The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

Thinking of this, Emperor Yongkang said with a little dissatisfaction: "Little Sixteen, that's all the money from the national treasury. You can't let me write it off."

The money in the national treasury is used to maintain the people's livelihood and the country. If the national treasury has no surplus, it will be difficult to cope with natural disasters and man-made disasters, and it may damage the foundation of the court. Therefore, even if you are the emperor, you cannot withdraw money from the national treasury at will.

Emperor Yongkang was willing to listen to Shui Rong because he respected him, but he would get angry if he heard anything unpleasant.

Shui Rong understood what was happening and continued, "Of course that's not what I meant. I just think it's a bit unreasonable to ask them to pay the money they owe all at once, so I think it's better to pay part of it first and pay the rest next year. This way, it will give them time to make ends meet and show my kindness."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongkang understood immediately that Shui Rong meant to pay the outstanding silver in installments. Emperor Yongkang had this intention earlier, but when people heard about the payment, they started crying poor, which gave Emperor Yongkang a headache.

Without thinking too much, Emperor Yongkang agreed: "Yes, let them pay 50% first, and the rest will be paid next year."

Since Shuirong had made the suggestion, Emperor Yongkang got off the donkey along the slope and agreed to the matter.

What puzzled him was that Shui Rong had always been indifferent to the affairs of the court, so why did he suddenly start to give advice? Although he was puzzled by Shui Rong's abnormality, he did not think much about it. After all, he was doing his job for him.

Shui Rong felt relieved when he heard this. It was feasible to pay half of it first, so Shui Rong bowed and said, "Thank you for your understanding, brother. However, I am not sure. If I cannot meet your request, I hope you will not blame me."

This time he took the initiative to call for the payment of the owed money because he had his own ideas. After all, Emperor Yongkang was really lenient and kind to him, so he should also show appropriate kindness. This is called reciprocity.

However, Shui Rong would not be too deeply involved, and it was difficult to ensure the success of the mission, so a preventive measure was given in advance to prevent Emperor Yongkang from being too disappointed, which would be counterproductive.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongkang suddenly realized that Shui Rong was still the same Shui Rong. He was not interested in the affairs of the court. The fact that he was able to express his opinion this time probably depended on his persuasion, but he did not want to pay too much attention to it.

Thinking of this, Emperor Yongkang said kindly: "It's okay, I won't blame you."

It's good to have a change in attitude, and Emperor Yongkang didn't want to force it, as long as he had this attitude.

After pondering for a moment, Emperor Yongkang took off a string of prayer beads from his hand, handed it to Shui Rong and said, "Little Sixteen, this is the Wagtail Fragrance Prayer Beads, made of natural fragrant wood. The smell makes people feel refreshed and their blood circulation becomes unobstructed. I like it very much, so I will give it to you this time. Please accept it."

Shui Rong was stunned when he heard this, "Wagtail Incense Rosary", is this the rosary that appeared in the original book?

I remember that in the original novel, Shui Rong gave this rosary to Jia Baoyu, but in terms of the timeline, it was obviously much earlier. Why did he give the rosary to him at this time? Was it to commend him?

Without thinking too much, Shui Rong couldn't refuse the emperor's reward, so he thanked him and said, "Thank you, my brother, for your reward."

I took the rosary and it felt slightly cool to the touch, with a delicate texture. There were twelve round, circular beads in total, and a bird pattern was engraved on the rosary, which should be a "wagtail".

The so-called "Wagtail" is a small bird. Usually if one bird is lost, the flock of birds will sing. "The Book of Songs: Changdi" says: "The brother is on the ground, and the brothers are in trouble." Ancient poetry uses "Wagtail" as a metaphor to sing the feelings between brothers, indicating that in times of crisis, only brothers are the most trustworthy.

This time, Emperor Yongkang rewarded him with "Ogtail Incense Rosary" to show his brotherly love.

Shui Rong picked it up and sniffed it, and said in surprise: "It really makes me feel refreshed after smelling it. This is a good thing. My royal brother is really generous."

Emperor Yongkang saw Shui Rong playing with the rosary beads he had been rewarded with, and he did not feel that it was impolite, but rather seemed to be close to him, so he laughed and scolded: "What you said, I can't be stingy, but it's good that you like it, I was afraid that I couldn't show it to you!"

Shui Rong didn't say anything after hearing this. He put it on his right wrist. The size was just right for him. For a moment, the brothers chatted in harmony.

