The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

In next year's talent show, Beijing Prince's Mansion will welcome the future mistress. How can the people in Shui Rong's house not be worried? If the mistress has a bad temper, they will be in trouble.

Yingluo was just happy before and had forgotten about this matter. But now when Shui Rong mentioned it, she couldn't help but think about it more. It was not easy to get the gift from her master. It would be terrible if the mistress was jealous.

Shui Rong saw Ying Luo twisting her handkerchief, and she looked slightly worried. He didn't find it funny. Thinking that she was his confidant, he comforted her, "I was just joking with you, but you took it seriously. You are my wife, so how could the mistress dislike you?"

Generally speaking, men all have their own women in the house, which is a common thing, and the mistress of the house will hardly care about it. However, there are also those who are extremely jealous and cannot tolerate any grain of sand in their eyes, just like Wang Xifeng of the Rongguo Mansion and Xia Jingui of the "Osmanthus Xia Family". These two are cruel and ruthless people who cannot tolerate others.

Listening to Shui Rong's comfort, Ying Luo's eyes softened involuntarily. She blinked her bright almond-shaped eyes at Shui Rong with inexplicable joy. After all, her master still had her in his heart, and it was worth it for her to let him humiliate her that day.

Thinking of that day, Yingluo's face became hot.

Shui Rong looked at Ying Luo's flowing beauty, and his daughter's shy posture was so touching.

Yingluo sat in Shui Rong's arms, knowing his every move like the back of her hand. Her face suddenly turned rosy, and her curved eyebrows and long eyelashes trembled slightly.

Last time, Yingluo almost got herself into trouble, but this time she is not confused.

It's just that this guy, he could bear it before, but after tasting it, he couldn't control himself anymore, especially when this little girl had those hooking eyes, which made people restless and unbearable.

Yingluo blushed when she heard that. Her fair and flawless skin was slightly rosy. Her thin lips were as tender as roses. She pursed her lips and said angrily, "You're still laughing at me."

She made a fool of herself last time and was too embarrassed to see anyone. Who would have thought that the prince would tease her about it!!!

Shui Rong chuckled, reached out and grabbed Ying Luo's chin and looked at her. His daughter's shy and coy expression was the most alluring.

"Ah" a delicate cry suddenly sounded, startling Shui Rong, who trembled and slightly clenched her teeth.

Yingluo sucked in a breath of cold air, her brows furrowed. She had no time to get angry, and looked at the stunned figure outside the room. She broke free in shock and stood aside, fastening the buttons on her collar.

Shui Rong looked at the blushing figure at the door, coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment, pursed his lips, savored the sweetness, and then smiled calmly, "Keqing, why are you here?"

The person who came was Qin Keqing, the woman Shui Rong had reserved for him. In Shui Rong's room, Qin Keqing was one of the few people who could come in without reporting. She was caught cheating and felt a little embarrassed. You have to remember that they were still in an ambiguous period and she was afraid that it would ruin the impression. Fortunately, it was not a serious matter, otherwise, it would be necessary to find a royal physician to see.

Qin Keqing stood there, her charming face flushed, her skin as white as cream, fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

As the scene flashed through her mind, Keqing's delicate body almost softened and she almost fell.

Shui Rong saw Qin Keqing's expression of tenderness, cherishing and shyness which was hard to describe. This made his heart skip a beat.

Seeing this, Yingluo pouted and glared at Shuirong. Just now he was so affectionate with her, but now he doesn't even look at her...

However, Yingluo only complained a few words in her heart, and walked out of the house with a blushing face. When she passed by Qin Keqing, she called out "Miss Qin" guiltily, and left with staggering steps. She had to find a quiet place to see if she was hurt.

Shui Rong felt amused when Ying Luo rolled her eyes at him. This was jealousy, but it was normal. After all, Shui Rong had a new love and forgot about his old love. It seemed like he was a bit of a scumbag...

Fortunately, Yingluo is a polite person. Qin Keqing is not a slave but half a master in the mansion. She is not comparable to Yingluo. It is always right to follow the rules. I hope Yingluo is not hurt, otherwise it would be a real sin.

Seeing Yingluo leave, Shui Rong pretended to be calm and called out to Keqing, who lowered her head and eyes, "Keqing, why are you here?"

