The Red Mansion Big Liar

She secretly calculated in her heart that although Master Yi had been used to a hard life, as a maid she should also be more proactive. If it were her, she would at least suggest putting a small bed outside the house so that Master would have no one to serve him when he got up at night.

Accompanying Qin Keqing back to Tianxiang Tower, she suggested: "Grandma, do you want me to remind Ruizhu tomorrow? She is the only one in Master Yi's room right now. It's impossible for Master Yi to get up at night and light the lamp in the dark, right? Besides... Grandma will have to rely on Master Yi in the future, so we should go while no one is in the room..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Qin Keqing hurriedly stopped him, "Uncle, this is the safest way to go, don't give me any rash advice!"

"Why is this?" Baozhu asked puzzled.

"This..." Qin Keqing's face flushed, and she said in a trembling voice, "You...you have all followed me for many years and have been serving me closely. You must know all the girls' private matters. It is the most difficult to keep secrets in bed. How can you avoid suspicion?"

By this time, her face was flushed and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's.

Originally, she could never say these words.

However, on the one hand, she saw what Baozhu was thinking, and was afraid that she would act on her own and instigate Ruizhu to do something frivolous; on the other hand, there was something that she was too embarrassed to say, so she was both explaining and reminding Baozhu.

"I think my uncle had the same consideration, so he let Ruizhu live downstairs."

"But we can't let you suffer because of this, can we?" Baozhu said disapprovingly, "After all, you are a guest in the mansion, and it is rare for you to be willing to help. We can't..."

Although she was already a maid in the Zhang family, she could not say anything vicious to her former master Qin Keqing, and could only swallow back the words "ungrateful".

"Yes! Although my uncle is considerate, I shouldn't be so ungrateful and only care about myself." She naturally heard the implication of Baozhu's words and murmured, "Go and talk to Ruizhu after a while!"

Baozhu immediately knelt down and said, "Grandma! That's not what I meant!"

"It's okay! Although you have been with me since you were a child, you are now on my uncle's side. It is only natural for you to consider your uncle."

Qin Keqing looked at Baozhu and comforted her, "Don't worry. When uncle takes action and tells the matter to Grandpa, I won't keep you in custody. But you must keep the matter a secret, otherwise I will not be able to live."

Hearing this, Baozhu burst into tears and said from the bottom of her heart: "Don't worry, grandma! In fact, I can't bear to leave you either!"

The master and servant hugged each other and cried.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 30 Hypocrisy

As soon as the Spring Equinox arrived, Jia Zhen in Ningguo Mansion started to get busy.

Mrs. Wang in Rongguo Mansion was also looking forward to this day.

The last time, when Wang Xifeng came back from Ning Mansion, she immediately informed Lady Jia of the news.

However, Lady Jia thought that it was not long since spring had arrived and the grass and trees in the garden had not yet sprouted, so she advised her to be patient.

Seeing that the vernal equinox had arrived and new buds had sprouted on the branches, she could no longer hold back.

After paying respects to her parents in the morning and evening, he dismissed his attendants and brought up the old matter again: "Old lady, should we go over and take a look?"

"What's the hurry?" Jia's mother said calmly, "Didn't you say last time that the emperor set up the Tiangong Institute in the inner palace and let him be in charge?"

"What does this have to do with our visit to the garden?"

"Didn't Feng say last time that he moved in on the seventh day of the first lunar month? Logically, he is the younger generation. When we went there last time, we should have at least gone up to greet him, right?"

"Yes! But the master also said that the East Palace has not been visited for many years..."

"Stupid! How can you hide the truth?" Grandmother Jia frowned and said, "Besides, even if he hasn't been in the family for many years, the East Mansion took him in when he was helpless. We can only praise them. Why don't we mention it?"

"What the old lady said is absolutely right. I also felt it was strange at the time, but since the master said so, I didn't think too much about it."

"He always thinks that everyone is like him, and that face is more important than anything else. But some people would even give up their face for money. Besides, as the saying goes, a penny can make a hero fall. How could he know the difficulty of being without money?"

Mrs. Wang said thoughtfully, "Could it be that the old lady meant..."

"I didn't think much about it at first, but after hearing the news brought back by Feng girl last time, I can't help but doubt it!"

At this point, Jia's mother sighed and said, "In recent years, there has been no real job in the East Palace, and they can't let go of their past vanity, so they can only force themselves to maintain social connections. In addition, there are a lot of people to eat and feed, so even if there was some foundation in the early years, it has been spent. If not for this, why would Rong'er marry an adopted daughter?"

"That's true. Rong'er is the grandson of the Duke's Mansion after all. It would be fine if he married the daughter of a fifth-rank doctor, but he chose to marry an adopted daughter."

"Yes! Now that they have this way to make money, I'm afraid they won't be able to prevent it in time, so why would they take the initiative to introduce it to us?"

"What does the old lady mean?"

