The Red Mansion Big Liar

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 71 It’s Time to Show Off Your Strength

May eighteenth.

It was just past the fifth watch and before daybreak. Zhang Yunyi pulled his arms back from the embrace of the two maids and stretched.

After a while, there was a chaotic rustling sound in the Dengxian Pavilion, and in a moment the lights were on.

He rolled over and got out of bed, and nonchalantly told the two maids, "Today is a special day, so we won't have to do morning exercises. Xiangling, go prepare breakfast, and let Ruizhu take care of you while you wash and bathe."

The glass factory started working today. He went to bed early last night. He was worried that Xiangling was too dexterous and would waste time, so he switched their jobs.

"Eh!"

Xiangling stuck out her tongue when she heard that, feeling relieved, and agreed.

Ruizhu was startled and said timidly, "Master! Let Sister Xiangling and I go together..."

Zhang Yunyi was stunned for a moment, then reacted and said, "What are you thinking about! I have to leave the city soon, Xiangling is not as efficient as you."

"Uh..." Ruizhu blushed immediately, lowered her head, and chased him into the bathroom.

You can't blame her for thinking too much. Although she knew that Master Yi had something important to do today, she didn't know the exact time.

As a maidservant, waiting for opportunities and acting according to circumstances are basic professional qualities. When she heard that morning exercises were cancelled, she couldn't help but think wrongly, thinking that he was going to change his training method.

The lights in Dengxian Pavilion were turned on, and Qin Keqing in Tianxiang Tower also quietly opened her eyes.

Staring at the brightly lit Dengxian Pavilion through the window screen, her body trembled slightly. She wanted to get up and open the window several times, but finally suppressed the urge.

"But the light from the opposite side was so bright that it woke up grandma?"

She was staring at the window in a daze when she heard Baozhu's voice. She was really startled and asked hurriedly, "Well! Is today the day when uncle's glass workshop opens?"

Baozhu leaned on her side, her face full of joy as she said, "Yes! Didn't Ruizhu say that the other day? When I make glass this time, the Emperor will probably give me a higher rank!"

She paused for a moment and added, "I'll be able to protect grandma better in the future!"

After saying this, she silently added in her heart - it will also be able to protect me better!

Qin Keqing did not comment, but clasped her hands together and murmured to herself, "May God bless my uncle and may he succeed in his mission!"

Baozhu hurriedly took advantage of the situation and said, "Since grandma is awake, why not get up earlier and go over to say a few auspicious words to her face, right?"

"Uh..." Qin Keqing looked hesitant.

"grandmother!"

Baozhu stood up suddenly, put on an outer garment, and took Qin Keqing's arm without saying anything, saying: "Even if grandma prays for me thousands of times here, how can I know? Although I don't ask for anything in return, at least I want you to know, so that grandma can be grateful."

Qin Keqing sat up reluctantly and said, "I'll put on my clothes myself. Go get some water."

Dressing in summer is simple, Baozhu also fetched hot water and she was already dressed.

After washing up, they hurriedly sat in front of the dressing table. The master and servant, one combed her hair while the other put on makeup. After everything was done, they slowly went downstairs and came to the Dengxian Pavilion.

Qin Keqing stood in front of the door and saw that breakfast had been placed on the table downstairs. Only Xiangling was sitting at the table with her back to the door. Just as she was about to ask, she heard some noise coming from the stairs and looked up hurriedly.

Sure enough, from the bottom to the top of the stairs, one could see the official boots and the hem of his official uniform slowly emerging.

She was waiting for Zhang Yunyi to reveal his entire body so that she could salute towards the stairs, but before she could open her mouth, an abrupt tent came into her sight.

She stood there in a daze, at a loss as to what to do.

"Uncle! Grandma is here!"

Before she could recover from her trance, Baozhu beside her could no longer wait and spoke crisply.

This sound not only woke up Qin Keqing, but also scared Zhang Yunyi. He hurriedly looked towards the door and saw Qin Keqing with drooping eyebrows and flushed cheeks.

Just as they were at a loss, Xiangling, who was sitting at the table, turned around, stepped forward and took Qin Keqing's arm, saying warmly, "Mrs. Rong is here, why don't you come in?"

Ruizhu, who was standing on the stairs beside Zhang Yunyi, glanced at Qin Keqing who was standing at the door in a daze, and then looked at the child beside her who seemed to have made a mistake.

She was not as silly as Xiangling. She couldn't bear to look at Zhang Yunyi with his eyes wide open, and she was bound to bump into things while helping him bathe and dress.

