Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 272 Reasons (asking for monthly ticket)

Two days after meeting with Li Zisheng, Zhang Luan was in a very proud state. He even took time out to meet with Zhang Yin to inquire whether anyone from Hejian Prefecture had passed the imperial examination. After all, both the government and the public were paying close attention to the results of the palace examination.

It is obvious that Zhang Luan is planning to develop his own party.

But what followed was that Wei Tai personally came to the door and read out in public the emperor's reprimand and the decree to transfer him to the position of Shaoqing of Taichang Temple.

Zhang Luan instantly wilted like an eggplant hit by frost.

Although they were both of the fourth rank, even Zhang Luan, a political novice, knew that the Honglu Temple was an important government office of the imperial court in charge of diplomacy and etiquette, and that he was the head of a Beijing official.

And now he has been transferred to the Taichang Temple as a deputy...

The worst thing is that many Ming Dynasty officials were assigned to work in the Taichang Temple, where there were many monks and Taoists, including fortune tellers, alchemists, spirit mediums, and exorcists, and all kinds of people.

More importantly, the potential enemy Deng Changen is the current Minister of Taichang Temple, which means that he has suddenly fallen into the hands of his political enemies.

"Son!"

Zhang Luan sat there in a daze for a long time. When his second son came back, he finally found someone to talk to.

At this moment, Zhang Luan had tears in his eyes and a pouty mouth, and it seemed that he was about to cry.

Zhang Yanling sat down and inquired about the situation carefully.

After listening to Zhang Luan's story, Zhang Yanling did not feel surprised at all, and smiled and encouraged: "Dad, isn't this just what you want?"

"What took advantage of my heart?"

Zhang Luan wiped his eyes and asked curiously, "Didn't the original plan let me serve as the Minister of the Honglu Temple and let the world know that there is such a person as me? Even after half a year, when that big event happened, I could continue to hold the position?"

What I meant was that not only did I want to be the Minister of the Honglu Temple at the end of the Chenghua period, I also planned to make further progress on the path of a civil servant after the crown prince ascended the throne.

Who said that I, Zhang Laizhan, don’t have ambitions?
Zhang Yanling smiled and asked, "Dad, have you forgotten why His Majesty gave you this task?"

"This... His Majesty, didn't he give me this position because of my contribution to the storybook? He appreciates me... and... because I can heal diseases?"

Only then did Zhang Luan recall the situation his son had analyzed with him before.

"Why do you keep talking about old man? Your Majesty is not even as old as you are... Dad, you must be careful with your words in front of others."

Zhang Yanling made a joke and then continued, "Isn't it obvious that His Majesty is not going to use you to treat him anymore?"

"Why?"

Zhang Luan was confused. "Just because I impeached Li Zisheng and Liang Fang? Is that necessary?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Dad, His Majesty doesn't care what you did or what your attitude is. Even if you poked a hole in the sky, His Majesty will just kill you... Don't worry too much about what you did."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Zhang Luan was already very depressed, and after hearing what his son said, he suddenly felt like he had lost all sense of existence.

Zhang Yanling held his chin with his hand and said thoughtfully: "I dare say that it must be that His Majesty made a sudden change after asking the Crown Prince about his attitude. You are just affected!"

"what?"

Zhang Luan's face was filled with even more doubt, and he asked blankly, "What is the prince's attitude towards me?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Have you forgotten that Jiang Cong came to our house before? You were not at home at that time, so I taught him some skills to deal with His Majesty. Maybe when His Majesty summons him, the prince will use them."

Zhang Luan said angrily: "It seems that you are the one causing trouble? You taught me some skills, but after the prince used them, I lost my position?"

"Who said he's gone? Isn't he still the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple?"

Zhang Yanling consoled him, "Dad, let's talk about the facts. Do you think you are respected in the Honglu Temple and that anyone takes you seriously? Wouldn't it be better for you to transfer to a leisurely government office like the Taichang Temple? Besides, you should have been in the Taichang Temple in the first place!"

"This……"

Although Zhang Luan knew that his son was right, he was still scratching his head anxiously.

"Son, I know that the position of Minister of the Ministry of Rites is too high for a new official like me, and it is difficult for me to be competent. But am I not learning? I have only been in office for a few days, and suddenly I am dismissed. Isn't this embarrassing?"

Zhang Luan felt that he was too embarrassed to save face.

I had just been showing off in front of a group of fellow villagers for a few days, thinking that I had become the leader of the fellow villagers in Hejian Prefecture, but in the blink of an eye I was brought back to my original form. What the hell is this?

Zhang Yanling said, "Dad, you have only been the Minister of the Ministry of Rites for a few days, but what you have done is not as spectacular as what you have done even if you are the Minister of the Six Ministries. Your brilliance is enough to illuminate the entire court."

"Ahem... stop flattering your father. I know you are just trying to comfort me." Zhang Luan looked as if to say, "I see through you."

