Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 706 is coming soon
Military camp outside the city.

Zhu Hui greeted Zhu Yong's return at the camp gate, and then followed his old father back to the central military tent, where he and other generals listened to the military order from Li Zisheng conveyed by Zhu Yong.

There were not many people in the army. There were only about 3,000 soldiers from the Beijing camp who could be used. If we add in some laborers who were transporting food with the army, there would only be about 6,000 people who could go to the battlefield.

In addition, the soldiers and horses of the Beijing Camp that went on this expedition were not all elite, but also mixed with some old and weak. After all, many young and strong men in the Beijing Camp of the Ming Dynasty had to be conscripted, and it was not necessary to have all young and strong men in the war, so a combination of new and old was formed.

In fact, it is very easy to understand. If a whole family is a military household, the young people have to use their own strength to support the family, and the old people can go to the battlefield with the army to save food for the family and earn extra money for departure expenses. Therefore, it is common to see veterans in their thirties and forties in the camp.

"Father, why don't we just go into the city? If the army stays outside the city, the Tartars could come at any time."

Zhu Hui waited until the military meeting was over and all the generals had left before he expressed his deepest doubts to his father Zhu Yong, "We are staying here and fighting the Tartars. We have no way forward and no way back. We will never get any credit... Are we going to be blamed?"

Zhu Yong said, "How big is the Piantouguan Fortress? This is not a prosperous town near the capital. Could it be that after entering the city, there will be less northerly wind and less yellow sand?"

"But... with the city wall as a barrier, at least the soldiers can sleep peacefully."

Zhu Hui said, "Even if father thinks we don't need to enter the city, Taoist Priest Li can obviously help us, but he proposed that we stay outside the city. This will make the soldiers feel disappointed."

Zhu Yong looked calm: "The military camp outside the city and the city form a horn-shaped situation, and our troops are stationed halfway up the mountain. It is not only easy to defend but also difficult to attack. There is also a natural mountain spring water supply, so there is no need to worry about losing Jieting.

"Also, didn't Lord Li leave all the food in our army? This is good... When the Tatars come, the soldiers will know why they are fighting, and the soldiers in the city will not stand by and watch them die. It can be said that the advantage is in my hands."

Zhu Hui frowned, "Is father so angry that he is confused? Why is he speaking for the man surnamed Li? He clearly holds a grudge against father for not following his orders before, and is sincerely making things difficult for us. After the war, we will return to the capital, while he will stay in Shanxi as governor, and the local troops will all become his direct subordinates. It is clear that there is a difference in kinship!"

"This is absurd!"

Zhu Yong said helplessly, "Son, don't slander others with your superficial knowledge. The fact that Taoist Li has been able to stay in the court for a long time, and even survived the ascension of the new emperor, shows how extraordinary his knowledge and methods are. Even though I paid close attention to him before, I still feel that I underestimated him now."

"you……"

Zhu Hui was speechless now.

They were clearly being cheated, so why did the old father keep speaking in favor of the person who cheated them?

Zhu Yong said: "But I still haven't figured out what direction Li Zisheng should focus on if he wants to make further progress... If we fight with the Tatars, we won't be able to gain any advantage, and the Tatars may not give him a chance.

"If we just defend Piantou Pass and don't go out... Aren't we afraid that the Tatars will break through the pass from other places, wreak havoc in Xuan and Da areas, and draw the wrath of the imperial court?"

Zhu Hui said with emotion: "I don't know why my father praised Li Zisheng. In fact, the best choice right now is to lead the troops to find the main force of the Tatars for a strategic decisive battle... Otherwise, the Supervisory Censor will definitely impeach Li Zisheng and us for missing the opportunity to fight!"

Zhu Yong shook his head and said, "The Censor-in-Chief cannot control the people sent by His Majesty."

"Father, why are you so confident? Even those who made great contributions in the past, such as Eunuch Wang and Wang Weining, were eventually impeached and overthrown. How could Li Zisheng and Qin Chang be better than them?"

Zhu Hui questioned.

"Wang Zhi and Wang Yue were overthrown at the behest of the late emperor and in coordination with the court officials. Without the late emperor's approval, it would be futile for more people to impeach them."

