Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 349 Clan Members Beg for Mercy
The Hua'e Xianghui Tower, located in the southwest corner of Xingqing Palace, can be considered the most famous tower in the Tang Dynasty.

The name of this building is taken from the poem "Changdi" in the Book of Songs: "The flowers of Changdi are luxuriant." The current emperor ordered the construction of this building in Xingqing Palace to symbolize the deep brotherly affection and demonstrate ethical harmony. The flowers naturally refer to the emperor, while the calyxes represent his brothers. The calyxes support the flowers, complementing each other.

During the later years of the Kaiyuan era, the building underwent further expansion, becoming even more magnificent and imposing. Moreover, because the building was located on the main street in front of the Zhuque Gate, many grand ceremonies of the Tang Dynasty were held here, which led to the frequent descriptions and praises of the building by Tang Dynasty poets.

The current Hua'e Tower is not as grand as it was later. It is much smaller in scale than the Qin Zheng Tower next to it. In essence, it is just a hall for entertaining relatives and nobles and enjoying song and dance performances. It has not yet been associated with the grand ceremonies of the imperial court.

When Zhang Dai arrived, he waited outside the palace for a while before being summoned to a side hall next to the main hall.

Upon entering the hall, the first thing one sees is the Sage sitting high in the imperial tent, while sitting at the lower end of the hall is a middle-aged beautiful woman dressed in Taoist robes, who is also the Sage's younger sister, Princess Yuzhen.

Below them was a young man in a purple robe, with an affectedly serious expression on his face; he was none other than Zhang Dai's uncle, Zhang Ji. Sitting next to Zhang Ji was also a man in a purple robe, but much older; he was Li Linfu's cousin, General Li Zhaodao.

Seeing this commotion, Zhang Dai roughly understood what was going on. He guessed that Li Zhaodao was using his connections to plead with the Emperor for leniency for Li Linfu, hoping that he wouldn't be sent to the Eastern Market to be executed like Yuan Jie had been.

However, Zhang Dai was still unclear about the emperor's intentions and why he had been summoned. He had no time to ponder this further, and first hastily entered the hall to pay his respects to the emperor: "Your subject Zhang Dai kowtows to Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation and await Your Majesty's instructions!"

"Zhang Dai, please excuse the formalities. I have summoned you here today to inquire about a few matters, and you must answer truthfully."

The sage spoke in an ordinary tone, and there was no particular change in his emotions.

Zhang Dai first respectfully agreed, and after getting up, he went to Princess Yuzhen and Zhang Ji's table to greet them respectively: "Greetings, Princess Yuzhen and Uncle."

Princess Yuzhen had previously helped Zhang Dai and treated him with great kindness, responding with a smile and a nod. As for Zhang Ji, he was rather pretentious, merely exhaling a breath through his nose as if to acknowledge his superiority, without even glancing at Zhang Dai.

The emperor seemed quite satisfied with his new son-in-law, watching the scene with a slight smile. After Zhang Dai finished paying his respects to the others and stood respectfully in the hall, the emperor spoke again and asked, "Doctor Li, along with the Empress and the Commandant of the Guards, came to the palace today to request an audience. They wish to inquire about the crimes committed by his cousin, Li Linfu. Since you are the one who brought this matter to the table, it would be most appropriate for you to tell Doctor Li the details."

As they spoke, Li Zhaodao quickly rose from his seat, bowed to the Emperor, and said, “I am grateful for the Emperor’s grace and enjoy a leisurely life at home. I am not a person involved in state affairs, so how dare I ask about them! However, my cousin is currently detained in the Ministry of Justice and the case is still pending. My family and I are also filled with fear and anxiety. We hope that his crimes can be investigated before we respectfully request a redemption, so as to uphold the law, set an example, and serve as a warning to others.”

"Doctor Li's idea is excellent. Zhang Dai, you should explain the matter to the doctor in detail here."

Upon hearing this, the sage raised his hand slightly and then spoke to Zhang Dai.

Zhang Dai roughly understood the Emperor's meaning at this point. Since Li Linfu's family had invited Princess Yuzhen and Zhang Ji to come forward, the Emperor probably felt a little embarrassed, which is why he sent Zhang Dai to explain the situation.

As for what the sage was thinking, he probably wouldn't punish him as severely as he had Yuan Jie, since Yuan Jie was used as a tool to make an example of others, while Li Linfu's behavior wasn't as egregious, which is why he wasn't punished along with Yuan Jie.

But he probably didn't want to let it go so easily, and was still considering it when his own sister asked him to come over, which put him in a bit of a dilemma.

After sorting out the situation, Zhang Dai pondered for a moment before saying to Li Zhaodao, "It's only natural for Doctor Li to be concerned. Your younger brother, Li Linfu, recently visited Yuanjie..."

There's no need to make any changes to the section explaining the case; Li Linfu's case is based on conclusive evidence of economic crimes.

Zhang Dai guessed that the reason for the emperor's hesitation was that he was still thinking about how to convict and recover the stolen goods. After all, the court's financial situation was not very good at the moment, and the expenditure was increasing year by year, so the emperor was quite sensitive to financial matters.

"Alas, it is shameful to say. Our ancestors built this property to provide a place for their descendants to live and multiply. As the number of children in the family grew, most of them were useless. They were unable to make great contributions to the country or manage the family business well to make a living. The hundred or so people depended solely on the inheritance of their ancestors. The number of houses did not increase, but the number of children grew. It was difficult to make ends meet, and it was hard to find peace and quiet in the house. Therefore, Shilang had the idea of ​​buying a separate property and living separately..."

