Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 804 Show of Affection
The court meeting has ended.

When the ministers left the palace, many of them had smiles on their faces, clearly seeing the Empress's pregnancy as a great blessing for the country.

Some people, however, thought more deeply about why the fact that the Empress was pregnant had been delayed until now before being made public.

Could there be something fishy going on?
The emperor seemed to have only informed his court officials on a whim; could it be that someone was deliberately trying to conceal something? Could it be... that there's something wrong with the child in the empress's womb?
For example, in order to maintain the legitimacy of his throne, make his position more secure, or facilitate his future military campaigns or even lead troops into war, the emperor might temporarily decide to adopt another family's child. This way, once a crown prince is appointed, he can act arbitrarily.

After all, they hadn't heard anyone mention this before, and even the Imperial Hospital hadn't leaked any information about it.

As a result, conspiracy theories began to flourish.

"congratulations."

As key members of Zhang Luan's faction, Shen Lu and Xu Qiong naturally became the targets of sycophants in the court after the matter was made public, and they were surrounded by people on their way out of the palace.

In other words, Zhang Luan did not attend court meetings.

If Zhang Luan comes, everyone will have to revolve around him. Even those who have opinions about Zhang Luan will have to flatter him to his face, saying how lucky the Zhang family is.

As the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Xu Qiong merely returned the congratulations politely without saying much.

Only when facing the ministers of various departments would he humbly echo their congratulations, wishing the emperor an heir and the Ming dynasty eternal stability.

In Xu Qiong's view, this was a joyous occasion for the emperor and the Zhang family, and had no direct connection to him.

Although you all know I will benefit from this and that my future promotion to Minister is a foregone conclusion, please don't make it so obvious.

What will others think?
I want everyone to know that I, Xu Qiong, rose to a high position because of my connection to the Zhang family.
Excuse me, but I, Xu Qiong, am a top-ranked player who came from the first-class examination!
The title of Grand Academician of the Nanjing Hanlin Academy was no joke.

……

……

Qingning Palace.

Zhu Youcheng and his wife came to pay their respects to Empress Dowager Zhou, who warmly received them.

"Her belly is all bulging."

Empress Dowager Zhou smiled broadly and said, "I heard that you, my grandson, have announced the Empress's pregnancy in court. That's good. Now no one will make those inappropriate suggestions anymore, and the palace and the outside world are quiet... Ah, it's rare to see you two so loving. It's truly enviable."

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Grandmother. It is the younger generation who envy your good health and longevity."

Zhu Youcheng quickly added, "Yu'er will give birth in about three more months."

"So fast?"

Empress Dowager Zhou was initially surprised, then said, "Does the Empress know anything about pregnancy and childbirth? Perhaps I could explain it to you in more detail? To be honest, I myself... it's all ancient history. In short, from now on, Empress, you can consult me ​​on anything, big or small. Please don't pretend to know what you don't, as that will harm the child in your womb..."

Zhang Yu saw through Empress Dowager Zhou's ulterior motives.

I have an elderly mother who often comes to the palace for a stroll.

My mother has given birth to several children; surely she has this much experience?

I can just ask my mother. She would never harm me. Why would I need someone from two generations younger than me to explain how childbirth works?

As the Empress, I was well taken care of by everyone in the palace during my pregnancy, so you didn't need to worry about me at all.

No, you're so concerned, are you perhaps suspecting that my pregnancy is fake and trying to test me to see if I'm planning to adopt someone from somewhere else to make up the numbers?

Zhang Yu's mind raced, but his face remained impassive as he smiled and said, "Grandmother, you are so kind. Everything is fine here."

Zhu Youcheng also said, "Yes, yes, your grandson has made full preparations. There are people on standby at the Imperial Hospital at any time, so there is no need for you, Grandmother, to worry."

"In that case, we won't discuss it further... Would you two like to stay for the meal?"

Empress Dowager Zhou asked.

Zhu Youcheng said, "The Empress's diet changes a lot, and she needs to adjust her body according to the condition of the fetus at different stages. It may not be so compatible with the food here, Your Majesty... After all, you are a vegetarian and a Buddhist."

"Yes, since you are pregnant, you should eat some warm and nourishing foods. Eat whatever you want and don't worry about me," Empress Dowager Zhou said with a smile. "It's rare to see you two so harmonious and loving. Speaking of which, your father was right all these years ago! You are truly a devoted and affectionate grandson."

It's like they're saying you're just like your dad.

