Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 800 Closeness and distance are naturally distinguishable.
Zhang Luan returned home overnight.

When they arrived home, they found the Zhang family in complete chaos, with even Madam Jin running out from the back courtyard to check on her son's injuries.

Zhang Heling lay on the bed in the side room, looking dejected and lifeless. His legs were in splints, as if they had been broken. His face was also bruised, with redness and swelling on his forehead, cheekbones, and jaw. Perhaps because the weapon was blunt, the injuries were mostly internal and not visible on the outside.

Zhang Yanling was sitting to the side, leisurely cracking pine nuts.

The scene was very discordant.

When Jin saw her husband return, she tactfully went to the inner courtyard, leaving Changshun to serve her.

Zhang Luan asked, "Second brother, what's going on? Why didn't you protect your eldest brother when you were out there?"

"Oh."

Zhang Yanling seemed indifferent, shrugging and saying, "My elder brother got into a fight with someone over a woman and was beaten up at the brothel. His attendants were also injured..."

"It's just that this time my brother brought fewer people, and their fighting strength was lacking. As a result, they were beaten up like this and had to be carried back... I only rushed back overnight after hearing the news. What does this have to do with me?"

Zhang Luan frowned deeply and scolded, "Your older brother is in this state, and you still have the appetite to eat?"

Why aren't you eating?

Zhang Yanling continued to retort: ​​"I can't be of any help, so am I supposed to just stand there and worry for nothing? Besides, I overuse my brain every day, and eating this is very helpful for restoring my brainpower, so of course I should eat a lot of it!"

"Who did it?"

Zhang Luan really wanted to say, "Leave some pine nuts for me," but he felt he had to maintain his strict fatherly demeanor first and was too embarrassed to lower his guard.

If those words about stealing food were spoken aloud, how heartbroken would Zhang Heling be lying on his bed? It's one thing for his younger brother not to care about him, but why is his old father being so distant?

"They are relatives of the Zhou family, who are related to the imperial family."

Zhang Yanling said, "It was your aunt's grandson who did it. He's our generation... It was mainly because he was stealing a woman. In this respect, you and your father are somewhat alike."

Zhang Luan glared: "The Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution) got into a fight over a girl? That's outrageous! Wait, your brother is silent and staring blankly. Has he been beaten senseless?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Heling turned his head around and protested, "Dad, can't you wish me well for once?"

"You brat, how dare you get into a fight and end up like this?"

Zhang Luan complained, "I thought you'd fought to the death, so I came home to check on you! If I'd known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have come back at all and would have just left you to fend for yourself!"

"I……"

Zhang Heling looked aggrieved, "Is he really your biological son? Why don't you care about me at all?"

Zhang Luan didn't answer the question, but muttered to himself, "How can the Zhou family be so unreasonable? Fighting like this over a woman, is it really necessary? This makes me, your father... sigh!"

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "So, Father, you're planning to swallow your anger? Look at your eldest son, he was beaten so badly he can't even get off the bed, what a disgrace! I told my elder brother earlier that we were going to fight back! Their people are still at the Jiaofangsi, I'm going to teach them a lesson."

Zhang Luan hurriedly stopped him: "No, don't do anything rash. The Zhou family... has the Empress Dowager backing them up. No matter what, this is an internal conflict and cannot be made public, otherwise..."

Zhang Heling protested indignantly, "Dad, did I get this beating for nothing?"

"It's all your fault, you brat, for always going out and causing trouble... How old are you? You're not even fully grown yet, and you're already running around indulging in debauchery at the brothel? You even have the nerve to steal other people's women? You... you're really going to drive your father crazy." Zhang Luan was very angry and wanted to hit someone, but he didn't know who to vent his anger on.

It seems that it was precisely because of his poor upbringing that his eldest son turned out this way.

Zhang Yanling asked in surprise, "Father, you don't agree to fight back, right? Then quickly send someone to call back the people we sent out earlier."

