Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 149 One Must Be Cautious When Discussing Profit

"Father, your son has returned!"

After entering the hall, Zhang Dai first bowed to his grandfather, and then greeted all the guests in the hall one by one.

Zhang raised his hand, gesturing for him to stand beside him. Zhao Dongxi, who was seated there, couldn't help but look at Zhang Dai and say with a smile, "Your bodies and names will perish, but the rivers will flow on forever. Sixth Brother, your spirit is truly magnificent! I heard that after you said this, all the candidates from the provincial examinations in the capital fell silent and dared not criticize you, the head of the examinations!"

"what's the situation?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yue was surprised and immediately turned to Zhang Dai to ask.

Zhang Dai hadn't expected that the matter would spread throughout the capital in just a few days, so he offered a brief explanation.

After listening, Zhang couldn't help but laugh and said, "No wonder Master Du sent his disciple to see me earlier, saying he was here to thank me for the book I gave him the other day. It turns out there was such a past event."

His disciples rarely display the talent and brilliance of the people in the capital, and he is eager to recruit many retainers, yet he fails to discern talent and ability, arbitrarily assigning them based on merit. It would be better to have my grandson speak to him and select the best candidates than to instruct him directly.

"We should not underestimate Lord Du. He is upright, frugal, and renowned in Anxi. His return to the court will surely bring a different atmosphere to the court."

Hearing Zhang's words sound somewhat arrogant, Zhang Jiuling spoke again.

After suffering setbacks, Zhang Shuo's personality became much more restrained. Upon hearing Zhang Jiuling's words, he nodded and said, "I did not underestimate him. As soon as he entered the capital, I sent him a letter. Now that he has entered the court on border affairs, he should carefully consider the situation."

At the beginning of the year, Wang Jun entered the court to speak on state affairs, showing no concern for the exhaustion of the Hexi Corridor and Longxi region, and presented many strategies for conquest. This man is merely brave but greedy for merit, belligerent but lacking in strategy. If the Du family cannot restrain him, and instead uses border troops to further his plans, disregarding the internal and external crises, then the Prime Minister, holding the high position of a border general and finance official, will inevitably be implicated in the future!

Zhang Shuo's border defense strategy was to prepare for the frontier while being cautious about fighting, especially given the current national disasters and shortages of resources; he strongly advised against large-scale border conflicts. However, he had long since resigned and could only hope to indirectly influence court decisions through his influence over Du Xian.

However, the efficiency of this method is uncertain, and Du Siam, as the incumbent prime minister, would obviously not be happy to have someone constantly instructing him on how to do things. If the attitude is wrong, it may even create resentment between them.

Although Zhang Shuo's personality has become much more restrained, he is by no means approachable or kind. Du Xianbian, who is about to enter the court, will inevitably have a somewhat tough style.

Therefore, if both parties want to reach a certain understanding, it is best to have some practical basis, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation. This is also the reason why these people are gathering at Zhang Shuo's house today.

Such a sophisticated conversation was not suitable for a young man like Zhang Dai to participate in, so after he entered the hall, everyone tacitly fell silent. However, Zhang Shuo did not intend to dismiss Zhang Dai; instead, he kept him by his side.

Therefore, everyone, including Zhang Jiuling, looked at Zhang Dai with a slightly different gaze. It should be noted that in the past, when Zhang said he would discuss matters with them at home, even Zhang Jun was not allowed to be present, saying only that Zhang Dai was a key figure in the Southern Province and that idle people should not ask questions.

Now that Zhang Dai is left in the main hall, does it mean that Zhang Shuo approves of this grandson more than his son?
Leaving aside the doubts in everyone's hearts, Zhang continued, "Minister Li is upright and Minister Du is fierce. Although Genji is an elder who has served in the court for many years, he is timid and not good at fighting. At first, we may be able to tolerate him, but in the long run, it will be difficult to reconcile us. Now that Minister Du has just entered the court and the situation is stable, we should strike quickly and wipe away our previous humiliation!"

Everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing this, while Zhang Jiuling said in a deep voice: "At the beginning of the year, the Censorate examined the officials outside the capital. Doctor Cui was quick in his work, and the annual examinations of all the prefectures were completed in one day. At that time, Doctor Cui was very powerful, and even if there were any mistakes, no one dared to point them out. However, afterward, the Henan Prefecture repeatedly suffered from corrupt governance and many evasive and obscure official matters."

Recently, I was ordered to go on a mission to offer sacrifices at Mount Heng and the South Sea. Along the way, officials in every prefecture I visited inquired who in the court would determine the annual performance evaluation this year. Knowing that Magistrate Cui had not yet resigned, many sighed and felt uneasy. Many officials at court harbored resentment, fearing that the year's achievements would be in vain in an instant.

The imperial court conducts annual assessments of the performance of officials both inside and outside the capital, as well as the political achievements of various prefectures, using the "Four Virtues and Twenty-Seven Excellences" as the assessment criteria.

Last year's Fengshan ceremony pushed back a lot of government affairs. At the beginning of this year, Cui Yinfu was appointed as the new Imperial Censor and ordered to preside over the assessment of officials outside the capital. He changed the previous process of repeated review and verification, and instead asked questions, inspected and verified on the spot. He completed the task in just one day.

At the time, he was praised for his abilities, and even the emperor admired Cui Yinfu's efficiency. However, the subsequent collapse of the entire Henan Prefecture severely damaged Cui Yinfu's reputation as the former governor of Henan, and his true abilities were questioned. Controversy has surrounded him ever since.

With the year-end approaching, envoys from various outlying prefectures are gathering to pay homage to the emperor, and negative comments about Cui Yinfu are rampant, just waiting for an opportunity to erupt.

