Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 314 The Man Who Dominates Destiny
In the Qianqing Palace.

Li Zisheng went straight to the inner hall to meet the emperor under the pretext of reporting work, but his main purpose was to inquire about Zhu Jianshen's condition.

Zhu Jianshen looked melancholy and asked quietly, "Li Qing, is there any chance that my illness will be cured?"

"Why does your majesty ask this?"

Li Zisheng pretended to be surprised and asked, "Isn't your illness getting better? I think you will recover soon."

"Alas! Actually, I also know that this disease can only be treated with patience. Who knows when it will...Alas!"

Speaking of this, Zhu Jianshen kept sighing.

Li Zisheng was speechless.

The emperor now began to blame himself, but judging from the result, it was actually a good thing. At least the emperor had a certain foresight about the development of his illness. Turning back to tell him that he would die, he probably had a psychological expectation.

But can the emperor really calmly accept the news that he is about to die?
Not necessarily!
Li Zisheng said: "Your Majesty, please relax. Even if some diseases will linger, at least your Majesty will be able to eat and drink as before and live comfortably... Enjoy life to the fullest and don't let fame hold you back. Who knows what will happen in the future?"

"Haha, Li Qing, it's you. If it were anyone else, they would tell me that they would definitely recover or something. Only you would tell me to be content with the status quo, relax, and enjoy yourself. This is also what I think makes you different from them."

Zhu Jianshen was very happy.

Because Li Zisheng did not hide it from him.

Li Zisheng said anxiously, if I told you Zhang Laizhan’s diagnosis, especially that you will not live for more than a year or two, I wonder if you will still think the same as you do now?
"Mr. Li, what is the situation in the court now? Is it peaceful recently?"

Zhu Jianshen changed the subject and asked.

Li Zisheng looked a little embarrassed: "To be honest, it's not very good."

"Oh?"

Zhu Jianshen asked in surprise, "Why is it not good?"

"Many things have been piled up for a long time and have not been implemented. Even this year, there are problems with the dispatch of money and grain in the northwest... This year's salt permits have not been issued in time for some reasons. Salt fields in various places are complaining that the output of salt boiled by the cooks has been greatly reduced, and they request the court to reduce the amount of salt issued by each salt field. However, the supply of military grain on the northwest front cannot be delayed."

Li Zisheng began to talk about the difficulties in the court.

This was mainly because Qin Chang and other eunuchs in charge of the Imperial Household Department were not around. He wanted to take this opportunity to explain a problem to the emperor, which was that the current decision-making system in the court was on the verge of failure and was unable to solve the current difficulties facing the court.

"Ugh!"

Zhu Jianshen sighed: "It really doesn't make me feel at ease for even a moment..."

Li Zisheng said again: "Your Majesty, due to the assessment plan at the beginning of the year, many local officials are absent, and the number of officials who can be entrusted with tasks in the court has been greatly reduced. I propose that the new Jinshi who are currently observing the government in the six ministries be sent to the local areas in time to receive training."

"Ah."

Zhu Jianshen asked curiously, "Then...how many positions are vacant in the local area?"

"A lot. Thousands of them, for sure. The various provincial governments are also dispatching some older and experienced candidates and students to fill the vacancies in local posts. However... the names submitted also need to be reviewed in a timely manner.

"The Ministry of Personnel has been busy lately. Normally, this time should be the time to prepare for local officials to report to the capital. However, due to the special circumstances this year, local officials from the prefectural and prefectural governments, as well as officials above the prefectural level, are unable to report to the government. We can only wait until next year to make arrangements."

Li Zisheng explained the true situation of the court clearly.

Zhu Jianshen asked in surprise: "Is it so big that my assessment and dismissal of officials in the country have such a big impact?"

Li Zisheng said quickly: "Because there are a large number of vacancies in local officials, the number of candidates that can be deployed is seriously insufficient. I request that some prestigious local Confucian scholars be selected and appointed, especially to fill the vacancies in Nanjing and other places."

"Li Qing, you don't want to sell the official position to them for money, do you?"

Zhu Jianshen asked directly.

"I don't have such an idea."

Li Zisheng explained, "Your Majesty has said before that the government must not be disrupted by selling official positions. I have always followed the customs of the world. Even if someone wanted to buy an official position, I never gave them a chance."

"Ah."

Zhu Jianshen nodded, coughed twice, and then seemed to have finally let go of something. He deliberately lowered his voice and said, "Sometimes, you don't have to be too rigid."

"Your Majesty means...?"

“Sell as many as you can.”

Zhu Jianshen said meaningfully, "Especially for those unimportant positions, it doesn't matter who you give them to, so why not use them to gain some benefits?
"The inner court has spent too much money in the past two years, and the gold in the storehouse has been almost used up... I didn't realize it before, but after having someone audit it this time, I found out that now... my purse is almost empty, and the inner court is so empty that rats are almost running away."

Li Zisheng instantly understood why the emperor wanted to capture Liang Fang.

