Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 460: Use the New, Not the Old

Li House.

Pang Qing was telling Li Zisheng about the current serious situation in the court so that Li Zisheng could be mentally prepared to deal with crises at any time.

"...Recently, there are more than a hundred officials who have intended to impeach the Daoye and have colluded with him privately. These are only officials in the capital, not including local officials."

Pang Qing said, "If we add the local officials whose promotions you have prevented, and those who lost their jobs because of you, their students and old friends, and the officials in Nanjing, there are at least two or three hundred people impeaching. But now His Majesty does not allow any complications, so you are... still safe for the time being."

Hearing this, Li Zisheng said helplessly: "The storm is coming... I'm going to the Yintai Division now, and no one likes me. I still have the title of Shangshu, but apart from receiving the Shangshu salary, what practical significance does it have? It's better to come to Zhan to be a comfortable official..."

"You can't compare."

Pang Qing smiled bitterly.

"He is the father-in-law of the emperor. How can I not be able to compare with him?"

Li Zisheng's face was filled with misery. He sighed and said, "I am an old man, and he is a new man. As time goes by, the old man is replaced by the new. He can enjoy glory for at least ten or eight years, and it is even possible that he will enjoy glory until his death... Alas, why don't I have such good luck as him?"

Pang Qing nodded: "Based on the current situation, your majesty has no intention of taking a concubine, and the Zhang family will not fall out of favor in the short term... However, it is said that there are people in the court who want your majesty to enrich the harem and have more offspring... It is likely that this will be vigorously promoted in the future."

"Look, isn't this the opportunity?"

Li Zisheng seemed to have found his direction, and he pulled himself together and said, "If I can help Lai Zhan's daughter, the future queen, maintain her position as the only favorite in the harem, wouldn't that be a great achievement?"

Pang Qing teased, "Master Dao, it's already this late, why are you still so naive?"

"How can you talk like that? I have been an official for so many years and I am considered knowledgeable. Do I need you to teach me a lesson?" Li Zisheng shouted with a dark face.

"So, Taoist, do you want Your Majesty to take in many concubines or keep only the Queen?" Pang Qing asked.

Li Zisheng said without hesitation: "Isn't this nonsense? If Your Majesty insists on not taking a concubine, there will only be the little girl of the Zhang family in the harem. Will there be any chance for me to show my talent?"

"That does make some sense."

Pang Qing asked, "But if His Majesty really takes a concubine, who will he favor or dislike? Can you help? Or do you plan to present His Majesty with some secret technique of bedroom arts?"

"That's true."

Li Zisheng said with a bitter face, "It seems that there is really no chance."

Pang Qing continued, "Here we have to mention Elder Wan... It is said that he is concentrating on studying the art of sex, and plans to submit a memorial to Your Majesty on this matter on a chosen day."

"What?"

Li Zisheng was surprised.

"Fangzhongshu."

Pang Qing emphasized it again.

Li Zisheng was shocked and asked, "How come when something big happens, the most eccentric person in the court is the Prime Minister who should be the most calm? Does Wan'an not want to stay in the court anymore? He thought that when he was the late emperor, the current emperor would be very tolerant of him?"

Pang Qing smiled and said, "Your Highness's tolerance depends on who he is with. But... maybe this sex technique is really useful? Speaking of which, our Prime Minister seems to know nothing else except this."

"Humph."

Li Zisheng said, "Even if I want to quit the court one day, Wan'an will definitely go before me. During the court meetings these past two days, I was not summoned to the palace... It seems that my time is coming soon... Alas, if I really quit the court one day, it will be the time for a thorough reckoning, and I have to think of a way to protect myself."

……

……

Qingning Palace.

Queen Mother Zhou met her eldest nephew Zhang Luan again.

But this time she was creative. Knowing that her grandson was coming to pay his respects to her, she sent someone to the Qianqing Palace to inform him to come early and have dinner with her and her eldest nephew.

"Grandmother, father-in-law."

