The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

Yuanchun understood what she said. Wang Xifeng was her mother's niece, but ladies from wealthy families were usually reluctant to go out of the house, so she had never seen her. She only heard that Wang Xifeng had been raised as a boy since she was young. Before she entered the palace, she heard that her uncle Jia She's son Jia Lian was going to marry Wang Xifeng, but she went into the palace before she could wait for the wedding banquet.

"Sister-in-law Feng."

Wang Xifeng responded with a "hey", and smilingly approached Yuanchun, took her hand, and looked her up and down carefully. She exclaimed in amazement, "I have long heard from the old ancestor that the elder sister is extremely beautiful and is the one the old ancestor is most proud of. Seeing her today, I know that the old ancestor was right. This whole person is so elegant, no wonder the old ancestor talks about it every day. Alas, I will be outdone in the future."

The so-called "jie'er" is a respectful title. Yuanchun was obviously very much loved by the ancestor. How could the versatile Fengjie not know what was good for? Therefore, even though she was Yuanchun's sister-in-law, she was respectfully called "big sister".

When Grandmother Jia heard this, she was immediately amused and started spitting and scolding Wang Xifeng. For a moment, the hall became cheerful. Yuanchun looked at Wang Xifeng and understood in her heart that she was obviously a very good person.

Wang Xifeng laughed twice with her hands covering her mouth at Jia's mother's scolding, and then asked Yuanchun, "Sister, isn't she in the palace? Why did you suddenly come back?"

Wang Xifeng had already received the news that Yuanchun had returned home from the palace, but she didn't understand why Yuanchun came back home for no reason, so after receiving the news, she came to Rong Xi Tang to inquire.

Mrs. Wang's face was filled with joy, her mouth almost crooked with smile, and she said with a bit of pride in her tone: "Feng girl, the eldest girl has received the grace of His Majesty and has been granted marriage to the Prince of Beijing in the Prince of Beijing's Mansion. This time, she is leaving the palace and returning home, which is also the grace of His Majesty."

Seeing this, Grandmother Jia frowned slightly, feeling a little frivolous. If it were in the future, she might have shown some displeasure, but now was different, so she didn't say much.

Yuanchun lowered her eyebrows and eyes when she heard this, and her pretty cheeks turned slightly pink. After all, she was still a little shy to talk about marriage in front of a girl.

Wang Xifeng opened her eyes wide, clapped her hands and shouted, "Oh, the magpies kept chirping this morning, and I thought it was too noisy, so I wanted to have them chased away. Fortunately, I forgot about it in my busy schedule, otherwise it would still be my fault. Amitabha, may God bless you!"

As she spoke, Wang Xifeng congratulated Lady Jia and Lady Wang, saying, "Grandmother, Second Madam, our family is going to have a princess. This is a great joyous event. We must not favor one over the other in the future."

Mrs. Wang was also happy. On the one hand, Yuanchun's return home relieved her pain of missing her daughter. On the other hand, although Yuanchun was the daughter of the Duke's Mansion, she was only the daughter of the second wife. It was a great fortune for her to be able to enter the Prince of Beijing's Mansion. From now on, anyone who dared to underestimate her would have to frown when they went out.

Wang Xifeng saw that everyone was so happy, and she rolled her eyes, swung the handkerchief in her hand and said with a smile: "Well, I must take advantage of the blessing of the Princess of the County..."

Although the marriage was set in stone, the imperial decree had not yet been issued. When Yuanchun heard Wang Xifeng calling her "Princess of the County", she looked a little shy and said in a clear voice, "Sister Feng, please don't call me that."

Wang Xifeng smiled as she heard the name, but she was envious in her heart. However, she would not show it. When she heard Yuanchun's coy words, she smiled and said, "It's only a matter of time."

After hearing this, Yuanchun smiled but said nothing. Thinking that everyone in the room was her family, she did not hide anything and turned to Jia's mother and said, "Grandma, when my granddaughter left the palace, the imperial concubine heard that Rong, the son of Zhen's eldest brother, was still unmarried. It just so happened that the second young lady of the Zhen family was also of marriageable age, so she wanted to bring them together."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia was stunned. They knew who the Imperial Concubine was. After all, the Jia family and the Zhen family had a friendship from the older generation.

