Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 298: Father Tests His Son
That night, Zhang Yanling spent the night outside and did not go home.

Zhang Luan, who stayed at home, slept soundly, as if the reconstruction of Wanhe Temple had nothing to do with him at all. He was really careless.

The next day, Li Zisheng went to the palace early in the morning to ask for an audience with Zhu Jianshen, and was able to go directly to the Qianqing Palace to meet the emperor. At this time, Zhu Jianshen had just finished breakfast.

"Li Qing, why are you here so early?"

Zhu Jianshen asked.

Li Zisheng said: "Your Majesty, I have been looking for connections overnight to find a way to renovate Wanhe Temple. I have found someone who is suitable to undertake this matter..."

Zhu Jianshen frowned and asked, "Why don't you just go by yourself? If you can't make it in time, forget it."

"You can't just let it go like this."

Li Zisheng said, "The Queen Mother worships Buddha for the sake of her country and the nation, and also to pray for Your Majesty. How can you just leave it at that? I recommend that Zhang Luan, the Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Rites, who proposed this matter, be in charge of this matter."

"Who?"

Zhu Jianshen frowned and asked in confusion, "Li Qing, you recommended this person on purpose to embarrass him, right?"

"No, no, no, I went to see him in person yesterday."

Li Zisheng replied.

Zhu Jianshen burst out laughing, seeming to find this answer very interesting.

Tan Chang beside him asked in surprise, "Master Li, Zhang Luan has impeached you, and you went to see him last night to discuss the renovation of Wanhe Temple?"

Li Zisheng said, "In order to reassure the Empress Dowager, I will naturally not care about those little grudges... Besides, his impeachment was not wrong. Your Majesty has already punished him, and I am convinced by this and dare not complain at all."

Zhu Jianshen smiled and asked, "Then why do you want to meet him?"

"As far as I know, it was Zhang Luan who took the initiative to report this to the Crown Prince... Since Zhang Luan dared to bring it up, he must have thought of the serious consequences and knew that it would affect the Queen Mother's worship of Buddha... If not him, who else can we find at this time?"

Li Zisheng spoke righteously.

Zhu Jianshen asked curiously, "What did he say when you went to see him?"

Li Zisheng said: "He admitted that he was the one who brought this up to the Crown Prince through the Eastern Palace attendant Jiang Cong. When Jiang Cong went to his residence to get some daily necessities for the Crown Princess, he brought it up in person."

"He dared to admit it."

Zhu Jianshen also found it strange.

What a bold question, what a bold answer!
Li Zisheng spoke up again, saying, "So this is what I think. The Queen Mother's worship of Buddha was caused by Zhang Luan, and the matter is related to the Crown Prince. So why not let the Crown Prince and Zhang Luan work together to handle this matter and complete everything in the shortest time possible to show the Crown Prince's filial piety?"

Qin Chang's eyes widened, and he said in shock: "Li... Li Xianshi, this matter... it's better not to involve the crown prince, right?"

"and many more."

Zhu Jianshen reached out to interrupt Tan Chang's words.

Qin Chang quickly bowed his head and obeyed, not daring to say anything more.

"Li Qing, I think your suggestion makes sense."

Zhu Jianshen nodded slightly and said in agreement, "Although the Crown Prince acted out of benevolence and filial piety in this matter, he still caused trouble for me and displeased the Queen Mother."

Li Zisheng said: "I haven't thought about it that much. I just think that this will give the prince a chance to gain experience and let him perform in front of the Queen Mother."

Zhu Jianshen smiled and said, "You want him to show off in front of me, right?"

"without……"

Li Zisheng was afraid that the emperor would suspect that he was having an affair with the prince, so he quickly denied it.

"That's fine."

Zhu Jianshen said, "I also know that I have been too strict with the Crown Prince and never given him a chance to do anything. So I will entrust him with the task of rebuilding the Wanhe Temple. Tell him that there is no deadline and it can be completed at any time, but if it can be completed before the eighth day of the first lunar month... it would be the best. But you must not mess around with it."

Tan Chang said, "Your Majesty, do you really want to tell the Crown Prince this?"

Zhu Jianshen waved his hand and said, "He has caused trouble himself, so let him solve it himself. I also want to see if he has the ability to do things."

As soon as Qin Chang heard it, he understood that the emperor was giving the prince a difficult problem.

"Li Qing, you don't have to help them with this matter, let them do it on their own." Zhu Jianshen instructed.

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "I accept your order."

……

……

Zhu Youtang had arrived at Wenhua Hall that day and was making preparations before class.

