Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 382 Bringing beauty into the garden
On the third day of the third month, the weather is fresh and beautiful, and many beautiful women are seen by the water in Chang'an.

In fact, on the third day of the third lunar month, the waterside of Chang'an was filled not only with beautiful women, but also with the long-standing custom of spring outings and purification rites by the water during the Shangsi Festival. Every year on this festive day, people of all ages would flock to the waterside to sing, dance, and feast, creating a lively and festive event.

Chang'an is surrounded by eight rivers, and the banks of each river are naturally filled with people enjoying spring outings and leisure activities. Qujiang, located in the south of the city, is the main area where the city's residents gather for recreation.

As March arrived, the city's residents spontaneously gathered in this area, some even bringing felt tents to sleep in the nearby neighborhoods. When the Shangsi Festival officially arrived, the area in the southeast of Chang'an City, from the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to the Hibiscus Garden, was teeming with people, with hardly any empty space.

This year, because the emperor will also be visiting Furong Garden to enjoy the festivities with the people, a large number of imperial guards have been stationed in this area since March 1st.

Many tents that the wealthy and powerful had erected along Qujiang for sightseeing and recreation were dismantled. Except for some of the elites who owned gardens and villas around Qujiang, all other temporary tents were cleared away.

Later, imperial envoys arrived and divided the cleared area into sections, allocating them to princes and nobles for their entertainment. This not only demonstrated the emperor's boundless benevolence but also served as a protective barrier.

Although the emperor spoke of sharing joy with the people, he could not allow ordinary citizens to bully him. With civil and military officials and their families surrounding him, he naturally had an extra layer of security.

As a music official and a close advisor, Zhang Dai naturally did not need to deal with such trivial matters. After gathering the music officials and actors, he stayed in the palace and waited for the festival to arrive.

Time flew by amidst the busy preparations. On the evening of the second day, an imperial envoy suddenly came to inform these officials that each of them could bring one family member to the Hibiscus Garden to attend the performance of songs, dances, and acrobatics before the emperor.

Zhang Dai currently has no formal wives or concubines. Besides his childhood sweetheart, Aying, with whom he has a relationship that surpasses that of husband and wife, he does have several maids at home. However, there is only one spot available, so naturally, he has to reserve this rare opportunity for Aying.

So he received the eunuch's token and instructed Jin Huan, who had been waiting by his side, to take the token home and bring A Ying into the palace. At the same time, he was worried that his third uncle, Zhang Yang, who was currently at home, might have forgotten to give instructions or make arrangements, so he carefully explained the personnel arrangements for attending the ceremony at Qujiang.

It wasn't until late at night that Aying, led by Jinhuan, entered Xingqing Palace.

The young girl wore a brightly colored pomegranate-colored dress. Because Zhang Dai disliked the overly heavy and strange makeup of the Tang people, she only applied a light touch of powder. Her almond-shaped cheeks were slightly flushed, and her pretty eyes were bright. She was only slightly nervous because she had suddenly entered an unfamiliar and noisy environment.

"If I just come here like this, will I be impolite and cause Ah Lang to be ridiculed?"

The girl was a little nervous. She only breathed a slight sigh of relief after she came to Zhang Dai, but her voice still trembled a bit.

Zhang Dai took her small hand and led her to a secluded spot outside the corridor. He noticed that the girl's palms were slightly sweaty, so he said with a smile, "My Aying is so beautiful! I brought you here so you could watch the performance up close tomorrow, not to perform any etiquette. On this auspicious day, there are no taboos. Look at all the women in those houses, they're all so carefree!"

Before Aying arrived, the families of various officials had already arrived. There were no spare rooms in Xingqing Palace for them to rest temporarily, so many of them simply had to stay under the curtains outside the corridor. The long wait was tedious and tiring, and some of them simply sat down and fell asleep at their desks.

Hearing Zhang Dai say that, Aying felt a little more at ease, and then asked, "Where should I wait for my husband?"

Zhang Dai frowned slightly upon hearing this. He only wanted to broaden Aying's horizons and balance work and life, but he forgot that he also had to supervise and conduct the band's performance. He was afraid he wouldn't have time to accompany Aying to enjoy the performance tomorrow.

He was a little worried about leaving Ah Ying alone. The Shangsi Festival was not just about outings and picnics; it also had the significance of men and women meeting. Many officials would bring out their daughters, hoping to use the grand occasion to choose a suitable husband.

Although his daughter Ah Ying wasn't the most beautiful woman in the world, she was still youthful and stunningly beautiful, and had already attracted a lot of attention when she entered the room. Zhang Dai was even more worried about leaving Ah Ying alone in this place.

"Come with me first and wait at Consort Hui's place. I will come to find you as soon as I finish my business tomorrow!"

Consort Hui knew Aying, and with her taking care of him, Zhang Dai was naturally much more at ease. He immediately took Aying with him to Hua'e Tower.

The Xingqing Palace is currently in a state of chaos due to the frequent comings and goings of people and the entry of many female relatives of officials from outside the palace. The Hua'e Tower is surrounded by layers of guards, like an onion, and anyone entering from the outside must undergo layers of checks.

Zhang Dai himself had a very high rank and could go directly to the palace to wait for orders, but because he had brought A Ying with him, he had to spend more time explaining things to her.

