Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 325 Dispute (asking for guaranteed monthly ticket)

Zhang Luan received Sun You at his home.

There have been many guests visiting my home in the past two days, most of them are from Hejian Prefecture, because in the list of local officials recommended by Li Zisheng this time, there are so many officials from Hejian Prefecture that it is dizzying. They have become the "backbone" of local power, and there are even vague signs of a "Hejian Gang".

Just like the "Jiangxi Gang" advocated by Li Zisheng himself, it doesn't matter what your qualifications and abilities are, as long as you are born in Hejian Prefecture.

Sun You explained the situation: "Someone is at my place, asking about meeting you in the future."

Zhang Luan looked up at Sun You, squinting his eyes, looking half drunk, and asked with a smile: "Where did you get the job?"

"I'm not asking for an official position, I just want to meet you, Lai Zhan."

Sun You explained, "This time it's really a big deal. There are many people in Hejian Prefecture who want to be officials. It is said that as long as they are from a Juren family and report it, they can basically take charge of the local county government, or at least be appointed as a county teacher. They want to ask you what the situation is... I dare not easily agree to such a thing."

"Oh."

Zhang Luan said, "I have someone asking me this question as well. Do you think I have the qualifications to decide whether he should be an official or not? I am in the Hanlin Academy, not in the Ministry of Personnel. It might be more useful to ask my brother-in-law about this matter."

The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was his brother-in-law, and he came to the capital to become an official on his own.

Whenever he mentioned this, Zhang Luan felt very proud.

Just when Sun You was about to make further peace, Chang Shun came in and reported: "Master, there is an official sedan chair at the gate, saying that Li Shangshu from the Yintai Division is here to visit."

"From the front door?"

Zhang Luan was very puzzled.

Some time ago, in order to prevent others from slandering him and his partner for being a double act, Li Zisheng always came in a low-key manner through the back door each time, and most of the time he came uninvited, completely out of his own will.

After coming here, I didn't even talk about business, I just drank with him and tried to get close to him, but today I came to visit him through the main entrance...

"Is it... Li Zisheng?"

Sun You asked in great shock.

"it's him."

Zhang Luan shook his head and said distressedly, "He's probably here to eat for free again... He comes every time it's mealtime and I can't stop him. Everyone else invites me to a banquet, but he's the only one who insists on coming to my house..."

Sun You didn't react for a while.

He thought to himself, are you, Zhang Laizhan, pretending to be cool?

Or are you really complaining?
Others are proud to associate with Li Zisheng, but you...

After all, he is the father-in-law of the crown prince and claims to be an orthodox Confucian official. He probably doesn't want to have anything to do with a sycophant like Li Zisheng, right?

But the problem is that this person is Li Zisheng, the person in charge of the official hats of all officials in the world. How come he becomes a rogue in your mouth?
"Then I will take my leave first."

Sun You said respectfully.

"You're not old, so don't always call me old... We're both young and strong, and we'll have to enjoy the blessing of children in the future. It's just right, I'll go out and see you off."

……

……

In front of Zhang's house.

Zhang Luan saw Sun You off, and at the same time welcomed Li Zisheng and his aide Pang Qing into the mansion. Behind them followed a large group of Li's servants, carrying two large boxes, as if they were giving gifts to Zhang Luan.

"Minister Li, are you bringing new tribute?"

Zhang Luan didn't understand what was going on. He looked at the box and couldn't help asking.

Li Zisheng paused, rolled his eyes at Zhang Luan, and said, "Laizhan, I have to tell you this. Who do you think I am? Do I come to you only because I need your help?"

The words were very righteous.

Unexpectedly, Pang Qing beside him quickly pulled him, probably to remind him not to show off... You didn't bring any new tribute to Zhang Laizhan to sell this time, but didn't you ask him to give you the glass mirror?
Who said this isn't about finding someone to do something?
"What's the point of pulling and tugging?"

Li Zisheng called out to Pang Qing, then smiled at Zhang Luan and said, "Come on, come on, let's go inside and talk."

Pang Qing looked unhappy and explained to Zhang Luan: "Mr. Zhang, look at me. Coming to your place is like coming to my own home. I am very familiar with it."

Li Zisheng walked in front and said:

"Shut up, no one thinks you're dumb. Stay outside and don't come in. I want to talk to Lai Zhan alone... You're a nuisance here, don't you know?"

Pang Qing was originally ready to catch up, but when he heard this, he immediately stopped, thinking that Li Zisheng was taking revenge on him for his random words and actions just now. He could only shake his head and smile bitterly, then he withdrew from the Zhang family's door and waited outside by the carriage.