After hearing this, Wang Xifeng remained silent. It was not her turn to speak about the affairs of the East Palace, so it was better to keep quiet. However, she could not have imagined that the Royal Grandmother actually intended to have the Zhen family and the Jia family become relatives. But this was no big deal. After all, the two families were old friends, and becoming relatives was a good thing. It could also deepen the friendship between the two families. I think Grandmother Jia would not disagree.

As expected, Jia's mother did not think much about it and said, "Since the Royal Concubine has this intention, it is also a good thing for Rong'er. I will ask someone to ask Zhen'er to discuss it later."

Yuanchun nodded slightly when she heard this. She was just passing on a message about the marriage between the two families. The rest was up to Grandmother Jia and others to decide. Seeing that Grandmother Jia had made up her mind, Yuanchun asked, "Grandfather, where is Baoyu?"

Wang Xifeng replied with a smile: "I guess she is still playing with her sisters in the courtyard."

Yuanchun couldn't help but frown when she heard this. She had been in the palace for several years, and Baoyu was already quite old. Why didn't he study hard at this time but instead hung out with his sisters?

When Grandmother Jia saw this, she understood. As the saying goes, an elder sister is like a mother. Yuanchun had carefully taught Baoyu early on and paid great attention to Baoyu, the only male heir of the second wife, so she had high expectations for him.

After a moment's silence, Grandmother Jia said, "Let's not talk about this for now. Feng girl, you can arrange for someone to clean up a room in the courtyard for the eldest maid to live in. Then send a few dedicated maids to clean the house. Later, let Baoyu and the others come to see you, the eldest sister."

Yuanchun had been in the palace for many years, and the courtyard where she lived before had long been idle. She had no one to serve her. Now that she was about to be married, she would not be able to live in the mansion for long, so Jia's grandmother asked someone to clean up a room for Yuanchun to live in first.

Sister Feng smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Grandpa, I will definitely pack it up properly and find a few good maids for you to use, and I guarantee that you will take good care of it."

As soon as the voice fell, a maid behind Jia's mother stepped forward and said, "I have a well-groomed maid beside me. She is very good at speaking and sewing. I originally planned to offer her to the old lady to serve. If the young lady doesn't mind, I will borrow her to offer her to the old lady."

Yuanchun glanced over with her almond-shaped eyes. She knew this nanny. Everyone in the mansion called her Nanny Lai.

Lai Mama was a maidservant who came with Jia's mother. She had served the older masters of the Jia family. According to the rules, servants who had served the elders were more respectable than the younger masters. Therefore, Yuanchun would not lose her manners and smiled and replied, "It was prepared by Lai Mama. How could I dislike it?"

Seeing this, Jia's mother laughed and scolded Lai Ma, "You are a good person."

Nanny Lai knew that Grandmother Jia was teasing her, so she smiled and said, "The eldest lady is back, and I am happy too."

As a servant, Nanny Lai was treated with courtesy by the people in the mansion, so how could she not be sensible? The eldest lady had returned home and was about to become the princess of a county, so she had to show her feelings.

Everyone smiled but said nothing when they heard this. Mrs. Wang, who was standing by, felt very proud when she saw this. Her daughter was back and was going to become the princess of a county prince soon. The attitudes of the people in the mansion became better.

In the evening, at Rikain.

The room was brightly lit by candlelight. Aunt Xue walked in and saw the beautiful woman sitting in front of the dressing coffin. She smiled and greeted her, "My dear, you haven't rested yet."

When Baochai saw the person coming, she took off the cloisonné and red coral earring on her left ear and said with a smile, "Mom, why are you here?"

Aunt Xue walked closer, sat down on the brocade cushion, and said softly, "I have nothing to do, so I came to see you."

Baochai looked at her mother with a slightly suspicious look. From her understanding of her mother, she knew that she was not idle at this time. She took off the other cloisonné red coral earring with her jade hands and put it into the coffin. She opened her red lips and said, "Mom, just tell me what you want to say. I am listening."

Aunt Xue was not surprised to hear this. Her daughter was a smart person, much better than that evil creature. If it was a boy, she would not have to work so hard.

Seeing her daughter's statement, Aunt Xue said with some envy: "You have also heard about the eldest girl's story. With the grace of the emperor, she was granted marriage to the Prince of Beijing County, and she will be the Princess of Beijing County."

Although the marriage between Jia Yuanchun and Shui Rong had not yet been officially announced, it was known to almost everyone in the Jia family, and Aunt Xue, who was temporarily staying at the Jia family, naturally also got the news.

Baochai frowned slightly when she heard this, and said softly, "I have seen elder sister before."

