Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 329 Secrets (asking for monthly tickets)

Liu Ji's residence.

Zhu Ji, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, came to visit and met with him in the inner hall of the Second Assistant Liu Ji.

"Did Zhang Laizhan really accept the things?"

Liu Ji inquired.

Zhu Ji nodded: "I'll take it."

Liu Ji asked again: "Does it mean that he accepted what you handed over, or did he accept everything? Please tell me in detail."

Zhu Ji said seriously, "I took everything, including dozens of acres of land, a house, more than a dozen beautiful maids, some tables, chairs and benches made of golden nanmu, and the indenture contract were all given to him."

"He was quite happy to receive it."

Liu Ji teased, "It turns out he is also a greedy and lustful guy."

Zhu Ji said, "Lord Liu, since he has taken all the things, what should we do next?"

Liu Ji smiled and said, "What else can I do? This is called each taking what he needs. Do you still want to report him? The key is, what do you want to report him for?"

"This……"

Zhu Ji quickly lowered his head.

Although Zhu Ji was grateful for the prince's kindness and wanted to repay him for his kindness in the previous hunt for the missing Jing army, as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it was impossible for him to stand on the prince's side at the moment. Besides the fact that the emperor was watching him, the prince had no foundation in the court at all and was far from being able to be asked to do anything.

Moreover, since the fall of Wang Zhi and the disbanding of the Western Factory, the position of commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard has become a high-risk occupation, and four or five chief officers have been replaced in a few years.

Do you want to wait for the prince to ascend the throne and bring you wealth and glory?
I'm sorry, I'm still not sure whether I can make it to that day!
The immediate benefits are the most practical!
"Okay, you can go back."

Liu Ji waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. Don't come to my house. You still have to be cautious... The Criminal Department is a bit difficult, but I will come forward to help you settle it... By the way, is Wan Zhongtang's share ready?"

Zhu Ji said: "They are all here."

"Where's Uncle Wan?"

Liu Ji asked again.

Zhu Ji leaned forward and whispered, "This is what the Third Uncle of the Wan family arranged... After Liang Fang fell, most of the affairs of the imperial farm fell into the hands of Uncle Wan, especially the purchasing power of the Beijing Camp this year also belonged to Uncle Wan, and many people have already sent gifts."

When a powerful figure in the court falls, someone will definitely fill the vacancy.

Li Zisheng wanted to fill the vacancy, but the emperor trusted more his beloved Wan Shi’s two younger brothers, the brothers Wanxi and Wanda who are still alive.

The two uncles of the Wan Kingdom, relying on the influence of their elder sister, have begun to interfere in the affairs of the inner court.

Because the Wan family has always been serving in the Jinyiwei and has close contacts with Jinyiwei officials, under such circumstances Zhu Ji will naturally move closer to the Wan family.

Liu Ji said: "When Liang Fang was here, he oppressed the people under him and made them feel suffocated. Now that he and Wei Xing have been exiled, all kinds of monsters and demons have emerged."

Zhu Ji thought, what are you hinting at?

Am I one of those monsters?
"The Empress in the palace, that is, the Concubine Chen, may be taking care of affairs outside the palace recently. She may assign you an assignment." Liu Ji reminded.

"Empress Chen..."

Zhu Ji was a little afraid.

It has always been a taboo for the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to have any contact with the concubines in the inner palace.

However, Concubine Wan had interfered in many of the affairs of the Jinyiwei before, and the emperor not only did not stop her, but even encouraged the Jinyiwei to obey her orders, which set a very bad precedent.

After Concubine Wan's death, a lot of actual power in the palace fell into the hands of Concubine Shao, so much so that the ambitious Concubine Shao also wanted to interfere in government affairs from the harem like Concubine Wan... Even if she could not really interfere in government affairs, she wanted to keep a firm grasp on matters related to the imperial palace system, make the court obey her orders, and then support her son to ascend to the throne.

