Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 768 How much is friendship worth?
It's obvious these two people can't see eye to eye!

Zhang Luan is now extremely wary of Zhang Mao, and doesn't regard the Duke of Yingguo as a good person at all.

Zhang Mao, on the other hand, was completely using the same methods he had used to deal with other powerful figures, relying on connections and power to smooth things over, unaware that Zhang Luan, under the influence of his son, was gradually learning fairness and justice.

Zhang Luan knew that he would never have a good ending if he tried to cultivate relationships with others. It was already a good thing that people in the court didn't secretly plot against him out of jealousy.

How much is friendship worth?

Zhang Mao said, "Of course, we are all serving the court and His Majesty, so why distinguish between us? My Zhang family will not mistreat your son. As for money... hehe."

Zhang Luan thought to himself, "You not only want to acquire mines cheaply, but you also want to take multiple mines at once, and then you won't have to pay taxes. You might even suppress other mine owners..."

Hmph, even if I've never run a mine and am not familiar with your character, Duke Zhang, I can deduce what the future holds just from the fact that you personally came here to plot against a child.

"My lord, it's not that I'm making things difficult for you, it's just that... I'm not qualified to get involved in this matter."

Zhang Luan said with a troubled expression.

"What are you..."

Zhang Mao was a little confused for a moment.

As a father, you should just greet your son. Why are you telling me you have no right to interfere?

What about the liar?
If you don't want to help, just say you don't want to help!

Zhang Luan shrugged and said, "Actually, I didn't come here for anything related to the mine."

"then you……"

Zhang Mao looked over curiously.

"It's like this. A couple of days ago, Eunuch Qin Ji from the palace came to me and said that His Majesty is so preoccupied with the issue of military pay for the nine border regions that he can't eat or drink. He asked me to raise a batch of military pay. So, I came to find my son, hoping he could help me solve this problem. Unfortunately, he's so busy that he doesn't have a moment to spare... I only arrived two hours before you. In that limited time, I ate and washed up. Actually, I had already gone to bed before you arrived."

Zhang Luan is a down-to-earth person.

Didn't you not believe I was just here to make a quick buck?

Then I will tell you in detail why I came here. Do you think I am lying to you?
Zhang Mao said, "I am naturally aware of the silver needed in the Northwest. At that time, people in the court also advised His Majesty to quickly allocate military funds. How could this be... Could it be that the silver from the salt tax is not enough?"

Zhang Luan sighed, "Whether it's enough or not is hard to say. His Majesty is very frugal, so we'll still need to raise some extra funds."

"It seems... that's a shortfall of several hundred thousand taels of silver. We'd need at least forty or fifty thousand taels to make up the difference, right?" Zhang Mao asked in surprise. "Lai Zhan, how much do you plan to raise?"

Zhang Luan gave a wry smile and said, "I need to hear my son's opinion. Everything depends on how much money he can help raise."

Zhang Mao laughed and said, "That's perfect. I'll have someone send you a few thousand taels of silver. Just take it and I'll take over a few mines... Isn't that perfect?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Luan's anger flared up instantly.

You old man Zhang!

Although you are a few years older than me, you are just a meritorious official. Are you really that much more noble than me, a relative of the emperor? Are you taking advantage of my inexperience in court and trying to deceive me?

A few thousand taels of silver, and you think you can buy several mines? I even offered my old friend Sun You five thousand taels per mine, and that was a friendly price.

Why do you think you can take such a big advantage of me?

Is your face big?
"I cannot make the decision on this matter."

Zhang Luan shook his head and said, "My son is carrying out an imperial order, and I have no right to interfere."

"This……"

Zhang Mao was very curious and asked, "Now that the mineral deposits have been explored and are right there in the open, as long as you say a word to me, there shouldn't be any problem, right? As the saying goes, the father is the guide for the son, your son wouldn't dare to defy the world and openly disobey and be unfilial, would he?"

