The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

Four people carried the sedan chair all the way until they arrived in front of the gate of Prince Beijing's Palace. Two pairs of stone lions had their eyes wide open, their claws were thick and powerful, and their eyes swept across the passers-by around them. Their majestic posture made people retreat.

There are strict regulations on the construction of residential gates. The residences of princes have five gates, and the residences of high-ranking officials such as dukes and marquises have three gates. The gate of Prince Beijing's Palace is three bays wide and has a ridge. In front of the three animal-head gates, there are forty-nine golden door nails inlaid, seven vertically and horizontally, showing luxury and solemnity.

The animal-head gate is rarely opened. People usually go in and out through the corner door and the back door. The main gate is only opened for distinguished guests, or during major festivals and weddings. If the main gate allows people of low status to enter and exit at will, it would be a disgrace to the family.

The sedan chair entered from the west corner door and landed in front of a door with hanging flowers. The accompanying maid came forward, lifted the curtain, and helped Qin Keqing get out of the sedan chair.

Qin Keqing held the hand of the old woman and led her towards Ning'an Hall. Along the way, Qin Keqing was careful and attentive at every step. She was unwilling to say a word or take an extra step, and always kept her duty.

On the terrace outside Ning'an Hall, several maids dressed in red and green were sitting. When they saw the maid leading Qin Keqing in, they hurriedly came forward with a smile and said, "The prince was just talking about you, what a coincidence that you have come."

Qin Keqing recalled the quick glance they had yesterday. She had long eyebrows like willows, and a figure like a jade tree. She was extremely beautiful. Qin Keqing couldn't help but lower her eyebrows, and a blush appeared on her cheeks.

The maids were scrambling to open the curtains, while they heard someone reply, "Miss Qin is here!"

In Ning'an Hall, Princess Beijing was sitting on a soft couch, next to her was Shui Rong. When she heard the maid calling her, Shui Rong was shocked. Ever since she saw her yesterday, Shui Rong could not forget her, to the point of sleepwalking. Early in the morning, Ying Luo washed her leggings again.

Princess Beijing noticed Shui Rong's unusual behavior and felt amused in her heart. She felt that her heart had finally come to its senses. However, thinking of Qin Keqing's charming and elegant appearance was enough to make a man's legs go weak after seeing her.

After a while, Qin Keqing entered the room and saw Princess Beijing on the couch. She bowed and said, "Greetings, Princess."

Princess Beijing nodded slightly. Qin Keqing acted properly, which satisfied her. So she said with a pleasant face: "Keqing, no need to be polite. Please take a seat!!!"

Keqing sat at the lower seat. The maid brought up tea and fruit, but Qin Keqing did not enjoy any of them. She sat quietly, with her soft eyebrows and eyes lowered, looking quiet and graceful.

Princess Beijing didn't care and said with a smile, "Keqing, from now on you can stay with me in the warm room of the suite. I have asked someone to pack everything. If there is anything missing, you can ask someone to buy it. Don't be restrained."

Shui Rong's mouth twitched when he heard that. He placed Qin Keqing in the warm room of the suite. How could he steal jade and fragrance in the future? Qin Keqing came into the mansion because of him, so why did she need to be guarded so strictly?

"Mother, we have many rooms in our palace. We can choose an empty courtyard for Keqing to live in. Why do you have to come out and disturb me?"

The palace is large and powerful, with only two owners and countless vacant rooms, so why would they be "squeezed" into one courtyard?

Princess Beijing looked at Shui Rong jokingly when she heard this, and said, "What evil thoughts are you hiding, you monkey? Do you think I don't know? I've already told you that I will let Keqing be trained by my side for a year or two, and I will give it to you in the future. Why are you so anxious?"

Shui Rong was not embarrassed when his thoughts were exposed. He was not anxious. Even if he asked Qin Keqing to serve him at this time, Shui Rong would not rush to do it. He just thought that Qin Keqing was already nervous when she first entered the palace. Now she was asked to live next to Princess Beijing. How could she feel at ease? If the beauty is flustered, I will feel uneasy.

