Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 266 Bohai High School, Grade 35
Zhang Dai had long heard of Gao Shi's great name and was quite surprised when Gao Shi introduced himself. However, he was soon puzzled by the phrase "looking up and seeing the Big Dipper".

"This, Gao Thirty-Five, is too kind. Since you are good friends with Wang Da and others, I am also happy to get to know the outstanding talents of our time. I am truly sorry that the previous arrangements were not well thought out and caused you to suffer in the prefecture for so long."

He wasn't sure what Gao Shi's current life situation was, and to avoid confusing it with some memories in his mind, he didn't say much, only smiling and talking to him as if it were their first meeting.

"Sixth Master is truly a refined and dignified gentleman, a dashing figure with divine charm. I am fortunate to have served him, and even more fortunate to have met him. How could I possibly be a burden to him!"

Gao Shi quickly bowed and said, his enthusiastic attitude making Zhang Dai feel a little overwhelmed.

Wang Changling and others also noticed that Gao Shi seemed to be too attentive. No matter how much they admired Zhang Dai, it was only their first meeting, and being too enthusiastic might not leave a good impression.

"After parting ways with Liu Lang, we traveled between Liang and Song. Because we often spied on the stables and livestock in the homes of the villagers, we aroused their suspicion and wariness. Fortunately, we met Gao Sanshiwu in Songzhou, and with his guidance and introductions, the villagers lowered their guard and were willing to accept our help."

At this point, Wang Changling and the others were filled with pride: "A cattle epidemic was spreading between Liang and Song, but fortunately, medicine was administered in time, saving thousands of cattle. When the epidemic subsides, it will be the livelihood of thousands of families!"

A fellow graduate standing nearby sighed, "If I could be selected to serve between Liang and Song this winter, and personally supervise the villagers' farming next year, that would be even better!"

All people have a sense of morality and a sense of mission. If Henan was just an ordinary corner of the world to these people before, or if they felt pity because of the disaster, after traveling through the area and actually helping the villagers, this place has become extraordinary to them.

"The imperial court dispatched Prefect Pei to Henan to rectify personnel matters, promote and demote officials, and select the virtuous and dismiss the mediocre. We have traveled extensively within this territory and have witnessed much about the people and local customs. When we return to the capital, we will present this to Lord Yan, and he will surely give us priority in promotion!"

Zhang Dai also said with a smile that although he had not personally been to Songzhou, the prefectures and counties he had passed through this time were not perfect in terms of personnel, and each had its own shortcomings.

The biggest problem in Bianzhou was undoubtedly its governor, Yuan Fu, who acted arbitrarily and irresponsibly, failing to address the pressing issues of the time, leading to the disarray of the prefecture. Meanwhile, his subordinates took advantage of the governor's ambition but lack of competence and laziness in paying attention to details, engaging in rampant deception and embezzlement, causing the people of Bianzhou to suffer from both natural disasters and man-made calamities.

Now that Pei Zhouxian has thoroughly investigated the matter in the prefecture, uncovering wrongdoing and recovering stolen goods, the officialdom of Bianzhou has undergone a major upheaval and is bound to undergo a major reshuffle.

As for other prefectures and counties, the problems were equally significant. Li Daosui, the governor of Caozhou, was a passive official who did nothing within the prefecture. Although Caozhou's treasury was empty, unlike other prefectures and counties which at least had some means of raising funds, Li Daosui's lack of enthusiasm for disaster relief exacerbated the spread of the disaster.

Yuwen Rong of Weizhou was far too eager; his plan to reopen the Wang Mang River was tantamount to trying to save people from certain death.

Even in a year of good weather and abundant harvests, such a massive and arduous project is difficult to undertake. To attempt it amidst a disaster with an empty treasury and exhausted people, there is absolutely no chance of success.

Even disregarding the ongoing epidemics this year, the court would not support Yuwen Rong's massive plan to carry out such a large undertaking, given that Wang Jun is planning to lay a huge slate in Hexi in the second half of the year.

At present, Zhang Dai only hopes that the personnel crackdown in Bianzhou will make Yuwen Rong restrain himself, scale down the construction project based on reality, and improve the drainage and flood control conditions in the territory and surrounding areas.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Compared to the current leaders, he was only a little more farsighted, yet he was worrying more than the prime minister every day, and even occasionally had to help the emperor coordinate family relationships.

The imperial court has not yet clearly defined the fifteen supervisory districts. Otherwise, one might exclaim that all the three prefectures and fifteen circuits of the Tang Dynasty are on my shoulders, Zhang Liulang's shoulders. Even the young Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty did not have as heavy a burden as I do!
Gao Shi listened to the discussion about this topic from the side, his eyes filled with envy and longing.

Now he is penniless and penniless. Due to the disaster, his family's land has yielded a poor harvest, and they are struggling to make ends meet. Hearing people who are about his age or even younger discussing the topic of being selected for office and governing the people makes him feel increasingly uneasy.

Seeing that Gao Shi was being neglected, Zhang Dai asked him with a smile, "What are you doing in the prefecture these days, Gao Shiwu? This trip seems to be quite a hassle. If you are ill or troubled, just say so."

Upon hearing this, Gao Shi felt a lump in his throat and quickly stood up, saying, "I now live in Liang and Song, making a living by farming and woodcutting. My hometown is Luoyang, but I traveled west to Chang'an before. Unexpectedly, my father died in Guangling. In order to move back to my ancestral tomb, I had to pawn my house for funds. After the mourning period, my hometown was gone, so I had no choice but to seek refuge in another place..."

