King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 698 The King adds Bai
"You are very good at riding and shooting. You must not waste your time. Today's Dragon Guard Competition..."

If he had not married the princess, Liang Yi would have worked hard to become a member of the Dragon Guard and fight for his own life.

However, the current situation has completely ruined his previous plans...

Listening to Zhu Jinghong's story, Liang Yi felt more and more uncomfortable, but he still had to listen patiently.

When they walked into the garden and approached the table, Zhu Yunsheng let go of Zhu Jinghong, rushed to the back of everyone, and passed the maid to pull a stool for Zhu Jinghong.

She was a legitimate princess and had been served by others since she was a child. Apart from the emperor and empress Zhu Jinghong, she was the third person to enjoy this treatment.

Her move made the nearby maids at a loss, after all, it was their fault for not doing their job well.

"Thirteenth brother, please take a seat!" Zhu Yunsheng smiled.

"See? It's true that after getting married, she grows up... and knows how to take care of others!" Zhu Jinghong said, looking around.

Zhen Qin and Ying Lian praised her one after another, but Baochai just smiled.

But as soon as Zhu Jinghong sat down, Zhu Yunsheng "unnecessarily" took the teacup from the maid and handed it to his brother.

"Brother Thirteen, the last time you came back to Beijing, I was not feeling well and was unable to come and see you... Please don't blame me!"

Zhu Jinghong was about to speak when he heard Zhu Yunsheng continue, "Even if you blame me, after drinking this cup of tea... don't blame me!"

At this time, Zhu Jinghong looked to the other side and saw only Baochai sitting at the same table with him.

"I never realized how clever she is before!"

Since Zhu Jinghong spoke to her alone, Baochai had to respond.

"Sheng'er has always been smart, but you just treat her like a child!"

Zhu Jinghong thought this was normal, but Zhu Yunsheng heard it as something else, which made her feel a little uneasy.

In fact, Baochai was just speaking casually and had no intention of criticizing Zhu Yunsheng. It can only be said that the latter was too sensitive.

But in the royal family, being more sensitive and thinking more is by no means a bad thing. Being as muddle-headed as the prince will definitely lead to big problems.

"I must have thought too much. Sister Bao is not that stingy!" Zhu Yunsheng comforted himself.

She had to think this way, for she was afraid that once her mentality changed, she would get into even bigger trouble in the future.

After everyone took their seats, the banquet officially began. Zhu Yunsheng spoke a lot throughout the whole process and paid more attention to Baochai.

This reflects Zhu Yunsheng's intelligence. After all, "a county magistrate is not as good as the current manager." If Baochai becomes the queen in the future, it will be easier to ask him for many things than asking Zhu Jinghong.

An hour passed after the banquet, and Zhu Jingchun's brother also came over, each with their princess.

This made Zhu Yunsheng feel pressured, because her two younger sisters-in-law were more experienced in flattering Baochai, which greatly squeezed her room for maneuver.

As for the men, they talked about war and war, and Zhu Jinghong mentioned the rebellion in Hunan.

Upon hearing this, the two princes were shocked. They did not expect such an outrageous thing to happen.

"Hundreds of bandits? They captured three county towns? What do those local officials do for a living?" Qingyang King Zhu Jinghao cursed.

At this time, Zhu Jingchun said: "Didn't you hear what Thirteenth Brother said? The three county magistrates died for their country, and there is no way to hold them accountable!"

Zhu Jinghao looked annoyed: "It's a good deal for them!"

Now, in Zhu Jinghao's view, the three county magistrates deserved to die for their country, but this did not eliminate their sins.

The two of them were having a great time, while Liang Yi on the side rarely spoke.

At this moment, he really wanted to plead for mercy and ask Zhu Jinghong to help him say a few words so that he could go to Hunan to help quell the rebellion.

In his opinion, the chances of success in Hunan are higher than in the Northwest, so if you want to be safe, you should go directly to Hunan.

But he didn't say it in person at the moment. Firstly, it would be very abrupt for him to speak out, and secondly, he felt that it would be more likely for Zhu Yunsheng to convey it successfully.

So Liang Yi listened carefully, only interjecting a few words from time to time, guiding Zhu Jinghao and the other two to ask questions in order to understand the details of the Hunan Rebellion.

Because of the arrival of Zhu Jingchun and his two families, Prince Xiang’s Mansion arranged a dinner, which did not end until nightfall.

On the return carriage, Liang Yi expressed his thoughts.

"I can't go to plead for brother Thirteen!" Zhu Yunsheng said solemnly.

"Why?" Liang Yi looked unhappy.

"Brother Thirteen has been repeatedly attacked and doesn't want to interfere in the affairs of the court. Sister Thirteen has already reminded me of this. Am I going to make things difficult for them?"

Hearing this, Liang Yi fell silent.

Understanding Zhu Yunsheng's dilemma, Liang Yi had no intention of forcing his wife. After all, this was something a real man would not be ashamed of.

"I see you've been busy today, smiling and serving others. Isn't that a bit too much?"

