Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 773 Offering a warm face to a cold backside
Inside Kunning Palace.

Zhang Luan arrived with Li Rong. After a brief greeting to Zhu Youcheng and his wife, Li Rong did not leave but stood by and served them.

As soon as Zhang Luan sat down, he revealed the news of Huai En's passing.

Zhu Youcheng nodded: "Father-in-law, I already knew about this matter beforehand."

"what!?"

Zhang Luan glanced at Li Rong and thought to himself, "Didn't you say you didn't report it? How come my son-in-law knew before me? You can't even figure out if the news has reached His Majesty's ears. How are you all doing?"

Zhu Youcheng's face was filled with sorrow as he said sadly, "I have already sent people to offer sacrifices, and later I will send more people to escort Huai Daban's coffin back to his hometown."

"Father-in-law, we need to discuss who to send south to oversee the river fortifications... Do you have any good recommendations?"

Zhang Luan glanced at his daughter, who seemed indifferent, sitting at the table, and after a moment's thought, said, "Your Majesty, it seems inappropriate for me to recommend candidates for overseeing Li Zi Province."

"What's inappropriate?"

Zhu Youcheng, however, seemed unconcerned, waving his hand and saying, "The passing of Grand Companion Huai is indeed very sad, but the dead are gone, and some things still need to be handled properly... Father-in-law, who do you think would be the best person to take charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial?"

The topic was far too sensitive, especially since it was brought up in front of Li Rong, which startled Li Rong, who was listening intently.

Zhang Luan hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I really shouldn't get involved in such matters."

Li Rong was utterly shocked...

The emperor is now even asking Zhang Luan for his opinion on who should head the Directorate of Ceremonial. What kind of trust is this? This is hardly the attitude of a monarch towards a subject; it's more like that of a nephew towards an elder.

However, this also shows that the current emperor is blurring the lines between public and private matters in many court affairs. If it were an ordinary emperor, it would be hard to understand. Even the late Emperor Chenghua would not have done this.

But if we say that this is the Hongzhi Emperor, the young emperor who had no family affection since childhood, then everything seems to make sense.

Zhu Youcheng said, "I asked my wife, and she said that she did not want to be the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, saying that she was not capable enough... Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. In that case, I can only look for another candidate!"

Upon hearing this, Li Rong suddenly became excited.

If Qin Ji were to voluntarily step down, wouldn't that mean that, based on seniority, Li Rong should be the one to take charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial? In that case, he would leap from the position of Grand Secretary to become the Grand Chancellor.

Zhang Luan said, "Your Majesty, why are you telling me this? Let's talk about who will supervise the river works. Or, let's send an outside official instead of a eunuch?"

Undeterred by Zhang Luan's words, Zhu Youcheng continued, "Earlier, I had someone summon Tan Chang, the Grand Chamberlain, back to the capital. Originally, I intended for him to replace Huai Daban at any time and go to the south, so that he could take charge of the Imperial Guard's affairs before Huai Daban's death. But now it seems that the timing is just right."

Just as Li Rong, who was listening in, felt his heart sink to the bottom, the young emperor spoke up about his biggest worry: "Father-in-law, do you think it is appropriate for Qin Chang, the Grand Chamberlain, to be the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial?"

"This one……"

Zhang Luan glanced at Li Rong beside him, seemingly sensing the disappointment in the other's heart.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Luan shook his head with a wry smile: "Your Majesty, is it necessary to ask for my opinion?"

Zhu Youcheng said, “It’s good to ask. Actually, I asked my husband, and he’s just like you; he’s unwilling to offer any suggestions. It’s something he could do himself, but he seems to lack confidence and makes all sorts of excuses… I can’t force him, so I can only choose someone else who is more capable.”

Li Rong thought to himself, "You wicked Qin Ji, you're so bad, and you're the kind with pus oozing from the soles of your feet!"

If you were to become the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, I could be promoted directly to Chief Writer, and then the Eastern Depot would naturally fall under my control.

Li Rong then thought again, "Oh no, the emperor already said that he summoned Qin Chang back to the capital ahead of time so that he could take charge of the Eastern Depot first. So... no matter how you look at it, I have to be ranked third. I can't escape it even if I want to."

Li Rong was extremely angry.

