Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 204: Dog's Courage (asking for monthly ticket)

Zhu Youtang said nothing more, bowed respectfully and left.

When his thin figure disappeared at the palace gate, Zhu Jianshen quickly picked up the telescope and, like a child, ran to different places to observe the distant scenery, having a lot of fun.

"Your Majesty, there are some important matters in the court that need your attention..."

Qin Chang tried to remind him.

"Can't you see I have more important things to do? Go down, go down! Don't disturb me!"

Seeing Zhu Jianshen so impatient, Qin Chang's heart began to beat fast.

Isn't it just using something to look into the distance?

What's the big deal?

Tan Chang was afraid of angering the emperor, so he quickly excused himself. When he arrived at the gate of the Qianqing Palace, he happened to meet Wei Tai who was coming to see the emperor. He called him to his side and whispered, "The wind has changed. Our prince has also learned to use tricks... He actually came to give His Majesty a gift today! I never thought of that!"

"Gift?"

When Wei Tai heard about this, he immediately found it very interesting.

Qin Chang quietly introduced what had happened before, and then asked: "You are in charge of the East Factory, do you know where the things sent by the prince came from?"

Wei Tai was somewhat surprised and asked, "Eunuch Qin, the Crown Prince has been living in the Forbidden Palace for a long time and rarely has the opportunity to interact with outsiders. How can I... check? Besides, if we send someone to keep an eye on the Crown Prince... wouldn't that be... treasonous?"

Although the prince is not favored, he is still the crown prince.

You, Qin Chang, are so bold that you actually asked me to keep an eye on the prince?

It’s the opposite of Tiangang!

"Strange, strange."

Qin Chang seemed to have not yet recovered from the previous shock.

Wei Tai said with emotion: "Come to think of it, I really haven't paid attention to people related to the Eastern Palace before. It seems that I should pay more attention to them in the future."

……

……

When Zhu Youtang returned to the East Palace, he saw Qin Ji, who looked nervous, walking towards him quickly, but he didn't think anything was wrong.

"Didn't my husband say that he had something to do today and would not be returning to the palace for the time being?"

Zhu Youtang said lovingly, "You look exhausted. You probably didn't get enough rest, did you?"

Tan Ji, with dark circles under his eyes, asked hurriedly, "Have you sent all the things to the Qianqing Palace?"

"Yes."

Zhu Youtang looked calm, then he grinned and said happily, "My father praised me for my filial piety and said that he would let me go to Wenhua Palace to inquire about state affairs when the weather warms up."

"call……"

Qin Ji breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if he had escaped death.

"My dear, what happened?"

"Those things..."

"What's wrong with those things? Didn't the lecturer of the Eastern Palace and the Minister of the Honglu Temple Zhang Luan send them to you? I don't know where they got them from... Even my father said that some of them are very rare and not something that ordinary people can own."

Zhu Youtang's expression remained calm, and he obviously didn't realize the seriousness of the problem.

Qin Ji was very excited. "Prince, I didn't dare to tell you clearly before because I was afraid that after you knew the whole story, you would say something wrong in front of His Majesty. Only by keeping you in the dark can you handle it with ease when His Majesty questions you..."

When Zhu Youtang heard this, he stood up suddenly and asked nervously, "Is there anything wrong with those things?"

"Ah."

Qin Ji nodded heavily, "Someone wants to use this to frame the prince."

"Ah? Is it that serious?"

"Those were originally tributes, but somehow ended up in the capital, and were used as gifts by people who knew you and asked for your help. Some were also given to the lecturers in the East Palace and the ministers who cared about you in a dishonest way. Fortunately, they were discovered in advance and the crown prince presented them to His Majesty, thus avoiding a catastrophe."

When Qin Ji said this, his eyes turned red, his voice choked, and he almost burst into tears.

He was indignant that someone would use any means to harm the crown prince, but he also felt sorry for the prince's innocence and pity, and felt wronged and distressed.

Zhu Youtang did not pursue the details, but simply asked: "Did your spouse discover all of this and successfully deal with it?"

"No."

Qin Ji said solemnly, "Prince, please forgive me for not being able to tell you the truth now... This is something that the person who secretly helped me specifically instructed."

"Yeah. That guy is quite smart. He was able to find you, which means he knows that I trust you very much."

Zhu Youtang's heart was filled with warmth. It felt so good to be cared for and loved by others.

