Chapter 100: Private Instruction

  Plum couldn't help but mention Ying Fen on the road: "No matter what, he is a public figure after all. You're doing this, where's Zhu Ji's face?"

  Ying Fan glanced at Zhu Ji beside her with a calm expression and said in a low voice, "Sister Zhu Ji, I...I..."

  Zhu Qi smiled and said, "Ying Fen, we used to sleep in the same room, I treated you like my own sister. Between sisters, how can there be right or wrong? It's just that from now on, it can't be like this anymore!"

  Ying Fen's face turned red after hearing this, and Luo Mei had already smiled and said: "Whatever it is, let's talk about it later - Third Young Mistress is still waiting for us!"

  Three people hastened their pace and went to the Treasured Jade Courtyard.

  Liang Youhui had already fallen asleep, and Shen Muqing had someone light two sheep horn lanterns which were placed on the large pillow. Seeing them enter, Shen Muqing put down the account book in her hand, called for Lu Chun to bring over three small stools, then dismissed the attendants by her side.

  Seeing this scene, three people knew that it was a private conversation, seeing that there was no one in the house, they also sat down without being polite.

  He sank into deep thought for a moment before speaking.

  "Zhu Di, your father-in-law has seen the world outside, I want him to help me with something."

  Zhu Qi saw her solemn expression and hastily replied: "Please instruct me, Third Young Mistress!"

  "Shen Mu Qing lowered her voice: 'The porcelain and ceramics in my house are mostly antiques from the previous dynasty. You should let your father-in-law find a skilled craftsman to make a set of high-quality replicas based on the things in my house.'"

  Jade's face changed. She stammered: "Th-this...".

  Shen Mu Qing didn't make any explanation either. He instructed Luo Mei: "You are in charge of switching the things at home."

  Plum blossoms have already made me speechless.

  "One, cannot leave any traces in the account book; two, cannot be careless and swap them incorrectly;" Shen Mu's voice was calm and cold. "Three, cannot put out Guanyin bottles in spring and bronze wares in winter to make people suspect that there are fewer things at home." Ying Fen was in charge of those ordinary goods such as spices, medicinal materials, fabrics and the like in the warehouse. The valuable ones were transferred away. Those ordinary ones were left behind.

  Ying Fan nodded readily and said, "Don't worry, Third Young Mistress. I'm good at making people look decent while hiding the truth. After all, I've experienced poverty since childhood. The only problem is where to put these things."

  Shen Muqing's calm and clear eyes fell on Zhu Ji: "Let Bai Mu take charge of this matter. Send the things to the White Paper Workshop, and hand them over to Lin Jincai."

  Zhu Qi nodded and said, "If Third Master passes the exam and becomes a Hanlin scholar, he'll still have to stay in the Hanlin Academy for three years. Is it not too early for Mistress to prepare now? Especially those daily necessities, can't be too frugal with oneself, right? And what if Old Madam and Madame suspect something, wouldn't that be awkward?"

  Shen Muqing didn't respond. She simply instructed them: "This is our reliance for the second half of our lives, you must be careful."

  Three people bowed respectfully in response.

  The little maid reported: "Third Young Mistress, Li Mama has arrived!"

  "Alright, you all go down and get ready. The most important thing is that no one must find out."

  Three people stood up and bowed, passing by Mrs. Li shoulder to shoulder.

  "Mom, sit down and talk!"

  Mrs. Li smiled and said, "I don't dare, I don't dare."

  Shen Mu Qing also did not force it.

  Mrs. Li then leaned over to Shen Muqing and whispered, "The Third Young Mistress is indeed as you expected, the Third Young Master is not in Conglutang."

  Shen Mu nodded slightly.

  Old Lady Feng spoke and Feng Wanqing was sent away as soon as she woke up. Can she not wake up today, tomorrow or forever? Therefore, if there's any action to be taken, it must be tonight...

  She said: "Send someone to guard at Hsinchu Institute and call me when Third Master goes."

  Mrs. Li responded with a "yes" and smiled obsequiously: "No need for Third Young Mistress to instruct, I've already had Moonbeam keep watch there."

  Her words had just fallen when a hurried voice came from outside: "Third young lady, it's Yuelan!"

  Shen Muqing glanced at Li Mama, who immediately understood and hastily walked to the curtain to open it for her daughter: "Quickly come in, Young Mistress is waiting!"

  On this intoxicating spring evening, the forehead of the laurel tree is actually covered with a thin layer of sweat.

  "Has Third Master passed away?" Shen Muqing asked without waiting for Huaiying to speak.

  Bay laurel was still panting, afraid that the tone of voice would be out of control, nodded.

  Shen Mu Qing called out to Ming Xia: "Get me a black cloak. Have Ning Bi attend to me by my side, and if anyone asks, say I'm not feeling well and have gone to sleep."

  Ming Xia responded and left.

  Shen Muqing took the condensed greenery and walked along the small path of the backyard garden to the new bamboo courtyard.

  All the way, quietly, not even a night watchman was seen. Arrived at Hsinchu Temple, the gate was slightly ajar, and the unlit red lanterns under the eaves hung silently in the bright moonlight, casting an ink-like shadow on the mirror-like bluestone platform.

  Jing Bi felt that the scene was very unpleasant, she pulled Shen Muqing's sleeve and whispered: "Third Young Mistress, there isn't even a night watchman... let's not go in!"

  Shen Mu smiled faintly in the bright moonlight, looking rather pale and wan.

