The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

The Concubine Beijing became interested upon hearing this. The palace had been deserted for the past three years, which made her quite bored. Now that Keqing, Tanchun and Yuanchun were in the palace, the backyard seemed more lively. Suddenly hearing about so many lively and lovely girls, her heart began to beat.

After a pause, Concubine Beijing said, "Since they are Yuanchun's sisters, we should treat them well."

Yuanchun was relieved to see that Concubine Beijing did not mind this matter, and replied, "Mother, I know about it."

After a while, the atmosphere in the hall became harmonious. Looking at the faint smile on the beautiful face of Concubine Beijing, Shui Rong's mouth corners slightly raised. He was very good at manipulating his widowed mother.

PS: Today is Mid-Autumn Festival. I wish you all a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and all the best. If you have any suggestions for this book, please leave more comments and the author will consider them.

Chapter 119 Xiangling Calligraphy

Beijing Prince's Mansion, in the study.

Smoke was curling from the incense burner on the rosewood marble desk. Shui Rong, dressed in brocade, was sitting on a rosewood chair, his chin supported by his left hand and a wolf-hair brush in his right hand. His eyebrows were slightly wrinkled and his eyes were deep. He seemed to be looking at the rice paper on the desk in a mysterious conversation. The rice paper recorded the candidates for the current Central Military Governor's Office.

The Five Military Governor's Office is the highest military organization commanding the Daqian army. It follows the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty. Outsiders are not allowed to know about it. The only person who holds the seal is the Governor's Office. It is divided into five offices, each with a complete system. Each office has a left and right governor, a governor-general, and a governor-general's assistant. There are also subordinate institutions such as the Experience Office under it. Although it is restricted by the Ministry of War, it is an independent organization.

In the Central Military Governor's Office, although the left and right governors are both of the first rank, the left governor has more power than the right governor, and the left governor is the highest officer of the Central Military Governor's Office.

Earlier, the post of Left Commander of the Central Military Governor's Office was held by the old Prince of Beijing. Since the old Prince of Beijing's death, the position has been vacant. Now Emperor Yongkang intends to let Shui Rong control the Central Military Governor's Office, and naturally he will be appointed to the post of Left Commander.

As for the Right Commander-in-Chief, Shui Rong, who is currently in office, knows that he is none other than the Marquis of Haining who could not pay the silver owed to the national treasury. Shui Rong is about to take charge of the Central Army Commander-in-Chief's Office, so naturally he needs to replace his subordinates with people he trusts. Marquis of Haining and Shui Rong are not on the same page, so naturally he cannot stay. In addition, Shui Rong had previously promised Feng Qing, the commander-in-chief of the Beijing Camp, that he would serve as the Right Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army Commander-in-Chief's Office.

No matter what, it is not appropriate for the Marquis of Haining to stay in the Central Army Commander's Office.

And it's not just the position of Right Commander. When Shui Rong was removing the branches earlier, those old subordinates who did not obey the orders of Prince Beijing's Palace also needed to be eliminated.

The Vice Governor-General is of the first rank and is responsible for holding the seal. Shui Rong intends to let Niu Jizon from the Duke of Zhenguo take this position. The Assistant Governor-General is of the second rank and is mainly in charge of military discipline, training and other matters. Shui Rong intends to let Liu Fang, a first-class son of the Duke of Liguo take this position. These two people are from meritorious families and have enough qualifications for the position.

After the top management of the Central Military Governor's Office has been completely revamped, Shui Rong no longer needs to worry about the subordinates. Feng Qing and others will naturally understand that, after all, as the boss, Shui Rong will not do everything himself. If they want to do their work seriously, they must arrange some capable people for themselves.

It's just that ideals are full and reality is cruel. At present, Shui Rong's arrangements are appropriate, but the Central Army Governor's Office has the power to nominate generals, and it is the Ministry of War that is responsible for the appointment, dismissal and promotion of military officers. After all, this move is suspected of seizing power from the Ministry of War, and he cannot be dismissed at will. Once this precedent is set, the impact will be great. Those big men in the Ministry of War will not sit idly by just because of Prince Shui Rong's identity. Even Emperor Yongkang, as the emperor, needs to consider the pros and cons.