Qin Keqing heard the call, raised her affectionate eyes and glanced at Shui Rong, took out the jade pendant from her bosom, and said in a trembling voice: "The necklace that the prince asked me to make last time is ready. Please take a look and see if there is anything you are not satisfied with."

Shui Rong reached out and held Qin Keqing's hand, and took a look at the jade pendant in her hand. The gold thread and the black beads were very beautiful, so Shui Rong praised: "Keqing's hands are really skillful."

Qin Keqing's face flushed and she blinked her big eyes. Is the prince talking about the hand or the bracelet?

Seeing that she couldn't break free, Keqing couldn't help but take a deep breath and said shyly: "You didn't even look carefully, how could you know that I'm deft with my hands? You just said coaxing words."

Qin Keqing was not familiar with Shui Rong before. But after spending some time with him, she realized that Shui Rong was kind to his servants and had a very good personality. Thinking that she would be the man's woman sooner or later, she felt relieved and responded to him with a lot more ease.

After hearing this, Shui Rong lifted Keqing's hand and said, "The ancients said, 'Fingers are like peeling onion roots, mouth is like holding red cinnabar, delicate steps are exquisite and unparalleled in the world'." With such jade hands, how can you not be skillful? Keqing, don't belittle yourself. In the future, it will be wonderful to have your pair of skillful hands always by my side."

As for Qin Keqing, this is the person Shui Rong has chosen. Does Shui Rong still need to be cautious? Holding hands between lovers in the previous life was a normal thing, not to mention the relationship between Shui Rong and Qin Keqing now. They are not breaking etiquette, but love words to promote feelings. After all, women dress up for their confidants. If Shui Rong is indifferent, who knows, who knows, they will think too much?

As expected, Qin Keqing's cheeks turned red, the corners of her mouth raised slightly, revealing dimples on her cheeks, and she was obviously very happy.

However, in the face of Shui Rong's lewd words, she shyly handed the jade pendant to Shui Rong and left in a hurry.

Shui Rong shook his head helplessly when he saw this. Girls of this generation are still a little thin-skinned. They couldn't stand just touching her hand and saying a few words. If they meet frankly in the future, they will have to hide their shame. It seems that the road ahead is long and arduous.

Chapter 14 Royal Palace Accounts

In the flower hall of Beijing Prince's Mansion, Shui Rong sat calmly on a chair. Several people stood in the hall. Leading the group was Li Changshi, the chief secretary of the palace, who was in charge of all matters in the palace. Behind him were four middle-aged men wearing melon-shaped hats. They were the four accountants who managed the money. They were basically the ones who managed all the real estate in the palace, such as farms, land, vegetable gardens, orchards, mountain farms, horse farms, pawnshops, etc.

Earlier, Concubine Beijing had asked Shui Rong to try to manage the palace's assets. Shui Rong was not in a hurry at first. Now, under the imperial edict of the Duke, Shui Rong is the legitimate head of the palace. The matter of granted marriage is handled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Clan Affairs, so Shui Rong does not need to worry about it for the time being. The palace's assets must be carefully checked to avoid being a confused person. Anyway, Shui Rong has no job to do, so he is just sitting around doing nothing.

Li Changshi was a man who knew his destiny. His temples were gray and he had a long beard. He bowed and pointed to the four large boxes in the hall. He said respectfully, "Your Highness, these are all the account books in the palace in recent years. Please have a look."

Everyone was very humble towards Shui Rong. He used to be the Crown Prince, and now he was the Prince of a County. He was the master of the palace and had a noble status. They didn't dare to offend him.

Shui Rong looked at the four large boxes and crates, and his brows could not help but furrowed. With so many account books, if he checked them one by one, he would be exhausted. Thinking of this, Shui Rong said, "Li Changshi, bring up the general account book of the mansion."

Although the general ledger does not record detailed information, we can get a glimpse of it from the income and expenditure.

Upon hearing this, Li Changshi hurriedly took an account book from the box and handed it over respectfully. It was obvious that they had been prepared.

After Shui Rong took it, he was not in a hurry to look at it. Instead, he waved his hand and said, "Okay, you guys go down and do your things first!!!"

After hearing this, Li Changshi and the others withdrew respectfully. Shui Rong then started to look through the account book. After an unknown amount of time, Yingluo had changed several cups of fragrant tea. Shui Rong pinched his forehead with a headache and threw the account book on the table.

Seeing this, Yingluo massaged Shui Rong and said with concern, "Your Highness, just let Li Changshi and the others do these things. There's no need to work so hard."

