Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 819 Pragmatic
Xuzhou, on the Yellow River embankment.

Listening to the rushing river, Pang Qing gathered his thoughts and continued, "What happened this time will have a great impact on our plans in Yingtian Prefecture, and will inevitably reshuffle the power structure in Southern Zhili. Our people may not be able to obey orders in the future."

Li Zisheng asked with a curious look, "Do I still have people in the south?"

"How not?"

Pang Qing quickly said, "You previously controlled the promotion and appointment of officials throughout the land, and the Nanjing officialdom was also at your disposal. Even though you never set foot in Nanjing, there are still many people there who follow your lead..."

"Really? How much money and grain did you manage to procure on this trip?"

Li Zisheng asked the pointed question.

Pang Qing was speechless once again.

Li Zisheng's expression was unfriendly: "So you went to Yingtian Prefecture, only to get a promise from your nephew Yanling that he would definitely allocate money and grain after the autumn harvest, and then you rushed back without doing anything for him, insisting on getting together with me and getting scolded by me before you felt at ease, is that right?"

Pang Qing said with a wronged expression, "Master Dao, you can't be unreasonable!"

"Humph!"

Li Zisheng snorted and frowned, saying, "I sent you to Nanjing to help my nephew Yanling with something, but you returned home without accomplishing anything and even said I was being unreasonable? What use are you?"

"As you know, our biggest support right now is Zhang Laizhan and his son. You won't do anything for them, yet you expect them to wholeheartedly help you? Is that even possible?"

"This……"

Pang Qing thought to himself, "The Taoist priest has gone mad."

You've entrusted your life to the Zhang family, doing your utmost for them, father and son, without reservation. But the problem is... how are your subordinates supposed to accept this?

You clearly still had some power and could have used it to secure a way out for your own people, but you deliberately blocked all your escape routes and even donated your family fortune to the court for river repairs.

You were already labeled a treacherous official by civil officials, do you really think you can completely whitewash yourself with that?
Li Zisheng said, "Don't say anything more. You should set off south again as soon as possible. Whatever your nephew Yanling asks you to do, just do as he says."

"He hopes that I will make a trip to Huizhou Prefecture."

Pang Qing asked cautiously, "Are you going?"

"Of course I want to go!"

Li Zisheng glared at Pang Qing. "Since you were explicitly asked to go, why didn't you go? Those Huizhou merchants are incredibly shrewd. Now, not only are all the merchants in the capital under the control of Nephew Yanling, but even Yingtian Prefecture has become his possession... Do you think they will cooperate with what Nephew Yanling wants to promote?"

Pang Qing was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "So... what you mean, Master, is... to send me to Huizhou Prefecture to borrow the tiger's power?"

Li Zisheng pointed at Pang Qing and said disdainfully, "You, you, I used to think you were quite clever, but now it seems you're nothing special. Back when I was in power, you used my prestige to swagger around, but now that you have your nephew Yanling as your backer, you're still not happy? Have you lost your mind?"
"Times have changed, and I am no longer as powerful as I once was. I survive entirely by relying on the Zhang family. Do you think I have much capital left? Serving the Zhang family wholeheartedly is the only way to break this deadlock and make me a legend for all time."

"Bingkun, think it over carefully! Just like I told you before, if I fail miserably and my work falls apart halfway, you can switch allegiance to the Zhang family and still enjoy wealth and status! I'm paving the way for you, so don't be picky, okay?"

"not good!"

Pang Qing flatly refused, "Only a petty person is opportunistic, a gentleman is loyal to the end... Daoist, if you have any instructions, just say them, don't mock me here."

"Forget it, forget it, he's hopeless... I won't say anything more, you should hurry up and do as my nephew Yanling said and go to Huizhou!"

As they spoke, Li Zisheng looked at the dark mass of people surging towards them from below the embankment, waved his hand to signal Pang Qing to get lost, "I was going to see Eunuch Xiao, but who would have thought he would come here on his own initiative! Don't let him see me! Let's go, let's go!"

Pang Qing pouted and said, "What's the harm in meeting them once?"

Li Zisheng was furious. He kicked Pang Qing in the butt and yelled, "What do you know! I just don't want anyone to see all my cards..."

"Have you ever seen someone show their hand to others before playing Pai Gow? This Xiao Jing is as cunning as a monkey! It's best not to let him see what's really going on behind the scenes..."

"understood."

Pang Qing immediately said, "I'll go down the back slope! Then I'll head over there... I wrote a letter on my way here and left it under the mattress on your bed. If you need to inform me of anything important, send someone on horseback to catch up with me. I'll be staying at the nearest inn tonight."

"Go away! You're making such a fuss!"

Li Zisheng cursed and shouted.

……

……

Xiao Jing, an official sent by the court to supervise the Yellow River construction project, was replacing Huai En. As a high-ranking eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, he was as if he had been exiled, far away from the central government.

But Xiao Jing knew very well how much the emperor valued the Yellow River's course change, especially given the potential for a major flood next year...