Zhu Ji was very clear, however, that Concubine Shao at this time was far from having the power and status that Concubine Wan had in the past. As Emperor Chenghua did not want to easily change the court structure, Concubine Shao's plan would be difficult to realize, and naturally there would be no situation in which she would affect the court.

……

……

After meeting Zhu Ji, Liu Ji took another "gift list" and went to visit the Prime Minister Wan'an.

When Wan An saw the things Liu Ji sent, his eyes widened. He looked at the "gift list" for a long time before asking, "Are you sure it's okay?"

Liu Ji smiled and said, "They were not obtained by Liang Fang's direct descendants, but were obtained from local tyrants and merchants who used Liang Fang's name to rob people.

"Liang Fang was extremely powerful before, and the people under his name were a mixed bag. No one knew their backgrounds, which allowed them to fish in troubled waters and make a fortune. Now that the truth has been revealed, we finally know who is swimming naked, and naturally we can find out the truth after a quick investigation.

"For example, this house on the gift list is a first-rate place in Tongzhou, covering nearly ten hectares. If you have time to visit it, it will surely be an eye-opener. There are opera troupes, singing girls and dancers, pavilions, towers, rockery and lakes. It has everything. It is truly a pleasure to be here."

Wan An rolled his eyes at him and said, "I'm so busy on weekdays, how can I have the time to go to Tongzhou? Sell the house and move my family to the capital. Wouldn't it be better for me to listen to music and have fun in my own house in the capital?"

At this point, Wan An smiled and said, "I'll call you along then."

"Thank you."

Liu Ji smiled widely.

Apparently, both of them were very satisfied with the division of the spoils.

Wan An was happy, but he asked cautiously, "Have you told Mr. Li about this? How much did you give him?"

"I didn't give him a penny." Liu Ji said fiercely.

Wan An immediately became nervous when he heard this, looked around, and asked in a low voice: "The man surnamed Li is now the most powerful in the court. If you don't give him anything, aren't you afraid that he will make things difficult for us later?
"What do you think?"

Liu Ji said, "Let me put it this way. If we share it with him, we will have at least half less of what we give you. The house in Tongzhou and the singers and dancers in it will basically belong to him. Now we eat the meat, but if we share the meat with him, we won't even have the chance to drink the soup."

When Wan'an heard this, he suddenly felt that not giving it to Li Zisheng was not a bad thing.

"Besides, what does Li Zi need from us?" Liu Ji said jealously, "Your Majesty trusts him so much that he has given him the power to appoint and dismiss officials. The Minister of Personnel is just a figurehead. In terms of personnel matters, if there is no written permission from him, the Ministry of Personnel will not report it, and it will be in vain even if it is reported."

Wan An shook his head and sighed: "Even if I am unwilling, what does it matter? His Majesty only trusts him, not us."

Liu Ji sneered, "He has made a lot of money by selling official positions and titles, so we don't have to worry about his wealth. But I heard a rumor that he has an unclear relationship with the Crown Princess's father-in-law Zhang Luan and Zhang Laizhan... This matter is not a big deal, but now that His Majesty has liver disease, it is hard to predict whether it will be a disaster or not. Do you think that if His Majesty knew that he said one thing to his face and another behind his back, would he..."

Wan An waved his hand and said, "Don't even think about causing trouble for Li in front of His Majesty. He is very dangerous. It's good that he doesn't come to provoke us."

Seeing that Wan'an was afraid of Li Zisheng, Liu Ji had to change the subject: "I asked Jinyiwei Commander Zhu Ji to send a portion of the money and property obtained this time to Zhang Laizhan."

"give him?"

Wanan frowned.

You just said that we don’t have enough for ourselves, and you actually gave one share to Zhang Luan?

Just listening to it makes me feel so at a loss.

Liu Ji smiled and said, "Wouldn't it be good to win him over? I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it or not?"

"You said."

Wanan urged.

