Uncle Lai in the Red Chamber

Chapter 324
Honglu Temple, inside the Sifang Pavilion.

Lai Shangrong stood at the top, facing the Korean and Japanese missions.

"North Korea and Japan have surrendered to our Celestial Dynasty for generations, and now they are invaded by foreign enemies. Naturally, our Great Xia will not sit idly by."

After a pause, he said: "You can resist foreign enemies with confidence and boldness. I, Daxia, will always stand with you. Even if we fight to the last person, we will never back down!"

Upon hearing Lai Shangrong's impassioned commitment, the envoys from the two countries stood in awe and were moved to tears.

"The subjects of my country bow to His Majesty the Emperor of Heaven! I will serve your country from generation to generation!"

They also did their homework, knowing that Lai Shangrong presided over the negotiations with Xiyi, so they had more confidence in his words.

The officials from the Ministry of Etiquette beside Lai Shangrong looked at him dumbfounded.

"Okay! I won't go into details. You must be waiting for news in your country, and I, Daxia, also need to make some preparations. However, if your small country encounters war, I am afraid that the people will not be able to make a living. God has a good life, and I have already made it clear. Your Majesty, I will share your pressure and accept some of the people who are homeless due to the war."

"This... Your Majesty, it is clear to me that our country still needs to recruit refugees, if..."

"Hey! How can I not know this? Since we are sharing the burden, of course we must accept the old, weak, women and children. Otherwise, how can we show His Majesty the Emperor's compassion?"

Hearing what Lai Shangrong said, the envoys of both countries breathed a sigh of relief.

Full of joy and humility, they sent Lai Shangrong and his party off and left the Sifang Pavilion of Honglu Temple.

A group of officials from the Ministry of Rites could no longer hold back.

"Sir Lai! Although you are appointed by the emperor, you cannot be so arbitrary. You are not good at swordsmanship. Could it be that you have forgotten the affairs of Qianxiang Kingdom?"

"Could it be that you have received the benefits of both countries..."

Lai Shangrong said neither yin nor yang: "I am the one negotiating with Xiyi, how could I not know? I will explain it to the emperor, so I won't bother you all!"

People talk a lot, and he doesn't intend to explain the reasons to these people.

After getting on the carriage, Yuan Chengtao followed.

He said cautiously: "Sir, did you go too far in your promise just now?"

"Passed? How could it be?"

"The Japanese country is an island country, and it is inconvenient to transport troops. Although the Xian Kingdom is connected to our land in Daxia, it is close to the barbarians in the north, and its supplies are stretched. Once the supplies are cut off..."

"Did I just say to send troops for support?"

There was a lot of talk just now, but Yuan Chengtao was following him all the way, so he was not afraid of him leaking the secret.

"Then you say fight to the last person standing?"

"What does the last Japanese or Xian people have to do with me, Daxia? Of course, we will provide all support except help, for example, help them resettle women and children."

Although with the current national strength of the Great Xia Dynasty, it is possible to imitate the beautiful country of later generations, hold a stick in the left hand, lead a dog in the right hand, and act as the world's policeman, but Lai Shangrong has not made such plans.

Instead, he intends to wait until the devastated islands are devastated, and then come as a savior to take over the devastated islands, which is more in the interests of Great Xia.

"Since the adults have no intention of supporting them, why waste our food and house women and children for them?"

"Do you know what kind of trade is the most prosperous in Xiyi today?"

Before Yuan Chengtao could answer, Lai Shangrong continued: "It's people! We also need people to expand the scale of our state-owned enterprise!"

Although there is no shortage of people in Daxia, there will not be too many if the food supply is guaranteed.

Moreover, the transfer of agricultural population to industry requires a process, which leads to a labor gap.

Why did Europe accept refugees in its previous life?
With the fertility rate in Europe at that time, isn't there such a consideration?
Da Mao and Er Mao are at war, why do they prefer to endure the rise in energy, but also support Er Mao?
Lai Shangrong has read relevant reports. There are tens of millions of women and children lost in the entire [-] yuan. But when has he ever heard of any country complaining about the number of recipients?
Maybe he only talks about doctrines and his heart is all about business.

Conspiracy theory, it may not be that they have discussed how to share profits off the table, so they need support to be so confident.

You must know that there is no racial or religious barrier between Ermao and other European countries, and the level of education is pretty good.

This is exactly the same as Lai Shangrong's current operation.

One good thing about the civilization of Daxia is that it is inclusive. It has not been without foreign invasions for thousands of years, but in the end they all integrated into it.

