Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 623: Etiquette and Morality
Qianqing Palace.

Huai'en was reporting on matters with Chen Zheng, the left vice minister of the Ministry of Works, involving the progress of the construction of Maoling Mausoleum.

There were two other people involved in the matter standing nearby. One was the representative of the meritorious officials in charge of supervising the construction, Duke Baoguo Zhu Yong, and the eunuch Huang Shun from the Imperial Household Department who was sent by the palace to supervise.

Huai En made his closing statement: "Your Majesty, the Xuan Palace has been completely built. According to the previous rules, the coffin should be moved out as soon as possible so that the late emperor can be buried in peace."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youtang wiped away his tears and choked up, "But... I... I can't bear to leave my father. Can't I wait until the mausoleum is fully built before burying him in a grand manner?"

Huai En said: "The late emperor's body has been kept for quite some time... Besides, even if the late emperor's body enters the underground palace, Your Majesty can go and pay homage at any time.

"This is a benevolent and filial act."

After hearing this conversation, Zhu Yong, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but look up and curiously look at the young emperor in front of him.

My father died, but you won’t let me bury him, saying that you can’t bear to let him go?

What a filial son!

But why do I always feel uncomfortable after hearing it?
Zhu Youtang asked with a sad face: "New Year is coming soon... Can't we wait until after the New Year to bury our father?"

"Your Majesty, there should be no delay." Huai En advised, "Now all the ministers in the court are watching, and things that should be done before the New Year should be completed before the New Year."

"Well, I'll follow your instructions in everything."

Zhu Youtang nodded and looked at Chen Zheng again, asking, "Mr. Chen, I want to know if the construction of my father's mausoleum is going smoothly? Is there any water seepage, collapse or anything like that?"

Chen Zheng said respectfully: "Your Majesty, everything is going well."

Zhu Youtang sighed: "Seriously speaking, I have to thank my father-in-law for this. He was the one who first selected the location of the mausoleum and later provided the money for construction, making the construction of my father's mausoleum smoother."

Huai En hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, this is a manifestation of your filial piety. You should not attribute the credit to your subjects."

"But... I wasn't wrong." Zhu Youtang seemed very persistent. "In addition to my father-in-law, there are also Li Qing's family in Lizi Province. They are all caring people. Huai Daban, you go and arrange the coffin's funeral. I won't review the memorials these two nights. I want to spend more time with my father."

"This……"

Huai En hesitated for a moment, then bowed respectfully, "I obey your orders."

……

……

The group came out of the Qianqing Palace, and Huai'en personally escorted them out of the palace.

Chen Zheng walked side by side with Huai En, and Zhu Yong followed behind.

Chen Zheng said with emotion: "Eunuch Huai, your majesty is truly a filial monarch. Such a sincere heart has never been seen before."

"Yes."

Huai En couldn't help but sigh, "When our emperor was still the crown prince, he was known for his benevolence and filial piety. Now that the late emperor is about to be buried, we must also show filial piety and promote your majesty's filial piety to achieve the purpose of ritual and music education. Minister Chen, what do you think?"

"Forehead……"

Chen Zheng was somewhat stunned, thinking to himself: I was just expressing my feelings, but you actually suggested that your Majesty's benevolent and filial behavior be made public. Isn't this a disguised way of saying that your Majesty is putting on a show?
Then he keenly realized something and asked, "Eunuch Huai, I wonder what you mean...?"

Huai En said, "Nothing, I just felt inspired and felt that I had to do something. Minister Chen had been staying at the construction site before, and now he has just returned from Tianshou Mountain. He is exhausted, so he should go back to the mansion to rest. Next, we will start the expedition, and we may be busy again."

"Yes Yes."

Chen Zheng agreed repeatedly.

Even if he felt something was wrong, he would not explore the situation in front of others.

Zhu Yong, who was standing behind, did not participate in the conversation from beginning to end.

Only when leaving the palace did Zhu Yong simply say goodbye to Huai En, completing the etiquette.

……

……

"Sir Chen, may I ask, what did you talk about with Eunuch Huai before?" Zhu Yong asked after he followed Chen Zheng out of the palace gate for a distance.

Chen Zheng turned around and said with a smile: "It was just a simple exchange of views on your majesty's benevolence and filial piety. I was very impressed. There is nothing else."