Qin Keqing sat quietly and listened to Princess Beijing's words with her eyes lowered in silence. She entered the palace to serve the Crown Prince. This was a well-known matter and there was nothing to hide.

She raised her eyes to look at Shui Rong, and met his gentle eyes. She immediately became like a frightened little rabbit, with her eyebrows drooping and her cheeks burning.

Shui Rong's eyes lit up when he saw this, and he noticed the gentleness of her lowering her head, like a water lotus that is shy in the cool breeze. She was quiet, elegant, virtuous, charming, and possessed a moving charm.

Princess Beijing glanced at Shui Rong with her almond-shaped eyes, feeling puzzled. She said without further ado, "Okay, it's decided. Let Keqing stay in the warm room of the suite."

When Shui Rong saw that Princess Beijing had made the decision, he immediately shut up and kept silent. Even though he had his own thoughts, he didn't want to say too much, otherwise it would inevitably upset his widowed mother.

Keqing stood up and greeted, then quickly responded with "yes".

Princess Beijing was satisfied when she saw Shui Rong no longer making trouble. She thought her son was still filial and polite, and would not be so bewildered. After thinking for a while, she immediately ordered, "Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang, the two of you should stay with Ke Qing."

Qin Keqing entered the palace alone and had no one to serve her, so Princess Beijing gave her two second-class maids to Keqing to make it easier to take care of her. After all, Keqing did not enter the palace to be a maid.

Two maids with pretty faces and green clothes and pants, wearing double buns hanging behind their ears, came forward, and Fu Li responded, "As you command."

After that, the two men walked to Keqing and greeted her, "Hello, Miss Qin."

Keqing was flattered and a little overwhelmed by this. She quickly stood up and said, "Hello, sisters."

Seeing this, Shui Rong suddenly said, "Bai Lu and Shuang Jiang are both the favorites of mother. Even if I asked for them, mother would not be willing to give them to me. I didn't expect that she would give them to you. It shows that mother is partial to you."

When these words came out, everyone smiled, and Princess Beijing even laughed and scolded: "You monkey, how can I be partial to you? If you want, I will give you everything around me."

Princess Beijing treated Shui Rong like a treasure. How could she treat him unfairly when she had him in her mouth? They were just a few maids. As long as Shui Rong opened his mouth, she would take them all.

The maid standing behind Princess Beijing's eyes lit up when she heard that, and stared at Shui Rong with hopeful eyes, expecting Shui Rong to speak. After all, Shui Rong was a popular person in the palace, and who wouldn't want to soar to the top? When Ying Luo was transferred to serve Shui Rong, how many people envied her.

Shui Rong smiled and shook his head, saying, "If you give me everything that belongs to mother, it would be unfair to you."

As soon as the words fell, I don't know how many girls' hearts were broken, "I turned my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon only shines on the ditch."

Princess Beijing tilted her head and glanced at Shui Rong with an inexplicable look in her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

Qin Keqing, who was sitting in the hall, raised her eyes and stole a glance at Shui Rong, who had a refined temperament. Seeing her eyes warmly nodding at her, her heartbeat quickened a little. She lowered her eyebrows and eyes again, twisting her embroidered handkerchief with her slender jade fingers, and stood up to bow and said, "Thank you, Princess, for your kindness."

Shui Rong's lips slightly raised when he saw this. As the saying goes, a girl's heart is always full of poetry. Shyness is a sign of love. Only when they go both ways can the relationship last. Now that Qin Keqing has entered the mansion, there is plenty of time. Take your time.

Chapter 8 Meeting the Saint

A pavilion-style carriage was running on the street paved with bluestone slabs. Curtains were hung on all four sides of the carriage. The wheel teeth, spokes, and railings on the fenders were inlaid with gilded bronze ornaments. The curtains and hanging belts were decorated with embroidered cloud and dragon patterns, and the decoration was very gorgeous.

