Page 119
Seeing Shui Rong doting on Xiang Yun, the people on the side were confused for a moment. Daiyu's eyes dimmed slightly and she clenched her handkerchief. After all, she was different from Xiang Yun, and she didn't have a loving "brother" around her.
Shui Rong sat on the brocade cushion and looked at the fresh and elegant Daiyu in front of him. Seeing the gloomy look between her brows, he asked with concern: "Sister Lin, are you feeling better?"
Daiyu heard this and looked at the young man in front of her with her clear autumn eyes. Her willow-shaped eyebrows relaxed and she replied, "I feel better than the last two days. Thank you for your concern, brother-in-law."
Her brother-in-law still cares about her health as always, which is heartwarming.
Shui Rong nodded slightly and turned to look at the plump Baochai on the side. The girl had her hair tied up, a pearl and diamond hairpin in her hair, orchid bud-shaped earrings swaying gently on her ears, and she was wearing a pink round-neck skirt embroidered with peony, looking dignified and beautiful.
"Sister Bao is dressed more elegantly today than usual."
When Baochai heard this, her heart trembled. How could she praise her dress in front of her sisters? Wouldn't people see something?
Thinking of this, Baochai lowered her head slightly and did not answer, with some shyness and joy between her eyebrows, obviously happy about Shui Rong's praise.
Shui Rong didn't care about it. His brother-in-law was just praising his sister-in-law's dress. What was the big deal? Besides, only those who acted upright and aboveboard knew that they had a clear conscience. Only Baochai felt a little guilty and was not as calm as Shui Rong.
Daiyu looked at Shui Rong with her willow eyes, who was smiling. The corners of her moist lips couldn't help but curl up, but she didn't say anything.
Shui Rong then greeted Yingchun and Xichun again. After a few casual words, the girls tactfully left.
At this time, Shui Rong and Tanchun were the only two people left in the house. For a moment, a beautiful atmosphere lingered in the house, and it seemed quiet.
Chapter 206: Tanchun does it when she has something to do,
Tanchun sat on a brocade cushion, looked at the young man with a pair of bright and beautiful eyes, and asked, "Has my brother-in-law eaten yet?"
Hearing this, Shui Rong looked at the girl with a smile on his face. It was just getting dark, how could he possibly eat at this time? Now Tanchun took the initiative to ask, which showed that she cared about Shui Rong and was also taking the opportunity to test him. It must be said that Tanchun was a scheming girl with little thoughts.
After a pause, Shui Rong said in a gentle voice, "Not yet. I'll ask the kitchen to make some more later. I'll eat with my third sister today."
When Tanchun heard this, her bright eyes beneath her handsome eyebrows were filled with joy. She turned her head and said, "Shishu, go ask the kitchen to prepare some food that my brother-in-law likes and send it over."
The secretary responded and then walked out.
Shui Rong smiled upon seeing this, and he said he would stay for dinner. Tanchun immediately gave the order without any shyness, especially the tone of her voice, which was clean and refreshing.
After giving the order, Tanchun walked to the table, poured a cup of tea and handed it to her, asking, "Didn't my brother-in-law go to see my elder sister?"
Although she was happy that Shui Rong, her brother-in-law and husband, came to see her, Tanchun knew that Yuanchun was the mistress of the palace's backyard and she was also her elder sister, so she had to distinguish between the primary and the secondary.
Shui Rong took the teacup and said with a smile, "I had a conversation with Master Miaoyu while drinking tea with Yuanchun at Longcui Temple. When I came back, I was thinking about my third sister, so I came to see her."
Upon hearing this, Tanchun couldn't help but feel happy. She came as a dowry in the first place, and it was enough for her brother-in-law to think of her in his spare time. Tanchun was already satisfied. Those who were greedy would be disliked instead.
"Master Miaoyu is well versed in Buddhist scriptures. My brother-in-law will definitely gain something from drinking tea and discussing the Dao with her."
Shui Rong nodded slightly when he heard that. Tanchun's eyes were sharp. It was just as he said. The trip to Longcui Temple was quite rewarding. Master Miaoyu was very interesting. They would definitely go there to taste tea and discuss Taoism in the future.
