The Red Mansion Big Liar

Although strong medicine is used to treat serious illnesses, the side effects are naturally obvious. After two consecutive treatments, not only did he lose consciousness in half of his body, but his complexion also looked extremely ugly.

It has to be said that when it comes to cutting meat to feed the eagle and helping others, Jia Lian is the best.

However, realizing the seriousness of the problem, he did not dare to go with the flow this time.

Seeing that Jia Lian was overwhelmed, Zhang Yunyi did not force him. He secretly said it was a pity and turned to Wang Xifeng, "Sister-in-law, don't forget about Lin Xiaohong's matter."

"I know!" Wang Xifeng said unhappily, "She's just a maid. You can just tell the lady directly. Why do you have to go through me?"

Although the secret was not convenient to be told, he had seen Mrs. Wang shaking her head and tail and making coquettish gestures in front of Zhang Yunyi.

"We still need sister-in-law's help in training her!" Zhang Yunyi didn't understand the implication of her words and explained, "Sister-in-law hasn't found a suitable maid yet. With a little training, Lin Xiaohong can help her."

Hearing him say this, Wang Xifeng was quite proud, but she said, "Why bother with so much trouble? If she has limited energy and can't take care of it, she can just ask Ping'er to go over tomorrow and give her a hand."

"There are no fewer things to do here than on my side. If Ping'er is not here to help, won't it be a burden to my sister-in-law?"

Ping'er is indeed a good candidate, but her relationship with Wang Xifeng is not ordinary.

However, Wang Xifeng is not a person who is content with what she has, so she might use Ping'er to interfere in the affairs of her own house.

What's more, there is the factor of Lin Hongyu. How could Zhang Yun逸 agree to it?

Wang Xifeng said with a dull look on her face, "I don't know how long I can continue to be a housekeeper!"

"Hey! How could that be? My sister-in-law's ability is obvious to all. Who else can handle this mess in the mansion except you?"

"So, Yun Yi, you support me?"

"Of course! With my sister-in-law here to take care of things, it will be more convenient for me, right?"

"Then don't forget it! If my wife wants to relieve me of my duties, you have to speak up for me!"

Originally, Wang Xifeng was quite confident. Relying on her friendship with Zhang Yun逸, if Lady Wang intended to replace him, he would definitely speak up for her.

Now that I have discovered Mrs. Wang’s privacy, I have lost my confidence.

Taking advantage of Zhang Yunyi's ignorance that he had seen through the secret, he set an ambush in advance.

"Of course, who else can I help if I don't help my sister-in-law?"

Zhang Yunyi took another mouthful of porridge, stood up and said, "I still have some unfinished business to deal with at the government office. I will go back after I finish it today."

Leaving Rongguo Mansion, we came to Tiangongyuan.

Zhang Yunyi called Gu Wenhui and said, "The guano business benefits the country and the people. Since the emperor has given us full authority, we cannot be satisfied with the status quo. Now that the capital area has been laid out, it is time to expand the business to the south. However, Jiangnan is far away from the capital, and there are a lot of things to do in the capital. I cannot leave the capital, so I must ask the emperor for permission to send someone to take care of it."

Although he was determined not to be the first to take action, he could not escape the blame since the business fell into the hands of Tiangongyuan.

Truth will come to light sooner or later. To avoid suspicion of dereliction of duty, someone must be found to take the blame.

The reason for choosing Jiangnan was, firstly, that it was a land of fish and rice with vast farmland; secondly, it was closer to the southern islands than to the capital.

It goes without saying that the smuggled guano will inevitably be dumped nearby, in the south.

Although he did not ask in detail about the people involved in the smuggling, Prince Ning was desperately looking for a way to make money. The Zhen family was quite powerful in Jiangnan and was also the maternal family of Concubine Zhen, so the Zhen family was bound to be involved.

No matter what the person in charge sent to Jiangnan does, he can stay out of it and expose it. He can avoid the risk of being the first to act and can even be considered as having foresight.

If one knows about the incident but does not report it, he will be the one to take the blame once it happens.

"Your Excellency has really taken care of everything!" Gu Wenhui bowed and said, "Your Highness also had this idea, but because I know that Your Excellency is very busy and it is the end of the year, I originally planned to discuss it with Your Excellency after the New Year!"

He originally thought that Gu Wenhui was King Zhongshun's man, but as his relationship with King Qin became closer, he realized that it was actually arranged by King Qin.

