Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 765 If you need anything, just ask Zhang Guozhang.

The auction for Xishan Coal Mine is about to begin.

As the representative of the "organizer," Zhang Yanling was to personally go to Xishan to preside over the auction. At the same time, merchants from all over the country were also gathering in Xishan. It can be said that this was the most exciting event since the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty, and its impact was even greater than that of the salt administration reform at the beginning of the year.

Just then, a simple court meeting in the palace had just ended. Zhu Youcheng, who had just stepped out of Fengtian Hall, felt immense pressure. He led Li Rong and Qin Ji toward Qianqing Palace, walking quickly.

After a minor cold following the New Year, Zhu Youcheng's condition dragged on for a long time without improvement. His brother-in-law then treated him and provided some conditioning. At this point, he finally looked like a young man, walking with great speed and agility. Even Li Rong and Qin Ji, who were used to walking slowly in the palace, had to hurry to keep up with his pace.

"Ten thousand taels of silver from Xuanfu, seven thousand taels from Liaodong, one hundred and fifty thousand taels from Gansu, plus one hundred and one thousand taels from Datong... Do they want to empty my treasury?"

Zhu Youcheng was unwilling to accept this, and he kept complaining as he walked.

Li Rong quickly followed, his tone urgent: "These are all arrears in wages that started in the late Chenghua period. Because the wages could not be paid, many military towns in the Northwest have seen absconds... The current expenditures have only alleviated some of the pressure and have not eradicated the arrears in wages for the border troops all at once."

"Isn't this much enough?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youcheng stopped in his tracks.

Qin Ji walked forward with his head down, and almost bumped into the emperor.

Li Rong was very efficient and immediately stopped to explain: "Currently, all the major military towns in the Northwest are demanding back pay from the imperial court, mainly because the court changed the salt administration at the beginning of the year, resulting in a severe shortage of merchant settlements in the Northwest. It is estimated that the situation of runaway households will worsen this year."

Zhu Youcheng asked in surprise, "Didn't they say that the border settlements had already run into problems? How is it now connected to this year's salt administration reform?"

He looked at Qin Ji when he asked this question, as if he was waiting for Qin Ji to give him an answer.

However, Qin Ji remained silent at this time.

Li Rong took the initiative to speak, saying, "Your Majesty, it is precisely because the salt administration reform was led by Zhang Guozhang that the salt tax has been directly deposited into the Taicang granary. Perhaps this is why the military garrisons in the Northwest are so eager to pay the back wages owed for the past few years in order to rectify the long-standing problems. There are also rumors that this salt tax reform has brought the court more than one million taels of silver in revenue at once, which makes all the local officials envious."

"Are there that many?"

Zhu Youcheng asked curiously.

He brought back a million taels of silver in one go?
Therefore, the salt administration reform was quite effective.

After all, what the Northwest is asking him for now is the back pay owed from the past few years. Although it is not much, if the court can fill such a big hole with the treasury money obtained at the beginning of spring, Zhu Youcheng thinks it is worth it.

Li Rong said, "Even if it's less than a million taels of silver, it's still between six hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand, and it's already in the treasury. We'll have to wait until we summarize the figures to find out the exact amount."

Zhu Youcheng's mood finally improved. He secretly considered the matter and said, "The border regions are only demanding around 500,000 taels of silver this time. In that case, this year's salt tax revenue alone can cover the deficits from previous years. But... will it affect the future?"

Finally, Qin Ji spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, shouldn't we consult Mr. Zhang about the salt tax allocation? He knows the details best, and if there's anything else he might be useful for..."

Li Rong wanted to roll his eyes when he heard this, and was somewhat speechless at Qin Ji's words.

You're not offering any good suggestions, but instead telling the emperor to ask his father-in-law? Are you handing over the advisory and advisory authority that rightfully belongs to our Directorate of Ceremonial to outsiders?
What are their intentions?

Li Rong quickly interjected: "Your Majesty, it is precisely because this matter was initiated by Zhang Guozhang, and given that the court is currently making great efforts to complete the Yellow River project, that officials and generals in the Northwest and Liaodong are worried that this salt tax revenue will be used elsewhere. That's why they suddenly submitted a memorial to the court demanding the money back. And other officials in the court may also have the same concerns."

"No wonder."

It was only at this point that Zhu Youcheng understood the intricacies behind it all.

Because the salt tax reform was strongly advocated by Zhang Luan, and he is now in charge of the specific affairs of the Ministry of Revenue, everyone is afraid that if Zhang Luan gets angry, he will transfer all the silver to Lizi Province for the diversion of the Yellow River. Therefore, the ministers in the court and local officials will put pressure on the emperor to fill the previous hole first...

