Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 297 Painting Cake
Zhang Mansion.

The backyard is a temporary dining room in the northwest corner of the courtyard.

The candlelight flickered and the glasses clinked.

Zhang Luan still chose to let his sons participate in the banquet, but the eldest son of the Zhang family did not have the opportunity to sit at the table, and only the second son was qualified to attend. Li Zisheng and Pang Qing had no objections, and even seemed to admire Zhang Yanling very much.

"Laizhan, there is something I need to explain to you."

Li Zisheng said solemnly, "I know that this incident is due to the feud between your family and the eldest son of the Peng family... Look, the eldest son of the Peng family has now been imprisoned, and even his family property has been confiscated by the court."

Zhang Luan asked hurriedly, "What about Elder Peng?"

Li Zisheng asked with a smile: "Laizhan, now you are in the Hanlin Academy, eating the bowl of rice in the library, and now you think of offending Peng Gelao, your immediate superior?"

"I……"

Zhang Luan looked helpless and couldn't help but glance at his youngest son.

I thought to myself, this is all your fault, how can I stay in the Hanlin Academy in the future?
"no need to worry!"

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "You are so lucky. His Majesty has approved the memorial of Peng Ge Lao's retirement and specially granted him carriages, horses, wine and food so that he can return home early.

"According to the investigation by the East Factory, in recent years, only the eldest son of Peng Ge Lao took advantage of the opportunity to make money. Peng Ge Lao was guilty of not disciplining his children properly, but he himself did not commit a serious crime.

"After the eldest son of the Peng family was imprisoned, except for his two sons who were redeemed by the Peng family at a huge price, all his wives and concubines were confiscated. You may see them in the Jiaofangsi after some time."

Zhang Luan thought about the beauty of Master Peng's wives and concubines that he had heard about when he was studying at the Imperial Academy. He couldn't help but swallow his saliva. After a long pause, he asked, "Is it that serious?"

Pang Qing smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, when you talked to the prince about this, did you not expect the situation to develop to this point? Or are you sympathizing with the eldest son of the Peng family?"

Zhang Luan shook his head repeatedly and said, "I don't know what I feel right now. To be honest, I feel guilty... I didn't intend to do something so extreme..."

"Hey, you went to the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince went to the Queen Mother, and the Queen Mother was not satisfied, so she brought the matter to Your Majesty. How could the matter be resolved peacefully?"

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "Laizhan, your whole plan is watertight... If the prince had not told the queen mother, but only told His Majesty, I'm afraid His Majesty would still have given Liang Fang and the others a small punishment and a severe warning, and would never have caused such a big commotion. Great, it's really quick!"

After saying this, Li Zisheng couldn't help but slap his thigh.

"Oh, this... I really don't know who the prince found."

Zhang Luan felt a little guilty when he said this.

Because his son had taken him to the gate of Chen Gui's mansion, although he did not go in, he knew that his son's plan was to let the prince work hard on the Queen Mother.

In other words, his son made the plan so big, used superb means, and finally achieved excellent results. Even Li Zisheng couldn't help but applaud him.

As a father, he felt proud of it, but at the same time, he was a little scared. He was afraid that others would think he was a big conspirator and dared not associate with him.

"Laizhan, is there anything else I don't know?"

Li Zisheng saw that Zhang Luan's expression was a little strange, and said with a smile, "I don't have to explore your secrets, it's just... I can't control my curiosity.

"You can become a land immortal who can predict the mysteries of the heavens and be respected by the world. I can even recommend you to His Majesty and let His Majesty rely on you as an assistant. But you are just... playing in the officialdom. Don't you think you are wasting your talent?"

Zhang Luan quickly shook his head: "I am just an ordinary person who likes to do ordinary things."

"Not ordinary, not ordinary at all."

Li Zisheng shook his head, then raised his glass and invited, "Come, have a drink with me. After you finish, I have something else to tell you in detail, or I may need your help."

"it is good."

Zhang Luan also raised his glass.

Pang Qing smiled and said to Zhang Yanling, "Second Master, don't you drink?"

Zhang Yanling hurriedly declined, "I am young, so I am only responsible for entertaining the guests at the banquet today. Just concentrate on pouring wine for my father."

"Yes, you don't need to drink alcohol when you are young. It is bad for your health. Besides, drinking too much will cause trouble."

Li Zisheng said considerately, "Your name is Yanling, right? You are really a handsome man. If there is a wealthy family that wants to arrange a marriage, I will help your father mediate and arrange a good marriage for you. What do you say?"

Zhang Yanling smiled but did not answer.

I thought to myself, thank you.

I am the future uncle of the emperor, and I am even qualified to call the shots in the court. Do I need you to talk to me about marriage?
Sorry, you, Li Zisheng, are not qualified.

Thank you very much!

……

……

After three rounds of drinking.

Li Zisheng finally spoke out about the troubles he was facing.