This is also the reason why he specifically sought out Gu Wenhui to discuss the matter.

Even if the King of Qin intends to let him infiltrate the King of Ning's inner circle, he cannot let him have any doubts. By taking this opportunity, he can not only pass on the blame in advance, but also show his firm stance.

It can be said that we kill two birds with one stone.

With this in mind, Zhang Yunyi did not hide his true feelings and said, "We are far away in the capital, out of reach. It is inevitable that some villains will take risks. We must send a trustworthy person to keep an eye on them."

Although he has the favor of being a good father, he has only been serving the King of Qin for a short time.

Since we have to make our stance clear, we naturally have to have some inclination in the personnel we employ. If we send Prince Ning's men, it would backfire.

It would be better to throw the ball to the King of Qin, which would be most appropriate.

"I don't have a suitable candidate either. I'd better consult the King of Qin and then ask the Emperor for permission."

He was not worried that the candidate arranged by King Qin would reveal their relationship. Compared with King Ning's high profile, he was obviously much more low-key.

If he had not gradually gained his trust, he would not even know Gu Wenhui's true identity, let alone King Ning.

Now that things have come to this, I am sure that with the shrewdness of the King of Qin, he will definitely arrange a suitable candidate.

Maybe, it would even make King Ning mistakenly believe that he was intentionally helping to cover it up.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 344 Shameless

"Your Highness!"

Zhang Yun逸 stepped into the side hall of Prince Zhongshun's mansion, walked quickly forward and bowed to the ground.

"Yun Yi, don't be so polite!" King Qin stepped forward quickly and grabbed him in time.

"Your Highness summoned me, is it about the selection of candidates?"

I originally thought that after Gu Wenhui had passed on the message, the King of Qin would most likely go along with it.

Unexpectedly, I actually had an appointment with him.

"That's right!" The King of Qin said with a warm face, "Although your idea is good, the overall situation should be given priority. If the emperor asks for your opinion, you might as well mention it..."

At this point, he paused and said, "Do you know Mei Lian, the editor of the Hanlin Academy?"

Hanlin Academy, surnamed Mei.

Zhang Yunyi was excited, but his face showed a thoughtful expression. He pondered for a long while, then shook his head blankly and said, "I have never heard of this person. Could it be that Your Highness is interested in him?"

The King of Qin nodded and said, "My brother is trying to win you over. Although the inspection of Jiangnan is imperative, it cannot involve you. This Hanlin Mei works in the Hanlin Academy and is considered a close minister to the emperor. It is a good opportunity to push him out so that my brother will not suspect you!"

Although the King of Qin did not say it explicitly, it was obvious that he thought the same as himself and was looking for someone to take the blame.

Zhang Yunyi couldn't help but tremble at his heart. He had been successful in both the Ning and Rong mansions, so it was inevitable that he had underestimated the ancients.

It's not his fault that he got carried away with success, he had the emperor's favor, the Tiangong Institute was a newly established department, and he had ambiguous relationships with the King of Qin and the King of Ning, so he was able to get along well with both sides in the officialdom and had no conflicts of interest.

To the point that they ignored their long-term rivals, who were just the Jia family, a bunch of good-for-nothings.

He quickly made amends, "If this person is in collusion with them, or knows about it but doesn't report it, wouldn't it be a waste of effort?"

The King of Qin nodded with satisfaction and said, "It's okay. Mei Lian has always had a good reputation. It's a good opportunity to test his character and ability. Besides, he is in the open, so can't he be in the dark? If Mei Lian is really in collusion with them, the censor will impeach him."

"Your Highness is a man of great talent and strategy. This move of pretending to build a plank road to secretly attack Chencang makes me admire you wholeheartedly!"

Flattery never wears out, Zhang Yunyi praised the King of Qin at the right time and said, "I wonder if you have the resume of this Hanlin Mei. It would be best if you can tell me everything in detail, in case the Emperor asks about it..."

The King of Qin praised him and said, "You really do things that I trust! Take this back and read it carefully!"

As he spoke, he took out a stack of imperial decrees from his arms, obviously having prepared them in advance.

Zhang Yunyi took it calmly and put it in his arms.

He also discussed with King Qin some plans for Tiangong Academy and the prospects of Taoism before leaving Prince Zhongshun's Palace.

After returning to the hot spring villa, he had no intention of playing with the girls. He went back to his room and unfolded the information given to him by the King of Qin.

The Hanlin Academy is equivalent to the modern secretariat and is a close minister to the emperor. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that only Hanlin scholars can enter the cabinet.

