Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 251: Carrying private goods
Li Zisheng finally decided to follow Tan Chang's advice and grant Zhang Luan the official title of Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Unfortunately, although Li Zisheng was extremely powerful, he was not the Minister of Personnel, nor even the Vice Minister of Personnel. When it came to handling this matter, he could only start from the outside and encourage the Ministry of Personnel to obey his command.

In order to show his importance to Zhang Luan, Li Zisheng specially invited Xu Qiong, the right vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, to his house, hoping to put some pressure on Xu Qiong and let him step forward to take charge.

When Xu Qiong heard that Li Zisheng had directly arranged a fourth-rank position as the Minister of the Ministry of Rites for his brother-in-law, he almost dropped his jaw in shock.

"Minister Li, you are right, right? Lai Zhan is just... a student of the Imperial Academy, and he has only been in Beiyong for half a year... He has not even studied in Yong during this half year, let alone any reputation in the scholar community. If you give him a real position directly, will it... cause criticism?"

Even though Xu Qiong knew that Zhang Luan had Li Zisheng as his backer, he didn't expect that Li Zisheng was so "reliable".

Is this his fucking backer?

He is simply a living ancestor!
Even our ancestors couldn't be so polite. Knowing that my brother-in-law was a scholar by birth, they actually granted him an official position that a Jinshi had to work hard for more than ten or twenty years to get... Doesn't it sound creepy?
Li Zisheng laughed and said, "Do you think I want to do this? No, no, no, Minister Xu, you are wrong, absolutely wrong. This is actually what His Majesty wants."

"..."

Now Xu Qiong was even more speechless.

Li Zisheng stated the truth: "Your Majesty admires Zhang Honglu very much, and specially asked the eunuch Tan, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, to come to my house and instruct me to give Lai Zhan a real position that matches his official rank so that he can gain some experience in the officialdom. You said that he is originally the Minister of the Honglu Temple, a fourth-rank official in the capital, and if he is placed in another position, can he be competent?"

Xu Qiong finally understood what Li Zisheng meant, and immediately followed his words: "The duties of the Minister of the Honglu Temple are mostly miscellaneous matters. As long as there are assistants to take care of everything, there are not many things that he needs to be responsible for. He can learn slowly. It is a good choice."

"Yes, that's what I planned, as you thought, Minister Xu."

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "It's not appropriate for me to bring these words directly to Lai Zhan. It would be better for you, Minister Xu, to say them. What do you think?"

"But……"

Xu Qiong said in embarrassment, "Li Butang recently added a clause for the examination and exemption of officials in the Ministry of Personnel, strictly prohibiting private interference in the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel. Moreover, an official position like the Minister of the Honglu Temple can only be decided by the court according to the old system. If I rashly bring it up, will it be..."

He paused at the end.

Although Xu Qiong was also an official recommended by Li Zisheng, he valued his reputation.

He had been implicated in the bad impression of fawning on eunuchs and had not been promoted for a long time. Now he was even more afraid to overstep his authority, so he suggested to Li Zisheng that the current Minister of Personnel, Li Yu, was not someone to be trifled with… It’s not that I can arrange for anyone to be the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, the key is that he can’t get past my boss.

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "Minister Li is a man who is loyal to the emperor and the country. He will not listen to my orders, but can he not obey the emperor's orders? Don't worry, just bring up the matter with him. If he disagrees, I will explain it to him personally."

On this point, Li Zisheng is still quite confident.

On the surface, the Minister of Personnel Li Yu seemed to be opposed to the treacherous and corrupt officials, but he was recommended to the position by Li Zisheng, and the two were from the same hometown. No matter how actively Li Yu performed or how noble and arrogant an image he created in the outside world, traditional civil officials had long regarded Li Yu as a follower of Li Zisheng and would never give him a good face.

Xu Qiong nodded: "I will mention this matter to Li Bu Tang and see what his attitude is. Minister Li, you should also go and discuss it with Li Bu Tang as soon as possible, otherwise... I'm afraid the chances of it being approved are slim."

It will only work if you, Li Zisheng, come forward in person. I am just the right vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and I am the third in command in the Ministry of Personnel. How many people will listen to me?
After a few more words, Xu Qiong said goodbye and left. Li Zisheng was somewhat dissatisfied and did not see him off at the door in person. He waited until Xu Qiong's back disappeared behind the Moon Gate and immediately called Pang Qing.

Seeing Li Zisheng's angry face, Pang Qing couldn't help but ask curiously, "Master Xu failed to live up to your expectations?"

"No."

Li Zisheng frowned and said, "This guy still cares too much about fame. He shirks his responsibilities when asked to do something and doesn't want to take any responsibility... It's only because he is Laizhan's relative, otherwise I wouldn't want to help him... Look how arrogant he is."

