The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

It is only natural to pay back debts, so Shui Rong had nothing to say. However, taking money out of someone else's house was undoubtedly a thankless task, and he couldn't force them to do it!

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhongshun's expression changed slightly. He chuckled and said jokingly, "That's exactly what I meant. Little Sixteen is overthinking it."

"Overthinking"? I'm afraid that's not entirely true. If Shui Rong doesn't make his attitude clear, he will definitely be used as a gun.

But now that the matter has been settled, there is no point in exposing it.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong nodded and said, "If that's the case, then we have a deal. When the time comes, please show some mercy, cousin, and don't mess with an idle person like me."

There is nothing wrong with human relations, but if it is not equal, it will make things difficult for people.

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhongshun looked at Shui Rong thoughtfully, groaned, played with the cup in his hand, and said with a smile: "What you said makes me look like a bad person, but I just asked you to help me with a little bit, why do you have to complain so much? What's more, you and I are both relatives of the royal family, and it is only natural for us to do our best for the court. But you are making excuses and being too lazy."

He may not fully appreciate the fact that he has devoted all his efforts to the court. After all, this is a feudal dynasty, and the so-called court is the court of Emperor Yongkang. This is a hint at him!

The Beijing Prince's Palace is already in a superior position, enough for Shui Rongguo to be at ease. In this case, why should he get involved in court affairs? As the saying goes, "serving the emperor is like serving a tiger", so it is better to keep a distance.

After thinking for a while, Shui Rong smiled and replied: "If you can do your best, I will certainly not sit idly by. However, the affairs of the court are all very important. I am used to a leisurely life and I am asked to worry and work hard. Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

Upon hearing this, King Zhongshun chuckled and said "It's up to you" without saying much.

After chatting for a while, Shui Rong didn't stay any longer, collected the banknotes and left.

As soon as he left the Ministry of Revenue, a female official in a light blue palace skirt came towards him, bowed and said, "Greetings, Prince Beijing."

Shui Rong looked at the female official in front of him with a strange expression. Isn't this Jia Yuanchun? Why did she come here...

Chapter 45: Emperor Yongkang combines work and rest

In front of the Ministry of Revenue.

Shui Rong looked at the beauty in front of him. Her red lips, white teeth, and round, smooth face made her look quite cute.

"But something?"

Although Shui Rong was a little surprised to see Jia Yuanchun, he was just surprised and calmed down in the blink of an eye.

It was obvious that Jia Yuanchun was waiting at the Ministry of Revenue. She was a female historian of Shou'an Palace. Since she came to ask for help, it must be the order of the old empress dowager. Shui Rong also had a guess as to why the old empress dowager was looking for him. It was most likely because of his cousin.

Otherwise, why would a female official like her come to look for him? It couldn't be that she was attracted by his beauty!

Yuanchun was unaware of his presence and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager heard that you were in the Imperial City, and sent a special minister to invite you to Shou'an Palace."

The Imperial Concubine is the old dowager empress of the Zhen family. That’s how high her seniority is.

Shui Rong did not enter the palace, but was in the inner city of the imperial city. It was not long after he entered the imperial city when the old concubine received the news and sent someone to summon him. It seems that there are many eyes and ears in the imperial city. It is estimated that from the moment Shui Rong stepped into the imperial city, everyone in the palace who was interested had received the news.

Let’s not think about other things for now. Since the old concubine sent someone to summon him, he had to go and see her. After all, the old concubine was Shui Rong’s grandmother and he had to respect her.

Moreover, my cousin has lived in the palace for quite some time, so it is time to resolve the issue. However, keeping delaying it has only delayed my daughter's return.

I hope it will be a happy ending!

Thinking of this, Shui Rong said warmly: "Then I'll have to trouble you to lead the way."

Shui Rong has always been humble and polite when dealing with people, regardless of their status. He is not polite to others just because they are girls.

Listening to the other person's warm voice is like the spring breeze in March, warming the heart.

Yuanchun couldn't help but feel a little curious, and her beautiful eyes glanced at the popular Prince Beijing in front of her.

