Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 325 Left Remonstrance Official
As the sage listened to Zhang Dai's accusations, his gaze gradually became somewhat strange. Only after Zhang Dai fell silent and bowed deeply did he ask in a deep voice, "Is everything you say true?"

"If a single word I uttered is false, I am willing to have my tongue pulled out! All the officials and staff of the Prince's Palace in the palace, as well as the Taichang guards who are being held by the Prince's Palace guards, can corroborate my words!"

At this point, Zhang Dai was even more aggrieved: "Although I was not considered noble and virtuous in the past, I was still a rare talent among men and praised by my contemporaries. After I was removed from office, I became greedy for merit and favor, and my mind became impure. To suffer such humiliation and reproach is truly shameful and indignant. I am so ashamed and angry that I want to die. How could there be such people in the world who cannot distinguish between good and evil and confuse right and wrong... I have been greatly surprised and regret my past actions!"

Upon hearing this, the sage looked at Zhang Dai with a hint of sympathy, but it was quickly replaced by indifference. He looked down at the several officials of the Prince's Palace and asked, "You officials of the Prince's Palace also asked Zhang Dai what he said. Do you refute it? Is there any falsehood in what he said?"

"Your Majesty, the Grand Master of Ceremonies has never had the precedent of personally supervising the performances of actors. Zhang Dai has not submitted a report or requested permission beforehand, and his unannounced visit is certainly a disturbance. The performances in the household are already arranged, and the Grand Master of Ceremonies has never had to be of any concern..."

Upon hearing the Emperor's question, the officials of the various prefectures immediately replied tremblingly, "We were ordered by Your Majesty to pursue them, not to capture Zhang Dai, but to clarify the matter to the public and prevent any misunderstanding..."

These people were still racking their brains to try to find loopholes in Zhang Dai's words, but little did they know that when they mentioned "the actors and actresses in the mansion have their own arrangements", a cold glint appeared in the emperor's eyes.

Before these people could finish speaking, the Sage impatiently waved his hand to interrupt them, then looked at Zhang Dai and said in a deep voice, "How many court musicians are there in the Prince's residence? How long have they been missing?"

"I am also unaware of the details of this matter, as the previous records are often unclear. My purpose in coming to Prince Xue's residence this time is not only to supervise the actors, but also to make some supplementary records of this group."

While it was not forbidden for the court musicians to serve in the residences of princes and noble families, their frequent absence from the official court and the four seasons of supervision meant they were often unable to perform their duties effectively. They were limited to outdated arts and crafts, which led to the princes enjoying old plays for extended periods. This was also a dereliction of duty by the music bureau!

The loss of court musicians to the princes' residences is certainly a problem, and Prince Ning, who has been in charge of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices for several years, is absolutely to blame.

However, if Zhang Dai were to launch a full-scale accusation on this issue, the target would be too strong. If the emperor himself did not want to use this to punish Prince Ning, he would inevitably develop a dislike for this troublemaking brat. Moreover, by doing so, Zhang Dai would be tantamount to completely offending Prince Ning.

With his small arms and legs, he couldn't even handle Wang Maozhong, let alone take down Prince Ning, the number one mascot of the Kaiyuan era. Once they become completely enemies, not to mention whether Prince Ning will punish him, Consort Hui and eunuchs like Gao Lishi will also avoid him and distance themselves, which would be a loss for them.

Therefore, Zhang Dai still focused on the duties of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, especially his own job as the Assistant Musician. Even if these people were lost to the princes and princes, they were still musicians under the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and of course they had to be supervised by him as the Assistant Musician.

"After I took up my post as Grand Master of Ceremonies, I was particularly struck by the flourishing of the rites and music of the dynasty. The music of various departments was integrated from both within and outside the court, and was changing with each passing day. Grand Master Cui, the head of the temple, also diligently encouraged his subordinates and urged us, the music officials of all departments, to focus on our duties."

For example, pieces like the grand musical piece "Liangzhou," which was out of tune in previous years, were sealed off and no longer performed by the temple, but were still widely circulated among the people. This is what is meant by the music bureau building dams and the people's canals overflowing. If the people were to ban and destroy them all, it would be a great loss of the great principles of ritual and music education.

