Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 794 A well-fed man doesn't know the hunger of a starving man.

Wang Yue personally poured tea for Zhang Luan, and after he sat down, he asked, "I heard that Grand Secretary Zhang has two sons, neither of whom are married... I wonder if they have been betrothed to anyone?"

"No."

Zhang Luan shook his head.

Wang Yue laughed upon hearing this, and asked inquiringly, "I have two granddaughters, I wonder if it would be alright..."

"what!?"

Zhang Luan was taken aback.

You, Wang Yue, have quite the nerve!

They asked if my two sons were engaged, and even wanted to marry my two granddaughters into my household at once, so they could be my sons' wives.

You are so shameless!

Wang Yue asked with a smile, "It's like this, my two granddaughters are so beautiful, I'm planning to send them to your residence as concubines for the two young masters, what do you think?"

"Ok?"

Zhang Luan stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

Your granddaughter, Wang Weining, actually willingly became someone else's concubine?

What's wrong with this?
"How could this be?"

Zhang Luan quickly declined, saying, "As the saying goes, one should not accept a reward without merit. Let's talk about the past today and not get involved in matters of the heart! Alas, I, Zhang, have clearly not touched a drop of alcohol here, yet why do I suddenly feel tipsy?"

Zhang Luan meant, "You're forcing me into this situation; you're clearly trying to force me to leave!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yue quickly said, "Grand Secretary Zhang, I am deeply grateful for your kindness this time, and I hope to serve in the court alongside you in the future... I wonder if you would be willing to give me such an opportunity?"

"Huh? Didn't you already go to court?"

Zhang Luan asked curiously.

Wang Yue sighed and said, "His Majesty only appointed him to accompany the army on a daily basis and train the soldiers, but did not give him any actual official position."

"We'll have to wait."

Zhang Luan said, "When there is war in the Northwest, I think His Majesty will definitely send Minister Wang into battle!"

Wang Yue asked in surprise, "Is that really so?"

"Of course!"

Zhang Luan nodded firmly, then asked, "Why don't you ask my son Yanling? He's in charge of things like building cannons and training soldiers."

"Don't underestimate him. He's young, but he's incredibly skilled. I'm not bragging, but... sigh! This kid is a master of both literature and martial arts. His expertise far surpasses mine, and even exceeds it by a great margin."

"is it?"

Wang Yue was slightly embarrassed.

You, Zhang Laizhan, are truly shameless.

In an attempt to elevate your son to a higher position, aren't you going a bit too far with your words?
I can understand if you say your son is just as good as you, but you insist that he is much better than you... What, are you trying to ruin Zhong Yong's career?
Does he really have that kind of ability now?
Kids can't be easily flattered.

I admit he's very talented, much better than my kids, but even the most talented have their limits, right? You can't mistake the emperor's favor for your own ability!

If he weren't the emperor's brother-in-law, do you think he could have achieved even a fraction of what he has today?

Zhang Luan said, "Your Majesty has certain expectations for conquering the grasslands, deploying troops in the North Sea, and restoring the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties. However, the current financial situation of the court is not optimistic, so the matter of sending troops may have to wait. I think it should be within one or two years."

Wang Yue said helplessly, "I am old and afraid that I will not live to see that day. Grand Secretary Zhang should know that this title was earned through my years of fighting on the battlefield. Now I want to take it back through my battlefield achievements! It is a way to live up to my ancestors and future generations."

"Huh? Is a title... that important?"

Zhang Luan asked curiously.

Wang Yue thought to himself, "You're like a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of a starving man."

You obtained a hereditary title with almost no effort, but have you ever thought about the situation of others? The worst thing is not not getting it, but getting it and then losing it!
Moreover, the reason for his downfall was simply because he was attacked by a group of civil officials who accused him of being close to eunuchs... This was a completely undeserved disaster.

What I fought so hard for, risking my life, was stripped away without a second thought. Someone said I got the title by currying favor with sycophants.

Isn't this just nitpicking?

Zhang Luan said, "If you want to lead troops into battle, you must find a good opportunity and you must win. In the early years of the late emperor's reign, the Tatars frequently invaded the border, but by the middle and late Chenghua period, they had quieted down considerably."

Wang Yue sighed, "I must say that I achieved such results by fighting the Tatars continuously and severely depleting the manpower and resources of the steppe tribes."

Zhang Luan thought to himself, "You're quite honest. You don't even know how to hide anything. You're just putting on an act right in front of me."
"Too."

Zhang Luan said, “The Earl of Weining is renowned far and wide; he can stop a child from crying on the grasslands. I heard about him a lot when I was in Xingji. Why don’t you discuss this with my son? I think he will definitely have a way to help you.”

After the pleasantries, the singers and dancers performed.

Zhang Luan was puzzled.

Why does Wang Yue, who appears so down on his luck, have such a luxurious song and dance troupe at home, just like royalty?
Did I mishear him before? Was his family not impoverished, or was his family so wealthy that even after being punished and exiled, he still enjoyed such a good life?