The deputy governor and the deputy governor are not that troublesome, but the right governor is a position of the first rank, the highest military rank. It is even more difficult to dismiss him without reason.

Perhaps this is also the confidence of Marquis Haining. If Shui Rong wants to take the position of Right Commander-in-Chief reasonably now, he must find a reasonable reason so that Emperor Yongkang can do it naturally and stop the gossips of the people so as not to break the rules.

From the current perspective, the obvious handle of Marquis Haining is the fact that the Ministry of Revenue owes silver. It is not impossible to use this as an excuse to accuse him of wrongdoing, but Marquis Haining is not the only one who owes silver to the Ministry of Revenue. If they use this as an excuse to make trouble, most of the nobles in the capital will be implicated, and a small matter will become a big one.

Since Shui Rong chose to take action, it means he has fallen out with the emperor. As the saying goes, even a rabbit bites when it is cornered. Marquis Haining will certainly not sit still and wait for death. If things become impossible, Marquis Haining will pay the outstanding silver, and Emperor Yongkang will not be able to hold on to it.

Shui Rong didn't want to leave such a disgusting idea behind after turning against him, so he would either not do it or kill it with a stick.

But it doesn't matter. In the original novel, the Jia family, a prominent family, was ruined with the reputation of "taking advantage of power to bully the weak", and the Haining Marquisate owed money to the Ministry of Revenue, which showed its internal decline. It would be enough to find some faults and make a fuss about the big ones and give everyone an explanation.

If we have to blame someone, we can only blame Marquis Haining for standing on the wrong side.

Shui Rong was busy with the marriage arrangements before, so he had no time to spare. Now, it is time to send someone to investigate the situation in Haining Marquis' Mansion.

Just at this moment, Xiangling came in with tea. Shui Rong looked up and said nothing. He picked up a wolf hair brush and wrote the two words "Feng Qing" on the position of the right commander-in-chief.

Xiangling placed the teacup next to the large desk, and then stood obediently by the side. However, when she saw Shuirong picking up the pen to write, a bright light flashed in her bright eyes, and she stood on tiptoe in her embroidered shoes and looked down.

Shui Rong noticed something and saw Xiang Ling staring at the rice paper, so he asked casually, "Xiang Ling, what's wrong?"

What was recorded on the rice paper was Shui Rong's next arrangement, which was not suitable for others to see. However, Xiangling was not in danger. She was originally Shui Rong's maid and usually only stayed in the backyard of the palace. She was very at ease, so she did not care about her peeking.

When Xiangling saw that her little action had been discovered, a trace of panic flashed in her eyes. She clutched the handkerchief in her delicate hands, looking a little uneasy.

However, Xiangling had been in the palace for quite some time, and she knew that her own prince had a kind temper. She was not afraid, but was a little flustered about being caught, so she lowered her head and whispered, "I think your handwriting is really beautiful!"

Shui Rong chuckled when he heard this. His handwriting was an imitation of Yan Zhenqing's regular script. The font was neat and looked better. However, like the maids around him, they didn't care about this matter. Xiangling was the only one.

After a pause, Shui Rong asked, "Xiang Ling, can you read?"

Xiangling shook her head and said in a disappointed tone, "I can't read."

Shui Rong didn't say much after hearing this. Generally speaking, maids were mostly illiterate, which was in line with the contemporary people's view of girls. Needlework and weaving were the main jobs for girls, and reading and literacy were just extras.

Even the young ladies from famous families are like this, let alone the maids. In the original novel, Xiren once said, "We are illiterate, so we don't need those literary books." Even Qingwen, who loved to argue the most, did not refute this statement. From this we can see that even these famous maids are like this.

Of course, there were also some maids who had followed the young masters and ladies since childhood and could read and write through the influence of their surroundings, but they were only a minority.

Looking at Xiangling's longing expression, Shui Rong had a rough idea in his mind. In the original novel, Xiangling was a person who loved reading. There was also a wonderful segment about "Xiangling learning poetry". She was called a "poetry nerd", which showed that she was a person interested in literature.