When Yuanchun met her sisters at home before, Baochai was also there. They were cousins, so it was not wrong to call her "big sister".

Aunt Xue sighed and said, "Come to think of it, the Prince of Beijing seems to have taken a liking to you, my daughter, but there has been no movement in the past few days, and I am not sure."

I still remember Shui Rong's explicit statement two days ago, which seemed to mean that he had taken a fancy to Baochai. However, there has been no movement in the past two days. Instead, the eldest maid in the Jia family is going to become the princess of a county prince. This caught Aunt Xue off guard and made her feel dazed.

Hearing this, Xue Baochai looked up at Aunt Xue and said in a clear voice, "Maybe the prince was just joking. Don't take it seriously."

Originally, Xue Baochai guessed that what was said that day was just a joke, and her mother believed it to be true. However, it must be said that with Shui Rong's status, position, appearance and character, he would definitely be the object of a young girl's love.

Aunt Xue nodded slightly when she heard this. Perhaps the prince just said this in a good mood at the time and forgot about it the moment he turned around.

After a moment of silence, Aunt Xue said, "My dear, your elder sister has returned home. You should go and look around more often when you have time. If the prince is interested in you, you can get along well with him in the future. Even if he is not interested, the elder girl is Baoyu's biological sister and the future princess."

"Mom, what do you think of your daughter?" Baochai didn't wait for Aunt Xue to finish her words. Her almond-shaped eyes turned red and she interrupted her angrily.

There was no need for Aunt Xue to explain what was coming next, as she already knew that since her elder sister had become the princess of a county, Baoyu's identity had become unusual again.

First she had to deal with the Beijing Prince's Mansion, and then she had to deal with the Jia family. She was caught in a dilemma. Where did she stand?

Aunt Xue saw Xue Baochai getting angry, and she knew her pain. Thinking about the situation of her and her daughter, she couldn't help crying, "I know I've wronged you, but I can't help it. You know the situation of the Xue family, and that evil boy is a troublesome person. If he were less troublesome, I would let you do whatever you want."

When Baochai saw Aunt Xue crying, she felt sad. She knew very well how powerful her mother was. The Xue family was wealthy and powerful, but they had no backbone. Aunt Xue, a woman, had to support this family and had endured countless cold stares. If she had not relied on these relatives, the family business would have been divided up by those black-hearted people long ago.

They finally waited for their brother to grow up, but he was a playful kid who couldn't stir up trouble. If they didn't have some power, they would have no place in the Xue family sooner or later.

Thinking of this, Baochai stepped forward to comfort her: "Mom, don't be sad, your daughter will listen to you."

Aunt Xue felt much better after hearing this. She wiped her tears, looked at Baochai with relief, and said in a gentle voice, "Although I am a little powerful, I am also thinking about you. If you marry a man of your dreams, your life will be easier. I just hope that the evil creature will stop doing this for a while."

Baochai remained silent. Aunt Xue was not wrong in what she said. Although she was thinking about the Xue family, she was also helping her plan. No matter where she ended up, she would not suffer any loss.

Alas...it’s just that the way he eats is really too ugly.

Chapter 72: Being a maid means serving unconditionally

Beijing Prince's Mansion, in the study.

The smoke in the copper furnace with the three-legged animal pattern is like a gentle ribbon, dancing slowly.

Shui Rong sat upright in front of the desk, his hands resting on the armrests of the chair, his eyes slightly closed, thinking about marriage in his mind.

The emperor granted the marriage today, and it was at the Rongguo Mansion, which made Shui Rong puzzled.

Logically speaking, Emperor Yongkang would like to see Shui Rong stay away from these nobles, but he had clearly refused in a stern manner, so why did he still force the marriage on him?

Shui Rong knew that there must be a reason behind Emperor Yongkang's inexplicable behavior.

Could it be that Emperor Yongkang was certain that he would behave himself, or that the fact that the Ministry of Revenue owed silver made him think that he was a member of the emperor's party?

However, given Emperor Yongkang's suspicious character, the word "trust" would never occur to him.

Being by the emperor's side, it is understandable to try to understand his intentions. This is also one of the reasons why Shui Rong is unwilling to participate in court affairs.

Not only that, Shui Rong knew the situation of the Jia family very well. If he married into the Jia family, he would be the worst teammate among all the bad ones. If he had known this earlier, he might as well have married his naive cousin.

