Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 131 A Second Sunny Day in the Human World

Although the Wang family mansion was comfortable and livable, it was still an unfamiliar environment, and Zhang Dai did not sleep soundly. He woke up as soon as the morning bell rang the next day and saw that one of the two maids who had served him the night before was still nestled in his arms, while the other had already gotten up and was carefully packing his clothes by the bed.

"My lord, are you awake? Did we disturb you?"

The maid in her arms was still admiring the handsome young man's jawline and features with her pretty face upturned. When she saw Zhang Dai open his eyes, she panicked and quickly bowed to the side on the couch. The other maid also bowed down when she saw this, both of them looking nervous and uneasy.

"Bring me my clothes, and don't be nervous."

Zhang Dai sat up and realized that his body had been carefully wiped clean after he fell asleep, so he didn't need to take a bath in the morning. The messy bedding from last night had also been folded up and put aside.

To be honest, he hadn't experienced many mornings like this before, but fortunately, the two maids were even more anxious than he was, which made him feel less uneasy.

He stood up and dressed with the help of the two women. Seeing their pretty faces blushing and saying little, some absurd scenes from the previous night flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but flutter.

He dressed and walked out, with the two women following closely behind him. One of them mustered her courage and timidly asked, "Is my lord leaving? Should we pack our things and go with him?"

"Please, my lord, have mercy on me!"

The other knelt directly at Zhang Dai's feet, tightly hugging his ankles with both hands, pressing his cheek against the outside of his knees, and whispering in a trembling voice.

Zhang Dai raised his hand and rubbed his forehead, his head throbbing slightly, whether from a hangover or exhaustion, he couldn't tell. Seeing his silence, the two women each grabbed one of his hands and held it tightly to their hearts, their eyes pleading.

"You guys pack up first."

Zhang Dai gave an order first, then went out of the room. He then realized that he had stayed in a pavilion on the west side of the house last night. Standing on the upper floor and looking east, he saw the golden glow of the rising sun, while to the west lay the magnificent landscape of Luoyang West Garden.

He couldn't help but marvel at how different the scenery was in various parts of Luoyang. The west side of Dingdingmen Street, with its view of the West Garden, was even more magnificent than other places.

As he walked downstairs, he saw An Xiaochen and Ding Qing waiting downstairs. An Xiaochen was still catching up on sleep at his desk, while Ding Qing came up to him and said in a low, playful voice, "Ah Lang, you're so energetic, getting up so early!"

Zhang Dai glared at him irritably, then whispered, "Go home first and tell Aying to have another room arranged at Huixunfang Villa."

Ding Qing nodded in agreement and hurriedly went out first. At this moment, An Xiaochen also woke up, stood up, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and bowed to Zhang Dai, saying, "Master, you're up so early..."

Zhang Dai did not answer, but walked out of the building, and An Xiaochen quickly followed.

Several servants from the manor stood outside the pavilion. Upon seeing Zhang Dai emerge, they hurried forward and asked, "Young master, would you like to have a meal now?"

Zhang Dai nodded, then asked, "Has your master woken up yet?"

"My lord went to bed late and will probably sleep until the afternoon. I gave instructions last night that you may leave or stay as you see fit today. A carriage has been prepared in the stables, and the clothes of the two servants who served you last night are still with you. Just let them know when you will leave."

The servant quickly and respectfully replied that he dared not neglect the distinguished guest.

After listening, Zhang Dai didn't say anything more. He had a simple breakfast with An Xiaochen, and then asked the servants to bring him pen, ink, and paper, leaving behind a letter of thanks.

At this moment, the two maids from last night also hurriedly came to the door, waiting anxiously outside.

They knew their master was willing to let them go, and the young man they had served the night before was also willing to accept them. This made them somewhat excited, and they couldn't help but start to imagine their new life that was about to begin. Their bright eyes showed both unease and anticipation.

Zhang Dai glanced at the two women standing outside the hall, a slight thought stirring in his heart. He then picked up his brush and wrote after the farewell: "Living deep within the city walls, spring has gone but summer remains cool. Heaven pities the humble grass, and humanity cherishes the late sunshine..."

After finishing writing, he stood up and stopped bothering his master. He gave instructions to the servants in the mansion and then had them bring him a horse and a carriage. He mounted the horse himself, and the two maids boarded the carriage at his signal, and together they headed out the door.

"What's your name?"

After leaving the Wang family mansion, Zhang Dai realized that he didn't know the two women's names. But after asking, he changed his mind and pointed to the two women who were peeking out of the car, smiling and saying, "From now on, you will be called Xiao Lian, and your name is Wan Qing."

Upon hearing this, the two women nodded in agreement. Looking back at the former residence of Prince Shen, where they had lived for so long, tears welled up in their eyes. However, they quickly wiped away their tears and kowtowed to Zhang Dai in the carriage, saying, "Although Xiao Lian and Wan Qing are not chaste widows, we have served our master with our talents and have a shallow understanding of loyalty and righteousness. If our master does not abandon us, we are willing to serve our master forever until death!" Not to mention Zhang Dai, who brought the beauties home, Wang Shouzhen did not stay up until the afternoon. Not long after Zhang Dai left, another person came to the house. It was Wang Rou Niang, the beloved daughter of Wang Mao Zhong.