"People always judge others by themselves. Since they have this intention, we should not be too anxious, so as not to hinder the eldest lady's departure from the palace. Didn't you say that the emperor set up the Tiangong Court in the inner palace to handle this kind of thing? When this matter ferments in a while, we can take our concubines with us. I'm afraid we don't even need to ask for it. Isn't it cheap?"

After hearing this, Mrs. Wang glanced at Grandmother Jia with a fearful look and said in admiration, "The old lady is indeed very far-sighted."

She thought for a moment and said, "My sister's family is an orphan and a widow, and Wenlong is a jerk. I'm afraid he might not be able to hear the news. I'll go and give him some advice."

Grandmother Jia saw everything and sighed secretly. If it weren't for Yuanchun, she would never have explained these methods to her daughter-in-law.

"Well! You decide for yourself!"

After leaving Rongqing Hall, Mrs. Wang rushed to Lixiang Courtyard without stopping.

Inside the room, Aunt Xue, who was sitting cross-legged on the kang, got up in a hurry upon hearing the news. She had just put on her shoes, but before she could put them on properly, she saw Madam Wang enter the room.

"Hey! Why is my sister here?"

She had gotten up in a hurry, and her shoes were not properly put on, so she stumbled as she walked, causing her already plump body to shake.

Mrs. Wang couldn't help but look at him sideways, and felt a little resentful at the comparison.

"You are already an adult, yet you are still so flustered. There are no outsiders here, so why bother with those false formalities?"

"It's rare for my sister to come over, and I'm just excited for a moment."

Aunt Xue took Madam Wang's hand, came to the edge of the kang and sat down. While asking Xiangling to make tea, she asked, "Sister, how come you have time to come here today?"

"I heard about a happy event from the master a while ago. I happened to be free today, so I came over to tell you so that we can make preparations early."

"Good news!" Aunt Xue said in surprise, "Could it be that the two children..."

"That thing hasn't even started yet!" Mrs. Wang raised her hand to interrupt, "You're talking about Wenlong too. He's so out of tune all day long. How come you haven't heard a word about such a big thing?"

Hearing Xue Pan mentioned, Aunt Xue's heart began to lift: "What's wrong? Could it be that this evil creature has caused some trouble outside again?"

"That's not the case. It's just that your family is a royal merchant in the inner court after all. Now another courtyard has been added to the seven departments and three courts. Haven't you heard of such a big thing?"

"Ah! There is such a thing?" Aunt Xue sighed, "To be honest, I am worried about this matter. The performance evaluation once every three years is coming soon, and I don't know if I can keep this reputation."

"Oh!" Mrs. Wang chuckled. "I know you're worried about this, right? Otherwise, why would I have come all this way?"

"Sister, do you have any idea?" Aunt Xue asked immediately.

"Originally, there wasn't one, but by chance, the master came back a while ago and said that the inner palace had added a new courtyard. Guess who is in charge?"

"Could it be a relationship within the mansion?"

"He is the nephew of Brother Jing of the East Mansion, and he still lives in the mansion now."

"Oh my! Only a family as lavish as yours could have such a relative." Aunt Xue held Mrs. Wang's hand and said with a smile, "You have kept it a secret from me, sister. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have to worry about this."

Mrs. Wang accepted Aunt Xue's flattery with ease.

"I wanted to tell you earlier, but I thought that you are separated from him by a layer, and you are a widow, so it is inevitable that there will be many inconveniences. Today, I persuaded the old lady to take advantage of the warmer weather to go to Huifang Garden in the East Palace for a visit in a few days. I will ask you to go with us then, and you can ask the East Palace to help introduce you, so as to avoid gossip."

Although it was Lady Jia's suggestion, Mrs. Wang did not want Aunt Xue to accept Lady Jia's favor.

Aunt Xue had no idea what was going on here, but she was so moved that she kept thanking him, tightly holding Mrs. Wang's hand, and said excitedly, "Thank you, sister, for thinking of me so sincerely."

"We are sisters, so how can I not plan for you?" Mrs. Wang said, "But I also remind you that Wenlong has always been outspoken, so you have to remind him not to talk nonsense in front of others."

After all, he could become her son-in-law, and Mrs. Wang didn't want Zhang Yunyi to be led astray by Xue Pan.

"Don't worry, sister. I will warn him not to talk nonsense."

Aunt Xue patted her chest, causing a huge uproar.

"Okay! Then I'll go back first. You might as well make some preparations so that you won't be panicked when the old lady leaves."

"Hey! Hey!" Aunt Xue bowed her head and escorted Mrs. Wang all the way out of the gate of Lixiangyuan.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 31 Going too far

Not to mention how Aunt Xue said all the nice things she could to Xue Pan after she got the news, and how she repeatedly warned him not to talk nonsense when he saw Zhang Yun逸.

It took me seven or eight days to wait before I received the notice that Mrs. Wang would visit the garden the next day.

However, there were people in Rongguo Mansion who were more anxious than her.

