Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 330 Duke of Guangping, Song Jing

The covered passage between Xingqing Palace and Daming Palace was not yet completed, and even if it were, it wouldn't be used by commuters like Zhang Dai. Besides, he was skipping work to go see the excitement, so he had no choice but to travel from the city streets to Daming Palace.

Between Xingqing Palace and Daming Palace, in the northeast corner of Chang'an, the streets were crowded with pedestrians, and in some places even the wide streets were blocked by carriages and horses.

Among these carriages and pedestrians were the families and servants of powerful and wealthy people living in the neighborhood, but most of them were scholars coming to the capital to be selected for official positions or to participate in the imperial examinations.

With the results of the imperial examinations yet to be released and the selection process for the Ministry of Personnel still ongoing, everything remains uncertain. Consequently, these candidates inevitably gather near the imperial city, loitering around the residences of powerful figures to solicit favors and requests.

Zhang Dai and his party of more than a dozen people, and his young age and conspicuous official robes naturally attracted the attention of the voters on the street.

"Whose son is this? He's not even of age to come of age yet, but he's already an eighth-rank official!"

An old official who had not yet been selected and appointed by the Ministry of Personnel saw Zhang Dai, who was young and dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, and couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. He immediately frowned and asked.

Someone recognized Zhang Dai and immediately said with a smile, "That man is extraordinary. He is Zhang Zongzhi, the eldest grandson of Zhang Yan, a disciple of the current emperor. Last year, he was the top scorer in the provincial examination, the top scorer in the imperial examination, and was appointed as the Assistant Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. He is not comparable to us commoners!"

Some people sighed upon hearing this introduction, while others couldn't help but sneer: "This young man topped the list in three examinations? He's probably just a greedy scoundrel who was promoted based on family connections and then sought fame and fortune! There are countless scholars in the world who have studied diligently for years, and among them, talent is as numerous as carts and bushels. How can this young man repeatedly excel? That Zhang Yan Gong is also a man of little virtue. He has served in the court for many years and has only focused on poetry and prose. What kind of virtuous and talented people can he possibly raise under his tutelage!"

Every year, the number of people promoted to official positions in the imperial court is large, but the number of official positions has not increased accordingly, making the selection process increasingly tense. There are many candidates who have been trying for more than ten years without getting a position, which inevitably leads to a lot of resentment.

Zhang Dai knew that his precocious and successful demeanor was quite hated, so when he encountered groups of people on the street, he would quickly avoid them to prevent any conflict.

Moreover, these selections weren't wrong; if he hadn't had such a family background, he probably wouldn't have stood out. What about Li Bai and Du Fu? Even with their extraordinary talent, their official careers were still fraught with difficulties.

The Daming Palace also lacked a complete set of imperial government buildings; only the inner court offices, such as the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Censorate, were located behind the Hanyuan Hall, the outer court's main hall. Now that the emperor no longer works in the Daming Palace, it is somewhat inappropriate for these institutions to remain there.

However, last year the emperor moved to Xingqing Palace to hold court, but Xingqing Palace itself was limited in size and did not have enough supporting buildings to house the prime minister and other important officials.

If they were to return directly to the Taiji Palace to work, then the various departments of the Imperial City would simply operate independently in the Western Palace under the leadership of the Prime Minister, regardless of whether there was an emperor or not.

After entering the palace, Zhang Dai went directly to the Secretariat. Since his concurrent position as Left Remonstrator was an official under the Secretariat, he did not need to apply for a separate position.

There were still many officials gathered outside the Secretariat. When they saw Zhang Dai approaching, some of them couldn't help but laugh and say to him, "Young Master Zhang is late. He missed the grand scene just now! At the West Court, Censor Yan directly accused Prime Minister Li of favoring treacherous officials and acting unfairly. Prime Minister Li was speechless and unable to defend himself. If it weren't for the Duke of Guangping, Song Kaifu, personally intervening to resolve the matter, the dispute would probably still be ongoing."

Hearing that he was late and the argument was over, Zhang Dai felt quite regretful. However, considering that one of the parties involved was his mentor, he had no mood to chat with these people anymore, so he quickly went to the Provincial Administration Hall.

In the Secretariat, Yan Tingzhi sat at his seat, still looking furious. The other officials from the Secretariat did not dare to approach and disturb him, after all, he had just pointed at the prime minister's nose and started a fight.

"What could have caused the master to become so enraged?"

