Red Mansion Beijingwang

Imperial City, Qianqing Palace.

In the spacious palace, Emperor Yongkang, dressed in an apricot-yellow robe, sat behind the imperial desk. His stern face was gloomy and he exuded a captivating aura, as if he was awe-inspiring without even getting angry.

The palace maids and eunuchs on both sides were all waiting in silence, holding their breath and keeping silent, creating a depressing atmosphere.

At this moment, the sound of footsteps broke the solemnity in the hall, and Shui Rong walked in. Feeling the solemn atmosphere in the hall, he saluted solemnly and said, "Your humble servant greets the emperor. May your majesty be blessed."

In fact, not only was the Qianqing Palace solemn, but the entire imperial city was not in a good mood, because Prince Yong suddenly passed away. The emperor had lost his son, and who would jump out at this time to send off the young? It would be unlucky.

Didn’t you see that Shui Rong was also well-behaved at this time?

"Stand up." Emperor Yongkang had a calm expression and raised his hand to support.

Shui Rong glanced at the face of Emperor Yongkang, who looked dignified without being angry, and paused for a moment. He then bowed and said, "I don't know why your Majesty has summoned me. Please give me your instructions."

Being summoned by Emperor Yongkang at this tense time must be no good thing, so Shui Rong was still a little worried.

Emperor Yongkang lowered his eyes to glance at Shui Rong, waved his hand to signal the maids and eunuchs standing by to leave, and then his sharp eyes flashed with a gleam of brilliance under his stern brows, and asked with a hint of meaning: "Little Sixteen, I heard that you went to visit Li'er half a month ago. Was Li'er's condition still serious at that time?"

Being alone, Shui Rong paused for a moment. He suppressed his uneasiness and replied truthfully, "Brother Emperor, when I went back to visit Prince Yong last time, he said that he had caught a cold. His face was pale, and he was weak and exhausted. It seemed that it was caused by a cold."

Emperor Yongkang asked this question probably because he had some doubts about the cause of Prince Yong's death, so he sought confirmation from the man who had met Prince Yong.

In fact, not only Emperor Yongkang had doubts, but Shui Rong was also very suspicious. It was said that Prince Yong died because he handled government affairs before his illness was healed, which led to overwork, anger, and blood circulation, which caused his death.

To put it bluntly, it is sudden death.

Although the symptoms of a cold vary and can be serious or minor, it seems that Prince Yong is not seriously injured. In his previous life, many young people stayed up all night and were safe and sound. How could a healthy young man die suddenly?

Since it was not a sudden death, it is possible that someone had done something to cause it.

Could it be that the imperial physician had discovered something, which was why Emperor Yongkang was asking about it? Or was he the object of suspicion?

What a joke! There is no conflict of interest between him and Prince Yong. On the contrary, they are uncle and nephew and have a good relationship. Is it necessary for him to attack Prince Yong?
However, Shui Rong would not say much at this time. The less he said, the less mistakes he would make. If his curiosity aroused the emperor's suspicion, he would have no place to cry.

Emperor Yongkang looked at Shui Rong intently, his eyes flickering slightly, and said, "Little Sixteen, I have always leaned on you on my arm, and I have great trust in your character. Tell me honestly, have you ever doubted the cause of Li'er's death?"

Shui Rong raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, his heart sank slightly. With such frankness, it seemed that Emperor Yongkang was indeed suspicious about the cause of Prince Yong's death.

After pondering for a while, Shui Rong suddenly asked, "I wonder if the imperial physician has found anything?"

Since Shui Rong asked this, it means that he is skeptical about the cause of Prince Yong's death.

Emperor Yongkang frowned and shook his head, "No."

Shui Rong understood what he said. If the imperial physician had made any discovery, Emperor Yongkang would not confirm it to him. He probably asked this question out of suspicion.

After thinking for a while, Shui Rong said, "If that's the case, then I think His Royal Highness Prince Yong is unlucky."

If nothing is discovered, then we cannot just make arbitrary judgments based on suspicion. What if Prince Yong really was unlucky and died suddenly?
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yongkang's sharp eyes flashed a dark color under his stern brows, and he said meaningfully: "Little Sixteen, have you never doubted anyone else?"

Shui Rong's heart sank and he hung his head, unable to speak for a moment.

