Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 255 Who will be the bad guy?

After meeting Zhang Yanling, Qin Ji hurried back to the palace before the palace gates closed without waiting for Zhang Luan to come back.

He was also afraid at this time.

Because Qin Ji knew that Liang Fang and his gang had military power and could easily mobilize hundreds of soldiers. There were countless ways to make a person disappear from the world. Even if he "disappeared", the court would be suspicious, and the prince would supervise the East Factory and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate with all their strength, but it was estimated that nothing would be found out in the end, so it was better to return to the palace and hide early.

After entering the palace, Qin Ji breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to report to Zhu Youtang.

Fortunately, Zhu Youtang had just finished dinner and was planning to read a book and chat with Zhang Yu. Otherwise, the young couple would definitely not like him if he went in so rashly to disturb them.

"My dear, why don't you stay outside the palace for a night?"

Zhu Youtang asked with concern.

Qin Ji frowned slightly and answered cautiously: "When I left the palace, I met Liang Fang, and he took the initiative to come forward and talk to me."

Zhu Youtang's face suddenly changed, and he asked nervously, "What did he say to you?"

"They are all very disrespectful words after all."

Qin Ji was worried, his eyes full of fear, "He has revealed his vicious side, the prince must be careful."

"My dear, I have been in the palace all the time, so you don't have to be afraid of those things. But you..." Zhu Youtang seemed to realize at this time that it was a bit unfair for him to let Qin Ji go out of the palace frequently to help with things.

Qin Ji comforted him, "Don't worry, I'm fine now, nothing has gone wrong, I'm just worried about the prince in the future... Oh no, I was very scared before, but now I'm not so scared, because even if I'm not here, there are people who can take good care of the prince."

Zhu Youtang was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Are you talking about Zhang Honglu? What did he tell you?"

Qin Ji didn't know whether to say it was Zhang Luan or Zhang Yanling who was helping behind the scenes. Seeing the young couple looking at him eagerly, he could only say, "Liang Fang conspired with others to frame the prince, but the prince cleverly resolved the conspiracy, and even turned a disaster into a blessing, winning the favor of His Majesty..."

Qin Ji paused here, his eyes swept across Zhu Youtang's concerned face, the corners of his mouth trembling slightly. Zhang Yu felt that he might be hiding something.

Unlike Zhu Youtang, who was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, Zhang Yu, who did not understand politics, had the keen insight and mysterious sixth sense of a young person, even though she came from a poor family. Then she smiled sweetly and urged Zhu Youtang to take a bath, while she stayed behind to question Qin Ji alone.

"Mr. Qin, have you seen my father today?"

Zhang Yu asked in a kind tone.

Tan Ji sighed helplessly: "They haven't met... The second young master said that he went to see the queen's other uncle, Xu Shilang, the Minister of Personnel."

Zhang Yu nodded slightly and continued to ask, "So, what you said to the prince just now was what my second brother asked you to tell him?"

"Yes."

Tan Ji said, "The second young master is very quick-witted and is truly a rare genius in the world."

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "I know my family's affairs much better than you do. If I had relied on my father and eldest brother, I would not have had the opportunity to come to the East Palace. I wonder if my second brother has anything else to say?"

"The Second Young Master..."

Qin Ji obviously didn't want to say it.

As a loyal servant of the prince, she only needs to be responsible to the prince. Although the prince and the princess are family, it is an unwritten rule that the concubines cannot interfere in the affairs of the outer hall at any time.

"You didn't tell the prince what my brother said. Are you going to keep it in your heart forever? In the current situation, shouldn't you let at least one person know and plan everything for the prince behind his back?"

Zhang Yu asked these soul-searching questions in a firm and resolute tone.

Qin Ji thought again, the prince is so naive, if I don’t tell the Crown Princess, then I will really be left without anyone to give me advice.

The young couple are of one mind, and I'm the bad guy behind them. Does this mean I don't want to stay in the Eastern Palace anymore?
Qin Ji had no choice but to say, "The second young master said that the evil people have shown their true colors. There may be no more secret intrigues and extreme tugs of war in the future. What will happen next is probably a real fight in the open.

"But this is also a good thing, because standing in the sun, the prince, as the heir to the throne, has an inherent advantage in law. He is not afraid of anyone's open attack. The only thing he worries about is the hidden arrows shot by the enemy."

Zhang Yu thought carefully and nodded: "Second brother, he is full of wisdom and has broad knowledge. The previous few things were all planned by him, right? By the way, have you told the prince about the telescope?"

Tan Ji hesitated: "No."

"Oh, I haven't told the prince either."

Zhang Yu said, "It was only after I entered the palace that I gradually understood the whole story... When I was at home, my father and my second brother showed me something that could see far away, saying it was a telescope. They didn't tell me the specific production process, I just knew it was related to our Zhang family."

