Uncle Lai in the Red Chamber

Chapter 354 The Aftermath
The aftermath of the Full Moon Wine goes far beyond the juniors.

In the morning and evening of the next day, Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang also narrated it emphatically in front of Jia Mu.

This time, the two of them were surprisingly unanimous, they sang together and made Lai Shangrong's prominence rise to the sky.

"It's strange that he can talk in the palace. It turns out that he is so close to the Queen's family."

After listening to the two people's stories, Jia Mu regretted that she had arrived in Canada that day and did not attend the full moon party.

Her words came out of emotion and she blurted out, ignoring Mrs. Xing's presence.

Sure enough, Mrs. Xing asked doubtfully: "What can the palace say?"

"Uh..." Jia Mu hesitated a little.

Mrs. Wang was afraid that she would reveal her background, so she immediately took up the quarrel and said: "Our family can't get angry in the palace. Those eunuchs in power don't watch people order dishes, but they just ask Shang Rong to help them say hello and call them It’s convenient.”

When she said this, Mrs. Fuck.”

The emperor's heirs are in trouble, Rongguo Mansion has a concubine, and Jiamu and Mrs. Wang are talking about it, so it's no wonder Mrs. Xing's thinking is wrong.

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was interested. Mrs. Xing's words awakened the dreamer, Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang's hearts were burning, and they looked at each other.

Before, they were only worried about Yuanchun and didn't know that Lai Shangrong was so close to the Tian family. They forgot that they had been plotting to go further.

Although the Queen may not be able to help with this matter, there is no need to trouble the Queen, as long as the relationship with the Jingshifang can be established.

Mrs.

But Mrs. Wang had a close relationship with Lai Shangrong, and she thought that as long as she lowered her profile and worked hard, she would always be able to impress him.

He said with a beating heart: "Old lady, last year because of the incident in Ning Mansion, your birthday was delayed. I think I will have a good one this year. I just happened to invite Shang Rong here. Then my wife will... …”

Because Mrs. Xing was present, she did not finish the rest of her words, but Jia Mu understood it.

Unlike Mrs. Xing, she had Jia She's approval. Although Jia Zheng was not at home, she would inevitably be suspected by sending away her maid without any reason.

Last time, she had the opportunity to go to Lai's house because of Yuanchun's punishment, but after the matter was over, she could no longer find an excuse.

Now this matter is a rare opportunity. It involves the imperial concubine, and she is Yuanchun's biological mother. It is most appropriate to discuss it with Lai Shangrong.

Moreover, this time is different from the last time. Once Jia Mu nods, she can use the excuse to avoid being seen and send away the maids.

Not only would Jia Mu not be suspicious, she would even take the initiative to endorse it for her.

Mother Jia had no doubt that she had it, and nodded: "Yes! The second wife has thought carefully about it, and you will take care of it."

After a pause, he continued: "There's no need to make a fuss, just invite the person who should be hired."

Yuanchun's provincial relatives emptied most of the family's wealth, and Jia Zheng was dispatched from the Ministry of Construction and Repairs. He lost the ice and charcoal, and maintained this big family.

This was exactly what Mrs. Wang wanted, and she hurriedly said: "My daughter-in-law knows that the family is very lively, so just calling me Shang Rong also shows that our two families are close."

"Well! That's great!" Mother Jia nodded, then turned to Madam Xing and said, "However, we should pay attention to the influence. I heard that Lian Er gave Ping'er to Shang Rong, so how could he return it?" Leave people at home?”

She heard the rumors recently, and she said this not because she was afraid of causing any repercussions. After all, it is not a scandal for a rich family to give each other concubines, as long as they are not good concubines, let alone a housemaid.

It's just that she mistakenly thought that Jia Lian gave Ping'er away, and Wang Xifeng was obstructing her. Since she wanted to win over Lai Shangrong, she couldn't keep him captive.

Mrs.

"Well! It's Lian Er's fault after all. It's natural for Feng girl to be angry, but it's not a problem to be so stiff all the time. I think it's the second wife's hard work. After all, Ping'er was brought from your mother's family. , your words may be more useful.”

Mother Jia naturally knew Wang Xifeng's character, otherwise she would not have said these words, but she did not want to come forward and wanted to take the opportunity to dump the burden on Mrs. Wang.