But you're a bit more normal than your dad. He's obsessed with a woman who's the same age as his mother!

You two are at least the same age, and your marriage is harmonious and respectful to each other, but something just feels off... As an emperor, you don't even take a concubine, how can you expect to have many offspring?

"The first pregnancy must be kept safe and sound; do not let your mind wander," Empress Dowager Zhou said. "After the child is born, take good care of yourself and recover as soon as possible so that you can produce more offspring for the royal family."

Zhang Yu said, "Grandson understands."

Zhu Youcheng said, "Grandmother, do you mean that we should face it calmly, whether it is a prince or a princess, or even if the child dies young? After all, childbirth is a major event. As long as the mother is alright, everything is fine?"

"you……"

Empress Dowager Zhou thought to herself, "You, as a husband, are quite open-minded."

If you really encounter the question of whether to save the mother or the child, you don't need to think about it here, just save the mother, right?

Of all the emperors in the Ming Dynasty, you're quite an oddball!

You're an oddball, just like your father.

……

……

After paying their respects, Zhu Youcheng and his wife returned to Kunning Palace.

Zhu Youcheng was so afraid that his wife would break like porcelain that he supported her the whole way, walking on thin ice with utmost care.

The servants following him were very anxious and wished they could rush forward to help him, but the emperor insisted on doing everything himself and seemed to enjoy it.

Once inside the Kunning Palace, Zhang Yu sat down, and Zhu Youcheng, drenched in sweat, sat down beside him.

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Oh, you don't need to go through all this trouble. You still have a few months until delivery, and I'm not unable to walk. Don't be so nervous..."

"I need to support you myself to feel at ease," Zhu Youcheng said. "You see, even the Empress Dowager is very concerned about you, afraid that you don't understand the ins and outs of childbirth... By the way, have you really figured it all out? Don't pretend to know what you don't!"

Zhang Yu hesitated for a moment and said, "There shouldn't be any major problems, right? Yanling told me that my constitution is fine and I'm good at conceiving, but I still need to be careful with my health. As for the rest... I don't know. I just listen to what others say."

Zhu Youcheng smiled and said, "If Yanling says it's nothing, then it must be nothing."

Zhang Yu rolled her eyes at her husband and said coquettishly, "You talk as if Yanling has given birth before... On the contrary, I'm not so sure about what he says... Is it possible that he's just trying to comfort me?"

"Probably not?"

Zhu Youcheng blinked, somewhat uncertainly, and said, "Don't you trust your own brother? Yanling, that child, always keeps his word, but..."

It's almost as if I'm saying that it's actually your dad who seems unreliable in many things, but since he's an elder, I'm too embarrassed to say anything to him.

Zhang Yu hesitated for a moment and said, "I want to see my mother these next few days... She has a lot of experience in childbirth, and I'm sure she can teach me."

"Then let my mother-in-law go to the palace more often in the future."

Zhu Youcheng made a decision immediately, then frowned, "It's not very convenient for me to be here, is it? I'll just avoid you when my mother-in-law comes."

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "This is your home, you don't need to avoid it at all... However, Mother did seem a little reserved after arriving, after all, the inner palace is not the same as home."

“I used to think my mother was very strict and that she was the one who steered the family. But for some reason, ever since I entered the palace, she seems very distant whenever she sees me.”

Zhu Youcheng smiled and said, "Now that you've married into the Zhu family, you're a daughter-in-law of the Zhu family, so of course things are different from before. But if you're really worried, you can go back to the manor to visit... Perhaps you'll feel better at the Zhang family's place?"

"forget it."

Zhang Yu waved his hand and said, "I used to really want to go back and see my family. It felt so warm and familiar. But now I think it's good to stay here. At least it feels like home."

Zhu Youcheng said happily, "This shows that Yu'er has me in her heart."

Then the couple started being sweet and affectionate again.

This made the palace maids and eunuchs serving nearby blush with embarrassment.

You two young couple really know how to show your affection in different ways, but can you please consider that there are other people around?
By the way, are you the emperor and empress?
They look even more affectionate than newlyweds... If you didn't know better, you'd really think you were just a typical couple...

The emperor and empress we imagine to be dignified and majestic should not look like this!
……

……

Because the emperor announced the empress's pregnancy, the court will inevitably launch a new round of rewards for the Marquis of Shouning's family.

There are bound to be many varieties!

More importantly, the emperor was preparing to bestow a title upon Zhang Yanling.

