Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 353 Yuwen Rong Drinks Poison to Quench Thirst

Zhang Ji received a thorough scolding from his father in the main hall, and then slunk away to the back room to greet his mother.

"Alas, one cannot become successful without experiencing hardship. Although your misfortune in your youth was due to the lack of care from your elders, looking back now, it may not have been a bad thing."

After his family members entered the hall and tidied up, Zhang Shuo sat back down. He then looked at Zhang Dai and sighed, "Your uncle is just old and foolish. His understanding of things is far less profound and clear than yours. Now I only hope that after you return home, you can learn from this lesson, improve yourself, take the past as a warning, and be cautious in your actions."

Upon hearing Zhang's words, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Parents everywhere have their own worries; his grandfather was hoping his sons would suddenly realize their mistakes and make rapid progress, but he wasn't optimistic about it.

It wasn't that he looked down on his father, but rather that his father's letters to his family still revealed his impetuousness and eagerness for quick success. He hadn't even completed his term yet, and he was already considering whether he should take up a high-ranking position in the Ministry of Personnel or enter the Secretariat or Chancellery to take charge of important matters after returning to the capital.

The reason is simple: in his father's view, even Zhang Ji could rise to the rank of one of the Nine Ministers. If he himself could not assume a high-ranking position after his experience, then what justice would there be?
Zhang Dai didn't tell his grandfather about these things; telling him would only make the old man fly into a rage again.

The position of prime minister in the Tang Dynasty, especially the prime minister during the Kaiyuan era, was somewhat peculiar. Apart from a handful of people like Xiao Song, the sons of the other prime ministers were either unknown or exceptionally talented.

This is not because the emperor is deliberately suppressing them. To be honest, the emperor is quite good to these sons of the prime ministers, but the problem is that these people are really not capable. Even if they are promoted, they are just mediocre and incompetent officials who are just filling positions. They have no talent or style whatsoever compared to their fathers.

After complaining about his son, Zhang said, "This matter concerning the Minamoto clan has greatly affected the current situation. Minamoto no Qianyao's resignation has severely damaged Yuwen Rong's prestige and thrown him into disarray. In recent discussions, there were further proposals to continue pushing forward the tax collection and imposing heavy taxes on monks and Taoists."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai realized that Yuwen Rong was truly panicked and had actually set his sights on the religious world. It wasn't that the idea was wrong, but rather that the timing was wrong.

The management of non-Buddhist religious circles has always been a sensitive and troublesome issue for each dynasty. In the present Tang Dynasty, Taoism is the state religion, while Buddhism has also developed deeply under the vigorous promotion of the Wu Zhou Dynasty.

Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries appear serene and otherworldly, but beneath the surface lie complex webs of vested interests.

Leaving aside all the prefectures in the country, even in the two capitals alone, every temple and monastery with a little reputation has numerous untaxed men and untaxed lands, who may very well be the second sons of some powerful and wealthy family in the capital.

If you dare to investigate thoroughly, they will immediately throw a tantrum and claim that the temple was built to pray for the blessings of their ancestors for eighteen generations, and that your investigation is tantamount to digging up their ancestral graves!
Many wealthy families in Guanlong had large businesses, and a large part of their wealth existed in this form, similar to the operating model of many charitable foundations in later generations.

These temples and monasteries not only helped them preserve their homes, land, and servants, but also expanded their influence in society, accepting donations and offerings from all kinds of donors. The various wishes and prayers of devout men and women were fulfilled and experienced by the financial backers behind these temples and monasteries.

Yuwen Rong has also developed a certain path dependency. If he wants to stabilize the situation, he needs to demonstrate his significant contribution to the Tang Dynasty's finances.

His most fundamental and effective policy was land and household registration. To achieve significant results in a short period of time, he had to start with this approach, and Buddhist temples and monasteries were the most obvious and lucrative target.

However, this approach is clearly short-sighted and could easily embroil him in huge disputes and conflicts. In Zhang Dai's view, Yuwen Rong's choice of this method at this juncture was unwise. If he wanted to achieve long-term political success, he should have continued to deepen the reform of the Grand Canal.

However, the situation is constantly changing, and people in the situation are using their own strategies. Any strategy or proposal has a certain time limit.

In particular, the Grand Canal has significant periodicity and seasonality. Yuwen Rong was hoping to achieve success in this area to increase his chances of becoming prime minister, but it was all too late.

Zhang said that the plan they devised for Pei Guangting regarding the selection process was because the selection period was currently underway, which was a pressing need in the current situation.

The thought that Yuwen Rong must be scratching his head in frustration, racking his brains for a solution, and probably cursing him with resentment every now and then, gave Zhang Dai a strange sense of amusement, but also a bit of annoyance.

To be honest, he didn't dislike Yuwen Rong that much, nor did he intend to target Yuwen Rong specifically. It's just that people in the martial arts world are often caught up in their own circumstances, and everyone has their own personnel and organizations. Once a conflict or collision occurs, it is inevitable that a chain reaction will take place.

Given the current situation, even if he wanted to coexist peacefully with Yuwen Rong, it would be impossible.

Firstly, his petition directly led to the death of Yuwen Rong's benefactor's son. Secondly, it also caused chaos and confusion for Yuwen Rong, who was in a good position, to the point that he was desperate and would seek any treatment. Once the situation stabilized, he would surely retaliate.

