Red Mansion Beijingwang

Yaoyuan.

This is a private estate covering an area of ​​more than ten acres, with stacked stones and water, and vermilion bridge railings reflected in the water, with rippling water. The layout of the landscape and buildings is not confined to a symmetrical pattern, but is flexible and diverse, with an exquisite layout, and is very characteristic of Jiangnan gardens.

In the pavilion near the lake, a bronze crane on several tables spit out streams of incense from its mouth, which is refreshing.

Several richly dressed men with white beards and hair, or middle-aged men were sitting in the hall. The person sitting on the left side of the main seat in the middle was Zhen Tiren of the Zhen family, and on the right was Jia Daizhai, who had white hair and beard. They are all from Jinling wealthy families.

The large circle of wealthy families also has its own small circle. Among the four major families of the Jinling wealthy family in the hall, only the Jia family is present, and the other three families are not here.

Zhen Tiren took a sip of the fragrant tea, looked around the crowd with sharp eyes, and said leisurely: "I didn't expect that the price of food in Jinling would actually rise higher than that in the disaster areas of Henan and Shandong. It's really surprising."

The flood of victims and the rise in food prices were something they could have guessed, but the rise was so high that it was jaw-dropping.

Darling, this is not selling grain, this is selling gold.

There was a middle-aged man in a brocade robe in the hall. This man's surname was Bai. He was also from a wealthy family in Jinling. He was considered to be of average rank in Jinling. He said: "Second Master Zhen, Your Majesty bought grain from us to help the victims. The Xue family All the grain transported there was shipped to Henan by the prince. There was a shortage of food in Jinling, and the price of food naturally rose. "

There is only so much food in Jinling. If materials are in short supply, food will naturally increase. This is understandable.

After saying that, the man surnamed Bai said with some regret: "Hey, if we had known this earlier, we shouldn't have transported all the grain to Henan and Shandong."

When everyone heard this, it became clear that they were selling grain just to make a fortune during the disaster. The price of grain in Jinling was now eye-watering, so they naturally had an idea.

They didn't think too much about the grain they had sold to the government because it was for the sake of the Prince of Beijing. What they were upset about was that they should have kept more surplus grain, so that they wouldn't be heartbroken now that they couldn't eat it.

Zhen Tiren looked calm when he heard this, took a sip of tea, and said quietly: "Just bring some food here."

An old man with white hair and beard in the hall spoke out: "Second Master Zhen, after the grain merchants from other places learned about the rising grain prices in Jinling, they have already heard about it. By the time we get the grain shipped, it will be too late."

The reason for the rise in food prices is the lack of food, but when the food merchants arrive, the food prices will stabilize. If you want to make money, the time difference is what you make.

Zhen Tiren heard this and didn't take it seriously. He stared at everyone and said with a smile: "Jinling is always our Jinling. We can't allow outsiders to disturb us. We can just send people to block all the passes so that foreign grain merchants can't come in."

Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard this. They were local snakes in Jinling, and their relationship was complicated. There was absolutely no problem in blocking the pass. As long as foreign grain merchants couldn't come in, they wouldn't get the cake.

The man surnamed Bai frowned slightly, glanced at Jia Daizhai, and said hesitantly: "The arrival of the grain merchants will help alleviate the problem of food shortage. If we stumble, it will be difficult for the Prince of Beijing County to explain."

The Prince of Beijing County is an imperial envoy. If this interferes with the disaster relief work, it is not like going against the Prince of Beijing County and offending the Prince of Beijing County for the sake of profit, which is not worth it.

Jia Daizhai understood the meaning. As the in-laws of the Beijing Prince's Palace, the Jia family should logically be on the side of the prince. However, the in-laws were from the Jia family in the capital, and the beneficiaries were not from the Jia family in Jinling.

For the illusory in-laws, actual benefits are more appropriate. If not, the original subscription would not have only been a thousand stones.

Stroking the white beard under his chin, Jia Daizhai said: "We also have to transport food here. It won't be a big deal if we are separated by a few days."

Zhen Tiren agreed at the right time: "Master Jia is right. We still have some food in hand, which is barely enough for the people to eat. When the food comes, we can ensure the people's rations, and the prince will not care."

When everyone heard this, they felt that it made sense. The prince's purpose was just to ensure disaster relief. As long as nothing happened, it would not be a problem. A few days' delay would be worth nothing.

Besides, there are the Zhen family and the Jia family in front of them. There is an old concubine in one palace and an in-law relationship in the other. Even if they knew about it, is it possible that they would still punish her?

