Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 350 The Will to Reach Mount Hua Must Not Be Broken

"Who forbids you from repaying the Emperor's favor and serving the public without regard for personal gain? We're talking about this debt of tens of thousands of strings of cash. How should it be settled, and how should it be resolved?"

Zhang Dai's words were indeed forceful, but they were also superficial and empty, leaving people confused. Therefore, after he finished speaking, Zhang Ji frowned and said...

As both an elder in Zhang Dai's family and a newly appointed member of the imperial family, he naturally wanted to demonstrate his presence and value in the matter by smoothly resolving this dispute. Therefore, when General Li came to the princess's residence for help, he agreed without much thought.

You're such a fool!

Zhang Dai rolled his eyes at Zhang Ji, secretly thinking that it would be better to let Zhang Ji die in place of Yuan Jie, so that the enemy could keep a useless teammate and also eliminate a piece of trash in his own camp.

Regardless of the current situation or the inside story, what are you trying to achieve by insisting on discussing these tens of thousands of strings of cash in front of a sage? Do you expect your father-in-law to help you with violent debt collection?

Despite his inner complaints about Zhang Ji, Zhang Dai had to give him some face in front of the Sage, since the guy had now been promoted to a pig that was rooting for cabbages in the Sage's garden.

"Uncle only knows one side of the story. The debt is a minor matter. The real issue is how I was cheated by him!"

Zhang Dai first gave Zhang Ji a perfunctory reply, and then looked at Li Zhaodao and said, "I have affairs to attend to in various places and need to frequently travel between the palaces. I was afraid of delaying the Emperor's orders, so after consulting with my grandfather, I purchased land in Pingkang Ward to build a house. The seventeen mu of land I bought cost Yuanjie more than 57,000 guan."

"Only after I purchased the land did I learn that your younger brother, Li Linfu, had acquired nearly a hundred acres of land for his residence, costing only a little over five thousand strings of cash. The disparity in price is truly astonishing! Therefore, I submit this memorial, hoping that the court will take this case as a warning and promptly update the Ministry of Justice's regulations on handling embezzlement, in order to salvage the collapsing dam of the national law and stem the overflow of state funds!"

“This…this…that residence in Pingkangfang is probably not worth this price. Zhang Xielu, you are inexperienced and have been cheated…”

Li Zhaodao felt somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this, and quickly spoke up again, hoping to reduce the amount of the stolen goods.

Zhang Dai naturally couldn't let him have his way. Upon hearing this, he immediately shook his head and said, "Doctor Li is mistaken. Pingkang Ward is a strategic location and one of the most prestigious wards in the capital. Land here is extremely rare, especially such a large plot! I am eager to purchase it because I covet it."

The value of this land depends not on the opinions of onlookers, but on the actions of the buyer and seller. The price set by the Jingzhao Prefecture is what I agree with, and the transaction is completed naturally. If it were determined by others, wickedness and deceit would surely arise.

During the Yonghui era of Emperor Gaozong, the then Chancellor Chu Suiliang suppressed the purchase of land belonging to the Chancellery. The Grand Judge, however, deemed it innocuous to accept the valuation. But was he truly innocent? Clearly, he was currying favor with the powerful and suppressing land prices. The Emperor, being wise, did not allow even a high-ranking official to be wrongly punished, and immediately issued a decree as a warning!

At this point, Zhang Dai's expression turned solemn, and he bowed directly to the emperor in the hall, saying, "I am by nature foolish and straightforward. If someone were to advise me, I might as well take advantage of this moment when the traitors are being beheaded to speak frankly about the inflated land prices in order to get my ill-gotten gains back."