What comes into view is a face as handsome as a jade, with a good appearance and a good expression, giving off a demeanor of "the man on the street is as handsome as jade, and the young man is unparalleled in the world."

Yuanchun couldn't help but feel a little bit of excitement in her heart, and a barely noticeable amount of rouge appeared on her round face.

This is regardless of other things, it is simply the reaction when seeing a good-looking person, just like a man seeing a stunningly beautiful woman, his heart will be inexplicably touched, and the same will be true for a woman seeing a handsome man.

The so-called lustful heart is something that everyone has, regardless of gender, and it is human nature.

To be precise, this was not the first time Yuanchun and Shui Rong met. They had run into each other last time in the Qianqing Palace, but it was in the main hall at that time. Yuanchun was not as noble as Shui Rong, so she was very well-behaved and looked serious. She only caught a rough outline of him with her peripheral vision. If someone hadn't reminded her before, she would not have known that this was the Prince of Beijing.

But Yuanchun lived in the palace after all, and in the blink of an eye, her bright eyes lowered, her expression returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. She bowed and saluted, and said in a clear voice: "Your Highness is too polite. This is my duty. Please follow me, Your Highness."

After saying this, she began to lead the way in front with lotus steps.

Yuanchun only stole a glance at him out of the corner of her eye, so Shui Rong did not notice his daughter's sudden change of mentality, and followed Yuanchun to Shou'an Palace.

Just looking at Yuanchun's back, her graceful and elegant figure, I couldn't help but sigh, the golden hairpin in the Red Mansion is truly elegant and extraordinary.

Speaking of which, since Shui Rong traveled through the world of the Red Mansion, the only golden hairpins he had seen were Keqing and the one in front of him, Jia Yuanchun. Both of them were of good character and appearance, so I don't know what the other golden hairpins are like.

I believe that any normal man has this curiosity.

But Shui Rong's curiosity just started to show, but then it died down. He thought it was better to mind his own business than to worry about other people's business.

And even if Shui Rong had such an idea, what could it be? A girl never leaves her home, so how could she meet a man from outside her home casually? Even the two golden hairpins she saw, one was a female historian in the palace, and the other was someone who was "invited" to be a concubine. It was just a coincidence.

What's more, there are so many beauties in the world, why should we be obsessed with the name of Jinchai? Let's not talk about others, there is the wild cat Yingluo beside Shui Rong, the little girl Du Yuejiao from "Heaven on Earth", the equally elegant Qingxi, the fresh and lovely cousin Zhen Hua, and Beijing. They are all first-class beauties, not inferior to Jinchai.

Being well-informed, she would not be easily seduced by beauty. She was just a little curious about the name of the golden hairpin.

Qianqing Palace, inside the west warm room.

After Shui Rong left, Prince Zhongshun went straight to the West Warm Pavilion to meet Emperor Yongkang and reported to him that Shui Rong had returned the debt as promised and had promised to help collect the debt.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongkang couldn't help but smile a little on his stern face, and slammed the table and said, "Yes, since Xiao Shiliu has agreed, the Ministry of Revenue will start preparing to collect the outstanding silver by the end of the year."

Demanding payment of unpaid silver has always been a concern for Emperor Yongkang. Apart from the issue of silver, it also represents Emperor Yongkang's control over the court. How can the emperor's majesty be demonstrated if even the silver owed by ministers is difficult to collect?

However, there were many people involved, and all of them were messes left over from the period of the retired emperor. It was difficult for Emperor Yongkang to rectify them vigorously, so he dragged his feet. Now with Shui Rong waving the flag and shouting, Emperor Yongkang could take advantage of the situation to demand payment and clear the haze in the court.

Prince Zhongshun was also in a good mood at this time. In fact, Emperor Yongkang only had the idea of ​​​​collecting the overdue silver, but he did not issue an order. He set a trap for Shui Rong, and Shui Rong was really good and fell into his trap.

Seeing Emperor Yongkang issue an order, Prince Zhongshun agreed and said, "I obey your order."

