Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 828: Hard to Persuade
Seeing that he could not persuade him, Xu Pu could only take Wang Yue's memorial and return to his office in the cabinet.

Xu Qiong went out on business, leaving only Liu Jian in the Wenyuan Pavilion to draft proposals.

"I'm too busy."

When Liu Jian saw Xu Pu return, he immediately got up to greet him. "Although Shi Yong has entered the cabinet, he is mostly handling the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel, and Zhang Laizhan has not been seen at all. Now is the time when the affairs of the court are the most complicated and the busiest. Perhaps we should petition to let Binzhi or Yu Qiao enter the cabinet as soon as possible."

Liu Jian is eager to add "his own people" to the cabinet.

Unfortunately, the cabinet has now formed two major factions. The pair of Zhang Luan and Xu Qiong may seem to be in charge, but because Xu Qiong is concurrently the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he has almost the same authority as the Minister of Personnel in the appointment and removal of officials in the court, which allows him to quickly develop his faction among the officials of the Six Ministries and various temples and offices.

Xu Pu frowned slightly and said, "Xu Shiyong hasn't relinquished his duties in the Six Ministries yet?"

Liu Jian said, "According to him, he has submitted a memorial requesting the replacement, but His Majesty has not yet given a reply, perhaps because a suitable candidate has not been found to succeed him."

Xu Pu's face was unusually pale.

Xu Pu glanced around, shook his head, walked to his seat, and casually tossed Wang Yue's memorial onto the table.

When Liu Jian approached and picked it up, he learned that Xu Pu's memorial to persuade the emperor to calm down and cultivate his mind had been rejected, and that the emperor's attitude toward the military campaign in the northwest was unusually resolute.

"Can't stop it?"

Liu Jian asked softly.

"Ugh!"

Xu Pu sighed, "Perhaps it's all because the new army's combat power has increased dramatically since its formation... Previously, His Majesty frequently left the palace to go to the drill ground outside the city, and even went with court officials to watch cannon drills and such. The power of both muskets and cannons has increased many times over, but in my opinion, it is not enough to turn the tide of the war."

"The Ming Dynasty has a long-standing advantage in firearms, but it has never been able to completely suppress the grassland tribes. I don't believe that the firearms developed this time can bring about a fundamental change in the war situation."

Liu Jian nodded slightly, then asked, "Has Your Majesty been misled? I heard that the second son of the Zhang family is in charge of manufacturing firearms?"

You mean that child?

Xu Pu shook his head and said, "I don't think so. Wasn't he away from the capital for several months? If he was really in charge, would he have abandoned the matter for so long?"

"I have heard that when the second son of the Zhang family went south, he caused some trouble in the local areas with his new army. Ostensibly, he was clearing out bandits along the coast and the river, but whether he framed innocent people as bandits is still unknown. Moreover, how can simply quelling small groups of bandits in the south be compared to the tens of thousands of Tatar cavalry on the grasslands?"

Liu Jian said, "These things should be explained to His Majesty so that he may be reminded of them."

Xu Pu shook his head helplessly: "His Majesty is deeply poisoned, how can he listen to anything?"

"Ugh!"

At this point, Liu Jian could only sigh and shake his head repeatedly.

It's as if it's saying, "Even you, Xu Pu, the Grand Secretary and the former Imperial Tutor who was most respected and trusted by the Emperor, couldn't dissuade him. What else can we do?"
"but……"

Xu Pu then changed the subject, saying, "His Majesty did say that if Wang Shichang's troops suffer a crushing defeat beyond the Great Wall, the matter can be shelved and will not be mentioned again for a considerable period of time."

Liu Jian said dismissively, "I'm afraid the court will be in big trouble then... It won't be able to stop even if it wants to... Oh, by the way, how many troops does Wang Shichang plan to send out?"

"It is not yet clear."

Xu Pu said, “With his military expertise and the help of new firearms, he may be able to devise ingenious strategies and achieve temporary success, but to think that he can subdue the Tatars in a decisive battle is nothing short of wishful thinking.”

Liu Jian asked, "Then...would it be feasible for us to send someone to dissuade Wang Shichang?"

Xu Pu shook his head and said, "Wang Shichang has always been resentful about the court stripping him of his title. He is determined to achieve his goal in one fell swoop and get the court to re-appoint him as the Earl of Weining... In the current situation, it would be impossible to bring him back even with nine oxen."

"Perhaps, we really need to let him and His Majesty suffer a great loss, so that he knows that this is completely unworkable. Only then can the emperor and his ministers reach a consensus to maintain the status quo in border affairs."

"It seems..."

Liu Jian sighed softly, "That's all we can do."

……

……

Zhang Yanling is preparing to go to Datong on a business trip.

He had just returned from a trip to the south and was already leaving again. He seemed to have adapted to this busy pace of life, but his family was reluctant to part with him.

Of course, this reluctance is relative.

