A stew of the Red Chamber

Wang Qing's establishment of a foothold in the Rongguo Mansion was, under the guise of facilitating his work for the emperor.

It's impossible to put the cart before the horse, abandoning the banner that was so hard to raise, and engaging in some kind of self-sacrifice for the greater good.

He captured Ni Er not to offend Wang Xifeng, but rather to do her a favor.

Previously, although he had used the banner of the Rongguo Mansion to integrate the West City Military Command, it was suspected of being opportunistic.

A lie is a lie. It may fool the soldiers under his command without being exposed, but once the forces behind the gambling den come to the Rongguo Mansion, the truth will be easily revealed.

Therefore, he needed to find a respected person in the Rong family to shield him from those tests.

Wang Xifeng, whose weakness lies in usury, is undoubtedly the best target and breakthrough point.

However, while he cannot put the cart before the horse, he does not mind using public office for private gain.

Therefore, even though they knew that revealing a flaw to Wang Xifeng would make it easier for them to get what they wanted and cooperate closely, they didn't want to pretend to fall into the trap and be led by the nose by Wang Xifeng.

On the contrary, they want both.

He needed to do Wang Xifeng a favor so she could cover for him when needed, while also slowly accumulating leverage to expose more and more of Wang Xifeng's flaws.

That's why Wang Qing pretended to be confused even though he knew the truth.

Not to mention that he had someone investigate the gambling den's background beforehand, he already knew everything about Ni Er's network of connections.

They said that even if you've read Dream of the Red Chamber, you wouldn't believe Ping'er's nonsense and would really consider Ni Er to be Laiwang's relative.

Never interrupt your opponent when they make a mistake.

Wang Qing had no intention of expanding his gains, and was even more worried that digging deeper would arouse Wang Xifeng's suspicion.

Linking Ni Er to the thief was simply to increase the difficulty of the matter, gain Ping'er's favor, and plant a seed between master and servant under the guise of caring for her.

As the saying goes, "Don't let strangers interfere with relatives." This action may seem risky, but in fact, it is quite the opposite.

He had only met Ping'er three or four times in total. Even if Ping'er increased his expenses, it was impossible for her to let go of the clues about the thief or protect him just because of a little care.

But the idea that lust can cloud judgment can be somewhat explained.

He mistakenly believed that Sister Liu was acting under the orders of Wang Xifeng, and in order to lure her in, he pretended to have the desire but not the courage to do so.

Adding to this the gesture of Ping'er's gratitude—a slight lift and a stiffness, a display of her allure and the act of giving—it all becomes perfectly reasonable.

Ping'er lied about the relationship between Ni Er and Lai Wang. Wang Qing, having already formed a prejudice, also held back his judgment on her blushing and heart-pounding reaction.

He thought that if his actions reached Wang Xifeng's ears, it would only reinforce her stereotype of him.

Unexpectedly, Ping'er did not play by the rules.

Not only did they simplify things, they also covered up many things for him.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng, without even praising Wang Qing for his understanding and tact, immediately ordered someone to bring Lai Wang here.

After a series of interrogations and threats, and by consulting several well-informed managers, it was confirmed that Laiwang only knew about Ni Er's gambling den but did not conceal it from Ni Er, nor did he harbor any malicious intent or deliberately hide the fact that the thief had appeared at Ni Er's gambling den.

Laiwang was only given twenty lashes, which was considered a minor punishment to serve as a warning.

After dealing with Laiwang, Wang Xifeng finally had some free time. She squinted and silently sized up Ping'er.

Ping'er was already feeling guilty, and being stared at by her made her feel uneasy.

Just as she was hesitating whether to make conversation to cover up her embarrassment, she heard Wang Xifeng chuckle and say, "I never expected you, you little hussy, to have such a big reputation!"

Ping'er quickly denied it, saying, "What are you saying, Madam? What face do I have? As the saying goes, even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. Master is only doing this because of Madam..."

"Oh my!" Wang Xifeng exclaimed dramatically, "Look at you, it's only been a short time, and you've already stopped calling me Master Qing and are calling me Master now. Why don't I send you there right now, so that Miss Ping won't have to change her address again?"

Ping'er's heart tightened, and she said aggrievedly, "I was just following your instructions, Madam. If I kept calling you Master Qing, wouldn't it seem too distant?"

