The King of Beijing in the Red Mansion

The Prince of Nan'an and others remained silent. Although they were all honored with military honors, this was a matter of the Central Military Governor's Office. Now that Shui Rong didn't say anything, it was natural for everyone else not to say much. After all, they all knew some inside information. If they stood on the wrong side, they would be punished.

After a moment's silence, everyone understood the order.

Emperor Yongkang raised his eyes and glanced at Shui Rong, and continued: "Zheng Xian, the deputy governor, and Wu Tong, the deputy governor, are also the main culprits. They will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for trial. As for the rest of the people in the governor's office, Prince Beijing, I will leave this matter to you, and you must punish them severely."

Shui Rong responded in a deep voice after hearing this. There is a Judgment Department in the Governor's Office, which is the chief official of the prison. The matter will be handled by it, and those who reported the incident will naturally be fine. As for the others, just stay where it is comfortable. They chose their own path, so they can't blame others.

Now that the matter has been settled, Emperor Yongkang groaned for a moment and said in a clear voice: "In the Central Military Governor's Office, the Right Governor, the Associate Governor, and the Assistant Governor have all been imprisoned. Their positions are vacant. Do you have any recommendations?"

These officials are all high-ranking military officers, so it is reasonable for them to ask for everyone's opinions at the court meeting.

At this time, Shui Rong's heart moved, and he stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, I dare to recommend to Your Majesty that Feng Qing, the governor of the Beijing Camp, is dedicated to his duties and can be appointed as the right governor. Niu Jizong of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and Liu Fang of the Duke of Liguo's Mansion are skilled in martial arts and can serve as the governor's deputy governor and the governor's assistant."

Emperor Yongkang raised his eyes and glanced at Shui Rong. Without saying much, he said in a deep voice, "Yes."

Shui Rong felt relieved when he heard this. This was something that His Majesty had approved, and the matter was done. The Ministry of War had nothing to say. The Central Army Commander's Office had also been cleared out, and he could just sort it out slowly in the future.

After a pause, Emperor Yongkang looked at the military heroes with his eyes, especially at Prince Nan'an, and said sternly: "Prince Beijing, I don't want corruption to happen again. If you do it again, I will never forgive you."

East City of Shenyang, Wucheng Bingmasi, and East City Yamen.

After the court meeting, Shui Rong came here. At this time, he sat in the government office, looking at Qiu Liang, the grandson of Marquis Jingtian, who was standing respectfully below. He smiled and said, "Qiu Liang, don't be restrained, sit down."

Qiu Liang responded to the call when he paid the silver owed to the Ministry of Revenue, and he also helped in the matter of Marquis Haining. Shui Rong was naturally kind to him.

Qiu Liang was delighted to see that the prince was kind. He responded and sat on the chair with half of his butt sticking up, waiting for instructions.

Shui Rong didn't care when he saw this, and said with a smile: "I am the new governor of the Central Army Commander's Office. I am busy with affairs and short of manpower. If you don't mind, you can come to the Commander's Office to serve."

Qiu Liang was dedicated in his work, so Shui Rong would not treat him unfairly. It happened that the Governor's Office was reshuffled, that is, the time to distribute the fruits, so Qiu Liang was allowed to work in the Governor's Office, and Shui Rong's kindness and righteousness were demonstrated at the same time, so that people would know that Prince Beijing's Mansion would not treat its followers unfairly.

After all, the relationship with so-called old subordinates is not solid. The most solid one is the alliance of interests.

Qiu Liang looked delighted when he heard this. Although he was the commander of the Military Department, he was only a sixth-rank official. Compared with his family background in the Marquis' Mansion, he had already fallen. Now that the prince invited him to join the Governor's Mansion, regardless of his rank, the significance of entering the core was different.

So Qiu Liang stood up and said, "I will obey your orders, my Lord."

Shui Rong smiled upon hearing this, and said nothing more. Regardless of what ulterior motives Qiu Liang and the others had in mind, the idea of ​​"removing the branches and keeping the trunk" allowed him to screen them out very well, so at least it was credible for now.

Now the position of commander of the Bingmasi is vacant, and it needs to be filled. After all, the Bingmasi is responsible for patrolling the capital city to catch thieves, dredging streets and drains, prisoners, and fire bans, and it has soldiers under it.