For example, in the days leading up to his departure, he went home every day. When the eldest son of the Zhang family saw him, he felt as if his younger brother had done something wrong and was trying to hide away, so he always spoke sarcastically to his younger brother.

"Second brother, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but you're always so unruly, no wonder Dad always scolds you."

Zhang Heling was sitting in the courtyard basking in the sun, which was said to be good for his leg recovery. In fact, he could walk quite smoothly now, but he liked to play the victim and pretend to be a cripple to get other people's attention.

"After Father passes away, the eldest brother will act as the father, and you will still have to listen to me in everything at home."

At this point, Zhang Heling seemed to be in a very good mood.

It's rare for her to act tough in front of her younger brother, using her age advantage to keep him in check.

Zhang Yanling took out several items and held them up in the sunlight.

"What are you doing?"

Zhang Heling became increasingly confused as he looked at the document, and asked curiously.

"Oh, let me see if these things can shut you up."

Zhang Yanling rolled his eyes at his older brother and said, "If you can't block it, you'd better let God take you away! Look, do you see that point of light? It's very hot, enough to melt you!"

"What!?"

Zhang Heling's eyes widened in shock as he asked, "You...you brat actually wanted to kill your brother?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yanling rolled his eyes, turned his head to the side, and couldn't be bothered to pay attention to this idiot.

Zhang Heling softened his tone and pleaded, "Second brother, you've traveled south and visited all the bustling places like Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Huizhou, but you haven't told me about what you saw and heard along the way... I'm so old, but I've never had the chance to travel far. Tell me about it and satisfy my curiosity, okay?"

"Seeing is believing, just listening to me is useless. Let's be practical... You should focus on healing your injuries quickly. Now you're the Commander of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you have considerable power. Going out on official business is easy enough, isn't it? As long as you're willing, you can go anywhere in the Ming Dynasty, from south to north, from east to west..."

Zhang Yanling said, "The most urgent thing is for you to return to the Embroidered Uniform Guard as soon as possible... With you, the Commander, gone, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is almost in chaos."

Zhang Heling pointed at himself and asked incredulously, "Am I... really that important? How come I don't know? Well... I'll go to the Northern Garrison Office tomorrow to take a look."

Zhang Yanling urged, "Don't delay, hurry up... otherwise, if you don't take office in a few days, I'm afraid you'll have to hand over this position..."

"I know what you want to ask. My answer is, do your best. If you can't manage it, don't just occupy the position without doing anything, like your father..."

"Then why don't you ask Dad to give up the outhouse?"

Zhang Heling pouted, looking displeased, and said, "Do we brothers have to talk like this?" Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "How about... Big brother, you come with me to the Northwest? We can fight side by side and make a fortune together, how about that?"

"Making money is fine, but fighting is out of the question."

Zhang Heling pouted and said, "There are only two men in our family. We can't tie them all to one rope. You can go by yourself. I'll stay in the capital and wait to inherit the family property. After I have three or five children, I'll go with you to make my way in the world."

Zhang Yanling said, "You don't need to worry about that. Actually, Dad is still young and strong. If he's willing, he could probably have three or five more children without any problem."

"Then why isn't he here now?"

Zhang Heling asked casually.

"What, you really want Dad to add a few more people to this family?"

Zhang Yanling curled his lip and said, "The reason I didn't prescribe any tonics to nourish yin and yang and replenish your energy for Dad was entirely because I was protecting your right to inherit the throne. Didn't you appreciate it yesterday? If you have any energy, go exercise and recover. Stop loitering around here! If you get any closer, be careful the magnifying glasses might burn you!"

……

……

October has arrived.

Although the weather in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and Huai River is gradually getting colder, the river engineering construction for the Yellow River's course diversion is in full swing under the clear autumn weather.

Just as Li Zisheng was working hard with a large number of people at the construction site in Baiyanghe Town, Pang Qing, who had not appeared for a long time, came to report to Li Zisheng with a tired body.

When Li Zisheng saw Pang Qing in his work shed, he almost thought he had mistaken him for someone else. After all, Pang Qing had gray hair and an aged face, giving the impression that he had lived through many lifetimes.

"Bingkun, please sit down. Did something unpleasant happen on your trip?"

Li Zisheng asked with a concerned expression.

His sincerity and earnestness caught Pang Qing completely off guard.

Although Li Zisheng usually beat and scolded him and never showed him any tenderness, after a long time apart, when they suddenly reunited, Li Zisheng still seemed to be the person in the world who cared about him the most.

Pang Qing said dejectedly, "Master Dao, don't mention it. The woman you arranged to be sent to Zhang Guozhang's residence almost cost Zhang Guozhang his life. After that... sigh, never mind, I don't want to talk about it!"

"What did you say?"

Li Zisheng frowned and asked, "Since such a major event has occurred in the capital, why didn't you send a letter to inform us immediately?"

