Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 831 Reins
After the two sat down, Li Rong quickly told Zhang Luan the truth about the censors' attacks on Wang Yue at the court meeting, as well as the emperor's expression of dissatisfaction with Wang Yue's behavior.

Zhang Luan asked in bewilderment, "Does Your Majesty think that Wang Weining's decision to lead troops out of the pass, with his forces reaching the south bank of the Yellow River and attempting to establish a foothold in the Hetao region, is excessive? Is it only proper to hold the line and maintain the status quo as the proper commander of the three border regions?"

Li Rong shook his head and said, "That's not what I meant. His Majesty believes that a city will be established in the Hetao region sooner or later, but not now. The most important thing right now is to prepare for war, not to let unexpected changes occur."

"Is it possible that..."

Zhang Luan tried to analyze, "Was Wang Weining's move to deceive others? Or was he trying to confuse the Tatars and make them think that he only wanted to take over the Hetao region with his troops and manage it for a long time, and had no intention of completely pacifying the grasslands?"

Li Rong shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Really? Originally, the two sides were at peace, but now one side has broken the long-standing tacit understanding and advanced into the Hetao region, making the Tatars feel like they have a thorn in their side... Even so, would the Tatars still let their guard down?"

Li Rong strongly disagreed with Zhang Luan's point.

It's understandable that you, Zhang Luan, want to speak up for Wang Yue, whom you personally recommended for the position, but it's unacceptable that you're blatantly lying.

Wang Yue's entry into the Hetao region and the resulting commotion were not indicative of a proactive and serious preparation for war. Rather, they resembled a preemptive provocation against foreign powers, angering ministers in the court who opposed sending troops and alerting the Tatars in advance.

You, Zhang Luan, actually think this is a smokescreen by Wang Yue? It's like slapping your own hand hard in the enemy's face and then insisting that it's an act to make the enemy lower their guard.

Zhang Luan said, "That's my opinion anyway... Given Wang Weining's strict discipline in managing troops and his many years of experience leading soldiers, I don't think he would do anything meaningless."

"There are not many nomadic tribes living in the Hetao region now, and the Tatars have no intention of directly invading Hetao. What's wrong with the court sending troops to establish a presence?"

"This……"

Li Rong was at a loss for words to explain.

After all, no one can read Wang Yue's mind. Without Wang Yue explaining his intentions, others can only guess.

Just as Wang Yue's actions seem to be acting on impulse, who knows what he really wants to do?
Even the emperor felt that Wang Yue had made too much of a commotion. He hadn't harmed the Tatars in the slightest, but he had offended all of his opponents in the court...

Isn't this just stirring up trouble?
Upon closer examination, Wang Yue's actions did indeed seem to have little significance, unless, as Zhang Luan said, he was playing a grand game that no one else could fathom.

Zhang Luan said, "If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them. Since the court has sent Wang Yue to lead the troops, and this person's bad reputation is widely known on the grasslands, and he can even stop children from crying at night, isn't it only natural for him to do something to show his ambition?"
“At first, the Tatars will definitely be in a panic, but after careful inquiry, they will think that Wang Weining is nothing special. As time goes by, they will think that he is just doing useless work, or even just fighting for his pride. They will gradually lower their guard... I think there is nothing wrong with that.”

Li Rong pondered for a moment and asked, "So... this is the Emperor's father-in-law's opinion? Should we respond to His Majesty in this way?"

“Eunuch Li, we’re old acquaintances,” Zhang Luan said earnestly. “You should know a lot about our family situation, right?”

“My son has been in the Northwest for some time now. I believe he and Wang Weining have made some plans... Instead of speculating about Wang Weining’s intentions here, why don’t we wait for him to report it himself?”

Li Rong disagreed: "They've already led their troops out of the pass, and now the army is stationed on the south bank of the Yellow River. The laborers are also preparing to build a fortress. It seems we can't expect him to report anything at this time."

Zhang Luan sneered and said, "If Wang Yue is stubborn and self-willed, and even disobeys the court's orders and disobeys His Majesty's decrees, then what's the point of sending him to the Northwest?"

This is a very blunt statement. It suggests that a renowned general like Wang Yue, with his unwavering integrity, is merely a pawn that Zhang Luan can discard at any time.

At first glance, Li Rong would think that Zhang Laizhan was simply overestimating himself, daring to say such a thing.
Do you think Wang Weining would even give you a second glance?

But upon closer reflection, I find that this statement makes a lot of sense.

Originally, Wang Yue's return to the court and even his appointment as the commander-in-chief of the three border regions were all due to the recommendation of the Zhang family father and son to the emperor. If Wang Yue insisted on going it alone to gain fame and fortune for himself, without any regard for the guidance of the Zhang family father and son, then the result would be that Wang Yue would face the fate of being replaced regardless of whether he had made any merits.

You were convicted, and your boss saved you, giving you a chance to redeem yourself. But instead, you skipped your boss and went off to make a name for yourself, like a kite with a broken string that went out of control. And yet you still expect others to protect you?

