Chapter 575 Give Him Face
That night, Zhang Yanling returned home for the first time in many days.

Everyone in my family finds it very fresh.

During dinner, even Jin couldn’t help complaining, “No one is usually seen. The old man hangs out outside, fooling around all day, the eldest son wanders around everywhere, and the youngest son is rarely seen for several days… What’s the wind blowing today that actually blew the whole family back home?”

Zhang Luan scolded, “You are a woman who only likes to gossip. How can you be so capable? Isn’t it good for the family to sit together and have a lively meal? However, Yanling, I didn’t expect you to come back today… Hurry up and eat. After eating, we will go to the study to discuss matters.”

“Ah.”

At the dinner table, Zhang Yanling didn’t look like a man who could accomplish great things at all. He was just like an ordinary child, behaving very quietly and eating his delicious food with relish.

Soon dinner was over, and Zhang Luan took the initiative to pull Zhang Yanling to the study, leaving Zhang Heling with a face full of envy… He knew his own business, and his abilities and talents were relatively limited, so he couldn’t help his father, and therefore he didn’t feel much jealousy.

“My son, someone told me today that the various government offices in Beijing are investigating the salt tax and grain tax, and that they have sealed up many Huizhou merchants’ warehouses… Do you know about this?”

Zhang Luan asked boastfully.

Zhang Yanling did not answer but asked: “Who told you, father?”

Zhang Luan said: “He is a colleague from the Ministry of Revenue, you don’t know him.”

“I used to treat him as a colleague, but I’ll just stay away from him in the future…Father, don’t associate with people like him anymore, and try to make things difficult for him if you can.”

Zhang Yanling said harshly.

“…”

Zhang Luan was speechless for a moment.

Zhang Yanling explained: “Dad, it’s not that I’m petty… It’s obvious that this time they came specifically to target our Zhang family…

“Some people are afraid that you don’t know what’s going on outside, which will affect the progress of their plans, so they ask someone to whisper in your ear. This is why I told you to stay away from this person.”

“Hey, you’re judging others by your own standards… Do you think everyone likes those conspiracies as much as you do? What if someone just heard it by chance and told me out of good intentions?”

Zhang Luan looked a little uncomfortable when he said this, and he reflected on himself, “Oh! I thought I was starting to become popular, but it turns out that guy was gossiping about the capital in front of me just to trick me?

“But then again, the closure of the Huishang warehouse has nothing to do with me. Why would they go to such great lengths to plot against me?”

Zhang Yanling curled his lips and said, “The so-called investigation of salt tax and grain transport is just an opportunity for someone to make money or even make up for the deficit in the past. In fact, what they are really targeting is probably the establishment of a weaving workshop in the palace… Sima Zhao’s intention is known to everyone!”

Zhang Luan stared in astonishment, “How is it related to… you asking your sister to weave cloth? How dare they… do this? They dare to interfere in the affairs of the imperial palace, how bold are they? Besides, it is obviously a good thing for the royal family to make money on their own, why do some people not like it and make trouble?”

Zhang Yanling said helplessly: “The affairs of the court are not based on whether it makes money or benefits the country and the people. The pen is in the hands of the literati. If they say you are good, then you are good. If they say you are lawless, then you are an unforgivable sinner!
“It’s like, if I say I want to open a mine now, and the mine can produce a lot of gold, silver or coal, and I can make a lot of money, will they let me do it?”

“Ah? Will those civil officials come out to stop such a good thing?”

Zhang Luan still didn’t understand.

Zhang Yanling sighed inwardly.

If Wanli’s mining was really aimed at making money, he would not have been criticized by literati from beginning to end, and even be called a tyrant by later generations.

“They have plenty of reasons. For example, opening a weaving workshop would compete with the people for profits. They could also say that in order to purchase raw materials such as cotton and linen, it would involve corruption among the officials and oppression of the people. They could even say that someone would enrich themselves…”

Zhang Yanling told the story slowly and leisurely, with an expression neither sad nor happy.

“Who embezzled the money? Are you talking about our Zhang family?”

When Zhang Luan heard this, his eyes widened and his face was filled with anger.

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, “Dad, you have a very good spirit! You usually laugh and joke around, and never fight with others. That’s because you are keeping a low profile. But when someone really bullies you, you have to be murderous!”

Zhang Luan said viciously, “Fuck his grandma… I brought my son to make money for the court in order to repair the river and control floods, so that thousands of people would no longer suffer from floods. How dare they say that we are enriching ourselves? If my purpose was to make money… No, it was my son who was dedicated to making money, why would he bring your sister and brother-in-law with him? If he just led the Hui merchants to do it, wouldn’t it be easy to make a fortune?”

