The Red Mansion Big Liar

Grandmother Jia patted Yuanchun on the shoulder and said, "He is a man of loyalty and righteousness. Please help organize the play for the Wanshou Festival so that he can show his gratitude to you!"

Grandmother Jia called Yuanchun, on the one hand, to tell her the good news as soon as possible to reassure her; on the other hand, to remind her to pay more attention to Zhang Yun逸.

Although it is not difficult to make this marriage happen with the emperor's will, after marrying into the Zhang family, she will have to look at Zhang Yunyi's mood.

This time, after all, she snatched Yingchun's opportunity and forced her to become a concubine, so it was inevitable that there would be a rift between the sisters.

For the sake of Yingchun, Zhang Yunyi actually resisted the pressure from the emperor. Although he finally gave in, he was ultimately forced to do so. In addition, there had been rumors of Yuanchun's marriage, and Zhang Yunyi knew the reason, which made Lady Jia worried.

However, she was afraid that Yuanchun would not be able to bear it, so she did not dare to tell her the truth and could only hint at it indirectly.

"Granddaughter understands! Don't say..."

Yuanchun was too embarrassed to say that she had an engagement, so she paused and changed her words, "Don't mention that Brother Yi had pleaded for me. Even without my grandmother's order, I would have done my best!"

"That way, I feel relieved!"

At this point, Jia's mother changed the subject and said, "However, this may not be enough. Remember to invite him over to talk more often."

"This..." Yuanchun's cheeks flushed, and she said shyly, "Grandma... Grandma, what do you mean? I have heard such rumors before, so I should be cautious and careful to avoid being in trouble. How can I still..."

"Hey!" Grandmother Jia said disapprovingly, "Why is it not okay? Your Majesty..."

She wanted to say that the emperor had already made an order, but then she remembered that it was the emperor's order before, so she quickly changed her words and said, "Since the emperor is willing to help, why should we care about what others say? Besides, who dares to gossip in our own family?"

Yuanchun was not without doubts and said: "But...if Brother Yi thinks that his granddaughter..."

"Are you stupid, kid?" Grandmother Jia said angrily, "I didn't ask you to invite him openly. Isn't there a cover for the Wanshou Festival play? Why do you think I must let you live in the Grand View Tower and set the rehearsal place at your place?"

"Granddaughter understands!"

Grandmother Jia sighed, "I am doing this for your own good! Although there is the Emperor's order, it was me who asked your mother to help me. He knows all about this and may not be upset. You must remember to go along with him and don't let him get upset!"

Hearing Grandmother Jia's tireless talk, Yuanchun did not dare to slack off. She kept it in mind and said, "My granddaughter is unfilial and has caused my grandmother to worry!"

"It would be great if you could understand my painstaking efforts!"

Seeing that she had convinced Yuanchun, Grandmother Jia calmly changed the subject.

"What I am most worried about is you and your brother. An elder sister is like a mother. You have raised him since he was young. Although you have been in the palace for so many years, you are still your sister after all. Has he been to your place to talk to you recently?"

Yuanchun evaded the point and said, "Don't worry, old lady. My younger brother is the smartest one. He often comes with my sisters and helps with plans."

Jia Baoyu was not a cunning person to begin with, so she could see that the reason he often went to the Grand View Tower was not because of their deep sisterly love.

She even cared more about the little actor than her sister.

However, Lady Jia was obviously looking forward to something, and Yuanchun couldn't bear to make her sad.

But she didn't want to lie, so she had to avoid the main point. On the one hand, she hinted that he would only go with his sisters, and on the other hand, she mentioned that Jia Baoyu would help with advice to reassure Grandmother Jia.

After hearing Yuanchun's words, Jia's mother felt relieved. She patted her shoulder and sighed, "That's good! That's good!"

Grandmother Jia was determined to let Yuanchun replace Yingchun at all costs.

In addition to the fact that Yuanchun was raised by his side since childhood and his relationship with her was special, he also felt guilty about Yuanchun's entry into the palace and the accidental marriage with Prince Ning.

More importantly, it was because of her beloved Jia Baoyu.

If the Rongguo Mansion had not built the Grand View Garden, with the wealth of the mansion, even if Jia Baoyu could not be allowed to spend extravagantly, he could at least be guaranteed to have enough food and clothing for the rest of his life.

But now, even if she added her own money, the total was only over 100,000 taels of silver.

Not to mention all the expenses, big and small, in the mansion, just the monthly salary for nearly a thousand people in the mansion would be over ten thousand taels of silver in a year.

Not to mention the various extra expenses such as interpersonal relationships, birth, aging, sickness and death.

Although there are ancestral fields in the south and the farm to supplement the income, the expenses are still not enough to cover the income.

She was not aware of the true relationship between Zhang Yun逸 and Wang Xifeng. She just thought that Zhang Yun逸 loved Wang Xifeng because of Yingchun.

