Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 717: If the direct approach doesn’t work, then go for the mysterious approach
Huai'en met Zhang Yanling, then left Zhang's house and hurried back to the palace.

Before reaching the palace gate, a carriage stopped on the opposite side. Li Rong hurried over and stood in front of the carriage.

When Huai En saw this, he wanted to get off the carriage. Li Rong hurriedly went up to dissuade him, saying that you don’t need to get off the carriage, I will leave after reporting to you.

Huai En did not force himself any more, his legs drooping down like a coachman, and asked, "Have you met the Duke of England?"

"Yes."

Li Rong said, "I asked about the military exercise. According to the Duke of England, he was just cooperating this time and was not involved in the specific implementation.

"Personnel drills and practical training will be handled by the Jing Army."

Huai En frowned and asked, "Jing Jun? Who? Luo Xiang?"

The current eunuch in charge of the Imperial Stables is Luo Xiang. Since Luo Xiang has a certain friendship with Zhang Luan, Huai En believes that this person is not from my faction and his heart must be different.

Li Rong said: "It has something to do with Eunuch Luo, but it is said that the specific execution is Ning Jin, who is co-organizing it under the order of the emperor."

When Huai En heard this, he couldn't help but feel worried.

If one wants to create some obstacles for this military exercise and prevent it from going forward, then one must rely on “one’s own people”, such as Li Rong.

Even if it was Zhang Mao, as an executive figure, even with the dignity of a duke, he would certainly comply as long as the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department exerted pressure on him.

Huai En didn't think that Zhang Mao would stand firmly on the side of Zhang Luan and his son and openly oppose the Imperial Household Department... Even if the Zhang father and his son gained power again, they only had the potential to reach the top.

To offend the core of the current top level for the sake of someone who may become the core decision-maker in the future, a mature and steady minister like Zhang Mao would never do such a thing.

But the Imperial Stables...

Huai En said: "The Jingjun is only a facade armed force. It is best not to get involved in military exercises. You go to Luo Xiang and ask him clearly. Wouldn't it be a mistake to easily use the Jingjun under the Imperial Horse Administration or the Four Tengxiang Guards to participate in the military exercise?"

Li Rong asked: "I'm afraid this is unreasonable... After all, this is something that His Majesty ordered personally. If you want to stop it, there must be a legitimate reason. Simply saying that it is inappropriate..."

Huai En glanced back at Li Rong, smiled mysteriously, and said, "It doesn't have to be stopped. His Majesty has such high expectations. Are you trying to seduce His Majesty by openly singing the opposite tune?"

Li Rong was stunned for a moment.

But then I understood.

If you want to stop something from going forward, you don't necessarily have to stop it. After all, no matter how powerful Huai En is, there is still a gap between him and the imperial power.

The emperor said to move forward, so how can you, Huai En, be qualified to stop it?
Whether it was Luo Xiang or Zhang Mao, when they discovered that Huai'en's intentions conflicted with the emperor's orders, it was impossible for them to stand on Huai'en's side.

In this case, if we can't stop it... we'll just get into trouble.

In fact, it means strictly limiting the number and quality of troops in Beijing participating in this military exercise.

Don’t the Zhang family father and son want to show off their muscles in front of others?
Then let’s think of a way to prevent you from showing off!
Don’t you want to fire a cannon in public?

Then silence your guns...

Don’t you want to demonstrate the strength of the Ming army in front of foreigners?

Then I will make you unable to issue orders!

It seemed to be causing trouble for the emperor and affecting his face.

But in the eyes of traditional Confucian officials, or conservatives like Huai En, the emperor's face is the least valuable.

What is needed is the stability of the imperial power of the Ming Dynasty and the harmony between the emperor and his subjects... We cannot highlight the value of a rapidly rising relative by marriage, nor can we allow the relative's younger son to have the opportunity to establish his authority in front of others.

It would be best to take this opportunity to completely wipe out Zhang Luan's power, so that the emperor can return to the "right path" from now on and be a puppet of the literati in charge of the country.

As an emperor, why do you need so much real power?
Wouldn't it be great to hand over the heavy burden of governing the country to the ministers below, have the monarch and his ministers discuss major issues together, not act independently when encountering things, pursue a golden mean, and create a prosperous era of civil servants governing the country?

Li Rong said, "Eunuch Huai, this matter is now in your hands. If things don't go well, aren't you afraid that it will affect your... prestige?"

