Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 323 Hoping to Change Prince Xue's Purple Robe

The Tianjin Bridge spans the Luo River, with watchtowers on both the north and south sides. These watchtowers housed soldiers of the Jinwu Guard, who patrolled and guarded the area daily.

When they saw Zhang Dai and his party running out of Shangshanfang in a disheveled state, Jinwuwei soldiers carrying weapons came and blocked their way on the east side of Tianjie Street.

After all, their group acted suspiciously and were covered in blood, making them look like bad people. Shangshanfang was inhabited by nobles and high-ranking officials, so the Imperial Guards immediately mistook Zhang Dai and his companions for criminals.

However, now that these people have come, there's no worry about getting them involved.

Facing the hostile gazes of the Jinwu Guards, Zhang Dai grabbed the fish-shaped pouch from his waist, shook out the fish-shaped tally inside, held it high in both hands, and shouted loudly again: "The servants of the Xue family in the ward have committed violence, and we, the court officials, have been beaten and humiliated by them. We must report to the Imperial Censorate in the Imperial City for help!"

"You, the guards of the Imperial Guard, hurry! Two of you escort me to the Duanmen Gate. The rest of you stay here to protect our family. Quickly, quickly! If you obstruct our path and are caught by Xue Wang's servants, you will all be punished as well, without mercy!"

"Who are you, and who is your superior?"

When the Imperial Guards who came forward saw the fish-shaped pouch and fish-shaped tally in Zhang Dai's hand, they couldn't help but hesitate for a moment. One of them shouted and asked loudly.

Zhang Dai did not try to get involved with Prince Xin'an again, since dragging someone into this without a word could hardly be considered a friendly act.

Just then, the guards from Prince Xue's mansion also rushed out, brandishing sticks and making a ruckus.

Zhang Dai glared at the Imperial Guards ahead and roared, "Enough nonsense! Quickly escort me to the capital. Censor Song of the Censorate will handle things! If Censor Song's authority is insufficient, how about Chancellor Li of the Secretariat?"

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices is known as the head of the Nine Courts, which sounds impressive, but in reality, the Nine Courts are just so-so, not a powerful institution.

If Zhang Dai had directly stated that he was an official of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, he certainly wouldn't have received the attention he was due to the Jinwu Guards. So he simply brought up the Censorate. The Censorate itself had a great reputation and deterrent power, and it was located inside the Duanmen Gate of the Imperial City, so the feedback on whether it was true or false would come quickly, which would be more effective in intimidating these street thugs.

Sure enough, as soon as Zhang Dai finished speaking, a captain in the Imperial Guard immediately said, "Liu Yong, Ma Fang, you two quickly lead this official to Duanmen Gate. The rest of you stay here and do not move!"

Thus, Zhang Dai managed to escape north before Xue Wang's servants caught up. Even if he hadn't escaped in time, it wouldn't have been a big deal; he would have just suffered a beating. No matter how bold Xue Wang was, he wouldn't dare to kill court officials in the street.

"Don't let that scoundrel Zhang Dai get away! Chase him back, bring him back, and all his henchmen and cronies too, don't let a single one escape!"

Prince Xue stormed out of the gate, and when he learned that Zhang Dai had fled to Tianjin Bridge, he was so angry that he roared.

He naturally dared not order his guards to rush onto Tianjin Bridge, because theoretically, the area north of Tianjin Bridge already belonged to the Heavenly Palace Residence. If he allowed his servants to violate Duanmen Gate, and if the matter were investigated thoroughly, it would be no different in nature from the act of storming Xuanwu Gate.

But he was still filled with resentment, and then he glared and ordered the Imperial Guards to hand over the remaining people, intending to take them back to the palace for severe punishment.

Leaving aside the chaos south of Tianjin Bridge, Zhang Dai finally made it to the Duanmen Gate, only to be denied entry to the palace.

His appearance was truly pitiful. Although he wasn't seriously injured, his robes were stained with blood, and he had lost his headscarf along the way. His face was covered in sweat. In such a disheveled state, how could the palace guards dare to let him into the imperial city?

However, once they reached the Duanmen Gate, they were basically safe, so Zhang Dai didn't need to panic too much.

