A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 77 Hearing this, I had an idea

Ningguo Prefecture.

Jia Zhen squinted as he listened to You Shi and Yin Die's reports. He waved to the latter and waited for her to leave before saying in a deep voice, "Isn't there anything unusual about him?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Madam You quickly denied it.

Her mindset was very complicated. She was worried that if she told the truth, Jia Zhen would complain that she hadn't given him enough benefits, but she was also worried that Jia Zhen would achieve his goal and the plan would come to an abrupt end.

Wang Qing's burning hot hands, his body as hard as steel, and the alluring way he struggled to break free—though the touch was brief, they gave her a considerable shock and a solid impact.

The brief encounter seemed to open a door to a new world for Ms. You, leaving her unable to calm down for a long time.

Lady You knew perfectly well that Jia Zhen had no such fetish and was not trying to cuckold her.

Sending someone to test Wang Qing, even going so far as to offer him some small favors, likely indicates some ulterior motive.

If we can find out Jia Zhen's purpose, we might be able to go with the flow, not only resolving our dilemma but also making amends to Wang Qing.

However, she must not let Jia Zhen notice this mindset. She spoke with absolute certainty, shaking her head like a rattle drum, both to prove her innocence and to shake off those inappropriate feelings in her heart.

Jia Zhen, however, clearly didn't believe him and said sarcastically, "Didn't he invite you to dine in the backyard? A man and a woman alone together, and you've been drinking, didn't he want anything else?"

"It was just a servant's neglect, and he felt bad about it. Didn't the master also ask Silver Butterfly about it?"

Lady You was a little flustered, fearing that she was not enough to convince Jia Zhen, so she quickly added: "I saw that he also accepted the Xiangling sent by the Xue family. Perhaps he didn't see her last time because he made an excuse. Why don't we pick two maids and take them over to him to take a look?"

Perhaps he didn't see the person last time, which is why he made excuses. If he sees the person, he might accept it.

Jia Zhen thought to himself, "What good are two maids? Does he think that by taking in two maids he'll get a share of the profits? Or is he so rich he can't buy his own?"

He said aloud, "Foolish! Can you find a maid better than Xiangling? It would have been fine before, but now, sending her there would not only be embarrassing, but also make us look worse than the Xue family!"

At this point, Jia Zhen suddenly paused and asked, "By the way, has Xiangling taken a concubine?"

Recalling Xiangling's familiar yet alluring face, a bad thought arose in Madam You's heart. She pursed her lips, her eyes darting away, and said, "It looks like she's had facial surgery!"

"Oh?"

Jia Zhen narrowed his eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then quickly asked, "Do you know when the house was taken in?"

"This... I don't know."

Madam You paused for a moment, then quickly suggested tentatively, "How about we ask Silver Butterfly to try and find out next time?"

After saying this, Madam You felt uneasy and lowered her head guiltily.

Time seemed to stand still, and after an unknown amount of time, Jia Zhen's slightly low voice was heard: "Good!"

……

Wang Qing was unaware that Madam You's mindset had subtly shifted.

He knew that a man should prioritize his career, so he didn't idle away the time while waiting for the samples to be completed.

Considering that Jia Zheng was merely a puppet, there was a concern that he might be all talk and no action, only listening to verbal instructions without grasping the essentials.

Wang Qing summarized the benefits of replacing charcoal with coal, from soil erosion causing floods to floods easily leading to locust plagues, and put it into simple and easy-to-understand text.

In his study, after working on something for most of the night, he pulled Liu's wife up from under the table and instructed her, "Tomorrow, take some time to go to the Second Madam's place and ask if the Second Master is free tonight. I have something to discuss with him."

He paused for a moment and then said, "If the Second Madam asks about my situation, just say that someone secretly visited tonight, and judging from the voice, it seemed to be a eunuch. I don't know anything else."

Although Madam Wang used Sister-in-law Liu's brother to coerce him, Wang Qing had anticipated this and knew that Sister-in-law Liu had already changed her allegiance. Without hesitation, he told her the truth.

Wang Qing was quite happy to have Sister Liu act as a double agent so that she could pass on information and mislead Madam Wang.

The eunuchs all came from the palace. As for whether they were dispatched by the retired emperor or ordered by the emperor, let Lady Wang use her imagination.

Fearing that Sister Liu might not understand, Wang Qing patted her head and gave her a few more instructions before saying, "The more favored I am by the Emperor, the more the Second Madam will rely on you, and naturally she won't mistreat your brother!"

Sister Liu quickly swallowed hard, nodded heavily, and hurriedly excused herself to prepare hot water for her bath.

Silent all night.

The next day.

After finishing his breakfast, Wang Qing rushed to the yamen (government office).

As instructed, Sister Liu arrived at Rongxi Hall early.

When Lady Wang returned from her morning and evening greetings, she immediately informed her that Wang Qing wanted to see Jia Zheng.

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang was overjoyed and quickly said, "I have time, I have time. I'll have someone prepare wine and dishes in a moment. Tell Qing-ge'er to come to my place tonight."

She paused, dismissed the maids from the room, and then asked, "Is anything wrong with Qing-ge'er?"

"This servant was just about to report..."

Sister Liu quickly repeated what Wang Qing had instructed her to do.

Madam Wang hadn't expected such an unexpected reward, and she quickly ordered someone to fetch a bolt of fine satin as a reward for Sister Liu.

After seeing Sister Liu off, Madam Wang couldn't help but ponder to herself.

The eunuch visited last night, and today Wang Qing is looking for Jia Zheng. Could there be some connection?

As evening approached, Jia Zheng finished his official duties and hurried to Mengpo Studio. As if seeking credit, he informed Jia Zheng that Wang Qing had something to discuss with him and that the eunuch had come to visit.

Lady Wang was unaware of the Emperor Emeritus's involvement, but Jia Zheng was fully aware of it and secretly wondered if the Emperor Emeritus had any instructions.

But then he wondered if Wang Qing was unwilling to relinquish the credit and had secretly reported it to the emperor.

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and his mood worsened. He said irritably, "Such despicable behavior... is this how you treat a guest?"

The previous sentence seems to be blaming Madam Wang, but in fact it is blaming Wang Qing.

But Madam Wang clearly failed to understand.

Thinking her flattery had backfired, she quickly said, "My lord, please calm down... then I'll turn around..."

Seeing that Lady Wang had misunderstood, Jia Zheng quickly interrupted, saying, "That's enough! Later, arrange for that elder brother from the Liu family to serve me."

He wanted to learn more about the inside story, but he was too embarrassed to admit it, so he could only hint at it indirectly.

Madam Wang understood immediately and quickly replied, "Yes! I have already prepared wine and dishes. Why don't you come to my place first, sir?"

Jia Zheng curled his lip and said indifferently, "Have someone bring the wine and dishes over, and tell him later that the master is waiting for him in the study!"

Suspecting that Wang Qing might be unwilling to relinquish the credit, Jia Zheng was not as enthusiastic as before.

Despite this, Jia Zheng still hoped to take this opportunity to secure a place in the emperor's heart.

Furthermore, even if he lost the substance, he still held the position and was responsible for his duties. As a military man, Wang Qing still had to use his own name to save face.

He worried that there were too many people and too many eyes at Madam Wang's place, and that if he said something inappropriate while drunk, it would expose that he had benefited from Wang Qing's influence, which would then affect his image in the eyes of Madam Wang and the servants. That's why he decided to place the place at Mengpozhai.

……