Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 474 Fox Den

Li Zisheng personally went to Zhang Luan's house to visit him.

As expected, Menzi flatly rejected the offer.

Not only did those who didn't see Zhang Luan know, they were also told not to come again in the near future.

"My master said that he will come to visit us in person when he recovers from his illness." Chang Shun was responsible for greeting Li Zisheng, and no one from the Zhang family showed up.

Li Zisheng yelled, "I came to visit the patient... When I come back to see him, he will be well. What's the point of coming again? Wait... Isn't he injured? How can he be sick?"

He was so annoyed.

Look, even the Zhang family’s doorman has started to treat me in a perfunctory manner.

Am I considered a tiger in troubled waters being bullied by a dog?

Pang Qing interrupted, "Hey, if it's appropriate, please let the Second Young Master know. It's the same when you meet him."

It was obvious that Pang Qing knew the internal situation of the Zhang family.

It seems that it is Zhang Luan who handles the affairs outside, but Zhang Yanling is the one who really has the final say at home. At least in terms of decision-making, Zhang Luan basically doesn't care and leaves it all to his youngest son.

Chang Shun said, "I'm sorry, there is something important going on at home today, so the Second Young Master can't come out to meet guests... Please go back, both of you. I apologize!"

"I……"

Li Zisheng was very angry.

But he didn't want to have a fit in front of others.

The Zhang Mansion is now the focus of the court. If people knew that he was making a scene here, wouldn't everyone know that he and Zhang Luan had a falling out?
If even Zhang Luan doesn't help him, he will immediately face the tragic situation of being pushed down by everyone.

……

……

Chang Shun watched Li Zisheng and his party leave.

He then went in and found Zhang Yanling and told him the details. His observations were very meticulous and he even told him some of Li Zisheng's subtle reactions truthfully.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Well done. What you said is very helpful to me... Well, your mission is successfully completed. Go back to the gatehouse and do your job first."

"Young man, go right here."

Chang Shun bowed and took his leave.

At this time, Zhang Luan's voice came from the door: "Why is there so much noise outside? What's going on?"

Zhang Yanling stepped over the threshold and replied casually, "Oh, nothing serious... Li Zisheng and Butler Pang came to visit the patient, and I asked someone to block them outside the door and told him not to come again in the next few days."

"What? Ouch!"

When Zhang Luan heard this, he became anxious and his leg injury was immediately on his mind.

At this time, Zhang Yanling had someone hang his legs on the edge of the bed with a rope. In addition to adding protective plates on the outside, some other measures were also taken to prevent him from moving.

Zhang Yanling scolded: "You just got injured, and you can't sit still?"

Zhang Luan was in so much pain that cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He still kept scolding: "You don't let Li Zisheng come to see me, but you want me to completely break off relations with him? My son, we can't be ungrateful..."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Zhang Yanling looked at his cheap father and asked rapidly, "Do you mean that he helped my sister to be selected as the Crown Princess? Or the gifts he gave you before? And the house he gave to our family? Aren't these just exchanges of interests? How can it be considered a favor?"

"I……"

Zhang Luan thought about it carefully and agreed.

I always felt that I owed Li Zisheng something, but after hearing what my son said, I suddenly felt that Li Zisheng and I were evenly matched.

"Even if there is no favor, we should still have some friendship as human beings, right? No matter what Li Zisheng is like, he is really good to my father. Besides, he came to visit me, how can you turn him away?"

Zhang Luan's tone was no longer as anxious as before.

Zhang Yanling said, "Dad, let me ask you, has Li Zisheng been to court these past two days?"

"No."

Zhang Luan shook his head and said, "He is claiming to be sick at home. It is said that he is trying to avoid suspicion."

"Since he claimed to be ill and couldn't go out, why did he rush over to visit you when he heard that you were injured?"

Zhang Yanling continued to ask.

"This……"

Zhang Luan was speechless for a moment.

Zhang Yanling sneered and said firmly: "Others came to comfort you, but he came to test you and wanted to know whether you were really injured or faking it."

"Fake injury? Is that necessary?"

Zhang Luan said unhappily, "I fell in front of so many people. How could I have faked it?"

"It's useless. In the eyes of others, you have no reason to fake an injury. Although you have just started in the court, you have reached the peak in one step. It is the time of unlimited glory. How can you bear to leave the court temporarily? But Li Zisheng is different... If there is any movement on your side, he will wonder if you are targeting him."

Zhang Yanling patiently persuaded Zhang Luan and finally calmed him down.

After thinking carefully, Zhang Luan frowned and said, "Father, I understand. You are quite sinister... Li Zisheng was afraid that I was faking an injury and refused to help him, so you really didn't let him come to see him, making him think that his speculation was correct... Are you targeting him on purpose?" Zhang Yanling smiled and praised, "After all I have said, Dad, you finally got it."

"Shit!"

Zhang Luan cursed, "Since I have been guarding a little fox like you all day, I have already gotten into trouble..."

Zhang Yanling frowned and said, "Dad, your analogy is not appropriate. Is our house a fox den?"

Zhang Luan said, "Son, what's your intention in letting Li Zisheng think that I'm targeting him? Why are you so evil that you're even taking advantage of my injury?"

Zhang Yanling said seriously, "Dad, tell me, what is your mentality towards Li Zisheng now? I mean, do you regard him as a friend, or an ally? Or a partner who can advance and retreat together, or an old enemy who can use each other?"