Zhang Luan said, "I only learned about this from Eunuch Li, so I don't know what Wang Weining is doing. Eunuch Li, please tell His Majesty that I... have no ideas to offer."

"If His Majesty wishes to issue an edict to reprimand him, or whatever else he desires, everything should be done according to the rules. There is no need to give me face, nor is there any need to give Wang Weining face... He was simply going to perform his duties normally; does the court have to appease him?"

"Correct."

Hearing this, Li Rong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought to himself, "Everyone in the court thinks that Wang Weining is as close as the Zhang family father and son. We're like brothers."

Now I understand that the Zhang family father and son only wanted to use Wang Yue as a sharp blade to eliminate the threat posed by foreign barbarians to the court, and did not intend to make Wang Yue their confidant.

Perhaps for this reason, Wang Yue did not consider himself a member of the Zhang family, and remained stubborn and self-willed in his actions, even showing a bit of arrogance...

Then you deserve it... From now on, no one in the court will speak up for you, and even His Majesty thinks you are acting too rashly. You will be taught a lesson!
"We're going home now."

Once Li Rong understood this, he felt relieved, stood up with a smile, and cupped his hands, saying, "It was our fault for disturbing Mr. Zhang's rest."

Zhang Luan stood up and returned the greeting: "How can this be blamed on Eunuch Li? Blame Wang Weining, who always causes trouble! Of all the civil and military officials, he's the only one who knows how to fight?"
"Besides, this was sent by His Majesty to inquire, and it has troubled you, Eunuch Li, to go back and forth! I am too busy this time, but I will definitely drink with you next time."

Li Rong smiled and said, "It's best for inner court officials and outer court officials to meet less often to avoid misunderstandings. Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Zhang. Farewell!"

……

……

Li Rong, carrying Zhang Luan's message, returned to the palace and told Zhu Youcheng about the matter.

Zhu Youcheng frowned and said, "Even my father-in-law didn't know about this? The advance into the Hetao region does seem to be written in Wang Yue's military strategy, but I told him in advance to focus on preparing for war and wait for the new army to arrive. Now the court's food and supplies are not even ready, and he wants to achieve instant success?"

Qin Chang, who was standing nearby, suggested, "Your Majesty, why not issue an imperial edict to reprimand him? It would serve as a warning to Wang Shichang."

"Ah! This..."

Zhu Youcheng hesitated and asked, "Won't this discourage Wang Yue? Or even cause the soldiers on the three borders to become complacent?"

"Your Majesty, Wang Shichang is arrogant and complacent, and is very eager to make contributions and regain the title that was stripped of him by the late emperor."

Qin Changdao said, "If we let it do as it pleases, I'm afraid that in the end... many things will become uncontrollable. We should pull it back before it shows any signs of going out of control, rather than letting it run wild."

Zhu Youcheng nodded and said, "That makes sense... However, we should first send someone to inform Yanling of this news in Datong and see what his opinion is."

Qin Chang asked cautiously, "Wouldn't it be too late to ask Zhang Guojiu's opinion now?"

Zhu Youcheng shook his head and said, "I still don't understand this matter. Anyway, Wang Yue has already sent troops, so it doesn't hurt to wait for Yanling's opinion! A wild horse always needs a good rein to be tamed."

……

……

October has arrived.

The matter of sending troops to Yansui was hotly debated in the imperial court.

Most civil officials disagreed with Wang Yue's decision to send troops to the Hetao region. Besides adhering to the military strategy set by Emperor Chenghua, the main reason was that no one wanted to see Wang Yue use the court's resources to pursue his own career.

If the Tatars had launched a preemptive attack and Wang Yue had led his troops in a counterattack, there wouldn't have been such a strong reaction in the court.

The key point is that Wang Yue took the initiative this time. On this day, while Zhang Luan was recuperating from his injuries, he once again went to the palace for a "family banquet," which was actually a meeting where he was forced by the emperor to discuss some matters.

“Father-in-law, I learned that you have been recuperating at your residence outside the city... but I wonder what kind of injury you have this time?” Zhu Youcheng asked curiously at the dinner table.

Even Zhang Yu couldn't help but raise his head and look at Zhang Luan.

Sitting to the side, Zhang Heling looked at his father and asked curiously, "Dad, are you injured again? Where are you hurt?"

"Eat well."

Unable to vent his anger on his daughter and son-in-law, Zhang Luan could only take it out on his eldest son.

Zhang Heling lowered his head and continued to pick at the almost empty rice bowl in front of him, feeling resentful.

Zhang Luan forced a smile and said to Zhu Youcheng, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. It's nothing serious, just an accident... I got injured."

"Where is the injury located?"

Zhu Youcheng asked.

Zhang Luan pointed to the collarbone area and said, "It's just below the neck. The cut isn't long, but it's quite deep. I bled a lot at the time, but it's basically healed now."