"The price of grain in Henan and Shandong is also not low, so there is no need to specially transport it here."

One of the middle-aged men in the audience reminded that the food prices in Jinling are high, but the prices in the disaster-stricken areas are not low either. We cannot give up the interests of the disaster-stricken areas.

If you want to take advantage of everything, you must have enough skills. To put it bluntly, that is enough food. You need to know that the daily food consumption in the disaster area is astronomical, and how much is left.

Zhen Tiren and Jia Daizhai looked at each other, smiled, and said with a vague "unpredictable" look on their faces: "You don't have to worry about the food problem, I have my own channels."

"Oh"

Everyone looked a little surprised when they heard this, but they didn't expect that the Zhen family had channels.

Zhen Tiren enjoyed the attention of everyone. In the Jinling area, the Zhen family was the top one. He smiled and said: "Don't worry, we are all family friends. We will advance and retreat together. When the food is delivered, you will all have a share. We are just blocking the pass." I hope you can do it more secretly."

Everyone understood what was said, and they also wondered how the Zhen family could be so generous. They originally wanted their help. After all, they guessed that Prince Beijing would not punish them, but punishment was unavoidable, so they simply covered up what they could, and everyone was safe.

After reaching a consensus, everyone left after discussing for a while, leaving only Zhen Tiren and Jia Daizhai in the hall.

Jia Daizhai took a sip of the fragrant tea, and after relieving the dryness in his mouth, he sighed: "If Jia Yucun had known better, we wouldn't have had a share of the pie."

When Zhen Tiren heard Jia Yucun's name, he frowned and snorted: "This guy thinks he is arrogant when he gets close to Prince Beijing. He is just a bastard who clings to power. When the prince leaves, he will be taken care of." ”

Logically speaking, the best way to privately block the entrance to and from Jinling is by Jia Yucun, the Yin of Jinling Prefecture, so that it can be completely concealed. Originally, they also hinted at Jia Yucun, but Jia Yucun declined them politely, leaving Yi Gao behind. Zhen Tiren, who was angry, was quite depressed.

When Jia Daizhai heard this, a glimmer of light flashed through his turbid eyes. This Jia Yucun was indeed ungrateful. He must not forget that he, the governor of Jinling, still relied on the Jia family to make his fortune.

However, as Zhen Tiren said, Jia Yucun is currently on errands under the prince and cannot be moved. He can only wait until the disaster relief work is completed and teach Jia Yucun a lesson to let him understand who is the one who calls the shots in Jinling City.

After glancing at Zhen Tiren, Jia Daizhai said with a smile: "Second Master Zhen, there is a letter from Brother Zhen, and the food is being transported to Jinling."

Zhen Tiren smiled knowingly when he heard this. This business was agreed upon by Zhen and Jia.
Guest House.

Zhen Fengshi led her maid Jiao Xing along the corridor, passed through a crescent-shaped hole, and saw a maid in a blue satin vest sitting under the eaves of the corridor. She greeted her, "Little Red Girl."

Xiaohong saw the person coming and said with a smile: "Mrs. Zhen is here."

As she said that, Xiaohong looked at the woman in front of her. Ever since Zhen Feng settled in the guest house, the prince had treated her quite favorably. At this moment, Zhen Feng was wearing a light yellow skirt with sleeves, and her figure was plump. , the haggard jade face turned out to be somewhat gorgeous after being taken care of.

As expected of Xiang Ling's mother, she must have been a handsome person when she was young.

Xiao Hong was extremely envious of Zhen Feng's preferential treatment. She knew that the prince fell in love with Wu Ji Wu because of Xiang Ling, but this was exactly what they, the maids, expected.

We are both maids, so no one has any illusions. Xiao Hong does not dare to expect that she can be as good as Xiang Ling, but she is satisfied that the prince can take care of her family a little.

When Zhen Feng saw Xiao Hong's enthusiasm, she felt a little unnatural. Some time ago, she was "being under someone else's roof" and suffered all kinds of sarcastic comments. Now she is not used to being treated with courtesy.

Pursing her pink lips, Zhen Feng lowered her eyebrows and whispered sheepishly: "Miss Xiaohong, is the prince in here?"

The last time she took the initiative to ask to see the prince was because of her lost daughter, which was understandable, but now she, a woman, took the initiative to ask to see the prince. There was a faint embarrassment in her heart.

