Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 307 Gentry Leader
Zhang Mansion.

Sun You was complaining to Zhang Luan about the bad things that happened to him when he ran the rice shop, especially the time when someone came to make trouble and smashed things. He told Zhang Luan the truth, probably with the intention of making Zhang Luan take responsibility for it.

Zhang Yanling was sitting next to him, eating some fragrantly fried cracked pine nuts, and asked in surprise, "Uncle Sun, the eldest son of the Peng family has been imprisoned. I heard that all his family property has been confiscated, and even his wives and concubines have been sent to the Music Bureau. Don't you know?"

"what?"

Sun You looked at Zhang Yanling in shock.

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "Brother Sun, I'm saying that you're too hasty. Why don't you first understand the situation before making a decision? Peng Mianfu is a wicked man with evil intentions. He embezzled money and passed off inferior products as good ones when he was contracted to build Wanhe Temple. He has been punished by the court. Even his backers Liang Fang and Wei Xing have fallen now."

Sun You was extremely shocked and asked, "When did this happen? Why... has there never been any similar rumors outside?"

Zhang Luan smiled confidently and said, "You are just an ordinary citizen. How could you know everything about the court? I work in the court, so I know everything. Now that I tell you, won't you know everything?"

"So... you mean... I can reopen my rice shop?"

Sun You asked eagerly.

Zhang Yanling smiled and asked, "Uncle Sun, it seems that your shop has not been open for business recently after someone came to mess with it, right?"

"It's natural."

Sun You shook his head and smiled bitterly, with a look of fear on his face, "I'm afraid they'll come and make trouble again. There's no other way except to close down the business. After all, we're a small business and can't afford to be tossed around."

"Relax, the sky won't fall!"

Zhang Luan said indifferently: "Now the perpetrator has received his punishment, you can resume business on another day, no one will dare to cause trouble... Let me put it this way, if anyone goes to your place to make trouble, it means they don't respect me, Zhang, and I will come forward to take care of it for you.

"You said Peng Mianfu, the son of a cabinet minister, who had the support of Liang Fang and Wei Xing, had been arrogant and domineering in the capital for several years, but his property was confiscated and even his wives and concubines could not be saved. Why? He offended me and still wanted to get away with it. No way!

"Humph, I have finally made a name for myself in the officialdom these days. It would only take a few words to make someone unlucky, right?"

Sun You was shocked by Zhang Luan's loud tone.

I thought to myself, I know that you, Zhang Laizhan, are very boastful, but I have never seen anyone as boastful as you, right?
Just a word to you?
Even if Peng Mianfu’s house was really searched, what does it have to do with you?
It's really like bragging without any preparation, right?
"master!"

As they were talking, the receptionist Chang Shun ran in and said with a smile, "The new governor of Hejian Prefecture will be leaving for his post soon. He came to visit you before leaving Beijing and said that he wanted to listen to your teachings so that he could use them in his administration in the future."

Sun You stood up suddenly and blurted out, "The new governor of Hejian Prefecture?"

The highest administrative chief of a place actually came to visit Zhang Luan before taking office?

Sun You couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

Although I knew that Zhang Laizhan would be very successful, but was he already this successful? It seems that what he said before was not just bragging!

Zhang Luan waved his hand and shook his head helplessly: "Alas, I haven't left my house recently. I've been staying at home writing some things. I haven't even reported for duty at the Hanlin Academy. But for some reason, people always come to disturb me, and they are all officials... Hey, where can you go to seek justice? It's really a hassle!"

Sun You took a deep breath and stammered, "Brother Lai...Brother Lai Zhan, you...you are now an official in the imperial court, and...you work in the Imperial Academy. Your future is limitless! Naturally, many people come to curry favor with you..."

"They are all floating clouds, all floating clouds."

Zhang Luan twisted his beard and said with a smile, "My son, you are right. The most important thing for an official in the court is to keep a low profile. I have never regarded myself as the father-in-law of the crown prince, nor have I ever wanted to rely on the title of Hanlin to seek fame and fortune for myself. I just want to do some practical things, that's all."

Zhang Yanling, who had a cracked pine nut in his mouth, couldn't help but roll his eyes when he heard this.

When did I tell you this?
Don't slander me!

If it was really said by your son, it probably came from the mouth of your eldest son Zhang Heling, right?

Sun You said, "Then... I will go back first and quickly set up the shop. If you have time, you must go over and take a look. I will definitely treat you well."

"Row."

Zhang Luan waved his hand and said with a smile, "Who made our two families have such a deep relationship? It is also because of your tolerance and righteousness that my daughter has the opportunity to be selected as the Crown Princess and successfully enter the East Palace. I will never forget this kindness."

……

……

When Sun You returned to the pharmacy, he saw a few craftsmen sitting in the backyard basking in the sun, looking nonchalant.

"Father."

A person appeared in front of Sun You.

It was Sun You's eldest son, Sun Boqiang, the elder brother of the former sickly Sun Bojian and Sun Chengying. "My son, why are you here? Aren't you at home preparing for the college entrance examination?"