When the girl returned home, she was furious about the mess her brother had made of the house the night before by inviting friends over. While ordering the servants to clean up inside and out, she complained, "None of my brother's friends are presentable. Don't they know that people need to live in their houses and entertain other relatives and friends? They just want to make a mess!"

Although Wang Shouzhen was a reckless fellow, he dared not be rude to this young woman. He rushed over reeking of alcohol, and upon hearing the complaint, he said sheepishly, "I didn't know you were coming to the brothel today, Rou Niang, otherwise I wouldn't have dared to let things get like this. I will discipline those boys strictly from now on, and I will never let them be so presumptuous again, lest they anger Rou Niang!"

"I think you shouldn't bother disciplining them anymore. It would be better to find them a new group of friends. Which of those soldiers from the North Gate knows proper manners?"

Although this young lady came from a military family in the Northern Army, she looked down on the other young men from the Northern Army. This was a result of her father's spoiled upbringing, and she was not very polite to her own elder brother as well.

Wang Shouzhen was naturally somewhat embarrassed and annoyed upon hearing this, but his friends were indeed somewhat disrespectful.

Not wanting to be looked down upon by his younger sister, he quickly said, "Sister, don't underestimate your brother. Although most of my friends are unreliable, there are still some virtuous ones among them. Today, I'll show you!"

As he spoke, he turned to his servant and demanded, "Is Zhang Liulang still here? Tell him to come and see me!"

"Reporting to the master, the young master Zhang left early this morning, taking with him the two female slaves that the master gave him last night."

Upon hearing the servant's reply, Wang Rouniang couldn't help but laugh. Pointing at Wang Shouzhen, who looked ashamed and angry, she said, "I thought my brother was going to introduce some good friends, but it turns out he's just a lecherous and rude scoundrel who ran away with his woman without informing his master before leaving!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouzhen blushed even more and tried to explain: "Sister, please don't misunderstand. Zhang Liu is not from a military family in the North Gate. Last night, he even gave me a good plan to make a profit, so I gave him my slave. It doesn't count as running away with my body."

"Zhang Lang left a thank-you note."

The servants quickly presented the thank-you note that Zhang Dai had written earlier. Wang Shouzhen took it and showed it to his sister: "This Zhang Liu is the famous head of the Jingzhao Prefecture in the capital. He is the grandson of Zhang Yan, and he is definitely not some scoundrel from a ridiculous family!"

"Is it that handsome young man who stormed the palace at the beginning of the year?"

Although Wang Rouniang had spent a long time in the palace, she had heard of Zhang Dai's deeds. Hearing her brother say this, she was also curious. While taking the letter, she said, "I don't believe that such a person would associate with my brother... Ah, this, this is really written by that Zhang Liulang?"

"What did he write? Let me see... This, this is a poem! What do you think of it?"

Unlike his father Wang Maozhong, Wang Shouzhen was not ambitious and did not study phonetics in order to please his superiors. Although he indulged in sensual pleasures, he focused on the "sex" aspect and did not have a high level of appreciation for sound and rhyme.

"This poem, this poem is truly excellent. It seems my brother wasn't exaggerating. This poem is definitely not something your friends could have written!"

Wang Rou Niang had been educated in various forms of singing, speaking, and performing arts since childhood. Even though she did not specialize in literature and art, she naturally developed a certain ability to distinguish between different styles through singing. At this moment, holding Zhang Dai's poem "Late Autumn," she recited it aloud, and her eyes gradually revealed appreciation.

"Of course! I've met Zhang Liu a few times; he's a renowned scholar, so it's only natural that he would gift me a fine poem!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouzhen smiled and said he was happy that Zhang Dai had helped him save face in his social circle.

"Brother, don't be too happy yet. This poem isn't praising you; it's mocking you. 'After the bird's nest dries up, its flight back is even lighter!' This is saying that your two prostitutes are confined in the city, never finding joy. Only when they leave here are they truly happy!"

Seeing her brother amused, the girl raised the booklet and mocked him.

Upon hearing this, Wang Shouzhen glared at him, her face full of displeasure, and said, "Zhang Liu has really gone too far. I entertained him at home and even gave him beautiful women, yet he still left a letter mocking me. I cannot let him get away with this!"

"Come on, brother, you gave up two female slaves in exchange for this masterpiece. What is there to complain about? That Zhang Liu is indeed quite talented. Brother, when you meet with him again sometime, could you take me with you?"

The girl held the book and savored it more and more, and her curiosity grew. She looked at her brother and asked him a question.

Wang Shouzhen was about to nod when a thought suddenly crossed her mind. She quickly shook her head and waved her hands, saying, "What's there to see! He's not an interesting person, so you shouldn't see him! You're not young anymore, don't you know there's a proper distance between men and women?"
These poets and scholars are frivolous by nature and have never been good people, Zhang Liu being especially so! His visit led the two of us away… Alas, in short, never associate with such people!

He was so eager to prove his circle of friends that he overlooked the fact that Zhang Dai wasn't a good person. His girlfriend, at that sentimental and lovestruck age, needed to stay far away from arrogant and frivolous playboys. Otherwise, if something unexpected happened and disrupted their grand plan, his father would probably beat him to death!
(End of this chapter)