“It’s not that I’m being tactless, but that Zhang Guozhang doesn’t want people to know that he was assassinated by a woman… It’s not exactly something to be proud of.”

Pang Qing shook his head.

Li Zisheng then realized that things were not so simple.

After the two sat down, Li Zisheng inquired in detail and finally understood that his younger brother Lai Zhan had encountered a major incident in the capital and had only escaped disaster because of his quick wit.

"Why is this so?"

Li Zisheng said angrily, "You brought this person there, didn't you even check his background? How could this happen? If something had happened to Brother Lai Zhan, would we have lost our lives?"

Pang Qing said with a bitter face, "Wealth and glory may indeed be at stake, but to say that we will lose our lives... isn't that an exaggeration?"

"Humph!"

Li Zisheng snorted and said, "How many people in the court want my life? If it weren't for Lai Zhan's repeated protection, how would I have survived to this day?"
"Bingkun, you've always been so clever, how could you be so foolish for a moment? How could you make such a big mistake?"

Upon hearing this, Pang Qing's face immediately showed a look of utter despair: "Although I knew I would be blamed for coming back, I never expected that you, Daoist, would be so ruthless."

Li Zisheng was somewhat embarrassed, so he sat there with his head turned away, as if he was sulking.

Pang Qing said, "The reason all this happened is because that little brother-in-law Zhang destroyed the old nest of Nanjing officials. Many officials who had colluded with pirates and thieves were either imprisoned or dismissed from their posts."

"In particular, many officials associated with Qian Neng, including those who were left over from the late emperor's reign, were all punished. With such a wide-ranging crackdown, how could it not invite retaliation?"

"Ah."

Li Zisheng nodded first, then asked, "So what? Are there so many reasons why you can just let the assassin get close without asking or investigating?"

Pang Qing explained, “It was indeed an oversight that personal grudges escalated to the point of being irreconcilable. Women in the South value chastity very highly. In addition, the huge contrast between their former wealth and honor and their current suffering made it difficult for them to accept. That’s why they were taken advantage of, brainwashed, and forced to take risks.”

Li Zisheng said, "Didn't you investigate properly who was behind this?"

"No."

Pang Qing said helplessly, "It's incomprehensible that the person was simply released by the second young master of the Zhang family! It's as if the Zhang family thinks they were the ones who made the mistake first, and they have no desire for revenge, considering it an act of charity... It's truly speechless!"

Li Zisheng sighed and nodded: "That does fit my impression of the two of them... Lai Zhan and his son are usually too soft-hearted, sometimes even a bit womanly!"

Pang Qing looked on with suspicion: "Master Dao, are you serious? Let's not even talk about the young imperial uncle of the Zhang family, just look at the imperial father-in-law, Zhang. You call him merciful? Anyone who has offended him has suffered a terrible fate. How many people have lost their families, even... their wives and children, because of offending him?"

Li Zisheng said, "You don't understand. He could have done things much more ruthlessly, but he always lets things slide and is lenient when he can! He usually won't take action unless someone bullies him."

"What about the second young master of the Zhang family?"

Pang Qing said, "This whole affair started because of him... It was because he led his men to attack Yingtian Prefecture and wiped out many high-ranking officials, nobles, and powerful families that the assassination attempt occurred..."

Li Zisheng frowned and said, "Are you trying to argue with me about the character of the Zhang family father and son, or are you trying to discuss the matter at hand?"

Pang Qing immediately realized he had misspoke, but he really had nothing to say, so he could only remain silent and sulk.

“Bingkun, I know you have been traveling and working very hard.”

Li Zisheng said, “But look outside. Because of your efforts, large amounts of money and grain have been continuously transported from all over the Ming Dynasty. How many people along the river have benefited from this? You must know that all of this is due to His Majesty’s benevolence and the selfless assistance of Lai Zhan and his son!”

"There is plenty of money and grain, but is it really enough to finish repairing the new waterway before next spring?"

Pang Qing frowned.

Li Zisheng said, "It's not possible to raise it to the height of the old river embankment for the time being, but it should be fine to deal with the major floods next spring and divert the water from both the old and new river channels at the same time!"
"Right now, we're rushing to meet the deadline. During the winter, the craftsmen and laborers won't be able to rest; they'll have to keep working until the project is completed next spring. However, I've already informed the local government along the river, and notices have been posted at the entrances of each village, indicating that there's a high probability of a major flood during the spring season next year. If we don't hurry up and repair the river, their houses and fields will be washed away by the flood!"

"Would the people along the river believe that?"

Pang Qing found it incredible.

To get people at the bottom to work desperately, you've gone to extreme lengths, even openly revealing the prophecy of Zhang Laizhan and his son to the world.

If we don't keep our promise, won't we be ridiculed by the whole world?

Li Zisheng appeared very proud and said, "What is my status? And what is Lai Zhan's status? Why don't they believe me?"

Pang Qing's eyes widened as if asking, "Then what exactly are you two?"
(End of this chapter)