The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

Shui Rong didn't care about it. He hugged Yuanchun's soft skin and cleaned it. He said, "If there are any unclear matters in the palace, you can let Yingluo handle it. After all, she grew up in the palace and is familiar with the situation in the palace."

The more capable Yingluo performs in front of Yuanchun, the smoother her future will be. With this arrangement, Shui Rong will be worthy of her dedicated service over the years.

After all, Yingluo was the first person he was close to, so this relationship was already special.

Yuanchun nodded slightly when she heard this. She understood her husband's intention of arranging Yingluo to be by her side. If he didn't care about her, he wouldn't have made such an arrangement.

Fortunately, although Yingluo has a bit of a temper, she knows her duty and is quite pleasing to the heart.

After a pause, Yuanchun said, "My husband, although Yingluo doesn't say anything, I know what she is thinking. I also know everything about the palace. Otherwise, let Yingluo go back to you, my husband."

Shui Rong chuckled when he heard that. This meant that the little slut missed him. Actually, Shui Rong missed her, that clever mouth, quite a bit.

Since Yuanchun had spoken, it meant that she approved of Yingluo. In that case, he had no reason to refuse, so he nodded and said, "Okay, you are the mistress, and you have the final say on when to let her come back to serve me."

After that, Shui Rong paused and said casually, "I feel that Qingwen is quite easy to use, so I'll let her serve me. What do you think, madam?"

Yuanchun didn't mind the first half of the sentence, but when she heard her husband wanted to keep Qingwen, her starry eyes flickered slightly, and she pursed her tender lips, saying, "Your husband has a traitor in his heart."

Women are born detectives, especially ladies, who can detect something unusual about their husbands from some details, and Yuanchun is obviously one of them. On the wedding night, Shui Rong's concerned look towards Qingwen had already made Yuanchun suspicious. Now that he is asking for someone, it shows that her suspicion is not wrong.

Shui Rong didn't care when he heard this. After all, there was no dissatisfaction in Yuanchun's tone. It was just the girlish nagging.

After a moment of silence, Shui Rong stroked the beautiful woman's shoulder and said softly, "You are my wife. No one else is as important as you. I will let Qingwen come back to serve you tomorrow."

Yuanchun's heart was sweet when she heard this. She leaned her head on the boy's shoulder and whispered, "I am not a jealous person. If you think Qingwen is easy to use, then let her serve you. This is also her blessing."

Shui Rong didn't say much after hearing this. He knew that a dignified and virtuous person like Yuanchun would not care about the maids around you, just like Daiyu in the original novel, who was pure in love, would not have any hostility towards Xiren and others. But you can't ignore Yuanchun's emotional needs because of this. After all, Yuanchun is the Princess of Beijing, and she must occupy the largest share in your heart.

The reason why Shui Rong mentioned sending Qingwen back was to advance in order to retreat.

Seeing that Yuanchun agreed to this matter, Shui Rong did not say much. Facing such a generous wife, he could not ignore it, so he carefully helped the princess bathe and would serve her wholeheartedly later.

After a while, Yuanchun gently pushed him with her bare hands. The blush on her face extended to her neck. Her sparkling eyes slightly opened and she hummed, "Husband, it's done."

If I continue washing, I'm afraid the pool water will be polluted.

Shui Rong laughed, waved away the hand, and said softly: "Since it is a bath, it is better to wash it clean. You can't let my husband have a bad taste in his mouth!"

Yuanchun's face flushed red when she heard that. Seeing that she could not get over the stubbornness, she had no other choice but to close her watery eyes slightly and grasp the edge of the bathtub with her bare hands.

After a moment of silence, Shui Rong whispered, "My lady, the east yard is being renovated. I think we can find a room to build a bath."

The bathtub was narrow, and a mandarin duck bath was not feasible. For future convenience, a bathing pool had to be built. Otherwise, as more people came to the palace, bathing would become inconvenient.

"Hmm?" Yuanchun opened her starry eyes again, pondered in her mind, and whispered: "Husband, if we build a bathing pool, wouldn't it be too extravagant?"

Shui Rong understood what he said. Bathing requires water, but in this era of limited living conditions, water source is a big problem. The hot water in their bathtub now has taken a lot of effort from the people below. If they were to build a bathhouse, it would certainly cost a lot.

And if it is a bathing pool, in summer, water from the outside ditch will be brought into the pool. This is not a small project, but the most troublesome thing is not this, but the difficulty in getting water during severe ice.

