Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 802 Wife is more important than grandmother

After leaving the palace, Zhang Luan went straight home and met the two Zhang brothers, who rarely got together.

One of them had to lie in bed, groaning in pain, while the other, though staying by his side, was busy writing and drawing... It seemed that the busiest one in the family was always the youngest son, Zhang Yanling.

"Fortunately, I did not disgrace my life."

After Zhang Luan sat down, he casually picked up the teacup on the table, took a couple of sips, and then said, "Now that everyone has been taken care of, this matter is finally over."

Zhang Heling turned his head to the side and protested with dissatisfaction: "Dad, this matter cannot be left like this... Once I recover, I still want to fight back myself."

Zhang Luan glared at his eldest son and scolded, "I don't even care to ask you what caused the argument at the brothel. Dare to say you weren't responsible? It's only because your brother was willing to help you... otherwise, this beating would have been for nothing. I wouldn't bother with you at all!"

“Father, how could you do this? I’m still your son, aren’t I? Besides, my sister is the Empress, and I’m the Imperial Brother-in-Law. Does our Zhang family need to be afraid of anyone?” Zhang Heling said stubbornly. “I heard that when the Wan family was in power, they could do whatever they wanted in the capital… Why can’t they do the same to me? I’m not convinced!”

"If you're not happy about it, just keep it to yourself!"

Zhang Luan said irritably, "The Wan family can act arrogantly because Consort Wan is favored! But look at the Empress back then, and the current Empress Dowager Wang family, can they act arrogantly? These things have to consider the preconditions."

Zhang Heling said with dissatisfaction, "My sister is not only the Empress, but also the person my brother-in-law loves and trusts the most. She can be said to have combined the advantages of Consort Wan and Empress Wang. Why can't I act like I own the place?"

"Sure enough, I didn't even need to ask to know it was you who caused trouble outside. Heh, I got it out of me with just a few words... Second brother, why don't you keep an eye on your eldest brother? He's increasingly showing signs of becoming a troublemaker... Why are you always so busy?"

Zhang Luan frowned and demanded an explanation.

Instead of answering, Zhang Yanling asked, "Father, aren't you sleepy?"

"Uh……"

Zhang Luan then remembered that he seemed to have forgotten something. He slapped his forehead and wailed, "Oh no, oh no, I forgot that I told her to prepare first... Sigh, this is practically a one-way trip!"

Zhang Heling asked with surprise and doubt, "Father, who is she? And where are you going?"

"When did it become your place to tell me what to do?"

Zhang Luan rolled his eyes at his eldest son, then said, "Yanling, come out here, just to see me off... I have something to tell you."

"so troublesome."

Zhang Yanling was blunt, but he still put down his brush, got up, and followed Zhang Luan outside.

Lying on the bed, Zhang Heling protested bitterly, "Why don't you tell your eldest son about things? It seems like I'm the one who will inherit your title... Why do you two do everything behind my back? This isn't fair!"

"What's this about fairness!"

Zhang Luan turned around, pointed at his eldest son, and cursed, "You stay at home and behave yourself. You'll be sent to the army for training later! If you keep yelling, I'll break your other leg too!"

……

……

Zhang Luan and his son Zhang Yanling came out.

Zhang Luan said, "I think your sister's temper is getting more and more irritable. She always thinks she's the most important person in the world, and acts like she's above everyone else... Judging from her tone, it's as if our Zhang family is the most powerful family in the world except for the royal family, and no one dares to mess with us..."

“I told her that the Zhou family was not to be trifled with, and she mentioned that she had already been very good to the Empress Dowager, but her own family was being bullied by the Zhou family. It seemed that she didn’t even care about filial piety! Isn’t this called being arrogant because she’s favored?”

"Father, you are favored, and you are arrogant."

Zhang Yanling smiled and comforted her, "Sister, you are now deeply loved by your husband, and the two of you live in harmony. And your husband is the ruler of a country, so why can't you be a little proud?"

"Why are you getting so impetuous, kid!"

Zhang Luan frowned.

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "Isn't it just getting arrogant? Once a person obtains supreme power, their mindset will naturally be very different from before... However, Father, you are no different from before. You still want to swallow your anger when you are wronged. It seems that you need to change this."

Zhang Luan frowned and said, "Who said I like to swallow my anger? I just feel that sometimes taking a step back can open up a whole new world... Uh, I'm really not a coward, it's just that..."

At this point, Zhang Luan realized that he might have been a bit conservative.

He completely failed to grasp his status as the most powerful maternal relative of the Ming Dynasty. His peasant mentality prevailed, and he was always trying to be accommodating, as if his son had indeed predicted.

“But you can’t be like you two siblings, fighting back every time someone hits you, and then holding a grudge to the end, right?” Zhang Luan said sternly.