Because he was in a hurry and had not thought about Qin Keqing's visit, he ended up in such an awkward situation.

!' Baozhu, the only one who was clear-headed and insightful in the scene, turned a blind eye to the embarrassment in the scene. Seeing Xiangling step forward and hold Qin Keqing's arm, she hurriedly held her other arm and half-carried, half-dragged her into the house.

Qin Keqing's mind was blank and she even forgot to struggle. She was dragged into the house by the two men in a daze before she came to her senses.

When he realized he was already inside the house, his cheeks suddenly felt hot and his heart was in turmoil.

I wanted to say goodbye, but my throat seemed to be blocked by something and I couldn't make a sound.

"Ruizhu, I don't think I'm wearing the official uniform properly. Please accompany me back to the house."

Zhang Yunyi reacted and said to Qin Keqing, whose cheeks were flushed, "My nephew and wife, wait a moment!"

After he finished speaking, he saw Qin Keqing tremble obviously, and thinking of the ambiguity, he quickly grabbed Ruizhu and said, "Forget it, you stay and accompany your nephew's wife, I will go by myself."

Qin Keqing, who was downstairs, steadied herself after hearing these words.

Ruizhu, who was entrusted with an important task, obviously didn't know what to say. She just moved a stool and asked Qin Keqing to sit down, then stood with her head lowered, silent.

Fortunately, Xiangling and Baozhu chatted casually, which reduced some of the awkwardness.

"Why is Grandma Rong up so early?"

"Grandma knew that Grandpa's glass workshop was about to start up, so she came here early to wish Grandpa a successful start!"

"Then grandma doesn't have breakfast either, right?"

"Yes! Grandma prayed all night last night, and when she saw the lights on here, she rushed over!"

"Then...why don't you dine with me?"

Listening to the conversation between the two, I didn't know how much time had passed. When Zhang Yunyi came back, the blush on Qin Keqing's face not only did not fade, but became even more intense.

Zhang Yunyi also heard the conversation upstairs, and after going downstairs again, he said, "My nephew's wife is so thoughtful!"

Qin Keqing stood up in a hurry, but did not dare to look up at him. She bowed deeply and said in a trembling voice, "You should...you should! Uncle has been very kind to me, and the only way for me to repay him for his kindness is to pray for his blessing!"

With Xiangling present, she could only speak vaguely.

Zhang Yunyi had no time to waste as he had to rush out of the city. He pointed at the table and said, "I just heard Baozhu say that my nephew's wife hasn't had dinner yet. Why don't we stay and have a meal so we don't have to go back to prepare."

"No...I won't bother you, uncle!"

She wanted to say goodbye, but her legs felt as if they were filled with lead and her body was shaking slightly.

Baozhu hurried forward and supported her, saying anxiously: "Grandma has been praying all night, and now she can't even stand steadily. You'd better listen to your master and eat something to fill your stomach first!"

Ruizhu, who was standing by, heard this and without any doubt, she stepped forward to support her and carried her to the table again.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 72 Learning and Observation

The first ray of sunlight in the morning shines through the window screen into Doufengxuan, and the sound of birds singing can be heard in Huifang Garden.

You Erjie lifted the thin quilt, put on a light veil, stood up, walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked into the garden.

"My girl! Master Yi is a man of great things. He doesn't have the time to spend on women."

"Your eldest sister said that he has agreed. When he finishes the things on hand, mother will invite him over."

"Mother is doing this for your own good. Don't be shy. I won't teach you how to serve Master Yi. I'll let your elder sister teach you later. She must know what Master Yi likes."

Her mind couldn't help but reflect on her mother's teachings, and a blush appeared on her face.

After looking out the window for a long time, I saw no figure and felt a little distraught.

With a creaky sound, the door was pushed open, and You Erjie lowered her head in panic like a frightened rabbit.

"Hey! Why are you standing there like an idiot? Your elder sister brought a lot of jewelry here, hurry up and get ready to go out and try it on."

Old Lady You came in with a basin of water, her face glowing. She put the basin down, rubbed her hands excitedly, and said with a smile: "Your eldest sister just said that Master Yi's glass workshop will start working today. Good days are coming!"

When she heard the words "good days", the blush on You Erjie's face became even more beautiful.

At the urging of Old Lady You, she finished washing and combing her hair before coming to the hall.

She bowed to Youshi who was sitting at the table, and her pair of peach blossom eyes stared at the dazzling array of hairpins, rings and jewelry on the table, unable to move her eyes away.