However, he was only granted the title of Earl at the beginning, and the specifics were still unknown. Moreover, the Emperor's opinion on this matter was still just a general idea.

Although it is not unusual to grant titles to relatives of the emperor, Zhu Youcheng had only recently ascended the throne, and Zhang Yanling was still a child. Zhang Luan had already been granted the title of Marquis of Shouning, but Zhang Heling, the eldest son of the Zhang family, did not yet have a title. It was inevitable that there would be dissent in the court.

The emperor wasn't too bothered; he simply entrusted the matter to the Directorate of Ceremonial, instructing them to consult with the Grand Secretaries of the Hanlin Academy to ensure compliance with etiquette.

But the officials of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Hanlin Academy were in a difficult position.

Even if Zhang Yanling did a lot of practical things for the court, he was still too inexperienced and had no military experience, so it would be inappropriate to confer a title on him directly.
But granting titles is ultimately the emperor's prerogative, so they couldn't point out anything inappropriate about it... which led to a temporary stagnation in the matter.

Zhang Yanling himself, however, did not care much about titles or such.

What's meant to happen will happen. In history, during the Hongzhi reign, he became the Marquis of Jianchang, a position that was absolutely extraordinary.

But by the Jiajing era, those who deserved to be beheaded were still beheaded; it was utterly useless!

Right now, he hopes to use his military achievements to make people in the court realize that the Ming Dynasty cannot function without him, Zhang Yanling.

On this day, the first money exchange in the capital of the Ming Dynasty officially opened for business.

The previous trial operation had already collected a considerable amount of deposits. The next step was to begin issuing banknotes and using them as a medium of exchange. The emperor and his relatives would be used to endorse the banknotes and attract merchants from all over the country to join in.

Initial deposits do not offer high interest rates; they are more like paying a "margin deposit."

After all, in this era, the safety of transporting silver could not be fully guaranteed. Bandits were still rampant in various places, and with layers of government exploitation, many merchants dared not take large sums of silver out of the capital.

The so-called silver notes were more like checks. They couldn't be exchanged for silver just by holding them; various procedures had to be followed to ensure their security.

Because the money exchange already had branches in Nanjing and other places, and would open branches in the provincial capitals of the thirteen provincial administrations of the Ming Dynasty within the year, this provided great convenience for traveling merchants to do business around the world.

Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, the lavishly decorated money exchange finally opened for business.

Security measures were very thorough, with the Imperial Guards providing full protection. In addition, the hired guards were equipped with swords and even crossbows to ensure that no one would dare to cause trouble.

After all, Zhang Yanling's original goal was to run the money shop in the name of the emperor, so that even local officials could not interfere. Even if local bullies were dissatisfied, Zhang Yanling had plenty of ways to make the local authorities submit to the current political situation.

Anyone who causes trouble will be prosecuted.

Is the Zhang family merely a maternal relative?
Excuse me, but Zhang Luan is both a powerful relative of the emperor and a leading civil official, having risen to the positions of Grand Secretary and Vice Minister of the Six Ministries. He has the potential to become Minister in the future. I ask the local officials and military generals, do they dare to come out and risk offending him?
This also highlights the importance of having a top-notch civil official in the family.

Zhang Luan's reputation was so high that ordinary people looked up to him with awe, enough to make merchants from all over the country feel at ease depositing their silver in banks as a foundation for their transactions.

"Second Young Master, the previous few deals have all been completed."

Qin Zhao smiled and said to Zhang Yanling, "But these are all silver notes sent from the capital to Nanjing, and they have been redeemed as agreed. Many merchants are inquiring about them now, but many more are still observing."

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "To make the business bigger and stronger, we must be honest and trustworthy. All expenses in the bank need to be clearly and meticulously recorded. Once things are stable, we will start lending to the public. With our reputation, we will strive to ensure the safety of the funds for the Huizhou merchants first, and we must be fair and reasonable."

Qin Zhao laughed and said, "If you can make a living by lending money, then opening a money shop is truly a sure way to make a fortune."

Those who are in business naturally know how profitable loan sharking can be.

However, Zhang Yanling's purpose was not to get rich through lending, but rather to establish a sound capital system, allowing more funds to flow into it. This would provide a better standard for maintaining stability and create an invisible form of supervision over the merchants of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Yanling said, "Next, I will personally, and in His Majesty's name, inject capital into the bank, initially increasing it to one million taels of silver to ensure that there will be no problems with the initial exchange of silver... The rest, Manager Qin, is up to you!"

(End of this chapter)