Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 825 Seeking Death
The two continued drinking tea and chatting, but the dishes on the table were barely touched.

Zhang Luan suddenly thought of something and asked, "Bingkun, I haven't asked you in detail before, do you have a family?"

"some."

Pang Qing smiled ingratiatingly and said, "At my age, and since I'm not sincerely practicing Taoism or Buddhism, how could I possibly be without a family?"

At this point, Pang Qing couldn't help but glance at Qi Niang beside him.

Qi Niang didn't react at all, she just smiled and poured tea for Zhang Luan.

Zhang Luan put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Then...why haven't I heard you mention this before?"

"This……"

Pang Qing looked embarrassed.

He thought to himself, "Who do you think you are? Don't you have any self-awareness? Why would you bring up your family in front of a lecherous man like me?"
Am I just bored and looking for trouble?
Seeing Pang Qing's predicament, Qi Niang couldn't help but smile and help him up: "Mr. Pang, every time you come, you're discussing important matters with the master. How could you possibly want to bring up family issues?"

"Oh."

Zhang Luan nodded in relief, then said, "Speaking of which, if you have a child, perhaps you could send him to the army. The new army is newly established and needs some help, right? But I suspect Bingkun's child probably wants to pursue a literary career, doesn't he?"

Upon hearing this, Pang Qing realized he had misunderstood Zhang Luan and hurriedly said, "If there is an opportunity to join the army, it would be best to follow Wang Weining and the Second Young Master."

Zhang Luan said, "Then what are we waiting for? We'll send someone to send your child to the new army to train him more! Maybe he'll have a chance to make a name for himself in the future... That's what I told Wang Weining when he came a few days ago."

Pang Qing hurriedly stood up and bowed respectfully: "Thank you, Mr. Zhang, for promoting the younger generation in my family."

"Why are you being so formal again?"

Zhang Luan said, "We're just letting them try out in the army. Whether they can succeed or not depends on their own fate. But I believe that as long as Yanling and Wang Weining are there, with our relationship, we can still cultivate them properly. It will be easier for them to become officers or even gain military merit in the future."

Upon hearing this, Pang Qing was deeply moved.

He thought to himself, "No wonder Minister Li has so much experience in dealing with people and has seen all sorts of people, yet he still speaks so highly of this Zhang Guozhang. His methods of winning people's hearts are truly unique."

And his sincerity didn't seem feigned; he genuinely went out of his way to help his friend. Even someone as insignificant as me, a mere errand runner, was remembered by him—what more could one ask for?

"Mr. Zhang, let me toast you."

Pang Qing said respectfully.

Zhang Luan laughed and said, "It's just that my health isn't good enough for me to drink, otherwise I would definitely drink with you until we're both drunk. But we're quite good at drinking tea, so if you find it too bland, I can bring you some wine... I have many kinds of tribute wines bestowed by His Majesty here..."

Qi Niang quickly reminded him, "Master, have you forgotten? You said before that you were afraid of overindulging in alcohol, so you had all the wine in the courtyard moved out. There is currently no alcohol available at home."

"Oh? Really? But I'm just entertaining an old friend. You can get the wine from somewhere else now."

Zhang Luan said somewhat displeased.

Pang Qing quickly stopped him, saying, "Sir, there's no need for such formality. As long as the sentiment is there, that's enough... In this situation, drinking tea would only enhance our friendship."

Zhang Luan laughed and said, "Bingkun, you're so understanding. Oh, by the way, Minister Li sent you back just to congratulate me? Is that right...?"

Pang Qing was taken aback, then remembered his true purpose.

Zhang Luan in front of me is really cunning. On the one hand, he is friendly and friendly, trying to win me over, and on the other hand, he doesn't forget to tell me to send the gift over as soon as possible.

He immediately handed over a form.

Zhang Luan asked, "What is this...?"

Pang Qing said, "Isn't that right? In the past period of time, the officialdom in Nanjing was shaken because of Qian Neng and a series of subsequent cases. Many people were brought down, and some even had their homes confiscated because of their serious crimes."

