Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 321 Preemptive Strike
"Let me offer you some advice first. Listen to it, and if you feel it's not worth the price, feel free to leave!"

Prince Bin, seeing that this young man was the type who wouldn't act until he saw the benefit, wasn't offended. So he smiled and said, "Young Master Zhang, you are a talented young man from a prestigious family, accomplished in your studies, and the top scholar in this year's imperial examinations. Naturally, you have a bright future ahead of you. Now that you are serving as the Grand Master of Ceremonies, you must be well-versed in all matters of rites and music under its jurisdiction?"

Upon hearing the question, Zhang Dai pondered for a moment before replying earnestly, "Your Majesty flatters me, and I am unworthy of such praise. I have benefited from my family's learning and do possess some skill in writing literary works, but beyond that, I have nothing else to boast about. The Way of Rites is profound, and even a great scholar with white hair cannot fully comprehend its meaning. As for music, dance, and song, they are merely for leisure and occasional enjoyment."

He didn't try to impress others by claiming he was more than capable; he was honest about his abilities. There was nothing to be ashamed of. Who said that an official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices had to be an expert in rites and music? Someone like Xue Tao could rise to the rank of Junior Minister; compared to him, he felt that being a mere Assistant Musician was beneath him.

Seeing his frankness, the Prince of Bin laughed and said, "Based on this alone, it's clear that Zhang Lang is not a madman. Even without my reminder, he wouldn't have fallen for someone's trick. After all, the Yan family has a distinguished tradition; the young man wouldn't be so good at performing the Yellow Lion Dance."

"Why does Your Majesty say such a thing? Could it be that someone intends to repeat this old story of the Imperial Sacrifices in this day and age?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai was startled and immediately asked another question.

The so-called Yellow Lion Dance is mainly known to posterity because of Wang Wei, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty. The gist of the story is that when Wang Wei was serving as the Director of Music, he was held accountable for performing the forbidden Yellow Lion Dance and was demoted to Jizhou.

There was a deeper story behind this matter. Prince Qi, Li Fan, frequently associated with scholars, and many renowned literary figures frequented his circle. Therefore, the current emperor, having reached his limit of tolerance, took action against him. Wang Wei and his superior, Liu Kuang, were also implicated and punished as a result.

The Prince of Bin said he was not skilled in the Yellow Lion Dance, presumably using this story as a warning. The Prince of Qi is dead, so it's clearly not referring to that kind of thing in a stereotypical way. Moreover, his official rank is low, and he doesn't have any deep relationships with the members of the royal family. The most likely warning he received was to caution him against emulating Wang Wei's arrogance and underestimation of danger.

He pondered this in his heart, but seeing that the Prince of Bin only smiled without speaking, he spoke again and said, "It is my great fortune to receive Your Majesty's guidance. As for Wang Yuanbao's debts, Your Majesty need not worry about them anymore; I will take care of them myself."

Since the Prince of Bin specifically summoned me to his residence and gave me this warning, he must have heard some solid news. If it really is some kind of conspiracy targeting me, then this information fee of over a thousand strings of cash is really not expensive.

"Goods sell to those who know them, and Zhang Lang is indeed a discerning man. However, is this worth decades of your salary, and you're so generous in throwing it away?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Bin burst into laughter again. Despite the chaos in his family affairs, his mood remained optimistic and cheerful.

"The salaries of officials in the capital are meager, and I am not the only one suffering from this problem. Fortunately, in addition to my salary, I still have some meager assets that can generate some interest to help make up for it. After emptying my coffers, I can barely cover this shortfall. As long as I can obtain the Emperor's permission, a mere few hundred thousand coins are nothing to me!"

Zhang Dai bowed again and said, both flaunting his wealth and complaining about being poor, his main point being that he could advance and retreat at will.

