Red Mansion Beijingwang

Beijing Prince's Mansion, Hengwu Garden.

Baochai was sitting at a desk, flipping through a blue-covered account book in her hand. The beauty was wearing a round-necked jacket made of apricot-yellow satin embroidered with peony branches, and a long skirt embroidered with peach-red peonies. Her snow-white face was filled with a look of concentration in her bright eyes.

At this moment, Ying'er came in and said with a smile, "Miss, the prince is here."

Shui Rong followed closely behind and stepped in. He looked up at the girl sitting in front of the desk and said softly, "Precious girl."

Baochai was delighted. Her bright almond eyes looked at the young man with affection. A look of joy appeared between her bright eyebrows. She stood up and said, "Brother-in-law, you are here."

Shui Rong handed the cloak he was wearing to Ying'er, moved closer, lowered his eyes to look at the account books piled up on the desk, and said softly: "There are so many things in the palace, thank you for your hard work."

"Nothing, just taking some inventory when I'm free." Baochai pursed her pink lips and responded softly.

Baochai still feels a little resentful towards the young man. Not to mention Yuanchun, Qin Keqing and Tanchun in the palace, the sisters You and Zhen are not just there to eat and do nothing, not to mention there are a group of maids who don't have much time to spend with her.

Oh, and there's also the one in the Longcui Temple, and even her "sister" Pin'er, who gets even less time. She herself has become like a housekeeper and maid, so how can she not feel resentful.

However, Baochai has always been gentle, respectful and frugal, and even if she feels resentful, she will not show it.

If she really wanted to care about it, if she didn't have these things on her hands, she would be afraid that she would become a resentful woman after staying alone in her room for too long.

Shui Rong stared at the girl's beautiful face. Her eyebrows were green without any makeup, her lips were red without any makeup, her skin was smooth and shiny, and there was a hint of charm and maturity between her eyebrows. He asked with concern, "How has Baoya been these days?"

Baochai's almond eyes twinkled, and a hint of unnaturalness appeared on her snowy face. She said softly, "Well, everything is fine. Thank you for your concern, brother-in-law."

Shui Rong smiled, stretched out his hand and pinched the girl's plump face, feeling it was soft and delicate, and joked: "Precious girl, you treat your brother-in-law as an outsider!"

A faint blush appeared on Baochai's cheeks. She glanced at the young man with her bright almond eyes. She took the teacup handed to her by Ying'er with her delicate hands and said softly, "Brother-in-law, have a sip of hot tea to warm yourself up."

Shui Rong chuckled, and after taking the teacup, he was not in a hurry to eat. Instead, he held the girl's soft little hand and asked meaningfully, "Precious girl, you and I are a family. If you have anything on your mind, you might as well talk to your brother-in-law."

Baochai was startled when she heard this. She looked up at the young man, her bright almond eyes flashed, and she whispered, "Did my brother-in-law hear something?"

Shui Rong smiled and said, "Bao girl is always smart, why not take a guess."

When Baochai heard this, she knew for sure. After a sigh, she said helplessly, "I guess my brother-in-law has heard about my sister-in-law."

The Xue family was separated from Prince Beijing's Palace by a corridor, so the matter of the new daughter-in-law could not be concealed. I guess my brother-in-law came here because he heard something.

"Well, I've heard a word or two, but I don't know much." Shui Rong sat down on the chair where Baochai originally sat, and led Baochai to sit in his arms.

Shui Rong heard Yuanchun talk about Xia Jingui's affairs, but he didn't know much. The only thing he knew clearly was that Baochai was very worried about it, so she came to comfort her.

Under the boy's training, Baochai had become accustomed to some intimate actions, but such closeness still made the girl feel shy, and a little blush appeared on her snow-white face.

Pursing her pink lips, Baochai whispered, "Nothing much, it was just that my brother was drinking and listening to music outside, and my sister-in-law got angry and had a few words with him."

"hehe."

Shui Rong chuckled, pinched Bao Yatou's cheek, and scolded with a smile: "Bao Yatou, you still have to cover up in front of your brother-in-law. You don't treat your brother-in-law as your own."

How could a few words of quarrel cause such a commotion in the palace? Baochai was hiding something.

In fact, we can see Baochai's personality from here. She is a reserved person who won't say too much when there is nothing to say. If it were the sincere and frank Daiyu, she would most likely spit out in anger and even make sarcastic remarks.