"Originally, this was something the second young master was handling, but since he wasn't involved in the subsequent convictions and other issues, I was in Nanjing at the time making arrangements, so I brought some of the... convicted officials' families to you."

……

……

Zhang Luan saw Pang Qing off.

When he returned to the villa with Qi Niang, he looked somewhat guilty: "Why do I feel like I'm losing face?"

Qi Niang asked, puzzled, "What does Master want to say?"

"I keep feeling...am I...being too shameless?"

Zhang Luan blushed, scratched his head in embarrassment, and asked in a low voice.

Qi Niang was stunned for a moment.

I thought to myself, "You old codger, you actually know you're shameless?"

However, which of those in high positions of power in the imperial court is simple?

You can't get anything done by showing off. Anyway, as the emperor's father-in-law and a cabinet minister, you have power and influence and can do whatever you want. And there just happens to be Li Zisheng who likes to flatter you. Isn't that a coincidence?

As long as you don't feel embarrassed, it's fine!

"Sir, what should we do with the person Mr. Pang sent?"

Qi Niang asked cautiously.

"Since they're here, let's make the best of it. Of course, we should keep them here," Zhang Luan said shamelessly. "Didn't they say there were more people coming tonight to congratulate His Majesty on the appointment of the Crown Prince? Go and make the arrangements quickly so we can finish this and go back to the inner quarters!"

Qi Niang nodded and said, "Yes."

……

……

Zhang Luan had originally planned to indulge himself a bit.

That very night, things went wrong, and the person had to be carried out of the yard and sent back to the city for "emergency treatment."

Qi Niang was both shocked and furious. She immediately dispersed all the women in the courtyard, arranged for them to stay in different places, and also found people to keep a close watch on them.

When the assignments were being made, Madam Peng asked nervously, "Madam, what's going on? Have we offended the master and are we being sent back to another place?"

Because only a few people knew what had happened, and Qi Niang hadn't explained it clearly to the women in the courtyard, many people were unaware of what was going on when they were quarantined, and they appeared very nervous.

Qi Niang said, "Master has suddenly fallen ill and needs to rest. He cannot receive guests for the time being. Why don't you go to the place of settlement and have a few days of peace and quiet... Wouldn't that be better?"

Liu asked, "Are we also considered guests?"

"Humph!"

Qi Niang sneered, "You're not even a guest! How many times have you seen the master since you returned to the capital? If we tell you to go, hurry up, unless you want to be homeless for the rest of your life! The Imperial Father-in-Law's Mansion can't do without your food, clothing, and daily necessities, but if anyone has any designs on you, you'll be in big trouble!"

After issuing a cold threat, Qi Niang dismissed these people for the time being.

She then returned to the city.

Because she was about to meet someone who was giving her a huge headache, and that person was Zhang Yanling.

Upon hearing that Zhang Luan had been impaled outside the city, where he kept a mistress, and that his fate was unknown, Zhang Yanling immediately rushed back from Tongzhou. This made Qi Niang feel that her good days were over. After all, she was in charge of all the affairs of the courtyard, and it was her responsibility that she hadn't been able to protect Zhang Luan properly.

When she arrived at the gate of Zhang Luan's detached house inside Chongwen Gate, where he was recuperating from his injuries, she saw Pang Qing.

Pang Qing appeared extremely panicked at this moment. When he saw Qi Niang get off the carriage, he wanted to go up and ask what was going on, but Qi Niang gestured for him to stay away.

After all, Zhang Luan was currently recovering from his injuries and did not want to see any guests, so Pang Qing should not have been here...

……

...When Qi Niang hurriedly entered the courtyard and arrived at the door of Zhang Luan's "recuperation" room, she heard the sound of cracking pine nuts.

When she went inside, she saw Zhang Yanling leisurely cracking roasted pine nuts and occasionally peeling a walnut. There was a cup of milk tea served next to him, which he would occasionally pick up and sip, looking very carefree. Meanwhile, his cheap father, Zhang Luan, was lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling with a look of utter despair.