Therefore, Minister Cui repeatedly advised his subordinates that they should adapt to the times and innovate musical pieces to reflect the flourishing virtue of the imperial court, rather than simply banning and destroying them, lest the music become bland and the beautiful sounds disappear!

As Zhang Dai finished speaking, he wiped away the tears he had forced out of his face and bowed again, saying, "I am responding to the teachings of the Grand Minister, and therefore I feel that I should not only present the old music to the King, but should also supervise the teaching and constantly teach new music."

The prefectural assistant's claim that there was no precedent for this matter, and his subsequent accusation that I am being offensive and disruptive, demonstrates a stubborn and inflexible attitude. How can such a person be expected to guide a virtuous and wise king? The reason we did not act in the past was because the time was not right. Now that we have realized this, we should pick up the pieces, fill the gaps, and make amends as soon as possible!
Your Majesty, I humbly request that this matter not only be addressed today, but also established in the future. The officials of the Music Bureau should be instructed to supervise the music performances of the princes and their residences throughout the four seasons, rewarding those who are promoted and demoting those who are demoted, so that the music and music of the princes and their residences may always be fresh and new, and that all may be immersed in the virtuous teachings of ritual and music!

The sage originally had his brows slightly furrowed and his expression unfriendly, but upon hearing Zhang Dai's report, his furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and his eyes became bright.

Especially when he heard Zhang Dai's proposal that the princes' residences should be supervised for music and entertainment throughout the four seasons, he couldn't help but raise his hand and want to speak up in agreement. He managed to restrain himself, but the approval and appreciation in his eyes were still undisguised.

"Since you have such a plan, why not present it directly to your superiors instead of keeping it hidden from everyone and acting on your own, causing this disturbance? And you still dare to claim innocence?"

After Zhang Dai finished speaking, the emperor put on a stern face and snorted coldly, but his tone was much milder than when Zhang Dai had reprimanded him when he entered the hall.

"Your Majesty, I am new to officialdom and know little about official matters. I did not know that a Musician could submit a memorial to the throne?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai immediately looked aggrieved and said...

Upon hearing this, the sage paused for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Now that the matter has been made clear, return to your office for now. The punishment will be issued later!"

"But...but my colleagues who accompanied me to Prince Xue's residence have also been detained, and many of them are seriously injured. I...I beg..."

Zhang Dai noticed the change in the emperor's tone and knew that his suggestion to put another bridle on the princes must have been adopted by the emperor. So he quickly spoke up again to rescue his colleagues.

Upon hearing this, the emperor summoned a palace attendant and instructed him, “Go quickly to the residence of Prince Xue and bring the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices back to their residence. Order the Imperial Medical Bureau to provide medicine to the injured.”

Upon hearing the emperor's arrangement, Zhang Dai breathed a slight sigh of relief and then quickly took his leave of the hall.

After leaving the palace, he walked out of the inner palace through the Mingde Gate. Just as he entered the imperial city, his grandfather Zhang Shuo jumped out from the side, grabbed him, looked him up and down, and said urgently, "What have you done now?"

Seeing Zhang Shuo's nervous expression, Zhang Dai felt a little embarrassed. Since there were other people nearby, he didn't want to explain in detail. He just whispered, "Father, don't worry, I haven't done anything wrong."

Whether it's a bad thing or not is a matter of opinion, but after this, the princes of the Tang Dynasty will definitely dislike him even more.

Zhang said he still had some confidence in his grandson. Hearing this, and seeing that although the boy's official robes were covered in blood, he himself was not seriously injured, he felt relieved.

Another powerful figure in purple robes rushed up, staring intently at Zhang Dai, and asked, "What exactly did you do?"

This person was none other than his superior, Cui Rizhi. As the chief official of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Cui Rizhi was still squatting on the Wangsheng Tower, looking out over the Ministry of Personnel, when he heard from his subordinates that the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were fighting with the Xue family in the streets. He was naturally very alarmed.

