Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 110 Yan Gong's Skills Are Passed Down
Although the imperial examination has come to an end, Zhang Dai still has a lot to do. The first thing is to take advantage of the momentum from the examination and work with his grandfather to revive the family's recently declining fortunes.

On the day of the Zhang family's banquet, the main gate of the mansion, which had been closed for a long time, was opened wide again. Although the iconic sandbank was no longer there, the servants swept the street in front of the mansion clean from early morning.

Zhang Dai also got up early in the morning, dressed up in his finest clothes, and was then seated in the main hall. Below him, a group of Zhang family members were also full of energy and ready to greet the guests.

What followed was not a slap in the face from the Zhang family's grand gesture that resulted in a deserted house. After all, reality is rarely so dramatic. Since Zhang had put on such a show, he must have had some confidence. From early morning, guests began to arrive one after another.

The first to arrive were many court and scholar-officials who had received Zhang Yue's favor and support, such as the Sun brothers, Sun Ti and Zhao Dongxi. Wang Han, who had been dismissed from his official post and was now retired, also arrived at the Zhang family mansion early.

"The flowers and trees in front of the courtyard have long been unappreciated, their colors faded due to the lack of visitors!"

Wang Han was always outspoken. After entering the house, he pointed to the flowering trees on one side of the front courtyard and exclaimed, making the Zhang brothers, who were greeting guests at the door, look a little awkward.

However, Zhang Shuo didn't care about this. Pointing at Wang Han, he said with a smile, "What we need is for Prince Yu, a wise and virtuous man, to drink with his guests to their hearts' content, and for those with shallow minds to support the trees and fertilize the flowers!"

Wang Han, upon hearing Zhang Shuo's teasing about his past drunken vomiting, was neither ashamed nor angry. He simply patted his belly and said, "This belly can hold rivers and seas; food and drink are welcome!"

Zhang Dai listened to their conversation, which sounded like a folk song duet. Suddenly, Wang Han appeared before him, staring at him and sighing, "I knew Zhang Liulang's talent beforehand, but I never expected that after his career setback and retirement, Pei Dun would regain his reputation for recognizing talent! If we were to exchange poems in the future, Liulang, you must put in your best effort so that I can use your masterpiece to spread my fame!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai broke out in a cold sweat and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Scholar, your talent and reputation are so great that I cannot even begin to compare. If I could exchange poems with you and have our talents appreciated by the world, fame and fortune would be nothing to me!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Dongxi, who had already taken his seat, said with a smile, "Wang Ziyu's setback is only temporary. If he can gain the appreciation of the prime minister in the court and be recommended for a position, he will naturally return to your service next year and become known for recognizing talent."

In the early Tang Dynasty, the provincial examinations for the imperial examinations were overseen by the Assistant Minister of Personnel, making this position extremely important. Naturally, it was impossible to grant it to Wang Han, who had recently been ousted from the court for offending the prime minister.

Zhao Dongxi's words were, of course, just a joke. No sooner had he finished speaking than Sun Ti, the Left Remonstrance Official, spoke up: "The other day I visited Master Yan, and he asked me to tell Lord Yan that with the provincial examination approaching, he must avoid suspicion and dare not presume to visit and cause trouble for his master. Master Yan has also reviewed all of Liu Lang's works and sighed that if he could perform as well in the provincial examination, who could dismiss him?"

The so-called "Master Yan" is Yan Tingzhi, who currently holds the official position of Assistant Minister of Personnel and will be the chief examiner for next year's imperial examination.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh that, aside from his unfortunate father, being born into the Zhang family was truly a blessing.

Other scholars and candidates needed to travel to the capital to seek patronage from people who were his guests, or even his relatives. The examiners who could decide the candidates' fates were also the subject of gossip among the guests.

While other candidates were still diligently studying the examiners' papers in their lodgings, savoring their writing style and interest, he had already received a message from the examiners themselves, telling him to focus on his studies and perform to his best ability.

However, if this Jingzhao Prefecture examination is taken as the standard for normal performance, then it will be quite difficult for Zhang Dai.

