Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 230 Mutual Affection, Father-in-Law and Son-in-Law Get Along Well

The Wang family's banquet was held in their own palace residence, the same place Gao Chengxin had indicated to Zhang Dai when he saw him off from the palace after last year's banquet.

Besides Zhang Dai, Gao Chengxin, representing Gao Lishi, Yang Shaoyi, Yang Sixu's adopted son, and several other senior eunuchs also sent their own representatives to participate.

The profits from the flying money were so considerable that even Gao Lishi couldn't swallow it all at once, nor could he withstand the pressure exerted by Wang Maozhong. Therefore, he also brought in other chief eunuchs. In particular, the addition of Yang Sixu made Wang Maozhong wary, and he dared not use force easily, so he could only agree to negotiate a solution.

On the day of the banquet, Zhang Dai first met Gao Chengxin at his home outside the palace, and then waited for Yang Shaoyi and others to arrive before heading to the Xuanwu Gate of the inner palace together. As for the guards An Xiaochen and Yin Huan, they all stayed at Gao Chengxin's home for the time being.

Apart from Zhang Dai, the entire group consisted of eunuchs, which gave Zhang Dai an even stronger sense that he had already infiltrated the eunuch faction.

Since it was just an engagement banquet, Wang Maozhong did not invite many guests. Apart from his subordinates from the North Gate, the only people who came to offer their congratulations were Zhang Dai and the group of eunuchs.

Wang Shoulian, the second son of Wang Maozhong, stood at the Xuanwu Gate to receive guests, making it seem as if the entire palace was his private courtyard.

Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh that Wang Maozhong was really dancing recklessly in the emperor's minefield, openly forming cliques and engaging in private activities at the North Gate, and acting like the master of the house while living in the inner palace. If he doesn't die, who will?

So people are really complicated. The current emperor is very wary of his brothers, his children and grandchildren, and the ministers of the outer court, but he indulges certain special people almost without any bottom line.

As a general of the Imperial Guard, Wang Maozhong's actions have gone too far and are unacceptable to the emperor. The fact that the emperor still tolerates and forgives him makes one wonder what his limits are.
This also reflects the emperor's character flaws. One is laziness. Even if Wang Maozhong's position was special and it was difficult to find and cultivate a replacement, it was not to the point that no one could replace him.

However, the emperor has maintained the same personnel situation in the Northern Court since he ascended the throne. Even though the ruling team of the outer court has changed several times, the Northern Court has never undergone a large-scale personnel adjustment.

Secondly, there was his arrogance. In the emperor's eyes, Wang Maozhong was just a servant, and all the honors and favors he received were bestowed upon him. It would only take a moment to deal with him. Therefore, the emperor turned a blind eye to his violations and did not pursue them seriously.

Thirdly, the emperor's likes, dislikes, punishments, and rewards lacked any standard. In the early stages, he could still exercise some restraint through reason and accepting advice, so as not to indulge his personal likes and dislikes excessively. However, as he became more and more complacent, he became more and more willful.

Zhang Dai and Wang Maozhong didn't have any deep-seated conflict; it was just that Wang Maozhong's anger towards Zhang Dai stemmed from his own failure to offer his daughter, which resulted in Zhang Dai breaking his teeth.

However, there is no actual conflict of interest between them. Whether Zhang Dai seeks a position in the imperial court or serves as an official in the local area, he will not have much interaction with him and can simply leave each other alone.

However, the officials who accompanied the Wang family felt uneasy seeing the way the family treated their guests.

One crucial reason was that, even though they were all the emperor's trusted henchmen, the eunuchs were a group of physically disabled people, while Wang Maozhong had numerous wives and concubines, a large family, and even made his home within the palace, openly forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. The greater the contrast, the more jealous and resentful the eunuchs naturally became.

"This Lord Huo is truly incorrigible! He was given a warning the other day, but now he's back to his arrogant ways! I wonder what kind of lesson he'll have to learn before he understands the importance of being a respectful person!"