When Emperor Zhu Youtang arrived at Qingning Palace, he showed no dignity of a supreme ruler at all. He just bowed to the two people in front of him like an ordinary junior.

For Queen Mother Zhou, this etiquette was completely acceptable.

But Zhang Luan hurriedly returned the greeting and almost knelt down. However, in the end, under the strong request of the emperor's son-in-law, he simply bowed and saluted.

"Grandson, your father-in-law's coming to the palace this time was not his own idea."

Queen Mother Zhou smiled and said, "I asked him to come... I heard that he can write plays. There's nothing interesting in the palace recently, so I asked him to write a few scripts for you to see."

Zhu Youtang was surprised and said, "Grandmother, my father-in-law is busy with state affairs and has been entrusted with several imperial errands. How can we let him do private things?"

"Tsk tsk, as expected, it's because you, the son-in-law, take care of your father-in-law that I let him do something, and you feel bad for him?" Queen Mother Zhou said with a smile.

"No."

Zhu Youtang said, "My grandson also hopes that the Royal Grandmother will be in a good mood and live a long and blessed life."

Queen Mother Zhou sighed, "Yes, your father has been gone for some time. Thinking of him, he seems to be right in front of me. I am not ignorant of propriety. I asked your father-in-law to take some old scripts to rehearse a play... I heard that there is a troupe of opera singers in the palace. They were sent to the palace by Li Zisheng and others. If you have nothing to do, just call them over and let them sing for me."

"Yes."

Zhu Youtang wouldn't mind such a trivial matter.

Zhang Luan said, "I heard that these people have been placed outside the palace and will be sent back to their hometowns at any time."

"Really?"

Queen Mother Zhou was somewhat surprised and said with some regret, "That's a pity. We went to so much trouble to send them to the capital, but now they haven't even performed yet, and now they are being sent away again? But it is indeed too extravagant to spend money to support so many idle people. The expenses of the court are very high now, grandson, is that right?"

"This one……"

Although Zhu Youtang had been on the throne for a few days, he was still very ignorant about financial matters. It was too difficult for someone who had never spent money to deal with the various expenditure details and to manage the accounts.

So when it comes to financial matters, basically it depends on how the Ministry of Revenue reports and how Huai En approves it, and in the end Zhu Youtang will approve it because he really doesn't understand it.

Queen Mother Zhou asked curiously, "Laizhan, tell me, how much money does it cost to support these people in a year?"

"This one……"

Zhang Luan said in embarrassment, "I don't know exactly how many actors there are, nor do I know their specific circumstances. I have to go back and check carefully before I can give you an answer."

"Ah."

Queen Mother Zhou smiled and nodded, "Grandson, your father-in-law is actually a frugal man who knows his accounts very well and is a responsible person."

Zhu Youtang agreed: "Yes, my wife mentioned it to me before."

"Look, even your wise wife praises her father, which just proves that her father is capable of doing things." Queen Mother Zhou suggested, "If there is anything else in the court that involves the use of money, you should ask your father-in-law more often, it is always better than being deceived by others. There have been many things recently that you don't understand, so you are distressed, right?"

"Yes."

Zhu Youtang nodded distressedly, still thinking in his heart, how did you know that I was worried about financial expenses?

It’s not that I’m short of money, but because I really don’t understand.

Queen Mother Zhou smiled and said, "I will call Huai En and Qin Chang over anytime to ask about what happened in the court recently... Don't worry, I have no intention of interfering in the government. I just want to know if you are going well as the emperor, and to warn those eunuchs. They can easily become arrogant like Liang Fang, and even bully their masters."

"Grandmother, you are thoughtful."

Zhu Youtang certainly wouldn't mind.

He had a weak character to begin with, and he became emperor only because of his grandmother's support. When other people helped him to pressure people in the palace, they were also helping him.

"My grandson, I always feel that it is meaningless for this Minister of Rites to be here," said Queen Mother Zhou. "Please consider it and send him to a place where he can better display his talents and be more helpful to you."

Zhu Youtang immediately asked: "Could it be the Ministry of Revenue?"

