The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "My Lord, you are a precious person, you can't neglect it. It will be better if you eat this."

Facing Lady Jia's enthusiasm, Shui Rong responded with a smile. Although Lady Jia was the daughter of a marquis and the old lady of a duke's mansion, Shui Rong's royal status required her to respect her.

After giving the order to get the porridge, Jia's mother looked at Shui Rong and said with a smile: "The prince is not a stranger. It just so happens that the younger generation in the mansion are here. They are all sisters of the eldest maid. Let them pay their respects to the prince."

In the eyes of Grandmother Jia and the Jia family, Shui Rong is the virtuous son-in-law of the Jia family. Naturally, he is not an outsider and there is no need to be on guard against. This is also a way of expressing closeness.

Hearing this, Shui Rong looked towards the group of beauties in front of him. These were the golden hairpins in the original novel. Shui Rong happened to be interested, so he said, "Old Lady, you are too polite. There is no need to pay respects. Just meet them."

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia nodded slightly and looked around. Baoyu had been waiting at the door before and had met Shui Rong, so she excluded him.

He immediately waved his hand, and a beautiful woman came forward upon seeing him.

"Your Highness, this is the eldest girl's second sister, her name is Yingchun."

Yingchun bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Shui Rong came back to his senses and looked at Yingchun. She was wearing a double-breasted jacket with a blue and white collar, a light green plaid base and colorful polka dot prints, a white cross-collared jacket, and a light gray-purple skirt with light green piping. She looked quite quiet.

The body is slightly plump, but overall well-proportioned, similar to being plump, and the face is as soft and smooth as a baby's, and very pink and tender.

"The skin is slightly plump, the figure is in the middle, the cheeks are fresh and smooth, and the nose is greasy.", the description is not bad.

Shui Rong knew that she was honest and incompetent, cowardly and afraid of things, and had the nickname "Wooden Stupid". But looking at her gentle and silent appearance, she looked really cute.

Shui Rong took off the purse from his waist and took out a two-liang gold coin from it, handed it over and said, "Speaking of which, I am also your brother-in-law, so naturally I have to give you a meeting gift. It's just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it, second sister."

Since he was coming to attend the engagement party at the girl's home, Shui Rong would definitely prepare a gift. His purse was filled with two taels of gold coins, which were meant to be given as gifts.

Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia smiled and called herself brother-in-law and called Yingchun "second sister". It was obvious that she did not consider herself an outsider. Shui Rong's identity represented her recognition of Yuanchun and the Jia family.

Yuanchun, who was sitting next to Lady Jia, felt a little embarrassed when she heard Shui Rong address her. She couldn't help but steal glances at him. Her future husband was of first-class appearance and manner, and his words were so intimate, like a spring breeze.

Yingchun raised her eyes to look at Grandmother Jia, and seeing her nod slightly, she reached out to take it, bowed again and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Shui Rong didn't say anything after hearing this, he could only say that Yingchun was indeed as described in the book.

However, in this situation, an old woman introducing a group of daughters, this long-lost familiar feeling made Shui Rong feel a little strange.

Grandmother Jia frowned, feeling a little dissatisfied. The prince had already called himself brother-in-law and was showing a sense of closeness, so why was he still calling her prince? Alas, the second girl was still too dull. If she had known this, she would not have been the first to greet Yingchun. It was a mistake.

Thinking of this, Jia's mother raised her eyes and looked at the little girl with a little baby fat on her face. She waved and said, "Yun girl, come here."

Shui Rong raised his eyes and looked over. The little girl was wearing a bright red satin jacket with colorful flowers, a white cross-collared middle shirt, and a pink long skirt. It was quite festive and matched the atmosphere of the day.

"Hello, brother-in-law."