……

……

Zhang family main hall.

Li Zisheng and Zhang Luan sat opposite each other.

As the servants of Zhang's house brought the tea, Li Zisheng solemnly picked up the teacup and waved it to his lips.

Zhang Luan broke the silence and asked, "Minister Li, is there something wrong?"

"Can't you come if you have nothing to do?"

Li Zisheng seemed to be waiting for this sentence. After blowing the foam on the surface of the tea, he did not drink it. He put the teacup down and carefully covered it with the lid. Then he tilted his head and said angrily, "Laizhan, you are quite noisy. You have played the emperor and his ministers of the Ming Dynasty around."

"what!?"

Zhang Luan was confused for a moment.

Do not understand!

He really didn't understand what Li Zisheng was saying!
Li Zisheng introduced the situation: "Early this morning, I went to the palace to do some work. When I met the emperor, His Majesty directly mentioned the Queen's birthday banquet two days ago. You helped the prince find a large mirror and sent it to Kunning Palace, right?"

"That's what happened."

Zhang Luan nodded and said, "My daughter sent someone to tell me that she wanted to celebrate the Queen's birthday and asked me to prepare gifts. I just..."

Li Zisheng raised his hand to interrupt Zhang Luan and frowned, "I also heard from Bingkun that you plan to sell yellow coral and give away mirrors?"

Zhang Luan nodded again and said, "Yes, that's true. After all, tributes are not easy to sell."

Li Zisheng said angrily: "Laizhan, you are really amazing... Do you know that after what you did, the concubines in the harem are about to go crazy?!"

"Those ladies in the harem?"

Zhang Luan was very confused for a moment.

I just drank a little wine, not much actually, so why is my brain suddenly not working well enough?
What do the concubines in the harem have to do with me?

You are really good at talking nonsense!
Li Zisheng thought Zhang Luan was pretending to be confused, and said unhappily, "I thought you didn't understand the affairs of the harem, but it seems that you know everything.

"You didn't give the gift to anyone else, but gave it directly to the Queen... And in front of so many court ladies and concubines at the birthday banquet, and it was specially given by the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. How could those people not be jealous when they saw it?"

Zhang Luan smiled awkwardly and said, "Actually, I never thought of this at all."

"You dare say you didn't expect it?"

Li Zisheng stared at Zhang Luan and said, "I think you are deliberately plotting this, and you have ulterior motives!"

"Minister Li, you can't say that..."

Zhang Luan was also puzzled.

Today, Li Zisheng seemed to be here to ask me for help, but from what he said, it sounded like he was here to denounce me? He seemed very angry, but why couldn't I sense his anger?

Li Zisheng said angrily, "Not only have you made the ladies in the harem very angry, you have also made my house uneasy."

Zhang Luan was even more surprised: "Did something happen in your house?"

Li Zisheng stared at Zhang Luan without answering. Instead, he said, "I don't care about anything else. Three thousand taels of silver for a piece of yellow coral, right? I'll buy it!"

"What?"

Zhang Luan was completely surprised this time.

You, Li Zisheng, have been talking for a long time, but in the end you came to buy yellow coral?
"I won't let you suffer, but you can't make things difficult for me either."

Li Zisheng said, "You can give a mirror to others, but if you give it to me..."

Li Zisheng fiddled with his fingers and found that it was not appropriate to bend several fingers with one hand, so he just stretched out one palm and said, "Five mirrors, is this reasonable?"

Zhang Luan quickly pushed the tea bowl towards Li Zisheng and asked, "Minister Li, what are you doing?"

Li Zisheng said: "Do you think I am talking nonsense? Five is five, not one less... I will send three to the palace, and two will be used to deal with the women in my backyard.

“Hiss… Shit, I remember now. I once promised Your Majesty that I would deal with the Empress first and ignore my own family… But if my harem is not peaceful, how can I work well for the court?

"I'm talking to you, do you hear me?"

"me……"

Zhang Luan thought, how can I just agree to this?
If my son didn't prepare so many mirrors, and I easily agreed to your request, and you ran back to tell the emperor, wouldn't I be deceiving the emperor? "Laizhan, I'm a little anxious. Let's talk while we drink tea."

Li Zisheng said, "I have difficulties here too... Liang Fang and Wei Xing have fallen, and Wei Juan has been dismissed from his post as the eunuch in charge of Guangzhou Maritime Customs. No one is bringing tribute to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty needs something good, then you have to rely on me, right?"

Zhang Luan nodded and said, "It seems so..."