After accepting the offer, Prince Zhongshun saw that Emperor Yongkang was in a good mood. After thinking for a moment, he reminded him, "Royal brother, Xiao Shiliu said that he can only persuade with words, and the specific results are still unknown. You should not hold too much hope."

Although Shui Rong has tried to persuade him, the effect is uncertain. If it is far from what was expected, Emperor Yongkang will be greatly disappointed.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongkang waved his hands and said, "I know, but as long as Little Sixteen has this intention, at least he can collect 10% or 20% of the money, which is better than doing it in vain."

The Ministry of Revenue was able to collect 10% or 20% of the outstanding silver, which not only enriched the national treasury, but also represented a change in the political atmosphere in the court. All things are difficult at the beginning, but with this change, the follow-up will be much easier.

Emperor Yongkang paused for a moment, his eyes sharpened, and he said calmly, "I'm afraid that Little Sixteen will just do it perfunctorily and end up becoming a joke again."

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhongshun remained silent. Ever since Emperor Yongkang ascended the throne, the Ministry of Revenue had been urging the payment of outstanding silver, but it was ineffective and had caused many jokes, so that the ministers did not take it seriously at all.

Therefore, there has been no collection of payment in the past two years. If collection is resumed at this time and it has no effect, it would be a joke and would hurt the reputation of the court. Therefore, it is not surprising that Emperor Yongkang had such concerns.

Seeing that the atmosphere was somewhat chilly, Prince Zhongshun changed the subject and jokingly said, "What my royal brother said is indeed possible. Little Sixteen is a very slippery kid. Who knows, he might really be able to coax me with words."

Emperor Yongkang frowned when he heard this. He was talking about serious matters, so why did Prince Zhongshun speak in such a joking tone?

Fortunately, Emperor Yongkang knew that Prince Zhongshun was not the kind of person who spoke without purpose and that there must be something behind his words. Therefore, he remained silent and waited for Prince Zhongshun to speak. If it were someone else, they would probably get angry.

If the emperor gets angry, it will be difficult to end well.

When Prince Zhongshun saw Emperor Yongkang staring at him, he chuckled and immediately told Emperor Yongkang the funny story of Shui Rong selling dog meat under the guise of selling mutton.

After hearing this, Emperor Yongkang looked strange, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. He laughed in anger and cursed: "The dignified Prince of Beijing County has such dirty tricks. This little Sixteen is really getting more and more naughty."

The royal family represents the reputation of the royal family. Shui Rong is doing some shameful things. If it gets out, it will bring shame to the royal family. If he had known this earlier, he should not have turned a blind eye to it and should have pointed it out directly.

Seeing this, Prince Zhongshun did not explain, but smiled and replied: "Isn't it true? When the emperor said that he was a treacherous businessman, I felt that it was very reasonable. Little Sixteen is indeed treacherous, and he might use this trick on me."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongkang raised his eyes to look at Prince Zhongshun, who seemed to be hinting at something. After a moment, he suddenly realized what was going on.

Although what King Zhongshun said was irrelevant, he understood the meaning behind it. The so-called unscrupulous businessmen have a scale in their hearts and do business that harms others and benefits themselves.

Judging from Shui Rong's recent behavior, he doesn't care about the affairs of the court. If this is the case, can't he tell which is more important, offending the emperor and a prince or just doing a perfunctory job?

In short, Shui Rong should not be perfunctory, which made Emperor Yongkang feel much more at ease.

Emperor Yongkang said in a deep voice, "You should pay more attention to this matter. As for Little Sixteen, as long as he cooperates well, you don't need to pay attention to the rest. If he wants to be a profiteer, let him be."

Prince Zhongshun understood what he said. He knew in his heart that Emperor Yongkang had a very high tolerance for Shui Rong. Not to mention the empty blood relationship, Shui Rong had the support of Prince Beijing's Mansion and was deeply rooted, so he needed to be appeased. Secondly, there was the retired emperor. Ever since the retired emperor adopted Shui Rong, they knew what he was thinking. It was simply because of the fight for the throne, and they were afraid that Shui Rong, who was ignorant of the world, would be used by someone with ulterior motives, so they kept him out of the matter and protected him.