Zhu Yong said, "Your Majesty is kind and filial, this is a good thing... I am a bit stupid, so I want to ask, is there anything we need to do after the late emperor's coffin is laid out?"

Chen Zheng smiled and shook his head: "I don't know either. Let's wait for the court to make arrangements."

"But I think Eunuch Huai seems to have entrusted you with something..."

Zhu Yong looked puzzled.

Chen Zheng frowned and said, "How about you go and ask Eunuch Huai yourself?"

"This one……"

Zhu Yong quickly waved his hands, "Forget it, forget it. Maybe I'm overthinking it. It's probably because I didn't sleep well last night."

As the two were chatting and preparing to get on their respective carriages, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind them.

Zhu Yong and Chen Zheng turned around and looked over almost at the same time.

I saw Jinyiwei commander Zhu Ji jogging after him.

"Commander Zhu? What are you doing...?"

Chen Zheng asked curiously.

Zhu Ji came closer, panting, and said, "Mr. Chen, Lord Zhu, His Majesty has just issued an edict, saying that the matters concerning the preparation of the late emperor's coffin will still be yours, but you should listen more to the opinions of Mr. Zhang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and the Reader of the Imperial Academy... I am afraid that you will not take it seriously, so I have asked you to pass on this message as a reminder!"

Zhu Yong's eyes widened immediately upon hearing this. He leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "Are you asking us to follow Zhang Guozhang's orders?"

Zhu Ji looked around and nodded, "That's right."

Zhu Yong looked at Chen Zheng and said, "Your Majesty said that Zhang Guozhang had made great contributions before, but Eunuch Huai disagreed. Now that the mausoleum project has come to acceptance, it is really unreasonable not to invite Zhang Guozhang, a great contributor, to take a look. Fortunately, Your Majesty helped us make up for the mistake.

"In addition, such a major event as the coffin's funeral procession should indeed be presided over by a Hanlin scholar! Zhang Guozhang is the president of the Hanlin Academy, so he is indeed qualified to do so." Chen Zheng frowned and asked, "General Zhu, why didn't His Majesty mention this when we met earlier?"

"This one……"

Zhu Ji wanted to say that since Huai En was there, how could the emperor say that he valued his father-in-law? But then he thought, wouldn't it be a blatant attempt to sow discord between the emperor and his subjects? So he cupped his hands and said, "I'm not sure about this."

Zhu Yong pulled Zhu Ji hard and asked, "Did your majesty mention when the coffin will be laid out? I guess it will be in the next two days... After all, the Chinese New Year is only five or six days away..."

Zhu Ji did not answer, but asked with a smile: "Master, do you have any other instructions?"

Zhu Yong was slightly surprised and said, "There's nothing else to say. I just want to ask, when will the late emperor be buried in a grand ceremony?"

Zhu Ji said, "Wouldn't it be better if you ask Zhang Guozhang in person?"

"Yeah."

Zhu Yong smiled and said, "Look at my memory. Your Majesty told us to follow Zhang Guozhang's orders, so we have to follow Zhang Guozhang's opinions.

"I'm going first. Bye bye!"

After saying this, he got on the carriage of the Duke of Baoguo's Mansion and drove away.

Chen Zheng and Zhu Ji looked at each other and bowed in farewell.

……

……

Zhang Luan was hiding away at home when an imperial decree suddenly came down.

Zhang Luan was a little confused when he received the imperial edict issued by the emperor to preside over the funeral of the late emperor. His son was not at home, so he simply ran to a workshop in the city to find his son. He used this as an excuse to go out and did not plan to go home at night.

When he met Zhang Yanling, Zhang Yanling had just met with Qin Zhao.

"Son, I am confused again."

Zhang Luan handed the imperial edict to his son and asked casually, "Take a look at it. Why don't I understand it? What exactly does Your Majesty want me to do for you?"

Zhang Yanling read it carefully and explained, "It's clearly listed above. The emperor's coffin will be ready in two days... The funeral procession must be completed sooner or later, so it's best to get everything done before the New Year... After all, the forty-nine-day period for the emperor's coffin to rest has long passed."

