Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 126 Hidden Dragon and Crouching Tiger

Coincidentally, the people on duty at the Ganlu Hall of the Taiji Palace today are the scions of Prince Zhongshun, who usually look down on Prince Beijing's self-righteous behavior.

In a hurry, Dai Quan couldn't find anyone else, so he had to bite the bullet and bring them here.

As a result, after entering Beijing Prince's Mansion, the Chief Secretary hurried to look for Shui Rong, and he searched for half an hour. When the person came, he had long hair, loose robes, crane cloaks, sleepy eyes, and a face full of impatience!

When Dai Quan saw his behavior, his face suddenly darkened, and he gritted his teeth and shouted, "The Emperor has given his order, Prince Beijing Shui Rong kneels and listens!"

Kneel and listen?

Shui Rong frowned. This was the first time he was asked to kneel down and listen to the emperor's order!

While Shui Rong was waiting for the servant to bring the cushion, he slowly straightened his crane cloak robe and knelt down, looking up at Dai Quan.

But the charge of lusting after beauty will most likely result in a reprimand, house arrest, or at most a salary fine. Is it that serious?

Dai Quan became furious at the look given by him, and he stood still coldly, holding the whisk in his arms, and no longer glanced at Shui Rong. Instead, he looked up at the magnificent main hall of Prince Beijing's Mansion and shut his mouth.

Shui Rong knelt on the ground in a casual manner: "I am here, Shui Rong."

"The Supreme One has something to ask Shui Rong."

"The minister is here."

"According to the imperial system, a prince of this dynasty has one wife and ten concubines. Shui Rong, answer the truth. How many backyards are there?"

"Your Highness, I have one wife and several concubines... er, seven or eight."

"The concubine of a prince should be regarded as a sixth-rank official, and Shui Rong should be recorded in the book." Dai Quan waved his whisk coldly, and someone handed a blank book to the chief secretary who was kneeling beside him.

The Chief Secretary picked up the booklet with sweat on his face, stumbled to the backyard, handed it to Princess Beijing, wrote the names of eight concubines, and returned it on the spot.

Dai Quan looked down at Shui Rong and said, "Shui Rong, I want to ask you, if the system of princes of the royal family is like this, what about the princes of different surnames?"

Shui Rong suddenly looked up at Dai Quan!

You're plotting against me!?

Dai Quan looked at him coldly: "Shui Rong, I'm asking you!"

Shui Rong gritted his teeth and lowered his head: "The court rules: Kings of different surnames are treated the same as princes of the royal family, and all their duties are reduced by half."

"You should immediately pay off the excess concubines and send them away."

"The minister obeys the order."

"The second question from the Supreme Lord is: Shui Rong, how did your wife and concubine come from? How did your concubines come from?

"…My wife is the eldest daughter of the Earl of Shoushan. The concubines and other girls were of different backgrounds, but they were all commoners."

"Then do you know you were wrong?"

"Your Majesty," Prince Beijing frowned and raised his head, "Your Majesty's wife has been well-educated since she was young, and she is dignified and gentle. Her parents are still alive, and she has both brothers and sisters..."

"Didn't Lin also receive family education since childhood, be intelligent and quick-witted, have good manners, and be particularly talented and learned?

"Her father was posthumously conferred the title of Marquis Wen'an. Is that any less than your wife's father's title of Earl Shoushan?

"Or are you bullying someone whose parents have both passed away?!

"What about you? Didn't your father die a long time ago?"

Dai Quan’s eyes became colder.

Prince Beijing finally understood what Tai Shang and Dai Quan were both concerned about!

He is also an orphan, but he turns around and bullies another orphan.

Isn't it the favor of the Supreme Being that you rely on?

But Lin said behind the scenes that it was Tao Xingjian, but wasn’t he actually the emperor?

Asking the Supreme Lord to grant Lin to him as a concubine was equivalent to asking the Supreme Lord to slap his own son in the face in front of the whole world!

——Although there are some conflicts between the father and the son, it is not right for a subject like me to make such an arrogant and shameless request!