"Dad, you lost your job because you impeached Li Zisheng. It has nothing to do with impeaching Liang Fang and Wei Juan. You have already done it. Li Zisheng was convicted and stripped of his position as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites...

"Think about it, the people you reported were punished, and you were implicated and transferred to the Imperial Household Department as a junior official... The officials in the court will definitely remember your sacrifice.

"Because you are too close to the crown prince, His Majesty no longer dares to use you for medical treatment. In this way, your purpose of becoming the Minister of the Honglu Temple can be said to have been fully achieved. What else is there to be dissatisfied with?"

Zhang Luan's eyes widened, and he stammered, "I...you said that the prince and I were in the same party? So...so you gave Jiang Cong instructions in person to let the prince...take the initiative to speak for me, so that His Majesty would think that I was in cahoots with the prince and increase his vigilance against me. You...you..."

Zhang Yanling said as a matter of course: "You are the father-in-law of the crown prince. Your status is awkward. His Majesty would definitely not use you to treat a serious illness that concerns life unless it is absolutely necessary... Don't you understand this principle?"

"Uh...I see."

Zhang Luan said with a bitter face, "If Your Majesty really trusts me, you should let me into the palace for medical consultation now, and don't give me the title of Minister of the Honglu Temple and keep me hanging."

"Isn't that what it is?"

Zhang Yanling said.

"But...but why did Your Majesty suddenly change his mind? I didn't do anything...just because Your Majesty went to see the Crown Prince? This is too bizarre and ridiculous!"

Zhang Luan seemed to have not yet completely resolved the doubts in his heart from his son's answer.

Zhang Yanling sighed, "Dad, you still don't know who is the instigator of selling official positions and titles, right?"

"Who?"

Zhang Luan asked casually.

"Your Majesty." Zhang Yanling shook his head. "Your Majesty has been extravagant since he ascended the throne. Because Wang Zhi and Liang Fang spent money lavishly without restraint, the inner court was unable to make ends meet... Your Majesty had no other choice but to let Li Zisheng take an extreme approach and sell many official positions at a price in exchange for money to support his life of luxury."

"really?"

Zhang Luan half believed and half doubted, "It is said that all land under heaven belongs to the king, and all people in the world are his subjects. This world belongs to your majesty, how could he be without money?"

"That's true in name, but in reality, the amount of money that the imperial treasury transfers to the inner treasury is fixed. Once there is an overspending, it is difficult to transfer money from the Ministry of Revenue to make up for it, because the imperial treasury's money also has uses, and it is difficult to have a surplus every year."

Zhang Yanling introduced the financial situation of the court and sighed, "In the past, your majesty trusted the eunuch Wang Zhi, the governor of the Western Factory, the most. But Wang Zhi's biggest problem was that he was not greedy. People who were not greedy could not create value for the emperor. Moreover, he had been stationed outside for a long time, and his military power was growing day by day. He gradually lost your majesty's trust and was taken advantage of by Liang Fang, Li Zisheng and others.

"As for Liang Fang, he has done so many excessive things, but he has not fallen until now. Isn't it because he has many means to get good things for Your Majesty? This fully satisfies Your Majesty's desire for extravagance and gives unparalleled emotional value! And what about Li Zisheng? He is responsible for helping Your Majesty collect money and constantly fill the deficit in the inner treasury.

"From my analysis, His Majesty must have asked the Crown Prince about his opinion on the case today. The Crown Prince may want to investigate the culprit behind the scenes. His Majesty is angry that you uncovered this hidden chain of interest transfer, so he changed his original intention and transferred your official position."

Zhang Luan finally understood, and after a while he said, "Son, I believe in your judgment. Well, now that you are no longer the Minister of the Honglu Temple, I will work in the Taichang Temple and try to bring back something for our family."

Zhang Luan finally gave up.

No one expected that the final result of the report would implicate the emperor. Not being completely dismissed from office was already the best outcome. What else could one expect?

Zhang Yanling said, "Dad, don't think about fighting for the time being. Try to keep a low profile. The six-month period will be up soon."

"Okay, I will obey you in everything... Not fighting is fighting, fighting is not fighting, big fighting is small fighting, small fighting is watching others fighting..."

Zhang Luan's words confused Zhang Yanling.

This old guy seems to have suddenly gone crazy. Is it because he suffered such a huge blow that he started talking nonsense?

"What's wrong with dad?"

Zhang Heling just happened to come in and saw his old father walking towards the backyard with a lost look on his face. He couldn't help but ask curiously.

Zhang Yanling said, "Oh, Dad has been promoted from the Minister of Honglu Temple to the Junior Minister of Taichang Temple."

"Shao Qing? Did your father's official rank get demoted?"

Zhang Heling asked hurriedly.

"No, they are all fourth rank." Zhang Yanling said.

"That's not bad."

