Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 412 Dai is not good at managing business

Previously, Zhang Dai lent money to the border people, and Li Xia and others took out loans for investment, all through this money exchange. In a sense, this money exchange was an investment company that he and the county magistrate of Yunyang jointly established.

Zhang Dai himself found it inconvenient to directly hold large amounts of residential land and property, partly to conceal his own plans and partly to avoid attacks from political enemies. Even powerful emperors like Lu Congyuan knew that his path to advancement was blocked.

An official with too many assets, even if inherited from family and not acquired through corruption, is essentially no longer considered honest. Conversely, even someone living a life of luxury can be considered honest as long as they don't acquire property.

For example, Yao Chong did not own a residence in Chang'an, but his sons committed crimes and sold official positions in Luoyang, yet this did not prevent people from praising Yao Chong for his integrity. Zhang Jiazhen, in his later years, devoted himself to calligraphy and painting and did not establish any farmland, which was also praised by his contemporaries.

In reality, there are many ways and means to convert power into wealth and pass on wealth, and it is definitely not limited to homestead land.

Zhang said that his downfall was due to his lack of self-discipline, and that the word "greed" was written all over his forehead, which is why he was often criticized for it.

Zhang Dai should certainly learn from this lesson and avoid keeping his assets directly in his own name. Even if he becomes incredibly wealthy later, he should still leave a mark in history books as "Dai was not fond of pursuing official careers, but was an upright and honest official."

This includes the construction of low-rent communities, which involves having participating households mortgage their land deeds to the real estate agency, then lending them money to build houses.

These land deeds will be kept in a unified manner. The residential land will still nominally belong to each household, but will be rented and managed by a single real estate company. After deducting operating costs, the profits collected will be distributed as dividends to each household.

Of course, there are no organizations with the name of real estate companies at present, but there are brokerage shops in both the East and West markets, which are essentially real estate agencies.

"Please rest assured, my lord, the construction of a house in Guiyi Ward does not require overly elaborate labor. Any able-bodied men and women from each household can come and work. The workers currently engaged in the Pingkang Ward work on schedule and will certainly be able to complete the beautiful house for you before summer!"

Chen Dong bowed again and said, then after a pause, he asked, "Many of those trapped here are conscripts scattered in the countryside. They have all come to the city to ask for help from the magistrates, but they have nowhere to live and wish to be taken in. My lord, should we accept these people?"

“Let’s accept them all. If there aren’t enough places to live in the city, there’s a garden estate a few miles outside the city on Phoenix Perch Plain, which is convenient for traveling between the city and the outside world.”

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Dai instructed, "I will arrange for my family to set up a cart shop here later, which will make it more convenient for people to come and go and for goods to travel. You can help out in the neighborhood then."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dong was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly in agreement. He felt even more that the master cared about the livelihood of the people in their workshop, and that he could even notice such small details.

Zhang Daijian's car shop was not just for transportation within the city and suburbs. In the future, he wanted to participate in the border trade and get a share of the pie, and of course, he also wanted to build his own land transportation team.

Although it will be a long time before we really need this team, we can lay a foundation for personnel by operating car rental shops between urban and rural areas, and develop step by step to avoid being caught unprepared and scrambling when we really need it.

Zhang Dai naturally didn't need to personally oversee the affairs here from beginning to end. After explaining the specific plans, he arranged for several family members to stay and help Chen Dong, and then left amidst the warm farewells of the neighborhood residents.

For a long time to come, he will no longer personally appear to handle these affairs in the neighborhood. It's not that he is unwilling to delve into the neighborhood, but he knows that he has made too many enemies. If he interacts with these people too frequently and is noticed by those with ulterior motives, they will try to find his weaknesses and vulnerabilities by harassing them. These people will undoubtedly not be able to withstand much of this.

When Zhang Dai returned home from the southern part of the city, Dou E had already completed the garden deal with Wei Heng at the Jingzhao Prefecture. He excitedly dragged Li Xia to Zhang's house, and then wanted to take Zhang Dai to Pingkang Lane to invite Pei Zhen to celebrate their business's great breakthrough.

Zhang Dai didn't have anything urgent to attend to, so he first explained things to his family, and then the group of them, along with their large entourage, headed towards Pingkangfang.