It’s not that Baochai is inferior in any way, it’s just that they have different personalities. However, the same thing is that they are both Shuirong’s sister-in-law, and they hold the same position in Shuirong’s heart, there is no difference.

Baochai's face flushed slightly when she heard this. She bit her pink lips with her pearly teeth and stammered, "Brother-in-law, I...I..."

As the saying goes, family disgrace should not be made public. Baochai did not want to spread the Xue family's affairs. Even to her brother-in-law, it was not easy to tell him, so she kept her words to herself in the beginning.

However, facing her brother-in-law's questioning, Baochai could not muster the intention to lie and could only stammer and say nothing. But she was afraid that her brother-in-law would misunderstand something, and she was so anxious that the tears in her eyes were about to come out.

Shui Rong gently squeezed the girl's soft little hand and said softly, "Brother-in-law knows what you mean. After all, it is the Xue family's business, and it is not appropriate for Brother-in-law to get involved. This time, I heard that you were in a bad mood and I am concerned about you. If you don't want to say it, then don't say it. Will Brother-in-law blame you?"

As he said that, Shui Rong immediately pinched the girl's chin again, stared at her beautiful face, and said with a smile: "If I really want to blame you, your brother-in-law can't bear it."

Baochai was shy, her snow-white face turned red, her beautiful eyelashes trembled slightly, and her bright eyes looked at the young man with affection.

Although her brother-in-law was a playboy, he treated her very well indeed. Moreover, it was not normal for such a noble man as her brother-in-law to have so many people around him.

It is reasonable that those with great power have great desires.

Biting her pink lips with her pearly teeth, Baochai whispered, "Actually, my brother-in-law knows about that person. He always gets the new and discards the old."

As she spoke, Baochai suddenly stared at the young man, then continued, "Brother has been married for less than two months and he has returned to his old ways. Sister-in-law is not easy to get along with. When arguing with brother, she doesn't show any face at all and controls brother with every word. But brother is not strong-willed. His rogue appearance makes mother so angry that she has no way to deal with him."

Shui Rong understood what he said. He didn't know what kind of person Xue Pan was. He was easily bored with the old and easily attracted by the new. The novelty wouldn't last long. In the original novel, Xiangling got tired of him a few times and then abandoned him. It was very normal.

But when Baochai said this, she looked at him as if she was hinting at something, which left Shui Rong speechless.

After a pause, Shui Rong said, "The Xia family girl is the only daughter, and she has been spoiled. How could she bear such nonsense?"

To be honest, the Xia family is richer than the Xue family, so they can be considered a good match. It was Xue Pan's own fault that he had encountered such a misfortune.

Of course, Xia Jingui is not a good person either. When two natural enemies get together, do you expect them to live a peaceful life?

Baochai sighed when she heard this, but didn't say anything. After all, she also thought her brother was ridiculous. She had previously told Aunt Xue about her brother-in-law's warning, but Aunt Xue didn't take it seriously.

Now that she thinks about it, she has just asked for trouble, and this is one of the reasons why she doesn't want to tell her brother-in-law. If it weren't for her brother-in-law's concern, Baochai wouldn't have said this.

Looking at Baochai's melancholy face, Shui Rong thought for a moment and asked, "What does aunt mean?"

Mothers-in-law are born with the ability to suppress their daughters-in-law. As long as Aunt Xue shows her mother-in-law's authority, I think Xia Jingui will not dare to be too presumptuous.

Baochai's pink lips moved a little, but she said nothing. She lowered her head slightly and narrowed her radiant almond eyes.

At this time, Ying'er, who had been serving beside her, saw that the girl did not want to say much. She was always lively and did not care about anything, so she could not help but say, "Your Highness, you don't know that when the eldest lady spits at people, she doesn't even take the wife seriously. The wife is kind-hearted and thinks that the eldest lady is from a family as precious as a phoenix egg, so she can't bear to make a fuss and can only keep it in her heart."

Ying'er couldn't stand Xia Jingui's behavior anymore, so she had to complain to the prince and ask him to make a decision. Xia Jingui was still so arrogant.

Baochai frowned and looked up at Ying'er. Her rosy almond eyes showed a hint of dissatisfaction. It was really foolish of her to talk about her master's faults.

Upon seeing this, Ying'er stuck out her tongue, lowered her eyes and said no more.