He rushed straight to the pavilion on one side of Duanmen Gate and shouted loudly inside: "Why don't you hurry back to the Censorate and report to Vice Minister Song? There is a disturbance in the residence of a noble prince in the neighborhood. How can Vice Minister Song sit calmly in the Censorate!"

The Censorate oversaw both internal and external affairs, and also set up guard posts at Duanmen, the main gate of the imperial city, to monitor the entry and exit of officials. However, these posts were usually only for half a day, and the censors would leave after noon. Their main task was to supervise the court etiquette of officials; matters such as absenteeism and leaving early were not within their scope of supervision.

It was early morning, and the morning court session had just ended. The censors hadn't even left yet when this trouble came knocking.

Upon hearing Zhang Dai's words, the censor inside also changed his expression drastically, stepped forward to verify his fish-shaped tally, and demanded, "Tell me in detail what exactly happened!"

"Prince Xue condoned his servants' violent acts..."

Zhang Dai quickly and evasively explained the situation, then boasted, "I only managed to escape with the help of the Imperial Guards, but all my subordinates and colleagues have been captured by Xue Wang's servants, and some colleagues have already been seriously injured and their blood has soaked the Wang residence! Report immediately, report immediately!"

Upon hearing this, the censor panicked. He ordered his subordinate Zhang Dai to guard the area while he hurriedly made his way to the Censorate office inside the imperial city.

The threat posed by the prince's rebellion was considerable, and the officials of the entire Tang Dynasty were on high alert and in a state of overreaction.

Not long after, Censor-in-Chief Song Yao rushed out of Duanmen Gate. He didn't care about his official demeanor. After running a few steps, he suddenly jumped several times, leaping out of the imperial city like a roe deer, followed by dozens of his subordinates.

Where is Zhang Dai? What is the reason for Prince Xue's rebellion? How many people are gathered in his residence?

After rushing out of Duanmen Gate, Song Yao looked around for a moment, then ran towards Zhang Dai while shouting loudly, "There are two paths to advancement for officials of the Tang Dynasty. The first is the Xuanwu Gate announcement of names. If one succeeds, being ennobled and appointed prime minister is a given, and one will enjoy endless wealth and honor."

The second is to quell rebellions. Rebellions usually involve only a few hundred or a few thousand people. As long as one can calmly and steadily command the defense forces within the capital region, suppressing a rebellion is not difficult and can bring great merit.

For example, Cui Rizhi, Zhang Dai's superior, served as the Sima of Luozhou in Luoyang. He was promoted to the third rank because he quelled the rebellion of Li Chongfu, the son of Emperor Zhongzong and the Prince of Qiao. He is still arrogant to this day and no one dares to interfere with his illegal construction at the Taichang Temple.

By the way, Prince Qiao, Li Chongfu, was a disgrace to the Li family and could not be considered a hero of Xuanwu Gate at all.

So many predecessors set an example and all reaped rich rewards, yet he did not follow suit. Instead, he insisted on rushing up from Tianjin Bridge to attack the Left Gate of the Imperial City. It is clear that his failure was destined long ago. The imperial family of our Great Tang Dynasty does not follow the example of going through the front gate!

Seeing Song Yao's roe deer-like running posture, Zhang Dai couldn't help but suspect that this guy was planning to exchange the Prince of Xue for the purple robe.

Zhang Dai naturally dared not make a big fuss, so when he heard Song Yao's question, he quickly waved his hand and said, "Who said that Prince Xue caused trouble? Wrong, wrong! It was Prince Xue's servants who beat up the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. I was lucky enough to escape, so I came to report to Vice Minister Song!"

Upon hearing this, Song Yao's face visibly showed a hint of disappointment, but he quickly straightened his expression and pointed at Zhang Dai, shouting, "What do you officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices have to do with the Prince? Why are you being chased and beaten by the servants of the Prince Xue?"

"I'm innocent! I'm truly innocent..."

Zhang Dai wiped the sweat from his face, unaware that the blood on his hands was smeared onto his face. As soon as he opened his mouth, he choked up and could not speak.

Song Yao was stunned when he saw this scene. He had met this kid many times before, and he had always seen him as confident and eloquent. But now he looked like he was swallowing his tears and was overwhelmed with grief. He really didn't know how much he had been wronged by Prince Xue.