While Zhang Dai was being questioned in the palace, he was already outside, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Now that he had finally met this kid, he naturally wanted to get to the bottom of things.

"Cui Taichang, please calm down. This young man has just experienced some trouble and is still shaken. If you question him here, he will be even more frightened and unable to speak. Let's take him back to his office and comfort him properly. We can ask him later, and the matter will naturally become clear!"

Seeing Cui Rizhi's impatience, Zhang Shuo frowned and said something, while also pulling his grandson behind him for protection.

Upon hearing this, Cui Rizhi immediately glared at him. "Only you, an old fool, treat your troublemaker like a precious treasure. I just helped him out at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, dealing with Xue Tao who offended his superior. And now he's brought back Prince Xue for me, and I have to coax him and praise him for being great?"

As longtime friends, Cui Rizhi managed to restrain himself from falling out with Zhang Dai here, but he still snorted and demanded of Zhang Dai, "Do you want to go somewhere else? If there's nothing else, come back to the office with me!"

So Zhang Dai took his leave of his grandfather and then followed Cui Rizhi all the way back to the Taichang Temple office in the eastern city.

Cui Rizhi's face was ashen the whole way. After returning to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, he didn't even go to his own Wangsheng Tower. Instead, he sat down in the side hall of the main hall, dismissed the others, and then said in a deep voice, "What have you done to offend Prince Xue?"

"Your Excellency, please calm down first. Allow me to report on the matter of His Majesty's summons and audience with you."

Seeing Cui Rizhi so angry, like a bull demon king, Zhang Dai couldn't help but feel a little ashamed.

Overall, Cui Rizhi treated him fairly well. This time, he took it upon himself to target Prince Xue. If things don't end well, Cui Rizhi will inevitably be implicated. In that case, forget about Wangsheng Tower, he might end up as a Wangjing Stone in some remote and impoverished place.

Upon hearing this, Cui Rizhi merely snorted coldly, secretly resenting that this kid was Zhang Shuo's grandson. If his own son dared to act so recklessly, he would have already picked up a stick and whipped him!

But he was soon drawn to Zhang Dai's report: "Your Majesty, I urge you to investigate the long-standing problem of the musicians of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices being scattered among the princes' residences. Now, we need to have them supervised throughout the year to ensure the proper functioning of the Music Bureau..."

Having spent so many years in officialdom, Cui Rizhi was no fool. Hearing Zhang Dai's report, he quickly understood its deeper meaning and couldn't help but ask, "With such a prudent plan, why not report it to the administration first?"

I'm telling you this, and you agree to help me cause trouble at the Xue family's house? Besides, given the sage's insatiable nature, if this weren't an opportunity, would he have readily accepted this suggestion? He'd probably even complain that we alerted the enemy and made the suggestion at the wrong time!
Despite his inner grumbling, he still spoke respectfully, saying, "I only had a rough plan before, not a detailed one, and I dare not presume to disturb you, Your Excellency."

"You dared to go to the Prince's residence to demand supervision of the class without providing detailed information and daring not to disturb your superiors?" Despite being greatly inspired, Cui Rizhi couldn't help but glare at the boy after hearing this.

He did not press the emperor further about whether the proposal was adopted. It was clear from the fact that Zhang Dai was released directly that the emperor was quite interested. Asking too many questions would only make him, the official in charge, lose face.

He wasn't as vengeful as Zhang Dai in wanting to bring down the princes, but Zhang Dai's innovative ideas greatly inspired him.

These matters, if brought up individually, would normally be nothing more than routine affairs of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. However, if they are brought up together with the princes and their residences who are in charge of overseeing the administration, they can have a combined effect, thus concealing the emperor's true intentions.

Therefore, Cui Rizhi had no time to reprimand Zhang Dai anymore. Instead, he immediately ordered a servant to bring paper and pen, and he began to write. Taking advantage of the flow of inspiration, he wrote thousands of words on the paper.

After finishing writing the memorial, Cui Rizhi pondered for a moment before beckoning Zhang Dai to come closer. He pointed to the still-wet ink on the memorial and said, "Come and take a look."