When Zhang Dai entered the hall and saw Yan Tingzhi's appearance, he quickly stepped forward and asked him questions.

"The Secretariat has gone too far! They actually dared to make decisions on the selection of officials in private while Prime Minister Du was away! When I went to request a review, I was met with many obstacles. Song Yao and his cronies, following the Secretariat's wishes, arbitrarily recommended and appointed officials, and most of those selected were not capable. If this is allowed to be carried out by imperial decree, the selection process this year will surely be in great chaos!"

Upon hearing Zhang Dai's question, Yan Tingzhi immediately spoke up resentfully.

There are currently three chancellors in the court: Li Yuanhong and Du Xian, who were originally in power, and Xiao Song, who returned to the court last year after making great contributions. Among them, Xiao Song is mainly in charge of military affairs, while Li and Du are in charge of state affairs respectively.

The most crucial aspect of government affairs is naturally the power of personnel appointments. Every year, the selection process is fraught with controversy, and last year the dispute even lasted until early summer, with the selection period still not over.

This year is no exception. Since last winter's meeting, the two prime ministers have been vying with each other, which has made the selection process very slow.

Although the Ministry of Personnel is now headed by former Prime Minister Song Jing, Song Jing is only submitting a proposal on behalf of the Ministry of Personnel; the final decision rests with the Secretariat-Chancellery.

The power struggle between the two prime ministers has reached a fever pitch. Even a mere county magistrate or military advisor is arguing and bickering with each other, and a final outcome has yet to be reached.

Last winter, the imperial court issued another order allowing the long-term conscripts on the borders to be divided into five shifts, with one shift sent home for leave each year.

The first year of carrying out this matter was inevitably a bit hectic, and there were also quite a few soldiers in various places who needed to take leave. Du Xian, who had also entered the court as a border soldier, assisted Xiao Song in handling this matter, and thus did not pay as much attention to personnel issues in the Ministry of Personnel.

Therefore, Li Yuanhong planned to take advantage of the situation and issue a batch of important positions in advance while Du Xian was away.

Yan Tingzhi previously served as a secretary in the Ministry of Personnel and is now a censor in the Secretariat. He is naturally familiar with the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel. After discovering the underhanded actions of Li Yuanhong's side, he directly had a big argument with them.

Seeing that Yan Tingzhi was still furious, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly, and then said softly, "Although the Master is upright and honest, this is, after all, a matter concerning the Prime Minister. If something is inappropriate, one should remonstrate with the court. But to criticize the Prime Minister privately now will likely draw criticism from others!" It may be satisfying to criticize the Prime Minister to his face, but the Prime Minister's position and power are what they are. While Yan Tingzhi's actions may prevent the Secretariat from approving personnel appointments privately, he will undoubtedly also have to bear the Prime Minister's wrath.

Even Du Xian couldn't easily intervene. After all, no matter how much trouble they caused, it was still a conversation between bosses. What kind of nonsense was it for a mere underling to jump out and curse at him? Did they really want to break the rules and fight to the death?

Yan Tingzhi was no longer the greenhorn he had just entered officialdom. After hearing Zhang Dai's words, he remained silent for a moment before saying, "The political climate in the court has become increasingly corrupt in recent years. People in such a situation inevitably have to swallow their anger and fail to accomplish much. Rather than wasting time in this stalemate of personnel matters, it would be better to seek out opportunities to do something meaningful."

Yan Tingzhi was highly regarded by Prime Minister Du Xian and was promoted several times over the years. However, even he was getting tired of the political struggles and even thought about seeking peace and quiet in the provinces. This shows how torn apart the political situation in the court has become.

Zhang Dai had no right to comment on this; as a mere eighth-rank official, how could he possibly influence the power struggles among the prime ministers? He was already quite lucky to have escaped unscathed.

Just as he was about to comfort Yan Tingzhi again, a tall, dignified old man in purple robes walked in from outside. He quickly stood up and stepped forward to greet him respectfully, saying, "This humble official greets Duke Guangping."

The visitor was none other than Song Jing, the former prime minister who was then serving as the Minister of Personnel. Yan Tingzhi and several other officials from the Secretariat in the hall also rose to greet him.

Song Jing smiled and nodded in response to everyone, then said, "Could we borrow a separate hall so that I may have a brief chat with Secretary Yan?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Tingzhi immediately led Song Jing to another hall. Zhang Dai, curious about what Song Jing wanted to say, stood outside the hall and waited.