"Besides, I've heard that your son discovered all these mines. Your son is truly capable; he's discovered so many mines in such a short time."

"Don't be so polite with me. Several thousand taels of silver is a lot, but it's just a small token of my appreciation. Consider it my contribution to the court. Just take it and give it to me."

Zhang Luan thought to himself, "Are you unable to understand human language, or are you taking advantage of my stupidity?"

A mere few thousand taels of silver, and you expect me to owe you a debt of gratitude?

What a daydream!

Zhang Mao seemed to notice Zhang Luan's unusual expression and quickly reminded him, "Lai Zhan, I know that this mine is said to start at ten thousand taels of silver, but you should know that merchants in the capital region are very cunning. How could they possibly give in so easily? Several thousand taels of silver is actually quite a lot!"

Zhang Luan shook his head and said, "I know absolutely nothing about the situation here. As you can see, I only saw my son once before going to rest in the guest room. I have no idea what you're telling me... After all, I'm still ill..."

"Yes, you do look terrible..."

Zhang Mao suddenly remembered that Zhang Luan in front of him was indeed a patient.

Furthermore, I vaguely heard people mention that Zhang Luan's illness seemed to be contagious. It seems that the emperor said in court that the reason Zhang Luan did not attend court was because he was afraid of infecting his colleagues.

He had no intention of meeting Zhang Luan today; his plan was to "bully the younger" and use his seniority to put pressure on Zhang Yanling. Who would have thought that he would come up to talk to Zhang Luan as soon as he saw him, forgetting that the other party had an infectious disease.

Zhang Luan said, "How about this, tomorrow you go and talk to my son... and I'll put in a good word for him, okay?"

"Tell your son?"

Zhang Mao seemed hesitant.

He was thinking, "You, Zhang Luan, wouldn't realize my intentions, wouldn't know that I want to take advantage of you, so you plan to appease me first, and then inform your son and give him instructions in person, right?"
"Yes, I'm really tired and need to rest," Zhang Luan said with a bitter face. "I can go with you to find Yanling tomorrow, and then... we'll discuss it further."

"Then... let's do it."

After thinking it over carefully, Zhang Mao could understand Zhang Luan's refusal, since he was a patient.
As long as he doesn't tip off his son beforehand and is willing to go with me to find the person, with my ability to judge people and my position in the court, it wouldn't be difficult to suppress that brat Zhang Yanling.
Zhang Luan yawned and said, "Then I won't bother you any longer, Lord Zhang."

"Look at you, Lai Zhan, you're being too formal again."

Zhang Mao smiled and said, "Shall we talk about it again after we get up the mountain tomorrow?"

"it is good."

Zhang Luan wasn't worried at all.

He was still thinking, as long as I leave the matter to my son, I believe that with that kid's cunning, he will definitely be able to subdue Zhang Mao. Why should I worry about anything?
Now no one can disturb my sleep!
Anyway, I need to rest and recuperate properly, otherwise I'll die of exhaustion in Xishan. With the good feng shui here, I'd probably be buried right there, unable to even return to my roots!

……

……

Zhang Mao went downstairs and immediately summoned his attendants, ordering them to keep a close watch on the Zhang family father and son.

"Master, where is the second young master of the Zhang family?"

"The servant asked."

Zhang Mao was furious and shouted, "Can't you go out and look for him? Tomorrow is the first auction. As the person in charge, he should be on this mountain. He won't be somewhere else, will he? Keep a close eye on this place. Not even a fly can get out! Especially keep an eye on who Zhang Guozhang calls over and what he instructs him on. If all else fails, detain the people he sends out. Release them after I see Zhang's son tomorrow."

"Isn't this... bad?"

The servants were somewhat worried.

Zhang Mao said, "The mines in Xishan are like gold; how can they all fall into the hands of those uncouth merchants? Must they be allowed to benefit outsiders? I don't know what the Zhang family father and son are thinking!"

"Perhaps they also want to make money from this."