Zhu Yong said, "We have been fighting this battle until now. We can neither advance nor retreat. We are really in a dilemma. I can't think of any way that Taoist Li can use to break the impasse."

Zhu Hui said: "I don't know how he broke the situation, but I know he is determined to trick us!"

Zhu Yong did not argue with his son. He pointed outside the camp and said, "Immediately send more than a dozen scouts to investigate the Tatars. The advance and retreat of the main force of the Tatars is the key to victory. We must find out everything that the local border troops cannot find at night. We must know the movements of the Tatars very well."

Zhu Hui said with a bitter face: "The Tatars may have sneaked into the pass from some ruined place, and are looting everywhere now."

"not necessarily."

Zhu Yong said, "Coming all the way from Datong, have you seen any signs of Tatar activity? Even if the Tatars really came, I'm afraid they are just trying to save face.

"We are on guard against the Tatars' rebellion, but aren't the Tatars afraid of the new Shanxi Governor and Chief Censor's rebellion? Aren't they afraid that Taoist Li will be the second Wang Weining?"

"Just him?"

Zhu Hui pouted, clearly looking down on Li Zisheng.

Zhu Yongdao: "Back then, Wang Weining had Wang Zhi's support, and now Taoist Li has Zhang Guozhang's support. There is no essential difference. As for how Taoist Li will break the impasse, it depends on how far we can investigate the intelligence...

"If you want to win the battle, you have to rely on us! I also want to see what kind of instructions the powerful Zhang Guozhang will give to Taoist Li."

"This……"

Zhu Hui was stunned and asked, "We are fighting in the northwest, and we still have to rely on a relative in the capital to plan our strategy?"

Zhu Yong sighed, "A man who can help Taoist Li win by calculating the secrets of heaven from thousands of miles away, can't he calculate the next move of the Tatars?
"In the past, who would believe in the art of divination? But now, who doesn't want to know what kind of magical power Zhang Guozhang will display?
"It is a blessing for my father and I to be at Piantou Pass and on the front line of the battle. After all, not everyone has the opportunity to be there in person."

……

……

Capital.

Zhang Mansion.

Zhang Yanling met with his visiting uncle Shen Lu on behalf of Zhang Luan.

Shen Lu looked worried.

After all, he was in the officialdom and had come into contact with many people who were close to Xu Qiong and intended to join Zhang Luan. He understood what these people were worried about.

At the same time, Shen Lu also heard many criticisms of Zhang Luan from people in the court and understood his current predicament.

"…My dear nephew, your father has been reluctant to come forward, and the criticisms against him by the people in the court have increased.

"In fact, I was also thinking that your father was able to assist Minister Li in winning the victory in the northwest. This is a great thing. It lays a solid foundation for your father to become a general or a prime minister in the future. The world will have to praise his great magical power. But the problem is that the current wind direction... seems to be completely different."

Shen Lu was in a very awkward position, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, which showed that Zhang Luan now had two completely different reputations in the court.

Those who praise Zhang Luan are truly praising him.

He felt that Zhang Luan was the reincarnation of Kong Ming, the most powerful minister in the Ming Dynasty in decades. Regardless of his background, even if he was a commoner, as the father of the queen, he would definitely be second only to the emperor in the court in the future. If you follow Zhang Luan, you will have a good life in the future.

Those who opposed Zhang Luan felt that he was clearly playing with fire and using the secrets of heaven to make excuses. It seemed to bring temporary opportunities to the Ming Dynasty, but in the long run it would bring disaster to the government.

There is only one reason to admire someone.

The reasons given for opposing Zhang Luan are all kinds of strange... Zhang Luan's strengths are seen as his flaws, as if Zhang Luan is completely useless.

Zhang Yanling was not affected by Shen Lu and asked calmly, "Then... Uncle, do you think my father must come out now? Can't he hide for a few more days?"

Shen Lu said, "My dear nephew, tell me the truth, is your father really ill?"

"Why do you ask this, uncle?"

Zhang Yanling said in confusion.

"Alas, actually, I have seen your father before and know that he is suffering from a serious illness. But the problem is that now people in the court have begun to slander him, saying that he is faking illness and deliberately staying at home at this time. In fact, he is just trying to avoid the world's doubts about him and avoid taking the blame and shirking responsibility."

