Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 39: Seeing the wise and thinking of others
In the Zhang family's temporary study, the conversation between father and son continued.

Zhang Yanling asked, "What kind of business does your uncle do?"

Zhang Luan said with disdain: "He is just a traveling merchant, doing all kinds of small business, buying low and selling high without any rules. Your mother always said that I am not as good as him. After all, I am a student. How can I be worse than an illiterate layman?"

Zhang Yanling asked, "Since my uncle is so incompetent, why did Dad go to find him?"

"This one……"

Zhang Luan explained, "This is what your mother wanted. After all, more people mean more care. I told your mother before that if we want to gain a foothold in the capital, it would be best to do something to make a living. If we can use your father's good reputation in preventing and treating smallpox, it would be great to open a clinic or drugstore in the capital... Isn't this a good opportunity to ask?"

Zhang Yanling shook his head: "Dad, I think we should forget about opening a clinic or a pharmacy... This business is not easy to do."

Zhang Luan asked in confusion, "Why? Your father has worked so hard to build a good reputation in the medical field. If he doesn't choose to practice medicine to save people, what path should he take? Later, I plan to talk to your uncle and ask him to help me see if I can help smooth the way for the selection of the Imperial Hospital and enter the palace as an imperial physician."

Zhang Yanling sighed, "Even if you really want to do this, you have to wait for half a year. At this critical juncture... it's really inconvenient!"

"Yanling, why are you talking more and more incoherently recently? Your father simply cannot understand what you are saying... Why can't you do it now, but it will be fine in half a year?"

Zhang Luan's confusion deepened, and he looked at Zhang Yanling with confusion.

In fact, Zhang Luan was not the kind of person who would not listen to advice, especially his son's recent advice to him, which he fulfilled one by one and greatly improved the Zhang family's embarrassing situation. But now it was a bit too much for him to trust his son unconditionally and not take advantage of his meritorious service in preventing and treating smallpox to strive for an official position.

People die for money and birds die for food. Zhang Luan's life goal is to become an official. He cannot give up without a legitimate reason.

Zhang Yanling had no way of expressing his pain.

The court is about to face a big trouble right now. The emperor's favorite concubine Wan will soon fall ill and be bedridden. She will die in less than a month. Regardless of whether you have the real ability or not, if you really have the ability to cure her illness, I would like to ask, do you still want to be the father of the Crown Princess and become the father-in-law of the emperor in the future?

But you don't have to move forward in everything.

……

……

After meeting the Zhang family, Shen Lu went back to the Tongzhengshi Yamen before dark that day, but was told that Tongzhengshi Li Zisheng was chatting with his colleagues in the government office.

He quickly composed himself and went inside, only to see Li Zisheng, who was usually not seen, sitting in the main seat, holding a teacup in his hand and looking around at the officials present.

The You Tongzheng Yuan Shouzhi in front of Shen Lu consciously made way for him, so that Li Zisheng could directly see Shen Lu who was in a hurry.

"Ruxue, why haven't I seen you these past two days?"

Li Zisheng took the initiative to greet Shen Lu.

A group of officials immediately made way.

Shen Lu hurried forward and bowed respectfully: "I have taken a leave of absence these two days to go to Tongzhou to welcome a relative to Beijing, so I have not been working in the government office."

Li Zisheng asked with a smile: "Really?"

Then he waved his hand and everyone present left.

When only Li Zisheng and Shen Lu were left in the main hall, Li Zisheng stood up and walked to Shen Lu, "The government has been piled up with a lot of official business recently, so you'd better not walk around if you have nothing to do... Among all the people under my command, I think Ruxue is the best."

Shen Lu quickly bowed and saluted: "Thank you very much for your kindness, Mr. Li."

"It's a bit too polite to say that."

Li Zisheng asked with a smile, "Is your relative... the Zhang who is said to be successful in curing smallpox in Xingji City..."

"Zhang Luan."

Shen Lu added.

Li Zisheng nodded and said, "That's him. I heard that the smallpox epidemic is raging in northern Zhili and surrounding areas, but it seems to have deliberately bypassed Xingji. Even the local inspector reported that he has made great contributions to epidemic prevention and recommended talents to the court. Tell me, who is he?"

Shen Lu was a little confused for a moment. Although Li Zisheng was only a Tongzhengshi, he was one of the most powerful officials in the court. How could he be interested in Zhang Luan, who came from a small place?