No one knows a child better than his mother. She knew very well that Jia Zheng didn't even help when his oil bottle fell over, and he couldn't even take care of himself, let alone Jia Baoyu.

Although Mrs. Wang's dowry was quite generous, it was still just living beyond her means.

Therefore, he hoped that Yuanchun could replace Yingchun and marry Zhang Yunyi, so that Jia Baoyu would have more protection.

After all, Yingchun is separated from Jia Baoyu by a layer, and there has always been a grudge between the first and second wives.

Now, as long as she is still alive, she can still suppress it because of filial piety.

But if one day she is gone, it would be a blessing that the family does not fall apart. How could we dare to hope that the first wife would help the second wife?

The grandparents chatted for a while and ate dinner together before Yuanchun said goodbye and left, returning to the Grand View Garden.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 358 Acceptance

Without Youshi, Qin Keqing and others, Huifang Garden suddenly became much quieter.

Zhang Yun逸 had dinner in the pavilion on the mountain, played with his son for a while, and then took Qingwen back to Dengxian Pavilion.

There was no way. The old couple Zhen Shiyin hadn't seen Zhen Chengsi for more than two months and were reluctant to let him go. Xiangling hadn't seen her parents for a long time, so Zhang Yunyi couldn't force her to go back to her room.

The layout of the newly expanded Dengxian Pavilion has also undergone many changes.

Four rooms were added to the first floor, two on the east and west sides, with the hall in the middle, the bathroom and cloakroom on the east, and the stairs and utility room on the west.

Two rooms were added upstairs. The easternmost room was still Zhang Yunyi's room, and the two next doors were the maid's room and the bathroom. These three rooms were just adjusted based on the original ones.

The original study was moved to the opposite side of the stairs and two new rooms were built.

In addition, a balcony was specially added on the second floor.

Zhang Yun逸 was standing on the balcony at this moment, looking at the brightly lit Grand View Tower in the distance.

Seeing the figures floating on the Grand View Tower, who seemed to be rehearsing, he hurriedly ordered Qingwen, "Go and call Wu'er!"

The reason why he admitted in front of Lady Jia that it was the emperor's instruction was, on the one hand, because he was not sure whether the emperor had informed Rongfu; on the other hand, it was to temporarily stabilize Lady Jia and inform Yuanchun through her.

With the pretext of the emperor's authorization, it would undoubtedly be much easier to conquer Yuanchun.

To paraphrase a line from A Chinese Odyssey, isn't what the emperor has arranged enough for you to be proud of?

Although she couldn't do whatever she wanted under the title of being arranged by the emperor, it was enough for Yuanchun to let down her guard.

Yuanchun is not like Yingchun and Tanchun, who do not have concerns about their age.

Since the emperor asked him to figure it out himself, it was natural for him to make the matter a done deal first and then go to Lady Jia to use threats and inducements.

The reason why he was unwilling to take Yuanchun as his wife was, on the one hand, because of the complicated relationship with Jia Zheng's family; on the other hand, it was also because he did not want the Jia family to control his backyard.

Although he had few relatives, as his official position and title were promoted, he had to entertain guests with his family.

It is not obvious before the marriage, so he can ask Youshi or Wang Xifeng for help. But after the marriage, his wife must come out to receive him.

Although Yuanchun has been in the palace for many years and does not need to worry about her interpersonal relationships and etiquette, she has been with Lady Jia since she was a child, and she also has a younger brother, Jia Baoyu, so Zhang Yunyi naturally needs to think carefully.

The biggest problem with Grandmother Jia is her bias, especially her excessive doting on Jia Baoyu, which is the root of all evil.

Even though Yuanchun might not necessarily be influenced by her, once the Rong Mansion encounters trouble, given her relationship with Lady Jia, she might not necessarily respond to every request, but she will at least lend a helping hand.

If the Rong family was sensible, he certainly wouldn't mind lending a hand, but he was worried about deceiving his superiors and hiding the truth from his subordinates, which would bring him trouble.

As the saying goes, husband and wife are one body. Since ancient times, there have been many cases of using backdoors and connections to get things done. It is easy to get things done by just passing a message to the backyard of a colleague or subordinate without their knowledge.

Throughout history, many officials have been brought down because of their concubines.

In the original novel, Wang Xifeng took on all the lawsuits, which was also one of the causes of the trouble.

The relationships among these aristocratic families are complicated and intertwined, and they are full of playboys. They are jealous of each other and their friends and relatives ask for favors, which makes it easy for them to cause trouble. Zhang Yun逸 had to take precautions against it.

Others use connections to get in touch with others simply to help each other, or because of the temptation of money or power.

As for him, he was trusted by Emperor Zhengqing and secretly served the King of Qin. In the future, he would inevitably have to serve the King. At least now he lacked some subjective initiative.

Plus, there is no shortage of ways to make money, so you just need to proceed step by step and there is no need to add anything unnecessary.