"Da Qing's calligraphy is powerful and vigorous, truly admirable."

Zhang Dai stepped forward, speaking with a smile.

"Look at the text!"

Cui Rizhi was certainly not showing off his calligraphy. Upon hearing this, he frowned and said, "This kid is much more deserving of a beating than my own Zongzhi!"

The content of this memorial was not anything groundbreaking; it was merely derived from Zhang Dai's memorial to the throne. It omitted the matter of supervising the education of the princes and princes, but focused on the renovation of old songs, elevating it to the same level as the compilation of books by the Jixian Academy.

After all, not everyone in this world can read, but even if you can't sing a song, you can still hum a few lines. Of course, we must strengthen ideological education!
"Your Excellency's insights are truly profound, and your profound arguments are thought-provoking. If my understanding were as good as yours, I would have been able to speak more confidently before the Emperor."

Zhang Dai flattered Cui Rizhi again. After all, Cui Rizhi was his superior. Even if Cui Rizhi openly plagiarized his ideas, Zhang Dai had to give him a thumbs up. This was the kind of awareness that a lowly clerk should have!
Cui Rizhi didn't say much. He revised a few more words at his desk, then copied them again on another piece of paper. After the ink dried, he rolled it up and left the Taichang Temple office. No one knows where he went.

Not long after Cui Rizhi left, Zhao Ling and other Taichang officials who had been surrounded by Xue Wangfu guards, as well as Zhang Dai's attendants such as Jin Huan and Yin Huan, were also led back by the palace officials.

“Zhang Xielu, after Prince Xue captured us, he subjected us to severe torture…”

Zhao Ling, covered in pig's blood, looked the most miserable. Upon seeing Zhang Dai, he couldn't help but burst into tears. The others also had some injuries, which made Zhang Dai feel a little embarrassed.

He hadn't clearly explained his purpose to these people beforehand, and this time he had truly caused them to suffer an undeserved disaster. Fortunately, the Imperial Medical Bureau also had offices in a large courtyard, and soon a physician came to examine and treat them.

Everyone's injuries were minor, but the shocking experience had left them all somewhat shaken. With the final verdict still pending, Zhang Dai could only plan to provide some compensation to these people afterward.

The emperor simply sent him back to await further instructions, but he waited until almost dark in the evening without the arrival of the official who was to deliver the decree. Even the Grand Minister Cui Rizhi was nowhere to be found.

Zhang Dai dared not go home on his own, so he sent Jin Huan and the others home first to inform them. He would stay at the Taichang Temple tonight.

It wasn't until the court assembly ended the next day that Cui Rizhi returned to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, beaming and surrounded by his retinue. But when his attendants came out to greet him, they learned some very surprising news: Cui Rizhi was no longer serving as Minister of Imperial Sacrifices, but had been transferred to the position of Minister of Works!

The Grand Master of Ceremonies was the head of the Nine Ministers, while the Minister of Works was the last of the Six Ministries. However, the Nine Ministries, though seemingly insignificant, could not compare to the importance of the Six Ministries. Therefore, although both were of the third rank, their significance was quite different.

Cui Rizhi, in particular, had been so resentful of being seated in the highest office that he had fallen ill. Now that his long-cherished wish had been fulfilled, he was naturally overjoyed.

Upon returning to his official residence, he smiled and responded to the congratulations from his colleagues. He even pulled Zhang Dai aside and said to everyone, "Young Master Zhang is from a distinguished family, handsome and outstanding among the younger generation. I have already spoken of this before."

Do not neglect my previous admonitions just because I have left my post. The Ministry of Personnel and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices are not far apart. If I find out that you have neglected Zhang Lang, I will return and reprimand you!

Thank you so much!

Zhang Dai was quite annoyed to hear Cui Rizhi relentlessly trying to provoke him before leaving. After waiting for Cui Rizhi to finish showing off in the front courtyard and come to Wangsheng Tower to pack his personal belongings, he hurriedly asked, "Minister Cui, what's going on?"

“Alas, according to the old custom, the best career path is for the Minister of Ceremonies to be promoted to the Minister of Rites. But things don’t always go as planned. Now that the Duke of Xu is still in office, I can’t help but be outranked.”

