Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 850 Never Let Me Down

In another courtyard.

Zhang Luan hosted a banquet for Li Zisheng, just as Li Zisheng had always entertained Zhang Luan when the Zhang family was still poor. Not only was a banquet prepared, but various song and dance performances and opera performances were also arranged, making for a very grand occasion.

Li Zisheng witnessed this scene but remained unmoved.

Zhang Luan kept emphasizing that "things have changed," but he seemed like a clown deliberately showing off. Little did he know that Li Zisheng had seen all sorts of things and situations in his life.

Li Zisheng is no longer superficial; he has stepped down to the second line and hopes to receive substantial help from Zhang Luan, rather than these empty formalities.

"Minister Li, what do you think of this little tune?"

Zhang Luan asked with enthusiasm and a smile.

Li Zisheng finally couldn't hold back any longer and said with a wry smile, "Lai Zhan, we're all on the same side, so I won't hide anything from you... Do you think I'm in the mood to watch a play or listen to music right now?"

"In order to get to the capital, I traveled day and night, and I couldn't even get two hours of sleep a day... I rode a fast horse all the way here, and I'm exhausted from the journey. I don't have the energy to do anything now. I just want to get the mission done and settle down properly."

Zhang Luan gave an awkward smile, "Oh dear, it was my oversight. We must quickly arrange lodgings for Minister Li... Lady Qi!"

"I'm here."

Hearing the greeting, Qi Niang hurried over, smiling and bowing, not forgetting to glance at Li Zisheng.

After not seeing him for more than half a year, Li Zisheng had become much thinner than before. His once fair face had turned dark, and his once taut and delicate skin was now wrinkled, like dried orange peel, full of wrinkles. At first glance, he looked at least ten years older than before.

Zhang Luan said with a smile, "Why don't you hurry up and arrange a place for Minister Li to stay?"

The implication is that in the past, it was you, Lao Li, who found women for me, providing food and lodging, and even showing concern for my well-being. Now, it's my turn to arrange your daily life.

Li Zisheng was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this. He thought to himself, "Does he think everyone is like you, so ignorant and unsophisticated? You can't even walk past a woman?"
Everyone has their own preferences!

"Don't bother."

Li Zisheng looked at Zhang Luan earnestly and said, "I hope to take up my post in the Northwest as soon as possible. After all, the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Tatars cannot be delayed for even a moment."

"No need to rush."

Zhang Luan said with a grin.

He had only said it casually, but to Li Zisheng, it stirred up a storm in his heart.

Li Zisheng suddenly stood up and asked in shock, "Lai Zhan, what exactly happened? Can you explain clearly? I heard that Wang Shichang has already led his troops into the grasslands, yet you still have the leisure to do so without any fuss?"

"Well..."

Zhang Luan waved his hand, indicating that Qi Niang should leave for a moment.

After bowing, Qi Niang took her leave.

Zhang Luan then said, "The situation is like this: I just discussed this issue with His Majesty, and also received my son Yanling's opinion..."

Upon hearing this, Li Zisheng's heart sank.

He was thinking that the more he talked, the more roundabout the conversation became, and the worse things would probably get.

If it's a good thing, you don't need to emphasize to me that so many people are giving you advice.

Could it be that Bingkun is right, and you two are planning to set me up?
Sigh, I was just sitting in the south, waiting to reap the rewards for my river management efforts, wasn't I? Why did I impulsively ask you to let me return to the capital? And why did I shamelessly beg you?

Doesn't this mean losing the reputation for river management for nothing?

"Cough cough."

Zhang Luan was probably too excited and coughed violently twice. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "Minister Li, please calm down. I will be frank with you. His Majesty wants to transfer you to Jizhou as governor."

"Jizhou?"

Li Zisheng stood there stunned for a moment.

"Yes, that's Jizhou."

Zhang Luan said, "It's like this, you might not have enough time to go to Datong. I'd like you to assist my son in sending troops to the grasslands. What can you do to help?"

Li Zisheng felt a little calmer and quickly asked, "Governor of Jizhou, is there any particular custom?"

Zhang Luan said, "Firstly, it's closer to the capital, so you can go there to take up your post immediately. Once you're in place, you can immediately mobilize troops to go to the grasslands, specifically to contain the Doyan Three Guards, which are the three Uliangha tribes, and prevent them from coming to the aid of the Chahar tribe. In this way, with Wang Yue in the west and you in the east, my son can send troops out of Datong and look for opportunities."

Li Zisheng asked, "Then... what did His Majesty say? Don't blame me for being suspicious, it's just that... Eunuch Li Rong asked me to ask you. I don't know anything about this, so I can only follow your instructions."

Zhang Luan said, "As for the specifics, His Majesty will make the arrangements. If nothing unexpected happens, he will issue an imperial edict to you first thing tomorrow morning, instructing you to take up your post with His Majesty's decree and to directly transfer troops from Jizhou."

"His Majesty also asked me to raise 50,000 taels of silver for you as military pay. It's a bit little, but you don't need to mobilize too many troops. In addition, the troops allocated to you are new soldiers, equipped with new firearms, so you will definitely be able to achieve something."

