Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 522: Not Blind

The meeting ended.

Zhang Luan walked out with a cane.

In previous court meetings, he basically had nothing to do. He just came to go through the motions to show that he was still alive and well, and to tell the court officials that my position as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was stable.

"Laizhan, wait for me."

Before they reached Fengtian Gate, Li Zisheng had already caught up with them and stretched out his hand to support Zhang Luan.

In the past, in order to avoid suspicion, he ignored Zhang Luan in public. Now he wishes everyone in the world knew that he and Zhang Luan were so close that they were almost wearing the same pants.

Zhang Luan sighed, "I'm injured now. I can't walk fast even if I want to."

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "I'll walk with you...it's better to walk slowly so you don't hurt your waist."

As they were talking, Qin Ji suddenly appeared outside the Fengtian Gate and looked at Zhang Luan with a smile.

Seeing this, Li Zisheng immediately distanced himself from Zhang Luan and said with a smile, "Perhaps the Queen is worried about you and wants to summon you to see her..."

"hehe."

Zhang Luan shook his head and smiled bitterly.

When Qin Ji came closer and spoke, it really confirmed what Li Zisheng said: "…The Queen Mother asked you to go to Kunning Palace, and someone has arranged a sedan chair to carry you there."

Zhang Luan frowned slightly and refused, "I'm fine here, why do I need someone to carry me? Besides, it's not right to be carried in the inner courtyard of the imperial palace. Do you still have any respect for me?"

Tan Ji said quickly: "It's okay, it's okay, His Majesty has already been informed..."

"No, I'll go over there!"

After Zhang Luan finished speaking, he turned to Li Zisheng and said, "Then Minister Li, I can only say sorry first. We can talk in detail if there is anything else."

"it is good."

Li Zisheng smiled and bowed, "I'll prepare some wine later, and I'll invite you to come over for a chat."

When they said this, the two did not shy away from the court officials around them, which made those ministers who usually considered themselves to be honest and upright very angry.

It seems like you two are here for a social gathering?

The rule of the Ming Dynasty court is that ministers cannot form cliques for personal gain, but looking at the two of you... are you planning to team up and control the government?
How can we, a group of civil servants who all graduated from Jinshi degree, watch you two unconventional guys engaging in clique politics here?

Just wait and see!
Go back and find someone to impeach him!
That’s right, we are looking for someone to impeach. We ourselves must avoid direct conflict with you to avoid getting hurt!

……

……

Kunning Palace.

Zhang Luan, who had been staggering all the way, saw his daughter again and discovered that Zhang Yu was wearing a phoenix crown and a bridal robe, which was extremely expensive. After expressing his feelings, he sat down and kept hitting his injured leg with his hands.

Zhang Yu asked someone to prepare some refreshments. He turned around and looked at his old father's funny look. He couldn't help but frown and asked, "What's wrong? Are you hurt from walking? I arranged a sedan chair to pick you up. Why don't you take it?"

"Empress Lao, you are worried."

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "It's okay to walk a little. I can still hold on! My son said that I should massage more often to dredge the blood vessels, so that I won't suffer from unbearable pain when it's cloudy or rainy in the future."

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes at him and asked, "Father, at home, you listen to Yanling in everything, right?"

Zhang Luan asked in surprise, "Ah... When I mentioned my son, how did the Queen know that I was referring to your second brother Yanling?"

Zhang Yu was so angry that he almost vomited blood. He said unhappily, "If the boss said that, would you take it to heart? And do it?"

"This one……"

Zhang Luan suddenly felt that the person in front of him was not a stranger and seemed to be quite familiar with his family's situation, so there was no need for him to hide anything.

Zhang Yu asked, "Is everything going well at home recently?"

"well enough?"

Zhang Luan suddenly became unsure and replied hesitantly, "Anyway, the eldest and the second son are usually not seen. They are all busy with their own things. I don't know what they are busy with... My father is recuperating at home, and I often don't see them all day long."

Zhang Yu's tone became cold, and he said dissatisfiedly: "Father, I didn't ask that. They are all children. It's normal for them to go out and play. I'm asking if you, mother, and aunt are all okay?"

