Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 126 Raising an unfilial son is worse than losing one's virginity

"Is there something you need, Madam?"

There was no room for reconciliation, nor was it necessary. Zhang Dai was not worth being polite to Zheng Shi alone, so he stood outside the building and asked directly, without any intention of inviting her in.

Seeing that the boy was unmoved by reason, Zheng's expression faltered slightly, but she quickly remembered the purpose of her visit and put on an even more enthusiastic demeanor.

"I am not feeling well today and was unable to go out of the city with your brothers to see your father off. Before your father left, I'm sure he had many words of advice for his sons, especially Sixth Brother. You have become increasingly capable and decisive lately, far surpassing your brother. Your father must have placed even greater hopes on you!"

Zheng first offered Zhang Dai a few words of flattery, then sighed and said, "Although we live in the same household, our hearts are as far apart as those of enemies. You, Liu Lang, are focused on your art, so your understanding may be shallow, but I was recently recommended by you to take charge of the family affairs, and I have seen many resentful faces among the clansmen."

When you were home, these people were still wary and dared not show their true colors too much. But now that you are away, only my son and I are left in the east wing. The snobbishness and coldness of the clansmen will surely be revealed even more clearly.”

"Does Madam find managing the household difficult and therefore ask me to request that Grandmother exempt her from this task?"

After hearing this, Zhang Dai said, "If Zheng really has this idea, she's not completely stupid."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zheng shook her head and quickly said, "As Liulang said before, your grandmother is getting old. Given my status in the household, if I don't help her, who else can I rely on?"

However, some difficulties cannot be solved by mere enthusiasm. The clansmen have many desires, but the family income has dwindled. No matter how hard I try, I can't make soup noodles without flour!

Therefore, I would like to ask Liu Lang to inform your grandfather about this matter. Isn't your grandfather's fiefdom about to be distributed? Could it be used for public purposes first?

“It’s nothing, I’ll take my wife to tell my grandfather right now.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai didn't even bother going upstairs. He gestured for Zheng to follow him to see her grandfather.

"I... I think I'll pass. I'll leave it to you, Liu Lang, and you and your grandson can discuss it yourselves. I'll go back to the east wing and wait for news. I'll have to trouble you, Liu Lang."

Naturally, Madam Zheng did not dare to ask her father-in-law for money directly. Upon hearing Zhang Dai's words, she waved her hands and stepped back.

Zhang Dai smiled again when he saw her like this. "Birds of a feather flock together," he thought. "I guess the two of them inherited this kind of behavior through bodily fluids."

He already had business to attend to with his grandfather, so he wouldn't eat the food that Zheng sent. Seeing that Zheng didn't dare to come along, he went to the back hall by himself.

Since returning to the court, Zhang Shuo has ended his previous state of idleness at home. Although he still cannot get involved in real military and political affairs, he brings back a lot of historical and literary books every day for sorting and compilation.

When Zhang Dai came in, the old man was still writing at his desk. He went to the desk to help organize the completed manuscript. After glancing at the contents, he found that it was a compilation of edicts and decrees issued by the court to the chieftains and monarchs of the various border tribes since the Xiantian era.

Although Zhang Shuo's border strategy differed slightly from Yao and Song's, they were essentially similar in that they did not advocate initiating large-scale wars with foreign powers.

While ensuring adequate defenses and sufficient responsiveness, the main approach to managing relations between the Han and non-Han peoples was through diplomatic means of appeasement and coordination, with direct military action serving only as a supplement.

Zhang's proposition is difficult to describe as a personal style, but rather a characteristic of the times. Since its founding, the Tang Dynasty had experienced a brief period of hardship and biding its time, but it quickly embarked on a comprehensive expansionist strategy. A series of campaigns in the east and west established its unshakeable position as a regional hegemon.

However, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, the Tang emperor and his officials suffered heavy defeats and losses in two battles against the Tubo at Dafeichuan and Chengfengling, which led them to reflect on their actions.

Therefore, during the later years of Emperor Gaozong's reign and the reign of Emperor Wuzong, many political figures were not enthusiastic about border campaigns.

Di Renjie, a famous minister of the Wu Zhou dynasty, Yao Chong and Song Jing in the early Kaiyuan period, and Zhang Yue and others who came later, all had experience in serving as generals and ministers and were all talented in both civil and military affairs. However, when it came to foreign wars, they all held a very cautious attitude.

Song Jing even suppressed the rising trend of border generals pursuing martial prowess and merit by not rewarding their achievements on the frontier.

Despite this prevailing atmosphere, the Tang Dynasty still produced a number of talented individuals in border affairs, such as Tang Xiujing, Zhang Renyuan, Lou Shide, and Guo Yuanzhen.

However, during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, on the one hand, the upper echelons of the court were very fond of martial arts and expanding the borders, and the border wars were also very successful. On the other hand, there was a lack of Han military talents. By the late Tianbao period, it was even the case that an army could not be formed without Hu (non-Han) people.

The speed at which An Lushan and Geshu Han, these two barbarian duo, rose to power was astonishing. They burned the riches of the Han Dynasty to establish their own formidable reputation.

This is actually an extension of the strategic idea of ​​"using barbarians to control barbarians," but it has gone too far and has reached the point of being insane and irrational!

"Using barbarians to control barbarians" refers to handling border issues in a more efficient way while maintaining strategic initiative. However, during the Tianbao era, the original means became the goal, and the space for Han military talents to be deployed was compressed in order to use barbarians to control barbarians.