"What is it?"

Li Zisheng said impatiently, "My mistake was to let you be responsible for selling the tribute... I found that you are really talented. You are Liu Bei's marriage proposal, and everyone knows it. Don't think I don't know what you are thinking. It seems that you went to Rui'an Earl's house to sell yellow coral and made a fool of yourself, but you succeeded in letting the world know that you were selling tribute for the royal family. Is that what you mean?"

"I...I didn't."

Zhang Luan waved his hands repeatedly and firmly denied, "Minister Li, look at me, I am too embarrassed to go out recently. I am even too embarrassed to report to the Hanlin Academy and the Honglu Temple."

"Humph!"

Li Zisheng snorted coldly and said, "I see you are just secretly happy at home, waiting for those big complainers to come to your door... Look, I am the first complainer!"

Zhang Luan said quickly, "Minister Li, please don't say that. I just want to sell the yellow coral, that's all, I don't think too much about it."

Li Zisheng sighed and said earnestly: "In fact, the affairs of the palace are not fundamentally different from the affairs of the inner courts of various families. They are all ordinary people, and they all have their own joys, sorrows, anger and happiness, even His Majesty and the ladies in the palace are the same.

"You gave the Queen such a big mirror, and the ladies in the harem are making a fuss. Since they can't get it, of course they will put pressure on Your Majesty.

"Your Majesty, what can you do? You can only come to me..."

Zhang Luan was finally sober now and listened to the truth.

He sighed in his heart, so this is how my son planned it. I thought he took it for granted, but it turns out not to be the case!
"Laizhan, look, I've said so much now. As for the matter of the five mirrors..."

Li Zisheng asked hurriedly.

Zhang Luan said in embarrassment: "It's not that I don't want to agree, but I want to ask my son first, Yanling... He made this mirror. I heard it was very difficult. What if he can't make it..."

"Where is our nephew?"

Li Zisheng just remembered at this moment that there seemed to be a boy missing who liked to watch the fun and interrupt.

Zhang Luan said helplessly: "He is usually busy. I wanted him to study hard, but he is always out. But that's why he always brings back some unexpected good things."

Li Zisheng praised him, "My nephew is a talented person, and he will surely be a great man in the future. So, if it's too much trouble to get a few big mirrors, just cut the mirrors into small pieces... Of course, they can't be too small. Anyway, I'll send the three big ones to the palace for delivery, and I'll keep the two small ones for my own use. Haha."

When Li Zisheng heard that it was Zhang Yanling who did it, he felt much more relieved.

This means... Zhang Luan didn't collect them from outside, as they would be gone once the supply was cut off. Now, he can make them as long as he has time.

Zhang Luan said, "Then... Minister Li should take this silver back."

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "What are you worried about? Are you afraid that His Majesty will think that I am corrupt? I can still come up with three thousand taels of silver. I don't care whether others are sincere or not. I have to show my appreciation."

……

……

It was already very late when the two Zhang brothers returned home.

Zhang Luan stayed in front of the silver box, fearing that someone would rob him of the money he had worked so hard for.

"Dad, what do you want us to do?"

Zhang Heling appeared in front of the main hall with a smug look on his face.

Zhang Luan saw his eldest son stepping over the threshold and frowned as he asked, "Father called you second brother, when did he call you here? I want to beat you up when I see your face."

Zhang Heling pouted and said, "Dad, are you angry today? How did I offend you? Humph, I was busy with family matters today and I was exhausted. As a result, you scolded me as soon as I came back... What's wrong with my face? Everyone who saw me today said that I am a handsome man."

The eldest son of the Zhang family was still arguing there, and Zhang Yanling finally followed in.

"Second brother, come and take a look."

Zhang Luan waved.

Zhang Luan didn't open the box until Zhang Yanling walked over.

"what!"

Zhang Heling shouted, "Silver! Pure silver!"

As he said this, he was about to reach out to take it.

Zhang Luan pushed his hand away and shouted, "Don't touch it. This is not our silver... My son, this is three thousand taels of silver that Li Zisheng came to give me today. He said he wanted to buy a piece of yellow coral, but he asked me to give him five mirrors as a gift."

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "So, this is considered the first deal?"

Zhang Luan sighed, "Giving five is a bit of a loss... What do you think? I didn't dare to agree to his request at that time, so I said I would discuss it with you later. He said he would send three large mirrors to the palace, and leave the two small ones for the women in his inner house."

"Dad, this isn't fair."

