Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 58: To Retaliate or Not to Retaliate
Seeing Li Zisheng's uncertain expression, obviously he was thinking about the pros and cons, Shen Lu couldn't help but say: "Minister Li, if it is true as Lai Zhan said, and you report it to His Majesty and make him give up the idea of ​​changing the crown prince, then you can be said to be a great favor to the crown prince."

Li Zisheng said: "Don't talk nonsense."

Shen Lu said: "I am here to help Minister Li, so I speak so frankly. If it were someone else, how could they dare to speak nonsense?"

Li Zisheng muttered, "My duty is to predict disasters and other things according to the emperor's orders. Even if I report the earthquake at Mount Tai, and His Majesty finally gives up the plan to change the crown prince, I'm afraid the prince may not think that I helped him."

When Zhang Luan heard this, he suddenly looked at Zhang Yanling and sighed in his heart, "My son is amazing. He even anticipated Li Zisheng's concerns in advance?"

Or is it that there is an unrivaled master behind my son?
Zhang Luan said, "Minister Li, do you think this makes sense? If my daughter can be selected as the Crown Princess, I will tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince about this in the future. Then the Crown Prince will know... that everything was planned by Minister Li behind the scenes."

"Oh?"

A smile appeared on Li Zisheng's face.

So you were waiting here?
You old man, in order to help your daughter choose the Crown Princess, you can actually say such touching words to me.

High.

Shen Lu said: "Even if Minister Li helps the Crown Prince choose a concubine, there are so many candidates, and the selected ones still have to go through the Crown Prince's final selection. How can we be sure that my niece will be chosen?"

Zhang Luan said: "This is what I thought. Perhaps Minister Li could secretly help him to communicate with the prince through letters and reveal the secret to him. And this letter is written in the name of my daughter... Maybe... it can be done... um..."

By the end of the conversation, even Zhang Luan himself felt that it was not very reliable and he began to stutter.

Li Zisheng understood something instantly and said with a smile, "Are you trying to get your daughter to have a secret relationship with the prince? The prince is alone and weak now. If someone helps him secretly, he might really fall in love with her. Lai Zhan, you have a lot on your mind."

Li Zisheng became more and more enthusiastic about Zhang Luan. In addition to providing prophecies, he could also give effective suggestions. What a talent! Then he began to explore and asked Zhang Luan about Zhouyi Suanjing, astronomy and geography.

As expected, Zhang Luan showed his weakness.

After hesitating for a long time, Zhang Luan finally said, "I am not proficient in these things. Just like my ability to treat people, my knowledge is generally superficial. I hope Minister Li will forgive me."

Li Zisheng was very surprised when he heard this.

However, Li Zisheng has experienced all kinds of big scenes after all, so he couldn't help but wonder if Zhang Luan deliberately kept a low profile in front of him?

You obviously have real ability, but you have to pretend to be incompetent to avoid his jealousy and suppression?
But after asking a few more detailed questions, he found that Zhang Luan didn't seem to be pretending, but rather... he was really a useless person!

"Laizhan, it seems that you are more suitable for studying in the Imperial College. The affairs of the court seem a little out of reach for you." Li Zisheng teased with a smile.

Zhang Luan said helplessly: "I also know that I don't have the ability to govern the country. I originally wanted to pass the imperial examination and select officials to benefit the people, but later I found that I might not be suitable for the imperial examination. I entered the Imperial College to study and improve myself."

Li Zisheng nodded slightly: "If your daughter is successful in the selection of the Crown Princess in the future, you still have a bright future, so don't underestimate yourself. The mansion will hold a banquet in the next two days, and I will send you an invitation then. Come over and we can discuss in detail."

"Yes Yes."

When Zhang Luan heard that Li Zisheng wanted to invite him to a banquet, he instantly felt that it was profitable.

Afterwards, Li Zisheng exchanged a few casual greetings and left with Shen Lu.

In the end, the people from the Imperial Hospital did not arrive in time, so Li Zisheng just left. It was a complete failure.

Of course, there was no need for Li Zisheng to show up in person. He left an attendant and sent a sternly worded letter to the Imperial Medical Bureau. He believed that those lazy imperial doctors would immediately become nervous and raise the matter of growing medicine to an unprecedented level, and Zhang Luan's treatment would also rise accordingly.