Not to mention that Du Mu's "Rhapsody on the Afang Palace" would never have appeared in the provincial examination hall, even if a test poem of the same caliber as "Xiangling Playing the Zither" could be written casually, it would not have been hailed as the best test poem of the Tang Dynasty!
Talent is talent, and exam-taking is exam-taking. Even if Li Bai had taken the exam, he probably wouldn't have passed! While Wang Wei and his ilk were undoubtedly talented, their exam poems were utterly bland and uninteresting.

Zhang Dai secretly regretted setting such a high bar; if the provincial exam's answer level suddenly plummeted, it would certainly be inappropriate.

Zhang said with a smile as he sat in the hall, "Your son has talent, but his studies are not yet solid enough. His performance in the prefectural exam was just a lucky stroke of genius, so we shouldn't place too much hope on him or push him too hard. If he gets a below-average score in the provincial exam tomorrow, I'll be happy!"

He didn't want to put too much pressure on his grandson. Zhang Dai nodded repeatedly after listening, thinking that his grandfather knew how to care for him and was always there to protect him. Copying something also requires thought, and one has to consider whether it's appropriate.

However, after saying this, Zhang looked at Zhao Dongxi and the others and said with a smile, "The reason I invited you all here today is because I have something to ask you. The provincial examination is still a few months away. I would like to trouble you to come here during your rest days to teach this child the exam. If he fails the exam next year, I will make you all a laughingstock to the world!"

Among these people, Wang Han needs no introduction; he was a top student who passed both the imperial examination and the special examination consecutively.

While Zhao Dongxi's later generations may not have been as renowned for their talent as Wang Han, all seven of his brothers passed the imperial examinations, and for the next five generations, all of them also passed, making them a representative family of distinguished families since the Tang Dynasty adopted the civil service examination system. Putting aside everything else, their experience in taking the exams was absolutely abundant.

As for Sun Ti, he was an even more formidable figure, so much so that the examiners lowered their ranks to pay him homage and treated him like a distinguished guest. When he passed the imperial examination, his policy essays impressed Zhang Yue so much that he ordered his sons Zhang Jun and Zhang Ji to seek his guidance.

Zhang Yue even planned to bring all these people to his home to tutor his grandson. This lineup would be absolutely luxurious, probably rivaling the tutors of the princes. Of course, the sons of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang were an exception.

Upon hearing this, the others nodded in agreement without hesitation. They had all witnessed Zhang Dai's poetic talent; he was more than capable of passing the provincial examination, and even if his skill level declined slightly, he could at least maintain a passing grade. With a little guidance, he would be able to master it easily. Zhang Dai, however, knew his own limitations and wasn't as optimistic as they were. He understood that if he wanted to maintain a high standard in next year's provincial examination, he would have to study diligently and see what the questions were like. If the questions were clever, he would do well; if not, he would at least have to get by.

"Then we old folks will also pay a visit in our spare time to earn some food and drink from Master Yan!"

Zhang Jun then led in several more guests, with He Zhizhang, his former superior in the Ministry of Rites and still holding the position of Vice Minister of Rites, leading the way.

Following behind were Xu Jian and several of Zhang Shuo's old colleagues from the Jixian Hall. After entering the hall, they all congratulated Zhang Shuo and praised him highly.

He Zhizhang was equally happy to encourage younger generations. Although Zhang Dai did not need his guidance, his love and appreciation for young talents were evident. After sitting down, he pulled Zhang Dai aside to discuss the creative ideas behind "The Rhapsody on the Epang Palace" and its historical viewpoints.

Others joined in upon hearing this topic, saying that history and classics are the foundation of self-cultivation and scholarship, and how a person views and interprets history directly reflects their level of thought and logic.

Whether someone has substance or not can generally be discerned in a few words of discussion. Of course, this refers to the ancients, as their access to major events was relatively limited. In later generations, historical discussions were replaced by political commentary, yet the same effect was achieved.

If it weren't for topics of pure literature and etiquette, Zhang Dai wouldn't be afraid to discuss them with the ancients, and his perspective was often broader and more novel, which could be very inspiring.

