Red Mansion Beijingwang

Beijing Palace.

In the study, it was already time to light the lamps. The lights on the candlesticks flickered, and the orange-yellow light diffused all around, creating ripples like a tide.

Shui Rong was sitting on a rosewood chair behind the desk, writing with a brush in hand. He heard a slight sound of footsteps. He looked up and saw a graceful figure walking in. Her eyes were gentle as she said softly, "The third girl is here."

Shui Rong was not surprised by Tanchun's arrival. After all, she had already obtained Shui Rong's permission to come to the study at any time to sort out official documents.

Tanchun wore a light blue round-necked gown embroidered with chrysanthemum branches and gold trim. She had a phoenix-wing-shaped gold hairpin pinned to her bun. The look was unique and neat, and paired with a small rhinestone hairpin, she looked bright and beautiful.

The girl walked in with lotus steps, her pretty face was calm, her clear eyes under her handsome eyebrows looked at the desk, and she asked softly, "What is my brother-in-law writing?"

Shui Rong picked up the pen and continued writing, replying: "A letter to my father-in-law."

Father-in-law, that can only be Jia Zheng who is far away in Fujian, and he is also Tanchun’s biological father.

Tanchun came closer, holding the hem of her sleeve with her bare hands, picked up an ink stick on the side and began to grind it. Her eyes twinkled as she asked, "Brother-in-law, is this about the sea trade?"

Tanchun had already known about the full lifting of the maritime ban, and her brother-in-law wrote to her father, most likely with some arrangements.

Shui Rong nodded slightly and glanced at the girl who was grinding ink. Under the reflection of the orange-yellow light, the girl's fair face took on a touch of softness. This scene gave people the artistic conception of "the girl in blue holding the inkstone urges the students to finish their papers, while the girl with red sleeves adds fragrance to the students' study."

"Brother-in-law, what's the matter? I'm sorry to bother you." Seeing the young man staring at her, Tanchun blinked and asked softly.

Could it be that her brother-in-law and father wanted to tell her something that she couldn't know? If so, her behavior was indeed abrupt.

Shui Rong chuckled, picked up the pen and added some ink, and wrote while smiling: "Nothing, I'm just happy to see that my third girl is so smart."

When Tanchun heard this, a faint blush appeared on her fair face. Under her handsome eyebrows, there was a hint of shyness. She said angrily, "Brother-in-law~"

She thought it was something else, but it turned out to be her brother-in-law teasing her.

After writing, Shui Rong put the pen on the pen holder, and then he led the girl into his arms, hugged her soft waist, and smelled the girl's refreshing rose fragrance. He said, "If you have anything to say to your father-in-law, you may add it."

It is natural for a daughter to write a letter to her father.

Tanchun sat shyly in the boy's arms. Hearing what he said, she blinked her eyes and asked softly, "Is it okay?"

Shui Rong couldn't help laughing when he heard this. Since he said so, there was nothing wrong with it. Tanchun asked this question with reference to Pei Gong, because if he added something, the content of the letter could not be concealed.

Tanchun is different from other girls in her cheerful and heroic spirit. She is quite interested in outside affairs and never tires of them.

In short, Tanchun is a career-oriented person who is not confined to the rear house.

"Look if you want." Shui Rong stretched out his hand and pinched the girl's delicate face, saying with a smile.

Tanchun's thoughts were exposed by Shui Rong, and she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She pursed her lips, picked up the letter on the desk with her slender hands and started reading it. Her eyes flickered as she asked in surprise, "Brother-in-law, are you going to ask my father to return to Beijing?"

There was nothing much in the letter. It just asked Jia Zheng to wait for the person sent from the capital and cooperate with him in the work.

Shui Rong twisted a strand of the girl's hair and played with it, saying, "Yes, now that His Majesty wants to lift the ban on sea trade, it is no longer a matter for just one port. It would be inappropriate to let my father-in-law take charge of it. It would be better to hand it over and let my father-in-law return to Beijing so that he can reunite with the old lady and mother-in-law."

After the full lifting of the maritime ban, it would be inappropriate for Jia Zheng to be in charge, so someone would be sent from the capital to take over, and Jia Zheng's political achievements would be enough.

As for placing personnel, this is not necessary because the shipping matters are handled by the Xue family, which can ensure the interests of the Prince Beijing's Mansion and even the military merit lineage.