If I were to follow this advice, I would only enrich myself at the expense of the nation. To abandon loyalty and righteousness for a little money and wealth—is this the way of a subject? It is not that I am unaware of the value of money and wealth, but I will not take it out of righteousness! The Emperor's grace is as vast as a mountain and as deep as the sea, far surpassing the value of money and wealth! Turning the pages of history, I often see loyal subjects lamenting that they could not find a wise ruler. Now I have found one!
When one is determined to be loyal, one should not waver even if it means dying a hundred times. The fertile land of Qin is not limited to the towering and unyielding Mount Hua. If anyone thinks that money can compromise one's integrity as a subject, then let me ask you, how much money would it take to fill the ravine of Mount Hua?
The nation is currently facing severe financial difficulties. The tens of thousands of troops stationed in Longyou and Hexi have achieved great merit in defeating the enemy. From last year to now, the total funds allocated to reward the army amount to only a few hundred thousand strings of cash. The difference between the cost of a single residence in a noble neighborhood in Chang'an and the cost of sending tens of thousands of troops to the Longyou border region is equivalent to the cost of such an army.

Therefore, I offer my advice to the state, hoping to recover the embezzled funds and improve its resources. If even a single coin is taken from this, I will have failed in my duty! In response to my previous statement, how much money could possibly break my resolve to achieve such a feat? A single coin would suffice! I beg Your Majesty to grant my request and recover the embezzled funds to benefit the state!

After his impassioned speech, the entire hall fell silent for a moment.

General Li Zhaodao's face turned white then red, then red then white, with a faint tinge of sallowness. The changes in his expression were even more wondrous than the color changes in his paintings.

Princess Yuzhen, who had been frowning slightly, gradually brightened her eyes as she listened. Her gaze towards Zhang Dai revealed deep admiration, and she even wanted to cheer for him several times, but she managed to restrain herself from losing her composure because she was in the palace.

As for Zhang Ji, his expression also changed several times. In the end, he just frowned and looked at his nephew who was bowing deeply in the hall, muttering something, but it was impossible to hear what he was saying.

The sage, seated high in the hall, slowly clenched his fist. After Zhang Dai finished his presentation, he raised his hand and clapped his hands, laughing loudly, "You brat, you dare to boast that you are comparable to Mount Hua! This boast is truly admirable! This ambition puts all your disciples to shame! I grant your request and will strengthen your resolve!"

After expressing his praise for Zhang Dai, the emperor turned his gaze to Li Zhaodao, whose expression was still uncertain, and said with a smile, "Doctor Li, Zhang Dai has probably finished explaining the whole story to you. If you still have any questions, you can ask him directly!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty has no doubts. I am ashamed. My family's conduct was improper, which led to the birth of such a vile person who interferes with the law and steals from the state..." Upon hearing this, Li Zhaodao hurriedly bowed deeply to the ground again, his voice trembling as he spoke.

He never expected Zhang Dai to be so sharp-tongued. After Zhang Dai finished speaking, he felt as if he had drunk a whole bowl of strong ginger and cinnamon tea, which made him sweat profusely and he dared not touch Zhang Dai's words again.

Upon hearing this, the sage laughed again. He gestured for the eunuch to come forward and help Li Zhaodao back to his seat. At the same time, he also offered a seat to Zhang Dai. Then he said, “Li Linfu is a scoundrel who steals skills and buys government goods. Although his deeds are shameful, his predicament is also pitiable. He has many children but few houses, making it difficult for him to make ends meet. He should indeed be taken care of.”

However, this is not a valid excuse for his undercutting and theft of official goods. If he is not punished, it will be difficult to deter others from doing so. Therefore, he shall be fined fifty catties of copper to teach him a lesson and prevent him from repeating the offense! The purchased house and the items exchanged shall be returned to him, and the remaining cost of the house shall be paid at the market price, to be completed within the year.

"Your Majesty is magnanimous! Your subject is very grateful for Your Majesty's grace..."

Li Zhaodao thought that after Zhang Dai's speech, his cousin would be severely punished this time, but he did not expect that the emperor would only raise the board high and then let it fall lightly.

Of course, this wasn't a light punishment. A fine of fifty catties of copper wasn't light according to criminal law, but in reality, it was nothing much; it was merely a symbolic punishment. It should be noted that a full string of Kaiyuan Tongbao coins weighed only six catties and four taels. Although it wasn't made of pure copper, even if we calculate it in half, fifty catties of copper wouldn't amount to much money.

