Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 102 Zhang Lang is talented and capable; even the prime minister cannot stop him.

Inside the Ministry of Personnel's annex, Zhang Dai was still holding his pen, frowning as if he were struggling to compose a poem, while a commotion could be heard outside.

Feeling bored, Pei Dunfu, who was supervising the examination in the hall, got up and went to the outside of the hall to listen. When he heard the shouts and curses from the examinees outside, his expression changed immediately.

When Pei Dunfu looked back at Zhang Dai, who was still answering questions, he secretly regretted that he had rashly agreed to Princess Yuzhen's request.

He knew that Zhang Shuo had lost power, but he figured that Zhang Shuo still retained some influence in the court. In addition, this matter was entrusted by Princess Yuzhen, so he agreed to it as a matter of convenience, and he could also gain favors from two families with one thing.

He never expected Zhang Shuo to have fallen from power so completely that even his grandson was being blamed and harassed for failing the provincial examination. Judging from this, there must be another reason why Zhang Shuo's son couldn't participate in the Henan provincial examination!
"What's going on outside?"

Zhang Dai stood up and placed the poem he had just written, "Xiangling Playing the Zither in the Provincial Examination," on the table. He glanced curiously outside. He had heard the commotion outside, but he couldn't make out what they were shouting.

Pei Dunfu was slightly surprised to see Zhang Dai finish the question so quickly, but then he thought that the question was originally prepared for him by Princess Yuzhen, so there must be some intricacies involved.

He didn't answer Zhang Dai's question, but instead returned to his desk and picked up the poem to read. After reading it in its entirety, his expression changed immediately. The poem blended emotion and scenery, progressing layer by layer. Even setting aside the examination-related theme, it was an excellent work in itself!
The Jingzhao Prefecture Examination has always been the most important examination among the provincial examinations. Both the quantity and quality of the candidates recommended from the prefectures are unparalleled. As a result, the top candidates in the Jingzhao Prefecture Examination have an alternative name, "Dengdi," which means equivalent to passing the provincial examination. Very few people fail in the subsequent provincial examinations.

Therefore, the annual imperial examination in the capital city is always a gathering of talented individuals, and this year is no exception, with many excellent works emerging. Pei Dunfu, as the chief examiner, was quite proud of this, but all the excellent works he had previously admired paled in comparison to this piece, "Xiangling Plays the Zither"!
He even suspected that the boy might have plagiarized someone else's poem, but the poem was too outstanding. Pei Dunfu was certain that if it were his own masterpiece, he would never have given it away so easily. Moreover, the boy's grandfather, Zhang Yue, was a literary master; if he were suspected of plagiarism, it would undoubtedly be a huge scandal!

"It's just some idle chatter, Zhang Lang, don't worry about it, just focus on answering the questions!"

After reading the poem, Pei Dunfu felt much more at ease. He was worried that the young man was just a pretty face and might implicate him in punishment, so he was eager to see what the young man's true abilities were through the subsequent questions.

If someone truly possesses talent, then they need not worry about being accused of favoritism or corruption. Although the imperial court has its own procedures for selecting officials, these procedures can also be flexible, provided that the person involved is willing to make such flexibility.

In order to appreciate the young man's talent more closely, Pei Dunfu simply moved his desk next to Zhang Dai and watched him continue writing his essays.

“You stupid, tiny insect, you inchworm…”

Compared to his previous poems, Zhang Dai wrote prose much more slowly. This is because prose, in terms of its content, format, and rhythm, is more difficult to conceive than poetry. He had to do the proper work; he couldn't just whip up a pen and write it instantly, and he wasn't as brilliant as Wen Bacha.

Pei Dunfu watched for a long time, and finally waited until the young man finished writing the first paragraph of his essay. Although the opening was just average and not amazing, it was quite rare for a young man to have such a steady writing style. He was more than qualified to pass the test.