In this case, Shui Rong might as well do a favor and hand over the power. It would be better than waiting for Emperor Yongkang to speak.

Tanchun nodded lightly and replied, "My brother-in-law is right. This business is big and the power is great, but it is also very troublesome to manage. In addition, the profits from maritime trade are huge and there are countless people watching. If we are not careful, it will be a disaster. It is better for father to sell it as soon as possible and return to Beijing."

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong stared at the girl's fair profile, with a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes beneath her delicate brows.

As the saying goes, the higher you stand, the harder you fall; the greater the power, the greater the risk. Don't just look at the rights brought by maritime trade, there are also many hidden dangers.

With a light laugh, Shui Rong jokingly said, "Are you saying that your father-in-law is incompetent?"

When Tanchun heard this, a trace of embarrassment appeared on her fair cheeks. She said angrily, "Brother-in-law, I didn't disrespect my father. You can't accuse me for no reason."

In fact, Tanchun knew her father well. He was a pedantic person and it was difficult for him to run a port. If the maritime ban was lifted, the affairs would be complicated. Given Jia Zheng's ability and virtue, something big would happen sooner or later. Instead of this, it would be better to recall him to Beijing.

I think my brother-in-law also thought so, but he still blamed me.

Shui Rong smiled and reminded: "Add a few words to your father-in-law."

A daughter can deny her father's ability, but a son-in-law should not speak ill of her father in front of his daughter. The reason for recalling Jia Zheng was that he was afraid that Jia Zheng would cause trouble and cause unhappiness.

Tanchun pursed her pink lips, picked up the brush from the pen holder with her bare hands, tapped the inkstone, and said softly, "Then I will add a few words of greeting to father on behalf of elder sister."

Shui Rong found it funny to hear that. After all, she was Yuanchun's right-hand man. The sisters were very close.

Tanchun picked up the pen and wrote a few words. She held the paper and blew on the wet ink. Then she pressed it to the side of the desk and said softly, "Brother-in-law, wait until the ink is dry. I will help you pack the letters."

Shui Rong leaned back, turned the girl over, let her sit astride him, stared at the girl's bright face, smiled and said: "Well, the third girl is still considerate."

Tanchun was shy, and this kind of situation made people a little frightened. She lowered her head slightly, her face flushed, and she said softly, "It's my little sister's job."

Although she called him brother-in-law, in fact the young man in front of her was her man, so it was her right to serve him attentively.

Shui Rong reached out and lifted a strand of black hair from the boy's forehead, and then slid it down to his crystal earlobe. He said softly, "Third girl, since Yuanchun became pregnant, most of the affairs in the mansion have fallen on you. Thank you for your hard work."

The palace is large and wealthy, and Yuanchun brought with her a large dowry, which was half of the Duke's Mansion, when she married into the palace. The total amount of property is not a small matter, and it is not easy to handle.

Tanchun felt a sweet feeling in her heart when she heard the young man's caring words. She smiled sweetly and said in a clear voice, "Sister Bao and Sister Qin are both in charge of a lot of things, but it's not too hard."

Shui Rong pinched the girl's face, which was so soft, and said with a smile: "Although they are in charge of a bunch of things, you are in charge of the biggest part. Besides, in addition to the things in the mansion, you have to come to the study every day to sort out things. You are too busy to do everything. How can you not be tired?"

It is true that the affairs of the mansion are managed by Tanchun, Baochai and Keqing, but Tanchun came as a dowry and is Yuanchun's most relied-on helper. In addition, her ability is outstanding, so naturally the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility, so the things Tanchun is in charge of are the most complicated.

Although there is help from Baoqin, Fu Qiufang, Yuanyang and others, they are just auxiliary and in the end Tanchun is still needed to take charge of the affairs.

Tanchun has to help Yuanchun with housekeeping, help Shuirong with tidying up, and most importantly, serve Shuirong. All in all, it's harder work than working as a cow or a horse!

Tanchun stared at the gentle young man in front of her, her bright eyes twinkled under her heroic eyebrows, and she said softly, "With your words, my brother-in-law, I won't be tired."

It’s hard work, but what I fear most is that no one cares about the results of my work. Since my brother-in-law knows my hard work, it’s all worth it.