However, things have come to this point, Shui Rong regrets it too late, and he is afraid that he will not be able to rest in peace in the future.

Speaking of my cousin, I heard that she had returned to Jiangnan a long time ago. I'm afraid I won't have the chance to see her again in the future. We can only wish each other well.

Yingluo, who was buried in her bed, seemed to have noticed something and couldn't help but raise her eyes and asked, "My Lord, what's wrong with you today? Why are you so absent-minded?"

Shui Rong lowered his eyes and glanced at Ying Luo, then reached out and touched Ying Luo and said softly, "Just do your thing and ignore the rest."

What should he say?On the surface this is his own marriage, but in reality it is still related to the court, so there is no need to talk to Yingluo too much.

Seeing that Shui Rong was unwilling to say more, Yingluo lowered her head and did her duty. As a maid, how could she not do her best to help her master when he was upset?

Feeling Yingluo's gentleness, Shui Rong's heart gradually calmed down, and his irritability also dissipated a lot. He could only say that the palace was still a comfortable place.

After a moment, Shui Rong lowered his eyes and looked at Ying Luo who was pursing her lips, and suddenly said: "Ying Luo, the mistress is about to enter the mansion, are you worried?"

The mistress is to the maids like the King of Hell is to the ghosts. As long as they are in the master's room, there is no one who is not concerned about them. Why was Xiren so happy when she got the recognition of Xue Baochai in the original novel? It was because she thought that Xue Baochai was the future mistress. If she got her recognition, she would get the recognition of the mistress, and her status as a concubine would not be much different.

Yingluo was startled when she heard this, and Shuirong couldn't help but frown. She raised her bright almond eyes and said softly, "If the prince doesn't dislike me, I won't worry."

Shui Rong felt warm at heart after hearing this. Compared to the so-called legal wife, Shui Rong cared more about this confidant under him. He didn't want his mistress to be an intolerant person.

Now that Emperor Yongkang has already granted the marriage, his marriage with Jia Yuanchun cannot be changed, which means that Princess Beijing is Jia Yuanchun.

However, Jia Yuanchun has been in the palace for several years, so she is definitely not a simple person. In the pool of water in the Shuirong rear residence, she is probably a shark. She is really intolerant and it would be difficult to deal with her.

There is not much description of Jia Yuanchun in the original novel, but from the few words we can see, she should be a gentle and generous person, and most likely a tolerant person. The reputation of being "virtuous, filial, talented and virtuous" is not groundless.

Putting aside her Jia family background, she is actually more suitable as Shui Rong's candidate for Princess Beijing.

If you think about it carefully, according to the original novel, Jia Yuanchun was to be made a concubine, which means she was Shui Rong's sister-in-law. Now that the marriage has been granted, the sister-in-law has become his wife. It's hard to understand why.

But today he humiliated Yuanchun in front of Emperor Yongkang and demoted her to a worthless position.

At first, Shui Rong still had the mentality of "the husband takes over and the concubine returns", but now it seems that he has humiliated his own daughter-in-law.

Well, this would offend the daughter-in-law who hasn’t married yet.

Things have come to this point, there is no point in thinking too much, it is better to just get through this moment, so Shui Rong closed his eyes and rested.

With a creaky sound, the door was pushed open, breaking the silence in the study.

Yingluo paused, turned around and looked. When she saw who was coming, her pretty eyebrows couldn't help but stand up, and she cursed, "Damn stupid hoof, you forgot the rules I taught you."

Shui Rong looked at the panicked beauty outside the door. It was his newly adopted maid Xiang Ling.

Sometimes, as long as you are not embarrassed, it is others who are embarrassed, so Shui Rong looked calm.

At this moment, Xiangling's body trembled slightly, she lowered her head, twisted the embroidered handkerchief in her hands, her almond eyes sparkled, and she said timidly: "Sister Yingluo, dinner is ready, I...I was wrong."

Xiangling's identity is roughly the same as Yingluo's, except that Yingluo is the "elder" in the mansion, and secondly, she is older than Xiangling, so Xiangling has always addressed her as sister.

Seeing Xiangling's aggrieved look, Yingluo's heart softened. Although they had only known each other for a few days, she knew that Xiangling was just naive, so she spoke in a gentler tone, "Xiangling, we are in the royal palace, and rules are the most important. If you act rashly, you will suffer sooner or later."

If you rashly come across this today, you can just spit and curse a few times. But if you come across something else tomorrow, you won’t know how you’ll die.