Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 351 Jade True Villa
"Gratitude is as deep as the sea, and ambition is as high as Mount Hua."

The sage picked up his brush and inscribed these eight characters on the completed painting, then beckoned to Zhang Dai and said with a smile, "Zhang Dai, what do you think of this painting?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai took a few steps forward and stopped in front of the steps, waiting for the two eunuchs to raise the scroll and lower the painting before he began to examine it closely.

General Li's painting skills inherited from his father, making the magnificent palace even more opulent. Zhang Dai, who was currently standing in this palace, still felt that the palace in the painting was even more imposing and awe-inspiring. This is the charm of art: it is born from reality but transcends it.

As for Wu Daozi, whose artistic achievements are even higher, his depiction of Zhang Dai is even more heroic and vivid, capturing Zhang Dai's courageous spirit, passionate feelings, and unparalleled handsome appearance perfectly!

However, Zhang Dai was somewhat dissatisfied that although his image was indeed dashing, his green robe was not imposing enough. Moreover, Wu Daozi described his figure as rather plump, making him appear to be pot-bellied at first glance, but in reality, Zhang Dai, who was not yet twenty years old, was tall and slender.

Apart from Zhang Dai himself, there are no other figures in the painting. As for the person he is talking to, Wu Daozi has replaced him with a sun hanging above the painting. Upon closer inspection, there is a human figure drawn with dark lines in the middle of the sun, which is clearly the figure of the current sage.

Seeing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly that even artists cannot maintain their independence and must still submit to their patrons. Wu Daozi was even better at flattering than he was!
Overall, this painting, created by two of the most renowned painters of our time, is indeed very beautiful.

Zhang Dai lacked sufficient appreciation for art and could not appreciate the ingenuity of each artist's technique. He simply felt that the scene was harmonious and beautiful, and that looking at it made him feel comfortable and at ease.

Even the emperor's eight-character inscription was dignified and robust, but the meaning of the characters was somewhat vulgar and formulaic. Zhang Dai remembered that he had clearly said many more exquisite and powerful aphorisms, but the emperor only picked out these eight characters, which failed to convey the artistic conception well.

He dared not voice this dissatisfaction, so after admiring the painting, he quickly bowed and said, "I was just expressing my feelings and pouring out my heart. I never expected to receive such a solemn reward from the Sage. I am flattered and overwhelmed with gratitude!"
The two renowned painters' brushes captured the spirit of the subjects perfectly, while the sage's inscription and teachings were like a sudden awakening. Upon returning home, I will treasure this scroll, engraving it in my heart and upholding it throughout my life, and passing it down to future generations as a family tradition!

"Haha, this scroll is not meant as a reward for you. Zhang Dai himself was already aware of this and could have spread this style among his relatives and friends. This painting scroll is meant to be displayed to the public and inspire people of his time!"

Upon hearing this, the sage smiled and pointed to the scroll, instructing, "Hang this scroll on the wall of the Hanlin Academy so that all the officials who come and go may look up and appreciate it."

Isn't that a bit too much?
Although it is a subject's duty to flatter the emperor, and even someone as upright as Song Jing was not immune to this, it is still somewhat embarrassing for you to hang me up like this!

Zhang Dai's thinking wasn't just a case of getting a good deal and acting innocent. The Hanlin Academy was a gathering place for officials of Xingqing Palace, much like a tourist center in a scenic area. If his portrait were hung in the Hanlin Academy, it would inevitably be seen by all the officials coming and going.

While this demonstrated the emperor's favor towards him, it also undoubtedly placed him under the public eye. A tree that stands out in the forest will be felled by the wind; if he were to speak or act carelessly or make any mistakes, he would inevitably be heavily criticized by the people of the time.

But the sage did not ask for his opinion, so he could only kowtow again to express his gratitude and then return to his seat.

By this time it was already dark, so the sage invited everyone to stay and have dinner together.

After dinner, the emperor had an attendant hand Zhang Dai an imperial edict: "Zhang Dai was deceived by treacherous people regarding the residential land in that neighborhood. Now that you have paid the money to the government, the land should naturally belong to you. Take this yellow paper to the Jingzhao Prefecture to collect it."

"It is such a trivial matter that Your Majesty has taken such a concern to me. I am truly grateful!"

Zhang Dai quickly accepted the imperial edict with both hands and then expressed his gratitude.

He acquired this land by using an IOU to pay off a debt, without actually paying a single penny. The emperor was naturally aware of this, but he didn't mention it. Instead, he returned the land to Zhang Dai. As for whether the cost of the land should be attributed to the Yuan family or paid by Li Linfu, Zhang Dai didn't bother to ask.

Although the emperor had various flaws in his personality, he was generous in rewarding anyone who pleased him. So he continued, "Zhang Dai made some bold pronouncements, but I will not bestow any more money or silk upon you to tarnish your ambitions. There should still be some materials left over from the construction of the princes' residences in the capital. If you need any for your future construction, simply report to the Directorate of Works!"

"Your subject... how dare I presume to use the leftover materials from the prince's residence!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai quickly shook his head and said...

"You are Consort Hui's nephew, and a junior to me. Moreover, you were selected through the imperial examination for talented young men. Since you have been granted this position, feel free to use it!"