Qin Ji said: "Your Highness, now someone is finally willing to help you sincerely, I am also very relieved... In the future, you will have a strong supporter in the court, and you will no longer be alone and helpless."

Zhu Youtang nodded, and then asked curiously: "Then... who is it?"

Qin Ji wiped the tears from his eyes, smiled and shook his head: “Don’t ask any more questions, Prince… Everything is for the safety of that person.

"I am just speaking from my heart. It is really difficult. There are some things that I cannot explain too thoroughly to the prince now. The prince will understand them in the future."

Zhu Youtang said with a bitter face: "Who on earth wants to harm me? Why is he haunting me so much..."

This question left Qin Ji speechless.

In the past, everyone in the palace knew that Concubine Wan was targeting the Crown Prince, but now that Concubine Wan has passed away, is she still going to stir up trouble in front of the Crown Prince?

It’s so difficult!

Qin Ji is not very courageous, so at times like this, he can only remain silent.

It’s not that I don’t know, but I really don’t dare to mention it!
Liang Fang, Wei Xing and others had enormous power in the palace. Even if their backer, Concubine Wan, was dead, their foundation was still there and the emperor would support them.

At best, I am just a small servant, not even worthy of carrying other people's shoes.

"It seems that my partner has some concerns!"

Zhu Youtang was also a meticulous person. After he saw Qin Ji's dilemma, he stopped forcing her and said, "But my dear, please take care of yourself."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

Tan Ji lowered his head.

He felt somewhat ashamed of himself. There were obviously some people he could point out to make the prince be careful and alert, but he knew he was powerless, so he didn't dare to mention it at all.

Zhu Youtang intentionally changed the subject and asked with a smile, "My dear, do you know what my father said about that thing? It's a long tube that can see far away... Hey, what's it called?"

"telescope."

Tan Ji replied.

"That's it... Father said that this thing is just a toy in the hands of ordinary people, but if it is used on the battlefield, it will have unexpected effects.

"I thought about it and realized that my father's knowledge is much broader than ours. This thing you got from the people is really amazing! Can you find the person who gave you the treasure and make a few more?"

Zhu Youtang looked at Tan Ji with eager eyes.

Qin Ji smiled bitterly and said, "Your Highness, treasures like these are unmatched in heaven and on earth. Just one is miraculous, how can you want... a few more?"

"Is it too difficult?"

Zhu Youtang lowered his head and said with some shame, "I also heard my father say so, and I want to express my filial piety. If you feel embarrassed, forget it."

Qin Ji was embarrassed to ask the Zhang family for help, but after hearing what the prince said, he immediately said, "I will ask for the prince... If it can be done, I will ask him to make it even if it means losing everything. I just don't know if this thing is made by nature or is it something that can be made by human beings?"

As long as it would allow the prince to express his loyalty and filial piety to the emperor, Qin Ji would naturally go through fire and water for anything, even if asking the Zhang family would make him feel embarrassed, he would not back down in the slightest.

As long as the prince is good, how much is his face worth?

……

……

That afternoon, after Liang Fang went out to inspect the construction of the weapons of the Three Thousand Battalions, he took a carriage back to his private residence. He left empty-handed, but when he returned, he had a square wooden box filled with gold ingots.

When Liang Fang returned home, she found out that Wei Xing had been waiting for a long time. He first went to the storeroom to put the wooden box away, then went back to his room to change into looser clothes before coming out to meet her.

"Eunuch Liang, I wonder if there is any news about what you said before? There has been no news from the south in the past few days, which is really worrying."

Wei Xing came here specifically to inquire about the progress of the matter.

Liang Fang twisted the Buddhist beads in her hand and did not answer immediately but asked: "Do you still remember Zheng Shi?"

Wei Xing was startled for a moment, then asked, "Is he the one who impeached you before and was transferred to Guizhou Provincial Administration Office as a councilor?"

"Now he has been transferred to Shandong as the left councillor... Humph, even at this point, there are still people in the court willing to help him. These scholars have a complex network of relationships and should not be underestimated!"

When Liang Fang said this, a bit of ferocity appeared on her face.

Wei Xing was also a little surprised: "Indeed, Zheng Shi was transferred to Guizhou only last year, and now he can be transferred to Shandong to take up a post. It seems that he will not be long before he returns to Beijing. Shouldn't he..."

Liang Fang raised her hand to interrupt what Wei Xing was about to say, and said, "There are two batches of goods going north this time. One batch is for Qian to send, and the other batch is for Wei's relatives."