The servant replied, "Isn't everyone in the court like this?"

Zhang Mao sneered and said, "Then you don't understand the character of that father and son. They throw money around like water, they are really stupid! I can't let them continue to be stupid, I have to cure their stupidity."

The servant didn't dare to utter a sound, but he was thinking to himself, "They may be foolish, but if they throw silver at you, they're not foolish, are they?"
That's being unreasonable.

……

Zhang Mao believed that with his status and connections in the capital, it would be easy for him to suppress the Zhang family and acquire several mines in Xishan at a low price.

But when the plan was actually put into practice, he realized that he was not exactly a local strongman, let alone a powerful figure.

The men he brought searched the mountain but couldn't find Zhang Yanling anywhere.

As for hoping to gain face from the people here by relying on the prestige of the Duke of England's mansion, that's wishful thinking. All the people they see on official business are members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and everyone speaks in a very official tone. Even if they hear that the Duke of England's mansion is here, they don't take it too seriously. This is because there are quite a few people from the mansions of princes and nobles who have come to bid, and it doesn't mean that the people from the Duke of England's mansion are superior.

After dawn.

Zhang Mao got up, preparing to go with Zhang Luan to search for the person.

Before he could even meet Zhang Luan, he learned from his subordinates about the cold reception he received on the mountain the previous night.

"...There was no one to guide us, no one to bribe, not even a person in charge from the palace came, and we didn't see anyone we used to be able to speak to. The person in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is said to be Commander Qin Yun, and everyone says he will soon be promoted to Commander of the Northern Garrison. It is also said that he is the nephew of Eunuch Qin Chang, the Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial..."

The servants' report to Zhang Mao could be summarized in a very simple way.

Your reputation is of no use here.

Zhang Mao, his face dark, demanded, "What about that brat from the Zhang family? Shouldn't he at least give us some face?"

"I didn't see anyone."

The servant said, "Everyone calls him the Second Young Master. He's always been elusive, rarely seen. It's said he has more people protecting him than that Zhang Guozhang. We don't even know if he's still in Xishan right now."

Zhang Mao asked curiously, "So who will be in charge of the auction today? There has to be someone in charge, right?"

The servant hesitated, saying, "Why don't you ask Zhang Guozhang again?"

"..."

Zhang Mao felt angry when he recalled his conversation with Zhang Luan the day before.

He felt he had been tricked by Zhang Luan, and now he felt even more like he had been mocked by Zhang Luan and his son at the same time.

"master!"

Just then, someone came to deliver a message: "That Master Zhang has already left, saying he's preparing to return directly to the capital."

"Who? You mean Zhang Laizhan?"

Zhang Mao was startled.

He wondered if the Zhang family had chosen to abandon the auction altogether in order to avoid him? Were they just going to quit?
"It was indeed that Zhang Guozhang."

"Wait, stop them, I'll be right out." Zhang Mao didn't even bother to put on his shoes, he just threw on his clothes haphazardly, and after a lot of fuss, he hurriedly went out.

……

……

"Lai Zhan, what are you doing?"

Zhang Mao ran out, panting, and looked at Zhang Luan, who was blocked by the Duke's family guards and looked indignant, and asked.

Zhang Luan frowned and said, "The cold air in the Western Hills is too strong. After staying here for one night, my old leg pain almost flared up. My whole body aches terribly, and I can't get any peace and quiet for a moment. I might as well go back to the capital to continue recuperating."

"What will happen to things on this mountain if you leave?"

Zhang Mao grew anxious, "Weren't you supposed to come with me to the venue to find your son?"

Zhang Luan waved his hand and said, "With my son here, there's no need for me at all... If you need anything, my lord, just go and find him. I'm not good at these things... After we return to the capital, I'll rest for a while and then I'll be busy raising military rations for the soldiers on the frontier."

Zhang Mao went up and grabbed Zhang Luan.