However, Shen Lu had a quick mind and he immediately thought that Li Zisheng might have regarded Zhang Luan as a potential political enemy, which was why he attached so much importance to him.

Shen Lu explained: "My brother-in-law only has some family knowledge. He was born as a student. Apart from preventing and treating smallpox, he doesn't know anything else."

"Oh?"

Li Zisheng asked, "He doesn't know anything about geomancy, astrology, feng shui, etc."

Shen Lu still shook his head firmly: "No."

Li Zisheng was relieved and said with a smile: "It's a pity that I can't discuss Feng Shui with people who share the same interests... Well, let's meet each other later. How can I easily miss such a talented person in the world? I always want to emulate the virtuous."

Shen Lu never expected that he would be summoned by Li Zisheng alone, and he never thought that Li Zisheng would be interested in his brother-in-law.

After meeting with Li Zisheng, Shen Lu felt a little dazed. Li Zisheng was a big shot whom he had never been able to curry favor with before. So what was going on today?

How evil!

"What did Minister Li tell you?"

Seeing Shen Lu coming out of the government office, a man came over and asked with a smile.

Shen Lu looked up and saw that the person coming was Chen Wan, the Left Counselor of the Ministry of Public Security.

Chen Wan was a Jinshi in the 14th year of Chenghua. He was a relatively upright person. However, in the current turbid court atmosphere, it was difficult to promote the good and eliminate the bad, no matter whether one was a clean official or not. Most people just muddled through.

The Left Councillor of the Ministry of Public Security was a fifth-rank official. Shen Lu was well aware that as a juren, there was a great possibility that he would never be able to reach Chen Wan's level in his entire life. In fact, it was already a great achievement for him to be a seventh-rank official in the capital, and he had no higher aspirations for the time being.

"I have previously gone to see a relative of mine, my brother-in-law. He is well-known in Xingji for curing illnesses and saving lives. As a result, he was recommended by the local government and entered the Imperial Academy as a student as a tribute student." Shen Lu said.

Chen Wan suddenly understood and said with a smile, "I finally know why Minister Li wants to see you."

Shen Lu asked hurriedly: "Why is this? Sir Chen, please enlighten me."

Chen Wan leaned over, smiled and whispered, "It is said that His Majesty summoned Minister Li and Shangbaoqing Dengxianchang to discuss matters related to astronomy and yin-yang magic. In the debate, our Minister Li lost, so he has been in a bad mood these past two days. Whether it is the Yintai or the Imperial Observatory, he scolds everyone he sees, but he only scolds you... hehe."

Shen Lu understood instantly that Li Zisheng had lost the battle in front of the emperor to Deng Changen, who also came from a niche background and currently held a high position.

"Your brother-in-law seems to be quite capable. Perhaps Minister Li wants to use him for his own purposes?" Chen Wan joked with a smile.

Shen Lu hesitated: "Then what should I do?"

Chen Wan said, "Just let it go. Otherwise, what else can we do? Not everyone can be appreciated by Minister Li."

Although from the perspective of traditional civil servants, Li Zisheng was born into a Taoist family, and he is inevitably known as a treacherous and treacherous person in history.

But at present, everyone in the Tongzhengshisi did not dislike Li Zisheng. The reason was that Li Zisheng, in addition to appointing people based on personal connections, would also recommend many capable people based on their reputation. After Li Zisheng himself was promoted, he was also very good to his subordinates, just like Chen Wan and Shen Lu had both received favors from Li Zisheng.

Li Zisheng was not the type of person who would step on others when he succeeds. He was able to rise during the Chenghua period because he was very good at winning people's hearts.

Shen Lu sighed, "But my brother-in-law, apart from being a talented student, and having some family knowledge of treating smallpox, has no other skills."

Chen Wan was surprised and said, "He can even cure smallpox. Isn't that called a talent? What else can be considered as it? Ruxue, since you went to greet him in person, you must have seen the great potential in him. If nothing else, he will be in the court in the future. Isn't he qualified to hold an official position? The Imperial Hospital recruits good doctors from the public every year."

"Oh, if my brother-in-law can go to the Imperial Hospital, that's not a bad idea."

Shen Lu felt relieved.

Chen Wan did not continue the conversation. She smiled and patted Shen Lu's shoulder, meaning that you should understand it yourself, and then left with a smile.

(End of this chapter)