Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 316 Nepotism
Zhang Dai walked out of the hall with the completed judgment in his hand. Then, all the actors who had been looking up at the execution outside the hall turned to look at him, their eyes showing a noticeable change compared to earlier.

Zhang Dai didn't stop to admire the execution scene; he had no particular like or dislike for Lei Sibao. Yesterday's punishment was simply a matter of impartiality within his duties, but Xue Tao's interference had distorted the situation.

As for Lei Sibao's so-called pressure, violence, and forced abduction of his daughter, it is completely fabricated and is just his delusional overactive imagination.

Even if he were a lecherous man, he wouldn't possibly fall for a woman he'd never met. Besides, with his unparalleled good looks, it's hard to say who would be infatuated with whom if they actually met!

Zhang Dai didn't care about how the people in the Imperial Academy treated him for the time being. His main focus right now was to establish a firm foothold in the Imperial Academy, and then try to develop some informants and confidants, or sell insurance, once things had stabilized.

Bypassing the crowd of onlookers, Zhang Dai headed straight for Wangsheng Tower, where Cui Rizhi was. When he arrived outside the tower, he saw Xue Tao standing there with a gloomy expression.

"You shameless brat! So yesterday you feigned respect only because you were weak and I was powerful. You were just being hypocritical and perfunctory. You've truly learned all the cunning tricks of your ancestor, Duke Yan! But didn't Duke Yan teach you what it means to overdo things? Do you really think that no one can control you with your arrogance and treachery!"

Xue Tao glared at Zhang Dai and said viciously.

"Your Excellency is mistaken. Supervising the actors is my duty. Your interference yesterday was already inappropriate. Today's review and retrial is to help you find any omissions. Your questioning of me on this matter is quite inappropriate. I have something to report to Minister Cui. Please wait a moment, and I will explain in detail."

Zhang Dai merely bowed slightly to Xue Tao before walking into the Wangsheng Tower.

"Stop..."

Xue Tao let out another low roar, but received no response. He pondered for a moment outside, then angrily strode into the building.

Cui Rizhi, as usual, sat upstairs overlooking the Ministry of Personnel. Only after hearing the report from the prefectural clerk did he return to his desk and sit down, then had Zhang Dai and Xue Tao brought in.

Zhang Dai had just entered and paid his respects, and before he could even report his business, Xue Tao angrily said, "Minister Cui, this Zhang Dai is arrogant and rude, disrespectful to his superiors. He is utterly insolent and should be reprimanded!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Rizhi frowned and immediately said in a deep voice, "Minister Xue, you must be careful with your words. Zhang Dai is a renowned minister and filial grandson. He has passed the provincial examinations and the special imperial examinations, and he has proven himself worthy. That is why he was promoted and appointed. He is by no means a reckless person! People have different likes and dislikes. How can you let your momentary likes and dislikes lead you to lightly criticize him?"

Upon hearing Cui Rizhi's open defense of Zhang Dai, Xue Tao's face flushed red again. After a brief pause, he spoke loudly again: "This man abuses the punishment. Yesterday, he was stopped by me for punishing a court musician, and today he has inflicted even more severe punishment, treating my judgment as nothing. Isn't this an insult to his superior?"

Cui Rizhi frowned and looked at Zhang Dai again, asking in a deep voice, "What do you say?"

“I just explained to Xue Shaoqing outside the building that supervising the actors is within my duties, and it was inappropriate for Xue Shaoqing to interfere in my case. The reason I am reviewing the case today is to uphold justice and prevent corruption. Xue Shaoqing takes this as an insult and tries to justify it with force, which I find completely baffling.”

Zhang Dai then bowed to Cui Rizhi and replied, "I have served in the selection department three times before being appointed to this position. Xue Shaoqing only wove skirts and belts, yet he rose to the rank of a high official. Although our professions are different, we were both granted this position by imperial grace. Officials may have different ranks, but imperial grace has no limit. This distinction is made so that everyone can fulfill their duties."

The Grand Minister, being highly respected, holds the highest position among the ministers; the Junior Minister, though less respected and related to the state, must still respectfully assume a subordinate role. Half of the nation's important affairs are handled by the Grand Master of Ceremonies. Is it acceptable for superiors to interfere with inferiors and inferiors to disrupt superiors?

"Who are you calling a mere sycophant?"

Although Xue Tao's level of understanding wasn't very high, he could still comprehend this kind of polite but not polite remark. Being mocked by Zhang Dai to his face as a sycophant, he naturally couldn't tolerate it and immediately glared and roared.

boom!
Cui Rizhi raised his hand and slammed it heavily on the table. Then, looking at Xue Tao, who was filled with astonishment, he said in a deep voice, "Does a mere music slave require the court to appoint a third-rank official to deal with him? If you, Xue Shaoqing, are not busy with other cases, you may assign personnel to handle this case!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and tapped the desk in front of him.

"This humble official dares not. Your Excellency is fair and just in handling matters. Under your jurisdiction, all departments of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices are well-ordered and there is no confusion."

Xue Tao was stunned for a moment, then quickly bowed again and said, but then turned back to glare at Zhang Dai with some resentment, "The Grand Minister has also heard of Zhang Dai's humiliation of me. This fellow is truly..."

“Zhang Xielu, apologize to Xue Shaoqing! Xue Shaoqing is also a man of noble birth and talent, a refined gentleman. How could he be the kind of person who only weaves brothels as you say! You are new to this world and have not heard of such matters. Xue Shaoqing... how could you speak of your superior in such a way!”

Cui Rizhi paused for a moment, unable to think of anything Xue Tao had done to save face for him, so he put on a stern face and said to Zhang Dai.