Zhang Luan warned Zhu Youcheng in advance about this matter, saying that if the dike were to break, millions of people would be displaced and hundreds of thousands would die from famine and epidemic. Xiao Jing had already heard about this, and as an eunuch, he had witnessed Li Zisheng's several memorials during the reign of the late emperor. He trusted Zhang Luan's predictions very much and regarded them as gospel.

However, once he arrived at the destination, he did not act as if he were doing his best to get things done, unlike Li Zisheng.

Xiao Jing was quite pragmatic. He knew that with his disabled body as an old eunuch, he couldn't do much practical work on the riverbank. He might as well use his connections from his years in the palace to help the river works raise money, grain, and laborers in the local area.

"Minister Li, that is...?"

Xiao Jing had actually seen Pang Qing from afar.

Li Zisheng said, "Oh, you've come to report something to me. It involves the south... I heard there's been some trouble in Yingtian Prefecture, caused by the young imperial uncle of the Zhang family."

"Does Eunuch Xiao know about this?"

Xiao Jing nodded and said, "I just received an official letter and learned that Young Master Zhang is cracking down on local forces in Nanjing... Minister Li is on the embankment, yet his information network is so efficient?"

"hehe."

Li Zisheng smiled.

I thought to myself, not only am I well-informed, but I also have firsthand reports from the scene. There is a fundamental difference between what you, someone who only listens to official documents, know.

If I didn't have some connections, I'd be too embarrassed to sunbathe on the embankment.

Xiao Jing asked, "When will the imperial court allocate funds and grain again?"

"Eunuch Xiao, are you truly asking me this question?"

Li Zisheng shook his head and smiled bitterly, feeling utterly helpless. "Shouldn't I be asking you? Has His Majesty issued any new decrees recently? Are there any arrangements in the court? What news has come from the capital?"
"To be honest, I've been on the dike for so long that I've almost forgotten what life is like outside the dike."

Xiao Jing thought to himself, "You're really good at pretending."

It seems you stayed on the riverbank and did a lot of work, but did it greatly contribute to the overall river repair project?

Seeing that Xiao Jing remained silent, Li Zisheng continued, "Eunuch Xiao, the young imperial brother-in-law of the Zhang family traveled from north to south, passing through Xuzhou, but he didn't even stop to visit the embankment... Does this mean that the imperial court will no longer allocate funds and grain?"

Xiao Jing blinked in confusion, looking bewildered, and asked, "Minister Li, aren't you very close to the Zhang family? Why are you asking me this question?" "Eunuch Xiao, you can't speak carelessly."

Li Zisheng sighed, “We are all working for the court, how can we judge each other based on the closeness of our relationship? Admittedly, Grand Secretary Zhang has been kind to me, but we are just casual acquaintances. As for the young Imperial Uncle Zhang, he is even more elusive. If we’re talking about close relationships, can we be closer than you palace people…our own people?”

Xiao Jing muttered to himself.

Everyone knows you and Zhang Laizhan are so close you're practically inseparable. What are you trying to achieve by making such a fuss? But she still suppressed the urge to question him and asked, "So, the imperial court isn't sending any money or grain here right now?"

"No."

Looking at the surging Yellow River, Li Zisheng smiled bitterly, "We've only just finished repairing this section of the new river channel outside the city. Next, we'll be pushing forward from Xuzhou to the Huai River. How much manpower and resources will that take? To finish it in the next two to three years is simply... an impossible task!"

Xiao Jing's eyes widened upon hearing this: "The problem is... the Yellow River will flood next year, and if we're not careful, it could result in a devastating scene of thousands of miles of water!"

"is it?"

Li Zisheng feigned surprise and said, "But reducing the construction period from three years to two years is already the limit... You mean to say that the river embankment won't hold up during the peach blossom season next spring? How about this, no matter how well it's completed here, we can divert some of the Yellow River water and let it flow downstream along the unfinished river channel? But by then... downstream of Xuzhou... I'm afraid... cough cough..."

Xiao Jing looked anxious: "If it can be repaired before the spring of next year, we can avoid this tragedy..."

"I want it too."

Li Zisheng said with difficulty, "The problem is that we can't guarantee the money and food. It's only the beginning of autumn, and we can't even mobilize enough laborers! The people don't care if there will be a flood next year; they only care about their own small plot of land!"

Xiao Jing said, "Minister Li, you need to show some real work attitude!"

“Isn’t that what we’re doing? I’m on the riverbank every day, isn’t that doing something worthwhile?” Li Zisheng stepped forward and said earnestly, “But Eunuch Xiao, if you have time, you could visit the various government offices in Southern Zhili. Perhaps you could raise some money, grain, and craftsmen.”

"Our family..."

"You can rest assured about the matters on the river embankment, Eunuch Xiao. It's already autumn, and the flood season is over! There's no need for you to personally oversee it. However, I'll have to trouble you with the money and supplies."