Zhang Dai choked up and couldn't speak. At the same time, several officials rushed over from Tianjin Bridge. Judging from their appearance, they were officials from Prince Xue's mansion. It seemed that Prince Xue was also very shrewd. He knew that he couldn't let Zhang Dai, the villain, make the first accusation, so he immediately sent officials from the mansion to explain the matter.

"Are you Song Zhongcheng, the Censor? We are subordinates of the King of Xue's palace. We are here on His Majesty's orders to report to the Censor that Zhang Dai, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, is abusing his power and is difficult to govern. He dared to bring his subordinates and servants to the royal residence to cause trouble and bully others. Therefore, His Majesty ordered the guards in the palace to arrest his accomplices in the court, but Zhang Dai still managed to escape!"

After several officials from the Prince's residence arrived and made a brief identification, they said to Song Yao, "This man's behavior is truly arrogant and disrespectful. If he is not severely punished, the Prince's anger will not be appeased! The Censorate is responsible for supervising all officials. How can we allow such a villain to disrupt the Prince's residence?"

Upon hearing the accusations from the officials of Prince Xue's residence, Song Yao looked at Zhang Dai with suspicion and asked in a deep voice, "Is what these officials said true?"

"Your Excellency should know who I am. However, this matter involves the private affairs of the Prince's residence. If it is brought before you, Your Excellency, I'm afraid you will also be implicated. I have acted without shame and have no fear of confronting these officials. My only piece of advice is for you, Your Excellency: you should delegate this matter to your superiors and not keep it in your office to cause trouble for yourself!"

Zhang Dai did not directly refute the other party's accusations, but instead whispered to Song Yao.

Upon hearing this, Song Yao frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Bring this group of disciples into the capital and send them to the Southern Province for the Prime Minister to interrogate!"

In normal business procedures, it is impossible for the prime minister to handle any matter directly. However, in the Tang Dynasty, anything related to the imperial family, especially matters involving close relatives like Prince Xue, was no ordinary matter and required utmost attention.

From last year to now, the Censorate has been in turmoil several times, and now only Song Yao is left as its head. Therefore, Song Yao really doesn't want to cause any more trouble. After listening to Zhang Dai's advice, he immediately decided to report the matter to the higher authorities. No matter what the rights and wrongs or hidden reasons are, let the prime minister handle it and make a judgment!

Thus, under the guidance of officials from the Censorate, Zhang Dai and several assistants from the Prince Xue's residence were able to enter the imperial city and proceed along the main street towards the Secretariat.

It was just after the morning court session had ended, and the officials were strolling back to their respective offices in small groups. Although Zhang Dai had only recently taken office and his workplace was not here, he was not a stranger in the capital, and his disheveled appearance was particularly eye-catching.

Some people pointed at him and joked, "Zhang Lang, have you been robbed by thugs in the streets? You should report the crime to the Henan Prefecture, you've come to the wrong place!"

Zhang Dai did not respond to this, but secretly kept the person who made the mockery in mind. Not only did he not respond, but he also pursed his lips tightly, looking indignant, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Seeing his expression, the courtiers immediately abandoned their joking intentions and, driven by curiosity, followed him to see what had happened.

Just as they were about to arrive at the Secretariat, Zhang Dai suddenly pointed at several officials from the Xue Prince's residence to the side and angrily said, "Zhang Dai's actions today are without shame! The Xue Prince, relying on his imperial kinship, interfered in the affairs of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and even allowed his servants to beat and humiliate imperial officials!"
You, the retinue of the Prince's Palace, not only fail to offer virtuous advice and remonstrate with integrity, but instead fuel the Prince's tyranny and spread his evil deeds. Now you further confuse right and wrong, and reverse black and white! If the Prime Minister were to inquire later, and you still conceal your misdeeds and speak falsely, then your deaths would be no pity!

"You're talking nonsense! It was clearly you who caused trouble and offended us! His Majesty was furious, which is why he ordered the guards to arrest you!"

The officials from the Prince's residence were taken aback by Zhang Dai's sudden attack and immediately glared back and loudly retorted.

Amidst their argument, the accompanying officials learned a little about the situation. It turned out that Zhang Dai had clashed with Prince Xue today and, judging from the looks of it, had suffered a considerable loss, his body and face covered in blood.

Now that the case has reached the prime minister, it seems the problem is quite serious! So, through word of mouth, the news quickly spread throughout the capital, and many people came to see what was going on.

(End of this chapter)