In the capital, the emperor attaches great importance to military power, but there are very few troops who can be mobilized to maintain the security of the capital. Although the Bingmasi is a group of miscellaneous soldiers, they are still soldiers. They are just supervised by the imperial censors who patrol the city. They have no effect on weekdays, but they may be of great use at critical moments.

Shui Rong, who was cautious, did not intend to give up his position. Although the rank of the commander of the Bingmasi was not high, it was also a position for those idle military merits, and it could also be used to reassure people's hearts.

But there was no rush for this matter. After arranging Qiu Liang's affairs, Shui Rong said, "Qiu Liang, is Xue Pan okay?"

Shui Rong came to the Wucheng Military Department not for Qiu Liang. If he just wanted to promote him, he could have summoned him. There was no need for him to come here specially. His purpose of coming here was Xue Pan. After all, he had promised Baochai that now that the matter of Marquis Haining had come to an end, it was time for Xue Pan to be released from prison.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Liang responded, "Your Majesty, I followed your instructions and did not give any preferential treatment to Master Xue. He is being treated as an ordinary prisoner and is still in prison."

As for Xue Pan, Qiu Liang knew his identity and that he was related to the prince. He had originally planned to treat him well, but since the prince had given the order, of course he would obey the prince.

Shui Rong didn't care. He thought that Xue Pan needed to suffer so that he would learn his lesson, so he ordered someone to bring the person over.

Not long after, Xue Pan was brought up. Feng Ziying had sent him clothes when he was imprisoned in Shuntian Prefecture. Now that Xue's mother and daughter had received Shui Rong's promise, they were worried but did not take any action, which led to Xue Pan's dilemma.

At this time, Xue Pan's hair and face were disheveled, and his clothes no longer looked as luxurious as before. He looked like a beggar.

When Xue Pan saw Shui Rong, his dim eyes suddenly lit up with bright fire. He slid down to his knees, hugged Shui Rong's thighs, and cried loudly: "Prince, please save me out quickly, my God, I can't bear it anymore, please save me out quickly, my dear father..."

Chapter 143 Baochai: My brother-in-law is not that kind of person

Rongguo Gongfu, Lixiangyuan.

In the wing room.

Aunt Xue sat on the bed with a sad face, worry revealed between her brows and eyes, and she sighed from time to time.

Baochai, who was standing by, saw this and looked helpless on her plump face. Ever since her brother was thrown into the prison of the Wucheng Bingmasi for jealousy, Aunt Xue has never felt at ease.

Pursing her lips, Baochai consoled her, "Mom, the prince has promised us that my brother will be fine, so you don't have to worry too much."

Aunt Xue naturally knew that the prince had agreed, but she sighed and said worriedly: "But it has been a few days, and there is no news about your brother. How can I not worry..."

Baochai's face paused when she heard this. Her rosy eyes showed helplessness. She pursed her lips tightly and sighed softly, "Mom, don't you think about how big a sin my brother has committed? Even if we bring him back, we have to take it slow, otherwise we won't be able to explain it."

Beating a marquis openly requires an explanation to both the subordinates and the superiors. How can one do it as one pleases? Aunt Xue is just worried out of control.

Aunt Xue didn't think so in her heart. She frowned and said, "My dear, you have always been considerate of others' difficulties. But if the prince had been willing, your brother would have come back long ago. Although our Xue family and the prince's mansion are related, they are still separated after all."

With the power of Prince Beijing's Mansion, not to mention that it involves the Marquis, even the Duke can handle it. Why drag it out? In her opinion, it may be that they are not putting their heart and soul into it.

"Mom." Baochai's face suddenly changed when she heard that, and she called out anxiously. It was a favor for the prince to help them, and it was his duty not to help them. How could he still complain? If this got out, everyone would be in trouble.

Aunt Xue also reacted at this moment, smiled awkwardly, and said: "I am not worried about your troublesome brother. Your father passed away early, leaving us an orphan and a widow to depend on each other. If Pan'er had any accident, how would I live?"

As she spoke, Aunt Xue covered her face and began to cry.

Baochai heard this, Fengze's face was full of melancholy. Although her brother was naughty, her mother doted on him to the bone, so she went up to comfort him, "Mom, brother will be fine, he will be back soon, don't be sad."

