The Red Mansion Big Liar

Emperor Zhengqing, who was sitting cross-legged with his hands forming a spell, suddenly stood up.

"Call Zhang Yunyi into the palace!"

As a duck voice sounded, Zhang Yunyi, who was covered in dust, held a crystal clear glass cup in his hand, stepped into the hall, saluted and said: "I will not let you down! I present this cup to the emperor!"

"Okay!" Emperor Zhengqing stepped forward quickly, lifted him up, and said in dismay, "What's going on?"

Zhang Yunyi showed a hint of surprise at the right moment, and then said naively: "I dare not slack off. I was watching by the stove the whole time, and I was in a hurry to report the good news to the emperor. I forgot my manners for a moment. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Of course he couldn't have forgotten, but he deliberately preserved these traces so that the emperor could understand his hard work.

He looked at the white salt stains on his official uniform, and glanced at Dai Quan who was spotless beside him.

Emperor Zhengqing showed a touch of emotion, and took the glass from Zhang Yunyi with a warm face, and said in a gentle voice: "My dear minister, you have worked hard. Go back and rest early today. I will discuss with the Ministry of Personnel and then reward you."

Although there is no difference in official positions between the emperor's edict and the Ministry of Personnel's procedures, it has a great impact on the official's reputation.

After all, the imperial edicts issued directly by the inner court were more in line with the emperor's wishes. Although they were a symbol of the emperor's favor, they were also easy to be criticized as ministers who were favored by luck.

Originally, Emperor Zhengqing only regarded him as a private minister and did not care about these things. But now, he hopes that he will take the normal promotion channels to avoid being excluded from the officialdom.

"I thank Your Majesty for your consideration. I was able to successfully make glass this time, and the Tiangong Institute also made great contributions. I ask Your Majesty..."

"That's right!" Emperor Zhengqing nodded slightly and said, "It's amazing that you are so young and yet you don't take credit for yourself. Don't worry, I will reward you according to your merits."

Only then did Zhang Yun逸 bow and take his leave.

"I congratulate His Majesty. You are one step closer to ascending to the immortal realm!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhengqing glanced at Zhang Yunyi's receding figure outside the palace, then looked down at the glass in his hand with anticipation on his face. He sighed, "Yes! When I saw this cup just now, a warm current seemed to flow out of my heart."

As the saying goes, one feels refreshed when good things happen to him. Seeing this extraordinary glass, he couldn't help but feel excited. He was even more convinced about the saying that it was a great merit.

After pondering for a while, Fang murmured, "Since it is a great merit, I will ask Zhang Qing later if there is any other way to speed up the progress."

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 75 Sneak into the night with the wind

As he walked down the steps of Linjing Palace, he ran into Prince Zhongshun.

He bowed to Zhang Yunyi and said with a smile: "Congratulations, Sir Zhang, for another great achievement. I will send someone to invite you to my house for a chat later. Please don't refuse!"

"Your Majesty, this is serious. I have something I want to ask you for advice."

Although the emperor's reward has not yet come down, his status is special, and official positions and titles are secondary. The key is that he made glass, which further proves his rhetoric. He is also in full charge of Tiangongyuan, so he can indeed talk to King Zhongshun about the subsequent distribution of benefits.

Sales need the help of the royal merchant. He has no foundation. Even if he can get involved, at most he can just follow others and drink soup. But purchasing is very different. He hopes to get as much as possible.

Although money is external to the body and he has no obsession with it, he cannot live without it.

Moreover, these interests gained are also a kind of capital, which can be exchanged when appropriate.

After leaving the palace, he did not rush back, but took a detour to Tiangongyuan and told his subordinates that he had recommended merits for them and that the emperor would reward them soon. He also reminded them about production and safety issues before getting on the carriage and returning to Ning Mansion.

After getting off the carriage, Youshi rushed over after hearing the news. Seeing him covered in dirt and disheveled clothes, she thought something had gone wrong and asked in shock, "How...how did it become like this?"

Zhang Yunyi did not hide it and said bluntly: "It was intentional. If it wasn't done like this, how could I show off my achievements in front of the emperor?"

"Is it done?" Yu Shi's worry turned into joy and she said with a smile, "I'll go to Dou Feng Xuan and tell mother then. Tomorrow..."

Zhang Yunyi waved his hand and said, "No hurry. The factory has just started. I have to keep an eye on it for the next two days. After this busy period, when the emperor's reward comes, it won't be too late to talk about it."

Yu was startled when she heard this and asked, "The reward hasn't come down yet?"

Whether it was the first time she saw it or the last time she made sugar, the emperor's reward was issued immediately, which made her a little surprised.

"If you go up further, you will have to change into a scarlet robe, so you have to be cautious. Besides, this time the merit is quite big, so I'm sure the emperor will have to consider it carefully."