There is an explanation for this "other people". It is probably other princes who have disputes with Prince Yong, involving the "struggle for succession". This is not something Shui Rong can gossip about.

After thinking for a while, Shui Rong said in a deep voice: "My dear brother, I think that since even the imperial physician can't find any clues, it's hard for others to do anything about it."

To be honest, if one wanted to make Prince Yong die suddenly, the only way to do it was to use medicine, but since the imperial doctors couldn't find out what was wrong, this was almost impossible.

Unless the damage is done over time and the medicine slowly erodes Prince Yong's body until a critical value is reached and it suddenly erupts, it will be impossible to detect it.

However, if this condition is met, the only person who can do so would be the Prince Yong's closest person. However, Prince Yong had already left the palace and established his own residence long ago, so the only person who could meet this condition was probably Zhang Pan'er, the Prince Yong's wife.

However, Zhang Pan'er was the wife of Prince Yong and even had a child. It could be said that she shared the same fate with Prince Yong. How could she dig her own grave?
Wait, this is of course impossible in the eyes of others, but in Shui Rong's perspective, the relationship between Prince Yong and his wife Princess Yong has actually fallen apart. Zhang Pan'er is even quite resentful of Prince Yong's coldness.

If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have fallen so deeply in love with Zhang Pan'er when she seduced him.

And if I remember correctly, half a month ago when he went to visit Prince Yong and shared his heart with his nephew's wife, Zhang Pan'er once joked that Prince Yong would be pissed off to death.

Sometimes, the truth is often spoken in the context of a joke. Could it be that Pan'er really did this?

Thinking back to the scene of Zhang Pan'er feeding medicine, which had a bit of Jinlian's charm, Shui Rong was startled and thought to himself, does Pan'er really have such a vicious mind?
Emperor Yongkang's eyes flickered when he heard this, and he remained silent for a while, until Shui Rong felt a little uncomfortable, then he sighed and said: "I also asked my eighth brother, and he has roughly the same opinion as you. Li'er is in his prime years, but perhaps, as you said, he is a child with little luck."

Indeed, as Shui Rong said, it is impossible to do something without anyone noticing, but for some reason, he just had doubts.

Hey. I remember that Li Er returned to the court after a serious illness. Maybe the root of the disease was already there at that time, and it accumulated together.
Although the affection between royal families seemed weak in comparison, and Emperor Yongkang acted indifferent, but that was his own blood after all. There was always a sense of sadness in one's heart when an old person sent off a young one.

Shui Rong was startled when he heard this. He thought he was the only one. He didn't expect that he had already asked Prince Zhongshun before. If his answer was wrong, it would not end well.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong said respectfully: "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences."

The person is gone. What else can he say except expressing his condolences? As for his own doubts, he can only keep them in his heart. How could he possibly say anything more?

After all, for Shui Rong, he was just suspicious.

Emperor Yongkang frowned and said sadly, "I have rarely cared about Li'er. I am also negligent as a father. Now there are only a pair of orphans and a widowed mother left in the Yongwang Mansion. It is difficult for the Yongwang Consort."

When it came to his nephew's wife, Shui Rong didn't say much. He just lowered his head and remained silent.

Emperor Yongkang was relieved for a while, then he lowered his eyes to look at Shui Rong standing by, as if he had thought of something, and said, "Li'er often mentions your kindness in front of me, and even respects you in his heart. As the Son of Heaven, it is not appropriate for me to go to offer condolences, so you can go on my behalf and preside over the Yongwang Mansion."

Shui Rong's heart sank when he heard this, and his head quickly thought about what Emperor Yongkang said.

Logically speaking, not to mention that Emperor Yongkang was the emperor, there was no such thing as a father mourning his son, so it was not excessive for him, the uncle, to take his place.

As for Princess Yong and her son, they are an orphan and a widow, and the prince has lost his backbone. He must be at a loss. It is reasonable for him to ask the elders to preside over the matter.

He was specifically called over. Was it because Prince Yong really respected him, or was it a test?
After a moment, Shui Rong replied, "I will obey my brother's orders, but please forgive me for being blunt. Logically speaking, these matters should be handled by the clan affairs office. Isn't it against the rules for me to go there?"

The affairs of the royal family should be handled by the Ministry of Clan Affairs. Why would he take the initiative to deal with this for no reason?

