The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

"Rong'er, do you have any objection to my arrangement?" After laughing and joking, Princess Beijing asked softly.

Shui Rong was planning to marry Qin Keqing, but Princess Beijing did not mention this. Instead, she kept Qin Keqing by her side to serve her. Seeing Shui Rong's expression before, Princess Beijing knew that he had something in mind. She thought Shui Rong would retort, but she didn't expect him to sit still.

Shui Rong immediately became alert when she heard this. When a person that her "son" liked suddenly appeared, she felt hostile. This was a common problem for mothers since ancient times. In the original novel, there was also a reason why Mrs. Wang hated Lin Daiyu. Especially since Shui Rong was her stepson, she had to guard against the possibility of mother and son becoming estranged.

Judging from the attitude of Princess Beijing towards Qin Ye, she looked down on the Qin family and let Qin Keqing enter the palace just because she liked her. No matter what, Qin Keqing would stay, which was also a token of her affection. Since this was the case, Princess Beijing could not feel that "she had a wife and forgot her mother". Thinking of this, Shui Rong said obediently: "Mother, this arrangement must be for the good of the child."

Princess Beijing was pleased to see Shui Rong's correct attitude. She saw that Qin Keqing was charming and graceful, and was worried that Shui Rong would be seduced. But now, she no longer had this worry, so she explained, "Rong'er, Qin Keqing is a suitable person, but she comes from a poor family, so her foundation is not good enough. Since you like her, let her stay with me for a year or two, and then I'll give her to you. Is that okay?"

Shui Rong nodded slightly when he heard that. It would be fine to train him for a year or two, as it would be a good time for him to grow. If he was kept by his side and spent every day with him, he would inevitably become impulsive. It was like putting fish in front of a cat. How could he expect it not to steal the fish?

Shui Rong smiled and said, "Those who have been trained by mother are of course very good. Look at Yingluo, isn't she trained well by mother? She is very worthy of my love."

Hearing these sweet words, Princess Beijing's face was full of smiles, and her eyes couldn't help but look at Yingluo who was standing with her eyes lowered. Shui Rong originally had many maids to serve him, but they were all sent away on the pretext of "observing mourning". During the three-year mourning period, Shui Rong restrained himself and did not overstep the line, which made Princess Beijing feel relieved.

But now that the mourning period is about to end, Shui Rong will not close the door to visitors. He will always have to attend social events. He has never seen the world, so it is inevitable that he will be seduced by the seductive women outside and do some unfilial things. Such things happen a lot in wealthy families. In order to prevent them from happening, Princess Beijing waved to Ying Luo, waited for Ying Luo to come forward, took Ying Luo's hand and said in a gentle voice: "You are a decent person. You have taken care of me wholeheartedly for the past three years, and it has been hard for you. From this month on, your monthly allowance will be increased to two taels."

Hearing this, Yingluo's face lit up with joy. The monthly allowance in the mansion was fixed. For example, before, Yingluo received one tael of silver per month, which was the monthly allowance of a head maid, and two taels of silver per month, which was the monthly allowance of a "concubine". Princess Beijing's implication was to upgrade Yingluo's status to "quasi-concubine".

Maids naturally have "ambition", and for a maid like Yingluo, the best fate is to become a concubine. Moreover, Shuirong is handsome and kind to others. With such a good master, there are many maids in the mansion who care about her. How can Yingluo be exempt from this?

However, Yingluo did not get carried away and quickly expressed her opinion: "I have been working in the palace since I was young. The prince is my heaven. Being able to serve the prince is the blessing of my three lifetimes. How can I feel it is hard?"

Princess Beijing nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Shui Rong and said, "Yingluo will be my child from now on, you can't bully her."

Shui Rong couldn't help laughing when he heard this. What did he mean by bullying? How could he bully Ying Luo? After all, she was his own mother. She took care of him. First, she took Qin Keqing into the mansion, and then raised Ying Luo's status. She considered everything for him. She was really considerate.

Yingluo's cheeks were burning hot, and she looked at Shuirong with her affectionate eyes. She twisted the embroidered handkerchief in her hands and whispered softly, "The prince is kind to others and has never bullied me."