After Zhang Dai finished recounting the case, Li Zhaodao lowered his head in shame and sighed. Hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It really is true that to survive in this world, you need a thick skin.

Although this young General Li was born into the imperial family and was quite talented, his official career was not very successful. He was not even as prominent as his cousin Li Linfu, who was present at the event. It was only when he accompanied the emperor to the Fengshan ceremony that he was granted the title of Grand Master of the Silver Seal and Green Robe, a third-rank official, because of his status as a member of the imperial family. However, he did not hold any official position in the court.

Zhang Dai had initially guessed that this young General Li might be indifferent to fame and fortune, not good at scheming, and possessed the aloofness of an artist. However, after listening to most of his words, which were complaints and attempts to exonerate Li Linfu by downplaying the seriousness of the matter, Zhang Dai found that his worried and distressed appearance was quite convincing.

Of course, if Li Linfu hadn't spent several thousand strings of cash to buy a mansion covering hundreds of acres in Pingkangfang, General Li's explanation would undoubtedly have been even more persuasive. "Your family is too big to fit everyone, so you need to buy another mansion? How big is your family that you need hundreds of acres of land to house them?"
Zhang Dai inwardly complained, but said nothing aloud. Seeing that he didn't respond, General Li spoke up again: "I am ashamed to defend Shi Lang for violating the law, but I heard that he also offended Zhang Xielu in the process. Please understand that he is a newcomer to the world and is not familiar with human affairs. I apologize to you on his behalf!"

As he said this, Li Zhaodao raised his hand and bowed to Zhang Dai.

"Dr. Li, there's no need for this!"

Seeing this, Zhang Dai immediately dodged away. The other party was deliberately putting on such a humble posture, but if he were to accept it, the nature of the matter would change.

He had just dodged aside and hadn't even had a chance to reply when Zhang Ji stood up from his seat, frowned, and looked at Zhang Dai, saying, "I heard that you, Sixth Brother, also wanted to buy property in Pingkang Ward, which is why you had a dispute with Doctor Li's brother? Your father is away on official business, and you have elderly grandparents and young siblings at home. You already have a place to live, so why are you in such a hurry to buy property outside the mansion?"

If this leads to conflict, it would be even more reprehensible! Doctor Li is not only a renowned figure in our clan, but also a respected elder who discussed matters of principle with your grandfather. Now that he has condescended to pay his respects, any disputes can be easily resolved!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but glance at the sage sitting in the hall. "Damn it, I knew your bloodline was poisonous! Although my uncle wasn't exactly bright before, in less than a year since he married your daughter, he's completely drained of his brain!"
As soon as Zhang Ji finished speaking, Princess Yuzhen smiled and said, "I have often heard of Zhang Dai's virtuous reputation. I know you are an outstanding young man who values ​​loyalty and righteousness. If you are truly troubled by any resentment or difficulty in doing things for others, I will speak on your behalf today."

Doctor Li has recently been busy painting inscriptions for the walls of my Taoist temple, which has already taken a lot of effort. Seeing him sighing and worrying about family matters lately, I feel even more sorry for him. So I've brought him here to relieve his worries. Would you be so kind as to do me a favor?"

When Zhang Dai heard Princess Yuzhen say this, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "You and the Emperor are truly born of the same mother; you are both so kind-hearted and eager to help others!"
He could ignore his muddle-headed uncle, but since Princess Yuzhen had spoken, he couldn't help but respond directly.

Meeting their gazes, he then spoke solemnly, "If it is true that I have a grudge against Li Linfu, it is indeed true. In the past, because of my exile to the south of the mountains, which lasted for several years, he harbored deep resentment and thus conspired with Yuan Jie in the Jingzhao Prefecture to swindle me out of more than 50,000 strings of cash by offering me seventeen acres of land in Pingkang Ward..."

"Is there such a thing?"

Princess Yuzhen clearly knew something was wrong. Upon hearing this, she immediately frowned, while Zhang Ji, standing to the side, suddenly widened his eyes and exclaimed in disbelief, "Where did you get so much money?"

Li Zhaodao seemed to have been prepared for this, and his face did not show much surprise. He immediately said, "I have entered the palace today for two reasons: first, to respectfully submit to the law of the land, and second, to resolve our grievances. Although I do not know the details of the matter, since Zhang Xielu dared to speak to the Emperor in person, I believe that what you said is true. I will repay this debt even if I have to give up my entire fortune!"

Upon hearing Li Zhaodao's words, Princess Yuzhen's eyes flashed with emotion, while Zhang Ji stared at Zhang Dai with great excitement.

Although his status and position improved after marrying the princess, he remained the same at home. His father would never consult him about important matters, but instead would drag Zhang Dai into discussing conspiracies. Take these tens of thousands of strings of cash, for example; he knew absolutely nothing about it!

When the emperor in the hall heard that Li Zhaodao had agreed to the debt without even investigating the matter, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he then turned his gaze to Zhang Dai.

"Doctor Li, you misunderstand. The reason I am reporting this matter is not because of any personal grudge, but to weigh the gains and losses of the country! Li Linfu may harbor deep resentment towards me, but I do not take it to heart. The reason I know about this treacherous plot is because I found it in the case files of the Jingzhao Prefecture."

Zhang Dai looked at Li Zhaodao and said in a deep voice, "Doctor Li is willing to spend a fortune to resolve the grievances of his relatives. I truly admire his integrity. However, I also have a few things to say to you, but if they can benefit the country and repay the Emperor's favor, I will serve the public good without reservation and remain upright and unyielding!"

(End of this chapter)