Li Zisheng adopted a nonchalant, "I'm not afraid of boiling water" attitude, speaking with absolute certainty.

……

……

The capital city, the Forbidden City, the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youcheng summoned Wang Yue again and showed him the achievements Zhang Yanling had made in the south.

Zhu Youcheng said excitedly, "Yanling has already proven the power of these firearms in the south. They can indeed be worth ten men and are invincible. Of course, this is only in battles against local bandits and cannot unleash their full power. Their greatest stage will be in future battles against foreign barbarians."

"His Majesty."

Wang Yue quickly finished reading the memorial in his hand and asked, "I wonder if Zhang Guojiu used any new-style cannons in this battle?"

Zhu Youcheng nodded and said, "Yes, we have. Didn't the memorial say that we sank all the pirates' warships?"

Wang Yue said, “But… I did not see any description of fighting against the bandit cavalry. The northern desert is vast and flat, and the terrain is open. In battle, it depends more on whether firearms can suppress the Tatar cavalry charge… In my opinion, no matter how powerful the hand-held musket is, it is still necessary to rely on cannons to suppress the Tatar cavalry group charge.”

"You mean?" Zhu Youcheng thought for a moment and asked, "This combat exercise wasn't very intense, so it can't prove the true power of these firearms?"

Wang Yue immediately said, "Your subject is willing to lead a force from Xuanfu and other places into the grasslands for actual combat training."

"This one……"

Zhu Youcheng originally only wanted to summon Wang Yue to boast about the power of the new firearms.

At the same time, it was also because, as the emperor, there were very few people he could share good news with. He couldn't very well show Zhang Yanling's achievements in suppressing bandits in the south to the anti-war former Crown Prince lecturer.
Unexpectedly, Wang Yue was so enthusiastic about preparing for war, and couldn't wait to lead his troops to the Northwest for training.

Wang Yue patted his chest and declared, "I am confident that with just a thousand men, we can dominate the grasslands and be invincible."

Zhu Youcheng shook his head and said, “It’s not appropriate. The timing is not right yet… If we let the Tatars know too early that we have such powerful firearms, wouldn’t that be the same as exposing the strength of the imperial army? Minister Wang, you should be patient for now. After Yanling returns, I will discuss it with him and then make a decision.”

……

……

Wang Yue left the palace gates, still feeling somewhat disappointed.

When it comes to military matters, the emperor would rather trust a child from a powerful family than listen to a veteran like him. How could he not be disappointed?
Even if the purpose is to train troops in the south, shouldn't I be the one sent?
Why send that greenhorn with no real-world experience? Even if he's incredibly skilled, shouldn't we at least give him a chance to prove himself?
"Father."

Wang Shi, the son, stood at the palace gate to greet Wang Yue.

At this time, Wang Shi had already assumed the position of centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Although he entered the Embroidered Uniform Guard as a chiliarch, he was actually given the substantive post of centurion.

Even so, it already demonstrates the emperor's high regard for Wang Yue.

"Ah."

Wang Yue nodded, his expression showing a hint of disappointment, and he didn't want to say much more to his son.

Wang Shi said, "Recently, there have been rumors circulating in the Embroidered Uniform Guard that are detrimental to you. It is said that you have repeatedly advised His Majesty on the issue of excessive military spending. It is also said that some censors and officials have gathered together to launch a concentrated attack on you. I have learned of this and have come to inform you in advance."

Wang Yue said coldly, "That's just who I am. If they want to attack me, let them! Now that I'm serving as the Vice Minister of War, many people already look down on me and have been trying to find fault with me! If they're so capable, let them do it themselves!"

When it comes to military matters, Wang Yue is extremely arrogant.

You don't like me?

I'm sorry, Your Majesty doesn't want anyone else but me to train the new army, and may even send me to the Northwest to lead troops. Isn't that enough to show the problem?

There are civil officials like Ma Wensheng in the court who think they are very powerful, and the people in the Ministry of War also dislike me and nitpick every day. But sorry, since the Tumu Crisis, no civil official in the Ming Dynasty can compare with me in terms of military achievements.

This is called strength!
Wang Shi added, "Some people say that you are trying to curry favor with the Zhang family and use the Zhang family as a base to lead troops north to fight the Tatars, which is simply a waste of resources and manpower."

Wang Yue frowned and asked, "Is there anything wrong with that statement?"

"you……"

Wang Shi never expected that his father would accept attacks from others so calmly.

Wang Yue said, "Your father wants to take advantage of the good relationship between the Zhang family and His Majesty, and lead troops into the grasslands to establish unparalleled achievements!"
"Whether or not the grasslands are pacified is of no importance to me, but military merit is real! Let me ask you, if I am gone, will the Wang family have any future left by you brothers?"

Wang Shi was now somewhat embarrassed.

The Wang family has produced such an outstanding figure as my father for generations. There are a few talented younger generations, but with my father's brilliance shining through, their little sparks are simply insignificant.

(End of this chapter)