King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 523 The Princess’s Confidant

After a conversation with Liu Xiang, Zhu Jinghong rewarded him with rewards, including a house in Beijing.

Although the rewards were extremely generous, to Liu Xiang, the most valuable thing was Zhu Jinghong's pie.

Zhu Jinghong told him to work hard and find him an official position when he was mature.

In this era, the official body is the most valuable thing. Only with it can you keep everything you own.

With longing for a better future, Liu Xiang walked out of Zhu Jinghong's living room. When he went to the outer courtyard, he found that Xue Pan was no longer there, but the bench remained in place.

"You will not live if you do something wrong!" Liu Xiang sighed.

After he left, Zhu Jinghong came to a side courtyard, where Xue Pan was howling at the moment.

At this time, the doctor was applying medicine, while Baochai was sitting in the outer room, grooming the puppy in his arms.

"The prince is here!"

"If you don't say this, what else can you say!" Baochai said helplessly.

"I asked you to cooperate with Liu Xiang and do a good job. What did you do? If your surname wasn't Xue, you would have had to move your head today!"

"Don't think that receiving twenty lashes means you have suffered a lot. If you dare to do anything wrong next time, I will personally whip you to death, you bastard!"

With Zhu Jinghong's words, Xue Pan calmed down, but his heart was still tense.

Baochai also heard what she said just now, which made her feel extremely complicated, even if she knew that this was Zhu Jinghong's "mercy".

Zhu Jinghong didn't say anything, but walked straight into the room. At this time, the doctor and chamberlain who applied the medicine turned around and saluted.

"Farewell banquet? You two are together every day, so you need to hold a special banquet to say goodbye?" Zhu Jinghong only found it funny.

After the screen retreated, Baochai walked into the side room and came behind Zhu Jinghong.

However, Xue Pan only understood the warning and tightened the strings in his heart.

"After all, he is my brother. I am not a stone-hearted person, so I have to come over and have a look!"

"Ok!"

If Xue Pan keeps getting into trouble, there will always be a time when he can't stop it. Baochai knows that Zhu Jinghong's words are well-intentioned.

"Brother, if you don't respect yourself and love yourself, I'm afraid you won't be far from Jiuquan!"

"Brother must have heard what I just said!"

Reaching out to hold Baochai's hand, Zhu Jinghong turned around and said, "Okay... what are you talking about!"

After Baochai finished speaking, he sighed and left, and then walked out of the house.

"The prince wants to kill someone. No one in this world can stop him except His Majesty, and I can't stop him either!"

After the two were silent for a while, Baochai said: "By the way, Sheng'er will return to the palace in a few days. She said she wanted to hold a banquet in the back garden as a farewell banquet!"

"Is the wife you chose for your brother really a virtuous person?"

Pulling Baochai to his side, Zhu Jinghong held her in his arms. At this time, their eyes were level with each other, only a palm apart.

A few minutes later, Baochai found Zhu Jinghong, who was sitting in the east wing of the living room of the inner house, with a map on the desk in front of him.

"You can tell him a few more words and let him know that when friendship is exhausted, if he wants to die... no one can save him!"

Xue Pan's face was earth-colored, and there was no luck in his heart.

These three words seemed to have magic power, and Xue Pan's howling stopped instantly, making Baochai who was sitting in the room couldn't help but smile, and then she stood up and went out to greet him.

After he responded, everyone present returned to their seats, while Zhu Jinghong found a chair and sat down.

Xue Pan, who was lying on the bed, endured the severe pain and tried to get up to salute, but he couldn't get up after all.

Zhu Jinghong spoke indifferently, not to mention Xue Pan who was the first to bear the brunt, and everyone around him was also frightened.

"I understand!" Xue Pan did not hesitate at all.

Looking at Xue Pan who was still trying to struggle on the bed, Zhu Jinghong said casually: "Stop struggling!"

After Baochai greeted him, Zhu Jinghong frowned and asked, "Why are you here!"

"See you, my lord!"

Soon the doctor took the medicine and left, and then Baochai entered the bedroom accompanied by the maid.

"Having said that, since Sheng'er wants to play, you, the elder brother, can't restrain her!"

At this time, Xue Pan was lying down comfortably. When he saw his sister coming, he got up, and when he pulled the injured area, he grimaced in pain.

"If that's the case, then you have to support her so that she can restrain her brother!"

"I feel really uncomfortable having brought so much trouble to the prince!"

So Zhu Jinghong didn't stay much, got up and walked out.

"Yes!"

"Ok!"

"Do you understand?"

Putting his hand on Zhu Jinghong's shoulder, Baochai kneaded it gently and said at the same time: "It's all my fault for causing you trouble. I didn't give birth to a good family. I just lost my father when I was young and made people gossip. Now I'm in trouble again." The brother who cannot be helped up..."

"What's more, when she holds a banquet this time, she wants to invite more than just a few of us!"

"Who else does she want to invite?" Zhu Jinghong asked doubtfully.

"A few girls from the Jia family in Rongguo Mansion!"

