Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 68: Stupid People and Stupid Things
The brother and sister were writing letters in the room.

Laughter could be heard from time to time.

Jin was busy placing food on the dining table when she heard laughter coming from the room. She glanced through the window and then looked at Zhang Luan: "What are the two kids doing in there? Isn't that a bit inappropriate..."

As he said this, he was about to enter the room.

Zhang Luan hurriedly stopped him: "Alright, they have their own business, which is related to our family's future and is very important. Let's eat our food first and save their food."

Upon hearing this, Jin and Tang couldn't help but look at each other.

Is there anything that could happen between the siblings that would affect the interests of the entire family?
Are we going to work behind closed doors?

Zhang Heling said, "Dad, they are laughing so happily, they won't secretly divide the money in the house, right? No, I want to go too..."

"Bah you!"

Zhang Luan was drinking tea at first, and he almost spit out the tea in his mouth when he heard this. He shouted angrily, "You bastard, can you behave yourself? If you don't eat, I'll break your dog legs!"

"Tsk, you claim to be a scholar, why do you speak so vulgarly?" Zhang Heling said he was dissatisfied, but he still picked up the bowl and chopsticks obediently.

……

……

The Zhang siblings did not come out of the house until Zhang Luan and others had finished their meal.

After coming out, Zhang Yu still couldn't help but smile secretly.

She was a young girl who had just begun to fall in love and had never seen the world. She met a cunning brother who had more tricks than anyone else in his two lives. Many of his logic and thinking opened her eyes.

"You don't act like a lady, go eat!"

Jin yelled at her daughter.

Zhang Yu then put away his smile and ran to the stove to get his food.

Zhang Yanling had already sealed the letter and handed it to Zhang Luan who was waiting in the main hall.

After Zhang Luan took it, he immediately opened it to take a look.

"Dad, you'd better not watch it." Zhang Yanling advised.

"Why?" Zhang Luan asked.

Zhang Yanling said, "Sister, I don't know who this letter is for. Don't you know? You also said that you are afraid of being reported and accused of secretly communicating with the crown prince... And if someone really investigates and finds out that you know the content, it would be equivalent to confirming the matter."

Zhang Luan was about to open the envelope to see what was inside, but he pulled his hand back.

Zhang Yanling said: "This is just a private letter exchange between the prince and his sister, and no outsiders are involved. This will make people feel that the prince and his sister are just children and not worth mentioning."

Zhang Luan said, "Hey, you are quite cunning. But what you said does make sense... No matter what she writes, the prince will not take it seriously. Do you really think that the royal family has never seen the world? Let's go eat."

……

……

Zhang Luan delivered the letter to Shen's house.

Shen Lu received him personally. With Zhang Luan's success in solving the Ningxia earthquake, his status also rose.

Shen Lu has completely regarded Zhang Luan as his best friend, and it is not just a polite show.

Zhang Luan said, "Please be sure to deliver this letter to the Crown Prince. Thank you for your help."

"it is good."

Shen Lu said, "Give it to Minister Li today, and he will find someone to deliver it to the East Palace."

"That's fine, that's fine."

Zhang Luan's face was full of relief.

Shen Lu was a little worried about this: "Laizhan, I don't know if I should tell you something... For example, you should know about the private communication with the prince. If it gets out, I'm afraid it will be very disadvantageous to you."

Zhang Luan asked: "Why?"

Shen Lu was very surprised that Zhang Luan could actually ask this question?

Could it be that Zhang Luan had no political awareness at all? "The crown prince is alone and helpless. Although Your Majesty has not taken strict precautions against him, the possibility of a change in the crown prince could happen at any time. The slightest sin could be made into a big deal. Moreover, correspondence between the Eastern Palace and the outside world is usually considered improper behavior. Lai Zhan, you should know this, right?"

Shen Lu's words were very sincere.

Zhang Luan, however, straightened his back and sat upright: "If I could communicate with the Crown Prince, it would be a great honor for me, Zhang. Why should I be afraid?"

This made Shen Lu completely understand the opportunistic nature of Zhang Luan.

Originally he had a lot more to say to persuade him, but seeing Zhang Luan's determined look, he knew that it would be useless to say anything.

Others are afraid of having anything to do with the prince, but that is based on their status as court officials.