"Laizhan, to be honest, the Wanhe Temple case has come to an end, but the Queen Mother may not be able to go to worship Buddha this year... Your Majesty originally wanted to change a Buddhist temple to burn incense, but according to the Queen Mother, the matter has become so serious, and even the common people know that she is going to Wanhe Temple. Changing the place temporarily may cause criticism from the world."

Li Zisheng shook his head and sighed.

Zhang Luan asked in surprise, "Do people dare to slander the Queen Mother?"

Li Zisheng said helplessly: "You don't know that people who practice Buddhism pay the most attention to their state of mind, and they are also extremely concerned about other people's evaluation of their piety. Even I can't quite understand what Buddhists think.

"The Queen Mother is most afraid of people saying that she is not sincere, but she always tells people that she practices for the sake of her country and the people, and even prays for the safety of His Majesty. If people point fingers at her... wouldn't that be a threat to the country?"

"This……"

Zhang Luan shook his head and said, "This is a bit too big."

"I also think it's a bit of an exaggeration. But that's the thing. The Buddha Bathing Festival is only a few days away. His Majesty has entrusted me with this task and asked me to think of a way to satisfy the Queen Mother. What do you think? Even if I have to do something at the last minute, I can't find this big Buddha."

When Li Zisheng said this, he began to sigh.

Zhang Luan was in doubt and shook his head, saying, "It's only a few days away. Do we have to use these few days to repair Wanhe Temple again? How is this possible?"

Li Zisheng also shook his head: "It is impossible to rebuild the whole thing. If the Queen Mother really wants to go, she only needs to renovate the Great Hall. But in such a hurry, where can I find so much wood and stone? I won't even be given much money. It is very likely that... I will have to pay for it myself."

Zhang Luan thought about it seriously, holding his chin and frowning, but he kept talking: "It is quite difficult. But Minister Li, you have a wide network of contacts. It is not only you who have the opportunity to complete it, but others may not be able to do it, right?"

"Ugh!"

Li Zisheng sighed, "This is probably why His Majesty came to me. Lai Zhan, this matter...how do you think I can let you do it..."

"what?"

Zhang Luan was shocked. "I... I can't do it. I..."

Li Zisheng said with a smile: "Don't be nervous, I know that you have always had dealings with Huizhou merchants. In terms of the depth of your ties with private merchants, I may not be as good as you.

"To find the best wood and stone materials in the capital, the only merchants in Beijing who can do this are the merchants from Shanxi, besides the merchants from Huizhou. Do you think I will ask the merchants from Shanxi for help at this time?"

Zhang Luan almost wanted to ask, why not find businessmen from Shanxi?

Is there anything taboo? Pang Qing commented: "Mr. Zhang, you may not know that this Jin merchant has always been close to Deng Changen. For example, when your daughter was choosing the crown princess, the Jin merchant used Deng Changen to interfere."

"This... Minister Li, you don't have to consider me. You have to focus on the big things."

Zhang Luan seemed very generous.

Li Zisheng shook his head and said, "Shanxi merchants always put profit first. It annoys me to see them. I feel more comfortable with the more honest Huizhou merchants.

"Laizhan, if you take on this task, and then use the name of the Crown Prince to complete the task that others think is impossible in a short period of time, wouldn't that not only demonstrate the Crown Prince's filial piety, but also reflect your outstanding ability to do things?"

"Ah? This..."

When Zhang Luan heard this, he thought, is this a chance for me to show my abilities?
Why does it sound to me like they are setting a trap for me?
Li Zisheng said, "We have already found the manpower for you. No matter how many people are needed from the Beijing camp, they will be transferred to you at any time. You will go to supervise the work as a Hanlin editor... Oh, by the way, in fact, His Majesty has not resigned from your position as the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple, did you know that?"

"is it?"

Zhang Luan was shocked.

"You are now the Junior Minister of the Imperial Household Department and the historian of the Imperial Academy. If you do a good job in this matter, you can get a job in any of the six ministries."

Li Zisheng continued to make promises to Zhang Luan.

Zhang Luan couldn't help but turn his gaze to his son, using his eyes to confirm whether this was feasible.

This scene happened to be seen by the two people opposite.

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "Yanling, do you have any opinions? Talk to your father and help analyze it."

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "No need to analyze, I think this is feasible."

……

……

After seeing Li Zisheng off, the father and son stood at the door.

Zhang Luan looked back at his son and sighed bitterly, "Well, it's another big deal. Li Zisheng is really strange. He actually took the initiative to ask for your opinion this time... Does he know that you are giving me advice behind my back?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Dad, if you feel it's inappropriate, you shouldn't have agreed to it at that time."

"Of course, I think this is not a safe thing to do. The eighth day of the first lunar month is the Buddha's Bathing Festival, which starts from tomorrow. There are only three days left. It is really difficult to complete the renovation of such a large Wanhe Temple... If you didn't think this was a safe thing to do, I would never have agreed to it."

Zhang Luan was a little furious.

He was completely put on the spot by Li Zisheng and Zhang Yanling.