Zhang Luan said, "What could possibly happen? Now that we have His Majesty's care, who dares to mess with our Zhang family? There is no need to ask these polite words in the future... Queen, you called me here, I wonder why?"

"I can't ask you to come if there's nothing wrong?"

Zhang Yu was very angry and stamped her feet, "I always feel that you are taking my kindness for granted... Knowing that you, my father, will enter the palace today, I am afraid that something might happen to you, so I even specially arranged for someone to go to Fengtian Palace to help watch over you, so that they can help you if you get into trouble..."

"Oh, I see... Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. I am fine. It was just a fall. My father is in good health and will recover soon."

Zhang Luan seemed indifferent.

Zhang Yu frowned and continued, "Then my daughter would like to ask father again, are all the relatives at home and everything else okay?"

"Family members?"

Zhang Luan shook his head. "Didn't you see that my leg was broken? I can't take care of myself, so how can I have the time to ask about the conditions of my relatives back home? What exactly does the Queen want to ask?"

"You've revealed your true colors in just three sentences? Father, I used to be embarrassed to say anything to you. Sometimes you're too stubborn and impatient. You interrupt others after just a few words and refuse to continue. This makes the family very embarrassed, don't you know?"

Zhang Yu said this in a teaching tone.

Zhang Luan was a little embarrassed. He thought, I call you Queen to show my respect, and you are taking advantage of me?
Zhang Yu said, "I have become the queen, and you have become the father-in-law of the emperor. We should bring some favors to our relatives, but I haven't figured out how to propose this to Your Majesty."

"Oh, Queen, why are you in such a hurry about this?"

Zhang Luan knew that his daughter wanted to fight for the interests of the Zhang family, so he quickly persuaded her, "We haven't even established ourselves yet... Now that your father is in the court, he is still often looked down upon. If you fight for something for your family at this time, others will think you don't know the rules."

Zhang Yu asked coldly, "Who would think so?"

Zhang Luan said: "Any civil official would think this way. Do you think you can govern His Majesty well..."

At this point, Zhang Luan looked around and saw that the palace maids and eunuchs were hiding far away. Then he leaned forward and lowered his voice, "If you are obedient, you can rest easy? Don't you know that you still have to maintain a good relationship with the Grand Empress Dowager? And the Empress Dowager, the Concubine Dowager and so on? In the future, His Majesty may have concubines competing with you for favor. Do you think that once you become the Queen, your position will be stable?"

Zhang Yu was immediately displeased and asked, "Why did you mention the concubines again for no reason? Father, you don't wish me well, do you?"

"That's not what I meant... Of course I hope you can keep your favor, but the problem is, your husband is the emperor... Since ancient times, even the most infatuated emperors, who love the country more than the beauty, have never been seen to be faithful to one woman." Zhang Luan mocked, "What's the matter, daughter, do you really believe Yanling's nonsense and think that His Majesty can only stay with you for the rest of his life?"

Zhang Yu's cheeks puffed up, and he glared at Zhang Luan angrily, saying dissatisfiedly: "It's really like a dog can't spit out ivory... You might as well let Yanling come, at least he can say something pleasing to the ear."

Zhang Luan was not offended at all, and said in a serious tone: "Good medicine tastes bitter but is good for the disease. My son... The Zhang family is rich because of you. If you are well, then the family will be well. Do you think your father can harm you? Sometimes you are too deeply poisoned by Yanling and think that everything he says is right. Do you really think he is the reincarnation of a half-immortal?"

Zhang Yu said unhappily, "Father, you mean that the changes in our family now have nothing to do with Yanling, right? Were all the things you did caused by him?"

"This one……"

Zhang Luan was speechless for a moment.

Zhang Yu continued, "Father, I see that you have been so proud of your success recently... You are always talking about your sons, and now it's my turn, and you are telling me to stay away from my second brother? Can we be fair?"

"Ah, this..."

Zhang Luan looked embarrassed: "I didn't say your second brother is bad, I just want to tell you that you can't listen to him completely. At least when it comes to your husband not taking a concubine, I think it's not realistic."