Emperor Yongkang waved his hand in a disinterested manner and said, "It's okay. If I ask you to go, just go. Just think of it as you making up for my debt to Li'er!" "Yes, I understand. I will go to Prince Yong's Mansion with Yuanchun later to help Princess Yong preside over the meeting."

Since Emperor Yongkang had said it so bluntly, if Shui Rong continued to shirk responsibility, it would be his fault, so he respectfully agreed.

However, it was naturally not convenient for Shui Rong, a grown man, so he asked Yuanchun to go with him. She would help with the affairs of the rear quarters, while he would help to greet people at the door. As a couple, the work was not tiring to work together.

After answering, Shui Rong bowed and said, "If your Majesty has nothing else to do, then I will withdraw."

Emperor Yongkang nodded slightly but said nothing.

Upon seeing this, Shui Rong tiptoed out of the palace, left the Qianqing Palace, and walked along the winding palace road, but he began to murmur in his heart.

As the saying goes, truth will come to light sooner or later. Even if he and Zhang Pan'er kept their affair secret, there would always be a loophole. At this time, Emperor Yongkang suddenly asked him to go to Prince Yong's Mansion. Could it be that he discovered something fishy?
Thinking of this, Shui Rong's heart sank, and he regretted not controlling his thing, which led to such a big flaw.

However, having said that, it seems that Emperor Yongkang did not discover anything. It seems that it was just as he said, and maybe he asked me to go because he had a closer relationship with Prince Yong's Mansion.

No matter what, you should be more careful in the future and never let anyone get hold of you.

Shui Rong was not in a hurry to leave the palace. He first went to the clan house and inquired about some situations. Then he left the palace and took a carriage to the Prince of Beijing's Palace.

After returning to the palace, Shui Rong walked along the corridor and headed straight to the "Feng Yi Courtyard". He lifted the curtain and entered the room. He saw Yuanchun and the three sisters of the You family whispering to each other. He asked, "What are you talking about? You seem so interested."

Hearing the familiar voice, the three looked in the direction of the voice. When they saw the young man with soft, bright, or gentle eyes, there was joy between their eyebrows. Yuanchun, who was in the lead, had a few blushes on her plump face and replied softly, "We didn't talk much, just some gossip."

In fact, she originally wanted to ask about the daily life of the Yu sisters, but as they chatted, they turned to the young men, especially the bold and outspoken Third Sister Yu, who even told some details.

Shui Rong nodded, looked at his second sister lowering her head, and his third sister winking at him meaningfully. Although he was suspicious, he didn't say much and sat down calmly.

He took the tea handed to him by Yuanchun and took a sip, then said, "Yuanchun, come with me to Prince Yong's Mansion later."

Yuanchun's heart moved, and she looked at the young man with her bright eyes. A look of surprise appeared on her plump face, and she asked softly, "My lord, it's not time to offer condolences yet!"

She had also heard about the death of Prince Yong, so if she went to Prince Yong's mansion, she would only be there to pay her condolences.

Shui Rong said, "We are not going to pay our respects. His Majesty feels pity for the orphan and widow of Prince Yong's wife and is afraid that they will lose sight of one thing while focusing on the other, so he asked us to go to Prince Yong's mansion to preside over the ceremony."

Yuanchun was stunned when she heard this. She pursed her lips and asked in a low voice, "This matter should not be handled by the clan affairs office. Why did His Majesty ask us to go?"

They can go, but why does His Majesty let them go to Prince Beijing’s Mansion?
Shui Rong explained, "The emperor felt that our Beijing Prince's Mansion was close to Yong Prince's Mansion, so he asked us to look after it."

When Yuanchun heard this, a hint of unnaturalness appeared on her plump face. Her bright starry eyes narrowed and she was a little worried. Although she could manage the household, she had never been involved in a funeral. What could she do if she went there?

Shui Rong saw the worry on the beautiful lady's face and understood it. He took the beautiful lady's slender hand and said softly, "You don't have to worry. I asked the Imperial Clan Bureau before. When Prince Yong died, they asked the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to choose a date. I heard that the body will be kept for 49 days, and the funeral will be held three days later. During the 49 days of the body, 108 Zen monks will be invited to perform the Great Compassion Repentance in the hall to help the souls of the deceased to be reborn, so as to absolve the sins of the deceased. These things are all handled by the Imperial Clan Bureau. We will help to welcome them and send them off, and also help to supervise them. Don't delay it."

