Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 267 The Target of Public Criticism (asking for monthly votes)

After the banquet, the Wang brothers returned home in their own carriage, and happened to run into their father Wang Yuan directing the craftsmen to work in the yard.

"Father."

Wang Lan was originally talking about something excitedly, but when he saw Wang Yuan he quickly fell silent and walked forward respectfully to greet him.

Although the Wang family is of military origin, they are still quite strict with their children, and all family rules are formulated according to the standards of a scholarly family.

Wang Yuan looked back at his two sons and asked, "Why did you go out for a whole day and come back?"

Wang Qiao said, "Father, calm down. We have been staying with the two young masters of the Zhang family. At first, we went to the Zhang's pharmacy and saw people making trouble. They said that they misdiagnosed the patients and that the herbs sold by the Zhang's pharmacy were inferior and caused problems for the patients. Then the pharmacy was smashed."

"You guys are watching this kind of excitement?"

Wang Yuan frowned.

Wang Yuan did not think this incident was surprising. He even felt that it was because the Zhang family did not understand the harsh political environment in the capital and took too big a step.

Just like the Wang family wouldn’t do such a thing now.

These are the lessons learned from years of suffering.

Wang Qiao said: "Then we went to the Zhang Mansion and met the second son of the Zhang family. He didn't seem to mind that his medicine shop was smashed, and he even invited us brothers to a banquet."

"A banquet? His medicine shop was almost razed to the ground, and he still had the mind to have a banquet? What did you eat?"

Wang Yuan asked.

"We didn't drink, but the dishes were very rich, and we spent at least one or two taels of silver. During the meal, we also met his brother, Zhang Heling, the eldest son of the Zhang family. During the meal, the second son of Zhang said that he wanted to open a bookstore with us, but I didn't agree at the time, and only said that I would come back to ask the elders at home for permission."

After all, Wang Qiao had been educated, so he was able to speak clearly and accurately.

Wang Yuan's face was gloomy, and he muttered quietly: "If you can't open a medicine shop, you want to open a bookstore? Are you trying to drag our Wang family into this?"

"Father, what happened?"

Wang Qiao asked curiously.

"Yes. The old man from the Zhang family came to the court as an official. Just a few days after he became the Minister of the Honglu Temple, he impeached the powerful eunuch Liang. Today, there is a rumor that he impeached Li Shilang, the Minister of the Yintai Department, who is highly valued by His Majesty and is now in the limelight in the court. He is like a person who has no experience in officialdom and has no idea of ​​his way out. At this moment, our Wang family really dare not get too close to their family, so as not to cause trouble."

Wang Yuan knows the principle of keeping a low profile.

Zhang Luan likes to mess around, but Wang Yuan won't do that. Although he has obtained the title of Earl of Ryan, who knows whether the consequence of offending the powerful will cost him the loss of his title!
The emperor had always disliked the empress's family, but Li Zisheng and Liang Fang were powerful officials who had the ability to influence the court structure. They were giants that he could not afford to offend.

Wang Qiao said cautiously, "Didn't father say before that the Zhang family had a close relationship with that Taoist priest Li? Why... would he submit a petition to impeach Taoist priest Li? Is there some hidden story behind this?"

"Where should I go?"

Wang Yuan shook his head and said, "Don't go to Zhang's house these two days. Let's stay out of the spotlight and wait and see what happens. Let me see what's going on."

The old father gave an order not allowing the two brothers to look for the Zhang family.

As the eldest son, Wang Qiao would certainly obey unconditionally, but Wang Lan had his own little thoughts. After all, he was about the same age as the Zhang brothers, and he could talk to both of them. Even the uneducated Zhang Heling gave Wang Lan a strong sense of intimacy, which made him want to go find these two "new friends" to play.

"Brother, do you think father is being too cautious? The Zhang family is the prince's in-laws after all, and the elder sister of the two brothers is the current crown princess. I think they are very kind, and we should get along with them more."