At this time, the two countries have been immersed in the culture of the Great Xia, and their admiration for the Great Xia is even greater than that of their own countries.

The refugees absorbed are even less likely to cause a splash, and they will disappear without even waiting for the next generation.

Because I saw off Yuan Chengtao halfway, it was already dark when I got home.

Just after passing the second gate, Youshi came forward.

"Shang Rong! Madam sent Caixia to invite you to a banquet at the mansion!"

"No! Just say that I am too busy with the office today and send her back!"

In the palace a few days ago, Lai Shangrong was still angry after being cheated by Yuan Chun, and he was not so polite to his mother, Mrs. Wang.

"Hey! Then I'll order the kitchen to bring the dinner to the dining room!" Youshi agreed, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Lai Shangrong stopped and said, "What day is it today?"

"Today is April [-]th, and in less than half a month it will be Aunt Xing's birthday!"

Because Lai Shangrong had ordered You Shi to write down the birthdays of everyone in the family and remind them in time, she thought that Lai Shangrong was thinking that Xing Xiuyan's birthday was approaching, so she replied like this.

"I remember that on the [-]th, it's the day when Jiao Fang's family members come to the palace to visit, right?"

Lai Shangrong didn't want to ask about Xing Xiuyan's birthday, but he remembered that today was the day to visit the palace, so Mrs. Wang's invitation at this moment might have brought news from the palace.

He also hoped to use this to wait and see the emperor's attitude.

"Yes! Shang Rong has a good memory!"

"There's no need to prepare dinner. Help me change my clothes. I'm going to Rong Mansion!"

Although he didn't know why Lai Shangrong changed his mind, since he asked about the date of his visit to the palace, it was probably related to the palace, and You didn't dare to neglect it.

After changing into casual clothes, Lai Shangrong followed Caixia to a side hall in the back building of Rongxi Hall.

Lai Shangrong was stunned when he saw Mrs. Wang and Aunt Xue sitting around the table in the hall.

"Second wife, concubine!"

After saying hello, I secretly speculated that maybe I had guessed wrong. It was not that there was any news in the palace, but that Aunt Xue had been rejected many times, so she asked Mrs. Wang to come forward to invite her?

"Quick! Shang Rong, come and sit down!"

Seeing that Lai Shangrong finally arrived, Mrs. Wang also breathed a sigh of relief. She waved and said with a smile, "I'll ask someone to bring the food and wine. You guys can chat first!"

It was supposed to be just serving the food, and just giving the order, why did Mrs. Wang go there in person? But she had taken the medicine bottle before, and was afraid that the medicine would evaporate, so she didn't dare to drink it beforehand, so she had to go there in person.

Of course, the servants have to be sent away in advance, after all, what they do in a while cannot be seen by others.

This is also the reason why she took the initiative to explain to Mother Jia before. Although Aunt Xue was still present, it is inevitable that people will be suspicious of sending the servants away.

As soon as Mrs. Wang left, the scene seemed a little awkward.

It wasn't that a man and a woman were alone in the same room, but that Aunt Xue had repeatedly invited her, but Lai Shangrong had always rejected her. As soon as Mrs. Wang opened her mouth, he came.

However, Lai Shangrong has always held that as long as he is not embarrassed, others will be embarrassed.

He opened his mouth and said, "Don't be surprised, concubine. The Yamen is busy these days and has to receive envoys from Xian and Japan, so I really can't get away!"

Aunt Xue hurriedly said with a smile: "The official business of the Yamen is important. I just want to discuss the matter of Girl Qin with Shang Rong."

"Oh? The second wife told me last time that sister Baoqin needs to wait until the period of filial piety expires. Is there any other changes?"

When Lai Shangrong saw that there was not even a maid in the house, he preconceived that the Xue family had something to hide about Xue Baoqin's concubine, so he sent the servants away in advance so that Aunt Xue could speak freely.

"No no no!"

This is the emperor's order. How could Aunt Xue dare to make any mistakes? She hurriedly waved her hands and said: "How could something happen? Qin Yatou and her mother also sent a letter a while ago, but she just wanted to discuss some details with Shang Rong. Today I am here with my sister. , It’s not good to overshadow the guest. If Shang Rong is free one day, let’s go to the house to discuss it in detail!” Although Mrs. Wang pretended to stand up for her, her private plan did not want to fail, so she took advantage of Mrs. Wang’s absence to find someone. Give a reason to discuss in detail later.

Because there are only three seats, no matter how you sit, they are always at the same angle.