Plots of pretending to be cool and then getting slapped in the face, or bowing down and kneeling down usually only appear in popular novels. In reality, everyone is an adult and will not tear their faces apart in person. Maintaining a relative tacit understanding is the most important thing.

……

……

"Minister Li, you see, he is capable but not competitive. He is down-to-earth and hardworking, and may be able to help you in the future." After Shen Lu and Li Zisheng left, he couldn't help but speak well of his brother-in-law.

Li Zisheng said: "He is determined to be the father-in-law of the emperor. Can you still say he has no ambition?" "This..."

Shen Lu didn't expect that Li Zisheng was actually very wary of Zhang Luan.

Li Zisheng muttered, "It's really surprising that such a person who doesn't understand the principles of Yi dares to break through the limit again and again and do the Feng Shui and Xuan Kong business. He is really brave. A commoner in the countryside, it's a blessing for his ancestors to pass the exam, but he is trying to get into the circle of power and wealth. It's really rare!"

When Shen Lu heard this, he felt that Li Zisheng didn't seem to have a high opinion of Zhang Luan.

He completely regarded Zhang Luan as a villain who was trying to curry favor with others.

However, thinking that Li Zisheng also came from the same background, Shen Lu felt relieved. This is probably what people say, people in the same industry are enemies.

Shen Lu asked, "Can you believe the earthquake at Mount Tai?"

Li Zisheng glanced at Shen Lu and asked, "Regarding the earthquake in Ningxia, do you think it is credible in advance?"

Shen Lu nodded: "Of course there is. He is outside the palace and knows nothing about what is happening inside the palace, but he can guess so much. Since he dared to say that there will be an earthquake in Ningxia, I think he is not making a pointless statement."

“It’s the same principle.”

Li Zisheng was struggling fiercely. After hesitating for a long time, he said, "I can't figure it out. If the Taishan earthquake was just his own nonsense, what good would it do him? Did he just want to use me to report this? So that His Majesty would temporarily give up the idea of ​​changing the crown prince?"

Shen Lu asked, "Could it be that he just wanted the prince to think that he was willing to help?"

Li Zisheng thought for a long time but could not get the point. He shook his head and said, "I have met so many people. I think I can see through all kinds of things in the world. But when I met Zhang Laizhan, I couldn't see any clues from him. This is what makes people most worried."

Shen Lu was surprised and said: "Come and see him..."

Li Zisheng said: "I'm not saying he's pretentious, but I feel there's something in him that's hard to explain. You say he doesn't fight for fame and fortune, but he dreams of becoming the father-in-law of the emperor. You say he doesn't seek to make progress, but everything he does is not his duty... This kind of person is hard to see through."

Shen Lu thought about it.

I roughly understand what Li Zisheng means.

Zhang Luan is a complex of contradictions.

Shen Lu couldn't figure out how this situation came about. Of course, neither of them considered the boy standing behind Zhang Luan. If they understood that Zhang Yanling was instigating all this and Zhang Luan was just a cover, and that Zhang Luan himself was led by the nose in many things, they would be able to figure it out.

Shen Lu asked, "Should we report the earthquake at Mount Tai?"

"Of course I will."

Li Zisheng said firmly, "This is a good opportunity to win the emperor's favor, and it can also help the crown prince, which can be said to be killing two birds with one stone. However, the method and approach must be particular. If you make a nonsense statement about the earthquake, your majesty will definitely hold you accountable afterwards."

Shen Lu asked: "Then report it in the name of Zhang Laizhan?"

Li Zisheng shook his head and said, "No! It's not time for him to come forward yet. In fact, when it comes to geomancy, divination, and prophecies of disasters, sometimes you don't need to say everything. I just need to say that there are celestial disasters and disasters in the east, and then mention it to your majesty, or that there is an earthquake in Mount Tai. Even if it is later confirmed that there is no earthquake, I can still make up for it by saying that the disaster is only in the east, and the specific cause is still unclear."

Only then did Shen Lu realize that Li Zisheng was also an expert at fooling the emperor.

He thought that the saying "heavenly secrets cannot be revealed" was just some ambiguous words said by the alchemists, leaving it to the world to guess.

Once something happens, everyone in the world will compete to be the wise man after the event, and each of them will regard the prophecy as an accurate prediction and marvel at it.

But in fact, they are all far-fetched.

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(End of this chapter)