After a pause, Shui Rong looked up at the girl and asked, "Sister, you seem to know Master Miaoyu quite well. So, can you tell me what kind of person Master Miaoyu is?"
As Tanchun said, she had a lot of contact with Miaoyu, otherwise she would not have praised Miaoyu. Shui Rong wanted to know what Tanchun thought of Miaoyu.
Tanchun shook her head and replied, "I don't really know her, but I have met Master Miaoyu a few times. Master Miaoyu is talented and elegant, and is indeed a rare and wonderful person. However, Master Miaoyu is a person who is not worldly, and her heart is noble and pure, and ordinary people cannot be attracted by her."
After hearing this, Shui Rong was speechless and could only admire Tanchun for her sharp vision and for hitting the nail on the head about Miaoyu's character. However, Tanchun could not see through that Miaoyu was not a person who reunited with the world and that was just an outer disguise.
Having said that, Shui Rong did not intend to expose Miaoyu's veil. He planned to expose Miaoyu's holy appearance in person.
Putting down the teacup in his hand, Shui Rong reached out and held the girl's hand, feeling it was soft and delicate. He smiled and said, "Sister, why are you standing here? You seem to be acting strange to me."
Although he knew everything, Tanchun was still a little restrained in front of him. It seemed that this was not thorough enough, and he needed to teach Tanchun a lesson.
Tanchun felt the warmth in his palm, her pretty face flushed red, but as her brother-in-law said, there was no need for alienation between them, but... She glared at the boy with her bright eyes, "Where do you want her to sit, holding hands?"
Shui Rong chuckled when he saw this, and then asked, "What does Third Sister do on a daily basis?"
Tanchun had nothing to hide, so she replied softly, "I deal with some chores in the mansion every day, spend time with Yun and the others in my free time, and occasionally practice calligraphy."
Shui Rong nodded slightly when he heard this. Girls like Tanchun usually hang around in the backyard. Apart from these things, there is nothing else to do.
But before Shui Rong could speak, Tanchun looked at the young man with her bright eyes and asked, "Is your brother-in-law doing his work well?"
Shui Rong paused when he heard this, and looked at the girl with a slightly strange look in his eyes. You must know that neither Concubine Beijing nor Yuanchun would talk to him about official matters.
However, Shui Rong was not surprised. Tanchun was different from ordinary girls in the boudoir. Her words and actions were all full of heroism and fortitude, and she was quite masculine. Just as she said during the search of the Grand View Garden: "If I were a man and could go out, I would have left long ago and established a career. Then I would have my own reasons." This shows that Tanchun is a person with lofty ambitions.
After a pause, Shui Rong asked in a gentle voice, "Third sister, are you interested in official business?"
Tanchun's heart trembled when she heard this, her bright eyes flickered slightly, she pursed her pink lips and said softly, "I just care about my brother-in-law."
She was indeed interested in outside affairs, but as a girl, she couldn't talk too much about these things. Even if she was polite and well-mannered, it would be unreasonable.
Shui Rong understood what was happening, chuckled, and said gently, "Third sister has always been elegant and open-minded, why are you being so shy? If you are interested, your brother-in-law will not restrict you."
For Tanchun, her value lies in her elegant and cheerful mood. Even when she speaks eloquently, she is still straightforward.
When Tanchun heard this, her eyes showed an inexplicable look, and she said, "Brother-in-law, I'm afraid this is not a good idea."
Shui Rong found it funny when he heard it. If Tanchun really felt it was not good, why would she ask him back? It was obvious that she had feelings for him, but she was trying to get him to agree to it in a roundabout way.
The scheming girl is indeed a scheming girl, with many twists and turns, but Shui Rong will not be annoyed by this. After all, Tanchun is not really scheming, she is just having some little thoughts.
Thinking of this, Shui Rong reached out and gently pinched the girl's chin, and scolded with a smile: "What are you trying to do, girl? There are official documents in the study. When you are free, you can go and take a look and help your brother-in-law sort them out."
The study is also Shui Rong's office, and is usually tidied by Yingluo, Qingwen and Xiangling. However, they are maids after all. They can serve people well but don't know much about official duties. They just tidy up the desks.