Shui Rong smiled when he heard this. The cheerful Tanchun's sweet words sounded so beautiful.

The hand that was pinching the girl's chin was slightly raised. As their eyes met, Shui Rong stared at the girl's peach-like lips, which were sparkling in the candlelight. His eyes moved slightly and he leaned forward.

Tanchun's eyes fixed for a moment, the young man's handsome face reflected in them. Her heart moved slightly, and there was a hint of shyness between her brows. Seeing the young man approaching, her heart tightened, and she closed her eyes with a bit of panic, her bare hands clenching the embroidered handkerchief.

"No~"

Just as she imagined, her lips were already being kissed, and the familiar soft breath came towards her, making Tanchun's heart palpitate. A soft and delicate touch came forward, and the sweet breath soaked her heart. After a long time, Shui Rong embraced the girl's shoulders, hugged the beautiful girl, and whispered: "If the third girl is tired, brother-in-law will talk to Yuanchun, don't tire brother-in-law's little heart."

In fact, Yuanchun could have taken over the affairs of the palace again, but now her mind was on the twins. Out of respect for Tanchun, she did not mention the matter and continued to let Tanchun manage it.

How to put it, it's somewhat similar to Lady Wang and Sister Feng.

Tanchun leaned her head on Shuirong's shoulder and said softly, "Since elder sister has entrusted the matter to me, how can I live up to your high expectations? If my brother-in-law goes and tells, it will only make me look wrong."

If it were someone else, Tanchun might have thought it was a power grab, but her brother-in-law was not only concerned about the affairs of the mansion, but also the affairs of the court, and she was never on guard. Her words were also out of concern.

It's one thing to care about, but if I tell my brother-in-law about it, it will seem like I'm complaining, making me look like a nobody.

Shui Rong understood what he said, and reached out to touch the buttons on the girl's body, saying, "This is not a difficult thing. Baoqin and Xiangyun are both idle, so let them take care of some things, so that they don't have to make trouble all day long."

Tanchun felt shy, her fair cheeks flushed, her bright eyes full of water under her handsome eyebrows. She knew what the young man was going to do next from his familiar movements.

Biting her pink lips with her pearly teeth, Tanchun turned her head slightly and let the young man do whatever he wanted. With a tremor in her voice, she said, "It's better not to do that. It's good that those two girls didn't cause more trouble."

Shui Rong chuckled when he heard this, but was unable to refute it. It was not that Baoqin and Xiangyun were stupid, but they were still young and at the age of playing.

Pushing aside the red mist, there was another scene. Shui Rong looked at her carefully, secretly sighing at the girl's growth, and said softly: "Then let the second and third sisters try."

There are not only people related to the Jia family in the palace, but also the sisters of the You family. Although they are from a small family, it is not a problem for them to manage some small matters in the backyard, which can help Tanchun share some of the burden.

Of course, there are also the Zhen sisters in the palace, but Shui Rong only has a need for them.

Tanchun's heart was trembling, her fair cheeks were already flushed, she bit her pink lips with her pearly teeth and said, "Well, I got it. I'll ask the two sisters to come tomorrow."

Since her brother-in-law said this, Tanchun naturally had nothing to say.

At this moment, Tanchun's mind was not on this matter. The young man's hands had already grasped her heart. Her delicate body trembled slightly, and her handsome eyes were full of water.

Shui Rong pursed his lips, leaned forward, and hesitantly exclaimed: "The third girl has grown up."

Upon hearing this, Tanchun's delicate body trembled uncontrollably, her fiery face flushed red as she lowered her eyes to look at the childish boy, feeling extremely ashamed.

What do you mean by grown up? I’m afraid my brother-in-law knows what you are talking about.

Her eyes flickered slightly, and Tanchun said quietly, "Brother-in-law, I've thought about it."

Shui Rong paused after hearing this, raised his eyes to look at the girl's blushing face, and was shocked. Even though he knew that Tanchun had a cheerful personality, it was still hard for Shui Rong to believe that she said it so bluntly.

My third daughter has really grown up.

After a pause, Shui Rong leaned close to the girl's crystal earlobe and whispered, "Then your brother-in-law will serve you."

Since Tanchun is so bold and passionate, why should Shuirong be shy? Serving his own third girl is not something that should be taken for granted; it is a man's responsibility.

