Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 391 Rank without merit, salary without labor
After the Emperor left Furong Garden, the officials and commoners who had been granted entry gradually withdrew from the core area of ​​the Imperial Garden. The area around Ziyun Tower was then sealed off, becoming a forbidden garden for the princes and nobles to enjoy their banquets.

After Zhang Dai and his companions disembarked, they immediately left behind the various noises and entered a quiet and elegant space. Ziyun Tower was still the same Ziyun Tower as it had been in the morning, but the scholars and commoners who had been enjoying themselves nearby in the morning were all gone, and the surrounding area had once again returned to a state of strict guard.

Although the sage himself loved to share joy with the people, he did not want his children and relatives to also mingle with the masses, which shows his good intentions.

“Zhang Lang, the King and others are all accompanying His Highness the Crown Prince to watch the polo match north of Ziyun Tower. I am here to wait for your guidance.”

Niu Gui'er hurriedly came forward from the side, greeting the Zhang family members while speaking with a smile.

To the north of Ziyun Tower lies a spacious plaza dotted with pavilions and terraces, extending all the way to the inner wall of Chang'an City to the northeast of Furong Garden. Numerous recreational facilities and venues were built here, including a polo field.

Zhang Dai had just caused a ruckus outside Xingyuan Garden, and then returned here by boat. By now, the sun had already set, and it was already dark.

However, the polo field was still brightly lit, with hundreds of thick candles surrounding the field and tall, burning torches placed at the four corners, illuminating the entire polo field as if it were daytime.

Meanwhile, under the spectator stands around the stadium, there are many magnificent felt tents, with numerous servants inside and outside, and the dazzling array of jewels and precious stones makes the scenery here completely different from the outside world. It is not only lively, but also full of extravagant and decadent atmosphere.

"There are such large candles outside? And there's a precious light emanating from that tent!"

Alan was only a few years old and rarely went out, having spent most of his time in the Zhang family mansion. The scene before him far exceeded his imagination. He stared wide-eyed at everything, his eyes filled with disbelief, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

But he quickly remembered his mother's instructions not to be rude, so he quickly raised his hand to cover his mouth. At the same time, he glanced at his cousin Zhang Dai, who had led him there. Seeing that Zhang Dai did not scold him, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly lowered his head to follow closely behind Zhang Dai, not daring to look at the dazzling and distracting lights and shadows.

The other two weren't much better off than Alan. Neither of them held official positions and rarely attended grand court ceremonies. While the Zhang family was indeed wealthy, they wouldn't put on such a large outdoor banquet. Even if the emperor himself visited their home, the decorations inside and outside the halls would be lavish, far inferior to what was before them.

"This giant candle must cost over ten strings of cash. Wow, a single polo match can cost over a thousand strings of cash!"

Zhang Yan counted on his fingers, clicking his tongue in amazement: "These royal nobles really burn the midnight oil! They have no idea how hard it is to produce resources!"

That's not how it works. If those giant candles were sold in the market, they would actually fetch a higher price than Zhang Yan mentioned. However, they would last for several hours, while a polo match would last at least a quarter of an hour, or at most half an hour. If it dragged on for too long, the horses wouldn't be able to handle it.

Even Zhang Yan, a master among the纨绔 (playboys) of the capital, was astonished, demonstrating that the expenses of these imperial princes and princesses were indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people. The cost of lighting alone was enormous; the consumption of other tents and felt mats must have been even greater.

Because of his close relationship with eunuchs such as Gao Lishi, Zhang Dai had some knowledge of the expenditures of the imperial treasury.

The supplies currently consumed by the royal family are mainly maintained by the Imperial Treasury and the palace workshops. This includes palace maids in the inner palace and various officials and servants under the Ministry of Agriculture and other departments. They are not only responsible for cleaning and sweeping the palace gardens, but also for weaving silk, raising poultry and livestock, planting in gardens, brewing wine and vinegar, and even blending perfumes and cosmetics. They can produce all kinds of daily necessities.

Therefore, the royal family's consumption and exploitation during this period were mainly concentrated on the labor service of these official slaves and servants, and the impact on normal social life was not very significant.

However, as the number of members of the royal family increased in the later period, the consumption and expenditure also increased dramatically. Coupled with the emperor's own extravagance and indulgence, as well as the upgrading of exploitation methods and rampant corruption, the wealth of the people was repeatedly plundered and accumulated, which caused great harm to the social welfare.

Zhang Dai once considered whether to use some of the production technologies of later generations to create some novel products to satisfy the curiosity and enjoyment of these nobles, thereby reducing their appropriation of productive forces and their encroachment on the wealth of the people.

But he soon realized that his idea was somewhat naive. Human desires are insatiable, and the threshold for pleasure is constantly rising. If these pleasure-seeking groups cannot be restricted at their root, repeatedly feeding them will only be a short-sighted solution, making them increasingly difficult to satisfy.

Such wishful thinking, like "After I invented mahjong, the emperor loved me until late at night every day," is utterly naive and foolish. Even the path from court jester to powerful minister isn't taken that way.