Tan Ji sighed and said, "Zhang Honglu probably doesn't want you to get involved in the court disputes."

Zhang Yu smiled bitterly and said, "But the fact is that I'm already involved, and as the prince's wife I'm still the victim... Do you think it can really be avoided?"

Qin Ji thought about it and thought that the topic should not be taken too deep, so he quickly changed the subject: "The Second Young Master also mentioned that the Crown Prince should pay more attention to His Majesty's condition recently, and go to the Qianqing Palace to pay respects when he is free. Even if His Majesty has not summoned him, he must do so regardless of weather conditions."

"This is a good thing... Why don't you bring it up with the prince?"

Zhang Yu asked.

Qin Ji said helplessly: "The problem is that once he leaves the East Palace, the prince's safety cannot be guaranteed. Liang Fang and others have a complex network of power in the palace, and many palace people are under their command. Even if they dare not harm him openly, they will create some trouble for the prince. Many things are not something that I, an old servant, can decide."

Zhang Yu looked determined and said, "Since this is the arrangement, we should listen to Yanling. He almost never makes mistakes. By the way, did he say anything else?"

"Oh, you also mentioned..."

Qin Ji revealed the information he got from Zhang Yanling bit by bit, just like squeezing toothpaste. "The Second Young Master also said that relying on just one storybook is not enough to completely make Your Majesty give up the idea of ​​changing the crown prince. You should submit more storybooks. He also said that he would continue to write. In addition, the one you read before is also..."

"Journey to the West, right?" Zhang Yu interrupted.

"Ah."

Qin Ji did not mention presenting the book that Zhang Yu had read, but waited for the hostess to express her opinion.

Zhang Yu did not hesitate at all and said resolutely: "I usually use it to kill time in my spare time. If it can help the prince, why would I be reluctant to give it up? You can present it to the emperor tomorrow."

Qin Ji shook his head: "Not for the time being... The Second Young Master said that he will finish writing the rest of the content in the next two days, and send it to a specific place in the name of entertaining you, the Crown Princess, so that we can send someone to pick it up. However... it is inconvenient for this old servant to leave the palace next time, so I can only send an honest and trustworthy person to pick it up."

"Then... Mr. Tan can't find a suitable candidate?"

Zhang Yu asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, yes, in fact, Jiang Cong can do it, he is also sincere to the prince... Your Majesty, please relax, if the second young master has any instructions, everyone in the East Palace will be ready to dispatch. It's just..."

Tan Ji hesitated to speak.

Zhang Yu said, "I know that none of this can be told to the Crown Prince, lest he become confused and let him maintain a good attitude and face everything calmly. Is that what you mean?"

Tan Ji nodded helplessly.

It is necessary to use some treacherous means, but at the same time, these dark things cannot be involved in the prince, and the prince's simple and kind character should be maintained, making people feel that the prince has no scheming and is amiable. It is probably saying...

We did the bad things together, and left all the good images to the prince.

Qin Ji was too embarrassed to say it out loud, because he knew that it sounded shameless and a bit like a trap for the Crown Princess.

But if we don't do this, how can we safeguard the interests of the Eastern Palace? So we have to make sacrifices, and everything has to be compromised for the future succession of the crown prince!
……

……

Qianqing Palace.

Li Zisheng entered the palace again on the pretext of reporting to the emperor, but he was not able to see the emperor himself. Instead, he was taken out by Tan Chang as soon as he entered the Qianqing Gate.

"Your Majesty..."

"Master Li, please don't be offended. Your Majesty has been concentrating on studying the storybook these past two days, and has even written a few reflections. I'm afraid he has no time to take care of the affairs of the court. Recently, there is no need to bring the affairs of the Imperial Household Department to the Qianqing Palace to bother Your Majesty... According to Your Majesty's intention, let us take care of it ourselves."

Qin Chang finished speaking with a smile, then took out a list of assessment results of officials from the Ministry of Personnel and handed it to Li Zisheng.

Li Zisheng took it and just glanced at it casually, then asked, "Are these people unsuitable?"

Qin Chang said, "We will not casually express our opinions on local affairs, so let's leave it to you, Master Li, to decide. Oh, by the way, I heard that Liang Fang's people have been collecting strange stories among the people recently, and they are planning to organize them and present them to Your Majesty... Are you aware of this?"

Li Zisheng shook his head and said, "I haven't noticed it."

"hehe."

Qin Chang laughed teasingly, "Nowadays, there are many people who know that your Majesty is addicted to storytelling. Everyone thinks that it is a good thing to distract your Majesty and make him forget the sadness of Lady Wan's death... Doesn't Master Li plan to give it a try?"

Li Zisheng smiled, looking like he had no desire or ambition: "I am not good at this, and I have never heard of any excellent folk storybooks, so I won't waste my time on it."

Although I said this, I was thinking in my heart, where can I find such awesome words to satisfy the emperor's hobby?