Wang Lan also spoke well of the Zhang family in front of his brother.

Wang Qiao glanced at his brother and said mockingly, "Why? Did they buy you off with just a meal?"

"No, no, I just think they are good brothers."

Wang Lan spoke with a hint of envy. He licked his lips and said, "But... look at them. They can easily prepare a banquet. We can only buy snacks with a few coins when we go out, but they don't even blink an eye when they treat us to a banquet. Why is there such a big difference between people?"

Wang Qiao sighed, "Their medicine shop must be unable to continue operating... They are losing money without even realizing it, probably because they are young and ignorant and don't know how to live frugally.

"The capital is a place where every inch of land is worth a lot of money, and there are even more places to spend money. Their father just entered the court, and there are many things that need to be taken care of. Even if the family has some assets, they can't afford to be so abused."

Wang Lan asked, "Brother, are you saying that the people in their family don't know how to be frugal and will eventually run out of money?"

Wang Qiao shook his head: "I can't really say, but I think it should be roughly like this!"

Obviously Wang Qiao couldn't understand what the two boys from the Zhang family did.

He failed in business, but he was like a heartless person. Not only did he take it calmly, he also chatted and laughed with the two brothers and didn't mind bringing up his business failure at all.

It feels like the business is not their own, and one can even say that they are hoping that the business will be ruined. It's really strange.

Wang Lan smiled and said, "Didn't Dad say that? Their family has integrity. Otherwise, why would his father dare to impeach the powerful officials as soon as he entered the court? Just based on this integrity, it is definitely not something that ordinary people can compare to."

Wang Qiao said helplessly, "Second brother, you don't understand how sinister the officialdom is. His father's actions can be said to be of high moral integrity, but they can also be said to be eager for quick success. How can he impeach the person in power right away? Wouldn't that just bring trouble upon himself? I don't think his family will be in office for long. They will definitely be like us in the future, doing everything by the rules."

"Oh."

Wang Lan smiled and said, "There's nothing wrong with being like us, but I always feel that Dad is too cautious. Now we can't live as freely as the Zhang brothers."

"Hey, you envy them?"

"Who wouldn't be envious? Brothers can go wherever they want and do whatever they want. Look how Dad controls us... Big brother, are you going out?"

"Well, I want to accompany your sister-in-law back to her parents' home."

Wang Qiao said this and asked people to pack up.

At present, the Wang family does not have a prominent status in the capital, so Wang Yuan often asks his eldest son to go to his mother-in-law's house. After all, Princess Yixing is the eldest princess and has a very high say in the royal family.

Wang Lan said with a smile: "Sister-in-law, do you miss home so much? Then, big brother, please do as you please. I will go and burn some incense for mother."

……

……

Zhang Luan's impeachment of Li Zisheng caused a huge uproar in the court.

Even if those in the court were as conceited as they were, thinking that they could see through Zhang Luan at a glance, and that this newly promoted Minister of the Ministry of Rites was the kind of relative who was vying for fame and fortune and had no knowledge, and that Zhang Luan was an opportunistic official... When they heard that Zhang Luan impeached Liang Fang, they thought that Zhang Luan was standing up for the prince, but when Zhang Luan also brought Li Zisheng into the picture and criticized him severely, they felt that Zhang Luan was not a simple person.

Things quickly escalated.

On the next day, when Zhu Youtang was hearing cases in Wenhua Hall, he learned the details from Prime Minister Wan'an.

"Mr. Wan, you are saying that my father-in-law, the Minister of the Honglu Temple Zhang Luan, first impeached Wei Juan and Liang Fang, and then impeached Li Zisheng, right?"

Zhu Youtang was so shocked that he couldn't help but ask for confirmation.

Because he felt that this matter was most likely a false rumor.

Even someone like him who had lived in the palace for a long time and knew almost nothing about state affairs knew that Liang Fang and Li Zisheng were not easy to mess with.