Shui Rong understood at this time. The reason why Xia Jingui dared to look down on others was simply because she came from the famous Xia family in Beijing. In the original novel, Xia Jingui dared to be sarcastic in front of Aunt Xue, which showed her confidence.

But now is different from the past. The Xue family is backed by the Beijing Prince's Mansion. No one dares to underestimate them. I thought Xia Jingui would be restrained, but according to Ying'er's words, she has no scruples at all. What is the "Osmanthus Xia Family"? According to Shui Rong, she is just taking advantage of Xue Pan's soft temper and Aunt Xue's kindness as a mother-in-law, so she is getting more and more aggressive.

This Xia Jingui is just an incorrigible person, she's like a replica of Feng Jieer.

After a moment of silence, Shui Rong smiled and said, "Okay, don't be angry with Ying'er."

As he spoke, Shui Rong looked up at Ying'er who was standing at the side, and said, "Ying'er, apologize to your daughter and stop talking nonsense in the future. If you do it again, I will smash your mouth without Baoya saying anything."

Baochai glared at the young man when she heard this, and without waiting for Ying'er to speak, she said in a reproachful tone, "Brother-in-law, just indulge Ying'er. This girl has always been outspoken and will get into trouble sooner or later."

The brother-in-law thought she didn't know. In his heart, he probably liked Ying'er's outspoken mouth and was willing to poke it in pieces. He was afraid that she would not be able to bear the pain.

Ying'er blinked, her pretty face flushed, as if she understood something. She glared at the boy with her beautiful eyes under her willow-leaf eyebrows, then lowered her head and said nothing.

Shui Rong chuckled, pinched Baochai's cheek, and said, "Let's go to Xue's house to see aunt."

Baochai was startled when she heard this, and then she seemed to understand something, and said hesitantly, "I'm afraid I'll have to trouble my brother-in-law!"

"What's the trouble? We'll be there soon."

Shui Rong knew clearly that if Baochai was really worried about the trouble, she would just say it was not necessary. Why did she say this? It was obvious that she actually hoped Shui Rong would go.

What kind of relationship do they have with Baochai? She is still so polite when speaking to him. It can only be said that it is due to her personality. Even Yuanchun is often like this.

Baochai was delighted and said nothing more. She followed the water out of Hengwu Garden and walked along the corridor with ease. After passing through a corridor, she arrived at the Xue family's territory.

As soon as they reached the Xue family's courtyard, they saw the maid Tongxi hurried over. When she saw Baochai, her face lit up with joy, and she bowed to Shuirong before saying, "Miss, the madam is at the eldest lady's place, please go and see her."

Baochai was shocked when she heard this, for she knew that Xia Jingui was not an easy person to get along with, and she was afraid that her mother would suffer a great loss if she went there. Seeing Tongxi's anxious look, she knew something. If the prince had not been here, she would have told him directly.

Shui Rong's eyes moved slightly, and he said, "Precious girl, let's go over and take a look."

At this time, Shui Rong also knew the general situation of the matter, and Baochai had nothing to hide. She nodded and let Tongxi lead the way towards Xia Jingui's courtyard.

Before he even stepped into the courtyard, he heard a clear and loud voice coming from inside, scolding: "Other bastards are happy, why shouldn't I be happy!"

Shui Rong frowned. This sharp and harsh voice was spoken out of fear that others might not hear it. On the other hand, it was also intended to rub the Xue family's face into the ground!
Seeing this, Shui Rong did not hesitate and walked towards the courtyard. Seeing Aunt Xue standing in the courtyard, he greeted her, "Aunt."

Aunt Xue's face turned pale with anger, but she couldn't refute Xia Jingui's sarcasm. She heard someone calling out, turned around, and saw that it was the prince. She was startled and hurriedly said, "Prince, why are you here?"

If the prince saw this disgraceful scene, the Xue family would no longer have any face left.

Shui Rong didn't care. His eyes fell on Xia Jingui who was leaning against the door of the wing room. He saw that her facial features were delicate, her makeup was perfect, her chin was raised high, her eyes were arrogant, and her expression was full of coldness and disdain.

When Xia Jingui saw the person coming, she was startled and stood up quickly, with a look of anxiety between her brows.

She had met the prince before, but regardless of why the prince came here, her previous sarcastic look was the reason for her nervousness.

