The Red Mansion Big Liar

As the emperor's eldest son, he had certainly heard of the title King of Qin.

However, this was not the reason why he was so respectful.

The eunuch Xia mentioned by Zhao Lianggong and the word "Shouzhong" from the King of Qin reminded him of Xia Shouzhong, the eunuch in charge of the six palaces in the Red Mansion.

Originally, because the emperor gave Yuanchun to Prince Ning, he was inclined to think that Prince Ning might succeed to the throne.

But now, the King of Qin in front of him has an overwhelming advantage.

If the Zhen family was raided, it could be explained that there were no fathers and sons in the royal family. Since ancient times, there have been countless cases of fathers, sons and brothers killing each other in the royal family, let alone foreign relatives like the Zhen family.

But no matter which emperor it was, it was impossible for him to use the eunuchs who were close to his opponent in the fight for the throne after he ascended the throne.

From Xia Shouzhong's later position and his attitude towards the Jia family, it is not difficult to see that Yuanchun was not favored by the emperor.

Otherwise, even if he was the eunuch of all six palaces, he would not dare to ask for money from the Jia family.

Not to mention, he was not the only eunuch who went to collect money.

When he first traveled through time, he had suspected that Yuanchun was forcibly given to the new emperor by the retired emperor for the sake of Jia Jing's face, in order to leave a way out for the Jia family, but the effect was not as expected.

Now, this idea has been further confirmed.

Although he was not clear about the relationship between the Jia family and Prince Ning, he also did not know the efforts that Lady Jia and Lady Wang had made behind the scenes.

However, he happened to be present when the emperor summoned Prince Ning. The fact that Yuanchun could become Prince Ning's concubine was inevitably due to Concubine Zhen's intention. Combined with the context of the original text, it can also be inferred that the Jia family has a close relationship with Prince Ning.

'Pardoning Zheng Zhulian' and 'Punishing Lian, the regent', it seems they are not aimless!

He said in a trembling voice: "I have been looking forward to meeting Your Highness, but... I dare not go to see you rashly..."

Seeing Zhang Yunyi's excited expression, King Qin's eyes flashed with relief, and he sighed: "I owe Master Zhang a lot, Master Zhang, please get up quickly!"

After a brief moment of surprise, Zhang Yunyi immediately understood that the two Mr. Zhangs mentioned by the King of Qin were himself and that cheap father whom he had never met before.

I originally thought that the King of Qin thought highly of me and came to recruit me, but now it seems that there is another hidden story.

Although he had some speculations about the debt he mentioned, Zhang Yun逸 did not act rashly.

Fortunately, Xia Shouzhong had already spoken up and explained, "It's no wonder, Your Highness. Who knew that Lord Zhang would take the initiative and go to such lengths to dig out the Ministry of Works' accounts?"

At this point, he couldn't help but shake his head and sighed, "Master Zhang, don't you think about it? How can he, the director of the Imperial Observatory, know these accounts? Even if the emperor is unhappy, it shouldn't be that... He added unnecessary details, and turned his loyalty into a clique, and almost implicated His Highness."

"Shou Zhong! Stop talking nonsense! Lord Zhang is loyal and kind, he has never caused trouble for others!"

They were obviously singing the same tune, but it helped Zhang Yunyi solve the doubts he had long had.

At the beginning, he suspected that his cheap father was instructed by someone, otherwise he would not have known the accounts of the Ministry of Industry.

Since Xia Shouzhong said that he almost implicated the King of Qin, and the Jia family sided with the King of Ning, the source of these accounts is obvious.

Originally, he had suspected Jia Jing. After all, Qin Ye was in the Construction Department of the Ministry of Works, and Jia Zheng was also a member of the Ministry of Works. It was not difficult for him to obtain those accounts.

I just feel that given the character of those people in the Jia family, it is impossible for them to write a letter to express their sincere condolences.

But if it involves a fight for the throne, then everything makes sense.

At this moment, Jia Jing and Dai Quan were in the car on the way to the palace, and all those hints and hints came to their minds one by one.

Zhang Yunyi bowed again and said, "Your Highness, please understand! My father was deceived by a traitor... Although I have seen some clues, I have no real evidence and my elders are involved... I have no choice but to go deep into the tiger's den, investigate secretly, and collect evidence."

He is now certain that not only is Jia Jing responsible for the death of his cheap old man, but he is also the real culprit behind the murder of the original owner.

It’s not that I want to complain to the King of Qin. After all, the final outcome of the Jia family is there, and the King of Qin must know it well.

Although there is the relationship with his cheap father, the reason why the King of Qin is so eager to come here to meet him and to sing the same tune with Xia Shouzhong to explain the death of his cheap father is probably not just to win him over.

Previously, in order to build the Grand View Garden, he proposed to the emperor to hold a grand wedding for Prince Ning and Jia Yuanchun, which obviously caused Prince Qin's concern and was also the reason why he came here to meet him.