Zhu Youcheng felt a sense of frustration, as if he had been set up in a series of traps, which made him feel even more isolated and helpless, and convinced that his father-in-law was an omnipotent and awesome figure.

Zhu Youcheng was no longer in a hurry to go to the Qianqing Palace. Instead, he looked towards the Kunning Palace behind the Qianqing Palace and said with displeasure, "Didn't I say before that the Yellow River project would not require the court to pay a single penny? Did they think I was joking with them?"

Li Rong smiled apologetically and said, "It involves such a large-scale project as the Yellow River engineering. The court probably doesn't think Minister Li can complete it alone."

"If they don't trust Li Zisheng, do they not trust my father-in-law?"

Zhu Youcheng said angrily, "Since my father-in-law entered the court, how much have he actually done? And Yanling, he has been working tirelessly to raise funds for the court. Do we need them to put pressure on me?"

Li Rong lowered his head and did not reply.

Qin Ji then said, "Your Majesty, shouldn't we ask Mr. Zhang for his opinion?"

Upon hearing this again, Li Rong nearly vomited blood.

So, your greatest skill, Eunuch Qin, is to keep mentioning that newly appointed cabinet member, Zhang Guozhang, who doesn't do any real work, in front of the emperor, and stirring up trouble here, is that right?
Zhu Youcheng pondered for a moment and said, "The arrears in taxes in the Northwest have accumulated over many years, which is enough to show how failed the previous salt administration was, and how brilliant my father-in-law's reforms were."

"Although I know that allocating several hundred thousand taels of silver to Liaodong and the Northwest is not enough to allow the soldiers on the front lines to live a good life, it can at least help them get through the current difficulties."

“Honey, go and tell your father not to worry about the money and that he can take it out. As for the rest… you can ask around for more details.”

When it came to important matters of state, Zhu Youcheng was stubborn but couldn't come up with any concrete solutions.

Although he resented the pressure others put on him, he also felt that he could not mistreat the soldiers on the frontier, especially since it was the sins his own father had committed.

"Yes."

Qin Ji hurriedly accepted the order.

This completely extinguished Li Rong's desire to continue offering advice.

Since the emperor himself said that he wanted to ask Zhang Luan's opinion, it meant that the opinions of these people were no longer important.

……

……

After seeing his son, Zhang Luan immediately instructed his servants to prepare the medicine according to the prescription to help him recover.

Three meals a day.

He takes his medicine more frequently than he eats, taking it at home and even when he's in his lap with his mistress, which makes Qi Niang feel very awkward.

Because when Zhang Luansheng was seriously ill before, he didn't seem to take any medicine. Suddenly... Zhang Luansheng seemed to have become a medicine addict, and he always seemed very devout when taking medicine, just like a devout Buddhist or Taoist believer. He truly worshipped the medicine he took.

Qi Niang originally thought that Zhang Luan was taking these medicines to improve his sexual prowess and regain his virility. However, when she discovered that Zhang Luan was useless except for being stubborn and had no strength in any part of his body, she felt that Zhang Luan seemed to be possessed by some kind of demon.

"Master, since this medicine is for conditioning the body, what exactly... what are its effects?" When Qi Niang returned from outside at noon, she saw Zhang Luan drinking the medicine and went up to hand him a cup of water, asking.

Because Zhang Luan said that if he had to take medicine, he couldn't drink tea, for fear of altering the medicine's properties, he had been drinking plain water recently.

Zhang Luan shrugged and said, "How would I know?"

"..."

Qi Niang suddenly felt that her IQ was not enough.

Knew it……

The people in this courtyard generally felt that their master of the house was abnormal, and this was not unfounded. Even she felt that her master was not like a master, nor like a high-ranking official in the court, but more like an unreliable fool, even his current speech was so "unconventional".

Qi Niang asked tentatively, "If you don't know the effect, why are you taking the medicine? You seemed fine before. Is it just because the Second Young Master prescribed this medicine?"

"if not?"

Zhang Luan looked up at Qi Niang, appearing quite surprised. "Qi Niang, don't you know that my life was pulled back from the brink of death by my son... He said the medicine works, so how could I refuse to take it?"

Qi Niang asked doubtfully, "But the problem is...aren't you a miracle doctor yourself?"

"Miracle doctor my ass!"

Zhang Luan grumbled, "Don't mention any miracle doctor in front of me. Do you think I don't know what I'm capable of? Humph, I'm still self-aware... Go, go, I'm a little thirsty, go get me another glass of water... Never mind, I'll go myself."

Qi Niang had already taken the initiative, picked up the kettle from the table next to her, and poured Zhang Luan a glass of water. Zhang Luan gulped it down.