Song Jing didn't linger for long. After a quarter of an hour, he came out, glanced at Zhang Dai standing outside the hall, and pointed at him with a smile, saying, "This place is inherently a place of trouble. Zhang Liu is a troublemaker. Don't linger here to observe the situation. Go to the music hall and revise your lyrics."

Zhang Dai was somewhat displeased upon hearing this, as it made him sound like a troublemaker who enjoyed causing chaos and gloating. He quickly bowed and said, "I have always deeply admired the virtues of the Duke of Guangping. When I see injustice, I am upright and unyielding; when I see right and wrong, I uphold justice and take the truth. Your righteous path will surely allow me to walk freely."

Having spent most of his life in officialdom, Song Jing had seen all sorts of people and was too lazy to engage in any verbal sparring with this young man. He simply waved his hand and turned to leave.

The officials of the Secretariat all went out and escorted Song Jing all the way to the gate of the government office before returning, which shows how high Song Jing's status was in the eyes of these officials.

Officials from both provinces have always been arrogant and disdainful of even the prime ministers who, if not holding high office, held a separate post to manage state affairs. Yet, they showed such respect to Song Jing, a prime minister who had been out of office for many years. It truly shows how a person's reputation influences their actions.

"Alas, the current political situation is tense and unstable. Although the various prime ministers each have a tough stance, none of them can win the hearts of the people. If there is any way to stabilize the situation, nothing is better than having Song Kaifu return to the court to take charge!"

On the way back to the government office, some people couldn't help but sigh, and soon many officials nodded in agreement. With the prime ministers fighting, these officials from the two provinces were at the heart of the struggle, and they suffered considerable disturbance and repercussions.

People like Yan Tingzhi, who dare not speak out, will lose their loyalty to their faction; but if they do speak out, they may get burned and face retaliation.

After returning to the hall, Zhang Dai asked Yan Tingzhi, "What brings the Duke of Guangping here?"

"He advised me not to get entangled in the election, which is a long and complicated affair every year, sometimes lasting up to half a year. Many candidates are stranded in the capital region, their funds are exhausted, and some are destitute. During the recent selection process by the Ministry of Personnel, many candidates cried and pleaded. Guangping said that if the central government continues to handle things in this way, I'm afraid the election will become chaotic."

Upon hearing this, Yan Tingzhi sighed.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai understood somewhat. The number of candidates was increasing year by year, but the number of official positions was not increasing accordingly, which made the selection process increasingly more competitive.

The candidates were already extremely anxious, and the personnel disputes in the central government have extended the election period. With so many candidates gathered in the capital region, there is no doubt that some major chaos might break out.

If the selection process were to fall into chaos, Song Jing and other officials in the Ministry of Personnel would naturally be held responsible. Therefore, Song Jing had no choice but to personally step forward and run around trying to quell the dispute and reach a consensus as soon as possible.

"The Duke of Guangping also hopes that I can persuade Prime Minister Du to restrain his temper and be patient for the sake of the country. However, how easy is that!"

Yan Tingzhi sighed again, saying that it was not something that could be persuaded with just a few words to stop the prime minister from fighting.

If you don't fight for it, you have no power, no sense of presence, and no way to demonstrate your abilities. Take personnel power, for example: only by asserting your voice will officials be willing to serve you. If you can't even assign positions, who would want to work for you?
The fundamental reason why Yao and Song became famous prime ministers was their outstanding abilities, but another crucial factor was that they each had a good partner who was not competitive and willing to play a supporting role, allowing them to concentrate on implementing their political ideas.

The current situation in the court is that no one is willing to be a silent, passive prime minister. As long as a winner isn't decided, there will be more arguments.

The power struggle among the prime ministers was intense, and the lower ranks were also in turmoil. Just as the officials of the Secretariat hoped that Song Jing would step in to take charge, everyone else was also calculating who was suitable to replace the two currently in power as prime minister.

Zhang Dai may not have the qualifications to compete for the position of prime minister, but he has the standard answer! This is like taking an exam with a cheat sheet. If you can get on the good side of the future prime minister in advance, that would be very satisfying.

His desire to buy property in Pingkangfang was also partly driven by a plan to secure a foothold in the government. He wasn't aiming to rely on Li Linfu, who still hadn't found his place, but rather on the soon-to-be-appointed Pei Guangting. An uncle in the palace, an uncle in the court—the thought alone was delightful!

(End of this chapter)