Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 392 It was once difficult to overcome the difficulties

Besides the Crown Prince and Prince Zhong, there were dozens of men and women in the large tent, all of whom were second-generation members of the royal family and the children of the Emperor and his brothers.

These people were of different ages, had different experiences, and different perspectives. When they heard the Crown Prince's contemptuous and difficult remarks about Zhang Dai, several of the older princes and nobles couldn't help but smile, including the Prince of Zhong, who also wore a half-smile.

Some of them might have had minor disagreements with Zhang Dai, such as the Prince of Ning's son, the Prince of Ruyang, and several sons of the Prince of Xue; others had no dealings or involvement with Zhang Dai at all. But this did not stop them from enjoying the spectacle and secretly feeling a sense of schadenfreude.

Just now, the entire Qujiang Riverbank outside the Imperial Garden was filled with the recitation of Zhang Dai's poems and deeds, which made them somewhat envious.

After all, they were all young and ambitious. Although they looked down on the common people outside, they all longed for a sense of existence to some extent. However, due to the restrictions of their status, they could not act freely, and they rarely had any talents that could win the favor of the crowd.

At this time, Zhang Dai was summoned here and treated as an actor by the Crown Prince, who forced him to perform. This naturally gave them a sense of power and honor: no matter how young and talented they were, or how famous they were, they still had to bow down and beg for mercy in front of them!
Of course, not everyone here was laughing at Zhang Dai. When Prince Shou, who was sitting at the same table as Prince Ruyang, saw this scene, his expression became conflicted.

He wanted to get up and speak up for his cousin, but seeing that his brothers were all sitting upright and smiling, he didn't dare to stand up. He just lowered his head and pretended that he wasn't there.

However, while everyone was smiling and watching the show, a slightly aloof but melodious female voice rang out from the right side of the tent: "The Crown Prince's instructions seem biased! The ancient saying goes, 'Knowing people and assigning them to good positions will allow them to make the best use of their talents.' Your Highness may not know Zhang Dai well, but you should at least know about the positions he has held."

In addition to his duties as a musician, Zhang Dai also held the position of Imperial Music Attendant in the Southern Province, a position bestowed upon him by the Emperor himself. Today, summoned to this banquet, the Crown Prince inquired of performing arts rather than refined conversation; knowing this, one cannot help but lament the wasted potential of such a talented individual!

The sound immediately drew everyone's attention in the tent. Zhang Dai also looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the one who spoke up for him was the Princess of Yunyang, who was still dressed in Taoist robes.

Faced with the surprised or displeased looks of the crowd, Princess Yunyang did not lower her head to avoid them, but instead looked up calmly and openly.

The Crown Prince hadn't expected his cousin to dare contradict him so openly in public, and with such sharp words at that. He was furious, his brows furrowing deeply. He was about to reprimand her when his father-in-law, Xue Tao, tugged at his belt, signaling him not to lose his composure.

The atmosphere in the tent became somewhat awkward after the Princess of Yunyang spoke. At this moment, Zhang Ji, who was sitting with the Prince of Zhong, stood up, first bowing slightly to the Princess of Yunyang, and then said with a smile, "Although the Princess is a woman, her insights are profound. Even if these words were spoken in the court, they would be considered proper and elegant, and should be accepted."

However, this is merely a recreational area for a banquet in the Imperial Garden, and such a serious and stern tone would only spoil the enjoyment. I know my son well. He possesses both the wisdom to offer wise advice and the talent to entertain and amuse. Just now, everyone outside the garden was delighted, so there's no need for him to feign a rigid and aloof demeanor now that we're here.”

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Zhang Dai and said in a deep voice, "His Highness the Crown Prince has appreciated and summoned you and personally given you instructions. What is there left for you to pity yourself for and cherish? Don't hold back, just show us your skills."

Zhang Dai was furious, not because Zhang Ji was urging him, but because Zhang Ji's words had embarrassed the county magistrate: "The elders haven't said anything, so what are you doing here, an outsider, trying to defend them?"
He then looked at the county magistrate, and sure enough, a hint of embarrassment and unfamiliarity appeared on her pretty face. So he walked straight to the county magistrate of Yunyang, bowed deeply to her, and said in a deep voice, "A humble broom is not worth much, but a true friend is worth a thousand pieces of gold! Your words are like sweet rain. I am extremely honored to receive such kindness. I have composed this song to express my gratitude to my friend!"

Having said this, he retreated to the center of the main tent, hunched his shoulders, and stretched his arms as if to sing a song. His eyes were fixed intently on the beautiful and radiant face of the Princess of Yunyang, and he began to sing: "Having seen the vast ocean, other waters are nothing; having beheld the clouds of Wushan, other clouds are nothing. I idly stroll through the flowerbeds, too lazy to look back; half my heart is devoted to cultivating the Tao, half to you..."

Princess Yunyang never expected Zhang Dai to be so enthusiastic and unrestrained. Her beautiful eyes were slightly dazed for a moment before she came back to her senses. Her eyes were already sparkling. When she savored the lyrics, even though she was usually poised and elegant, she couldn't help but lower her head shyly. When she looked down, she couldn't help but see the Taoist robe she was wearing. For a moment, her cheeks flushed and she was more beautiful than the flowers!
The princes and princesses in the tent were surprised by Zhang Dai's boldness. He immediately started flirting and sang love songs in front of them, making them all very interesting.

Especially the women at the table, upon hearing such moving lyrics sung by Zhang Dai, such a handsome and elegant young man, couldn't help but feel their hearts flutter. Then, they felt a pang of sadness, secretly resenting that the song wasn't meant for them.

