Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 241 Zhengzhou Prefectural School
As dusk approached, Zhang Dai returned to the prefectural city and then went to the prefectural government's detached residence to meet his fellow graduates.

Today he went out of the city to inspect the weaving workshops, and his fellow graduates were not idle either. Some visited the city to observe current events, some went out to investigate local customs, and some went to inquire about disasters. Each of them had their own gains. When Zhang Dai arrived here, they were also exchanging their findings in the annex.

When Zhang Dai entered the hall of the villa, everyone exchanged glances and then stood up to bow deeply to him.

"What do you all mean by this? Have you suddenly come of age today and realized that you need to pass through me, the top person on the same list?"

Zhang Dai was taken aback when he saw this, but then he smiled and said something.

Among the crowd, Wang Changling sighed first, saying, "I didn't know until I asked. Last night, the people of the prefecture welcomed me with great ceremony, and I thought it was just a bunch of sycophants. Today, after visiting the city, I learned that Sixth Brother has already done so much good here! The weaving workshop on the south bank of Xingze has been making huge profits and saving thousands of lives since last year. The people of the prefecture all praise this meritorious deed!"

"It's not that exaggerated. The weaving workshop currently employs less than three thousand people, and they are all diligent in weaving, and their food comes from their own labor. All I do is provide a place for them to work and support themselves."

Zhang Dai was unaware that such exaggerated descriptions of this had already circulated among the common people, but he did not take credit for it. Instead, he said, "As you all know, this project was initiated by Consort Hui with her money."

Although Consort Hui had long been confined to the palace, she deeply felt the suffering of the people. Before her departure, she sent an official with a large sum of money for cosmetics, instructing me to continue distributing aid and providing relief to disaster victims along the way. Special attention should be paid to women and children who already struggle to make a living; they must be provided with appropriate assistance.”

"Although I knew about it, I had never heard of or witnessed it before. Now that I have entered the state and heard people talking about it, I am deeply moved."

Chang Jian picked up the conversation and sighed, "As Liu Lang said, Consort Hui has such a benevolent mind, not thinking of the imperial residence, but willing to look down on the people's suffering and hardship. Her kindness is like sweet rain, helping the world. She is truly worthy of praise! When I was traveling in the capital recently, I heard that some people used the story to slander her. This is really a bit harsh and inappropriate."

His words immediately created an awkward atmosphere, simply because they reminded people of the story of Empress Dowager Wu, which made it difficult for them to respond.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly that Chang Jian, his fellow student, was somewhat naive and straightforward, lacking in shrewdness. Such a person might be excellent as a friend, but he probably wouldn't fare well in the officialdom.

He knew that it would be a bit difficult to get everyone to accept this setting all at once. Besides, even he himself couldn't say that he was tied to his aunt's ship. Even if he wanted to organize a Prince Shou Party, he would have to proceed step by step.

To ease the somewhat awkward atmosphere, he brought up the matter of going to the state academy for sightseeing and socializing the next day. Everyone was quite interested in this, and they all started discussing it animatedly.

As the current head of the Zhengzhou Prefectural School, Zhang Jun hosted a banquet for everyone at his official residence early in the morning, and said to them with a smile: "Although you have all passed the spring examination and achieved academic success, you should not underestimate the official schools of the various prefectures. Especially in Zhengzhou, there are many prominent families who uphold Confucianism and its teachings, and it is not inferior to the Imperial Academy!"

Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly as he watched his father's bureaucratic manner of praising flowers. Zhang Jun wasn't very old either, only in his thirties, even younger than some of Zhang Dai's peers.

However, people's fates are different. Zhang Jun is now a fourth-rank official in Xiongzhou, while Zhang Dai and his peers are only newly appointed, and some may never reach Zhang Jun's current official position in their entire lives.

This has nothing to do with ability, but rather with the difference brought about by birth and circumstances. If Zhang Shuo had not been in power for several years, and especially if he had presided over the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai during his tenure, Zhang Jun would probably not have been able to rise in rank so quickly.

However, Zhang Dai's classmates didn't seem to feel much about this. As people of this era, they were used to such phenomena.

After breakfast, the group headed towards the state academy. Zhengzhou enjoys a superior geographical location and a very prosperous economy, so it attaches great importance to education. The state academy was built in a grand style, and its scale even surpassed that of the Imperial Academy in Luoyang.

After all, Luoyang's urban layout was rather cramped, and there wasn't much land available for the Imperial College.

"In previous years, when I studied at the Imperial Academy in Xijing, I only thought that the Confucianism of Guanzhong was unparalleled in the world. Now, seeing the prosperity of this prefectural school, I realize that my vision was still too limited. The Prefect's achievements in guiding good customs, promoting education, and governing the country are truly admirable!"

Du Wei sighed outside the state school, and Zhang Jun immediately beamed with joy upon hearing this, regarding Du Wei as a close friend. He ordered Du Wei to ride forward and explain his strategies for managing the state school, even chasing Zhang Dai to the back.

"We respectfully welcome Prefect Zhang!"

The students and professors had been notified yesterday, so they lined up early this morning to welcome the students.