Wei Xing asked in surprise: "There are still goods from Eunuch Qian? I only know the batch that Wei Juan brought from Guangzhou..."

Wei Juan and Qian Neng were both Liang Fang's followers. Wei Juan was the eunuch in charge of the Guangzhou Maritime Customs, and Qian Neng was the eunuch in charge of Nanjing. Both of them relied on Liang Fang's support to gain power and stir up trouble in the local area. In terms of collecting treasures and rare toys, both of them could be regarded as Liang Fang's vanguards.

“The ones that were seized were the ones that the money could deliver.”

Liang Fang smiled and said, "We were in Shandong and were investigated by Zheng Shi and his men. This kind of honest and inflexible official is most likely to be provoked. When he knew that this batch of goods was related to me, he did not investigate further and directly seized them. Little did he know that I had already compiled a list for this batch of goods in advance, and the evidence was irrefutable... Then someone transported some of the tribute to the capital."

Zheng Shi was a Jinshi in the fifth year of Jingtai. In the twenty-second year of Chenghua, he impeached Liang Fang while serving as the governor of Shaanxi. He was banished by Emperor Chenghua to Guizhou as the left councilor. Later, he served as the Minister of the Ministry of Punishments in Nanjing.

Liang Fang's plan this time was to target Zheng Shi, and then pull out the radish and bring out the mud, with the target directly aiming at the East Palace.

"I haven't heard of it yet..."

Wei Xing seemed very confused because neither the people below him, Zheng Shi himself, nor the local officials remained silent on the matter.

Liang Fang said, "From what I can guess, Zheng Shi wanted to find evidence of my corruption and then impeach me, but he didn't know that Shandong was not under his control."

"Are you talking about... the new Left Governor of Shandong Xu Guan, or the Right Governor Xia Yin?" Wei Xing thought that the people who could preside over the overall situation in Shandong must be the left and right governors.

Liang Fang smiled and said, "Dai Gong, the Left Governor of Shandong, caused me a lot of trouble before. After Xu Guan was replaced at the beginning of the year, the situation in Shandong has finally calmed down a lot.

"You don't need to ask about the details. At least Zheng Shi is unaware of the fire in his backyard. The tribute has been sent to many officials in the capital through various channels."

Xu Guan was a Jinshi in the first year of Tianshun. In the twenty-third year of Chenghua, he was transferred to Shandong to succeed Dai Gong as the Left Governor, an official in charge of local administration.

His character was relatively strict, but "Records of Imperial Contributions" also commented: "... in Liaodong, he had little moral education, and in his later years, he was not very good at moral conduct."

At the end of the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, because the government was corrupt, many people had to rely on the eunuch party in order to protect themselves. Countless officials in the court had secret dealings with Liang Fang, but Zhu Youtang did not pursue them in the early years of the Hongzhi period, allowing many people to maintain their dignity.

"Have all the people related to the Eastern Palace accepted the gifts?"

Wei Xing couldn't help but ask happily when he heard this.

This shows that Liang Fang's plan is progressing very smoothly.

Liang Fang said, "Those people have different personalities. Some don't need to be sent specially, because they have bad records. Some are cautious or stick to poverty, and there is no loophole for them to exploit. But most people... still accept it. After all, tribute is different from ordinary goods. If I don't give you a list, can you find out which ones are for the emperor?"

Wei Xing smiled and said, "That's true. Most of the rare items obtained by the Maritime Customs are unique, and many are just for collection. They are not in demand and have no value if put outside. They are not people with great supernatural powers, so how could they know that this matter would be related to the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace?"

Liang Fang shook her head and said, "They are still too greedy! If they can see clearly, how can they not be self-disciplined? Since they have made up their minds to assist the East Palace to ascend to the throne, they should be cautious and take every step carefully... Will a fly stare at an egg without cracks?"

Wei Xing was stunned when he heard this.

From what you said, I am a fly?

I've never seen such a comparison!
Wei Xing did not bother himself by pointing out the inappropriateness of Liang Fang's words, but asked directly, "When will you report to His Majesty?"

"tomorrow."

Liang Fang said confidently, "The Imperial Concubine will be buried tomorrow, so we will add fuel to the fire in front of His Majesty and settle all the old and new grudges together!"

Wan Zhen'er's body was kept for twenty-one days after her death.