The interior of the carriage was spacious and elegant, with exquisite furnishings. There was even a small nanmu table on which tea, fruits and other items were placed. Shui Rong wore a purple gold crown inlaid with jewels on his hair, and a Shu brocade robe embroidered with cloud patterns, and sat on a cloud dragon cushion.

The emperor issued an edict to summon him, and Shui Rong knew it was probably about inheriting the title, so after packing up, he got on the royal carriage and headed for the palace.

The Prince of Beijing's Mansion had made great contributions to the country and was also a member of the royal family, so it could drive on the Imperial Road, with the carriage galloping all the way to the outside of the Qianqing Palace.

The Palace of Heavenly Purity is the main hall of the inner court. It has a double-eaved hip roof with yellow glazed tiles and is located on a single-layer white marble platform. The corridor is 9 bays wide and 5 bays deep, with 9 ridge beasts on the eaves. Under the eaves, the upper layer has single-curved and double-raised seven-step brackets, and the lower layer has single-curved and single-raised five-step brackets, decorated with golden dragon and seal paintings, and three-intersecting six-diamond flower partition doors and windows. There is a throne in the middle of the hall and warm rooms at both ends. This is the bedroom of Emperor Daqian, where the emperor lived and handled daily government affairs.

Shui Rong got off the carriage and was led by a eunuch to the western warm room of the Qianqing Palace.

Inside the west warm pavilion, the palace servants and eunuchs standing by held their breath. Emperor Yongkang, dressed in an apricot-yellow dragon robe, sat on the wooden kang by the south window. On the opposite side sat a middle-aged man, dressed in a python robe with a five-clawed dragon. There were four dragons on the front, back, chest and shoulders of the python robe. From his attire, it was clear that he was a prince. The two men were discussing something face to face.

Suddenly, the eunuch walked in quietly and whispered, "Your Majesty, the prince of Beijing Palace is waiting for your order outside the palace."

When Emperor Yongkang heard about the Prince of Beijing Palace, his eyes flickered. He looked at the prince sitting opposite him, put down the memorial in his hand, and said, "Announce..."

The eunuch took the order and left. A moment later, Shui Rong walked in. He came close and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."

The Beijing Prince's Mansion is a royal family. In theory, Shui Rong's identity at this time is the cousin of Emperor Yongkang, so it is normal to call him Emperor Brother. However, Shui Rong still calls himself a subject to distinguish him. If he wants to get close to him, he needs to understand the situation clearly.

When Emperor Yongkang saw Shui Rong performing the kowtow ceremony, he blamed him, saying, "Little Sixteen, this is not the main hall. You don't need to perform the kowtow. It would be too formal."

According to etiquette, royal family members must kneel and kowtow when meeting the emperor. However, as Emperor Yongkang said, if it is not the main hall, the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects can also be performed.

However, the most important thing for Shui Rong to do this time was to show his attitude, so he performed a great ceremony. But when he heard Emperor Yongkang calling him "Little Sixteen", he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly, as he had already been adopted, so it was inappropriate.

"Your Majesty, this is the rule." Shui Rong said with a serious expression, making his attitude clear.

Emperor Yongkang looked at Shui Rong inexplicably after hearing this. In the blink of an eye, he said with a smile: "Stand up. Now that we have finished discussing the relationship between the monarch and his subjects, there is no need for formalities. Let's talk about our true feelings today. Don't be restrained. Sit down quickly."

After Shui Rong expressed his gratitude, he looked at the prince, bowed and said, "Prince Zhongshun."

The prince sitting opposite Emperor Yongkang was also his brother, with the title "Zhongshun". In the original novel, the confiscation of the Jia family's property had a lot to do with this prince.

Prince Zhongshun is a prince, and his status is higher than Shuirong, but as they are both princes, they do not need to perform the kneeling ceremony.

"Just now my royal brother told us not to be restrained, but now you are being so reserved." Prince Zhongshun understood Shui Rong's intention and smiled as he approached her.

