Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 372 The King's Generosity
To the west of the Dou Family Manor was a lush bamboo forest. The people and horses that crashed through the fence and tumbled for more than ten feet at the edge of the bamboo forest before being stopped by the tough bamboo.

"Whose dog owner is this? Don't run away!"

Dou E led his men here, but because they didn't live here often, they couldn't find a path through the bamboo forest for a while. They could only shout and curse as they hurried to find a way.

Just then, on the other side of the bamboo fence, a series of noisy and rapid hoofbeats suddenly rang out, indicating that a group of knights was rapidly approaching.

"Dou E, step back!"

Zhang Dai was experienced in combat and had a strong sense of crisis. Upon hearing the sound of galloping horses, he was immediately alarmed and shouted a warning. Before figuring out the origins of the enemy, he certainly couldn't expose himself to their iron hooves.

Dou E also realized that the other side seemed to have a large number of people, so he stopped trying to cross the bamboo forest. After hearing Zhang Dai's shout, he turned back and ordered the servants to fetch the horses from the stable.

"Is the owner of the garden home? We are not bad people; we were just practicing polo on the flat ground outside the manor when our horses slipped and fell. It was not an intentional offense. If the owner allows, we will come to apologize and bring a small gift..."

At this moment, the group of knights had reined in their horses outside the fence, and one of them shouted loudly.

"Then you should come from the main gate of the manor!"

Dou E glanced at the other side and saw that there were probably twenty or thirty people. Through the gaps in the bamboo forest, he could see that their mounts were all tall and powerful horses. Even if he didn't want to settle things peacefully, he had to consider that he couldn't implicate Zhang Dai and Li Xia, who were still at the manor. So, after thinking for a moment, he said.

So the group went to the front of the manor, and soon a group of knights in fine clothes and on horseback came galloping by. When the two sides got closer, they were both dumbfounded.

"Zhang Dai! What are you doing at the Dou family estate?"

Among the group of knights, one man leaped out on his horse; it was none other than the Prince of Hedong. He pointed at Zhang Dai and asked in surprise.

"Today I happened to be traveling with Dou Lang and Li Jiu to the southern suburbs, and we stopped here to rest for a while."

Zhang Dai was also quite surprised to see the Queen of Hedong. He stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked with a smile, "Why is Your Majesty practicing polo here? No matter how open and spacious this plain may be, it is not a well-constructed polo field. Mistakes and injuries are inevitable!"

Polo was a popular sport in the Tang Dynasty, requiring not only skillful horsemanship and ball control from the participants, but also high-quality horses and a suitable playing field.

In general, nobles and powerful families who loved this sport had dedicated polo fields built in their homes. Prince Qi's residence also had one, and Zhang Dai had been invited to play a few games of polo before.

"The Shangsi Festival is approaching, and families will agree to compete in Qujiang Garden. We must practice diligently. I was afraid of disturbing my family's peace, so I came to the southern suburbs to practice. The village ball court is under renovation, so I played outside first."

After answering this question, the King of Hedong waved to Dou E and said, "Now that Dou Lang is here, things are easier to discuss. I didn't mean to offend your family, but since I damaged the fence, I have to give an explanation. I apologize to you now, and my servants will come to repair it later. You don't need to worry about the materials or work."

"Furthermore, which side will you choose to join this year? If you still have nowhere to go, why not come with me? If we emerge victorious, in addition to the due reward, I will personally bestow upon you a generous gift!"

The Shangsi Festival's garden tour at Qujiang was a grand event in Chang'an during the spring. At that time, not only would the imperial garden, Furong Garden, be open to the people, but the emperor would also personally attend, hosting banquets for relatives and nobles and sharing the joy with the people.

This grand event naturally included several regular events, among which was polo. Teams were often formed by the sons of several powerful families in the capital, and sometimes teams from the Southern and Northern government offices and the Five Wards would also participate.

The current emperor also loves polo. During the reign of Emperor Zhongzong, he even represented the Tang Dynasty in a polo match against the envoys of Tibet and won a great victory. Therefore, he was very supportive of this sport among the imperial relatives and their descendants.

"Your Majesty is too kind. Since it is a misunderstanding, it can be resolved by simply talking it out. There is no need for Your Majesty to personally explain!"

Although Dou E was usually arrogant, he naturally had to remain respectful in front of the Prince of Hedong. He quickly bowed and replied. When he heard the Prince of Hedong invite him to join his team, he was very interested, but after thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "My skills are not very good. I am grateful for Your Majesty's invitation, but I dare not embarrass myself and cause trouble. Besides, I have other appointments with Zhang Liu and others, so I can only thank Your Majesty."

The Prince of Hedong was quite familiar with Dou E and knew that this young man was the type who was bad at cooking but had a great appetite for it. That's why he extended the invitation as an apology. When he heard that Dou E had actually refused him, he immediately became curious and asked, "What brings you here? You've even lost interest in such an interesting thing?"

"Is such that……"

Dou E first invited the Prince of Hedong and his entourage into the manor, and as they walked, he told the Prince of Hedong about the matter.

"Is Zhang Dai's tea really so miraculous that you are all willing to invest huge sums of money to cultivate it?"

After hearing this, the Prince of Hedong was naturally very curious. He then looked at Zhang Dai with some dissatisfaction and said, "Since you have such an interesting item, why haven't you given it to me when you visit others?" You don't know? Your sister doesn't know!