Chapter 49 My Cousin Has a Cruel Heart

Beijing Palace.

Under the vermilion gate, Yingluo held her embroidered handkerchief and paced back and forth in front of the gate. From time to time, she stood on tiptoe and looked around the corner, muttering: "Why haven't you come back yet?"

Just as she was getting anxious, Yingluo saw a figure around the corner. She was delighted and started trotting, waving her handkerchief and shouting, "My Lord, My Lord."

Shui Rong looked at the beauty running towards him and couldn't help but smile. He just accompanied Emperor Yongkang in the Imperial Garden for a while and chatted about some family matters, which delayed the time and therefore made him come back a little late. As for making Yingluo, this playboy, so impatient, could she really not leave him?

Seeing Yingluo staggering, Shui Rong frowned and shouted, "Slow down, be careful not to fall."

This reckless little kid, don’t fall.

Yingluo was unaware of him and trotted to Shuirong's side. Her cheeks flushed slightly and she didn't even bother to catch her breath. She said hurriedly, "My Lord, you are finally back. I was so worried."

Shui Rong laughed when he heard that, stretched out his hand and flicked Ying Luo's head, scolding: "You clingy little hoof, the master is back now, why are you so impatient?"

The little stray cat is becoming more and more clingy, and really can't be left alone for even a moment. Sometimes he is quite annoying, but Shui Rong also understands that Ying Luo only has eyes for him and can't live without him. Facing such a devoted lover, Shui Rong can only complain. After all, apart from being clingy, Ying Luo is also very hardworking. She rushes to do all the dirty and tiring work, and does it carefully and spotlessly.

Yingluo covered her forehead with both hands and glanced at Shuirong with her clear eyes. What a clingy little thing! How could she be clingy? The prince was really something.

Just when she was about to say something coquettish, she suddenly remembered something important. She ignored the pain on her forehead and said hurriedly, "Your Highness, you should go see Miss Zhen first. A maid came to the palace today and said she wanted to take Miss Zhen into the palace. I don't know what she said later, but Miss Zhen was so angry that she started crying and refused to go into the palace. She cried and said she wanted to wait for Your Highness to come back."

Shui Rong was shocked when he heard this. Seeing Ying Luo in such a hurry, he thought it was just because this stray cat was anxious, but he never thought that something happened in the mansion.

He had known for a long time that the palace had sent someone to pick up Zhen Hua and he thought Zhen Hua would obediently go into the palace, but unexpectedly she started crying. It seemed that Shui Rong had underestimated his cousin's feelings for him.

Could this be the reluctance of first love? Tsk tsk tsk. Before he knew it, he had become an arsonist of love's heart.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong said without further ado, "I understand, I'll go check it out now."

Things have gotten really bad, we should go and take a look.

After saying that, Shui Rong walked towards the mansion, passing through the corridors, and soon arrived at Ning'an Hall.

Earlier in the summer, Shui Rong and his companions went to the pavilion in the center of the lake to escape the heat. Now that it was autumn, they naturally moved back, and Zhen Hua also moved back to the side courtyard of Ning'an Hall.

The corridor of the courtyard was filled with maids and old women who came to watch the fun. They tiptoed inside, but although they were curious, they did not dare to go in. When they saw Shui Rong coming, they hurriedly bowed.

Shui Rong ignored this, as everyone is curious, so as long as they did not break the rules, he would let them do as they pleased. Besides, these minor matters were not something that a prince like him needed to handle, as the people below would naturally handle them.

So he walked towards the yard, and when he reached the door, Shui Rong could faintly hear the sound of sobbing.

When the curtain was lifted and the room was entered, many people were seen gathered in the room. Concubine Beijing was sitting on a brocade stool, while Keqing was sitting beside the couch and whispering comfort words. As for Zhen Hua, she was lying on the couch sobbing, and next to her stood a nanny with an embarrassed look on her face, who must have come from the palace.

Seeing Shui Rong coming back, everyone's eyes were focused on him, making Shui Rong feel a little uncomfortable.

In a short while, Concubine Beijing and others left one after another, leaving Shui Rong and Zhen Hua alone in the room, which was done intentionally to allow them to have a detailed conversation.

Shui Rong looked at Zhen Hua who was sitting on the couch. Her eyes were red with traces of tears in the corners of her eyes. Her body was stuttering and she was sobbing softly. She looked pitiful and she looked like someone who pitied her.

