Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 112 When one is estranged from others, slander will enter.

Zhang Shuo took in the changes in the boy's expression. He had known about this for quite some time, but the boy was busy preparing for his exams when he returned, so he didn't inquire further to avoid distracting him. Now that things had come to a head, he brought it up.

"The other day, in the humble room of your old residence, I found half of a fragment of an epitaph..."

Zhang spoke again.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai's eyes widened again, surprised that there was such a thing. However, he had originally planned to confess soon, but hadn't had the time until now. Since he had been discovered, there was no point in hiding it anymore.

"That was written by me too."

Although he was unyielding and principled, that was merely a facade for outsiders. He would never be stubborn when it came to yielding. He immediately bowed before Zhang Shuo's desk and said, "Previously at home, I was disliked by my parents and lacked proper discipline, putting me in a rather unfavorable situation. I also relied on my meager talents and made some mistakes. Recently, I have gained more favor from my grandfather, and I am often filled with trepidation and guilt..."

Zhang said he was mainly curious about how this kid could hide his talents, but he didn't expect the kid to be so audacious as to write an epitaph for someone else in his name. After hearing Zhang Dai's explanation, he was immediately wide-eyed.

"They believed it? Without a shred of doubt?"

After a long while, he finally spoke and asked.

Zhang Dai nodded, then quickly added, "Writing under someone else's name is already a mistake. How could I be perfunctory and tarnish my grandfather's literary reputation? That's why I wrote each piece with great care, using beautiful language and strong handwriting..."

"Then I should thank you for preserving my literary reputation?"

Upon hearing this reply, Zhang Shuo immediately glared and roared angrily. He raised his hand to grab the inkstone on the desk, but then turned to the paperweight. After touching it, he touched the brush, noticing that there was still ink on the brush tip. Finally, he simply slammed his hand heavily on the desk and shouted, "You dare to do this, brat!"

Zhang Dai glanced sideways and secretly observed that his grandfather had changed several things but hadn't been willing to throw them at him. In the end, he only hurt himself to vent his anger, which was very different from the way he had swung the table and smashed his father Zhang Jun a few days ago. Zhang Dai was quite moved for a moment and quickly bowed his head again and said, "I know this matter is inappropriate, and I didn't dare to do it, especially after the family incident, I haven't done it even once."

"Even once is too much!"

Zhang said his palms were numb and sore from slamming them on the table. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before asking, "How much did you get? What expenses were incurred?"

“Each piece cost between one and two hundred strings of cash, and I dared not squander the money and goods I received. The money and goods I recently presented to the clan school were obtained in this way. Otherwise, with the inheritance from my late mother, where would I have gotten so much money and goods…”

Zhang Dai quickly lowered his head and said, "Although I did something wrong, I didn't dare spend a single penny. Instead, I brought the money home to help your son make ends meet."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuo's expression softened slightly. In all his years serving as an official in the court, he only returned to his home in Luoyang when the emperor stayed in the eastern capital. He didn't know much about the family affairs there, but he had recently come to understand that this young man had been neglected at home.

Although he was so angry that his stomach ached, upon reflection he still felt a pang of pity.

After a while, he said angrily, "Your grandfather is famous throughout the land, yet you sold your writings for such a pittance. All the money and silk obtained from this should be returned home as punishment for your ignorance of market prices! If you dare to cheat people like this again, I will not let you off lightly!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai readily agreed, naturally not daring to object. He still had 500,000 strings of cash to withdraw and was too lazy to bother with such petty matters with the old man.

Zhang then said earnestly, “Your talent is extraordinary, and you are skilled in sophistry. Even seasoned scholars like He Jizhen cannot refute you. While your talent is commendable, if you rely on it to resort to trickery and evil, the harm you will cause will be even greater, hurting others and yourself.”

The moon waxes and wanes, and power ebbs and flows. Even your grandfather, who prided himself on his shrewdness, was not immune to the harm inflicted by excessive force. You are now a young man in the prime of your life; everything should be planned and executed slowly. You should not rely on clever tricks! I have been lenient and let this matter pass, but if it were someone else, would they have forgiven you?