As far as Zhang Yun逸 knew, Lin Ruhai was a member of the Hanlin Academy.

Those who were able to enter the Hanlin Academy would often follow the emperor for a few years to gain experience, and then be sent out for training. As long as they did not make any mistakes, they would be entrusted with important tasks after three to five years.

There are even quite a few who enter the cabinet directly.

" Hanlin not only had a fast promotion, but also had the right to meet superiors without bowing and to submit secret memorials.

This is probably why King Qin chose Mei Lian.

Firstly, he would not be subject to too many constraints. Secondly, having the right to report secret rumors would also help clear Zhang Yun逸 of suspicion.

After Emperor Zhengqing had been on the throne for ten years, he gradually became obsessed with practicing Taoism.

As the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams will be crooked too. The Hanlin Academy gradually became a place to help him consult Taoist texts and search for methods of practicing Taoism and becoming an immortal.

It was during this period that Mei Lian was admitted to the Hanlin Academy after graduating from high school.

The information about Meilian himself is quite detailed.

However, Zhang Yunyi’s focus is not on himself.

Looking at the intelligence, he had a son named Mei Pi, who was only fifteen years old, and was only briefly introduced.

Zhang Yunyi couldn't help but secretly complain, how shameless! The Mei family really knows how to give names.

However, although there is no exact information, the surname Mei is not a common surname, and there are very few people who come from the Hanlin Academy, and Mei Pi's age fits the bill.

This Mei Hanlin is most likely the Mei family member who is engaged to Xue Baoqin.

Unexpectedly, passing the buck could bring such an unexpected surprise. Zhang Yunyi was overjoyed.

A common man is not guilty of carrying a jade.

If Mei Hanlin is also Qin Wang's man, then they are in the same camp, so he will have to be cautious when taking action.

But now, there is no more such worries.

After understanding Mei Lian's situation clearly, he also had a general idea of ​​how to recommend him to the emperor without making a fuss.

Although the Hanlin Academy today is not as strong as before, just like the emperor trusts the eunuchs, those who know how to behave and make the emperor happy will most likely have their day to shine.

Mei Lian had been in the Hanlin Academy for seven or eight years, but had never been sent out.

It’s not because the emperor can’t do without him, but precisely because he is not good at flattering others.

You could say he was seeking fame or he was upright, but in short, he pretended to help the emperor look up Taoist texts and search for methods of cultivating immortals, but he actually did not follow their instructions.

Therefore, he was disliked by Emperor Zhengqing and left idle.

This is also the reason why he has no real power but has a little fame.

Although he had seen Jia Zheng being two-faced, he could not guarantee that Mei Lian was the same.

Moreover, there are always two sides to every coin.

If he was in Jiangnan and collaborated with Prince Ning and the local gentry, it would be easier to deal with.

But if he is really upright and honest, and lives up to his reputation, it may be a blessing in disguise.

Although the King of Qin intended to let him take the blame, it was also a test. But if he took the blame well, it might please the King of Qin.

Even though he would inevitably be suppressed by Prince Ning and the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River, the situation would inevitably be reversed once Prince Qin succeeded to the throne.

Because he had established contact with the King of Qin long ago, opportunities that Zhang Yun逸 did not need were rare to others.

Besides, ups and downs in officialdom are common.

Mei Lian had been idle in the Hanlin Academy for many years and had a good reputation, so he might not miss such an opportunity.

Zhang Yun逸 hesitated for a long time, but finally decided to give it a try.

Firstly, the King of Qin knew about Mei Lian’s situation, and it was impossible for the King of Ning to remain in the dark and have no countermeasures.

The Zhen family is located in the south of the Yangtze River, so they must have close ties with the Xue family.

He might do some ideological work through the Xue family. In this way, even if Mei Lian does not show favor, the relationship between the two families will be damaged.

Secondly, although Mei Lian was laid off, he was a Hanlin after all, and the second branch of the Xue family would not take the initiative to cancel the engagement. Whether he was doing it for fame or was really a righteous person, it was impossible for him to cancel the engagement.

The Mei family is not Zhang Hua and his son, nor is it the Rong family. It is impossible for him to use his power to overwhelm others, and he has no leverage to make the Mei family afraid to act rashly.

Therefore, missing this opportunity is tantamount to waiting for death and missing a good opportunity.

Only by seizing this opportunity and seeking changes can there be a glimmer of hope.

……

(End of this chapter)