In recent years, Zhang Dai had presented several gifts to the Princess of Yunyang for her appreciation, but he hadn't paid much attention to sending one to the Prince of Hedong. Upon hearing this, he simply smiled and said, "This is truly my oversight. I will definitely visit you in the future to present it to Your Majesty for your appreciation."

"If it's just a matter of having nowhere to plant, it's not a big deal. There's no need for you all to keep running around and enduring people's cold looks. My family still has a few abandoned villas and gardens in the vicinity. You all come and help me win the championship on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month, and then you can go and manage your own property!"

The Prince of Hedong was quite generous, and then spoke up, pointing at Zhang Dai and saying, "Zhang Dai, although your own skills are ordinary, your disciples are quite skilled. Send them all to me to serve, lest they be recruited by others!"

Upon hearing this, both Dou E and Li Xia immediately showed signs of interest.

The suggestion from the King of Hedong would allow them to not miss the grand celebration of the Shangsi Festival, without delaying their important business, and especially without having to humble themselves and beg for favors. It was truly a win-win situation.

Therefore, as the younger brother of the sage, King Qi also owned many gardens, villas, fields and towns around the capital, and he was always able to choose places with very suitable locations and terrain.

Zhang Dai, however, was not too concerned about this. Although the Prince of Hedong meant well, using his family's residence to do these things might attract too much attention beforehand, or even arouse suspicion, which might not be a good thing.

The gifting and receiving of royal estates and properties is far more conspicuous than simple exchanges of money and silk, especially since it involves the recruitment and resettlement of a large number of laborers, and it takes place in the vicinity of the capital. It is bound to attract the attention of those with ulterior motives.

Zhang Dai already had some rather wild ideas and plans, so naturally he didn't want to be noticed by the top leadership too early.

Besides, if this were truly a good idea, he wouldn't have waited until now to do it; he could have discussed cooperation with the county magistrate of Yunyang much earlier.

However, since the King of Hedong had already said so, he couldn't refuse directly. So he replied with a smile, "Your Majesty is so generous and easy-going, but we dare not take advantage of your favor. We are already flattered that you would invite us to play, how could we dare to bother Your Majesty with such a humble matter! It is our great honor to bring our disciples to play and to help Your Majesty enjoy yourself. As for the tea garden, we have our own plans and will not dare to bother Your Majesty."

When the King of Hedong heard that Zhang Dai had refused his help, he sighed and said, “Since the ceremony, everyone has been vying to please me, and I know their true intentions. There are very few like Zhang Dai who are not swayed by worldly desires or money.”

Since you all have your own plans, I won't bother to advise you. Just remember, if you have any financial troubles, feel free to tell me. As my good friends, I won't let you worry about such trivial matters.

He spoke with great pride, for among the second generation of the imperial family, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the richest. His father, Prince Qi, left behind a vast fortune, and since he had no brothers to share it with, in terms of wealth at his disposal, even the current crown prince probably couldn't compare!
Although the Prince of Hedong was fond of pleasure and indulged in wine and women, he also inherited some of his father's character of respecting and valuing scholars.

Unfortunately, he had neither his father's artistic talent nor any outstanding reputation. He was surrounded by other members of the imperial family who were also dissolute, or people who indulged in cockfighting and dog racing. Therefore, he appreciated and valued Zhang Dai, a rising star who was renowned among the people.

What's even more remarkable is that Zhang Dai's close interaction with him wasn't out of greed for his money, which made him think even more highly of him and cherish this friendship.

Dou E and Li Xia were somewhat disappointed when they heard Zhang Dai politely decline the King of Hedong's help, but they did not question it. Upon hearing the King of Hedong's subsequent bold statement, they both smiled broadly and thanked him repeatedly.

"Do you have anywhere else to go later? If you're free this afternoon, Zhang Dai, could you accompany me into town to go home?"

The Prince of Hedong quickly walked a few feet away, then beckoned Zhang Dai over. He said to him somewhat shyly in a low voice, "I don't know what angered A-Yu the other day. This woman has been furious and nitpicking ever since she returned. I disdain arguing with a woman, so I stayed away. In my haste to leave home, I left some things behind. Zhang Dai, come with me. She still needs to maintain appearances in front of others and won't be rude!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai chuckled, realizing she had been kicked out of her home. However, he was quite surprised to learn that the Princess of Yunyang had this side to her; when she lost her temper, she frightened her brother so much that he dared not stay at home.

"The county princess is dignified, courteous, and serene, and is also a close relative of Your Majesty, like a brother. Since she showed her anger, there must be a reason. If Your Majesty does not carefully examine your own mistakes and correct them in time, no matter who you travel with, you will not be able to resolve the conflict between your loved ones!"

Since the siblings were arguing, it couldn't be the county princess's fault, so Zhang Dai earnestly advised the Prince of Hedong to reflect on his own actions.

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Hedong looked troubled and said, "I am not a virtuous person, and I make many mistakes, big and small, as Ayu knows. As long as they are not too serious, she is too lazy to care. But the day before yesterday, I really did not do anything bad. She went out to visit my cousin, Princess Yongmu, early in the morning, and when she returned home in the afternoon, she flew into a rage, finding fault with everything in the house..."

Zhang Dai had been listening to the King of Hedong's story with a smile, but as he listened, he sensed something was amiss. In the end, his smile froze on his face, and he said somewhat guiltily, "Your Majesty was referring to the afternoon of the day before yesterday?"

"Yes, what's wrong? Do you know the inside story?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Hedong nodded. But when he noticed that Zhang Dai's expression was somewhat off, he immediately asked with a suspicious look.

(End of this chapter)