The main reason was that Liang Fang was in charge of the imperial treasury. Large sums of money had been spent continuously in recent years, causing the emperor's private wallet to be unable to make ends meet, and it was even in a serious deficit now.

If the emperor wanted to make money, he could only rely on private properties such as imperial farms and official lands, or some shameful means. Otherwise, it would be too difficult to live solely on the money and grain allocated from the Ministry of Revenue every year.

Because the imperial court was too poor.

The emperors of the Ming Dynasty were subject to too much scrutiny in the use of silver and wanted to turn the court's public funds into their own private property. Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di had already thought of this and basically blocked the way for their descendants to illegally obtain money and grain from the national treasury.

Li Zisheng hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "I understand... I will definitely live up to your Majesty's expectations."

"Okay, Li Qing."

Zhu Jianshen nodded with satisfaction, and then said, "After the death of Wan Shi, I am no longer so interested in treasures and antiques. There is a collection of treasures in the palace. You can find a way to... turn them into silver."

"what?"

Li Zisheng was stunned.

Is the emperor so poor?
He actually wanted to exchange the tribute that Liang Fang had purchased before for silver?
Zhu Jianshen said: "Some of the collections are too specific, and you can tell at a glance that they are from the palace, so they are not easy to sell. But many are just ordinary antiques and treasures, so it shouldn't be difficult to sell them... With your connections and reputation, it shouldn't be too difficult to find a way to sell them, right?"

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty will try your best."

Li Zisheng couldn't help but start to wonder.

As an emperor, you have collected so many treasures. Regardless of whether anyone wants them or not, even if I can sell them successfully, it will be difficult to satisfy you no matter how much I sell.

You want to sell it at the price Liang Fang bought it at...

Is it that easy?
If I sell it at a lower price, you will think I am incompetent and even think I am cheating you.

Oh, what kind of a shit job is this?
……

……

Li Zisheng returned home and sat in a rattan chair in the study in a daze. He didn't even notice Pang Qing coming next to him.

"Master Dao?"

Pang Qing reminded.

"Ah."

Li Zisheng looked over, then gave Pang Qing a blank look and entered into a state of meditation again.

"Is your majesty dissatisfied with the recurrence of his illness?"

Pang Qing asked tentatively, "Have I given you another difficult problem today?"

"That's not true!"

Li Zisheng shook his head and said, "I entered the palace today and His Majesty was very satisfied with the prescription. I heard that before me, Liu Wentai from the Imperial Hospital said that His Majesty's condition had worsened, but His Majesty directly denied it and put him in prison at the time."

"again?"

Pang Qing asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, did you swing the stick too hard when you hit the Imperial Hospital?" "How should I know?"

Li Zisheng said, "Perhaps what your majesty wants now is for the people around him to speak the truth... Laizhan's medicine is clearly effective, at least your majesty firmly believes it.

"The Imperial Hospital cannot come up with a good prescription, but they keep trying to criticize me. They deserve to anger Your Majesty."

Pang Qing smiled and said, "I heard that Liu Wentai has a very beautiful concubine. Do you want one?"

"Hey, what are you talking about?"

Li Zisheng glared at his outspoken aide and shouted, "Laizhan has already said that your Majesty's illness is basically difficult to recover to the state it was before...

"If I get into a quarrel with the Imperial Hospital staff, I'm afraid they won't pester me in the future to treat your majesty, right?"

Pang Qing asked in surprise: "Since you already know the serious consequences, why are you still so concerned about this matter? Is it necessary?"

"I don't know what happened."

Li Zisheng smiled bitterly and said, "I was probably possessed by a demon at the time. I wanted His Majesty to believe that I was a loyal minister, but I knew in my heart that I would be held accountable in the future.

"Alas, I... I am in a difficult situation. Concubine Shao in the palace still tries to curry favor with me, but... no matter how powerful I am, I am only in charge of the court's personnel. How can I care about the specific affairs of the court... not to mention that military power has nothing to do with me."

"Ah? You still want to gain military power?"

Pang Qing asked in surprise.

Li Zisheng said: "Everyone should have some ambitions... If things continue like this, if something happens to your Majesty, I will be a lamb to be slaughtered."

Pang Qing nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Next, I want to spend more time with Duke Ying and Duke Baoguo... It would be best to find a reason to secretly interact with them..." Li Zisheng asked, "Bingkun, do you have any ideas?"

"no!"

Pang Qing flatly refused: "We don't have any other options, so it's best not to have such extravagant hopes."

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "What do you think...if I let Lai Zhan contact them?"

"It's still not right!"

Pang Qing shook his head and said, "Zhang Hanlin is the prince's father-in-law after all. If your majesty finds out and thinks he is recruiting people who hold military power in the court for the prince, I'm afraid your majesty will not tolerate it."

"The prince is rebelling... hehe..."

Li Zisheng acted as if he was telling a joke and didn't care at all, because no one believed that the prince, who was timid, inferior and had no foundation in the court, would rebel against his father.