Why is it that after Huai En died, there was still a senior official named Qin Chang outside?
Zhang Luan said, "If Your Majesty thinks it is suitable, then let Qin Chang take charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial. After all, he served as the Grand Chancellor for a long time during the reign of the late Emperor and has a wealth of experience. But there is a problem. Since the end of last year, he has been away from home for a long time and is not very familiar with the series of changes in the court this year. When he returns, will he definitely be able to... be competent for the position of Grand Chancellor?"

Li Rong had given up all hope, but upon hearing Zhang Luan's words, he suddenly felt a renewed sense of expectation.

It seems...

Contrary to what he claimed, Zhang Luan did not want to interfere in palace affairs.

He hadn't offered any advice, but suddenly asked Emperor Qin Chang if he was still capable of holding the position of seal-bearer. This was clearly giving Li Rong a chance, and a feeling of gratitude welled up in his heart.

"Let's leave it at that for now and reconsider later."

Zhu Youcheng did not make a decision on the spot. He frowned and pondered for a while, then said, "Let's see how things go later. Also, do you think it would be more appropriate for my father-in-law to send someone from outside the capital to supervise the river works?"

Zhang Luan waved his hand and said, "No, no. Officials from outside the capital or from within the capital are both fine."

Zhu Youcheng said, "My idea is to send someone from the Directorate of Ceremonial to show the court's attention to this matter. In fact, Qin Chang and Li Zisheng have cooperated before, so it's not impossible to send him."

Li Rong wholeheartedly agreed.

I thought to myself, "Zhang Guozhang, you have done something absolutely right."

You should remember very clearly how Qin Chang was sent to the Northwest. He was exiled to the Northwest by His Majesty because he plotted against you behind your back and did not repent after his scheme failed.

How could we possibly allow him to return and take charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial?

If he continues to hold power, won't that cause you a headache?

He should be sent to the south to supervise the river works!
This makes perfect sense, since the emperor summoned Qin Chang back to the capital as a potential successor to Huai En.

As long as Qin Changnan comes south, I'm willing to accept even if I'm not appointed as the head of the seal. I'd prefer to be in a secondary position, and my chances will be even greater when Qin Jiqin passes away or retires.

Zhang Luan nodded and said, "That works too!"

In matters like this, Zhang Luan was like a tumbler doll, completely following the emperor's wishes, and even when he occasionally offered some opinions, he would just give perfunctory responses.

No matter who offends him or gets along with him, he won't hold a grudge. He just doesn't care who it is, as long as they don't disturb his peaceful life.

……

……

Zhu Youcheng wanted Zhang Luan to stay for dinner in the palace, but Zhang Luan was not in the mood.

In the end, he simply chatted with Zhu Youcheng and his wife about everyday matters before taking the initiative to request to leave the palace.

Seeing that Zhang Yu was not very happy, Zhu Youcheng comforted him, "Empress, you see, your father-in-law spent a long time talking with the Empress Dowager this time, and also had a meal with her. He has done his filial duty on our behalf."

"My father-in-law is still not fully recovered, so we can't be unreasonable."

"Ah."

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes at his father, seemingly thinking that Zhang Luan was too unreliable... You came to the palace and instead of seeing your daughter and son-in-law, you insisted on going to see an aunt who is not related to you by blood? Don't you understand the difference between close and distant relatives?
However, it seems that her husband greatly appreciates his father's principle of "selflessness" in dealing with people, or rather, he prioritizes his grandmother's spiritual needs and has no expectations of the young couple.

Then Zhu Youcheng had Li Rong escort Zhang Luan out of the palace.

"Grand Secretary Zhang, thank you for speaking up for my family before His Majesty."

On his way out of the palace, Li Rong expressed his gratitude to Zhang Luan.

Zhang Luan asked calmly, "Does Eunuch Li intend to take over the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs?"

Li Rong smiled bitterly and said, "Who in the inner court doesn't want to rise to a higher position and be respected by others? The passing of Eunuch Huai is very sad, but we still have to live our lives."

"Sometimes I don't understand either. What's so good about striving for fame and fortune? Eunuch Li is already one of the most respected figures in His Majesty's court. Staying in the Directorate of Ceremonial will eventually lead to a promotion. Why rush things?"

Zhang Luan was somewhat dismissive.

Li Rong shook his head and said, "The situation in the palace is different from that in the court. Whoever wins His Majesty's favor can be promoted. The level of one's position often represents one's status in His Majesty's eyes. If one does not climb to a high position as soon as possible, even a temporary loss of favor will lead to an irrecoverable situation."

"His Majesty's tolerance towards foreign officials is far greater than that towards us servants."

