The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

Shui Rong, who was sitting quietly, looked at the angry Ying Luo and felt amused. Although what Ying Luo said was reasonable and well-founded, she was actually angry and humiliated because she was seen in such an ugly state.

However, Yingluo was a soft-hearted person, so Shui Rong did not say much. He reached out and grabbed Yingluo's chin, stroking it and said, "Xiangling is new here. If you don't understand, just teach her. What's the point of making such a fuss?"

Yingluo's face flushed red, and she looked up at Shui Rong. "Your Highness said it so lightly. Now that he is like this, what prestige do he have in the future? He will be laughed at by Xiangling."

Thinking of this, Yingluo couldn't help but mutter: "I'm just teaching... um..."

Shui Rong knew that this little slut had nothing good to say, so he simply shut her mouth to stop her from chattering.

Seeing this, Xiangling, who was standing by, fluttered her eyelashes and her cheeks turned red. Sister Yingluo served the prince in this way, so shouldn't she have to do the same?

Shui Rong took a deep breath, then looked at Xiang Ling with a flickering look in his eyes. He waved and said, "Xiang Ling, come here."

When Xiangling heard this, her heart was shocked and her cheeks turned red as blood. Could it be that the prince wanted her to learn to serve like Sister Yingluo?

Xiangling did not have time to think too much. Since the prince had given the order, as a maid she could only obey. So she walked to the table with wandering eyes.

Shui Rong looked at the beautiful woman's jade-like face, which was as red as peach blossoms in March, and her pair of bright almond-shaped eyes flickered, but he did not dare to look directly at her.

This behavior is quite soft and shy, which is pitiful.

"Xiangling, if anyone in the mansion bullies you in the future, you can tell me and I will take care of it for you."

Xiangling is a naive, pure, gentle and lovable person. Such a lovely girl naturally needs to be cared for. He has no other ideas, especially the behavior of a weird uncle who deceives a little girl.

Listening to Shui Rong's gentle voice, Xiang Ling felt much more at ease for some reason. But looking at this scene, Xiang Ling felt an inexplicable feeling in her heart, and her delicate body began to soften.

Pursing her lips, Xiangling turned her eyes away and replied softly, "Everyone in the mansion is very kind. I have never been bullied."

As soon as the words fell, Yingluo muttered hesitantly, "The prince is partial."

Ever since Yingluo started serving Shui Rong, Shui Rong has never said that he would make decisions for her. She doesn't dare to compare herself with Miss Qin, but she is not afraid of the newcomer Xiangling.

Shui Rong lowered his eyes and glanced at Ying Luo, and couldn't help but frowned. This little slut was still being stubborn at this moment. She must have suffered enough.

But after all, they were close friends. Shui Rong reached out and touched Ying Luo's head, comforting her: "Xiang Ling is new here and has a weak temper, so it's inevitable that she will suffer. You are the "old man" in the mansion. Everyone in the mansion knows that you are my family member. Who dares to bully you? In the future, you should take care of her more and don't bully her."

People are different. Yingluo is a member of the house, and she has always been favored by Shui Rong. She is quite proud of her favor, so there is no need for Shui Rong to say anything. The people below will naturally respect her.

On the other hand, Xiangling is different. Not only is she new here, but she also has a soft personality, which makes people think she is easy to bully.

Yingluo took advantage of the free time to mutter, "When did this servant bully Xiangling? That was just teaching her a lesson."

Xiangling hurriedly said, "My Lord, Sister Yingluo treats me very well and has never bullied me."

Shui Rong naturally knew Ying Luo's temper. He could teach her, but her personality was definitely not that friendly.

However, Shui Rong did not say much. It is normal for a strict teacher to produce excellent students. As long as Xiangling does not make any mistakes, Yingluo will not say much either. Shui Rong's words are just a reminder.

Shui Rong nodded slightly and said no more. He looked at Xiang Ling who lowered her head, neither waving away nor speaking.