Gao Chengxin leaned close to Zhang Dai's ear and whispered through gritted teeth. He had been pleased with the previous exchange between the two sides and the fact that the eunuchs had the upper hand, but now he couldn't help but feel resentful.

Zhang Dai simply smiled and didn't reply. He was determined not to stand out today, but to quietly enjoy the wedding feast. As for how they divided the spoils, he was free to do so, knowing that he, representing Consort Wu Hui, would not be shortchanged.

Wang Shouzhen, a commoner stripped of his title, was no longer qualified to greet guests outside. Today, he was merely dressed in plain clothes inside the house, acting like a servant to guide people in and out.

When he saw Zhang Dai arrive, he strode forward to greet him and bowed respectfully, saying, "I have been waiting here for you for a long time, Sixth Brother. If you need anything for food, entertainment, or anything else today, just let me know!"

"This this……"

Gao Chengxin and the others knew what kind of person Wang Shouzhen was before, so they were all quite surprised to see him behave so differently now.

"Guests are welcome to do as they please; no extra care is needed. You can go and greet the guests yourself."

Zhang Dai waved his hand and said, and Wang Shouzhen respectfully agreed, but still followed behind Zhang Dai without leaving. He stayed here because he didn't want to see the cold stares and mockery from his friends in the North Gate.

Wang Maozhong was also dressed in formal attire today, and his conversation was accompanied by exaggerated laughter. He always mentioned that today was a day of great joy, but because he emphasized it too much, it seemed somewhat empty, hypocritical, and lacking in emotional support.

The reason was simple: becoming the emperor's father-in-law was his lifelong ambition. Now, forced by circumstances, he had to settle for second best. While this marriage would certainly strengthen his power and position in the North Gate, it was ultimately not the best choice, which explained his forced smile. Zhang Dai came to offer his congratulations, and Wang Maozhong didn't show much emotional change. The young man readily provided money for medicine, significantly compensating for his losses, which somewhat eased his frustration.

Therefore, he was still able to greet him with a smile, and even praised Zhang Dai a few times: "Young Master Zhang is highly talented and top of the spring examination. Your presence here to congratulate me brings honor to my hall!"

"Lord Huo, you flatter me. Your mansion is magnificent and adjacent to the imperial residence. There is no greater honor for a subject than this. It is so splendid and dazzling. Why would I need anyone to enhance its glory?"

Zhang Dai responded politely for a couple of minutes, then retreated to an inconspicuous seat on the side of the hall to await the start of the banquet.

Although Wang Maozhong didn't specifically invite many guests, there were still quite a few who came to offer their congratulations, mainly the soldiers from the Northern Gate. Wang Maozhong and Ge Fushun were arguably the two most powerful men in the Northern Gate, and now that they were about to become in-laws, which of the generals from the Northern Gate dared not to show any respect?

Zhang Dai was not very familiar with these people and had little in common with them, so he sipped his wine slowly while listening to Gao Chengxin and others introduce the generals of the Northern Army and their relationships with each other.

In fact, from the perspective of current customs, the marriage between Wang Maozhong and Ge Fushun is not too surprising, and there are many similar cases within the Northern Government.

After all, their social circles and connections were limited. Although their official ranks were not low, the officials of equal rank in the outer court disdained to marry into their families, and they themselves looked down on poor families. When comrades married, their sons and daughters were of similar social standing, which could also deepen their friendship and help each other.

The problem is that if subordinates do this, it's fine, and not many people pay attention. But when the bosses do the same, the attention they attract and the negative impact they cause are much more serious.

No matter how inappropriate the matter was, the emperor neither spoke out to stop it, and the eunuchs, though dissatisfied, could only grumble and complain in private.

