The Red Mansion Big Liar

Yu Shi had been whispering in his ear many times, and since she had no good feelings towards this coward, her tone was not very friendly.

"Last time Uncle Yi came to the mansion, I wanted to give up the yard to show my filial piety. Unfortunately, I was not able to do so. I have been feeling uneasy ever since. I want to invite Uncle Yi to have a drink in the yard to show my filial piety."

Zhang Yunyi sneered. What filial piety? He had already known the whole story from Youshi. It was obvious that Jia Zhen wanted to use him to make some extra moves. It was none of his business, Jia Rong’s business.

He waved his hand impatiently and said, "I accept your kindness, but I'll skip the meal!"

Just as he was about to bypass him and get on the carriage, Jia Rong stopped him again and said anxiously: "Uncle Yi, listen to what your nephew said, there is good news! There is good news!"

Zhang Yunyi glanced at him and saw that he was smiling in a very obscene way, which made him feel something in his heart.

"When?"

"Which day Uncle Yi is off, I will arrange it at noon on that day. What do you think?"

"Noon?" A hint of suspicion flashed in Zhang Yunyi's eyes.

Out of consideration for her reputation, Youshi did not feel comfortable telling him about Jia Rong's dirty thoughts.

However, he did not hide the fact that he had filed a complaint against the two of them.

Therefore, Zhang Yun逸 knew that his ambiguity with Youshi had been noticed by his nephew.

Because of the precedent of Jia Zhen entrusting his wife and son to his parents, and Jia Rong's obscene smile and constant talk about good things, he couldn't help but have wild thoughts.

Although he doubted whether he dared to disobey Jia Zhen, if he knew that Jia Zhen was willing to be a coward, he might not dare to have such an idea.

Of course, given Qin Keqing's attitude, she might not be willing to accept Jia Rong's arrangement.

Therefore, he did not delve into what the good news was. He planned to observe the other party's attitude first and then decide whether to give in half-heartedly or treat him with a cold shoulder.

He originally thought that such things would naturally happen after dark, but Jia Rong said that he would treat everyone at noon, which made him a little confused.

Jia Rong was also quite helpless. After all, Wang Xifeng was from the West Palace. Even if she used the excuse of visiting Qin Keqing, it was impossible for her to go back too late.

It would be better to arrange it at noon, which would not only conceal it from the public but also allow for more time.

Although he planned to sell Wang Xifeng for a good price, he had to consider the consequences. He did not think that Wang Xifeng would dare to fight to the death.

But Ningguo Mansion is still Jia Zhen's territory after all. If something happens in his yard, there is no guarantee that Jia Zhen will not hear about it.

Given Zhang Yun逸's attitude towards Youshi, whether it was to appease Wang Xifeng or to return a favor, she would naturally get a share of the benefits.

This is tantamount to snatching food from Youshi. If Jia Zhen knew about this, he would definitely be criticized as a traitor.

Therefore, this time he just planned to act as a matchmaker and arrange a private meeting between the two.

At that time, he only needed to tell Zhang Yun逸 all the news, then pretend to be friendly with Wang Xifeng, instigate her to take risks, and then cut off the source of trouble at the last moment.

Seeing Zhang Yunyi's face showing an expression of surprise, he seemed to be somewhat dissatisfied with the arrangement at noon, and said with difficulty: "My nephew also has difficulties, please forgive me, Uncle Yi."

Zhang Yun逸 didn't know that the difficulty Jia Rong mentioned was that Wang Xifeng couldn't come home late. He just thought that he was worried that Qin Keqing would come out at night and arouse Jia Zhen's suspicion.

The affairs of the yamen have been arranged for today and tomorrow, so it is difficult to change them.

So he thought for a moment and said, "Forget it! Then let's do it the day after tomorrow!"

"Hey! Hey!" Jia Rong's face was full of joy, and he bowed and said, "Then your nephew will be waiting for Uncle Yi to come!"

Zhang Yunyi nodded and stepped into the carriage.

……

The moment Zhang Yunyi boarded the carriage, Baozhu also arrived at Dengxian Pavilion on time.

It’s not that she deliberately avoided Zhang Yunyi. On the contrary, she wished she could show her face in front of Uncle Yi more often.

However, she was the only personal maid in Qin Keqing's room now, and she had to help Qin Keqing change clothes and wash before she could come over.

She leaned over to look around the room and asked, "Master left so early?"

Unlike Ruizhu, who had changed the way Qin Keqing addressed herself from Grandma to Miss, she called Zhang Yunyi "Master" and "Grandma" all the time.

Although Ruizhu felt it was inappropriate, she considered that Baozhu's indenture was with her and she was with Qin Keqing. If she also avoided suspicion like herself, it would seem that she had a new master and was distancing herself from the old one.

"Yes! Master... He always gets up at dawn and leaves at dusk every day. He is very punctual."

