A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 79 Package

Passed?

This is all science, you don't know anything about it!

Wang Qing had no choice but to patiently explain, trying to choose an angle that Jia Zheng could accept, why destroying vegetation would cause soil erosion, and how locust eggs are easy to breed in a hot and humid environment.

Finally, he confidently declared, "Uncle, rest assured, I've always been a wild child, fond of playing with mud and messing around with snakes, insects, and rodents. These are all experiences I've gained over the years, so there's absolutely no mistake!"

Seeing his confidence, Jia Zheng felt much more at ease. He then probed, "Since you are so confident, and have compiled this into a book, why...why didn't you submit it to His Majesty?"

Although he spoke cryptically, Wang Qing grasped his hesitant state of mind and laughed, "A young man with no experience is unreliable. Not to mention that I am but a mere warrior, such matters ultimately require someone of high moral standing like Uncle to speak out so that others can believe them, right?"

"Highly respected?" Jia Zheng swallowed hard, feeling somewhat ashamed even though he was usually self-righteous.

Wang Qing laughed and said, "Indeed! To be honest, Uncle, last night His Majesty specially sent someone to instruct me to learn more about the ways of being an official!"

"This..." Jia Zheng felt a buzzing in his head, and instantly his face turned ashen. He stammered, "Your Majesty... how could Your Majesty..."

"This matter shouldn't have been discussed privately with Uncle!"

Wang Qing feigned nonchalance, saying, "The national treasury is empty, which is simply a matter of increasing revenue and reducing expenditure. The other day, His Majesty mentioned that the Ministry of Works' expenditures were enormous and had some complaints, but he praised Uncle Shi highly. As for the reason, I have no idea!"

Wang Qing's words were half true and half false.

Construction projects have always been a hotbed of corruption, and the emperor's appointment of Vice Minister Zhou to the Ministry of Works was intended to provide oversight.

However, most of these people were veteran officials from the time of the retired emperor, and Vice Minister Zhou was the brother of Consort Zhou, so it was not advisable to make a big fuss.

However, it would be a different story to ask Jia Zheng, a veteran nobleman who had wasted many years in the Ministry of Works, to conduct a self-examination and self-correction.

Therefore, Wang Qinghe and the emperor arranged a special package for Jia Zheng.

Taking advantage of Jia Zheng's ambitious and boastful nature, they first used the credit for opening up the source to elevate Jia Zheng's status, and then made him do the dirty work that Zhou Shilang was not willing to do.

That's why he had Sister Liu lie and say that a eunuch had come to the door.

On the one hand, it was to lay the groundwork first, and then give some hints to Jia Zheng later.

On the other hand, it was also to test Lady Wang's abilities and see if she would tell Jia Zheng about this matter.

He can only succeed by seizing every opportunity. How can he fish in troubled waters if he doesn't stir up trouble in the Rongguo Mansion?

He was already calculating without thinking, and when he saw Jia Zheng acting out of character and subtly inquiring about whether the document should be submitted to the emperor, he instantly understood his intentions.

Since Jia Zheng was so suspicious and petty, Wang Qing decided to give him some serious scoop.

Seeing that Jia Zheng was already bewildered by his words, Wang Qing quickly pressed his advantage, saying, "Uncle, you are favored by the Emperor, but you lack an opportunity. If you could present a method to open up new avenues, His Majesty would surely entrust you with important responsibilities. I hope you will give me your guidance!"

"With your abilities, my dear nephew, you are sure to have a bright future!"

Jia Zheng was overwhelmed by Wang Qing's flatbread, and after clearing up the misunderstanding, his enthusiasm was even greater than before.

He quickly invited Wang Qing to take a seat, and they began to toast each other.

……

"Madam, the wool fabrics from the storeroom have all been retrieved. Please take a look!"

This was the first time Wang Qing had spoken up, and Madam Wang practically brought over all the inventory from the storeroom.

After picking and choosing for a long time, he finally selected a few pieces of fine fur that he liked and ordered them to be wrapped up.

Thinking of Wang Qing's mysterious black cloth cover, Madam Wang couldn't help but feel curious. She thought that Wang Qing might be drunk and forgetful, so she might as well send it over under the pretext of drinking it and see if there was any secret inside.

