Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 369 Examination Officer

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai frowned slightly. He was not a person who spoke without thinking, and he knew very well what should and should not be said.

His grandfather knew him very well, so the fact that he solemnly instructed him not to discuss the matter too much indicated that the relationship between this matter and his family was quite sensitive.

His family naturally had no motive to do such a thing, and if it were their family, his grandfather probably wouldn't have kept it from him.

The only thing Zhang Dai could think of was that Pei Guangting was probably the mastermind behind this incident. He used the commotion among the candidates and those being selected to highlight the severity of the problems facing the selection office, arguing that it was time to take the matter seriously and reform the selection system.

Zhang didn't reveal the inside story directly, probably because he wasn't sure if Pei Guangting was responsible. He only had a guess in his mind. He reminded Zhang Dai because he was worried that Zhang Dai's comments might upset Pei Guangting.

As for why Pei Guangting didn't disclose the existence of this plan, that's easy to understand.

He was merely an ally of the Zhang family, but he did not intend to completely depend on them or become a puppet who obeyed Zhang's every command. He would naturally communicate fully about any interactions and cooperation with the Zhang family, and would avoid unnecessary exchanges.

If Pei Guangting was indeed behind this, it means he has his own team of advisors and personnel, which is the kind of preparation a minister who is about to compete for the highest position should have.

If someone is promoted without any prior personnel background, then they will be like the current prime ministers Li Yuanhong and Du Xian, prioritizing personnel struggles while relegating other national affairs to a secondary position.

"Father, rest assured, I know what's important. Besides, I have some things to plan recently, so I don't have the time or energy to get involved in these personnel disputes."

After a moment's thought, he nodded and asked the two elders, "I see that you two elders look happy upon returning home. Is there some good news you want to share with your family?"

"Then why don't you guess what kind of happy event it will be?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhang Shuo immediately smiled and stroked his beard as he spoke.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Dai had a slight guess in his mind. For someone like Zhang Shuo, who had experienced great ups and downs in life, ordinary human affairs rarely made him so happy. The thing that could stir his emotions the most was the regaining of power.

Thinking back to what had happened today, Zhang Dai became somewhat agitated and quickly asked, "Could it be that the Sage intends for my grandfather to pre-select matters again?"

“Even if it’s not right, it’s not far off.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang said with a smile, "The Emperor has appointed me today as the Examiner, to evaluate the performance of officials in the capital!"

"Really?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai was immediately overjoyed.

Although the performance evaluation commissioner does not have direct power to appoint or dismiss personnel, he has a decisive voice in evaluating officials' performance and has a profound impact on their career development.

In particular, Zhang Yue was a powerful minister who was suspected of forming cliques before he was dismissed from his post as prime minister. He was always sidelined and marginalized in the political arena.

Now that the emperor has reappointed him as the examiner in charge of evaluating officials in the capital, it means that the suspicion and vigilance against Zhang Yue have been dispelled, and Zhang Yue can once again be active in the political situation in a normal manner.

As for whether Zhang Dai actually formed a faction, opinions vary. In any case, if someone were to ask Zhang Dai about this, he would certainly deny it. How could a group of like-minded people gathering together to exchange poems and essays, brainstorm ideas, and discuss national affairs be considered forming a faction?
In short, even the sage has stopped caring about this matter. Who would still hold onto this point? What are their true intentions? Are they trying to frame loyal and meritorious officials?

It can be said that with Zhang Shuo's release from the freeze, the officials who had been implicated and ostracized by his faction will also benefit one after another. Even if they cannot be reinstated immediately, they will be able to return to the political situation in a relatively normal manner.

For Zhang Dai, this had another layer of meaning. He had previously been worried about the examinations of his fellow students, because this year's examination situation was too severe, and they might be completely outmatched by their rivals.

But now, with his grandfather appointed as the examiner, the situation has changed dramatically. Although Zhang Shuo is only in charge of the examination of officials in the capital, as long as he has the power to conduct the examination, he can make the opposing side hesitate and remain restrained, at least ensuring a relatively fair and objective evaluation. "The court is currently in turmoil, and people resent the unfairness of the elections. We desperately need a respected elder statesman like my father-in-law to rise again, restore order, and stabilize public sentiment. This review of the examination of officials in the capital is truly a rare opportunity. If he can win the hearts of the people, he will surely be given an important position in the future, and it is not impossible that he will regain control of the country!"

Zheng Yan also said with great enthusiasm, even to the point of being overly optimistic.

Zhang Shuo's fall from power had a significant impact on his relatives who were deeply dependent on him. Zheng Yan was promoted to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice at the end of the thirteenth year of the Kaiyuan era after the Fengshan ceremony, but his official position remained stagnant after Zhang Shuo was dismissed from his post.

Pei Kuan, a former assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice who had previously served under him, was directly appointed as a drafter in the Secretariat after following Xiao Song to the frontier and achieving meritorious service. Zheng Yan, on the other hand, will have to resign and return home if he does not receive a new appointment after this year's performance evaluation.