Huai En asked: "In front of the Ming Dynasty, what is the prestige of one person? I am a dying man, how can I care about my afterlife? Even if the world regards me as a traitor or a flatterer, as long as it can stabilize the Ming Dynasty, what does it matter if I bear a little infamy?"

"Yes."

Li Rong seemed very unwilling.

You are dying, and you don't care about your reputation or how the emperor will view you afterwards.

But I can't.

I help you for my own future.

Instead, you taught me how to cause trouble for the emperor and his favored relatives?

Huai En said: "The Tatars will arrive in Beijing tomorrow. In a few days, I will retire. Maochun, you also know that Houfang is old and he has no intention of competing for fame and fortune. The Silijian will have to rely on you in the future."

When Li Rong heard this, he naturally understood that Huai En was trying to comfort him.

Lure with benefits.

Li Rong asked: "Then...Eunuch Huai, if Tan Chang returns to the court, can the order of the Silijian remain the same?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Huai En said with a serious face, "The Silijian has always had an orderly inheritance, and His Majesty will not change it easily. What is yours must be yours. With so many people behind you, don't they want you to rise up and bring glory to a faction?"

This is another clear warning.

Don't cause me any trouble.

The eunuchs in the imperial palace have always been particular about factions and family backgrounds, which are mainly reflected in their surnames. Many of them are surnames passed down from old eunuchs and inherited by adopted sons.

Just like the surnames Qin, Wei, and Li... Huai'en's original surname was Dai. Also, someone with the surname Dai who has a certain relationship with Huai'en includes Dai Yi, who is now in the Ministry of Ceremonies.

Huai En wanted to tell Li Rong that as long as you have the opportunity to become the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department or the eunuch in charge of the seal, the entire faction behind you will have the opportunity to be promoted to high positions, and your people will also have the opportunity to succeed you, although not in this generation, but you can promote many people to the study room and become reserve internal ministers.

When it is this group of people’s turn to take power, they will be able to bring up many descendants.

If you don't think about yourself, you have to think about the people behind you.

In this day and age, how can you survive without forming cliques?

Li Rong immediately felt the heavy pressure on his shoulders and said, "Don't worry, Eunuch. I will definitely get the job done. I will go and discuss this with Eunuch Luo right away."

……

……

Zhang Luan was still recuperating from his illness. On this day, at the insistence of his youngest son, he finally moved out of the villa where he kept his mistress and moved to the courtyard outside the left gate of Chang'an, which was once used for court sessions and keeping concubines.

But now this courtyard seems quite deserted. After all, all the "old friends" here have been moved to the luxurious villa outside Chongwenmen. Since the death of the late emperor, Zhang Luan has not attended court for a long time, and this place has been vacant for some time.

Zhang Yanling asked Chang Shun to find some servants, strictly restricting their gender to prevent Zhang Luan from having the opportunity to get close to women.

"Being a monk is just like this."

Zhang Luan came out of the sedan chair with a dazed look in his eyes.

Was I just moved to this damn place by my son?

Before, when I was in that house, even though I couldn’t do much on a normal day, the thought of having so many beautiful ladies around me, who could come over to serve me tea or water and do some frivolous things just by waving their hands, that feeling... was wonderful.

But when I got here, I was surrounded by walls and couldn't even see a female mouse...

Is this a place for people?

Zhang Yanling said, "Dad, after I give you the medicine, I have to go and do some work... Today, I need to calibrate the sights of two cannons, so I will be busy until very late."

Zhang Luan said, "My son, you have really made great progress. You used to study bottles and jars, but now you are directly studying artillery? You have to be careful. That thing is not simple. If something goes wrong, who will our family rely on in the future? Will we rely on your eldest brother?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Don't we still have you, my father? You are young and strong. If you have a few more children, maybe you can give birth to another awesome son."

"You're teasing me, your father?"

Zhang Luan said angrily, "I have been very restrained in the past two years. Let me put it this way, you won't have a brother anymore. I can only rely on the two of you."

Zhang Yanling said, "It's hard to say. Oh, by the way, my eldest brother seems to be very serious about marriage recently. I heard from my brother-in-law, the emperor, that someone has proposed to him that they want to form an alliance with our family. And my younger sister is getting older..."

Zhang Luan said, "What does this have to do with you? Why is it that as a younger brother, you are worried about your elder brother's marriage? You are quite open-minded."

