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Baochai was also in a panic. She understood what Aunt Xue meant. The Xue family had no one to rely on in the capital. Although her only uncle had been promoted, he was not in the capital at the moment. They could only rely on the Rongguo Mansion, and the one who could really make the decision in the Rongguo Mansion was Lady Jia.
"Mom, my brother hit the Marquis, and it will be difficult to deal with the old lady."
This is a dignified marquis. Not to mention whether Lady Jia is dedicated or not, even if she is, she may not be able to solve the problem.
Aunt Xue came to her senses after hearing this and burst into tears, "What can we do?"
Suddenly, Aunt Xue remembered and said hurriedly, "Bao girl, the only one who can save your brother right now is Prince Beijing. Let's go ask the prince for help."
Baochai was speechless when she heard this.
Chapter 131 Shui Rong: Where did he get the needle to poke his mouth?
Beijing Prince's Mansion, in the Flower Hall.
Yuanchun sat upright on a brocade couch, wearing a plain snow silk cloud-shaped skirt with auspicious clouds embroidered in gold thread on the neckline and sleeves. The entire skirt was casually dotted with elegant orchids. The agate silver bracelets on her slender hands were particularly eye-catching. She wore a gold filigree butterfly-chasing flower hairpin on her head, appearing dignified and elegant, exuding the grace and luxury of Princess Beijing.
At this time, Yuanchun looked at Aunt Xue and Baochai in the hall with complicated eyes. The mother and daughter of the Xue family came to the palace for help and told the matter of Xue Pan. Beating the Marquis was not a trivial matter. It was unbelievable that Xue Pan dared to do it, and it was because of jealousy over a prostitute. This left Yuanchun speechless.
After a moment of silence, Yuanchun sighed and said, "This matter is of great importance. I cannot make the decision. When the prince returns, I will report it to him."
After all, they are relatives, so she will naturally help if she can. However, as she said, this matter is too serious and she cannot act on her own. Besides, relatives are relatives after all, and she will not joke about the Prince of Beijing's Mansion and take on the matter blindly. For now, she will just make an excuse and ask the prince to make the decision later.
The Xue family's mother and daughter were waiting, but Xue Pan couldn't wait.
Baochai lowered her delicate head slightly, and looked at the goose yellow handkerchief in her hand with her bright almond eyes. She wanted to ask a question, but she also understood that Prince Beijing's Mansion had no obligation to help the Xue family. If it were not for her brother's critical situation, she would not have been so embarrassed to come to Aunt Xue for help.
Moreover, Baochai naturally did not dare to look Yuanchun in the eye. After all, Yuanchun was the legitimate Princess of Beijing, while she had only been hinted at by the prince.
My cousin is not confident enough to become her cousin's biological sister.
Aunt Xue didn't care and asked, "Princess, when will the prince return?"
Yuanchun knew that Aunt Xue was worried about her son. After a pause, she said softly, "I don't know either, but it's getting dark now, and I think the prince will be back soon. If Aunt is willing, you can stay in the mansion and wait for a while."
Yuanchun really didn't know where Shui Rong was going, but she had some guesses in her mind. The last time she took the initiative to ask the prince where he was resting, she vaguely felt that her husband was a little weak in the warm spring night, and there was a faint scent of rouge on his body, which made Yuanchun guess.
As a man, what else can you do outside the house? What's more, your husband doesn't hold an official position yet, so there is no real business for him to do outside the house. Besides, not to mention other things, your husband's clever words can always touch your heart and make you unable to stop. How can this be possible without time?
It is wishful thinking to expect cats not to be greedy. Even the precious Persian cats are not immune to this.
As the saying goes, "If you are not deaf or dumb, you are not fit to be the head of the family." As long as your husband has no intention of bringing the woman back home, then just pretend you don't know. As long as they are in harmony, the woman outside will just give your husband some sweet treats.
Although Aunt Xue was anxious, the prince was not at home, so she had no choice but to nod and wait for a while.
After a while, it was getting dark and Shui Rong walked into the palace.
The "Fengmingyuan" group directed a scene of "Dai Ba Wang angrily beating Haining Hou". Afterwards, he also did some follow-up arrangements. The brothel owner was panicked when she saw that a big incident had happened. Under Shui Rong's coercion and inducement, she redeemed Yi Nianhong's indenture at a reasonable price and has now arranged for her to live in "Heaven on Earth".