What's truly ruthless is the requirement to make up the cost of the house according to the market price. The so-called market price is obviously the price of Zhang Dai's seventeen mu of land, which is over 57,000 guan. According to this price, Li Linfu would have to come up with nearly 400,000 guan within this year!

Although his family were old Guanzhong merchants and members of the imperial clan with considerable wealth, it was still very difficult for them to come up with nearly 400,000 strings of cash all at once. Especially since this was a mistake made by Li Linfu alone, Li Zhaodao couldn't afford to use the entire family's assets to cover it up!
However, unlike Yuan Jie, they were fortunate enough not to be dragged to the East Market and executed. Moreover, the Emperor's handling of the matter demonstrated his care for these distant relatives of the imperial family, which would significantly improve their overall situation and treatment in the future.

Therefore, Li Zhaodao's gratitude to the emperor at this moment was heartfelt, and his heart was filled with warmth.

However, the sage soon made another request that made him quite embarrassed, annoyed, and indignant: "Zhang Dai's words just now were as clear as gold and jade striking the ground! His warnings are worthy of being spread throughout the world, serving as a warning to others. Just now, I was with Doctor Li in the palace, and his words and demeanor are still vivid in my mind. Could you please take up your fine pen and capture this in a painting?"

What did you say
Zhang Dai was stunned when he heard this. He knew that he had flattered the emperor very well and was prepared to receive a reward, but he did not expect the reward to be given in this way.

Princess Yuzhen clapped her hands and laughed, saying, "What the Emperor says is very true. I was deeply moved by Zhang Dai's impassioned speech at the banquet just now. I regret that I am not a man. Otherwise, if I could serve as a minister in the same court and swear to uphold integrity and defend the court, wouldn't that be a great joy in life? This feeling and ambition should indeed be captured in paintings so that we can always look at them and be happy!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhaodao looked troubled and immediately kowtowed again, saying, "How dare I disobey the Emperor's decree? However, my skills are far inferior to my late father's, and depicting figures is not my forte. Zhang Xielu is handsome and has a lofty style; I fear my clumsy brush will not be able to capture his spirit..."

"Alright then, you shall be in charge of the palace scenery design, and Wu Daozi shall be in charge of the Zhang Dai painting!"

The emperor was in high spirits and, not allowing Li Zhaodao to refuse, raised his hand and ordered, "Go to the Hanlin Academy immediately and summon Wu Daozi!"

Not long after, Wu Daozi, the painting master who worked in the Hanlin Academy, hurriedly entered the hall. After listening to the emperor's instructions, he nodded in agreement and immediately began to prepare his painting tools.

"Your lofty aspirations and unyielding spirit must not be yielded. Zhang Dai, stand up and let Wu Daozi examine you to see what posture best displays your heroic bearing!"

The sage pointed at Zhang Dai and said with a smile, and Zhang Dai immediately stood up and, under Wu Daozi's guidance, struck a pose on the side of the hall.

Princess Yuzhen laughed upon seeing this scene, but after a moment, she sighed and said, "This boy is indeed spirited and talented, but it's a pity he's still wearing a green robe, which makes him lack a bit of dignity!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ji, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but widen his eyes, and his breathing became somewhat heavy.

Upon hearing this, the sage first frowned and pondered for a moment, then shook his head and smiled, saying, "Zhang Dai is dignified and would certainly not like to be promoted rashly. Moreover, he is talented and ambitious, and even if he is promoted step by step, he would not stay in a low-ranking position for long. Furthermore, he is still young this year, and promoting him too quickly would only arouse jealousy and cause him to get caught up in personnel disputes, which would stifle his talent."

Upon hearing the sage's words, Zhang Ji's breathing returned to normal, but he quickly frowned again. Talented and intelligent people should not be promoted too quickly, so I... He suddenly felt that his purple robe had become conspicuous.

(End of this chapter)