Sun You was surprised and asked curiously.

Sun Boqiang was now only a student, and he had not passed the imperial examination, which meant he had not obtained the title of a scholar. The Sun family had always supported him in his studies, but he seldom went out to meet guests, and he basically ignored all the family affairs.

Historically, Sun Boqiang was to be promoted to a minor official position when Zhu Youtang was enfeoffing local celebrities in Hejian Prefecture at the end of the Hongzhi period. He was later promoted to the position of Secretary of the Honglu Temple, a sixth-rank official.

The Sun family later had some prospects, all thanks to their marriage relationship with the Zhang family.

Sun Boqiang said, "I heard that our family's business had a big problem in Beijing, so I didn't dare to stop for a moment and rushed here day and night. Father, how is the situation now? Do you need to use your connections?"

"no need."

Sun You shrugged, with a hint of doubt on his face, and said uncertainly, "The matter should... have been resolved satisfactorily..."

As they were talking, Sun Chengying came into the yard from the back door.

As soon as the craftsmen saw Miss Sun coming back, they all stood up and pretended to work.

Obviously, Sun Chengying is not as easy to fool as her father, nor as easy to talk to as Sun You. In the eyes of the craftsmen, she is a she-devil who is not easy to mess with.

"Father, are you saying that the matter has been successfully resolved? Could it be that the Shuntian Prefecture government has accepted the case?" Sun Chengying walked over lightly and asked curiously.

Sun Boqiang explained: "Father, I have met with my sister, and she told me everything about the situation in the capital."

Sun You frowned and asked, "Why do you want to disturb your brother? Studying requires a peaceful state of mind... My daughter, it is wrong for you to do this."

Sun Chengying asked: "Dad, now I am asking you...how did you solve the problem?"

"Ugh!"

Sun You sighed and said quietly, "I just went to Zhang's house, and Lai Zhan told me that the eldest son of Peng's family has been imprisoned. His entire family has been confiscated, not even his wives and concubines can be saved. Even Peng has been ordered to retire and return home... Lai Zhan said that no one will dare to trouble us anymore."

Sun Chengying looked suspicious and asked, "This sounds very strange... Is it true?"

"He is a historian in the Imperial Academy. How can I not believe what he says?"

Sun You actually had his doubts in his heart, but he was unwilling to show weakness in front of his children, so he asked, "Why would he, the father-in-law of the crown prince, have to fool me?"

Sun Chengying frowned, "Hasn't he fooled us enough? Especially his youngest son, he doesn't speak properly at all. Dad talked to him before, and I think that kid played you around."

Sun Boqiang, who was listening in, asked in confusion: "The youngest son of the Zhang family? The child named Yanling? I have seen him before, he was very dull, but how come my sister said he was a sinister and cunning person... How could it be so?"

"Life is unpredictable, how can it remain unchanged forever?"

Sun You tried to save his dignity by saying, "Laizhan often mentions the name of his youngest son. When he goes out to do things, he usually asks Yanling to accompany him. I also saw him today. I think this boy is extraordinary and will achieve unlimited success in the future."

"father……"

Sun Chengying hated her father's bad habit of praising other people's children the most.

It's as if all the children in one's own family are good-for-nothings, while all the children in other people's families are both good in character and academic performance, and one takes pleasure in undermining one's own children's self-esteem.

Sun You continued, "Not only the eldest son of the Peng family, but I heard that Liang Fang and Wei Xing have also fallen. I think this matter is easy to verify.

"If it was a big merchant group, they would have gotten the news by now. But for us, a small family, no one came to inform us. There was no news spread among the merchants in Hejian Prefecture either."

Sun Chengying pursed her lips and said, "Since it has not been spread, I think there must be something fishy about it."

"No."

Sun You shook his head like a rattle and said quickly, "I have to be the first to spread this news. Otherwise, why would those gentry and powerful people in Hejian Prefecture regard me as their leader?"

"Father, what are you doing?"

Sun Boqiang looked at his father curiously, not understanding why his father's mentality had changed like this.

Sun Chengying sighed helplessly, "Brother, please don't ask. Father has changed his mind now. He thinks he has some relationship with the Zhang family, so he regards himself as the leader of the Hejianfu Township Party. But he never thought that the Zhang family is nothing in the court, so why should they benevolent to the township? Father is possessed by a demon."

Sun You hurriedly said, "Daughter, don't say that. Lai Zhan is now an extraordinary person. He was able to enter the Hanlin Academy within just a few months of entering the court, and immediately sat in the position of historian. That was the first official position granted by the court after passing the imperial examination and becoming the top scorer in the palace examination.

"As the future father-in-law of the emperor, Zhang Laizhan already has a bright future. Now he has a rich career experience, from the Honglu Temple to the Taichang Temple, and then to the Hanlin Academy. It is not certain that he will be able to enter the cabinet and become a prime minister in the future... I can't wait to curry favor with such an important figure, so how can I slander him so easily?"

(End of this chapter)