Tanchun's delicate body trembled, and she pressed the boy's hand that was pinching her waist with her bare hands. She glanced at him with her bright and handsome eyes, and said shyly, "That's not what I meant."

It's not good for her to serve you if you don't agree with her. There's nothing to say, but she really doesn't mean that.

Shui Rong was speechless. You didn't say that yourself, and now you don't mean that, so what do you mean?

Just as he was about to ask, Shui Rong looked up at the shy and bashful face of the girl, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked tentatively: "Does the third girl want to marry her brother-in-law?"

Tanchun's heart was shocked, and her rosy face flushed red. She twirled the embroidered handkerchief in her hands and fell silent. Her slightly pouting pink lips revealed the girl's grievance.

Actually, I entered the palace with my elder sister, so I am already an "old member" of the palace. According to my brother-in-law, he was afraid that I would get hurt due to my young age. But now in the palace, not to mention my elder sister and Sister Qin, I am the only one left including Sister Bao, the You sisters, and even the Zhen sisters.

Shui Rong understood what was happening. Just as he thought, the third girl was about to change.

Pursing his lips, Shui Rong held the girl's blushing face and said softly, "The third girl will be a marriageable girl next year. How about we talk about it after you are a marriageable girl?"

Tanchun bit her pink lips tightly with her pearly teeth, her heroic eyes were slightly red, and she said aggrievedly: "Sister Xue'er hasn't reached the age of marriage yet."

She had heard that the Zhen sisters served their brother-in-law together.

Shui Rong smiled and said, "Where did you hear this nonsense? Xue'er is the same as you."

As soon as he heard Tanchun's words, he understood what was going on. He thought that because he knew that the Zhen sisters served him, he thought that they had both become women.

But in fact, Shui Rong only ate Zhen Xin, and as for Zhen Xue, she was just a passing foe to Tanchun.

When Tanchun heard this, she felt extremely ashamed, thinking that her brother-in-law had left her out. She didn't expect that she was overthinking. She was so bold today. She was really embarrassed.

I hope my brother-in-law doesn’t think he is shameless.

Shui Rong stared at the shy face of the girl, chuckled, and said, "Okay, brother-in-law will serve you."

Tanchun felt shy, feeling the strangeness under her body. Her eyes were full of water under her handsome eyebrows. She said shyly, "Brother-in-law, let me serve you."

The boy has never been honest since he unbuttoned her clothes. If that's the case, then she should take the initiative.

Shui Rong's heart moved when he heard the words. With his eyes flickering, he leaned forward and whispered something in his ear.

When Tanchun heard this, her heart trembled, her bright eyes widened, and she was filled with astonishment. She had never expected that her brother-in-law would come up with a new trick.
Before Tanchun could come to her senses, she saw the young man had already lifted her up, like Lu Zhishen pulling up a weeping willow. For a moment, Tanchun was in a trance and exclaimed, "Brother-in-law, don't."

Shui Rong ignored her, pushed down the girl's skirt, and leaned forward to get closer.

Tanchun's blood rushed into her head, and she felt dizzy. She felt her heart trembling, and her whole body went limp. She couldn't muster any strength, and her rosy face flushed red.

"Third girl, don't just stand there." Shui Rong wrinkled his nose and couldn't help but urge her.

Tanchun was feeling extremely ashamed at this moment. It was not like they had not served each other before, but being in such a situation was really hard to talk about and she could not suppress her shame.

Why does my brother-in-law have so many tricks? He just wants to see her make a fool of herself, right?

Hearing the young man's urging voice, Tanchun bit her pink lips with her pearly teeth, raised her eyes to glance at the bulge, and finally stretched out her trembling hands and began to untie it with rustling movements.

After all, she was being carried up here.

With a "snap" sound, as if a bamboo joint was breaking, Tanchun's cheeks felt burning, and she secretly cursed in her heart. She opened her red lips and moved forward.

After a while, Shui Rong frowned slightly and stammered, "Third girl, you seem a lot more unfamiliar!"

Tanchun's cheeks flushed red. Hearing the young man's words, she couldn't help feeling ashamed and angry. Not to mention that there were more wolves than meat in the palace, she hadn't eaten meat for some time. The current situation alone made her feel overwhelmed. How could she be calm?

Humph, my brother-in-law is really annoying. (End of this chapter)