Chapter 46 The twisted melon is not sweet Shouan Palace.
Walking into the dormitory along the road paved with white jade, Shui Rong saw the old concubine half-leaning on the brocade bed. Her hair was covered with silver frost, wrinkles climbed up her forehead, and her slightly squinted eyes showed amiability.
Seeing the water melting in, the old concubine's face showed a look of joy, she smiled and waved, "Xiao Liu is here, come to the Imperial Grandmother."
Shui Rong's bent body paused after hearing this, with a slightly helpless look on his face. Although he had been adopted, the name of Xiao Liu had not changed much in the palace, whether it was the Supreme Emperor or the King of Zhongshun. Even Emperor Yongkang never distanced himself.
Perhaps this is a sign of closeness. After all, it is the small group of people in the palace who have the right to call Xiao Shiliu the first name. They have been calling him for more than ten years, and I am afraid it will be difficult to change his mind.
Since the old concubine was close to her, Shui Rong wasn't shy at all. He moved closer and said respectfully, "Grandma Huang."
He originally wanted to call her Imperial Concubine, but after thinking about it carefully, he had already emphasized his identity in front of Emperor Yongkang, and there was no need to worry about going too far.
The old concubine was delighted when she heard this and said, "Good boy, please sit down first!"
Shui Rong bowed and sat down safely in front of the tables on the lower right. There was already a palace maid bringing tea and water.
The old concubine looked at Shui Rong, who was humble and polite, and became more and more satisfied with the decision of the Zhen family to marry the Beijing Palace. After a deep sigh, the old concubine said with emotion: "Speaking of which, it has been a long time since Xiaoliu came to the Ai family to celebrate his birthday. You are settled in the palace, do you think you dislike this bad old woman of the Ai family?"
There was no talk of dislike. In fact, Shui Rong and the old concubine didn't have much interaction. In his impression, they probably came here a few times when he was a child, but never came when he was a little older. In addition, after the adoption, the three of them Nian Shouxiao had not been here for a long time. As soon as he entered the dormitory, Shui Rong casually looked at the maids standing there. Most of them had unfamiliar faces, and they had changed a lot.
It has been a long time, and the water is not in the same water, so there is no family relationship. Let alone the old concubine, he is his biological father. In the past few years, he has only seen her once, and that time it was the Supreme Emperor who took the initiative to summon her.
He said this, but he couldn't say it directly, so Shui Rong explained: "I was just afraid of disturbing the Queen's grandmother's purity, so I didn't say hello. I hope the Queen wouldn't blame her."
The old concubine laughed when she heard this and said kindly: "As we get older, we like to be more lively. Why bother? If you come here more often in the future, the Ai family will be happy!"
Facing the old concubine's warm invitation, Shui Rong could not refuse, so he had no choice but to agree. However, it was up to him whether he would come or not, so it didn't matter.
After a few words of greeting, the old concubine changed the subject and asked: "Xiao Liu, is it okay for Hua'er to be in the palace?"
Shui Rong was heartbroken when he heard this and replied: "Everything is fine with my cousin. Please don't worry, Grandma Huang."
Regarding taking care of Zhen Hua, the palace regarded her as a serious young lady, so they did not treat her lightly. Even Shui Rong treated her as a cousin without being rude.
The old concubine nodded and said in a melancholy tone: "Hua'er is not young anymore, so it's time for her to find a family. When Hua'er's mother came to Beijing, she entrusted her to the Ai family. The Ai family originally wanted to find a family in the capital. I have been looking for a suitable and good family for so long, but I haven’t found anyone I like.”
Upon hearing this, Shui Rong cursed in his heart. He hadn't found anyone he liked yet. He was afraid that he had spotted the Prince's Palace in Beijing and didn't even look for it.
However, Shui Rong would definitely not tell the truth. After all, the old man also wanted to have face, so Shui Rong said politely: "My cousin is in her prime, so there is no rush. Just spend some time and search carefully."