Liu Ji said: "Recently, Concubine Shao's family came to visit my house."

Wan An curled his lips and said, "How dare you meet the family of the concubines in the inner palace? If you accept the concubines' request and are held accountable by His Majesty, don't blame me for not protecting you."

"How could Your Majesty know?"

Liu Ji said, "Concubine Shao's meaning is very clear. Liang Fang has fallen, and now no one can help her. She said that if we can help her son become the crown prince..."

"Don't mention this matter again."

Wan An raised his hand, looking very impatient. "Whoever becomes the crown prince has no impact on us... If you believe this and push for a change of crown prince, it would be tantamount to opposing His Majesty and the court."

"not necessarily!"

Liu Ji shook his head and said, "Don't be so decisive. May I ask, what do the people in the court think of you now? Especially those so-called clean officials, who slander you every day, and... me?"

One is a cock-washing husband, and the other is Liu Mianhua.

The two of them occupied the only two positions in the cabinet, but they never did anything about personnel matters, which has long been criticized.

"What does it matter if they say it? It's not like you or I will lose a piece of meat."

Wan An seemed very relaxed. "Besides, even if the crown prince is really changed, can it change other people's views of us? Don't always use the opportunistic mentality of the surname Li to do things. If you say that he is closer to Concubine Shao, I can understand it... You and I... There is no need for that at all."

Liu Ji sighed, "I am afraid that something bad will happen to the future emperor. The prince will not trust me, but only the flatterers around him."

Wan An narrowed his eyes and glanced over and said, "Youzhi, what does this have to do with your gift to Zhang Laizhan? You knew he was from Li Zi Province, but you still wanted to win him over? And Concubine Shao, it's inexplicable... Zhang Laizhan is the prince's father-in-law, how could he help her? Or are you planning to use this incident to impeach him and make His Majesty think that the prince's father-in-law is an incompetent and greedy person?"

"I won't be so unwise as to pull out the radish and bring out the mud!" Liu Ji shook his head and said, "In fact, there are some things that I still haven't figured out thoroughly."

"What? You asked someone to send a gift to Zhang Laizhan, but you can't justify it... What does this mean?"

Wanan was a little annoyed.

Liu Ji sighed, "It seems that Zhang Laizhan has suddenly gained the respect of His Majesty."

"Is Zhang Laizhan highly regarded by His Majesty? How exactly is this manifested? Even if he is the Minister of the Honglu Temple and has entered the Imperial Academy, can he influence the government?"

Wan'an had a look of disdain.

"But... this time, Liang Fang was brought down by him."

Liu Ji reminded.

One sentence made Wan'an silent.

"Moreover, the news that Zhang Laizhan is highly regarded by His Majesty has spread in the palace. Even Concubine Shao Chen seems to be interested in winning over Zhang Laizhan, which shows that this rumor is not groundless." Liu Ji said.

"Hehe... I still say that. Concubine Shao is determined to make her son the crown prince. Where does she get the courage to recruit the crown prince's father-in-law? Is she just being too bored?"

Wan'an sneered.

Liu Ji smiled mysteriously and said, "He is just the prince's father-in-law. This relationship... is not that close. I have thought about it carefully. Zhang Laizhan has more than one daughter."

Wan An was stunned for a moment, and after thinking seriously, he asked: "What's the reason for your words? Could it be that Concubine Shao also wants to marry Zhang Laizhan..."

Liu Ji sighed, "Who knows? Anyway, the main reason I gave Zhang Laizhan a gift this time was to shut him up. No matter what, Liang Fang was ruined by him. If he doesn't get any benefits, he will definitely hold it in the future. Besides... the people in the palace have other plans, so I am preparing for the rainy day!"

Wan An frowned and said, "It's really strange that everyone in the palace has set their sights on Zhang Laizhan. What virtue and ability does this person have?"