Zhang Heling said with a smile, "I heard that Taichang Temple is where Jiaofangsi is supervised. In the future, when we go to Jiaofangsi Hutong to play, do we not have to pay? That place is full of the scent of cosmetics, and it smells good everywhere. The group of people who follow me want to see it with their own eyes, but they never had the chance before. Now that Dad has been appointed as an official, maybe we can broaden our horizons."

Zhang Yanling couldn't help but frown after hearing this.

The eldest brother's brain circuit is indeed different from others. He can think of taking advantage of everything. He immediately asked, "Who told you that the Jiaofangsi is under the jurisdiction of the Taichang Temple?"

"Isn't it?"

Zhang Heling scratched his head in confusion. "That's what I heard from others. At that time, I specifically asked whether the Honglu Temple also managed this. They said no, only the Taichang Temple could manage the Jiaofangsi..."

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, "The Jiaofangsi of our Ming Dynasty is under the management of the Ministry of Rites. Although the Taichang Temple is responsible for rituals and music, except for grand ceremonies and sacrifices, the Jiaofangsi's people will be mobilized, and other times the authority is irrelevant. Besides, even if the Minister of Rites goes to the Jiaofangsi, it will cost money. Of course, powerful people will receive special treatment when they go, so it's not impossible to pay them on credit first."

Zhang Heling said with emotion: "When I become the emperor's uncle in the future, I will hang out there every day. Jiaofangsi is really a good place. The girls there are so charming that even a glance from afar is enough to captivate the soul. Wow, that graceful figure, that pretty appearance..."

Zhang Yanling instantly felt that the elder brother in front of him was transforming from a boy to a young man, and was beginning to understand things like love between men and women. In addition, he was too deeply poisoned by the glamorous world of the capital, and gradually Zhang Heling lost himself.

But on second thought, no matter how lost he is, he is still the same guy, and his temperament obviously cannot be changed.

……

……

Li House.

Li Zisheng had been out socializing all day and returned home with a smile on his face.

When he saw Pang Qing, he smiled and asked, "Guess how much silver you're going to pay today?"

The emperor agreed to dismiss the officials on Zhang Luan's report list, so he carried out the measure in a drastic manner. These people were not close to him, so it was not a pity at all to replace them.

By replacing the old blood with new blood, he could not only develop and expand his own power, but also make a lot of money from it and curry favor with the emperor... Li Zisheng felt that it was totally worthwhile for him to temporarily give up his part-time job as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Pang Qing said with a bitter face: "How much money you take is up to you, but now there is something I must tell you... His Majesty sent Eunuch Wei Tai to the Zhang Mansion to reprimand the Immortal Zhang, and also ordered him to be transferred to the Taichang Temple as a junior minister. Now Immortal Zhang must be very depressed at home!"

Li Zisheng stopped walking after hearing this, looked Pang Qing up and down, frowned and asked, "When did this happen? Did you hear it from someone else?"

Pang Qing shook his head and said, "It has been confirmed."

"This……"

Li Zisheng looked suspicious and said to himself, "How strange... Your Majesty mentioned to me that he would not reward or punish Lai Zhan. How long has it been since then, and Your Majesty suddenly changed his mind?"

Pang Qing said: "Originally, there is nothing wrong with going to the Taichang Temple to be a junior official. After all, that place is more suitable for Zhang Banxian to display his specialties. But... well, you know, the Taichang Temple is not under your control now. It is Deng Changen's territory. I am afraid..."

Li Zisheng was a little annoyed and interrupted Pang Qing: "How could I not know? I was waiting for Lai Zhan to predict the future for me, but suddenly he dismissed his post as the Minister of the Honglu Temple... How can I have the face to ask him for help? If he doesn't predict the future for me because of this, who can I cry to..."

"Isn't it?"

Pang Qing asked guiltily.

"Do you know what he is thinking now? Anyone who has served as an official knows how big the difference is between the Minister of the Honglu Temple and the Junior Minister of the Taichang Temple... If this is true, I'm afraid he will bear a grudge against me! Oh, if I had known this, why would I let Zhang Laizhan impeach me? If I had someone else impeach me... wouldn't the effect be the same..."

Li Zisheng's face showed some annoyance.

Pang Qing pursed his lips and shook his head, saying, "In fact, I don't understand it either. You have appeared with him in public, recommended him in front of others, and helped him get his current job. Why do you have to act like you are irreconcilable? Maybe His Majesty thinks that the two of you are incompatible, so he transferred him to the Taichang Temple and instructed Deng Changen to protect him."

"I……"

Upon hearing this, Li Zisheng glared at Pang Qing fiercely and asked, "You want to say that I stole the chicken but lost the rice, and it's all my fault, right? I thank you for your kind reminder... No, no, I must go to his house in person to explain... Prepare the carriage immediately, I want to go to Zhang's house."

(The last two days for double monthly tickets, please support with monthly tickets!)

(End of this chapter)