Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 401 The Wealth Transporter

When faced with Zhang Dai's accusations, Wei Xuxin remained solemn and silent.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Dai understood that continuing the argument would yield no good. Arguing about who contributed more or whose well-being was more important was pointless. Since this had already happened, it meant the officials of the Ministry of Personnel had made their choice.

If he were to continue pursuing this matter, it would be tantamount to going against the six ministries and twenty-four departments of the Ministry of Personnel, and it would be as if he didn't want these officials to have a meal!
After a moment of silence, Zhang Dai asked again, "May I ask, Vice Minister Wei, how many soldiers from the Jingzhao Prefecture are involved in this border region?"

"There are about a thousand of them, most of whom were recruited to the border in the early years of the Kaiyuan era and are now on leave. Although the provincial government's pursuit of this matter is somewhat abrupt, if these border soldiers have truly rendered meritorious service to their posts, they will naturally have accumulated rewards, and a few old debts are not a big deal."

When Wei Xuxin saw Zhang Dai ask the question, he replied, "This is not a very important matter. It is rare that you, Zongzhi, are so perceptive and noticed it. I have just taken charge of the affairs of the capital province and many things have not yet been sorted out. Thank you for reminding me. I will definitely send someone to tell the Jinwu Guard to treat these border soldiers well and not to push them too hard."

Upon hearing this answer, Zhang Dai frowned. The messed up thing about people and things is that even if you know you're wrong, since you can't correct it, you'll find fault with the victim.

If these border soldiers truly had merits and rewards, investigating these past events would be of no concern to them. If it were a matter of concern, it would mean that all these years of effort had been in vain.

The problem is, what merit have these officials in the Ministry of Personnel made? If you have governed the country well, why the hell are you not paying your salaries and having to exploit the soldiers?

"Since the Left Chancellor is kind and benevolent, and has said this, I believe the matter will be resolved properly."

Zhang Dai stood up, bowed respectfully to Wei Xuxin, and then took his leave.

He didn't continue arguing, because arguing further would only make Wei Xuxin dislike him, but wouldn't actually improve the situation.

The idea of ​​treating border guards well and not pushing them too hard is just nonsense. If the methods are gentle, how can we get the money back after it's been distributed? Besides, many of these people are already destitute and simply can't afford the money.

Aren't they worried that by treating the border soldiers this way, these soldiers will harbor resentment and spread discontent throughout the border region after the leave of absence ends, thus undermining morale?
That's overthinking it. What are a mere thousand or so border soldiers scattered along the long Longyou and Hexi defense line? Moreover, most of them are just stationed in their own area year-round. Unless there's a large-scale battle, they'll never see anyone outside their defense zone.

Moreover, if things really get out of hand and these border guards are full of resentment, they might not go back to Longbian after the holiday ends, and might even go straight to Lingnan.

While the army is indeed formidable, what can an individual soldier do to contend with the administrative power of the imperial court?
So, should the border soldiers learn from the An Lushan rebels and unite around the military governors to oppose the court, so that the court will take their demands seriously? Such thinking is even more foolish. The interests of barbarian generals like An Lushan and Shilin have never been aligned with those of these lower-ranking border soldiers. They are the real gluttons who are constantly sucking the blood of the soldiers!
You must not emulate Geshu, who rampaged through Qinghai at night with a sword, slaughtering the Western Stone Fortress to seize the purple robe! Border generals, eager for glory, sacrificed countless lives; trading soldiers' lives for honor was merely the most basic tactic. Those who played even more cunningly employed tactics such as fostering bandits for personal gain, concealing battle losses, and eliminating dissidents—they manipulated soldiers' lives in countless ways!
Should we report this to higher authorities and let a sage uphold justice?
The deed was done, and it was just a matter of encroaching on the rights of a thousand soldiers. But if it were to be brought up in the imperial court and become a big problem, that would be a real disaster! The negative impact of a single court meeting discussion would be far greater than what a thousand soldiers could spread by word of mouth!

When Zhang Dai left the Ministry of Personnel, he had basically made a decision in his mind: no matter how he reported or complained about this matter through official channels, it would not be a proper way to handle it.

Even if he argued his case and managed to get the Minister to rescind the decision, this shortfall would still need to be filled elsewhere. This kind of unplanned revenue generation targets the weak; if one cut fails, who knows which vulnerable group will be targeted next.

If he saves one group, he might not be able to save another. He can't just suggest to the court that they optimize the staff of the Ministry of Personnel to reduce labor costs.

So Zhang Dai decided to use his own money to help these border soldiers avoid disaster by spending money, and plug the hole of several thousand strings of cash first. If there was an opportunity later, he would deal with the instigator!
After all, his grandfather was a big, corrupt official who embezzled so much money. He might as well act as a wealth transferor and use that money to benefit the people and win their hearts.

However, how to distribute this money still needs some consideration. Directly handing out money is definitely not an option; if he dared to do that directly, not only would he fail to save these border soldiers, but he himself would also be in trouble. Although the amount of money is not large, direct monetary distribution has too much of a connotation of buying people's hearts.

