The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

To be clear, Shui Rong admitted that he had primitive impulses towards the little girl, but that was just a thought. In fact, he had no deep connection with Du Yuejiao.

As a friend of Du Yuejiao, Feng Ziying understood her character. Her previous experiences made it difficult for her to trust men, but she was willing to let Shui Rong redeem her within a few days. This showed that she was not opposed to it. If she was not opposed to it, the feasibility would be much higher.

But since Shui Rong had spoken, Feng Ziying couldn't say anything, so he got down to business and asked respectfully, "Your Highness wants me to help Miss Du a little?"

Since Shui Rong told him about the guild hall, he probably wanted him to help.

Shui Rong did not deny what he heard. After a pause, he said, "Ziying, asking you for help is one thing. Another thing is that I have a note from the Ministry of Rites. With the note, I can go to the Jiaofangsi to pick up a group of imprisoned officials' wives. However, it is not easy for me to go to the Jiaofangsi to pick them up because of my status. I thought of asking you to do something and take them to Miss Du."

Shui Rong had already obtained the note from Prince Zhongshun from the Ministry of Rites, and he just used his identity to go to the Jiaofangsi to collect the girls. These girls would work in "Heaven on Earth" in the future, and those civil servants were afraid that they would make a big fuss.

Therefore, Shui Rong must not show up at all. It would be most appropriate for someone else to do it on his behalf. As long as it is not done openly and there is no evidence, those civil servants will be unable to do anything to him.

What's more, those civil servants are all shrewd people. Who would bother with an idle royal relative for no reason? Are they bored?

Not only that, some special situations are inevitable when opening a club, and someone has to deal with them, and Feng Ziying is the person in the open.

Feng Ziying nodded slightly upon hearing this and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will definitely get things done."

Shui Rong felt more and more satisfied when he saw this. He knew that Feng Ziying would not refuse. After all, this was an errand for the palace. However, since Feng Ziying was being used as a target, he thought he would at least hesitate, but he didn't expect him to be so straightforward.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong said nothing more. He took out the note from the Ministry of Rites and handed it to Feng Ziying, and said, "Go and get it done when you have time. If Miss Du needs any help, please help her."

Feng Ziying took the note and said, "If the prince has no other instructions, I will do it right away."

Shui Rong didn't try to persuade him to stay after hearing this. He smiled and said, "Okay, come to the palace more often when you have time. I have a lot of fun being alone."

Hearing this, Feng Ziying said with a smile: "If Your Majesty is bored, why not wait until "Heaven on Earth" opens and invite a few friends to have fun? Wouldn't that be great?"

Shui Rong smiled silently when he heard this. Taking care of his own business, this Feng Ziying is really interesting.

After Feng Ziying left, Yingluo walked in. Shui Rong asked, "Have you delivered the ice cream?"

Shui Rong was enjoying himself in the house, but of course he couldn't forget his stepmother and the others. Now they lived in the same attic, which was convenient. So he asked Ying Luo to send some ice cream to both Concubine Beijing and Keqing. However, he thought that he couldn't leave out Zhen Hua, otherwise it would be too rude, so he sent some to Zhen Hua as well, as a cousin's care for his cousin.

Upon hearing this, Yingluo responded, "I have personally delivered it."

After saying this, Yingluo saw the empty teacup on the table and asked, "My Lord, do you want me to make some ice cream?"

As Shui Rong's personal maid, she knew that her prince was afraid of heat.

Shui Rong looked at Ying Luo. It was the summer solstice and the weather was hot, so Ying Luo was wearing a blue gauze skirt. Although it was not as cool as Du Yuejiao's, her snow-white skin could still be vaguely seen through the countless tiny holes, which set off the girl's graceful figure.

After a pause, Shui Rong waved his hand and said, "Not really. It's a bit greasy if you eat too much."

Shui Rong himself knew that he was afraid of heat, so during the dog days of summer, he hardly went out and stayed at "Xiaoqiao Renjia" to escape the heat. For this reason, Shui Rong once asked the imperial physician to take his pulse, fearing that there was something wrong with his body. However, the imperial physician said that there was nothing wrong, it was simply because of the strong yang energy, so Shui Rong did not take it seriously.