"Hey! My daughter-in-law, let's go and do it right now. Later that night, I'll personally go to Lai's house to invite Shang Rong."

After all, it was for Yuanchun, so Mrs. Wang had no choice but to agree and quit.

When Mrs. Xing heard that Mrs. Wang was going to Lai's house to invite someone in person in the evening, she immediately pulled her crotch and made a face.

She originally planned to go to Lai's house to find food at night, but Mrs. Wang's plan was ruined in the past.

On the one hand, he secretly thought it was a pity, but on the other hand, he was secretly glad that he had heard the news. Otherwise, Mrs. Wang would have bumped into him, which would have aroused unnecessary suspicion.

Little did she know, it was all because of her own talkativeness that she caused the accident.

Mrs. Wang left Rongqing Hall and returned to Rongxi Hall. While sending someone to tell Wang Xifeng, she was looking forward to meeting in the evening.

Thinking of Lai Shangrong's strong and powerful body, his cheeks felt hot and red.

"Ma'am! Ma'am!"

I was just thinking about what was there and what was not, when Wang Xifeng's voice suddenly sounded in my ears, and I was shocked.

He said angrily: "Since Lian Er gave Ping'er to Shang Rong, why don't you let him go?"

Wang Xifeng was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and hurriedly yelled: "Madam, you are wronged! Why did I refuse to let him go? It was Shang Rong who told Ping'er to stay with me so that he could always communicate business matters."

This is something that has been discussed a long time ago. Wang Xifeng's rubber business is not a secret, so it is just used to cover it up.

"Uh..." Mrs. Wang couldn't tell the truth from the truth for a moment, and said doubtfully, "Really? This matter has a lot to do with it. You can't lie to me. The old lady just sent a message!"

When Wang Xifeng heard this, she smiled happily and said, "How dare I lie to my wife, no matter how naive I am, I have to remember the favor of Shang Rong's introduction of business, I don't want to hide it from my wife. He also helped them arrange a new house. Who in my yard doesn’t know about this, so how could they interfere with it and hold them captive?”

Seeing that Mrs. Wang mistakenly thought that she was holding Ping'er, she was so terrified, so she took the opportunity to clarify the matter of Lai Shangrong's overnight stay, so that it would be convenient for him to come in and out in the future.

As expected, Mrs. Wang did not show any dissatisfaction, but praised: "Well! You did a good job in this matter. In this case, you can go to the old lady and explain the matter clearly, so as to save me from having to make another trip."

She was at a critical moment just now, but her thoughts were interrupted by Wang Xifeng, and she was anxious to revisit the details of the Lai family.

"Hey!" Wang Xifeng agreed and was about to leave.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Wang stopped again and said: "That's it! You don't need to go and tell me. When I go to Lai's house to ask Shang Rong in the evening, if there is no recurrence, I will report back to the old lady!"

Although Wang Xifeng wouldn't lie about this matter, just to be on the safe side, Lai Shangrong's thoughts should prevail. After all, a man may not have an idea every day, and he can't go against his will.

Furthermore, she was suffering from the difficulty of finding opportunities. Although she now had Yuanchun as an excuse, it was not an option to be alone with her maid every time.

Now that there is an excuse of Ping'er, wouldn't it be possible to come and go in the future?

As long as we find a secluded place under the guise of looking for Ping'er, who will know if we are delayed for half an hour?

Although the idea is good, Jia Mu may not allow this situation.

Therefore, she took the opportunity to take over the matter. Even if Jia Mu knew about the accusation later, she could excuse herself and forget about it.

In short, it is good to delay it for a while.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel hot in my heart and was filled with joy. Why not Wang Xifeng turned around again and exclaimed: "Madam, are you going to see Shang Rong tonight?"

Since she mentioned to Lai Shangrong last time that Xue Baochai was negligent in managing the access control, she waited for him to complain to Mrs. Wang, but there has been no news.

She didn't know that Lai Shangrong had changed his mentality after having a meal at Xue's house.

Since Xue Baochai took the initiative to throw herself into her arms, how could she speak ill of her behind her back? If it leaked out, wouldn't it be a pity that the duck in her hand would fly away?
Therefore, two months have passed since the incident, and Lai Shangrong didn't mention it.

