Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 359 The Mischievous Child Enters the House
When Zhang Dai left Pei Guangting's house, it was already evening. The workers on his own land had finished work and were lining up to receive their wages.

When these people saw Zhang Dai return, they all showed friendly smiles, and several of them even bowed to him repeatedly, shouting, "Zhang Lang is so generous and righteous!"

So why did Zhang Dai treat them kindly? He also liked being praised and receiving thanks from others!

Take today's groundbreaking ceremony for example. A few monks came over, chanted sutras, and performed a ritual. They then asked for several dozen strings of cash, and that was a friendly price given out of consideration for the neighbors.

These forty-odd laborers worked hard all day, and their wages amounted to only six or seven strings of cash at most. Even with the food provided for them, it was not enough to cover the cost of hiring monks to chant sutras.

In Chang'an, similar laborers typically earned less than 100 coins per day, while those hired by the government were paid even less.

The tax laws of the Tang Dynasty stipulated that each adult male was required to perform corvée labor for twenty days each year. If there was a need for service, he/she would be required to perform corvée labor; otherwise, he/she would be required to perform corvée labor. The corvée labor fee was three feet of silk per day. However, when carrying out some government projects, for the sake of overall coordination, corvée labor was often collected directly, and then hired laborers were hired. The wages for hired laborers were often slightly lower than those for corvée labor.

The price of a bolt of silk was usually between four and five hundred coins. A bolt was forty feet long, while the price for laborers was three feet long. The price for hired laborers was controlled within thirty or fifty coins, or even lower. The wages Zhang Dai paid to these laborers were four or five times that of the official and hired laborers, and more than twice that of privately hired laborers.

Of course, these people were worth the wages they received. When Zhang Dai entered his own residence, the situation had changed drastically. Not only was the foundation of the main hall more properly planned, but the lake in front had also been widened and renovated, and the foundations of some other houses connected to it had also been partially excavated.

"When these workers come back tomorrow morning, they can start ramming the foundation and laying the piles, and begin building the main hall. The main hall should be completed in a few days. At that time, the lacquerers and carvers can then enter the hall to decorate the beams and frame, and the rest of the work can be completed together..."

Chen Dong came forward to explain the subsequent construction schedule to Zhang Dai, and bowed and said with a smile, "All the disciples say that Zhang Xielu is a rare and benevolent master. We disciples must work hard to repay his kindness. We must not delay the construction for the sake of wages and benefits. We must make sure that Zhang Xielu's house is built quickly and well! Is Xielu satisfied with the progress of the construction?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai smiled and nodded, then said, "Before it gets dark, hurry home and don't be late for your entry into the ward."

He could provide Chen Dong with a horse for transportation, but there were more than forty workers, all of whom were border soldiers who had just returned home from the Longyou front to rest. He dared not provide these people with horses so that they could ride around the town.

After receiving their wages, the workers each pocketed a few flatbreads and then left Pingkangfang laughing all the way.

After inspecting the construction site, Zhang Dai arranged for his family to stay and guard it before returning home.

When he arrived home, he saw several servants peeking around in front of his house. After they noticed Zhang Dai and his party, they hurriedly ran to the end of the street.

“These people are acting suspiciously. I can tell they are servants of Master Xiao from Linqu! Sir, should we report them to the street thugs and have them arrested?”

Ding Qing stared in the direction the group had left, and sneered.

"Let them be."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai smiled and said, "Although Xiao Song has now become prime minister, he still concurrently serves as Minister of War. Pei Guangting is his colleague, and their relationship is not very harmonious."

Recently, Pei Guangting has been visiting the Zhang family repeatedly, and he often conspires with Zhang Shuo until late at night. Naturally, this arouses Xiao Song's suspicion. It is only natural for him to send a servant to spy on him. If he were to capture Pei Guangting and cause an unpleasant incident, it would be quite troublesome.

After returning home, he did not see Pei Guangting again. It was only when he went to the hall to chat with his grandfather that he learned that Pei Guangting had submitted the plan to increase the number of subjects for the civil service examination, which had been discussed earlier, and had won praise from Song Jing, the Minister of Personnel.

“Song Jing said frankly that this plan is excellent. In the past, the selection process was rushed, and it was difficult for outstanding talents to be recognized. Now, the selection process based on examinations has been reinstated, which is truly a good idea!”

Zhang Shuo smiled and relayed Song Jing's opinion. The Ministry of Personnel was the most important department in the Ministry of Personnel, and Song Jing, the former prime minister, had a very high reputation in the court. His appreciation for Pei Guangting's advice greatly enhanced Pei Guangting's reputation.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but laugh: "This time, the Duke of Guangping has truly been deceived. If he knew that Vice Minister Pei had a trick up his sleeve, I wonder how furious he would be in denouncing him."

Historically, when Pei Guangting implemented the selection process based on qualifications, besides his political rival Xiao Song, the most vehement opponent was Song Jing.

But to be honest, Song Jing didn't really have the right to object.

Because the number of people selected in the Tang Dynasty increased year by year, the selection method became increasingly unbalanced. Song Jing served as the Minister of Personnel from the fourteenth year of Kaiyuan to the seventeenth year of Kaiyuan. He was the head of the Ministry of Personnel. During the years when he was in charge of the selection department, the situation did not improve and even deteriorated year by year. This is the background of Pei Guangting's reform of the selection system.

Song Jing was not some outsider who could arbitrarily evaluate the merits and demerits of the government based on his own likes and dislikes. He was a minister in the court and had once been the head of the Selection Department. When he opposed and criticized the reform policies of the Selection Department, he had the responsibility and obligation to propose a better solution.