Pang Qing said: "Indeed, the prince's loyalty and filial piety are evident to all, and it is impossible for him to have any intention of rebellion, but there are people who are secretly plotting and instigating him!"

"You mean, I will harm Laizhan?" Li Zisheng said with a smile, "If Zhang Laizhan is really misunderstood by His Majesty one day and asks me for help, I might be able to take advantage of the opportunity to control him."

"So... you want to set a trap for Zhang Laizhan? Master Dao, do you want to use him or harm him? After all, we are in a cooperative relationship now. Wouldn't it be bad to cheat him? Besides, he and his youngest son are very cunning. If you set a trap for him, will he really jump into it? Not necessarily!"

Pang Qing felt that Li Zisheng was taking things for granted.

How dangerous is it to take the initiative to contact the person who holds military power?

Zhang Luan is not a fool.

"What if I give him a reason?"

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "It just so happens that His Majesty has something for me to do, which is to sell official positions and the tributes that Liang Fang and others had purchased before. All of these require connections. After all, only princes and nobles have the money to buy these flashy things.

"I asked Lai Zhan to get close to the people in the Governor's Office. This way, no one will say anything bad, right?"

……

……

Dongsi, Sunjia Rice Shop.

Liu Mo, the head of the Liu family, a wealthy official family in Hejian Prefecture, pays a visit, hoping to get to know Zhang Luan, the current leader of the village party, through Sun You.

"Brother Zheng Lan, I heard that you have a big business in the capital. According to colleagues who left the capital and returned home, the son of the cabinet minister previously set up a trap to harm you, causing you to lose a lot of money for nothing. As a result, the son of the cabinet minister was imprisoned a few days later, and even the cabinet minister himself was ordered to return home. You really are..."

Liu Mo said with admiration.

Of course, Liu Mo was also very clear that Sun You definitely did not have the power to bring down the Peng family, but who could blame Sun You for having a former relative-in-law, Zhang Luan, who could stir up trouble?
Sun You said modestly: "The two things are not directly related, or it may be a coincidence."

Although he said this, Sun You had a smug look on his face.

He had no complaints about others being able to connect Peng Mianfu's being held accountable with the fact that he sent people to his shop to cause trouble, as this would bring honor to his family.

"Did you find the silver?"

Liu Mo asked curiously.

"The complaint has been submitted and the government has accepted it. It is still going through the formalities. However, someone from the Imperial Guards came to visit recently and informed us of the progress of the case. I think the time is almost right and the silver will be returned soon."

Sun You said confidently.

"The leader of the Royal Guards came to your house in person to tell me the process of handling the case. Tsk tsk... I mentioned the marriage with your daughter before. What do you think... should we do?"

This time when Liu Mo came to visit, in addition to business dealings, he also had an idea, which was to marry Sun You.

Sun You waved his hand: "The little girl has a stubborn personality. She has been helping me run the business, so she has to be in the spotlight. She is ambitious and I can't control her. Regarding this matter... I may have to ask her what she thinks."

After all, Sun Chengying was a woman who had been selected as the Crown Princess. Although she was not chosen in the end, it also had a huge impact on Sun Chengying's outlook on life and the world.

She had always looked down on the unambitious children of officials in Hejian Prefecture, and now she looked down on them even more.

"Ugh!"

Liu Mo said with emotion, "It's only been a short year, and so many big things have happened in Hejian Prefecture? Everything is because the daughter of Zhang Hanlin's family is selected as the Crown Princess... From now on, people in Hejian Prefecture will have a backer, and they may be able to hold their heads up high in the capital in the future."

Sun You said proudly: "Laizhan is now in charge of the Honglu Temple again. He will have to participate in the palace affairs in the future."

"Then... Brother Zheng Lan, could you introduce me to... the Zhang residence?"

Liu Mo made the request immediately.

Sun You asked in surprise, "Don't you know where the Laizhan family's gate is? You can just go there and deliver the visiting card yourself. Why do you need me to introduce you?"

Liu Mo shook his head and smiled bitterly: "You have a deep friendship with Zhang Hanlin, and you can easily enter his mansion. I have never interacted with him, and it would be too abrupt to visit him rashly. If you were to introduce me, maybe..."

"Okay, I'll pick a time later."

What Sun You wanted was to become a bridge of communication between Zhang Luan and the nobles of Hejian Prefecture. "I heard that during the famine season this spring, the price of grain in Shandong skyrocketed, but I didn't know..."

Liu Mo said: "I happen to have a batch of grain here. I will sell it to you at a fair price and then transport it to Shandong via the canal... Everything is up to Brother Zheng Lan."

"It's mutually beneficial, haha."

Sun You smiled and bowed in thanks.

When doing business with Liu Mo, there is no need to worry about the other party cheating you. After all, Zhang Luan’s signboard is still very useful.

Sun You had fallen into a trap before, so now he was very careful about every aspect of buying and selling. For the time being, he only wanted to do business with people he was familiar with to seek insurance.

After all, there isn't much money left at home for him to squander.

(End of this chapter)