Because of this, it took some time, so Shui Rong returned home late today.
As soon as she stepped into the room, a maid in a blue satin vest came over with lotus steps. Her skin was fair and bright. She was Jin Chuan'er, one of the maids Yuanchun brought from the Jia Mansion.
Jin Chuan'er walked to Shui Rong and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Shui Rong nodded slightly and handed the fox fur coat to Qingwen. He looked at the pretty maid in front of him and said jokingly, "Oh, isn't this Jin Chuan'er? Why are you here instead of serving the princess? Are you lazy?"
Listening to the prince's joking words, Jin Chuan'er's eyebrows curved into a crescent moon, and her fair face showed joy. Everyone in the palace knew that the prince was kind and it was okay for him to say a few jokes occasionally. In addition, she was lively by nature, so she said in a slightly playful tone: "I am not idle, it is the concubine of the Xue family and Miss Bao who came to the palace, and the princess asked me to wait for you here."
Shui Rong raised his eyebrows when he heard this. Sister Bao came to the palace?
With his eyes slightly moved, Shui Rong asked, "Why did Aunt Xue and Sister Bao come to the palace?"
Although the Xue family has some relatives in the palace, they would not come to the palace unless there is something important. The only explanation for their coming here now is because of Xue Pan's matter. After all, it involves a marquis, and the Jia family may not necessarily do their best to help.
Jin Chuan'er pursed her lips and shook her head gently, saying, "I don't know either. I just saw that the concubine and Miss Bao were in a hurry, and it seemed that something had happened. If the prince wants to know, why don't you go and take a look?"
As a maid, Jin Chuan'er was not the most trusted person around Yuanchun, and she was not very clear about some things.
Shui Rong understood after hearing this. The only person who could make the Xue mother and daughter so anxious was Xue Pan, the lifeblood of the Xue family. It seemed like he came to ask for help.
Although Xue Pan is a bastard, Shui Rong also intended to fan the flames of this matter. Since he has taken advantage of others, he will not just sit back and do nothing. Moreover, he is very satisfied with Xue Pan's performance today, so he will not treat him unfairly.
Now that the Xue family mother and daughter have come to us for help, we should indeed give them an explanation to put their minds at ease.
Just as Shui Rong agreed, he saw the curiosity in Jin Chuan'er's eyes and couldn't help laughing. Curiosity kills the cat. How could such a gossipy little girl be so gossipy?
With a light laugh, Shui Rong reached out and slapped him on the head, saying with a smile: "You are such a chatterbox, I will peel off your skin carefully."
Although Jin Chuan'er had a nice and romantic personality, as a maid, there were some things she could not gossip about. In the original novel, the reason why she was driven out of the mansion, in addition to the "cold-hearted" Lady Wang, was that she had exceeded the duties of a maid.
Qingwen came up with the teacup in her bare hands. Seeing Jin Chuan'er being humiliated, she turned her eyes away and scolded with a smile, "Today the prince gave you a big head slap. Who knows, tomorrow he might poke your mouth with a needle. Let's see if you dare to say anything more."
As maids of the Jia family, and having entered the palace together, Qingwen had a close relationship with Jin Chuan'er and others, and would occasionally exchange a few laughs and scoldings.
Jin Chuan'er covered her forehead with both hands. She didn't care at first, after all, the prince didn't use much force. But when she heard Qingwen's tone of "gloating over someone else's misfortune", her moist pink lips couldn't help but pout, and she muttered, "Compared to you, I'm nothing but a chatterbox. If the prince wants to poke someone in the mouth, it's yours."
Shui Rong took a sip of tea and quietly watched the two maids bickering in front of him without saying anything. What's the big deal about the maids' quarreling? Besides, it could liven up the atmosphere. It wasn't a fight between shrews.
But Qingwen's tone was really weird. He was just laughing and scolding her a few times, so how could she poke her mouth with a needle? Where did he get the needle? He really didn't know what he was talking about.
Seeing that the two maids were about to quarrel, he was too lazy to pay attention and asked, "Okay, are Aunt and Sister Bao at the Princess' place?"