“no way!”

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, “They don’t like us, so they won’t reason with us… Of course, I am just guessing at the moment about their excuse for attacking us. They may come up with more tricky or even sharper reasons to make the world think that our Zhang family is harming the Ming Dynasty by weaving cloth with the royal family to make money, and that we are the eternal sinners who have put the emperor in an unkind and unjust situation.”

“Well…even so, you can’t stop making money!”

Zhang Luan had a very positive idea, and he said seriously, “The current emperor is your brother-in-law. He can do more things with money, and he won’t be affected by the tight financial situation of the Ming Dynasty… Are you still afraid of those scoundrels? Damn them!”

Zhang Yanling nodded with satisfaction and praised: “With your attitude, I feel more confident in doing things. Hey, let’s fight with those low-character civil servants and find out who is causing trouble for our Zhang family behind the scenes, and make him pay the price!”

Zhang Luan asked in surprise: “Is there someone behind this? Who is he? Could he be the remnant of Liang Fang and Peng Hua?”

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, “I don’t know yet, but I see this chaotic situation, which shows that the planners are unsure and are just doing whatever they want… Actually, it’s useless for them to target me. After all, I don’t hold an official position, so what if I make a lot of mistakes? Do they dare to put me in the prison? Will the emperor and the empress allow them to do so? Their main purpose should still be to ruin your reputation, father.

“Father, you are now at the peak of your career in the government. People are afraid that you will take food from their bowls, and have long regarded you as a thorn in their side… Do you think I am helping myself?”

“Understood!”

Zhang Luan was very smart and nodded repeatedly: “My son, I know your good intentions. You are helping our Zhang family and even more so me!

“As your father, I appreciate your kindness and will do my best to help you deal with those who are plotting against our family!”

……

……

That night Zhang Luan ran to find Li Zisheng.

After meeting, he immediately poured out everything that happened during the day.

“Someone wants to deal with Huizhou merchants? Is the real target actually you?”

Li Zisheng was a little surprised when he heard this. He asked a few questions first, and then said, “I really haven’t paid attention to this matter today… Lai Zhan, please tell me slowly, and I will help you think about it carefully.”

Zhang Luan then sat down and explained some key points. After listening, Li Zisheng muttered, “Is the Ministry of Works short of money and thinking of making money from Fang? I don’t have many connections in the Ministry of Works, so I haven’t heard any news yet, but this matter has a sinister nature… Wait a minute, I’ll have someone call Bingkun over and find out what’s going on.”

After a long time, Pang Qing still didn’t come.

“Laizhan, please be patient. Generally speaking, even if someone wants to target you as you said, they shouldn’t use the Huizhou merchants to attack you.”

Li Zisheng analyzed.

Zhang Luan frowned, “I am now afraid that they will launch a large-scale impeachment against the palace construction and weaving, and then due to the influence of public opinion, a good thing will turn into a bad thing, and Your Majesty will be forced to stop what is being done, which will affect the next step of river engineering and other things.”

“That’s possible!”

Li Zisheng suddenly laughed heartily and said, “But in my opinion, if the other party is really plotting against you, their moves are too despicable… Hey, they are just some low-class tricks, which are disgusting…”

Zhang Luan shook his head helplessly: “I have only been in the court for a short time and my reputation is not well-known. Any slight disturbance will easily be discussed by outsiders.

“I heard from my son that a large number of scholars in the capital participated in this. They gathered in taverns, teahouses, and even on the roadside to discuss openly. They seemed to want to decide who is loyal and who is treacherous in the court with their quiet words.”

Upon hearing this, Li Zisheng immediately stopped smiling and his expression became stiff: “Using young scholars to discredit others through public opinion is clearly a common tactic used by officials from the Hanlin Academy.”

“From the Imperial Academy?”

Zhang Luan asked in surprise, “Have I offended my colleagues?”

Li Zisheng snorted and questioned, “Laizhan, although you are the president of the Hanlin Academy, do you dare to say that you have colleagues in the Hanlin Academy? How long has it been since you last visited the Hanlin Academy?”

“I……”

Zhang Luan was speechless for a moment.

Li Zisheng shook his head and said, “If nothing unexpected happens, this may be related to your high possibility of joining the cabinet… Based on the principle that whoever suffers the most from your joining the cabinet is the suspect, the mastermind behind this is definitely Liu Ji.”

Zhang Luan cried out in shock: “Lord Liu? How is this possible?”

“Why, that’s surprising, isn’t it?”