When she waved her hand, it was inevitable that there would be waves on her body. Only then did Lai Shangrong notice that Aunt Xue was wearing a little thin clothes today.

Although it was not as clear as the first glimpse in the palace that day, it was so subtle and ready to be revealed, it was even more sultry, and Lai Shangrong couldn't help but swallow it.

Then he woke up with a start and covered it up: "I'll wait until I'm done these days before I come to bother you."

Just as he was talking, Mrs. Wang walked in with a bottle of wine and a group of servants.

In an instant, the table was filled to the brim, and the servants filed out.

Mrs. Wang smiled and said: "Shang Rong will take care of his belly first. I'm a little tired today, so I'll ask my concubine to have a drink with you!"

Of course she didn't dare to drink the drugged wine, so she made excuses in advance.

How did Lai Shangrong know the mechanism inside, but this statement confirmed his guess, so he tentatively asked: "The second wife has entered the palace today?"

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener was intentional. She originally thought that Yuanchun was punished because of the backlash caused by Lai Shangrong. Now that she heard him taking the initiative to ask, she was even more convinced of her suspicion.

It is even suspected that Lai Shangrong already knew, otherwise why would he ask whether to enter the palace.

It's just that Yuanchun was punished and she couldn't confide in front of Aunt Xue, so she hurriedly covered it up and said: "The queen sent a message in advance, saying that she was unwell."

Her statement was consistent with Lai Shangrong's previous conjecture, but she didn't know why she chose Aunt Xue.

However, before he could figure out the cause and effect, Mrs. Wang stood up and said: "Shang Rong, please drink two glasses first to moisten your throat before talking!"

As he spoke, he picked up the jug with one hand and the bottom of the jug with the other, turned sideways to face Lai Shangrong, and slowly poured it into the cup.

There was a height difference between her and Lai Shangrong. She held the wine bottle with her arms slightly folded, twisted her waist and turned sideways, which happened to bring the view of the side peaks of the horizontal ridge right in front of Lai Shangrong's eyes.

In order to kidnap Aunt Xue, she did not change her clothes. Although she was slightly thicker than Aunt Xue, it was only a little.

Now that he was getting closer again, Lai Shangrong couldn't help but breathe a little faster.

It's just that the wine glass was too small, and it took only a moment to fill it up. Lai Shangrong left slowly before he could appreciate it enough.

Suddenly he had a plan in his mind and stood up suddenly. Before Mrs. Wang had time to pour wine for Aunt Xue, he grabbed the body of the pot and snatched the wine bottle from Mrs. Wang.

"How can I bother the second wife with such a thing? Let my nephew do it!"

After all, he didn't dare to be too blatant and couldn't catch the handle of the pot held by Mrs. Wang. However, the pot body was not big and Lai Shangrong's hands were not small, so some contact was inevitable.

Not to mention that she didn't know what he was thinking, Mrs. Wang didn't dare to say anything even if she knew it. She could only say bitterly: "Then... then there is Lao Shangrong!"

Lai Shangrong was not like Mrs. Wang. Instead, he moved in front of Aunt Xue, leaned down to take a bird's eye view of the unique scenery, glanced at the wine glass from the corner of his eye, slowly lifted the wine bottle, and poured it into it.

Although it has been slowed down as much as possible, but after all, the wine glass is not like Aunt Xue, and the capacity is limited, but there are still some shortcomings, so I came to Mrs. Wang again.

There was no doubt: "Since the second wife asked my nephew to come over, I can't help but show my friendship as a landlord! How about just having a drink?"

Although Mrs. Wang was distressed, she did not dare to question it. Moreover, she did not know the efficacy of the medicine. Lai Shangrong was young after all. She was afraid that using too much would cause greater trouble, so she only put one pill in. She thought it would not be a big deal if she drank a cup.

"Thank you for your hard work!"

After three or two glasses of water and wine, Lai Shangrong was busy pouring wine for Aunt Xue. Although he was busy, he was still enjoying it.

The three of them chatted while eating. Lai Shangrong always brought the topic to Yuanchun in the palace, but Mrs. Wang always changed the subject.

Lai Shangrong only thought that she didn't want to mention it in front of Aunt Xue. After all, the imperial concubine and empress were so happy that it didn't sound good to say it. It was estimated that they would talk about it when they left the palace, so they didn't bother with this topic anymore.

After eating for about a quarter of an hour or two, Mrs. Wang suddenly stood up and said: "My concubine has something to do with you. I have sent the servants out so that you can talk about things. I will be back as soon as I go."

Aunt Xue had no doubt that he was there. After all, Mrs. Wang had already said before that he was the one who invited her.