Since Xiangling came to serve him, Shui Rong would not treat her badly, and he had the intention of taking her into his room from the very beginning. She was so charming, and it would be a pity if she was illiterate.

Take Yingluo who was beside Shui Rong for example. This little girl was illiterate at first, but Shui Rong wanted her to learn some books, so he asked her to learn calligraphy. However, she was lazy and only knew how to read.

But this is enough. Reading can make people understand the truth and prevent Yingluo from being vulgar. He doesn't want the concubine around him to be as hated as Aunt Zhao.

After a pause, Shui Rong said in a clear voice: "If you want to learn to read, just follow me and learn from me. I will teach you to read when I have time."

Hearing Shui Rong saying that he would teach her to read, Xiang Ling was shocked, her eyes flashed, and she said softly: "Can I do that?"

She is just a maid, how can she be qualified to study? She should let the prince teach her.

Shui Rong smiled but said nothing when he heard this. Thinking that most of the things had been settled, he put away the rice paper that recorded the arrangements of the Central Army Governor's Office, took another piece of rice paper, and started writing with a wolf hair brush.

"To learn to read, you must first learn your own name. Take a look. This is your name."

Xiangling's beautiful eyes sparkled when she heard this. She stepped forward and took a look. She saw two neatly written characters on the rice paper. Suddenly, Xiangling's heart was filled with emotion. She stroked the rice paper with her bare hands and murmured, "This is my name."

Shui Rong looked at the dazed Xiangling. Her small and moist lips were outlined with all her charm. Her pair of beautiful eyes were clear and bright without any trace of romance. Even though her heart was surging, her face was still gentle and quiet, and she looked like a really good child.

After a moment of silence, Shui Rong said, "I'll show you how to write your name first."

As he spoke, Shui Rong stood up from his chair, reached out and grasped Xiang Ling's right hand, leading her to the table.

At this time, Xiangling's charming face flushed red, her heart was beating non-stop, and she was so flustered that she didn't know when she held the pen and followed the prince's guidance.

Shui Rong felt Xiangling's stiffness, and also knew the beauty's shyness. Not only Xiangling, but also Shui Rong felt a little surprised. After all, he was holding the girl's soft and delicate hand, and the rich fragrance of her delicate body went straight into his nostrils!

Shui Rong did not find this slightly intimate scene abrupt. After all, she knew Xiangling's position very well. When Yingluo served her, the little girl saw through her background.

With a light laugh, Shui Rong said softly: "Xiang Ling, pay attention to the key points and don't lose your concentration."

Hearing this, Xiangling turned around to glance at the young man behind her. Seeing his warm smile, she felt much calmer and she nodded softly.

Looking at each stroke, Xiangling's mind was gradually drawn to it, and she concentrated on feeling the prince's guidance.

Shui Rong saw this and felt relieved. Xiangling was indeed a good candidate.

Just as Shui Rong was teaching him stroke by stroke, Qingwen walked in. Seeing the prince and Xiangling being intimate, her long eyelashes couldn't help but tremble.

Xiangling also noticed Qingwen. Her beautiful face looked frightened as if she had been caught, and she subconsciously tried to retract her hand.

However, Shui Rong ignored her and continued to paint while holding Xiangling's hand. Without even looking up, he asked, "Qingwen, what happened?"

Seeing this, Qingwen curled her lips and replied softly, "My Lord, the princess's family is here."

Shui Rong just raised her eyes to look at Qingwen, and the Jia family's golden hairpin came.

Chapter 120 Is this girl crazy?

After a pause, Shui Rong replied softly, "I understand."

Shui Rong knew very well about the visit of the girls from the Jia family. When he returned home a few days ago, Shui Rong invited them to visit the palace. Now that they were at the palace, Yuanchun would make all the arrangements and he didn't need to worry too much.

It's impossible for him, the Prince of Beijing, to go and greet the Jia family when they come, not to mention that he has important things to do now!

Thinking of this, Shui Rong continued to guide Xiang Ling in writing. When Xiang Ling had finished writing her name stroke by stroke, Shui Rong let go and said in a clear voice, "Okay, try it yourself."

The master can only lead you to the door, but the practice still depends on yourself.