Aying's father, Jiang Xingwei, was a Yulin Langjiang (Imperial Guard General) and was currently stationed outside the Hua'e Tower with his troops. When he saw Zhang Dai leading Aying towards him, he strode forward to greet him. He first glanced at Aying, then looked at Zhang Dai and asked, "Sixth Brother, what brings this woman here?"

"We officials may bring our families to the ceremony. I'll bring Aying here to celebrate the festival. It's too noisy outside; let's take her to Consort Hui first!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai smiled and said, "Sixth Brother truly dotes on this young lady!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xingwei's eyes flashed with a complex emotion. He then turned to Aying and said in a deep voice, "How many maids in the world can receive such care and affection from their master? You, young lady, must not take this favor for granted or become arrogant. You must serve your master with even greater care!"

Ah Ying ignored Jiang Xingwei completely and paid no attention to his words, only tightly holding Ah Lang's arm with her fair wrist.

“Aying and my aunt are my closest relatives. The title of master and servant is just a common perception. I have long regarded them as my closest family members!”

Zhang Dai patted A Ying's hand, then smiled and said to Jiang Xingwei. After the soldiers finished recording his token information, he took back the token, waved goodbye to Jiang Xingwei, and continued walking towards the inner palace with A Ying.

"Ugh!"

As Jiang Xingwei watched the departing couple, he couldn't help but let out another long, melancholy sigh.

Back then, he abandoned Yingniang and her daughter to join the army and go to Longxi, hoping to make a name for himself through his martial prowess. However, military life was a hundred times more difficult than he had imagined. He fought several life-and-death battles, but all he received were meager rewards, and it was difficult to get promoted in the army.

It wasn't until he was appreciated by a powerful family in Longyou by chance, who married his daughter to him and provided him with assistance and resources, coupled with his genuine bravery and fighting spirit, that his fortunes finally began to improve, and he gradually rose to the rank of military general in Longyou.

But while the dangers of swords and shadows were gone after returning to the capital, the various interpersonal conflicts made him even more uneasy. He also deeply understood the principle that it is easier to be an official if you have connections in the court, but unfortunately, he had no one in the court...

It's not that there's no one else, it's just that he gave up on them! If he hadn't abandoned Yingniang and her daughter back then, given Zhang Dai's affection for Aying and respect for Yingniang, even if he couldn't be a proper father-in-law, he could have received more support.

He currently gets along well with Zhang Dai, and several of his former subordinates who returned to the capital with him are now working for the Zhang family, serving as a bridge for communication. However, this is only a good relationship; it is difficult for him to receive more significant assistance. Despite his diligent service as a palace guard for several years, his official rank has remained unchanged.

Leaving aside Jiang Xingwei's frustration and complaints, Zhang Dai, leading Aying, quickly arrived at the area guarded by the North Gate after passing through several layers of defense. They had already reached the outside of Hua'e Tower, but unfortunately, the person guarding this side gate was none other than his old nemesis, Ge Yanchang.

Ge Yanchang first saw Aying, who was dressed in a pomegranate-red dress and was incredibly beautiful, and his eyes lit up immediately. But when his gaze shifted to Zhang Dai in front of him, his face suddenly darkened.

"Who goes there? What are you doing here?!"

As Zhang Dai approached, Ge Yanchang stepped forward, looked up and asked with his eyes downcast.

He harbored a grudge against Zhang Dai for stealing his wife and had been humiliated and attacked by Zhang Dai. Naturally, he did not give Zhang Dai a friendly look. Although he dared not fight back when he was on duty to avoid disturbing the emperor, he could not stop himself from making things difficult for Zhang Dai within the bounds of his authority.

"Zhang Dai, the Left Remonstrator and Imperial Attendant, is to report matters to the Emperor and also pay respects to Consort Hui!"

When Zhang Dai saw Ge Yanchang here, he couldn't help but feel annoyed. The arrangement of duty assignments at the North Gate was a top secret, and he couldn't find out. He would occasionally run into them, which wouldn't cause any major disputes, but these guys always deliberately made things difficult for him, which really ruined his mood.

After receiving the token from Zhang Dai, Ge Yanchang did not examine it carefully. Instead, his gaze shifted to the back of the room, his eyes brazenly scrutinizing Aying. He then asked with a sneer, "Who is this servant? Does she have a valid token or a summons?"

Zhang Dai stepped forward to protect A Ying, and said urgently, "There was only a verbal message, no handwritten letter. I don't believe it. You can send soldiers to Consort Hui to inquire!"

"The North Gate has its own set of rules for doing things; it is not up to you to order people around!"

Upon hearing this, Ge Yanchang sneered again. He was unsure whether Consort Hui had summoned him or what Zhang Dai wanted to report, so he dared not be too presumptuous. However, since Zhang Dai had come to the palace gate he was stationed at to request passage, he naturally wanted to make things difficult for him.

His gaze shifted, and he beckoned two armored soldiers, saying with a smile, "Today, there are many unsavory characters in the southern palace. Everyone entering and leaving must be thoroughly verified. Although I, Zhang, have a warrant as proof, whether I am concealing a sharp weapon still needs to be checked. And this maidservant, the same goes for her..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai's eyes turned icy. He quickly pulled out a register from his side and handed it to Aying, instructing her to hide it in her sleeve. He then glared angrily at Ge Yanchang and said, "Ge, how dare you! Who taught you to insult your attendants and spy on important matters? You dare to touch my clothes, I will report to the Emperor and have this thoroughly investigated!"

(End of this chapter)