After a few pleasantries, the old concubine changed the subject and asked, “Little Sixteen, is Hua’er doing well in the palace?”

Shui Rong was stunned when he heard this, and replied, “My cousin is fine, please don’t worry, Grandmother.”

When it came to taking care of Zhen Hua, the palace treated her like a proper young lady and therefore did not treat her with any disrespect. Even Shui Rong treated her like a cousin and was never rude to her.

The old concubine nodded and said with a somewhat melancholy tone: “Hua’er is not young anymore, it’s time for her to find a family. When Hua’er’s mother came to the capital, she entrusted her to me. I wanted to find a suitable family in the capital, but after searching for such a long time, I still can’t find one that I like.”

Shui Rong was secretly dissatisfied when he heard this. He hadn’t found anyone he liked yet. He was probably determined to go to Prince Beijing’s Palace and hadn’t even gone to look for one.

But Shui Rong would definitely not tell the truth, after all, the old man also needs to save face, so Shui Rong said politely: “My cousin is in her prime, there is no need to rush, just spend some time to search carefully.”

The jade-like years are the prime of youth, and you are not too old, so there is no need to rush.

The old concubine couldn’t help but frown when she heard this, and her amiable face couldn’t help but darken a little. She had already said so much, and she didn’t believe that Shui Rong couldn’t understand.

The old concubine knew earlier that Shui Rong did not seem to like Zhen Hua, so she arranged for Zhen Hua to live in the palace first to cultivate their relationship. However, things did not go smoothly. It was said that Shui Rong was infatuated with a vixen named Qin, and others were too lazy to even look at her. Therefore, when they knew that Shui Rong had entered the imperial city, they summoned him over, intending to make things clear.

After all, the beauty pageant will be held next year and there is no time to delay.

Thinking of this, the old concubine asked bluntly: “Little Sixteen, what do you think of Hua’er’s appearance?”

Shui Rong pondered for a moment after hearing this, and did not intend to belittle her, so he said: “My cousin has a good character and a fresh and refined appearance. She is indeed a rare beauty.”

Regardless of Shui Rong’s attitude, Zhen Hua is indeed a good beauty. Compared with Keqing, she only lacks some inner charm. There is currently no problem with her temperament. Her overall score is excellent.

The old concubine couldn’t help but look satisfied when she heard Shui Rong’s praise, and said with a smile: “Since you think the painting is good, and you haven’t married yet, why don’t you get married, it will be considered a closer relationship.”

Now that the matter has been made clear, Shui Rong can’t just refuse.

Shui Rong pondered for a moment and said respectfully: “Since the Imperial Grandmother has the intention, I will obey. How about this, when Your Majesty grants the marriage next year, I will marry my cousin.”

The old concubine was very happy when she heard the first half of the sentence, but her face became gloomy when she heard the second half.

When Shui Rong saw this, he knew that the old empress dowager understood what he meant. In the Daqian Dynasty, the prince had concubines in addition to the princess and concubines, as well as concubines.

According to regulations, a prince can have four concubines, and a county prince can have three. Concubines are different from concubines. Concubines have a low status, and if they commit a crime, the princess can punish them or even drive them out of the palace. But concubines are different. Both have crowns and clothes, and are included in the register. Even if they commit a crime, the princess cannot punish them. In the backyard of the prince’s palace, their status is second only to that of the princess.

The princess is the mistress of the household, and her children are legitimate sons. As for the children born to a concubine, although they are not legitimate sons, they are not comparable to ordinary illegitimate sons. Although they cannot get the title, they can still get a share of the family business.

Relatively speaking, a concubine is equivalent to a co-wife, who has a certain status and position and cannot be manipulated at will.

However, there is one most obvious difference, that is, the princess needs to be canonized by the emperor, which is extremely important, while the concubine does not need such trouble, she only needs the consent of the clan house and the canonization by the Ministry of Rites.

What Shui Rong said about waiting until the emperor grants the marriage before talking about getting married simply meant that he was planning to marry Zhen Hua as a concubine. Although a concubine has a high status, it is definitely different from what the old empress dowager has in mind. It is normal for her face to turn bad.

