Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 41: Death without surprising words

Later, Shen Lu wanted to discuss some confidential matters with Zhang Luan, and it was inappropriate for a younger generation to be standing around, so Zhang Yanling was ruthlessly driven out by his old father.

Zhang Yu, who had simple round spiral buns and was dressed in a short jacket with narrow sleeves, looked neat and capable. She came out of the kitchen wearing an apron, and looked towards the study with her bright eyes, as if she was very concerned about what was being discussed inside.

Zhang Yanling comforted her, "My uncle is not here to discuss your sister's marriage. You don't have to worry too much."

"Pooh."

Zhang Yu pouted her cherry lips, frowned and scolded, "Who said I care about this? You are young, but you have a lot of ideas. Your parents are partial to you. Your sister and Dalang are working hard, why are you idle and don't have to do anything?"

Zhang Yanling patted his chest and said with a smile, "Because I am young and have extraordinary abilities, I don't need to prove myself by doing physical work. Today I went to the Imperial College and accompanied my father to meet a classmate who is also studying in the Imperial College and is from an official family. Do you want me to help my sister talk to him and see if there are any young people of the right age in his family?"

"Bah... When will it be your turn to worry about my sister's affairs?"

Zhang Yu finished speaking angrily and was about to turn around and leave, but suddenly felt that this was not good for his brother, so he turned around and apologized, "Yanling, didn't you say before that you wanted me to participate in the selection of the Crown Princess? Why did you change your mind now?"

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, "No, no, my sister still has to go to the Crown Princess selection... Just treat me as nonsense. My uncle came to visit today, and the matter is likely related to the Crown Prince of the East Palace. I have to talk to Dad about it later."

Zhang Yu sighed, "Hey, what can I say about you? Don't take yourself too seriously. You are just a little kid. You can't make decisions about family affairs, and you have to worry about your father and sister, as if you are already an official...Do you need to make decisions about court affairs? By the way, mother made new clothes for you. I'll put them on the bedside. Go back to your room and try them on later."

"understood."

Zhang Yanling suddenly felt that his status in the family was different from before, and a smile filled his little face.

……

……

After seeing Shen Lu off, Zhang Luan, with some emotion, took Zhang Yanling back to the study.

"Dad, what did your uncle tell you?"

Zhang Yanling asked.

Zhang Luan said, "You once told me that Li Zisheng was a close minister to His Majesty and was extremely powerful. Now even he knows my name and said that he would summon me if he had the chance. I am so honored."

Zhang Yanling said, "Just knowing the name won't do us any real good. I just want to know what my uncle said to my father later. He looked like he wanted to ask for something."

Zhang Luan thought about it and waved his hand: "Let's not talk about it."

Zhang Yanling rolled his eyes at this remark.

Why don't you mention it?

There is a great military strategist right in front of you, offering you advice for free, and you don’t even use it?

Do you take yourself too seriously?

"Dad, since you don't want to talk about it, let me ask... Did your uncle tell you that Li Zi Province has something for you to do? For example, what does he want from you in terms of the astronomical phenomena?"

Zhang Yanling asked directly.

Zhang Luan asked in surprise: "Are you eavesdropping?"

Zhang Yanling said, "That's easy to guess. Li Zisheng won the emperor's appreciation with his magic. He is willing to lower himself to show that he has this need, and it's very strong." "Yes."

Zhang Luan nodded, "That makes sense...Son, your uncle did ask me for confirmation to see if I know anything about astrology, divination, and feng shui, and how to predict the fortune of a country.

"But... how can I know this? I told him that even the matter of curing diseases and preventing epidemics was something I only happened to read in ancient books and applied in practice. It can't be considered a family tradition. Besides that, I can only write a few articles by sages, and I know nothing about Feng Shui."

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said with some regret: "Dad shouldn't have said that."

Zhang Luan asked in surprise: "What do you mean by this? Do you want me to brag and pretend to know something I don't?

"Yanling, you are young and don't know how dangerous the officialdom is... Li Zisheng relied on his magic to gain the emperor's appreciation. If your father rashly said that he understood it, it would be equivalent to automatically becoming his potential political opponent. Your father is just a student now, why should he fight him?"

Zhang Yanling asked, "Dad, do you think too highly of yourself? What qualifications do you have to be a competitor to Li Zisheng?"

Zhang Luan was furious: "You bastard, are you making fun of me?"

Zhang Yanling said, "I am only speaking of the facts... Li Zisheng is a high-ranking official in the court with a strong background. Would he take a newly arrived student like my father seriously? But my father has shown unparalleled skills in preventing and treating smallpox, so he would want to get something from my father in order to compete with his rival.

"Father, at best, is one of Li Zisheng's trump cards. He is nothing at all. You should know that his political enemies are everywhere in the government and the country. Father, do you think too highly of yourself?"

"What on earth do you want to say?"

Zhang Luan was in a fog.

Zhang Yanling said: "You must not only say that you understand it, but also that you have done in-depth research on the theories of Qimen Bagua, Fengshui and astrology, and that you can predict good and bad fortune from the changes in the astrology, so that he can ask you for something."

Zhang Luan's face showed a bitter look. "What nonsense are you talking about? I have no experience in this. You want me to brag in front of Li Zisheng and let him expose me, embarrass me, or even suppress me? What's the benefit of doing this?

"This is not just my father's business. It also involves your uncle, the Zhang family, and everything my father has worked so hard to obtain. You...you...you make me so angry!"

Zhang Yanling asked, "If father knew that a disaster was about to happen, would he tell Li Zisheng?"

"I know but I won't mention it."

Zhang Luan glared at his youngest son and said, "I will focus on treating patients and studying, and in the future, after successfully graduating from the Imperial College, I will seek to be an official. It is unbecoming of a scholar to bring up these things!"

Zhang Yanling said, "Father, do you know why His Majesty is so concerned about disasters and anomalies, and even repeatedly asks Li Zisheng about it, forcing him to seek help from talented people among the people?"

Zhang Luan put on a sour face and said, "I don't know, and I don't want to know."

Zhang Yanling said solemnly, "Because His Majesty wants to replace the crown prince, but is afraid of natural disasters and other anomalies that would embarrass him, he has sought advice from Taoist priests many times to learn about the future fortunes and disasters from them. If father could report the disasters in advance, it would not help Li Zisheng, but the current crown prince."

"You...what did you say?"

Zhang Luan looked surprised.

Obviously, with his mindset, he couldn't think of the reasons behind this matter.

Zhang Yanling said, "You must think I am talking nonsense, so I won't say anything. If father understands, we can discuss it in detail later... Father should think carefully about whether to help the prince and let him appreciate your kindness... I will leave first."

After saying this, Zhang Yanling ignored his old father's dumbfounded expression, as if he had seen a ghost, and turned and walked away.

(End of this chapter)