When Zhang Dai returned home from the capital, he saw Chen Dong waiting outside the door with several family members of border guards. He summoned them into the front hall and said to them, "This morning I went to the southern province to inquire about some matters. It is true that they are pursuing debts in the province, but as long as the money and silk are paid in full, there will be no further punishment. You don't need to worry too much about this."

"But...but where will we get the money to pay the debt? Besides, this was originally a gift from the government, how did it suddenly turn into a debt? Even if it is a debt, it is truly impossible for us to repay it even if we are ruined..."

These people, looking distressed, said that even if they accepted the debt, they had no money to repay it. "I have already visited the governor of the Southern Province and requested that the capital province convey to the Imperial Guard that they be lenient towards the detainees, allowing your families to raise the money at their leisure. Although you have no money, there is no need to worry. I will arrange for my family to go to the pawnshops in the West Market to inquire for you. If we can negotiate a loan, the best course of action is to redeem the detainees as soon as possible. We can discuss other matters later."

Zhang Dai then spoke up, saying that he himself could not personally provide the money, but could only help them resolve their difficulties through various business channels.

Upon hearing this, the group was moved to tears and repeatedly kowtowed to Zhang Dai in gratitude.

After the others left, Chen Dong stayed behind, bowed to Zhang Dai, and said, "Given the impoverished circumstances of these families, how could the money shop lend money to help them? It must be that Sixth Brother doesn't care about empty fame and lends money to each of them instead."

"Sixth Brother has already helped us so much; this debt cannot be delayed any longer. However, our families are poor and have little cash to repay. Our only recourse is our skill; we are willing to work for Sixth Brother for a long time to pay off our debts!"

"It's enough to keep things to yourself; there's no need to spell it out. The court is indeed facing financial difficulties, and various measures are being taken to cover the salaries of officials in the capital. If I were to forcefully stand up for them and appeal, the outcome would be uncertain, and these families might not be able to withstand the turmoil of interpersonal conflicts. I can't win them justice, but I can only offer some relief. Money is a small matter to me; there's no need to add to their burden."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai spoke again.

"I understand, I understand! The court is full of nobles and dignitaries, why would I need Sixth Master to stand up for justice for the border soldiers? Sixth Master is kind and benevolent, hates to see human suffering, and has a noble character that I have never seen before. I have benefited greatly from him and have no way to repay him. I hope to serve under Sixth Master and be his servant to repay this kindness!"

Chen Dong bowed deeply before Zhang Dai and said sincerely, "I am a humble and incompetent man with nothing to offer, but I am diligent in my duties and dare not be negligent! The former officials of the Prince Qi's mansion can also testify to this, and you, Sixth Brother, can investigate for yourself!"

Zhang Dai hadn't expected that his actions would win Chen Dong's heart and make him bow down in respect. He got up, went forward to help Chen Dong up, and then said, "I do have many family matters to attend to, and I need talented people to manage them. Since you, Chen Dong, are willing to join my ranks, I will not refuse. You can focus on your duties, and when you have time off and no personal matters to attend to, you can come and serve under me."

"Please rest assured, my lord, I will serve you with utmost loyalty!"

When Chen Dong heard that Zhang Dai was willing to accept him, he was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly.

Zhang Dai was also pleased that his team had gained another member. Although Chen Dong was not a great talent, he was diligent and conscientious in his work. Zhang Dai had been watching him build his mansion recently and trusted his character.

"You should first lead those people home, reassure the families involved, and tell them that the matter will be properly resolved soon."

Zhang Dai then instructed Chen Dong, and at the same time ordered his family to bring fifty bolts of silk to Chen Dong as a reward for acknowledging him as a disciple. He said it was up to Chen Dong whether he wanted to keep it for his own use or use it to help his relatives and friends.

After Chen Dong left, Zhang Dai began to consider specific solutions. Wei Xuxin said there was a financial shortfall of more than 7,000 guan, but since the matter had been handed over to the Jinwuwei to collect, the Jinwuwei would inevitably have to take a share, and in the end, it would probably be at least tens of thousands of guan.

Even tens of thousands of strings of cash weren't a huge sum for Zhang Dai. If it could truly help improve the living conditions of these thousands of border guards, he wouldn't hesitate to part with it. However, the thought that this money would ultimately end up in the hands of rentiers still made him somewhat unhappy.

Furthermore, Zhang Dai speculated that this incident was likely part of a campaign by Yuwen Rong's side to promote him, highlighting the financial difficulties of the imperial court and thus emphasizing Yuwen Rong's importance in the political situation.

Because Wei Xuxin made it very clear that this matter was caused by Zhang Jingyu, the Left Assistant Secretary of the Capital Province, and Wei Heng, the Assistant Secretary.

Zhang Jingyu was originally Yuwen Rong's colleague in the Censorate. After Yuwen Rong gained power, he brought Zhang Jingyu along to participate in the household registration system and appointed him to an official position in the Ministry of Revenue, making him a member of Yuwen Rong's faction. As for Wei Heng, needless to say, he was Yuwen Rong's cousin.

This matter itself was related to the Ministry of Finance, and it made the officials of the Ministry of Personnel feel that Yuwen Rong had gone to great lengths for their salaries, which naturally enhanced Yuwen Rong's reputation.

(End of this chapter)