dips it in ink. After pondering for a moment, he starts to write on the rice paper.

Du Yuejiao stopped and stared, only to see that the handwriting was neat and tidy, and the handwriting was like the person. After a moment, Du Yuejiao murmured in a low voice: "Heaven on Earth?"

Shui Rong nodded slightly. Yes, the name of the guild hall was "Heaven on Earth". His guild hall was different from a brothel and naturally would not be called "yard", "hall" or "pavilion".

"The palace in heaven has fallen to the earth. Is this what the boss means?" Du Yuejiao thought for a moment and asked softly.

Shui Rong looked a little strange when he heard this. It was true that he had such intentions, but he was more reminiscing about his past life. It was just that such words were not easy to say, so he responded, "Yes, the so-called heaven on earth is a place of freedom and ease, and it should not be polluted by the secular world. It is a paradise for guests and also a paradise for girls. Those dirty things must not appear."

Although Shui Rong named it "Heaven on Earth" in remembrance, the interior is completely different from his previous life. It is just a place to relax, but not to be intoxicated. Shui Rong will not do anything obscene.

Du Yuejiao smiled when she heard that. The reason why she cared about the guild hall was because Shui Rong would not treat these women of romance as human beings without any bottom line.

Thinking of this, Du Yuejiao looked at Shui Rong with a smile and said, "If you say this, young master, I will definitely not tolerate it."

Shui Rong raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this. He was the boss before and now he is the young master. He really didn't know what this little girl was thinking. Women are really fickle.

But Shui Rong didn't care. After a pause, he added, "The sale of flesh and blood is prohibited in Tianshang Renjian. However, if the girls and customers are in love, I won't stop them. If they are willing to redeem themselves, you don't have to stop them. As long as the price is reasonable, it will be fine."

Men understand men. When men come to the club to have fun, they always have deeper thoughts in their minds, so Shui Rong will not completely eliminate it, but he gives the girls the right to choose. Physical transactions are not allowed, but mutual affection is not a transaction. In this way, men with deeper thoughts will certainly spend a lot of money to win the hearts of girls.

You can't be too idealistic when doing business, that's the reality.

Du Yuejiao didn't say anything after hearing this. Women had a low status, and prostitutes even more so. Shui Rong was able to give them the right to choose, which was already a great favor. Moreover, women's youth was limited, and they couldn't stay in the guild hall all their lives, drinking and selling smiles. If they met a good man, they should redeem themselves and live a decent life.

Thinking about it carefully, Shui Rong was doing business while also providing protection for these prostitutes, which made Du Yuejiao feel even more puzzled.

Thinking of this, Du Yuejiao responded: "Don't worry, Master, I will definitely keep this in mind."

Shui Rong nodded slightly, very satisfied with Du Yuejiao's attitude. He opened the guild hall not for charity, he had already helped those women in the Music Bureau escape from their suffering, so why would he continue to support them?

What's more, the love between men and women comes from emotion and cannot be controlled. He has already given the girls the right to choose. Whether they meet the wrong person or get what they want, it is all their own fate.

The only thing Shui Rong can do is to ensure that they will not be intimidated by the powerful. Anyone who works in the guild is his person. Anyone who dares to intimidate him will see if their background is strong enough.

However, upon closer comparison, there are only a handful of people in Daqian who are more noble than him. Although he is a prince, his bloodline and the military honors of the Prince of Beijing's Mansion are enough to make even a prince have to show some favor to him.

Generally speaking, it can be covered by water. Otherwise, how can you stay out of trouble by doing such a romantic business?

Seeing that things were almost explained, Shui Rong didn't plan to stay any longer, so he stood up and said, "Miss Du, you can take care of the rest. I'm going back first."

The girl in front of him has good business skills, so Shuirong doesn't need to intervene. It is better to leave professional matters to professionals.

When Du Yuejiao saw Shui Rong about to leave, she was stunned for a moment, then she said with a smile, "Young Master, it's getting hot outside right now, why don't you leave slowly?"

When others saw her, they probably wanted to stay a little longer. But the young man was different. After finishing his business, he didn't even stay for a moment, which was a waste of her careful dressing up.

Shui Rong naturally knew that it was hot outside, but he didn't care. He said casually, "No need. My body is very soft and greasy. It will be more refreshing if I go back and take a bath early."

After wandering around, Shui Rong was sweating all over. Even though it was much cooler indoors, he still felt uncomfortable. It would be better to go home early. Moreover, the beauty in front of him was dressed too coolly, which made Shui Rong feel even hotter. It would not be advisable for him to stay for long.