From this perspective, Lin Daiyu is most suitable to be his wife.

Although Shi Xiangyun's parents had also passed away, the Shi family had eighteen branches in the capital, with a large and diverse population, and she was also raised in the Baolinghou Mansion.

Unlike Lin Daiyu, who was sent to Rongfu since childhood and has no ties with her family.

As for the relationship between Lin Daiyu and Grandmother Jia, although it is equally deep, she is her grandmother after all, which is a level higher than Yuanchun. In addition, Grandmother Jia is old, and by the time Lin Daiyu reaches the age to get married, her time will be almost up.

With his current status, is there anyone in this world who is a good match for him and has no worries?

Just as I was thinking about something else, I heard Liu Wu'er's timid voice: "Master!~"

Zhang Yunyi turned around and looked, his eyes lit up.

Although she was weak, her condition was not as serious as Lin Daiyu's, because the Liu family could not afford the expenses for her treatment.

After half a year of recuperation, Liu Wuer no longer looked sickly and became even more charming and beautiful.

In addition, she has been learning etiquette from the young actors for the past few months, and her shy and timid look makes her even more attractive.

Lin Daiyu can’t eat it for the time being, but this low-end version has already become a natural outcome.

However, he asked Liu Wu'er to come over because he had something to ask. He pointed to the Grand View Tower in the distance and asked, "Do they often rehearse at night?"

Liu Wu'er was stunned when she heard this.

The last time he pleaded for the little actor, Zhang Yunyi had implicitly expressed that he wanted her to sleep with him.

When he returned home today, he immediately called her over, and the look in his eyes just now made her think of some impure things.

I didn't expect that he would actually make a feint and ask about the rehearsal.

"You haven't been to Rikain recently?"

As she was daydreaming, she heard Zhang Yunyi's voice again. She realized that she had been distracted and quickly replied, "I went there! We used to practice during the day, but I never heard that we have to practice at night!"

After hearing this, Zhang Yunyi couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a satisfied smile.

Although he could not see the whole picture, since there had never been any evening rehearsals before, but today there were suddenly additional rehearsals, he could easily guess that it was probably because Grandmother Jia had communicated with Yuanchun and asked her to have more sense of ownership, so she worked day and night without any complaints.

Liu Wuer stood behind him and waited for a while. Seeing that Zhang Yunyi was just looking into the distance without saying anything, she pursed her lips and said hesitantly, "If you have no other instructions, I will go back first..."

Zhang Yunyi came back to his senses when he heard Liu Wuer's voice. He turned around and looked her up and down, then said with a smile, "Baozhu and Ruizhu didn't come back with them. Qingwen can't take care of it alone, so you should stay and help her share the burden!"

As he spoke, he pulled Liu Wu'er into his arms, carried her back into the house, closed the balcony door, and glanced at Qingwen who was lying on the bed making the bed.

He took Liu Wu'er in his arms and came to the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed, and the hand that was around her slender waist slid away. He stretched out his other hand and pulled Liu Wu'er who was standing in front of him, saying with a smile: "Didn't Wu'er say that she wanted to sing a song for me? Tonight, let me check what you have learned recently!"

Liu Wu'er didn't understand what was going on. Her face turned red, she lowered her head, cleared her throat and was about to start singing.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yunyi suddenly pulled her into his arms, then carried her to the bed, but turned around and hugged Qingwen who was lying on the bed, and smiled at Liu Wuer who couldn't open her eyes: "Wuer, don't be anxious! Let Qingwen show you a demonstration first!"

Liu Wu'er began to have misunderstandings, and so did Qingwen.

Now that she had eaten from the communal pot, she naturally would not reject it as before. She symbolically struggled twice in Zhang Yunyi's arms, and then began to demonstrate in a serious manner.

The newly renovated house and furniture are inevitably a bit awkward, and the creaking sound accompanied by low singing and humming spreads throughout the house.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 359 A good show

In the Dengxian Pavilion, Zhang Yun逸 committed improper acts under the pretext of listening to a play.

The good show on the Grand View Tower is in full swing.

It was late at night and the sound of drums and music could not be covered up.

Hearing the noise, Tanchun was the first to become unable to sit still.

He came to the Grand View Tower with his secretary, bowed to Yuanchun, and said with a smile: "Sister, why are you working so hard alone and not calling your sisters?"

Although Yuanchun had returned home for nearly a month, Zhang Yun逸 had been staying outside the city and had not set foot in Rong Mansion.

Although it can be seen that Tanchun is quite enthusiastic about the rehearsal, she does not understand the reason.

A trace of embarrassment flashed across her face, and she explained, "I just had the urge to do it. It was cold in the twelfth month of winter, and it was hard to travel at night, so I didn't think of bothering my sisters."

Tanchun scoffed at her explanation. She didn't practice early or late, but arranged it right after Zhang Yunyi came back, and deliberately left out all the sisters.

The drunkard's intention is too obvious.