Since Tanchun is interested now, I might as well ask her to help sort it out. In the original novel, Tanchun can say "a hundred deaths but still remain stiff", which is enough to show that Tanchun is "politically savvy". If we compare it carefully, if Tanchun is really a man, the Rongguo Mansion would not be without someone to show off to the outside world.
It is indeed a pity that such a capable person as Tanchun is confined to the backyard.
When Tanchun saw Shui Rong pinching her chin, she felt shy and her pretty face turned red as blood. However, when she heard Shui Rong agreed to this matter, she was not happy at all. She nodded her head and said "hmm".
She was just helping her brother-in-law to clean up and didn't get involved in outside affairs.
Shui Rong didn't say much when he saw this. Tanchun was the one beside him, so he wouldn't worry about anything. He would just train Tanchun to be his secretary. Not only would he get help, but he would also save himself some trouble. In the future, he could let Tanchun do some things when he had nothing to do.
Soon, the secretary led the maid to bring the prepared meal over. Shui Rong didn't say much and invited Tanchun to eat together.
Chapter 207 Tanchun: Such behavior is not worthy of my elder sister
Daiyu courtyard.
After the sisters left Qiu Shuang Zhai, they all went their separate ways. Daiyu returned to her own room. When she had nothing to do, she leaned on a brocade couch, reading a book in her hand.
Zijuan walked into the room carrying a tray, looked at the beauty who was leaning on the brocade couch reading a book, and said softly: "Miss, the bird's nest porridge is served, eat it while it's hot."
Daiyu couldn't help but frown when she heard this. She continued to look at the book in her hand and said in a clear voice, "I don't have much appetite. Let's put it there for now."
Zijuan raised her eyebrows, handed the bird's nest porridge to Daiyu, and said softly: "Miss, the bird's nest porridge should be eaten while it is hot. At least have a few bites and wait for us to return."
Zijuan suddenly stopped talking halfway and looked at Daiyu. As expected, she saw a gloomy look between her brows and felt something was wrong.
Although Zijuan did not finish her words, the clever Daiyu understood what she meant. When she returned to the Duke's Mansion, she would not be able to eat bird's nest even if she wanted to. It was not that the Duke's Mansion could not afford it, but that the Duke's Mansion was talking behind her back. If Daiyu did not know how to advance or retreat, she would be cursed for no reason and would be so angry that she would die. How could she have the appetite to eat bird's nest?
As for the palace, the bird's nest porridge was ordered by the prince and princess, and the people in the kitchen would deliver it directly after it was cooked. Daiyu never needed to say anything, as it had become a routine.
Daiyu looked up at Zijuan and saw that she looked embarrassed. She took the bird's nest porridge from Zijuan and said with a smile, "I'll just follow your instructions."
Zijuan looked at Daiyu who was smiling, feeling melancholy. She knew that Daiyu was feeling bitter and she was only thinking about her at the moment.
Thinking of this, Zijuan pursed her lips and said with a somewhat melancholy tone: "It would be great if the concubine recognized the young lady as her goddaughter."
Miss Yun and her own daughter are actually "outsiders" to the Jia family. Miss Yun is the goddaughter of the imperial concubine, so she lives in the palace. If her own daughter is also the goddaughter of the imperial concubine, then she can also live in the palace.
Daiyu heard this, holding the spoon in her bare hands and gently swaying it, her willow eyes sadly said: "Yun girl is lively and lovely, who wouldn't like her?"
Zijuan understood what was happening. The girl was feeling sorry for herself again. Miss Yun was lively, cute and likable. Her own girl was not bad either, except that she had a little temper.
After a pause, Zijuan said, "Your Majesty, you really love me, otherwise I would recognize you as my brother."
In Zijuan's opinion, the prince is quite fond of his own girl. If the girl recognizes him as her "brother", the prince will surely not refuse. This is the same as what happened to Miss Yun.
Daiyu looked at Zijuan with a smile and scolded her, "You girl, are you so attracted by the wealth of the palace that you don't want to go back? Otherwise, I will ask my third sister to let you stay with her."