She wanted Shui Rong to bully her, but Shui Rong was magnanimous and never criticized her. If he had bullied her, it was when the prince covered her head with a leggings yesterday. The strong smell was unbearable, but after thinking about it, it seemed to have a different taste.

Thinking of this, Yingluo's eyes flickered and her feet came closer together. She was shy and timid, like a winter jasmine flower swaying in the wind, beautiful and charming.

Qin Mansion.

Qin Ye and Qin Keqing returned to the mansion. In the hall, Qin Ye stroked his white beard and said in a deep voice, "So, the princess must have wanted to let your daughter enter the palace to serve for the sake of the prince."

After returning home, Qin Keqing had already explained to Qin Ye everything that Princess Beijing had asked her. Qin Ye roughly understood what she meant, otherwise he would not have asked about these things.

Qin Keqing also understood what was meant. Thinking of Shui Rong's beautiful appearance, her cheeks couldn't help but blush. Who doesn't like handsome or beautiful people? Everyone has a crush on appearance, but the difference is whether it is mild or severe.

Qin Ye did not notice Qin Keqing's expression, his mind was on the attitude of Beijing Prince's Mansion. The prince of Beijing Prince's Mansion had been in mourning for three years and had not married. Now that the deadline was approaching, he would definitely choose a prince's consort. In terms of family background, the Qin family could not marry Beijing Prince's Mansion, and Beijing Prince's Consort's intention was obviously not to let Qin Keqing become the prince's consort. At present, it seemed that she was just a concubine. Although the prince's concubine was difficult for others to reach, a concubine was still a concubine after all, and it was difficult for her to enter the elegant hall. With a long sigh, Qin Ye smiled bitterly and said, "How did Beijing Prince's Mansion know about your daughter? It's really strange."

In ancient times, most daughters were not allowed to go out of the main house. Although the Qin family was a small family, they also observed this etiquette. The Beijing Prince's Palace suddenly summoned Qin Keqing, which obviously showed that they knew about Qin Keqing. However, the Qin family and the Beijing Prince's Palace had no intersection, so how did they know about Qin Keqing?

Qin Keqing didn't know why, but seeing Qin Ye's worried expression, she felt bad, so she said in a clear voice, "Dad, since the princess has said so, it's useless to worry. Besides, I think the princess is a kind person, so she won't make any mistakes."

Qin Keqing didn't know much about Princess Beijing, but facing her worried adoptive father, she naturally said good things to comfort him.

Qin Ye felt helpless when he heard this. Qin Keqing was right. It was a foregone conclusion that she would enter the palace. Now he could only think positively. Thinking of this, Qin Ye reminded her, "My daughter, there are many rules in a wealthy family. It will never go wrong to talk less and do more."

There are many red tapes in wealthy and powerful families. If Qin Keqing enters the palace, she will inevitably violate taboos.

Qin Keqing nodded heavily upon hearing this, bowed and said, "Daughter understands, father, don't worry."

Qin Ye nodded, and then said nothing more. Suddenly, the servant said, "Master, there is someone visiting outside the door. They say it is from the Ningguo Mansion."

Qin Keqing saw that Qin Ye had a strange look on his face and remained silent for a long time. She was smart and immediately realized that something was wrong. She pursed her lips and asked softly, "Dad, is there any connection between our family and the Ningguo Mansion?"

The Ningguo Mansion is a noble family, while the Qin family is a small family. There is such a big difference between them. Why would they come to visit? Unless they have a connection, otherwise, they can just summon them like the Beijing Prince Mansion did.

Qin Ye had a complicated expression, and he sighed softly. He did not explain, but waved his hand and said, "Daughter, go see Jing Qing first."

Qin Keqing lowered her eyebrows. Since her father didn't want to say it, she had no choice but to stand up, bow, and leave slowly.

Chapter 6 A loving father and a filial son

Flower Hall of Qin Mansion.

Sitting in the hall was a man in his early forties, with a fair complexion and a beard under his nose. He did not look old. This man was none other than Jia Zhen, the third-class noble and mighty general of the Ningguo Mansion.