"Oh, I see." Zhang Luan was relieved, then asked with a sigh, "Is being a court official really that hard?"

Li Rong sighed, "Who knows when an accident might happen? Perhaps if we don't do well for a while, we'll be demoted and never have the chance to sit in the position of head again. What's more, there are many people watching us from below, all eyeing us covetously. As the saying goes, if you don't advance, you'll fall behind. So we must always strive to be the best."

Zhang Luan nodded, then said seriously, "In that case, I have to have a good talk with you... I have no intention of favoring anyone. Whether it's you, those two Eunuchs Qin, or Eunuch Xiao and Eunuch Dai, I won't be surprised if anyone goes up, and it won't have much of an impact. If I interfere too much, I will definitely suffer in the future."

"Uh... yes."

Li Rong replied understandingly, "It was my fault for saying that. I shouldn't have told you that. I also had no intention of communicating with you privately."

Zhang Luan said, “I think you may not be as prestigious as Qin Chang. As I said before, he did serve as the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial in the previous dynasty, and Wei Tai back then didn’t seem to have made any major mistakes, yet he was dismissed for no apparent reason. Now… I don’t know who I should side with. Sigh, Eunuch Qin Ji… he really knows how to shirk responsibility.”

Li Rong laughed and said, "Grand Secretary Zhang is too kind. It is the fact that Eunuch Qin does not compete that is truly competitive. His position in His Majesty's heart is something that we can hardly hope to match."

Zhang Luan said with emotion, "You are all His Majesty's close confidants, and I am the only outsider... Never mind, if His Majesty asks for my opinion again in the future, I will simply not answer."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of showing favoritism."

……

……

Zhang Luan said he wouldn't interfere in the affairs of the Directorate of Ceremonial, but as soon as he left the palace, he went to find his youngest son.

Inside Zhang Yanling's workshop, a new batch of steam looms were running at the moment. After several improvements, all the machines had been replaced with iron ones. With the advancement of cast iron technology, the craftsmanship of the workshop managed by Zhang Yanling had also improved to a higher level.

"The roar of this machine is terrifying."

Zhang Luan was somewhat wary and said, "Let's go outside and talk."

Zhang Yanling took off his heavy work clothes, and someone helped him put them away in the cabinet. He did not take off his large gloves, and walked out of the workshop.

Zhang Luan followed his youngest son to a simple rest room nearby. Looking around, he asked curiously, "What, isn't there any tea here?"

"Would it be alright if you just drank some plain water?"

Zhang Yanling said, "How about I get you some honey?"

Zhang Luan said, "Not tea, but honey water? You don't have some hidden illness that you're using to treat yourself, do you?"

Noticing the unfriendly look in his son's eyes, he hurriedly said, "That's true, at your age, it shouldn't be that serious. But my son, working like this for a long time can easily lead to illness. Take my advice and rest more. Don't try to do things yourself that you can delegate to others."

Zhang Yanling rolled his eyes at his cheap father and said, "Thanks for reminding me."

"Hehe," Zhang Luan said, "Fine, I won't drink tea here. I'll just say a few words and then leave. It's like this, Huai'en is dead!"

"Ah."

Zhang Yanling nodded.

Zhang Luan asked, "Aren't you surprised?"

Zhang Yanling retorted, "Father, were you and Huai'en on good terms? Is his death something you're so concerned about? Are you planning to go and pay your respects?"

"That's...not that bad."

Zhang Luan said, "I heard that the coffin was sent directly back to my hometown, but I don't know the specifics... However, if it's really necessary to pay respects in the capital, I'm not against going... Is that not allowed?"

Zhang Yanling said, "Huai'en has been terminally ill for a long time. The treatment we, father and son, are giving him is just keeping him on his last breath. It wouldn't be surprising if he died."

Zhang Luan stroked his chin, looking curious, and said, "It's strange, the late emperor asked me to treat him, saying it was effective, but he passed away a few months later. Now Huai'en is the same. It seems that whether or not we, father and son, treat him, it doesn't make much difference."

These words almost struck a chord with Zhang Yanling.

He even knew that after a thorough examination by him and his son, Emperor Chenghua had actually died two months earlier than expected. As for Huai'en... his death was actually around the same time as in history, so it was hard to say whether it was earlier or later.

"Life and death are predestined."

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, "If the King of Hell calls you to die at midnight, who can keep you alive until dawn? If we could successfully change the King of Hell's Book of Life and Death by human effort alone, wouldn't that be going against the will of Heaven?"