Du Yuejiao smiled and said in a coquettish tone, "It's just a bath, there are things here, if you don't mind, I'll have someone prepare it."

Shui Rong was stunned when he heard this, and couldn't help looking at Du Yuejiao. What did this little girl mean by inviting him to bathe here? Was it what he had in mind?

In fact, Du Yuejiao had a good appearance, especially her snow-white skin, which was so dazzling that it was hard to open one's eyes.

Men understand men. Although Du Yuejiao's words and actions may seem frivolous and disgusting, it is this colorful and charming way of showing a woman that can give people an itchy feeling, which is the most primitive impulse.

Du Yuejiao was not timid. She looked into his eyes with a pair of beautiful eyes, which seemed to contain a hint of teasing. Shui Rong couldn't help but feel that he was overthinking it. This girl had always been enthusiastic, so maybe she was simply entertaining him and had no other intentions.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong shook his head and explained: "Miss Du is busy, so there is no need to bother her."

After saying that, Shui Rong walked away and went back home to take a bath. This weather really made people irritable.

Du Yuejiao smiled and did not stop them. After they left, Lian'er came closer and looked at Du Yuejiao with a smile on her lips, and she couldn't help but laugh.

I still remember the last time she urged her daughter to take the initiative, the daughter was still not interested, but when the boss came, she dressed up carefully. Not only that, when they were in Fengming Courtyard, many young men wanted to stay in the daughter's room, but the daughter never kept anyone for long. But this time she actually took the initiative to invite him, it was obvious that she had feelings for him, but her words were not what she meant.

Thinking of this, Lian Er came forward and joked, "It's rare for the young lady to invite you, but the host actually refused. He really doesn't understand the customs."

Du Yujiao could hear Lian'er's joke, rolled her eyes at Lian'er, and cursed, "What nonsense are you talking about? The boss is here, how can we not entertain him? But you like to have wild thoughts."

Shui Rong is the host, so it is normal for Du Yuejiao to entertain him and she has no ulterior motive.

Lian Er responded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Miss is right, but if the master wants to stay and take a bath, I won't serve him. Whoever wants to go can go."

Du Yuejiao found it quite amusing when she heard this. If she didn't serve, she would be left alone. Lian'er was just trying to stop her with words!

Given Lian'er's personality, if she were to take up the conversation, I'm afraid this little bitch would choke again, so it would be better to ignore her.

Seeing Du Yuejiao fall silent, Lian'er pondered for a moment and said with a smile: "Miss, I see that the boss's eyes are always on you. It's clear that he has feelings for you. If you are willing, you'd better make plans early."

When he was leading Shui Rong for a stroll in the courtyard, Lian'er had been serving him. Her eyes were focused on Shui Rong, and she noticed that Shui Rong would unconsciously look at her own lady, and it was obvious that he liked her.

Du Yuejiao remained silent upon hearing this. She understood that Lian'er was doing this for her own good. She also noticed that Shui Rong's eyes would be on her body, especially her fullness, which was the focus of his attention.

However, Du Yuejiao was in a place of entertainment and had a good understanding of men. When faced with a girl dressed coolly, a man's eyes would unconsciously turn towards her. This was the nature of men. Shui Rong's behavior was nothing more than a normal reaction. It was nothing like what Lian'er said she liked. Lian'er was still a little naive.

Therefore, Du Yuejiao did not respond to Lian'er's words. Holding her delicate face in her hands, she couldn't help but think of the time she spent with Shui Rong. It was easy and comfortable, without any estrangement at all. She couldn't help but like teasing him. He was truly an interesting young man.

Chapter 41 A Comfortable Life

Prince Beijing's Palace, Pavilion in the Center of the Lake.

In the second-floor attic of "Xiaoqiao Renjia", eight bronze python dragon ice jars are placed in the four corners. Puffs of white mist spew out from the dragon heads, making the hall cool and refreshing.

Shui Rong was sitting on the main seat in a light summer dress, holding a porcelain cup in her hand and eating the iced cheese in the cup with a spoon, not feeling the scorching heat at all.

Sitting at the first seat on the right was a young man with a heroic appearance. He was Feng Ziying, the son of General Shenwu who had not been seen for a long time. He was also holding a porcelain cup in his hand, but he did not taste it. Instead, he looked up at Shui Rong on the main seat with a slightly puzzled expression.

