Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 611: The Ups and Downs of the Political World
Qin Chang was already packing up, preparing to set off for the northwest.

He needed to clearly hand over the tasks of the Imperial Household Department, especially the unfinished tasks at hand, which involved matters related to the royal family or the inner court. All of them had to be handed over. This represented a kind of separation, which made him extremely depressed.

Because everyone knew that the young emperor had a good temper, he even let Liang Fang, who had seriously offended him, off easily. But when it came to Tan Chang, the emperor directly sent him to the northwest to do hard work, which was quite like exile.

As a result, any official with a slightly more sensitive nose would know that Qin Chang would have basically no chance of making a comeback.

During the reign of the previous emperor, he had experienced a collapse in his official career and was unemployed at home. Fortunately, he was later recommended by Zhang Luan and returned to power.

When the Xin Dynasty came, he was doing a good job and was highly regarded by the young emperor. However, who would have thought that he was sent directly to hell just because he did some things against Zhang Luan.

Given the loving relationship between the emperor and his wife, it was inevitable that Zhang Luan would be valued. It was almost impossible for him to make a successful comeback.

"Put your things away."

Huai En entered the Silijian duty room and said to Qin Chang who was packing his things, "Take care on your journey... I'll wait for you to return safely from the northwest."

Qin Chang looked around and found that Li Rong and others who had been helping to organize things were gone. They were obviously sent out by Huai En. He immediately asked, "Eunuch Huai, do you think I still have a chance?"

"Well..."

Huai En hesitated for a moment and said, "You have a clear conscience for what you have done... If that's the case, you shouldn't care about personal gains and losses. You are not doing this for personal gain, and everyone can see it."

Seeing that Huai'en avoided talking about his future, Qin Chang looked somewhat disappointed.

Huai En pointed to a wooden box on the table and said, "This is something I prepared for you. You can read it when you get on the road. It may help you on your trip to the northwest."

"This is……?"

Qin Chang was very curious.

Now that you have given me all the things, do you still want to keep it secret from me?
You are not Zhuge Liang, who has all the tricks in his bag.

Huai En said: "The journey to the northwest is difficult, and you really need help... I know some people in the northwest who can help you complete your mission smoothly and help you return to Beijing earlier."

At this point, Huai En looked somewhat relieved. "Besides, you and Li Zisheng are going to the northwest together. What do you have to worry about? Isn't his network of contacts more extensive than yours?"

"But……"

Huai En seemed very hesitant. "I'm still very worried... Li Zisheng has many enemies in the northwest. In the past, many officials from Beijing who offended him were transferred to the bitter cold land of the northwest by him. This time when he goes there, how can those people not cause trouble for him? When a powerful dragon meets a local snake, no trick can work."

"He has offended many people, how about you?"

Wynn asked.

Tan Chang asked, "Eunuch Huai, what do you mean by this?"

Huai En looked gloomy and shook his head, saying, "He has many enemies, but you only need one enemy to make you lose face."

"Are you talking about Zhang Guozhang?"

Qin Chang said with a bitter face, "In fact, generally speaking, I have not done anything to him. If Li Zisheng was imprisoned, he would also remember it. How dare he say that his existence is beneficial to the court?

"This is clearly a clique for personal gain!"

Huai En asked, "Did you see what he did in the court?"

"he……"

Qin Chang thought about it carefully.

When facing criticism from others, Zhang Luan clearly showed a desperate attitude.

Qin Chang came back to his senses and sighed, "Faced with such a stubborn guy, I can't say why I hate him... He is loyal to the late emperor, has done favors to the current emperor, and is also your emperor's relative. All the evidence cannot show that he has any great political ambitions, or wants to disrupt the government.

"It's just that...his existence itself is a mistake, and will cause the Ming Dynasty to fall into chaos. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, foreign relatives have not been allowed to interfere in politics."

Huai En nodded and said, "So, no one ever blames you, right?"

When Qin Chang heard this, his face became even more miserable.

I was wholeheartedly trying to help the emperor clear the obstacles to his governance, even to the point of going against the powerful officials of the time. As a eunuch in the Imperial Household Department and the Director of the Eastern Depot, I was also a powerful official of some importance, but in the end I ended up being exiled?

How unfair fate is!

"Have you finished handing over the work of the East Factory?"

Wynn asked.

"It's settled. I've explained everything to Hou Fang."

