Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 331 Complacency
Forbidden City, Qianqing Palace.

Li Zisheng once again faced the emperor's summons alone. He informed Zhu Jianshen the good news that Zhang Luan had successfully sold the first batch of tribute.

Zhu Jianshen put down the script in his hand and asked, "So fast? How much silver did you sell it for?"

Li Zisheng said: "I thought it would be good to sell it for five or six thousand taels of silver, but Zhang Laizhan gave away glass mirrors with the tribute, and one piece of yellow coral was sold for three thousand taels of silver.

"The silver has been folded and is of very good quality. This time... I got 9,000 taels. I added an extra round number, a total of 10,000 taels."

Zhu Jianshen waved his hands and pretended to be angry, "Li Qing, you spent three thousand taels of silver to buy useless yellow coral and brought it back to eat dust. I already feel that I have treated you unfairly, why do I need you to make up for it? What nonsense!"

"This is what I should do."

Li Zisheng said calmly, "I have brought back the yellow coral I bought for your majesty. I don't know why, but I always feel that there is a lack of an ornament in this palace..."

Li Zisheng is knowledgeable and interesting.

When a minister bought something from the emperor and spent money, it was best for him to return the item in its original state, to show that he just wanted to give the money to the emperor and had no intention of taking the tribute for himself. This way everyone would save face.

"Alas, you have made things difficult for me again."

Zhu Jianshen sighed and frowned, "We agreed to sell them... Actually, these things are not very useful in the palace. You spent money on them, but you sent them back to me. It seems that you have done something and you have to spend money. How can I let you suffer twice? No! No!"

"This... this is my heart's intention, and I have absolutely no selfish motives."

Li Zisheng looked determined, and he was almost about to take out his heart to show the emperor.

Zhu Jianshen nodded, seemingly in agreement, and felt more satisfied and trustful of Li Zisheng. He then said, "How about this? Consider this yellow coral as a new gift from me to you. When you go back, put it up and when you meet someone, you don't have to tell them you bought it. Just say it was a gift from me. How do you do that?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generous reward!"

Li Zisheng had a look of great joy on his face, as if he had received a great gift from heaven, and he was almost dancing with joy.

……

……

Li Zisheng returned home with the yellow coral in his hands. He solemnly placed the yellow coral in the most conspicuous place in the main hall and stood there admiring it.

He had a smug smile on his face, which stunned Pang Qing, who came rushing over after hearing the news.

"This is a reward from His Majesty."

Li Zisheng said complacently, "Your Majesty is so kind to me."

Pang Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "You bought something with your own money, gave it to His Majesty, and then His Majesty gave it back to you as a reward?

"I wonder if the money has been returned to you?"

In Pang Qing's opinion, since it was a reward from the emperor, the money spent on buying the mirror should be returned. Only in this way can the concept of "reward" be reflected, right?
"cut!"

Li Zisheng made a disdainful sound and scolded, "You know nothing! The silver has been given to His Majesty, how can you take it back?
"Even if Your Majesty wants to withdraw, I won't accept it. Otherwise, what will happen?"

Pang Qing sighed, "After all the talk, it just didn't return? It seems that you spent a lot of money to buy the thing, and then His Majesty sold it to you as a favor... This is not a reward at all, it's simply..."

"Shut up! Bingkun, watch your words. I think you are slandering His Majesty."

Li Zisheng scolded with a stern face.

"Yes Yes Yes."

Pang Qing didn't dare to speak.

"what do you know?"

Li Zisheng's expression eased slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "You are so short-sighted. I seem to have spent four thousand taels of silver on this matter, but it left a very deep impression on His Majesty.

"Think about it. I have not only enriched your majesty's purse, but also made you fully aware of my ability to handle affairs. I have also let you know Lai Zhan's ability and allowed me to have private contact with Lai Zhan... The most important point is that your majesty did not give this confidential matter to anyone else, but only to me. What does this show?"

"trust?"

Pang Qing asked.

"Hey, you are right, this is unparalleled trust." Li Zisheng said, "Since ancient times, who among the rulers and ministers can have such a strong bond as ours?"

"hehe."

Pang Qing smiled at himself.