So, she picked up the bundle and said to the maids, "I'm going to deliver this to Qing-ge'er, and while I'm at it, I'll see if the master has any further instructions. You don't need to come with me, lest he blame me!"

Since Jia Zheng had previously stated that he did not wish for servants to hear matters of state and family, Lady Wang naturally did not want to provoke him.

Arriving alone at Mengpo Studio, and finding the courtyard deserted, Madam Wang was even more relieved that she had taken precautions.

Before she even reached the study, she caught a glimpse of the roaring fire in the fireplace by the door.

Glancing at the black cloth cover lying to the side, Madam Wang quickly stepped forward, examining the coal stove, wondering to herself, "Is this thing really worth all this mystery?"

Just as they were wondering, they heard Jia Zheng's triumphant voice from inside the room: "It is all thanks to my nephew that this great achievement has been accomplished!"

Behind closed doors, Jia Zheng didn't mind saying a few polite words.

A great achievement? Or is it because of Wang Qing? How come I didn't see it before?

Madam Wang, standing outside the door, couldn't help but wonder. Fortunately, Wang Qing quickly explained, "This coal stove and honeycomb briquettes are just toys I tinker with in my spare time. Giving them to Uncle Shi will make the most of them! However, Uncle Shi still needs to thoroughly understand what I've compiled, so as not to give himself away during questioning."

At this point, Wang Qing paused, then said, "I only brought a sample today. I have some more in stock. Tomorrow morning, I'll send someone to deliver it to the Second Madam. Uncle, you can have someone try it out at the manor first. If there's anything you don't understand, just send someone to find me!"

Even as Wang Qing and Ping'er were locked in fierce combat, they could detect that Sister Liu was eavesdropping outside, so naturally, he couldn't hide the arrival of Madam Wang from him.

He figured out Jia Zheng's mindset and guessed that he would be embarrassed to tell Lady Wang that he had benefited from his influence.

While answering Madam Wang's questions, he also added some of his own personal opinions.

Firstly, it would let Lady Wang know that Jia Zheng was able to achieve merit because of her, so she would naturally have to be more careful in the future.

Secondly, Lady Wang was very open with Jia Zheng, even sharing information she had asked Sister Liu to gather. Yet Jia Zheng kept things from her. Did Lady Wang not have any thoughts about this?

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Jia Zheng quickly said, "No, no, no! I'll go get it myself!"

"Uncle, don't worry. When I brought it into the manor, I covered it with a black cloth. The Second Madam didn't see what was inside. I'll just say that you instructed me to have someone make it."

Wang Qing paused, then feigned doubt and asked, "Uncle, don't you trust the Second Madam?"

Little did Jia Zheng know that Wang Qing was setting a trap for him. Upon hearing that Lady Wang had seen the black cloth cover, he became even more worried that she would discover his incompetence. He quickly said, "If things are not kept secret, they can cause harm. This matter is of great importance. It's best not to let a woman like her meddle."

"In that case, let's do as Uncle says!" Wang Qing decided to stop while he was ahead.

Jia Zheng, however, was worried that he would bring up the issue again, so he quickly changed the subject.

Between men, it's either about discussing state affairs or sharing common interests. Jia Zheng avoids the former at all costs, and he worries that Wang Qing won't be able to keep up with the latter.

Besides that, there was only romance and poetry. People are in high spirits when they have a happy occasion. Jia Zheng had already drunk some wine and wanted to keep Wang Qing occupied so that the conversation wouldn't go astray.

Then he began to vividly describe the content that was popular and enjoyable.

Wang Qing hadn't expected Jia Zheng to be so outrageous, so he had to offer him a couple of drinks and some compliments, which made Jia Zheng even more carried away.

This caused great distress to Madam Wang, who was eavesdropping outside the door.

She was inclined to ignore what she heard, but worried about missing some secret, so she had to suppress her embarrassment.

Fortunately, not long after, it sounded like something heavy had fallen inside the room, and then Wang Qing's voice rang out: "Second Master! Second Master, wake up!"

Madam Wang quickly retreated to a distance and ran out of the courtyard.

Worried that carrying the woolen fabric back would arouse unnecessary suspicion, she hesitated at the courtyard gate for a while. Only after hearing the sound of clattering footsteps did she carry the bundle and step into Mengpo Studio again.

……