You must know that what the Zhen family wants is the Princess of Beijing County, not some concubine.

After a long silence, the old concubine looked at Shui Rong with a complicated expression and said leisurely: “Little Sixteen, can’t you settle down first?”

Shui Rong understood what was said and made the first decision, which was to make Zhen Hua the princess. This was the final discussion made by the old princess dowager.

Shui Rong had known about this for a long time. It was true that Shui Rong had a good impression of Zhen Hua, but that was all. It didn’t mean that Shui Rong had to have her because she was excellent. There were so many beauties in the world. According to this theory, wouldn’t Shui Rong have to have all the beauties in the world?

Although there are temptations, we also have to consider the cost. Who can resist it when you are busy with so many things?

What’s more, Shui Rong is not taking a concubine, but marrying Princess Beijing. As the mistress of the house, she has to be extremely cautious. Not only does she have to have good character, but her family background must also be clean.

The old concubine arranged his marriage with Zhen Hua simply because she wanted to use the power of Prince Beijing’s Mansion to protect the Zhen family. This is human nature, and Shui Rong can understand it.

But can the mess of the Zhen family be protected? Don’t ask for trouble. The marriage between the two families is a happy event for the Zhen family, but for the Beijing Palace, apart from getting a beautiful woman, there is no benefit, and the disadvantages are immeasurable. It is a huge loss for the Beijing Palace.

As the helmsman of Beijing Prince’s Mansion, Shui Rong has to consider not only his personal preferences, but also Beijing Prince’s Mansion.

In short, Shui Rong was looking at Zhen Hua, his good cousin, so he could let the Zhen family marry into the family, but Shui Rong would not give them the position of princess, so as to prevent them from becoming more rampant and committing unforgivable crimes to drag down the Beijing Palace.

Relatively speaking, Shui Rong focused on selecting the Princess of Beijing with a clean and simple family background, without so many involvements. This was one of the reasons why Shui Rong wanted to choose Keqing as the Princess of Beijing.

After all, Keqing is prudent and gentle. Although she is good at romance, isn’t this the kind of person who is dignified in front of others and shy behind their backs? This is what a man should do.

Moreover, there are only Qin Ye and Qin Zhong in the Qin family, and both of them have decent character. It’s just that Qin Zhong is a little confused. He has an unclear relationship with Da Lian Bao and even has an affair with a nunnery. However, these are minor matters and will not cause any trouble.

The two were a perfect match, making Shui Rong’s choice for Princess Beijing. However, the family backgrounds were too different, and Concubine Dowager Beijing disagreed, so Shui Rong had to give up.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong replied without hesitation: “Grandmother, after all, His Majesty has granted us the marriage, we can’t disobey his order!”

Anyway, there is a reason for the emperor to grant the marriage, so the old empress dowager has no reason to be dissatisfied. She is afraid that the girl will be stubborn. She can wait for the concubines to enter the palace and choose a good woman with a clean family and simple style. This is the best choice for the Beijing Prince’s Palace.

There is absolutely no need for strong alliances, and it is also easy to arouse suspicion.

After hearing this, the old concubine knew it clearly that Shui Rong was determined not to back down.

At this moment, the old concubine suddenly felt unwell and her eyes were a little blurry. Hua’er was from the Zhen family, and the old concubine naturally knew her. She was of good character and appearance, and even Shui Rong had said that she was a rare beauty. But why was Shui Rong so repulsive and even rejected her feelings? It seemed that he had really been bewitched by the vixen.

She wanted to get angry, but Shui Rong had a legitimate reason, leaving the old concubine unable to find a reason to do so.

After a moment’s silence, the old concubine rubbed her forehead and waved her hand, saying, “Forget it. A forced melon is not sweet. It’s up to you. I’m a little tired. You can go back home first!”

After much thought, the old concubine felt that Shui Rong was her grandson after all, and there was no need to get angry with him and ruin their relationship. Since Shui Rong was unwilling, forcing him was useless, so she simply decided to ignore it.