"Crown Prince and Prince Rui, I have never seen you like this..."

"Why?" Zhu Yunsheng turned his head and asked with a smile.

Liang Yi hesitated to speak and finally chose to shut up.

Zhu Yunsheng said calmly: "If you don't say it, I'll say it for you... You want to say that I'm flattering, right?"

Liang Yi still didn't say anything, and his expression proved that he agreed.

"Fourth Brother, Sixth Brother, I have never done that. You are so smart and conceited, you should think about why I am like that!"

Hearing this, Liang Yi was slightly stunned, and then he began to think carefully.

He was also a very smart man. Before the carriage had gone a few dozen meters, he thought of a possibility, a very bold possibility.

"You mean... His Royal Highness Prince Xiang..."

Seeing that Liang Yi, an honest man, was about to speak directly, Zhu Yunsheng simply reached out and covered his mouth.

Liang Yi understood and shut up immediately, and then Zhu Yunsheng took his hand back.

Then he opened the small drawer on the side of his seat and took out paper and pen.

Then, under the dim light, Liang Yi picked up his pen and began to write.

He first wrote the character "王", then looked at Zhu Yunsheng and wrote the character "白".

The combination of the upper and lower parts forms the character "皇"!

Liang Yi looked at Zhu Yunsheng with a questioning look in his eyes.

Seeing Zhu Yunsheng nodded, he felt shocked, but at the same time he felt that this was reasonable.

In the eyes of military men like Liang Yi, Zhu Jinghong's becoming emperor was a matter of course and destiny.

Zhu Yunsheng picked up the paper, folded it a few times, and put it into his sleeve, then said softly: "Forget about this matter, otherwise it will be a disaster rather than a blessing!"

"Yeah!" Liang Yi nodded.

There was silence in the carriage for a while, and finally Liang Yi spoke first.

"I still want to go to Hunan. Can you think of another way?"

"How can I find a solution?" Zhu Yunsheng asked casually.

"If we can ask His Majesty for mercy, this matter will be resolved!"

"Princess... Madam... My lady... I beg you!"

Liang Yi was also able to save his pride and stood up and knelt in front of Zhu Yunsheng, almost kowtowed to his wife.

"Just help me... help me once!"

"As long as you help me, I will listen to you whatever you say!"

In order to show himself, Liang Yi really gave it his all.

But precisely because he gave up everything to plead for mercy, Zhu Yunsheng realized that if he did not agree, the couple would become strangers in the future.

"Okay... I'll help you, but I can't say for sure if it will work!"

Of course, it is hard to say whether it will succeed or not. It is even possible that Zhu Yunsheng will not work hard. To prevent this, Liang Yi will find a way. Of course, this is all after returning home.

The next day came in a flash, and the Qianqing Palace held another meeting.

This meeting was entirely due to Zhu Jinghong's proposal, but he claimed to be ill and did not come today. Instead, the prince came to the scene.

When the emperor told the court officials that additional troops would be dispatched to Guizhou and Hubei to crush the rebels as quickly as possible, they were all furious.

After all, they have just said that they will fully prepare for war in the northwest, and now they are making big moves in Hunan. The finances are already in a tight spot and it is simply impossible to support it.

In the end, the Minister of Revenue who attended the meeting bluntly announced his retirement, saying that he could not fulfill the emperor's will.

The officials present all opposed it, and Zhu Xianming himself was not firm in his attitude, so he did not push the matter forward.

In the afternoon, Zhu Jinghong learned the result of the court meeting, and he was not too surprised.

He also knew that his proposal was objectively an overreaction, so he did not get involved in the matter any further.

The current imperial court is not only spending a lot of money in the northwest, but Yunnan and Guangxi are also not peaceful. There are simply too many places that need money and there is no capital to waste national strength.

But within two days, Zhu Jinghong learned the news that the emperor had issued an additional decree, requiring Guizhou and Hubei to be on high alert and not allow the bandits to enter their defense areas.

A few days later, Zhu Jinghong learned the news again. The emperor ordered the Censorate to send people to investigate, and the son-in-law Liang Yi was ordered to accompany them.

Such a big incident happened in Hunan, there must be some shady activities behind the scenes, the local officials and the Jinyiwei are unreliable.

To this end, the emperor has ordered the Northern Pacification Office and the Eastern Factory to send people to investigate, but these are private detectives sent by the emperor.

And if the Censorate sends people to investigate, they can better represent the court.

Generally speaking, the censors dispatched by the Censorate were given secret orders and had the power to make arbitrary decisions at critical moments.

Zhu Jinghong didn't care too much about these things. He didn't want to get involved in anything so as not to make the emperor afraid of him.

But unfortunately, the emperor wanted to hear his opinions on many important matters, so he was summoned to the palace from time to time, of course, always in the name of the queen.

That day Zhu Jinghong entered the palace, and Baochai stayed in the palace, playing chess with Daiyu in the pavilion.

Daiyu came to visit her specially and had stayed in the palace for three days, during which time she was "harassed" by Zhu Jinghong many times.

