Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 239 Zhengzhou Xingze
Zhang Dai couldn't be bothered with Zhang Jun's decadent lifestyle in Zhengzhou. Even if the guy had another younger sibling, he would only marvel at how vigorous he was, despite his advanced age.

After receiving the greetings and salutations from his family, he went to the backyard to bathe and wash away the dust. He also refused the maids that Zhang Jun, who was feeling guilty, had arranged for him, and only allowed Yingnu, who arrived later, to serve him, leaving the other two maids to serve Yingnu.

After his bath, Zhang Dai's fatigue subsided, and he lay down on the bed for a short nap. Soon after, a delicate and beautiful body nestled into his arms. When he opened his eyes, he saw Ying Nu, who was as beautiful and charming as a lotus emerging from the water, approaching him. He asked in surprise, "You washed so quickly?"

“I am not worthy of being served. I feel uncomfortable with someone around. I am afraid that my master will fall asleep first, so I quickly came in to massage him to relieve his fatigue.”

Although the girl was young, she had been trained by Song San Niang to be very understanding and considerate. Not only was she skilled in singing and dancing, but she was also adept at in-bed service and massage. If the other women in Song San Niang's brothel were also proficient in these arts, it's no wonder that Li Yi was so infatuated with her.

Next, the young woman carefully massaged Zhang Dai's shoulders, back, and limbs. When Zhang Dai turned around and saw that her pretty face was covered in sweat, he waved his hand and said, "You must be very tired from traveling for days. You should rest early."

"I'm not tired. After a long day's journey, I'm just looking forward to this moment!"

Yingnu smiled shyly, then unbuttoned her dress and leaned down to press herself against Zhang Dai's back without any barriers, murmuring, "It's like a dream. I never dared to dream of having such a talented and handsome man as Master Changshi, whose fame spread throughout the world!"

These words were like a stirring war drum, instantly igniting passion and excitement in everyone. Zhang Dai felt all his fatigue vanish and longed to mount his horse and gallop away.

The next day, Zhang Dai slept until late morning, and Zhang Jun did not go to work at the prefectural government. While Zhang Dai was washing up and going to the hall for a meal, he strolled over and said with a smile, "Last night, several virtuous scholars in the prefecture invited you to be their guests. After you have tidied up, I will take you to visit the virtuous scholars of the prefecture."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai shook his head and then said, "This journey is urgent, and there is no time to stay here for long. After resting for a few days, I will go to Bianzhou again. My grandfather instructed me to return to the capital no later than mid-April, as there are still things to arrange at that time."

"You've just been born and haven't even finished your formal attire yet, so why are you so busy that you can't even stay and keep your father company for a few days?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jun's face darkened like that of a lonely old man, and he couldn't help but feel a little jealous: "Your grandfather cares about you, but he doesn't care at all about my deeds in the state."

Zhang Dai's trip eastward was certainly not for the purpose of visiting Zhang Jun.

The primary purpose, of course, is to conduct on-site inspections to see how well the various disaster relief measures are being implemented and to identify any areas that need to be supplemented or adjusted.

Secondly, it would give the students more experience, making them more confident in the selection process later in the fall.

In addition, there was another thought that he did not want to share with outsiders: he wanted to form a team, nominally as a transportation team traveling between East and West, but also to undertake other tasks when needed.

Why were generals like Wang Maozhong and Ge Fushun from the Northern Army so feared? The so-called favor and power were secondary; the most important thing was their ability to break the rules and mobilize a group of desperate men to fight against their opponents.

No matter how sophisticated the power struggles, in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, nothing beats direct physical elimination. Even the glorious Tang Dynasty, though bathed in sunshine, still had its share of dark areas untouched by its light!
Even if Zhang Dai had no intention of harming anyone, after experiencing various personnel disputes, he couldn't help but feel wary of others. He didn't dare to recruit desperados on a large scale, but if they formed bonds of gratitude and mutual assistance, they would have more ways to deal with personnel conflicts.

Of course, if a reliable candidate cannot be found, Zhang Dai would rather not take the job than create a huge personnel problem by blindly pursuing popularity. In short, such matters depend on fate; it's better to go through some trouble than to be too hasty.

Seeing that Zhang Dai was unwilling to cooperate with him in visiting the people of the prefecture and continuing to boast, Zhang Jun thought for a moment and then said, "I have gone out of my way to seek help for all the things you have done in the prefecture. Now that you have come to the prefecture, you cannot leave empty-handed. Since you have come with your fellow candidates, I will arrange for you to go to the prefectural school to encourage those candidates!"

His position as Biejia was second only to the governor in rank within the prefecture. If the governor was not in the prefecture, he would act as the governor. However, unless there were special circumstances, the governor was not allowed to leave the prefecture easily, so the Biejia position was basically a sinecure.

In remote areas, the position of Biejia was generally used to house officials who had been demoted. However, Zhengzhou, as one of the most powerful prefectures in the land, was a position used by high-ranking families to gain seniority.

Therefore, Zhang Jun was a big slacker in the state. Governor Cui Shang couldn't completely disregard Zhang Jun's feelings, so he arranged for him to be in charge of the state and county schools, so that he would at least have something to do, but not be too busy.

"no problem."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai nodded, not wanting to completely disregard his father's feelings. After a pause, he asked, "How was the matter handled when money was recently spent to establish a mathematics institute in the prefecture?"