Zhang Heling said, "When doing business, you can't be as greedy as Li Zisheng. He asked for five mirrors at once. He wanted to buy five pieces of yellow coral, but he only bought one and asked others to give him five pieces. This is obviously the style of a stingy old man... Isn't he said to be very rich?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Li Zisheng spent money to buy yellow coral, sent the silver to the palace, and kept the yellow coral at home. He also made it white like a mirror. He not only pleased the emperor, but also took care of the women in the inner court. In this way, he also left a good reputation in front of the emperor for spending money to relieve the emperor's worries... This business was worth it for him."

Zhang Luan said, "So your elder brother is right. Should I ask him for more money? Or should I ask him to buy another piece of yellow coral?"

Zhang Yanling shook his head: "We are not doing this business for the purpose of making money, but for the purpose of building a reputation. Will the extra thousands of taels of silver go into our own pockets?"

"That... won't happen."

Zhang Luan thought about it carefully and suddenly realized, "That's right. No matter how much we sell, it's not ours. All of it will be used to enrich the inner treasury. But my son, I am worried about the mirror over there... It won't cost too much, right? If we fill it with our own things, will it bankrupt our family?"

Zhang Heling grinned and said, "Dad, you don't have to worry about this. I've seen the second son make a mirror. He just smeared something on the colored glass and made one in a short time. As for how the colored glass is fired, I don't know... but I see there are a lot of them there."

Zhang Luan said, "My son, that thing... doesn't really cost that much?"

“The cost is not huge.”

Zhang Yanling said, "But the patent fee is extremely expensive. Fortunately, it is our own product. No one else in the world can make it. The manpower and technical costs are immeasurable."

"That would be a big loss..."

Zhang Luan said regretfully.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "But we are originally working for the Crown Prince, so we can afford this little loss. Besides, when we have really sold out the tribute and the bundled sale is over, if others still want it... then can't we sell it among the people?"

Zhang Luan was instantly moved by his son's words and said in surprise, "That's right. Once you become famous, you will be considered a tribute. Even the Empress in the palace doesn't have it. How much silver will it cost to sell it? But..."

Zhang Heling said, "Dad, you said we would get rich, so don't say anything but... Second brother, tell me how much money our family can make first!"

Zhang Luan cursed: "You evil creature, shut up first. Your father hasn't finished what he said yet... My son, do you think you dare to sell this thing? After all, it is a tribute to His Majesty. If you sell it casually, will there be any problems?"

“It’s not like we have to sell it now.”

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "As long as we have the patent in our hands, we can wait a year or two before selling it. By then, the palace will not only not stop us from doing business, but may even help us from behind."

"Okay, okay, as long as you can make it, prepare five mirrors. They don't have to be too big... I think this is a waste of money. Just prepare them casually and I'll send them to Li Zisheng later."

Zhang Luan was still a little annoyed when he said this. "He always comes to our house for free meals. This time I'm taking the opportunity to go to his house and eat his fill. Humph, I'm sure I'll eat him out of money!"

Zhang Heling said, "You've been invited many times... Alas, you guys never bring me along to every banquet, I'm getting so fed up..."

Zhang Luan seemed not to have heard and asked, "My son, when can you prepare the goods?"

"Tomorrow," said Zhang Yanling.

"Row."

When Zhang Luan heard this, he immediately felt relieved.

Zhang Heling frowned and said, "Dad, now you call me my son, which means I am just the second son, right? Am I not your son?"

Unfortunately, the old father still turned a deaf ear to his words and went to the door to call people in to carry the boxes.

Zhang Heling walked up to his brother again and asked curiously, "Is Dad deaf?"

Zhang Yanling leaned over and whispered, "Brother, you see Dad has been troubled by something recently and wants to find a place to vent. If you keep hanging around in front of him and attract his attention, the stick might hit you."

"Who are you trying to scare?"

Zhang Heling looked unconvinced.

Zhang Yanling asked, "Look, after Dad sent Li Zisheng away today, he has been here guarding other people's money, and he is still worried. Do you think he will be in a good mood?

"When Dad gets angry, will he reason with us, his son?"

Zhang Heling suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. No wonder, when I'm a boss, I'm really unreasonable. It's like I want to beat up those sycophants, but I won't reason with them. I can beat them up if I want to, and I don't care about anyone."

"Well, brother, you have realized it."

Zhang Yanling nodded in approval.

"Then I'd better stay away from Dad, so as not to get beaten for no reason. The place we had dinner today was very good. I'll go there again next time. It's just a little expensive. Remember to bring more money when you go out..."

(Continue to ask for guaranteed monthly tickets, thank you very much!)
(End of this chapter)