Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 356 Go to give Xingci and return Chengliang

The power struggles within the imperial court were somewhat distant from the daily lives of ordinary people in the city, and even Zhang Dai, a person directly involved in the political situation, had very limited opportunities to participate.

After all, his level was too low. A mere eighth-rank official was insignificant in a battle between real big shots. After he stirred up a wave of discussion by fighting with Yuan Jie, the young master, he could no longer participate in the subsequent events.

Zhang Dai didn't have much interest in getting involved in the subsequent events. He wasn't someone who liked to cause trouble. At first, he just wanted to buy a villa in a neighborhood near the palace to shorten his commute.

As a result, after a lot of back and forth between people and things, I've finally gotten my hands on the land I wanted and gained a lot of convenience, so it wasn't all for nothing.

Although Chen Dong, introduced by the county magistrate of Yunyang, did not hold a prominent official position, his architectural skills were indeed remarkable. After conducting an on-site inspection, he came up with several plans for Zhang Dai to choose from in just two days.

Among these, the design based on the crescent moon theme particularly impressed Zhang Dai. The hall was shaped like a crescent moon, as were the eaves. Even the artificial lake in the house was crescent-shaped, with a waterside pavilion built in the pond, perfectly embracing and facing the hall, like a Tai Chi symbol.

"The hall is covered with glazed tiles, and the sunlight shines down like layers of golden scales. When the moon is high in the sky, its silvery glow spreads across the moonlit lake in front of the hall, making it seem like a moon palace on earth..."

Although Chen Dong was only a minor official in charge of crafts, his descriptions of architectural styles were remarkably vivid. Zhang Dai couldn't help but close his eyes and imagine it, and when he opened them again, he made up his mind: "Let's build it according to this!"

After determining the architectural style, the next step was to prepare materials. Zhang Dai didn't need to worry about building materials or spend any extra money, as the Emperor had already taken care of it. He could simply go to the material warehouse of the Imperial Workshop to get whatever materials he needed.

When Chen Dong learned of this, he couldn't help but feel a deep respect for Zhang Dai: "Zhang Xielu enjoys the Emperor's favor immensely, which is truly admirable. I am fortunate to have this opportunity, and I will certainly select the finest materials to build a stunning mansion for Zhang Xielu that will amaze the entire region!"

Previously, he was in charge of supervising the construction of the princes' residences in the Imperial Workshop, and he was also a member of the council. He knew the quality of the remaining materials and immediately provided Zhang Dai with a list of materials to use. He also personally led Zhang Dai to one of the official warehouses of the Imperial Workshop to select materials.

"The materials don't need to be luxurious or expensive, just sturdy and durable. In particular, remember how much was spent and record it clearly, so as not to cause trouble for the supervisor of the warehouse. Also, leave me a copy of the material ledger, so that I can send a thank you note after the house is completed."

Zhang Dai had just submitted a memorial exposing the despicable acts of Li Linfu and others in stealing and buying official property, so he was naturally paying close attention to this matter.

Although the emperor bestowed these gifts generously, he could not ultimately treat this place as his own storehouse and use these building materials in large quantities.

Just by looking at the emperor's punishment of Li Linfu, which was almost extortionate, you can tell how much this guy has been making money lately.

Moreover, the residences of the Ten Princes and the Hundred Grandsons will continue to be expanded in the future. If there is a shortage of labor and materials and officials of the Imperial Workshop frequently report that Zhang Dai used them for building his residences, it will inevitably leave the emperor with the impression of being greedy and insatiable.

Therefore, it's best to keep clear records of your accounts so that even if you are held accountable in the future, you can use past records to prove your innocence.

"Don't worry, Zhang Xielu, I will definitely check it carefully and not dare to overlook even a single rivet!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Dong quickly responded, "Leaving aside the bad habits within the Imperial Workshop, this project of Zhang Dai's was entrusted to him by his former master, the Prince of Qi, and has also received such care from the Emperor. He dares not be careless."

"The glazed tiles used for building the hall will not be taken from the government. I will find someone to purchase them myself. You can make a list and send it to me later, specifying the quantity and style required."

After looking at the valuable building materials stored in the warehouse, Zhang Dai spoke to Chen Dong.

Firstly, glazed tiles are a valuable building material, and even the warehouse here only has a limited quantity and variety of them. Secondly, the quality of the stored tiles is also average, so Zhang Dai didn't bother to use them.

It should be noted that he knows Wang Yuanbao, the "King of Glassware" of the Tang Dynasty, who specializes in transporting and selling glass products from Zizhou. Buying directly from this major middleman, Wang Yuanbao, ensures a high level of quality and value for money.

After all, Wang Yuanbao's various businesses and trades are now deeply rooted in Bianzhou Feiqian, and he is basically Zhang Dai's disciple. So, he can handle this matter properly.

After discussing the arrangements for these materials, Chen Dong asked Zhang Dai for instructions: "A team of rammed earth workers under the jurisdiction of the prison can be transferred to work next month, but they will need to work in shifts with one day off every ten days. The resumption of work is still under coordination. If Zhang Xielu feels that the working hours and schedule are inappropriate, there are other plans."

"What other plans do you have?"