Pang Qing could tell that Li Zisheng was dissatisfied with Xu Qiong.

Giving you the authority to arrange for Zhang Luan to take up the post of Minister of the Ministry of Rites is giving you an opportunity to perform well.

The results of it?
All you mention are difficulties, as if you can't accomplish anything without me. How can you show that you are capable in this way?
Li Zisheng pondered for a moment and said, "If Zhang Laizhan is promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, we will have a helping hand in the court. Bingkun, have you told Laizhan about this?"

"The notice has arrived." Pang Qing said.

"What did he say?"

Li Zisheng asked with a smile.

Pang Qing said: "Of course I am grateful and said that I will do more for you, Minister Li, in the future. I will do whatever you want."

"Listen, this is a man who knows the current situation. Isn't Zhang Laizhan much more capable than the one surnamed Xu? Anything he says is more pleasing to the ear than what the one surnamed Xu says."

Li Zisheng praised.

Pang Qing smiled and said, "That's because Zhang Honglu treats us as his own, but this Lord Xu doesn't, right?"

Li Zisheng asked in surprise: "Why isn't he? Who made him the Minister of Personnel? Doesn't he know it?"

“Not necessarily.”

Pang Qing reminded him, "With his qualifications, he could have been promoted to the position of Vice Minister of the Six Ministries a long time ago, but no one gave him the opportunity before. He must have been grateful for your kindness at first, but after arriving in the capital, he met his former colleagues in the Hanlin Academy, and after being influenced by them, he wanted to return to being a clean official, and might not be willing to get too close to you."

"That's why I say he's arrogant and doesn't put his mind on the right place. Never mind him. I called him here to let Lai Zhan know that I help his people do things from time to time. As for whether this person is grateful or not, don't worry too much. Is it much of a difference if I lose an assistant minister in the Ministry of Personnel to help me do things?"

Li Zisheng said, and raised his hand again, "Go and get my court dress."

Pang Qing asked curiously: "What are you doing...?"

Li Zisheng said, "Of course I have to go to the palace to take a look. What kind of storybook can make His Majesty so obsessed? A storybook can be exchanged for a full-time position as the Minister of the Honglu Temple... Why haven't I encountered such a good thing? I also want to see Zhang Laizhan's amazing skills with my own eyes."

……

……

Forbidden City.

Qianqing Palace.

After entering the palace, Li Zisheng went directly to the Qianqing Gate to wait for an audience with the emperor.

After waiting for a long time, Qin Chang finally came out. Qin Chang was very puzzled by Li Zisheng's arrival: "Lord Li, why did you suddenly come to see me? Wasn't I clear enough with you yesterday?"

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "No, I just want to report some court affairs to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty asks about the Crown Princess's father, I can also answer him."

"Is this arranged?"

Qin Chang was also surprised.

You, Li Zisheng, are really efficient in your work.

I just said yesterday that I would find a suitable official position for Zhang Luan, and you have arranged it today?
No wonder the emperor admires you so much!
"Your Majesty, are you free?" Li Zisheng asked.

Tan Chang understood immediately. Li Zisheng was trying to show that he could come to see the emperor anytime he wanted, and he didn't need to wait for the emperor to summon him.

This is very different from others.

In the middle and late period of the Chenghua period, since Zhu Jianshen was absent from court for a long time, it was very difficult for ministers to see the emperor. The few times they could see the emperor in a year were when he attended large-scale events.

But Li Zisheng had the power to communicate directly with the emperor, which was a great convenience that those ministers and chancellors did not have.

"Yes, there is, but Your Majesty is still reading the storybook, you know that, I will ask for your instructions..."

After Qin Chang realized the difference between Li Zisheng and ordinary ministers, he went in again to ask for instructions.

……

……

In the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Jianshen was sitting on the couch with an octagonal table in front of him and a book on the table.

Zhu Jianshen held it in his hand and examined it carefully, looking as if he was in deep meditation.

"Your Majesty, Master Li is here."

Qin Chang walked over to remind him.

"Li Qing, come, come, come and sit next to me."

When Zhu Jianshen saw Li Zisheng, he waved to him.

Li Zisheng looked honored and walked to the couch and sat directly next to the emperor.

Zhu Jianshen said: "Look here, it is well written, and it talks about things in the officialdom... You are an official, so you can judge whether it is true in reality?"

"Your Majesty...you..."

Li Zisheng didn't expect that the emperor would directly call him over to appreciate the content of the storybook.

He then leaned over, but it was difficult to make out what was written on it.

The preface does not connect with the conclusion, and it is impossible to analyze and comment on the context like Zhu Jianshen did.

Seeing Li Zisheng's confused look, Zhu Jianshen smiled and said, "Yes, it's a bit difficult to ask you to judge based on just such a short paragraph. It says here that some people travel thousands of miles to become officials just for money, and they don't even need to go to court to judge a case. They just ask random people and use the advice of some aides to make a decision."