If Jia Rui Jia Tianxiang is a disgusting toad, then Zhang Yun逸 as Zhang Tianxiang is a golden toad that attracts people's attention and can bring wealth and treasure.

However, although she was jealous, Lady Wang had just sent her to check on Qin Keqing's situation, and she couldn't find a reason to go to the East Palace again in the short term.

However, Jia Rong, who had been instigating him before, did not come to discuss the matter. Seeing more and more rumors outside and the sugar seemed to have already gone into production, he became even more anxious.

Just as he was thinking about going to visit Qin Keqing once February was over, he did not expect that at the end of the month, Grandmother Jia suddenly felt like going to Huifang Garden for an outing.

While he hurriedly sent someone to the East Palace to pass on the message, he was secretly wondering how he could attract so many men without making a fuss in public.

As a result, when assigning tasks in the afternoon, mistakes occurred one after another. Fortunately, Ping'er reminded everyone and avoided any chaos.

As dusk approached, Ping'er left the three-room porch and returned to her own house. She asked worriedly, "Madam, are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to ask Madam for leave?"

Wang Xifeng said perfunctorily, "I'm not feeling uncomfortable at all. I was just thinking about the old lady's visit to the garden tomorrow and what needs to be prepared in advance. I was distracted for a moment."

"That's good. I'm worried that grandma might be unwell. I'll be busy at the garden tomorrow..."

"Yes!" Wang Xifeng looked thoughtful. "Let's go back and rest early. Don't drag me to make trouble tonight. There will be a lot of things to do tomorrow!"

Speaking of the commotion, Ping'er couldn't help but blush, and said shyly, "Madam, you always make fun of me. It was you who forced me to do that every time, and now you're putting the blame on me."

"Oh! Last time you complained that I didn't let you serve the Second Master, why can't you stand it now?"

She was planning to use someone else's trick, and considering Ping'er's inexperience and worried that she would be exposed, she took her to familiarize herself with the process in advance.

Even though there were only two of them present, Ping'er was so embarrassed that her face turned red. She stamped her feet and said, "Madam! When have I ever complained to you, Madam?"

"Oh? So you're complaining to your master for not taking you in as his concubine?"

"Grandma, please stop teasing me. I have never thought about this before."

"Alas! I was originally thinking that I would fulfill your wish when you come back this time. Since you don't have this idea, just pretend I didn't say anything."

After all, Ping'er is not as good as himself. Once Zhang Yun逸 knows that he has been deceived, he will inevitably feel a psychological gap. He will be angry and humiliated and may not be willing to give in.

He is not Jia Rui, and forcing him will only backfire.

He could only use both soft and hard tactics. While threatening him, he also had to give him a reward, such as allowing him to visit Ping'er often as compensation.

Today I took the opportunity to set an ambush half-jokingly. Even if Ping'er is dissatisfied afterwards, she can use these words to shut her up.

Ping'er had no idea of ​​this and thought to herself, if I go back on my words now, I'm afraid I'll be laughed at again.

She could only helplessly say: "I am devoted to you, but you are always suspicious."

After hearing this, Wang Xifeng said meaningfully, "Since you treat me wholeheartedly, I will not let you suffer any loss. Remember what I said today, I will definitely give you a good deal."

Ping'er was confused by what she said and wondered to herself, maybe she was testing her.

He said nothing more, ate dinner with Wang Xifeng, helped her wash up, and went back to the room to bed together.

Unlike Yin Die, she has followed Wang Xifeng since she was a child. When Jia Lian is not at home, Wang Xifeng does not mind her sleeping in bed with him. In addition, she has been intentionally guiding him recently, so she has already gotten used to it.

As the saying goes, worry makes one confused. After going to bed, Wang Xifeng tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

During the day, she was busy thinking about how to attract men, but at night her mind was full of whether she would run into Zhang Yunyi.

Since he couldn't sleep, he simply called Ping'er and ordered her, "Go and get my narrow jacket with golden butterflies and floral patterns, my brocade silver mouse jacket, and my jadeite flowered skirt."

"What does grandma do with these so late at night?"

Wang Xifeng stretched out her tender water chestnut-like toes and clamped them on Ping'er's thigh, saying, "Just take it when I tell you to. Why are you talking so much?"

Ping Er couldn't persuade her, so she had to get up and go look for it. When she found her clothes, she heard Wang Xifeng say, "Try putting them on."

She was most satisfied with this dress and planned to wear it tomorrow to leave a deep impression on Zhang Yunyi.

Letting Ping'er try it on now, firstly, can provide an opportunity to see the effect, and secondly, if Li Dai Tao Jiang wants to make the scene more realistic, Ping'er naturally cannot be allowed to wear her own clothes. This outfit is the perfect living signboard.

"How can I wear your clothes?" Ping'er waved her hands and declined.

"What can't I wear? And put on my eight-treasure pearl bun, so I can take a good look at it."

"This……"