Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng
Chapter 7 Seize the Future!
Chapter 7 Seize the Future!
The days are short in winter, and as soon as the evening begins, the sky in Beijing becomes completely dark.
Inside the residence of Grand Secretary Zhang, the lights were bright and the crowds were surging. There was a red lantern every three steps and a glazed lamp every five steps.
Maids in uniform, with solemn expressions and holding delicacies, shuttled back and forth in the Zhang family's dining hall.
In the dining room, there is a purple wooden table that is about seven or eight meters long.
The benches on both sides are neatly arranged, extending from the head of the table to the foot of the table.
As the maid walked, the table was filled with delicious food, making people drool.
After a while, a tall figure walked into the dining hall, followed by a large group of people.
The person walking in the front was Zhang Juzheng, followed by Zhang Jingxiu and his wife Gao Yue.
Next are Zhang Sixiu and his wife Li.
Only the third person, Zhang Maoxiu, was nowhere to be seen, and only a beautiful young woman with a slim figure came.
She is Zhang Maoxiu’s wife, He Yun.
Finally, Zhang Yunxiu and a dashing young man in black warrior uniform stepped over the threshold, chatting and laughing.
It was his fourth brother Zhang Jianxiu, the only one in the Zhang family who became a military officer.
After sitting down, Zhang Juzheng glanced at the empty seat, frowned, and asked, "Why didn't Maoxiu come?"
When asked by her father-in-law, He Yun quickly stood up and bowed, then bit her red lips and answered, "My husband went out with his classmates a few days ago. He said he was going to play in the snow and was not at home."
"Hmph!" Zhang Juzheng's expression turned stern, and he snorted, "As an official appointed by the court, instead of self-cultivation and serving the country, you just follow those poor scholars, picking out sentences and embellishing rhetoric. How can you achieve anything great?"
"Father, you are right." He Yun did not dare to talk back and quickly agreed.
Zhang Juzheng waved his hand to signal her to sit down, then glanced at his son and daughter-in-law and said, "Today is a family dinner, so we won't talk about politics. Jingxiu, you will host it. I have some things to deal with."
Having said that, he stood up and left.
Zhang Yunxiu and the others were all stunned. Zhang Jingxiu even chased after him and said in panic, "Father, if you don't pick up your chopsticks at the dinner tonight, I'm afraid none of you brothers will dare to pick up your chopsticks."
Zhang Juzheng thought about it and turned back, casually picked up a few pieces of food with his chopsticks, and then left again.
"Fifth brother, what happened to our father?" Zhang Jianxiu came up to him and asked as soon as Zhang Juzheng left. "I heard from You Qi that your coming here really pissed off our father."
"Who knows?" Zhang Yunxiu said boredly, holding his head with one hand.
"Come on, after dinner, I'll take you around Beijing."
"Ahem." Zhang Jingxiu, who was sitting on the side, coughed twice to interrupt the two of them, then glared at Zhang Jianxiu and said, "Yunxiu will take part in the autumn exam this year, so don't lead him astray."
"That's impossible. I just want to take him out to relax so that he won't become a dull person." Zhang Jianxiu smiled embarrassedly.
Zhang Yunxiu suddenly thought of something, his face flushed, and he hurriedly asked in a low voice: "Fourth brother, do you know that there is a man named Zheng Chengxian in the capital? He has a son named Zheng Guotai and a daughter who was sent to the palace."
"Zheng Chengxian?" Zhang Jianxiu frowned and thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't know him. I have an impression of all the famous people in Beijing, but I don't remember this Zheng Chengxian you mentioned."
"Can you find him?"
"What do you mean by find it?" Zhang Jianxiu gave himself a thumbs up and boasted, "In this capital, except for the imperial palace, there is nothing that our Jinyiwei can't find."
"Okay, okay, now I know how powerful you Jinyiwei are." The speaker was Zhang Jianxiu's wife Wang Ling.
The daughter of Wang Zhigao, former governor-general of the Three Borders.
Zhang Yunxiu called out "Fourth sister-in-law" with a smile, gave his fourth brother a look of gratitude, then stood up, raised his glass and toasted everyone.
Everyone laughed and raised their heads to drink a glass. After a while, the banquet was over, but Zhang Juzheng still hadn't returned.
As it was getting late, the few of them did not leave, but instead moved back into their original rooms.
All of a sudden, the somewhat deserted Zhang Mansion became extremely lively.
After Zhang Yunxiu washed up, he dragged Zhang Jianxiu to his bedroom. As soon as they sat down, Zhang Yunxiu couldn't wait to ask, "Fourth brother, who do you think the emperor is?"
"What kind of person?" Zhang Jianxiu was confused.
Zhang Yunxiu slapped his forehead and asked directly, "What do you think, if something happens to father, what will the emperor do to our family?"
"What do you mean?" Zhang Jianxiu became nervous.
He could tell from his fifth brother's words that the emperor seemed to have some resentment towards the Zhang family.
But this is not right. The emperor once said: "Sir, you are loyal to the country. I have no way to show you favor. I can only show you favor to your descendants."
He heard a rumor: his second brother Zhang Sixiu was originally ranked second, but was promoted to second by the emperor.
Even he, who became the co-director of the Embroidered Uniform Guard at the age of 21, was also blessed by the emperor.
"Brother, do you know Huo Guang?" Seeing that he didn't believe him, Zhang Yunxiu quoted from the classics, "When Huo Guang was deposing and enthroning, he was arrogant and domineering. Others didn't dare to say anything when they were alive, but after he died, all kinds of monsters and demons came out."
"No, it's different."
"Why is it different?" Zhang Yunxiu asked back.
"Huo Guang's clan was exterminated because the Huo family rebelled, so the emperor killed them."
"Confused." Zhang Yunxiu slammed the table and defended, "The man is innocent but guilty of possessing a treasure. The Huo family's influence is all over the court, and they have already violated the emperor's taboo. Even if the Huo family does not rebel, they cannot escape the reckoning."
As he spoke, he stood up, walked to the window, stared at the direction of the imperial city and said: "How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed? My Zhang family is extremely wealthy, and prosperity will inevitably decline."
Zhang Jianxiu was horrified when he heard this. He didn't know why his fifth brother, who had always been timid, had become such a different person.
How could such outrageous remarks come out of his mouth?
"Then tell me, what should we do?" Zhang Jianxiu swallowed hard.
"It is a good thing to persuade your father to quit while the going is good."
"I'm afraid this won't work."
"Of course." Zhang Yunxiu nodded.
"What else do you have to say?" Zhang Jianxiu felt that he was being fooled and couldn't help but scold.
Suddenly, he thought of something and asked hurriedly, "The person you told me to look for is called Zheng something."
"Jung Seung-heon."
"Yes, it's Zheng Chengxian." Zhang Jianxiu blushed and said, "Could this person help my Zhang family out of this crisis?"
"Maybe." Zhang Yunxiu answered solemnly.
This is the biological father of Concubine Zheng who was never prominent during the Wanli reign. If the Zhang family could make friends with him, they might be able to continue to be rich and powerful.
"Zheng Chengxian, Zheng Guotai." Zhang Jianxiu murmured twice, his eyes shining, staring at Zhang Yunxiu and replied, "Okay, I promise to find them for you within ten days at most."
"Be polite and don't neglect them." Zhang Yunxiu reminded.
"I know."
(End of this chapter)
