Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 130 The Former Residence of a Famous King is Full of Springtime Beauty
With the serious business concluded, everyone's attention shifted to eating, drinking, and having fun.

The hall in Yuwen Rong's house was enormous, offering a wide variety of entertainment. Besides enjoying the performances of actors and entertainers, there were also gambling games such as pitch-pot and dice. There was even a cockfighting arena in a separate room on the east side of the main hall.

The Tang people were competitive and loved to fight. Not only were various gambling games very popular, but cockfighting, dogfighting, wrestling, polo and other everyday things could be used to fight and win.

Since arriving in this world, Zhang Dai has been constantly on the go. Apart from being stranded on the road by the heavy rain, he has hardly had time to stop and rest properly. His knowledge of the entertainment life of the Tang people is still shallow. Now, seeing so many entertainments in Yuwen Rong's house, he has become quite interested.

But before he could even enjoy the sights, Zheng Yan, worried that he might be mistreated, arrived in a hurry with his men. So Zhang Dai took the opportunity to get up and say goodbye. He wasn't familiar with the people in the hall, so he couldn't really enjoy himself.

"Did Vice Minister Yuwen give you any difficulties?"

After leaving the house, Zheng Yan looked at Zhang Dai and asked him a question.

After spending the last two days with Zhang Dai, Zheng Yan's understanding of the world had been greatly shocked and overturned. Although this young man was not old, the personnel resources he controlled far exceeded his imagination.

With his father-in-law's dismissal from his post, the Zhang family's political influence was no longer as strong as before. From Zheng Yan's own observations, his brothers-in-law were all quite ordinary and lacked any extraordinary talent. Their future prospects were limited to relying on their fathers' influence to make a living. Without any special opportunities, they were unlikely to surpass their fathers.

However, Zhang Dai's qualities far surpassed those of his father, and he was extremely methodical in his dealings with people and affairs, managing tens or even hundreds of thousands of strings of cash with ease.

Even though Zheng Yan didn't have any foresight or discernment, he could see that the future of the Zhang family depended on this son, so he naturally cared more about this nephew of his wife's family.

“Minister Yuwen is not some vicious and incorrigible person. I have come to discuss matters with him, not to provoke him or seek revenge. Why is he making things difficult for me?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai smiled and said that although the two sides had been at odds and even had a life-or-death relationship before, Zhang Dai himself did not have a deep grudge against Yuwen Rong, and in some ways, he could even be said to be a fellow traveler.

He gained a lot from this exchange, not only deepening his understanding of Yuwen Rong, but also receiving an unexpected surprise.

As soon as the group left Mingyifang and arrived at Hengjie Street outside the ward, another group of galloping horses suddenly came galloping in from the east of the street. The knight in brocade robes at the head of the group was none other than Wang Shouzhen, the son of Wang Maozhong.

Wang Shouzhen was quite surprised to see Zhang Dai here. He reined in his horse and asked loudly, "What brings you here, Zhang Lang?"

"Visiting the home of Yuwen Zhongcheng in the neighborhood."

Zhang Dai pointed to Mingyi Lane behind him, then smiled and said to Wang Shouzhen, "Has the Crown Prince's servant come here to seek pleasure and entertainment?"

The area was full of brothels, which naturally attracted playboys like Wang Shouzhen from the Northern Court to linger and forget to leave.

"My home is right here!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouzhen pointed south to Chengyi Lane, then frowned somewhat displeased and said, "We have met and talked several times, and Zhang Lang and I are no strangers. How come you still don't know where I live? Since we have met here today, I cannot let this opportunity pass. Zhang Lang, come home with me and spend the night together!"

Zhang Dai genuinely didn't know Wang Maozhong lived there. Upon hearing Wang Shouzhen's invitation, he said somewhat awkwardly, "We met by chance today, but I haven't had the chance to greet you properly. It would be very impolite of me to come so hastily, especially since I have relatives who are taking me home. Now that you know where the Crown Prince's servant lives, I will certainly come with proper greetings another day..."

"Now that we have met, why worry about tomorrow? Tomorrow will bring its own joys, and today we have the delight of this serendipitous encounter!"

