Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 172: Nacai asked for his name
The seventeenth day of the first lunar month.

Today is the day of accepting the marriage proposal and asking for the name, two of the six ceremonies in marriage. Early in the morning, the front door of Zhang's house is very busy.

"…In the year of Renxu, the crown prince was invited to take his betrothal gift and ask for his name. Zhu Yong, the Duke of Baoguo, who was also the crown prince's grand tutor, was sent as the chief envoy, and Liu Ji, the junior tutor, the crown prince's grand tutor, the minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and the grand secretary of the Jinshen Palace, was sent as the deputy envoy to carry the imperial seal and perform the ceremony as per the protocol.

"The decree says: The Emperor decrees to the Minister of the Honglu Temple, Zhang Luan, that I believe that the way to govern a country must be based on a proper family, and that the etiquette of marriage must be carefully chosen based on virtue. The Crown Prince is now of age and marriage date, and he must be matched with a virtuous woman. I am sending an envoy with a seal of authority to select a wife according to etiquette..."

Zhang Luan was responsible for representing the Zhang family to welcome them, but Zhang Yin was not present.

In Zhang Yanling's estimation, this second uncle probably didn't have the face to come.

Because it involved the formal etiquette of the court, a child like Zhang Yanling could only stand at a distance and watch the ceremony. All welcoming affairs had to be done by Zhang Luan himself. Fortunately, Shen Lu was there to give guidance from time to time, so nothing went wrong... Zhang Luan himself had the title of a student of the Imperial Academy, and he was also a scholar with official titles, so he learned the rules very quickly.

After the first round of reading the imperial edict was finished, Zhang Luan was invited to the stage that had been prepared in advance.

Although Zhu Yong was nominally the envoy, in terms of his status in the court, Zhu Yong was not even worthy of carrying Liu Ji's shoes. It was Liu Ji who welcomed Zhang Luan.

"Isn't this Zhang Honglu? I've heard a lot about you! Please, let's sit down and talk."

As the second assistant of the cabinet, Liu Ji had an extraordinary status among the civil officials, so much so that when Zhang Luan saw him, his hands trembled involuntarily.

Zhang Luan cupped his hands and said, "I am unworthy of this."

Liu Ji smiled and said, "You and I are both ministers in the same palace. How can Zhang Honglu lower his status? Today, I am here to accept the marriage proposal and ask for the name of the bride by order of the emperor... Look, here is a memorial that involves your request to His Majesty. I am just asking a routine question. I hope Zhang Honglu can answer truthfully."

"As ordered."

Zhang Luan seemed at a loss.

Liu Ji was very satisfied with Zhang Luan's reaction. It seemed that as long as the Crown Princess's father was not cunning or incompetent, it would be a good thing for him.

"You must report the truth... That is, you must not conceal your family background and true situation... When the Crown Princess was selected, the information listed was obtained from the court's investigation, and was not reported by individuals... You must report the truth today and must not conceal anything from the emperor, otherwise you will be severely punished!"

Liu Ji spoke very seriously, pausing every word.

Zhang Luan leaned forward and said, "That's how it should be."

Liu Ji picked up the brush, glanced at Zhang Luan, and then said, "Then I... from now on, will be asking questions on behalf of His Majesty. You answer truthfully."

Zhang Luan said respectfully, "My daughter is the daughter of my husband and I. She is the great-grandson of Di, the governor of Kuizhou Prefecture in Sichuan, and the grandson of Shou, the late minister. She is eighteen this year. Lord Liu, is there anything else you want to provide?"

"very good."

As Liu Ji spoke, he recorded what Zhang Luan said on a memorial that seemed to have been drafted in advance. "But I have to add one more sentence. For your information, in the future, when you submit memorials of thanks and other matters, you must also follow the standards and format."

"Yes Yes."

Zhang Luan replied respectfully.

Liu Ji put down the brush, and then, without caring about his manners, blew the ink on the letter with his mouth.

This scene stunned Zhang Luan.

Is this the current cabinet minister?

According to legend, he is a unique character in heaven and on earth, so how come he looks so simple and unpretentious, even so approachable?
"Sit, sit."

Liu Ji blew the ink dry and found Zhang Luan still standing there looking at him, so he quickly greeted him.

Zhang Luan then collected his thoughts and carefully sat down next to Liu Ji.

"I heard that Zhang Honglu is from Hejian Prefecture?"

Liu Ji asked with a smile.

Zhang Luan was stunned and thought, isn't this nonsense?

Where am I from? How come you, the person in charge of the marriage proposal and name-asking ceremony, don’t know?

"Yes."

Zhang Luan still replied respectfully.

"What a coincidence! I am from Boye County, Baoding Prefecture, not far from your Hejian Prefecture... You and I are from the same hometown, haha."