Before you even remove the hair or skin, it becomes a delicious whole roasted lamb.

Zhang Yanling nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile: "Even if Dad is not happy in his heart, he is still willing to listen to me. This is good. It will not make mistakes at the critical moment."

"Are you going to say that Ruzi is teachable next?"

Zhang Luan rolled his eyes.

The relationship between father and son has entered a vicious circle.

It is clearly a match made in heaven and the old should have the absolute upper hand, but now the old has to listen to the young. Zhang Luan has no say at all in foreign affairs.

Zhang Yanling turned and walked towards the front yard, explaining, "Dad, we have actually investigated. Do you think that Liang Fang and Peng Mianfu were stealing and replacing pillars during the Wanhe Temple renovation project? What they replaced were the beams and pillars that supported the overall structure of the temple?"

Zhang Luan followed behind and pouted, "How is this possible? The pillars and beams cannot be replaced. If they are replaced, it would basically be the same as tearing it down and rebuilding it."

"Isn't that okay?"

Zhang Yanling said, "It's just a small repair project, which would cost at most one or two thousand taels of silver, but it turned out to be a large project of ten or twenty thousand taels of silver. Dad, in fact, even Li Zisheng has seen it. If we just dismantle and replace the parts that need repair, it won't take more than three days."

"what?"

Zhang Luan asked in astonishment, "Not even three days? Wei Xing and his team have been working on it for more than three months."

Zhang Yanling said nonchalantly: "If you procrastinate, after the work starts, you only need to use curtains to enclose the construction site, and you can take a break and rest. During this period, you can transfer the soldiers from the Beijing camp to do their next private work. This is an old trick used by Liang Fang, Wei Xing and others, and it is not surprising at all.

"Father, you also saw it that day. The Wanhe Temple looks magnificent on the outside. Does it really need to replace any major parts?"

Zhang Luan quickly followed his son, and when they were walking side by side, he asked, "Since it can be completed in three days, why doesn't Li Zisheng do it himself and give the credit to his father?"

"With the materials, it can be completed in three days. The problem is that he doesn't have the materials right now."

Zhang Yanling asked, "If Li Zisheng were asked to find high-quality wood and stone materials by himself, it would probably take him half a month or ten days to get them. Do you think he would take such a risk?"

"Huh? Can you adjust it?"

Zhang Luan asked in surprise.

Zhang Yanling pouted and said, "I asked my father to inform the Crown Prince before. If you don't even investigate this clearly, isn't that just digging a hole for yourself?
"In fact, I had planned to let the prince take the initiative to take on this difficult task with His Majesty. After all, whoever proposed it should be responsible for solving it. This is a matter of course."

"So... where does the material come from?"

Zhang Luan asked.

"Of course, we have to transfer it from the Huizhou merchants... Even if they are unwilling to give it, we can still solve it locally around the capital." Zhang Yanling said with a relaxed look, "These expenses are probably only about one thousand taels, and the manpower used is also from the Beijing camp, so we don't need to spend too much effort!"

Zhang Luan said with a bitter face: "Then...what if Li Zisheng doesn't give the money? One thousand taels...is not a small amount no matter how you look at it."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Dad, you don't know how much money the Wanhe Temple has raised. Merchants are most keen to do this kind of thing, but they didn't have the means to do it before.

"Most merchants are the type who won't show their support until they see the rabbit. If we give them some benefits, such as helping them communicate with the Imperial Household Department, no one will care about this mere one thousand taels."

"How do you communicate?"

Zhang Luan continued to ask.

"Of course, we communicated with Chen Gui... After Wei Xing fell, Chen Gui became the actual operator of the Imperial Household Department. Otherwise, why would we inform Chen Gui in advance?"

Zhang Yanling said with a smile, his eyes full of pride.

Zhang Luan was shocked and said in surprise: "Good boy, you have planned everything in advance again, but you didn't tell me this. Then... then should we really accept it?"

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "Li Zisheng should still propose this matter to His Majesty. The specific task should be assigned to you tomorrow. I have told Butler Pang to go back and suggest it to Li Zisheng. Let Li Zisheng propose that you and the Crown Prince complete this matter together."

Zhang Luan's eyes fixed, and he asked, "The Crown Prince wants to participate too? Is it that serious?"

"Of course."

Zhang Yanling nodded heavily. "In fact, with the Crown Prince's supervision, this matter will be easier to implement, and those merchants will be more attentive to their work."

At this point, the two had returned to the middle courtyard. Zhang Yanling waved to his old father and said, "Dad, go back to your room and rest. I won't stay at home. I'll go see Qin Dangjia later and ask her to get ready."

Zhang Luan frowned and questioned, "Are you going to see that woman again, and in the middle of the night?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Dad, who are you looking down on? That woman has a lot of resources in her hands, from connections to channels and networks...

"We may have to rely on her for the reconstruction of Wanhe Temple this time. This is also a great opportunity for her to gain merit in front of the Crown Prince. I believe she will understand."

(End of this chapter)