Qin Chang said helplessly, "Recently, he has been going to the Jinyiwei to handle court affairs frequently. In addition, he is an old man from your majesty's time in the Eastern Palace and is deeply trusted by your majesty. Letting him supervise the Eastern Depot may be... the best choice at the moment!"

Huai En said: "You don't have to be discouraged. In fact, Hou Fang has no intention of competing for anything. He is just taking over your position temporarily. When you come back, I will mention it to His Majesty."

"Thank you, Eunuch Huai."

Qin Chang bowed respectfully, then reluctantly looked around the Silijian Duty Room where he had worked and lived for many years, and shook his head, "I don't know how long it will take for me to come back after this trip."

"After the new year."

Huai En comforted him, "From the capital, we first go north to Xuanfu, then all the way to Gansu and Ningxia, and then come back from there, which will take about three months.

"We should be able to meet again after the spring."

"Okay, I hope I can come back alive by then."

Qin Chang finally showed a smile on his face, but it looked extremely bitter.

Why would I provoke Zhang Laizhan for no reason?

Really... why bother!
……

……

Qin Chang is about to set off.

Before leaving, he specially asked someone to inform his nephew Qin Yun to come over for a chat.

After Qin Yun learned the news, he hurried to see his uncle.

"He looks more like a young talent."

Qin Chang asked with a smile, "I heard that you got married recently?"

“This… yes.”

Qin Yun did not dare to deny it, lowered his head in shame, and said, "My family just got married."

Qin Chang smiled and asked, "I didn't go, you're not angry, right?"

Qin Yun was shocked and said quickly, "Uncle, you are joking. How dare I get angry? Besides, you are busy with your husband's affairs. How can you have time to care about such trivial matters? And this wedding...it was held in a hurry. We didn't even invite many guests."

Qin Chang nodded and said, "Your wife's family is pretty good... The daughter of the Li family, I heard that her uncle Li Hua has been very powerful in the court recently because he suddenly has a backer."

Qin Yun was confused and asked curiously, "Are you talking about... Zhang Guozhang?"

"What else?" Qin Chang asked back, and after coughing, he continued, "Qin Yun, have you been to Zhang's house often recently? A few days ago, there was a fight in the workshop of Zhang's house, so didn't they ask you to go over to help?" Qin Chang asked.

Qin Yun said, "In reply to your uncle, the Jinyiwei has been very busy lately, and I only go to the Zhang Mansion occasionally. My nephew... is really unable to spare the time."

Qin Chang shook his head and said, "Isn't your job to cooperate with the workshops in the palace to weave cloth? Those newly woven cloths need to be dyed, and it is your people who are responsible for pulling them out of the palace and sending them to the dyeing workshop. In this case, they have to go to the Zhang family... Why don't you admit it?"

"I……"

For a moment, Qin Yun didn't know how to face this former benefactor in front of him.

In the past, he really worshipped Qin Chang as a god, and even looking up at him was not enough to express his admiration.

But now I feel...

It seemed as if there was no such intimate feeling between the two of them anymore, because apart from using his power to get him a position as a captain of the Imperial Guards, Qin Chang never took care of him afterwards.

Furthermore, every time he came to the Qin Mansion in the past, he was left with a bad impression, which made him feel that the threshold of this mansion was too high and it was not a place he could come to.

"Do you usually interact with Zhang Guozhang?"

Tan Chang asked.

Qin Yun shook his head: "No, I basically hang out with the Second Young Master. Zhang Guozhang doesn't directly assign me to do anything."

Qin Chang's eyes lit up and he said with a smile, "The second son of the Zhang family is a top figure. Take the weaving business for example. It was the new loom he provided that His Majesty attached great importance to, and the Queen even personally came forward to preside over it... You should do a good job and strive for... there is still a chance for promotion."

"My nephew is already satisfied with what he has achieved today."

Tan Yun said respectfully.

"hehe."

Qin Chang smiled and said, "You have to look forward. Originally everyone thought that Mou Bin was the one who was most qualified to take the position among all of you thousand households, but now it seems that his backers are not as strong as yours."

These words left Qin Yun speechless.

Qin Chang said: "Don't worry, I will help you. But I have to go to the northwest now. When I come back... I hope to see the day when you take charge of the Jinyiwei."

After hearing this, Qin Yun was so frightened that his hands and feet were shaking. He quickly said, "Uncle, please stop laughing. My nephew hasn't even done the job of a thousand households yet, so how can he dare to continue to climb up?"

