Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 380: Eat the Emperor's Salary, Be Loyal to the Emperor

On the first day of the third month, Zhang Dai, whose holiday was not yet over, was summoned back to Xingqing Palace by an imperial edict. It was not to attend the New Year's Day court assembly, but because the emperor suddenly had a whim and said that he would also attend the Shangsi Festival. Naturally, those of them involved had to return to the palace as soon as possible to discuss and prepare for the ceremony.

When Zhang Dai returned to Xingqing Palace after receiving the news, the court assembly had already begun. Officials from various departments who had not attended the assembly were waiting in the Hanlin Academy for their superiors to return and discuss matters.

When Zhang Dai entered the Hanlin Academy, he noticed that the officials were looking at him with strange, ambiguous expressions.

This inevitably aroused suspicion in Zhang Dai's heart. "I've been on vacation and I've become even more handsome. How did you all notice?" Or was it because his grandfather was the examiner that these people would start flattering him again?
"Sixth Brother, your integrity is as firm as a mountain, and your heroic bearing is truly admirable. We look up to you with utmost respect and deference!"

Just then, his colleague Li Fei squeezed out from the crowd and greeted Zhang Dai with a smile and a bow.

Meanwhile, the other officials around him laughed and said, "Zhang Xielu is a man of noble character and integrity. His eloquent speech in the Golden Hall is truly a model for a subject, and he is worthy of our utmost admiration!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai finally understood. It turned out that these people had come to the Hanlin Academy and admired the painting "Aspirations Comparable to Mount Hua" that Li Zhaodao and Wu Daozi had recently painted together and that was now hanging on the wall of the Hanlin Academy. They had also learned about the story behind it, which was why they were so respectful to him.

Realizing this, Zhang Dai breathed a sigh of relief. He then bowed to the officials who had gathered around him, showering him with compliments, and said with a smile, "Only with a wise ruler can a nation have upright ministers. What I have done is merely the duty of a subject, and I truly do not deserve such praise. If you were in my shoes, I'm sure you would all have acted just as bravely! What we should thank is the Emperor's boundless grace and divine wisdom, which allows us, his subjects, to remain loyal and unyielding!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd showered him with even more flattery, but inwardly they couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder this young man is so highly regarded by the sage; he truly has a strong family tradition of learning and can speak with ease." In contrast, they themselves, though possessing integrity, were clumsy in expressing it and could only remain unknown.

The painting has been hanging on the wall of the Hanlin Academy for some time, but not many officials are allowed to enter and leave Xingqing Palace and rest at the Hanlin Academy. Therefore, everyone just hears about it but doesn't believe it. They have some doubts in their hearts. How can a mere eighth-rank official like him receive such imperial favor?
Now that they had finally seen it for themselves, they were deeply shocked and their impression of Zhang Dai, this latecomer to officialdom, became extremely profound. They no longer simply regarded him as Zhang Shuo's grandson. To gain such favor through loyalty and integrity was truly admirable and enviable!

As time went on, more and more officials came to Xingqing Palace, and naturally, they were all guided by their colleagues into the hall to view the painting, and then they praised Zhang Dai highly.

One official laughed and said, "Zhang Xielu's deeds are so inspiring and enlightening that they deserve even greater praise! This year, Zhang Yan Gong is also in charge of the annual examination. We should also be bold in speaking out and ask Yan Gong not to have any thoughts of avoiding suspicion. Righteous and upright officials should recommend the virtuous without avoiding relatives, so that all officials inside and outside the court will know where to follow the path of righteousness!"

Zhang Dai was delighted to hear this, thinking to himself, "You don't need to tell me this. My grandfather's greatest virtue is that he recommends talented people without regard to kinship. If I don't pass the examination this year, then I've wasted my time!"
The standards for evaluating officials in the Tang Dynasty were very strict. Even officials with outstanding performance were often only given a mid-to-high grade.

During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, Di Renjie served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Within a year, he adjudicated cases involving more than 17,000 people, and not a single person complained or cried out for justice. Only in this way could he be evaluated by his superiors and subordinates. Meanwhile, Yuwen Rong, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, achieved remarkable results in inspecting the imperial treasury. His department intended to submit a report to the Supreme Court based on his performance evaluation, but this was rejected by Lu Congyuan, the performance evaluation commissioner at the time. This led to a feud between the two.

For an official to achieve a mid-to-high score in the examinations was already a very good result, while a mid-to-high score was considered extremely outstanding. The higher ranks of mid-to-high, or even the highest, were extremely difficult to attain without the status and achievements of someone like Yi or Huo, making it even harder than the announcement of names at Xuanwu Gate.

But based on Zhang Dai's understanding of his grandfather, even if he didn't have such achievements to boast about, his grandfather could easily get him a promotion or demotion. My powerful grandfather, that's no exaggeration!

Early in the morning, a commendation ceremony for Zhang Dai was held at the Hanlin Academy, which lasted until the court assembly at Xingqing Hall ended, and the officials returned to their respective offices to discuss official business.

Not all the departments in the court were closely related to the emperor's trip. Some of those with less direct involvement returned to their respective offices within the palace to resume their duties, while others remained in Xingqing Palace to continue planning the event.

However, the newly built forbidden garden in Xingqing Palace did not have as much office space as the other two major palaces, so the officials of these departments temporarily found a place to gather together to discuss matters.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices, responsible for rites and music, was naturally closely associated with this. When the emperor left the palace to share joy with the people, the rites and music had to be properly arranged to both demonstrate imperial majesty and make the people of the capital feel the emperor's boundless grace. Therefore, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was allocated two side rooms in the Hanlin Academy for discussing matters.