Then Zhang Luan let out a long sigh of relief, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Qi Niang looked very awkward.

It's like... Zhang Luan now treats taking medicine as a sacred thing, and even enjoys it, which seems incredibly silly.

This is definitely not normal!

"My lord, everyone says that you are a master physician with the ability to bring the dead back to life. Even when the late emperor was seriously ill, he didn't believe anyone but you, and even appointed you to head the Imperial Hospital."

Qi Niang sat down and asked with a curious look, "Your medical skills must be unparalleled in this world, right?"

Zhang Luan glared at Qi Niang and said, "What? You want me to admit it? Actually, I... never mind, I won't say it. Humph, I still have a reputation!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Niang thought to herself, "Alright, now I know what kind of person you are."

So you're just a charlatan who gets a sense of pride by relying on your son's awesomeness and getting things done!
But there's nothing we can do. The Zhang family is the most powerful in the entire court. Following you won't be a loss!

"Then, sir, what are your plans for tonight?"

Qi Niang asked again.

"No need to make any arrangements."

Zhang Luan waved his hand, looking sullen, and said, "I'm willing but unable right now! In short, just letting me listen to some tunes and look at things from afar would be the best enjoyment I could have."

"Remember, don't arrange for a stunningly beautiful woman to sing, I'm afraid I can't handle it. Also, from now on, tell those young ladies who are usually on good terms with me to stay away from me. When I see them, I can't help but think... cough cough, I need to calm down."

Qi Niang exclaimed in shock, "Master... you... you have to... quit..."

"Quit? Quit what? Quit lust? Do you think I'm a god?"

Zhang Luan shook his head, directly denying it, "I only said to calm down and cultivate my character, not to completely abstain from sex! In general, the women who come near me should not be too beautiful, should not try to flock to my room, and should not touch me inappropriately during the meal, or do anything new that I can't stand."

"In the end, I am just an ordinary person. As long as I don't have any wild thoughts, I won't overstep the bounds of propriety and do anything beastly."

"..."

Qi Niang was speechless once again.

I thought to myself, "Your ability to take off your pants and fart is truly something else."

If you're so afraid of dying, why don't you just stay at home instead of coming here?
Zhang Luan instructed, "I need to take a nap later. From now on, I must be asleep before midnight and can no longer stay up late. Try to keep the usual performances peaceful. There should be no alcohol for now. Also, replace the servants who usually serve me at the table with old women, especially the kind that look disgusting. That way, I can keep my mind free of distractions."

"hehe."

Qi Niang laughed and said, "It sounds like Master wants to become a monk?"

Zhang Luan sighed, "I'm risking my life for this. Go and make the arrangements."

"Yes, sir."

Qi Niang accepted the order and left.

……

……

As a result, Zhang Luan did not get to take a nap, because the gatekeeper came to report that a distinguished guest had arrived.

"My old hideout can no longer be concealed; even Eunuch Qin has managed to find it."

When Zhang Luan came out and saw Qin Ji, he had a look of annoyance on his face.

He was just looking for a quiet place to hide away, but Qin Ji still came to his door under the pretext of official business. Doesn't this mean that his actions are being watched all the time and he can't hide them no matter what he does?
Qin Ji quickly apologized: "Mr. Zhang, I am here on state business. It concerns the Ministry of Revenue's use of silver, which is related to the military pay of the soldiers on the frontier, so I had to bother you."

"Military pay?"

Zhang Luan's expression changed immediately, and he asked with a worried look, "Is the imperial court running out of money again, and I need to raise another batch?"

"what?"

Qin Ji didn't expect Zhang Luan to be so "sensitive," as if he had been cheated so many times that he had developed a psychological trauma from raising money.

Qin Ji hurriedly explained, "It's not that I'm asking you to raise money and grain... The money in the treasury this time is the harvest brought about by the salt administration reform at the beginning of the year."

"call."

Zhang Luan let out a long sigh of relief, then glared at Qin Ji and said, "You're always trying to scare me... Eunuch Qin, I have to say something to you. Since there's money in the treasury, you can just allocate it directly. Why come to me for advice? Or is it that the Ministry of Revenue can't do without me? I'm just a Right Vice Minister in the Ministry of Revenue."

Qin Ji said, "His Majesty would like to hear your opinion."

"Oh, your opinion? How much silver needs to be allocated?"

Zhang Luan pondered for a moment and asked, "Does that mean we still need to raise funds for food, transportation, and so on before we can set off?"

"No, only the silver will be allocated."

Qin Ji said, "It's to pay the soldiers at the front lines. The rest will be raised and resolved by the various military garrisons themselves."