In this situation, I feel quite excited!

Xiangling's almond-shaped eyes were wandering, and her fair hands were twisting an embroidered handkerchief. She was standing uncomfortably. Without the prince's order, she didn't know whether she should leave or not. She didn't dare to look at the prince either, as it was very frightening.

Yingluo noticed Shui Rong's strangeness, and looked up at her own prince. Seeing the prince's eyes looking at Xiangling, she felt disgusted.

The same goes for her own prince. She is the one serving him, but his mind is on others. It doesn't make sense.

After a moment's silence, Yingluo looked back at Xiangling and said, "Xiangling, come here. I will teach you how to serve the prince."

"Ah, I, I...", how to teach this? Could it be through words, deeds and deeds?

Xiangling's mind suddenly became confused, and the blush on her cheeks became more and more rosy.

Shui Rong looked at Ying Luo in surprise. He never expected that Ying Luo would actually suggest this. It turned out that she was his doted on little stray cat and his love for her was not in vain.

Xiangling's body trembled slightly, her delicate face turned slightly pale, her almond-shaped eyes gradually became misty, and she squatted down with a slightly aggrieved look. She was just a maid, so how could she have the right to refuse?

Seeing Xiangling's pitiful look, Shui Rong immediately felt pity for her. After all, Xiangling was not as close to him as Yingluo. Asking her to do such things as soon as she was brought into the mansion, and she was also a double-edged sword, would inevitably make her feel bullied.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong waved his hand and said, "Xiangling, don't listen to Yingluo, go out and do your work first."

Although Shui Rong was very interested, he would not force it. He was here and could not leave. There would be a chance sooner or later. So he should cultivate the relationship first.

Seeing this, Yingluo pursed her lips, glared at Shui Rong, and muttered, "Serving the prince is my duty. Xiangling can't tell the priorities, so it's impossible. The prince is just too kind-hearted."

In Yingluo's view, a maid's duty is to serve her master unconditionally.

Shui Rong looked at Ying Luo who was grinning, gently twisted the black hair on Ying Luo's forehead which was covered with sweat, and said in a clear voice: "Xiang Ling can't distinguish the priorities, and you can't tell the difference either?"

Upon hearing this, Yingluo's face turned red and she lowered her head without saying much. Yes, serving the prince is the most important thing.

Chapter 73: Being in the government, I have no choice

Emperor Fengtian Chengyun issued an edict:

"Three colors are shining, and auspicious things are gathering. Prince of Beijing Shui Rong has reached the age of twenty, and it is time to get married. I should choose a virtuous woman to marry. Jia Yuanchun, the daughter of Jia Zheng, the director of the Ministry of Works, is waiting in the boudoir. She is a perfect match for Prince of Beijing. In order to make her beautiful, I will betroth you, Jia Yuanchun, to Prince of Beijing Shui Rong as the princess. All the ceremonies will be handled by the Ministry of Rites and the director of the Imperial Observatory. Choose a good date for the wedding. I hope you two will be of one mind and one heart, serve the country with all your heart, and don't let me down."

When the imperial decree granting the marriage was issued, people in the court had different reactions. Some were happy, some were sad, and some were stunned.

Regardless of what was happening outside, Shui Rong was sitting in the Daming Palace at this time, and sitting opposite him was naturally the emperor in an apricot-yellow Ming robe.

On the table stood a jade Go board, and the pieces were made of polished amethyst, looking gorgeous and colorful.

The emperor calmly placed a child down, glanced at Shui Rong with his cloudy eyes, and asked calmly: "Are you satisfied with the marriage arranged by the fourth brother?"

Shui Rong looked calm upon hearing this, picked up Yun Zi and dropped one of them, and said, "Your Majesty granting the marriage is naturally a grace."

The imperial edict has been issued. Even if Shui Rong has concerns, he has no way to refuse. Does it matter whether he is satisfied or not?

There is a saying that goes, since you can't resist, you can only learn to enjoy it. At least Jia Yuanchun is really plump.