The Jasper Years are when youth is in full bloom. You are not too old yet, so you are not in a hurry.
The old concubine couldn't help but frown when she heard the words, and her amiable face couldn't help but darken a little. She had already talked to this point, and she didn't believe that Shui Rong couldn't understand.
The old concubine had known that Shui Rong didn't seem to like Zhen Hua, so she arranged for Zhen Hua to live in the palace first to cultivate their relationship. However, things didn't go smoothly. It was said that Shui Rong was infatuated with the foxy girl named Qin, and no one else was too lazy to fall in love with the two. He knew that the water had dissolved into the imperial city, so he called him over to clarify the matter.
After all, there will be a female talent show next year, so there is no time to delay.
Thinking of this, the old concubine asked bluntly: "Xiao Liu, what do you think of Hua'er's appearance?"
Shui Rong pondered for a moment after hearing the words, and did not intend to belittle her, so he said: "My cousin has a good character and a fresh and refined appearance. She is really a rare beauty."
Regardless of Shui Xiong's attitude, Zhen Hua is indeed a good beauty. Compared to Ke Qing, she just lacks a bit of a charming temperament. There is currently no problem with her temperament, and her overall score is excellent.
When the old concubine heard Shui Rong's praise, her face couldn't help but become satisfied, and she said with a smile: "Since you think the painting is good, and you happen to be not married yet, why not form a good match, it can be considered as a kiss."
The words have made it clear that water dissolution cannot be shied away from.
Shui Rong pondered for a moment and said respectfully: "Since the Royal Grandmother has her intention, I should obey it. Let's do this. I will marry my cousin after His Majesty's marriage is completed next year."
The old concubine was very happy when she heard the first half of the sentence, but when she heard the second half, her whole face darkened.
When Shui Rong saw this, he knew that the old lady understood what he meant. In the Daqian Dynasty, in addition to the princess and concubines, the prince also had side concubines.
According to regulations, a prince can have four concubines, and a county prince can have three concubines. Concubines are different from concubines. Concubines have a low status. If they commit a crime, the princess can deal with them and even drive them out of the house. However, The side concubines are different. Both have official uniforms and are registered. Even if they commit a crime, it is not something that the princess can deal with. In the back house of the palace, their status is second only to the princess is the head mother of the family, and the children born to her are legitimate children. As for the children born to the side concubines, although they are not legitimate children, they are not comparable to ordinary concubines. Although the title is not the same, they can still get a share of the family business.
Relatively speaking, a concubine is equivalent to a common wife, with a certain status and status that cannot be manipulated at will.
However, there is the most obvious difference, that is, the princess needs to be canonized by the emperor, which is very important, while the concubine does not need such trouble. She only needs the consent of the clan government and canonization by the Ministry of Rites.
Shui Rong's words of waiting for the emperor to grant the marriage before talking about marriage were simply his intention to marry Zhen Hua as a concubine. Although the concubine's status was not low, it was definitely different from what the old concubine had in mind. It was normal for her face to look bad.
It should be noted that the Zhen family wants the princess of Beijing County, not the concubine of Lao Shizi.
After being silent for a long time, the old concubine looked at Shui Rong with a complicated expression, and said leisurely: "Xiao Liu, can't you make a decision first?"
When Shui Rong heard the words, he understood clearly and made a decision first, that is, to designate Zhen Hua as the princess. This was the old concubine's final discussion.
Shui Rong has already known this. It is true that Shui Rong has a good sense of Zhen Hua, but that's just that. It doesn't mean that the other party is excellent. Shui Rong must have it. There are many beauties in the world. According to this theory, doesn't it mean that all the beauties in the world should do their best? Accept it? Although there are temptations, you still have to worry about the capital. Who can bear it if you have everything to do every day?
What's more, Shui Rong is not a concubine, but wants to marry Princess Beijing. As the mistress of the house, she must be cautious. Not only must she have good character, but her family background must also be clean.