Hearing that it would take some time, Aunt Xue paused. The speed of her expression changing was amazing. She turned her eyes slightly and said, "My dear daughter, why don't we go to the palace again and beg the prince to let your brother come back earlier."

Baochai was stunned when she heard that. It had only been a few days and he was bothering the prince again. Wasn't this urging him? But thinking about her brother's affairs, her pink lips moved, but she didn't know what to say.

Her own daughter is the one who knows her best. Seeing Baochai hesitate, Aunt Xue said, "My daughter, I am doing this for your sake. Although the prince is interested in you, we don't know how serious his feelings are. Although our Xue family's ancestor was Ziwei's concubine, he is now a royal merchant. In the eyes of others, he is just a merchant. The prince is a royal relative, so noble that it is beyond words. Judging from the royal family's behavior, it is possible that he is just using your daughter as a concubine for fun."

Aunt Xue wanted to get Xue Pan back as soon as possible, but she was also worried. If he really used his good girl as a prostitute for fun, there was still a chance to make amends because Princess Beijing was Bao Yatou's cousin. But if Bao Yatou got hurt in the future, it would be too late to regret.

Baochai raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard this, and said with a serious face, "Brother-in-law is not that kind of person."

Although she had only met her brother-in-law a few times, judging from his daily behavior, he was definitely not a person who looked down on others. Apart from other things, the third girl's words were proof of this. Since she had made up her mind, she would not make a mistake.

At this moment, the maid Tonggui came in with a look of joy on her face and said, "Madam, Miss, Prince Beijing has returned with the master."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Xue was immediately excited. Baochai, who was standing by, looked very happy. If the prince really brought his brother here, she would know that her brother-in-law would not use her as a prostitute for fun.

Soon, Shui Rong came in with Xue Pan. Seeing Xue Pan's dishevelled appearance, Aunt Xue was horrified and asked hurriedly, "What happened?"

Rongqing Hall.

Grandmother Jia sat on the Luohan bed, with Lady Wang, Sister Feng and Li Wan serving beside her to keep the old lady company and entertain her.

Behind the screen, Daiyu and Yingchun were playing chess, while Baoyu and Xichun were watching. Compared with the past, the scene was more quiet and less lively.

Baoyu looked at them for a long time, then said with a bitter face, "Third sister and Sister Yun are both in the palace, so it's really boring to be alone with the few of us now."

Daiyu, wearing a lilac-colored silk dress embroidered with plum blossoms, raised her clear and watery eyes and gave Baoyu a look. She held the marble in her slender jade hand and lightly dropped a stone, saying unhappily, "We are all bad at talking and can't help you get rid of your boredom. If you are bored, go and play by yourself."

Baoyu was squeezed by Daiyu, so he touched his head, smiled and said, "That's not what I meant."

Although Yingchun was a man of few words, she was not silent. After making a move, she said softly, "But then again, without the third girl and Yun girl here, it is indeed a bit dull."

Daiyu smiled when she heard this, but didn't say anything. After all, what Yingchun said was true. Tanchun had a cheerful personality and was easy to talk to. There was no need to mention Xiangyun, she was the one who talked the most. She didn't think it was a big deal in the past, but now that the two of them were missing, it was indeed less lively, and the sisters talked less.

Seeing that Yingchun agreed with him, Baoyu smiled and suggested, "Come to think of it, Sister Bao hasn't come to play with us much recently. Why don't we go look for Sister Bao?"

Daiyu glanced at Baoyu with her bright eyes and said, "What a fool! They have their own things to do. If you go, they may not be happy."

Daiyu was very concerned about Baochai. Don't think that she didn't notice the private conversations between her brother-in-law and Baoyatou when they were in the palace. Moreover, Baoyatou had been acting quite strange recently. She had also heard about some matters about gold and jade in the palace. Now, Baoyatou seemed to be deliberately avoiding Baoyu. Putting all these phenomena together, her girl's intuition told her that there was definitely something fishy going on.

Baoyu frowned when he heard this. How could Sister Bao not be happy for him to go look for her?

At this moment, Yuanyang walked into the hall and came forward to report: "Old lady, the chief steward Lai came over and said that the prince has come to the mansion."

Grandmother Jia was startled when she heard this and asked, "Which prince?"

Yuanyang smiled and replied: "Old lady, who else is the prince? It is naturally our son-in-law."

