Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 395 The Crown Prince's Tutor
The banquet did not last long. Around 8 p.m., another group of imperial guards came from Xingqing Palace to escort the Crown Prince back to the inner palace.

Seeing the Emperor's exceptional care for the Crown Prince, the princes and princesses present couldn't help but show envy. They secretly hoped that one day they too could receive such meticulous attention and love from their fathers.

Upon seeing the imperial guards who had come to fetch him, the Crown Prince couldn't help but show his displeasure. He had been in mourning for several years, living in seclusion deep within the palace, and rarely had any officials from the Eastern Palace come to pay their respects to him. Occasions like today, where a group of disciples showed him such respect, were even rarer. He had finally managed to enjoy a moment of peace before having to return to the monotonous inner palace, so he was naturally somewhat unhappy.

However, he dared not disobey the emperor's will and could only stand up to leave. When he saw his brothers, sisters and others in the tent all bidding farewell, the crown prince couldn't help but feel a pang of reluctance. He wanted to arrange another gathering, but he found that he had no such authority and could only leave with regret.

When the Crown Prince left the Hibiscus Garden, some of the younger princes and princesses followed him. However, some princes who enjoyed lively gatherings stayed behind, continuing their feasts and revelry in the Hibiscus Garden, or simply choosing to stay overnight rather than walk at night.

After vomiting, Zhang Ji fell into a deep sleep at his desk, indicating that he would have to stay there for the night. The sudden appearance of the illegitimate son and the drunken husband put Princess Ningqin in a very bad mood, and she gave Zhang Dai and the others a cold shoulder.

So Zhang Dai called his uncle, younger brother, and cousin Alan, who was still kneeling on the ground, to bid farewell to Prince Zhong and the others, and then left the banquet.

Alan was quite stubborn. Despite everyone ignoring him, he knelt behind the table for a long time. When he stood up, his legs were already numb and he could hardly walk. Zhang Dai simply threw him on Zhang Yang's back. When Zhang Yang protested, he said irritably, "He is still your brother's bloodline. He should call you uncle!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang stopped protesting, grabbed Alan's legs and carried him on his back, sighing, "Does power and wealth really distort one's character? My brother seems like a completely different person today, and we, his relatives, all seem like wicked people who embarrass him!"

"Only Uncle, Alan, and I are the ones who are despised. The Prince Consort is jealous of my elder brother!"

Zhang Yi, being quite perceptive, looked at Zhang Dai with concern and asked, "Brother, are you in love with that county princess from the Qi Prince's family and want to propose marriage? If you become a member of the royal family, will you distance yourself from your family from now on?"

Some long-established and prestigious families naturally do not need to rely on marriage alliances with the royal family to enhance their status, but the Zhang family, a newly emerging family with little background, still values ​​and aspires to a marriage alliance with the royal family.

Upon hearing Zhang Yu's question, Zhang Dai immediately smiled and shook his head, saying, "Everyone has their own temperament. The Imperial Son-in-Law has always been fond of currying favor and putting on airs, and this isn't something that only happened after we got married. Also, although my uncle didn't graduate from the Hongwen Academy, he remains calm and composed. When he borrows money or things from me, he has a very reasonable excuse. He doesn't feel ashamed of his temporary setbacks, and he certainly won't distance himself from us relatives when he becomes successful in the future. I'm not even afraid of the Crown Prince, so why would I be complacent just because I've made connections with noble relatives?"

"Luo Nu and I are both innocent people. Seventh Brother, you should follow our example!"

Upon hearing Zhang Dai's assessment of him, Zhang Yang immediately nodded shamelessly and added, "Forget about lending money or things. If you are bullied at Hongwen Academy, your uncle will tear down the school to avenge you!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi retorted bluntly, “All the scholars in the academy are ashamed to speak of my uncle. My elder brother studied at home and passed the imperial examination with flying colors, ranking first on the list. Yet my uncle at the academy… Alas, they feel ashamed to have failed our father’s trust and have poured all their energy into me. My daily studies are already several times more demanding than others. If my uncle were to cause further trouble, I fear I would suffer even more!”

"This brat is not worth discussing matters with!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yang immediately roared in anger. He was only two years older than Zhang Dai and his brother, and he really did not act like an elder at all.

When they returned to the west bank, the revelry was still in full swing. Zhang Yang put down Alan, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion, and immediately took his servants and horses out again, ready to continue the festivities all night long.

Seeing that many of the women and family members in his tent looked tired, and worried that things might get noisy and chaotic, Zhang Dai ordered his men to go to the back and borrow a courtyard in Ci'en Temple for his family to rest.

Zhang Dai was careless and hadn't prepared a place for them to rest that night. All the spare rooms in Ci'en Temple had already been booked in advance, leaving no rooms available for lodging. When the temple manager learned that Zhang Dai and his family had come to ask for lodging, he immediately and warmly sent monks to invite them into the Apricot Garden.

Apricot Garden is also part of Ci'en Temple's property. In addition to a large area of ​​apricot groves, there are also many pavilions and buildings, one of which is currently vacant.

Originally, the venue was rented by the Jinshi Group to the newly appointed Jinshi for banquets, but because the Jinshi were blocked from entering the garden by Zhang Dai, and they were too ashamed to enter after Zhang Dai left, it remains unused to this day.

