Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 173 Zhang Liulang, Who Can Cover the Sky with One Hand
After Zhang Shuo and the others left the court and returned home, their families inevitably had a feast together. The lively gathering continued until late at night before Zhang Dai finally found a chance to talk to his grandfather.

"After the morning court session, the emperor did indeed summon the children of his disciples in the inner palace and discussed matters concerning them, seemingly with the intention of fostering friendship among them."

Zhang said he had a few extra drinks today, a rare moment of relaxation, and his face showed a hint of smugness and drunkenness as he spoke of it.

This is understandable, as the most illustrious family in the world is none other than the imperial family. A marriage alliance with the imperial family would be of great significance, both for Zhang Shuo's personal relationship with the emperor and for the Zhang family as a whole.

Although the sage had many children, most of them were still young, and only two daughters had married so far. The eldest daughter, Princess Yongmu, married Wang Yao, the son of Wang Tongjiao, the son-in-law of Emperor Zhongzong, who came from the Langya Wang clan. The second daughter, Princess Changfen, married Zhang Qushe, the son of the emperor's aunt, Lady Deng, who was also the sage's cousin.

Both of these marriages were direct continuations of alliances with existing royal relatives, without developing any new marital ties. Now, the Emperor's daughters have grown up and are approaching marriageable age, so after the morning court session today, the Emperor summoned Zhang Yue and his son to the inner palace to discuss the issue of their children's marriages.

Although Zhang Yue's official career was marked by ups and downs, the bond between him and the current emperor was undoubtedly very deep.

Although Zhang Yue was not a meritorious official of the Tang Dynasty who followed the emperor in launching the Tanglong Coup and eliminating the Wei clan, he later served as a tutor in the Eastern Palace, strongly advising Emperor Ruizong to appoint the crown prince as regent and facilitating the abdication. He also devised a plan to eliminate Princess Taiping's power, and undoubtedly made great contributions to the emergence of the Kaiyuan era.

After entering the Kaiyuan era, Zhang Yue's official career was full of ups and downs, but he made great achievements in all his positions, both inside and outside the capital, and assisted the emperor in completing the Fengshan ceremony.

If this bond between the emperor and his subjects were to develop into a marriage alliance between their children, it would undoubtedly be another beautiful story. The Zhang family would also become new imperial relatives, and even if Zhang Yue were to pass away in the future, they could still continue to be active in the political arena of the Tang Dynasty based on this relationship.

"What does this have to do with me? Judging from what Uncle is saying, it seems he thinks I'm going to steal his favor?"

Zhang Dai quickly asked another question. He was not only confused by Zhang Ji, but also a little scared. He was worried that he had been too forceful lately and that the emperor might want to take him as his son-in-law.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuo looked somewhat embarrassed, and then sighed, "The sage did indeed say that both uncle and nephew were outstanding and he didn't know which one to choose, but it was just a joke, nothing more than a praise of my family's upbringing. Your uncle is just worrying unnecessarily, and having such concerns makes him truly 'unaware of the taste of rotten rats'."

At this point, he glanced at Zhang Dai again and asked, "If I say this, do you think that your grandfather still dotes on his own son, that he has a different opinion of his descendants, and that he is unwilling to elevate you to a higher position?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai quickly shook his head. "What a joke! Me, the son-in-law of the Sage?"
It wasn't that he looked down on the princess, but rather that he looked down on his father-in-law. If it were any other emperor, he would have readily agreed, even if he was reluctant.

However, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was extremely wary of his own relatives. If you became his son-in-law, you would basically have to say goodbye to some valuable political resources. Even if you had more freedom than his son, you could forget about getting your hands on real power!
Putting aside everything else, just look at his eldest son-in-law and eldest daughter. During the Tianbao era, Wang Zhun, the son of Wang Hong who gained favor through accumulating wealth, served the emperor with cockfighting. When they passed by the princess's residence, the imperial son-in-law Wang Yao rushed to pay his respects. Wang Zhun shot Wang Yao with a slingshot, hitting his hat and breaking his jade hairpin. Wang Yao dared not be angry and even wanted to hold a banquet for the princess to serve him food.

What does this mean? It means that marrying Emperor Xuanzong's daughter was worse than learning cockfighting. This guy got senile as he got older, and being related to him was the worst luck imaginable!
Moreover, Zhang Dai is not without sense. Although he has accomplished a great deal this year, he is still just a commoner. To expect to marry a princess based on these achievements is simply wishful thinking.

Even setting aside the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children mentioned by Zhang Ji, the emperor chose a son-in-law from the Zhang family because he appreciated Zhang Shuo's many years of assistance and the bond between the emperor and his subjects. What face did Zhang Shuo's father, Zhang Jun, have in the emperor's eyes to become in-laws with the emperor?

Seeing that Zhang Dai's face showed no resentment or unwillingness, Zhang Shuo sighed and said, "Alas, having been at home for a long time recently, I have realized that my family's education has indeed been lacking, and none of my sons are outstanding talents."

You are muddle-headed and incompetent, good at scheming but lacking in strategy; your uncle is pretentious and frivolous; and your son, though raised without proper education, is still not up to par, but he is far inferior to my self-reliant and talented grandson. If it weren't for my grandson, I'm afraid I would inevitably lament that my bloodline is tainted and difficult to pass on…”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai nodded in agreement. Although he did not want to become the emperor's son-in-law, he was also deeply dissatisfied with Zhang Ji. The two brothers were both difficult to deal with, and Zhang Ji's many schemes and plots had not been passed down to him.