Zhang Dai merely listened without offering his own opinion, while inwardly thinking with amusement, "Didn't the Emperor forbid you eunuchs from marrying each other?"
Just then, a series of commotions and shouts arose outside. It turned out that the new son-in-law had come to deliver gifts, and Zhang Dai followed the outsiders to the outer hall to watch the excitement.

A group of young men from the Northern Court, dressed in fine clothes, strode confidently into the courtyard. Leading them was a young man in his early twenties, over six feet tall, dressed like a New Year's red envelope, wearing a brocade robe underneath a short-sleeved outer garment. He approached Wang Maozhong, who stood before the hall, and bowed with his hands clasped, saying, "I am Ge Yanchang. I am deeply grateful to Lord Huo for bestowing upon me his beautiful daughter as my son-in-law. Today I come to pay my respects, and humbly request that my father-in-law accept her!"

Upon hearing this, the young men of the Northern Army applauded and cheered, but some, while joining in the fun, also harbored envious glints in their eyes. A Northern Army general standing next to Wang Maozhong chuckled and said, "Geng Gong's son is a bit foolish. Today is just the formality of the betrothal ceremony, yet he's already calling us father-in-law and son-in-law. It's too early!"

Wang Maozhong knew that not everyone, not even those in his own Northern Office, was happy about this marriage. Upon hearing this, he strode down the steps, put his arm around the young man, and laughed loudly, "This boy is handsome and strong, just like his father. He is very much to my liking. Don't say it's too early to say. If both parties are willing, what could possibly change?"

Upon hearing this, everyone around applauded and cheered. The young man, Ge Yanchang, couldn't help but smile with pride as he saw that his new father-in-law appreciated him so much.

Duke Ge Fushun of Geng State attached great importance to this marriage, and the gifts he sent were extremely luxurious and generous. Silks, jewels, and rare treasures were piled up in carts and displayed in the courtyard, dazzling and astonishing all who saw them.

Wang Maozhong was quite pleased with the pomp and circumstance, and pulled his new son-in-law back into the hall to join them at the table. Zhang Dai also returned to the hall with the other guests, happily watching the joyful scene of the father-in-law and son-in-law getting along so well, drinking and eating.

A maidservant carrying food entered, and one of them suddenly leaned towards Zhang Dai's seat. Zhang Dai instinctively reached out to steady her, but a wooden ball rolled out of the maidservant's sleeve and landed between him and Gao Chengxin. The maidservant looked flustered, pointed at the wooden ball, and then hurriedly turned and left.

Seeing this, Zhang Dai was naturally suspicious. Just as he was about to bend down to pick up the wooden ball, he saw that Gao Chengxin had already grabbed it in his hand. So he moved closer and whispered, "What's going on?"

Gao Chengxin simply shook his head slightly, saying nothing more, appearing as if he were keeping something to himself. Seeing this, Zhang Dai didn't ask any further questions, only assuming that the eunuchs had already planted spies in Wang Maozhong's house, or perhaps using it to pass on some confidential intelligence.

In the main hall of the Wang family, guests were feasting, while in the inner hall, Wang Maozhong's wives and concubines were taking stock of the gifts sent by Ge Fushun's family. Many people sighed and said, "Geng Gong is so generous with his gifts. The young lady is so lucky. She has the care of her parents at home, and marrying into such a powerful family will bring her endless blessings for the rest of her life..."

"It's a pity that this young master of the Geng family is somewhat lacking in character; he's only mediocre among the sons of the Northern Gate."

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, a maidservant hurried in from outside, then quickly ascended the pavilion and whispered, "Madam, the secret letter has been delivered to that young master Zhang..."

Did he respond at the time?

Upon hearing this, the young girl sitting alone under the curtain in the inner room quickly stood up, stepped forward, grabbed the maid's wrist, and asked urgently.

Upon hearing this, the maid shook her head: "There are too many guests in the hall, and I dare not stay any longer. I just threw the book into the table, but I was afraid that someone would notice, so I immediately withdrew!"

(End of this chapter)