That night, Wang Yue wanted Zhang Luan to stay overnight, but Zhang Luan refused outright.

Zhang Luan's excuse was that he had not yet recovered from his illness. In fact, he had become smarter and knew that if he wanted to accept a gift from someone, he had to give something in return to shut them up.

Zhang Luan thought to himself, "I think my bad habit has been completely exposed... Could it be that Pang Bingkun told the guy surnamed Wang about my preferences?"
So why would someone with the surname Wang make such an arrangement?
Hopefully, these singers and dancers weren't hired by Pang Bingkun!

If they are merely a means for Li Zisheng to win me over, and are simply being given to me through Wang Yue, then that would be tragic!
Or perhaps Wang Yue was also a target that Li Zi Province was deliberately trying to win over?

After leaving the Prince's mansion, Zhang Luan hurried back to the Shouning Marquis's mansion. On the way, he wanted to send someone to find his son and talk to him about the matter. However, before he even reached the door, Chang Shun rode up to the carriage window and told him that Zhang Yanling had already returned.

"My son, it has been quite a while since I last saw you."

After getting out of the car, Zhang Luan ran excitedly to the study. He was delighted to see his son doing accounts at the desk. "I heard you solved the problem of the river works project? It must be a lot of money."

"It's just money and grain worth tens of thousands of taels of silver."

Zhang Yanling replied casually without even looking up.

Zhang Luan looked as if he had eaten a bitter melon, his brows furrowing as he asked, "Two million taels for the project, and you only raised tens of thousands of taels?"

Zhang Yanling said, "Give me a little something first... Hey, you really think I'll solve everything for him in one go? What did he give me in return?"

Zhang Luan rolled his eyes and said, "The river repair isn't for Li Zi Province's own benefit, but for the benefit of all people. Why are you so stingy?"

"Oh... I understand now. You're not exactly flush with cash right now, so you're giving him a few tens of thousands of taels to get rid of him and prevent him from coming to ask for more every day. It'll also help me out of a big problem, is that what you mean?"

"hehe."

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "Father, you can interpret it however you like."

"Cough-cough-"

Zhang Luan felt extremely awkward, coughed twice to cover his embarrassment, and then sat down opposite his son. After the servants brought tea, Zhang Luan recounted everything he had seen and heard at Wang Yue's residence, especially mentioning that he had met singing girls and dancing girls there.

Zhang Yanling pondered for a moment and said, "Wang Yue is a very generous person, and he was also good at accumulating wealth, so it's normal that he has some savings... Oh, by the way, didn't he give you a gift?"

"I gave it to them, but I didn't accept it."

Zhang Luan said, “I said that as someone in a high position, I cannot rashly accept other people’s money. He seemed very disappointed, as if he was afraid that I would not do my best to help him.”

“I have recommended you to him repeatedly, but he seems to trust me more.”

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "This is only human nature, and it's understandable."

Zhang Luan pondered for a moment: "So that means that all those singers and dancers were actually kept by him, right?"

"Father, are you having second thoughts?"

Zhang Yanling asked with a smile.

"No, you always say such unpleasant things."

Zhang Luan was a little embarrassed and said helplessly, "This bad habit of mine is really easy for people to catch. But I've figured it out now. Having those other houses is good enough. My body can't handle more! Unless it's so good that I can't refuse, I'll just ignore it."

Zhang Yanling thought to himself, "Are you here summarizing your experience in passing the test?"
Who wants to listen to your philosophical pronouncements about life?
Zhang Luan said, "I'm preparing to return to the capital to take up my post, but I plan to visit the Governor's Office first. I think Ye Qi is doing a very good job, so I won't go to the Ministry of Revenue to get in the way."

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, "Father, please don't think like that. My brother-in-law told me before that if you return to the capital, he will promote you to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, or he can transfer you to the Ministry of War as Vice Minister of the Ministry of War."

"Ah... this... this is okay?"

Zhang Luan was very surprised.

Zhang Yanling said, "Of course, becoming a Grand Secretary in the Cabinet, spending all day guarding mountains of memorials and drafting proposals, is actually feasible."

"forget it."

Zhang Luanguang shuddered at the thought of that dreary life and quickly shook his head. "I'd rather be a Left Vice Minister and continue working like this, doing my job only sporadically. At least I'd have some peace and quiet. The problem is... if I were to be transferred to the Ministry of War as Vice Minister... I know nothing about military affairs."

……

……

Zhang Luan has made a comeback once again.

His official position remained unchanged; he was still the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and concurrently a Hanlin Academician. He served in the Grand Secretariat but was not given any specific duties in the Governor's Office. In other words, there were two Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Revenue in the court at the same time. However, Zhang Luan himself did not seem to care whether he or Ye Qi was the one in charge. He just seemed to be doing whatever he could.

The first thing he did upon his return to public life was to go to the palace to pay his respects to the emperor.

This time, he did not go directly to Qingning Palace to see Empress Dowager Zhou...

