The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

As for worrying about becoming the host, Yuanchun was not worried at all. Not to mention that they were sisters, Tanchun's status and position posed no threat to her as the legitimate Princess Beijing.

Moving closer, Yuanchun held Tanchun's hand intimately, and her bright starry eyes looked around at the beauty in front of her. She saw the relaxation between her brows and no strange color on her jade-like face, and she could tell at a glance that Tanchun was a virgin.

It was just because of her understanding of her own husband. When they slept in the same bed with each other yesterday and her third sister looked so charming, she suddenly realized something. After all, she had experienced her husband's way of serving people many times.

Thinking of this, Yuanchun's plump face was lightly rouge, and she cursed her husband's crooked ways in her heart. She looked at Shuirong with eyes as clear as autumn water and said in a slightly joking tone: "My husband worked hard yesterday."

Shui Rong chuckled when he heard this and didn't care. After all, Tanchun was sent here by Yuanchun and she wasn't caught cheating.

When Tanchun heard this, she was immediately embarrassed, her pretty face turned red as blood, she said "Big sister" in a frown and then lowered her eyes without saying anything.

Seeing this, Yuanchun reached out and gently stroked Tanchun's head. There was no jealousy on her face. In her opinion, since her third sister was married as a dowry, she was supposed to serve her husband. So she smiled and said, "Silly girl, this will happen sooner or later. There is nothing to be shy about. From now on, we sisters will serve our husband wholeheartedly and we will be a happy family."

Tanchun said "hmm" softly. Although it was not like in the book yesterday, they already knew each other's background, just like husband and wife. So she blushed and replied, "Sister, I know."

Shui Rong felt more and more satisfied when he saw how well-matched these sisters were. Not only did Yuanchun send her own sister to him, she also showed no jealousy at all. She was truly virtuous. As the saying goes, one should marry a virtuous wife. If he had married a narrow-minded wife like Sister Feng, he would be upset.

Hey, why should I compare myself with Feng Jieer?

Yuanchun stroked Tanchun's head gently, noticing the pimples on her temples. She told the maid to fetch some water, pinched her black hair with her bare hands, and said to Tanchun with a smile, "Third sister, you are too careless."

Tanchun looked at the tangled black hair, her heart pounding, her pretty face flushed red, her bright eyes angrily glared at Shuirong, and she quickly whispered, "Big sister, I can wash it myself."

Yuanchun raised her eyebrows slightly when she saw this. Although girls should pay attention to their manners, they were all family members now. Why did her third sister react so strongly? She also noticed the angry look in her eyes. Could this be related to her husband?

Just as Yuanchun looked at Shuirong, Shuirong coughed lightly at the right time and asked, "Yuanchun, why are you here so early in the morning instead of accompanying your mother-in-law?"

Although Yuanchun and Shui Rong are a legitimate couple, Shui Rong is only trying to please her normally and there is nothing else going on. I think Yuanchun doesn't know the reason, so just fool him for now, and Yuanchun will naturally understand it later.

Yuanchun became slightly suspicious when she heard this. Was her husband trying to change the subject?

But since her husband had asked, Yuanchun replied, "My father asked me to invite you to breakfast."

Shui Rong nodded slightly when he heard this, reached out and took Yuanchun's hand, and said in a clear voice: "Okay, let's go over there, don't let my father-in-law and mother-in-law wait anxiously."

Yuanchun felt the warmth of his hand, her cheeks slightly tipsy, and without thinking anything else, she followed her husband out of the house.

PS: It's near the holidays and I have a lot to do, so the updates are irregular. They will be back to normal after the holidays. I only have one chapter now and can't write the rest.

Chapter 116 Shui Rong: Mrs. Wang’s Hypocrisy

Inside the Hall of Rongxi.

There was a rosewood table in the hall, and the black armchair backs were polished to be as smooth as a mirror.

Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang were sitting on the nanmu chairs on either side waiting. When they saw Shui Rong coming, they stood up and stepped forward to greet him.

Shui Rong looked at Jia Zheng's respectful and politeness but didn't say anything. After all, he already knew Jia Zheng's character very well. He attached great importance to etiquette and morals. As the original book said, he was an overly pedantic person.

After sitting down safely, Madam Wang said with a kind and caring look, "Your Highness, the people downstairs are preparing breakfast. Eat some fruits first."

Shui Rong nodded slightly when he heard this. The main meal would not be served first for breakfast. Instead, some fruits, tea and the like would be prepared. This would also give the kitchen time to prepare and prevent the food from getting cold.