Shen Lu said, "In the past two days, there has been a significant increase in criticism about the war at Piantou Pass... This is even when Eunuch Huai came out to lobby the ministers and tried his best to suppress it... If it weren't for Eunuch Huai running behind the scenes, I'm afraid the fire would have burned to the rafters by now."

Zhang Yanling laughed when he heard this: "Eunuch Huai really cares about my father."

Shen Lu said: "Eunuch Huai is not thinking about your father, but is helping your majesty. Your majesty doesn't want to explain so much to others... In fact, he is just waiting for further results from the border.

"If Li Zisheng wins first and then loses... even if he wins first and then does nothing, it will have a huge impact on your father's reputation."

Zhang Yanling asked in surprise: "Why? Winning one game is not enough, you have to win in succession? What kind of logic is this?" "The main thing is..."

Shen Lu seemed very embarrassed. "Li Zisheng's previous method of leading the army to victory was too clever. He gained military merit by a sneak attack, and then retreated back to the border, allowing the Tatars to wreak havoc in the border area. Minister Li even withdrew all his troops to Piantou Pass, leaving the defense of the Great Wall hundreds of miles long empty, giving the Tatars the opportunity to break through the pass. It was very...defending the status quo without knowing how to make progress. It was clearly...Alas!"

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "I understand. The people in the court hope that Minister Li can make a concerted effort. He should attack when he has an advantage, and he should also attack when he has no advantage. Even if he fights to the last man, he must not lose the prestige of the Ming Dynasty. Is that what you mean?"

"what?"

Shen Lu was slightly startled, thought about it, and quickly shook his head, "That's not the case."

"Oh, I understand now."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "In fact, the people in the court believed that Li Zisheng should send troops, but after Li Zisheng sent troops, they thought he underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly.

"After Li Zisheng acted rashly, they thought he should be cautious. After he acted cautiously, they thought he should be fearless... In short, whatever Minister Li did was wrong, because he didn't do things according to the expectations of the court. Is that what you mean?"

"what?"

Now Shen Lu was completely at a loss.

The old man and the young man just sat there in a stalemate for a long time. Shen Lu finally sighed helplessly: "Yanling, in fact, many things are not as simple as they seem on the surface. There is no question of right or wrong. It all depends on... like you said, we just have different standpoints."

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "Uncle is right. It's just that our positions are different. So if you know that your positions are different and everything you do is wrong, why do you still care about what those people think?"

"what?"

Shen Lu looked puzzled.

Zhang Yanling said: "Under such circumstances, if I can lead the troops to victory, demonstrate the power of the Ming Dynasty, satisfy His Majesty, and inspire the common people who have no position, isn't that enough? Why do I have to act according to the position of those who are prejudiced against my father and Li Zisheng?"

"This……"

Shen Lu thought about it and nodded, "That's true, but... can we still win next time?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "To demonstrate the power of our country, we don't necessarily have to compete on the battlefield. We can show the power of our country, let the people feel proud, and let Your Majesty have an explanation to the people of the world. Let Your Majesty's royal prestige be even greater... Isn't that enough?"

"This... means that your father has further plans?"

After listening to this, Shen Lu seemed to have a little more confidence.

Zhang Yanling said: "Although my father is ill, he never forgets the affairs of the court. Uncle, please go back and wait for a few days. Good news will come soon."

……

……

at dusk.

It was time to give Zhang Luan an IV drip again. By this time, Zhang Luan had already adapted to this new treatment method. It seemed that this was the only moment of the day when he felt most at ease, because he knew that his son was really treating him.

"Will it work? This thing..."

Although he agreed in his heart, Zhang Luan still appeared unconvinced.

Zhang Yanling was sitting nearby writing and drawing. Hearing this, he turned around and glared at his cheap father, then asked, "Whether it works or not, don't you know with your old arms and legs?"

Zhang Luan lay on his back on the bed. Because his son had told him not to move the arm that was receiving the IV drip, he seemed to be frozen there. He said leisurely:
"I feel a little better these days, but I don't know... Is it a psychological problem? Can you really cure my illness by pouring a bunch of water into my body? I have never seen such a treatment method in medical books before..."