Zhen Hua's eyes were full of smiles, and she watched Shui Rong's eyes gradually become blurred. At this moment, Zhen Hua suddenly felt more confident and relieved. Seeing Shui Rong remained silent, she could not help but call out softly, "Cousin."

It sounded like weeping and complaining, like a wail.

Shui Rong looked at Zhen Hua's aggrieved expression, sighed softly, and said, "Cousin, since the palace has sent someone to pick you up, you should go back to the palace."

Although Zhen Hua was pitiful, there was no need to comfort her now that things had come to this point, so he might as well break up completely to avoid delaying his daughter's family.

When Zhen Hua heard this, her face turned pale, tears could not stop falling, and she said with tears in her eyes: "Cousin, you are so cruel."

When the palace nanny told Zhen Hua about this, she still had a glimmer of hope in her heart. She cried and waited for Shui Rong to come back, hoping that Shui Rong would come forward to keep her. However, Shui Rong's intention was obviously to ignore her, which made Zhen Hua feel desperate and she covered her face and cried bitterly.

When Shui Rong heard this, he felt helpless. How could he be so cruel?

To be honest, when the lady from the Zhen family brought Zhen Hua to the palace, the Prince of Beijing's Mansion had already rejected her. However, the Zhen family did not give up and sent her to the palace in the hope that they would fall in love with each other over time.

After Zhen Hua moved into the palace, Shui Rong always treated her with courtesy and never behaved impolitely, just like an ordinary cousin. Shui Rong even expressed his refusal in words, but Zhen Hua didn't care and was still hoping for the best, which is why she delayed until now.

If you think about it carefully, this is all the wishful thinking of the Zhen family and Zhen Hua. What does it have to do with Shui Rong's cruelty? Could it be that if the Zhen family likes something, the Beijing Palace must accommodate it? It's really ridiculous.

But then again, although Shui Rong had always been in a rejection attitude, he did not say anything final, which gave Zhen Hua hope, so Shui Rong also had a responsibility.

Of course, Shui Rong also understood that it would be all over if he just said it out loud, but it was easier said than done. Regardless of other things, if you were in his shoes, facing a daughter with both good character and appearance who admired you and you didn't dislike her, how could you reject her directly?

To put it bluntly, with Zhen Hua's character and appearance, any normal man would be moved by her, and Shui Rong is no exception. Moreover, Zhen Hua's admiring look is quite enjoyable.

With a light sigh, Shui Rong moved forward, took out his own hand towel and handed it over without saying anything. After all, Concubine Beijing and the others had already comforted her before, so there was no point in saying more.

Seeing this, Zhen Hua took it and felt a little better. She held back her tears, looked up at Shui Rong, and asked, "Cousin, why don't you want to marry me?"

The maid in the palace had told her everything. The old concubine personally acted as a matchmaker, but Shui Rong still refused. This made Zhen Hua very sad. She wanted to know why her cousin was unwilling to marry her. She wanted to know the reason even if she died. At this time, she didn't even care about her daughter's reserve and asked directly.

Shui Rong looked at Zhen Hua, who had a determined look in her eyes. After a pause, he said, "Your Majesty will grant me the marriage next year. I cannot disobey your order."

Facing the heartbroken beauty, Shui Rong had better be more tactful. It just so happened that the reason for the marriage was legitimate and easier for people to accept. He couldn't just say that he was willing to marry her, but not as the principal wife. Wouldn't that be more hurtful?

Upon hearing this, Zhen Hua said resentfully, "If my cousin really wanted to, he could just ask His Majesty for mercy. Why did he do this? It's obvious that my cousin doesn't want to."

With Shui Rong's status and position, it would not be a problem for her to ask for grace before the emperor issued an edict. With the help of the old empress dowager, it would be a sure thing. But Shui Rong used the excuse of a marriage to perfunctorily appease her. Did he really think she was a naive person?

Shui Rong felt a headache when he saw this. He wanted to save some dignity for you, but you didn't want to. Since the cousin in front of him was determined to make him speak clearly, Shui Rong didn't have to be polite, so he asked back: "If I marry my cousin as a concubine, would you be willing?"

He can marry Zhen Hua, but she cannot be the principal wife. If Zhen Hua is willing, Shui Rong can still do something about it. After all, facing his sweet cousin, he still feels a little confused. Therefore, Shui Rong did not refuse directly. He waited for the title of principal wife to be decided and then saw the attitude of the Zhen family.

In short, water-soluble is a bit of a cursory glance.

