Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 494: What is enlightenment for?
After Huai'en met Wan'an, he immediately went back to report to Zhu Youtang.

It was lunchtime, a little later than usual. Zhu Youtang took some time out of his busy schedule to run to Kunning Palace to have lunch with Zhang Yu.

It seemed that sitting down and eating meals together had become a leisure and entertainment activity for the emperor, and he never got tired of it.

When Huai'en arrived, Wei Tai was waiting in the outer hall, ready to be summoned by the emperor at any time.

As the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, Wei Tai was now no different from a eunuch running errands.

"Eunuch Huai, is there something wrong?"

When Wei Tai saw Huai En, he hurried forward and asked.

Huai En bowed respectfully: "I am here to report to your majesty."

"Oh, come in, please!"

Wei Tai looked at Huai En with complicated eyes, then made way for him.

When Huai En appeared in front of the inner hall, Zhu Youtang saw him immediately and waved with a smile: "Would you like to sit down and have something to eat together?"

Speaks very simply.

Huai En thought, even Wei Tai had to serve in the outer hall, waiting to be summoned by the emperor and empress at any time, how could I look like sitting down to eat?
Do I really have to be the one to stir up trouble and destroy the loving and harmonious atmosphere between the young couple?
I'm not that stupid!
"I am grateful for your kindness, but I dare not disregard your status and eat with you."

Huai En said respectfully, "I have already met Lord Wan before."

"Oh? What did he say?"

Zhu Youtang asked expectantly.

Huai En then recounted the scene at that time: "… On behalf of His Majesty, I questioned him in person, asking him what he wanted to do, whether he still cared about the propriety, righteousness, and integrity of scholars, whether he still had the loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness of a minister, and whether he was grateful for the emperor's grace. He burst into tears and was at a loss for words."

Zhu Youtang frowned slightly and shook his head, saying, "Just say whatever you want to say, and criticize it directly. Why go around in such a big circle?"

What I mean is, I want actual results, don't give me these empty things.

Huai En then said, "I'll ask Wan An to put down his work immediately, go back to the mansion and reflect on what he has done, and give an explanation to Your Majesty."

"Ah? Is this the end?"

Zhu Youtang frowned even more tightly.

It seems that the current situation does not meet his expectations.

Huai En said quickly, "I have already returned the memorial submitted by Wan An to him and severely reprimanded him for his behavior, which is not what a minister should do... I guess he will resign immediately after he returns. Then we can give him a way out and let him return home on his own."

"Oh."

Zhu Youtang thought about it and nodded, "That's good too. I hope he can know when to advance and retreat, and not make the situation too awkward."

Zhang Yu, who was standing next to him, was confused and asked curiously, "You guys are making it sound so complicated... What's going on?"

Zhu Youtang smiled and said, "It's about Wan'an... the chief minister of the court, Wan'an. It's also related to your father. I'll tell you in detail later."

"Huh, why are you still so mysterious?"

Zhang Yu was surprised and asked, "How could this matter be related to my father? Wait until tonight, you must tell me in detail, I want to understand the cause and effect of the matter..."

"Okay!"

Zhu Youtang scratched Zhang Yu's nose lovingly and said with a smile, "It's up to you. You can do whatever you want. Anyway, my father-in-law helped me a lot this time. I will definitely reward him well when the time comes!"

Huai En was about to leave, but when he heard this, he pricked up his ears and listened carefully.

He was thinking, and I didn’t understand it either, what does this have to do with Zhang Guozhang?
However, it seems that Your Majesty really relies on Zhang Guozhang. Even though Zhang Guozhang is recuperating at home, he has managed to stay at home and has exerted a huge influence on Your Majesty.

And it seems that the Empress is also unaware of this, which means... Zhang Laizhan is not relying on his daughter to pass messages to the Emperor, nor is he influencing the Emperor's actions through his daughter...

So it seems that Zhang Luan is really capable!

However, the emperor and his ministers have not met in the past few days. How did he manage to have complete control over Wan'an's affairs?
Could it be that Wan'an's stupid behavior, which was like he had lost his mind, was also related to Zhang Luan?

Is it even possible that Zhang Luan was instigating behind the scenes?
If this is true, then this Zhang Guozhang is really awesome. He can force the Prime Minister and the Grand Secretary to retire and even lose his reputation just by doing a little trick while lying at home? It's really scary when you think about it!

……

……

Wanan is back home.

Has he realized it?
of course not!

He also felt that there was a deviation in the writing or wording of the memorial he had submitted. After returning, he carefully studied the memorial that Huai En had thrown back several times. After finding that there was no problem, he was still wondering: "Could it be that your Majesty is too thin-skinned to read this?"

"That's right. How can I present this in front of those old eunuchs? If I want to present it, I have to present it privately when the emperor is in the audience. Then, His Majesty can take it back and study it himself, so as not to lose face in front of others... Alas, look at my pig brain, I have never considered this.

"That Zhang Laizhan was the same. He didn't warn me beforehand, and I almost made a big mistake."

At this time, Wan'an still felt that his mistakes were due to minor details.

He even wanted to push the blame onto Zhang Luan.

So after returning home, he studied it carefully and wrote a new memorial based on the bedroom art he had presented...

After Wan An finished writing, he read it carefully and made sure there were no problems, but he still went over it again word by word.

Worked until night.

Just as he was stretching himself and wanted the kitchen to prepare food, the doorman came to report that the Imperial Household Department had sent someone to see him.

"The Imperial Household Department? Is it Eunuch Huai?"

"No, sir, it's a eunuch named Xiao who has been waiting in the outer hall for quite some time."

"This... a distinguished guest has come to visit us, how can we neglect him?"

Wan'an hurried out to greet him, only to see Xiao Jing, who had been promoted to the position of assistant minister of the Imperial Household Department, standing there, waiting respectfully.

Wan An stepped forward with a smile and greeted him warmly: "Eunuch Xiao? I have heard of you for a long time."

Xiao Jing quickly returned the greeting: "Lord Wan, Eunuch Huai asked me to ask you, have you figured out what he meant? Are you ready to present the memorial tomorrow?"

"It's done. It's done."

Wan'an was still wondering.

I presented it privately today, but His Majesty seemed not very satisfied with it.

Do you want me to bring this memorial to the court and make it public tomorrow?

Xiao Jing said: "In order to prevent any deviation, you should take out the memorial as soon as possible and let me take a look at it, so that I can provide you with some superficial opinions."

"This...isn't that necessary?"

Wan An was more and more surprised, and looked at Xiao Jing with confusion in his eyes.

"The inner hall has already made arrangements for your trip back home. Please rest assured. The journey from the capital to Sichuan is full of mountains and rivers, and the journey will be bumpy. We will prepare the best carriage for you, and arrange for factory guards to escort you along the way, and not let any scoundrels get close to you..."

Xiao Jing thought Wan An knew everything, so he spoke very directly.

You are going to retire and return home soon, so let us, the Imperial Household Department, arrange your return trip, and it must be grand.

To show that the emperor is a sentimental person.

Wan An's eyes widened when he heard this, and he asked in astonishment, "Eunuch Xiao...Eunuch Xiao, what are you talking about? Why...I don't understand it very well?"

Xiao Jing knew what had happened as soon as he heard it.

I thought to myself, it's a good thing that Eunuch Huai allowed me to leave the palace and explain the whole story to Wan'an.

It seems that Eunuch Huai really knows how to judge people!
This old man really has no awareness at all.

(End of this chapter)