Unexpectedly, Qin Ji came over in a hurry. He almost tripped over the threshold after entering. After he stood firm, he tidied his clothes awkwardly, hurried a few steps, approached Zhu Youtang who stood up and was about to help him, and bowed and said, "Your Highness, I will not go to class today. You need to leave the palace immediately."

Zhu Youtang's eyes widened: "Leaving the palace?"

"Yes."

Qin Ji said respectfully, "The Imperial Household Department just sent someone to tell you that His Majesty has issued an order to personally supervise the reconstruction of Wanhe Temple.

"Didn't you mention to the Empress Dowager that someone used inferior materials to replace good ones during the restoration of Wanhe Temple? The matter has been settled. Wei Xing was exiled to Ningxia, and Liang Fang was also demoted to Nanjing as the Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Household Department."

Zhu Youtang asked in shock: "When did it happen?"

"Yesterday."

Qin Ji was excited and said, "This happened suddenly, it was really unexpected. But this matter was caused by you, so His Majesty specially entrusted you with the task of rebuilding Wanhe Temple before the eighth day of the first lunar month, the Buddha Bathing Festival."

"Me? This... I can't do this."

Zhu Youtang became timid when he heard this.

I have never done any specific work that required responsibility. How can I be competent when such a big project is suddenly handed to me?

I haven't even seen what the palace gate looks like outside.

Qin Ji took a breath and quickly reminded him, "Prince, you don't have to worry too much. The messenger said that this matter should be completed by you and Zhang Hanlin... the father of the Crown Princess.

"Based on the current situation, from what I can understand... His Majesty thinks that you have offended the Emperor, so he wants to give you some problems and ask you to prove that you are capable of resolving the trouble you have caused yourself."

"Can I...can it?"

Zhu Youtang seemed very nervous at this moment.

As an inferior and introverted teenager, I usually don’t even have the courage to talk to strangers, let alone do anything.

The thought of interacting with a group of strangers made me feel extremely nervous.

But knowing that he was about to leave the palace and see the vast world outside, Zhu Youtang felt a little bit of anticipation in addition to fear.

……

……

Zhu Youtang trotted back from Wenhua Hall to Duanjing Hall to prepare for the details of leaving the palace. He came back specifically to inform his young wife of the news.

"Yu'er, my father sent someone to inform me that I can leave the palace now."

Zhu Youtang said happily.

Zhang Yu stared at her husband's face, raised her eyebrows slightly, and asked curiously: "Leaving the palace? Where to?"

Zhu Youtang said, "Didn't I tell the Empress Dowager that there were major problems with the renovation of Wanhe Temple? Now my father has severely punished Liang Fang and Wei Xing, but the Buddha's Bathing Festival is coming soon. In order to ensure that the Empress Dowager's visit to Wanhe Temple is not disturbed, my father asked me and your father to take on the remaining tasks together."

"Aren't they all fixed? Is there anything else left?"

Zhang Yu asked with a frown.

"actually……"

Zhu Youtang was a little embarrassed and said hesitantly, "I... I heard from my wife that we should replace all the inferior wood and stone materials with good ones."

"That... doesn't that mean it's a reconstruction?"

Zhang Yu seemed very anxious. "Didn't they say that the Wanhe Temple renovation started at the beginning of the year? It's already April, and it took them so long to complete it, but now they only give you... three days?"

Zhu Youtang said aggrievedly: "My father arranged it this way, and I can't do anything about it."

"Could it be that the Emperor is deliberately giving you a difficult problem so that you can learn a lesson before you go looking for trouble with the Empress Dowager?" Zhang Yu said with a pout.

After all, she was a little girl. She felt very unhappy when she found out that her husband had suffered a loss and that her old father might also be held responsible.

When it comes down to it, Sister Zhang is very protective of her people.

Zhu Youtang said: "I don't know exactly what happened. I found out about it when I met your father after I left the palace."

"Can I come along?"

Zhang Yu asked expectantly.

"No... I'm afraid not..."

Zhu Youtang hesitated for a moment, but finally shook his head. "My father only allowed me to go out, and the possibility of you sneaking out of the palace is very small. Yu'er, don't blame me. I don't want to leave you behind, but even if I take you to the palace gate, you will be stopped by the guards. Stay in the palace and wait for me to come back. Oh, by the way, do you have any words for me to pass on to your father?"

Zhang Yu was unhappy: "You are the best. You can go out of the palace and breathe the air of freedom. I can only stay in the palace walls. I can't even see the scenery outside. Sigh..."