For Yingluo, the most important thing is to serve Shui Rong in all aspects, and she doesn't care about anything else.

Shui Rong chuckled when he heard this. He knew that Ying Luo's words were words of concern. Logically speaking, Shui Rong really didn't need to work too hard. It would be a joke for a prince to check the accounts himself. However, if Shui Rong went outside to find the accountant, Concubine Beijing might feel uncomfortable. Therefore, Shui Rong would check it himself. Facing his personal maid, Shui Rong said casually: "I have nothing to do, so I might as well take a look."

Yingluo shut up when she heard that. The prince had already spoken, so what could she do even if she felt distressed? She could only work hard with her hands to massage Shuirong.

Shui Rong was enjoying Ying Luo's service while thinking about the account book he had just read. The palace had a large industry. Not to mention the mansion of Prince Beijing, there were many cultural relics, treasures and rare objects in the warehouse, such as jade plates, jade horses, pearl bracelets, coral beads, sapphires, white jade Guanyin, red agate, ginseng, sable fur and so on, which were very valuable.

There are a total of ten farms outside the company, with a total of 100,670 acres of land. The annual rent is nearly 40,000 taels of silver. As the annual output of one acre of land is worth nearly one tael of silver, and the rent is 50%, the income should be 50,000 taels of silver. However, the rent is related to the harvest, and a single number cannot explain anything.

In addition, there are several orchards and shops in the capital. Generally speaking, the royal palace, including salaries and annual rewards from the palace, has an annual income of 70,000 to 80,000 taels.

Apart from the income, let's now look at the expenses. The first is the monthly allowance. The Beijing Prince's Mansion has been inherited for a hundred years. Those domestic servants, their whole family lives in the palace as slaves, and their descendants are also slaves of the palace. After three generations of accumulation, there are nearly 500 people in the palace now. The monthly allowance for one year plus the silver rewards from various festivals, the expenditure is as high as nearly 10,000 taels. Moreover, the slaves are provided with food and accommodation, and the annual food expenses are about 10,000 taels. Just to support these servants, more than 20,000 taels of silver are needed a year.

After the monthly expenditure, the next thing to do is to repair the palace. There are a total of 108 rooms in the palace. The annual repair cost is about four to five thousand taels of silver. However, the biggest feature of Beijing Palace is the garden that occupies half of the area. The garden is full of famous flowers and precious species, and the strange-shaped rocks are all shipped from other places. These things are not cheap. After all, a family of the prince's palace cannot use cheap goods as substitutes for good ones. On average, it will cost about 20,000 taels a year. Shui Rong knows that there is enough money involved, but it will definitely not be simple to investigate carefully. If you investigate carefully, it will probably make people think you are petty. Shui Rong doesn't care about others, but he can't let his own stepmother think too much.

In addition, this is a world of human relationships and social etiquette. A family of such prominence as Prince Beijing's Mansion needs to welcome and see off guests every year, plus family sacrifices, family celebrations, and New Year festivals, which are almost continuous. All these added up will cost about 15,000 taels. This is generally speaking. If there is any happy event, the number will be more than this.

Finally, there are the expenses of the masters. In the entire palace, the masters are only Concubine Beijing, Shui Rong, and Qin Keqing who had just entered the palace. Qin Keqing had just entered the palace, so we will not talk about her for now, but Concubine Beijing and Shui Rong were very ostentatious. Their daily meals were carefully selected. A lotus leaf and lotus pod soup was very particular about the cooking method. Not only were the ingredients in the soup difficult to gather, but even the mold was not something that ordinary people could have. It was extremely exquisite. A bowl of soup cost twenty taels of silver. The clothes they wore were also very valuable. An outer garment was worth several hundred taels, and the jade pendant that Shui Rong asked Qin Keqing to make was worth more than a thousand taels. The annual expenses for these two mother and son were estimated to be twenty thousand taels.

Twenty taels of silver a year were enough for an ordinary family to live on. In comparison, the royal palace was simply extravagant and inhumane. In the past, Shui Rong just enjoyed it peacefully, but he never expected the huge expenses. This really shocked Shui Rong. The life of this wealthy family was really unimaginable.

All in all, the palace's annual expenditure was more than 90,000 taels. The income was not in line with the expenditure, and it was in a state of overspending. This was only because of the small population of the palace. If it had been when the old Prince Beijing was alive two years ago, the overspending would have been even more serious.