I thought to myself, sir, have you gone insane due to spending so much money?
He took out so much money in one breath and yet he's still feeling so smug?
Li Zisheng laughed and said, "With this incident as a foundation, if anyone accuses me of corruption and abuse of power in the future, His Majesty will not even look at it. Just think about it, most of the money I got was sent to His Majesty...

"When your majesty is short of money, I will automatically make up for it. So does it matter whether I am greedy or not? Or maybe your majesty wants me to be more greedy so that I can make up for him when he is short of money."

Pang Qing nodded and said, "That does make sense... However, the best way to fill the hole in the inner government is to raid our family. First fatten them up, then kill them, this is a common tactic used by the court!"

"Get lost, jerk. You'll be killed by your stinky mouth sooner or later. Honest advice is always unpleasant to the ear. Don't you know what you can and can't say? I think you're not offering honest advice, you just like to argue and make fun of me."

Li Zisheng said angrily.

"OK OK!"

Pang Qing quickly found a way down and bowed, saying, "Master Dao, everything you said is right! I just heard that Zhang Hanlin has been to the Duke of Ying's mansion. Why don't we ask someone what they talked about? Does it involve matters related to military power?"

"I'm not going to ask."

Li Zisheng rolled his eyes and said, "Wouldn't it be better if Lai Zhan told me in person when there's a chance later? Go away, I want to admire the treasure bestowed by the emperor again.

"Stay away from me, kid. I don't want to hear any noise coming out of your mouth. It sounds unlucky... Why are you leaving? Don't you want to excuse yourself?"

"You told me to shut up."

"roll roll roll."

……

……

Jinyiwei, Fusi, Beizhen.

Zhu Ji received a report from his subordinates saying that Zhang Luan had been to the Duke of Yingguo's mansion and had a secret meeting with Zhang Mao in the mansion. His behavior was extremely suspicious.

Emperor Chenghua seemed to be a foolish and incompetent emperor. He had no significant political achievements during his tenure. He was absent from court for a long time, which left the Ming officials in a state of free range, leading to chaos in the government, rampant corruption, and a dark officialdom.

However, his surveillance of his subordinates, especially those who held military and political power, was all-encompassing and without blind spots.

Of course, it was limited to the group of people he was worried about.

For example, Wang Zhi, no matter how he acted in the capital, he remained in the emperor's favor. However, once he patrolled the border and became increasingly involved with the border troops, he became feared by the emperor. Although he had made many military achievements, he had to accept the tragic situation of being demoted to Nanjing and finally reduced to an "idler".

Another example is Zhang Mao.

His father Zhang Fu participated in the Jingnan Campaign, marched south to Annan, destroyed the Hu Dynasty, "captured the false king three times, and dominated the southwest". He also participated in Chengzu's third, fourth, and fifth northern expeditions, followed Xuanzong to quell the rebellion of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu, supported Yingzong in launching the Luchuan Campaign, and was finally forced to follow Yingzong in the northern expedition to the Oirat. He was killed in the Tumu Incident and was posthumously named "Zhonglie".

Such a loyal descendant was suppressed by Emperor Chenghua. Apart from anything else, if Zhu Jianshen really trusted Zhang Mao, he would not have supported a Duke of Baoguo in his position and let Zhu Yong, who was promoted from the bottom by military merit, to check and balance Zhang Mao.

As an additional explanation, Zhu Yong led troops to Datong together with the powerful eunuch Wang Zhi to resist Yisima in the 17th year of Chenghua. He was granted the hereditary title of Duke because of his meritorious service. Looking at Wang Zhi's end and then comparing it with Zhu Yong's glorious life, the contrast is not too stark.

Therefore, the Duke of Yingzhou, which has great influence in the military, has always been under the close surveillance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Zhang Mao realized that he did not have the trust of the current emperor, so he looked for an opportunity to break through through Zhang Luan. Otherwise, with his power and status, he would not bother to make friends with the father of the Crown Princess.

"General Ti, the father-in-law of the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, went to the residence of the governor of the Five Military Commandery for a secret discussion. This matter is obviously unusual. Should we report it? Hand it over to the Holy Judge?"

Everyone in the Jinyiwei wanted to make merit.

Finding out that Zhang Mao, who was in charge of military power, had dealings with civil officials in the court and was also a relative of the Eastern Palace might be a great achievement.

It depends on what the emperor thinks.

Zhu Ji said indifferently: "Your Majesty would care about such a trivial matter?"