"Okay!" Yu Shi looked at him with shining eyes, full of admiration, and said flatteringly, "I gave Second Sister some jewelry today, and taught her how to make some pieces that Yun Yi likes, but time is tight, and she hasn't learned it all yet. I'll teach her more in the next few days."

"Uh..." Zhang Yunyi was slightly distracted, and suppressed his restlessness, saying: "After all, she is your sister. Although there are reasons for it, we cannot wrong her. When the emperor's reward comes down, I will get a few more pieces of brocade and make some clothes for you."

According to past experience, in addition to official positions and titles, the emperor would inevitably give out other rewards.

Although he held real power, he had only been in office for a short time and was just starting out. In addition, his position was not high and his salary was limited, so he did not have much money.

The only savings he had was the two hundred taels of gold awarded by the emperor on the day he traveled through time, which was roughly equivalent to two thousand taels of silver.

Before this, he had already taken out one hundred taels of silver to make a headpiece for You Erjie, and his savings were only about one thousand taels of silver.

Ancient silk fabrics were roughly divided into silk, gauze, damask, satin, gauze, brocade, satin, and kesi.

Although they are both silk products, their prices are very different.

The cheap ones cost a few taels or more than ten taels per piece, while the expensive ones are worth an inch of brocade silk and an inch of gold.

The brocade that Zhang Yun逸 mentioned is the finest silk woven with warp and weft.

One piece costs hundreds of taels of silver, and this is just the value of the fabric. Taking into account the workmanship and gold thread, etc., one thousand taels of silver can only make about two sets.

Of course, he could also withdraw money from the Ning Mansion, or go to the Xue Family, but that would be too cheap, so he was unwilling to ask for it.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but think of Qingwen again. Although nowadays, every woman in the upper class knows needlework, there are differences in their proficiency and control over fabrics.

If I take her into the room, regardless of her appearance, at least I won't have to worry about her clothes.

Seeing that he still didn't forget her, Youshi's eyes suddenly became tearful and she said in a disgusted tone, "Yun Yi must be tired today. Let's go to the flower garden later and your sister-in-law will help you relax..."

"Let's do it another day! I'm really tired today."

Zhang Yunyi really wanted to relax, but he had two pretty maids by his side so he had no shortage of people to relax with. Plus, the conditions in the wooden house were poor, and he had been in the factory and had been under the heat for a long time, so he didn't want to suffer this again.

"Then... Yun Yi should rest early!"

When Youshi saw that he was disheveled and his official uniform was stained with salt, she did not think much of it.

When Zhang Yunyi returned to the Ascension Pavilion, he saw that it was the evening hour, so he took off his official uniform and said to Xiangling and Ruizhu, "We'll have dinner later. I need to take a bath first. Ask someone to fetch some water."

Hot water is a daily necessity. In a short while, several maids brought the warm water upstairs and poured it into the bathtub.

Zhang Yunyi couldn't wait to tear off his shirt, stepped into the tub, leaned against it, and enjoyed the service of the two maids.

However, the master and his servants in the Dengxian Pavilion were all upstairs and were not aware that while Zhang Yunyi was bathing, a slender figure in a light green dress left the Tianxiang Tower opposite, walked into the archery range of the Tianxiang Tower, then returned to the garden and sneaked into the Dengxian Pavilion.

After entering the Dengxian Pavilion, Ping'er hesitated for a moment, pushed open the door of the room next to the stairs, closed the door, and hid inside.

Although Wang Xifeng had said before that there was no need to avoid Xiangling and Ruizhu, when she was in Tianxiang Tower, she saw the maids coming in with buckets of water, and heard the sound of water coming from upstairs. She knew that Zhang Yunyi was bathing, so it was not appropriate for her to go up directly.

However, if I wait downstairs, I am worried that people will come and go and see me, which may cause unnecessary trouble.

Considering that he had to eat soon, Zhang Yunyi did not drag the two maids with him. He washed off the dirt on his body, and dried his body with the help of Xiangling and Ruizhu. He felt refreshed.

As there was no one around, he was too lazy to put on his outer coat and just put on a thin undershirt before walking down the stairs.

"Go serve the food!"

"Hey!" Ruizhu agreed and went downstairs first.

After a while, a few maids carrying food boxes came in and laid out the food one by one.

While arranging the dishes, Zhang Yunyi asked, "Did you visit your nephew's wife today?"

Because the morning was too embarrassing, he specifically instructed Ruizhu to explain the whole thing to Qin Keqing before leaving.

Although you won't be penalized for showing off like that, explaining it can help you establish a calm and steady image that puts your career first.

Ruizhu explained hurriedly, "I thought that the young lady had not slept all night, so I planned to go after noon, but Miss Ping'er came, so I have been delayed until now."

She thought for a moment and then said, "How about I go and take a look now?"

Xiangling, who was standing by, pursed her lips and said, "Master, I want to go over and chat with you, too."

Zhang Yunyi looked at her, thought for a moment and said, "Then let's go together! Let Ruizhu stay there tonight and chat with me. Remember to come back early!"