Xiangyun came closer and didn't need any introduction from Lady Jia. She greeted everyone sweetly. Her big eyes twinkled as if they could speak. Her small red lips were more distinct from the whiteness of her skin. A pair of dimples were evenly distributed on both sides of her cheeks. When she smiled slightly, the dimples were faintly visible on her cheeks. She was as lovely as a fairy.

Seeing this, Jia's mother smiled and turned her eyes to Shui Rong, introducing her: "Your Highness, this is my niece's great-granddaughter, the eldest maid's cousin. She came here with her aunt today. Her name is Xiangyun."

Shui Rong nodded slightly when he heard this. How could he not know Shi Xiangyun, the daughter of the Shi family? She looked like a lively, cheerful and generous girl, quite likable.

Seeing this, Shui Rong took out a golden mule and said with a smile, "Sister Yun, please accept it."

Xiangyun took it with a smile and bowed, "Thank you, brother-in-law."

"Brother-in-law," Xiangyun called so sweetly that Shuirong couldn't help but feel happy. After all, facing a lively and innocent little girl, even if he didn't like her, at least he wouldn't be bored with her.

Grandmother Jia looked at Xiangyun with satisfaction. There were indeed differences between the sisters, and Xiangyun was much smarter.

Suddenly, a beautifully dressed woman came in with a young man, with a smile on her face. After entering the room, she carefully moved to the side.

When Lady Jia, who was sitting in the hall, saw the person coming, she couldn't help but frowned, but because Shui Rong was there, she quickly returned to normal and completely ignored him.

Shui Rong naturally also saw that the young man the woman brought was Jia Huan. In addition, everyone seemed more or less strange, which made Shui Rong understand the identity of the woman. She was probably Aunt Zhao, who was hated by everyone in the Jia family.

Seeing Aunt Zhao bringing Jia Huan here, she must have known from somewhere that everyone was there, including Baoyu. Being competitive, she wanted to show no interest in suffering any loss, so she brought Jia Huan along.

Shui Rong didn't care about this. After all, Aunt Zhao didn't do anything naughty, so it was fine to say that she came here to watch the fun.

But then again, Aunt Zhao is good-looking and has a certain odor. No wonder she is so crude, ignorant, and gossipy, yet she is still favored by Jia Zheng and allowed to take concubines and beauties. She is a typical woman who only cares about her own comfort and doesn't care about anything else.

"Yu'er, come here." Grandmother Jia ignored Aunt Zhao who sneaked in and continued to greet her.

Shui Rong raised his eyes to see the graceful little girl holding a pink embroidered handkerchief in her hand. She was wearing a light blue satin embroidered gown with bamboo leaves and plum blossoms on it, and a white skirt embroidered with horse faces underneath. This made the little girl look not as pretty and elegant as her age.

Her eyebrows are like spring mountains, as if entwined, her eyes are like autumn water, like a pool of clear water, there is a hint of bookish purity between her eyebrows, her small lips are as rosy and lustrous as cherries, tender and juicy, her shoulders are as sharp as a knife, her waist is as thin as a willow, and she walks with lotus steps like a willow swaying in the wind.

"Your Highness, this is my granddaughter, the eldest girl's cousin, the daughter of Lin Ruhai, the Imperial Censor of Yangzhou's Salt Inspection Office. Her name is Daiyu."

Shui Rong nodded slightly when he heard that. When he took the first look at the girl, he made some guesses, "She has two curved brows that seem to be frowning but not frowning, a pair of eyes that seem to be happy but not happy and full of affection, she breathes softly, like a willow swaying in the wind. She is more intelligent than Bi Gan, and her illness is three times worse than Xi Shi's."

Looking at it now, she has a naturally romantic attitude, which reminds Shui Rong of a poem written by Bai Juyi: "Fan Su has a mouth like a cherry, a slender waist like a willow, eyebrows painted in black and blue, and skin as white as snow."

Daiyu came closer, her lively eyes turned slightly, her cherry lips parted, and she said, "Hello...brother-in-law."

The sound is so delicate, like the trickling of spring water.