Behind him stood Jia Rong, the eldest son of the Ningguo Mansion, with a delicate face, handsome figure, and wearing a light fur coat, precious belt, and beautiful clothes and a gorgeous crown. It was obvious that this scene was not simple.

After chatting for a while, Qin Ye bowed his hands and said humbly: "I don't know what important matter you are visiting me for, I hope you can tell me clearly."

The Duke's Mansion's third-class noble general, Wei Wulie, came to visit in person, but it couldn't be that he was really visiting!!!

Jia Zhen had a kind face, without any of the dignity of a rich and powerful man, and said with a smile: "Old Master Qin is an old friend of my father, there is no need to be so polite."

Qin Ye felt sad when he heard this. When they were young, he and Jia Jing from the Ningguo Mansion were classmates and good friends. They often met through literature and were as close as brothers. However, things happen unexpectedly and the two parted ways and never had any contact again. As for the so-called old friend, the Qin family could not afford the ups and downs in his official career. If he was really an old friend, how could Jia Zhen call him "Old Master Qin"?

"You are too polite, sir." Qin Ye bowed.

Jia Zhen didn't care about it. He held the teacup in his hand and played with the covered bowl. After a while, his eyes showed a gleam of light, and he said to Jia Rong who was standing beside him: "Rong'er, Mr. Qin is an old friend of our family. He hasn't met Uncle Qin yet."

Upon hearing this, Jia Rong bowed and said, "Greetings, Uncle Qin."

Qin Ye hurriedly stood up to return the greeting. Jia Rong was the son of the Ningguo Mansion, and he was not someone he could be careless with. Besides, addressing him as "uncle" didn't seem right either!!!

Suddenly, Jia Zhen changed the subject and asked warmly and cordially, "What do you think of my son, Mr. Qin?"

Qin Ye raised his eyebrows upon hearing this. Although he was puzzled, he answered honestly to Jia Zhen's question, "Your son is gentle, refined, and handsome. He is a rare young talent."

Regardless of what kind of person Jia Rong is, just looking at his face, he is indeed a handsome man. What's more, even if the other person is as stupid as a pig, you still have to praise him in a good way. How can you not know the ways of the world?

Jia Zhen nodded in satisfaction and said seriously, "I only have this one son, and the Ningguo Mansion's property will be passed on to him in the future. Since Mr. Qin thinks my son is okay, I won't hide it. Two days ago, my father sent someone to deliver a letter about the marriage between the two families, so I came to visit."

After saying this, Jia Zhen took out a letter from his sleeve pocket.

Qin Ye took the letter in surprise, and after reading the contents, he said with a nostalgic look: "I never thought that Jing Gong still remembered it in his heart."

Qin Ye sighed and put the letter away. He said respectfully, "Sir, the friendship between Qin and Jin was just a joke at the beginning. Times have changed. Things are different and people are different. Please tell Lord Jing that you don't need to take it to heart."

"Just kidding..." Jia Zhen raised his eyebrows, showing dissatisfaction. Originally, he scoffed at this marriage. How could a dignified Duke's Mansion marry the daughter of such a prominent family? But due to his father's order, he had to come here to propose marriage.

However, when he passed by the yard earlier, he saw a beauty and was immediately shocked by her beauty. He asked the servant who led the way and found out that it was the daughter of the Qin family.

In a moment, Jia Zhen made up his mind that this marriage must be successful.

It is difficult to disobey the orders of parents. First, let your own son marry into the family. When the daughter of the Qin family enters the Ningguo Mansion, he will have the final say in everything. As for her being the daughter-in-law of his own son, what does it matter? What belongs to his own son is not his. Moreover, it is natural for a daughter-in-law to be filial to her son. It is also natural for a father to share his worries for his son if he is afraid of his son's hard work. Isn't this "a loving father and a filial son"?

But now, the other party actually said it was a joke. What a joke.

"What? The Qin family looks down on my Jia family." Jia Zhen's face turned cold and he said in a deep voice.