"Oh~"

Zhu Jinghong's tone fluctuated, allowing Baochai to tell that something was wrong.

"Do you agree or not?"

Looking at the smiling Baochai, Zhu Jinghong replied calmly: "I can't control her. Since she likes to be lively, why should I be a bad person!"

"Yo yo yo... Your Majesty is too polite. You don't care about it, but you can't care about it. Who in the palace doesn't support me!" Baochai's smile became even bigger.

Squeezing her thigh, Zhu Jinghong looked dissatisfied: "What exactly do you want to say?"

"I would like to ask the prince what he is thinking in his heart!"

"I was thinking... when can you give birth to my child? Then you will be busy and won't have the time to find my fault!"

The next day soon came, and Xue Pan was sent back after a day's rest. The whole palace was already preparing for tomorrow's banquet.

Let's talk about the Rongguo Mansion. Sanchun of the Jia family, who received the invitation, is gathering in Jia Mu's courtyard at this time.

"The princess invites you, this is incredible!" Mrs. Wang said with joy.

She hasn't been so happy for a long time since Jia Baoyu was kicked out of the house.

This was all due to the fact that after Jia Baoyu was driven away, Tanchun became more filial to Mrs. Wang and filled the position vacated by Jia Baoyu.

It is easy to say this, but extremely difficult to do. This shows how wise Tanchun is.

"Yeah... Tan girl is smart, you have a good daughter!" Mother Jia couldn't help but praise.

But if we dig deeper into her words, we can actually hear her dissatisfaction with Yuan Chun. The latter stayed in the position of crown princess, but was hampered by others and did little to help the Jia family.

Fortunately, Mrs. Wang was of a low rank and did not understand the deep meaning of Jia Mu's words.

As for the other people in the room, they were also laughing and joking without realizing it. Only Tanchun guessed something.

"Tan girl, this is the second time the princess has summoned you. You have to serve her well... It is in your interest to make the princess happy!"

Although she knew Tanchun understood the truth, Jia Mu couldn't help but remind her.

"Granddaughter understands!" Soon the next day came, and Jia Rong personally led the servants in the house and sent Tanchun and the others out of the city.

This time, because of the princess's command talisman, they walked smoothly and were quickly sent outside the palace.

When he got here, a female official from the palace came to pick him up, while Jia Rong went back wherever he came from.

Let's say that Tanchun and the other three were invited to the palace, and arranged to live in their respective homes according to Zhu Yunsheng's request, and then they were invited to the back garden.

In fact, there is no courtyard wall in the back garden. The guards directly block off the perimeter of the lake, turning the area into a "no man's land".

Of course, the guards were far away from each other and would not be seen by the girls playing.

On a balcony by the lake, tables and chairs have been set up, and dozens of eunuchs and maids are busy.

Near noon, in addition to Zhu Jinghong and Baochai, all the other women from the palace arrived here, including Qiqige and Nuo Min.

Nuomin and Qiqige both received the imperial edict half a month ago and were appointed by the queen for the purpose of selecting attendants, and received the official "establishment" of Prince Xiang's Mansion.

This also led to the depreciation of the name of the selected servant in the palace, which made Zhen Qin sad for several days.

Fortunately, the palace now still has Yinglian as its only concubine, which makes her feel a little more balanced.

There are also cliques among women, which usually don't show off. That's because the princess is suppressing them.

But today Baochai did not attend, so the situation was a little different.

Zhen Qin pulled Yinglian and walked to one side, while Keqing and Qiqigenuomin walked to the other side. Neither of them said a word.

Of course, Yinglian didn't really care that much, she was just dragged over by Zhen Qin. She didn't like forming cliques.

"Sister Qin, why are you doing this!" Yinglian couldn't help but speak.

"My silly sister, you haven't seen it yet, the three of them are together. If we don't help each other, that will be Concubine Yang's fate!"

"Sister Qin, please don't say such nonsense. Sister Ting is recuperating from illness and will come back as soon as she recovers!" Yinglian reminded her quickly.

Although she was simple-minded, she also knew the pros and cons of this matter and knew not to talk about it casually.

However, Zhen Qin didn't understand Yinglian's intentions, and explained proudly: "Do you still think she can come back? She can't come back if she pisses off the princess!"

"Why can't you come back? Sister Ting is still a concubine, the Queen's niece!" Yinglian reminded again.

"Silly girl, who wants to argue with you about this? You should worry about yourself first. Are you willing to just be a concubine?"

Here Zhen Qin started drawing pie again, while on the other side Ke Qing, the three of them talked and laughed much more relaxedly.

Qiqige and Nuomin both said they would teach Keqing to ride a horse, even though the latter had no interest in it.

As for Zhu Yunsheng and Xiang Yun, who were walking ahead, their equestrian skills had been greatly improved by Qi Qige's teachings these days.

"Of the books I have read recently, I feel that they only focus on narrative and lyricism, and they are definitely..."

Listening to Tanchun's detailed explanation, Zhu Yunsheng didn't really want to hear it. After all, we were here to play together today, not to discuss knowledge in class.