"Cousin Zhongshun."

Since Emperor Yongkang and Prince Zhongshun both told him not to be restrained, Shui Rong didn't need to be pretentious. However, he was now a member of Prince Beijing's Mansion and had to be ranked according to seniority as the prince of Prince Beijing's Mansion.

Upon hearing this, King Zhongshun looked at Shui Rong meaningfully, but didn't say anything. He nodded and asked Shui Rong to sit down.

Emperor Yongkang did not say much when he saw this, and ordered: "Come here, bring some snacks and fruits. I want to talk with Little Sixteen while we eat. We can have a good chat."

Not long after, the eunuchs brought snacks and fruits. Shui Rong just picked up a piece of preserved fruit when he heard Emperor Yongkang talking about family matters: "Little Sixteen, I don't have the great talent and strategy of my father, but since my father has handed this beautiful country to me, I must live up to his painstaking efforts. You are a member of the royal family and my blood brother. I hope you can help me govern this great country. If I make any mistakes, there will be people around to advise and remind me."

Shui Rong saw that Emperor Yongkang continued to call him "Little Sixteen" and his words were full of brotherly love. He patted his hand gently, and the meaning of closeness was self-evident.

However, no matter how close they were, Shui Rong knew in his heart that Emperor Yongkang just wanted Shui Rong to be his right-hand man. What he was interested in was not Shui Rong, but Shui Rong's current identity - the future helmsman of Prince Beijing's Mansion.

You should know that the Beijing Prince's Mansion is a royal family, but it also started out with military honors. Among the royal family, only the Beijing Prince's Mansion controls the military power and has an extraordinary status.

"The so-called Son of Heaven is the one who holds the supreme power of the world." The Supreme Emperor abdicated the throne to Emperor Yongkang, but his military and political power were not delegated to him, which was unbearable for the Emperor.

Shui Rong knew how deep the water was, so he naturally wouldn't get involved. Moreover, since ancient times, serving the emperor was like serving a tiger, and even brothers had to be cautious. If the emperor's mission was done well, everyone would be happy, but if it was not done well, it would be a disaster.

Shui Rong then said, "Your Majesty, I am young and incompetent, and cannot handle this important task. If I fail to make matters worse for the state, I will never decline even if I die."

Emperor Yongkang's expression darkened when he heard this. Shui Rong's intention was nothing more than a rejection, but Shui Rong's words sounded righteous, so he couldn't get angry.

Emperor Yongkang knew the reason why the retired emperor ordered Shui Rong to be adopted. If Shui Rong helped, Emperor Yongkang would be able to intervene in military and political affairs, and the retired emperor would turn a blind eye.

Thinking of this, Emperor Yongkang became angry. After all, he doted on his youngest son and planned everything for him.

Seeing the cold and quiet atmosphere, Prince Zhongshun said with a smile: "One person's plan is short, two people's plan is long. We are all royal relatives, and we should help our brother govern the vast territory of Daqian. If you don't serve in the court, do you want to be an idle person?"

Shui Rong knew what was going on. Looking at the cold face of Emperor Yongkang, he expressed his opinion: "Since my royal brother asked me not to be restrained, I will dare to say a few words. As a member of the royal family, I share the same ties with the country. Only when the Daqian Dynasty prospers can I be free. If I just sit there doing nothing and still make decisions, it will not only harm the country and the people, but also hinder my royal brother. Instead of doing this, it is better to be an idle person. This is also to be loyal and responsible to the court and Your Majesty."

Since Emperor Yongkang was talking about brotherhood, Shui Rong followed his wishes. He had already made his attitude clear before anyway, so now they could just chat about family matters.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongkang looked at Shui Rong with sharp eyes. He understood the meaning of his words. "Being related to the country" means that he naturally hopes for the good of the court, while "being in office but doing nothing and still making decisions" means that if Shui Rong becomes an idle person, he will not make trouble in secret.