Therefore, as long as Shui Rong did not make too much noise, Emperor Yongkang would pretend not to see it.

Although Shui Rong was making a scene right now, it was just the pranks of a child and there was no need to make a big fuss. Emperor Yongkang was even happy to see this situation.

Thinking of this, Prince Zhongshun said respectfully, "Don't worry, my royal brother. I understand. As for Little Sixteen, you don't have to worry about him during this period of time. Just now, Shou'an Palace sent someone to take Little Sixteen away. I'm afraid he can't take care of himself right now."

"Oh, Shou'an Palace?" Emperor Yongkang became interested after hearing that. He knew what Shou'an Palace meant. It was nothing more than wanting to have a marriage between the Zhen family and Prince Beijing's Mansion.

But Shui Rong disagreed. If he asked Shui Rong to go to Shou'an Palace now, it would probably mean a showdown.

Emperor Yongkang tapped the imperial desk with his index finger and spoke after a moment: "Speaking of which, I have been busy with state affairs and have not paid my respects to the Empress Dowager for some time. Well, since I happen to be free now, I will go and pay my respects to the Empress Dowager."

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhongshun paused and stared at the memorial on the imperial desk in silence.

My brother is busy with government affairs, so he really needs to combine work and rest.

Chapter 46 The strong melon is not sweet

Shou'an Palace.

Walking into the bedroom along the white jade paved road, Shui Rong saw the old concubine half leaning on the brocade couch. Her hair was covered with silver frost, wrinkles climbed up her forehead, and her slightly narrowed eyes exuded a kind and amiable look.

Seeing Shui Rong coming in, the old concubine's face showed joy, and she waved with a smile, saying, "Little Sixteen is here, come to the Royal Grandmother."

Shui Rong paused as he heard this, his half-bent body showing a helpless expression. Although he had been adopted, the title of little Sixteen had not changed much in the palace. This was true for both the retired emperor and Prince Zhongshun, and even Emperor Yongkang had not distanced himself from him.

Perhaps this is a way of showing closeness. After all, there are only a small group of people in the palace who are qualified to call him "Little Sixteen", and they have been calling him that for more than ten years. It may be difficult to change this habit in a short time.

Since the old concubine was so close, Shui Rong was not shy. He stepped forward and said respectfully, "Grandmother."

He wanted to call her Imperial Grandmother Consort, but when he thought about it, he had already emphasized his status in front of Emperor Yongkang, so there was no need to worry about it.

The old concubine smiled and said, "Good boy, sit down first!"

Shui Rong bowed and sat down calmly in front of the table on the lower right. A palace maid had already brought him tea and water.

Seeing Shui Rong being modest and polite, the old concubine became more and more satisfied with the decision of the Zhen family to marry the Beijing Palace. After a pause, the old concubine said with emotion: "Speaking of which, Xiao Shiliu hasn't come to my Shou'an Palace for a long time. Could it be that he dislikes me, an old woman?"

It couldn't be said that he disliked her. Shui Rong actually didn't have much interaction with the old concubine. In his memory, she had only come a few times when he was a child, and had not come when he was a little older. In addition, after she was adopted, she had to observe a three-year mourning period, so she had not come for a long time. As soon as he entered the bedroom, Shui Rong casually glanced at the palace maids standing there. They were basically all unfamiliar faces, and he didn't know how many times they had been replaced.

As time went by, and this Shui Rong was no longer the same Shui Rong, there was no family affection between them. Not to mention the old concubine, even his biological father, he had only seen him once in the past few years, and that time it was the retired emperor who took the initiative to summon him.

Although he could not speak directly, Shui Rong explained, "I just didn't want to disturb the Royal Grandmother's peace, so I didn't pay my respects. I hope the Royal Grandmother won't blame me."

The old concubine laughed when she heard this and said kindly, "When you get old, you like some fun. It's no big deal. Come here more often. I'll be happy!"

Faced with the old concubine's cordial invitation, Shui Rong had no choice but to accept it. However, it was up to him to decide whether to come or not, so it didn't matter.