There were two lovely maids in the room. Sometimes they would inevitably get in the mood and work till midnight, enjoying the happiness of having two wives. However, Ruizhu was too embarrassed to say these words out loud.

Although she didn't say the whole thing, Baozhu understood the deep meaning. She stared at Ruizhu's face and temples with envy, and murmured, "How does the master treat you?"

Unlike modern times, in ancient times, before a woman got married or after being taken into a concubine's house, she would use a thin rope to clean the sweat hair on her face and neck and trim her temples, commonly known as opening the face.

So, although Ruizhu was always shy to speak up, Baozhu noticed the difference early on from her attire and appearance.

She was not worried about Zhang Yunyi's determination to help.

But can Jia Zhen really swallow that anger?

She couldn't help but worry that she would be abandoned to appease Jia Zhen's anger.

If I could have a happy face like Ruizhu, I would undoubtedly have more support. Thinking of the unnecessary things I had done in the past, I felt a little sad.

Ruizhu thought she was just caring about her, and said shyly, "Master doesn't treat us like slaves, which is great."

Although she had not been there, she had seen Jia Rong's attitude towards the maids he had hired.

Baozhu felt sad when she saw her expression, but she also felt a little comforted. She sighed, "That's good. Grandpa dotes on my sister, and I have another person to rely on from grandma."

When mentioning this, Ruizhu frowned slightly and warned: "Be careful these days. The weather is hot and the clothes are thin. The last time was in May or June..."

She paused, and then continued, "If you notice something is wrong, come and ask for help as soon as possible. It is better not to step out, otherwise Master Zhen will be displeased with you and find a way to transfer you away."

After hearing this, Baozhu felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and she couldn't help but feel an impulse. After hesitating for a long time, she just nodded silently.

Jia Zhen’s trouble is secondary now. If one day Zhang Yun逸 orders them to cooperate inside and outside, she will really not know what to do.

However, she only dared to keep these words in her heart and did not dare to tell Ruizhu.

Just at this moment, Xiangling also came down from upstairs. Seeing the two of them sitting on the doorstep, she said with a smile, "Sister Baozhu is here! Why don't you come in and sit down?"

Seeing Xiangling's sweet smile, her expression froze.

Ruizhu, who was standing beside her, saw this and thought she was slow to realize it. She smiled and said, "You noticed it too?"

Since he told Zhang Yunyi that Qin Keqing had tacitly agreed to let him be her chambermaid, he could not wait to recruit him. In addition, he served him together with Xiangling without favoring one over the other.

Therefore, although he could see that she was quite similar to Qin Keqing, he did not guess as Baozhu did.

"Uh..." Baozhu didn't know how to answer for a moment, so she could only pretend to be dumb and sighed, "Sister Xiangling is indeed very beautiful!"

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 51 Make preparations

After seeing Zhang Yunyi off, Jia Rong went straight to Rong Mansion.

It was the morning when errands were being assigned, and people were coming and going in the three wing buildings.

Wang Xifeng glanced at Jia Rong, ignored his winking, raised her eyebrows and said, "I have a lot of things to do here, I don't have time to greet you, if you have something to say, hurry up and say it!"

Although Jia Rong's words were fantastic, she still couldn't completely trust him.

Knowing that he had to come at this moment, Zhang Yunyi must have set a date, so he deliberately forced him to ask for his presence.

Even if something really happened at that time, they could put the blame on Jia Rong and insist that he had planned the incident.

Jia Rong glanced at the maids and old women coming in and out, and said helplessly: "Qin misses her aunt, and I would like to ask her to come over the day after tomorrow."

"Is there any recurrence?" Wang Xifeng asked with concern, "Have you called a doctor?"

"No, I just wanted to talk to you. I'm worried that she's tired from traveling so I had to ask you to come over."

He stepped forward and bowed, then, taking the opportunity of having his back turned to the maids and servants, he raised his head and nodded to Wang Xifeng, signaling her to send all the servants away.

I had thought of telling her to dress up nicely.

Unexpectedly, Wang Xifeng ignored her and just waved her hand, saying, "Go back and tell my nephew's wife that I will ask for leave from my wife tomorrow and go to see her."

Seeing this, Jia Rong could only return home in disappointment.

Wang Xifeng appeared calm on the surface, but after Jia Rong left, she hurriedly assigned tasks and went to Rong Xi Tang.

Seeing that Madam Wang was not in the room, she asked Caixia who was standing in the room indirectly, "Why is Madam not here at this moment? Could it be that she is not feeling well and has gone back to rest?"

Caixia said nonchalantly, "There was nothing wrong with Madam getting up this morning. She must have chatted with the old lady for a while. If Grandma has something urgent, she might as well go to the old lady and talk to her."

Confirming her guess, Wang Xifeng found a chair at the bottom and sat down, smiling and saying, "There is no urgent matter, I am just worried about my aunt."

