Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 114 All the servants were of the eighth rank

Zhang Dai selected a set of brightly colored and shimmering glass screens from Wang Yuanbao's collection as a gift for his visit to Consort Wu Hui in the palace.

When he tried to inquire about the price and pay, Wang Yuanbao waved his hands repeatedly without saying a word, only instructing his servants to quickly pack the goods and load them onto the cart. Seeing this, Zhang Dai didn't say anything more, figuring that there would be opportunities to make some compensation later on when there were large sums of money to be spent.

He was rewarded by the emperor after submitting his letter to the emperor in a copper box, and was granted a fish-shaped tally for passing through the palace. However, he had never had the opportunity to use it. This time, he went directly into the palace through the Deyou Gate on the north side of the palace to pay his respects to Consort Hui.

A short distance south of Deyou Gate lies Hanjia Granary, now the largest granary in the Luoyang area. All the grain rented from various prefectures is gathered here. Whether the emperor, his ministers, and the imperial guards accompanying them in the Eastern Capital can get enough to eat depends on whether there is enough grain in this granary.

After Zhang Dai entered the palace with the fish tally, he had to wait for the eunuch's notification. After waiting for a while, he saw that people were frequently coming and going from Hanjia Granary, and many carriages were carrying out the granary's goods.

He was naturally curious, so he asked the gatekeeper, "What will the goods be used for once they're taken out of the warehouse?"

"The previous days of torrential rain caused the river to breach its banks in Weizhou, affecting both Henan and Hebei. The imperial court ordered the release of supplies from the Eastern Capital Granary to provide relief to the surrounding prefectures."

Upon hearing the question, the guard replied, which surprised Zhang Dai even more: "Isn't there a charitable granary for disaster relief? Has the situation become so dire that we have to mobilize supplies from the imperial granary?"

According to Tang dynasty regulations, all officials below the rank of prince paid two sheng (a unit of dry measure) as rent for cultivated land, which was stored in public granaries to prepare for famine and disaster.

The grain produced by the Tang Dynasty's official granaries was usually used for the court's daily expenses, the salaries of officials, and various ceremonial expenses. The income and expenditure were generally well-controlled. The grain stored in the public granaries was the main source of supplies to deal with various emergencies.

Although the Hanjia Granary has abundant reserves, these are used to maintain the administration and food expenses of the entire Eastern Capital, which is a planned expenditure. Although the stored goods do not leave the granary, they are already reserved for various uses. Now that disasters in other states have forced the use of the stored goods, it is clear that the situation is indeed critical.

This disaster is a combination of natural disaster and human factors. If the situation continues to worsen and becomes more serious, the Fengshan ceremony of the previous year will undoubtedly become more awkward, and Zhang Shuo will also be implicated, making his political situation more dangerous. Therefore, Zhang Dai has been quite concerned about this recently.

However, this problem was clearly beyond the knowledge of the gatekeepers, who were vague and unable to give a clear explanation.

Just then, voices came from outside the palace gate. Zhang Dai turned around and saw that it was Wei Jian, whom he had met once before in the city.

When Wei Jian saw him there, his expression immediately became wary, and he asked with a surprised tone, "What brings Zhang's son here? Is the matter not yet over, and you still want to have a confrontation?"

Zhang Dai must have misunderstood what he was saying, but he was too lazy to explain. He glared at him and then turned away, ignoring him completely.

Wei Jian did not wait long before being led into the palace garden by palace servants.

Zhang Dai waited there for a while before seeing Niu Guier, the eunuch serving Consort Hui, hurry over. Niu Guier bowed to him from afar and said, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, sir. The Emperor recently ordered Consort Hui to lead the women of the six palaces in raising silkworms in the palace. She has been busy lately, so I was late in welcoming you!"

Zhang Dai waved his hand to indicate that it was alright, then asked with some curiosity, "Raising silkworms in the palace, does that mean we will hold the silkworm-raising ceremony next year?"

Farming and weaving have always been China's traditional occupations. Therefore, every spring, the emperor would pray to heaven and earth for favorable weather and abundant harvests, while the empress would lead the ladies of the court and the imperial family to raise silkworms in the northern suburbs, praying together for the prosperity of agriculture and sericulture.

