Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 344 You Don’t Know Them Enough
After lunch, the father-in-law and son-in-law were supposed to go to Wenhua Hall to prepare for the class that would take place in the afternoon.

But Zhu Youtang was full of doubts after all, and now he had his wife to support him. After thinking about it, he decisively dismissed Tan Ji and others, leaving his wife and father-in-law in the hall, saying that he wanted to talk about some family matters, but in fact he wanted to talk about the suggestive letter written by Zhang Luan before.

"Father, there is nothing to hide. There will be no outsiders here. You just need to tell us everything clearly." Zhang Yu emphasized this.

If you are afraid that the letter will be seen by outsiders, or you think that Qin Ji and Jiang Cong are unreliable and someone will get wind of the situation from them, so you wrote the letter in an obscure and difficult to understand way, it is completely understandable. But now that you are in the Duanjing Palace, and we are the young couple in front of you, why are you still pretending?

If you have something to say, please speak up!
"Ugh!"

Zhang Luan sighed and said, "It is like this, Your Highness, the turmoil in the court regarding the change of crown prince has not yet subsided..."

Hearing this, Zhu Youtang's face darkened a little, and he lowered his head and said, "Father-in-law, if the matter is related to this, you don't have to say it. I don't want to get involved. If the emperor really wants to change the crown prince, I will accept it unconditionally. I am not as decisive as the emperor, and I really don't deserve his kindness."

Zhang Yu frowned and said, "Prince, what nonsense are you talking about? You are the most legitimate heir to the throne of the Ming Dynasty. How can others be qualified to replace you as the crown prince?
"Even if you don't fight for yourself, won't you fight for me and our future children?"

Zhang Luan couldn't help but widen his eyes when he heard this, and asked in surprise: "Crown Princess, my daughter has already..."

"Dad, don't get me wrong, I'm not pregnant yet." Zhang Yu hurriedly explained, "I thought I was pregnant before, but it was just a false alarm. But there is still a long way to go, and it could happen at any time!"

"Oh."

Zhang Luan was originally quite excited and expectant, but he couldn't help but feel discouraged when he heard this.

Zhang Yu said, "Father, please continue."

"I……"

Zhang Luan was suddenly a little confused.

what's the situation?
Who is in charge of the Eastern Palace now?

Why is it that after I came here, I always felt that my daughter was the one in charge?
It seems that my daughter is more courageous than the prince?
Zhu Youtang said, "Father-in-law, just tell me clearly, what is going on?"

"Yes."

Zhang Luan then confessed, "In fact, it was the ministers Wan'an and Liu Ji who had ill intentions towards the crown prince, and they were the ones who pushed for the change of crown prince behind the scenes.

"The Tongzhou warehouse has been in deficit for several years. If we can make them busy dealing with the deficit for a period of time, and worry about the blame from Your Majesty at any time, then they will only be trapped in an endless whirlpool and will not have the heart to target the crown prince."

Zhu Youtang asked, "So, the Tongzhou warehouse has actually been in deficit for a long time, and my father-in-law wrote to me just to point this out in the hope of alerting the enemy?"

"Yes."

Zhang Luan nodded.

Zhu Youtang said, "I asked my wife. Tongzhou Granary is the largest granary in the suburbs of Beijing, comparable to the Taicang Granary in the capital. If there is a big deficit, it will cause big problems if there is a war in the northwest or a natural disaster or man-made disaster in the north. How could they... do this?"

Zhang Luan was surprised when he heard this.

Listen to what the prince is asking... How could they do this? What's wrong with them? Is this why you're angry and furious?
oops.

Zhang Luan thought to himself, I think I understand why your father wanted to deprive you of your inheritance rights. You are clearly... a hopeless case.

No, how could I have such an idea?

I am a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty!
I am solely focused on planning for the Crown Prince, how could I have such disrespectful thoughts?

Zhang Yu said, "Let's put the Tongzhou warehouse issue aside for now. The key now is to talk about Wan'an and Liu Ji. They are just ministers. Why do they have the courage to push for the plan of changing the storage? Father, haven't you thought of a better way to deal with it?"

Zhang Luan shook his head and said, "To be honest, I have discussed this matter with your second brother for a long time, and there is really no good solution."

Zhu Youtang said quickly: "Yu'er, don't blame your father-in-law. The current Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister are the most powerful people in the court under the Emperor. They make almost all the decisions on major and minor matters in the world. Even if the Emperor wants to replace them, it will not be easy.