"Second Young Master." After entering, Qi Niang immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "It is my fault for failing to protect you, Master, and that you were attacked."

Zhang Yanling said, "I asked him, but he wouldn't explain clearly... Qi Niang, can you tell me what happened back then?"

Qi Niang glanced at Zhang Luan, and seeing that he made no comment, she could only say helplessly, "Mr. Pang brought back a group of women from Nanjing. Three of them were sent over that night, all looking to be in their early twenties, not yet thirty. They all seemed delicate and frail, not dangerous at all, so we didn't inquire about their backgrounds, what officials their fathers were, or how they were punished. But after they arrived, they..."

"Qi Niang, I asked you to speak, not to tell stories."

Zhang Yanling continued cracking roasted pine nuts and said, "Get to the point."

"Alright, alright."

Zhang Luan couldn't help but chime in, "Don't force Qi Niang... It's all my own fault. Is that enough? I didn't investigate their backgrounds before taking them in, and I even planned to... But when we got to the room, one of the women took a hairpin and stabbed it at my neck. Luckily, I reacted in time and barely dodged it, otherwise it would have hit a vital spot..."

He looked lingering fear after he finished speaking.

Qi Niang said, "I have already asked Mr. Pang, and he said he didn't know the specifics either. He only knew that these women were carefully selected from the wives of disgraced officials, and each of them was eight or nine points beautiful... This female assassin comes from a very good family, the daughter of an official family. She is quite principled and was previously famous for her beauty. People came to propose marriage to her so many that they almost wore down the threshold. Who would have thought that she would dare to..."

Zhang Yanling asked, "Where are they?"

"He's been taken into custody."

Qi Niang said, "The man hasn't been handed over to the government yet, but he's being guarded by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who also has law enforcement powers. The Emperor's father-in-law has strictly ordered that the information not be leaked. He's currently tied up to prevent him from committing suicide. They might interrogate him overnight to find out who's behind it all."

"Ugh!"

Zhang Luan looked helpless, as if he had suffered a serious internal injury because of this incident, which had drained his energy and spirit.

Zhang Yanling said, "It doesn't sound like much... I've offended far too many people in the South, from Nanjing to Hangzhou, then to Ningbo, and then to Huizhou. During that time, I don't know how many corrupt officials who abused their power and disregarded human life were investigated and punished..."

"These women were ruined, even their families were destroyed, because of my appearance. You dare to take in the families of your enemies? Aren't you afraid they'll seek revenge?"

"What?"

Zhang Luan's eyes widened in disbelief as he asked, "So, it's all your fault that I... oh dear..."

Because he was too excited, Zhang Luan aggravated his wound. After he calmed down a bit, he said, "You've been in Tongzhou for so long and didn't even come back to the capital. I thought you had forgotten your family!"
"Why are you back now? Are you waiting to collect your father's corpse?"

Qi Niang advised, "Master, when the Second Young Master heard that you were in trouble, he rushed back to the capital overnight. He is so concerned about you... People would be envious! Besides, this matter must be handled by the Second Young Master. Otherwise, we don't know how to explain it to the mistress of the house and the court."

"Okay, okay, it's my fault, I deserve to die!"

Zhang Luan continued to stare at the ceiling with a "heartbroken" look, pretending to be half-dead, as if in silent protest.

Zhang Yanling asked, "Is Pang Bingkun outside?"

"This……"

After thinking for a moment, Qi Niang answered truthfully, "Yes, I just saw Mr. Pang come. He seemed to be inquiring about the master's condition. In my opinion, Mr. Pang must not have done this on purpose."

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "Isn't that right? He must be terrified right now, afraid of being punished by Li Zisheng when he gets back! He came here with good intentions to give gifts, but he almost sent away Li Zisheng's big backer in the court... If word got out, people would think he was the mastermind."

Qi Niang thought to herself, "These words are too direct, I can't even respond."

"Father, take good care of your injuries."

Zhang Yanling said, "I feel that ever since you entered the court, your fate has been full of misfortunes... I have reminded you long ago to calm your mind and cultivate your character, but you just can't control yourself. If you continue like this, sooner or later... sigh!"