Lai Shangrong thought that Mrs. Wang was trying to kill two birds with one stone. Although Aunt Xue had said before that it was not advisable to overshadow the guest and take over the host, Mrs. Wang now made the matter clear in front of Aunt Xue, so there was no need to continue to be pretentious.

Mrs. Wang left the door ajar and didn't go far out of the side hall. She looked around and then returned to the door of the side hall. She squatted close to the crack of the ajar door and peeked inside.

She was not out of curiosity or intentional voyeurism. Although she had been drugged, she still had to deal with the aftermath in time, otherwise if Aunt Xue did not know the importance and made trouble, it would be contrary to the original intention of this move.

The two people in the house were completely unaware of this. Aunt Xue did not follow Mrs. Wang's instructions and discuss various concubine matters with Lai Shangrong. Instead, she talked about it and planned to save this topic for her own treat. .

After saying a few words that were neither salty nor weak, and drank two more glasses of wine, Lai Shangrong got up again and came to Aunt Xue.

It's just that this time is different from the previous times. There is a sudden surge of heat in the lower abdomen. Looking at Aunt Xue in front of me, I can only feel the blood rising.

But Lai Shangrong suddenly became alert. This feeling was very similar to when Wang Xifeng was drugged.

Was this drugged again?
"My aunt will tell the second wife my crime for me!"

Sensing something was wrong, Lai Shangrong had no time to think. He just wanted to leave Rong Mansion before the medicine dissipated.

No matter who administered the medicine and for what purpose, there is nothing wrong with not letting the evil plot succeed.

Lai Shangrong's move can be regarded as a mistake. Mrs. Wang is familiar with pharmacology, and the pills in Jia Zheng's porcelain bottle are targeted and specially prepared for him.

Everyone knows that there are differences between men and women, and it has almost no effect on women.

So once he really gets carried away, Aunt Xue's reaction is actually unpredictable.

Aunt Xue was confused by this sudden situation, but when she raised her eyes and turned to Lai Shangrong, she was stunned by that startling glance.

Before she could react, Lai Shangrong had already fled.

Mrs. Wang at the door was caught off guard and quickly turned around and ran away. If she had come to deal with the aftermath after this happened, Lai Shangrong would still think of her well. But now Lai Shangrong was in a hurry to leave. If he saw him peeping outside the door, he would I can’t tell.

However, she was already delicate and neglected to exercise. Although she didn't squat for long, her legs were still sore.

For a moment, there was no time to find a place to hide, so I could only run towards the back building like an ostrich.

Lai Shangrong opened the door and saw the flustered figure of Mrs. Wang. Combined with her refusal to drink, she excused herself and left, but she ran away at this moment.

Although she couldn't figure out what purpose Mrs. Wang had, she even wanted to bury Aunt Xue with her to frame herself.

But a few days ago in the palace, he was tricked by Yuan Chun, and today he was framed by Mrs. Wang. How could he swallow this sigh of relief.

With the experience of being drugged by Wang Xifeng, she knew that even if Mrs. Wang suffered a disadvantage, she would not dare to speak up, so she quickly chased after her.

The two of them chased each other and left the back building of Rongxi Hall in an instant.

Mrs. Wang never thought that Lai Shangrong was chasing her. After all, she didn't know that Lai Shangrong had the experience of being drugged.

Seeing him coming towards the back building, I thought he was going home through the back door.

It's just that although she dismissed the servants in Rongxi Hall, she didn't take care of the rest. If she was in a hurry and was seen by the servants, it would inevitably cause more trouble.

After getting out of the three-room building, he didn't dare to go to the west corner gate, and went straight into the vacant big flower hall.

He planned to avoid Lai Shangrong and wait for him to leave before returning to Rongxi Hall along the road.

With his back against the wall of the large flower hall, he stared at the garden gate and listened to the footsteps outside.

Sure enough, Lai Shangrong's footsteps are getting closer and closer.

Just when she was about to take a long breath, she saw a dark shadow running in from the garden gate, looking around, and then came to her.

Under the moonlight, I saw Lai Shangrong grinning ferociously: "Hey, hey! Since the second wife likes to take drugs so much, Shangrong can only use you to detoxify her!"

She had weighed this situation several times in her mind and already had an answer, not to mention the fact that she had drugged it herself.

Pretending to be calm, he said: "As long as Shang Rong is willing to calm down... But Shang Rong should hurry up, my sister is still here..."

Lai Shangrong joked: "The second wife can't have the final say!"

…………

(End of this chapter)