Li Zisheng smiled and said, “Although Liu Ji seems to be a wealthy idler who does nothing, and behaves in a similar way to you, he is never vague when it comes to party struggles. Otherwise, how could he have squeezed out so many people and remained in the position of the second assistant? And now he can become the first assistant?”

Zhang Luan frowned: “If I say that he painstakingly framed me for my entry into the cabinet, it’s a bit unreasonable… I had a good relationship with him before. When the late emperor was seriously ill and I was on my way to the palace, he sent someone to stop me and begged me to help him. At that time, Wan’an pushed all the blame on him and forced him to leave the court. After I agreed, he acted grateful. How come he suddenly…”

“Laizhan, times have changed. The situation is different now. Wan’an has retired, Liu Ji is no longer a threat, and he is just thinking about getting a taste of being the Prime Minister. If you join the cabinet, Liu Ji will soon retire, and the Prime Minister will be yours sooner or later.”

Li Zisheng analyzed, “Liu Ji knows very well that with the degree of favor His Majesty has for you, wherever you go, you have to make the decisions. Just like you are in the Ministry of Revenue now, it seems that you don’t care about things, but if you don’t nod, nothing can be done.”

“I…what did I do in the Ministry of Household Affairs?”

Zhang Luan looked aggrieved.

Li Zisheng laughed and said, “Do you know how much the cost of the Yellow River project alone is? Do you really think that you can fill this hole completely by weaving cloth?
“It is very likely that in the next few years, the civil and military officials in the court will have to tighten their belts to make ends meet. In recent years, the salaries have been paid normally, but after the beginning of next spring, it may not be possible, let alone a reduction.”

Zhang Luan was somewhat helpless and asked, “Then how should I deal with it?”

Li Zisheng smiled and shook his head: “Why are you dealing with Liu Ji? He is nothing but a jerk! He must want to hide and plan everything in the dark. He will never do anything himself and use others to do things for him. So, I will go find Chen Zheng, the Minister of Works. He is now the Minister of the Left. He was in charge of the construction of the late emperor’s mausoleum. You should have had contact with him.”

“Yes, yes, yes, he seems to be from the Yintai Division, and used to be… your deputy?” Zhang Luan widened his eyes, as if asking, didn’t you say that you have no one in the Ministry of Industry?
It turns out that even the Left Vice Minister is your man, and you still call it having no one?

Li Zisheng explained, “Chen Zheng seems to be easy to talk to, but he is actually very stubborn. I recommended him because I valued his ability and wanted to earn a good reputation. After he entered the Ministry of Works, he never came to visit me once, and we are like strangers in the court. Don’t think that if I find him, he will definitely come forward to help me.”

“Ah, is that the case?”

Zhang Luan finally understood that Li Zisheng had recommended so many officials not just for bribes, but sometimes he still valued ability.

Zhang Luan thought to himself, Li Zisheng is quite smart in employing people.

Not only did he receive the money and deal with the late emperor clearly, he also recommended talented people. It seems that he has left a certain good reputation!

However, if you want both money and fame… and try to grab both… but isn’t it true… that you can’t grab both with both hands?

……

……

After waiting for a long time, Pang Qing finally arrived.

“I say, what have you been doing that made Lai Zhan and I wait for this?”

When Li Zisheng saw Pang Qing, he immediately criticized him.

Pang Qing replied, “Please forgive me, Mr. Dao and Mr. Zhang. The person who delivered the message explained the reason, and I immediately investigated it… This matter is too strange. From what I found out, it seems to be related to the Minister of Justice Du Ming.”

“Who? Du Ming?”

Upon hearing this, Li Zisheng slapped the table and angrily shouted, “Did you give him face? Take my business card and throw it in front of the Du Mansion! Does this old guy still want to retire smoothly and return home?”

Zhang Luan asked in surprise: “Who is this…?”

Li Zisheng said, “Laizhan, some people in the court can act rashly. I can’t control them, and I dare not control them. Just like the new cabinet member Xu Pu, he has no seams, so no matter how bad I am, I have to avoid him. But some people… have seams all over their bodies, and they are already smelly, and they still want to cause trouble! Do you think I can tolerate him?”

“This Du Shangshu…”

Zhang Luan thought to himself, are all the ministers of the Ming Dynasty so bad in character?
“oops!”

Li Zisheng raised his head and said self-deprecatingly, “I was a little impulsive in what I said. I didn’t expect that a mere minister of the Ministry of Justice would dare to extend his hand so far and even want to control the salt tax? It seems that Du Ming intends to use Liu Ji as a way out, so he spared no effort.

“The next step he will probably take is to find someone to impeach you… You and I should keep quiet for now. I will find a way to suppress this matter in the next two days. You can just go back and wait.”

(End of this chapter)