"What?"

Zhang Luan was shocked.

"Is it difficult to understand?"

While continuing to crack pine nuts, Zhang Yanling said, "Otherwise, why would I call you back, Father? It's enough that you know my elder brother was beaten... Now that you're back, you should be prepared to face the series of things that are about to happen... You know, sometimes you really have to step in yourself, Father."

Zhang Heling said, "You, second brother, are more considerate of your eldest brother than your father... Humph, I don't have a father who doesn't care about his sons!"

Zhang Luan was so angry he almost vomited blood. He questioned, "So, you two brothers have already devised a plan and even sent people to get revenge? Do you know how much trouble this will cause? How am I supposed to explain this to His Majesty? How am I supposed to explain this to the Empress Dowager?"

Zhang Heling frowned slightly and asked, "Father, when they beat your son, did they think about how to explain it to you?"

"I……"

Zhang Luan suddenly felt that he was living a very stifling life.

Because he usually likes to avoid trouble and doesn't like to compete with others in the court, the result was that when his son was beaten, he actually wanted to stand by and let it go.
He thought about it again.

Oh wait, that's not right.

If my youngest son gets beaten up, I don't care who it is, I'll make sure this gets settled!
Otherwise, I won't be able to get over this!

But if it's the eldest son...

Looking at it this way, it seems that I am indeed somewhat biased, only favoring my capable younger son, while turning a blind eye to the plight of my dull-witted older son.
Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "So Father, you need to think about how to talk to His Majesty and explain things to the Empress Dowager if you go to the palace tomorrow. Also, how to fight back against the attacks you receive from others in the court."

"Just because of your elder brother, you've made your father bear so much?"

Zhang Luan felt that this was too outrageous.

It's just a fight between children of relatives, does it really have to be blown out of proportion like this?

"Dad, I'm not convinced! If I had a choice, I would have gone myself... But I can't get out of bed!" Zhang Heling said, feeling wronged. "I tried my best at the time, but I didn't bring enough people, and their people came from all directions... Ouch, my body hurts so much... I must get revenge!"

Zhang Luan glared at his eldest son and said, "You're no longer serving in the court, yet you're still causing trouble? Why didn't you dodge back then?"

Zhang Heling said, "I really couldn't dodge it... Two fists can't fight four hands. I was surrounded by people, and they were hitting me all over the place. Where could I hide? Besides, they deliberately provoked me. I even introduced myself, but they still wouldn't let it go."

"Hmph, I see now. They're all vying for the title of the most powerful maternal relative in the Ming Dynasty. They think they have a powerful backer, while my sister is just the Empress, so they don't care about her at all!"

"This...you're quite the smooth talker..."

Zhang Luan was both amused and annoyed. He then looked at Zhang Yanling and asked, "Second brother, why are you joining in this nonsense?"

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, "Then why don't we let my elder brother recover first? Father, would you like to come outside and talk to me?"

"Don't avoid me. I want to hear it too."

Zhang Heling protested.

Zhang Yanling tossed the pine nut shells into a jar beside him and said, “Brother, don’t worry. I said I’d get revenge for you, and I will. The men have already been sent out, and there’s no way we can bring them back… This time, we’ll beat them to a pulp, and they’ll be more badly injured than you.”

"Alright, with you saying that, Second Brother, I can rest assured as the eldest brother." Zhang Heling then stopped caring that his father and younger brother were avoiding his questions.

……

……

Zhang Luan and Zhang Yanling came out of the room.

Zhang Luan immediately said, "What exactly are you up to? You didn't hire someone to beat up your older brother, did you?"

"Dad, is that all you think about your son?"

Zhang Yanling said with dissatisfaction, "Why would I hurt my elder brother for no reason? What good would it do me?"

Zhang Luan frowned: "I have a feeling... there must be some conspiracy behind this."