Wang Shouzhen, however, did not let Zhang Dai leave. He raised his hand to signal his servants to come forward and take Zhang Dai's mount, and then glared at him, saying, "I recently helped Zhang Lang resolve a long-standing grudge. Zhang Lang should show some appreciation."

Don't be intimidated by my threats to that eunuch Gao Shiliu the other day. I'm always very polite to those I want to befriend!

Having said all that, Zhang Dai couldn't refuse any longer, so he asked Zheng Yan to leave first, leaving only An Xiaochen and Ding Qing to keep him company.

Chengyifang and Mingyifang have similar layouts, except that Chengyifang does not have a large lake or pond, but a mansion occupies more than half of the space in the neighborhood.

"This is my humble abode!"

Wang Shouzhen pointed to the magnificent mansion and said to Zhang Dai with no small amount of pride, "This was originally the residence of Huizhuang. After Wang Sibo passed away, many of the houses were left vacant. In order to reward my merit as the governor, the emperor bestowed this house upon me as my residence."

Zhang Dai looked around at the mansion, which was even more spacious than his own family's mansion. Only after Wang Shouzhen explained did he realize that this place had originally been a royal residence, which was truly incomparable.

Huizhuang refers to Crown Prince Huizhuang, the second elder brother of the current emperor, Prince Shen, Li Zun. Not only is his lineage weak, but he is practically childless, so his eldest brother, Prince Ning's son, is chosen as his successor. According to Wang Shouzhen, this residence will be granted after the Fengshan ceremony. However, considering that Prince Shen's mourning period is not yet over, the residence in the Eastern Capital has already been given to someone else.

This also shows that although sages today have brotherly affection, it is not much.

Upon seeing this mansion, Zhang Dai inexplicably thought of the Princess of Yunyang, who was in mourning in Chang'an.

Although Prince Qi was slightly better off than Prince Shen, having an additional son, this Prince of Hedong also did not live a long life. After his sudden death, the court reinstated Prince Xue as Prince Qi's heir. However, the historical records do not mention the circumstances of Prince Qi's original family, and Zhang Dai was unaware of them either. Seeing that Prince Shen's former residence had been seized by others, and thinking of the young girl who, even during the mourning period, was still trying to manage her family affairs, but would likely end up with nothing, he couldn't help but feel pity for her.

While his thoughts were still wandering far away, a large group of male and female servants poured out of the gate. Many of them were dressed as palace maids, perhaps former servants of Prince Shen, who were now being given to Wang Maozhong as slaves.

Two servants came forward to pull the horse, while a palace maid knelt down beside it, seemingly to act as a kicker. Zhang Dai could not bear such service, so he waved for the maid to step aside before dismounting.

“Zhang Lang is still a kind and benevolent gentleman who cherishes beautiful women, but this maid is nothing but vulgarity. There are even more beautiful maids in the house to serve and entertain you. I am not like Gao Shiliu, a stingy and disgusting person. Zhang Lang, please take whoever you like!”

Wang Shouzhen had already dismounted by stepping on the maid's back. Seeing Zhang Dai's actions, he couldn't help but laugh and say something.

This former residence of Prince Shen was far more magnificent than Yuwen Rong's. In front of the magnificent central hall, dozens of maids dressed in colorful skirts stood in a line to welcome their master home. And these maids were indeed as Wang Shouzhen had said, each one of them was young and beautiful.

Even in later generations, Zhang Dai had only ever seen such a sight while scrolling through those bizarre short videos on his phone; he had never actually witnessed it in real life.

These maids were not only beautiful in their own right, but also dressed in very gorgeous and beautiful clothes. When they were arranged in such a line, they brought a great visual impact.

When Wang Shouzhen saw Zhang Dai's somewhat dazed look, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He hadn't met the boy many times, but he always had a strong urge to surpass him. Although he was now enjoying endless wealth and glory, his background as a government slave and his childhood without dignity still made him eager to prove and cover something up.

Wang Shouzhen stamped his foot in front of the hall, and several beautiful maids came forward, each wrapping their arms around him to form a chair, and carried him into the hall. The other Northern Army youths who accompanied him did not receive such treatment, but each of them was also accompanied by a beautiful maid as they entered the hall.