Shui Rong didn’t say much after hearing this. Although the old concubine had a high status, she couldn’t control the Beijing Prince’s Mansion. Even if she was dissatisfied, she wouldn’t tear her face off.

It’s just that they won’t tear each other apart, but it’s still okay to be cold. Before, he was calling me “Little Sixteen” affectionately, but now he calls me “you”, and not only the tone of voice, but also the expression of his face is not good.

But this is understandable. After all, it was Shui Rong who rejected her feelings, so it was good that he didn’t lose his temper.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong stood up, bowed, and then retreated.

It’s just that I have let down my cousin’s friendship, but there is nothing I can do about it. It’s the Zhen family’s fault for being so greedy. If the Zhen family is willing to take a step back, Shui Rong would be willing to marry Zhen Hua because of his good impression of her.

However, based on Shui Rong’s understanding of the Zhen family, it is probably impossible. After all, the Zhen family is very greedy.

Chapter 47 The wind is a bit noisy today

On the corridor outside the bedroom.

The autumn wind rustled, bringing a hint of coolness and blowing the water-soluble clothes fluttering.

How should I put it, the wind is a bit noisy today.

Shui Rong breathed a sigh of relief. The Zhen family’s affairs were basically over. He didn’t think any more about it and walked out of the palace.

“My Lord, please wait a moment.”

Suddenly, a delicate cry came from behind, as gentle and melodious as a trickle of water.

Shui Rong turned around and saw the person coming. It turned out to be Jia Yuanchun who followed him. She was holding up the hem of her skirt and walking with graceful steps. Her skirt was flying like a colorful butterfly, and the few strands of black hair on her forehead were dancing mischievously.

“Huh.” Yuan Chunlian walked in front of Shui Rong, breathing softly, and her round face turned slightly red, as if she had been smeared with rouge, making her even more bright and beautiful.

Shui Rong saw this and asked in a clear voice, “I wonder why the lady came here?”

Shui Rong was extremely confident about his appearance, but he was not so arrogant as to ask the ladies in the palace to follow him without regard for etiquette. In Shui Rong’s estimation, the old concubine must have caused some trouble again.

Are you trying to force it? This melon is not sweet.

Yuanchun recovered her breath and bowed, saying, “Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine said that she is grateful for the care that the palace has given Miss Zhen, but Miss Zhen has been staying in the palace for too long. It is not appropriate for her to stay any longer and I am afraid that she will cause criticism, so I have sent someone to the palace to bring Miss Zhen to the palace. I came here to inform you.”

Shui Rong heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this. He thought the old concubine was going to use force, but it turned out that she wanted to take the person away. This was nothing. Since the two families could not marry, she should be taken back.

But the old concubine’s actions were really swift and decisive!

If she wanted to take Zhen Hua into the palace, she could just send someone. But she had to let Yuanchun catch up and tell her. It seemed that she felt that Shui Rong had humiliated the Zhen family, so she wanted to cut off all ties with him. This was also to express her dissatisfaction with Shui Rong.

Thinking of this, Shui Rong was slightly dissatisfied. He was humble and polite to others, but when he was scolded, everyone would have a temper. What a shitty Zhen family, who do they really think he is? The prince’s concubine, is this humiliating? Little did they know that many daughters of officials would be so eager to have him!

Judging from the old concubine’s attitude, the arrogant and domineering character of the Zhen family is closely related to her. It is definitely the right choice for Shui Rong not to marry into the Zhen family.

Therefore, Shui Rong said calmly: “Please tell the Royal Concubine that I know about it.”

Since she had given him the cold shoulder, there was no need for Shui Rong to chase after her to acknowledge him as the Imperial Grandmother. He was already adopted and there was no longer any affection for her as a grandmother. Shui Rong had no intention of getting close to her in the first place. It was the old Concubine Dowager who had ulterior motives and greeted her warmly.

Yuanchun listened to Shui Rong’s indifferent tone and couldn’t help but look up at Shui Rong, her bright eyes full of confusion.