Upon hearing this, Cui Rizhi said with a sigh.

The Grand Minister of Rites was the Minister of Rites. When Zhang Dai heard Cui Rizhi complaining about getting a good deal, he cursed inwardly. "Did I listen to your boasting? I asked how things got to this point? I've gone through all this trouble and haven't even gained anything. Instead, I've lost my backer."

"I would like to ask about the proposal to supervise the seasonal assessments of the princes and their residences."

What official position Cui Rizhi gets promoted to has little to do with him, but if he can win the task of supervising the prince's residence, then from now on, when he enters and leaves the prince's residence, all the princes and grandsons will have to treat him with respect, and no one will dare to glare at him casually anymore.

"Alas, this matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Director of the Imperial Music Bureau and has not been discussed in the outer court."

Upon hearing this, Cui Rizhi sighed.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai felt a sense of disappointment. The old emperor was indeed very wary. Although he accepted his suggestion, he entrusted the task of reprimanding the princes to the eunuchs instead of the Grand Master of Ceremonies. So all his efforts had been in vain.

Just then, a government official downstairs suddenly shouted, "Zhang Xielu, an eunuch has entered the office to deliver an imperial edict!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai no longer cared about Cui Rizhi, his outdated backer. He quickly descended from Wangsheng Tower and headed straight for the front courtyard.

“Zhang Dai, Assistant Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, has mishandled affairs and disturbed the royal residence. Therefore, he has been stripped of his salary for one quarter and is on probation.”

When Zhang Dai arrived at the front courtyard, the eunuch who was announcing the imperial edict poured cold water on him, leaving him stunned on the spot.

However, just as he stood frozen in place, the eunuch produced another imperial edict: "Zhang Dai, the Registrar of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and Assistant Director of the Court of Music, is a man of great knowledge and magnanimity, with refined talent and elegant demeanor. He is highly regarded and has repeatedly offered brilliant strategies. Although he has been appointed before, he has not fully utilized his talents. Therefore, I hereby bestow favor upon him and appoint him as a close minister. He may concurrently serve as Left Remonstrance Official and Inner Palace Attendant. All other duties remain unchanged."

Upon hearing the imperial edict read aloud by the eunuch, Zhang Dai was momentarily incredulous. It wasn't until the edict was handed to him and he carefully examined it for a while that he confirmed he had indeed been appointed Left Remonstrance Official.

Although the Left Remonstrator of the Secretariat was only an eighth-rank official, his duties included offering advice and remonstrances, and accompanying the emperor. He was a truly important and respected official. Du Fu had struggled for half his life to achieve this position, but Zhang Dai took it upon himself to hold it less than half a month after he joined the office.

To put it simply, after he became the Left Advisor, if he wanted to report on the princes, he no longer needed to go through the trouble of going to Prince Xue's house; he could just submit a memorial to the emperor directly!

Zhang Dai had been lamenting that he had wasted his time and gained nothing, and had even lost a season's salary, but he never expected the reward to be so great.

What else is there to say? Now that we've found the code to promotion, we'll be squeezing these princes dry from the ass! With this advantage, what's a lost season's salary compared to that!
It's so damn satisfying to be two-faced and hypocritical!

Besides Zhang Dai, the other court musicians from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices who accompanied him also received rewards. Those without official positions were appointed as musicians in the music department, while those with official positions received an additional year of service in the imperial examinations. Officials like Zhao Ling, who held a rank, received an additional grade of honorary honors. Although these rewards were nothing compared to Zhang Dai's concurrent appointment as Left Remonstrator, they were still very generous rewards for them personally!

In an instant, the entire Taichang Temple was abuzz with excitement, a stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of the previous day.

Yesterday, the officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices saw how badly Zhang Dai had harmed their colleagues who were on duty. Even if they didn't say it, they regarded him as a jinx and avoided him whenever they went out. But now, everyone had surrounded him, as if at his command, they would all sweep through the residences of famous princes and nobles in the capital region!
(End of this chapter)