Empress Dowager Zhou probably also felt that this old fellow was too unreliable. She had originally hoped that he could take care of the Zhou family, but Zhang Luan didn't even promote her. She had never seen such a cunning and treacherous senior official. It felt like she had hit cotton with a heavy force, and she was completely helpless.

Inside Kunning Palace.

Zhang Luan sat there, facing his daughter, Empress Zhang Yu, who was scolding him, while his wife, Jin, sat beside him.

This was a family visit, and although he didn't bring his two sons along, it still annoyed him a lot. After all, in front of his wife, his daughter gave him a good scolding... It made him feel like he was just a freeloader, who had just eaten his sons' money and was now trying to eat his daughter and son-in-law's money. But before he could even get a taste, his daughter gave him a good lesson!
How could that feel good?

Jin sat beside him, a hint of schadenfreude on her face. The upturned corners of her mouth seemed to say, "See, how right my daughter is? That's how you should be criticized and educated... It would be best to find someone who can control you and let you show off all day long!"
"Your Majesty, may I ask when His Majesty will arrive?"

Zhang Luan got tired of listening and interrupted his daughter.

Even though he tried to let it go in one ear and out the other, Zhang Yu's words were just too awful. Even though he tried not to take them to heart, it felt like they had been branded into his mind, making him extremely uncomfortable.

So, in my daughter's and wife's eyes, I'm just a lazy, immoral man with a lot of bad habits?
This brings me to my son-in-law!

At least my son-in-law can occasionally see the good in me and knows that his father-in-law has worked hard for the Ming Dynasty, which is not easy.

“His Majesty went out of the city with Yanling to watch the military exercises today, and they won’t be back for a while,” Zhang Yu said. “Today at noon, it’ll just be us having lunch together.”

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Luan almost wanted to punch someone.

It seems I've been in the palace all this time, listening to my daughter's complaints. I thought my son-in-law was deliberately giving my daughter time to vent, but it turns out he's only telling me now that he won't be coming back at noon today; he went out of the palace with my daughter.
Zhang Yu said, "Father, Yanling has been doing a lot for the court lately, and it seems like the family can't do without him. But for you, it seems like it doesn't matter whether he's here or not?"

Zhang Luan glared at his daughter, as if to say, "Is this the first time you've heard about this?"

Jin asked, "Then... Your Majesty, when I leave the palace, may I take some things from the palace with me? I think they are quite beautiful."

"Yellow coral, is that right?"

Zhang Yu pointed to the items on the display shelf next to him and said with a smile, "Those are the things that someone gave to Father and that Father brought home."

Jin laughed and said, "No wonder you look familiar."

Zhang Luan said irritably, "You came to the palace, and all you did was listen to the Empress scold your husband and beg for things to take home, is that it? Is your family lacking in food or clothing? You say this looks familiar, let me ask you, where have you seen this before? What a troublesome woman you are!"

He was scolded by his daughter, but because of the difference in their social status, he didn't dare to talk back. Now he just took his anger out on his wife.

Jin seemed not to hear her, and asked with a beaming smile, "Can you really take it back?"

"Take it if you want."

Zhang Yu waved his hand and said, "It was specifically found so that Father could bring it home..."

Zhang Luan said, "I don't want it... They told me to take it back before, but after thinking about it, I realized this thing is too unlucky, and besides, I can't sell it for money! Wait, I remember this thing was sold to a meritorious official's family, so how did it end up back in the palace?"

Zhang Yu said, "I don't know exactly how it came to be, but His Majesty sent someone to deliver it to my palace."

"If the child gives it to you, just accept it."

Jin said happily, "Take it back and put it in the living room. It's so beautiful and golden! I always felt that our house lacked a bit of elegance. This thing will really enhance the look of the house."

Zhang Luan frowned deeply and asked, "Do you know how many families have been ruined and destroyed because of this? If it weren't for Yanling's quick thinking, not only our family, but even the Crown Prince... cough cough, never mind..."

Zhang Yu nodded and said, "Perhaps it is because this item has a deep connection with our Zhang family that His Majesty allowed you to take it away. This serves as a warning to the world that no one can take away anything that belongs to our Zhang family!"

"Huh? Is that how it's said?"

Zhang Luan was greatly surprised.

Ms. Jin laughed and said, "Of course I know this thing can't be sold. Anyway, it's just sitting there. It looks very fashionable. Ordinary people wouldn't have it."

"What if relatives or something come over in the future and see this..."

"Tsk, tsk."

Zhang Luan shook his head repeatedly, suddenly looking disgusted with his wife.

It was as if his vision and level of understanding were already very high, but he was accompanied by a rustic, unsophisticated old woman, which he felt was embarrassing him.

However, this also indirectly shows that Zhang Luan cannot transcend worldly affairs. It is precisely because he has a strong desire for control, wants to manage everything in the family, and is unwilling to give up the little power he holds...

He simply desires power, yet is inherently lazy and unwilling to put in the hard work and effort required for it; that's all...

(End of this chapter)