Zijuan was immediately annoyed after hearing this, and raised her eyebrows and said, "I am not worried about you, young lady. Since you have lived in the palace, your complexion has gradually improved. But if you go back to the Duke's Mansion, Master Bao will be angry with you, and you will have to wipe your tears in the middle of the night. And there are those old women who gossip about you, which is disgusting. In such an environment, how can your complexion be good? I am sincerely thinking about you, but you say that I am reluctant to leave the wealth of the palace and want to keep me with the third young lady. What a nonsense."
She knew that Daiyu's words were only sarcastic and had no other intention. It would have been fine if she had just said that she was greedy for the wealth of the palace, but she said that she wanted to keep her with the third young lady, which made Zijuan unable to help herself.
Daiyu saw Zijuan getting angry, but she was not angry at all. Instead, she felt warm in her heart. She put down her bird's nest porridge, reached out and held Zijuan's hand, saying kindly, "Sister, I was just joking with you. You are thinking about me, I know, please don't be angry."
Zijuan sighed softly, looking helplessly at the pitiful girl in front of her. After a pause, she said carefully: "In fact, the prince cares about the girl very much. As long as the girl asks, the prince will not refuse."
Acknowledging the prince as her "brother" will make the girl's support more solid. Even if she works in the Duke's Mansion in the future, the people below her will have to think twice before acting.
Daiyu's heart was moved when she heard this, and her brother-in-law's caring words came to her mind. She knew that her brother-in-law loved her very much, but...
Pursing her pink lips, Daiyu said sadly, "If my brother-in-law is willing, I will naturally be willing, but if I have to rush to go, I would rather not."
Zijuan: "."
Qiu Shuang Zhai.
After the meal, Shui Rong sat on a brocade cushion and sipped tea. He looked at Tanchun, who was sitting at the desk practicing calligraphy. She looked serious and exuded a charming charm.
Soon, the secretary came in and said softly, "Your Highness, the warm water is ready."
Shui Rong raised his eyes to look at the beauty, and saw that her hand holding the brush tip paused. He stood up and walked closer, stretched out his hand to hold the girl's hand, and said softly: "Sister, accompany me to bathe together!"
Tanchun's heart trembled when she heard this, and her cheeks turned red like clouds. She knew that her brother-in-law would rest in Qiu Shuang Zhai today, but she didn't expect that her brother-in-law would actually take a bath with her. This was really too embarrassing.
Although she was extremely shy, Tanchun did not refuse, but she did not respond either. She just lowered her head and said nothing.
Seeing this, Shui Rong understood what was going on. He exerted a little force, took Tanchun's hand and led them to the bathtub in the inner room.
"Brother-in-law, I'll help you undress."
Since Tanchun followed Shuirong to the inner room, she naturally stopped being shy and did what she was supposed to do.
Shui Rong lowered his eyes to look at the beautiful woman's rosy face and nodded slightly. He thought that rejecting the girl at this time would not hurt her self-esteem, so he opened his arms to make it easier for Tanchun to undress.
Tanchun stretched out her trembling hands and took some effort to take off Shui Rong's clothes. She lowered her bright eyes and spat softly. Her pretty face turned as red as blood and her delicate body was almost limp.
At this time, the attendant behind him came closer and said in a trembling voice: "Miss, I will help you undress."
Shui Rong glanced at Shi Shu, who was also pink and tender, and waved her hand with a smile, saying, "Shi Shu, you must be tired after running around. Go down and have a rest. I'm here with you, sister!"
The maid didn't understand the meaning for a moment, and blushed as she replied, "This is what I usually do, and I'm not tired, so why would I trouble you, Your Majesty?"
Shui Rong raised his eyebrows when he heard this, coughed lightly, and said seriously: "This king thinks you are tired."
As Tanchun's personal maid, Shishu was taught by words and deeds, so she was naturally quick-witted. Previously, because the young prince was so confused, she did not understand the young prince's intention. Now that the prince hinted at her again, she understood it, and responded with a red face, and retreated with messy steps.
After sending the secretary away, Shui Rong looked at Tanchun and said softly, "I'll help you undress."