Zhang Yanling said, "Dad, how do you think you usually treat your illness by taking medicine? If the medicine doesn't enter your blood, will it just slide down your intestines and be excreted the next day?"

"Pah, the more you talk, the more disgusting it becomes."

Zhang Luan said, "No, no, I have to eat something good tonight... I've been eating bland soup lately, and my body can't take it... Can you eat meat?"

Zhang Yanling lowered his head and continued writing and drawing, and replied casually: "As long as it's not spicy food, anything else is fine."

Zhang Luan said, "Hey, you look like you don't take your father's illness seriously... You don't even mention anything about dietary restrictions? If anything happens to your father, it'll all be your fault..."

"Oh."

Zhang Yanling responded again, seeming indifferent.

If anything happens to you and you go to hell, you can blame anyone you want.

What can you do to me then?

Do you still want me to live with a sense of guilt?

I'm sorry, ever since the day I started studying medicine, I knew that people cannot have such a strong sense of empathy, otherwise doctors would have suffered from depression long ago.

"You kid..."

Zhang Luan found that he was punching cotton with his fists, unable to bear the force, and unable to vent his frustration. He was quite helpless, so he had to make small talk and asked, "What do you mean by responding to your uncle's words? Are you trying to say that Lizi Province can still win the battle? I think it's very unlikely."

Zhang Yanling was now somewhat interested, and turned around and asked, "Dad, don't you trust your allies?"

Zhang Luan said, "I don't believe him at all! Li Zisheng claims to be able to calculate people's hearts, but if it weren't for my father and I helping him, he would have gone to the underworld to see the King of Hell! Look at the whole court now, who treats him as a dish? Even my father has to suffer with him..."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "This has no direct connection with whether Li Zisheng can lead the army to another victory in the west."

“How can there be no connection?”

Zhang Luan seemed full of energy, as if he had recovered from his illness. If he could not raise his hands, he would have wanted to show his strength. "The last time we won the battle, it was all thanks to you calculating the destiny for him. He used a tricky sneak attack to successfully gain military merit. You let him fight the Tatars with real swords and guns, can he win? Son, could it be that you calculated that he can win again?"

Zhang Yanling said, "You are wrong, Dad. I have calculated it and the result is roughly the same as yours. He will not be able to win on the battlefield no matter what."

"Pfft...cough cough cough..."

Zhang Luan had difficulty breathing and kept coughing.

After a long while, Zhang Luan said, "Boy, are you trying to fool your uncle again? Or are you trying to fool me? But no matter what, don't fool your brother-in-law..."

Zhang Yanling finally put down his pen, turned around, and said solemnly: "Dad, do you think that the only way for Lizi Province to escape from the northwest is to win on the battlefield?"

"..."

Zhang Luan was silent for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why, does he have any other good ideas? Let him build fortresses in the northwest? Or let him govern the border people? Is it his turn? My son, the military and political situation in the northwest is as chaotic as a mess. Do you really understand it? Your father doubts it."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Okay, Dad, you are always doubting this and disbelieving that, why don't you come up with a perfect idea yourself..."

Zhang Luan rolled his eyes at his son and said, "You are really asking for trouble. If I were really capable, why would I bother you all the time? Tell me what you are planning to do."

Zhang Yanling said: "In fact, I think Li Zisheng is self-aware, so his next goal will definitely not be to achieve anything on the battlefield... Even if he wants to, the Tatars will not give him the opportunity to make merit."

"Oh."

Zhang Luan thought about it carefully, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "You mean, we just need to maintain the current tense situation and scare the Tatars away, and then everything will be fine?"

"No."

Zhang Yanling said clearly, "Even if the Tatars retreated, Li Zisheng would still be accused of retreating from battle after returning to the court, and the border troops would not be much inspired by the victory of this surprise attack. Your Majesty's majesty has not been demonstrated to the greatest extent."

The excitement on Zhang Luan's face froze there. His incredulous eyes seemed to be asking, "You've said everything, now tell me what we should do specifically?"

Are you playing with your dad?
(End of this chapter)