Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 329 Madam Pei Guangting

That's quite normal. Although they are all old money from Guanzhong, they each have their own circles and their own principles, so they may not necessarily be able to get together.

Pei Guangting, in particular, was a meticulous and shrewd man. Although Zhang Dai had some connection with their family, they still didn't interact much. Li Linfu's last-minute attempt to seek help was, of course, unlikely to succeed.

Li Linfu's expression was already not good, and when he saw Zhang Dai walking out of Li Lingwen's abandoned house and coming towards him, his face darkened even more, and he immediately spurred his horse and rode away.

After seeing his guests off, Pei Zhen wasn't in a hurry to go home. Instead, he looked at Zhang Dai and asked with a smile, "What brings Zhang Liu here?"

"How about I buy this old residence of Li Songgong and become your neighbor?"

Zhang Dai turned around, pointed to the abandoned house, and said to Pei Zhen with a smile.

"Really?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Zhen was naturally delighted, but then said with some disbelief, "Lord Li Song's mansion is much larger than mine. You have so much money to buy it? Lord Zhang Yan really dotes on you!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai did not explain that he didn't need to touch the family's money at all, as his own savings were more than enough.

He pointed in the direction where Li Linfu and the others had left, and asked Pei Zhen with a smile, "What brings General Li and the others to visit Lord Pei?"

Several years ago, he, a commoner, directly eliminated Li Linfu, a rising political star. The enmity between them was no secret. Upon hearing this, Pei Zhen laughed and said, "Li Linfu wanted to return to the capital to seek a position as a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue. He asked me to speak on his behalf in the capital, but I rejected him on the grounds that he had passed all the provincial examinations with poor grades and was not qualified to enter the provincial government."

Officials in the Ministry of Personnel, apart from those directly appointed by the emperor and recommended by the prime minister, must first undergo a hearing at the capital and obtain unanimous approval before the personnel appointments are reported to the Secretariat-Chancellery.

Although Pei Guangting was only the Vice Minister of War, he had considerable influence in personnel matters. If he were to support this appointment, the chances of it being approved would naturally increase significantly.

Upon hearing that Li Linfu actually wanted to be appointed as a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh that these old money-grubbers were still bold and daring.

Although he had previously held an important position as Vice Censor-in-Chief, he was demoted due to a crime. After finally completing his term of service, he had no special merits to accumulate, so it was really a bit of a pipe dream for him to return to the capital to serve as a junior official in the Ministry of Revenue.

However, the Ministry of Revenue was deeply controlled by Yuwen Rong, and Yuwen Rong's performance in finance was also evident to all. If he insisted on appointing Li Linfu, then this appointment might be approved.

Just as he was about to ask Pei Guangting if he would take a firm stance to stop this, another servant from the Pei family gate ushered out a carriage.

Pei Zhen glanced back, then quickly stood respectfully to the left of the road and bowed towards the carriage, asking, "Where is Mother going? Does she need me to carry her cane and escort her?"

"No need. I'm just going to stroll around Jingyu Temple in Nanfang. You young men have your own things to do, so there's no need to waste your time with me."

The person riding in the carriage was Wu, Pei Zhen's stepmother and Pei Guangting's second wife. When Pei Zhen asked a question, she leaned out and revealed her elaborately made-up face.

She first spoke to Pei Zhen with a smile, then turned her gaze to Zhang Dai and said reproachfully, "I heard Liu Lang's voice from inside the house. At the beginning of the year, I told you to visit your aunt often, but you haven't seen her yet. Now that you've come here, you're not even as good as the aunt in the palace. Do you think that the aunt here is not as helpful as the aunt in the palace, so you've become too lazy to visit her?"

"Aunt, you've misunderstood! How could I dare? I'm only afraid of disturbing your peaceful life. If this makes you dislike me, I'll pack my bedding and move into your residence tomorrow, staying in your room and keeping company with you day and night!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai hurriedly bowed and replied. Madam Wu was Wu Sansi's daughter, and by seniority, she was Zhang Dai's aunt.

"Yes, Liu Lang also said he plans to buy up the former residence of Li Song Gong and live next to my family. When that happens, it will be more convenient to visit and greet each other!"

Pei Zhen chimed in from the side.

"Really? The Li family mansion is so spacious, is Sixth Brother really capable of taking it over? That's great! If you really move in here, remember to arrange a special courtyard for your aunt to live in!"

Upon hearing this, Lady Wu looked at Zhang Dai with surprise.

"It's just idle talk; no plan has been made yet."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai's thoughts shifted. He glanced at Pei Guangting's house, then looked back at Li Lingwen's west courtyard across the street. He suddenly remembered that Li Lingwen's house had been moved into by Li Linfu in the past. These two old lovers are really blatant!
Wu Shi did not think Zhang Dai had the financial means to build a large house. After exchanging a few more words with him, she ordered the coachman to drive south.

Zhang Dai stood by the roadside with Pei Zhen, watching the carriage leave the ward. He then thought of Xuanyang Ward to the south, which was the Yuan family's ancestral home in Chang'an, where many members of the Yuan clan, including Yuan Qianyao, had settled.

Li Linfu and his group had just left heading south, with Wu Shi following closely behind. They weren't going to the temple; they were going to meet their old flame! Thinking of this, he patted Pei Zhen on the shoulder. "Kid, go home and see how pretty your dad's little green hat is."

He had no interest in meddling in other people's family affairs, but he was worried that Li Linfu might ruin his property purchase plans. After all, this guy had historically settled in Pingkangfang, and if he were to learn from Wu Shi that he was going to buy property there, he would probably interfere and obstruct the purchase.