Yingluo pursed her lips when she heard that, muttering to herself that her own prince knew that eating too much would make one feel sick, yet he still let her eat so much.

Shui Rong saw Ying Luo pouting and scolded her with a smile, "What are you thinking, you little slut? Are you plotting against me?"

Ever since Yingluo served him, the little slut has become more and more coquettish, with a bit of green tea flavor. However, this slut only likes to seek favor in front of her, and is very well-behaved when others are around. After all, she is a maid in the palace, and she must know the rules.

Yingluo's cheeks were slightly drunk when she heard this. Although she felt a little greasy, she couldn't help but like it. Seeing Shui Rong asking, Yingluo changed the subject and said, "How dare I? I was just thinking about the prince meeting someone. Why did you send me away?"

This time, when summoning Feng Ziying, the son of the so-called Shenwu General, Shui Rong deliberately sent her away. This had never happened before, and it made her feel aggrieved.

Shui Rong didn't care when she heard that. Clingy Hoof was always sensitive. Shui Rong didn't intend to hide it from her, but he thought it would be a bad idea to let her know about opening a club, so he didn't tell her directly.

Seeing that the little slut was getting naughty again, Shui Rong stood up and walked to Ying Luo, flicked her fingers, and scolded her with a smile: "You little slut, you are getting even naughtier."

Yingluo stroked her forehead lightly, looked at Shuirong angrily, and said stubbornly: "How could this be possible?"

Even though she is disgusted, she won't admit it.

Shui Rong saw that Ying Luo was being stubborn and chuckled. This little slut just never learned her lesson. She had to poke her mouth to pieces before she knew how powerful I was.

Shaking his head, Shui Rong ignored her. He really wanted to poke the little slut's mouth into pieces, but he couldn't bear to do that. He turned around and walked to the window sill, looking out at the lotus pond on the north bank. The lotus flowers were in full bloom at this time, and the fragrance came with the breeze, which was refreshing.

Such a relaxing and comfortable life is truly a great enjoyment.

Chapter 42: The Young Master is Too Troublesome

In front of the courtyard gate with white walls and mandarin duck tiles, a mahogany plaque is hung on the wooden archway.

The wood of the plaque is fine and dense, with a ruddy color. In the center, there are four characters inlaid with colorful thick mother-of-pearl: "Heaven and Earth". Its luster is as bright as a gem, shining with seven colors.

In the elegant room, Du Yuejiao was reclining on a recliner in a plain gauze dress, her red lips slightly upturned, her bright eyes closed, her black hair spread out like clouds, her slightly disheveled silk revealing her shoulders as white as milk, looking very charming.

Lian Er walked in and saw her young lady taking a nap. She hurried forward and gently shook her, "Young lady, wake up."

Du Yuejiao felt something unusual, opened her eyes dazedly, looked at Lian'er, and said lazily: "Lian'er, what time is it?"

Lian Er heard this and replied, "It's afternoon."

After that, Lian Er turned around and reported, "Miss, Mr. Feng Ziying is here and wants to see you. He is waiting in the hall now."

Du Yuejiao, who was still half asleep, regained her spirits after hearing this. She frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "How did Master Feng know about this place?"

Since redeeming herself, Du Yuejiao has not had any contact with Feng Ziying. Why would he come here to look for her?

Lian Er smiled and replied, "The boss invited them here. It's not just Master Feng, he also brought many girls with him. There were so many people, about 200 people, the whole hall was full."

Du Yuejiao understood what he said. It turned out that the young master had called here, bringing about two hundred girls with him. They must be the wives of the criminal officials.

Thinking of this, Du Yuejiao stood up, straightened her slightly messy clothes, and walked towards the outer yard.

Du Yuejiao walked along the corridor into the flower hall, which was now full of beauties of all shapes and sizes.

Feng Ziying saw Du Yuejiao coming and stood up to greet her with a smile, "Miss Du, long time no see."