"I...I consider him a friend."

Zhang Luan said sincerely, "Isn't that how we should behave? If you want to make friends, you should be open and honest... Li Zisheng treated me well, so I reciprocated. Is it wrong to treat him as a friend? Let's not talk about the affairs of the court. Just based on our personal relationship, is it wrong for me to make such a choice?"

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, "Dad, you are too trusting... Li Zisheng considers you a friend because you have something he needs. At first, it was your ability to see through the secrets of heaven, and later it was your identity as the father-in-law of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. Now, he needs you to be his backer and ensure that he lands safely."

Zhang Luan said: "Oh, you mean, he has been using me... But it's hard to say that, is there no friendship in this world?"

Zhang Yanling looked very serious. "Whether you want to make friends with Li Zisheng or not is not my business, but I want to tell you now. In the past, you flattered him and relied on his connections to get promoted or obtain some political resources. It was considered mutual benefit. But now... the situation is completely different. He can only beg you, fear you, and follow your steps at all costs and do things according to your instructions... This is his way of life."

"What?"

Zhang Luan was even more surprised.

Zhang Yanling said: "In the past, one of you had a high status and the other had strong abilities, so you could complement each other and take what you needed."

"Hey, you said that I'm capable? Son, you think too highly of me, don't you? Tell me the truth, am I really as capable as Li Zisheng?"

Zhang Luan looked like he was saying, "I'm just a fool, don't lie to me."

Zhang Yanling asked, "Can Li Zisheng predict earthquakes? Does Li Zisheng dare to personally fight Liang Fang? Can he gain the trust of the late emperor by curing his illness? Aren't these the abilities that father has demonstrated before?"

"what!?"

Zhang Luan was stunned for a moment, then he seemed to understand something and nodded, "Hearing what you said, it is true..."

Zhang Yanling continued, "Before, he used you to get to the top, and you relied on his power to gain a foothold in the court, but now it is no longer necessary. Now, not only are you more capable than him, but your status is also higher than his. You no longer need any of his resources..."

Zhang Luan waved his hands quickly: "No, I have little experience in the court, especially in certain matters..."

Zhang Yanling said, "Dad, don't mention those things... If you want to get the resources and channels in his hands, then you have to make him feel that he has nothing worth your attention. Naturally, he will try his best to curry favor with you and hand over all his resources to you. In this way, you can get everything you want."

"Ah... is this okay?"

Zhang Luan continued to be surprised.

Zhang Yanling sighed, "Before, Li Zisheng found that you were not motivated to make progress, so he dared to give you a cold shoulder and deliberately ignore you, which shows that he still wants to get along with you in the same way as before.

"But the reality is obvious. He didn't understand the situation at all. This time you were injured, so I deliberately left him alone to make him feel the crisis.

"Once this person feels that a disaster is imminent, he will try every possible means to seek help, and you are the life-saving straw that he must grasp.

"And you don't have to give up on him. You can still help him if necessary, but you have to make him adjust his mindset and let him know that he has to listen to you in everything from now on. Make him willing to follow your instructions.

"Only in this way can he be qualified to gain a foothold in the new dynasty!"

……

……

"Look, what did I say? Lai Zhan is indeed faking an injury..."

Li Zisheng returned home and sat there with a deathly pale face. The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, as if his soul had been sucked out of him.

Pang Qing frowned and asked, "Could it be due to some other reason? After all, Zhang Laizhan was injured on the way to court, and many people saw it with their own eyes. If he really faked the injury, there would be no reason for him to make the matter so perfunctory, right?"

"Humph!"

Li Zisheng said coldly, "Don't you know that Zhang Laizhan is good at predicting the future? Maybe he knew that he would be injured when he went to court, so he deliberately didn't avoid it?

"It is said that the secret of heaven cannot be revealed, and it is also best not to violate what is destined... If he gets hurt a little, he will have an excuse to avoid me and wait for my downfall from the other side..."

Pang Qing advised, "Master Dao, please stop talking... I know you think Zhang Laizhan is very capable, but there is no need to treat him as a god, right?"

Li Zisheng threw the cup in his hand to the ground and shouted angrily: "Then tell me, what should we do now? The whole court is filled with voices impeaching me. Everyone wants me to be killed. It's almost deafening... Can't you hear it?"

Pang Qing smiled bitterly and said, "Then what do you want? How about taking the initiative to resign and return home?"

"Can I leave now?"

Li Zisheng described the situation bleakly, "How many people have been displaced because of me? How many people have lost their families because of me? If I lose power, I don't know how many people will want to kill me. Maybe as soon as I leave the capital, someone will go to the emperor to file a complaint. The emperor will be unable to resist the clamor of his ministers, and I'm afraid he will soon send people to capture me, as easy as crushing an ant!"

"And you said..."

Pang Qing was speechless.

What I said doesn't work, can you please tell me something that does work?

Li Zisheng stood up and said, "I always feel that Zhang Laizhan is not resolute enough. He is a man who values ​​friendship and loyalty. How could he just watch me die without doing anything? It's just that he can't do anything now! But he and his son, as well as you and me, plus so many people who want to survive by my help, can't they come up with a solution if they unite?

"The most important thing right now is to make Lai Zhan reaffirm his determination and courage to help me. I have to let him lend me a hand no matter what!"

(End of this chapter)