Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 187 Taking Official Position and Turning Them into Slaves
Things had escalated to this point, leaving the emperor quite embarrassed.

Previously, in order to prevent the situation from escalating further, he forced Zhang Shuo to back down by using Wang Maozhong's one-sided account. However, when Zhang Dai and the other man were summoned, the situation changed again.

The emperor certainly wanted to use this opportunity to strike a blow against the Wang family father and son who were lording it over the Northern Court, but his words and statements had already been shattered, and he had to take them back.

After a moment's thought, the emperor looked at Zhang Shuo and said, "I previously believed falsehoods, which caused you to feel ashamed. Fortunately, this young man stood up for what was right, and the truth came to light. Now, thinking back on it, I feel quite ashamed of what happened before."

"Your Majesty is humbled. The Emperor's heart resides high in the heavens and embraces all things in the universe. This matter is as insignificant as dust. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's grace in looking down upon it and condescending to resolve this matter!"

The truth has now come to light, thanks to the might of Heaven. My family and I could not have quelled the rebels' thoughts, spoken their words, or stopped their harassment. If it weren't for the wise ruler's understanding, we would still be suffering humiliation and injustice, let alone have our grievances redressed!

Zhang Shuo quickly bowed again. Of course, he dared not accuse the emperor of favoring the Wang family and wronging innocent people, but he did not hide his resentment towards the Wang family, accusing them of not only deceiving the emperor but also humiliating ministers.

Watching his grandfather's reply, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Although his grandfather was also shrewd, he was essentially a tamed man in front of the emperor. Although he could judge the pros and cons and strive for them, he had actually lost the principles that a minister should have.

If Zhang Shuo were truly a principled person, this conversation shouldn't have happened in the first place. He should have told the emperor firmly and righteously at the beginning that this was not his business!

If you are not satisfied with the result of the trial by the Ministry of Justice, you can remand it for retrial, or even have the three judicial departments conduct a joint trial. But the Ministry of Justice has not yet taken any action, and you have summoned the parties involved into the palace, talking like a gossipy old lady about resolving your issues. What a load of rubbish!
Such a courageous act could probably only have been done by Song Jing during the Kaiyuan era. Perhaps that's why, even when he fled to Shu, he was still resentful and unconvinced when Song Jing was mentioned.

Of course, to be tough, one must be clean. Zhang had already been gathering followers and preparing to stir up another round of infighting in the court, so being suddenly summoned to the palace was bound to put him in a difficult position.

Similarly, the Wang family, father and son, were also not clean, so when Zhang Dai unjustly accused them to their faces, they dared not argue back and could only take the blame. Because if they were to conduct a thorough investigation, they would likely uncover even more explosive dirt.

The emperor could also sense Zhang Yue's resentment towards the Wang family. After a moment's thought, he spoke again: "Wang Shouzhen has deceived the emperor and father, distorted the truth, and abused his power to commit heinous crimes. His crimes are grave and he must be severely punished!"

At this point, he summoned the officials awaiting summons into the palace and announced the verdict against Wang Shouzhen on the spot: "Wang Shouzhen, the Crown Prince's servant, was promoted through hereditary privilege but has rendered no service to the country. Instead of fulfilling his duties, he deceives his superiors and humiliates his subordinates, abusing his power. He is stripped of his official rank and demoted to commoner, serving as a guard in the Yan Gong Palace, and is not allowed to pay money to avoid corvée labor. As for the other criminal cases involved, they shall be left to the relevant authorities for investigation. He may speak on the matter as it arises and request a reduction or redemption based on his father's official position."

After the emperor announced the punishment for Wang Shouzhen, the expressions of Zhang Yue and his grandson, as well as Wang Maozhong and his son, all changed in the hall.

Needless to say, the Wang family father and son were already fourth-rank servants of the Crown Prince. Even if it was just a sinecure and he had no merits to boast about, based on this qualification alone, he would probably be promoted to the third rank and wear a purple robe by his early thirties.

However, this incident resulted in his being stripped of his official position, ruining his promising future. In particular, the additional punishment of being demoted to a commoner directly disqualified him from inheriting his father's title.