But ideals are beautiful and reality is cruel. The indifferent look of the old concubine in the palace made Shui Rong understand that the Zhen family would never "suffer". If they wanted to marry Zhen Hua, they had to treat her as the principal wife.

However, the position of the main wife cannot be given to the Zhen family. With the character of the Zhen family, I don’t know how much trouble the Beijing Palace will have to clean up for them.

Zhen Hua was choked up when she heard this. Her eyes changed involuntarily. She bit her white lips with her white teeth and said unwillingly, "Why can't I be the principal wife?"

From the moment she came to Beijing, her mother told her that she would be the future Princess of Beijing. Now she was told that she would be a concubine. How could she accept this? Besides her, who else would be suitable? Could it be that her cousin also wanted to make Keqing the princess?

Shui Rong understood what Zhen Hua said. From the moment Zhen Hua asked this question, he knew that she must be the main wife as Shui Rong thought.

It’s not that Zhen Hua is utilitarian. In feudal society, men are superior to women. With Shui Rong’s status and position, he would have at least three thousand beauties in his harem, but it would not be in the single digits.

In the eyes of these ladies from wealthy families, they have no problem with their husbands taking concubines, but they cannot give up the position of the main wife. This is especially true of the Zhen family because of the old concubine, who are very arrogant and look down on ordinary people.

Although Zhen Hua is gentle and lovely, she is born in the Zhen family after all. She has been influenced by her family and has her own ideas, or arrogance. Although the concubine has a certain status, she is still inferior to others, so she despises her.

To be honest, the Zhen family is related to the royal family because of the old concubine. If there is no such relationship, it means nothing in Shui Rong's eyes, so it is not unfair for her to be paired with a concubine.

After all, it was because the Zhen family had a very high opinion of themselves that they thought they were a good match for the Prince of Beijing's Mansion. Once their expectations were not met, they felt disappointed, their feelings dimmed, and they began to care about gains and losses.

Facing Zhen Hua's questioning, Shui Rong ignored it. He couldn't say that the Zhen family was in a mess, and the final outcome was that the family was confiscated by Emperor Yongkang. Prince Beijing's Mansion didn't want to be involved in this trap! !

So Shui Rong made the decision and said, "Cousin, if you want to stay in the palace, I can only marry you as a concubine. If you don't want to, then go to the Royal Concubine!"

There is no room for bargaining regarding the matter of the princess. It's just a matter of some goodwill. All the talk of sympathy for women and lust makes one blind is useless. Anyway, it is up to Zhen Hua to decide. If she is willing, then she can enter the palace as a concubine. If she is not willing, then there is no need to force her. After all, if she is unwilling, the harem will be uneasy. It is better to give her up so that both sides will not lose out.

After saying that, Shui Rong turned around and walked out of the house without caring about Zhen Hua's reaction, leaving Zhen Hua to think about it on her own.

Zhen Hua sat on the couch, her delicate face blurred by tears. Seeing Shui Rong turn around and leave without hesitation, she choked and said, "My cousin has such a cruel heart."

Chapter 50 Lack of security

Ning'an Hall.

Concubine Beijing leaned on the brocade couch, her delicate face full of melancholy, pinched her nose with her white jade fingers, sighed, and said with her red lips: "Brother Rong did this, but he didn't even give me a heads up in advance."

The fact that someone from the palace came to pick up Zhen Hua was so sudden that even Concubine Beijing was a little unprepared. At least they should have informed her first so that she wouldn't be in such a hurry.

Rong Mama, who was standing by, had a change of expression in her eyes. She thought for a moment and then stepped forward and whispered, "My Lady Concubine, I have something to say that I shouldn't. Our Lord originally didn't agree with Miss Zhen's relationship. You are just too eager to do it."

As an elder in the palace, Aunt Rong knew Shui Rong's attitude, but since her own concubine had chosen him, she couldn't say much.

Upon hearing this, Concubine Beijing rolled her eyes at Rong Mama and scolded her with a smile, "According to what you said, it's my fault."

Rong Mama saw that the concubine was complaining, and she chuckled and joked, "How dare I? Our prince is a man of his own ideas. I felt that this would not work out. But since you are so concerned about it, I can't say anything. Now that this has happened, it's not surprising."

"Haha, you old fool, you dare to say such things after the fact." Concubine Beijing scolded with a smile, blaming Madam Rong for keeping her secret.

When Rong Mama heard the spitting and scolding, she became annoyed, but she didn't care. It was because they were close that she spoke casually.