Wan An smiled and said, "Your Highness, it is like this. Your father-in-law impeached both of them. It is said that he also found evidence of Li Zisheng's wrongdoings and presented it to the king. From this, it seems that someone in the court instructed him to do this, and it is very likely related to the lecturers of the Eastern Palace around you."

Not only did he make the matter happen without any investigation, he also tried hard to put the blame on the people in the Eastern Palace. Wan'an is very good at speaking skills.

Wan'an was attached to Li Zisheng, so when something happened, he naturally stood on Li Zisheng's side without hesitation.

As for the group of lecturers from the Eastern Palace in the Hanlin Academy, he was not afraid at all, because strictly speaking, those officials were his "subordinates" and belonged to the same Hanlin system. Even if you call me a "cock-washing husband", it cannot change the reality that I am the Prime Minister of the dynasty.

Qin Chang next to him kindly reminded: "Lord Wan, please be careful with your words... Zhang Honglu's actions may not necessarily be related to others, so don't make rash assumptions."

"Just a little guess."

Wan An said calmly, "Is there something that cannot be said? How can you shut someone up? I wonder what the prince thinks about this?"

Zhu Youtang lowered his head and said timidly: "I... I don't know..."

Qin Chang frowned and glanced at Liu Ji quickly, raising his clean-shaven chin slightly, signaling this "cotton-fluffing" master to quickly step forward and talk about the next thing, so as not to make the situation too embarrassing.

After all, the current prince only has to obey the government and has no power to express his opinions. Wan'an's move is clearly intended to embarrass the prince.

This time, the meeting in Wenhua Hall lasted less than half an hour before it ended hastily.

There were many state affairs that could have been told to the prince, but they were suppressed artificially. Basically, no important matters were mentioned, and even the key points were not picked out. Apart from the sensational event of Zhang Luan impeaching Li Zisheng and other powerful officials, the rest were basically trivial matters.

After several people came out of Wenhua Hall, Qin Chang talked to Wan An alone about this matter: "Lord Wan, why did you say that just now? What do you want to do?"

Wan An smiled and said, "Tell the prince about the court affairs. Isn't this what His Majesty ordered?"

"But you clearly want to stir up trouble." Qin Chang glared at him. "Zhang Luan's impeachment of Liang Fang and Li Zisheng was his personal act and had nothing to do with the East Palace. You shouldn't have asked the Crown Prince for his opinion."

Wan An continued with a relaxed look: "Nothing... I just think that the prince should express his opinion. Otherwise, what's the point of just listening there? At worst, we can just not do what he says."

Tan Chang snorted coldly: "You are clearly overstepping your authority!"

Wan An asked curiously, "Then Eunuch Tan, why did you ask the Crown Prince for his opinion on the matter concerning Jinyiwei Commander Zhu Ji, and even acted in accordance with the Crown Prince's wishes?"

The two of them suddenly felt a bit tense.

Wan'an's tit-for-tat made Qin Chang immediately realize that the Prime Minister in front of him had no respect for him as the Prime Minister... It might be related to Huai En being too strong before!
"Lord Wan, before you talk about anything, you'd better investigate the truth first... The treatment of Zhu Ji was ordered by His Majesty himself. When has he ever followed the Crown Prince's wishes? If you have evidence, you can report it to His Majesty. We are waiting for you!"

Qin Chang was already filled with rage, and his face looked extremely ugly.

"Haha, that was my negligence. Just pretend I didn't say anything. Hahaha..."

Wan'an looked like a smiling tiger, without any courtesy at all, and directly parted ways with Qin Chang and went on his own.

……

……

Wan'an and Liu Ji walked side by side towards the cabinet duty room.

The cabinet duty room is not far from the Wenhua Hall, both located on the east side of the imperial palace.

Liu Ji tactfully suggested: "Mr. Wan, why bother with that eunuch Tan? After all, he is the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, and we still have to rely on him for approval. There is really no need to make enemies with him!"

