Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 871 Life and Death Uncertain, Future Uncertain

The capital city, the Forbidden City.

In the Qianqing Palace.

Xu Pu and Liu Jian, two cabinet ministers and representatives of the civil officials, were advising Zhu Youcheng in the inner court. Their main purpose was to persuade the emperor to abandon his unrealistic dream of conquering the grasslands and to get Zhang Yanling to withdraw his troops...

Previously, the people in the court were unaware of Zhang Yanling's movements. It was only recently that they heard about it from a memorial submitted by Xu Jin, the governor of Datong, which stated that Zhang Yanling had led his troops into the grasslands and was currently "out of contact".

"Your Majesty, the war on the grasslands can be postponed for ten years. After recuperation and accumulation of sufficient funds and supplies, we will have the strength to fight a decisive battle."

Xu Pu spoke earnestly, “In the short term, although the court has the advantage of firearms, it cannot achieve a strong and well-equipped army, nor can it accumulate strength over many years. This battle is too hasty for the Ming Dynasty.”

"Furthermore, in terms of personnel selection, we should appoint young, strong, and experienced veterans, rather than temporarily relying on relatives of the empress. The Ming Dynasty has reached its current state because of its steady and measured approach; rashness can easily lead to mistakes."

Liu Jian echoed, "The Ming Dynasty has always been known for its stability. Being too eager for quick success will likely lead to disaster. The Tumu Crisis is a cautionary tale."

Zhu Youcheng sat there, listening attentively, just as he had when he was a good student in the Eastern Palace, but he did not agree with the opinions of his two former teachers.

Qin Chang, who was standing nearby, said, “Your Majesty, Xu Jin, the governor of Datong and the military governor of Shanxi, has submitted a memorial stating that the details of Zhang Guojiu’s military expedition were not explained to him, which constitutes a rash decision to send troops. He has proposed to impeach Zhang Guojiu.”

"Oh."

Zhu Youcheng wasn't angry. He smiled faintly and said, "Yanling's expedition this time is indeed unconventional, but it would be too much to judge him as reckless based on that alone... This battle has been prepared for a long time."

The people present were all wondering, how long could it possibly last?

How long have you been emperor?
How old is Zhang Yanling?

Could it be that Zhang Yanling was already prepared to conquer the grasslands while he was still in his mother's womb?
Moreover, he foresaw that you would become emperor in the future, and through a series of maneuvers, he became your brother-in-law, thus enabling him to fully display his talents and realize his political ambitions.

Xu Pu said solemnly, "Your Majesty, some things must be stopped."

Zhu Youcheng said, "But... Grand Secretary Xu, Yanling has already led his troops deep into the grasslands, and he is taking a very serious approach of either succeeding or dying for his country. He has not led many troops, only about three or four thousand in total, and he has raised all the grain and supplies himself."

"In fact, even if we include Wang Yue and Li Zisheng, who are fighting in the west and east respectively, the total number of troops is not that many, and the cost of military resources is not that high."

At this time, Zhu Youcheng was still trying his best to reason with him.

He tried to persuade his two teachers.

See, you all said we need to accumulate resources, fill the granaries, before we can lead our troops into battle.

He also said that this action was too rash.

The problem is that Zhang Yanling used the money and food he raised himself and the weapons he produced himself to fight the war. He did not need the court to provide money, food and war supplies. Would it be unfair to say that he did so?

Zhu Youcheng handed Wang Yue's memorial to Xu Pu again and said sincerely, "Grand Secretary Xu, take a close look. Wang Yue has already won a great victory in Yinshan. This is all the result of Yanling's secret planning."

“Look, in Wang Yue’s memorial, he emphasized Yanling’s merits. Even he, a veteran of the battlefield, acknowledges Yanling’s abilities. Why can’t the court give him absolute trust?”

Xu Pu said, "Your Majesty, Wang Yue's mention of Zhang Yanling in his memorial was more of a compliment. This is just his nature, and it's not worth mentioning."

"what?"

Zhu Youcheng frowned upon hearing this.

Xu Pu didn't elaborate, but he pointed out that Wang Yue was someone who liked to curry favor with the powerful and influential.

Zhang Yanling never appeared in Yansui, nor in the Hetao region, nor on the battlefield north of Yinshan. Logically speaking, this war had nothing to do with Zhang Yanling.

But Wang Yue insisted on singled out Zhang Yanling, hoping to gain more recognition from the emperor when requesting credit, thus satisfying his desire to curry favor with the powerful.

Qin Chang leaned closer and whispered an explanation in Zhu Youcheng's ear.

After Zhu Youcheng understood what Xu Pu meant, his heart sank, and he was immediately displeased, but he could not show it too obviously.

After all, he was different from his father. Zhu Youcheng was a diligent emperor who respected his ministers and did not want to be criticized as a foolish ruler.

To put it bluntly, he cherished his reputation and didn't want to be branded as a tyrant.