Xiangling's beautiful eyes moved slightly when she heard that. She looked up at Shui Rong, then recalled Shui Rong's hands-on teaching, and was about to start writing.

Shui Rong couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he saw the way Xiang Ling held the pen. He stretched out his hand to stop Xiang Ling from writing, and then began to explain the key points of holding the pen. After Xiang Ling held the pen correctly, Shui Rong then standardized Xiang Ling's standing posture.

If you want to practice calligraphy well, these are the details you need to pay attention to. There is a saying that goes, "If your posture is wrong, everything will be in vain." This is true for everything.

Of course, there was inevitably some physical contact, which made Xiangling's face blush.

After the standardization was completed, Xiangling started writing seriously.

After finishing writing, Xiangling noticed that the characters were a little crooked, and not at all like the square ones that the prince had taught her to write just now. She felt a little uneasy.

The prince won’t scold me, right?

Thinking of this, Xiangling carefully raised her eyes and glanced at Shui Rong. Her long eyelashes trembled, like a student who had made a mistake.

Shui Rong couldn't help but laugh when he saw this. "Han Xiangling" is worthy of being called "Han Xiangling", so cute!

Shui Rong didn't care when he saw that the character was a little crooked. After all, this is common for beginners. Although the character looked ugly, the order of Xiangling's strokes was correct, which showed that Xiangling put a lot of effort into it.

Seeing Xiangling looking a little embarrassed, Shui Rong said gently, "Practice a few more times and your handwriting will be correct."

Hearing that the prince did not blame her, Xiangling felt relieved and continued to write.

Men are charming when they concentrate, and women are no worse when they concentrate. At the moment, Xiangling is practicing calligraphy meticulously, and she seems to exude a charming charm, which Shui Rong admires very much.

After Xiangling finished writing her name, Shui Rong took a look at it. Although the handwriting was not satisfactory, it was much better than the first time.

After a pause, Shui Rong said, "You have made progress. Not bad. Xiangling, you don't need to wait on me outside. Just practice calligraphy in the study. I will come to check on you later."

Now that Xiangling's calligraphy skills are on the right track, all she needs to do next is practice more.

Hearing the prince's praise, Xiangling's lips couldn't help but rise. She responded softly and then lowered her eyes in silence.

Shui Rong smiled but said nothing when he saw this. Facing such a lovely girl who was so dedicated, he naturally would not discourage Xiangling's enthusiasm. After all, he would be the one who benefited from her cultivating her temperament.

After giving the instructions, Shui Rong walked out of the house. Next, he had to take a look at the golden hairpins of the Jia family.

Qingwen glanced at Xiangling, who was sitting in front of the desk in silence, then turned and followed.

On the corridor walkway.

Shui Rong walked forward, and after a moment of silence, he asked, "Who has come to the Jia family?"

Although Shui Rong invited all the concubines of the Jia family, he really didn't know who would come.

Qingwen looked at Shuirong who was walking in front of her, pursed her moist pink lips, and said in a clear voice: "The people who came are the Second Madam, Grandmother Zhu, the Second Miss, the Fourth Miss, Miss Bao, Miss Lin, Miss Yun, Master Bao, as well as Master Huan and Master Lan."

Shui Rong paused when he heard this. Qingwen was originally a maidservant beside Yuanchun. Even though she had not been there for long, it was not surprising that she knew everyone in the Jia family. From what Qingwen said, it seemed that the leader was his mother-in-law.

There are only a few people in the palace, and the only elder is the Concubine Dowager Beijing. As she is a female member of the family, it is reasonable for her to be led by Mrs. Wang, who is also a female member of the family.

Jia Huan and Jia Lan were coming to the palace to study together, so they were all normal. But the pretty widow Li Wan, who was of a chaste and indifferent nature, would normally not join in the fun. It seemed that she was worried about Jia Lan, so she came along to take a look.

But then again, Qingwen was able to report every visitor one by one, which shows that she was attentive in her work. Although she had a stubborn temper, as a maid, she was still dedicated and responsible.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong didn't say much and continued walking.

Qingwen followed closely behind him, groaned for a moment, and asked softly, "Did the prince teach Sister Xiangling calligraphy before?"