After all, there are only so many positions in the imperial court. If you don't retaliate against your enemies, what will happen to the brothers who fought alongside you? Besides, getting rid of Zhang Dai will free up several positions, making it a cost-effective choice.

Therefore, the current situation is to cling even closer to Pei Guangting, and once Pei Guangting successfully takes power, the crisis will naturally ease.

No matter how grand the plan, everyone in it simply has their own role to play, and doing one's job well is the greatest contribution. Zhang Dai's memorial to the throne, while somewhat serendipitous, achieved better results than expected. Although it also sowed the seeds of some potential personnel disputes, those are not problems that need to be addressed at the moment.

Officially, the follow-up plans will naturally be carried out by his grandfather Zhang Shuo and Pei Guangting, while Zhang Dai only needs to observe and wait for the final outcome. In any case, there's no use in him being anxious about the power struggle at higher levels; he might as well calm down and digest his gains.

With the imperial edict bestowed by the emperor at Hua'e Tower, the Pingkangfang residential area was now completely Zhang Dai's, and there was no doubt about it.

After the morning court session the next day, with nothing to do in the office, Zhang Dai took leave and went to the Jingzhao Prefecture to complete the formalities again. This time, he obtained the real land deed.

When he returned home from the capital, he dismounted at the gate and saw a middle-aged man who looked familiar standing in the hall waiting to be received. After looking him over for a few moments and thinking for a moment, he smiled and asked, "Are you Supervisor Chen?"

"Young Master Zhang has a truly excellent memory. I am Chen Dong, the Director of the Imperial Workshop who visited me the other day!"

When the middle-aged man saw that Zhang Dai recognized him, he immediately beamed and greeted Zhang Dai with a smile and a clasped hand.

"What brings Supervisor Chen here today? I have already selected a house in another neighborhood. If I were to inquire about the past, I'm afraid I would have made you a wasted trip!"

As Zhang Dai spoke, he walked into the house, and at the same time, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly that these low-ranking officials in the capital had it tough, having to be so persistent even for a part-time job.

Upon hearing this, Chen Dong quickly replied, "Young Master Zhang, you have misunderstood. I have come to your door today on behalf of my former master, the Prince of Hedong, to plan your residence."

"You're the county magistrate? You're a former official of the Wang family of Hedong?"

Zhang Dai was taken aback when he heard this, but when he saw Chen Dong nod, he immediately smiled and exclaimed that the world was truly amazing. The former official that the Yunyang County Magistrate had mentioned to him was actually this Chen Dong who had come to visit him long ago.

"In that case, there's no need to say more. Let's head to Pingkang Ward first and take a look at it in person."

Zhang Dai naturally trusted the person recommended by the County Magistrate of Yunyang, and he also felt that Chen Dong was steady and mature, unlike other cunning brokers in the market. So he immediately suggested going to Pingkangfang to take a look.

Seeing that Chen Dong's mount was just a skinny donkey with markings on it, he figured it was rented from a donkey rental shop. So he instructed his family to fetch a horse from his own stable and said to Chen Dong with a smile, "Where did Supervisor Chen rent this donkey? Have my family return it to him first."

Chang'an City is very large, and the choice of mode of transportation directly determines the efficiency of travel. Riding a donkey only saves a little effort, but it is not faster than walking. After switching to horses, the group quickly arrived at Pingkang Ward.

In Li Lingwen's old residence, all construction work within the area belonging to Li Linfu had ceased, with only a few servants there tidying up and guarding various materials.

Zhang Dai's family's dozen or so acres of land were kept very clean, and could be seen at a glance.

After Chen Dong came in, he began to take out various tools to measure the house. While measuring, he wrote and drew on paper, and at the same time kept asking Zhang Dai about his ideas for the function of the house. After the measurement was completed, he had also drawn a sketch of the house.

The sketch was clear and concise, depicting the scale and size of each area of ​​the mansion very clearly, with a reasonable distribution of functions. In particular, it made full use of the land, yet the layout did not feel cramped or crowded. Zhang Dai was very satisfied after reviewing it, praising it as truly the work of a professional.

The other buildings in the mansion are fine; once their layout and function are determined, they can be built step by step without being too unconventional. However, the central hall, which serves as the reception area and is the core and face of the mansion, must be designed and constructed with special attention.

Chen Dong carried a large bag with him, containing various surveying tools as well as scrolls. These scrolls depicted the most classic and popular guest room styles in the capital at the time, which Zhang Dai could now choose from.

Zhang Dai examined the drawings and found that each one had its own unique features and was grand and beautiful. He couldn't decide which one to choose for a moment. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly had an idea and looked at Chen Dong to ask, "Are there any crescent-shaped halls in the capital?"

"I've never heard of that before. I wonder if Young Master Zhang is asking about the crescent shape of the building, the hall floor, or the landscaping?"

After hearing the question, Chen Dong thought about it seriously for a moment, then shook his head and said...

"Could you please trouble Supervisor Chen to draw up a design? Regardless of the type, design the same for each one, and then make general comparisons."

Zhang Daixuan then said with a smile, "Since you're going to replace Li Linfu's ecological niche, then replace him thoroughly. I'll also stay at your Yuetang, and from now on I'll figure out how to deal with you from here!"
(End of this chapter)