With a renewed sense of confidence, Pei Dunfu felt much better. The outside was still noisy, but he was already inwardly blaming the Ministry of Personnel for their muddled actions. They had merely borrowed a separate hall and hadn't interfered with the Ministry's operations; how could they have angered and alienated the candidates!
Suddenly, the commotion outside stopped abruptly. Pei Dunfu looked over curiously and saw Xi Yu, with a serious expression, leading the two into the side courtyard. He quickly stood up and instructed Zhang Dai, "Continue writing, don't let your mind be disturbed!"

Zhang Dai vaguely guessed that something might have happened again, so he stopped dawdling and sped up his writing.

Pei Dunfu hurriedly went out to greet him, and then heard two clerks from the Imperial Secretariat conveying the instructions of Prime Minister Li Yuanhong.

If things had come to this point earlier, Pei Dunfu might have simply obeyed orders and called for the make-up exam. Even the prime minister was personally intervening; why should he insist?
But now he had the confidence, and if he stopped now, he would offend Princess Yuzhen and Zhang Shuo, and Li Yuanhong would certainly not appreciate him for it, so he might as well stick to it to the end.

"The imperial court established this selection ceremony to better govern and recruit talent. I, your humble servant, am in charge of the examinations in the capital. I will certainly recommend any talented individuals and dare not be negligent! Please inform Prime Minister Li that if I am punished for my respect for the virtuous, I will have no regrets!"

When Xi Yu heard Pei Dunfu say this, he was immediately surprised. Even the prime minister had personally inquired about it, which made him feel a lot of pressure. He did not expect Pei Dunfu to be so bold, and he was curious about where the man’s confidence came from.

So he strode into the hall, picked up Zhang Dai's answer sheet of poems from the table and read it through. He then looked at the young man with a surprised expression.

Zhang Dai sighed inwardly, realizing he really needed to avoid offending people. He'd finally managed to squeeze in a make-up exam through connections, but even that didn't go smoothly. Seeing Xi Yu looking at him with surprise, he raised his hand again and said, "Master Xi, the other essay is also finished!"

Upon hearing this, Xi Yu hurried over, and Pei Dunfu also rushed over. He grabbed the poem first, and the two of them read it carefully, head to head. They felt that although the poem was not as amazing as the original poem, it was still a dignified and elegant work.

Pei Dun returned to his desk, hastily copied down the two answer sheets, and handed the copies to two clerks in the Imperial Secretariat, saying, "Please present this to Chancellor Li. If he deems it unacceptable, he may bring Zhang Lang to the provincial capital for another examination. But if you obstruct my efforts to assess talent and recommend worthy individuals, I will absolutely not obey your command!"

Zhang Dai was also startled when he heard this. He could guess that someone was going to make things difficult for him, but he did not expect that it was Prime Minister Li Yuanhong who was interfering.

After a moment's thought, he immediately raised his hand again and said, "My knowledge of the classics is still shallow. I would like to redeem the letter with miscellaneous writings. May I ask if this is permissible, Minister Pei?" "Since this custom exists, why not!"

Pei Dunfu was even more delighted upon hearing this. The fill-in-the-blank test in the calligraphy examination only tested basic skills and didn't really showcase a person's talent. What he wanted now was for Zhang Dai to demonstrate as much talent as possible, so he relaxed his requirements further, saying, "The calligraphy exam isn't a fixed topic; Zhang Lang can do as he pleases!"

Zhang Dai was secretly delighted when he heard this. Having a set topic and rhyme scheme was like dancing in shackles for him. Once these restrictions were lifted, he became incredibly powerful!
So he immediately picked up his brush and wrote down the title of his essay on redemption: "Ode to the Epang Palace in the Examination of Redemption in the Capital Prefecture!"

Seeing Pei Dunfu's firm stance, the two officials from the Secretariat decided not to linger and make a fool of themselves. They took the two essays Pei Dunfu had handed them and hurriedly returned to the Secretariat in the capital.