Liu Ji took the initiative to get close to her.

This really excited Zhang Luan. In such an official contact, the other party took the initiative to say that they were from the same hometown, and they were also in a high position, which meant that they were trying to win him over and promote him.

Although he was the father of the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace, he had just entered the court and had no power or reputation at all.

This was enough to flatter him.

"I am very lucky to be from the same hometown as Mr. Liu."

Zhang Luan bowed his head and shed tears of gratitude.

Liu Ji hurriedly helped Zhang Luan up, then patted Zhang Luan on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Speaking of which, there are many colleagues in the court of Northern Zhili, some of whom even hold high positions in the court now, but not everyone can speak to me... How about I call you Lai Zhan?"

"Master Liu, please feel free to do as you please."

Zhang Luan had a respectful expression on his face, like a student listening to his teacher's instructions.

"Lai Zhan, I'm telling you the truth... Even though you've just entered the court and have little experience, you and the Eastern Palace are related by marriage. We all know how important the Eastern Palace is to the court. You have a bright future ahead of you! From today on, if you need any help with any big or small matters in the court, just come to me... Let's not be too formal!"

Liu Ji seemed very proactive.

There is no need for you, Zhang Luan, to look for ways to build relationships and get close to others. I will take the initiative to tell you now that I, Liu, think highly of you and will have to rely on your power in the future.

Even though the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace is frustrated now, he is the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty. In all likelihood, he will be the emperor of the Ming Dynasty in the future.
I still want to mix it for a while longer.

Zhang Luan nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes."

Although I agreed verbally, I was thinking in my heart, what would Minister Li think if I got too close to Lord Liu?
Why does everyone want to curry favor with me now?

Even the great minister is no exception?
When did I become so popular that everyone loves me and flowers bloom wherever I go?

"I have a small ornament here. I'll give it to you as a gift."

As Liu Ji spoke, he slipped his sleeves and pulled out a jade pendant with a red string. He handed it to Zhang Luan and said, "It's just a small token of my appreciation. Please don't despise it."

Zhang Luan was overjoyed but also a little apprehensive. He quickly declined the offer and said, "How dare I accept such a generous gift?"

Liu Ji laughed and said, "Hey, isn't that a little too formal? A gentleman wears jade to show his virtue, so beautiful jade should be given to a gentleman... Who said that we hit it off right away?"

Even though his mind told him to refuse, Zhang Luan couldn't control his hands when he saw the jade in front of him. He took it immediately, still doubting in his heart whether he had lost control of his opponent.
"There will be some banquets in my house soon... At the beginning of the year, it is normal for officials in the court to visit each other. You can attend if you have time. I will have someone send you an invitation later."

Liu Ji continued talking with a smile.

"Is good."

Faced with the olive branch extended by Liu Ji, Zhang Luan felt that it was not right to refuse, nor was it right to agree.

They have already given me a gift, and I gladly accepted it. They also invited me to their house for dinner. That shouldn't be a big problem, right?

I'm worried that I haven't made many friends among officials since I entered the officialdom. If Liu Ji can act as a bridge for me, he might be more reliable than Li Zisheng.

No matter how powerful Li Zisheng was, outsiders always regarded him as an alchemist, and traditional Confucian officials disdained to associate with him. But Liu Ji was different... After all, he was the second assistant of the cabinet!
Even though he knew that historians would most likely nail this person to the pillar of shame in history and make him infamous for eternity, at least for now, he was a role model for literati.

Nowadays, people just follow the crowd. When Liu Ji was in power, was there anyone who dared to criticize him?

Are you tired of living?

"That's good, let's continue with the etiquette of the prince's wedding."

Liu Ji smiled happily and said, "In a few days, it will be the time for paying the tribute and the conferring ceremony. Your family should prepare well. This is different from the six rituals of the common people. I estimate that the wedding will be held at the beginning of next month. By then, there will be some socializing in the court... If there is anyone who needs an introduction, just tell me, I will definitely help if I can!"

"Uh...yes..."

Zhang Luan thought about it and wondered whether he should mention the matter of official assessment to Lord Liu.

With his speculative mentality, he naturally wanted to say it.

But then he remembered that this was the first time he met Liu Ji, and the other party was just showing respect to him. How could he be qualified to discuss important state affairs with him at the moment?

It would be better to talk to Li Zisheng about this.

At the same time, he started to think in his mind, the officials of Hejian Prefecture didn't give me any practical benefits, they just helped me now so that I could have some helpers in the court in the future?

Why!

Humph, it’s better not to do this kind of thankless task for now. Let’s wait and see the situation clearly before deciding whether to take action!
(End of this chapter)