Wang Xifeng just assumed that Lai Shangrong had never had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Wang in private, and was afraid that pressing her would cause him displeasure, so the matter became a stalemate.

At this time, I heard that Mrs. Wang was going to Lai's house, so the long-awaited opportunity naturally came.

When Mrs. Wang heard Wang Xifeng's inquiry, she immediately became wary, wondering if something had been revealed somewhere.

Pre-emptively said: "Why do you still have to report to you? The old lady ordered to consult with him about something important. Could it be that you also have something to talk to him about?"

"No, no, no!" Wang Xifeng knew that she was in a hurry and forgot about her dignity, and hurriedly explained: "Shang Rong hasn't been here for a while. I just wanted to ask him when he would come so that I could prepare for him in advance. .”

Mrs. Wang took a long breath and said secretly, "Well! You don't have to worry about this. I'll ask it for you tonight."

"Hey! Hey! Then I won't disturb my wife's rest!" Wang Xifeng hurriedly said goodbye.

The aunt and nephew each have their own agendas, and neither dares to get too entangled.After Wang Xifeng left, Mrs. Wang dismissed the serving maid and leaned back on the couch for a long time, unable to calm down.

It can be said that the days are like years, and even the lunch at noon has no appetite, and it is easy to wait until the evening when the office is gone.

I took the invitation, took the car, and arrived at Lai's house.

Thanks to the conversation with Wang Xifeng just now, in order to avoid making too many mistakes and revealing her secrets in front of You Shi, she did not come here this time in advance.

When he arrived at Lai's house, Lai Shangrong had already changed into casual clothes.

Lai Shangrong, who was about to go to dinner, couldn't hide his embarrassment when he saw Mrs. Wang. He couldn't help but feel a little proud that the eldest and second wives rushed to the door.

He said calmly: "Why is the second wife here?"

Mrs. Wang first looked at Caixia beside her, who quickly stepped forward and handed the invitation to Youshi.

Mrs. Wang suppressed the heat in her heart and said calmly: "The third day of next month is the old lady's birthday, so I don't plan to make a big deal out of it. I just invited Shang Rong to have a fun day with my family."

Lai Shangrong glanced at the invitation in You's hand and said noncommittally, "Okay! If there is nothing important at the Yamen, you can go to the palace."

"Hey! Of course it's official business!"

"Second wife hasn't eaten yet, right? I just got home, why don't you just make do with me?"

Lai Shangrong didn't think Mrs. Wang had anything else to do. He could just send someone to send the invitation. Since she had already taken the initiative to come to the door, of course she knew the taste. She couldn't ask her to ask to stay. After all, she was not Mrs. Xing, and her face was not good. A lot thinner.

"Yes! The old lady told me that there are some urgent matters to discuss with Shang Rong."

The two immediately moved to the restaurant before Lai Shangrong could speak.

Mrs. Wang couldn't wait to say: "I have something important to discuss with Shang Rong, you all should stay away!"

Youshi didn't care. Caixia had the experience of going back to report to Jia Mu last time. After a little hesitation, she also left.

Entering the restaurant, Lai Shangrong opened his posture and sat down on the chair with great skill.

Looking at Mrs. Wang with a playful face, she said with a pun, "I don't know what's important for the second wife? Why don't you ask Shang Rong to untie it for you!"

The last time Mrs. Wang came to deliver gifts, she was unprepared, so she sat down. This time, she opened her posture with a clear purpose.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Wang pulled up a chair and sat down opposite him, lowering her voice and saying, "Does Shang Rong have access to the minister's room?"

According to Mrs. Wang's original idea, of course she would wait until Lai Shangrong felt comfortable before talking about business.

But the plan couldn't keep up with the changes. Since Lai Shangrong took the initiative to ask, of course he followed his lead.

Lai Shangrong did not expect that Mrs. Wang was really involved in something, and it also involved the palace.

He hesitated and said: "Jingshi room?"

"Yes, yes! Shang Rong, you also know that the emperor's heirs are in a difficult situation. If the empress can do something, it will be of benefit to Shang Rong in the future."

With that said, he winked at Lai Shangrong and said, "I will tell you on the other side, I will definitely not forget Shangrong's kindness!"

In the friendship between her and Lai Shangrong, there is no such thing as superficial exchange of words, and it is natural to express their feelings like an upside-down bamboo tube.