Spending more than you earn is a big taboo.

At present, it seems impossible to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. Shui Rong can let go of his face, but Concubine Beijing cannot. Moreover, Shui Rong said at the beginning that Concubine Beijing would be in charge of the affairs of the inner house, and it would be difficult for Shui Rong to interfere, especially since he had just taken over and could not act too hastily.

If one wants to live a more comfortable life, he needs to run some other businesses. With the power of Prince Beijing's Mansion, doing business is definitely not a problem. However, the court has a clear rule that the royal family cannot compete with the people for profits, and the management is much stricter than those officials. However, there are policies from the top and countermeasures from the bottom, so it is enough to invest in a half-concealed way.

According to the nature of time travelers, the best way is to get soap, glass or something like that, but unfortunately, Shui Rong was a poor student in his previous life. He has no problem using these things, but he is completely in the dark when it comes to making them. As for knowing the ingredients is enough, the problem is that Shui Rong doesn't even know what the ingredients are. The only thing he knows is that the main component of glass is silicon dioxide, but what's the use of that?

Since there is no way to create, the only thing left is to find a business that can make money in the current dynasty. If you really count, the most profitable business is salt and iron. However, "salt and iron are state-run", and if Shui Rong intervenes by forcing his hand, he will be at a disadvantage. As for lending or smuggling salt, these are all crooked ways to make money. The Beijing Prince's Mansion has not yet reached the point where it can't survive.

The rest are antique shops, money houses, gold and silver shops, fur shops, southern goods shops, cloth shops, silk shops, restaurants, etc. If they are well-off, there is no big problem, but for a business as big as the royal palace, it is a drop in the bucket. What specific business to do requires careful consideration.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong couldn't help but sigh. It was really not easy to manage such a large industry. Fortunately, he had the most important power background. As the saying goes, power means wealth. If you have power, you have wealth. Even a stupid person will not have to worry about food and drink.

Yingluo noticed that Shui Rong was in a bad mood. She thought for a moment, mustered up her courage, bit her lip and said, "Master, if you are upset, how about I serve you?"

As a maid, I naturally need care when my master is in a bad mood. Although I still feel a little uncomfortable, it doesn't matter for my master.

Shui Rong looked back at Ying Luo with wide eyes, only to see a blush on her cheeks and a pair of sparkling almond eyes fluttering. Her soft and shy look was like an alluring fruit, waiting to be picked.

Seeing this, Shui Rong frowned. Didn't he know that teasing someone would lead to serious trouble? Although it was good to be intimate with them, it was easy for things to go wrong. Tolerating too much was not a good thing after all.

"Your Highness, you are disgusted with me." Yingluo's expression suddenly changed when she saw this. She was so shameless. Why did Shui Rong have such an expression?

Sensing Ying Luo's emotions, Shui Rong explained in a gentle voice: "What nonsense are you thinking? I will dislike you if I do, but this is not a long-term thing. I am not a saint, how can I remain calm when I am in your arms?"

Yingluo was good-looking, so how could Shui Rong dislike such a lovely girl? However, he only tried a little each time, testing her back and forth on the shore. In the end, he was the only one who felt uncomfortable.

Hearing that he didn't dislike her, Yingluo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and was even secretly happy in her heart. She knew that her master was obsessed with her and they had even had physical contact. If he disliked her, what would happen?

"What's the big deal? People say that in matters between men and women, they should be done intimately." Yingluo said this timidly. Her bright eyes were like a pool of clear water, and her rosy face was so tender that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it.

But as soon as she said it, Yingluo regretted it immediately. Her master wouldn’t think she was being indecent, would he? She just wanted him to feel comfortable!!!

Shui Rong looked at Ying Luo with a strange expression as she twisted the embroidered handkerchief in her hands. In ancient times, knowledge was scarce and young girls knew very little about matters concerning the bedroom. They were like a blank sheet of paper. Even holding hands was a big deal. Generally speaking, parents and elders would tell their daughters about it when they got married. It was unexpected that Ying Luo would know how to touch her belly. This girl must have heard those gossips. It was just unknown whether Ying Luo listened unintentionally or asked intentionally! ! ! !

"You little slut, you can't hold it back anymore?" Shui Rong stretched out his hand and pinched her tender face, which was so tender that water could be squeezed out of it, and teased her in a joking tone.