Originally, Feng Ziying was sitting at home, when he was suddenly summoned by the Prince of Beijing's Mansion. He thought the prince wanted to see him for something important, so he hurried over in a hurry. He never expected that the prince wanted to invite him to eat ice cream. He was really confused!

Moreover, he and Shui Rong were the only ones left in the room, and even the maids who were serving them had been sent away. This must be something unusual.

Shui Rong, who was in the hall, saw Feng Ziying sitting there blankly, and said with a smile: "Ziying, why don't you eat? This ice cream is sweet and delicious, very good."

The so-called ice yogurt is similar to ice cream, which is made by mixing fruit juice, milk, ice cubes, etc. The Southern Song Dynasty poet Yang Wanli praised it highly: "It seems greasy but is refreshing, it has just condensed and is about to float, it is like jade breaking at the bottom of the plate and snow melting at the mouth." It can be seen that it is sweet and delicious.

Feng Ziying didn't bother to think about it. Since he was here, he just took it easy. He ate it with a spoon. It melted in his mouth. He couldn't help but feel relaxed. He smiled and said, "Thanks to the prince, I am so lucky to have such a good meal today."

Shui Rong laughed and said jokingly, "The Feng family is also a military family, how could they not even be able to afford ice cream?"

Feng Ziying heard Shui Rong's teasing voice and knew it was just a joke. His mood also eased up a lot. He smiled and replied, "Your Highness, you don't know the suffering of the people. At this time of year, ice is very valuable. One square can cost several taels of silver, not to mention ice cream. Although my Feng family is a military family, we don't have that much spare money. It's not as valuable as the palace."

Shui Rong did not refute when he heard this. There were no so-called refrigerators in ancient times. Ice was mostly stored in cellars in winter and used in summer. Therefore, ice was very expensive in summer. However, since the Tang and Song dynasties, people have discovered that saltpeter will freeze when put into water. It's just that the technology in ancient times was not mature enough, and the amount of ice obtained was not large. Scarcity makes things valuable, so its value is still not cheap.

In Shui Rong's room, there are eight bronze python dragon ice jars in the four corners to cool off, and ice cream that is as valuable as gold. Shui Rong spends a lot of money just for one day's heat relief, so it is not an exaggeration to describe it as luxurious.

However, if you want to enjoy life, you have to spend money. Otherwise, why would Shui Rong go into business to make money? After all, after being used to a luxurious life, no one wants to live a tight life again.

After finishing the ice cream, Shui Rong placed the porcelain cup on the table, then picked up a handkerchief beside him to wipe his mouth, looked at Feng Ziying, and said, "Ziying, I came here to ask you for help with something."

Don’t think that Shui Rong really invited Feng Ziying to eat ice cream, he has something important to do.

Feng Ziying was not surprised to hear this. He guessed that the prince wanted to see him for something. Seeing that there was something important to ask, Feng Ziying quickly put down the porcelain cup and said respectfully, "Please tell me, Your Majesty."

For Feng Ziying, strictly speaking, the entire Feng family, they are not afraid that Shui Rong will not tell him to do things, but they are afraid that he will be idle and ignore them.

Shui Rong saw Feng Ziying's serious expression and waved his hand, saying, "Ziying, there is no need to be like this. What I asked you to do is my own private matter. After thinking about it, I feel that you are the most reliable, so I asked you to help me get it done."

Feng Ziying was delighted when he heard this. Although he had a generous personality, he was not ignorant of the ways of the world. Shui Rong explained his private matters to him and said that he was a reliable person. It was clear from his words that he treated him as his own.

Thinking of this, Feng Ziying cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, just give me a word. How can I help you? It would make me look immature. If my father knew about this, he would definitely give me a beating."

Shui Rong smiled when he heard that. The Feng family was originally a former subordinate of Prince Beijing's Mansion, so there was nothing wrong in making friends with them. Anyway, they just needed to stay out of the court affairs. If they kept avoiding it, it would only make people suspicious. Therefore, there was no need to refuse those they should make friends with.

Seeing that Feng Ziying had made up his mind, Shui Rong told him everything about "Heaven on Earth".

Feng Ziying was stunned when he heard this. He had never thought that Shui Rong would actually open a club. After a pause, he said, "When I heard that Miss Du had been redeemed, I was wondering which handsome man had caught Miss Du's eye. Now I understand. With your character, it is natural for Miss Du to fall in love with you."

Shui Rong smiled in surprise after hearing this and explained, "Ziying, please don't misunderstand me. I just want to hire Miss Du as the director of the guild hall. There is nothing else."