"Besides... targeting me, they haven't done anything out of line. Father won't replace them anytime soon."

"Humph!"

Zhang Yu snorted lightly. It was obvious that these two old guys had been noted down in her little notebook.

Before my husband became emperor, you targeted him in every way. Now when my husband ascends the throne, I will make sure he gets rid of all of you!

Zhang Luan said, "Your Highness, please do not act too hastily... Actually, as Yanling said, His Majesty will definitely find an opportunity to discuss state affairs with you. If His Majesty has any questions, you can just put forward your opinions at the appropriate time. There are also a few people in the Ministry of Revenue. You can remember their names. They may be useful in the future."

"they are……?"

Zhu Youtang asked in confusion.

Zhang Luan sighed, "These people are all the gangs that Wan'an and Liu Ji have gathered in the Ministry of Revenue. If it weren't for these people who made up excuses and manipulated the Ministry of Revenue's grain reserves, Wan'an and Liu Ji wouldn't have been so rampant. But then again, the deficit in Tongzhou Warehouse cannot be entirely blamed on Wan'an and Liu Ji. In fact..."

Zhang Yu asked, "Father, is there anything else you can't say?"

"That's very disrespectful."

Zhang Luan smiled bitterly.

Zhu Youtang lowered his head and said, "I know what my father-in-law wants to say. In fact, the court has been spending a lot in recent years. Not only the inner court, but also the Ministry of Revenue and other government offices are basically running out of money. These are all the results of your majesty's connivance and acquiescence."

Zhang Luan smiled and nodded, praising him: "The Crown Prince is not only a benevolent and filial crown prince, but also a wise and reasonable ruler."

Zhu Youtang was a little disappointed: "I may disappoint my father-in-law, because my words don't carry much weight with my father. Last time, I listened to Yu'er and went to explain the situation to the Royal Grandmother. It was the Royal Grandmother who brought it up, and the matter was related to the Royal Grandmother's Buddhist practice, so the matter finally fermented. Otherwise..."

"Don't worry, Prince."

Zhang Yu placed her hand on her husband's shoulder and said comfortingly, "Didn't my father say that? You don't need to bring it up. Father will ask you... Just wait until he asks you."

"Yes, yes, Your Highness. Actually, the purpose of asking you to raise this matter is not to let His Majesty or the court find out any problems in the Tongzhou warehouse. The main purpose is to make them have no intention of changing the storage... If you can be patient for a while, I think the days of frustration will not be too long." Zhang Luan said.

Zhu Youtang looked puzzled and asked, "What do you mean by this, father-in-law? What do you mean by a period of time?"

"what?"

Zhang Luan looked quite embarrassed.

Normally at home, when I talk to my son about anything from half a year to three months, I can talk about it casually.

But when it comes to the prince, some things cannot be said too clearly.

Is he going to tell the prince that your father will die in about two months?

Zhang Yu said, "Father, you don't have to be so obvious about some things. I understand what's going on... I will tell the prince later."

"My son... no, Crown Princess, you actually... also know about this?"

Zhang Luan's old face showed an embarrassment.

He couldn't help but wonder in his heart, what kind of ideas did his daughter's brother instill in her before she married into the palace?

Why is this son-in-law in front of me so thoroughly controlled by my daughter?
When my son said those things about the crown prince, I thought he was just dreaming, like the crown prince only wanted to marry one crown princess and not a concubine, and why he asked her sister to conspire with the crown prince, etc. Now it seems that my son's ability is even greater than I thought.

Of course my daughter is also an awesome character, otherwise how could she have such control over her husband?

"Your Highness, don't worry. In fact, Elder Wan and Elder Liu are targeting you because, like Liang Fang, they are afraid that the Crown Prince will find out about their illegal activities in the future. Most of the upright ministers in the court stand on the side of the Crown Prince. The officials of the Hanlin Academy that I usually come into contact with all have the same thoughts as me."

Zhang Luan offered comforting words.

He now discovered that the prince's emotions were very unstable and he easily fell into a state of self-doubt.

Therefore, encouragement from others is very necessary.

"Ah."

Zhu Youtang just nodded.

Zhang Luan didn't know whether he really listened to it.