"This……"

When Li Zisheng heard this, he immediately felt that Zhang Luan was very bold. The script he wrote seemed to be criticizing the dark officialdom of the Ming Dynasty and the evil deeds of local officials.

Qin Chang, who was standing by, saw that Li Zisheng's face was not looking good, and reminded him with a smile: "Your Majesty, these are all things in the storybook, so you can't be sure of them."

Zhu Jianshen nodded and said, "I also feel that many of the stories in this book are too frivolous. To be honest, the plot is very attractive and each character is vivid, but many things may not be true."

Li Zisheng thought to himself, you are in a high position and you don’t know the suffering of the people below.

What Zhang Laizhan wrote is considered to be restrained. If he really recorded what happened in reality in the book, it would be even more absurd than this.

"Although I know that many of the plots are storytelling and drama, just to make people feel happy, but I can still see the style of the Ming Dynasty market from it. The lingering stories between those literati and the daughters of wealthy families are very touching..."

When Li Zisheng heard this, he wondered what Zhang Laizhan had written. Judging from the title "The Scholars", it should be about officialdom, right?
How could the emperor be so enthusiastic about the plot involving young girls and wives?

This way of smuggling private goods... is really unexpected.

Li Zisheng asked, "Your Majesty, I wonder who and what this story is about?"

Zhu Jianshen said: "There are so many people and so many things to do that I don't know how to summarize them all at once. Some of them I forget after watching, but I can't help but want to watch them a second time. This is much more interesting than listening to operas and appreciating music in the palace."

Li Zisheng nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. Most of the plays that can be staged in the palace are old-fashioned, and most of the songs are clichés. Your Majesty must have been tired of them a long time ago."

"Yes."

Zhu Jianshen said, "Ever since Wan Shi left, I have been feeling depressed and have lost interest in everything. However, although the content of this story is somewhat unorthodox, I couldn't help but want to read on. It gave me a lot of inspiration. Some parts even made me want to read them several times to satisfy myself..."

Li Zisheng asked, "You can't even watch it once?"

"not enough."

Zhu Jianshen said with great joy, "Speaking of which, the standard of this story is extremely high. I have read stories before, but I have never seen one written at this level."

Qin Chang beside him said with a smile: "Master Li may not know that His Majesty has been praising this story book very much these days."

Li Zisheng said, "How could I not know? Didn't you tell me yesterday? Do we really have to act so pretentiously in front of the emperor?"
Li Zisheng said: "Your Majesty should pay more attention to your health and not reduce your rest time by indulging in reading. This is not good."

"I know you care about me, but I have indeed felt less upset in the past few days."

Zhu Jianshen smiled and said, "I had someone tell you to give the Crown Princess's father an official position. What position do you plan to give him?"

Li Zisheng said: "The position of Minister of the Honglu Temple has been vacant for a long time, maybe he can take over temporarily. This job does not necessarily require him to be too familiar with officialdom, and he can just have someone to assist him in his work."

"Ah."

Zhu Jianshen nodded in agreement, "That makes sense. If we assign him an important job, I'm afraid he won't be able to do it with his ability, which will affect the normal operation of the court, which is really not worth the loss; if we ask him to leave the capital and take up a post in a local area, it's not appropriate either. After all, a fourth-rank official is already a prefect of a place, not to mention that according to the rules, he has to be promoted above his level. If he causes trouble, the impact will be too bad. It's best to assign him an insignificant job so that he can get in touch with more official affairs."

Qin Chang was smiling beside him.

At least Li Zisheng fully adopted his opinion on this matter, which means that Li Zisheng still "listens to advice" when encountering problems, so there is a basis for cooperation.

Zhu Jianshen said, "I heard that the Crown Princess's father is good at treating illnesses. I had my doubts before, but now it seems that he can not only treat physical illnesses, but also mental illnesses. He is indeed a capable person. I originally intended to let him enter the Imperial Hospital, but after thinking about it... I decided not to."

After hearing this, Li Zisheng thought to himself, you must not let him go.

Otherwise, your imperial doctors will probably lose their jobs and then gang up on him. Zhang Laizhan has just arrived in the capital and is definitely not going to be able to fight against a group of local residents.

Zhu Jianshen smiled and said, "I said I would promote you before. I have already made plans to promote you to the position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. You will still be in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Public Administration. I will also let you concurrently serve as the Minister of the Ministry of Rites... If there are any issues in the court, please discuss and resolve them with the ministers in the court. I feel relieved when you are here."

Upon hearing this, Li Zisheng quickly stood up and bowed: "I am grateful for your majesty's kindness and will do my best to fulfill my mission."

(End of this chapter)