Zhang Luan said unhappily: "I don't need you to explain the literal meaning to me... I just want to ask, what exactly does your brother-in-law want to do?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Wouldn't it be better if you went to the palace to ask your brother-in-law in person?"

"Ah? You don't mean to say that you don't know either?"

Zhang Luan immediately shook his head when he got to this point. "No, absolutely not! My son is a man of great foresight, like Kong Ming in the world. I don't believe you don't know this."

Zhang Yanling didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "Dad, my brother-in-law trusts you... He entrusted all the major events that happened to my father to you, and he did it out of his absolute trust in you, his father-in-law... Why are you so suspicious?"

Zhang Luan said: "Is it really that simple? Why don't I believe it?"

"No matter how you look at it, it's that simple."

After a pause, Zhang Yanling continued, "But I guess you won't be the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue for long. The Ministry of Rites will be your new place."

"..."

Zhang Luan was stunned for a moment and asked, "Just because I was asked to preside over the national mourning, your brother-in-law plans to transfer me back to the Ministry of Rites? What kind of logic is this?"

Zhang Yanling said, "Dad, don't you realize that you are just like a screw now...Brother-in-law regards you as the most important person around him, and he will send you wherever he is needed!"

"Screws... nails? Why?"

Zhang Luan continued to be confused.

Zhang Yanling put down the imperial edict and asked, "Dad, what official position did you hold before?"

"Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites... You mean, I'm familiar with the Ministry of Rites' duties, so you transferred me back?"

Zhang Luan asked thoughtfully.

"When my brother-in-law first ascended the throne, the most important thing he needed to do was to rectify his name and complete the handover of the throne. The Minister of Rites was responsible for presiding over the affairs on the front line, so of course he had to assign you to this position."

Zhang Yanling said, "When my brother-in-law ascends the throne and there is no major crisis for the time being, the court will happen to have a shortage of money and grain. In other words, it will be short of money. At this time, we need to transfer you to the Ministry of Revenue to serve as the right assistant minister."

Zhang Luan said proudly, "Oh, I finally understand. I am really important to your brother-in-law! But isn't it the time when the court is most in need of money and food? Why do you want to transfer me back to the Ministry of Rites? Isn't it the best choice for your brother-in-law to stay in the Ministry of Revenue and promote the salt tax reform?"

Zhang Yanling said with emotion: "My old father, what do you think is the greatest characteristic of my brother-in-law?"

"I don't care about him... Wait, you mean he is filial?" Zhang Luan asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes, my brother-in-law is very filial. Now is the time for the late emperor to be buried. Guess... my brother-in-law has something on his mind that involves etiquette, and he is very conflicted, but he is too embarrassed to bring it up... what do you think it is?"

Zhang Yanling asked.

After Zhang Luan pondered carefully, his face darkened: "My son, you don't mean to say that your brother-in-law wants his biological mother... to be buried with the late emperor.

"Is that what you mean?"

"Ah."

Zhang Yanling nodded.

Zhang Luan was in high spirits and said, "Hearing what you said, it is indeed a major matter of etiquette, and someone must come forward to take responsibility. However, when the new emperor ascends the throne, his mother is made queen. This is the rule of all dynasties. Do I need to take the lead? Doesn't the matter of the queen mother's naming have to be implemented one by one?"

Zhang Yanling explained: "My brother-in-law is a bastard of the emperor, and he has been bullied by the nobles in the palace for many years. With his introverted personality, how can he have the confidence to face all this alone? So my brother-in-law really needs someone in the court to support him, or even to protect him from the wind and rain."

Zhang Luan waved his hand and said, "Don't say that. I don't have that ability. Even if there is someone who can protect your brother-in-law, the emperor, it has to be someone as smart as you, my son."

"Dad, stop praising me and let's get down to business first! Now that we understand my brother-in-law's intentions, we have to be more direct."

Zhang Yanling said, "You don't have to come in person, Dad. Why not ask my uncle Xu Qiong for help? Let him speak for His Majesty and my brother-in-law's mother, Queen Ji, from the perspective of etiquette. What do you think?"

"Okay, I'll go find your uncle right away. I just think I'm not good at this... No matter what, your uncle is a Jinshi and has served in the Hanyuan for a long time. He has the qualifications and reputation to liven up the atmosphere!"

(End of this chapter)