Zhang Yu looked at the sky outside the window and reminded him, "Prince, you and my father should return to Wenhua Palace as soon as possible. If you go back late, people may suspect you.

"Father, if you have the chance to enter the palace in the future, you must come and visit more often."

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "Crown Princess, now that you know the whole story, you should understand why I haven't been here recently."

"Ah."

Zhang Yu nodded, "I understand, but sometimes I can't help being confused. Let's talk about it later."

After seeing her father once, Zhang Yu no longer missed home as much as before. When she saw her father again, he was still as unreliable as before, and she missed home even less.

After being reminded by her old father, she quickly realized that since her husband would soon become emperor, why did she have to see her family during this time?
When you become the queen in the future, you can see your family whenever you want, right?
……

……

That night.

After Zhu Youtang finished his class and returned to Duanjing Hall, he still looked worried.

Zhang Yu walked over to comfort him: "Prince, are you thinking about what happened at noon?"

"Ah."

Zhu Youtang said, "I don't know what I did wrong. Even the old Wan and Liu, who are used to smoothing things over, are dissatisfied with me..."

Zhang Yu interrupted him and said, "At least the gentlemen in the East Palace should treat you well. Didn't you hear what my father said? Most of the ministers in the court support the prince. Only corrupt officials like Wan'an and Liu Ji want to establish another crown prince to cover up their lawless behavior."

"Is that true?"

Zhu Youtang asked puzzledly, "I have always felt that Elder Wan and Elder Liu are very capable. If they cannot assist my father in governing the country, why does my father insist on letting them stay in the position of cabinet college students and not promote others to replace them?"

Zhang Yu smiled and asked, "Your Highness has had a lot of contact with them. Are you familiar with their character? I heard that they have a bad reputation."

Zhu Youtang shook his head and said, "I don't know about that, but I guess that since they are able to hold such a high position, their character and reputation should not be too bad, right?"

"Why not ask my wife to come in and ask her?" Zhang Yu said.

"Ok?"

Zhu Youtang looked a little puzzled.

I don’t know it myself, so how could Qin Ji know it?
Afterwards, Tan Ji was called into the Duanjing Hall.

Zhang Yu asked, "My dear, my father said that Wan'an and Liu Ji have a bad reputation outside. Do you know about this?"

"This……"

Qin Ji looked quite embarrassed.

Zhu Youtang said sternly, "My dear, I want to hear the truth. Please don't hide it just because I am the crown prince."

Qin Ji smiled bitterly and said, "Prince, there are some things that I don't have to deceive you, it's just because... Alas! Elder Wan, known as the Wansui Elder, is also known as the dick-washing husband. And Elder Liu, known as Liu Mianhua..."

After hearing this, Zhu Youtang felt terrible.

Your words really changed my outlook on life.

In his eyes, the famous and omnipotent cabinet ministers Wan'an and Liu Ji were like his mentors and indispensable pillars of the Ming Dynasty. How could they have such a bad reputation?

If my father-in-law hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known anything about this. Even my most trusted partner wouldn't tell me the truth...

Zhang Yu said, "Look, I'm right, right? Although I don't know what "dick-washing husband" and "Liu Mianhua" mean, I can tell that this is not a good thing."

"What exactly does that mean?"

Zhu Youtang asked.

Now it was difficult for Qin Ji to answer.

Because it involves something that eunuchs like them always avoid talking about.

Talk...nothing either.

But now that it was the Crown Prince who asked, and Qin Ji also felt that the Crown Prince could no longer be a know-nothing idiot like before, he had an obligation to educate him, but there were some things that he was really embarrassed to say.

"Actually... Lord Wan just likes to present His Majesty with sexual techniques and boudoir-enhancing drugs, and he... oh! I don't know how to put it."

Qin Ji had an embarrassed expression.

Zhu Youtang said, "My dear, just tell me straight. No matter what happens, I have expected it. It won't be like this."

Zhu Youtang thought that Tan Ji was afraid that he could not accept it, so he was unwilling to say it clearly.

In fact, the main reason is that Wan'an is really a terrible person.

After Qin Ji explained the nicknames of "Dick-Washing Husband" and "Long Live the Lord", Zhang Yu's face was already red and he was extremely embarrassed. Qin Ji quickly shifted the topic to Liu Ji, saying that Liu Ji was a lukewarm and inactive minister, like a cotton baller, who pushed the issue around.