The old concubine arranged the marriage between him and Zhen Hua because she wanted to use the power of the Beijing Palace to protect the Zhen family. This is human nature and Shui Rong can understand it.
But can the Zhen family be protected from this mess?Don't ask for trouble. The marriage between the two families is a happy event for the Zhen family, but for the Beijing Palace, there is no benefit except getting a beautiful woman, and the disadvantages are incalculable. In the Beijing Palace In other words, he suffered a huge loss.
As the helmsman of Beijing Palace, Shui Rong has to consider not only his personal preferences, but also Beijing Palace.
In short, Shui Rong looked at Zhen Hua, a good cousin, and said that the Zhen family could get married if they wanted to, but Shui Rong would not give them the position of princess, lest they become more rampant and commit unforgivable sins to drag Beijing down. The palace.
Relatively speaking, Shui Rong's selection of the Princess of Beijing focused on a clean and concise family background, and would not involve so much. 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 he is good at romance, it doesn't mean that he is dignified in front of others and... in hindsight. He is a good man.
Moreover, there are only two people in the Qin family, Qin Ye and Qin Zhong, and both of them are of fair character. That is to say, Qin Zhong is a little confused, has some unclear affairs with the big-faced treasure, and even has an affair with a nunnery, but this It's all small details, nothing in the way.
The two were consistent and suitable for the Princess Beijing selected by Shui Rong. However, the family background was too different. The Princess Beijing did not agree, so Shui Rong had no choice but to give up.
Thinking of this, Shui Rong replied without thinking: "Emperor Grandma, after all, Your Majesty has promised to marry you, so you can't disobey it and disrespect it!"
Anyway, there is a reason for the marriage granted by the emperor, and the old concubine can't find a reason for her dissatisfaction. She is afraid of being stubborn. When the beautiful girl enters the palace, she can choose a good girl with an innocent and concise family background. This is for the Prince of Beijing. Speaking is the best choice.
A strong alliance is completely unnecessary and can easily lead to suspicion.
After hearing this, the old concubine knew it clearly, and Shui Rong made it clear that she would not back down.
At this time, the old concubine suddenly felt that her whole body was not well, and her old eyes were a little blurry. Hua'er was from the Zhen family, so the old concubine naturally understood her. Her appearance was not bad, and even Shui Rong said clearly that she was a rare beauty. But why is Shui Rong so repulsive and even refutes her affection? It seems that she is really obsessed with Hu Meizi.
She was angry on purpose, but it was water-soluble and justified, leaving the old lady with no excuse.
After pondering for a moment, the old concubine rubbed her forehead and waved her hand: "That's all, it's not sweet if you force yourself to do it. It's up to you. The Ai family is a little tired. You can go back to your house first!"
After thinking about it, the old concubine felt that Shui Rong was his grandson after all, so there was no need to get angry with him and ruin their relationship. Since Shui Rong was unwilling, there was no point in forcing him, so she just out of sight and out of mind.
Shui Rong didn't say much when he heard the words. Although the old concubine had a transcendent status, she still couldn't control the Prince of Beijing's palace. Even if she was dissatisfied, she wouldn't break her face.
It’s just that you won’t rip off your skin, and it’s okay to throw a tantrum. Before, it was Xiaoliu who was shouting affectionately, but now it’s you. Not only the tone, but also the face is not good-looking.
But this is understandable. After all, whoever let Shui Rong refute her feelings would be fine if she didn't lose her temper.
Thinking of this, Shui Rong stood up, bowed his hands, and then retreated.
It's just that she has let down her cousin's friendship, but there's nothing she can do about it. Who makes the Zhen family look ugly? If the Zhen family is willing to take a step back, Shui Rong will be willing to marry her because of his good impression of Zhen Hua.
However, judging from Shui Rong's understanding of the Zhen family, it is probably impossible. After all, the Zhen family is very greedy. (End of this chapter)