Zhang Luan pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "That's true. So it seems that fate really can't be changed. Does that mean... I survived this serious illness because God is giving me face? It seems that I was not destined to die."

"..."

Zhang Yanling stared at his cheap father speechlessly for a while before saying, "Father, you've come to this conclusion from Huai'en's death? I have no other questions. I'm going to get back to work."

"No, there's also something about the Directorate of Ceremonial."

Zhang Luan hurriedly said, "Qin Ji has made it clear that he does not want to take charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Today, Li Rong saw me off and talked to me a lot on the way. He clearly wants to compete for the position of Director of Ceremonial, but is afraid that no one will support him. Your brother-in-law said that Qin Chang is about to return to the capital, and it seems that he wants to keep Qin Chang as the Grand Chancellor."

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "It is actually the most reasonable thing for Qin Chang to replace Huai En..."

Zhang Luan's eyes lit up, and he said, "Even you think so? No wonder your brother-in-law thinks so! Actually, even though your brother-in-law is not good with words, I think he is still farsighted. Huai En is not dead yet, but he was able to issue an imperial edict to summon Qin Chang back to the capital in advance. So that's what he was waiting for."

Zhang Yanling asked, "So, Father, you want to ask me who would be more in your interest and more suitable for the development of our Zhang family to be the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial?"

"No!"

Zhang Luan shook his head decisively and said, "You've guessed wrong. With you here, I'm not worried at all. It doesn't matter who goes up."

“I am worried about another candidate… Your brother-in-law said that he plans to send someone from the Directorate of Ceremonial to the south to supervise the river repairs in Lizi Province. I think you should carefully consider this candidate.”

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Father, you're really something. You don't worry about our own family matters, but you're going to great lengths for Li Zisheng? You're so selfless and altruistic!"

Zhang Luan looked somewhat ashamed and shook his head, saying, "You brat, you never say anything nice... The reason I'm worried about Li Zisheng is actually for the sake of our family. The river repair is related to the Zhang family's reputation in the Ming Dynasty. If it's done well, it will be a great achievement for generations to come; if it's done poorly, it will leave a bad name for eternity."

"Who we send to supervise makes a huge difference and could affect the progress of the river repair. If a major flood occurs during the repair process, even if it has nothing to do with us, we might end up being blamed and unable to shake it off. Who can we complain to then?"

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "In that case, we should really consider who to send. Qin Chang? Xiao Jing? Or Li Rong? Or perhaps Dai Yi and Qin Ji?"

Zhang Luan asked in surprise, "Why was Qin Ji the last one? Just because he's old and frail?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "It's because His Majesty can't leave him for the time being."

"But whether it's his own wish or your brother-in-law's idea, Qin Ji can't possibly take over the Directorate of Ceremonial."

Zhang Luan asked, puzzled, "Didn't you say before that your brother-in-law's most trusted person is this Qin Ji? Why won't he take over?"

Zhang Yanling said, "Trust is one thing, but assessing the situation is another. Qin Ji is close to his brother-in-law and is loyal. Even if he is not capable, it would be good for him to stay in the Directorate of Ceremonial to supervise others and report the situation at any time. Otherwise, why do you think Qin Chang was exiled by his brother-in-law and how Eunuch Huai lost power?"

Zhang Luan asked in surprise, "You mean, it was Qin Ji who was the one informing on us all along? He is..."

"hehe."

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "Whether it's the emperor or a superior in the government, everyone has to have some spies around them to find out what's going on around them at all times. Even when I'm in business, I have to plant a group of my own people among the merchants so they can gather intelligence. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you know when to advance and retreat. As for you, Father, you just dump everything on others and don't care about anything. You really are... carefree."

Zhang Luan seemed to have learned something and said, "I understand. I'll find Shen Ruxue later and ask him to keep an eye on the court for me."

Zhang Yanling said, "Father, I don't think Uncle can please you in this matter. You still need to cultivate some trusted people. As for how to cultivate them, you can decide for yourself."

Zhang Luan said, "Are you teaching your father to form cliques? Why don't you teach me something good?"

"I'm helping you gather information, not asking you to form cliques and attack dissidents. Besides, with your lazy nature, who are you going to attack?" Zhang Yanling teased with a smile.

"I think that after you enter the court, our father-son alliance will be the best combination."

Zhang Luan laughed and said, "When I become the Grand Secretary, you will be one of the six ministers, and I will listen to you in everything. Just thinking about it makes me feel very comfortable."

(End of this chapter)