The head ornaments and jewelry on the table sparkled brightly under the sunlight, making her intoxicated.

"What are you standing there for? Go and try it!" Old Lady You smiled flatteringly and said to Mrs. You, "These are all given to you by your eldest sister!"

Only then did You Erjie wake up from her dream and came to the table in a trance.

"Hmph!" Sister You San, who was standing aside, looked at the two silver hairpins in her hand. She wanted to throw them away but held back and only let out a muffled groan in disappointment.

Yu Shi looked at her sister, whose cheeks were red and she looked so beautiful, and felt a little sad. She smiled and said, "Brother Yi has asked someone to buy you new ones. When the new ones are delivered, I'm afraid I won't like these anymore."

"How could that be!" Old Lady You quickly nudged Second Sister You with her elbow, winked at her, and said, "Why don't you thank your sister quickly? Remember your sister's kindness in the future and ask her for advice on everything."

As she spoke, she sighed, turned to Youshi and said, "I am old, and I am not as young as you are and do not know as much as you do. You must teach your sister a lesson, or she will not make a fool of herself."

Yu was startled when she heard this, then she realized that he wanted to learn from her!

Just as she was about to pass it by, she saw You Erjie bowing deeply and saying in a trembling voice, "I hope you can teach me, elder sister. I have no way to repay you. If you have any errands in the future, I will not refuse!"

She hurriedly helped You Erjie up and said in a friendly manner, "How can we be so different from each other when we are one family? Try these first, and I will take you back to your room and teach you a lesson later!"

……

"Snapped!"

"Drive! Drive!"

As soon as the carriage with the Ning Mansion's mark drove out of the city gate, the driver waved the whip, whipped the horse's back, and galloped towards the southeast.

Inside the car, Zhang Yunyi, leaning against it, was reminiscing about the beautiful moments that had happened earlier.

Although Qin Keqing did not give any verbal hints and did not say a word during breakfast.

But logically, when encountering such an embarrassing scene, even if you don't run away, you should find an excuse to leave.

But even though her cheeks were flushed, she still reluctantly stayed and even had a meal with him.

If you say there is no other feeling behind this, Zhang Yunyi would never believe it even if you kill him.

Unfortunately, he had important things to do today and couldn't delay any longer, so he had to give up the attempt.

However, although there are regrets today, good things are worth waiting for. In order to avoid popping champagne at halftime and ending up in sorrow due to excessive joy, we should put our career first for now.

As long as the glass is made, he can do whatever he wants.

"Uncle Yi! We're here!"

The carriage suddenly stopped and the driver's voice was heard.

Zhang Yun逸 shook off his reverie, stood up, lifted the curtain and walked out.

As the chief officer, he arrived early, but the staff from the Tiangong Academy and the Imperial Observatory had already arrived.

After saying some encouraging words to his subordinates, he turned to Chen Yuanzhe, the current director of the Imperial Observatory, who had a complicated expression on his face, and saluted, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Chen!"

The Imperial Observatory was a small circle, and the knowledge was passed down from generation to generation, so he naturally knew the current director.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuanzhe patted his shoulder and sighed, "My dear nephew, there is no need to be polite. Since the founding of our Great Xia, my dear nephew is the only one who has been specially ordered to relocate the Imperial Observatory. If your father is still alive, he would be smiling in his grave when he sees your achievements today."

Although he praised Zhang Yun逸 generously, he did not have much envy. The Imperial Observatory was a shackle for Zhang Yun逸, but in the eyes of many people, it was not only a stable job, but also a stable job that could be enjoyed by generations to come.

The two sides chatted for a while before they saw several horse-drawn carriages driving into the factory, two of which even had bright yellow canopies on top.

Zhang Yun逸 hurriedly led everyone to greet them.

After all, the Tiangong Institute was under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household, and its various outputs were related to the emperor's merits. As the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household, King Zhongshun did not dare to neglect it.

He came with Chief Clerk Zhao Lianggong and the heads of the seven departments and three courts of the inner court.

In addition, Emperor Zhengqing also sent Dai Quan to observe, which shows how much importance he attached to it.

After a round of greetings, Prince Zhongshun took the opportunity to introduce the chief officers of the other seven departments and three courts to Zhang Yun逸. When it was noon, Chen Yuanzhe shouted, "The auspicious time has arrived."

The entire factory was suddenly filled with the sound of whips and drums, resounding through the sky.

Zhang Yun逸 bowed slightly to King Zhongshun and Dai Quan, then took the lead and stepped into the factory.