Without further ado, the Prince of Bin said directly, “The other day, my son accompanied the Prince of Ruyang to visit the Prince of Xue’s residence. I overheard the Prince of Ruyang discussing music, saying that the grand piece ‘Liangzhou’ has the drawback of the Shang mode overpowering the palace mode, which is why it is sealed and not performed. If anyone were to perform it rashly at the summer solstice feast, they would surely face great criticism. The Prince of Ning has been in charge of the Grand Master of Ceremonies for many years, and the Prince of Ruyang’s clan is a talented family member with profound knowledge of music. Zhang Lang, have you gained anything from this?”

Zhang Dai wasn't stupid; he naturally understood what was meant. He had initially guessed that it was just Prince Xue who was unhappy with him, but he hadn't expected Prince Ruyang to be involved as well.

I have no grudge against this guy; our only interaction was at the palace banquet at the end of last year. Yet this guy is still so eager to cause me trouble. It can only be said that these members of the imperial clan are not only arrogant but also narrow-minded. Plus, they usually have nothing to do with anything, so it's no wonder they hold grudges over the slightest displeasure!

However, the Prince of Bin betrayed them for a mere thousand strings of cash, which secretly pleased Zhang Dai, making him appreciate even more the deep bond between the Tang imperial family.

"Your Majesty's guidance is of utmost gratitude to this humble official. Upon returning, I will certainly carefully study the relevant historical records and prohibitions to avoid making mistakes due to ignorance."

While inwardly complaining, he stood up and bowed to the Prince of Bin to express his gratitude.

"You don't need to tell me how you want to improve your duties and fill in any gaps. But I must remind you, no matter what you do, do not involve my son. Otherwise, if similar things happen again in the future, I'm afraid no one will be willing to teach you."

The Prince of Bin looked at Zhang Dai again and reminded him, clearly treating this as a long-term business deal.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai thought the king was quite an interesting person. However, having such a reliable and transparent source of information within the royal family was certainly a good thing.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I am by no means a fool who cannot distinguish right from wrong. Your Majesty's kind reminder is not something I would do to implicate or disturb you!"

He first made a promise, then said with a hint of probing, "I am truly grateful for Your Majesty's attention and reminder today. Your Majesty previously said that I have repeatedly acted against the imperial family and respected relatives, but how could I dare to be so arrogant? I secretly think that perhaps because I am a distant relative of Consort Hui's maternal family, I have been discriminated against and dare not speak out to defend myself. I can only be careful to endure and suffer in silence."

"These are merely foolish thoughts. If we're going to bring up the past, who can be as insightful as I am? Many virtuous ministers and even noble families were helpless in dealing with the events of yesteryear, but what did they have to do with Consort Hui? When the evil influence was rampant, Consort Hui didn't even exist. Now, our Emperor is in his prime, and the nation's power surpasses that of the past. Anyone who arbitrarily brings up past events to form factions and attack dissidents is truly harboring ulterior motives!" Prince Bin understood the meaning in Zhang Dai's eyes and immediately looked at him earnestly, saying, "I cannot control what others think. If you associate with me, Zhang Lang, you need not worry about this!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but look at the Prince of Bin with new respect. To be honest, based on what he had seen upon entering the residence and knowing the Prince of Bin's intention in summoning him, his impression and evaluation of this prince were not very high.

But hearing what the Prince of Bin said, he is indeed a rare and insightful person who can discuss matters objectively. Perhaps it is because he has accumulated too much resentment in his heart; without such a magnanimous mind, he would probably have died of resentment long ago.

Although his opinion of the Prince of Bin had changed slightly, Zhang Dai did not offer to give him more compensation.

The current sage may have various character flaws, but to be fair, he treats the imperial family members, especially those of the same generation, very well. Even if he is not sincere, outwardly showing affection but inwardly being wary, he still bestows generous rewards of real money.

As a prince, the Prince of Bin was granted a fief of 1,800 households, making him a true beneficiary at the top of feudal society. Yet, his life turned out this way. Whether it was a means of self-preservation or a lack of ability to manage his household, no one else had the right to pity him.

Even if Zhang Dai gave more money, it still wouldn't compare to the income from the Prince of Bin's fief. Moreover, as the saying goes, you can help in an emergency, but not in a long-term solution. Given the Prince of Bin's current financial situation, giving him some money wouldn't fundamentally change his circumstances.