Zhang Dai, naturally, wouldn't be stubborn. Upon hearing this, he bowed to Xue Tao and said, "Please forgive my rudeness, Young Master Xue. I had a secret admiration for you, and my words came out of my mouth. I deeply envy your connections with the imperial relatives and friends, but I never expected you to take it to heart. I am truly sorry, truly..."

"What nonsense are you spouting! Who said I... Shut up!" Upon hearing the apology, Xue Tao's mood immediately became agitated again. He quickly shook his head, waved his hands, and glared at the speaker, saying that even if he had ten lives, he wouldn't dare say that marrying into the royal family was a shameful and disgraceful thing!
Cui Rizhi, observing Xue Tao, a man in his forties, yet rendered helpless by Zhang Dai's provocations, couldn't help but sigh inwardly that Xue Tao was all show and no substance. He then pointed at Zhang Dai and asked, "What brings you here?"

"What I am reporting concerns the conflict with Xue Shaoqing. Lei Sibao, a court musician, has become arrogant and rusty due to his skill. Yesterday, he was drunk during his lesson and spoke rudely, for which I have already punished him. I intended to give him another chance to correct his mistake today by summoning him to the academy, but unexpectedly, this fellow has become even more arrogant. Not only did he refuse to supervise the lesson, but he also used his daughter's favor with Prince Xue to intimidate me!"

Zhang Dai presented the judgment he had just written with both hands, and then said to Cui Rizhi, "If this person is allowed to be tolerated, not only will the laws of the Imperial Academy be disrupted, but the reputation of the Prince will also be tarnished by this lowly servant. Therefore, I request that he be removed from the register of musicians and returned to the Ministry of Agriculture!"

Lei Sibao was no ordinary entertainer; he had already risen to the position of Music Attendant in the Imperial Music Bureau, and his household registration had been upgraded from the lowest-ranking government slave to a commoner. If he continued to accumulate merit, he might be freed from his lowly status and become a free person in a few years. But now, stripped of his entertainer status, he could only return to being the lowest-ranking government slave under the Ministry of Agriculture.

"Having gained favor with Prince Xue? How did the Grand Master of Ceremonies, Yue Nu, enter the prince's residence?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Rizhi frowned deeply again and looked at Xue Tao.

Upon hearing this, Xue Tao immediately lowered his head and said softly, "When I entered the temple office, I was still later than the Grand Minister, so I do not know much about this."

This matter is undoubtedly a sensitive topic, so Xue Tao dared not say much about it. He might end up like his uncle or cousin. He could protect them if it wasn't brought up in public, but once it was, he naturally had to keep his distance.

After pondering for a while, Cui Rizhi did not delve into the matter. The inside story was not complicated. Before him, Prince Ning had served as the Minister of Ceremonies for several years. Since the princes' residences often had theatrical banquets and entertainment, it was natural that actors were needed to perform.

Compared to the inner and outer music bureaus under the supervision of the eunuchs, the music bureaus of the Imperial Music Bureau were much larger in scale and more loosely managed, so it was inevitable that some of them would occasionally wander into the residences of princes and dukes.

As long as it's not a large-scale practice, it's not considered taboo. Not to mention princes and nobles, even some wealthy merchants would try to keep one or two court entertainers to fill the seats. As long as they didn't flaunt it, the government wouldn't investigate too much.

There are tens of thousands of musicians in Taichang, and it is impossible to supervise the occasional loss of some. It is even possible that these musicians' parents sold them privately.

"Leave the document here for now; the judgment will be issued together after the summer solstice!"

After thinking for a moment, Cui Rizhi ordered someone to put the judgment away and gave the instructions verbally.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly that all those who rose to high office were cunning, while those as straightforward and shallow as Xue Tao were exceptions.

It's only early June now, but the summer solstice isn't until late June. There are still a full twenty days to go. It's just abolishing a musician's status, not some kind of execution in the autumn.

Cui Rizhi delayed the matter until the summer solstice to make a judgment, simply to see if Prince Xue would intervene. If Prince Xue ignored this unruly father-in-law, he would naturally dismiss him. If Prince Xue was concerned about it, he certainly wouldn't risk making an enemy of Prince Xue for Zhang Dai's sake.

Zhang Dai had no complaints about this, after all, Cui Rizhi was just a friend of his grandfather, and it was already a great honor that he was able to support him when Xue Tao made accusations.

If it were anyone else in charge, seeing a young person like me, who had just arrived and was already acting all high and mighty, wanting to reorganize the workplace, they would have slapped me across the face long ago.

Now that Cui Rizhi had been informed of this matter, Zhang Dai bowed and took his leave, while Xue Tao was left behind.

After Zhang Dai returned to the office and sat for a while, he came out again when it was almost lunchtime. He saw Xue Tao walking out of the office with a gloomy expression, followed by several servants carrying some of his personal belongings, heading straight out of the temple.

"What is Xue Shaoqing trying to do?"

When Zhang Dai arrived at the front of the Hall of State Affairs, he saw Zhao Ling and others coming out of the hall, and asked them with a smile.

"Xue Shaoqing said he was feeling unwell and needed to go home to recuperate, and would not be staying in the office for the next few days."

Zhao Ling first said something to Zhang Dai, then glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, before quickly leaning closer and whispering, "Zhang Xielu's assessment of Xue Shaoqing as a nepotistic official is something we all wholeheartedly agree with!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed that he had managed to break Zhang Dai's spirits, and Zhang Dai had gone home to recuperate and rebuild his mental strength. This guy wasn't very capable, but he had quite a bit of pride.

But when he saw Zhao Ling's gloating expression, he felt a little uncomfortable. What kind of talk is that? My uncle is going to be a crony next year!

(End of this chapter)