The second day of the second month was the burial day, and Liang Fang planned to light the Yichu Fire on this day to comfort the soul of Concubine Wan.

Wei Xing asked, "After all, tomorrow is a very special day. How about we wait a little longer? Didn't we say that we should wait until others have impeached us about the tribute before we fight back?"

"Delay brings change."

Liang Fang said fiercely, "Your Majesty is most protective of us old friends. If Lady Wan is gone and someone bullies us, will Your Majesty just ignore it? This time we have to see who will stand up and speak for the Crown Prince!"

……

……

Early the next morning.

Liang Fang entered the palace carrying a few things. Everyone he met along the way had to greet him, but he just glanced at them coldly and was too lazy to even do such a small thing as nodding. He went straight to the Qianqing Palace.

When he arrived outside the gate of the Qianqing Palace, he did not rush in to pay his respects, but stopped to organize his thoughts and think about what to say next. He happened to meet Qin Chang who came out.

"Eunuch Liang? Are you...back from a long journey?"

Qin Chang was a little surprised when he saw Liang Fang.

One of them was the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, and the other was the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Stables. One was a civil official, and the other a military official. In terms of status, they should be equal. In fact, as the Prime Minister, Tan Chang's status was even higher. After all, one was the head of the decision-making level, and the other was just the head of the executive level.

However, because Liang Fang had long been protected by Concubine Wan and was favored by Emperor Chenghua, Tan Chang was always inferior to Liang Fang.

Liang Fang smiled kindly and said, "Thank you, Eunuch Tan... I'm not going on a long journey, I just went out of the city to do some work and took stock of the work of the Three Thousand Battalion. Aren't I here to report to His Majesty?"

"At this point in time, are you going to bother His Majesty with the matter of the Three Thousand Battalions?"

Qin Chang felt that things were not as simple as Liang Fang said.

With Liang Fang's cautiousness, she should naturally know that today is the day of Concubine Wan's burial, and she would not bother the emperor with trivial matters.

Liang Fang said: "To be honest, a batch of tribute that we brought from the south was robbed on the way."

"Robbed?"

Qin Chang was even more surprised.

At this moment, Qin Chang's mind was working very fast.

Yesterday, the crown prince presented a batch of things, each of which looked so gorgeous and not something that ordinary people could have. Today, you come to tell the emperor that a batch of your tribute was hijacked on the way...

Are you sure there is no connection between the two?
"Ugh!"

Liang Fang wiped his eyes and pretended to be wronged, "In order to purchase this batch of tribute, a huge amount of manpower and material resources were consumed, and the silver alone was tens of thousands of taels. However, I never thought that after arriving in Shandong, it was seized by the local government, and its whereabouts are still unknown. I have no idea, so I can only come to report to Your Majesty and ask Your Majesty to order the recovery of this batch of tribute."

"That's...someone's a dog...how audacious!"

Qin Chang almost wanted to say "how dare you!", but then he thought, the words I would say would not include the prince, right?
So he changed his words urgently halfway through his speech.

Liang Fang asked, "I wonder if His Majesty has woken up yet?"

"It did start..."

At this time, Qin Chang was also wondering whether he should tell Liang Fang about the gift presented by the prince yesterday.

He thought to himself, this matter itself is very strange. It is impossible for the prince to get so many good treasures, including yellow coral, telescope, and soap. Your Majesty is so happy. If I hadn't reminded Your Majesty that today is the day of Empress Wan's burial, I'm afraid Your Majesty would have almost forgotten about this.

So you bought those good things?

Then it all makes sense!
"Then... could you please inform me, Eunuch Tan?"

Liang Fang asked tentatively.

Qin Chang smiled and said, "Eunuch Liang, you are too polite. You can enter this place whenever you want. Why do you need someone to inform you? Besides, I am busy here too. The Imperial Household Department has too many official duties. I really can't spare the time."

"Then please make yourself at your leisure, Eunuch Tan. I will go to see you on my own..."

Liang Fang smiled and said goodbye to Tan Chang who had already moved towards the Imperial Household Department.

Liang Fang naturally didn't know that Qin Chang deliberately didn't lead him in order to make fun of him later.

Qin Chang was very worried. If he really went in with Liang Fang to wait for the audience with the emperor, and did not mention what happened yesterday for a long time, he might be blamed by the other party later!
Please subscribe and give me a monthly ticket! Thank you!


(End of this chapter)