Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 784 Not Recognizing People

Inside Qin Ji's bedroom.

Qin Ji was packing his things alone, oblivious to the sudden footsteps behind him.

The old woman walked over and whispered, "My lord, the Holy Lord has come to see you! The Holy Lord you've been longing for has arrived!"

Qin Ji turned around and glanced at Zhu Youcheng, who showed no reaction whatsoever, as if he were a complete stranger. But when he turned his head to Zhang Luan, his expression changed, as if he had been startled.

This bizarre reaction stunned Zhang Luan.

Then Qin Ji stepped forward, raising his hand to stop them: "Are you guests from outside? This is the inner palace grounds, you are not allowed to trespass! Come find me after I leave the palace... I need to take care of the children now..."

He was vague about who he was taking care of.

Zhu Youcheng naturally felt that the child Qin Ji was talking about was himself.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youcheng couldn't help but want to rush over, hug Qin Ji's hunched body, and burst into tears.

Zhang Luan stepped forward first and asked, "Eunuch Qin, do you remember me? I am Zhang Laizhan!"

Qin Ji nodded and said, "I remember you. You are Zhang Guozhang... Why have you come to the palace?"

Speaking very loudly indicates that he is hard of hearing, and he even has to speak as loudly as possible for himself to hear.

"My dear, do you remember me?"

Zhu Youcheng said emotionally, "I...I grew up with you since I was a child...You took very good care of me, when we were in the Eastern Palace..."

Qin Ji smiled and shook his head, interrupting Zhu Youcheng: "You look very familiar, but I don't remember who you are."

This reaction made the group of people who followed the emperor in feel very sorry for him.

Just a month or two ago, everything was fine. He was a powerful eunuch who served the emperor closely, and everyone envied him. They thought that after more than ten years of hard work, Qin Ji had finally made it and could live a good life, becoming a true powerful minister of the Ming Dynasty.

Who would have thought that he would be tormented by illness so soon after taking power?

With tears in his eyes, Zhu Youcheng turned to Zhang Luan and asked, "Father-in-law, is there any way to cure my wife's illness?"

Zhang Luan shook his head and said, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty, this illness is beyond the reach of medicine, and I am afraid I am powerless to help. However, Eunuch Qin may occasionally think of you... The best solution now is to have someone close to him stay by his side to take care of him."

Zhu Youcheng said, "Granny, my husband once adopted a nephew into his own family. I wonder where he is now?"

"He went back to his hometown."

The old woman said sadly, "Many years ago, my master instructed that if he became old and senile and could no longer manage affairs, and was about to face a life-or-death test, his descendants should return to their hometown first to prepare the burial site... He has been gone for quite some time now."

Zhu Youcheng nodded and said, "It was my oversight. The royal family should have prepared everything for my wife... Minister Mou."

Mu Bin, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, quickly came out to receive the order.

"Find someone to go to my late wife's hometown and prepare the ancestral home and tomb. Also, send a few more servants to serve her," Zhu Youcheng instructed. "My late wife has been incredibly kind to me, and I cannot fail her."

"I'm okay……"

Qin Ji nodded, then asked blankly, "Who are you? Why are you so concerned about me?"

Seeing this scene, Zhang Luan felt a pang of sorrow, a sense of shared grief for the fallen.

Zhang Luan couldn't help but wonder, how did Eunuch Qin suddenly become like this? Could it be because he was too grief-stricken over his father's death? Or was he possessed by some evil spirit?

Wait, that's not right!

My son said it's an old person's disease, and some people can't avoid it when they get old!
I really hope I don't get this disease!
……

……

A simple visit brought Zhu Youcheng to tears. After leaving the Qin residence, his eyes were filled with tears, and he lingered there, unwilling to leave.

Zhang Luan stepped forward to comfort him, saying, "Your Majesty is concerned about us; please come and visit us often in the future."

"Father-in-law, I never imagined that the people around me would suddenly turn out like this." Zhu Youcheng wiped away his tears and sobbed, "You must cherish the people in front of you!"

Zhang Luan chimed in, "Yes."

A faint jealousy lingered in Zhang Luan's heart. He wondered, if he were to die one day, would his son-in-law, the emperor, feel the same pity and sorrow for him as he did for Qin Ji, who was always by his side?
Or will it be like the death of an ordinary minister, such as the death of Huai En? People will be sad for a while, and then act as if nothing happened?
As they were talking, Qin Chang came from the street corner and bowed to Zhu Youcheng.

"Mr. Qin, is something the matter?"

Zhu Youcheng looked over.

Because he left the palace today without having any of the palace elders accompany him, he didn't think Qin Chang should be here at this time.

Qin Chang respectfully replied, "There is an urgent military matter in the Northwest that Your Majesty must return to the palace to handle."

He nodded to Zhang Luan as he spoke, as if to say hello.

"Then I'll go back to the palace first."

Zhu Youcheng looked at Zhang Luan and asked, "Will my father-in-law be entering the palace with me?"

"not going."