Zhang Luan asked, "Is it because grain prices in the Northwest have risen, and we need to take some measures to stabilize prices?"

"Well...no, there isn't one either."

With a somewhat embarrassed expression, Qin Ji said, "Actually, it's like this: we only need to allocate about 500,000 taels of silver from the Ministry of Revenue's granary. But I don't know how much salt tax revenue we've collected so far."

Zhang Luan blurted out, "Then I'll have to ask Yanling to find out."

"what!?"

Qin Ji was surprised once again.

He thought to himself, "Good heavens, you, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, have been using the excuse of recuperating from illness to skip court and the yamen, and now that something has happened, you dare to claim ignorance and ask your son for answers?"
Who exactly is the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue of the Ming Dynasty? Is it you? Or your son?

Or are you planning to promote your son to the top, and you're just going to stand in front and act as a mouthpiece?
Zhang Luan said irritably, "What's so surprising about that? Everything about the salt tax reform, from beginning to end, has been done openly. My family has not embezzled a single penny from the court because of this, and this can withstand scrutiny."

"No, that's not what I meant."

Qin Ji hurriedly explained, "Everyone knows about your family's contributions to the Ming Dynasty. Even those officials who are eager to impeach you dare not use this as a starting point."

“What else is there to say? The salt tax reform is just changing the salt permit exchange from grain to silver,” Zhang Luan said. “Didn’t people in the court also say that if we continue to follow the old method, we will not be able to raise grain in the Northwest, and there will be no silver in the Taicang. It’s better to make a change later.”

Qin Ji further explained, "I am not questioning the effectiveness of the new salt law."

Zhang Luan stared intently at Qin Ji: "So... you're questioning me?"

This has left Qin Ji completely bewildered.

He thought to himself, "You'll only feel comfortable if I admit to questioning something, right? I just think you're being very irresponsible right now, pushing everything onto your son. That won't do."

Zhang Luan was filled with anger at being unjustly confronted, and his words were always barbed. After calming himself down a bit, he said, "Eunuch Qin, the treasury should be able to allocate 500,000 taels of silver, right?"

"Yes."

Qin Ji replied, "Eunuch Li in the palace said that the reason why people in the court are so nervous and have brought this matter to fruition is because they are worried that the silver from this batch of salt tax revenue will be used for river construction."

"Then they are simply overthinking it... I've said before that the imperial court won't allocate a single tael of silver for river works. If I were to forcibly allocate funds, it wouldn't be able to be hidden. Besides, we're currently using Minister Li's family fortune to cover the costs, so even if funds were to be allocated, it would be three to five months from now..."

Zhang Luan started making things up as soon as he opened his mouth, appearing relaxed and carefree, with a nonchalant air of "this matter has nothing to do with me".

Qin Ji asked, "Then do you think the grain and salary for the Northwest should be allocated?"

Zhang Luan countered, "What is Your Majesty's opinion?"

"His Majesty said that they should be transferred," Qin Ji said. "We cannot allow the soldiers guarding the frontier to be mistreated, and we must also prevent the proliferation of deserters, which would affect the stability of the nine border regions."

Zhang Luan said, "Yes, His Majesty's opinion is also my opinion. Then how about this, I'll also express my opinion: 500,000 taels is too little. Since we want the soldiers to have a better life, we should give them more money. Not only should we make up for what is already owed, but we should also increase it!"

"what?"

Qin Ji was once again shocked by Zhang Luan's "generous" style.

He composed himself and asked, "Mr. Zhang, do you know what 500,000 taels of silver can do? If it's any more, where will the silver come from?"

Zhang Luan muttered, "Even if I don't know how much salt tax has been collected, it should be no less than 500,000 taels, right? This salt tax was originally collected for the soldiers in the Northwest, in order to ensure that the military towns in the Northwest have enough food. There's nothing wrong with distributing it to the soldiers now, is there?"

"That seems... right too."

Qin Ji couldn't find fault with it for a moment, so he could only nod in agreement with Zhang Luan's point of view.

Zhang Luan said, "Then that's settled. Please convey my opinion to His Majesty that I suggest we increase the military pay appropriately. If that's not enough, I can always raise more funds."

"You're going to raise the money?" Qin Ji was surprised again. "Are you... sure? You should know that there's still money for the river works that's waiting for your help."

Zhang Luan laughed and said, "My son is handling the money for the river works, what does it have to do with me? I can keep an eye on the soldiers' pay and rations in the Northwest. Didn't Lizi Province send a batch of military supplies to the Northwest at the end of last year?"

"Correct."

Qin Jixin said with delight, "With your kind words, I am relieved. I will go back and report this good news to His Majesty."

(End of this chapter)