  "Don't worry, even if it's a corpse lying in the Hsinchu Courtyard now, the Liang family will find someone to take the blame."

  Lost in thought amidst the misty green.

  Shen Mu Qing has flashed

  Hsinchu Temple

  Ning Bi gazed around at the vague and mottled tree shadows, shivered with cold, and hurriedly followed after.

  The moonlight is so bright, if you stand by the window frame, the people inside should notice immediately!

  Shen Muqing stood in the center of the courtyard, thinking about how to get closer, but found that the half-open door at the corner of the back house was ajar.

  Go around to the back window, you can hear people talking clearly in the house without being discovered!

  As soon as the idea flashed through his mind, Mu Qing immediately followed the eaves around to the back window.

  She pulled out the hairpin on her head and pried open the paper on the window.

  The bright moonlight through the window has become hazy and indistinct.

  After a while, Shen Muqing finally saw two black shadows together.

  She calmed down and listened quietly.

  After a while, Liang Jiemin's voice came from inside the house: "Why didn't you tell me earlier? If you had told me earlier, I would have thought of a way to marry you. Why did it have to end up like this today?"

  Feng Wanqing's voice was choked with emotion: "I... how did I know you'd be so deeply in love with me! You actually jumped down to save me..."

  "I didn't know I'd jump in to save you either..." Liang Jimin's voice was a little agitated, "I thought I could control myself, but who knew that when I saw you fall into the water, my mind went blank and all I could think of was saving you, there wasn't time for anything else..."

  "If only I had known earlier, why bother with the past!" Feng Wanqing sobbed, "Seeing me hiding far away, and even speaking to you is also a bit awkward..."

  "Wan Qing, my good Wan Qing..." The two people in the room were tightly pressed together. "It's all my fault... You always used to follow Second Brother around back then, never looking at me straight, how could I have said anything?..." As he spoke, Liang Ji Min gently pushed away the person in his arms and gazed at her face as white as jade. "What can we do now? She, she didn't do anything wrong, I can't divorce her..."

  Shen Muqing immediately heard Feng Wanqing's "heh" of laughter, under the moonlight, like a beautiful and charming hibiscus: "Fool, it's not like I'm asking you to divorce your wife!"

  "But how can I let you be a concubine? Wouldn't that be a waste of your worth..." Liang Jitian hesitated.

  "I'd rather be a heroic concubine than an ordinary wife!" Feng Wanqing leaned gently into Liang Jimin's arms, "If I could marry you as a concubine, I...I would also be willing. It's just that you know the hardships I've suffered since childhood, I don't want to suffer that humiliation again......Jimin, we always have fate but no destiny!"

  "No, no, it can't be!" Liang Jiemin exclaimed, "There must be another way, we'll definitely find another way!"

  "Any other way?" Feng Wanqing's voice was bitter. "Unless you can take charge yourself, what else can we do?"

  "Eldest sister, otherwise, I won't take the imperial examination to become a scholar-official...” Liang Jiemin's voice was hesitant. “The King of Jin has always appreciated me and even asked me to build another garden for him last time, giving me 2,000 taels of silver as a reward... There is also the famous scholar from Jiangnan, Bao De, who invested 5,000 taels in me to build a garden for him... If I pass the imperial examination and become a scholar-official, I will have to stay in the Hanlin Academy for three years. After three years, if I get assigned to one of the six ministries, I'll start from the lowest rank with an annual salary of only 58 taels. If I'm sent out as a local official, even if I become a county magistrate at best, or a county lieutenant at worst... it's not worth it. I'd rather build two gardens for others and get paid, so I can set up my own estate earlier!"

  "Fool!" Feng Wanqing said with a pout, "You're not going to take the imperial examination for the position of Sheng Ji Shi. When the time comes and Madam asks about it, how will you answer? Today you saved me, but from the look on Madam's face, I can tell she's already very displeased. If you don't go take the exam, when the time comes, she'll definitely blame me for it, and even my aunt will be scolded along with me." As she spoke, she gently lowered her head, "I'll become a sinner for all eternity!"

  "No, grandmother is not that kind of person." Liang Jitian said with a lack of confidence, "She liked you very much when you were little..."

  "No matter how much I like it, what's the use!" Feng Wanqing's expression was sorrowful and elegant. "When it comes to the crucial moment, I'm still inferior in terms of birth!"

  "Five younger sisters!" Liang Jiemin rebuked in a low voice, "Don't ever say such things in front of me again. If I have even the slightest disregard for your meaning, let me be struck by five thunderbolts..."

  Feng Wanqing covered Liang Jimin's mouth in time: "If you continue to make such reckless vows, I won't care about you anymore!"

  Liang Jimin grasped Feng Wanqing's hand in time.

  "I know you've been good to me since I was young," Feng Wanqing gazed at Liang Jimin, "otherwise, I wouldn't have come to see you in the middle of the night without regard for propriety and shame." She sighed softly, "Third Brother, it's getting late, you should head back too! Let's just forget about what happened today, let's pretend it was all a dream... Before I came here, my family was already arranging a marriage for me, this time when I go back, I'm afraid it will be settled... You and I are destined to be separated."

  Liáng Jìmǐn was suddenly stunned like a wooden chicken.

  (Sisters, the update for Pink Ticket 1 might be at midnight, so don't wait up, just check it out tomorrow morning... Hmm... The activity for Pink Tickets will end tomorrow, please ask all sisters who support XiXi to cast their votes now, as one vote is worth two votes now... o(o... Haha...)

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  Chapter One Hundred: Private Instruction