Zhang Luan shook his head and said, "I plan to go home and discuss with my son to carefully consider a prescription for Eunuch Qin's treatment. In truth, the chances of saving this illness are extremely slim; it's just a matter of doing our best and leaving the rest to fate. It wasn't that I didn't want to help him before..."

Zhu Youcheng nodded and said, "I understand."

Zhang Luan said, "Your Majesty, should we bring Eunuch Qin to live in the palace? Or closer to Duanjing Hall, so that he can recall his past in the Eastern Palace?"

"no need."

Zhu Youcheng shook his head and said, "My husband is old and needs family members to be by his side. As for me... I am just someone he used to serve. When he was with me, he always worked from dawn till dusk and his life was not comfortable. I think it might be a good thing that he has forgotten me. It means that he will no longer have to live a hard life in the palace."

Upon hearing this, it was Qin Chang who was most affected.

Both were born into the service of the palace, and both were unable to find liberation until their deaths... It seemed that Tan Ji's present was his future, and for a moment I felt a deep sense of sympathy.

……

……

Zhu Youcheng led his men back to the palace.

Qin Chang did not go back with him. Zhu Youcheng asked him to escort Zhang Luan back to his residence to show respect to his father-in-law. He also asked Qin Chang to take care of a errand at the Northern Garrison Command, but he did not explain the details to Zhang Luan, probably because he did not want Zhang Luan, who was ill, to worry about court affairs.

Qin Chang and Zhang Luan walked together toward the street corner.

By this time, the emperor's entourage had already gone far away, and the roads had returned to normal. The common people whose daily lives had been affected by this were not even aware of why the government had closed the roads.

"Mr. Zhang... I'm afraid Qin Houfang is not going to make it." Qin Chang said with a mournful face.

Zhang Luan said, "Isn't it just senility? To me, the condition isn't that serious."

Qin Chang sighed, "His Majesty had already sent Physician Wang to diagnose him. He learned that Eunuch Qin has actually been suffering from a serious illness for some time. Sometimes his eyes and nose bleed, and he occasionally faints... He just pretended to be strong and didn't show it before."

"The disease here?"

Zhang Luan pointed to his head.

Qin Chang nodded with emotion.

Zhang Luan said helplessly, "No wonder... It's turned out like this in such a short time. Perhaps this is fate."

Qin Chang looked over curiously.

He was also thinking that Wang Ji held Zhang Luan in extremely high esteem and regarded him as an idol.

Shouldn't you be able to tell at a glance whether it's a diagnosis of this severity?
Do we need someone else to remind us?
“Eunuch Qin, we’ve come this far, there’s really no need for you to see me off,” Zhang Luan said. “Don’t I have urgent official business to attend to? In that case, I can return to my residence on my own.”

Clearly, Zhang Luan did not want to leave with Qin Chang.

where to?
Or rather... which mansion to return to?

I don't want anyone to know my secret.

Qin Chang said, "Mr. Zhang, there is something I might need to ask you."

"How to say?"

Zhang Luan looked over.

Qin Chang lamented, "This time, internal turmoil has occurred within the Tatars. The Tatar prince Batu Mongke led his troops to invade the border, but was ambushed and had to come to the capital to pay tribute, which severely damaged his reputation. I heard that after the delegation sent by our Ming Dynasty returned to the grasslands, the Tatars quickly split up, with some tribes rising up in rebellion. In addition to vying for the Khanate, they may also send troops south to invade our borders."

Zhang Luan asked in surprise, "Why do they have to invade our borders when they can fight their own battles?"

Qin Chang said helplessly, "The Tatars are having a hard time right now, and it's the spring famine. If they don't come to rob us, where will they get the supplies they need to survive? At this time, perhaps there are Tatars who want to use the power of our Great Ming to unify the grasslands."

"You want to... ask us who we should help?"

Zhang Luan waved his hand and said, "I can't do that. This should be a matter of national importance that is openly discussed in the court. Asking me alone would be too biased."

Clearly, Zhang Luan didn't want to get involved in this kind of thing.

Qin Chang smiled wryly and said, "Isn't the Grand Father-in-law capable of predicting the future? If you were to calculate with your fingers and know what the situation on the grasslands will be like in the future, you could take advantage of the situation to pacify the grasslands in one fell swoop and fulfill the great ambition that Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong never accomplished. This is a great event that benefits the present and future generations."

Zhang Luan thought to himself, "Do they think I'm some kind of god?"
The Yellow River changing its course is said to be a meritorious act for generations to come.

Now they want me to pacify the grasslands, and they're just as flattering me.

So, in your eyes, I, the father-in-law of the emperor who has no real ability, am capable of accomplishing those monumental feats that will be remembered for all time?
You respect me, but I despise myself!
I am utterly powerless to do anything about it!
……

……

In the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youcheng summoned four ministers on short notice. In addition to the two cabinet ministers, Xu Pu and Liu Jian, he also summoned Wang Shu, the Minister of Personnel, and Yu Zijun, the Minister of War. In their view, these were the most knowledgeable military men in the Ming Dynasty at that time, except for the Zhang family father and son.

