The Red Mansion Big Liar.

Chapter 372: Covering others’ eyes
After receiving the delegation from Rongguo Mansion, Zhang Yun逸 also started to go out.

This kind of thing is the same in ancient and modern times. The order of priority depends mainly on closeness and status. It is not convenient to visit the King of Qin yet, so the first stop is naturally the Prince Zhongshun's Palace.

As the chief eunuch of the inner court and deeply trusted by the emperor, Prince Zhongshun's palace was naturally filled with guests and distinguished friends.

There are too many people around and it is not the time to discuss serious matters. Those who are familiar enough to stay for a meal can stay, while those who are not familiar enough can just throw away the gifts and leave.

In short, as long as the meaning is conveyed.

Zhang Yun逸 was no exception. He had a few drinks with several colleagues at noon and then said goodbye and left.

After leaving the hall, Zhang Yunyi bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, please stay!"

On the surface, they were just ordinary superiors and subordinates, and were not worthy of being seen off in person by King Zhongshun.

Prince Zhongshun nodded and winked at the chief historian, saying, "Send Master Zhang off!"

Zhao Lianggong hurriedly stepped forward, made a gesture of invitation, and took the lead, leading the way.

Zhang Yun逸 followed closely behind him, and when they were halfway there, Zhao Lianggong suddenly slowed down.

"Sir! The prince has ordered that we not talk too much today. After the New Year, on the 18th day of the first lunar month, please bring a concubine here."

This……

Zhang Yunyi couldn't help but frown slightly. If Jia She hadn't reminded him, he would have just treated it as an ordinary move, or perhaps there was some other hidden secret, and agreed to it in a daze.

But now, I am overwhelmed.

He has no hobby of sharing with others and is even more averse to this kind of gathering.

However, Prince Zhongshun also meant well, and refusing verbally would inevitably be embarrassing.

So he smiled and said, "I'm afraid I'll disappoint Your Majesty. In this regard, I always like to eat for free and never exchange with others!"

Speak differently to different people than to different people. If he pretends to be a moral gentleman after receiving such an invitation from King Zhongshun, he will definitely be disliked, so he does not hesitate to expose his shortcomings.

I thought there was no reason to force someone to do something like this, but unexpectedly, Zhao Lianggong shook his head and said, "Your Excellency has misunderstood. You don't know that the exchange meeting was just a cover-up, and it was mainly to provide advice for His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin!"

Zhang Yunyi was stunned for a moment, then he laughed out loud: "Hahaha! So that's what's going on!"

Zhao Lianggong hesitated for a moment, as if he was afraid of causing misunderstanding, and added: "Of course, do the whole show..."

Even if it was just a show, Zhang Yun逸 was unwilling to participate, let alone make it real?
It's not that he cares about his reputation. Having a concubine means sharing the joys and sorrows. For the nobles and officials in ancient times, giving or exchanging concubines was not a big deal.

Attending such a party would only ruin the image that he had worked so hard to build in front of Jinchai.

Although there is a difference between a good concubine and a lowly concubine, they will make the maids and concubines in the family feel insecure.

Moreover, once this rumor spread, even if the Rong Mansion was under his control, it would be impossible for them to give the girl to him as a concubine.

But since the matter involved the King of Qin, he could not refuse.

Just as he was in a dilemma, thinking about whether to buy two concubines for the two rooms, he heard Zhao Lianggong whispered: "Are you trying to protect your reputation, sir?"

Zhang Yunyi was startled and asked quickly, "How could it be? If I can serve His Highness, why would I care about a little reputation?"

Serving the king is like serving a tiger. Once the King of Qin has a misunderstanding, the consequences will be unpredictable.

While Zhang Yunyi expressed his loyalty, he also explained: "You may not know, Chief Historian, it was not easy for me to get those concubines. I had promised them long ago, and two of them are my sister-in-law's sisters. I just heard about it and was worried about what to say. However, since it is for His Highness, I don't care too much. I will buy two more later..."

The emperor's favor is the foundation of his existence. If his loyalty is not absolute, it is equal to absolute disloyalty. He is not so lustful as to make the King of Qin doubt his loyalty just for the sake of taking Yuanchun and several other concubines.

All I could do was buy two pink heads and skinny horses to deal with it.

I thought the matter was over, but unexpectedly Zhao Lianggong said with a smile: "It turns out that you are a sentimental person. Since you don't care about your reputation, I can't embarrass you!"

Hearing the hidden meaning in his words, Zhang Yunyi asked tentatively, "What do you mean?" "Your Excellency just go to the meeting alone, and the prince can make arrangements for you when the time comes. But if you do this, you may be branded as someone who only goes in but never leaves..."

He didn't have the nerve to say it was for free, so he gave Zhang Yun逸 some face.

It cannot be blamed that Zhao Lianggong did not propose this idea at the beginning. Due to the prevailing customs, it was not uncommon for nobles and officials to treat guests with concubines and exchange concubines.

Even stories like exchanging horses for concubines can be passed down as allusions to romanticism and boldness.

People like Zhang Yun逸 are indeed too petty, do not conform to the current mainstream values, and are easily despised by others.

If he had not said frankly before that he liked to eat and eat for free, Zhao Lianggong would not have made this suggestion.

Between two evils, he chose the lesser one, even though his reputation would be affected and he would even be overshadowed by Jia Lian.

Mr. Lian never got the reputation of being a freeloader, and he had heard it many times in his previous life.

But in the end, he preserved his affectionate image in front of Jinchai, and also retained the possibility of the girls of the Naja family becoming his concubines.

In addition, if she refused now, it would obviously be inconsistent with her previous solemn promise that she would do anything for the King of Qin.

Therefore, he immediately said with a face full of gratitude: "Thank you very much, Mr. Zhao! I will remember this favor!"

Although King Zhongshun might not care about these details, Zhao Lianggong would most likely say that it was his own initiative to ask for it.

But even so, it was considered an overstepping of authority for him, and he certainly couldn't help in vain.

Zhang Yun逸 knew this very well.

"Your Excellency is too kind! It's just a small favor!"

As the chief historian of Prince Zhongshun's palace, Zhao Lianggong was naturally very good at dealing with people. He did not rush to make any requests and enthusiastically sent him to the carriage.

After getting on the carriage, Zhang Yunyi stopped smiling.

Not that he was worried about the subsequent impact.

However, this so-called exchange meeting was obviously a meeting of important figures from the Qin King's faction. He had served the Qin King for more than a year and a half, but he was not invited to join until now. I'm afraid the Qin King still had some reservations about him before.

Moreover, the timing is also worth pondering.

Although he still held a nominal position in the Imperial Observatory and did not need to observe mourning, he had not yet completed the mourning period for his father. If he had simply married and taken concubines, it would not have been a big problem. However, participating in such gatherings could be a big deal.

And the King of Qin chose to invite him to join at this time. If you say there is no hidden meaning in it, Zhang Yunyi would not believe it even if he were beaten to death.

It’s not all bad news, though.

It is more reassuring to use it when the leader has the leverage.

This was particularly evident in ancient times, where many people in high positions corrupted themselves.

As an emperor, what he feared least were officials with problems, those who had high reputations but were difficult to deal with.

If he were to command a large army, he would be dead soon.

Fortunately, he has no worries in this regard. No matter how serious his personal moral problems are, they will not cost him his life.

After figuring this out, he put his worries aside and began to consider who in the court were from the Qin dynasty.

At present, the only person of importance he knows is King Zhongshun.

……

(End of this chapter)