Liu Jian said, “Your Majesty, why are you so insistent on sending a young man with no experience in leading troops into the grasslands? Although he is somewhat talented, he has never passed the formal civil service examinations and has never made any contribution to the Ming Dynasty. This will lead people to criticize you for nepotism.”

Zhu Youcheng's anger surged, and his face flushed as he said, "So what if the world criticizes me? Yanling is my family, and I will naturally take responsibility for his success or failure!"

Liu Jian continued, “Your Majesty understands your feelings for the young imperial brother-in-law… The problem is, if he wins the battle, it will be considered that you have good judgment of people, but what if he fails?”
"No one dares to say that they can win every battle. Why has Your Majesty never considered that the young imperial brother-in-law suffered a crushing defeat and died tragically on the frontier? If this is possible, why has Your Majesty been able to turn a blind eye to such a hidden danger?"

"How could Yanling, who leads troops, be a threat to my rule?"

Zhu Youcheng's forehead veins were bulging and his eyes were bulging as if they were about to burst; he was clearly enraged.

I am a nepotist and I like to protect my relatives and friends. I treat the Zhang family members as closer to me than my own brothers. What can you do to me?

Throughout history, there have been many emperors who practiced nepotism, favoring and trusting their maternal relatives... There are also many successful examples, such as Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang. Why can't it be the same for me?

Zhu Youcheng, with a stern face, shouted: "Enough! I know your concerns, but now that things have happened, there is no going back. And what if I just want to trust Yanling a little more?"

"Hmph, this matter has been in preparation for a long time. Can't we wait until Yanling has actually led troops into battle before discussing the gains and losses? Why rush it?"
"If you continue as you have, you might have been able to win, but the court's sabotage has caused the army to lose its morale, which is not what I wanted to see... This matter is not open to further discussion, you may all leave!"

Xu Pu shook his head and sighed, "Your Majesty, this action goes against the will of the sage..."

It's practically saying that we came to advise you to take precautions and guard against Zhang Yanling's defeat, which would bring you a bad reputation. You also know that you have done something wrong, and the ministers are all waiting to see you make a fool of yourself, but you do not repent. This is the behavior of a foolish ruler!
Since that's the case, we can use this as a pretext to advise you, so that you understand that the emperor should listen to the opinions of his ministers, rather than to those relatives who seem capable but are actually incompetent.

……

……

The outer residence of the Zhang family.

In front of Zhang Luan were a pile of bone fragments used for divination, some card-like objects, and a variety of other prayer tools, as if he were performing a ritual that combined the strengths of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

When Qi Niang brought in the ginseng tea, she put down the teacup and looked at Zhang Luan, who was resting with his eyes closed and not moving, and asked, "Master, what are you doing?"

"Huh? I'm divining and praying for my son, didn't you realize that?"

Zhang Luan didn't even blink, speaking like a shaman performing a ritual.

Qi Niang quickly smiled apologetically, "How would I know about these things? I hope I haven't disturbed you, sir?"

Zhang Luan said irritably, "Even if you don't understand, shouldn't you at least look at what the things on this table are for? You should have some common sense, shouldn't you?"

Qi Niang examined the items on the table again, and to her utter dismay, she even found dice and a dice cup among them.

She thought to herself, "Are you doing divination?"

Or are we just gambling with our own luck here?
"What did the master deduce? Has the blessing ceremony been completed?" Qi Niang asked with a curious expression.

Although she thought Zhang Luan was no different from a charlatan and didn't really believe he had any supernatural powers...

But the key point is that Zhang Luan's reputation outside is too great. She was able to accurately predict many major events back then, and even the emperor's family trusted her. With her background, what right does she have to question her?
Moreover, she always saw Zhang Luan's chaotic side in daily life and had never seen him show any talent in metaphysics. Today, she wanted to broaden her horizons.

Zhang Luan, looking dejected, threw the bamboo stick in his hand onto the table and said, "If it were really that easy, I wouldn't have had to stay up two long nights in a row to painstakingly study the I Ching."

"What...you...you still need to study it on the spot?"

As Qi Niang clicked her tongue in amazement, she suddenly realized that Zhang Da Guofu, the father-in-law in front of her, did indeed like to be straightforward.

It would be very embarrassing for someone else to say something like this.

But why could Zhang Luan say something so shameless?

Is it true that those who achieve great things don't concern themselves with trifles?

This shamelessness can be considered a unique "character" that others don't possess, right?

Zhang Luan stood up, paced back and forth, shook his head and sighed: "I just met with Eunuch Li from the palace. He told me that everyone in the court knows about my son leading troops into the grasslands. His success or failure will directly affect the future rise and fall of my Zhang family. But I'm more afraid that something will happen to that boy on the grasslands... and he won't be able to come back!"

Qi Niang comforted him, "Since the Second Young Master is so confident, we should also have confidence in him."

Zhang Luan sighed, "Does he think he's Huo Qubing? I've never seen him practice archery or horsemanship. Even if he's capable, in this weather and on this grassland, shouldn't he consider factors like natural disasters and man-made calamities? Will his men listen to him? Or will the Tartars fight the way he imagines?"