Caixia saw her sit down and hurried to make tea.

After waiting for about half an hour, Mrs. Wang came back with a smile on her face.

Wang Xifeng's heart sank, and she hurried forward to pay her respects, saying, "Rong'er was just sent over here, saying that Qin wanted to talk to her niece, and that she wanted to ask Madam for leave, and would go over the day after tomorrow."

If my nephew's wife wants to talk to someone, she should go there herself. There is no reason to ask my aunt to go over.

Madam Wang said with displeasure, "Last time I accompanied the old lady to visit the East Palace Garden, she seemed fine. Why didn't she..."

Having said this, he thought of his own daughter's affairs, which still depended on the Ningguo Mansion's help, and hurriedly changed the topic, "She has always been a sensible person. Since she asked Rong'er to come and invite you, I'm afraid she has had a relapse. You can take some supplements and go take a look."

After hearing the first half of the sentence, Wang Xifeng thought she would have to spend some more time talking, but she didn't expect that before she could open her mouth, Mrs. Wang changed her tone.

Fearing that he would make a mistake if he spoke too much, he quickly agreed and bowed to leave.

It was already noon when she returned to the three-room porch. She ate lunch absentmindedly, then leaned on the kang, her eyes slightly closed, and fell into deep thought.

Mrs. Wang rushed to Lady Jia's courtyard every morning and evening to visit her mother. Excluding the time when everyone else was present, there was nearly two hours of secret conversation.

Judging from Mrs. Wang’s expression when she came back, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law must have had a very pleasant conversation.

She couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency.

If the Xue family is allowed to expand their business, Xue Baochai's dowry will definitely be even richer. With Mrs. Wang fanning the flames, I'm afraid there's really nothing that can be done to save the situation.

Thinking of this, she suddenly opened her eyes, raised her hand, and fanned her face. She then said to Ping'er, "This weather is really hot. Go back and take out all my clothes to dry in the sun. I want to wear them tomorrow."

Even though there was still one day left until the agreed time, she couldn't wait to prepare.

Although it was only one day in advance and a bit rushed, the sudden change of clothes when going to Ning Mansion the day after tomorrow was too eye-catching.

Ping'er glanced at her forehead, a hint of suspicion flashed across her face, but she said sympathetically, "The weather is a bit hot and humid, I'm afraid it's going to rain."

Then he turned around and went back to rummage through the drawers.

After Ping'er left, Wang Xifeng spent another hour or so in the porch to finish dealing with things, and then she could no longer sit still.

She got up and returned home. Looking at the colorful flowers hanging all over the yard, she walked around twice before leisurely returning to the house.

She had dinner early, and waited until Ping'er directed the maids to take the clothes back to the room before she started to pick and choose.

After searching for a long time, I finally hung the set that I had already prepared on the clothes hanger in the house.

She walked around the hanger, examined it, fiddled with the satin-fronted jacket with a purple background and gold floral patterns, and shook her head.

She was not dissatisfied with the purple long skirt and the pink flowered tube top.

Unfortunately, this double-breasted jacket is a little insufficient. Although the half-open collar makes the clothes more obvious, not only the whiteness under the neck is fully revealed, but also the bra underneath is slightly exposed.

However, the slits on both sides were a bit conservative, not extending from the hem of the collar all the way to the waist. Not to mention the pair of long legs that she was so proud of, with well-proportioned body, even the hem of the skirt wrapped inside was only half exposed.

However, she usually took care of the affairs of the mansion and inevitably met men, so she paid great attention to her clothes.

There are clothes with high slits, but they are home clothes and cannot be worn outside.

Although she is the elder nephew and the younger brother-in-law, and can joke around with anyone, she is actually quite conservative at heart.

If it weren't for the recent increasing closeness between Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang, she would not have intended to make any substantial sacrifices even if Zhang Yunyi could make more money.

At most, he would do it the same way as he dealt with Jia Rui, giving some verbal hints to lure Zhang Yun逸 into the circle, and then use Ping'er to impersonate him.

After struggling with the hanger for a long time, I finally gave up the idea of ​​taking it away temporarily and asking someone to modify it.

Although there would be enough time to ask Qingwen in Baoyu's room to do it, it would inevitably cause some noise.

Just at this moment, Ping'er pushed the door open and saw her shaking her head at the clothes on the hanger. She suggested, "Madam, if you think this dress is too revealing, why not add a cloud shoulder to cover it."

This reminded Wang Xifeng that although it was already mid-April, it was not midsummer after all.

She hurriedly took out a lilac-colored shoulder bag from the pile of clothes and put it on top.

This cloud shoulder can be torn off at any time. Not only can it be worn to conceal one's identity, but it can also be worn according to the situation.

The more you can hide, the better. If Zhang Yun逸 were like Jia Rui, who couldn't take his eyes off her the moment they met, then we wouldn't let him get away with it for nothing.