Zhang Yu examined the wound closely, frowned, and asked, "Father, this wound doesn't seem to be in the right place... How could there be such a deep cut out of nowhere? Could it be that someone is trying to assassinate you?"

"what?"

Zhang Luan was startled when he heard this. He thought to himself, "How come my daughter is starting to learn from her second brother and has become so good at divination?"
Zhu Youcheng took the initiative to help his father-in-law out of the predicament: "It's probably not that likely... Father-in-law is always protected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and I haven't heard of any major incidents happening recently."

Zhang Luan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, at least it happened in the inner courtyard of a mansion and was not publicized. If he had been assassinated by a woman on the way, his reputation would have been ruined.

I can barely accept being targeted or even having my life taken, but I can't let anyone know the inside story.

But the truth is, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever.

Zhang Luan said, "It's nothing, I just fell down after climbing up and got hurt by accident."

"Ah."

Zhang Yu did not investigate further.

Zhu Youcheng said, "Father-in-law, I shouldn't be saying this here, but I can't help but ask when you will be able to recover from your injuries and return to court to do your job."

"minister……"

Zhang Luan thought to himself, "Is this another attempt to target me?"

Before I came to the palace for dinner, there was no mention that the emperor's son-in-law was going to pressure me to return to court to handle some business.

Zhang Yu looked indifferent and said, "Your Majesty, didn't my father say he was recuperating from his injuries? I guess it's a mix of truth and fiction. The most likely explanation is that he's just making excuses to avoid attending court... That's just how he is, he's always been lazy. Please bear with him, Your Majesty."

Zhu Youcheng said, “Empress, actually I don’t want to trouble my father-in-law, but recently there has been too much backlog of government affairs, almost to the point of being overwhelmed. Even so, we still have to deal with the military and political affairs in the Northwest… Now that my father-in-law is the Vice Minister of War, if he were to take charge of the affairs in the Northwest, everything would be in good order.”

"Your Majesty, please don't have too high hopes for me," Zhang Luan quickly feigned weakness. "I don't have that much ability. If all else fails, I can give the position of Vice Minister of War to someone else."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Heling's eyes widened, and he said expectantly, "Brother-in-law, if that's the case, I'd like to give it a try."

Zhang Luan and Zhang Yu glared at him fiercely at the same time.

Zhang Heling, however, pursed his lips, somewhat unconvinced.

Zhu Youcheng smiled and said, "Heling, when you get older, you might actually have that ability. But right now, the most important thing is for you to study hard so that you will have the opportunity to join the imperial court in the future."

"Then...why doesn't the second child need to go to school?"

Zhang Heling asked in confusion, "Isn't he the same as me?"

"Things that don't know whether to live or die!"

Zhang Luan sneered, "Even eating can't shut you up, can it? Don't you know the real situation between you two brothers? Don't disturb your father's conversation with His Majesty."

"Humph!"

Zhang Heling fell silent again, but he seemed very unwilling.

Zhang Luan then said, "Your Majesty, is there anything in the Northwest that cannot be resolved? If it truly requires someone to manage it... I am willing to do my best."

Zhang Yu asked in surprise, "Oh, why the sudden change of heart?"

Zhang Luan was ridiculed by his son and daughter, and he almost lost face. He felt like he was a failure as the head of the family. If it was just his capable second son teasing him, it would be fine. But now, apart from his youngest daughter who doesn't talk much, the younger generation in the family have started to disregard him.

Are people who lack ability destined to be discriminated against?

Zhu Youcheng asked, "Won't this be too much trouble for my father-in-law?"

“As a member of the court and holding an important position, I naturally have to do something,” Zhang Luan said with a look of shame. “I’ve just been a bit lazy, and I’ve also encountered too many things in the past two years. I’ve been injured or sick, and it’s also possible that I’ve been unlucky. Anyway… I will do my best to help Your Majesty.”

Zhang Yu teased, "Does Father also know he's lazy?"

"Your Majesty, is it alright to insult someone by bringing up their weaknesses?"

Zhang Luan said, his face flushed.

Zhang Heling laughed from the side, "Father, you said those words yourself... Sister was just echoing what you said."

Zhang Luan said, "Can what you say be the same as what someone else says? Your Majesty can say that... Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, Teacher, some things... cough cough!"

At this moment, Zhang Luan suddenly realized that because his daughter had married into the royal family, she was actually considered a "royal wife," and her status seemed to be above his "relative." She could easily make fun of him.

He, on the other hand, seemed rather disrespectful.

How dare a subject argue with the Empress?

Whatever I say about you, just listen obediently.

Zhu Youcheng smiled and said, "With Yanling gone, the palace hasn't been this lively in a long time! Well then, father-in-law, I'll have someone from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs explain the situation to you later. Right now, besides the issue of allocating military funds to the Northwest, there are also matters such as salt tax allocation, troop reinforcements in Yansui, and the impact of Wang Yue's expedition to the Hetao region..."

Zhang Luan said, "I will remember this and do my best to make arrangements for Your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)