The emperor's eyes moved when he heard this, and he immediately said, "It's good that you understand."

Shui Rong naturally understood this. The so-called thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all grace from the emperor. Arrogance and presumption will only make oneself suffer.

After a pause, the Emperor continued to ask, "What are your plans after marriage?"

Shui Rong did not hide anything after hearing this, and replied in a clear voice: "I am an idle person, and I can't do anything except eating, drinking and having fun."

At this time, Shui Rong had no official position except for his title. Apart from eating, drinking and having fun, he really had nothing to do.

What's more, if I marry into the Jia family, Emperor Yongkang will focus more on me, so I must not let him catch me at this time.

After saying that, Shui Rong raised his eyes and glanced at the old man sitting opposite him, and said softly: "When you have time, you can practice chess with the emperor, or go fishing by the pond to kill time."

Shui Rong actually didn't have much affection for the retired emperor, but he also felt his affection for him, so although he still called him a subject, he acted much closer to him in words and deeds.

The retired emperor was relieved to hear this, as people grow older, they tend to have stronger emotions, and since he abdicated the throne to Emperor Yongkang, he was no longer in a lonely position, so his concerns were much lessened.

But listening to Shui Rong's "ambition" made him frown, and he placed the cloud piece in his hand on the chessboard, and said meaningfully: "Little Sixteen, you are still young, why do you have to learn from someone like me who is about to die?"

At the age of Shui Rong, it is the time when one is full of vigor and vitality.

Shui Rong paused when he heard this. Was the emperor asking him to do something serious?

The Emperor didn't pay attention to Shui Rong's strangeness and continued, "I know why you don't want to participate in the affairs of the court. It's good for you, but the current situation is different. You are trying to protect yourself now, which will only make you embarrassed and end up counterproductive."

Shui Rong raised his eyebrows when he heard this and asked, "The Emperor is referring to the marriage granting matter?"

"This time is not the same as that time." Judging from the current situation, it seems that only marriage with the Jia family can meet the requirements, and the emperor only summoned me after Emperor Yongkang granted the marriage.

But after the marriage with the Jia family, shouldn't Shui Rong be more cautious in his words and actions? Why should he take the initiative to participate?

After a pause, Shui Rong said, "I am afraid that I am not talented enough and have missed important matters in the court."

The emperor couldn't help but chuckle when he heard this. Regardless of the "lack of talent and learning", with Shui Rong's status and position, couldn't he recruit an aide? As long as Shui Rong was willing, he could learn slowly. "Lack of talent and learning" was just an excuse.

However, the emperor understood Shui Rong's thoughts, and after thinking for a moment, he said in a deep voice: "Sometimes blindly giving in will not lead to a bright future. Your marriage with the Jia family is undoubtedly the fourth brother's way of showing goodwill to the lineage of the founding heroes.

The Jia family is declining, and most of its children are hedonists, and there is no one who can support the family. Their minds are different. Once you marry into the Jia family, those people will naturally respect the Beijing Prince's Mansion. You think you can settle down peacefully, and it will be difficult to distance yourself from it. "

Shui Rong listened to the words of the retired emperor and realized that he was teaching him. After thinking about it carefully, he gained something in his mind.

In Shui Rong's opinion, although the two families are in-laws, they are two families after all, and the Jia family will not become a vassal of the Prince of Beijing's Mansion.

However, after being reminded by the retired emperor, he realized that although the Jia family had many old subordinates in the army, none of their children served in the central government, which seemed to be a mere empty shell.

How can a leader who has no leadership ability get his subordinates to follow him? As the emperor said, they have different thoughts.

Once the two families become related by marriage, those who have no one to rely on will naturally become dependent on the other. After all, in their eyes, the Beijing Prince's Mansion has greater power, and he is the son-in-law of the Jia family, so they are a family.