Zhang Luan quickly said, "Your Highness, please forgive me for making fun of you. I really don't have the ability..."

Queen Mother Zhou said with a smile: "Back then, you handled the Wanhe Temple matter very well. I was wondering at that time, how come you, with such a great talent, didn't pass the imperial examination? But then again, do you have to be an imperial scholar to be an official? During the time of Taizu and Taizong, how many imperial scholars were there in the court? Many times, you really can't ask where a hero comes from!"

"Queen Mother, please don't laugh."

Zhang Luan was embarrassed.

You called me here just to recommend me to the young emperor and let him use me?

If you don’t know, you might think I’m lobbying you, but I really don’t mean that!

What Minister of Rites or Minister of Revenue? As long as I can be a Minister, I will be satisfied. What's more, the job of Minister of Rites is extremely easy. I have only been to the Ministry of Rites twice since I took this position. Both times, I had nothing to do and left leisurely after not staying for long.

If you ask me to change my job now... I really can't adapt!
Zhu Youtang said expectantly, "Father-in-law, I actually have the same idea... There are some things I really don't understand, and I urgently need you to give me some pointers."

"Your Majesty, please don't flatter me."

Zhang Luan continued to decline.

Queen Mother Zhou said with a smile, "My nephew, I am not speaking for you. My grandson really needs someone to assist him. Can't you go to the Ministry of Revenue? Even my son... that is, the late emperor, is optimistic that you can make a difference in the position of regent. You have to take charge of this matter!"

"This……"

Zhang Luan looked embarrassed.

"in addition."

Queen Mother Zhou said, "My grandson, you need to place more of your own people in the court. I know that you just promoted Xu Pu, the lecturer of the Eastern Palace, to the cabinet, but this is far from enough. You also need to arrange some new people to the Imperial Household Department..."

"Huai En is capable, but ever since he was exiled from the capital and came back, I feel that he has become a little distant and not as loyal and reliable as before..."

Zhang Luan thought, it’s not that Huai En is not loyal, but you have hurt him before, and if you use him again now, you will feel a barrier in your heart.

But in fact, Huai En is still working wholeheartedly for the Ming Dynasty as before.

Zhu Youtang also tried his best to explain for Huai En: "Huai Daban always thinks about me and is very capable. I have learned a lot from him!"

"Then why don't you promote the old people from the Eastern Palace to the Imperial Household Department?"

Queen Mother Zhou smiled and said, "I have to mention Tan Ji here. I know your husband inside and out. He has real skills, but he is also good at pretending to be confused. You should bring him to the Silijian and let him learn from Huai En for a few days. If there is anything in the future, let him handle it. This way, he will be more capable when used."

Zhu Youtang asked in surprise: "Is this okay?"

Empress Dowager Zhou frowned upon hearing this and asked, "What are you talking about? Even the Ming Dynasty is yours, not to mention the basic appointments and dismissals of personnel...you can use whoever you want! It's like you use your father-in-law, who dares to say anything? Let's not talk about anything else. The foundation of our Ming Dynasty is still very solid, and it doesn't matter if you mess around with it."

Zhang Luan started pondering again.

This seems to make sense. When it comes to causing trouble, is there anyone more troublesome than the late emperor?

He doted on Concubine Wan, allowing her to spread cholera in the harem and murder the prince. He also relied on treacherous ministers, flatterers and even charlatans, sold official positions and made the court a chaotic mess!

But isn’t our Ming Dynasty still doing well?

"Then... let my wife go to the Imperial Household Department."

Zhu Youtang's face was full of smiles and he looked very pleased, but for a moment he didn't know how to express it.

Zhang Luan saw that His Majesty had this intention a long time ago, but as he had just become the emperor, he did not dare to promote the former East Palace people across levels... Or it was because I had a unique advantage, the late emperor had paved the way for me in advance, so I was able to rise so quickly.

Otherwise, if we really have to wait until the new emperor feels at ease and comes to promote me, we don’t know how long that will take.

(End of this chapter)