Liu Ji said: "You have to ask Li Zisheng about this matter. His preference for Zhang Laizhan is incomprehensible. Zhang Laizhan impeached him, but he was not angry. He helped Zhang Laizhan enter the Hanlin Academy and helped him to serve as a lecturer in the Eastern Palace. We can't help but believe it."

"Oh?"

Wan'an frowned.

"I also heard that His Majesty actually let Zhang Laizhan be responsible for selling the tribute, and his trust in him obviously exceeded the scope of the father of the Crown Princess. Who knows, will Zhang Laizhan be the second Li Zisheng?"

After Liu Ji had used his brain for some time, he came to the conclusion: "We should be on guard against him, but also be able to keep him under control at all times."

……

……

Li Mansion's villa outside the city.

After the lights were lit, operas were performed in the pavilions and towers. The operas performed were the same two plays that Li Zisheng had brought to the palace to rehearse earlier.

The only VIP guest was Zhang Luan.

Li Zisheng and Zhang Luan drank together, and the young women who poured wine and served the wine were as lovely as canaries.

"Laizhan, has anyone come to inquire about the tributes in your house these past two days?"

Li Zisheng asked with a smile. Zhang Luan said, "I was just about to tell Minister Li about this. The three pieces of yellow coral, including the one you bought, have all been sold now."

Li Zisheng was startled and asked, "They were all sold for three thousand taels?"

"Yes."

Zhang Luan said, "Yesterday, the Baoguo Mansion sent someone to talk to me about this matter. Today, they directly sent silver and took Huang Shanhu away."

Li Zisheng asked, "Are you only taking the yellow coral?"

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "Of course not. In addition to the yellow coral, there is also a mirror. We agreed to sell it together. We can't just not give it away at the last minute, right?"

"Where's the other one?"

Li Zisheng asked again.

Zhang Luan said: "It was bought by the Duke of Ying."

Li Zisheng nodded and said, "The Duke of Ying used to be the absolute first family of meritorious officials in the Ming Dynasty, but after the current emperor ascended the throne, the Duke of Baoguo rose to prominence. The two families have been clashing over each other in matters of the Beijing camp. I never thought that they would even compete to buy tribute. Then... Lai Zhan, apart from these two families, there are no others?"

"besides."

Zhang Luan introduced, "But basically they all come to inquire about the information. When they know that the price is three thousand taels of silver per piece, they all say they will go back and think about it."

"Then the Duke of Ying and the Duke of Baoguo did not show up in person, right?"

Li Zisheng asked with concern.

"Yes."

Zhang Luan nodded.

Li Zisheng smiled knowingly: "That's right, it's just buying something, and the servants can come forward. It doesn't necessarily need them to come in person."

"but……"

Zhang Luan suddenly said another sentence.

"But what?"

Li Zisheng asked hurriedly.

Zhang Luan said, "It's like this. Although the Duke of Ying gave me the silver, he asked me to personally deliver the yellow coral and the mirror to his house in the next two days. I am hesitating whether to pay him a visit. You should also know that as the father-in-law of the crown prince, my status is awkward. After all... it's not very convenient."

When Li Zisheng heard this, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "If I tell you to go, then just go!"

"But……"

Zhang Luan obviously didn't want to accept Li Zisheng's suggestion.

"Laizhan, you think that if you contact the Duke of Ying, people will think you have bad intentions, right? Don't worry, the interpersonal relations in the court are actually common things! Don't think that you can represent the prince... In fact... No one can represent him, not to mention... Hehe."

Li Zisheng smiled and shook his head, not making his words very clear.

In fact, what he wanted to say was that it would not matter even if the prince went to see Zhang Mao in person, because the emperor had always believed that his son was a coward. If the prince really had the guts to plot against his father's throne, would he be despised by his father like this?
"So I can go and meet him?" Zhang Luan asked.

"It's natural."

