Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 525: Enormous Merit

No matter what, Zhang Luan took this matter to heart.

No matter what, I'll go back and discuss it with my son first...

Zhang Luan suddenly found that his life was very comfortable.

If you are not suitable for thinking-intensive tasks, then let your son do it. This way, you can sit back and relax, and just wait to reap the fruits of victory.

Li Zisheng made clear arrangements for him that night.

Early the next morning, the two got up and hurried back to the city. They had originally planned to attend the court meeting together, but after entering the city, they went back to their respective homes.

For nothing else.

One was pretending to be sick, and the other was really injured.

The two of them had good reasons not to go to court.

The worst that could happen was that he would continue to work hard for three days and rest for two days. Zhang Luan also hurried to his own villa to catch up on his sleep. Before going to bed, he did not forget to send someone to notify his son to come over to see him in the afternoon.

When Zhang Luan woke up in the afternoon, it was already sunset.

Zhang Yanling sat in front of the couch, his eyes somewhat unkind: "Dad, you are really amazing. You said you had something to do and said you would come after noon, but you made me wait for you here for two hours..."

"You could have woken me up!"

Zhang Luan said this shamelessly, then suddenly remembered that he had a request to make from his son today. He immediately felt so ashamed that he couldn't even raise his head.

Zhang Luan turned over and got up, still looking groggy.

He looked at the sky outside again and a smile appeared on his face.

This strange behavior made Zhang Yanling feel that his old father could no longer distinguish between day and night and was accustomed to partying every night. He became inexplicably excited when he saw the night fall... This was the manifestation of the nightclub syndrome!

"My son, your father has something to tell you."

Zhang Luan didn't care whether his youngest son wanted to listen or not. He just poured out his grievances and told Zhang Yanling about what Huai En had mentioned at the court meeting yesterday, as well as Li Zisheng's analysis.

Zhang Yanling was surprised and said, "The Yellow River changed its course? Dad, what kind of achievement is this? With your small body, you may not even be able to walk your own path well, but you want to find a new way for the surging Yellow River to flow into the sea? Who gave you the courage?"

"Look at you kid, why are you mocking your father?"

Zhang Luan was a little embarrassed and said with a straight face, "Isn't this instigated by Li Zisheng? I didn't have any idea. The Yellow River is not far from our hometown, but I haven't been to the Yellow River yet. I haven't seen anything there, so how can I have a say?
"It was Li Zisheng who told my father that as long as a new estuary could be chosen, he could provide sufficient manpower to facilitate the diversion of the Yellow River."

Zhang Yanling sneered, "Humph, he is really deceiving you."

"What?"

Zhang Luan said, "They have the strength, so isn't it okay to say that?"

Zhang Yanling said helplessly: "What strength does he have?"

"People..."

Zhang Luan was suddenly speechless.

Zhang Yanling continued, "It is true that he was once the most powerful official in the court, and all the civil and military officials fawned over him, but now his former followers are trying to avoid him. Only you have a close relationship with him. He said he would help you get the credit for the river management. What do you think is the biggest convenience he can provide? Find someone for you? Or provide you with money for the river management?"

"This one……"

Zhang Luan remained silent.

Zhang Yanling said: "Tell me, if you can explain it clearly, I will analyze it for you."

Zhang Luan said helplessly: "Son, I am asking you because I have no idea. Do you think I am not anxious right now? After entering the court, my official rank was promoted rapidly for a while, but now it seems stable, but there has been no movement for a long time..."

"Ah? Being a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy and the right vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, are you not satisfied with this? Dad, have you been an official for half a year?" Zhang Yanling asked in surprise.

The old father actually complained that his official position has not been promoted recently?
I mean, you want to go further?
Do you want to be a cabinet minister?

Zhang Luan said with a sad face, "Don't say that... What I mean is that it doesn't matter if I change my official position. Now that I am in a high position, how can people envy me? Those officials treat me as an enemy, talking about me and mocking me behind my back. I also want to perform well, so that people will think that I am a capable official, and also bring honor to you and your mother."