"I have also heard of Zhang Xielu's deeds. He is truly an honor to our Court of Imperial Sacrifices! We, his colleagues, should also take him as an example, be loyal and diligent in our duties, and we will surely be praised!"

After they were seated inside, Vice Minister Wei Tao, unable to resist the custom of praising Zhang Dai, said a few words of praise before turning serious and saying, "This year's Shangsi Festival feast must be meticulously prepared with proper rites and music, and we must be absolutely certain that no mistakes will occur. The imperial procession and the music and drums must be carefully compiled and strictly checked. The Imperial Music Bureau must not slacken its efforts in setting up the dances and music! As soon as possible, compile a list of the music to be used during the journey and submit it to the emperor. The Assistant Musician must also be involved and coordinate the details meticulously!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present nodded in agreement, including Zhang Dai, who flipped through the music book to select suitable pieces for presentation.

Given Emperor Xuanzong's cautious nature, even if he were to leave the palace to enjoy himself with the people, he would never stay for too long. In particular, the Furong Garden he was going to was a semi-open forbidden garden, and the people would be able to go directly to the outside of the palace. If he stayed for too long, the pressure on the guards would be too great. It was estimated that the whole trip would only last a few hours at most.

Even if it's only for a few hours, from the moment the emperor prepares to depart from Xingqing Palace, the ceremonial music must be prepared. The music used for the imperial procession is one thing, but the key is the various musical performances at Furong Garden. These performances must cater to the emperor while also educating the people, requiring meticulous selection. The staff of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were discussing this endlessly, but then someone else came to add to the chaos.

Xue Tao, another junior official in the same department, not only arrived late, but also did not participate in the discussion after entering the room. His gaze swept over everyone in the room, and after a while, he raised his hand to interrupt the meeting. He pointed to Zhang Dai and several other subordinate officials and instructed them: "You few, leave the departmental affairs to your colleagues for now. The Crown Prince also needs to accompany us on this trip. The ceremonial music and arrangements have not yet been finalized. Come with me to the other courtyard to discuss them together!"

"Don't go!"

After Xue Tao finished speaking, while the people in the room were still somewhat hesitant, Zhang Dai directly refused.

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look in astonishment, and Xue Tao's expression froze. He stared at Zhang Dai in disbelief and said, "What did you say? This is the Crown Prince..."

"The Crown Prince's Palace has its own officials and staff. We are not in those positions and do not concern ourselves with their affairs. What further advice do you have, Vice Minister Xue?"

If Xue Tao hadn't come to instruct him, Zhang Dai naturally wouldn't have bothered with the matter. His father-in-law was arranging for his son-in-law to gain influence, so he naturally wouldn't bother offending him. But since this guy had instructed him to go, he certainly wasn't going to bother with something that was already burning but hadn't even gotten hot.

"Be bold!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Tao's face turned ashen. If it weren't for the fact that another music official, Ma Lizheng, was rather unsightly, he wouldn't have bothered with Zhang Dai, this troublemaker.

He had thought this young man would at least give the Crown Prince some face, but he hadn't expected him to refuse so decisively. Naturally, this infuriated him, and he angrily shouted, "Your Highness, the heir apparent of the kingdom, it's your good fortune to be ordered around! What do you intend to do by refusing my orders!"

"I wish to eat the king's food and serve the king faithfully!"

Zhang Dai retorted sharply, "I'm still feeling the effects of this commendation ceremony, and you're glaring at me?"
Seeing that the atmosphere was getting tense, everyone felt uneasy, some looking around, others trying to get up and smooth things over.

Wei Tao, who was presiding over the work meeting, didn't look too good either. To be honest, he was quite happy to see Zhang Dai, this hot-blooded young man, confront Xue Tao, this incompetent guy. However, if the situation were allowed to continue, it might delay important matters.

So he stood up and said, “Zhang Xielu has indeed made other arrangements, which are also important matters. Xue Shaoqing, why don’t you choose someone else? The important thing is not to delay the Crown Prince’s instructions. Everything else can be coordinated afterward.”

Upon hearing this, Xue Tao snorted coldly again, and then selected a few more honest and hardworking people before leading them away from the area.

"The rites and music of the Eastern Palace are to be managed by the Crown Prince's Court of Imperial Sacrifices, not by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices! Minister Xue is not concerned with his own duties, but instead goes to assist elsewhere, which is a clear case of confusing public and private matters!"

After Xue Tao and his men left, Li Fei couldn't help but mutter something under his breath.

Upon hearing this, the others in the room all nodded in agreement. While the Crown Prince certainly deserved respect, everyone had their own duties. Xue Tao was used to slacking off in his duties at the office, and now he was using the Crown Prince's name to bully others, which was indeed very displeasing.

Of course, they only dared to express these emotions behind the scenes, and there were very few who dared to confront Zhang Dai face to face.

"Let's stop here and not say any more!"

Worried that the crowd might say something inappropriate, Wei Tao immediately waved his hand to interrupt their discussion, and then said to Zhang Dai, "Zhang Xielu, you should go to the Music Bureau and summon all the musicians to await orders from the relevant authorities."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai nodded, knowing that Wei Tao was also looking out for him, worried that the people from the Eastern Palace might continue to harass him about this matter.

(End of this chapter)