Do you really think that is an easy thing to do?
Qin Chang nodded in approval and praised, "That's true. The so-called sharing of worries is just a way for people in dire straits to survive. It's not something a wise man would do to seek personal gain. And Master Li, you are highly valued by His Majesty, so why would you learn from that villain to do such useless work?"

Hey.

Li Zisheng felt unhappy after hearing this.

You, Qin Chang, are clearly making indirect accusations, but are you scolding me, Zhang Laizhan, or Liang Fang? Or are you scolding all of us?

"Well, speaking of which, His Majesty has almost finished reading the script these days, and there hasn't been any movement from the Crown Prince." Qin Chang seemed to remind intentionally or unintentionally.

Li Zisheng understood something instantly.

The script was sent to the emperor as it was being written. If he wanted, he could have taken the remaining manuscript from Zhang Luan and presented it to the emperor himself instead of through the crown prince...

As soon as this greedy thought came into his mind, he quickly eliminated it.

Isn't this tantamount to competing for fame and fortune with the prince?

The emperor knows the story behind the plot. If I interfere, wouldn't I end up losing more than gaining, and offending people from all walks of life?

You, Qin Chang, have bad intentions!

Qin Chang asked with a smile: "Master Li, do you think anyone will come to Zhang Honglu's house to ask for his storybooks? Zhang Honglu should be an official in the court soon, right? Will he have time to write in the future?"

Li Zisheng nodded and said, "Although His Majesty allowed Zhang Luan to enter the court for training, it is still difficult for him to keep writing all the time... We should find someone to remind him..."

"Yes, in fact, being an official is just a side job. He still has to do his main job of writing well."

Qin Chang said with a smile, "If you have time, Master Li might as well meet him more often. He doesn't have any background or connections in the court, and I'm afraid he might be used by others unintentionally. I'm afraid it won't be a good thing if that happens."

Li Zisheng started to ponder again.

You are using this excuse to make me meet Zhang Laizhan so that you can deliberately create a conflict with Liang Fang, right? Or did you already know that Zhang Laizhan and I were very close and you are testing me here?

You old thing, I am on guard against both Liang Fang and you. Do you really think I am the same as you?

Go ahead and cheat!

"It's natural."

Li Zisheng seemed to have opened his heart and said, "I have known Lai Zhan for some time. It was Shen Lu, the manager of the Yintai Division, who played the role of the matchmaker. Eunuch Tan, don't worry. I will give Lai Zhan some pointers at the right time and let him do his job of writing well so that His Majesty will not be left without a chance to read it."

Originally, Qin Chang thought he had taken the initiative in the conversation, but he was stunned after hearing what Li Zisheng said.

This guy……

He actually took the initiative to admit that he had a relationship with Zhang Luan?

It seems that my nephew Qin Yun did a good job in the investigation. They are indeed having an affair secretly. No wonder Zhang Laizhan was able to marry his daughter into the palace and live so well. It seems that he has you, Li Zisheng, as his backer.

"If you do this, Eunuch Liang will..."

Qin Chang looked somewhat embarrassed, and he really wanted to ask, aren't you clearly going against Liang Fang?

Li Zisheng said as a matter of course: "May I ask Eunuch Tan, is there anything wrong with Zhang Laizhan writing a storybook for his daughter to pass the lonely time in the palace?"

Qin Chang nodded: "I understand, everything is due to fate... or the prince read the story book and thought it was really well written, so he thought of copying a copy for Your Majesty to show his filial piety. It seems that the prince is the one who really cares... I understand, my family has just figured out that you, Master Li, really did not participate in this."

Li Zisheng flicked his sleeves and said, "Of course. If I had known that Lai Zhan wrote that he could take advantage of His Majesty's wishes, would I have done nothing?"

Qin Chang smiled and said, "You are a man of high moral character. If you were an ordinary person, knowing that the storybook was appreciated by His Majesty, you would have gone to Zhang Honglu's residence and presented the subsequent content to him, instead of being so nonchalant and indifferent like you are now... I really admire you!"

Li Zisheng said anxiously, I do want to.

But I don’t dare to argue with the prince.

After all, Zhang Laizhan is the prince's father-in-law. He wants to help his son-in-law win the emperor's favor. If I go to ask for it, not to mention that the prince and Zhang Laizhan are unhappy, doesn't the emperor know that I am interfering behind his back?
This kind of thankless task must not be done!

"I had previously suggested that Zhang Honglu be given an official position, but I neglected to do so," Qin Chang said apologetically.

"He and I are just acquaintances, we may not be close friends, so don't worry about it."

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "Laizhan doesn't have much ambition for a career in government. Eunuch Tan, if there are any issues concerning him in the court, such as being impeached, you must... show mercy."

Qin Chang was confused.

You said one moment that you had no close relationship with Zhang Luan, but the next moment you came to his defense. What does this mean?
(End of this chapter)