“Zhang Lang has devised a plan for my business and brought me great profits. Who among you maids can serve him well and receive his favor today? He will be rewarded with ten thousand coins!”

Wang Shouzhen gestured for the maids surrounding her to stop, then turned around and pointed at Zhang Dai, who was still not quite used to the atmosphere, and laughed as she spoke.

"We servants will serve Zhang Lang!"

Upon hearing this, the maids who were still standing in front of the hall swarmed forward and rushed to Zhang Dai's side.

Zhang Dai was secretly cursing Wang Shouzhen for being so licentious, but unexpectedly he became the focus of attention among the beauties.

The young maids looked delicate and shy, but once they let loose, they were incredibly enthusiastic. Even An Xiaochen and Ding Qing were pushed aside by them, watching with a helpless yet envious expression as their master was surrounded by women.

When Zhang Dai finally entered the hall, his whole body was covered in lead powder and makeup, and his cheeks were covered with lipstick marks. Wang Shouzhen and the others were overjoyed to see him like this, and ordered their servants to take out several thousand silver coins and scatter them in the hall for people to scramble for.

Zhang Dai wasn't a regular at brothels; he preferred one-on-one academic discussions with his female classmates and naturally disliked the atmosphere of such clubs. He gestured to dismiss the other beautiful maids who tried to get close to him, leaving only two who seemed pleasing to the eye to serve him food and wine at his table.

The two maids won the competition among their peers. They also found Zhang Dai to be exceptionally handsome, far more pleasing to the eye than Wang Shouzhen and his companions. So they used all their gentle charms to fawn over Zhang Dai, and their enthusiastic behavior made Wang Shouzhen a little envious.

"These two servants are truly infuriating! I've never seen them so hospitable at home! Zhang Lang has only been here a short time, yet he's already stolen my beloved maid's affections. This is no way to treat a guest!"

Zhang Dai's aesthetic sense was certainly up to par; the two maids he found pleasing to the eye were among the best of the group of maids.

Wang Shouzhen had long lived in the inner stables with his father. He had only visited this mansion a few times in the past six months. The servants in the mansion all belonged to Prince Shen, and he had not had time to dabble in them. When he saw Zhang Dai pick out two maids he had never seen before but who were charming and lovely, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous and said resentfully.

Upon hearing this, the two maids' faces immediately tightened, and they no longer dared to be as gentle and tender as before.

Listening to this guy's sore talk, Zhang Dai smiled and said, "Although I am not a gentleman who can remain unmoved by a woman's advances, I am certainly not a villain who would forget righteousness for the sake of beauty. The Crown Prince personally escorted me out of the Yao family's son, and I have not yet had a chance to express my gratitude. How could I dare to take away your love!"

As he spoke, he patted the two maids beside him, signaling them to go and serve Wang Shouzhen. The two maids were somewhat resentful and disappointed, but they had no choice in the matter, so they dared not show their dissatisfaction and quickly got up to leave.

"No need for that. I have many beautiful women in my room. If I were to fall out with my good friends over this, wouldn't I become a laughingstock?"

Although Wang Shouzhen was somewhat reluctant, he had previously boasted that he was not as stingy as Gao Chengxin, and now he couldn't bring himself to go back on his word. He first waved his hand to refuse, and then, with a quick glance, he said, "Zhang Lang is very resourceful in his planning. Now I am entertaining you with beautiful women at home. Don't you want to devise a plan to benefit me? If you can come up with a plan, I will gladly give you these two servants."

Zhang Dai wasn't lusting after any beautiful women; he actually had a plan he was going to give to Wang Maozhong. When he heard Wang Shouzhen say this, he told her about a plan that Yuwen Rong's family had stumbled upon, reminding Wang Shouzhen that he could use his father's position as the head of the livestock bureau to procure and stockpile veterinary medicines in the various pastoral areas.

"Zhang Lang is truly exceptionally talented, far more intelligent than my former acquaintances and disciples! A single glance from him can spark a plan. I truly regret not having met you sooner. I must introduce you to me someday, so that you may see that those around me are not all mediocre!"

After hearing what Zhang Dai said, Wang Shouzhen's eyes lit up, and he raised his wine cup to toast repeatedly.

(End of this chapter)