"It's precisely because I don't care about him that I didn't make things too clear with him."

Wan An put on an arrogant attitude, as if he was the Prime Minister and was afraid of no one. He said calmly, "In terms of ability, Qin is not even worthy of carrying Eunuch Huai's shoes. In terms of favor, His Majesty now only asks Li Xianchang for advice... Now someone is impeaching Li Xianchang. Is it wrong for me to say a few words in front of the Crown Prince?"

Liu Ji said puzzledly: "But I always feel that you seem to have overreacted in this matter."

Wan An said, "I am really angry! Didn't Immortal Li take good care of Zhang? Even if it was the will of the emperor that gave him the position, it was arranged by Immortal Li. Who would have thought that he would bite back immediately after he took the position and directly stand with the crown prince. It is clear that he does not distinguish between friend and foe!"

Liu Ji said: "He is the old Taishan of the Eastern Palace after all, and it is understandable that he takes care of his daughter and son-in-law."

Wan An sneered and said, "Hasn't he ever thought that the Crown Prince's position is very stable? Let's not talk about anything else. In the past two years, His Majesty has always mentioned that the Crown Prince is stupid and incompetent, and has repeatedly criticized him. Who knows when he will push for a replacement plan... The Crown Prince is obviously not capable, but he still insists on getting on his side. Saying that he doesn't know what's good for him is a compliment to him."

Liu Ji was disdainful in his heart, but he said, "You think Zhang Laizhan betrayed Minister Li, right?"

"I didn't say that."

Wan An said with a smug look on his face, "Now we are just throwing the problem to the crown prince... He knows everything and will definitely be very frightened. Considering Qin Chang's cautious behavior, would he dare not mention it to Your Majesty? I want to see what Your Majesty's attitude is towards this."

"Oh!"

Liu Ji was a little surprised. Then he suddenly realized and said with emotion: "How can it be said that you are still smart, Elder Wan? It seems that you are making trouble with Tan Chang, but in fact you are deliberately making things bigger, hoping to get the news to His Majesty as soon as possible, so that His Majesty can stand up and support Minister Li, and perhaps teach the Crown Prince a lesson!"

Wan An smiled and said, "Youzhi, when did you learn to be clever? Did I say this was my purpose? I really want to see how those lecturers in the East Palace react! They all declared that the court was full of treacherous officials, and now someone is standing up for them. I want to see if they all hide away and become cowards!"

……

……

When Tan Chang and Wei Tai returned from Wenhua Palace and arrived outside the Qianqing Palace, they saw Li Zisheng standing there, apparently waiting to be summoned by Zhu Jianshen.

"My two eunuchs, are you coming from Wenhua Palace?"

Li Zisheng greeted the two of them with a smile.

Tan Chang stepped forward quickly and reminded: "Master Li, His Majesty is not in the palace at this time."

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "I know. I will wait here. If I still cannot get the chance to see Your Majesty by noon, I will go back."

Qin Changxin thought, you have a really good attitude.

You've been impeached and the whole city is in uproar, but you can still talk to me with a smile?

"Eunuch Qin, I wonder if Your Majesty has the prescription I offered you earlier..."

Li Zisheng took the opportunity to ask.

Wei Tai, who was standing beside him, said with a smile, "Lord Li, are you waiting here to see His Majesty, or do you want to see our Eunuch Tan? You are here to ask about the effects of the prescription, right?"

"No no no!"

Li Zisheng quickly denied: "That's not the truth. I'm really just waiting to see Your Majesty."

Qin Chang smiled and said, "It is precisely because of the prescription you presented that His Majesty has not been in the Qianqing Palace often these days... Recently, His Majesty has been running to the East Six Palaces and not returning home at night. By the way, your prescription is really... quite effective."

"is it?"

Li Zisheng had a look of delight on his face.