Li Zisheng said, "In fact, I think there is nothing wrong with you going to meet him. It is precisely because the Duke of Ying and the Duke of Baoguo are fighting overtly and covertly for the right to command the Beijing Camp that they are trying to win you over. It is also because of this that you have the opportunity to skillfully maneuver between them."

Zhang Luan asked doubtfully, "I'm just delivering a tribute. It shouldn't involve so many things, right?"

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "Then do you know what the Duke of England was thinking? He could have asked his servants to take the things back to his house, but he chose not to do so and asked you to deliver the goods in person. Don't you understand?"

"This one……"

"Moreover."

Li Zisheng said, "Even if you have no intention of intervening in military power, you still need a channel to communicate with them. This tribute gives you a great opportunity to establish a connection with them. Isn't that good?"

"Contact opportunity?"

Zhang Luan obviously didn't quite understand why this was necessary.

Li Zisheng was a little anxious and said, "Laizhan, are you pretending to be confused with me? I've seen you do things before, and you can say that your methods are extremely clever. If you really don't understand, there are no outsiders around today, so it's okay for me to talk to you... You all should leave first."

"Yes."

All the beautiful women who served drinks bowed and left.

As a result, there were only two people left on the pavilion.

Li Zisheng said, "Laizhan, let me ask you, you calculated before that my good fortune would last for half a year, is it still the case now?"

"Your great fortune?"

Zhang Luan was surprised and said, "Minister Li, I never said that. I have always respected you and never predicted your future... and this kind of thing cannot be predicted at all."

Li Zisheng laughed inwardly, thinking, I wanted to trick you, but in the end I didn't trick you into anything. Your psychological defenses are pretty strong, old man. Is it because you didn't drink enough?

"Then let me ask you, if six months later, there is a drastic change in the court, and someone wants to... plot something bad, take control of the government, or even... do you understand?"

Even though Li Zisheng said he wanted to be honest, there were some things he still didn't dare to say out loud.

Zhang Luan asked, "Are you talking about deposing and enthroning people?"

"Ah."

Li Zisheng nodded and said, "The Crown Prince is kind and generous, and many people in the court support him, but the succession to the throne is not something that can be secured just because you have good character and moral integrity. If someone plots against the Crown Prince and the power of the Imperial Guards falls into their hands, what will you do?"

"I……"

Zhang Luan was speechless.

Li Zisheng said: "Don't think I am exaggerating here. My position allows me to know much more than you.

"Even though Concubine Wan has passed away and Liang Fang has been ruined by you, the majority of people in the palace still support Concubine Shao and her son...

"Do you know why?"

"Because... Your Majesty doesn't like the prince?"

Zhang Luan asked nervously.

"This is just one of the reasons... Do you know why His Majesty doesn't like the Crown Prince?"

Li Zisheng smiled and personally filled Zhang Luan's glass with wine before continuing, "Because your majesty feels that the prince is not like him, and the prince's life experience... is a mystery to outsiders. Many people also say that the prince is not like your majesty... Do you know what happened to the prince's mother, Concubine Ji?"

Zhang Luan shook his head and said, "I don't know."

Li Zisheng said: "At the beginning, Concubine Wan was the only favorite in the harem. Although His Majesty doted on Concubine Wan, he would still often visit other concubines. Concubine Wan didn't care about His Majesty's romantic affairs, but she didn't leave any chance for others to have children."

Zhang Luan said puzzledly: "Your Majesty has many descendants."

"That was after Concubine Wan was no longer able to have children."

Li Zisheng said, "Don't you think about it? During the first ten years after your majesty ascended the throne, until the birth of the fourth prince in the twelfth year of Chenghua, your majesty was in the prime of his youth. How come you didn't have a single child alive?"

"This……"

"Oh, of course, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is missing from this."

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "The crown prince was born in the sixth year of Chenghua. He was the only one left out. The reason he lived to be made the crown prince was mainly because... Concubine Wan didn't even know this child existed."

"Why is that...?"

