Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 24 Do you think you can do it?
In April, willows are flying in the wind. After Grain Rain, the climate in the whole city of Beijing becomes better.

It is not as cold as winter, nor as hot as summer. It is the best time of the year.

Han San and Zheng Guotai left the Zheng family courtyard and headed straight for Fugui Street.

The streets are lined with shops and taverns, with flags fluttering, and red carpets in front of every house, showing the luxurious decoration.

Although it was not yet evening, the entire Fugui Street was already crowded with people and brightly lit.

After walking along the street for seven or eight minutes, Zheng Guotai was already dazzled.

In the past, he had never dared to even think about coming to such a wealthy place.

He originally thought that "Minglan Tower" was already a paradise on earth, but it was nothing compared to this place.

Just as he was thinking, Han San stopped.

Zheng Guotai looked up and saw an extremely luxurious attic, five stories high.

The windows facing the street are all colorfully painted and extremely decorated. A beautiful woman is leaning against the window, lowering her eyebrows and smiling at the passers-by on the street.

"Yilan Tower, it's an elegant name." Zheng Guotai muttered as he looked at the sign and walked in.

After announcing his name, Han San waited downstairs while Zheng Guotai was taken to a private room on the third floor.

When I pushed the door open, I saw the brothers Zhang Yunxiu and Zhang Jianxiu leaning on their chairs.

On the left side of the two men, there are two beautiful young ladies in moon-white skirts, playing the piano and the flute.

The sound of the piano was gentle, the sound of the flute was lingering, quiet and distant, and Zheng Guotai was intoxicated by the sound.

"Brother Zheng, you're finally here." Zhang Yunxiu greeted him with a smile.

Zheng Guotai bowed to the two of them, picked up his robe and sat down.

As soon as he sat down, Zheng Guotai couldn't help shouting, "Brother, you are really amazing. I admire you so much. If you have any questions in the future, just tell me."

Zhang Yunxiu and Zhang Jianxiu smiled at each other and said, "Then we two brothers have to call you uncle of the emperor."

"No, no, my sister is just a little concubine. There's no way you can rely on her." Zheng Guotai spoke modestly, but in fact, there was a hint of arrogance in his heart.

Zhang Yunxiu was upset by this stab and decided to give Zheng Guotai a good beating.

He picked up the tea on the table, took a sip, and asked with a smile: "Brother Zheng, now you are also the emperor's uncle, where are you going to work?"

Zheng Guotai was a little embarrassed. Although he was the emperor's uncle, he was still a commoner. When Zhang Yunxiu suddenly asked him, he could only evade the question and said, "I haven't decided yet, but I'm probably going to join the Jinyiwei."

"Great, Jinyiwei is great." Zhang Yunxiu stood up, pointed at Zhang Jianxiu, looked at Zheng Guotai and asked, "Do you know what the brother sitting next to you does?"

Zheng Guotai glanced at Zhang Jianxiu and shook his head.

"The deputy director of the Imperial Guard."

"Ah!" Zheng Guotai stood up suddenly as if he was stung by a wasp.

He is so young, and he is also a deputy governor of the Imperial Guards. He must be the son of the Prime Minister.
He suddenly remembered that both of them were surnamed Zhang and could use the connections of the East Factory. Who else but the son of the Prime Minister could use such power?

Thinking of his pride just now, Zheng Guotai felt bitter in his heart, and said in a trembling voice: "I didn't expect that the two young masters are the sons of the Prime Minister. How can I be so worthy to meet you two?"

"Brother Zheng, you don't have to belittle yourself." Zhang Yunxiu changed the subject and said, "You are also the emperor's uncle now. When your sister is favored by the emperor in the future, the two of us will really have to rely on you for a living."

Although it was a compliment, Zheng Guotai felt increasingly uncomfortable listening to it.

Everyone knows the power of the Zhang family, so even the emperor has to look up to him. He doesn't believe that he can rely on him in the future.

It's like a billionaire talking to a millionaire.