"Master, why is it the Second Young Master who is leading the troops into the grasslands? No matter what, he is still just a child..."

Qi Niang asked, somewhat puzzled, "Is the Ming Dynasty lacking in talent? Logically speaking, wouldn't it be better for the Second Young Master to be the one making the plans behind the scenes and letting someone else lead the troops?"

Zhang Luan stopped in his tracks, paused for a moment, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Hey, who says otherwise? Why didn't I think of that back then? Why did I have to let him take such a risk?"

Qi Niang was speechless.

I thought to myself, "So this is how the Zhang family does things—so capricious and arbitrary?"
Your son is really willing to take on everything himself, and you, as his father, are really willing to send him beyond the Great Wall to fight deep in the grasslands.
Zhang Luan said, "Very well, I'll go to the palace later to discuss this with my daughter."

"Then... sir, what are the plans for tonight?"

Qi Niang hurriedly asked.

Zhang Luan waved his hand impatiently, his face drooping, and said, "What's there to arrange? My son is almost gone, and my Zhang family is about to fall into mediocrity. How can we care about anything else? Whether you come back tonight or not is another matter!"

Qi Niang thought to herself, "Did you marry off a daughter and rise in status because of her? Or was it because your son is outstanding and has brought the whole family to prosperity?"

From what you're saying...

Is your son more important than your daughter who is the empress?
Didn't your Zhang family rise to prominence because of your status as maternal relatives?

After Zhang Luan finished tidying up, he was about to leave when a gatekeeper came to report that someone from the Embroidered Uniform Guard had come to inform him that Zhang Heling, the eldest son of the Zhang family, was injured in a fight and was bedridden.

"It would be better if he were dead."

Zhang Luan angrily shouted at the doorman who came to deliver the message, "Hmph, why bother with him? Our Zhang family will just pretend we don't have this son!"

Madam Qi quickly tried to persuade him, "Master, please calm down. Everything has to be weighed. The eldest son is still your son after all. It would be best if you went to see him..."

"What a load of rubbish!"

Zhang Luan sneered and said, "If my youngest son is gone, everything will be over... Hmph, I'd rather not have that troublemaker Heling! It's better to have no descendants than to see that good-for-nothing!"

"But you're right, if sons don't work out, there are always grandsons, right? Maybe that idiot can give birth to a good grandson? Sigh, it's a pity I only had two sons. It's so annoying!"

……

……

Forbidden City.

Duanjing Hall.

Inside the huge weaving workshop, the machines roared. From spinning to weaving, the entire process was done by steam engines instead of manpower. The female textile workers' job was simply to patrol, restart any machines that were stuck, and repair the fabric with hooks if there were any broken threads.

The ranks of female weavers, composed of palace maids, were exceptionally large.

Zhang Luan had already stepped into the workshop, but because of the dampness inside, he felt somewhat uncomfortable and retreated back outside. However, because of the cold weather outside, he shivered as the wind blew.

When Zhang Yu came out in his heavy work clothes, he frowned and looked at his elderly father who was gazing into the distance, and asked with a furrowed brow, "Are you cold?"

Zhang Luan suddenly woke up, turned to look at his daughter, shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Cold."

"Then why don't you wear more clothes?" Zhang Yu scolded. "Since you know you're not in good health, why don't you keep warm? Living a few more years is better than anything else."

"You girl, how can you say such awful things..."

Zhang Luan frowned, his face showing displeasure. "I was wearing quite a lot when I came out, but just now when I went into the factory, it was like a sauna. It was so hot that I started sweating. Then I was hit by a cold wind when I came out. This back and forth between hot and cold..."

He stopped talking abruptly.

He noticed that his daughter's gaze seemed "malicious."

Zhang Luan keenly realized that he had originally entered the palace to talk to his daughter about his second son's situation fighting in the Northwest, and also to meet his son-in-law. Who would have thought that he would come here and talk at length about the issue of hot and cold?

We've gone off-topic!
"Does Father always try to avoid being taken advantage of in front of others?"

Zhang Yu had the palace maid behind her remove her heavy clothes.

He then changed into a cloak and led Zhang Luan to the adjacent lounge.

Zhang Luan followed slowly, asking, "How did you know? Your father, with a humble heart, is always willing to bow his head."

Zhang Yu said coldly, "You're going to fuss over something as simple as whether it's cold or not? And you claim you can be humble?"

"This……"

Zhang Luan pondered for a moment, then sighed, "Your temper has indeed gotten a bit worse lately. In your second brother's words, you've gotten too cocky... Who can hold power without getting cocky? Just like you, now that you're the Empress, you have a whole repertoire of ways to discipline your father, don't you?"

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes at his father, as if to say, "I said a few words to you, and you have to retaliate?"

Isn't this just a sign that you don't want to suffer a loss?

(End of this chapter)