I just offered a prescription, and the emperor started to abuse his harem?
Zhang Laizhan is really capable. A few ordinary medicines when put together can produce such a great effect, which is really incredible.

Qin Chang nodded and said, "The Imperial Hospital diagnosed your majesty's condition earlier and said that your majesty's illness is caused by depression and needs to be relieved according to the situation..."

"hey-hey!"

Li Zisheng interjected at the right time: "Isn't this just right? Your Majesty must be so happy now that all his worries are gone! So I, as your subject, can rest assured!"

After saying this, he looked very satisfied.

"But... Your Majesty is still ill. Wouldn't it be too much to drain your body like this..."

Qin Chang was also in a difficult situation. After all, the emperor's illness had not yet fully recovered, and he ran to the harem to have fun as soon as he started to feel better. He had long forgotten who had said that his love for Concubine Wan was stronger than gold and would last forever. However, his true colors were revealed after only a few days of sadness.

Li Zisheng was startled at first, then he sighed, "Then your Majesty's condition is definitely better than before, right?"

Qin Chang thought about it and nodded heavily, "That's right. When Empress Wan just passed away, His Majesty was gloomy all day, sighing from time to time, and occasionally bursting into tears. Now that he has read the storybook and got Master Li's magic medicine, His Majesty is at least not as depressed and unhappy as before."

Li Zisheng said with relief: "This is a good thing... Taking advantage of the situation, I think it won't be long before your majesty will recover, and maybe even live longer."

Wei Tai asked in surprise: "Master Li, it seems that what you presented is not a prescription for longevity, right?"

What I mean is that there is no essential difference between you and that "cock-washing husband" Wan'an. You just bought a prescription that helps with sex, and now you are talking to us about medical principles. Do you really understand?
Li Zisheng said leisurely: "It seems that the world still has many misunderstandings about me. I did this for the sake of your majesty's health. As for whether the method is appropriate, it depends on how people comment on it in the future."

"hehe."

Wei Tai was speechless for a moment.

Qin Chang finally couldn't help himself and asked curiously, "Master Li, there is another thing. Someone in the court has impeached you... You should know about this, right?"

"I know. Isn't it Zhang Laizhan? Haha, he and I are old acquaintances. It's normal for him to impeach me. After all, I didn't do well enough in some things and was easily criticized."

Li Zisheng acted as if he had a clear conscience and was ready to face all doubts.

Qin Chang smiled and said, "Oh, you really have the demeanor of a great general, but Zhang Honglu impeached you for corruption and abuse of power, and it seems that there are some things that are extremely unfavorable to you. Don't tell me... you are not worried at all?"

"What is there to worry about? There are so many people who have impeached me. Seeing that he has just entered the court, he may not understand the reasoning behind it. He may be easily instigated to go to extremes, or he may get angry for a little fame. It's okay. He did it. I won't blame him. Instead, the East Factory and the Embroidered Uniform Guard must investigate his impeachment of Liang Fang and Wei Juan."

Li Zisheng immediately made his attitude clear.

I’m fine with impeachment, I can handle it.

I guess you don’t dare to investigate me now.

But you have to be careful with Liang Fang. It would be best if you could bring Liang Fang down in one go. That way it would be good for you, for me, and for everyone, and you wouldn't have to feel like a thorn in your side all day long.

"It's time to check it out."

Qin Chang frowned, thinking about something, and said casually.

Li Zisheng looked up at the sky, shook his head and said, "Since it is difficult to get an audience with His Majesty here today, I will go back first... My two eunuchs, you are busy, I will not disturb you any more, goodbye!"

"Huh? You're leaving now?"

Weitai asked.

"Hey, I've been impeached and have become the target of public criticism. If I don't work hard, even His Majesty won't like my shortcomings... Lai Zhan's move has made me pay attention and reminded me to work for the court wholeheartedly. My two eunuchs, let's encourage each other! Goodbye!"

(End of this chapter)