How to do this? In fact, Empress Wu Zetian, the grandmother of the current sage, set a very good example. Although Wu Zetian is viewed differently by later generations, she made outstanding contributions in at least two areas.

The first was the crackdown on aristocratic clans, especially those from the Guanzhong region closely associated with the Li Tang imperial family. These clans were exiled en masse, often numbering in the thousands. The second was the physical elimination of members of the Li Tang imperial family; most of the direct descendants of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong were purged during the Wu Zhou dynasty's usurpation of the Tang.

If Wu Zetian hadn't stirred things up, the number of members of the Li Tang imperial family would have increased at least tenfold compared to the present day, forming a considerable political force that could directly threaten imperial power.

It should be noted that after Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, raised an army in Taiyuan and captured Chang'an, he basically started having children, directly producing seventeen more sons. Even after accounting for those who died young, more than a dozen of them grew up, married, and had children.

If this lineage continues for two or three generations, it will amount to a prosperous imperial family of at least a hundred people. These people enjoy titles and stipends without merit or labor, which will inevitably place a considerable burden on the Tang Dynasty's finances. If a few ambitious individuals emerge from among them, the resulting turmoil and losses will be immeasurable.

Fortunately, they encountered a good daughter-in-law from the Li family who packed up and cleaned up all the goods, causing most of them to die out, and the few remaining were not of any use.

Therefore, some people say that Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi, was betrayed by Wu Zetian, but they ignore the fact that the interests of the couple were highly aligned. Although the tasks that Li Zhi gave to Wu Zetian encountered some setbacks in the process, they were ultimately completed beyond expectations.

Even in the years following Wu Zetian's death, when the political situation was so chaotic, the spoils ultimately ended up within their own family. The reason was simple: no one else in the family had any left.

Therefore, regardless of the nature of the struggle, killing the opponent is the safest outcome. Any victory is only temporary, but death is permanent. Even if other challenges arise afterward, they are new problems, and at least old grievances won't resurface and cause further trouble.

As Zhang Dai pondered, he followed Niu Gui'er toward the most magnificent tent outside the polo field, which was naturally where the Crown Prince resided.

"This humble official, Assistant Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, accompanied by my uncle and two younger brothers, pays his respects to His Highness the Crown Prince, and to all the kings and princesses!"

Although he harbored many disrespectful thoughts towards these princes, and even contemplated physically eliminating them before entering the tent, he naturally had to maintain a respectful demeanor, since his blade was not yet sharp enough.

The Crown Prince had long, narrow phoenix eyes and a handsome face, with a delicate beauty that resembled that of a boy. Compared to his brothers, such as the Emperor and the Prince of Zhong, he lacked a bit of masculinity, but he still had a dignified demeanor. Surrounded by his entourage, he sat upright in his seat, exuding an air of authority befitting his status.

Although he was handsome, the Crown Prince was somewhat stubborn. He frowned slightly as soon as Zhang Dai entered the tent and did not respond to the bows of the uncle and nephew. Instead, he turned to talk to his father-in-law Xue Tao, who was sitting next to him, leaving Zhang Dai and the others standing there.

Zhang Dai was not annoyed by this. He had little contact with the Crown Prince, but upon closer examination, there were indeed quite a few gaps between them.

The crown prince was established as the heir apparent from a young age, living a life of luxury and being pampered. He was not a destitute grandson of the emperor born into hardship like a saint. It would be strange if he could give this boy who repeatedly offended him a good look.

If he were in the other's shoes, and he were the crown prince, he would be considered weak-willed if he didn't tie up this annoying fellow and throw him into the Qujiang River.

The Crown Prince ignored them, but Prince Zhong stepped in to smooth things over, saying with a smile, "Just now, the entire Qujiang Riverbank was buzzing with praise for Zhang Lang's poetry and talent, and Shibalang also spoke highly of you in his tent. Your Highness has just returned to the mortal realm, and I fear you may not know of your talented young relative, so I suggested inviting you here to meet. Hopefully, this hasn't disturbed your literary gathering on the west bank?"

"It is my greatest honor to receive the King's favor and praise. Just now, the group of disciples on the west bank were making a ruckus and writing in a frivolous manner. I did not mean to disturb the peace and quiet here. I hope Your Highness and the Kings will forgive me."

Knowing that Prince Zhong was also a master of tea ceremony, Zhang Dai simply lowered his head and said after hearing this.

At this moment, the Crown Prince finally turned his gaze to Zhang Dai, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "Zhang Xielu has risen to prominence in recent years. Although I live deep within the palace, I have heard of him quite a bit. My father-in-law, Xue Shaoqing, has also spoken highly of Zhang Xielu's talents. The other day, the palace intended to invite him to an audience, but unfortunately, Zhang Xielu was too busy with his duties, so the invitation had to be cancelled."

"Now that everyone has some free time, and Zhang Xielu has also come to see me at his leisure, I suppose you, being in charge of the music department, must also have some knowledge of music and other arts. I wonder if you have any skills you would like to present here for everyone's appreciation?"

The Crown Prince deliberately spoke in a somewhat frivolous tone, as if he were treating Zhang Dai as a court jester from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Zhang Dai could easily tell the difference, and his brows immediately furrowed slightly.

(End of this chapter)