Afterwards, Mrs. Wang asked about her well-being in a friendly manner, and Shui Rong, as her son-in-law, naturally responded one by one.

Just looking at the talkative Madam Wang in front of him, Shui Rong sighed in his heart. If he didn't know that her face was cold and her heart was cold, Madam Wang in front of him was really a kind person.

However, Shui Rong also understood the reason. There were roughly two reasons why Mrs. Wang was belittled in the original novel.

One reason is because it broke up the "previous alliance between wood and stone".

From a mother's perspective, no matter how much Daiyu and Baoyu loved each other, Mrs. Wang knew that Daiyu was a sickly girl with a bad temper, and it was difficult for her to meet the standards of a good wife and mother in this era. It was natural for her to reject her, just like the blind dates chosen by parents for their sons in today's society. The one they pick is probably not the one you expect, but that's understandable, as it's probably the one who's on your side.

Moreover, in feudal society, continuing the family line is the right thing to do. Daiyu is frail and it is not known whether she can give birth. If you put yourself in Mrs. Wang's shoes, you can understand her. For example, the Dowager Concubine Beijing would never let Daiyu become the Princess of Beijing.

In the original novel, Grandmother Jia loved Daiyu very much, but in the end, didn’t she choose Daiyu to become the daughter-in-law of the Jia family?

The second reason is because of the two lives of Jin Chuan and Qingwen in Wang Fu-ren's hands, which is also an indisputable fact.

However, both of them were driven away by Lady Wang, and as a result, one jumped into a well and the other died of illness, so it could not be considered that they were killed by Lady Wang.

In this feudal era, it was a common phenomenon that maids' lives were worthless in the eyes of the powerful. Therefore, for the time being, Mrs. Wang was not considered a bad person. After all, those vicious powerful people treated these maids like this. Not to mention driving them out, they would be guilty of beating them to death. For example, Xia Jingui abused Xiangling and humiliated her to death in all kinds of ways, but no one said anything. In comparison, Mrs. Wang did not seem that vicious.

Having said that, Mrs. Wang is not a good person either. She drove the maid out of the house. It would be difficult for a daughter without the ability to survive to survive at home. Therefore, the deaths of Jin Chuan and Qingwen are closely related to Mrs. Wang.

And as for the incident with Jin Chuan'er, if one really wanted to blame someone, it was actually Baoyu who molested her first, but Mrs. Wang didn't care and blamed all the faults on Jin Chuan'er.

Although Mrs. Wang advocates worshipping Buddha, she is too hypocritical and pretentious. She is definitely not a kind person.

However, Mrs. Wang's behavior is normal in today's world.

If we look at the behavior of the ancients from today's perspective, it is wrong in every way. However, from the perspective of the feudal era, it is true that Mrs. Wang's character is not worth evaluating and her temperament is indifferent.

However, Shui Rong did not care about this. With his status and position, and because of his son-in-law, Mrs. Wang's image as a good mother-in-law could not go wrong. He just had to guard against her hypocritical character and avoid doing things that might stir up trouble.

After some pleasantries, Shui Rong suddenly asked, "Father-in-law, can Baoyu go to school now?"

Upon hearing this, Tanchun glanced at Shuirong. She remembered that her brother-in-law had promised her about Huan'er yesterday. Now he mentioned Baoyu. Could it be that he was not interested in drinking?

When Mrs. Wang heard Baoyu's name, her heart was moved and she wanted to answer, but the master was present and it was not her turn to speak first, so she could only suppress her temper and listen quietly.

Jia Zheng was not aware of him, but when he heard the prince mention Baoyu's schooling, he felt a little disappointed. He bowed and said, "Prince, to be honest, Baoyu is not young anymore. I intend to let him go to the Imperial Academy to study. However, none of my sons and grandsons look like his grandfather. Only Baoyu looks like his grandfather. Therefore, my mother has always doted on him and was reluctant to let Baoyu leave her side. He has been delaying until now and has never gone to school."

Shui Rong understood after hearing this. To go to school means to go to class. If you go to class, there are rules to follow. It is very tiring to go there in the wind and rain.

In the original novel, Baoyu already hated studying, and he couldn't bear the hardship of studying, so he was naturally unwilling to do so. However, Grandmother Jia doted on him too much and couldn't bear to see Baoyu suffer. Even though Jia Zheng wanted to, he couldn't persuade Grandmother Jia, so they had to let Baoyu hang out with the beauties in the mansion.

