Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 100 The Capital Prefecture Examination
Princess Yuzhen was born of the same mother as the current sage, and their relationship was closer than that of her other siblings. Moreover, as a nun who had entered the Taoist order, her status and situation were even more transcendent and superior, surpassing even that of Prince Qi and others.

Therefore, in some anecdotes from the Tang Dynasty, such as when Prince Qi admired Wang Wei, he would ask Princess Yuzhen to take care of him. Princess Yuzhen herself also enjoyed associating with talented people of her time, so even in later generations, she was very well-known.

The Tang Dynasty revered Taoism, so many high-ranking figures also worshipped Taoism. Even Zhang Dai's grandfather and father were ordained Taoist priests.

However, based on Zhang Dai's understanding of his father, his belief in Taoism was merely a matter of joining in the fun. Just imagining the couple arguing about Buddhism and Taoism after closing the door and turning off the lights at night is quite amusing.

Zhang Dai didn't know what Princess Yuzhen's temperament was like, but seeing that there were still many people queuing outside waiting to be received, he figured that he didn't have much time left.

So he stopped beating around the bush and directly took out a travel document from the brocade pouch, presented it with both hands, and said: "I apologize for disturbing you today, but I am troubled by a matter. I was fortunate enough to assist in the funeral the other day, but I was saddened by the untimely death of Emperor Huiwen, and I dare not follow the path of honor to advance myself."

My original intention was to return and take the provincial examination, but unexpectedly, rain and obstacles made the journey difficult. By the time I returned to Luoyang, the Henan prefectural examination had already concluded, making it impossible for me to participate. I am deeply disappointed. I humbly request an audience with the celestial maiden, hoping to have a look at her. If she appreciates my work, I will humbly seek her guidance.

As he spoke with his head bowed, Princess Yuzhen sat on her lotus throne, looking down at him with a scrutinizing gaze in her beautiful eyes.

Upon hearing that Zhang Dai was asking for this, her brows relaxed slightly, and she gestured to the female Taoist priest standing beside her to bring the scroll up.

She wasn't in a hurry to look at it, but instead picked up the letter from the Princess of Yunyang County again and said to Zhang Dai, "Ayu is one of the few women in the sect who has won my heart. I also guided her to enter the Daoist path recently."

This woman, from a young age, was dignified, refined, cautious, and self-disciplined. She was not easily swayed by emotions, and rarely pleaded for others. Yet now, she had actually written a letter for Zhang Lang—the first time in her life. "Because of this, whatever you ask for, I will grant."

"Thank you so much, Fairy! I only helped with a few things at the funeral the other day, but I never expected to be treated so kindly by the County Princess. If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known how deep your kindness was. I am so humbled and flattered! I will definitely thank the County Princess for your favor when we meet again in the future."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai quickly bowed again, secretly relieved. He knew Princess Yuzhen would still remember this favor by the Princess of Yunyang, and he was indeed even more grateful after hearing it. Without this, he would certainly be even more troubled now.

Princess Yuzhen, hearing the young man's quick wit and tactful responses, smiled kindly. She then opened the scroll, glanced at it, and was immediately astonished: "This poem and these characters are both from Zhang Lang?"

"My humble work is unfortunate and has offended experts."

Zhang Dai quickly bowed again, not particularly pleased with himself, since it wasn't originally his.

Princess Yuzhen recited the poem "Yuzhen Immortal's Song" in a low voice several times, clearly showing her great love for it.

She then carefully sealed the letter from the Princess of Yunyang County, had it returned to Zhang Dai, and smiled, saying, "This poem alone is enough for me to help you this time. Please keep this favor safe, and bring it with you when you need anything in the future!"

Zhang Dai hadn't expected Princess Yuzhen to be so unique in her way of dealing with people. She could actually take back a favor she had already promised because she appreciated her talent, and save it for later use.

No wonder Princess Yuzhen captivated scholars and writers; it wasn't simply a matter of currying favor with the powerful. Princess Anle, daughter of Emperor Zhongzong, also interfered extensively in politics and personnel matters, but she lacked Princess Yuzhen's charisma.

Some might say it's just a disguised form of appreciating talent, the essence is the same. But it's precisely because of this disguise that it can be seen by others. You love to argue so bluntly, why don't you go out naked every day? Even if your body is beautiful, it's not convenient to expose it for appreciation.

Princess Yuzhen then browsed through the other poems and essays in the scroll. While they were no longer as moving as the "Poems of the Immortal Yuzhen" at the beginning of the scroll, they still demonstrated the author's skillful use of prosody. Some of the mature and sophisticated techniques were even beyond what one would expect from someone her age.

But considering that the other person comes from a family with a long tradition of learning and has been personally instructed by a literary master like Zhang Shuo, it is only natural that the young man's talents are far superior to those of his peers.

Princess Yuzhen initially thought that Zhang Dai's eagerness to make progress at such a young age was somewhat impetuous, but after reading through the scroll, she couldn't help but admire his talent and skill, realizing that there was no need for him to hide his abilities and live in seclusion.

"Zhang Lang's talent is exceptional, as I have also observed. With this skill, you are more than capable of passing the provincial examination. If you are to be dismissed simply for missing the deadline, it would be a grave violation of the court's original intention in selecting officials. You should go home and wait for now; I will surely give you the opportunity to pass the provincial examination next year!"