Upon hearing this, the sage smiled and said that he was also very satisfied with Zhang Dai's humble and cautious attitude.

Zhang Ji, who was in the banquet, was naturally displeased to see this scene. As a newly appointed imperial son-in-law, he felt that the emperor's favor should be focused on him in the future. However, he saw that the emperor cared more about Zhang Dai than about him, and he couldn't help but feel that Zhang Dai had taken away some of the emperor's favor. "There is a court meeting tomorrow morning, so it is not convenient to keep the guests for long."

After explaining these matters, the emperor dismissed the guests. He first bid farewell to Princess Yuzhen with laughter and conversation, and then pointed to Zhang Ji and Zhang Dai, saying, "You two, uncle and nephew, escort my sister back to her residence, and then go home yourselves."

Upon hearing this, the two quickly and respectfully agreed, then bowed and took their leave, and together followed Princess Yuzhen's carriage away from Xingqing Palace.

With Princess Yuzhen's entourage providing escort, and Zhang Ji also bringing a considerable number of attendants, Zhang Dai was spared the trouble of going home to call for help. Moreover, it was already quite dark, so no one would dare to intercept him in the street.

Princess Yuzhen's residence was located in Fuxingfang, west of Taiji Palace, which was quite far from Xingqing Palace, requiring a journey across most of Chang'an City.

Zhang Dai and his uncle were mutually disgusted with each other, and they rode their horses slowly on either side of Princess Yuzhen's carriage, remaining quiet and not exchanging a word.

When the carriage arrived near the Zhuque Gate on the south side of the imperial city, Princess Yuzhen in the carriage suddenly spoke with a smile: "Zhang Dai, come closer, I have something to ask you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai quickly spurred his horse closer to the carriage and respectfully replied, "Princess, please feel free to ask. I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

"It's nothing serious, you don't need to be too nervous."

Upon hearing his serious and earnest answer, Princess Yuzhen smiled and said, "What I want to ask is, how old are you this year? Has your family made any plans for your marriage?"

"I was born in the first year of the Kaiyuan era, and I have not yet come of age. I sometimes act foolishly, which makes people both laugh and cry. Moreover, I have an unmarried uncle in my family, so my family has not yet discussed this matter."

When Princess Yuzhen expressed concern for his personal affairs, Zhang Dai replied, "Moreover, I have only recently been appointed to a minor official post, and my rank and reputation are low. I am afraid that I will not be favored by noble families and beautiful women. Therefore, I must prioritize the affairs of the king and dare not be distracted by anything else."

"Being young and of low rank does not necessarily mean being unpopular. Only heartless people care about such mundane matters of power and position. If one is truly moved by love, being able to stay together day and night is already the best thing in the world, and one will not care about anything else."

Upon hearing Zhang Dai's reply, Princess Yuzhen smiled and said, "However, you are currently young and successful, so you are naturally focused on advancement and have little interest in romance. If in the future you fall in love with a woman but are afraid of not being able to express your feelings, you can come and tell me. As long as she is from a family within the capital region, I can help you convey your love."

"I will never forget your kindness, my lord. If I find love in the future, I will surely petition you to grant me a happy marriage!"

Zhang Dai then said respectfully, he had lost count of how many times Shi Liu had expressed concern about his marriage.

Princess Yuzhen's promise warmed his heart, and the image of Princess Yunyang couldn't help but appear in his mind. However, the reputation of the women of the Li Tang imperial family had always been poor, which made him hesitate. Although he felt that Princess Yunyang was different from ordinary people, he still had little contact with her and needed more time to get to know her better.

After all, it would be irresponsible to be too hasty in choosing a life partner, and it could potentially lead to various disputes and hidden dangers in the future. Therefore, Zhang Dai is not in a hurry to express his opinion at the moment. After all, he still has his third uncle's youngest son who is still single, and it is not his place to arrange this matter for him.

"I have a villa in the south of the city, which I often use to entertain famous scholars and literati. Occasionally, I need someone to manage it. If you, Zhang Dai, have some free time in the future and wish to find a secluded place to relax and rejuvenate, would you be willing to help me manage the villa for a few days?"

Princess Yuzhen then said with a smile, "I told your uncle about this matter before and asked him to pass on the message, but I haven't heard a reply from you yet. I suppose you're young and impetuous and feel slighted? That's why I've come to ask you personally today. If we follow the etiquette and customs of your scholarly circles, Zhang Dai, you can be considered my student!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai frowned slightly and glanced at Zhang Ji, who had clearly become uneasy and nervous. He had never heard Zhang Ji mention this before.

However, he did not expose this matter, but bowed again and said, "Imperial Consort's kindness in helping me in the past is immense. Even now, I am filled with gratitude and cannot sleep, thinking day and night about how to repay her. Now that I have heard this, I will go directly to the villa at the end of the month on my day off to carefully clean and prepare for the guests!"

"There are no trivial matters that require your attention. It's just that some of the lodging guests are eager to see talented people from the capital region. You just need to sit comfortably and let them admire the demeanor of these outstanding individuals!"

Princess Yuzhen was satisfied with Zhang Dai's answer and did not pursue whether Zhang Ji had conveyed her meaning, which made Zhang Ji, who was listening attentively, breathe a sigh of relief.

(End of this chapter)