Zhang Dai smiled at him, already having a pretty good idea of ​​what Chen Dong was up to. Sure enough, Chen Dong then bowed and said, "If you, Zhang Xielu, wish to employ workers freely and control the construction period, I can recommend a group of craftsmen from the south of the city. These men are proficient in rammed earth construction, bricklaying, tile laying, and beam and frame construction; their skills are highly refined..."

Zhang Dai was reluctant to use the construction team from the south of the city recommended by Chen Dong. Firstly, recruiting these laborers into the ward was troublesome, requiring reporting to the ward head and providing them with guarantees. Secondly, if any problems arose during construction, using an official construction team would allow them to directly contact the Imperial Workshop to resolve the issue, while using these private teams would be more complicated to negotiate with.

He also knew that low-ranking officials like Chen Dong in Beijing had meager salaries and had to take on multiple part-time jobs to make a living. He knew that Chen Dong was a middleman and now it seemed that he was also a small contractor.

Although Zhang Dai had already seen some of the guy's professional skills, he still had reservations about other aspects, so he planned to refuse the proposal and at most give him some extra money after the project was completed.

Seeing Zhang Dai remain silent, Chen Dong quickly added, "I know my words may be presumptuous, but Zhang Xielu may doubt the skill of these apprentices. Please rest assured, those construction workers are all border people who are off duty this year, including many who are stationed at Chiling. The beacon towers they built along the mountain are so formidable that even the Tibetan army had difficulty breaching them..."

"If you're a border person who's supposed to be resting, how come you're also a construction worker?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai swallowed his initial refusal and instead asked curiously, "Last year, we won many battles against the Tubo, and the court rewarded us handsomely. Surely we are not so destitute that we have nothing to live on? Moreover, when the soldiers on long-term expeditions to the border regions have time to rest, they are given gifts and provisions. Is that not enough to cover their expenses?"

Starting at least during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, a large number of recruited soldiers, the so-called Long March Warriors, became the main force in defending the borders. These Long March Warriors were recruited from their respective hometowns and then sent to various border areas, where they could not return for many years. It was not until recent years that the imperial court established a corresponding rotation and welfare system.

In the fourteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, the imperial court issued the "Edict on Providing Travel Rations to Soldiers Reaching the Age of Expires," which stipulated that soldiers would be given rewards upon leaving their hometowns and rations upon returning home.

Although similar benefits existed before, they were not institutionalized. For example, Aying's biological father, Jiang Xingwei, stole Yingniang's dowry to pay for his journey to the border after enlisting as a soldier in the Long March.

When Zhang Dai heard Chen Dong say that the border soldiers who had returned home after their leave had actually become rammed earth workers again, he was naturally a little curious and wanted to find out the reason.

Those border guards have been working hard for many years, and now they can finally return home to rest. But they are doing manual labor in rammed earth construction. Surely it can't be because they love architecture?
If any systemic policies are not implemented properly, he, as the Left Remonstrator of the Secretariat, has the responsibility to report to the higher authorities and urge rectification!

"I am not entirely clear about the matters that Zhang Xielu asked. I only know that most of these people returning to their hometowns are local laborers from the surrounding areas. They have no property at home, and their parents, wives, and children are either tenants or servants, struggling to make a living. After returning, these people are left with nothing but themselves, and I have not seen any gifts or possessions. Although they say they are on leave after returning, it only adds another mouth to feed for their families. If they do not work, how will they support themselves?"

At this point, Chen Dong bowed deeply to Zhang Dai and said, "If you, Zhang Xielu, are worried that these border soldiers are restless and difficult to control, I am willing to vouch for them myself. They are all my relatives, friends, and fellow villagers, and there are absolutely no criminals among them! They only need two meals and a place to stay, and I dare not complain about their wages."

"In that case, lure them here!"

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Dai nodded and said that he didn't care much about the wages. What really piqued his curiosity was the identities of these people. He wanted to get to know them better and learn more about the lives and experiences of the soldiers guarding the borders of the Tang Dynasty.

"Thank you so much, Attorney Zhang! Thank you so much, Attorney Zhang..."

When Chen Dong saw that Zhang Dai had agreed, he was overjoyed and bowed to him repeatedly to express his gratitude.

Chen Dong was quite efficient; he brought the person over early the next morning, but they were blocked outside the ward. Only Chen Dong was allowed into Yongle Ward to report the matter.

Hearing that these people couldn't even get into the ward, Zhang Dai became curious and followed Chen Dong to the south gate of Yongle Ward.

It was quite a surprise to see that there were thirty or forty soldiers of varying heights standing outside the gate, all dressed in military uniforms. Although they were not particularly burly, they gave off a sense of strength and vigor. Just by standing there, they exuded the aura of a well-organized army.

Seeing this, Zhang Dai understood why the neighborhood guards refused these people entry. If someone who didn't know the situation saw this, they might think that an army had invaded Chang'an!

Not to mention the local people, even Zhang Dai couldn't help but feel uneasy after seeing these people. He beckoned Chen Dong closer and asked in a low voice, "Are all these people border guards on leave? Are there any problems with their identities?"

Chen Dong was prepared for this, and upon hearing this, he quickly pulled out a lot of documents from his side pocket: "These people's military registers, leave documents, and village registers are all here. Please have Zhang Xielu examine them!"

(End of this chapter)