Zhang Yanling said with emotion: "Dad, you haven't been to the palace for a long time. My brother-in-law has always said that he would come to visit you for your illness, but I forcibly stopped him from coming."

"You're blocking it?"

Zhang Luan was a little surprised.

How dare the son block the emperor and prevent the monarch and his subjects from meeting?
Zhang Yanling said, "You look so listless, are you suitable to meet His Majesty? My brother-in-law is not fully recovered yet. If he gets sick again after meeting you, aren't you worried that others will put the blame on you?"

"This one……"

Zhang Luan was speechless for a moment.

in the bedroom.

The bedding and other items inside were all moved directly from home and exuded a scent of sunshine, so that Zhang Luan could live more comfortably.

"Dad, take a look and see if there's anything missing. I'll have someone bring it to you."

Zhang Yanling asked.

Zhang Luan shook his head, and when his son turned around to get the medicine, he muttered, "You won't give me what I want. Why are you showing filial piety now?"

Zhang Yanling said, "Dad, listen to me. Your illness can be serious or minor... Rest for half a month first, and see the results before deciding on the next step."

"What? Half a month is not enough?"

Zhang Luan asked in surprise.

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, "You have to rest for your illness. If you can't calm down, even if you recover, there will be sequelae.

"You don't want to be half dead in the future, with your body hanging on for dear life, living in pain, right? Let me tell you, this disease is very harmful to the lungs."

A patient with severe pneumonia is equivalent to being hospitalized for white lung in later generations. If he doesn't take good care of himself, he may suffer from some sequelae later...

It would be bad enough if an asthma patient couldn't do heavy work, but if he develops pulmonary fibrosis, he would be half dead.

In those days, there were no conditions for treatment like in later generations.

It all depends on whether Zhang Luan can hold on, which means everything depends on fate.

However, from the perspective of his son, his cheap dad was just restless, otherwise, with the power of antibiotics in this era, he would have recovered long ago.

If you want your father to rest and recover from this disease, you have to use some coercive measures, otherwise everything will be in vain.

"Son, are you sure there's no problem with the military drill? Don't you need me to go?" Zhang Luan asked. "Haha."

Zhang Yanling pointed the needle at the back of Zhang Luan's left hand and stabbed it, shaking his head and laughing, "Dad, do you want to make things worse? Even if Li Zisheng comes back, he will be more useful than you."

"Bah, who are you looking down on? I really miss the carefree days in my hometown. You said this disease is strange. It didn't come earlier or later, but came at this time... You mean, I really don't have that blessing? Ouch, be gentle, it hurts." Zhang Luan grinned and shouted.

……

……

into the night.

Zhang Yanling came out from the place where Zhang Luan was recuperating, took a carriage out of the street, and drove for about a quarter of an hour before finally arriving at the door of a teahouse where he had an appointment with Pang Qing.

Pang Qing had just finished explaining things to others when he heard that Zhang Yanling was coming, so he hurried out to greet him.

"Mr. Pang, long time no see."

After saying hello, Zhang Yanling followed Pang Qing inside and sat down at the table by the window.

Pang Qing wanted to call the tea master over to serve tea, but Zhang Yanling stopped him with his hand: "I'll leave after I finish talking. I just went to visit my father's illness. I'm afraid I need to rest for a few days."

"Still need to rest?"

Pang Qing seemed very nervous. "It's been so long, and Zhang Guozhang is still bedridden?"

Apparently Pang Qing felt that Zhang Luan had been ill for too long.

He was not worried that Zhang Luan was faking illness, because in his opinion, it made no practical sense for the father-in-law of the emperor to pretend to be sick at this moment.

Zhang Yanling said: "The condition keeps recurring, we can only rely on God's will."

After hearing this, Pang Qing's face was full of bitterness: "If there is any accident with Zhang Guozhang, I am afraid that... Second Young Master, can Pang come to visit him in person? Saying hello in front of the bed is also a token of my appreciation."

"no need."

Zhang Yanling said, "He must rest well now. I don't want the affairs of the court to bother him. But Mr. Pang, how many days have you been in the northwest? How come you are back so soon?"

Pang Qing smiled bitterly: "I have no choice. My Taoist master sent me to negotiate in a hurry. The Tatars haven't set off yet, but I set off first... I have been back to Beijing for two days. During this period, I followed my Taoist master's instructions and visited several people with gifts... but..."

Hesitant to speak.

Zhang Yanling asked, "It shouldn't be going well, right?"