Zhu Youtang opened his mouth wide, looking very surprised: "Yu'er, are you envious of even this? I rarely had the opportunity to leave the palace before. I was either attending sacrifices or welcoming my bride. I didn't even know what the scenery was like outside the planned routes."

Zhang Yu had a different opinion: "You didn't have the opportunity to go out before, but you can go out often in the future. I grew up outside the palace and am used to being free. Now I have to live in the palace for a long time... I'm depressed."

"Then... that can only wait until later. I'll find an opportunity to mention it to my father, and then maybe we'll have a chance to go out together..."

Zhu Youtang seemed very considerate of his wife.

Zhang Yu waved his hand and said, "Forget it, wait a few more months." "Wait a few more months? What do you mean?"

Zhu Youtang asked.

"Don't ask any more questions."

Zhang Yu put on a smile and said, "You are leaving the palace to see my father. I will write you a letter, not only for my father, but also for my second brother.

"If you have any questions after you leave the palace, go find Yanling... He has a lot of ideas. Isn't this about rebuilding the Wanhe Temple? My second brother used to have close contacts with Huizhou merchants. He has many connections and will definitely be able to help you."

“Huizhou merchants?”

Zhu Youtang didn't quite understand.

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "They are merchants from Huizhou, one of the largest business groups in the Ming Dynasty. Many of them are as wealthy as a country. You will know when you see them. They are really rich. Wasn't the telescope you used before made of Huangshan mica? If I am right, it should be made by Huizhou merchants."

Zhu Youtang nodded as if he understood, "I understand. Thinking about meeting your father and Yanling, whom you always mention, I... I am also very excited. I just don't know what to say to them."

It is obvious that Zhu Youtang is very afraid of meeting strangers.

Fortunately, he has his wife to support him. Zhang Luan and Zhang Yanling, as his wife's family members, are also his family.

Zhang Yu said, "Don't worry, they are easy to get along with, especially Yanling. That guy has endless tricks. You will understand once you have seen him. I will write the letter now."

……

……

Zhang Luan was sitting at home, and the mission came from the sky... Pang Qing came to him in person and told Zhang Luan that he would supervise the reconstruction of Wanhe Temple together with the prince.

"Mr. Zhang, there are only three days left including today. Why haven't you left yet?"

Pang Qing was very surprised to see Zhang Luan.

You, Zhang Luan, are really sitting on the Diaoyutai.

Zhang Luan said helplessly: "Even if I go out, I don't know who to meet. Don't I even have a guide? Even though Minister Li has mentioned it to me verbally, asking me to be responsible for this matter, there is no official document from the court. Who should I go to?"

Pang Qing smiled and said, "Maybe the Taoist himself has overlooked this. I heard that someone has already come out of the palace. It should be the eunuch Chen Gui from the Imperial Household Department who is working with the Crown Prince... If there is a need for personnel, it will be Eunuch Chen who will be responsible for the contact."

"Chen Gui..."

When Zhang Luan heard the name, he instantly felt that everything fell into place.

I know this person!
Although I have never met him, my son has and they should have some friendship.

Pang Qing said, "Don't just wait here, let's get out of the city and go to the Wanhe Temple construction site, okay?"

Zhang Luan asked curiously, "Is Butler Pang going too?"

"I will not get involved."

Pang Qing smiled and said, "The Taoist doesn't want people to know that this matter has anything to do with him, especially the place you and the prince are going to, the people of Li Mansion should still avoid it. But if you encounter any trouble, you can send someone to Li Mansion to inform us, and we will give you some advice."

"Just a suggestion?"

Zhang Luan suddenly became less confident again.

Pang Qing smiled and said, "It can only be a suggestion... You and the Crown Prince still need to do it in person. This is the order of His Majesty. To put it bluntly, this is also an assessment from a father to his son. You are the assistant who assists the Crown Prince in completing this assessment."

Zhang Luan seemed confused: "Is it such a big deal?"

Pang Qing said: "Don't you still have Young Master Ling to help you? Oh, by the way, where is the Second Young Master?"

"He...he hasn't come back yet."

Zhang Luan said with a bitter face, "He left last night. I've been waiting here until now, and I'm getting very anxious... Alas, it seems that I can't rely on others for the time being. I can only go to Wanhe Temple myself to take a look."

……

……

Zhang Luan was worried and took Pang Qing's carriage to go out of the city.

"Mr. Zhang, let me be clear. Once we get outside Wanhe Temple, I will go back. You need to take care of things on your own. You can wait for the prince there. It won't be long before the prince arrives to meet you."

Pang Qing acted as if it had nothing to do with him.

Zhang Luan asked curiously, "The prince is coming... without bringing anything?"

"What to bring?"