"You have such a good attitude!"

Qin Chang said, "Commander General Zhu Ji is old, and Your Majesty is ready to let him retire and return home, or assign him a lighter job.

"Plus... Zhu Ji is too fond of joining in the fun. He wants to get involved in everything. As the commander of the Jinyiwei, he has a lot of dealings with people from various forces in the court. It is no longer suitable for him to stay in this position. And his position... will sooner or later fall on the shoulders of you, the new generation."

Qin Yun didn't dare to respond casually now.

He felt that his uncle was probably trying to trick him.

"Didn't Zhang Guozhang say he wanted to promote you? Oh, right, it was the Second Young Master, did he mention it?"

Tan Chang asked.

"Never said that."

Qin Yun said cautiously, "Besides, my nephew has just been promoted to a thousand households and has not thought about those things at all."

"Okay, you have the right intentions and you are following the right person. Your future is limitless."

Qin Chang's face was filled with relief. "With Mou Bin's downfall, you have a great chance of taking over. The first step is to take over the position of the Northern Pacification Commissioner. Who knows, maybe our Qin family will depend on you in the future!

"You should remember those fellow Qin family members of your generation. If they come to you to ask for help in the future, you might as well take care of them. Don't forget our family."

"Huh? Yes!"

When Qin Yun heard this, he thought, when did I become so important in your heart?
Qin Chang waved his hand and said, "Take the reward and go back. I originally wanted you to see me off at the city gate on the day of departure. But seeing you today, it seems that I have no regrets."

"Uncle, if you have any orders, please give them to me."

Qin Yun said sincerely, "My nephew will definitely do it."

"no need."

Qin Chang waved his hand and then stood up. His body was slightly hunched, as if he had aged a lot in just a short while since they met.

After standing up, Qin Chang walked to the table next to him and wanted to reach out to grab the teacup, but he didn't stand firmly and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, he supported himself on the edge of the table in time and managed to stabilize his body.

Qin Yun was quick-witted and was about to step forward to help him, but he was stopped by him: "I'm not so old that I can't move. Go back and do your job well."

……

……

Just when Qin Chang had accepted his fate.

At this time, Liu Ji, another participant and instigator of the anti-Zhang incident, did not seem to feel that the incident had anything to do with him.

That afternoon, he specially sent someone to Du Ming's house to ask what was going on.

However, Du Ming was taken back by the Jinyiwei early that morning and released just after noon. After he came back, he went straight into the back house and refused to come out, even ignoring the people sent by Liu Ji.

Then Du Ming took leave and no longer attended court.

On the third day, Liu Ji could no longer bear it and went to visit Du Ming in person.

For this trip, he used a sedan chair carried by eight people, and had a large number of servants and guards, which was extremely ostentatious. It was obvious that he wanted to spread the word and force Du Ming to come out to meet him.

"Lord Liu, I am already very ill, why are you still coming to my house?"

In the living room at the backyard of the Du residence, Du Ming looked frustrated.

"Huh!?"

Liu Ji asked curiously, "When did you fall ill? Did the Jinyiwei ask you to go in for questioning? Is there something else going on?"

Du Ming waved his hand: "Alas, I don't want to mention it anymore."

Liu Ji frowned and said, "You have been to the Jinyiwei, so you should tell us what happened. Could it be that your past relationship with Wan'an, Liang Fang and others was exposed, and the Jinyiwei wanted to continue investigating?"

"Lord Liu, do you really not know or are you pretending to be confused?"

Du Ming said indignantly, "It's because my impeachment of Zhang Guozhang was exposed..."

"You impeached him, so the Jinyiwei came to question you? You... didn't tell everything, did you?" What Liu Ji was thinking at this moment was how to keep himself out of the matter.

Du Ming smiled bitterly and said, "You think no one knows? In fact, everyone knows it, but they just don't reveal it... I have met the commander of the Jinyiwei, Zhu Ji, and he clearly said that this matter is related to the eunuch Tan Chang of the Silijian. Perhaps because of this, Tan Chang was directly sent by His Majesty to the bitter cold northwest to transport military uniforms and other items.

"Guess where I will be sent to work next?"

Liu Ji was horrified when he heard this, and stood up hurriedly, walking out the door while saying, "You can go wherever you want, I will do my best to protect you.

"You don't trust others, so how can you not trust me, the Prime Minister of the dynasty?"

(End of this chapter)