She also knew that the second young lady of the Zhen family was a person of both good character and good looks. Logically speaking, since the matter was led by the old concubine, there would be no mistakes. Why Shui Rong would bluntly refuse was really puzzling.

However, Yuanchun knew the palace rules very well. She knew not to delve into unclear matters and that doing her own thing was better than anything else.

Therefore, Yuanchun bowed and said, “I understand. I will report this to the Empress Dowager right away.”

After saying this, she turned around and walked away gracefully, fulfilling her duties as a female historian.

But somehow, a gust of autumn wind suddenly blew, and the embroidered handkerchief hanging on Yuanchun’s collar fluttered in the wind.

Seeing this, Yuanchun was startled and reached out to grab it, but found nothing.

Shui Rong, who was about to turn around and leave, was stunned when he saw this. Seeing the embroidered handkerchief flying towards him, he couldn’t help but reach out and grab it.

Holding the embroidered handkerchief in his hand, Shui Rong judged its smooth touch to be the finest Shu brocade. The autumn breeze was also mixed with a soft and refreshing fragrance that was refreshing.

Shui Rong looked at the embroidered handkerchief in her hand. The bright red pomegranate flowers embroidered on the handkerchief looked like stars dotted on a green crown, dazzling the eyes.

Why does this old-fashioned plot seem so familiar?

Just as Shui Rong was complaining in his heart, Yuan Chunlian stepped forward, lowered her eyebrows and said, “Your Majesty, can you return the handkerchief to me?”

A girl’s embroidered handkerchief must not be allowed to be taken away by others easily, and must be taken back.

Yuanchun was feeling uneasy at this time, for the maids in the palace loved to play tricks in order to attract the attention of nobles. The Prince of Beijing in front of her had a special status and grew up in the palace, so he should know the inside story. Therefore, Yuanchun was afraid that Shui Rong would misunderstand that she did it on purpose.

If this was the case, it would be a great injustice. She had not expected this to happen. Perhaps it was because she had been jogging earlier that the embroidered handkerchief hanging on her collar became loose, and a gust of unruly autumn wind blew the handkerchief up.

Shui Rong looked at the beauty in front of him. Although she lowered her head, he could still see her rosy cheeks. He was afraid that Yuanchun was very shy at this moment.

Without thinking too much, Shui Rong handed over the embroidered handkerchief. He had to remember that the beauty in front of him was the future sister-in-law of the emperor and he couldn’t make any mistakes.

“Little Sixteen, what are you doing?” A cold voice sounded, causing Yuanchun to pause with her outstretched hand. Her bright eyes looked behind her through Shui Rong, and her dark pearls shrank slightly, and she hurriedly pulled the embroidered handkerchief back.

Shui Rong turned around and saw the middle-aged man in the bright yellow apricot robe. His face was slightly gloomy and his eyes were sharp, which made Shui Rong’s pupils shrink slightly.

In this situation, does it count as being caught in bed with someone?

Bah, what are you thinking about? It was just a coincidence. There was nothing innocent between him and Yuanchun. And even if there was anything, Yuanchun had not yet become a concubine, so how could there be any affair?

“Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you.” Without further ado, Shui Rong stepped forward and bowed to greet him, while Yuanchun followed closely behind and bowed in greeting.

Emperor Yongkang looked at the two people who were greeting each other in front of him, feeling puzzled as to why they were so harmonious.

Emperor Yongkang raised his eyebrows and said, “Little Sixteen, this is not the main hall, there is no need to follow those rules.”

Shui Rong didn’t take it seriously. Although Emperor Yongkang was close to him, Shui Rong had to show respect to him. He had to strike a good balance. If he didn’t show respect to him, Emperor Yongkang might think too much.

However, since Emperor Yongkang had spoken, Shui Rong straightened up and said with a smile, “Royal brother, etiquette cannot be abolished.”

Emperor Yongkang chuckled when he heard this, but didn’t say anything.

Yuanchun saw Emperor Yongkang talking to Prince Beijing and knew she couldn’t stay any longer, so she bowed and said in a clear voice, “Your Majesty, I have to report to the Royal Consort and I will take my leave now.”