Du Yuejiao smiled and replied, "I am busy with things, so I neglected Master Feng. Please forgive me, Master Feng."

Feng Ziying understood what he said. He already knew that Du Yuejiao was hired by the prince to be the director of the guild. All affairs of the guild were handled by Du Yuejiao, so it was normal for her to be busy.

After a round of greetings, Feng Ziying said without further delay, "My master asked me to go to the Jiaofang Division to get someone to bring Miss Du. Now that the person has been brought here, I will leave him to Miss Du to take care of him."

Du Yuejiao nodded slightly when she heard this. It was exactly as she thought, so she said politely, "Thank you, Master Feng."

Feng Ziying didn't care. He was just helping the prince, so why would he bother? Thinking that Du Yuejiao needed to settle these girls, Feng Ziying couldn't stay any longer, so he said, "Miss Du, I'll take my leave first. If there's anything you need help with, just send someone to let me know."

Du Yuejiao didn't say much. Since Feng Ziying said so, she thought it was the young master's arrangement, which was quite thoughtful.

But since it was mentioned, Du Yuejiao just needed Feng Ziying's help, so she stopped Feng Ziying who was about to leave and said in a clear voice: "Mr. Feng, wait a minute, I have something to trouble you with."

Feng Ziying stopped walking upon hearing this and listened quietly to what Du Yuejiao said.

Seeing this, Du Yuejiao smiled and said, "I was thinking of waiting for the boss to come before telling him. Master Feng happens to be here, so I'll trouble Master Feng to go to the music hall and issue a certificate to the guild hall."

Places such as brothels were allowed by the imperial court, but they had to have a certificate, which was equivalent to a business license, and they had to pay taxes to the imperial court every year. If they did not have a certificate, they were considered private prostitutes, which were not allowed by the imperial court.

Feng Ziying understood what he said. It would be difficult for Du Yuejiao to go to the Music Academy in person as she might be bullied. If he went there, it would save him a lot of trouble.

Thinking of this, Feng Ziying didn't say much. He just responded and walked away.

After seeing Feng Ziying off, Du Yuejiao looked at the beauties in the hall. These people were the wives of convicted officials and belonged to official families. They all had the aura of ladies.

Moreover, their ages are different, there are plump young women in the prime of life, young girls in their teens, and even little girls.

When officials convicted someone and their property was searched, it was the entire family, regardless of their social status, so it was not surprising to see such a phenomenon. Of course, those who could be sent to the Jiaofangsi were mostly people of good appearance, such as little girls who looked pretty and had value in training, so they would also be sent in. As for those with ordinary appearance or who were older, most of them would be auctioned off or exiled.

Seeing the anxiety and emptiness in everyone's eyes, Du Yuejiao understood clearly that they were all women who were sent to the Jiaofangsi, and their fate was predictable. Now they were brought into a new environment, and their uneasiness was even more intense.

Seeing this, Du Yuejiao comforted them, "Since you have come to Heaven on Earth, you are all family. I have explained to you that our guild hall is a place for relaxation, where we sell art but not our bodies. It is not a dirty place like a brothel where people engage in sex trade."

For these women, there is no other place to go except to be toyed with at will, and some are even worse off and are planning to commit suicide.

They were just going with the flow, but when they suddenly heard someone tell them that they could only sell their art but not their bodies, their eyes lit up a little.

It is better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. As long as you are not humiliated, it is not a bad thing to drink and smile. It is like a straw for a drowning person, who desperately reaches out to grab it.

One of the women turned her eyes slightly and said in a trembling voice: "Sister, is what you said true?"

Upon hearing this, Du Yuejiao looked at the girl who had spoken. Seeing her bright eyes, white teeth, and creamy skin, she was definitely a beauty. She couldn't help but ask, "May I know the name of this girl?"

The girl next to the woman panicked when she heard Du Yuejiao asking. She couldn't help but tug at the woman's sleeve and murmured nervously, "Sister..."

Seeing this, the woman's eyes showed a touch of tenderness. She reached out her hand to comfort him, then bowed gracefully and said softly, "My name is Qingxi, and I am honored to meet you, sister."