As early as when Wang Xifeng asked her to deliver meals, she instructed her to show concern and get closer to him. This time, she asked him to bail someone out. Ping'er said she felt wronged, but she was actually quite justified in her heart.

Wang Xifeng jokingly replied, "I only asked you to go to his place a few more times. When did I start calling you 'Master' all the time? He's a kind man, and I'm afraid your calling him 'Master' has made his bones melt."

"What do you mean by intentional or unintentional? It's one thing for Grandma to mistreat her servants, but why drag Master Qing into it? At least he took responsibility..."

"What do you mean 'it doesn't matter'? I think he's hoping someone will come looking for him!"

"What does Grandma mean by this?"

"Ha!" Wang Xifeng scoffed. "Don't you even think about it? Why do people outside only know that he injured the thief, but not which gambling den the thief encountered? Regardless of whether Ni Er and the thief have any shady dealings, shouldn't he interrogate the person he arrested? That scoundrel may not know me, but surely he knows Wang'er?"

She asked three questions in quick succession, leaving Ping'er speechless.

Wang Xifeng continued with a smile, "Even if he doesn't know that Wang'er is one of my people, he must know that he's from the manor. He's probably just waiting for someone to come to him so he can do him a favor! He might have seen you plead for him, so he made the matter sound incredibly difficult, hoping that our Miss Ping would think more highly of him."

Wang Xifeng truly lived up to her name; even though Ping'er had been hiding something, she still saw through Wang Qing's intentions at a glance.

Hearing her say that, Ping'er felt a little unsure, but she retorted, "Master Qing is not that kind of person."

Despite her rebuttal, Ping'er ultimately lacked confidence when recalling Wang Qing's behavior at the time.

Wang Xifeng saw all this but didn't expose him. Instead, she sneered, "Who he is is none of my business. But I'd like to ask you, you little hussy, how come you're so disoriented after all this time? You've completely forgotten what I told you to do?"

"This servant did not..."

Ping'er was about to retort when she suddenly woke up with a start.

Whether Ni Er lives or dies has nothing to do with Wang Xifeng. She is only worried that she will not be able to get back the money she lent out.

But Wang Qing is both a gambling den owner and a thief. Ping'er is already thankful that she can distance herself from him. Let alone forget about the money, even if she did remember, she wouldn't dare to mention it.

Although she didn't lose the silver, was Wang Xifeng the kind of person who was reasonable and easy to talk to?

As expected, Wang Xifeng sneered, "Since you were so forgetful and forgot to mention it, then we won't bother two people. You'll have to go ask him for the money yourself."

"Well……"

Ping'er suddenly felt overwhelmed. This was not a case of "avoiding two masters for one matter" at all; it was clearly a situation designed to put her in a difficult position.

Previously, things had already gone through many twists and turns, and it was only with great difficulty that Wang Qing finally agreed to release the people. How could he possibly have the face to ask him for money again?

But Wang Xifeng's orders were not to be questioned, so Ping'er could only decline, saying, "The people haven't been released yet, how can we trouble them again? Besides, we don't even know how much was detained, Madam..."

Wang Xifeng raised her hand to interrupt, saying, "How could I not know that? Although I entrusted the matter to you, I didn't tell you to go to him to ask for it now. You have to make a few more trips to him. After a while, when your relationship warms up a bit, you can bring up the matter of money with him."

The first sentence was serious, but the next sentence was pretentious, making Ping'er's heart pound and she hurriedly lowered her head.

Unexpectedly, Wang Xifeng changed the subject and continued, "However, I can't let you lose favors for nothing and take the blame for that damned Ni Er's gambling den. Don't mention usury to him. Just make him return all the money Ni Er paid to his gambling den."

"This..." Ping'er was speechless for a moment.

She had no idea how to approach Wang Qing, and Wang Xifeng even wanted to take all the money confiscated from the gambling den.

Wang Xifeng ignored all of this and said in an unquestionable tone, "Just do as I say. At worst, we'll just consider the money as deposited with him. I'll give you some more time so you can plead with him."

At this point, she hardened her face and said sternly, "Tell Wang'er to tell that damned Ni Er that he can be released or arrested. I don't care if he steals or robs; just send me the principal. If he's short even a penny, he'll rot in jail!"

Hearing her unfriendly tone, Ping'er dared not refuse and had no choice but to lower her head and accept the order.

……