He behaves well, sits upright, and is not sneaky, so there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

When Xiao Hong saw that Zhen Feng was here to find the prince, she didn't care. Although the woman in front of her was a bit sexy, what kind of color did their prince have not enjoy? Would he be attracted to a married woman?
Besides, Xiao Hong has a very good eye. One look at Zhen Feng's temperament and she knew that she was not one of those shameless vixens. She was probably grateful to the prince because of Xiang Ling's incident.

Smiling, Xiao Hong said: "Your Majesty is resting in the room, and I will go and ask for instructions." Although he was polite to Zhen Feng, he still had to follow the rules.

Zhen Feng stared at Xiao Hong's back as she entered the room, feeling somewhat complicated. She had never seen the prince again since she moved into the Guest House, and she felt grateful but had nowhere to repay him.

After a while, Xiao Hong walked out, smiled at Zhen Fengshi and said, "Mrs. Zhen, the prince invites you in."

Mrs. Zhen Feng calmed down, nodded gently, and followed Xiao Hong into the house with light steps. Seeing the young man leaning on the Arhat bed, she bowed and said: "A commoner woman pays homage to the prince."

Shui Rong stared at Zhen Fengshi, and was slightly startled. They hadn't seen each other for a few days, but it seemed that Zhen Fengshi was much younger. Originally, Zhen Fengshi and Xiang Ling looked very similar, but now they seemed to have a certain similarity. About seventy or eighty percent similar.

After thinking about it for a while, Shui Rong had a rough guess. As the saying goes, love comes from the heart. In the past, Zhen Feng had just muddle along with her only obsession, and she naturally looked haggard. But now that she has found her beloved daughter, she is full of energy. When I came back, my complexion was different.

Furthermore, a man relies on his clothes and his horse relies on his saddle. After some tidying up, Zhen Feng naturally looked a little younger.

Tsk tsk If she puts on Xiang Ling's clothes, she might not be able to tell the difference between the two from a distance. But if she looks up close, she's still an aunt even if she's not a sister.

Of course, water-soluble is purely a sigh, nothing else.

Shui Rong pinched a crystal bodhi and put it into his mouth, and asked, "Is there something wrong with Madam Zhen looking for me? Could it be that the people below have neglected Madam?"

After Zhen Feng settled in the Guest House, Shui Rong ordered the people below to take good care of her. Although there was love for Xiang Ling and Wu Wu, there was more admiration for Zhen Feng's great "mother".

If not, why would we have left her in the guest house instead of just giving her some money?

Hearing this, Mrs. Zhen Feng couldn't help but feel a warm current welling up in her heart. The young man in front of her always treated him with courtesy and had all the food and clothing he needed. He was truly a humble gentleman.

Pursing her pink lips, Zhen Fengshi said softly: "Your Majesty, civilian women are not neglected, but they feel ashamed of themselves. Honest people do not eat what they complain about, and they feel uneasy."

Zhen Feng originally planned to do some work like serving tea and water, but she didn't expect that her life would be like that of a young mistress, which made people feel uneasy.

She had never thought about what the young man in front of her had any intentions. After all, although she had some color, he was still old and yellow. He was such a noble person, so how could he like her.

Besides, if you really have any ideas, why just turn a blind eye.

Shui Rong heard the words and stared at Zhen Fengshi, but he didn't expect that the other party had such magnanimity. Although beauty is very important, kindness of heart is equally important.

After all, she is a great mother. Someone who can have such persistence cannot be someone who is greedy for wealth.

With a chuckle, Shui Rong said in a warm voice: "Mrs. Zhen, you don't have to be polite. Xiangling is an excellent person. I like her very much. It's because of Xiangling that I treat my wife so well."

Shui Rong really likes Xiangling. If he doesn't like her, why bother to find her biological parents? It's not a big deal to spend some money to make her happy. He can just pay off his mother's debt and let Xiangling take good care of her when he returns to the capital. .

Well, now that I think about it, Xiang Ling must be smiling from ear to ear.

Mentioning Xiangling, Zhen Feng's beautiful eyes glowed with warmth. The young man in front of her loved her daughter so much that she couldn't help but feel happy for her. Her daughter was happy, so that was fine.

Looking at the young man with her plump face raised, Zhen Feng's eyebrows were curved and she said softly: "Ying Xiangling is Xiangling, and a civilian woman is a civilian woman. How can they be compared? Civilian women don't have any skills. They often do some needlework at home. Live, if the prince doesn’t mind it, the common woman would like to embroider a winter dress for the prince to show her affection, is it okay?”