Pang Qing asked.

Zhang Luan hesitated: "Things like wood and stone...will the palace allocate them?"

Pang Qing shook his head: "Shouldn't you ask someone to prepare these? Or if you have any difficulties, you can talk to Eunuch Chen, maybe he has a way?"

"I……"

Zhang Luan was a little flustered at the moment.

He couldn't help but think in his heart, without the help of my precious son, I really can't take a single step in this capital.

But it's all that kid's fault. I only have a small head, but he insists on putting such a big hat on me. I have to rebuild the Wanhe Temple and assist the prince... Do I have that ability?
"arrive."

Pang Qing pointed to the pagoda located halfway up the mountain not far ahead: "It's over there."

"I know."

Zhang Luan nodded.

"Yes, you have been here and you know what the situation is inside in advance, so you should be more relaxed." Pang Qing comforted with a smile.

Zhang Luan sighed, "But the court only gave me three days to complete three months' work. How can I really relax? Do you think Minister Li made such an arrangement just to make fun of me?"

"You can't say that to me, Lord Dao. He is doing this for your own good. Look, doesn't this give even the Crown Prince a chance to show himself? In the past, this would have been something that we wouldn't even dare to think about."

Pang Qing helped Li Zisheng explain.

"It's just... doing something practical. You don't even dare to think about it?"

Zhang Luan asked in confusion.

Pang Qing said seriously: "In the past, the prince had no sense of existence in the palace, and no one took him seriously. This is the fundamental reason why Liang Fang and others dared to openly interfere with the inheritance of the royal family and clan.

"Now the Crown Prince has the opportunity to leave the palace to earn his reputation. This is enough to show how much His Majesty values ​​the Crown Prince now. Isn't this exactly what you want to see?"

"I……"

"You have done so many things, haven't you, just to help the prince consolidate his position? Hasn't this already helped?" Pang Qing was like an orator, constantly encouraging Zhang Luan to work hard.

Zhang Luan sighed and raised his hand, saying, "Okay, okay, okay, I understand. Forcing someone to do something is also a way of doing things. I accept it."

When Pang Qing heard this, he immediately felt extremely familiar with it.

I thought that this Mr. Zhang Banxian spoke so directly, which was quite my style.

He doesn't pretend in front of others and is quite an open-minded person.

……

……

This time, there was no crowd blocking the way as there was last time when the carriage came back to burn incense. The carriage stopped directly less than a hundred steps away from Wanhe Temple. However, a large number of carriages were seen transporting wood and stone materials.

The area around Wanhe Temple had been cleared by soldiers from the Beijing Camp, and the Jinyiwei helped to maintain order. The pilgrims were driven to a specially opened open space in the nearby Forest of Steles, where they burned incense and worshiped from afar. Everything seemed in order.

"Isn't this... already started?"

Pang Qing was also puzzled when he saw the scene.

You are so good at pretending, Zhang Laizhan!

You said you were not prepared at all, but when I came to see, the repair work was already proceeding in an orderly manner. Are you pretending to be so high and mighty in front of me?
Zhang Luan was also puzzled: "Was this arranged by Minister Li?"

"Not you?"

Pang Qing looked at Zhang Luan curiously.

When he found that Zhang Luan also had a confused look on his face, he realized that this Zhang Banxian was not pretending to be confused, but was really confused.

But he understood it after thinking about it. After all, the most powerful person in the Zhang family seemed to be Zhang Banxian’s second son.

Pang Qingxin said, my previous discovery was indeed correct, the second young master of the Zhang family is really a great man.

Zhang Luan said, "Then I have no choice but to go up and ask what's going on... Hey, isn't that Captain Tan Yun Tan?"

From a distance, Zhang Luan saw Qin Yun helping to maintain order.

"I will temporarily step aside. See you later!"

Pang Qing didn't want to be seen here by Qin Chang's nephews and nephews, so he said goodbye and left immediately.

Zhang Luan looked back with some reluctance, as if asking, you sent me here in a carriage, and then you took the carriage away, how can I go back to the city?
Send the Buddha to the west! Shouldn’t you also keep the means of transportation you use to send the Buddha?
"Master Zhang."

Qin Yun saw Zhang Luan and hurried over to him. He followed Zhang Luan's gaze and said with surprise, "Hey, isn't this Mr. Pang? I have long heard of your great name. I am Qin Yun, and I salute you."

Well, I avoided it in vain!

"Don't dare to take it, don't take it!"

Upon hearing this, Pang Qing turned around, smiled awkwardly, nodded in return, and then drove away in his carriage.

(End of this chapter)