Jin Chuan'er didn't argue with Qingwen after hearing this, and replied, "No, the princess saw that it was getting late and the prince hadn't returned yet, so she arranged for the concubine and Bao girl to wait in the warm room so that it would be convenient for them to wait for the prince to return."
Shui Rong nodded slightly, and without saying much, he called out to Jin Chuan'er and let her lead the way to the warm room.
Chapter 132 Baochai: Why is my brother-in-law holding my hand?
Inside the Nuan Pavilion.
In a luxuriously decorated wing room, Aunt Xue paced back and forth in the hall. After a long pause, she could not help but anxiously asked, "Why hasn't the prince come back yet?"
I have been waiting in the palace for a long time, but the prince hasn't come back yet. Maybe he doesn't want to refuse his relatives in person and has hidden himself.
Baochai was sitting on an embroidered cushion. When she heard Aunt Xue's anxious words, she raised her bright almond eyes, glanced at her, pursed her lips, and said soothingly, "Mom, don't worry. The prince will make a decision when he comes back."
Baochai had no idea about this matter. Although they were relatives, they were distant relatives, and her brother-in-law had no reason to help the Xue family. Therefore, Baochai could only wait for the prince to make a decision. It was still unknown whether she could save her brother.
If there is a reason, it can only be that I don't know what my brother-in-law means.
Aunt Xue heard this and said anxiously, "That damned evildoer is still in the military headquarters. I don't know what kind of suffering he is going through. How can I be at peace?"
Aunt Xue's voice choked up as she spoke, and she cried, "If anything happens to your brother, what will we do?"
Upon seeing this, Xue Baochai hurried forward to comfort her. She was also anxious, but she knew that it was useless even at this moment.
While comforting her, Shui Rong lifted the curtain and came in. Seeing the mother and daughter huddled together for warmth, he asked in surprise, "What happened?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Xue and Baochai looked up and saw Shui Rong's figure. Their expressions immediately brightened up and they hurried forward to greet him.
Shui Rong didn't take it seriously. After a round of greetings, the three of them took their seats. Before they even sat down, the impatient Aunt Xue gave a brief account of Xue Pan's situation. In general, she hoped that Shui Rong could lend a hand and rescue Xue Pan.
Shui Rong looked calm upon hearing this and did not reply but remained silent. He knew more about Xue Pan's affairs than the mother and daughter of the Xue family, but even though he knew it, he still had to at least pretend.
Seeing that Shui Rong remained silent, Aunt Xue could do nothing even if she was anxious and could only wait.
Baochai raised her bright almond eyes and looked at Shui Rong. Her slender eyebrows trembled slightly, and she clenched the goose yellow handkerchief in her white hands. She felt a little uneasy and complicated.
Just when Baochai was feeling anxious, Shui Rong said, "After all, this is just a matter of jealousy. Auntie, there is no need to worry too much."
Aunt Xue wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and sobbed softly, "If it was just jealousy, I wouldn't come to beg you, Your Majesty, but that damned evildoer actually beat you up, how can this be resolved peacefully?"
Seeing this, Baochai hurriedly comforted her, "Mother, didn't my brother-in-law say that this is just a matter of jealousy. If you are punished, it will be fine after a small punishment or a big warning."
Shui Rong looked up at Baochai when he heard this. As expected of Xue Baochai, who was well versed in human nature, she understood the meaning of the words from just one sentence. If the matter of Xue Pan was really brought up, she would at least be in trouble. But if it was just jealousy, the sin would be much smaller.
Shui Rong's words put the final nail in the coffin of Xue Pan's case. In fact, Xue Pan and Marquis Haining were only guilty of fighting.
According to the Great Ming Code: "If someone hits someone with his hands or feet but does not cause any injury, he shall be flogged 20 times; if he does, he shall be flogged 30 times. If he does, he shall be flogged 40 times. Bleeding, redness, and swelling are considered injuries. If it is not the hands or feet, then all other objects, even weapons without blades, are considered injuries. Pulling out hair more than an inch square shall be flogged 50 times. If blood comes out of the ears or eyes, or if there is internal damage and blood is vomited, he shall be caned 80 times. If someone defiles someone's head or face with filthy objects, the punishment is the same."