After a while, Emperor Yongkang smiled at Shui Rong and said, "You are so lazy and yet you are so confident. Okay, I will ask you to do some errands after a while. That's it."

Shui Rong saw that Emperor Yongkang had already spoken, so he couldn't refuse again. If he refused again, he would offend others. If the task was troublesome, he could refuse it later. So he bowed and said, "I obey your order."

Emperor Yongkang was pleased to see this. At least Shui Rong's attitude was not so aloof. He invited Shui Rong to sit back on the kang and chatted with him about family matters. "You are not young anymore, but you are still unmarried. I'm sure Princess Beijing is very worried. Has she found a marriage for you?"

Shui Rong became alert when he heard this. He didn't expect that Emperor Yongkang would ask about his marriage. Was this a casual concern or an indirect hint?

Chapter 9 Inheritance

It is a common problem for emperors to be suspicious. Most marriages are of an alliance nature, and some clues can be seen from the choice of marriage partners. Therefore, Shui Rong is cautious in marrying.

Fortunately, Shui Rong had already made arrangements for this matter, so he replied respectfully: "My brother, since ancient times, "parents' orders and matchmaker's words" have always been the norm. I don't know the details, but I have heard from my mother that as long as the girl is good-looking, well-behaved, and has a good family background, it doesn't matter. The other day, my mother heard that the daughter of the Qin family, the director of the Ministry of Works' Food Department, is very pretty, charming, gentle, and peaceful, so she specially summoned her!!!"

"Oh." Emperor Yongkang put down the teacup. He had thought that Prince Beijing's Mansion would look for children of noble families, but he did not expect that they would look for small families with no family background. Princess Beijing's personality should not be like this. This must be what Shui Rong meant.

After a moment's silence, Emperor Yongkang said, "There are many unmarried girls in the capital. Even if family background is not important, the Prince of Beijing's Palace would not look for such a girl. To be able to attract the attention of Princess of Beijing, the daughter of the Qin family must be of good character and appearance."

Shui Rong was immediately interested when he heard this, and said with great joy: "The daughter of the Qin family is indeed of first-class appearance and behaves properly. I think she is suitable, and even mother likes her. However, her family background is not good enough, and mother has high standards, so she didn't like her. But fortunately, she stayed, which is a relief."

As Shui Rong said, Qin Keqing's matter did not go as planned, but she stayed, which was in line with Shui Rong's intention. Seeing Shui Rong's regretful look, Emperor Yongkang said with a smile: "Princess Beijing was thinking about you, but you complained."

Shui Rong smiled twice and stepped forward to whisper, "Brother Emperor, the girl from the Qin family is so charming and pretty. No one in the palace can compare to her. I think she really likes her."

All normal men like the charming and graceful Qin Keqing, and Shui Rong's words are true.

"Hehe." Emperor Yongkang chuckled twice, without commenting, he took a sip of the fragrant tea and said, "Issue the decree: "Prince Beijing will inherit the title of Prince of a County and receive the salary of a Prince."

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong knelt down and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

Inheriting the title of Prince of a County without being demoted in rank and receiving the salary of a Prince is a grace from the Emperor.

Since he had received benefits, Shui Rong naturally had to express his attitude, so he burst into tears of gratitude and said: "Your Majesty, the whole Beijing Prince's Mansion is grateful for your kindness. In the future, as long as Your Majesty gives orders, I will do my best to serve you."

Emperor Yongkang looked at Shui Rong with a smile. Shui Rong only mentioned the Beijing Prince's Mansion, which meant that he was from the Beijing Prince's Mansion. As for "loyalty", it is easier said than done. Everyone in the world talks about loyalty, but how many people are loyal?

"Then I will take your words seriously. If the court has any difficulties in the future, you must not refuse."

Shui Rong responded calmly, but he was cursing in his heart. Couldn't he understand the polite words? If the Beijing Palace was really loyal to Emperor Yongkang, why would he refuse to serve?