There is currently no empress in the inner palace, and the emperor has appointed Consort Hui to lead the palace women in raising silkworms, which is quite intriguing.

Upon hearing this, Niu Gui'er grinned and said, "The New Year is still far away, and things are uncertain. How could we palace servants presume to know His Majesty's intentions?"

It's best not to speculate, otherwise you might end up disappointed!
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai sighed inwardly. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was the kind of person who was very willing to give hints and create various illusions in order to control people's hearts.

Not to mention the officials in the outer court, the one he manipulated the most in the inner palace was Consort Wu Hui. She spent half her life chasing an unattainable dream, and in the end, she was nothing more than a tool for Emperor Xuanzong to guard against and punish his young sons.

The silkworm rearing ceremony wasn't a taboo subject; it wouldn't have been held without an empress. The fact that they went to such lengths to create a castrated version within the inner palace demonstrates that Emperor Xuanzong had no sincerity whatsoever.

Ultimately, he was showing reverence for Heaven, using Consort Wu Hui as a tool to deceive it!

The logic is simple: an emperor who doesn't even have an empress, who can't even achieve basic harmony in a family, how can he possibly perform the Fengshan ceremony? Isn't that absurd?
The emperor probably saw this disaster as a warning from heaven, which is why he ordered the palace servants to raise silkworms in the palace. He didn't think it was worthwhile to actually appoint an empress to appease this anxiety, so he used Consort Wu Hui as a temporary measure.

Niu Guier and the other palace servants were unaware of this, probably still dreaming that if Consort Hui became empress, they too would rise to power. They walked with an air of authority, leading Zhang Dai through the palace.

The inner garden was where the emperor's family resided, and there was a clear distinction between the inner and outer areas. If the relatives of the concubines in the palace frequently sought an audience, they were not allowed to enter the concubines' quarters directly. There was a special reception area near the Taoguang Garden in the inner palace.

However, although Consort Hui is now only being used as a tool, she still wields considerable influence in the inner palace. Niu Guier led Zhang Dai directly to the back hall of Honghui Palace to meet him.

While passing through a palace garden surrounded by the Tao Guang Garden canals and ponds, Zhang Dai saw Wei Jian, who had entered the palace before him, standing there waiting to be received by someone. However, he did not look closely and was then led further inside.

"Liu Lang, come this way!"

A voice called out from above. Zhang Dai looked in the direction of the voice and saw his aunt, Consort Wu Hui, standing on the high pavilion's veranda, wearing a bright red dress and waving at him. From a distance, she looked like a beautiful young woman in the prime of her youth.

He strode up to the pavilion. Consort Wu Hui was still strolling leisurely in the outer corridor, admiring the autumn scenery of the imperial garden. Zhang Dai naturally dared not go out so presumptuously. If he were to see something he shouldn't from this vantage point, he would never be able to find it. Seeing him stop inside, Consort Hui smiled and said, "Young man, you are indeed dignified and not a reckless person."

She ordered the palace servants to set up curtains on the north-facing corridor, limiting the view to a corner of Tao Guang Garden. She then summoned Zhang Dai in and said with a smile, "As expected of the young master personally taught by the Duke of Yan, his skill is astonishing."

The Emperor has recently praised your poem for its excellence, saying that it surpasses even the finest poetry and prose of recent imperial examinations, let alone the mere prefectural examination.

"Such praise is truly undeserved!"

Hearing this, Zhang Dai was naturally delighted. No matter how wild his plans were, his most important task at the moment was to improve the emperor's favor. The rewards for improving favor would be astonishing.

He entered the tent and first bowed to Consort Hui, saying, "I was busy with my own affairs of preparing for the imperial examinations upon my return and did not come to see you in time. I hope my aunt will forgive me. I have come to pay my respects today to thank you for returning the inheritance from Mother and to inform you of the matters entrusted to me before. This time, the palace is very secure, and I regret that I was unable to see my cousins..."

"Given the chaos that happened before, it's not surprising that we couldn't meet. It was my oversight. There's no need to regret not seeing each other this time; there will be a time for us to reunite next year."

After hearing this, Consort Wu Hui said something first, then looked at Zhang Dai and sighed, "You, Zhang Sheren, may be loyal to the emperor and the country and have no private matters, but it is still too harsh to offer your son's talents to gain favor. Who in the world does not need to make a living?"