This was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for Zhang Yue and his associates. If they could guide and utilize the sentiments of these people from other states, it was highly likely that they could avenge their grievances and even seize the opportunity to recover some lost territory. Zhang Yue was now in a semi-retired state. Judging from the emperor's successive promotions of his successors to the position of prime minister, it was clear that he had no intention of re-employing him. He had only left Yuan Qianyao, whose style was not so forceful, to mentor the newcomers.

Previous prime ministers Yao Song and the two Zhangs were all relatively powerful prime ministers. In particular, after Zhang Yue reorganized the Council of State Affairs into the Secretariat-Chancellery during his tenure, the prime ministers simultaneously gained decision-making and execution powers, greatly strengthening their power and even affecting the manifestation of the emperor's will in the outer court.

Therefore, although the two newly promoted prime ministers, Li Yuanhong and Du Xian, both had a strong style, the emperor did not directly appoint them as the heads of the two provinces. Li Yuanhong was only appointed as the Vice Minister of the Chancellery and Du Xian as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. The deliberate omission of them from the two provinces was also an intentional attempt to suppress the ever-strengthening power of the prime ministers.

Although Zhang Yue did not expect to regain control of the government, the younger members of his team still needed to improve.

With such a prominent political rival as Cui Yinfu in the position of Censor-in-Chief, who oversees all officials, Zhang Yue's faction is naturally at a great disadvantage. Therefore, it would be best to get rid of him as soon as possible.

This move also allows them to demonstrate their strength and capabilities to the newly appointed Prime Minister Du Siam, making Du Siam realize their value and thus strengthening cooperation and interaction between them.

Standing beside his grandfather, Zhang Dai listened to these people discussing their goals and steps, feeling quite fascinated. He had a sense that he was also part of the factional infighting in the court.

Although he had shown some initiative before, it was mainly for self-preservation, and he did not directly participate in the discussion and operation of personnel struggles. Now that he is on the scene, his feelings are naturally different.

However, he glanced at Zhang Jiuling, who was speaking eloquently, and sighed inwardly with a touch of heartache, "How can someone with thick eyebrows and big eyes like you be so resourceful when it comes to planning something like this? Shouldn't you be a refined and elegant, pure and innocent person, like a white lotus rising from the mud?"

People tend to understand and describe people and things in a one-sided and label-based way, focusing on characteristics while ignoring the whole picture.

While Zhang Jiuling's enthusiastic remarks certainly shattered Zhang Dai's illusions, they also brought his understanding of his virtuous brother to life.

Having integrity without means inevitably leads to stubbornness; having means without integrity makes one a petty person. Only by possessing both and achieving a balance can one become a statesman with leadership qualities. Zhang Jiuling's words and actions were indeed methodical, no wonder he was appreciated and trusted by Zhang Yue.

Soon a plan to counterattack Cui Yinfu was formed. After pointing out a few minor details, Zhang Shuo turned to Zhang Dai and asked, "Do you have any further suggestions?"

Hearing Zhang's question, everyone was even more surprised. Allowing a young boy to listen to the meeting was already unexpected, but to then seek his opinion at the end—did the Duke of Yan truly regard this grandson as his successor?
Regarding the attacks on Cui Yinfu, Zhang Dai had nothing to say. No matter how clever he was, he could not match the understanding of the situation of these officials, and could not offer more detailed and effective suggestions.

However, he did need to have a more comprehensive understanding of the overall situation, so he walked into the hall and said, "Since the Tang and Yuan dynasties, the country has been revitalized, which is truly gratifying. The successful completion of the Eastern Feng ceremony is a cause for celebration throughout the land."

However, when it comes to the nation and its people, it cannot be said that there are no worries. During the Zhenguan era, everything was simple and efficient, but now, in the Kaiyuan era, there are many talented people. The Emperor has been detained for some business and has been staying in the capital for a long time. We must guard against the dangers in all directions.

If border conflicts recur, expenditures will inevitably increase sharply. At that time, both border troubles and domestic needs will be of paramount importance and cannot be avoided. Financial matters will become the foundation of national affairs, and increasing revenue and resources will become the priority of governance.

Managing affairs within the court is relatively easy, but coordinating both internal and external affairs is difficult. The recently proposed grain transport project has already been seized by powerful figures. Hebei is also a crucial region for revenue; we must guard against the Turks while simultaneously maintaining a balance between the two sides. If an opportunity arises, we should secure some funds there first!

This was his first time participating in a relatively formal meeting within the team, so he offered his opinion, suggesting that everyone's attention should not always be focused on the internal affairs of the imperial court.

Although the Tang Dynasty had a long-standing tradition of prioritizing internal affairs over external ones, this does not mean that it was the right thing to do.

As a vast and massive empire, this was the greatest advantage of the Tang Dynasty. The problems it would face in the future were also very complex and multi-dimensional. Personnel changes and institutional reforms within the court could not solve all the problems, and it was necessary to seek new assistance from the local areas.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Jiuling frowned slightly, then said in a deep voice, "When Yuwen Rong and other officials who prioritize profit were promoted, it gradually changed the customs both inside and outside the country. The foundation of national governance, and the affairs of both the ruler and the people, lies in righteousness, not in profit. Your Excellency can recognize the merits of governing, which is not to say that you are ignorant, but it is not appropriate to overemphasize it."

Everyone values ​​the benefits of money and silk; gaining them brings immense joy, while losing them is like losing one's parents. These benefits provide for food and clothing, and are valued by both officials and commoners. However, if governance prioritizes these benefits, who among the common people can resist? When resources are abundant in the nation, the ruler will inevitably become greedy. When the people lose their benefits, all industries will fall into ruin! One must be cautious when discussing profit!

(End of this chapter)