That's the logic, but Zhang Dai didn't have any long-term plans back then. He just wanted to grab a quick buck before jumping ship. Now that the situation is different, he certainly wouldn't do that again.

“I will always remember my grandfather’s teachings and never dare to do such a thing again!”

In any case, his attitude in admitting his mistake was very sincere, which improved Zhang's mood slightly. He then pointed to the rubbings on the table and said, "From whom did you learn calligraphy?"

“I studied the calligraphy of Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi, and followed the style of Ouyang Xun. My mother left behind few calligraphic works, and I had no money to go to the market to buy famous works by renowned calligraphers, so I went to Beiman and Longmen to copy the inscriptions on tombstones and cliffs. My brush was stiff and the ink was dry, so my brushstrokes were bony and lacked substance…”

Zhang Dai quickly lowered his head and said, and Zhang Shuo's eyes showed even more pity after hearing this.

He stood up, pulled his grandson to his feet, and said in a deep voice, “The hardships and difficulties of youth are not trials. Even the sages of today… My grandson is exceptionally gifted and outstanding among men. Your grandfather has imparted all his knowledge to you! Come, come before me, and I will teach you some more about the shortcomings in the law.” Zhang Dai already had a plan for today, and he had no time to sit here and let this old man make up for the lack of family affection and teachings he had received over the years. So he said again, “Grandfather’s knowledge is vast and boundless. Even if I am arrogant, how dare I boast that I have mastered everything he has taught me?”
Even a little wisdom in navigating life is enough to make one fearless in the face of human wickedness. Recently, I've been subjected to much hardship; I must ask my grandfather for advice on how to retaliate!

Zhang said that he was not averse to the boy's situation, which was convenient, as he was now preoccupied with revenge. He himself was vindictive and felt that this grandson was indeed more like him than his son.

"The Minister of Personnel, Wei Jian, recently appointed unworthy officials without regard to taboo, and it's infuriating that you didn't reprimand him, making him a laughingstock. You also instigated a commotion among the candidates in the southern provinces, nearly causing my grandson to be questioned by the Secretariat. This grudge must be avenged, this hatred will never be appeased!"

Zhang said bitterly at first, then sighed and said, "It's a pity I'm not in court right now, so I can only speak through others. They might be able to dismiss him, but it's difficult to eliminate him. Let him sink to a low-ranking position for now, and when my grandson comes to power, he will punish him even more severely!"

Wei Jian's actions have embarrassed the Zhang family. Even if Zhang Dai doesn't speak up, Zhang Shuo won't let him off the hook. However, he is now out of power, and even if he were to launch an attack, it would be difficult for him to do so personally, as the strength of his attack would be hard to control. Meanwhile, the Wei family also has deep roots, so it's unlikely that they can deliver any fatal blow.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai sighed inwardly. His understanding of Tang Dynasty politics was not specific or profound enough. He only thought that since his grandfather had lost his most important position as prime minister, there was not much difference between being in court or not. Even if he retired directly, it wouldn't be a big deal.

However, it seems that in the current political struggles of the court, the depth of one's involvement and influence is one issue, but being present is another. If Zhang Shuo were still in court, even without the power of a prime minister, problems could be communicated in a timely manner, unlike before when he was in a passive position.

While the grandfather and grandson were still talking at home, a new round of personnel infighting had already begun in the imperial court.

Surprisingly, it was not Zhang Shuo's cronies who first attacked Wei Jian, but Wei Jian's colleagues in the Ministry of Personnel. They impeached Wei Jian for losing control over the selection of candidates, causing an uproar among the candidates in the capital and the city, which had a negative impact on the selection process that had not yet officially begun, and that he should be punished.

What goes around comes around. Last year, Yuwen Rong petitioned for ten appointments, which offended the Ministry of Personnel quite a bit. This time, the Ministry of Personnel is determined to kick out this spy that Yuwen Rong planted.

