Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 699: Competent Guest

into the night.

In the courtyard across the street behind Zhang Luan's villa, Zhang Yanling met Pang Qing who came to ask for a meeting.

Qi Niang was standing at the gate.

But Qi Niang seemed to be avoiding suspicion intentionally. Obviously, she was the one who introduced the person, but she did not dare to participate in the meeting. She was like a door god, consciously guarding the gate of the courtyard.

Pang Qing came up and handed a gift list to Zhang Yanling.

"This is……?"

Zhang Yanling asked.

"It is a gift for your father and you, the second young master. I am in Shanxi, but my heart is with the capital. I wrote to you specially to ask you to thank you and your son for your help."

Pang Qing said.

Zhang Yanling laughed when he heard this and asked, "You just need to thank my father. Why are you thanking me?"

Pang Qing smiled but said nothing.

Obviously, with his intelligence, it was impossible for him not to see the role Zhang Yanling played in the whole thing.

Zhang Luan alone...

I'm afraid that Li Zisheng is still living in poverty in the northwest, without any military achievements.

Zhang Yanling said, "I wonder what's on the gift list? Mr. Pang, I don't think it's appropriate for you to come here to give gifts like this. There is no such thing as a wall that is impenetrable. If others knew the purpose of your coming here, they would definitely secretly hurt the relationship between my father and Minister Li."

"Hey, Second Young Master, do you really care about this?"

Pang Qing asked with a smile.

Zhang Yanling understood it at a glance. In fact, Pang Qing saw through Zhu Youtang's attitude towards the Zhang family.

Just like during the Chenghua period, Zhu Jianshen was very fond of Li Zisheng and Liang Fang, and the emperor didn't care at all when these two accepted gifts.

Liang Fang's downfall was not because he accepted bribes, but because he "deceived his superiors and concealed the truth from his subordinates." To put it bluntly, he was fooling the emperor, or it was Zhang Yanling who made Emperor Chenghua think that Liang Fang was deceiving him.

At present, Zhu Youtang's favor for Zhang's father and son has obviously exceeded that of Emperor Chenghua towards Li Zisheng and Liang Fang. Therefore, the emperor does not care whether the Zhang family accepts bribes or not.

The only way to bring down the Zhang family now is to make the emperor think that the Zhang family is "not upright".

Unfortunately, this hidden danger was impossible to happen, at least during the Hongzhi and Zhengde periods.

Zhang Yanling said: "Then I would like to thank Mr. Pang on behalf of my father, oh, and Mr. Li."

"You are serious."

Pang Qing smiled and said, "It is a rare honor to be able to present a gift. Others have not received such generous treatment... After I finish this, I can pack my bags and prepare to leave for the northwest."

Zhang Yanling asked in surprise, "You want to go to Piantou Pass? Do you understand military affairs? Also, the preparations for river repairs in Henan and other places must not be neglected... Didn't you say before that you would leave Beijing to make arrangements? Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

"Alas! It's a thousand miles away from Pianguan. I can't help you if you have any problems. I'm so anxious!"

Pang Qing said with emotion, "I have already given instructions on the river repair. Resources are already being prepared. When the time comes, we will need the help of Huizhou merchants, or we may even have to rely on you, the second young master, to take action."

"rely on me?"

Zhang Yanling smiled.

It is obvious that Li Zisheng is the person in charge, but he said he needs my help?
Pang Qing said: "When it comes to connections, especially the influence among merchants, who can compare to you? This river repair project mostly relies on the local gentry, and it is difficult for the government to help."

"Ah."

Zhang Yanling nodded, "What you said does make some sense. The government can only publicize the policy at most. To really mobilize the people to repair the river and coordinate the migration and relocation, we still have to rely on the power of the gentry."

Pang Qing smiled and said, "You understand better than anyone that the role I can play in repairing the river is relatively limited. However, in the northwest, the Taoist priest is in some trouble now and needs my help..."

Zhang Yanling said, "I'm afraid the journey to the northwest will be unsettled, Mr. Pang, don't let your guard down."

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter."

Pang Qing said, "I will pretend to be a merchant and take my guards with me on the road. It shouldn't be a problem. When the Taoist left, he asked me to help your father solve some problems. Now it seems that with your help, your father can handle the big and small things in the capital with ease. Even if the Taoist is in Beijing, he can't help much, let alone Pang? I'd better not cause trouble here and go to the Taoist as soon as possible."

Zhang Yanling nodded.

He finally saw it.

Today Pang Qing is still loyal to his boss, and perhaps he also knows where his power and status come from.