Before, he was Old Master Qin, and now he is the Qin family. Moreover, the Jia family is the residence of a duke, so how dare the Qin family look down on the Jia family? This is clearly an attempt to use power to suppress others.

Qin Ye's face turned bitter when he heard this. Jia Zhen came to visit and talked about marriage, which must be a formal marriage. Moreover, Jia Zhen made it clear in advance that Jia Rong would be the head of the Ningguo Mansion in the future. If his daughter could marry into the Ningguo Mansion, it would be a great joy.

Although the Beijing Prince's Mansion was more prestigious, Qin Keqing was at most a concubine, and the difference in status was self-evident. However, since things had come to this point, he had no choice, so he said bluntly: "To be honest with you, sir, it's not that I don't want to, but my daughter has been favored by the nobleman."

Jia Zhen's face darkened when he heard this. He was looking for a marriage partner at the Ningguo Mansion, and the nobleman took a fancy to him. How could it be such a coincidence?

"Bullshit! Whoever dares to snatch the wife of my Duke Ningguo is asking for his life." Jia Zhen shouted harshly.

Jia Zhen was determined to get Qin Keqing. His Jia family had two dukes, so who was more noble than them? Regardless of whether it was an excuse or not, who dared to get there first, Jia Zhen would snatch her back.

Qin Ye pondered for a moment and reminded, "My Lord, please be careful with your words. The one who has taken a fancy to my daughter is the prince of Beijing Palace. Tomorrow, Beijing Palace will send someone to take my daughter to the palace."

Jia Zhen was choked up when he heard this, and his old face turned red. The person he had been dreaming about was going to enter the palace, and he was afraid that he would become the shape of Prince Beijing. Moreover, he just cursed the prince of Prince Beijing's palace as a bastard? Isn't that insulting the royal family? This is disrespectful.

Thinking of this, Jia Zhen shuddered. If this got out, he would definitely be in trouble.

Jia Zhen couldn't help but cough lightly to cover up his embarrassment, and looked sharply at Qin Ye who was half-bent over. Since Qin Ye's words were so sure, it was obvious that he was not lying.

For a moment, Jia Zhen was extremely dissatisfied with Qin Ye. He agreed to it just because the Prince Beijing's Mansion took a fancy to you, and completely forgot about the "friendship between Qin and Jin". What a spineless person.

Although Jia Zhen was dissatisfied, he couldn't get angry. After all, the daughter of the Qin family was favored by the Prince of Beijing's Mansion, which meant that the Qin family was related to the Prince of Beijing's Mansion. Although the Ningguo Mansion was noble, it was not as good as the Prince of Beijing's Mansion. What's more, he had just made rude remarks, and he couldn't let Qin Ye go to complain.

Jia Zhen suppressed his anger and said in a friendly manner, "Master Qin, this is what you and my father agreed on. A gentleman values ​​his word, so how can you break it?"

Although the Ningguo Mansion is not as prominent as the Beijing Prince's Mansion, it is not to be manipulated by them. As long as Qin Ye brings up the marriage contract, there is still room for Qin Keqing to enter the Beijing Prince's Mansion.

Qin Ye looked embarrassed when he heard this. As Jia Zhen said, a gentleman values ​​his promise and should not break a promise. However, he and Jia Jing had broken off their relationship a long time ago and he thought that the other party had forgotten about this matter. Who would have thought that the Duke of Ningguo would come to propose marriage.

It was a coincidence that the Prince of Beijing's Mansion wanted someone, and the Duke of Ning's Mansion also wanted someone. If I had known this earlier, I should not have agreed to the Princess of Beijing today, so that there is no room for maneuver.

Qin Ye understood what Jia Zhen said. If he did as he said, the Qin family would definitely offend the Prince of Beijing's Mansion, but if they refused, they would also offend the Duke of Ningguo's Mansion.

If he offended the Ningguo Mansion, he would still have the protection of the Beijing Prince Mansion. However, if he offended the Beijing Prince Mansion, it would be difficult to resolve the issue. He had to choose the lesser of two evils. Moreover, Qin Ye was very displeased with Jia Zhen's behavior. If he had not been concerned about his status, he would have ordered people to drive him out long ago.