But now Zhang Luan is not a court official at all. He is only interested in currying favor with the powerful. It happens that a prince is willing to communicate with him. Zhang Luan does not feel ashamed but proud.

Zhang Luan also saw that Shen Lu was speechless, and added with a smile: "Didn't we discuss this with Minister Li? It is precisely because I want to secretly help Minister Li that I will do this...Besides, this letter was written by my daughter herself. I didn't even read a single word, so I don't know what it says."

Shen Lu was very curious: "The letter came from you, but you don't know its contents?"

Zhang Luan said, "It was Yanling who told me that it would be best for me to be a bystander in this matter... Isn't it just a letter between the younger generation? Yanling said that his sister only wrote a little bit about the scenery outside the palace, and attached a poem. I think even if this letter falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, it can't be said that I want to do something rebellious with the prince, right?"

Shen Lu thought, you also know that the prince has a private relationship with foreign officials and is suspected of treason.

However, after hearing Zhang Luan's words, he felt relieved, but couldn't help asking, "Besides your daughter, does Yanling also know about this?"

"Yes."

Zhang Luan nodded, "This kid is very smart. He helps me with many things... Speaking of which, my Zhang family has such a talented child, so we have a successor."

Shen Lu said: "In every family, the eldest son inherits the mantle. What you are doing is..."

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "It is natural that Heling will inherit the family business. I just said that Yanling has a promising future... There are some things that I can't tell you directly. I will tell you slowly later."

"Oh."

Shen Lu didn't take it seriously.

How outstanding can a child in his early teens be, no matter how promising he is?
Zhang Luan asked again: "Then... has the matter of the Crown Prince's selection of a concubine been settled?"

Shen Lu shook his head and sighed, "Although the Queen Mother has been asking about this matter before, His Majesty has deliberately delayed the matter. In fact, everyone knows that if the prince really wants to choose a concubine, then the position of the East Palace will be stabilized. Now it happens that we have to change the crown prince, so the selection of concubines can only be postponed. But if there is an earthquake in Mount Tai..."

Zhang Luan said, "If Mount Tai were to shake, wouldn't the prince's selection of a concubine be stable?"

Shen Lu asked curiously, "Laizhan, weren't you clear-headed in front of Minister Li? Why do you seem to be still confused now?"

"This……"

Zhang Luan was embarrassed to say that his son had told him everything, and he himself was skeptical, but of course he had to speak with certainty in front of Li Zisheng, as if he was sure that those things would happen.

But because he was actually not sure in his heart, he went to Shen Lu, a court official with rich experience in official career, to verify it.

As a result, in Shen Lu's view, Zhang Luan was like a confused person who was unable to wake up from sleep.

Shen Lu did not ask any more questions, but instead seemed very concerned: "It's almost the end of the year, has your family prepared everything? Should we send you some more New Year's goods?"

Zhang Luan declined politely: "No, I have everything. Thank you for your concern. Recently, everything has been going well for me, and even the number of people coming to the medicine shed has increased a lot. Of course, it would be even better if I could ask Minister Li to ask questions for me at the Imperial Hospital."

"no problem."

Shen Lu said, "The Imperial Hospital has always selected talented people from the public to serve in it, and does not care whether they come from a medical family. However, I heard recently that there is a famous doctor named Wang Ji in Huizhou. His family-inherited medical skills are the best in Jiangnan, and the Imperial Hospital seems to be interested in recruiting him."

Zhang Luan's eyes widened. "I know this person. I have had many dealings with him. He even came to me to ask for advice on growing medicine."

Shen Lu said: "It's better to know him. He usually stays at home and rarely sets foot in the capital. This time he made an exception and stayed for several days. The Imperial Hospital will go to investigate as usual. Now that you have been appreciated by Minister Li, it should be a sure thing for you to enter the Imperial Hospital, but your studies in Beiyong..."

"nothing."

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "If you have an official rank, you can give up your studies at the Imperial College temporarily."

Shen Lu nodded.

In order to become an official, this brother-in-law is willing to abandon all his reputation and principles.

However, Shen Lu had been in the officialdom for many years and was used to seeing such people. He himself was also good at climbing up the social ladder, so he did not think that Zhang Luan's choice was so abrupt.

(End of this chapter)