The mansion of Prince Beijing is spacious, but there is no hot spring inside, so the hot spring water cannot be drawn in, and bathing in winter becomes a problem.

Unless you learn from the bathing pool in the imperial city, make thousands of copper curls weighing dozens of pounds, burn them until they turn red, and then throw them into the water, so that the water in the pool maintains a constant temperature and forms an artificial hot spring.

However, if this is the case, the cost of taking a bath is not small.

Moreover, as a bathhouse in the palace, it cannot damage the dignity of the palace. The materials used must be expensive. After the bathhouse is built, it also needs someone to take care of it, and all these require money.

According to the palace's accounts, Shui Rong paid the silver owed by the Ministry of Revenue at the end of last year. The finances were already in deficit, and building a bathhouse was really too extravagant.

Shui Rong bowed his head and took a sip, then said softly, "No problem, I'll bring 50,000 taels of silver to the palace's account in two days."

Shui Rong no longer cared much about the money. After all, the profits from "Heaven on Earth" were quite good. If he had not redeemed Yi Nian Hong, he could have taken out more money.

It's a rare opportunity to travel through time, and to have such a noble status. If I don't enjoy myself lavishly, it would be a wasted trip.

Yuanchun pushed her drooping head and explained, "If you want to build a bath, I have the money, so you don't need to add to the account."

Shui Rong chuckled upon hearing this, stroked the beauty's face, and said with a smile: "That is your dowry, how can I use it without permission? Don't worry, if I don't have the confidence, I won't build a bathhouse."

Since her husband knew what was going on, Yuanchun said no more. Her delicate body trembled slightly, and she nodded with a blushing face, saying, "I understand. I will choose a room in the east courtyard to build a bathing pool tomorrow."

Shui Rong felt the lubrication on his fingertips and understood in his heart that as a husband, Shui Rong knew clearly that Yuanchun was usually dignified and virtuous, and her every word and action was trying to be close to the manners of a princess. However, she was a little addicted to sex.

Without further ado, they bathed for a while, then got out of the tub, wiped themselves clean inside and out with towels, and then carried Yuanchun to the embroidered couch in the inner room.

Soon, the heat in the room turned into waves, and the sound of insects chirping leapt out among the woods.

Chapter 135 The Princess is Very Clingy

Imperial City, Qianqing Palace, West Warm Pavilion.

Shui Rong looked very handsome. Following the eunuch's lead, he walked into the pavilion, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, your humble servant greets me."

Emperor Yongkang sat upright on the bed, holding a memorial in his hand, reading it intently. When he saw Shui Rong paying his respects, a faint smile appeared on his stern face, and he said with a smile: "Sixteenth brother, there is no need to be polite. Please take a seat."

Shui Rong stood up and was now in the warm room. Shui Rong's status was different, so he naturally could not place an embroidered cushion like he did to the ministers. He followed the instructions of Emperor Yongkang and sat opposite Emperor Yongkang.

As soon as he sat down, before he was even settled, Emperor Yongkang said with a smile, "Sixteenth brother, it's been a while since you got married, have you rested enough?"

Shui Rong's heart moved when he heard this. No wonder Emperor Yongkang summoned him today. It was originally intended to appoint him to the position. However, this was already decided, so it would be enough for Emperor Yongkang to issue an edict. There was no need to summon him specially. It should be about the Marquis of Haining.

After a pause, Shui Rong smiled and replied, "In front of my brother, I dare not hide anything. The princess is very clingy. I want to rest for a while."

Even if Shui Rong had the intention to take the position, he would not express his attitude immediately. Besides, what Shui Rong said was right. Yuanchun was extremely clingy and the softness in her mouth wasted the tea.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongkang looked at Shui Rong and saw that he did not seem to be trying to shirk his responsibility. He smiled in his heart and said in a clear voice, "Sixteenth brother, the court is in need of people right now. As a member of the royal family, you should share the worries of the court and not indulge in pleasure. The position of the Central Military Governor's Office has been vacant for a long time, and it is time for you to take up the position."

Shui Rong disagreed after hearing this. If he didn't indulge in pleasure and act so ambitious, Emperor Yongkang would probably not feel at ease.

However, now that Emperor Yongkang had expressed his opinion, he could not refuse again. As the saying goes, too much is as bad as too little, so he could not help but feel like shirking his responsibility, so he cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness obeys your order."