"Give me a face?"

Zhang Yanling frowned.

Is it true that the old father’s wish is so “simple” and kind?

What about the liar?
Zhang Luan apologized with a smile and said, "I know I have offended you before, please don't take it to heart. How can there be any grudge between father and son?"

Zhang Yanling said unhappily, "Dad, what are you talking about? Where is the hatred or resentment?"

"Don't worry about what you say."

Zhang Luan said, "I know that Li Zisheng might be deceiving me. He can't help me at all. But the problem is that you are very capable... Just predict which way the Yellow River should take to enter the sea so that there will be peace. I don't need stability for hundreds of years, but a few decades of peace will be fine."

Zhang Yanling narrowed his eyes and said, "You mean, as long as you are alive, the Yellow River remains safe and sound, and you can take the credit for managing the river, that's all, right?"

"hey-hey."

Zhang Luan actually smiled shamelessly.

I was just about to tell my son, "My son is smart. You really figured out my little thoughts."

Yes, I just want that little bit of fame.

Zhang Yanling said, "Then... Dad, do you know what the prerequisites are for river management, or for changing the course of the Yellow River?"

"Wait, let me go find some paper and pen."

Zhang Luan hurried into the inner room.

Zhang Yanling frowned and asked, "Dad, what are you going to do?"

"Of course I wrote it down... Your brain isn't very sharp right now, and you speak fast and often say surprising things. If I don't write it down, how can I figure it out later?"

Zhang Luan said, "Wait a minute."

Zhang Yanling was speechless for a moment. Was his speech so obscure and difficult to understand?

The father in front of me claims to be a scholar, but he still has to take notes when I tell him something?
I always feel like something is weird.

Then Zhang Luan found the paper and pen, ground the ink in no time, and said, "Son, tell me. What are the prerequisites for river management?"

"It was a flood, a massive flood that broke through the dikes and turned thousands of miles of land in the Central Plains into a swamp." Zhang Yanling said unhappily.

"what!?"

Zhang Luan stood there in a daze for a moment.

Zhang Yanling asked, "Why don't you remember?"

Zhang Luan put down the brush and said helplessly: "Son, I know that it is a bit difficult for you to talk to you about river management. After all, you are not old enough to understand so many things. I will give up the idea and just think of it as an empty dream! Woo woo."

At the end, Zhang Luan actually covered his face and pretended to sob.

Zhang Yanling frowned, and seeing his cheap father observing his reaction through his fingers, he smiled bitterly and said, "Dad, you have watched too many plays recently, and this is what you are acting in?"

"No, don't misunderstand me, son."

Zhang Luan put down his hand and said helplessly, "I just thought that I am in the court, but due to my limited ability, I can't do anything for the court. I can't even get a little credit. Others will not accept an official like me who was born as a dropout... They always laugh at me for being a minister or a relative of the emperor..."

"Okay, okay!"

Zhang Yanling was too lazy to listen and held out his hand, "I didn't say I wouldn't tell you, you don't need to complain to me."

"Hey! How can your father be such an ungrateful person? Please don't force it."

Zhang Luan said, "Just do your best."

Having said that, Zhang Luan happily returned to his seat, picked up a pen, and looked at his youngest son like a student listening attentively.

Zhang Yanling asked curiously, "Is your leg healed?"

"It's nothing serious. My calves and ankles hurt when I walk faster." Zhang Luan said, "It probably wasn't broken at the beginning. It's probably... how should I put it?"

Zhang Yanling said unhappily, "Do you think I don't know? In fact, you have a fractured bone, not a broken bone... Isn't it because you don't get enough sun exposure and don't like to eat calcium supplements, which makes your bones brittle?"

"What do you say?"

Zhang Luan was holding the brush, feeling a little confused.

It seems like you are asking, do you want me to record what you said?

I don’t understand either.