Even if a Han general distinguished himself in border affairs, he would soon be attacked, demoted, or even killed due to his involvement in the power struggles within the court. On the contrary, the chieftains and generals of the various nomadic tribes, because they were not deeply involved in the affairs of the central government, were able to develop and grow stronger in the border towns for a long time.

"The Emperor sent an envoy westward, intending to appoint Du Xian, the Protector-General of Anxi, as prime minister, as he was very keen on the border defense. Du Xian is honest, cautious, and authoritative, which is sufficient for border affairs, but not enough for governing the country. Furthermore, the strategies for governing the Hu people should be compiled and presented to the prime minister for reference after he enters the court."

Zhang said he wrote for a while longer before putting down his pen and giving Zhang Dai a brief explanation.

Deep down, he didn't want the court's border policy to change too radically, and wanted to exert some influence through this method.

Because Li Yuanhong was his successor, he intended to completely replace him, making effective communication between the two sides difficult. Du Xian, on the other hand, entered the court as a border official and was appointed prime minister, and he wanted to enter the Secretariat to compete with Yuan Qianyao. He lacked connections in the court, so there was room for dialogue between them.

These high-level personnel appointments and policy changes were still somewhat distant for Zhang Dai. His understanding of these things mainly stemmed from his knowledge of the evolution and origins of Kaiyuan politics, so that he could get started more quickly when he took charge in the future.

"Are you making any more noise?"

Zhang asked again. Although he was somewhat disappointed in this son, he was, after all, his eldest son, and he couldn't completely ignore him.

Zhang Dai first shook his head, then said, "It is my wife who asked me to inform my grandfather that this year's gifts should be used for public purposes."

Upon hearing this, a flash of annoyance crossed Zhang Shuo's eyes, before he said in a deep voice, "My fiefdoms are all located in disaster areas, and I have already submitted a memorial requesting exemption from these calamities. Her scheme has failed!"

At this point, he couldn't help but glare at Zhang Dai again: "Don't you know what kind of people he and his wife are? They recently helped him stir up trouble and sought to gain favor, their intentions were malicious! Your grandparents are still alive, and they've already included their own interests in their plans. With such character, are they capable of managing a household?"

"Father, you have truly wronged me! With the lady of the house still alive, who else should I entrust the household affairs to?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai naturally complained, as if he had chosen this daughter-in-law himself. He said, "You can't even stand it for this short time? Do you know how I've lived these past ten years, my idol!"
After hearing this, Zhang Shuo fell silent again. After a while, he looked at Zhang Dai and said, "Do you think it's a good idea to separate the family?"

If the parents are alive, it is against ethics and law for the brothers to divide the family property. However, if the parents take the initiative to propose it, although it will be subject to some criticism in terms of public opinion, it is not a big deal.

"Where will my father assign me?"

When Zhang Dai saw that his grandfather was no longer as confident as before, saying that he was more than capable of handling family matters, and instead even seemed to want to avoid the issues, he knew that he was also having a bit of a headache because of that couple.

"To raise an unfilial son is worse than losing one's virginity!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuo muttered angrily and stopped the conversation. He then took out a name card from the side and handed it to Zhang Dai, saying, "Keep this safe. With this, you can freely visit famous temples and monasteries in both capitals. Just remember to be respectful and not disturb the tranquility of the secular world."

Zhang Dai took the name card and glanced at it. He realized it was from the monk Yi Xing, whom he had mentioned earlier. Overjoyed, he quickly asked, "Has the new calendar for Zen Master Yi Xing been completed? May I visit the Zen Master?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang shook his head and then said, "The Zen master has long since retreated to Mount Song in search of tranquility. You neither believe in Buddhism nor understand divination; you only wish to admire the demeanor of a famous person. Do not presumptuously disturb him."

The old man was quite good at judging people.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai stopped making requests and instead asked, "My uncle-in-law Li said he would take me to see Minister Yuwen. Does my grandfather agree?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuo's expression changed immediately, but after a while, he said in a deep voice, "This disciple certainly has his unpleasant aspects, but his talents are also admirable. You young disciples are in the prime of your lives, and you should appreciate the beauty of the world, learn from its good aspects, and correct your bad ones."

This person's reliance on luck for advancement is unacceptable; however, his unconventional methods, though sometimes inappropriate, are effective—a trait you should learn from.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai nodded. "Our family has a long tradition of scholarship. Why should I follow his example? It's much faster to seize power through a coup! The key is to eliminate rivals and prevent others from reaping the rewards while I'm left fishing in the cold wind by the Yangtze River."

One good thing about Zhang Shuo is that he doesn't use his seniority to interfere with or control the younger generation. If it were Zhang Jun, he would use his pitiful understanding to nag frequently, forbidding Zhang Dai from doing this kind of thing or associating with that kind of person.

Of course, this also depends on the individual. Zhang Dai was inherently opinionated, and too much control made him uncomfortable. Zhang Jun was a muddle-headed child, and if he were left to his own devices, he would have been ruined. In short, one's family of origin is not necessarily good, but it cannot be blamed for everything.

After returning to his room, Zhang Dai did two more sets of practice questions before going to bed. The next morning, he woke up, washed up, and ate breakfast. Before he could even leave the room, a servant came to inform him that Yao Chong's son, Yao Yi, had come to visit.

(End of this chapter)