She pursed her pink lips, took lotus steps forward, her delicate face full of smiles, and said, "Oh, what wind brings the prince here?"

Shui Rong frowned as he looked at Xia Jingui approaching slowly, and shouted, "What a disgrace to be making such a fuss! This is how the Xia family teaches you the rules."

He acts so familiar and thinks he's really some big shot.

But then again, Xia Jingui's aggressive behavior is quite similar to that of Feng Jieer. It is estimated that if she is to be punished, tough measures must be used. Otherwise, the family will definitely not have peace.

However, let’s just forget about Xue Pan’s temper!
Xia Jingui's delicate body trembled and she stood there motionless. You know, even when facing Xue Pan from the Xue family, she was cautious when she first got married, and acted like a good wife and mother. After understanding Xue Pan's temperament, she tested him step by step, and steadily suppressed Xue Pan by a head before she dared to be presumptuous.

Although Xia Jingui was indignant at the young man's reprimanding attitude, she was not stupid and how could she dare to get angry with the prince.

At this time, Baochai stepped forward and touched Aunt Xue's arm. She winked with her rosy almond eyes, signaling Aunt Xue not to say anything and just watch quietly.

Mother and daughter are connected by heart, and when Aunt Xue saw Baochai's expression, she understood and kept silent.

Since the prince came here with Baochai, he must know the reason of the matter. This made Aunt Xue feel ashamed, but also relieved.

Xia Jingui and her Xue family had no other options and could only rely on the prince to ensure harmony and prosperity.

Shui Rong stared at Xia Jingui. Her delicate face was bright and beautiful, and her body was graceful. She was indeed as beautiful as a flower. But her sarcastic look made it really hard to like her.

As the saying goes, "Gold within, rotten outside." What's the use of having a good appearance? Temperament is so important for a girl.

After a pause, Shui Rong said calmly, "You dare to yell in front of your mother-in-law. It shows that the upbringing of the Xia family is really not up to par."

Shui Rong originally intended to come to support the Xue family. In that case, there was no need for Shui Rong to be polite, and he spoke without any mercy.

Xia Jingui's face turned pale when she heard this, she knelt on the ground and said anxiously: "Your Highness, I just spoke a little loudly, and I didn't mean to disrespect my mother-in-law."

This statement also included the Xia family as an insult, which showed the prince's anger. If the Xia family was implicated because of this, she would be the sinner of the Xia family.

Alas, I thought that these embarrassing things within the Xue family would not involve the prince, but I never expected that the Xue family would not follow the usual path and actually invite the prince over.

Shui Rong snorted coldly and shouted, "You mean that I am blind and saw it wrongly, and I am deaf and heard it wrongly, and I have wronged you."

Xia Jingui's beautiful face turned pale, and she knelt on the ground hurriedly, with her plump breasts raised high, and she lowered her posture very low, and said in a trembling voice: "I dare not, it is because I am ignorant, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

How could Xia Jingui dare to admit such serious words? She had to admit her mistake honestly, hoping that a man like the prince would not hold it against a woman like her.

Aunt Xue saw Xia Jingui being so humble, with a look of pity on her face, and whispered: "Your Highness, Jingui just made a loud noise, but she didn't do anything. Let's just forget it."

Xia Jingui was her daughter-in-law after all. Even though she was a bit domineering, her own son was not much better. With his character, it was already very good that he could marry a beautiful woman like Xia Jingui who could read and write.

The most important thing is the Xia family’s millions of assets, which is real dowry!

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong looked up at Aunt Xue and was quite speechless.

You cannot have mercy on a jackal. Even though you are begging for mercy for her now, I'm afraid she won't have any mercy at all in her heart.

But since Aunt Xue had spoken, Shui Rong didn't say much. He nodded and said, "I'll listen to Aunt."

Aunt Xue felt relieved when she heard this, and said with a smile: "Since the prince is here, why don't you come to my place and sit down. I'll have someone prepare some delicious snacks."

Shui Rong responded, giving Aunt Xue enough face. Just before leaving, he turned around to look at Xia Jingui who was still kneeling on the ground, and said calmly: "If you do it again, I will send you back to the Xia family."

Aunt Xue and Baochai were slightly shocked when they heard this. For a girl to be sent back to her parents' home was a great shame and humiliation, more painful than death. (End of this chapter)