Moreover, the Jia family now relies only on the relationship with the emperor. Whenever there is a problem in the court, they don't know how to deal with it and can only go with the flow. Shui Rong, as a son-in-law, is a good example.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong suddenly felt nothing in his heart. In name, it was a marriage between two families, but in reality, the Prince of Beijing's Mansion and the Jia Mansion were merged. Emperor Yongkang was probably aware of this, so he had previously warned Shui Rong against being close to Jia Yuanchun. But now that his opinion of Shui Rong had changed, his attitude naturally changed as well, and it became the arranged marriage now.

"Your Majesty, do you trust me so much?"

The Jia family has two dukes who have considerable influence and control the military power of the Beijing camp. The Beijing Prince's Mansion has an exclusive status and is already feared by Emperor Yongkang. Aren't they afraid of a backlash by letting the Beijing Prince's Mansion coordinate this force?

The Emperor looked at Shui Rong and said in a deep voice: "The Fourth Elder has been on the throne for several years, it's not as simple as you think."

Shui Rong was paused when he heard this. This meant that the emperor had a backup plan. If he made any unusual moves, he was afraid that Emperor Yongkang would show no mercy.

After a pause, Shui Rong said in a clear voice: "But I just want to be a leisurely prince."

The larger the force, the more it is feared and the more cautious one is. On the surface, Shui Rong seems to be more powerful, but in fact, there are more constraints. This makes Shui Rong not want to care about it and just take care of his own business.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor said in a deep voice: "All the people in the land are subjects of the king." No one can stay out of the affairs, and the way of being a subject is to know the affairs. When you are in the temple, you often have no choice."

Shui Rong remained silent. He was a prince, but as long as he was in the Daqian Dynasty, he was a subject. Since he was a subject, he must understand how to be a subject. Judging from the initiative of Emperor Yongkang to grant the marriage, his purpose was to let Shui Rong reorganize the founding heroes in the name of Prince Beijing's Mansion. If Shui Rong ignored it, it would inevitably make Emperor Yongkang dissatisfied.

At present, Shui Rong has only two choices. Either after marrying into the Jia family, he maintains his usual attitude of "removing the branches and keeping the trunk" to preserve his own political power.

Either ignore it, and wait until the dust settles. His safety will all depend on the decision of Emperor Yongkang.

As for integrating the lineage of the founding heroes and making Emperor Yongkang wary, there is actually no need to take the risk and go to great lengths.

Moreover, if one trusts too much in the loyalty of the founding heroes, one will only fall into eternal damnation. After all, most of them are doing it for the sake of profit, and not everyone has the courage to go against the emperor. If Shui Rong takes the lead in going against the emperor, he will become a wealthy man in the eyes of some people.

For now, Shui Rong only needs to follow Emperor Yongkang's intentions to live a rich and prosperous life.

After all, Shui Rong had already been adopted, and facing the Yongkang Emperor who had firmly sat on the throne, he was just a prince in the end. Unless it was at the beginning of Yongkang Emperor's accession to the throne, when the throne was unstable, Shui Rong still had a glimmer of a chance to reach the sky.

In other words, from the moment the marriage was arranged, Shui Rong had no choice, or Emperor Yongkang had calculated what choice he would make, which was why he arranged the marriage.

Seeing Shui Rong's expression, the emperor knew that he understood what he said, so he continued: "As the so-called Son of Heaven, the most important thing is balance. The fourth brother is willing to rectify it, but he will not kill it all at once. As long as it is kept at a certain scale, the fourth brother will not say much. As for how far it reaches, it depends on you."

Shui Rong nodded slightly when he heard this. He understood what the retired emperor meant. As the saying goes, "Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened, listen to only one side and you will be in the dark." The most taboo in the court is for one person to have the final say.

In short, Shui Rong must establish his own authority and reorganize the power of Prince Beijing's Mansion and the Jia family to form a new force in the court.

But this force must be within a controllable range.

To achieve this, Shui Rong cannot sit idle, he must take the initiative to participate, otherwise the people under him will not come to him.