"This……"

Lai Shangrong didn't expect Mrs. Wang to be really busy. If it was before, he might not mind helping.

After all, the eunuch Zhou who used to deliver the secret book for him is now the chief eunuch in the respect room, and it is also an insurance to be able to help in the palace.

But he knew the reason why Yuanchun was punished, and he couldn't get rid of the relationship, so how could he cause more trouble.

"This matter has a lot to do with it. If it leaks out, it's not a joke."

It is difficult to explain the reason to Mrs. Wang, so we can only evade and delay, exaggerating the consequences of the matter.

But when Mrs. Wang heard these words, it was a different story.

"It is the queen's duty to continue the heirs for the royal family. Now she is just doing her best. Shang Rong is just saying hello. With your relationship with our family, who can say anything about taking care of the queen?"

After a pause, he continued: "Of course, I have to reciprocate for Shang Rong's help. Before coming here, Feng girl asked me to ask you when to go to see Ping'er, so she can clean up in advance. With this excuse, From now on, it will be convenient for you to come in and out. Just tell me and I will send the maids in the courtyard away in advance. Then the door will be open for you to come?"

With that said, without waiting for Lai Shangrong's reply, he leaned down from the chair.

Seeing that Mrs. Wang was so relaxed, Lai Shangrong couldn't bear to refuse, so he could only say vaguely: "Hey!~ I can only try this, but I can't guarantee whether it will succeed or not!"

He made up his mind to pretend that there was no such thing. When Mrs. Wang asked about it later, he refused to say hello.

Mrs. Wang didn't know what he was thinking, so she muttered and worked harder.

…………

In the Fengzao Palace in the imperial palace.

Queen Tian looked at her brother and held up the two jars of wine as if offering treasures.

He wondered: "Since it has this effect, why didn't Lai Shangrong think of giving it to the virtuous concubine?"

"This..." Tian Chang couldn't think of a reason for a while.

He hesitated: "Maybe he got it recently? He himself only got it this year..."

"No! Didn't he say that the wine gets better with age? The one given to you is also old. Besides, the accident with Concubine Xian De happened only in the past few months. Why didn't such a good thing come in immediately? "

In order to be perfect, Lai Shangrong uses old wine for brewing, and he is not afraid of being exposed in this respect.

"Then the lady means that this wine doesn't have that effect?"

"He shouldn't be making things up like this. Maybe there's some reason we don't know."

Queen Tian pondered for a long time, then suddenly covered her mouth and said in surprise: "Could it be..."

When it comes to this, he hesitates to speak.

Tian Chang smiled and said, "Why do you still play riddles with me?"

"Last time, I asked someone to send a message. It's inconvenient to say that Concubine Xian De was punished because..."

"What? Why are there such stupid people in the harem?"

"Perhaps she is not stupid or unaware that Lai Shangrong followed the emperor, but she did it on purpose."

"Your Majesty means that Concubine Xian De deliberately showed her eyes in front of the Emperor to annoy the Emperor? But what good does this do for her?"

"What if it's not just to show your eyes to the emperor, but also to express your heart to someone?"

"Your Majesty, are you talking about Lai Shangrong?"

Empress Tian patted the handle of the phoenix-patterned chair and said, "The two of them are similar in age, and they were at the age when they first fell in love before entering the palace. They may not have been secretly in love. This story of an official lady and a poor boy is not common in storybooks. Is it something? It’s just..."

"Just what?" Tian Chang asked.

"I just can't figure it out. Since they are secretly in love, the virtuous concubine should have no intention of sleeping with her, but why she still wears clothes that seduce the emperor."

"Could it be a love token given by Lai Shangrong?" Tian Chang, whose thoughts were opened, suddenly had an idea.

Queen Tian nodded and said: "Things are sent in through the hands of her mother's family. Even if she had this intention, how could her family dare to follow her to death? Maybe there are some secrets that we don't know, and we can't tell when we see things and think about people. , you look for an opportunity to investigate this matter, and if you can seize any clues, he can be used by us in the future."

"Hey! Hey! Madam, what else do you want to explain?"

"First let's see if this wine is really as effective as he boasted. It's getting late and the palace door is about to be locked. Don't delay. Go back as soon as possible to find out what happened."

…………

(End of this chapter)