Shui Rong nodded, took out the gold nugget and handed it over.

Daiyu stretched out her fair and tender hand to take it. Just as she was about to thank him, she heard the prince say in a gentle voice, "Sister Lin seems to be a little frail."

Although Daiyu was endowed with an incomparable appearance and rare beauty, her figure was too delicate. She seemed to be panting slightly as she took the few steps forward. Anyone who was not blind would know that she had a deficiency.

Daiyu's heart tightened when she heard this. She couldn't help but clenched her pink handkerchief. She pursed her lips and looked up to meet the prince's gaze. It seemed that there was pity in it, which made her feel relieved. She said with a somewhat disappointed tone: "I have been weak and sick since I was a child. I have been taking medicine since I could eat, and I have not stopped until today. I have invited many famous doctors to prescribe medicine, but none of them worked."

Shui Rong was aware of Daiyu's frail health. He pondered for a moment and said in a gentle voice, "Although I am not a doctor, I also know some medical knowledge. Sister Lin is like this. She must be overthinking. She still needs to be more careful in the future and focus on recuperation."

In Shui Rong's opinion, the reason why Daiyu's deficiency did not get better was because she was a sensitive person. Whenever she encountered something, she would start to care about it. How could she not waste her energy?

If you think too much, even the best elixir will not be effective.

Daiyu felt puzzled when she heard this. This earnest instruction from an elder made her feel a little strange.

After a pause, Daiyu bowed and said, "Thank you for your concern, brother-in-law."

At this time, Grandmother Jia sighed softly, looked at Daiyu lovingly, and said distressedly: "Your Highness, you don't know that this child has lost her mother since she was young, and she is also pitiful. My son-in-law is a thoughtful man and has no intention of taking another wife. Seeing that this granddaughter has no one to rely on, he brought her to the mansion to raise her."

Shui Rong nodded slightly and didn't say much. After all, this was someone else's family affair.

Next, Grandmother Jia introduced Xue Baochai.

Today, Xue Baochai wore a pink printed collared long coat with a pink pleated skirt, looking pretty and tender.

"I met my brother-in-law."

Baochai thought for a moment, bowed and greeted him, calling him brother-in-law.

Shui Rong looked at the pretty Baochai. This was the second time he had met Baochai. She was naturally beautiful and graceful in manners, no worse than others.

I still remember that Shui Rong was still planning to bring her into the palace during the draft, but the plan couldn't keep up with the changes. Shui Rong was given a marriage before the draft started, so he didn't have time to plan for him to be admitted into the palace.

Now Baochai is Shui Rong's sister-in-law. She hasn't even gotten married yet, but she's already thinking about her sister-in-law. Where does that leave Yuanchun?

Even if you have the idea in your mind, you should at least wait until after you get married and stay out of the spotlight for a while.

So Shui Rong was as gentle as ever. He took out the golden nugget and handed it over, calling her "Sister Bao" in a friendly manner.

She was Miss Xue a while ago, but now she is Miss Bao, a generation downgrade for no reason. This made Baochai feel puzzled.

But Baochai didn't say much and bowed to leave. Aunt Xue, who was standing by, immediately felt unhappy when she saw this.

Well, that's over.

After introducing Baochai, Grandmother Jia's expression became more amiable, and she smiled and said, "Third girl, come and meet the prince."

Upon hearing this, Tanchun's cheeks became slightly drunk, and she came over gracefully with lotus steps.

Shui Rong looked at the person who came. Wasn't this the little girl who was in Yuanchun's room before?

Chapter 79: Tanchun: Guests Under the Banana Tree

"Your Majesty, this is the third girl, Tanchun."

Tanchun bowed generously and said, "Hello, brother-in-law."

The sound is like a yellow oriole singing in a valley, clear and loud.