At present, Pei Guangting did not reveal all his plans. Instead, he first presented the selection of subjects for the Ministry of Personnel, which won Song Jing's strong support. This can be regarded as playing a game of changing one's mind frequently.

“Alas, Song Jing is getting more and more straightforward as he gets older, and more and more detached from worldly affairs.” Zhang Shuo sighed after hearing Zhang Dai’s words, and then said, “The Ministry of Personnel’s establishment of additional subjects to select talents is certainly to make the selection process more comprehensive. But no matter how comprehensive the policy is, it still needs people to implement it.”

The selection process remains chaotic and unresolved, and candidates are growing increasingly impatient. Adding further examinations might make it difficult to finalize the selections even by May. These candidates may be stranded in the capital for over a year; with prices soaring after spring, how will they survive then?

Is there a perfect, absolutely ideal state for things? Of course there is, but this state cannot be achieved by mere daydreaming or empty talk. It still requires step-by-step, gradual improvement and achievement.

Pei Guangting's selection based on qualifications and subject-based examinations complement each other. By compressing and simplifying the selection process, he provides time and human resources support for the more targeted talent selection based on subject-based examinations.

The current election system is bloated and complicated, and is full of various disputes and disagreements. Now, with the addition of new election tasks, it seems to be more considerate of the candidates and the procedures are more comprehensive, but in fact, it makes the system less practical.

No matter how hard the officials in the Ministry of Personnel work, it would be difficult for them to complete their tasks on time, with high quality, and in a fair and impartial manner under the current selection system.

If adjustments are not made in time, subject selection will undoubtedly become a new path for those with more connections to try to get ahead, which will only exacerbate the disputes and conflicts in the selection process.

Of course, this doesn't mean Song Jing was wrong. Upholding morality and ideals is never wrong. If all Tang Dynasty officials were like Zhang Dai's grandfather, things would have gone awry long ago.

Even though Song Jing's practical abilities were somewhat lacking, his presence always pointed to the right direction for the times. The world will never lack clever people who are good at adapting, but it will lack role models who can resist all kinds of disturbances and temptations, uphold their ideals, and forge ahead bravely!
In reality, Li Linfu was just an ignorant, incompetent, and morally depraved person, much like Zhang Shuo.

Although Zhang Shuo lacked integrity, he was still a representative figure of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, achieving success in both military and civil service positions. Li Linfu, on the other hand, disregarded the interests of the nation and its people, focusing entirely on currying favor with the emperor, turning himself and the court into tools for indulging the monarch's evil desires.

In terms of their styles of conduct, Li Linfu was closer to Zhang Shuo, while Zhang Jiuling could be compared to Song Jing.

Zhang Dai chatted with his grandfather for a while longer about the political situation, then took his leave to rest.

The next morning, just as Zhang Dai got up, visitors arrived at his door. They were Yan Tingzhi's younger brother, Yan Sunzhi, and Yan Tingzhi's son, Yan Wu.

"Fearing that delay might lead to punishment, my elder brother will soon be departing for his post in Dengzhou. I am still awaiting the selection process and will accompany my brother. I will entrust this child to Liu Lang for now. I am truly sorry to cause Liu Lang any trouble!"

Yan Sunzhi said apologetically to Zhang Dai, while pushing Yan Wu, whose eyes were red, in front of Zhang Dai.

Zhang Dai raised his hand to pat the boy's forehead, but Yan Wu turned his face away. He didn't seem to care, and instead looked at Yan Sunzhi and asked, "Master Yan has shown me great kindness by entrusting me with this matter, so there's no need for any apologies or complaints. However, is it truly true that Master Yan and his wife's relationship is irretrievably broken?"

"Ugh……"

Upon hearing this, Yan Sunzhi simply sighed. Seeing this, Zhang Dai did not ask any further questions. He then inquired about when Yan Tingzhi would leave the capital so that he could see him off. After giving a few instructions, Yan Sunzhi took his leave, leaving only Yan Wu and a few servants behind.

After seeing Yan Sun off, Zhang Dai returned and saw Yan Wu standing outside the hall, gritting his teeth and wiping away tears. Zhang Dai's feelings were also somewhat complicated. He wasn't very old, and he was already both a father and a mother at home. Now even his teacher had sent his son over. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

He sighed as he walked towards Yan Wu, but before he could get close, the boy glared at him and shouted angrily, "Don't come any closer! I'm not coming to your house either. My mother will be back soon, and I have my own home!"

Ah Ying walked over from the side, and upon seeing this, smiled as she approached Yan Wu: "This is Master Yan's young master..."

She had just leaned closer to pinch the boy's cheek when Yan Wu opened his mouth and bit her wrist.

Zhang Dai reacted swiftly, scooping the boy up from the ground. Ah Ying, narrowly avoiding being bitten by his gap-toothed mouth, withdrew her hand, still shaken, and whispered, "This young man is so fierce!"

"Get out of here. Since you've come to my house, you have to abide by my rules!"

Seeing several of Yan's servants about to come forward, Zhang Dai glared at them and shouted angrily. He then sat down on the steps in front of the hall, pressed the kicking Yan Wu against his knees, and raised his hand to slap his buttocks hard. As he slapped him, he shouted angrily, "Today I will teach you one thing: these teeth are for chewing food, not for tearing people apart! If you understand, then say one thing: what are teeth for?"

"I don't understand! I don't understand..."

This kid was incredibly fierce; even though he was being beaten and screaming, he still roared that he wouldn't give in.

(End of this chapter)