"We have recruited thirty students, some sons of old officials in the government, others bright young men from commoner families. They have been placed next to the weaving workshop to learn their skills. I have arranged for Zhang Jian to examine them every ten days, and I do not allow them to slack off in their studies. They should be ready for employment around the New Year." Zhang Jun replied upon hearing this. He had no other business in the prefecture, so he was quite concerned about his son's affairs.

Of course, these efforts were not in vain. Zhang Dai would also provide some financial rewards, allowing him to do things within his authority, such as subsidizing outstanding students of the state school and building school buildings.

This guy is politically ambitious, but he lacks comprehension and often fails to grasp the key points in the treacherous power struggles, thus frequently making foolish mistakes.

However, there were only a few things he could do within the state, so there weren't many opportunities for him to make mistakes. Moreover, he valued his reputation but wasn't particularly greedy; otherwise, he wouldn't have submitted all of his family's hidden lands to the authorities last year, since his father had already embezzled enough.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh. His father was like dog meat, unfit for a grand banquet. As for letting him hold a leading position in the central government, he was so stupid that he was laughable. He even went so far as to serve as prime minister to An Lushan without any scruples. However, he did have some shrewdness in appointing local officials.

The father and son chatted and ate their meal, and before they knew it, it was morning. Zhang Dai wanted to go and check out the weaving workshops and warehouses outside the city, so Zhang Jun arranged for the manager, Zhang Jian, to lead the way. He himself went to the state school to announce to the students that his son, who had won the top scholar title, would be giving a speech.

Geographically, Zhengzhou not only surrounds Luoyang, but also connects to the vast plains of Henan Province. In particular, the Grand Canal, a major artery connecting the north and south, runs through Zhengzhou and connects with the Yellow River.

The Yellow River splits at Biankou and flows into the Bian Canal, which flows southeast into Bianzhou, and then south to connect with the Huai River, making it one of the most important waterways in Henan Province.

Therefore, Zhengzhou is also a leading prosperous city in Henan Province, with an economy comparable to Bianzhou and a higher political status.

"The master doesn't refer to himself as such, but he is very concerned about the affairs of Liu Lang. He chooses the best locations for all businesses he establishes. The weaving workshop and mulberry garden are located near Xingze, where water and grass are abundant, and all industries can thrive!"

Zhang Jian, being an elder in the household, was well aware of the somewhat awkward relationship between father and son. So, as he led Zhang Dai out of the city to the weaving workshop, he praised Zhang Jun's painstaking efforts along the way: "Last year, the river abandoned the old Biankou and diverted into Bian at Xingze, causing land prices around Xingze to soar. The powerful families and wealthy merchants in the prefecture competed to seize the land. Despite his requests, the Prince of Lang acquired ten hectares of land to establish the weaving workshop!"

Land resources have always been in high demand throughout history. In addition to farming and production, people in ancient times also understood the development and speculation of commercial land.

Xingze, a lake within Zhengzhou, was originally just an agricultural area. However, with the diversion of Yellow River water southward from it in the latter half of last year, the value of surrounding land skyrocketed. Under such circumstances, it was indeed quite remarkable that Zhang Jun was able to secure ten hectares of land for the construction of a weaving workshop after entering the prefecture.

However, the popularity around Xingze came and went quickly. After last year's torrential rain, the river swelled and had to be diverted to Xingze for flood discharge and navigation.

However, due to the excessive silt in the Yellow River and the fact that Xingze itself is a shallow swamp with a wide lake surface, once the river level drops, the silt settles and becomes difficult to dredge. As a last resort, the imperial court still has to take the old Bian Canal, which is currently being dredged urgently to ensure that the grain transport ships can travel north smoothly soon.

When Zhang Dai arrived, he saw a large group of people gathered, confronting each other, and even fighting. Curious, he asked, "What are these people doing?"

"These disputes all stem from last year's land sales. After the Xingqu Canal was blocked, land prices plummeted, and many deals that had already been made were reneged on. The prefectural government has been quite troubled by this recently!"

After looking at it, Zhang Jian shook his head and sighed, "They didn't cultivate the good land, but instead enclosed it to build shops. Now it's all gone to waste. I wonder how many are happy and how many are crying."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh. Zhengzhou's commercial atmosphere was indeed more vibrant than Luoyang's, which inevitably fostered various speculative activities. If the government didn't handle the situation properly, it could easily cause considerable unrest.

He was not in a position to concern himself with politics, so he had no ideas about this matter. However, when he saw the extensive mudflats around Xingze, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

The Yellow River has been flooding frequently in recent years. As one of the flood discharge areas, Xingze's agricultural production is inevitably affected. If the water and soil conditions are not in harmony, farmers will inevitably go bankrupt. This is probably one of the reasons why people are eager to sell their land.

If we could take over these lands and reclaim them for mulberry forests, the risks would be minimal, and we could also regulate water and soil. After the riverside environment improves, we could gradually convert the forests back to farmland. This would certainly be a viable option.

However, the owners of those lands had already invested a considerable amount of money and would certainly not be willing to resell them at a low price. Moreover, the return cycle for planting mulberry trees was too long, and Zhang Dai could not invest a large sum of money in this before the disaster was significantly alleviated. Therefore, he only kept this plan in mind for the time being.

The group quickly arrived at the weaving workshop. Zhang Jian often inspected this place and was very familiar with it. After entering the workshop, he shouted loudly, "Do you weavers know who has come today? It is my son, Zhang Liulang, who generously donated money and silk to start a disaster relief project!"

(End of this chapter)