Zhu Youtang stood up suddenly and said angrily: "How could they... do this? Isn't this a disaster for the Ming Dynasty?"

Qin Ji said: "So many officials in the court looked down on them, thinking that they occupied the positions of cabinet ministers, but did not do their job and were just sitting there doing nothing. Many people submitted petitions to impeach them, but they had the power to draft the bills and retaliated against those who impeached them one by one. Over time, no one in the court dared to confront them directly."

"No! I want to tell my father..."

Zhu Jianshen was so angry that he spoke loudly.

Although I am a coward, I cannot just stand by and watch someone betray my father.

When it comes to loyalty and integrity, I am number one in the Ming Dynasty!
Qin Ji quickly advised: "Prince, you must not do this! In fact, His Majesty has long known all this in his heart. The reason why he has kept them in the position of cabinet ministers must have a deep meaning.

"Besides, in the past few years, there have been other ministers who have joined the cabinet, but their personalities are no different from Wan An and Liu Ji... The cabinet is like a big melting pot, and everyone who enters is the same."

"How could this be?"

Zhu Youtang became very depressed.

Everything I learned in the previous seventeen years was destroyed overnight.

That terrible feeling made him feel as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a live fly. He could not accept the fact that Wan'an had taught his father the art of sex and the medicine used in sex. In history, Wan'an lost his official position because he was clever and learned the art of sex after Zhu Youtang ascended the throne.

As the Prime Minister, how could any emperor with a bit of common sense accept the existence of an official like you who got to the top entirely through crooked means?
Who are you trying to fool?

Zhang Yu also helped persuade him, "Prince, you now know that it is precisely because they are mediocre and corrupt officials, or even full of evil, that they deliberately target you out of respect for you... All this is not your fault, that is enough."

"Yes."

Qin Ji also hurriedly advised, "Prince, don't blame yourself. Wan'an and Liu Ji were not good people to begin with, so you don't have to feel sad about their betrayal. But you can't say they have no ability at all just because they have bad nicknames. They have done some practical things that are worthy of praise. For example, Wan'an once suggested abolishing the Western Factory."

Zhu Youtang raised his head and asked, "My dear, in fact, those gentlemen in the East Palace, such as Mr. Xie and Mr. Liu, should all know the characters of Wan'an and Liu Ji, but they just don't usually talk about it in front of me, right?"

"This……"

Qin Ji didn't know how to explain it.

Did the prince feel that his teachers were deliberately hiding the truth from him?
It would be bad if I said something wrong and the prince misunderstood that his teachers were deliberately deceiving him.

Zhu Youtang really meant this, and said gloomily, "For a long time, I thought I could confide in you gentlemen, and they would tell me everything. Now I know that they also have secrets to hide, and they just won't tell me. I don't know if they are doing this for my own good, afraid that I won't be able to accept it after I know, or for some other reason."

Zhang Yu said indifferently, "Prince, can they be like my father? My father got his current position by marrying me to the Eastern Palace. He has a close relationship with you, Prince, and he only thinks about how to help you. But those gentlemen in the Eastern Palace are just...looking for a job."

Qin Ji was a little anxious.

Why is the Crown Princess still fanning the flames? Are you just here to watch the fun? Shouldn't you be trying to persuade our Crown Prince? Why are you still here... fanning the flames?

Zhang Yu was not a woman who knew the big picture. In her opinion, her own family's talents were the most important. In the past, it was the Zhang family, and now it was her own small family with the prince, and she would never allow anyone to infringe upon it.

Zhang Yu said again: "But it's good to know now. The prince should do as my father said and let the conspiracy plot against our people, so that life will be difficult."

"Yu'er."

Zhu Youtang seemed to have found someone to rely on, and looked at his wife lovingly, "I'm just afraid that I don't have the ability! I don't have any power at hand, but Wan'an and Liu Ji are ministers in the court, and there are many people helping them behind the scenes. They are too powerful to be dealt with!"

Zhang Yu held her husband's hand tightly and comforted him, "What are you afraid of? He has helpers, don't we? You have a father, and he will find someone. Besides, you are the prince, the person that the emperor trusts the most... The emperor will definitely listen to what you say."

"can you?"

Even Zhu Youtang himself was not very confident.

You say I'm the person my old father trusts the most?

Where is this?
But logically speaking, if I don’t trust my son, who else can I trust?

(End of this chapter)