"That... works too."

Li Zisheng hesitated and said, "Then... am I just restricting the movements of the Doyan Three Guards Tartars within the defense zone of Jizhou Town?"

"It's about cooperating with each other."

Zhang Luan said, "It's still hard to say which route my son Yanling will take after he sets out with his troops. After you send your troops to the grasslands... the grasslands are vast. Can Yanling really wipe out the Tatars with just that few men? I have my doubts about that..."

Upon hearing this, Li Zisheng smiled with relief and said, "Of course not... Historically, whenever it was necessary to intimidate the grassland tribes, it was always best for all forces to send troops together."

"I was thinking that relying solely on Wang Shichang's 20,000 troops, plus the forces under my nephew Yanling, is clearly not enough... The troops in Datong seem more like a flanking force sent to harass..."

Zhang Luan said, "His Majesty was probably afraid you wouldn't understand, so he asked me to explain it to you, but actually... I'm confused myself and don't know the specifics."

Li Zisheng laughed and said, "After we get to the border, I'll explore it more thoroughly... By the way, the governor of Jizhou holds an extremely important position in the court, which is enough to show His Majesty's trust in me."

"When has His Majesty ever doubted you?" Zhang Luan said with a smile. "Going to Datong is a place far from the emperor's reach. If you want to win back the hearts of the people, it will probably take a long time... I'll give you three months to reorganize the army before leading it out to cooperate with my son's actions... By then, it will be too late!"

"Yes, yes, then Lai Zhan, the troops His Majesty assigned to me are all newly trained new troops, right?" Li Zisheng now felt that even Zhang Luan's farts smelled good.

Originally, he hoped to go to Datong to cooperate with Zhang Yanling, but now he heard that he was going to Jizhou. Although Jizhou Town seems to be inferior to Datong Town in terms of level, and the number of troops will be much smaller.

However, Jizhou Town is located near the capital and guards the eastern gate of the capital region. It belongs to the "emperor's personal troops". The fact that he was given such great trust, allowing him to lead troops to be in charge of this route, and even to contain the main force of the Tatars in the eastern grasslands and fight against the Doyan Three Guards, all of these reflect the emperor's absolute trust.

If I didn't trust you, would I let you lead a group of people all by yourself?
Still near the capital?

Want to eat fart!

Zhang Luan said, "You're asking me who to specifically transfer? Who am I supposed to ask?"

Li Zisheng said with a wry smile, "Even so, His Majesty specifically sent someone to inform me that I should come and seek your advice."

It was as if he was saying, "You, the person responsible for giving me these instructions, are very incompetent!" Zhang Luan sighed, "Fine, I'll show you the letter my son Yanling sent me from Datong later... That kid is truly talented; he has his own ideas about pacifying the grasslands."

"In fact, up to now, from His Majesty to Wang Yue, everyone is acting according to his plan. It's just that the other military generals in the Northwest simply won't listen to my son..."

Li Zisheng laughed and said, "Don't worry about that, Lai Zhan. I'll do whatever my nephew says without hesitation. Sending troops from Jizhou to contain the three guards of Duoyan is the bare minimum. If my nephew needs me to transfer troops elsewhere, I'll go through fire and water for him. In short... I will obey orders."

Zhang Luan said, "Whatever you want. Let's catch up today! You've been away from the capital for more than half a year, it must have been too tiring for you! His Majesty said that the task of river management will not be transferred to anyone else, so... the credit will go to you. I still can't drink today, but apart from that... the two of us... should enjoy ourselves to the fullest!"

……

……

A night of fun.

The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, Li Zisheng finally opened his sleepy eyes and came out of the villa outside Zhangluan City.

They boarded the carriage that was already waiting there, and after driving a short distance from the street corner, someone blocked their way. It was Pang Qing, who had been guarding outside all night.

"Didn't I tell you to go back and rest?"

Li Zisheng looked very tired. After getting off the carriage, he covered his mouth and yawned, asking, "What's the point of guarding here?"

Pang Qing said, "I'm afraid something might happen to you..."

"shit!"

Li Zisheng glared at him and rebuked him, "We're going to Lai Zhan's outer residence. Even if he can't help me with court affairs, given my relationship with him, I'll be able to get out safely."

"If Lai Zhan really intends to harm me, how could I possibly be qualified to return to the capital! Hmph, I don't know what you're thinking, always worrying about useless things."

The implication was that Zhang Luan had persuaded the emperor to summon me back.

Even if you doubt that I will not be transferred to Datong and think that I have been tricked, you cannot doubt my friendship with Zhang Laizhan.

"But……"

Pang Qing seemed very puzzled and asked, "What's so important that you have to stay in the manor all night? Why didn't you come out earlier? Daoist, you're likely to make things worse by doing this!"

Pang Qing was also very annoyed at this moment.

Because through the lifted curtain of the carriage, he saw a woman he had never seen before.

That is to say...

Li Zisheng emerged from Zhang Luan's secluded villa with a woman in tow?