After hearing this, Yuanchun frowned her beautiful eyebrows and felt unhappy. How could Baoyu become a talent if she doted on him too much? She still remembered how hard her elder brother worked when he went to school.

But just as my father said, my grandmother doted on me so much that they couldn't say much. Also, my eldest brother was too hardworking and exhausted himself, which led to his untimely death. So my grandmother, mother and others also had such concerns.

Mrs. Wang on the side turned her eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and finally said: "My Lord, although Baoyu has never been to school, the mansion has hired a private school teacher, so he has not fallen behind in his studies."

The children of wealthy families do not have to worry about their studies. Even if they do not get admitted to school, the family will spend a lot of money to hire private school teachers to teach them.

Shui Rong glanced at Madam Wang but didn't say much. He thought that a woman's pettiness was no big deal.

After a pause, Shui Rong said, "Baoyu is a man of extraordinary bearing, well-behaved and sensible. It is normal for the old lady to be reluctant to let him go. She originally wanted to have Baoyu come to the palace to accompany her in study, but now it is not appropriate. If Baoyu stays with the old lady, he can also fulfill his filial duty to his father-in-law and mother-in-law."

Studying with him? Jia Zheng, Mrs. Wang, and Yuanchun were all stunned when they heard this, especially Mrs. Wang, who was a little disappointed. She thought it was something else and that Baoyu was being asked to study with him.

Generally speaking, as a companion to the prince, he has a close relationship with the prince, which is of great help to his future career.

Of course, if he was just an idle prince, the wealthy nobles would not be interested, but Shui Rong was the Prince of Beijing County, and those aristocratic families would naturally flock to him, just like the old subordinates of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and other Prince of Beijing's Mansion sent their children to the palace as guards. What they valued was not the insignificant official position of guard, but the future economic career.

But now Baoyu is the prince's brother-in-law, and their relationship is completely different. There is not much difference between having a study companion or not, so Mrs. Wang is not interested.

Yuanchun was moved when she heard this. It would be a good thing to let Baoyu accompany the prince to study. Yuanchun had high expectations for Baoyu. Now Baoyu was hanging out with his sisters all day and had neglected his studies. With her watching over him in the prince's mansion, Baoyu would not slack off.

However, what the prince said makes sense, and it is also a serious matter for Baoyu to be filial to his grandmother.

Jia Zheng's thoughts were exactly the same as Yuanchun's. After a moment's silence, he said, "If the prince is in need of a study companion, I wonder if Huan'er will be pleasing to the prince?"

Grandmother Jia is reluctant to let go of Baoyu, so can her other son also do it?

Mrs. Wang raised her eyebrows when she heard this. The master mentioned Huan'er, which seemed to be a plan for that side. Although Mrs. Wang was not interested in the prince's companionship, she did not want Huan'er to get away with it. If Huan'er got what he wanted, Aunt Zhao would be riding on her neck.

Shui Rong raised his eyes and glanced at Jia Zheng. From the very beginning, his target was Jia Huan. With his status, as long as he asked, Jia Zheng would definitely not refuse.

However, if they only asked for Jia Huan, it would be inappropriate. After all, Baoyu was Shui Rong's real brother-in-law. If they didn't make any arrangements for Baoyu but arranged for Huan, it would inevitably make some people think too much. Even the virtuous Yuanchun might feel a little disgusted.

Baoyu is the apple of Lady Jia's and Lady Wang's eyes, and they would certainly be reluctant to part with him. Therefore, Shui Rong mentioned Baoyu first to express his attitude, and some unnecessary things could be avoided.

He originally wanted to bring up the topic, but he never expected Jia Zheng to bring it up first. Although Jia Huan was not valued in the mansion, he was still Jia Zheng's son. It was normal for a father to make plans for his son. Given Jia Huan's status as a concubine's son, it would be of great benefit to Shui Rong for him to be a study companion.

However, Shui Rong did not answer immediately. He glanced at Mrs. Wang and saw that she looked unhappy. He understood what was going on.

After a pause, Shui Rong said, "Okay, let Huan Ge'er come to the palace to study with me!"

As he spoke, Shui Rong seemed to remember something and added, "By the way, I think Lang Ge'er is not bad, so I might as well let Lang Ge'er come to the palace with me. I wonder what my father-in-law thinks."