Zhang Jun loved this kind of extravagant display. He laughed and waved his hand, saying, "You disciples need not be so polite. Today, I have gathered all the successful candidates from the Spring Examination and brought them here for you disciples to learn from. If you can gain even a little bit of true knowledge and wisdom, remember it well, it will surely greatly benefit your studies next year!"

Zhang Dai and his companions rode forward, drawing the attention of the students at the state academy. The students, as they had hoped, looked at the group with expressions of envy and reverence. Regardless of their political standing, these newly appointed scholars were already a remarkable achievement in the academic world; so many scholars diligently pursued their studies, yet only a handful passed the imperial examinations each year.

This year, in particular, the personnel changes have made it even more difficult to pass the exam, making these thirteen people even more admired by the students!
"This is none other than Prefect Zhang's beloved son, the top scholar in the spring examination, the handsome and refined Zhang Zongzhi! He is truly unparalleled in his elegance and captivating!"

"Wang Changling, Wang Shaobo! If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here, the barbarian horses would never dare to cross the Yin Mountains!"

"Li Sixteen, an eighteen-year-old Imperial Guard, serves the King of Han in military attire!"

The shouts and cheers were deafening, turning the state college into a veritable online sensation. The students' excitement was palpable, and even the professors couldn't resist coming over to watch.

Surrounded by others, the group entered the state school and arrived at the hall where the portrait of the revered teacher was enshrined. They then spread out mats, sat down, and began to discuss literature and art.

In such a setting, the Zhang family father and son were undoubtedly the central figures. Although Tang Dynasty literature was diverse and accomplished in various fields, in terms of the officially recognized literary field, the Zhang family, which had been in power for many years and led the literary scene for a long time, was the undisputed mainstream.

This situation did not change despite Zhang Shuo's fall from power. In fact, if it weren't for the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion and the defection of the Zhang brothers, Jun and Ji, to the rebels, their lineage of scholars would not have been easily severed even by the mid-Tang Dynasty. Even figures like the barbecue master Fang Guan were part of this tradition.

Zhang Dai's bloodline status in his family may still be somewhat controversial, but after he became the top scholar in the imperial examination, he can be regarded as the direct successor of Zhang Yue's literary achievements, unless his brothers can achieve greater literary success than him, which is extremely difficult.

Zhang Jun was genuinely proud of his son, who had achieved the top scholar title. This was certainly related to his vain nature, but his attitude of praising his son so highly also made everyone feel the deep bond between father and son.

Although Zhengzhou State School was only a state-run school, it rivaled the East and West Imperial Academies in terms of its distinguished students, many of whom were renowned and came from impressive backgrounds.

Besides the well-known Xingyang Zheng clan, there are many other prominent families based in Zhengzhou. For example, there's the family of Wei Siqian, the maternal grandfather of Yuwen Rong, who was from the Wei family of Jingzhao, and the family of Guzang branch of the Longxi Li clan, as well as the family of Li Xuandao, a scholar of the Qin Prince's Mansion, and so on.

According to the current social hierarchy, these are all first-class noble families who have lived in the fertile and prosperous land of Zhengzhou for generations, and their families are well-known in both the capital and the capital.

While praising his own son, Zhang Jun also commended some of the young people from prominent families present, especially those from the Li clan of Longxi, whose admiration was particularly evident.

"This young disciple, Li Kui, although not yet famous, is already the most learned among them, and his fame is only a matter of time. I have been a close friend of his father for many years. You young disciples must not fail to live up to the kindness of your elders, and should also befriend and support each other wholeheartedly!"

Zhang Jun introduced a young man from the state school to Zhang Dai, and the young man, Li Kui, looked at Zhang Dai with eyes full of admiration: "Your Excellency's reputation is so great that it shames me. In terms of age, I am more than a year older than you, yet you have already passed the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official, while I am still living a quiet life in my hometown. I am truly ashamed! If I could only achieve a fraction of your brilliance in the future, I would be proud to be in front of others!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but feel that the young man was a bit impatient. "Our situations are different, what are you comparing me to?" However, he didn't say much, only exchanging a few pleasantries with him.

"Li Kui's father, Li Chengyu, is also a good friend of mine. He is quite old and ashamed to be in the selection office, feeling resentful of his lack of advancement. His family is of high social standing, but their power is somewhat lacking. I would like to arrange a marriage for you with a woman from his family. What do you think?"

After the young Li Kui took his leave, Zhang Jun pulled his son closer and whispered something to him.

Zhang Dai knew that his father, like his grandfather, had a penchant for old money and an extraordinary affection for those aristocratic families. He had just recently rejected the marriage proposal expressed by the Zheng family of Xingyang, but unexpectedly, his father had found the Li family of Longxi in the prefecture.

"I am still young, and it is too early to talk about this. Besides, she is a pampered young lady from a prestigious family with refined tastes, and I may not be able to handle her."

Without thinking, he waved his hand and said.

"What nonsense are you spouting! So what if she's a pampered young lady from a prestigious family? Once she enters my household, she becomes my wife and must abide by my rules. If she's disrespectful, she'll be punished just the same!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jun snorted coldly again.

Zhang Dai didn't even bother to argue with him. How should he be punished? Like you, a couple who, when they have a disagreement, pack up and separate?

(End of this chapter)