Seeing his appearance, Zhang Yue couldn't help but glare at him in shame and anger, but after a moment he sighed again: "If Zhang Yue's son is unsuccessful and incompetent, he will inevitably be ridiculed by the world for his lack of virtue and shallowness. Fortunately, there is now a sage who takes pity on him and is willing to give his daughter his favor. I am extremely fortunate."

You are exceptionally talented and handsome, and you have no need to rely on this path to succeed. If you seek this shortcut, you will only be wasting your potential. Your father and uncle have already done their utmost to keep the family from falling into disgrace, thanks to the help of relatives and friends.

The only one who can further benefit my family is my virtuous grandson! Although it is too early to speak of this now, the signs are already evident.

He was really drunk today, so he spoke more freely, bluntly saying that his sons were all useless, and that he had high hopes and expectations for Zhang Dai.

“My grandfather wants to entrust me with the future management of the family affairs. Although this responsibility is heavy, I am not afraid to take it on. However, my father and uncle are both complicated matters. My father and I are still blood relatives. But my uncle, upon hearing about the matter, already looked at me with resentment and regarded me as an enemy. How can I treat him and maintain harmony in the family?”

Zhang Dai had also drunk quite a bit today. When his grandfather brought up this topic, he simply spoke his mind: "Your sons are all so abstract. How will you manage this family when you kick the bucket one day?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuo grinned, frowned for a moment, and then sighed, "This fool is indeed unbearable! Why not tell him for now that you have relatives to rely on, and there's no need for you to compete with him?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai immediately shook his head repeatedly. "You can't even teach your son properly, so you're giving me bad advice to ruin things! If this gets back to my aunt, even if she doesn't have this plan now, who knows, as I become more and more successful in the future, it might really tempt her to do this!"

Although the emperor had no intention of taking Zhang Dai as his son-in-law, his casual remark was not just a matter of being sarcastic. It made Zhang Ji, the silly boy who wanted to marry a princess, very uneasy.
To put it bluntly, if Zhang Ji were really involved in some kind of factional conspiracy, driven by his desire to become the emperor's son-in-law and eliminate his rivals, he would have reported it outright! Just like Zhang Jun recently, who, in order to advance his career, directly exposed and reported his own family.

It's not that these two brothers are stupid like they were cut from the same mold, but rather that most people are just this short-sighted and brutal when dealing with interpersonal relationships that are beyond their comprehension!
Throughout history, there have always been people who betray the interests of their own faction for personal gain, and such people serve as the fuse for self-destruction within the team.

Historically, Zhang Ji did indeed become a prince consort, and the father-in-law and son-in-law were indeed a well-matched couple. Emperor Xuanzong would often make grand promises to him, and Zhang Ji would happily accept them. While Li Linfu was said to be a tool used to undermine the crown prince, Zhang Ji was actually the real spy who kept a close eye on his brother-in-law.

This guy was hooked by his father-in-law like a clam, and in order to become the prime minister, he really went to great lengths to show the emperor everything, even the crown prince's underwear. In the end, he even surrendered to An Lushan. He was so obsessed with becoming prime minister that he didn't care who the emperor was.

Seeing that his grandfather still seemed to have a misunderstanding of his son and underestimated his destructive power, Zhang Dai immediately said in a deep voice, "After the New Year, there will inevitably be some infighting. Father, I know that Uncle likes to boast and exaggerate. It would be inappropriate to talk about family matters to outsiders!"

"He dares!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang immediately glared and angrily retorted that he was already in a weak political position, and if his family members' nonsense revealed the plans of his family and confidants, not only would the plans be greatly affected, but he would also suffer an even fiercer backlash.

He naturally didn't believe his son had such courage, but then he thought again that it wasn't a matter of courage or lack thereof, but rather that his son simply couldn't grasp the implications and didn't know what he should or shouldn't say.

He still vividly remembers how his eldest son had humiliated him in the middle of the year, and now, reminded by Zhang Dai, he felt that he should be more or less on guard.

So the next morning, Zhang Yue summoned Zhang Ji and instructed him: "Since His Majesty's eastern tour two years ago and has not returned, many things at home in Chang'an have been neglected. You shall go to Xijing today to tidy up the affairs of the family."

Zhang Ji was so excited to hear that the emperor was choosing a son-in-law that he planned to use this time to inquire from various sources, and even considered visiting the Prince of Ning and other families to squeeze out his nephew, who was not a worthy competitor.

Upon hearing this, he was naturally displeased and immediately looked troubled, saying, "The New Year has just passed, and there are many social obligations in the capital. My younger brother is also in the city..."

"What important favors do you have that you would abandon your family affairs? Your brother is reckless and unruly; what good is he?"

When Zhang heard him mention the complexities of human relationships, he became even more alarmed. He immediately glared at him, slammed his hand on the table, and said, "Enough nonsense! Pack your bags today and leave immediately! After you leave, send a letter to inform me of your affairs. Do not return without my letter!"

Watching Zhang Ji dejectedly take his leave, Zhang Dai, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but feel that it was so enjoyable to be a treacherous villain who excluded dissidents and suppressed opponents. No wonder Li Linfu did it so enthusiastically!

Now that his father and uncle have been ostracized and left home, and his grandparents have been deceived, wouldn't he be able to control the Zhang family with his own hands?

Even after the Spring Festival, the festive atmosphere of the first month of the lunar calendar remained strong, and the streets and alleys were bustling with activity. Two days before the Lantern Festival, Li Xia sent someone to invite them to a gathering. Zhang Dai, who was also feeling restless, invited them to his villa in Huixunfang for a get-together.

Just as he led his men out, several people who had been loitering near the Zhang family mansion in Kangsufang hurried towards the north gate to report to Wang Shouzhen, who had been waiting for an opportunity: "Reporting to my lord, Zhang Liu has gone out!"

(End of this chapter)