Zhang Dai asked casually, but unexpectedly learned of such a difficult past. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, so he said, "Life is unpredictable, and temporary ups and downs are not enough to determine one's future. But if one is persevering and strives forward, one will eventually turn adversity into fortune and receive help from heaven and man!"

Gao Shi, of course, did not know that what Zhang Dai was saying was his actual experience in the future. He thought that Zhang Dai was just trying to comfort him, so he quickly bowed his head and said, "Thank you for your encouragement, Sixth Brother. I will definitely take this as a motto and strive to improve myself!"

Zhang Dai looked at the meek and submissive Gao Shi, and began to ponder. He heard Gao Shi say that he was originally from Luoyang, but had been forced to sell his house to relocate his deceased father's remains, leaving him stranded between Liang and Song. Now that they had met, he wanted to lend him a hand.

After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "We, who are of the same age, will soon be returning to the capital. Gao Thirty-Five has no important matters to attend to here. Would you be willing to return to the capital with me? My house and garden are not large, but they can accommodate two or three gentlemen for a while." "This, what you say is true, Sixth Brother... Thank you, thank you, Sixth Brother! This is exactly what I wished for. I dared not ask. I will never forget your hospitality!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Shi's face lit up with joy, and he even stepped forward to pay his respects.

Luoyang was his hometown where he grew up, and it was a place where officials gathered and opportunities abounded. If he hadn't been struggling to survive before, he wouldn't have wanted to leave his hometown and live in Liang and Song. Now that he had received Zhang Dai's financial assistance and shelter, he was naturally extremely happy.

Zhang Dai smiled and helped Gao Shi up. He didn't expect to recruit Gao Shi into his service, since he was still powerless and insignificant at the moment. Gao Shi was one of the more worldly and ambitious poets among the many famous poets of the Tang Dynasty, and he might not be happy to serve under a playboy like Zhang Dai.

But besides recruiting, there are many other ways to get along with people. He was happy to provide some assistance to the poet during his difficult youth. The following year, when the poet recalled this period, he wrote a poem to express his feelings to him from afar. It was a pleasant thought.

The prefectural government was in complete disarray. Now that Wang Changling and the others had been released, Zhang Dai decided not to stay and cause any more trouble, so he led everyone away from the prefectural government.

When they arrived at the gate of the prefectural government, they encountered another group of people coming from the same direction, who dismounted in front of the government.

The man in the lead looked somewhat familiar to Zhang Dai. After a moment's thought, he remembered that this man was one of Yuwen Rong's subordinates, the same supervisor who had led Yuwen Rong's horse when they visited Yuwen Rong's home in Luoyang. His name was Gao Chen.

"Your humble servant Gao Chen greets Young Master Zhang."

When Gao Chen saw Zhang Dai come out of the prefectural government office, he quickly stepped forward and bowed to greet him.

Zhang Dai stopped, looked at him, and asked with a smile, "What instructions did Lord Yuwen give you for sending you here?"

"When the servant of the former Prefect of Yuan entered the prefecture to report on the matter, Prefect Yuwen was heartbroken upon learning of it, not expecting the affairs of Bianzhou to be in such a chaotic state. I have now sent this humble official here not at the invitation of Prefect Yuan, but to handle the matter of the Henan Pacification Commissioner to Prefect Pei impartially."

Gao Chen was a confidant of Yuwen Rong and had a deep understanding of some things. He did not look down on Zhang Dai because he was a commoner. Instead, he explained things to him seriously.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai knew that Yuwen Rong had ultimately decided to abandon Yuanfu. It wasn't that he was overly opportunistic or pragmatic, but rather that the matter itself was extremely difficult to handle.

Yuwen Rong's information channels clearly extend beyond Yuanfu, and the problems Pei Zhouxian has uncovered are already extremely serious. If Yuwen Rong tries to forcibly protect them, he himself might be severely affected. Under such circumstances, making some cuts is beneficial for preserving strength.

Moreover, Yuwen Rong was greatly moved by Zhang Dai's proposal recently, so his dispatch of Gao Chen to Bianzhou was not to protect Yuanfu, but to communicate with Pei Zhou about the follow-up handling of personnel matters in Bianzhou.

Zhang Dai was only responsible for setting off the cannons, not for cleaning up the mess. Interfering too much in matters that weren't his concern would inevitably annoy people. Therefore, after understanding Yuwen Rong's attitude, he waved for Gao Chen to enter the mansion, while he and his classmates continued walking out.

"Cousin..."

As the two groups passed each other, a greeting suddenly rang out behind Zhang Dai. He turned around and saw that it was Gao Shi bowing to Gao Chen in greeting.

Gao Chen was taken aback when he saw Gao Shi. Then a look of disgust flashed in his eyes. He didn't say anything or even respond before walking past. But after taking a few steps, he turned back to look at Gao Shi standing behind Zhang Dai before calling out, "Thirty-five Lang, come here for a moment."

The two men moved into the hallway for a moment before Gao Chen asked Gao Shi, "Why are you traveling with Zhang Zongzhi?"

“I was originally staying in Songzhou when Zhang Liulang and his fellow students Wang Changling and others came to the city and met me. We traveled together here. Zhang Liulang invited me to return to the capital and stay at his home temporarily.”

Gao Shi quickly lowered his head and said.

"Although Zhang Zongzhi is also a illegitimate grandson of Zhang Yan, he is quite famous at the time. It is your good fortune to be accepted by him. It is much better to follow him in the future than to continue to harass old friends in your grandfather's name. Go!"

Upon hearing that Gao Shi and Zhang Dai did not have a particularly deep friendship, Gao Chen immediately lost interest and waved his hand, saying...

(End of this chapter)