"Yes."

Pang Qing said, "My Taoist master said that his status is not as high as before, so naturally some people will avoid him. But he won a victory in the northwest, so he shouldn't be despised so much. Who would have thought..."

What this means is that my lord thinks others should give him some face.

When I came back, I found that everyone was trying to avoid me as much as possible. They were still hiding the same way as before, and no threats or inducements worked.

Even if Li Zisheng had something on some people, they should have spoken up for my lord, but the result was still...

Zhang Yanling said: "I think they are not targeting Minister Li, but my father."

"what?"

Pang Qing asked, "Why is this?"

Zhang Yanling sighed, "Isn't it because none of the mainstream officials in the court, especially those in high positions and power, want my father to rise? Once they form a secret alliance, they will attack when they get the chance, making it impossible for my father to gain a foothold in the court. It would be best to send him to the Five Military Commandery and have him not be involved in court affairs from then on."

"This……"

Pang Qing couldn't help but think about these words seriously.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "To put it bluntly, my father's illness and the fact that Eunuch Huai is about to leave the court are both triggers. Others want to take advantage of this window of opportunity to get my father out of the court."

Pang Qing understood immediately and said in a lost voice: "You mean, now the Prime Minister of the Cabinet and the two eunuchs who hold the seal of the Imperial Household Department want to..."

Zhang Yanling said, "Not only the two of them, but also the officials who were lecturers in the Eastern Palace, are also superficially friendly to my father. They don't regard my father as one of their own. It's just that they are more low-key and cautious in doing things, and don't do things openly."

"correct."

Pang Qing was deeply touched when he heard this.

In factional struggles, some people like to bring their conflicts to the surface and break up openly.

However, Hanlin scholars who were originally lecturers in the Eastern Palace, headed by Xu Pu, like to keep things under the table. On the one hand, they show their trust in you, but on the other hand, they frequently put obstacles in your way in secret. In the end, they will say righteously that we are just handling the matter impartially.

Zhang Yanling said, "Minister Wang of the Ministry of Personnel has a deep prejudice against my father. In addition, Ma Zongxian and others from the Metropolitan Censorate... they all have the same idea."

"Ugh!"

Pang Qing sighed and said, "Although several old officials who are friends with my Taoist master are still in the court, even if they are ministers, they don't care about worldly affairs and are just waiting to retire and return home in the future. Right now... if someone wants to target your father and Taoist master, it's really not easy to... deal with it."

One is in the northwest, out of reach;
One is recuperating at home, helpless.

The two of them were targeted and seemed to have no choice but to suffer.

This seems to be the reason why those who dislike Zhang Luan and Li Zisheng want to take advantage of the opportunity to take action.

Pang Qing said, "Tomorrow the Tatars will come to the court. I heard there will be a military parade. I wonder when it will be held? Will Your Majesty be present? Will there be any trouble?"

Zhang Yanling asked with a smile: "Mr. Pang has heard about it too?"

"Second Master, you are so polite."

Pang Qing said, "One of the reasons why I rushed back to the capital as soon as possible was to follow your instructions... Just tell me if you have anything to say. You really make me feel ashamed when you call me sir."

"Mr. Pang is a capable and capable person beside Minister Li, so he deserves the title of Mr.."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "This military exercise was actually my idea. My father did not participate. I have been busy with this matter these days."

Pang Qing asked, "I wonder if I can be of assistance?"

"No."

Zhang Yanling said, "The military exercise involves military power, so Mr. Pang had better not get involved easily. I am now worried that someone is secretly plotting to attack my father and Minister Li."

Pang Qing thought about it, and said thoughtfully: "Even if the people I contacted refused to see me, refused to accept gifts, and even refused to give me a chance to communicate, it seems that at least there is no unusual movement at the moment."

Zhang Yanling asked, "Is there really no abnormal reaction at all? Mr. Pang, may I ask if you have been to the capital recently?"

"this!?"

Pang Qing asked curiously, "I just returned to Beijing and was busy visiting various families. I haven't had time to look around. Second Master, what do you mean..."

Zhang Yanling said, "I would like to ask, when the late emperor was alive, he built many temples and Taoist temples around the capital. How many of them were built by Minister Li?"

Pang Qing said: "In the early days, there were. At that time, Daoye had not yet occupied a high position in the court, and the late emperor had sent him to supervise many times. But later, because Daoye was in a high position and had great power, he no longer participated in these trivial matters."