Going to the northwest might not necessarily help Li Zisheng much, but with him by his side to give advice or do some shady things, it would be more convenient for Li Zisheng to do things.

More importantly, Pang Qing can feel more at peace.

Any guest will feel lost after leaving his employer.

……

……

Pang Qing told Zhang Yanling about some of the things about hiring and recruiting people, especially the network of relationships that Li Zisheng had built over the years. Pang Qing didn't even mention Zhang Luan's illness, as if he had no idea that his father-in-law was ill.

Or maybe he was not worried that Zhang Luan's illness would cause any serious consequences.

After Pang Qing left a few letters that seemed like tokens of trust so that Zhang Yanling could dispatch personnel, he said goodbye and left.

And Zhang Yanling also had to rush back to the villa where Zhang Luan was.

"Mother Qi, let's go."

Zhang Yanling said something to Qi Niang who was standing in front of the door, staring blankly at the street intersection shrouded in darkness.

Qi Niang withdrew her gaze reluctantly.

Obviously she was looking at the carriage in which Pang Qing left, or maybe... Qi Niang admired Pang Qing very much.

Zhang Yanling had carefully observed that look.

No matter how approachable Zhang Luan was, he always treated Qi Niang as a female housekeeper outside the house. It was more like the relationship between a boss and an employer, not a couple who supported each other. It was just a fleeting romance.

As a result, Qi Niang lacks a sense of belonging...or rather, she also has emotional pursuits in her heart.

For example, Pang Qing, a middle-aged man who looks very outstanding.

Qi Niang asked, "Second Master, are you done discussing this?"

"Yes."

Zhang Yanling said, "Butler Pang is a kind-hearted man. He came here specially to give me gifts. I have accepted the gift list. He will have someone deliver the gifts to the courtyard tonight. You should make good arrangements."

Qi Niang asked: "What are they? How do we arrange for them?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "It's a theatre troupe. Let's arrange for them to live in the nearest theatre."

"Are they all opera singers?"

Qi Niang asked.

Zhang Yanling smiled.

Obviously Qi Niang knew some of the tricks of Li Zisheng's gift-giving.

The so-called opera troupe is more of a cover.

Because most of the people in the troupe were musicians, who were considered the lower class in that era, no one cared about their origins and whereabouts. In this way, the woman who was to be given to Zhang Luan could hide in the troupe with this identity, and could use the excuse of singing opera to send her to Zhang Luan's bed at any time.

When the troupe leaves, those women will disappear with them, leaving no trace.

Zhang Yanling said, "That theater is also my Zhang family's property. They are rehearsing a new play recently. If Qi Niang has time, you can go and show your support."

"You don't mean the new theater on the east side of the street?"

Qi Niang asked in surprise.

"Exactly."

Zhang Yanling replied.

Qi Niang was very puzzled and said, "I heard that the owner of the theater is quite famous. They also said that the plays inside are some local folk songs, but there are many people with good singing and stage skills. There are many fans who go to support every show. It is difficult for ordinary people to enter... Many of those who go in to watch are dignitaries."

Zhang Yanling said: "We just opened our business not long ago. We are not trying to make a lot of money, but more to develop the cultural industry and lay the foundation for building a full industrial chain in the future."

Qi Niang said, "I've never heard the master mention it before."

"My father doesn't know about this. I even said I would take him to see it later."

Zhang Yanling said, "I'll send you some theater tickets some other day."

When Qi Niang heard this, she felt that the relationship between Zhang's father and son was extraordinary.

Although Zhang Luan is the head of the Zhang family, it seems that many decisions are made by his underage son Zhang Yanling, while Zhang Luan himself is content to be an idler.

Zhang Yanling added, "My father would like to ask you to take good care of him. I don't come here often, so if you have any problems, just let me know. If there is anything we need, just let me know."

Qi Niang said: "Don't worry, Second Young Master, there is nothing missing here. The only thing missing is..."

"I see."

Zhang Yanling said, "I will personally deliver the medicine for my father's treatment. He doesn't need to be treated by a doctor. You should know that my father once worked in the Imperial Hospital, right?"

Qi Niang nodded helplessly.

Ever since she learned that Zhang Luan was the imperial physician of the Ming Dynasty and had once been in charge of the Imperial Medical Bureau, she felt that her worldview had collapsed.

A person like Zhang Luan... is actually the head of the most powerful imperial hospital in the world?

How did he do that?
Imperial physicians are different from ordinary officials. They need to have superb medical skills and spend countless time and energy studying pharmacology...

No matter how you look at it, my master doesn't seem like a research scholar, but rather a social idler who is idle all day long.

(End of this chapter)