He is both a prince and a son-in-law. There is no need to think too much, he can only be Prince Beijing.

The son-in-law has come, and as a mother-in-law, how can she not entertain him politely? At this time, Mrs. Wang sat up straight and asked, "Where is the prince now?"

Yuanyang saw that Jia's mother was not displeased, so she smiled and replied, "Madam, the prince has brought Master Xue to Lixiang Courtyard. After sending Master Xue back, the prince will come to see Master Zheng, saying that he has something to discuss."

Hearing this, Jia's mother suddenly realized, "So it's Pan'er's business. All right, send someone to inform Zheng'er and ask him to wait for the prince."

Jia Mu and others also knew about the jealousy between Xue Pan and Marquis Haining. Now it seemed that the prince rescued him because of their relationship.

Mrs. Wang didn't care about these things at the moment. Instead, she cared about the things that needed to be discussed between her son-in-law and her father-in-law. She remembered that they had talked about promoting the master before. Although he was a fifth-rank official, since he was recommended by her son-in-law, there would definitely be some arrangements in the future. Now that her son-in-law came in person, could it be for this matter?

Chapter 144 Baochai: My brother-in-law is helping her to hold the golden lock.

Lixiangyuan, in the wing room.

When Aunt Xue saw that Xue Pan was just disheveled and had no other injuries on his body, she felt relieved. She said a few words and took Xue Pan downstairs to wash, leaving Baochai to take care of them.

Shui Rong naturally understood Aunt Xue's intentional actions. Although he was a power-hungry person, he was not ignorant.

At this time, Shui Rong was sitting on a brocade cushion, looking at the beauty sitting on the Luohan bed. She was wearing a homely dress, a pink printed long coat with a collar, and a pink pleated skirt, looking pretty and tender.

Bright and charming, it really doesn't deceive me.

Perhaps because she was alone, Baochai lowered her delicate head, and her snow-white hands hidden in her sleeves were holding a handkerchief, revealing her nervousness and uneasiness.

Seeing this, Shui Rong said softly, "Sister Bao, Pan Ge'er is back too, and I have completed my request."

When the Xue family's mother and daughter came to the palace for help, Shui Rong had promised Baochai to save Xue Pan. Now that he is back, it is natural for him to fulfill his promise. He had to make it clear in advance that Shui Rong had no intention of asking for a reward, but was just looking for a topic to ease the beauty's confusion.

Baochai raised her bright almond eyes and looked at the young man. A serious look appeared on her face as she said, "My brother did such a bad thing, but my brother-in-law not only did not blame him, but also helped him a lot. I am very grateful to him."

Sister Bao, if you knew that it was me who sent your brother in, would you still be grateful?

After a pause, Shui Rong said softly, "Sister Bao is being too polite."

Baochai was stunned when she heard this. Just as Aunt Xue said, the Xue family was separated from the royal palace by a great distance, so how could she be so polite?

Thinking of this, Baochai felt ashamed and didn't know what to say. She could only lower her head and say "hmm".

Seeing this, Shui Rong stood up and sat on the Luohan bed, sitting opposite Baochai, and said, "Sister Bao, you should persuade your aunt more about Pan'er and keep an eye on him. Don't let him cause any more trouble."

Although Xue Pan's matter was planned by Shui Rong, it is undeniable that Xue Pan is not a worry-free person. He does not want to clean up Xue Pan's mess all the time, so he has to be alert in advance.

When Baochai saw Shui Rong sitting over, her heart started beating wildly, but her body trembled when she heard her brother-in-law's words. Was her brother-in-law giving her advice?

Thinking about it carefully, my brother had indeed done something naughty. First he offended my brother-in-law, and now he beat the Marquis. Each of them was troublesome.

After a pause, Baochai raised her clear eyes and said helplessly, "Brother-in-law, my mother..."

As a good girl, she couldn't say anything even if her mother drowned her, let alone say bad things about her mother in front of others, which was against filial piety. She moved her pink lips a few times, but finally became speechless.

Shui Rong understood what was happening. As the only son in the family and the heir of the Xue family, it was natural to pamper him. Moreover, his father died early, and the Xue family was counting on Xue Pan to inherit the family business, so they would indulge him even more.

Apart from anything else, the Queen Mother of Beijing was also very responsive to Shui Rong.