After carefully reading the scroll, Princess Yuzhen said to Zhang Dai, "Thank you for your appreciation, Immortal Lady! I dare not disturb you any longer, so I will take my leave now. I will come again when I have some leisure time in the Immortal Garden to express my gratitude for your kindness."

Zhang Dai knew that many people came to visit him, and that he had already been allowed to cut in line because of the Lady of Yunyang County. It would be impolite to continue to pester her, so he got up and took his leave.

He was quite curious about how Princess Yuzhen would help him get out of trouble, but he didn't want to ask too many questions. After all, if he didn't trust her, why would he come to ask her?
After leaving Anguo Temple, Zhang Dai went straight home. As soon as he entered the house, he saw his father pacing back and forth in the front yard, not daring to go in as if he was worried that he would be scolded and beaten by his grandfather again.

"Where have you been? Your elder is ill and you are not at home diligently attending to his medicine, but instead you are wandering around. If outsiders find out, how can they speak of my family's upbringing!"

When Zhang Jun saw him walk in from the outer room, he immediately said with a displeased expression.

Zhang Dai glanced at him, said nothing, and walked straight into the house. Upon seeing this, Zhang Jun's face flashed with shame and anger. After thinking for a moment, he quickly chased after him and whispered, "The people in the family complain that I sold the land for personal gain, but you also reported the family's hidden land a few days ago. You should know that when things come to a head, it's hard to have it both ways."

"Madam is temporarily residing at the Huixunfang Villa. All the light goods you kept in the house have been sealed away. Even if your father is despicable, he wouldn't harm my son! The reason I didn't obstruct your appointment earlier was simply to wait for the right opportunity to gather strength and invite public criticism of the officials. Unfortunately, someone interfered, and the matter was dropped..."

Therefore, bad people and evil people are not scary. They know they are bad and evil, and they have a sense of right and wrong. They can be defeated by conventional means.

But a fool is different. He doesn't even realize he's a fool; his ideas are wildly imaginative and impossible to fathom. And fools like Zhang Jun are, frankly, not uncommon. Whether it's a lack of understanding or an intellectual deficiency, he doesn't think he's wrong, so what right or wrong is there to argue about?
Zhang Dai had long known what kind of person Zhang Jun was, and he understood the troubles he would face by choosing to stay in the Zhang family and accept this ethical relationship. Therefore, he could take Zhang Jun's foolish actions in stride. He just had to be wary of this guy; he hadn't even told Zhang Jun that he was preparing for the imperial examination.

However, it will be difficult for Zhang Shuo to truly understand his son's character and accept the fact that he will have no successor. But once he does accept this, given Zhang Shuo's personality, he will certainly make other preparations as soon as possible, and will not simply sit and wait for his fate.

In the short term, Zhang Jun is indeed a bit difficult to handle. But in the medium to long term, the more his true colors are revealed, the more advantageous it will be for Zhang Dai. Ultimately, there are more normal people in this world. With Zhang Jun as a comparison, even if Zhang Dai is only of mediocre talent, people can still have great expectations for him.

Zhang Jun stayed at home for a while, but few of his clansmen paid him any attention, so he could only leave dejectedly.

Zhang Dai then gathered a few more of his writings and went to the inner courtyard to ask his grandfather for advice.

The poems, essays, and miscellaneous writings tested in the Tang Dynasty's imperial examinations were not something one could simply compose at will; they also had strict requirements regarding prosody.

Although Zhang Dai could plagiarize, to be honest, poems written in response to imperial commands and regulated verses were niche topics within the academic field of later specialized research in ancient literature. He gained some knowledge through his enthusiasm and love of helping his seniors and juniors, which increased his knowledge base, but he could not be said to have mastered it completely.

Therefore, for these essays on assigned topics, he could often recall some sentences, but apart from some particularly famous poems written for imperial use and regulated verses, he could not memorize the rest in their entirety. So he would often use one or two good sentences as examples, and then fill in the gaps according to his grandfather's guidance.

He was naturally quite perceptive and had a wealth of knowledge. Moreover, with the guidance of the master Zhang Shuo, he became increasingly knowledgeable about the intricacies of writing official essays.

Although Zhang Shuo sometimes had doubts about his grandson's fluctuating skill level during their interactions, the overall progress was remarkable and effective, which made Zhang Shuo very gratified. So much so that the pleasure he derived from guiding the boy for a period of time each day even surpassed that from taking medicine.

The afternoon after visiting Princess Yuzhen, a servant from Princess Yuzhen's residence came to report: "The matter that Young Master Zhang requested has made progress. The official from the Jingzhao Prefecture was sent to the capital to deliver the documents, but the princess temporarily detained him and specially arranged an additional examination for Young Master Zhang. Please go to the separate hall of the capital province tomorrow morning to take the examination."

Zhang Dai was overjoyed to hear this. He didn't expect to skip the preliminary examination and participate directly in the imperial examination. It would be inappropriate to openly use the back door like this.

Although the additional test was also a privilege, it gave him an opportunity to showcase his talents, and it was in line with the spirit of selecting talents from the general public.

Although the preliminary examination wasn't difficult, the Jingzhao Prefecture examination had always had the highest standards, and the top scorers in the Jingzhao Prefecture examination were almost guaranteed to rank highly in the provincial examination. Moreover, Zhang Dai was taking an additional examination, so he naturally needed to demonstrate even more talent to convince the public.

Therefore, he went to bed early tonight to conserve his energy for the exam the next day.

(End of this chapter)