The tasks of serving tea and water include Miss Xiaohong and Miss Wu'er. It's not easy for her to get involved and steal other people's work. The only thing she can do is needlework.

Shui Rong stared at Zhen Feng. The sunlight shone in through the window, reflecting her happy smiling face, which was as bright as a rose. Her body exuded the brilliance of motherhood, as tender as water, like the spring breeze blowing on her face.

After a few moments of silence, Shui Rong responded: "Since it is Madam's wish, I cannot refuse it. I will ask someone to send some fabrics to Madam later."

It was just for peace of mind, so I went with the Zhen Feng family so that I could do some things and avoid being at a loss in the guest house.

When Zhen Feng heard the words, her heart relaxed slightly. She raised her eyes and glanced at Shui Rong. Zhen Feng's beautiful face had a bit of unnaturalness in it. She passed by in a flash and said softly: "That commoner woman measured the prince's figure."

In fact, she had the fabric, but she just made the clothes and measured her figure. She didn’t know the size, so she could find a suitable fit.

However, Zhen Feng also understood that the identity of the young man in front of her was extraordinary, and the fabric used was also unusual, so Zhen Feng did not refuse, and expressed her feelings to everyone.

Shui Rong gently chinned his head, stood up, and spread his arms.

Zhen Feng took the clothes ruler from Jiao Xing, walked forward slowly, put the clothes ruler on the young man's arm, and began to measure carefully.

After measuring the body shape, he naturally got closer. At this moment, Shui Xiu's nose was filled with a gentle aroma, not strong nor strong, which made people smell very comfortable.

Looking down at Zhen Feng's beautiful face, the beauty's serious look made Shui Rong's heart move slightly. He raised his eyebrows and changed the subject: "By the way, madam, you don't want to know about Xiang Ling's situation?"

Zhen Feng was startled when she heard this. She raised her head and looked at the young man, with a hint of sadness in her eyebrows. She said softly: "Given the prince's love for Xiangling, I think everything went smoothly."

She wanted to know about Xiang Ling, but she had never seen the boy since she entered the guest house. Where could she find out about Xiang Ling's situation? Liu Wu'er and Xiao Hong served Shui Rong closely, and Zhen Feng's family It’s not easy to disturb me, so I’m helpless.

Shui Rong saw that it was his negligence, so he said: "Although Xiang Ling is my maid, she lives the life of a young lady. She is currently busy writing a book, so there is no need for me to worry, madam."

Speaking of Xiangling's studies, Shui Rong couldn't help but feel funny. This girl was immersed in poetry and books, and she was a complete bookworm.

Zhen Feng's face was a little surprised when she heard this. She knew that Xiang Ling was the prince's maid, but she didn't expect that she was actually studying. It should be noted that maids have to wait for others, and generally they would not spend energy to let the maid study.

However, it can be seen that the prince really loves Xiang Ling very much, so he is relieved.

Thinking of this, Zhen Feng's work did not stop. She smiled slightly and said, "My lord, I wonder how Xiang Ling is doing in her studies and whether she has made any progress."

Shui Rong smiled when he heard this and said, "Xiang Ling has a good talent. I guess he inherited it from Madam."

Judging from Zhen Feng's temperament, we can see that he is a well-educated person. In addition to the saying "An honest person will not eat what he complains about", not to mention Zhen Feng's talent, at least he is a person who understands poetry and calligraphy.

"Talent comes naturally to you", which is why Shui Rong asked the maids around him to study.

Zhen Feng's heart trembled when she heard this, and she paused while holding the clothes ruler in her slender hands. Is the prince praising her in disguise?

You raised your eyes and glanced at the young man. Seeing his clear eyes, your heart relaxed slightly. A feeling of annoyance came to your heart. You thought it was a casual remark, but you became suspicious.

Moreover, considering the kindness of the prince, even if... bah, the prince is so humble, how can he be such a shameful person?

Seeing Zhen Fengshi stunned, Shui Rong frowned and asked softly: "Madam, what's wrong?"

After hearing this, Mrs. Zhen Feng came back to her senses, her cheeks became slightly hot, she secretly spat a few times, and said, "It's nothing." After some measurements, she took back the clothes ruler, Yingying bowed and said: "Your Majesty, the common women are going to make clothes right now. Don’t bother the prince anymore.”

When Shui Rong heard the words, he didn't hold back and let her go. He just looked at the woman's back, his eyes flickering slightly. The warmth on Zhen Feng's body made people feel an inexplicable emotion.

Hey, Concubine Beijing has it. I think she misses Concubine Beijing. (End of chapter)