Zhang Luan felt that his brain was no longer enough.

Li Zisheng said, "It was because Concubine Wan was still able to have children at that time... until the eleventh year of Chenghua, when the crown prince was established, Concubine Wan was no longer able to have children, and only then did the fourth prince come into being and be born successfully. It was also in the eleventh year of Chenghua that our Concubine Wan was conferred the title of Imperial Noble Concubine. Why do you think that was?"

Zhang Luan suddenly realized, "Is that your majesty's compensation to Concubine Wan?"

"Look, once I tell you, you'll understand immediately."

Li Zisheng said, "There are some things that we don't need to slander, or it doesn't matter whether it's true or not. I think so, but do you think His Majesty doesn't think so? Why did His Majesty confer the title of Imperial Concubine to his servant Wan, and gave so many rewards to the Wan family, and let them do whatever they want?

"Do you know how violently Wan Er made trouble in the capital when he was alive? Isn't this all to make Concubine Wan feel better?"

"This this……"

Zhang Luan really didn't know how to comment.

If this kind of thing came from his son's mouth, he might choose to believe it or not, or think that his son was talking nonsense.

But if it came from Li Zisheng's mouth, the effect would be very different.

Because Li Zisheng was the most favored minister of the emperor, he obviously knew more inside information than others.

Li Zisheng said, "Come on, come on, have a drink. I'll tell you in detail while you drink."

"it is good."

Zhang Luan quickly picked up the wine glass.

"Now that I have opened up the conversation, I can speak freely."

Li Zisheng continued under the influence of alcohol, "Let's talk about the prince's life story. Concubine Ji was just a foreign woman from the southwest. It was said that she was beautiful and knowledgeable. She attracted the emperor's favor for a while, but they only had sex once or twice, and she gave birth to the prince."

"what?"

Zhang Luan seemed very surprised.

Once or twice?

Can she give birth to a prince?
"Life's encounters are often so mysterious."

Li Zisheng said, "Outsiders say that someone in the palace hid Concubine Ji and her son, and kept Concubine Wan unaware of the incident. It was not until the prince was five years old that His Majesty recognized him. But as far as I know, this is not the case."

"What's that like?"

Zhang Luan asked hurriedly.

Li Zisheng said, "Your Majesty didn't explain it to me very clearly, and he vaguely mentioned that he actually saw the prince when he was born. If it is true as the rumors say, that the father and son didn't recognize each other until they were five years old, would Your Majesty make him the prince?"

"That means..."

"Even His Majesty himself knows that if Concubine Wan knew about this child, he would not live for a few days. There was the case of the death of the crown prince before. Regardless of whether his death was instructed by Concubine Wan, His Majesty has already planted the seeds of doubt in his heart."

Li Zisheng said, and then called out, "Drink, drink."

After Zhang Luan drank a full cup, he asked, "That means Your Majesty is afraid that something bad might happen to the Crown Prince, so he deliberately hid them?"

"Maybe, who knows?"

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "But it is precisely because of these twists and turns that the prince suffered so much in his childhood. He grew up eating at many people's homes. Not only is he weak and sickly, but his character is also extremely weak. Concubine Wan is even more displeased with this child. She often whispers in your majesty's ears that this child is not your majesty's biological child, or is a bastard."

At the end, Li Zisheng added: "Laizhan, I am just repeating what others say. This is not my true thought."

"I understand, I understand." Zhang Luan said quickly.

Li Zisheng said: "Therefore, your majesty wants to change the crown prince in order to prevent the possibility of the royal bloodline of the Ming Dynasty from being mixed. It is also because of this that some treacherous villains, knowing that Concubine Wan has passed away and the matter of changing the crown prince is impossible, still continue to overestimate their own abilities.

"I have come to see you. What I need to do now is... to clear all obstacles for the prince's future..."

(It’s the 3rd, please give me another guaranteed monthly ticket!)

(End of this chapter)