While Wang Maozhong may have other sons who could inherit the title, for Wang Shouzhen, after suffering such severe punishment, the rest of her life would probably consist of nothing but eating and drinking and waiting for death.

This also shows that the emperor himself was extremely ashamed and angry. The punishment he gave was basically the maximum penalty he could impose, given that he would continue to employ Wang Maozhong in the Northern Army.

He still wanted to keep the man's father as the head of security, so he couldn't just chop up the man's son. In any case, he spared the man's life and let him live a life of leisure from then on!
Moreover, this was only a punishment for deceiving the emperor and father. As for other criminal cases, they would be handed over to the Ministry of Justice of the Outer Court for trial and punishment. This was merely to give Wang Maozhong an opportunity to use his official rank to petition for a reduction in punishment for his son and to pay money to avoid punishment.

"Your subject has failed to properly educate your son, leading to this crime. I humbly accept your imperial decree!"

Wang Maozhong dared not show any dissatisfaction at this moment. He hurriedly bowed and said, then angrily said to his son, "You unfilial son, why don't you quickly thank the Emperor for his lenient punishment!"

Regardless of the feelings of the Wang father and son, Zhang Shuo and his grandson exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of bitterness in each other's eyes. Zhang Dai inwardly sighed, wondering if the emperor was truly a genius, able to come up with such a cunning solution!
Under the Tang Dynasty system, princes and civil and military officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital were entitled to personal guards. Although Zhang Yue was no longer the prime minister, he was still the Right Chancellor of the Ministry of Personnel, a second-rank official, and was therefore also entitled to be assigned a personal guard.

In addition to his official position, Zhang Yue was also granted the title of Duke of Yan, and was also entitled to procure a ceremonial guard, including a wedding procession and a royal tent. All of this combined constituted a massive guard of several hundred people.

Even if the emperor trusted Zhang Shuo completely, it would be too inconvenient for so many people to gather at home. Therefore, this type of service was usually paid for, called "zike," which was also a form of income for officials.

However, the emperor's decision to assign Wang Shouzhen to serve as a guard for Zhang Yue, and further restricting his tax and service exemptions, is a truly ruthless move. On the one hand, this is a way of compensating Wang Shouzhen for his offense against Zhang Yue's family by humiliating him. Since he dared to break into their house, vandalize, loot, and even set it on fire, he should atone for his sins by serving as their guard and servant!
This also likely served as a warning to Wang Maozhong: you are the emperor's servant, now only responsible for guarding the emperor's house. As for your son, he will go to guard the houses of the ministers. He's essentially a hereditary watchdog.

But from Zhang's perspective, does he really need such a watchdog? Especially since who would feel comfortable keeping such a resentful and hateful guy in their home?
So he quickly spoke up, saying, "I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's favor. While the son of the Wang family is indeed guilty, he will be dealt with according to the laws of the land. However, this man is ultimately the son of a high-ranking official, and he is serving in my household. Moreover, Lord Huo holds a powerful position, and to have his son enslaved would be a laughingstock, would undermine your authority, and would also implicate your affairs."

"This man still has some use, and out of pity for Lord Huo's grief at parting, I spared his life. Otherwise, given his crimes, how could he be so easily forgiven!"

Upon hearing Zhang's words, the sage snorted coldly, his words revealing a hidden murderous intent.

Wang Maozhong panicked upon seeing this. He hurriedly bowed to Zhang Shuo and said in a deep voice, "This boy has gone astray and disturbed the Yan family. He deserves this punishment, but it is already a great favor from Heaven."

I earnestly request that Lord Yan, in consideration of our past camaraderie, accept him into your household. If he is spared, he will be at your command. If he disobeys, I will reprimand him on your behalf!

At this point, he kicked Wang Shouzhen again and said sternly, "You unfilial son, why don't you come and beg Lord Yan to take you in!"

Wang Shouzhen's mind was in complete chaos with fear. He had become a kowtow worm. Just moments before he had been bowing before the emperor, but now, after hearing his father's scolding, he hurriedly crawled over and knelt before Zhang Shuo, kowtowing repeatedly.