Zhang Yanling laughed: "Isn't it obvious? Taking the initiative to fight back is to show the powerful families in the capital... It's not about fighting for a steamed bun, it's about fighting for pride! With your personality, you're bound to cause trouble outside in the future. You were beaten up today, but you swallowed your anger and ended things peacefully. Won't others be afraid of you in the future? If a conflict arises, won't you still beat them up without hesitation?"

Zhang Luan said, "What you said makes a lot of sense. So, after we fought back, we gave them a sweet treat, saying we'd arrange for a member of the Zhou family to take up a position in the military, and that even the Empress Dowager wouldn't pursue the matter... We just wanted to make people think that our Zhang family is really not to be trifled with?"

"Father, you're right."

Zhang Yanling nodded heavily and said, "This is for my elder brother, and also for my father and me. Speaking of which, our Zhang family has risen so quickly, and my brother-in-law is a gentle person, so it's easy for others to take advantage of us."

"When faced with such conflicts, our first choice is never to avoid them. Otherwise, wouldn't the three of us, father and sons, suffer constantly outside?"

"Hey kid... From what you're saying, you're standing up for your older brother, but it's being interpreted as standing up for the Zhang family, or even for your father's sake? How can you be so shameless?"

Zhang Luan listened with disdain.

Clearly, what his son said was beyond his understanding as a scholar.

Scholars value persuading people with reason and virtue, unlike his son who prefers to subdue people with fists.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "This method is also effective against the ministers in the court who are making things difficult for you. So Father, you can't always hide away. After all, your brother-in-law wants to do something that will shake the world, and he needs someone to take the lead. That's when the importance of supporting you will become apparent."

"It's me again? Is there fighting in the Northwest?"

Zhang Luan looked aggrieved and said, "My son, it's good that you step up yourself when something happens... I feel that now, whether it's the eunuchs or the people in the court, they all know you and know that you are capable. Your brother-in-law values ​​you so much!"

"Alright, I have important things to do... Shall we both keep busy?"

"Father, take care."

Zhang Yanling smiled.

Zhang Luan walked forward with his hands behind his back, muttering, "Day after day, I'm being screwed over by my two sons! And they're telling me to slow down!"

……

……

Inside Kunning Palace.

Zhang Yu waited for her husband to return, and even sent someone to the Qianqing Palace to urge him to come back. Finally, she managed to call her husband back before dark.

Zhang Yu immediately expressed his dissatisfaction.

Zhu Youcheng looked troubled: "They are all close relatives of the Empress Dowager, and I don't know who to help. Yu'er, I know I should lean more towards Heling, but after all... they are the Empress Dowager's family."

"Just because your maternal grandmother's family members can bully your wife's family members?"

Zhang Yu appeared very unhappy.

As the empress, she had always had a smooth and successful life, and even felt that she could look down on everyone.

But who would have thought that reality would give her a harsh slap in the face, that her younger brother would be bullied by another family related to her maternal relatives?
Can you tolerate this?

I've mentally prepared myself for so long, and finally accepted the reality that I'm invincible, but then anyone can easily slap me in the face. How can I accept that?

Zhu Youcheng said, "Actually, my father-in-law has already mediated this matter... After the fight, Heling suffered a small loss, but then he found someone to fight back, not only beating up the instigator but also two of them at once... Now people in the court are criticizing it, and I'm still thinking about how to deal with it." "What are they criticizing?"

Zhang Yu pouted and said, "The Zhou family bullied the weak by outnumbering us. They beat my brother without cause, that's a fact, isn't it? So what if we fought back? They dared to stir up trouble in the capital, fanning the flames everywhere, and they even wanted to slap the face of the royal family? It's a favor that they weren't killed!"

Zhu Youcheng was in an increasingly difficult position.

Faced with his wife's full-on barrage of arguments, he thought of reasoning with her.

What women hate most at this time is being lectured.

Just as Zhu Youcheng was stammering for a while, unsure of what to say, a voice came from the doorway announcing: "Your Majesty, the young imperial brother-in-law has entered the palace."

It was Qin Chang.

Zhu Youcheng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yu'er, look, Yanling has entered the palace... Why don't you talk to him about it?"

"It's no use no matter who says it."

Zhang Yu said, "My father is the same. He's being bullied, yet he wants to swallow his anger and even said he'd help the Zhou family get positions in the new army. I don't know what he's thinking. Is he addicted to being bullied?"

Zhu Youcheng looked embarrassed.

This was the first time he had officially stood up for the Zhang family... It seemed that before, he never needed to clean up the messes for the Zhang family; it was always the Zhang father and son who helped him solve all sorts of troubles.

……

……

Zhu Youcheng came out first and met Zhang Yanling in the Jiaotai Hall.

"Brother-in-law."

Zhang Yanling looked quite cheerful, just like before, with his eyebrows and eyes curved, still displaying an optimistic demeanor.

Zhu Youcheng pulled his brother-in-law aside and asked in a low voice, "What exactly happened last night?"

Zhang Yanling said, "Didn't my father explain it to you clearly?"