Emperor Yongkang smiled and nodded when he saw this. He took a sip of the teacup in his hand, raised his eyes to look at Shui Rong with a flickering gaze, and said, "Have you heard about the matter of Marquis Haining, Little Sixteen?"

He had not only heard about the affairs of Marquis Haining, but he was the one who planned it, so how could he not know about it?

Shui Rong paused, then bowed and said, "Brother Emperor, I was drinking and listening to music at Fengming Courtyard at that time. I saw everything that happened with my own eyes and I know the general idea."

Although this matter was designed by Shui Rong, he would definitely not be stupid enough to make it public. However, he couldn't hide the facts of "Fengmingyuan" from others, so he just said it directly.

Royal nobles were not allowed to go to brothels, but Emperor Yongkang didn't care about these things. He looked at Shui Rong with satisfaction and asked in a clear voice, "What do you think about this matter, Sixteenth Brother?"

Shui Rong heard this and responded, "As a dignified marquis, he actually got into a fight with someone in a brothel and caused a lot of trouble. This is really shameful. In my opinion, he should be severely punished."

Since he was just an idle spectator, it was normal for Yongkangdu to ask for his opinion, so Shui Rong expressed his main ideas. However, the specific decision would depend on what Emperor Yongkang, as the emperor, thought. In any case, he would not be able to keep his position as the right commander-in-chief.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongkang sneered, handed over the memorial in his hand, and said, "Sixteenth brother, take a look at this memorial first."

Shui Rong frowned slightly when he heard this, took the memorial and started reading it.

After he finished reading, Shui Rong couldn't help but frowned. He had long suspected that there was something fishy about the money that Marquis Haining used to redeem Yi Nianhong, and he had some guesses in his mind. Now it seems that it is exactly as he thought, that Marquis Haining had embezzled military pay.

The Central Military Governor's Office was in charge of the troops in the northern Zhili area, and their military pay had to be issued by the Governor's Office. At this time, the position of Left Governor was vacant, and the Marquis of Haining, who was the Right Governor, was the only one in power, so it was not difficult for him to withhold military pay.

The reason why Shui Rong wanted to make a big deal about this matter was to expose the fact that Marquis Haining had embezzled military pay. Once this matter came out, Shui Rong didn't need to say much, and the rest would fall into place naturally.

Emperor Yongkang's face was slightly cold, and he snorted coldly: "As the right commander-in-chief, he does not think about sharing the worries of the court, but instead he is just sitting there doing nothing and embezzling military funds. He deserves to be killed!"

Shui Rong raised his eyebrows when he heard this. It was none of his business whether to kill or not. Right now, Emperor Yongkang was full of murderous intent, and it was obvious that he was trying to PUA him.

As the Son of Heaven, Emperor Yongkang wanted to sentence those who embezzled military pay to death. However, they were, after all, founding heroes and super-class marquises of the Daqian Dynasty. In the current Daqian Dynasty, embezzlement of military pay and eating up the vacancies were common. For example, nearly one-third of the vacancies in the Beijing Camp were embezzled by those people.

Once the Marquis of Haining is severely punished, it will have the effect of killing one to warn the hundred, and the emperor cannot get off easily. At this time, someone is needed to act as the vanguard. Shui Rong is about to take up the post of the Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army. He has the responsibility to exercise restraint. In addition, he is a descendant of the founding heroes. He will not let those people huddle together for warmth. He is the best candidate.

As expected, Emperor Yongkang continued, "Little Sixteen, if the Right Commander of the Central Military Commandery is like this, the people below cannot escape responsibility. After you take office, you must conduct a thorough investigation and clear the world up."

Shui Rong bowed and said, "Please rest assured, my brother. I will thoroughly investigate the matter of embezzlement of military funds, but those who violate the law will not be forgiven."

As for those people in the Beijing camp who were eating up the quota, since they obeyed Shui Rong's orders, he would naturally turn a blind eye and only need them to pay the silver they embezzled and give them a minor punishment or a severe warning. As for the Haining Marquis and his party, they had stood on the wrong side in the first place, so they would have to pay the price, so Shui Rong did not intend to let him go. Besides, he was going to clean up the Central Army Governor's Office anyway, so now he could use this as an excuse to vigorously rectify it and save trouble.

Emperor Yongkang nodded in satisfaction, looked at Shui Rong with approval, and said seriously: "Sixteenth brother, I will issue an edict to let you control the Central Army Commander's Office. I grant you the power of decision and you will have full authority to rectify the matter."