This guy comes from a wealthy family. He is a member of the imperial clan and his family is full of artists. His uncle, Li Sixun, and cousin, Li Zhaodao, are known as General Li and General Li, respectively. They are both skilled in painting and can earn thousands of strings of cash for a single painting on a hall wall.

There is a painting of General Li on the wall of the main hall of Zhang Dai's Yonglefang mansion. It was painted before the feud between them broke down. Now, no matter how much money you offer, people probably won't give you any face.

Li Linfu's father, Li Sihui, had served as an official in Yangzhou, a place renowned for its abundant resources and wealth, comparable to Bianzhou and other places. Even rats would scurry away if they passed through. Li Linfu himself had served as an official for many years and had accumulated savings, so acquiring this large mansion in Pingkangfang was naturally not a difficult task for him.

"After you get the deposit from home, go to the Jingzhao Prefecture as soon as possible to finalize the matter. Don't worry about the price; I will pay the money by the beginning of next month at the latest!"

Zhang Dai didn't want to be bothered by others when it came to buying property, especially since he didn't want to miss out on this opportunity. He didn't know how many years he would have to wait before another high-ranking official had the chance to vacate the property, so he figured it was best to get it done as soon as possible.

"Young Master Zhang is truly generous! Please rest assured, I will handle this matter as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing this, the broker beamed with joy and nodded repeatedly in agreement. The Jingzhao Prefecture had naturally given him a base price, and Zhang Dai wanted to buy it without even haggling; any amount exceeding the base price would naturally go into his pocket.

After explaining these matters, Zhang Dai left Pingkangfang and headed straight for Xingqing Palace in the South Inner Palace.

Xingqing Palace was originally named Longqingfang, where the current emperor was a prince. Later, the area was surrounded by a garden and became the Xingqing Palace we see today. In the fourteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, it was expanded by occupying some land from Shengyefang and other areas. However, its area was still far smaller than that of the Taiji Palace in the west and the Daming Palace in the east.

Since the sixteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, the emperor moved from the Daming Palace to the Xingqing Palace to conduct official business and handle state affairs, making this southern palace the new power center of the Tang Dynasty.

However, due to the limited size of Xingqing Palace, not all the government offices of the imperial city were moved there. Only a portion of the officials accompanied the emperor there, while the prime ministers of the Secretariat and Chancellery worked in Daming Palace. The nine ministries and other minor departments remained in Taiji Palace in the imperial city, causing the entire court to be fragmented.

People like Zhang Dai, who held multiple positions, had to travel between the three imperial palaces every day, which made their horsemanship skills even more refined.

At present, Zhang Dai, in addition to his main position as Taichang Xielu Lang and part-time position as Zuo Shiyi Neigongfeng, also holds the position of Fuxin Quci Shi (Envoy for Renovating Musical Pieces). This position is simple and clear: to work with the Taichang, Neijiaofang and other music officials to renovate and adapt various old and outdated music pieces from the Yuefu (Music Bureau).

Of all the official positions, the most important was naturally the Left Remonstrance Official.

After verifying the fish tally at Xingqing Gate, Zhang Dai entered Xingqing Palace. Besides the famous Qinzhengwuben Building and Hua'e Xianghui Building, Xingqing Palace also contained many other buildings, the most important of which was Xingqing Hall, the place where grand court assemblies were held, while the emperor conducted his daily work in the Qinzhengwuben Building.

As for the court officials such as Zhang Dai, they were mainly waiting for the emperor's summons in the Hanlin Academy on the west side of Xingqing Palace.

The Hanlin Academy of today does not have the lofty status and important political functions it did in later generations. The people who served there were mainly talented people in arts such as music, chess, calligraphy and painting. People like Wu Daozi, the painting sage, also served there.

After Zhang Dai arrived and signed in as usual, before he could even stroll around the various courtyards, he saw Yuan Guan, the Left Remonstrator who served in the same office as him, packing his things. So he asked with a smile, "Where is Remonstrator Yuan going?"

“Alas, there are some lost records left in the Eastern Capital by the Secretariat and the Chancellery. The two ministers disagreed on the matter, so they sent me to the Eastern Capital to retrieve the records for reference.”

Yuan Guan sighed helplessly. Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "This is what happens when the boss just opens his mouth and the subordinate runs himself ragged."

The Zhongshu Menxia (Secretariat) is becoming increasingly lively. The relationship between Chancellor Li Yuanhong and Du Xian has developed to the point of being fiercely opposed and intolerant of dissent. Matters like sending subordinates on field missions over disputes are just minor issues. Some officials have been demoted for reasons unknown, causing widespread anxiety throughout the court.

"By the way, Meng Shanren recently asked me to give the tea he brought back from Shannan to Liulang. I haven't been to the South for days and almost forgot about it."

Yuan Guan and Meng Haoran were also good friends. When he remembered something, he quickly said to Zhang Dai, "I am about to set off for Luoyang. I will instruct my family to send tea to your residence tomorrow morning."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Yuan."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai chuckled and said that he wanted to build a tea plantation in Zhongnan Mountain, and had previously entrusted Meng Haoran to help collect some tea seeds in the south of the mountain for selection and cultivation. Meng Haoran had been spending all his time in the capital with his uncle Zhang Ji and had no time to visit Zhang Dai, so Zhang Dai thought he had forgotten about him.

He had just picked up the imperial edict issued that day to organize and file it when he suddenly heard someone outside shout, "There's another commotion! Censor Yan Tingzhi and the Grand Secretary are arguing in the East Palace!"

Hearing that his mentor was fighting with Prime Minister Li Yuanhong, Zhang Dai was naturally very concerned. Seeing that there was nothing important in the office, he gave some instructions and then went to Daming Palace.

(End of this chapter)