Next, Cui Rizhi, the Minister of Ceremonies, and others directly accused Wei Jian of betraying the country and engaging in self-serving activities, using his position to gain favor. They also accused Wei Jian of failing to investigate and appointing more than one hundred Huiwen mourning officials, except for Zhang Dai, the grandson of Yan Gongsun, who was appointed to an official position. They argued that Wei Jian was suspected of favoritism and should be severely punished. They further requested that Zhang Yue be summoned to court to explain his actions.

If the Ministry of Personnel's report was merely an attempt to remove Wei Jian, then Cui Rizhi and his group's accusations were far more ruthless, especially since the charge of treason could be fatal if proven true.

Moreover, the tricky part of this charge is that it falsely accused Wei Jian of being a supporter of Zhang Shuo. This seems to implicate Zhang Shuo as well, but in fact it creates an opportunity for Zhang Shuo to return to the court.

Zhang Shuo has been under attack for days and is in a very delicate situation. Once he enters the court to explain himself, the accusations against Wei Jian and his faction will naturally be baseless. However, Zhang Shuo can take the opportunity to defend himself against the attacks that have been coming against him for days.

Zhang Yue's dismissal from office, effectively removing him from court, was a very serious problem. As the saying goes, "Those who are distant from the court are susceptible to slander; a day without court is a day in danger." The more prominent a minister's position, the more he needed to strive to see the emperor daily so that he could defend himself in time against accusations.

However, Zhang Yue is now confined to his home, left to the mercy of rumors and gossip, completely on the defensive. Meanwhile, his political enemies are all in court, each holding powerful positions, making his situation extremely perilous.

"The son of the Zhang family whom Master Wei selected and appointed is actually a lowly and wicked official. How can he be accused of being a sympathizer of Lord Yan? The reports submitted by the Grand Master of Ceremonies and others are all absurd and untrue. Lord Yan has made great contributions to the country and was sent home in a comfortable carriage to enjoy a life of honor in his residence. This is why we should treat him with respect. How can we disturb him with such baseless accusations!"

Having finally driven Zhang Shuo out of the court, Cui Yinfu and the others naturally wouldn't let him go again for such a trivial matter. They tried their best to prove that Wei Jian had no intention of siding with Zhang Shuo.

However, this leads to another question: why did Wei Jian appoint Zhang Dai to such a lowly and undesirable official position? Was it because Zhang Dai had acted improperly during Emperor Huiwen's funeral?

However, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and even the Ministry of Rites have no record of this behavior by the mourners. Since Wei Jian was not a member of the clique, then it must be revenge, perhaps on behalf of his relative Li Linfu, to retaliate against Zhang Dai for his recent remarks that offended him? Even the emperor praised this matter, and the Henan Prefecture benefited greatly from his petition. If this is considered a crime, then what merit is there?
The court was deadlocked, and Wei Jian, caught in the vortex, could only kneel in the palace, sweating profusely, listening to Zhang Shuo's followers attack him with various accusations.

The court officials failed to reach a conclusion, and the emperor naturally remained silent, simply watching as his ministers continued to discuss the matter.

Just as they were each sticking to their own version of events, Song Yao, the Imperial Censor recommended by Prime Minister Li Yuanhong, stepped forward and also bluntly stated that Wei Jian was guilty.

However, Song Yao attacked more targets. After speaking about Wei Jian, he immediately impeached Yuwen Rong for failing to properly recommend people. He said that former Censor-in-Chief Li Linfu and current Assistant Minister of Personnel Wei Jian were both recommended by him and were put to work. They both made mistakes in their judgments, and Yuwen Rong should also investigate them!

In addition, Zhang Jun, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, disregarded the consequences by appointing his son to a post, and his judgments were far from thorough and careful. He was incapable of handling important provincial matters and also needed to be punished.

Song Yao's outburst of attacks startled the assembled officials. Had Li Yuanhong gone mad with killing intent?
The emperor had not expected that Li Yuanhong had quietly prepared such a powerful attack. Seeing that the situation would get out of control if the ministers continued to discuss it, he stopped the discussion on the spot and ordered the relevant officials to investigate and impeach him.

In the end, Wei Jian was stripped of his official position and appointed as a military advisor in Hangzhou. Zhang Jun was dismissed from his post as a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat and transferred to the position of vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

(End of this chapter)