Zhang Yanling said helplessly, "I really didn't make any arrangements for this beforehand. But after I learned that my elder brother had been beaten, my intuition told me that this matter could not be let go. It's also because you, Father, have always avoided trouble, which makes people with ulterior motives think that our family only wants to achieve something in managing the government and doesn't care about the status of relatives at all. That's why they've taken advantage of us!"
"If that's the case, then we must resolutely fight back and not cower and retreat. We must let others know that our family is a genuine maternal relative, and no one else can take the title of the foremost maternal relative!" Zhang Luan had not expected Zhang Yanling to be so resolute in dealing with the enemy.

He was filled with anxiety, fearing something bad might happen. He even forgot that he was supposed to return to the villa. It wasn't until late at night that the people he had sent to retaliate returned one after another, bringing "good news" to the Zhang family father and son.

"Second Young Master, we have fulfilled our mission. When we arrived at the Jiaofangsi, we immediately found that boy named Zhou Dajing and gave him a good beating... We beat him the same way they beat the First Young Master."

"That's what a burly guy with a face full of scars said."

Zhang Luan asked, "How serious was the beating?"

The group seemed to ignore them and did not respond.

Another person nearby said, "There was another one who came out to break up the fight. He seemed to be Zhou Dajing's cousin. We also dealt with him. We didn't beat him too badly, but I guess he won't be able to get out of bed for the next two months."

Zhou Dajing, the grandson of Zhou Yu, the Earl of Changning, was born earlier and was a few years older than Zhang Heling. This dispute was between Zhou Dajing and Zhang Heling.

Although Marquis Zhou Shou of Qingyun was the elder brother, he had children relatively late. His son, Zhou Ying, went to a brothel with his cousin and ended up suffering an undeserved misfortune, being beaten together.

Zhang Luan said angrily, "You call this light?"

Zhang Yanling nodded in satisfaction: "Well done, you can collect your reward. Remember to go out in groups lately to prevent retaliation from the other side."

"Order."

The group seemed very excited, as if being able to represent the Zhang family in a fight was a great honor.

Wait for the person to go away.

Zhang Luan quickly pulled his son aside and asked, "What exactly are you trying to do? This could be a big deal or a small one. If it gets to the palace, have you thought about how you'll handle it?"

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "Otherwise, why would I call you back, Father?"

Zhang Luan's face was full of bitterness: "Why are you still saying the same thing? How am I supposed to clean up this mess? Go to the Zhou family and apologize to them?"

“Father, since you don’t know what to do, then listen to me and see if we can salvage the situation?” Zhang Yanling said with a smile. “Didn’t the Empress Dowager keep telling you to help out her younger relatives?”

Zhang Luan looked annoyed: "Hitting someone is called helping them out?"

Zhang Yanling said, "They started it by hitting my older brother. Maybe they're deliberately retaliating against our family? Anyway, no matter where we go, we're in the right. Why don't we let them go and complain to the emperor and see who my brother-in-law supports! Or see which side your aunt is on."

"I……"

Zhang Luan suddenly felt that his youngest son was very wicked, as if he was deliberately dragging him into the water.

Zhang Yanling, with an expression that suggested he was enjoying the drama, said with a smile, "In any case, I've presented my solution. Whether you listen to it or not is up to you, Father."

"Hey, this matter will definitely be all over the news tomorrow. A lot of people will be paying attention, and some people might even add fuel to the fire, saying that your son and the Zhou family got into a fight at the Jiaofangsi over a girl, and both of them were injured. Anyway, it won't look good for anyone."

Zhang Luan said, "Alright, just tell me how to end this... I'll listen to you, okay?"

……

……

The next day.

During the morning court session, naturally no one mentioned the fight between the nephews and nieces of the Zhang and Zhou families, as most of the court officials were unaware of such an incident.

However, by morning, rumors about the brawl had spread rapidly among the civil officials. This was because the incident had precisely hit the mark that the civil officials disliked, or rather, they had always liked to use such things to impeach relatives of the empress.