Thinking of this, Qin Ye cupped his hands and said, "Sir, the original agreement with Lord Jing was for both sides' children, so your son can be Lord Jing's grandson."

The purpose of engagement was to have children on both sides. However, Qin Ye had no children in his early years, and only adopted his daughter Qin Keqing in Yangsheng Hall in his later years. The marriage was inappropriate at the right time and naturally did not count.

Jia Zhen's face turned terribly gloomy when he heard this. His father had good intentions, but who would have thought that Qin Ye was so ignorant. If he had known that the Qin family's daughter was so beautiful, he would have come to propose marriage when he remarried.

"Since my son doesn't have such good fortune, I won't say much. Let's just leave it at that. Mr. Qin doesn't need to tell anyone about it."

Since the other party was ignorant, Jia Zhen had no choice. Firstly, the Qin family was an old friend of his father and he could not turn against them; secondly, the Qin family was on good terms with the Prince of Beijing's Mansion and it was not easy to offend them. Jia Zhen had no choice but to hold back his anger.

Qin Ye understood what he said. This was a warning to him not to gossip. In fact, he had no intention of telling anyone about this matter from the beginning. After all, this was the Duke's Mansion, and the Qin family could not afford to offend. So he cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, sir. I will be careful with my words and actions."

Seeing this, Jia Zhen said nothing more. He took Jia Rong away with a cold face, and Qin Ye stood up to see him off.

After Jia Zhen left Qin's house, Jia Zhen could no longer hold back his expression and started cursing loudly, which scared Jia Rong behind him.

Seeing Jia Zhen's gloomy face, Jia Rong thought for a moment and stepped forward carefully and said, "Father, since the daughter of the Qin family has been favored by the prince, there is nothing we can do. After all, we are just a small family and not worth anything."

Jia Rong was also amazed by Qin Keqing's beauty. He felt elated at the thought that the beauty was his wife. However, since things had come to this point, there was nothing he could do. Thinking of his father's hard work for his marriage, he could only comfort his old father.

Jia Zhen naturally knew that he was just venting his anger, but Jia Rong came forward and said these words without knowing the tact, which immediately made Jia Zhen furious. He raised his hand and slapped Jia Rong, scolding him: "You bastard, you don't learn your lesson all day long. You can't even find a satisfactory daughter-in-law. I tell you, if you don't change your mind in the future, you'll have to watch out for it."

Jia Rong covered his cheek with a look of grievance. He was the one who didn't have a wife, not Jia Zhen. Why did he take it out on himself for no reason?

Chapter 7 Qin Keqing Enters the Palace

The next day, a female sedan was parked in the courtyard of the Qin Mansion. The sedan was exquisitely decorated, with red satin curtains and tassels. A purple pearl curtain flowed down from the top of the head. Dazzling red patterns covered the entire sedan. The maroon curtains swayed in the wind, and it looked very majestic in an instant.

An old woman came forward with a smile on her face and said, "Young lady, I am here to take you to the palace."

The beautiful girl in front of her was the one favored by the prince, so the old woman naturally treated her politely and her words were full of flattery.

"Good work."

Qin Keqing was wearing a royal blue dress with long sleeves, a jade hairpin on her head, and applied lead powder, rouge, black eyebrows, slanted red, and lipstick. She looked bright and beautiful, and it was obvious that she had been dressed up carefully.

Qin Keqing treated the old woman who came to pick her up with courtesy, not wanting to be rude to others or let others underestimate her.

The old woman felt relieved when she saw Qin Keqing's gentle and polite manner. For a family as small as the Qin family, it was inevitable that they would be proud of themselves after rising to prominence. However, this girl from the Qin family was different. She spoke as if in the spring breeze, without any sign of spoiledness or hostility. This was truly precious and worthy of the attention of the usually gentle and elegant prince.

"Miss, it's getting late. It's time to get on the sedan chair," the old woman reminded.

Qin Keqing nodded when she heard this, said goodbye to Qin Ye and her young child Qin Zhong, and got into the sedan chair.