"Humph, I think what my second brother said is very right. At least my husband is a man who values ​​friendship and loyalty. He is not like you, father, who only cares about your own interests and completely ignores your daughter."

Zhang Yu said in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, is my father that kind of person? Everything my father did was for you... ahem..."

Zhang Luan coughed to cover up his embarrassment, "Look at my old waist and legs, I ran here to be scolded by my daughter... Then why did I come here as a father? I might as well die."

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes and said angrily, "Father, you are a man of integrity and an important official of the Ming Dynasty. Don't act like a shrew in front of me."

"cut."

Zhang Luan turned his head away.

Zhang Yu glared at Zhang Luan again, stood up and walked to the side, picked up a wooden box and handed it to him: "You'd better remember what I said. This is a gift from me to my mother and aunt. I seldom see them, so I want to comfort them from missing them."

Zhang Luan opened it and saw that it was full of gold and silver jewelry. He immediately pushed the things out and shook his head, saying, "No."

Zhang Yu said dissatisfiedly: "It's not given to you, you are not willing to do it for a simple task... Humph, you collect the salary yourself, while mother and aunt don't have much income at home, and you still want to control the filial piety of your daughter to them?"

"Well, the queen is filial, which is good, because it shows that our Zhang family has a good tradition." Zhang Luan said, "But your father has no shame? Is the family in need of your little things? Your Majesty is a man of benevolence and filial piety, and pays attention to frugality, but you always want to stuff things into the family. What's the logic? Do you still want to consolidate your favor?"

Zhang Yu said angrily, "Are you teaching me a lesson?"

Zhang Luan pouted: "Don't come on, you can yell at those people in the palace, but you can't do anything to me. I'm your father! You have to listen to what I say... What, you want to disown me just because you're the queen? You have to abide by the rules of China since ancient times, otherwise you're unfilial, do you understand?"

Zhang Yu glared at his father in shame and anger, as if he wanted to eat Zhang Luan alive.

Zhang Luan continued, "My family has sent a lot of money to the palace before, so we don't need your little bit... After all, it's best for you to focus on your husband and think about him in every way. It will definitely not be wrong for him to deeply feel your kindness... You don't need to worry about your family."

"Then...is the family's income sufficient now?"

Zhang Yu knew that Zhang Luan was truly doing this for his own good, so his expression softened and he asked.

"enough?"

Zhang Luan asked, "How much is enough?"

"That's not enough?"

Zhang Yu frowned.

"I've never seen our family lack money. Your second brother... God knows where he gets the money from. He always brings back dozens or even hundreds of taels. The last time he gave your mother... he gave her a box of silver. Damn... I got angry when I saw it. Why didn't he give me that much silver?"

Zhang Luan complained, "At least one or two thousand taels."

When Zhang Yu heard this, a smile spread across his face and he said, "Then I feel relieved."

Zhang Luan glanced at his daughter and asked, "What are you worried about? Are you worried because your brother can make money?"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "I think Yanling is much more reliable than you. At least he knows how to take care of his family and thinks about his mother in everything, but you only care about yourself!
"You rarely asked about family matters before. It was always mother who took care of everything."

"I... are you... ahem, Queen, please be careful with your words, am I that kind of person?"

Zhang Luan was a little annoyed and glared at his daughter.

Zhang Yu did not give in at all. After all, she was now the queen mother of the Ming Dynasty. There was really no need for her to be afraid of this pretentious father. She teased:

"I'm being polite... In the past, you took care of family affairs in the name of taking the imperial examination. Fortunately, Yanling came to his senses and finally supported our family. He also pointed out a clear path for me, and you... Humph! If it weren't for Yanling, you might still be wandering around Xingji City and going to your second uncle's house to borrow money when you have nothing to do?"

Zhang Luan no longer cared about his dignity. His old face turned red and he shouted, "Why did you call me here? Did you make me angry?"

Zhang Yu acted like a winner and said proudly, "I just asked you to come over here to see what you are like. Humph! I've heard mother say before, why did the ancestors only bless our family but not ours? Just look at your unruly appearance, the ancestors are not blind."

(End of this chapter)