Seeing that Shui Rong did not show any disdain for her, Ying Luo immediately felt relieved. Facing Shui Rong's teasing, Ying Luo said coquettishly, "How could that be possible!!"

As a maid, she was only concerned about her master and was not in a hurry to get her belly covered.

Shui Rong laughed and said gently, "Don't be impatient. I am not using you as a concubine for fun. When the mistress enters the mansion next year, you will have your own benefits."

Maids recognized by the mistress have a different status, especially maids of innocent virginity, who will be more valued by her. Faced with Yingluo's initiative, Shui Rong couldn't refuse as it would hurt the girl's feelings, so he could only use this as an excuse.

But then again, Yingluo is now eighteen years old, with a graceful figure, and has grown up. Shui Rong is well aware of this. If it weren't for long-term considerations, he would not have stolen her too early. As early as last time, this hoof would have been in his shape.

Yingluo was touched when she heard that. Her master was thinking about her. It was worth her not being embarrassed today. However, Yingluo looked down at the bulge and became worried. I wonder if it is hurt! ! ! !

Chapter 15: Man's Paradise

In Shenjing, in front of Yanzhi Hutong, Shui Rong was wearing a blue suit with a pattern of flying clouds and bats, a rhino horn belt around his waist, a white jade pendant, and a large white banner. He held a landscape folding fan in his hand and waved it gently. He had a handsome face, and looked like a suave young man.

"Master, let's go back. If the Concubine Dowager finds out, I won't be able to survive." Xiao Fuzi, who was standing aside, had a bitter face and pleaded in a sad voice.

Yanzhi Hutong is a famous den of money-making in the capital. Both sides of the hutong are basically brothels. If a royal noble like Shui Rong went to a brothel, wouldn't the civil servants who adhered to the Confucian Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness, hear about it and report it to the emperor?

Not only that, even if Concubine Beijing knew about it, she would not let it go. She might just blame Shui Rong verbally, but eunuchs like Xiao Fuzi would be in trouble. This is called killing the chicken to scare the monkey.

Shui Rong glanced at the crying Xiao Fuzi and frowned. Shui Rong, who had nothing to do, went out of the house to stroll around and investigate what kind of livelihood he should do. When he came to Yanzhi Hutong, as a time traveler, how could he not go to see this paradise for men.

"Okay, what are you afraid of? I'm going to a brothel, not a whorehouse. I'm just going in to take a look. I won't do anything out of line. As long as you don't tell me, how will mother know?"

Although both brothels and prostitutes are places of pleasure, there are still some differences between them. Brothels are purely for the sale of bodies and are divided into several grades. The first-class brothels are called "Qingyin Xiaoban". In addition to being beautiful, the girls must also be proficient in literature and writing, and be able to write poetry, calligraphy, and painting, and they must also be able to sing ditties.

Second-class brothels were called "tea houses" and the girls there did not need to have many talents, but they did need to be pretty, have a basic knowledge of literature and the ability to appreciate tea.

Third-rate brothels are called "lower places" where the girls only need their looks.

The lowest level brothel is simply called a "yaozi". The description of the girls there is much simpler, as long as they are women. It is commonly known as a "wild chicken place". The guests there are usually ordinary people such as villagers.

Generally, people who go to brothels are there to satisfy their physical needs directly, and there is no such thing as reciting poems, playing the piano or listening to music. The girls there will not talk about love or romance, or recite poems, but they are all well versed in the art of "playing various instruments and singing".

A brothel is a luxurious and exquisite residence, a place for relaxation and bliss. Most of the people who come and go are literati, high-ranking officials and dignitaries. It is a place where people recite poems, compose couplets and listen to songs.

The women in brothels are generally divided into "qingguanren" and "hongguanren". Qingguanren refers to those who sell their art but not their bodies, while hongguanren can sell both their art and their bodies. These two types are not "prostitutes of the world" who sell flesh and blood or sell their smiles for favors. Each of them can be said to have many skills, and they are almost involved in everything from playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting to reciting poems and composing couplets. Although they are in a place of fireworks, they cannot be wasted at will because of money. Since ancient times, talented men have liked to come to brothels, which is to pursue spiritual resonance. Of course, there are also talented men and beautiful women who enjoy each other's company.

In comparison, it is understandable that brothels are high-end clubs, of a different class, and ordinary people cannot enter at all.