"From now on, I will have to rely on you to take care of me."

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Zhang Yunxiu stopped pressuring them and smiled to appease them. He waved his hand to let the two girls go out, clapped his hands, and ordered people to serve wine and food.

Soon, the originally empty table was filled with a variety of delicacies. Shredded radish stewed with crucian carp, Jinhua ham, winter melon stewed with skirt, Shaoxing daughter red.
Zheng Guotai was drooling at the sight of all the delicious dishes.

"Please enjoy." Zhang Yunxiu said with a smile and raised his hand.

Zheng Guotai rubbed his hands, picked up the chopsticks and ate heartily, without caring at all about the presence of others.

After a while, his mouth was full of oil and steam was coming out of his forehead.

Although this guy looked a little noble, he still had a ruffian vibe, which Zhang Jianxiu disliked.

He didn't want to come here today. If it weren't for his fifth brother's repeated requests, he would not have dinner with such a person.

Isn't she just a little concubine? So what even if she is given the title of Nine Concubines?

You're not the one trying to curry favor with Queen Wang and her family.

"Zizzi."

Just as he was thinking about it, Zheng Guotai slurped the broth and smacked his lips, which made Zhang Jianxiu so angry that his face turned black.

"Brother Zheng, eat slowly and be careful not to choke." Zhang Yunxiu reminded him hurriedly.

"No, no." Zheng Guotai spoke unclearly. After swallowing a mouthful of food, he looked at the two people who rarely moved their chopsticks and asked, "Eat, eat, why don't you eat? If you don't eat, this thing will all go into our stomachs."

"It's okay, we've already eaten, just take your time eating." Zhang Yunxiu held down his violent fourth brother and said to Zheng Guotai with a smile.

When Zheng Guotai heard this, he was delighted and became even more aggressive.

Soon, all the food and wine on the table went into Zheng Guotai's stomach.

With a look of satisfaction on his face, he half-reclined in the recliner, patted his stomach and burped.

"Comfortable. Really comfortable. If I can eat such meals every day in the future, it would be like a god's life."

"If you eat like this every day, won't you become as fat as a pig?" Zhang Jianxiu said sneer.

"If I can really eat like this every day, I wouldn't mind being a pig." Zheng Guotai didn't know if he was just a thick-skinned man or what, but he agreed with a smile.

Zhang Jianxiu felt like he had punched cotton and was so angry that his teeth were itching.

Zhang Yunxiu saw that something was not right and hurriedly left.

The two brothers said goodbye to Zheng Guotai. Zhang Jianxiu pointed at Zheng Guotai's back and cursed him, "You are a scoundrel, a monkey in a crown. Even if you put on a dragon robe, you can't cover up the smell of dirt on your body."

"Old Five, if it weren't for your sake, I would have overturned the table right there and then."

"Well, it's just a meal. There's no need to be so angry. Relax your mind." Zhang Yunxiu said with a forgiving smile.

"Why not? You saw the way he ate. Even a pig would look better than him." Zhang Jianxiu was indignant and said, "In the past, people like him wouldn't even be able to see me!"

"Who has a good sister?" Zhang Yunxiu sighed and said helplessly, "The current emperor's grandfather, Empress Dowager Li's biological father, Wuqing Earl Li Wei, is still a bricklayer."

"Isn't it the same now? I am a count?"

"Besides, our family is not rich for several generations. My grandfather was a poor scholar, and my great-grandfather was just a guard in the Liao Palace. We are not considered a wealthy family."

Zhang Jianxiu was embarrassed after being lectured by his brother, and said with a chuckle: "Well, since you came back, you have become more eloquent. I can't beat you in an argument, so you are right, okay?"

After saying that, Zhang Jianxiu walked away.

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and shook his head, then called Zhang Fu to rush to the Grand Secretary's Mansion.

Before he entered the mansion, he was stopped by a figure beside him. He turned around and saw that it was Feng Bao's butler Xu Jue.

"Fifth Master, something big has happened. You have to help our master this time."

(End of this chapter)