Why do you think Shui Rong went to the clan house before? Wasn't it because he wanted to find out the reason first? Otherwise, he wouldn't know what to do.

Feeling the young man's gentle palm, Yuanchun's worries eased and a sweetness surged from the bottom of her heart.

Her husband was still so considerate when it came to things and he planned everything for her.

Thinking of this, Yuanchun smiled and replied softly, "I understand. I will change my clothes and go to Prince Yong's Mansion with the prince."

Although I don't know much about funerals, at least I have to wear clothes when I go to pay my respects.

With Yuanchun's departure, Shui Rong and the You sisters were left in the room. The third sister You was seen twisting a strand of black hair on her jade shoulder with her bare hands, looking straight at the young man with her charming eyes, and said, "My lord, how many days will you be gone?"

When they saw the prince and princess talking earlier, they sisters naturally didn't want to interrupt, but they heard what they should have heard. The prince and princess were going to the Prince Yong's Mansion to help out. Could it be that they were going to help keep vigil for forty-nine days as they said?
Shui Rong looked at the bright and beautiful face of Third Sister You, smiled and said, "We are just here to help out, and we will not stay at Prince Yong's Mansion. We will go there and come back the same day, and we will be gone for as long as we can."

Zhang Paner is now a real widow. As the saying goes, "There is much trouble around a widow." Even her uncle would not be suitable, especially at such a tense moment. He would not do anything that could give others a handle, so he would naturally avoid it.

Hearing this, Third Sister You smiled, her bright face like a blooming red plum, she reached out from under her skirt and said in a soft voice, "My Lord, you haven't come to see us sisters for some time."

Shui Rong frowned and said unhappily, "Third sister, stop making trouble."

This Third Sister You is really bold. Even at this moment, she is still teasing him. She is a real little slut.

Third Sister You didn't care. She pursed her pink lips slightly and said in a delicate voice, "The prince liked her very much, but now he seems to dislike her. If you have the ability, don't let us sisters serve you."

Now people say she is making a fuss, but why didn't she say anything when she was serving me? If she really disliked me, she really didn't push me away, which shows that she is still happy in her heart.

Pull that thing out of your heartlessness, huh, I just want to make trouble.

Facing the hot temper of You Sanjie, Shui Rong was speechless. He looked at You Erjie who lowered her eyebrows and eyes, and said, "Second sister is still well-behaved. Look at what you look like."

Speaking of which, the two sisters of the Yu family have very different personalities. One is gentle and silent, and will do whatever she is told; the other is passionate and unrestrained, and does whatever she wants.

But to be honest, Shui Rong actually prefers Third Sister You in his heart. After all, her fiery passion always brings Shui Rong something new and different.

Not to mention anything else, just the action of kicking him, in Prince Beijing's Mansion, only Sister Yu San dared to do it.

You Erjie raised her eyes and glanced at the young man. Her pretty face flushed red. There was a hint of shyness between her delicate eyebrows. She said softly, "Your Majesty, Third Sister just loves to play around. Please don't bother with her."

She was most aware of her third sister's mischief. Apart from anything else, how could someone who could ride on the prince not mischief?
Only the prince has a good temper.

Third Sister You glared at Second Sister and ignored her. This little slut had long been convinced by the prince and had completely rebelled against him, even forgetting about her own sister.

Glancing at the young man, the third sister's beautiful eyes were full of life. She said nothing, but crossed her legs, her pointed toes outlining a magnificent scenery.

Shui Rong frowned, staring at Third Sister You's bright face, his eyes flashed with a gleam of brilliance, and said, "Little sluts, you two should clean up tonight. When I come back, I will deal with you properly."

Since you have provoked him, you must be prepared to bear his wrath.

The sisters of the You family were moved when they heard this. The third sister raised her beautiful head, like a proud wild cat. Her beautiful eyes were charming under her willow-shaped eyebrows. She said in a tit-for-tat way, "Come on, we sisters are not made of dough."

Shui Rong found it funny when he heard this. If he wasn't going to Prince Yong's Mansion later, he would have scolded Third Sister You.

Well, it's a good time to gather my strength and meet this pair of sisters who were born together but have very different personalities in the evening! (End of this chapter)