"Tanchun, I'm just asking casually, but you've already said so much. This is not a private school. Don't let people enjoy your studies!"

Hearing what Zhu Yunsheng said, Tanchun immediately changed his words and said, "Princess, actually we don't really like reading books, we just do it for leisure and boredom!"

"Reading for fun? Then your life is really boring!" Zhu Yunsheng looked pitiful.

As a noble daughter from an ordinary family, although the queen seemed to be very strict with Zhu Yunsheng, she was actually very tolerant towards her.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for Zhu Yunsheng to live as happily as he does now, if he was not studying to be a female worker day and night, and he would be fully occupied with reading and writing.

That is to say, by following her, Daiyu and Xiangyun will live a very comfortable life. This is an experience that can only be encountered but cannot be sought.

"But besides reading and writing, what else can you do?"

Having said this, Tanchun smiled and said to everyone around him:

"Thanks to the princess for the rescue, otherwise we would still be trapped in the study!"

Tan Chun's words were very appropriate, and most importantly, his expression was also on point. He looked like he had escaped disaster, which made Zhu Yunsheng really feel that he had been of great help.

"The fruit wine I made a few days ago is ready, and I just want to try it today... Since I saved you, you can thank me by drinking a few more glasses later!"

"It's an honor for us to taste the wine brewed by the princess herself. This is not a thank you. Wouldn't we owe more!"

Tanchun is indeed good at talking, at least now Zhu Yunsheng is very satisfied after hearing this, and can't help but praise her a few more words.

This situation made Tanchun very happy, and he felt that his abilities were finally put to use.

For the first time, she felt that she could transcend her family and strive for a better future for herself.

"Young girl Tan really has a clever mouth. She can tell you all the positives, negatives, highs and lows!"

With his eyes moving, Xiangyun, who was holding Daiyu on his arm, asked with a smile: "Sister Lin is jealous?"

"Jealous? What kind of jealousy am I feeling?" Daiyu curled her lips and asked. She knew the meaning of Xiangyun's words.

"Princess, you are only talking to Tanchun, and your Daiyu is jealous and unhappy!" Xiangyun shouted to the front.

Tanchun was shocked when she heard this. She didn't expect Xiangyun to be so bold and dare to tell such a joke to the princess.

How could she have guessed that Zhu Yunsheng and these two companions had an incredibly close relationship in private, and jokes were commonplace.

While they were chatting and joking, they came to the balcony and everyone sat down according to their status.

Since Keqing and the others are here today, there is no clear priority at the scene, just a few tables in a circle.

Because it was his first time to participate in such a gathering, Tanchun was extremely cautious. He looked at other people before sitting or standing, for fear that he would make a joke.

Daiyu saw all these performances of hers, which reminded her of the first time she entered Rongguo Mansion a few years ago.

"Sisters, after today's small gathering, I will go back to the palace, so it will be difficult for me to..."

Zhu Yunsheng began to speak, perfectly showing the miserable and helpless life of a girl in the palace, which made Tanchun and others feel sympathy.

It turns out that life is not easy for the princess. She is bound by palace rules and disciplined by female officials, which is much harsher than in an ordinary home.

Of course, due to Zhu Yunsheng's performances, Tanchun and the other three were led into the ditch, while the others were completely indifferent.

As for Daiyu and Xiangyun, they only find it funny now, secretly saying that the princess's ability to moan painlessly has become better.

Why are the palace rules so strict? This princess has violated them so many times, and how many times has she been severely punished?

He also said that life was miserable. How many women in the world could play as freely as she did without restraint?

"Princess, although the palace rules are strict, they are set by the ancestors and are intended to correct..."

Not only did Tanchun believe it, but he also used his clever brain to put himself in Zhu Yunsheng's shoes and enlighten him.

This made Zhu Yunsheng excited. He secretly said that Tanchun was a talented person, and he had more things to do than Daiyu Xiangyunhui.

"I thought that no one in this world could understand my pain, but I didn't expect that you could!" Zhu Yunsheng said affectionately.

My dear mother, I have become the princess's confidant... Tanchun was extremely excited.

"How can ordinary people understand the princess's difficulties? It's a pity that she can't always be by her side to help her eliminate her troubles and relieve her worries..."

In this sentence, Tanchun had a purpose for the first time, just to get a spot as the princess's companion.

Although Zhu Yunsheng will get married in another year, this is enough for Tanchun. Getting into this relationship will be a great help for her to marry in the future.

"It's a pity, but it's a pity it's not you!"

Zhu Yunsheng's eyes were filled with resentment as he looked at Daiyu Xiangyun beside him. The two of them were talking quietly together.

Looking at the other side, Zhen Qin and Yinglian were talking, while Keqing and Qiqige were chatting about the northwest, which made Zhu Yunsheng feel even more lonely inside.

Looking at Tanchun again, she felt that he was worthy of deep friendship and that he was a close confidant who understood her.

“Come, let’s have a drink for you and me for this rare friendship!”

"Princess please!" Tanchun stood up holding the cup.

(End of this chapter)