After all, he proposed to the emperor to hold a grand ceremony on the grounds of the late emperor.

In the eyes of the King of Qin, perhaps he had sided with the King of Ning and was using this method to help him compete for the throne.

Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. Even if the King of Qin does not mention it now, it is hard to say whether he will harbor any grudges about it after he ascends the throne.

So, he had to find a reasonable reason.

"Oh?" King Qin looked at him with interest and asked, "So what did you find out?"

"I was also very confused at first. Although we rarely visit each other, we are still close relatives. Why would you harm others and yourself and hurt me and my son?"

He paused for a moment, then said solemnly, "According to my guess, this matter may involve Prince Ning."

Regardless of whether Prince Ning was involved or not, he had to put the blame on him. Only in this way would Prince Qin not doubt his motives.

The King of Qin looked at him with a complicated expression and said, "I see. So, in that case, there is another reason why I proposed to my father to hold a grand wedding?"

"I dare not deceive Your Highness. I propose to hold a grand wedding. I have no selfish motives. The late emperor saved my life, and I have no way to repay him. I only want to make up for his regret. But I don't want the people's money to be wasted on Prince Ning's private affairs, so I propose that the Rong Mansion fund the construction of a separate courtyard for the bride."

Some things can never be acknowledged.

He said eloquently, "Firstly, Rong Mansion will provide the funds, so there is no need to waste the national treasury or the inner treasury. Secondly, my father's affairs are ultimately related to the Ministry of Works accounts. The Ning and Rong Mansions are deeply involved in the Ministry of Works, and Qin Ye and Jia Zheng both work in the Ministry of Works. I also hope to find a breakthrough through this, and through the financial situation of the two mansions, pull out the radish and the mud, and find evidence that my father was framed!"

Although it is somewhat far-fetched to forcibly drag the Rong Mansion into it, but if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. The Ministry of Works is in charge of the construction of the whole country, and Jia Zheng is a Yuwenlang. Even if he did not participate in it, at least he could keep in touch with it.

The cost of building the Grand View Garden was very high, and with the Jia family's involvement, it would have been impossible to get the money without at least one million.

Moreover, since Xia Shouzhong said that it was a clique-based frame-up, then who was framed?

The fact that the King of Qin was able to be suspected, combined with the relationship between King Ning and the Jia family, was obvious.

Therefore, what he said was not without basis.

At last he said, "I originally wanted to find out the evidence before looking for Your Highness, but I didn't expect Your Highness to condescend to me. How lucky I am!"

"Very good! You are worthy of being the descendant of a loyal and righteous person. You are loyal and righteous, and you will not sacrifice public interests for personal gain. I was right about you!"

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 104 Going in the wrong direction

It was past noon when we left Prince Zhongshun's Palace.

After a conversation with Zhang Yun逸, the King of Qin left quietly.

He did not attend the banquet arranged by King Zhongshun.

It seemed as if Prince Zhongshun had not arranged this meeting. He chatted and laughed with him during the meal, talking about all kinds of sensual pleasures and romantic things.

However, Zhang Yun逸 did not dare to underestimate King Zhongshun.

Being able to make arrangements for the King of Qin is no longer just a matter of standing on the same side; I'm afraid they have already been deeply bound together.

No wonder not long after Yuanchun was made a concubine, he went to great lengths to start a war just because of a performer named Jiang Yuhan, and sent Zhao Lianggong to the Rong Mansion to question the emperor.

I'm afraid that he didn't just value Jiang Yuhan as an actor, but he had already understood the emperor's intention and deliberately used that opportunity to make a deep cut with him.

This is very different from the impression we have of a person who is indifferent to worldly affairs and indulges in sensual pleasures.

However, there is nothing strange about this.

Is there true impartiality?

When you reach a certain position, you will inevitably face the problem of choosing sides. When faced with recruitment, refusing is itself a form of taking sides.

Fortunately, Zhang Yun逸 had foresight and calmness when facing this kind of problem.

However, Aunt Xue from Lixiangyuan in Rongguo Mansion did not have this awareness.

After listening to Mrs. Wang's story, her expression was quite complicated, including envy, worry, and even a little jealousy.

If my daughter could have such a good experience, what would my son's troubles mean?

She calmed down and said with a smile, "We are already causing trouble for the mansion by staying here temporarily, so we can't delay the mansion's top priority. I will ask the servants to pack up our things and move over overnight."

Mrs. Wang patted Aunt Xue's hand and said politely, "It's not as spacious over there as it is here. I'm afraid I'm sorry for inconveniencing you."

"Look at what my sister said. Since the mansion has this honor, my younger sister should also benefit from it, right?"

After finishing her business, Mrs. Wang stood up and said, "Well, I won't keep you busy here any longer."

"Sister, walk slowly!"

After seeing Mrs. Wang off, Aunt Xue returned to the room and saw Xue Baochai, with a frown on her face, sitting upright on the kang, lost in thought.