Zhang Dai hadn't expected this unexpected gain from thwarting the scholars' attempt to pass the imperial examinations, and he happily arranged for his family to stay there. It was only during a casual conversation with the monks at the temple that he learned the daily rental fee for this banquet hall in Xingyuan was over a hundred strings of cash.

The expenses after passing the imperial examination were not limited to this. There were also the rental fees for the boats on Qujiang River, the costs of various banquets, and so on. After a series of celebrations, the Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examination) often spent hundreds of strings of cash. In the Tang Dynasty, passing the imperial examination did not immediately grant one an official position. Therefore, apart from the exciting anecdotes of passing the exam and finding a son-in-law after the results were announced, some Jinshi from poor families often found themselves burdened with huge debts after their glorious celebrations. They had to beg their teachers, fellow candidates, and relatives and friends from their hometowns to redeem themselves, leaving them in a very sorry state.

Those so-called financial companies that are keen to lend small loans to college students in later generations are probably the reincarnations of the current group of scholars who passed the imperial examinations. These people are kind-hearted and sweet-talking, tempting people to consume beyond their means, and once they are caught in the trap, they will exploit them to the fullest extent.

With the advent of fistula technology in later generations, these people were no longer afraid of having sons without an anus, and thus had even less of a bottom line. So we should keep our distance and never get involved with them!

After thinking it over, Zhang Dai left behind a name card, telling the monks that if any impoverished scholars came asking for money, they could be introduced to his home.

He wasn't worried about making too many enemies by humiliating these new scholars before, or about being retaliated against, so he gave them a slap and a sweet treat.

In fact, passing the imperial examination is only the starting point of one's official career. Subsequent development still depends on one's own fate. Although the group of successful candidates is becoming more and more active in officialdom, only a few can actually succeed. It is more common for all successful candidates to fail in one examination.

Take the Jinshi of this year as an example. Apart from Helan Jinming, who is somewhat famous for refusing to help Suiyang City during the An Lushan Rebellion and for his love of eating dog excrement, the others, including the top scholar Wang Zhengqing, are unknown to later generations. Their careers were also limited, and they had no ability to take revenge on Zhang Dai.

However, if a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) was truly troubled by a group of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) or similar groups, Zhang Dai would not hesitate to lend a helping hand.

Compared to officials from privileged backgrounds and various other sources, the current system of selecting scholars for the imperial examinations, though not perfect, still represents a progressive group selected through certain standards and is a political force worth uniting with.

The commotion around Qujiang didn't gradually subside until late into the night. When Zhang Dai woke up again, it was already early morning the next day.

As soon as I opened my eyes, the warm sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the window. Pushing open the window, I saw large swaths of apricot blossoms blooming on the branches, as if I were in a beautiful painting.

Many scholars and commoners have come to Xingyuan Garden today, and groups of tourists are already passing by outside the building. Zhang Dai went downstairs, and monks from Ci'en Temple had already brought him food. Everyone was waiting for him to start the meal.

"Brother, can we continue our sightseeing here for another day?"

Zhang Yi quickly finished his breakfast and looked at Zhang Dai with anticipation, asking him a question.

Seeing that the other family members also looked expectant, Zhang Dai hesitated for a moment and then said with a smile, "You can stay here and enjoy yourselves for another day. Remember not to miss the time to go home in the evening."

He himself had no time to stay and enjoy himself. After breakfast, he left Xingyuan Garden, took a few attendants and went straight home. After changing into a robe, he went straight to Xingqing Palace.

Today, the Emperor is feasting his officials by the Dragon Pool, with all officials of the fifth rank in the capital in attendance. The Emperor and his ministers are enjoying themselves immensely. Zhang Dai, as an official in the Music Bureau, merely serves as a musician by the palace, watching others eat and drink.

He thought there was nothing for him to do here, but unexpectedly, when he returned to Hua'e Tower after the banquet, an imperial envoy announced the imperial edict, because he had recited the "Classic of Filial Piety" at the banquet in Furong Garden the night before to satirize the Crown Prince and the princes. He was to be given ten pieces of silk and appointed as the Crown Prince's tutor.

Upon hearing this imperial edict, Zhang Dai was naturally delighted, realizing that the emperor was paying increasing attention to matters concerning the crown prince. He had just finished reciting the Classic of Filial Piety yesterday, and today he received immediate feedback—not only was he bestowed with silk, but he was also granted an official position. It was truly a fruitful harvest.

The only regret is that the position of Crown Prince's tutor is not a regular official position in the Eastern Palace. It does not have a rank and is merely a temporary title. The job is very simple: to spend a few days each month in the Eastern Palace to accompany the Crown Prince in his studies.

But this is already quite good. Zhang Dai recited the Classic of Filial Piety to retaliate against the Crown Prince's contempt for him. As a result, the Crown Prince's father not only wasn't angry, but also praised him for doing a good job. So what else could he ask for? He should just keep working hard!

Zhang Dai recalled his previous stint as Left Advisor, where he'd caused a ruckus at the Xue Prince's residence and proposed unified supervision of the various princes' entertainment activities. Now, he'd been promoted to Tutor to the Crown Prince for advising him on filial piety. It was practically becoming a pattern. The more one stirred up trouble within the imperial family, the faster one rose in rank!
(End of this chapter)