"It's not a small matter, is it?"

The subordinate questioned.

Zhu Ji glared and said, "Even if we are not attached to the Eastern Palace, we cannot make trouble in secret. Anything involving the Eastern Palace must not be reported at will. This is the way to protect yourself.

"Remember, don't try to use some crooked methods to get ahead, it won't work with me!"

"Yes!" Several men looked at each other and could only accept the order helplessly.

……

……

Zhang Mansion.

Chen Gui personally led people to carry large and small boxes of things to Zhang Luan, filling up almost half of the yard.

Zhang Luan welcomed Chen Gui into his own hall. After sitting down, Chen Gui did not have time to drink tea, so he smiled and waved his hand: "It is still Zhang Honglu that you are capable. You sold the yellow coral for 10,000 taels in just a few days.

"Look, after receiving the good news, our family has brought you some more things... This is the list of items. You can sell them according to the contents listed above, as well as the money spent on the purchase, at this price."

"What?"

When Zhang Luan heard this, he thought, "So you are here to assign me a task?"
How long will it take me to sell a yard full of stuff like this?

Chen Gui probably thought of this as well, and immediately had someone carry in a few items, probably items that needed special attention: "Please look, Zhang Honglu, these things are extremely expensive, and are very suitable for you to sell together.

"By the way, didn't they say there were mirrors for sale? I guess there are extra ones. In fact, all the ladies in the palace are asking about this."

Zhang Luan was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Then I'll go back..."

"Okay, okay, Zhang Honglu, you are such a kind person. You know my difficulties. I haven't even said anything yet, but you have agreed to give me a few mirrors so that I can go back and honor the ladies!"

"I……"

Zhang Luan suddenly felt like he had been cheated.

When did I say I would give you a mirror?
I just said I would go back and see if there was any stock and whether it could be sold together. You shouldn't interrupt me like that.

"Why, Zhang Honglu, do you have any difficulties?"

Chen Gui said, "I didn't know you were such a capable minister before. I'm glad to have helped you this time. If you need anything in the future, just let me know."

Zhang Luan thought, now that you’ve said that, what else can I do?

"No, no. I'll think of a way to get a few mirrors and send them to Eunuch Chen later," said Zhang Luan.

Chen Gui looked grateful: "I would like to thank Zhang Honglu first."

Zhang Luan thought to himself, you are really respectful to me. If someone didn’t know, they would be fooled by you.

I guess if I give you a mirror, you will no longer take me seriously.

Zhang Luan is still relatively cautious.

Fearing that Chen Gui had withheld some of the tribute privately, he checked the tribute listed on the list against the actual items.

Under normal circumstances, Chen Gui would definitely not have that patience, but now he needed help, so he naturally followed Zhang Luan in the inspection with a fake smile on his face.

After going around, Zhang Luan found that nothing was missing and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He thought to himself, it turns out there are still honest people in the palace.

Chen Gui patted his chest and said, "Master Zhang, please relax. No one dares to mess with the tribute. His Majesty is always paying attention to this matter. Who dares to risk their lives to try to steal and replace the pillars?
"I have also specially informed the Imperial Guards. In order to prevent anyone from coveting the valuables in your house in the coming period, the area around your house... will be closely guarded by the Imperial Guards in the near future. The team is led by Captain Qin... You should know this person, right?"

"Qin Yun?"

After receiving a positive reply, Zhang Luan nodded and said, "Before my daughter entered the palace, he was in my house to protect her. He is a reliable person, and I trust him."

"Old acquaintances are naturally the best."

Chen Gui smiled and said, "These things are priceless. Together they are probably worth hundreds of thousands of taels of silver..."

"How many!?"

Zhang Luan asked in great shock.

"This... maybe the real value is not that much, it may be a little inflated, but I did spend so much money to buy these things."

Chen Gui sighed, "Your Majesty may not have cared much about this before, but recently... I don't know why, the more Your Majesty looks at these things, the more upset he becomes, and he loses his temper from time to time, so he simply ordered them all to be sent out of the palace, so that out of sight, out of mind, so they were all sent to you."

Zhang Luan thought, isn’t that right?
In the past, the emperor thought that Liang Fang was a loyal minister, so he naturally thought that the things he bought were very cost-effective and were seeking benefits for the emperor.