"Oh... I lost!" Baochai threw the dice directly.

Then she picked up the round fan and waved it slowly.

It is now late June, the weather is already hot, and it is very stuffy inside the pavilion.

Daiyu smiled and replied, "Sister Bao, you are trying to do two things at once...it's no wonder you lost!"

Looking at the pond outside the pavilion, Baochai replied, "You are wrong... I am not multitasking, I am multitasking!"

Daiyu joked, "If I hadn't accepted the Ruyi at the beginning, I'm afraid I would be much more satisfied now!"

Although Baochai is usually easy-going, there are not many people who can joke with her, especially jokes of this level.

That was the highlight of Baochai's life. Thinking about it now, she felt it was unreal. She smiled and replied, "He insisted on giving it to me. If I didn't take it... wouldn't it embarrass him?"

Daiyu then replied: "A good person like Bao-jie must not be bullied by him!"

Baochai turned around, stared at Daiyu for a while, and then said, "What about you... a good person like you, would you like to be bullied by him?"

"Sister Bao...what are you talking about?" Daiyu's face turned red and she lowered her head.

During these few days in the palace, Daiyu was not polite at all when facing Zhu Jinghong's flirting with her. She embarrassed Zhu Jinghong in public several times. All the women in the palace were amazed at her courage.

But at this moment, the famous Lin Duidui is extremely shy.

"Hmm?" Baochai also lowered her head, trying to see Daiyu's expression clearly.

"Sister Bao...what nonsense are you talking about!" Daiyu turned her head away.

"Why didn't Baoqin come today?"

Knowing that Daiyu wanted to change the subject, Baochai did not embarrass her any further and replied, "I went to Yinglian's place. She likes to tease children!"

Just as the two of them were about to continue their conversation, a maid came in hurriedly, whispered a few words in Ying'er's ear, and then left.

Ying'er then walked into the pavilion and reported, "Madam, news has come from Jinling that on the seventh day of the sixth lunar month...Madam Yang gave birth to a baby boy!"

Today is June 22nd. The news has been on the road for more than ten days, which is a normal speed after all.

After all, not everyone can activate the express channel like Zhu Jinghong.

Baochai didn't care when the baby was born, she only paid attention to the word "baby boy".

In other words, Zhu Jinghong had a second son.

"Send someone to Jinling to congratulate Concubine Yang. After making some preparations, I will enter the palace!"

Baochai was very clear that she entered the palace to report the good news to the Queen.

"Yes!"

"Lin girl, go play with Baoqin and the others!"

Daiyu nodded, and didn't notice anything unusual in Baochai's expression, which made her admire this sister Bao very much.

Putting herself in her shoes, she felt that she couldn't do that, not because she couldn't, but because she didn't want to.

"Sister Bao, take care!"

After watching Baochai leave, Daiyu started to pack up the chess pieces, and Zijuan also came over to help.

In fact, they didn't have to do these things. Daiyu was just bored.

"Girl, where are we going?"

"Let's go...see Sister Yingchun!" Daiyu made this decision.

Yingchun was almost a invisible person in Prince Xiang's mansion. She hid in her room most of the time, reading and writing, as if she really wanted to escape from the worldly world and become a female Taoist priest with a green lamp by her side.

For the purpose of concealment, Yingchun was placed in the northeast side of the back garden, where there was a small courtyard in the bamboo forest.

When you get close, you can feel the cool breeze, which makes you feel peaceful and calm.

Looking around, the bamboo forest is quiet and peaceful, it is truly a place to retreat.

"Who's out there?"

This was Siqi's voice. Daiyu had stayed in Rongguo Mansion for a long time, so she still had some impression of it.

Walking along the path in the forest, Daiyu said:

"I heard that the noble man is here, so I came to pay him a visit... Please inform him!"

"Miss Lin is here..."

After discovering that it was Daiyu, Siqi was delighted. She then opened the bamboo door and said, "Please come in, young lady. I will go and tell her right away!"

After saying this, Siqi turned and went inside, while Daiyu slowly approached the courtyard.

The courtyard is very simple. There are side rooms on both sides of the gate, and then the main house facing north and south.

In addition to Siqi, there were several other maids here, preparing tea and pastries.

Si Qi came out of the door and said a little awkwardly: "Miss Lin, please come in!"

Logically, Yingchun should have gone out to greet her. Since she didn't come, Siqi had to come. It's normal for the latter to feel embarrassed.

Daiyu didn't care too much. She understood how miserable Yingchun was, and she came here just to show her concern for her.

After entering the room, Daiyu was led by Siqi to the quiet room on the east side, where she saw Yingchun sitting behind the desk in a grey Taoist robe and without any makeup.

"Sister Lin is here!" Yingchun smiled, but it was a forced smile.

During these few days in the palace, Daiyu met Yingchun several times, but they were unable to say a few words.

Daiyu nodded, approached the desk and asked, "Sister Yingchun, what book are you reading?"

(End of this chapter)