"Ouch..."

Zhang Luan continued to whine and complain without any real illness.

……

……

Zhang Yanling and Qi Niang came out together.

When they arrived at the front courtyard, they called Pang Qing in.

Upon seeing Zhang Yanling, Pang Qing immediately knelt down and kowtowed to apologize: "It was my failure to investigate the origins of those women that caused Grand Secretary Zhang such a fright."

"It's good that you're not dead."

Zhang Yanling waved his hand and said, "It's just that my father was lucky and escaped by chance. I say, Steward Pang, you are an experienced person, so you naturally know that women should not be sent to the enemy's residence casually, especially when they haven't been tempered and trained... Do you know that you're just asking for trouble?"

Pang Qing did not get up from the ground, but continued to kneel there, saying helplessly, "I only just realized... perhaps because I have never experienced anything like this before... I thought they wouldn't dare to do anything reckless."

Qi Niang said, "Speaking of which, there are women with integrity, but it is indeed rare to see one who would risk everything and even her life like this."

Zhang Yanling asked, "Then...did you see Qi Niang when she was in the brothel, or did you not?"

"I have indeed seen it."

Qi Niang said, "However, those upright women mostly chose to end their own lives, perhaps because... the nature of this matter is different from before."

Zhang Yanling shrugged and said, "Just as I said before, these people originally lived a life of luxury where everything was done for them, but just because I took people on a trip to the south, many families fell apart."

“They wouldn’t know that it was their own family that had been doing wrong things. Instead, they would blame me, thinking that I had ruined their good life and treating me as an enemy.”

Pang Qing said, "I will send the rest of them away immediately!"

"Don't blame yourself, this has nothing to do with you."

Zhang Yanling offered a word of comfort, then added, "Butler Pang, I don't care what kind of deals you made with my father before, or what you used to maintain your close relationship. Just don't let anything like this happen again."

The implication is that your money-for-women transactions can end here.

Because of this, Old Zhang has suffered repeated setbacks, falling ill and getting injured, almost losing his life.

Historically, he could have lived two more years, but now it seems he might not be so resilient and could die at any moment!

"Thank you for the reminder, Second Young Master."

Pang Qing said, "I will explain this matter to my master truthfully, and similar things will not happen again."

Qi Niang asked, "Second Young Master, shall we interrogate that woman?"

"no need."

Zhang Yanling waved his hand and said, "My father is fine after all... Just send him back to the south and exile him through the original channels, as if he never existed."

"Besides, this isn't something to be proud of, and I don't want it to leak out and damage my father's reputation."

Both Pang Qing and Qi Niang could understand.

If people knew that Zhang Luan was stabbed by a woman from an official family whom he had abducted because of his lustful nature, the laughter would be the least of their worries; the impeachments against him would be overwhelming.

While it's true that no one cares about the families of officials who have been convicted in the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Luan has put himself in danger because of this, and even used his power and relationship with Li Zisheng to harm the public interest for personal gain... This is a typical case of moral depravity. How can you have the face to continue serving as an official in the court? How can you set an example for officials throughout the country?
Pang Qing said, "Second Young Master, although that woman may not be punished, her family must be taught a lesson, otherwise similar incidents may occur in the future!"

Zhang Yanling asked, "What kind of thing?"

"It's... something that's detrimental to you."

Pang Qing said, "It's your father now, but it could be you next. In any case... there will be some potential dangers, so it's best to resolve them in advance, even if it's better late than never."

Zhang Yanling nodded and said, "Steward Pang, don't just talk, we also need to see what you actually do. Minister Li has made quite a few enemies, how did he avoid trouble? You have extensive connections in the capital, you should have prepared countermeasures in advance, right?"
"Furthermore, while I was cracking down on corrupt officials and eliminating local bandits in the south, you were undermining me behind my back... sending women directly to the capital... I think it's more appropriate for you to take precautions first before discussing the security of my father and me!"

(End of this chapter)