Shui Rong looked at her. She was wearing a cross-collared long jacket with a pink background and embroidery of red morning glory branches, and a white pleated skirt. The pattern and color of the embroidery were different from those of others. Her open and elegant look exuded a warm and unrestrained feeling.

She has narrow shoulders, a thin waist, an oval face, and a beautiful and smooth figure.

His handsome eyes and well-sculpted eyebrows reveal a heroic spirit. At first glance, he looks graceful and dignified. At the same time, he also has a literary air that makes one forget the world when they see him.

The most eye-catching thing is Tanchun's pair of big watery eyes, which make her already delicate facial features more coordinated and her beautiful face more energetic. Moreover, the two eyes set off each other, making her eyes brighter, more energetic and full of spirit, which complements each other very well.

After a careful evaluation, Tanchun is in her prime, just as the poem says: "She is more than thirteen years old, and in the early February of the first month of her life." The little girl has already begun to show her potential, with a capable temperament and a slightly immature face showing off her confident beauty, which makes her different from others. She is truly a little "rose", red and fragrant, loved by everyone.

Shui Rong nodded slightly and was about to take out something for Tanchun, when Jia's mother beside him smiled and said, "Your Highness, the eldest girl has a deep relationship with her sisters at home, so I thought that when the eldest girl marries into the palace, I would let the third girl accompany her to avoid being lonely. What do you think?"

Although this is a custom for dowry maids, Lady Jia still spoke up in advance in case the prince is unhappy and that would backfire.

Shui Rong was stunned when he heard this. Letting Tanchun accompany Yuanchun into the palace, isn't this a dowry concubine?

Seeing that everyone had the same expression and understood each other tacitly, Shui Rong immediately understood that all the people in the Jia family had discussed it.

No wonder Grandmother Jia introduced Tanchun so grandly, it was actually a "lucky omen".

Dowry and concubines have existed since ancient times. In ancient times, marriages were arranged by parents, and most brides and grooms had never been in a relationship. To the bride, the groom was a stranger, not to mention the people in the groom's family!

At this time, if there are maids accompanying the bride to her husband's house, she will not be completely helpless and alone.

As Shui Rong was a member of the royal family, his dowry concubines could not possibly be maids. Naturally, this sister was the best candidate.

Among the four girls of the Jia family, Tanchun is the closest to them. They are half-sisters with the same father. Having her as a maid in the dowry is the greatest respect to the Beijing Palace and is reasonable.

But Shui Rong understood that the Jia family allowed Tanchun to enter the palace together just to let Princess Yuanchun gain a foothold in Prince Beijing's palace, which was also the duty of a concubine who came with the dowry.

This is the usual practice of large families and nothing surprising.

Shui Rong raised his eyes to look at Tanchun, and saw that she had her eyes slightly lowered and her cheeks flushed. He couldn't help but feel worried.

"I am smart and ambitious, but I was born in the last days and my luck is fading. I shed tears as I look at the riverside on Qingming Festival. The east wind a thousand miles away is just a distant dream."

In the original novel, Tanchun's verdict was to leave her hometown and marry far away. Not to mention the difficulties of mountains and rivers, unfamiliar climate and language barriers, her purpose was to redeem the Prince of Nan'an and seek peace as a defeated country. It felt like a hostage being detained in a distant place.

With such a situation, she was not treated well by her husband's family, so she was also classified into the Department of Misfortune in the Realm of Illusion.

Since Tanchun's fate is tragic, Shui Rong should do a good deed and take her in to change the fate of this heroic beauty.

Shui Rong was quite willing to do this kind of good deed. His future sister-in-law, those who understand would know that if something came to your doorstep, you should give it up.

Shui Rong was deeply impressed by Tanchun. Apart from her unrestrained beauty, the most important thing was that Tanchun said in the Grand View Garden that she liked banana trees the most, and she was nicknamed "The Guest Under the Banana Tree". Her beauty was elegant and elegant, and very artistic, which showed Tanchun's simple and fresh character.

How can I abandon such a person?