Zhang Luan tried to break free, but found that Zhang Mao was incredibly strong. He then realized that although Zhang Mao looked like a decrepit old man like himself, he was still a meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty. He had practiced martial arts since childhood and had a solid foundation in martial arts, while he was just a useless scholar.

"My lord, what are you doing?"

Zhang Luanda felt like a scholar trying to reason with a soldier, unable to get anywhere.

Not only did you want to buy the mine at a low price, but when the deal fell through, you even tried to force me?
As my son said, there are no good people in the capital. I should take more people with me when I go out in the future to prevent anyone from threatening my personal safety.

Zhang Mao released his grip and said helplessly, "Lai Zhan, you have to come with me to see your son. Without your introduction, your son won't be able to find you, and he might not even give me face."

"What face do you want?" Zhang Luan was a little annoyed. "I will naturally treat those who are good to me with courtesy. Even if you are a treacherous official, I will still treat you as a friend. Isn't Li Zisheng a living example?"

You've become violent towards me, and you expect me to give you face?

wishful thinking!

If you're so capable, then go for it! Let's see who's afraid of whom!

"Um!?"

Zhang Mao never expected that Zhang Luan would act like a clueless, foolish brute who would directly glare at him.

Zhang Luan said, "If Your Excellency wants to acquire mineral resources, you should simply go up the mountain and compete with others. Asking me or my son is futile, as my father and I are merely serving His Majesty and carrying out official duties for the court. As for what you said about being able to buy a coal mine for a few thousand taels of silver... that depends on whether others will participate in the competition."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mao flew into a rage.

I thought to myself, how dare you talk to me like that?
Do you know what it means to be ungrateful?
When I bought your yellow coral, did I haggle with you over the gains and losses?
Now you're going to start settling scores with me over the smallest details?

Zhang Mao straightened his face and said coldly, "Lai Zhan, you don't mean to suggest that I participate in the bidding with those low-class merchants, do you?"

"If Your Excellency does not wish to go yourself, you may find someone to do it for you."

Zhang Luan, with an indifferent expression, retorted, "Or perhaps Your Excellency could directly pressure those merchants to stop them from participating in the bidding, and then no matter how cheap it is, it would all fall into your name. Wouldn't that be better?"

"you……"

Zhang Mao never expected that the talks would fall apart in just a few words.
In all my forty-plus years of life, I've never been treated so disrespectfully.

Zhang Luan waved his hand and said, "I am currently overwhelmed with fundraising and am exhausted both physically and mentally. I just want to go back to the city and rest properly. If you have any other methods, then use them here. This mining in Xishan is a matter between the Imperial Estate and the Imperial Household Department. Do you really want to make a big fuss with me? I'm leaving!"

"you……"

Zhang Mao reached out to grab it again.

The servants who had come to Xishan with Zhang Luan, as well as the Imperial Guards on duty at the post station, all rushed over to stop him.

Previously, everyone thought that Zhang Mao was a Duke and no one dared to stand in his way.

But right now, Zhang Mao is putting pressure on Zhang Luan again and again, and judging from their tone and meaning, it seems that the talks are about to break down. If Zhang Mao intervenes at this time and doesn't stop them... then the attendants and Jinyiwei guards responsible for protecting Zhang Luan will basically be out of a job when they get back.

"What do you want to do?"

The guards behind Zhang Mao also rushed out quickly, clearly intending to cause trouble.

Zhang Luan acted as if he hadn't seen them and got into the carriage directly.

Zhang Mao decisively waved his hand to stop his servants from stepping forward to stop him, as if to say, "What are you doing here making a fuss?"

Do you really think this Zhang Guozhang is an ordinary person? He is not only a relative of the emperor but also the emperor's most trusted close minister and the second-in-command of the cabinet.

Such officials, skilled in both civil and military affairs, are the most difficult to deal with. As long as Zhang Luan is shameless, it seems that no one can defeat him by any means.

(End of this chapter)