My child has already toiled for so long, how can I bear to take away his inheritance? If the plans for our family and the nation cannot be realized because of this meager wealth, I dare not obstruct it. If not, then I will certainly not allow it!

Zhang Dai was truly moved when he heard this. Compared to his aunt's thoughtfulness and care, his father was not even as good as a scoundrel!

As the two were talking in the pavilion, a group of palace servants escorted a young woman toward the palace where Wei Jian was located in Tao Guangyuan.

After glancing at the document, Zhang Dai's heart skipped a beat. Wei Jian had no direct relatives in the inner palace, but he had an older sister who was the Princess Consort of Xue and a younger sister who was the Princess Consort of Zhong. It seemed that the person who had come to see him this time was the Princess Consort of Zhong.

Consort Wu Hui was in high spirits and inquired about the etiquette related to the silkworm-raising ceremony from Zhang Dai. She also hinted that she hoped her grandfather, Zhang Shuo, could help write a memorial on the silkworm-raising ceremony.

If Consort Hui wanted to request an epitaph for someone, Zhang Dai would agree without hesitation. Even if his grandfather refused to write it, he could write it for him. He had already admitted his mistake; what difference would it make if he made it again?

But he absolutely dared not agree to such a thing, not only because it was too sensitive, but also because it was extremely unreliable. His grandfather himself was already covered in mud and didn't know how to clean himself up; if he were to get involved in something like this, his whole family would probably have to go to Lingnan to eat lychees.

So he quickly changed the subject, talking about the upcoming three-way negotiations to finalize a profit-sharing plan.

Consort Wu Hui was quite surprised to hear Zhang Dai talk about how quickly the flying money had grown to such a scale and profit.

She ignored Niu Guier, whose eyes were shining, and instead summoned a eunuch who looked to be in his early thirties. She raised her hand and introduced him to Zhang Dai, saying, "This man is named Li Guang. He is stationed in the Eastern Capital as a minor official, but he is also a sinecure."

He is Li Jingren, the Left General of the Imperial Guard and Earl of Shangdang. He entrusted his son to me, and he is indeed a diligent and obedient servant. He will now accompany you out of the palace and stay here to assist you.”

After saying this, Consort Wu Hui looked at the eunuch Li Guang and said in a deep voice, "My nephew is a proud son of a prestigious family, the newly selected top scholar in the imperial examinations, and a young sage whom the Emperor has bestowed a name upon and praised. Now I am sending you to another place. Do not take advantage of the Emperor's favor and deceive him. If I find out that you have not performed your duties well, even I will not be able to protect you!"

"How dare I deceive my master? I will obey Consort Hui's orders and will never neglect my lord!"

Li Guang first kowtowed to Consort Hui and said, then turned to Zhang Dai and said, "I will obey you now, my lord. I will never disobey your orders!"

"Li Ling, please excuse the formalities. We are all here to serve His Majesty and Consort Hui with utmost care and sincerity!"

Zhang Dai naturally dared not be arrogant. Not to mention that the eunuch's godfather's official rank was equivalent to Gao Lishi's, Zhang Dai himself was also an eighth-rank official.

He himself is still a commoner, yet two of his servants have already become eighth-rank officials. Where can he go to seek justice?

"What are you looking at?"

After assigning Zhang Dai an assistant, Consort Wu noticed that the young man kept looking north. In the blink of an eye, she saw a group of palace servants coming from the south. After a brief look, she asked with a smile, "Do you have a past relationship with the Princess Consort of Zhong?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai first shook his head, then smiled wryly and said, "I do have some grudges against him."

As he spoke, he mentioned that he had been granted an official position by Wei Jianqiang a few days ago. The matter was already in the past, and he only shared it briefly.

Consort Wu Hui, having spent much time in the inner palace, knew little about affairs of the outer court. Gao Lishi, being cautious with his words, did not divulge anything to her after handling matters. It was only upon hearing Zhang Dai's words that he learned of this matter.

After hearing Zhang Dai's account, the beautiful woman's face darkened, and she immediately raised her hand to Niu Guier, saying, "Go and bring the Princess Consort of Zhong here!"

(End of this chapter)