Unless there is another profound change in the upper-level political order, allowing the Prince of Bin to enjoy the same political treatment as the Prince of Ning, this is a bottomless pit; no matter how much is put in, it will all be lost.

Moreover, seeing that the Prince of Bin was still happy, Zhang Dai didn't bother to worry about others. Everyone should have clear prices and clean dealings, and not make things complicated or unclear.

So after Zhang Dai retrieved the IOU for the money he had borrowed from Wang Yuanbao's pawnshop from the Prince of Bin's house, he got up to take his leave. He didn't try to avoid being seen when he came and went; the chaotic state of the Prince of Bin's house made it unnecessary to avoid suspicion.

After returning home, Zhang Dai handed the IOU to Ding Cang, asking him to find some time to go to Wang Yuanbao's shop and settle the debt.

Wang Yuanbao isn't quite his disciple yet, but he's practically one. The series of accidents in the capital have caused Wang Maozhong to harbor considerable resentment towards him, making it unlikely they can get along as they used to.

Wang Yuanbao is currently still staying in Bianzhou. Firstly, he is trying to gain Wang Maozhong's forgiveness through private communication, but this is likely to be difficult; even if he survives, he will probably suffer greatly. Secondly, he is actively participating in the preparations for Zhang Dai's Bianzhou money-spreading plan. If this succeeds, the financial losses in both capitals will be acceptable.

After all, Wang Yuanbao's business was along the Yellow River. If he could leverage the advantages of the Bianzhou flying money to complement his already well-established trade routes, the efficiency of wealth accumulation would undoubtedly increase several times over. This kind of convenience was something Wang Maozhong could never provide him.

Zhang Dai was happy to see Wang Yuanbao grow stronger within the system he had established. Firstly, it would make Wang Yuanbao more dependent on him, and secondly, he could use Wang Yuanbao's trade network to collect and distribute goods.

A debt of a mere thousand strings of cash was naturally a small matter to Zhang Dai. What he was more concerned about at the moment was the matter that the Prince of Bin had reminded him of.

The next day, after returning to the Taichang Temple office, he pulled his energetic colleague Ma Lizheng aside to chat about the large-scale musical piece "Liangzhou" and its connection to the summer solstice feast.

The large-scale musical piece "Liangzhou" does indeed have some issues with its melody, which is why it has been excluded from some classic occasions. However, some people in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices have proposed to revise and compose a new piece, but this has not yet been put into action.

As for the grand feast, it refers to a large-scale gathering and celebration activity permitted by the imperial court for both officials and common people, including but not limited to the lifting of the curfew and three-day celebration during the Lantern Festival, as well as the outing activities during the Shangsi Festival in March.

Depending on the size of the festival and the significance of the ceremonial activities, although all are called "Da Pu" (大酺), the scale of the Da Pu varies. In addition to gatherings and banquets, Da Pu generally includes song and dance performances.

It wasn't just private prostitutes who frequented the streets and alleys; people from the Taichang Music Bureau also participated in events held by the government or the people to perform their talents. After all, the rites and music under the Taichang Bureau were not just for the ruling class's sensual pleasures, but also bore the responsibility of educating the masses.

Therefore, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices would also arrange performance troupes, either to perform at court or in the countryside. Zhang Dai, as the Assistant Musician, would lead and supervise these troupes, making him a relatively responsible figure. Thus, it was quite convenient for someone intending to find fault or set a trap.

Upon learning this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but frown slightly. Although the Prince of Bin had explained that the other party planned to use the "Liangzhou" musical piece to set a trap, this couldn't be taken as fact.

It should be noted that Prince Ning served as the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices from the ninth to the fourteenth year of the Kaiyuan era. Given his high status, it would be very easy for him to develop a few confidants within the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Even if he couldn't accomplish the great feat of changing the dynasty, it would be effortless for him to harm a minor official who had only recently taken office.

Therefore, after weighing the options, Zhang Dai felt that passively guarding against attacks was probably impossible, and the best approach was to take the initiative. Only by making the opponent flustered could he feel more secure.

(End of this chapter)