Previously, they thought that after the new emperor ascended the throne, the maternal relatives' families were no longer as lawless as the previous Wan families, so the maternal relatives would not dare to break the law for a long time.

Only now do they realize that their judgment was wrong.

Because the situation of one family dominating like the Wan family is no longer present, the struggle for power among the maternal relatives has now begun... But they just can't figure out whether the Zhou family is really qualified to fight against the Zhang family?

Or rather, would the emperor choose between filial piety and marriage? On one side is his grandmother, and on the other is his wife; it always seems like a very difficult choice.

That morning, while Zhu Youcheng was engrossed in reviewing memorials in the Qianqing Palace, Li Rong, who was in charge of the Eastern Depot, brought news of the fight between the two families.

"Ah? Heling is injured?"

When Zhu Youcheng heard that his brother-in-law had been beaten, he seemed very concerned and almost left the palace to visit him.

In his eyes, the Zhang family was extremely important; they were closer than even his own brother. They were the people he trusted and was closest to, and he felt as distressed as if his own child had been beaten.

Li Rong said, "That's right. I heard that the leg injury is quite serious and requires a period of rest."

"How could this be?"

Zhu Youcheng looked very angry, his fists clenched tightly.

Li Rong added, "However, the Zhang family then sent people over and beat up the Zhou family as well. They beat up the eldest grandson of the Marquis of Changning and the eldest son of the Marquis of Qingyun... Their injuries were quite severe."

"They brought this on themselves."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youcheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as he was thinking about how to help his brother-in-law get revenge, he heard that the Zhang family took the initiative to settle the matter, which saved him a lot of trouble and he no longer had to worry about it.

Li Rong said, "Should we mention this to the Empress Dowager? I'm just afraid that she might..."

Zhu Youcheng pondered for a moment and said, "Then let's keep it a secret for now, shall we?"

Clearly, Zhu Youcheng was also afraid of trouble and did not want to continue developing this matter.

Since it was a fight, and the Zhou family started it, it seems that the Zhang family beat two people while only injuring one, which seems relatively fair, provided that the matter is not pursued according to the law.

Li Rong was somewhat troubled: "I imagine the news will soon be known to the world, and it's not realistic to keep it a secret forever. The Zhou family seems unwilling to give up and wants to regain their dignity."

"Are they crazy?"

Zhu Youcheng shouted sternly, "They attacked first, and they're still so arrogant and domineering? If they dare to cause trouble, send the Imperial Guards to arrest them and settle this matter!"

Li Rong then realized that filial piety and kinship were not issues in the emperor's mind, because he only recognized the Zhang family.

The Zhou family was just an accessory, or rather, not even an accessory.

Zhu Youcheng said, "While you're at it, go to the Marquis of Shouning's residence to check on Heling's injuries and see how he is doing. Take the imperial physician with you and make sure he gets a proper diagnosis. We don't want any problems to linger because of this incident, or he might become unsteady on his feet later."

"Yes."

Li Rong respectfully accepted the order.

"Furthermore, return Heling's position as a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to him. He will have manpower to help him if necessary." Zhu Youcheng continued to instruct, "The Shouning Marquis's residence must not suffer any changes. Also, strengthen the protection of Yanling. He must not be harmed."

Zhang Yanling is currently helping him settle matters related to military industry. In Zhu Youcheng's view, even if he were the one who gets beaten up, he wouldn't want Zhang Yanling to get hurt.

Li Rong then asked, "Should we talk to Zhang Guozhang? Or ask him what to do?"

"no need."

Zhu Youcheng said, "This matter was due to my lack of foresight, which resulted in Heling's injury. I hope my father-in-law will not hold a grudge. Send someone to the Zhou family again to reprimand them and teach them to behave. If they commit the offense again, I will punish them severely."

Li Rong thought to himself, could this favoritism be any more obvious?

However, considering that the Zhou family was the first to act, it seems reasonable for the emperor to do so.

(End of this chapter)