Judging from the injuries Xue Pan inflicted on Marquis Haining, the most he would receive would be "forty lashes", not death.
After Baochai comforted Aunt Xue, she looked up at the young man in the hall. She met his gentle eyes and her cheeks felt slightly hot. She quickly lowered her head and remained silent.
Aunt Xue ignored these little actions for the time being. After thinking for a while, she asked, "My Lord, when will my evil creature come back?"
"Mom, didn't my brother-in-law say that my brother is fine, so you don't have to worry."
She had just confirmed that her brother was fine, and now she was thinking about getting him out. This was really going too far, and Baochai was speechless. A hint of helplessness flashed in her almond-shaped eyes.
Shui Rong was silent for a moment, then looked up at Aunt Xue and said in a clear voice, "I know what's going on with Xue Pan, so you don't have to worry about it. I will get him home safely anyway."
Although Shui Rong had no intention of punishing Xue Pan, he was after all attacking a marquis, and it would be against etiquette if he did not accept any punishment at all.
Aunt Xue also looked a little embarrassed when she heard this. Now that she had received the assurance, she felt much more relieved. She looked at Baochai and Shui Rong, who were both silent, for a moment, then stood up and said, "My Lord, thank you for your nagging. It's getting late. I'll go and say goodbye to the princess first."
Having said that, Aunt Xue left without waiting for the two's response.
In a blink of an eye, Shui Rong and Bao Chai were the only ones left in the room, and the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.
Shui Rong didn't care about Aunt Xue. He looked at the girl with her head down and said softly, "Sister Bao, don't worry too much about your brother's affairs. Just relax."
Hearing this, Baochai looked up at the young man. Seeing his warm expression, she nodded and said softly, "Brother-in-law, my brother has offended you before. Now I am bothering you for help. I feel really bad."
Shui Rong's expression paused after hearing this. He had originally not taken Xue Pan's offense against him to heart, but when he heard Baochai mention it, he suddenly became frightened and had the idea of punishing him again.
Baochai saw Shui Rong's strange expression, her heart trembled slightly, her curved eyelashes trembled, and she said carefully: "Brother-in-law, my brother is always a playful person. Last time he drank too much and offended you. I am here to apologize to you on my brother's behalf. I hope you will not blame me."
Having said this, Baochai stood up and bowed with a sincere attitude.
Seeing this, Shui Rong held the girl's arms and said gently, "Sister, don't be polite. It's all in the past. I won't hold it against you."
The mother and daughter of the Xue family had already apologized for the incident with Xue Pan last time, so Xiangling was the apology gift. Since he had accepted it, he would not mind it.
Baochai's heart relaxed when she heard the words. Seeing the young man touching her arms, a bit of shyness appeared on her plump cheeks. She pursed her lips, raised her eyes to look at the handsome face, her almond eyes sparkling, and said softly, "Today, I trouble my brother-in-law to work hard for my brother. I am very grateful."
Shui Rong didn't take it seriously. He had no intention of punishing Xue Pan, the "hero", in the first place. It was just a matter of convenience. He lowered his eyes slightly and saw the snow-white arm. He felt something in his heart and reached out to pull it. It was soft.
Baochai's delicate body trembled, and her face, which was as white as snow, suddenly turned red as blood. Her heart began to pound. Why was her brother-in-law holding her hand?
Feeling the softness of her jade hand, Shui Rong asked softly, "Sister Bao, how do you plan to thank your brother-in-law?"
Baochai looked at the young man quietly with her rippling almond-shaped eyes. Her brother-in-law took her hand and asked her how to thank him.
Pursing her lips, Baochai lowered her eyes and whispered, "What does my brother-in-law want?"
Shui Rong's lips curled up slightly when he heard this. Baochai did not resist his hand holding, and now she was giving him the initiative. How was this different from a confession?
What's more, Baochai has always been a polite person. The one who asked him to hold her hand had obviously understood his hint.
Thinking of this, Shui Rong looked at Baochai's bright and charming face, reached out his hand to lift the girl's chin, and still remembered that Baochai wanted to apologize for Xue Pan before. Now this was a case of sister paying off brother's debt.