Now I know that Liang Fang is actually a corrupt official. I realize that these things are just flashy and superficial. I don't know how many people have manipulated them and skimmed off so many layers of profit. How can I still like them?

I guess the emperor now feels that he has been taken advantage of and is thinking about how to stop the loss in time.

Zhang Luan said cautiously: "Eunuch Chen, may I ask you a question..."

"Please speak, don't be polite to me."

Chen Gui greeted him with a respectful look and a smile.

Zhang Luan pointed at the list and asked, "Why don't I see antiques and calligraphy and paintings on it? You know, antiques and cultural relics are relatively easy to sell, right? After all, there are many high-ranking officials in the capital who are pretentious."

Chen Gui said: "You may not know this. Your Majesty does not like those things."

When Zhang Luan heard this, he immediately understood.

It turns out that the current emperor is not "elegant" and does not like to play with antique calligraphy and paintings. Instead, he likes some strange things, such as yellow coral, strange stones, strange flowers, and exotic plants. There are many things that are not suitable for selling but can open people's eyes. For example, the telescope provided by Zhang Yanling falls into this category.

Since he knew that the emperor was not an "elegant thief", Zhang Luan did not delve into the issue any further. Instead, he picked up a transparent object on the table that looked like glass and asked, "What is this? It can't be glass, right?"

Chen Gui asked in surprise: "Don't you know? This is Huangshan mica."

"Huangshan Mica?"

Zhang Luan picked up the list and searched carefully, but found nothing. He immediately asked curiously, "Is this thing on it?"

Chen Gui smiled and said, "This thing is indeed not on the list. It is like this. This thing was presented to us by Master Deng Changen a few days ago. He said that after searching, he finally found something called Huangshan Mica in the depths of Huangshan. Don't you recognize this thing, Master Zhang?"

"what?"

Zhang Luan asked doubtfully, "Should I know him?"

"You are so knowledgeable and talented that I thought you knew him."

Chen Gui smiled and said, "You may not know that some time ago, His Majesty got some things called telescopes. With them in hand, you can bring the distant scenery closer and see it clearly."

"is it?"

Zhang Luan deliberately widened his eyes and asked, "How can there be such a good thing in the world? Do you think you will have to sell the telescope for money in the end?"

"That won't happen!"

Chen Gui shook his head and said, "Except for one or two that His Majesty kept for his own use, all the other telescopes have been sent to the Northwest Army... His Majesty said that such good things should not be kept by individuals for fun, but should be used in border warfare to benefit the country and the people."

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Zhang Luan praised it, then said with a smile: "Just think about it, it can see the distant scenery clearly, which is perfect for observing the enemy situation. The generals in charge can respond immediately according to the changes in the enemy's formation. Its function is comparable to that of a beacon tower."

Chen Gui smiled and said, "It is said that the thing was presented by the prince."

"Oh?"

Zhang Luan continued to play dumb and shook his head, "I don't know about that. Next time I meet the prince, I will ask him what's going on."

Chen Gui looked at Zhang Luan in surprise and explained, "It is said that the telescope is made of Huangshan mica, but no one in the world has ever seen what Huangshan mica looks like. It is said to be no different from colored glaze, but it is also different from ordinary colored glaze... Anyway, I can't tell clearly. You see... If this is Huangshan mica, we can make a few more telescopes, which will be very helpful for the stability of the Ming Dynasty's borders."

Zhang Luan shook his head and said, "I have never seen Huangshan mica, how can I know if it is this?"

Chen Guiqiang put on a fake smile and said, "Why don't you take the real thing and ask someone familiar with it? This thing is said to be very rare. It was said before that it is a rare treasure that is unique in the world."

Zhang Luan laughed and asked mockingly, "If it is said to be unique, how can there be two identical pieces?"

"We are all working for the Ming Dynasty."

Chen Gui bowed and said, "Master Zhang, you have a wide network of contacts and know a lot of things. I would like to trouble you to help me find out. If you can really find someone who knows Huangshan mica and knows how to make telescopes, then ask them to help and make a few more telescopes. His Majesty will definitely be very pleased."

"Fine!"

Zhang Luan nodded: "Then I'll try again, but I have to make it clear that we can do our best and leave the rest to fate. We may not be able to find it!"

(End of this chapter)