Although these royal women were born into noble families and lived in luxury from a young age, it didn't mean they were without worries, especially regarding marriage, which was crucial to a woman's lifelong happiness. They had absolutely no autonomy, and the number of potential husbands was extremely limited. The current emperor married several of his daughters, and almost all of their husbands were relatives of the imperial family from generation to generation. For example, Princess Yongmu married Wang Yao, the son of Emperor Zhongzong's son-in-law Wang Tongjiao, and Princess Changfen married her maternal uncle Zhang Quying.

These generations of imperial relatives often lacked outstanding individuals; even those with remarkable bearing were often mediocre in talent and ability. Among the current imperial consorts, Zhang Ji, the newly appointed consort of Princess Ningqin, can be considered one of the best.

Zhang Ji's marriage to Princess Ningqin involved some twists and turns. Originally, she was betrothed to the older Princess Tangchang, but thanks to the efforts of Princess Ningqin's mother, Consort Yang, Princess Ningqin ended up marrying into the Zhang family.

Princess Tangchang was temporarily betrothed to Xue Xiu of the Xue clan of Hedong, a relative of the Crown Princess, so much so that the two princesses have severed their sisterly bond and remain silent to this day.

Zhang Ji alone had already caused princesses to fight over him and sisters to fall out, so one can imagine what kind of men this group of prince consorts were. Now, an even more outstanding member of the Zhang family had appeared before them, and even though they knew in their hearts that they had no chance with him, they couldn't help but secretly fantasize. Especially when compared to the other prince consorts present, Zhang Dai was simply so outstanding that he seemed like a celestial being!
Yuan Zhen's poem "Thoughts of Separation" is not long; even though Zhang Dai sang it several times, the song ended quickly. The recipient, Princess Yunyang, merely sat with her head bowed, too shy to look at him, but the other princesses and noblewomen in the tent all looked at him with great longing.

The Crown Prince, of course, had no such romantic feelings. Seeing Zhang Dai ignore his request and instead flirt with others, he grew increasingly displeased. When the singing and dancing ended, he snorted coldly and pointed at Zhang Dai, saying, "Sister Qi's daughter is indeed fortunate to have such a sight to see. I had already spoken, but Zhang Qing urged me to come, and I could not respond. Yet she got to see it first. Zhang Xielu is truly arrogant and unruly."

Are you all blind? Can't you see my flirting performance just now?

Although Zhang Dai cursed inwardly, he dared not say it aloud. Moreover, the Crown Prince's accusation was quite serious. After all, the Crown Prince was also a ruler, and his uncle was also a father. With such an accusation, he would be seen as a person without a ruler or father, and disloyal and unfilial!

Seeing that the Crown Prince was still relentless, he composed himself and bowed deeply to the Crown Prince again, saying, "Since Your Highness has given the order, how could I dare to refuse? The art of singing is indeed something that can be learned, and I am particularly skilled in singing with a powerful voice. Now I will present my skills to Your Highness and all the kings, and I hope you will not hesitate to teach me."

After saying this, he stood solemnly in the center of the tent and began to recite aloud to the Crown Prince: "Confucius was sitting, and Zengzi was attending him. Confucius said..."

When the Crown Prince heard that he was merely reciting scriptures, his brows furrowed again. At least when he sang to the Princess of Yunyang, there was some melody and coordination between his movements. Now that it was his turn to perform for him, he dared to be so sloppy!
He was about to stop Zhang Dai's performance and take the opportunity to punish him for his disrespect, but upon hearing Zhang Dai's recitation, his expression suddenly changed. This kid was reciting the Classic of Filial Piety! He quickly sat up straight and pretended to listen attentively, but his expression became even more unpleasant, and his disgust for Zhang Dai intensified.

Zhang Dai didn't care about the Crown Prince's feelings. "You little rascal, since you've forced me to perform, I'll recite a passage from the Classic of Filial Piety with your father's own annotations for you, so you can feel the power of filial piety! Tell me, isn't this performance exciting?"

The Prince of Zhong and his companions quickly realized what Zhang Dai was putting on an act, and they all sat up straight. Although they were somewhat displeased by being manipulated by Zhang Dai in this way, when they saw the Crown Prince's face turn as red as a pig's liver, the Prince of Zhong couldn't help but feel a sense of pleasure.

“Zhang Qing’s cousin is truly interesting. He seems frivolous in his actions, but he has a methodical approach to them. The Crown Prince failed to humiliate him and was instead controlled by him. We can bring him along to the gathering tomorrow.”

The Prince of Zhong and Zhang Ji had a long-standing relationship, and now that they were brother-in-law and brother-in-law, their bond naturally grew stronger. While listening to Zhang Dai recite the Classic of Filial Piety, the Prince of Zhong whispered to Zhang Ji.

He had indeed been somewhat annoyed with Zhang Dai before because of his brother-in-law Wei Jian and Consort Wei, but Zhang Dai was not a big deal back then. Now that Zhang Dai was highly regarded and they were relatives, and especially since the young man was truly brave and dared to embarrass the Crown Prince in front of him, he couldn't help but admire him.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ji nodded in agreement, but inwardly he smiled bitterly. He knew his own situation well. Although they were uncle and nephew, Zhang Dai had never taken him seriously, especially since the boy had his father, Zhang Shuo, backing him up.

Aside from putting on airs of an elder in front of outsiders, Zhang Ji was completely helpless against this kid at home.

(End of this chapter)