Shui Rong cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness obeys your command."

Shui Rong was completely in charge of the decision. He thought that it would be enough to capture Marquis Haining, but he did not expect that Emperor Yongkang intended to use this as a warning to others. With the emperor's decree, those people in the Ministry of War could not say any more.

Emperor Yongkang was more satisfied when he saw Shui Rong agreed to this matter. With a smile on his stern face, he said softly, "Okay, you go back and prepare first, and you will take up your post at the Central Military Commander's Office tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong stood up and agreed, then left the Qianqing Palace and headed out of the palace.

Not long after, Shui Rong returned to the palace. Before he stepped into the courtyard, he saw Qingwen tidying up the flowers and trees in the yard. She was wearing a crimson cotton bodice, a bright red jacket and a handkerchief. She had narrow shoulders and a slender waist that could be held in one hand.

The girl was holding a pair of pruning shears in her little hands, bending over to prune the trees and flowers. Looking from behind, her figure was charming, forming a beautiful landscape.

Youth is youth, but it is indeed interesting.

Shui Rong walked into the yard and said nonchalantly, "Qingwen, how come you are trimming the flowers and plants?"

The maids in the mansion have clear division of labor. Maids like Qingwen serve in the inner room, while chores like trimming flowers and plants in the outer room are done by rough servants. Qingwen is a maid with lofty ambitions, so how could she do these chores?

Not to mention that Qingwen is interested in trimming flowers and plants. Although this girl is pretty, she is not elegant at all.

Qingwen was startled for a moment when she heard the words. After turning her head and seeing the prince, she calmed down, stood up straight, put the scissors behind her back, glanced into the room, and said with pursed lips, "To answer your question, my servant has rough hands and feet and cannot serve others. It is more appropriate for me to do some rough work in the outer room."

Shui Rong raised his eyebrows when he heard that. Now Qingwen has been transferred to Shui Rong's side as a personal maid. She said that there was no one to serve her. Why is this girl so crazy today? He just asked a question, but why is there such a sour tone in her words? Who knows who she is mocking? What's more, she is still a maid. How can she please her master with this mouth?

Shaking his head, Shui Rong moved closer, stood in front of Qingwen, stretched out his hand to poke at the beautiful eyebrow, and cursed: "You are full of resentment, I really want to poke your mouth with a needle."

Last time, Qingwen made fun of Jin Chuan'er. Now it seems that Jin Chuan'er was right. If you really want to poke someone's mouth with a needle, Qingwen's mouth would be pierced to pieces.

Qingwen raised her delicate head, her eyebrows slightly raised, and pursed her lips. She turned her embroidered shoes, leaving shallow marks on the ground, and muttered, "How could I have that?"

Seeing that Qingwen was stubborn, Shui Rong said nothing and walked towards the house. He would be patient with Qingwen, but he would not give Qingwen whatever she wanted like Baoyu in the original novel, and let her develop a spoiled and willful character.

Besides, Qingwen's mouth is sometimes unpleasant, but her straightforward personality and loyal character are quite good. Of course, the most important thing is that Qingwen is born with a coquettish look.

When Qingwen saw Shui Rong leaving, she stamped her feet on the ground, snorted, turned around, picked up the pruning shears and cut the thick paper strip fiercely.

Chapter 136 Qingwen: So shameless

"My lord, you are back."

When he walked into the house, Yingluo came up to him and greeted him in a sweet and charming manner.

Shui Rong looked at Ying Luo in front of him. She was wearing a dark blue jacket and skirt, with double buns tied with pink ribbons on the hanging buns. There was a spirit of joy between her brows.

Seeing this, Shui Rong smiled knowingly. Ying Luo had already returned to Shui Rong's side to serve him again, with a happy look on her face all day long, as if she had eaten bee poop.

He reached out and stroked her plump face without saying a word. The beauty in front of him was extraordinary to Shui Rong. She was the first person to try something new, so naturally she would get the most benefits.

Yingluo's beautiful eyes were full and her cheeks were slightly hot. She stared at the prince in front of her. Although they were both in the mansion, she was not by the prince's side. She missed the prince very much, both physically and mentally.

Pursing her lips, Yingluo lowered her eyes slightly, and with a hint of shyness in her voice, she asked softly, "My lord, do you want to take a bath and change clothes first?"