At this moment, in the main hall of the Secretariat, Zhang Jun was kneeling in shock and panic, repeatedly saying, "This humble official has been preoccupied with provincial affairs recently and was truly unaware of such a matter at home! Had I known, I would certainly not have allowed my unfilial son to interfere with the selection process..."

Li Yuanhong naturally didn't believe Zhang Jun's nonsense. "Your son is participating in the provincial examination and preparing for the provincial examination, and you don't even know?"

Zhang Jun's failure to report the truth and his feigned ignorance further enraged Li Yuanhong. Since the officials investigating the matter had not yet returned, he took the opportunity to reprimand Zhang Jun for all the mistakes he had made in the province recently, leaving Zhang Jun with his head bowed and sweating profusely.

After a while, the two subordinates hurriedly returned and reported what had happened.

When Li Yuanhong heard that Pei Dunfu, the clerk of the Jingzhao Prefecture, had refused his order, he became even angrier. When he saw the answer sheet on the table, he picked it up and looked at it. His face showed a hint of surprise, but it was quickly replaced by anger.

“Zhang Yan’s family has a long and distinguished academic tradition, and even his youngest son is quite skilled in the arts. No wonder he dares to interfere with the selection process. This poem is indeed worthy of appreciation, and if it were to be submitted through the conventional route, I would find it difficult to reject it!”

As he said this, he had someone hand two essays to Zhang Jun.

Zhang Jun took the article and glanced at it briefly. The fear on his face lessened slightly. Although he lacked political acumen, he possessed literary talent. Seeing that his son's two essays were quite good, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. He then echoed Li Yuanhong's words, saying, "This son is naturally intelligent and is deeply favored by his grandfather. He is carefully instructed in the courtyard every day, and even I..."

"Didn't you say you knew nothing about this? Now that the evidence is irrefutable, can you still deny it?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanhong snorted coldly again. He couldn't even tell whether Zhang Jun was wise in appearance or foolish in appearance.

"This, this... Alas, I truly do not know why you do not believe me, sir. I will immediately go to the capital and bring this boy here for you to punish, so as to prove his innocence!"

Hearing that Li Yuanhong still misunderstood him, Zhang Jun felt even more like crying, and immediately bowed his head again to express his condolences.

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanhong immediately snorted coldly, indicating his tacit agreement. A mere provincial examination was naturally not worth his attention as the Prime Minister.

Pei Dunfu refused to comply with his opinion because the officials at all levels each had their own responsibilities. If he was dissatisfied with the preliminary examination of the Jingzhao Prefecture, he would have to wait until the examination was submitted before conducting a second review and investigation to verify unfairness and then severely punish the offenders. However, he did not have the authority to directly stop the examination.

Now that Zhang Jun has taken the initiative to express his intention to bring his son to the capital, Li Yuanhong has decided that regardless of whether Zhang Jun is truly foolish or pretending to be, he must use this incident to sweep him out of the Secretariat and prevent Zhang Shuo's influence from continuing to haunt the province.

Sweating profusely, Zhang Jun left the Secretariat and hurriedly headed towards the Eastern Capital Province. Those officials who had gathered outside the province to file complaints followed him, eager to witness firsthand the punishment of the despicable power-hungry official.

However, when they arrived outside the Ministry of Personnel's separate hall, they found that the candidates, who should have been united in their hatred of the enemy, all had peaceful expressions, and even some joy on their faces, and were reciting aloud: "The six kings are finished, the four seas are unified, Mount Shu is leveled, and the Epang Palace emerges..."

"How can one take every last penny and use it like dirt? In recent years, I have never heard of a historical treatise as powerful and insightful as this one! Zhang She's family is learned and his sons are talented and brilliant. I admire him greatly! It is fitting that such a talented person is famous in the capital today. It is our good fortune to avoid him!"

Several people who knew Zhang Jun greeted him warmly as he approached, smiling and bowing.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, this is..."

Zhang Jun was still a bit dizzy from Li Yuanhong's scolding, and now that he was surrounded by people praising him, he was completely taken aback and stared blankly, not knowing how to respond.

(End of this chapter)