Du Yuejiao looked at the woman who spoke. Her identity changed very quickly, which was not bad.

Look at the girl's eyebrows and eyes, they are somewhat similar to hers. The two should be sisters. Since she is the director of the guild, she naturally has to consider the guild. Qingxi has a very good appearance and elegant manners. If she is trained, she will definitely become the backbone of "Heaven on Earth".

The little girl has a rosy face and a pair of big watery eyes. She is so cute. She will definitely be as beautiful as her sister when she grows up.

Thinking of this, Du Yuejiao smiled and explained, "Miss Qingxi, since I have said this, I will not fool you. Here, you just need to perform peacefully, and you will also get a share of the money earned. If someone threatens you, someone will deal with it. I will definitely not let you down. In the future, if you have saved enough money, you can redeem yourself, and I will not stop you."

For these people, the most important thing is to calm their uneasy hearts, so Du Yuejiao made it clear and told them what they care about most.

"Borrowing our freedom?" Qing Xi was slightly surprised when she heard this. Her eyebrows trembled slightly, and she hurriedly said, "Sister, we are all guilty. I'm afraid it will be difficult to redeem ourselves."

Those who were sent to the Jiaofangsi were considered criminals and it was generally difficult to redeem themselves.

Du Yuejiao laughed and said in a clear voice: "The moment you left the Jiaofangsi, you were no longer guilty. There will be no problem in redeeming yourself."

Qing Xi suddenly realized after hearing this, although they were guilty, since the so-called boss was able to bring them out, their crimes must have been properly dealt with, otherwise how could they escape from the Jiaofang Bureau.

She looked at the girl with pity. Her family had met with misfortune and now she was left with only her sisters to depend on each other. She could no longer think about herself, but she must do her best to protect her younger sister.

Thinking of this, Qing Xi's eyes were firm, and she bowed to Du Yuejiao and said, "Sister, your kindness will be remembered in my heart. In the future, I will focus on performing arts and follow your arrangements."

Everyone expressed their opinions upon hearing this. Originally they were going to be humiliated at will, but now they only had to perform to earn a living. The two were worlds apart and it was like a grace of rebirth. What was there to be unacceptable about this?

Besides, what else can they do except accept it?

Du Yuejiao nodded upon seeing this, and looked at Qingxi with more admiration. The person in front of her was quite smart.

Du Yuejiao put away her smile after a pause, and said with a serious face: "Everyone, let me make it clear in advance that "Heaven on Earth" is a good place to relax, but it is a business after all. If the business is bad and there is no profit, the club will not be able to operate, and you will all return to where you came from in the end."

Everyone was stunned when they heard this. They had finally seen a glimmer of hope out of despair, but it was about to be shattered in the blink of an eye. How could they bear this?

Du Yuejiao looked at them indifferently. Don't blame her for being indifferent. The club is a business. The purpose of opening it is to make money. If there is no profit, would it be a loss to support these two hundred people?

It is difficult for young ladies from official families to change their mentality when they fall from the top to the bottom. In order to prevent them from being passive and lazy, Du Yuejiao specifically stated that they were asked to return to the Jiaofangsi in order to give them some pressure. After all, no woman was willing to go there.

If business is good, everyone will have hope in life. If business is bad, everyone will be doomed.

Qing Xi's eyes turned when she heard that. She groaned for a moment and said in a clear voice, "Sister, we are grateful to you for giving us a place to stay. Please rest assured, sister, if nothing else, we will do our best for this place to stay."

After hearing what was said, everyone came to their senses and agreed. As long as everyone did their best, they could preserve this "pure land".

Du Yue looked satisfied, then smiled and said, "It's right to go all out, but you also have to be careful. Our boss has issued a strict order that there must be no sex trade in Heaven on Earth. With the boss's temperament, as long as you do your job well, he will definitely not treat you unfairly."

Before it was intimidation, now it is appeasement, which is like giving a sweet reward after a hard blow.

Everyone's expressions improved when they heard this. Qing Xi's eyes were relaxed and her mind was full of thoughts. Although she had never met the boss before, this boss was truly her benefactor.