"This child is incredibly wise, surpassing even the most skilled servants. He has truly inherited the skills of the Duke of Yan!"

He Zhizhang hadn't argued with Zhang Dai on a single topic. The old man's face turned a little red from the debate. He raised his cup to drink tea, muttering indignantly.

What good things can you say if you lose an argument? This old man is clearly saying that this kid is full of scheming and treacherous schemes, even his father can't compare. Zhang said that his skills in plotting a coup and seizing power should be passed down to his grandson.

Zhang Shuo's expression became somewhat unnatural after hearing this. Zhang Dai couldn't help but roll his eyes at the old man. How could a debate involve personal attacks? Are you trying to force me to send this well-informed guy back to Wuzhong to retire in a few years?

As for Zhang Jun, who was standing to the side, he also took the opportunity to roll his eyes at him, thinking that his old boss was really outspoken. Had he been eating for nothing all these years? How could he be worse than his son?

He Zhizhang's verbal skills are truly something else; he offended three generations of his family with just one sentence. However, the guests in the hall were all preoccupied with their own topics, and no one seemed to care about his sore loser ramblings.

The banquet began in the early morning, and later, the arrival of senior officials such as Duke Xu, Su Ting, and Minister of Ceremonies, Cui Rizhi, added a touch of solemnity to the atmosphere.

Zhang Dai didn't specifically invite any guests. He planned to hold a banquet at his Huixunfang villa in the future to invite his young disciples from Luoyang, so only Wang Wei came by his invitation.

However, quite a few people came for him, such as Pei Dunfu, who had clearly made him his top courtesan, and came to offer his warm congratulations in the afternoon.

Because of the recent imperial examination, he has been invited to meet and questioned by several high-ranking officials in the capital, and many have hinted that they want to recommend him. This naturally makes Pei Dunfu very happy and he pays more and more attention to Zhang Dai's affairs.

Others, including Tokiryu, who had previously served as a mourner for the deceased, also came to offer their congratulations.

As evening approached and the curfew was about to begin, some elderly people who couldn't stay up late took their leave. After seeing off these old friends, Zhang Shuo returned to the inner hall to rest, leaving the banquet to his nephews and younger relatives.

Soon the lanterns were lit, but the joyous atmosphere of the banquet inside remained undiminished. Just then, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly rang out from the outer courtyard, rapidly approaching the Zhang family mansion.

Having experienced a family upheaval, the Zhang family was naturally extremely sensitive to such sounds. They hurriedly reported the situation to the hall masters. Upon hearing this, the Zhang brothers' expressions changed slightly. Zhang Jun then raised his hand to signal Zhang Dai to take a few disciples to the front courtyard to see what was going on.

When Zhang Dai arrived at the front courtyard, the person who had come was already at the gate and handed over his name card. He took the name card from the servant and saw that it belonged to Wang Shouzhen, son of Duke Huo, Wang Maozhong, and the Crown Prince's servant.

He frowned slightly, then quickly had someone invite the guests in, and strode to the door himself.

There were more than twenty knights on the street outside the gate, the leader of whom was also in his twenties. When Zhang Dai came out, he waved to him from his horse and said with a smile: "My name is Wang Shouzhen. You should recognize me today, Zhang Lang. I heard that you have passed the imperial examination with flying colors. I have come to congratulate you and present you with a Qinghai dragon horse, so that you may travel to the capital next year after passing the imperial examination and enjoy the flowers and the announcement of your name!"
"Since so many people are ignorant of etiquette, I fear it would disgrace the grand hall of Yan Gong. Today we offer our congratulations at his door, and tomorrow we will scheme together for wealth and honor with Zhang Lang! Zhang Lang, please return home; we will find other places to amuse ourselves!"

After saying this, Wang Shouzhen had his attendants bring up a fine Qinghai horse, and then, with a whistle, led his dozens of attendant knights in a noisy gallop out of the ward. By this time, the curfew had already begun, yet they galloped freely through the streets and alleys without any restraint.

(End of this chapter)