"If you don't participate in person, how much benefit will pass through your hands?"

Zhang Yanling asked again.

"This……"

Pang Qing asked, "Second Young Master, have you heard any rumors?"

Zhang Yanling said: "I'm just asking. If you don't tell me, just pretend I didn't ask."

"I am not trying to conceal the truth. Actually, the situation is like this... After the Taoist priest gained control of personnel affairs in the imperial court, he developed a rift with the eunuch Liang Fang. The construction of Buddhist and Taoist temples was a royal project, and most of the projects were seized by Liang Fang. The profits rarely passed through the Taoist priest's hands. In other words, the Taoist priest did not need to seek benefits through this," Pang Qing said.

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "Then let me ask, how many tricks are there in the construction of Wanhe Temple?"

When Pang Qing heard this, his expression instantly became serious.

After all, the initial reconstruction of Wanhe Temple was led by Liang Fang. Later, it was reported that Liang Fang used inferior materials, so Zhang Luan was replaced to supervise the project, which led to a series of subsequent events.

In fact, this matter is also related to the current emperor. After all, Zhu Youtang, who was the crown prince at the time, was also involved.

Pang Qing said, "My father has had even less experience in this matter... Isn't the advancement of the project under your father's control? Oh, yes, there is also the eunuch Chen Xi. He is from the Qingning Palace and has a close relationship with the Empress Dowager. What do you think is the trick?"

Zhang Yanling said, "Mr. Pang, I heard that the imperial censors from the Censorate have recently investigated many Taoist temples and monasteries, and some have also investigated Wanhe Temple. I want to ask, what is the trick that is worth their repeated investigations?"

"This one……"

Pang Qing couldn't answer for a moment.

Zhang Yanling asked again: "I would like to ask, when building a Buddhist temple, will some evil spirits be added?"

"what?"

Pang Qing didn't react for a moment.

Zhang Yanling continued, "If you want to attack my father and Minister Li at this time, there must be a reason for Your Majesty to be moved, or in other words... even if Your Majesty is very reluctant, you have to do something due to the situation. Mr. Pang, you are a smart man, you should know what I am talking about, right?"

Pang Qing seemed very shocked. "You mean, if some evil-repelling items are found in Wanhe Temple, especially the golden book, it may involve Buddhist taboos, and people may criticize it, saying that the late emperor's illness has worsened or that someone secretly cursed him, thus affecting your majesty's filial piety, and even forming public opinion... Then, your majesty will have to punish the person responsible for this matter?"

Zhang Yanling said, "I don't know if this will happen. But why would Mr. Ma be interested in Buddhist temples and Taoist temples when there is nothing wrong with him, and at this time? When my father rebuilt the Wanhe Temple, he didn't use any talismans to pray for blessings. If someone really finds the evil-repelling item... I'm afraid..."

"understand."

Pang Qing said, "Second Master, you have great foresight, you are truly extraordinary. This matter is indeed an oversight, even if it is framed, it is difficult to explain clearly. And as far as I know, Deng Changen, Zhao Yuzhi and others used some unknown spells when they built many temples, which can easily be taken advantage of."

Zhang Yanling asked, "Then Mr. Pang, can you eradicate the hidden dangers within a day or two?"

Pang Qing said: "Since that General Ma has already been to Wanhe Temple, I'm afraid he has discovered something. Then... it's hard to say."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "This year's first month is really long..."

"You mean?"

Pang Qing was a little confused for a moment, not knowing what Zhang Yanling was talking about.

"I mean, this year is the leap month of the first lunar month. After two months, a lot of things will definitely change."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Anyway, my father is recovering from his illness. If someone really finds the evil spirit-suppressing item, it can be said that someone is secretly plotting to take revenge on my father. After all, my father was only responsible for rebuilding the Wanhe Temple and doing some superficial work. Who knows who will use him?"

Pang Qing said, "I will check it right away. Second Young Master, thank you for your advice."

Zhang Yanling said, "If Mr. Pang really wants to investigate, he can also go and smooth things over with the Imperial Observatory."

"You mean?"

Pang Qing looked puzzled.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "My father had a conflict with Ni Yue and Li Hua over the selection of the site for the imperial mausoleum. Although Li Hua was later freed, Minister Ni was dismissed from his post. Will someone use this as an excuse to make a fuss about the selection of the site for the late emperor's mausoleum?"

(End of this chapter)