The purpose of the meeting was simple: to discuss the next steps in military strategy for the Northwest.

Li Rongxian gave an explanation to everyone present, while Qin Chang, who had just returned from outside the palace, stood silently to the side.

"Two years ago, the Tatar prince Batumonk led his troops to defeat Ismain and brought his mother Sigil back. However, the Ismain tribe, citing the Tatar prince's breach of promise and betrayal of the alliance, united with many tribes and attacked the Chahar tribe where the Tatar prince was located after the beginning of spring this year."

"Among them, some tribes invaded the Hetao region and other places in order to plunder resources. They also harassed Ningxia. They plundered places such as Huamachi for several days and had the intention to occupy the Hetao region. Although the generals of the garrison in Ningxia and other places tried to deal with them, the Tatars harassed them many times and did not stop."

Li Rong's summary is that the internal strife among the Tatars has now spread to the border regions of the Ming Dynasty.

After all, the Tatars needed money and supplies to fight, and it was difficult to plunder resources on the grasslands. On the other hand, the Ming Dynasty's border passes and fortresses were readily available, and they were full of money and supplies. If the mentality was to plunder and leave quickly, this strategy of raiding while moving around was very suitable.

Liu Jian said, "The Tatars have been peaceful for many years. Even after the internal strife ended two years ago, there have been no major moves. Could it be that after two years of recuperation, coupled with the defeat of the Tatar prince at Pianguan, other Tatar tribes have begun to covet the Khanate?"

Zhu Youcheng said, "Mr. Liu, in my opinion, they are not fighting for the Khanate, but only seeking revenge for Batu Mongke's killing of Ismain."

"What's wrong with seeking revenge for taking away one's mother?"

Liu Jian couldn't quite understand.

Sigil was Batumonke's mother. After her father was killed, Isma forced Sigil to marry him, but they made a pact that she would not pursue Boluohu, harm his son, or hurt the Chahar soldiers.

As Grand Tutor, Isma assisted Batu Mongke in gradually stabilizing his position as Khan and never rebelled.

However, in the twenty-second year of the Chenghua reign, Batu Mongke, because of the "hatred of taking away his mother", used Yisimain to drive out another Grand Tutor, Jiaslan, and intervened in the tribal conflict between the two sides. He led the Chahar troops to kill Yisimain.

Because this incident clearly had the suspicion of being a "personal vendetta," when Batumonk sent people to bring Sigil back afterwards, even Sigil, as her mother, thought that her son had broken his promise and refused to go back.

In the end, Sigil was forcibly taken away by Togochi, the junior tutor who was sent by Batumonk and was also the one who personally shot and killed Ismain.

As a result, the seeds of chaos had long been sown within the grasslands.

Everything could have been peaceful, but this year, Batu Mongke led his troops to raid Piantou Pass, only to be ambushed by the Ming army. The resulting defeat damaged his reputation, and to save face, Batu Mongke had no choice but to personally lead his men to the Ming capital to pay tribute.

Although the steppe people gained the long-awaited opportunity to open up the border markets, other tribes also thought that Batumongke was a good-for-nothing.

This would damage the prestige of the steppe Khan, a descendant of the Golden Family, and that he would personally submit to the Ming Dynasty is hardly the act of a steppe eagle... Then, Isma'in's former subordinates united with many tribes to fight with the Chahar tribe for the ownership of the fertile grasslands around Guanshan.

Some were driven by revenge, while others sought to seize pastures and profits, as well as livestock and women, to expand their influence.

Or rather, in the eyes of most tribes on the grasslands, only a grassland that has fallen silent and disintegrated is the best grassland.

If a Khan like Batumonk, who comes from the Golden Family, were to take power and his influence were to expand further, it would lead to a reduction in their living space.

Only a puppet Khan is a good Khan.

Li Rong continued, "The internal strife on the grasslands actually began to emerge in the middle of last year, but it was suppressed thanks to the Tatar prince's ruthless methods and the prestige of his wife, Manduhai. However, this year, due to drought and other factors, the grassland area within the Tatar territory has shrunk significantly, and many tribes have been unable to survive the winter, leading to a rapid increase in infighting. As for the revenge for the loss of his mother, it is merely an excuse for the grassland conflicts."

Zhu Youcheng said, "My lords, my intention is to appoint someone to oversee military affairs on the three borders and to strictly prevent the Tatars from plotting anything in Ningxia and the Hetao region. I wonder who would be most suitable for this task?"

I won't discuss specific countermeasures with you.

Perhaps in the eyes of you civil officials, even if the Tatars have ambitions, as long as they do not threaten the borders of the Ming Dynasty for the time being, we can ignore them.

However, an emperor's vision is obviously broader and his perspective more far-reaching than that of his subjects.

It was in accordance with the court's usual practice to send the Three Border Commanders to oversee military affairs in Yansui and other places. In particular, it was not an easy task to intimidate the warlords in the Northwest armies and unite all forces into one.

(End of this chapter)