He is now a fifth-rank official and no longer needs to participate in the selection and appointment process. However, to obtain a new appointment, he needs the recommendation and support of a capable minister in the court. But there are only so many official positions above the fifth rank, so how easy is it to obtain a new position?
Zheng Yan was not the most pitiful; even more miserable was his brother-in-law, Lu Zheng, who came from the Lu clan of Fanyang. As early as the fifteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, Lu Zheng had finished his mourning period, but he had never been appointed to an official position and spent his days aimlessly hanging around the newly promoted imperial son-in-law, Zhang Ji.

"His ambition to regain control of the country is too great and he is unlikely to succeed. However, he should take this opportunity to reorganize his somewhat dilapidated family affairs, which also requires careful consideration."

Zhang Shuo wasn't overly optimistic, but he had clearly already planned to use this opportunity to seek personal gain again.

Based on his merits and contributions, he could have been evaluated more highly in history. However, compared with Yao and Song, Zhang Yue was ultimately too self-serving, and inevitably fell short compared with such top-notch ministers.

But if we're talking about who's the most comfortable to follow, it's undoubtedly Zhang Shuo. Zhang Shuo genuinely enjoyed promoting his cronies and was happy to give people opportunities to shine; in this respect, his style was more refined than that of the incompetent officials during the Tianbao era. This is how the level of the prime ministers of the Tang Dynasty declined in such a step-by-step manner.

"Today in Xingqing Palace, Pei Guangting said that you and your son are running a business together, and he praised you quite a bit. What are you doing?"

Zhang said he was generally satisfied with his grandson, but the boy often gave him small surprises and shocks without saying a word, which inevitably caught him off guard. So, after hearing a little bit of news, he rushed home to ask.

"There is some scheming involved, not only with the Pei family's son, but also with the sons of several other families..."

Zhang Dai did not hide anything from him and immediately recounted the matter. At the end, he explained, "Although there is a plan for this matter, it is still somewhat crude and has not yet been implemented, so I have not informed my grandfather."

"Whether this matter succeeds or fails, the intention is excellent. Many people in the world are mediocre and do not know where to exert their efforts. You recognize the country's ills and are willing to work hard for it, which is already commendable. If you can achieve even a small success, my whole family will have no regrets about the kindness of receiving your salary!"

After listening, Zhang Shuo was quite impressed. While Zhang Shuo acknowledged Zhang Shuo's excessive selfishness, he also possessed a patriotic heart; otherwise, how could he have achieved such high-ranking positions?

The conflict between population and land in Guanzhong was a crucial factor directly affecting the stability of the Tang Dynasty. Any attempt to resolve, or even just slightly alleviate, this persistent problem was commendable.

After praising his grandson, Zhang Shuo turned to Zheng Yan and said with a smile, "Liangshi will be leaving this year after completing his examinations. Do you have any plans for his future?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yan immediately perked up, rose and bowed before Zhang Shuo, saying respectfully, "I am too naive to compare myself to you, sir. If you have any good advice for me, I would never dare to disobey!"

Hearing Zheng Yan say this, Zhang nodded in satisfaction, and then said, "If Zongzhi wants to do this, he will need the support and cooperation of the government. The people in Guanzhong are complex and thorny. Even if you are intelligent, you may not be able to handle things smoothly without the guidance of your elders. I want to help you find a position as magistrate of Wannian County. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yan's expression faltered. His current position as a junior official in the Ministry of Justice was a fifth-rank official, while the magistrate of Wannian County was a full fifth-rank official. Although he had been promoted in rank, the significance of the two positions was quite different.

The position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice is a prestigious position within the Ministry of Personnel. The best career path is to be promoted to Secretary of the Secretariat or Attendant of the Chancellery. A lateral transfer is also acceptable. A second-rank appointment as Prefect of a prefecture is not bad either. However, serving as Magistrate of a county in the capital region is definitely not a good choice.

Putting aside other matters, the magistrate of Wannian County's superior, the Prefect of Jingzhao, had just been implicated and brought down. Serving as a minor official in Chang'an City meant one might easily be implicated in some major incident and suffer undeserved misfortune.

But since Zhang had already spoken, he naturally wouldn't allow Zheng Yan to refuse. He either had to accept the arrangement or go with Lu Zheng to Zhang Ji's house to beg for money. This father-in-law was now making no attempt to hide his intentions in paving the way for his grandson.

Although somewhat surprised, Zheng Yan nodded and replied after a moment's thought, "Father-in-law's arrangement is certainly a wise one. I am well aware of Sixth Brother's talents. Since he wishes to undertake this endeavor, I will naturally cooperate wholeheartedly. Perhaps one day he can gain favor in the court through this matter, and this will also be thanks to Father-in-law's kindness in helping him today!"

This wasn't just polite talk. Everyone knows how acute the conflict between people and land is in Guanzhong. If Zhang Dai can really use the tea plantation business to resettle the dead on a large scale and enable them to live and work in peace, then Zheng Yan, as a local official in Chang'an, will naturally consider this an achievement of his!
(End of this chapter)