She hurriedly pulled off the shawl on her body, revealing a dazzling whiteness, and sat down next to Xue Baochai, causing ripples of emotion. She looked at her daughter with some concern and said, "Did you hear everything next door just now?"

"Hmm!" Xue Baochai was awakened from her thoughts by the voice and nodded slightly.

Aunt Xue sighed and said, "My son! Although Yi Ge'er is good, it was your aunt who proposed him first. If she knew about our little tricks behind her back, she would probably think we were ungrateful."

Baochai's quiet face showed a trace of anxiety, and she asked in a deep voice: "Did mother tell Sister Zhen?"

"Not yet!" Aunt Xue patted her chest and said thankfully, "I thought I would talk to her at the beginning of the month when I send the sugar revenue..."

She paused, hesitating about how to persuade her, but she heard Baochai suddenly say, "Then mother, just pretend that it never happened, and don't mention it again in the future, that's it!"

Aunt Xue was stunned when she heard this and asked in confusion: "You mean..."

Baochai said calmly, "Just let it be, and don't mention it to Sister Zhen again!"

"Ah!" Aunt Xue sighed and said helplessly, "My son, there is nothing we can do about this. Mother knows that Baoyu is not as capable as Yi'er. If your elder sister had not become the prince's concubine, mother would not force you even if it meant offending your aunt.

Now, even if we are willing, I am afraid that if Brother Yi knows the tricks here, he may not dare to come to propose marriage! "

After all, there is still hope of adoption, and she still prefers Zhang Yunyi in her heart, but the situation is different now.

Even though Zhang Yun逸 is still in the dark now, once he finds out, there will probably be recurrences, and then both ends will be in vain.

Baochai said angrily, "When has my daughter ever complained about being wronged?"

"Ah?" Aunt Xue was stunned and asked with a curious look, "You are not in love with Brother Yi..."

If we say that Baochai expressed her willingness to marry Zhang Yun逸 after returning from the first visit to the garden, it was still for the sake of her family.

In the previous chapter, he directly expressed his true feelings and pointed out that he was much better than Jia Baoyu.

This made her suspect that his daughter had a secret crush on him.

"What are you thinking, mother?" Baochai said calmly, "Marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker's words. How can there be any love affair? The reason why my daughter said that was for the sake of the family, but now the times have changed, so naturally I can't be stubborn."

"But didn't you say that Baoyu, who doesn't study hard and spends all day hanging out with women, and whose title is only the second of Lian, will never achieve anything great? It's easy to change a country, but hard to change one's nature. Can he change his nature?"

Although Aunt Xue also hoped that Baochai would think this way, she still couldn't help but be curious.

Xue Baochai said calmly, "The ruler is the ruler and the subject is the subject. Although Brother Yi is good at practical matters and quite capable, even if his career as an official is smooth, he is still a subject after all..."

As she said this, a strange blush appeared on her face, her breathing became rapid, and her already swollen chest rose and fell.

Aunt Xue was stunned when she heard this, and then her body suddenly shook, and she said in a trembling voice: "My son! Are you saying that your elder sister...is more than just the prince's concubine?"

"How dare my daughter make such assumptions?"

"Then what are you doing?"

"Mother is confused!" Xue Baochai said with a sweet smile, "Have you forgotten what happened in Ning Mansion the day before yesterday?"

Seeing her mother's bewildered face, Xue Baochai stopped keeping her in suspense and explained with a smile, "Although Aunt didn't say it clearly just now, it's not difficult to guess from the date. That day, Brother Yi came back from the palace and went to see the old lady and Aunt to discuss this matter. What's more, Aunt also said just now that the blueprint was made by him."

"This has nothing to do with..."

Aunt Xue had just said two words when she seemed to have thought of something and stopped talking abruptly.

"It seems that mother has also thought of it!" Xue Baochai said calmly, "Although we are not good at judging people, Brother Yi has this ability. No matter how good Xiangling's fate is, can it be better than that of my elder sister? He can even see Xiangling, so how can he not see the faces of Prince Ning and my elder sister?"

"Yes, yes! He is neither from the Ministry of Works nor from the Imperial Household Department. No matter what the emperor does, he will not assign him the job of drawing."

"That's right! Tell my daughter, it's 100% that he volunteered. If he didn't see the trick, why would he bother with this trick and take on the job of drawing the picture?"

Aunt Xue beat her chest and stamped her feet, then she heaved a sigh of relief and said, "If your elder sister can really go one step further, your brother's little thing will not be a big deal to her."

She was beating her chest and stamping her feet, and without the covering of a shawl, the tall figure in front of her almost broke free.

Xue Baochai was frightened by what she saw. She hurriedly got up, picked up the shawl that Aunt Xue had thrown on the kang, and put it on her shoulders.

He whispered, "Nowadays, things are different from the past. Mother should pay more attention to her manners. Even if she doesn't go out, she should wrap herself tightly, so as not to make a fool of herself for the servants!"

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 105 Daily Rest