"Hey! I'll collect these dishes when I come back!"

Hearing his agreement, Xiangling responded with a smile, immediately went forward to take Ruizhu's arm, lifted the door curtain, and went to Tianxiang Tower.

The reason why he made such arrangements was that, firstly, Ruizhu and Qin Keqing were originally master and servant, so it was okay for them to talk in private, but it would be inconvenient if Xiangling was included.

Secondly, he had always treated everyone equally in the past, and Qin Keqing's shy and charming appearance in the morning made him feel itchy, so he just concentrated on doing it to Xiangling.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 76 Moisturizing things silently

Zhang Yunyi was eating with his head down when he suddenly heard a creaking sound. He thought Xiangling had just come back after talking for a few words.

I glanced towards the gate, but saw no one.

Just as he was wondering, he heard someone in the room tremblingly say, "Master Yi...Master Yi!"

He looked in the direction of the voice and saw Ping'er, in a light green dress, crouching on the edge of the stairs.

Originally, she planned to meet Zhang Yunyi as soon as he came downstairs, but before she came out, she heard him serving food, so she had to give up.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yun逸 then sent Xiangling and Ruizhu away.

Although following Zhang Yun逸 was a foregone conclusion, she was still Jia Lian's nominal maid, so it was better for her not to know.

Zhang Yunyi frowned and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Master, be gentle!" Ping'er glanced at the door with a vigilant look and whispered, "Grandma...Grandma asked me to invite Master Yi to meet in the empty room in the small corridor behind her room in the evening."

"Humph!" Zhang Yunyi snorted coldly, threw his chopsticks on the table, and said coldly, "Do you think I don't know what you are up to?"

Although he also coveted Wang Xifeng's body, there was no reason for him to get into it knowing it was a trap.

If Wang Xifeng had stated a price, he wouldn't mind trying this spicy pepper, but as he was thinking about getting more for less and wanted to treat him the same way he treated Jia Rui, he could forget about it.

Ping'er shuddered when she heard this. Thinking of his fortune-telling skills, she said incoherently, "Yi...Master Yi, you know everything?"

She then said in a plaintive voice: "I...I dare not hope for any status. I have advised Grandma before, but Grandma wanted to fight for me because of our relationship as master and servant. I hope Master Yi will not blame me!"

"You're kidding! Do you think I don't know how Jia Rui died?"

Ping'er was startled when she heard this, then she realized, "Master Yi has misunderstood. Master Rui has bad intentions. Madam has only punished him slightly, hoping that he would stop. But he has been so persistent and stubborn that he refuses to change his ways."

"Haha!" Zhang Yunyi sneered, "Yes! He is persistent and stubborn, but I didn't provoke you. Instead, you are the ones who are persistent!"

He paused and said jokingly, "If that's the case, can I also give you a small punishment and a big warning?"

"I...I was wrong! Master Yi, please forgive me and forgive me!"

She bowed deeply to Zhang Yunyi and said in a sad voice: "I will go back and tell grandma that I will never dare to do that again..."

As he spoke, he moved his trembling legs towards the door.

Zhang Yunyi suddenly stood up, blocked her way, grabbed her wrist, and said sternly: "Don't use these words to evade me! It's not that I didn't give you a chance. Since you have been calculating against me again and again, you can't blame me. Let's go to confront the old lady and the madam!"

Ping Er heard this and fell to her knees, begging, "This is all because of me. I am yours now, and I will let you do whatever you want. I have no complaints. I only ask you to let Grandma go!"

Zhang Yunyi was stunned when he heard this, then sneered: "When did you become mine? How come I didn't know?"

Ping'er dared not hide anything anymore and quickly told Wang Xifeng everything she was thinking.

"Although grandma can't tolerate me, she has never had any bad intentions towards you, so please don't blame grandma..."

After she finished speaking hesitantly, she raised her pretty face and looked at Zhang Yunyi earnestly.

With Jia Rong's words as a basis, Zhang Yun逸 certainly would not believe her.

He did not remember that Wang Xifeng had any idea of ​​driving Ping'er away, and he did not believe that she would be so kind as to give Ping'er to him for no reason, but it was an indisputable fact that she was jealous.

Seeing that Ping'er was still defending her at this time, although what she said was most likely not true, she was probably kept in the dark.

Although he kept saying that he wanted to confront Lady Jia and Lady Wang, he was only trying to scare Ping'er.

After all, his purpose was to subdue Jinchai, not to discipline her.

Well! Tidying up is also another form of tidying up.

Of course, if someone really dares to go against him, he will not just give in.

He looked at Ping'er and said in a muffled voice, "According to what you said, Second Sister-in-law Lian just wanted to give you to the master?"

"Yes!" Ping'er looked up at him and said, "If you dislike me, my lord..."

Before she finished speaking, Zhang Yunyi reached out and pinched her chin, examining her and said, "Since Second Sister-in-law Lian is so kind, let me test it first!"