When mentioning Jia Lan, his intention was just to cover up. As long as it was Jia Huan, it seemed a little biased. After all, Jia Huan's reputation in the mansion was not very good. Moreover, with Jia Lan's future achievements, he was also worthy of cultivation.

As expected, Mrs. Wang's expression relaxed when she heard this. The prince originally just wanted a study companion, and the master mentioned Jia Huan just because he couldn't get away with it. In fact, the prince didn't think highly of him. Although she was not close to Jia Lan, he was her grandson after all, so she was relieved.

Jia Zheng was not aware of what he was saying. He groaned for a moment and replied, "Okay, then I'll listen to your Majesty."

Shui Rong felt much more relaxed when he saw that the matter was settled. It was true that with his status he could make the decision on his own, and Jia Zheng, Wang Fu-ren and the others would have nothing to say. However, there was no need to use power to pressure others. Sometimes a slight compromise would make everyone happy and content, and he wouldn't lose anything anyway.

If Shui Rong cannot even ensure family harmony, how can he do great things? As the ancients said: "If you can't even sweep your own house, how can you sweep the world?"

Tanchun, who was standing by, had her almond-shaped eyes brightened upon seeing this. The prince's action made her look much happier. The lady and the elder sister would not look at her strangely either. Seeing that the prince was worrying about Huan'er's affairs, her heart softened immediately, and the embarrassing thing that happened today disappeared without a trace.

"Hey, Your Majesty, we are here to join in the fun, we won't disturb you!"

Just when the dust had settled, a delicate cry was heard from outside the house, the sound was so clear and crisp, like an oriole chirping out of a valley.

Chapter 117 Baoyu: My brother-in-law is really a good man

Madam Wang chuckled and said, "Your Highness, this is Miss Feng causing trouble again. Apart from her, who else in the mansion would be so unruly?"

After hearing this, Shui Rong understood. Who else could it be other than the coquettish Feng Jieer?

The door curtain was lifted, and Feng Jie, who was dressed in rich clothes, came in with Jia Mu, followed by Yingchun, Baoyu, Baochai, Daiyu, Xiangyun and others.

Shui Rong couldn't help but laugh when he saw all those beautiful girls. The Jia family really put a lot of effort into the occasion and gave enough face to Shui Rong, the son-in-law of the Jia family. But it wasn't surprising. After all, Shui Rong's identity could not be faked, and Lady Jia and others had to respect him.

Baoyu, on the other hand, did not stand out as before. Instead, he was timid and observed Jia Zheng, who was sitting upright, with his peripheral vision, always on guard. This made Shui Rong feel amused.

When a mouse meets a cat, it becomes terrified.

Everyone was seated safely, and the younger generations naturally sat together. Xiangyun, who was lively, looked at Tanchun with her bright eyes, her little face full of teasing. After all, she also knew that Tanchun slept at her brother-in-law's house.

As for the other sisters, they all grew up together, so naturally they were not much different. However, since Lady Jia and others were all there, it was not appropriate to make fun of them, otherwise Tanchun would definitely be in trouble.

It was just those teasing looks that made Tanchun feel embarrassed. However, Tanchun was experienced and not afraid at all. She stared at them as if to warn them.

Shui Rong naturally didn't care about these little actions. Jia Zheng reported to Grandmother Jia about Jia Huan and Jia Lan going to the palace to study together, and even explained everything about Baoyu.

When Baoyu, who was hanging out with his sisters, heard that he was asked to go with them for study, his heart suddenly tightened. What kind of study companion is that? He didn't want to go at all. But then he heard that he was not required to go, and his expression suddenly relaxed.

My brother-in-law knows him well, and he has to be filial to his grandmother!

After hearing this, Jia's mother looked up at Shui Rong. She knew that the prince had not forgotten Baoyu, so she did not think about it and said, "Since the prince has this intention, it is a blessing for both of them."

Being the prince's study companion is not something that just anyone can do. Now the prince's move also shows his intention to get closer to the Jia family, which is a good thing for the Jia family. Grandmother Jia has no reason to object.

Having said that, Grandmother Jia sent someone to call Jia Huan and Jia Lan.

After a while, the two children came into the house, and Aunt Zhao and Li Wan also came beside them.

Hearing that their son was to be sent to the palace as a tutor, Aunt Zhao smiled happily. She pushed Jia Huan and said with a smile: "Brother Huan, this is your good fortune. Why don't you pay your respects to your brother-in-law?"

Jia Huan knelt down quickly, lowered his head and said, "Thank you, brother-in-law."