“Now that things are settled, I can finally relax… I haven’t had a chance to rest for days, and I was worried about being plotted against by my political enemies along the way. I’ve finally arrived in Laizhan, so what’s the big deal to get a good night’s sleep and recharge my energy?” Li Zisheng said. “In fact, the only place that can help me shake off the fatigue of this journey and put my mind at ease is Laizhan.”

Pang Qing asked in surprise, "You last night...?"

Li Zisheng laughed and said, "Lai Zhan invited me to a banquet and then made arrangements for me, allowing me to enjoy his hospitality to the fullest... Although I did not share a drink with him, I am closer to him than to any other friend in the world. What's wrong with that?"

"At a time like this... do you still have time to worry about those things?"

Li Zisheng's words left Pang Qing speechless. He rubbed his forehead and said, "Master Daoist, you are a monk, I've never seen you before..."

Li Zisheng sighed, “The past is the past, and the present is the present. Although I am a Taoist priest, I still have a wife and children, unlike those monks and Tantric masters who live by strict rules and regulations. Why be so bound by those? Besides, although Lai Zhan is generous to his friends, have you ever seen him give away his private stash of wealth to anyone? Only me, I suppose…”

"you……"

Pang Qing was speechless.

It's as if it's saying, "You actually think this is something to be proud of?"
Li Zisheng said, "Let me make this clear: I have been ordered to go to Jizhou to assume the post of Governor of Jizhou. I expect to depart early tomorrow morning, so you should go back and make preparations."

"What? Jizhou... Daoist Master, this is absolutely impossible!"

When Pang Qing saw that Li Zisheng was about to return to the carriage, he immediately reminded him.

Li Zisheng turned to look at Pang Qing, frowned, and asked, "What rumors have you heard this time? Why are you suddenly spouting such nonsense?"

"I just heard some news from the merchants in Huizhou. They say that there may be a major battle in the Northwest, and the Tatars north of Jizhou have already moved their troops westward!" Pang Qing said.

Li Zisheng said, "What nonsense are you talking about? What does this have to do with my transfer to Jizhou? The tribes on the grasslands are scattered in various places. My purpose in going to Jizhou is to lead troops to contain the Tatars' Doyan Three Guards and, incidentally, cooperate with my nephew Yanling... Isn't this a perfectly normal thing?"

"That's precisely why it's inappropriate."

Pang Qing said solemnly, “Military expeditions require money and provisions, and among the nine border regions, Jizhou and Liaodong are the most indebted. This year, the court has fully repaid the accumulated deficits of the three border regions and Xuanda, but only a portion of the provisions and pay for Jizhou and Liaodong has been issued… If the soldiers have no rations, how will you fight?”

Li Zisheng frowned and said, "Lai Zhan said that he will allocate money and grain to me later, worth about 50,000 taels of silver, which will be transported to Jizhou Town with me. If I spend it sparingly, it should be enough."

Pang Qing said, "The court's bias is too obvious. Its purpose is naturally to ensure victory in the northwest. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Zhang family, the three border regions and Xuanda have all received replenishment of funds and provisions, including this year's supplies. However, the two major military garrisons in the east still have significant arrears. I heard that the Ministry of Revenue previously allocated a batch of funds and provisions, also for the construction of fortresses and strategic passes..."

"The worst thing about things here is favoritism. It's not the scarcity that's the problem, but the inequality. Right now, the soldiers in Liaodong and Jizhou are all holding their breath. If you go to Jizhou to take up your post at this time, won't you become a sitting duck?"

"What do you mean?"

Li Zisheng's expression turned cautious as he asked, "You mean the soldiers in Jizhou are all starving because they haven't received their long-overdue pay... If I go there, will this be my priority? If it can't be resolved, then we can't send troops?"

Pang Qing sighed, “This is only the surface of the situation. To put it more bluntly, Huizhou merchants can no longer do business in Jizhou, and there are various powerful forces deeply entrenched there. If you go to Jizhou Town, without the assistance of your troops, you will have no way to suppress the local generals and gentry. I'm afraid you... will not return.”

"What do you mean?"

Li Zisheng said, "The imperial court will have to appoint a governor for Jizhou. If I don't go, someone else will. Are you suggesting that every one of them who goes will be punished? Who are you trying to scare?"

Pang Qing said, "You are ultimately different from them."

"How is it different?"

Li Zisheng was also very curious.

“You are going to fight a war, to get things done, and to make a name for yourself.”

Pang Qing said, "Moreover, you once held immense power in the court and offended too many people. How can you be the same as those officials who went to Jizhou just to coast along?"
"You have received the imperial decree to go there, so you must achieve results. But the problems in Jizhou and Liaodong are deeply entrenched and cannot be solved by you alone... Therefore..."

Li Zisheng said, "So, this is a mess?"

Pang Qing said, "While you're still not far away, you should hurry and talk to Zhang Guozhang. He might not be very familiar with the local military and political affairs of Jizhou. Without his help, do you still want to win battles and achieve great things? Just sorting out internal relations will take several months..."

“List out in detail what I might encounter, and I’ll sort it out before I go to find Lai Zhan.”

Li Zisheng said, "Now is the time to show your importance... With my nephew Yanling away, someone has to do the errands and ask questions, right? You mustn't slack off!"

(End of this chapter)