The sage sat in the hall and took in this scene. He couldn't help but recall Zhang Yue's stern rebuke of Wang Maozhong for threatening his grandson. Now, looking at the performance of their respective young disciples, the difference in their abilities was indeed obvious.

Zhang Shuo didn't care about the father and son's pleas, but after hearing the sage's statement, he could only nod in agreement, planning to send the boy away after this storm had passed.

Moreover, to be honest, given that Wang Maozhong would not apologize to him in public, this arrangement was a good way to save face.

In this way, the sage's goal was achieved. At least the matter was brought to light under his guidance, and the personal grudges between the two families were resolved through his mediation.

Most importantly, it prevented Wang Shouzhen from being interrogated and questioned by the judicial authorities outside the palace as the Crown Prince's servant, thus avoiding questions about the suitability of the officials selected for the Eastern Palace. It also served as a warning to the officials at the North Gate who were subservient to Wang Maozhong, reminding them who the true masters were!

"Lord Yan is of noble character and willing to accept criminals into his household, giving them a chance to reform themselves. I am very grateful. Now, I have the responsibility to recruit volunteers and recommend them for use. I have seen that Zhang Dai is the grandson of Lord Yan and a descendant of a meritorious official. Moreover, he is of commendable character. The only regret is that he is still a commoner. I am willing to recommend him."

Wang Maozhong was still somewhat unwilling. After a moment's thought, he bowed to the emperor again and said, "There is a vacancy in the Left Feathered Forest Guard. I request that Zhang Dai be appointed to the post. Although this is somewhat motivated by personal considerations, it is by no means a private appointment."

Having surveyed all the officials at the North Gate, few surpass him in bearing and style. Moreover, the sons of generals are often rash and careless; if we were to bring the virtuous grandson of the Duke of Yan into the guard, it could correct this bad habit and inspire admiration and emulation!

The Imperial Guard Commander was an eighth-rank imperial guard official, who, as the name suggests, managed the guards within the palace. In the Northern Gate, which was not as open and transparent as the Southern Palace and did not emphasize seniority and hereditary appointments, being able to start with an imperial guard position was a very generous reward.

It should be understood that as the palace guard, the selection and appointment of any official position at the North Gate directly relates to the safety of the emperor, especially for such positions within the palace guard, which are reserved for trusted confidants. If one fails the political vetting, there's no point in even thinking about it.

When the emperor heard Wang Maozhong say this, he couldn't help but ponder it.

In terms of his background, Zhang Dai was undoubtedly qualified to serve at the North Gate. Moreover, as Wang Maozhong said, the sons of military families are often frivolous and crude. If someone with a different background and style were appointed to the North Gate, it would likely have a certain effect in correcting the prevailing atmosphere.

An ordinary person might worry about being ostracized by other members of the Northern Gate. But is Zhang Dai an ordinary person? This kid just turned the tables on Wang Shouzhen right under his nose; can't he handle the other members of the Northern Gate?
Seeing the emperor's scrutinizing gaze, Zhang Dai panicked and hurriedly bowed, saying, "If I could be allowed to serve in the imperial guard, I would be extremely honored! However, the imperial examination is imminent. If I were to abandon the examination due to greed for power, I fear I would be ridiculed by the world and feel ashamed for the rest of my life. Therefore, I beg Your Majesty to allow me to remain here until the end."

The sage did indeed intend to introduce some new personnel elements to the North Gate, but upon hearing Zhang Dai's words and seeing Zhang Shuo about to speak again, he smiled and said, "Zhang Dai's talent for resigning from his studies is quite remarkable. If we were to stop his studies because of this, it would inevitably cause the Duke of Yan to regret the loss of his family's learning. Forcing someone to do something against their will is not a good way to handle things. Zhang Dai should focus on taking the exam. If he fails, we can then place him in the North Gate."

He didn't think that Zhang Dai, a mere junior, could change the personnel structure of the North Gate just by joining the guards, so he didn't care too much about it.

(End of this chapter)