I didn't ask in detail.

Zhu Youcheng said, "It seems my father-in-law himself doesn't know much about it. After all, it happened in the Jiaofangsi... Speaking of which, Yanling, your elder brother is quite young, how could he go to such a filthy place?"

Zhang Yanling smiled.

It seems that Zhu Youcheng had some prejudice against the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau).

To be honest, the Jiaofangsi of that era was definitely a place where men lingered.

Zhang Yanling said, "My elder brother has nothing to do and likes to have fun! He went to the brothel because he heard that new girls had gone there. He thought he was the emperor's brother-in-law and became a little arrogant in his dealings with people, which led to his downfall."

"Hey, why are you talking about your brother like that?"

Zhu Youcheng was very curious about Zhang Yanling's descriptions.

Zhang Yanling said helplessly, "Maybe my brother-in-law spoiled him... He acts recklessly because he has his brother-in-law backing him up."

Zhu Youcheng said, "But this time, I don't know how to make a decision for him either. Your sister..."

"Let me speak to him."

Zhang Yanling said, "My sister is usually quite reasonable. But this time she might be angry, after all, the first person to be hit was her own brother... concern makes one lose their temper."

Zhu Youcheng nodded and said, "Yes, concern makes one confused. Go and tell them. I'll wait for you."

Zhang Yanling thought to himself, "You shameless brother-in-law, you can't handle your sister, so you send your father-in-law's family over one after another to persuade her."
Are you, as the emperor, really that pathetic?
……

……

Inside Kunning Palace.

Zhang Yu glared at his second brother, who was strode into the palace, and warned him fiercely, "If you plead for the Zhou family, I will disown you as my brother!"

Zhang Yanling said, "Sister, do you want my brother and me to get out of here and only be beaten this once, or do you want us to be beaten every time from now on?"

"What's the word?"

Zhang Yu said, "Even if your brother is irresponsible, as his older sister, shouldn't you think about him? We're all family! Would I want you to be even worse?"

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "So, after my elder brother was beaten, I didn't wait for Father's permission before I sent people to beat up the Zhou family... and I also told Father that if anyone provokes our family again, we should beat them to death, otherwise they won't know who is the number one maternal relative family in the capital."

The person who understands Zhang Yu's mindset best is naturally Zhang Yanling; even her husband, Zhu Youcheng, has to take a backseat.

Zhang Yanling's exam was an open-book exam.

I knew from the beginning that my sister was a "brother-supporting demon" and I also knew that in the event of a conflict, my sister would support her family at all costs. So, on this kind of issue, I just need to go along with her and not let Zhang Yu, this cat, get angry.

really.

When Zhang Yu learned that the Zhang family actually had the situation under control and was able to handle counterattacks with ease, and that various versions of revenge had been devised as a result, her anger instantly dissipated.

When Zhu Youcheng returned, he found that his wife's complexion was indeed completely different from before.

After sitting down and having dinner together, Zhang Yanling was about to leave the palace.

Zhu Youcheng personally escorted his brother-in-law to the palace gate. He glanced around before lowering his voice and asking with a curious expression, "Yanling, how did you persuade your sister?"

Zhang Yanling said, "My sister is a reasonable person. What she fears most is that my brother and I are too young and will be bullied in the capital because we are unfamiliar with the place. That's why she is so concerned."

"Ok?"

Zhu Youcheng was somewhat puzzled.

I thought to myself, is the question I asked you the same as your answer?
"so……"

Zhang Yanling added with a smile, "I told my sister that my brother and I are both fine, and no one can bully us for the time being. Since I stood up and spoke out, my sister was naturally less worried. More importantly, my sister was relieved to know that my brother's injury was not serious."

"So that's it."

The kind-hearted Zhu Youcheng didn't suspect anything amiss and nodded in satisfaction, gently patting Zhang Yanling's shoulder and saying, "It seems that in the future, when your sister is feeling down, she'll have to call you over so she can vent her negative emotions. Hey, I've noticed that you, as her younger brother, are quite good at comforting your sister."

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "Brother-in-law, I'll teach you more when I have time... I think you love your sister so much, you should know how to please her, but I guess you sometimes use the wrong methods."

"is it?"

Zhu Youcheng's eyes lit up, and he said, "Then you must teach me later. By the way, I've only known your sister for a little over a year, but you two have known each other for many years, so you must know each other much better."

Zhang Yanling said, "After a woman gets married, her younger brother will always be an outsider. Only her husband and children are the most important."

Zhu Youcheng's face showed a hint of happiness: "I understand. But sometimes I'm tongue-tied and don't know how to say it."

What a devoted lover, indeed you have your father's charm.

Zhang Yanling thought to himself, "Luckily, I'm your brother-in-law."

If I were born into someone else's family, facing an emperor as protective of his own, and the shamelessness of the Zhang brothers... how could I possibly survive in the Ming Dynasty?

(End of this chapter)