Shui Rong instantly thought that he had figured out the reason why the Supreme was angry, and he quickly bowed his head and admitted his mistake: "I know I was wrong! I was so arrogant that I dared to trouble the Supreme with the matter of taking a concubine!"

Dai Quan's eyebrows twisted into knots: Why is this child so stupid all of a sudden? He is not like this usually! Is he possessed by evil spirits?

However, the Dragon Guard behind him was watched by everyone, so he could only speak in a deep voice: "The third question of the Grand Emperor: Shui Rong, I pity you for losing your father at a young age, and I treat you like my own son or nephew.

"But you actually became a marquis in the court, and the maids and concubines on your bed are nothing more than you. Do you still have respect for the court system? Do you still have respect for superiors and subordinates? Do you still know who you are?

"Or do you think I'm as foolish as you are?"

The imperial court system, hierarchy!

Shui Rong sat on his feet in astonishment: "I only care about Lin's color, I don't have these thoughts at all!"

Dai Quan glared at him with a look of dismay, tilted his head and shouted, "Someone come here!"

Several Dragon Guards took a fierce step forward: "Yes!"

"The Supreme One's order: Beat him with forty sticks! Ask you about the rules, laws, and morality!" Dai Quan gritted his teeth and flicked his whisk, "Beat him!"

Prince Beijing was horrified: Forty sticks?! If the person who came here used hidden strength, after these forty sticks, I would be half dead if not dead!

At that moment, he no longer thought about being carefree or romantic, and hurriedly raised his hands: "I know I was wrong! I deserve death! But I really didn't mean it! Please forgive me this time!

"Dai Xiang! Dai Xiang! Please, for my grandfather's sake!"

Dai Xiang glared at him fiercely and cursed, "The Emperor took so much trouble to teach you, why don't you appreciate it?

"Go to Daming Palace and ask around. Who has the emperor personally ordered to be beaten? Except for you, my little bastard, not even His Majesty!

"Why don't you accept my order and thank me?!"

Several Dragon Guards had already stepped in front of him, grinning and pulling out a bench from somewhere behind them.

One of them looked at him grimly: "Prince Beijing, I'm sorry!"

Before Shui Rong could say "I accept the order and thank you" to Dai Quan, he was pulled by one of their arms and legs, lifted up skillfully, and then dropped heavily on the bench!

Dai Quan couldn't bear to watch any longer and turned away.

Someone over there had already thrown off Shui Rong's brocade fur cloak, and then lifted up his silk cotton robe without any scruples, revealing his buttocks and legs covered only with a thin Shu brocade undershirt!

The four men each produced a long, dark wooden stick from somewhere, looked at each other, and raised the sticks at the same time in tacit understanding, and dropped them down in a staggered manner!

Puff! Snap! Puff! Snap!

The weight is completely different, and the landing point is from the hip to the shin!

Prince Beijing screamed in pain, it was unbearable to hear!

Dai Quan's heart trembled more as he listened. He sighed, hunched over, and walked away holding his whisk.

Unexpectedly, when Princess Beijing heard the news, she rushed out from the inner courtyard, and when she saw him, she grabbed his clothes and knelt down and begged, "The prince is just young and confused, please teach him the truth, Your Majesty.

"But he is weak and sickly, and the Shui family only has him as their only descendant. If anything goes wrong, how will my concubine and mother-in-law face the old prince?

"Please ask Prime Minister Dai to plead for us. We will certainly persuade the prince and never dare to violate the court rules again! Prime Minister Dai, please have mercy!"

Dai Quan became angrier as he listened, and turned to look at Princess Beijing with a sinister look:

"You mean, the Supreme Lord can only talk about reason, but cannot beat your husband? If he hurts him, you will not be able to face your ancestors?

"You two, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, one of you ignores your son and puts the blame on the Lord when something goes wrong; the other one can't manage her husband's backyard, but threatens the Lord!

"Your Shui family's backyard is truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers!!!"