Zhang Yanling continued, "If we first build the river channel and then tear down the original riverbank to change the direction of the Yellow River, it will basically not work. Unless after a major disaster, the Yellow River finds a direction that it thinks is suitable, and the court mobilizes local officials and people to reinforce the riverbank according to the new direction... this is the only feasible way."

Zhang Luan did not take a pen to write it down this time, but said seriously: "Father, I understand. Only after experiencing a great disaster can the imperial court and the local governments make up their minds to build a river channel. Is that what you mean?"

"Ah."

Zhang Yanling nodded.

This was not a random statement by Zhang Yanling, or an attempt to scare Zhang Luan.

Because every time the Yellow River changed its course in history, it was almost always accompanied by large-scale floods and the displacement of people...the people suffered.

The most recent one actually happened during the Southern Song Dynasty.

After this diversion, the Yellow River flowed into the sea from Yunti Pass in Jianghuai and remained there for nearly three hundred years.

However, the Yellow River contains a lot of silt. After three hundred years, the amount of silt deposits in the lower reaches of the Yellow River has increased day by day, and the river channel has long been unable to bear the heavy load.

From the end of Chenghua to the beginning of Hongzhi, the Yellow River suffered from floods continuously. In the autumn of the sixth year of Hongzhi, the Zhangqiu dike burst and the Yellow River was once again facing a change of course...

Under the governance of Liu Daxia and others, the imperial court built nearly 400 miles of new river channels in one year, finally completing the Yellow River's course change again, and Zhangqiu Town was officially renamed Anping Town.

This continued until the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, when the Yellow River changed its course again. For 360 years, the Yellow River flowed into the sea from the Huai River.

Zhang Luan asked, "Does it have to be a disaster before the course can be changed? Isn't it better to take precautions in advance and prevent disasters before they happen? The Yellow River has been restless in recent years. Don't the local governments have the determination and courage to change?"

Zhang Yanling sighed, "How can it be easy? If the disaster hasn't happened to us, we will think that things can be slowed down. Or, the Yellow River has been flowing into the sea in this way for hundreds of years. Who would think it can be easily changed? That would be a subversive thing."

Zhang Luan waved his hand and said, "Well, let's talk about reform among Confucian scholars... I want to stay in office for a few more years."

"Haha, Dad, you know the temperament of Confucian officials very well." Zhang Yanling said with a smile.

"That's right. I didn't want to change in the first place, but you instigated me." Zhang Luan said helplessly, "Our family lived a hard life at the beginning, but at least we had a house and land, so we didn't starve to death. You two brothers may have a future, and I'm afraid your father is already teaching and educating people..."

"Okay, Dad, I don't want to hear this. Do you still want to control the river?" Zhang Yanling asked.

Zhang Luan said eagerly, "There are difficulties, but son, if you think you can manage it, I will go and manage the river. I am not greedy for the great achievements, but I really want to experience the feeling of being admired by the world."

Speaking of this, a hint of greed appeared in Zhang Luan's eyes.

Zhang Yanling said: "If we have to go to tame the river, then Dad may not stay in the capital, and will need to live somewhere else for a long time, maybe for a year or even several years..."

"How can a father complain about something that benefits the country and the people?" Zhang Luan seemed to have a strong sense of patriotism. He patted his chest and said, "My son, don't look down on me. I am also a responsible person."

"Oh, then our family won't go with you."

"fine."

"Li Zisheng will not go either, and there will be a large number of people following you to supervise you. They will not allow you to bring your family or even your female relatives... You must live on the embankment every day and set an example. You cannot even enter the city, you must stay in the mountains..."

Zhang Luan originally thought that he could escape from the cage and take the opportunity to leave the capital. Since the emperor was far away, he could enjoy the feeling of being a local emperor.

Hearing this, he was a little dumbfounded.

"Son, I don't mean to sound the opposite. Are you asking me to tame the river or exile me? Why don't I understand?"

Zhang Luan stared at his son with wide eyes again, looking like a punched bag.

(End of this chapter)