When the group arrived at Pingkang Ward, the street drums signaling the curfew had already sounded. However, there were places for entertainment in the ward, so they didn't need to go elsewhere. Instead, they instructed their family to book a banquet at Sanqu while heading towards Pei Guangting's house.

Pei Guangting was also hosting a banquet at his home tonight, receiving several relatives, friends, and subordinates, as well as several members of the Pei family who were in the court. His brother-in-law Yan Zexian, along with his cousins ​​Yan Yongzhi and Yan Linzhi, and Pei Dunfu, another of Zhang Dai's patrons, were also present.

Upon learning of Zhang Dai and his entourage's arrival, Pei Guangting quickly instructed his son, Pei Zhen, to lead them into his main hall. He then pointed to Zhang Dai and said with a smile to Yan Zexian and the others, "This young man is intelligent and quick-witted, and has recently accomplished much in the capital and provinces. Even the other officials admit their inferiority. He is truly a formidable young man!" Everyone, of course, recognized Zhang Dai and echoed Pei Guangting's words, praising him. Pei Dunfu, with a proud smile, said, "Last year, Princess Yuzhen sent someone to announce a special examination for Zongzhi. I didn't know him and intended to give a perfunctory answer, but Zongzhi's performance was astonishing. His brilliance at the time is still unforgettable. Seeing him now, so prominent in his time, I am truly honored!"

While humbly thanking everyone, Zhang Dai and Li Xia sat at the last table. Looking at the others at the table, he secretly pondered; it seemed Pei Guangting was also mobilizing his relatives and friends to help him secure the position of prime minister.

Among the guests was Pei Guangting's brother-in-law, Yan Zexian, who was also Wu Sansi's son-in-law. Zhang Dai had to address him as "uncle-in-law" when they met.

Yan Zexian was born into the Yan Liben family and was also a member of the Guanlong Old Money. His father, Yan Zhiwei, was a notorious traitor during the reign of Emperor Wuzong. When he was sent as an envoy to the Turks, he was kidnapped by the Turkic Khan Mochuo and appointed as the Southern Khan. Later, after being released by the Turks and returned to his country, he was shot and killed south of Tianjin Bridge in Luoyang. Yan Zexian was lucky to escape because he was Wu Sansi's son-in-law.

After the Shenlong Coup, the Yan family gradually recovered from the blow. Yan Zexian is now serving as the Left Guard General in the court, and many of his relatives also hold positions as imperial guards. There is nothing particularly special about their family, except that his cousin Yan Linzhi is highly regarded and trusted by Pei Guangting.

Zhang Dai knew that Pei Guangting was a very opinionated and thoughtful person. Although he still needed to rely on his grandfather's support and influence to rise to power, he was also building his own team.

In order to make a living under him in the future, I cannot rely solely on these old feelings. I should still have my own team and personnel relationships in order to avoid being gradually marginalized.

As he was pondering this, Pei Guangting asked him with a smile, "Zongzhi, you have never been arrogant or do anything useless. The other day, you made fun of the newly appointed scholars at the Xingyuan Garden in Qujiang. I wonder what your intentions were?"

Upon hearing Pei Guangting's evaluation of him, Zhang Dai felt that Pei Guangting clearly did not understand him well enough. However, since Pei Guangting had asked this question, it seemed that he had already confirmed that Zhang Dai did indeed have some ulterior motives.

Recalling how Zhao Buwei, the Assistant Minister of Personnel, had rushed to his home to see him the other day, Zhang Dai's heart stirred again. He then lowered his head and said, "I am also a young man, and how could I not have a few frivolous thoughts? The reason I mocked the group of people the other day was indeed due to some wild thoughts, believing that this year's selection of officials was unfair. Meng Haoran from Shannan has excellent talent, but he was not appreciated by the selection committee. Therefore, I stood up for him and ridiculed the group of people who passed the exam."

"So, you're deeply dissatisfied with Zhao Buwei, the one in charge of performance evaluation? Do you have any ideas about who could replace him?"

Pei Guangting then asked with a smile, wanting to hear if Zhang had any personnel arrangements for some important positions in the court.

"The Department of Performance Evaluation is a crucial department, and it is not for a lowly official like myself to presume to discuss it. However, since Zhao Buzhi is currently in charge of the selection of officials and it is difficult for him to gain the support of the people, I have dared to speak out since the Vice Minister has inquired about it. My former patron, Pei Yuanwai, promoted me from humble beginnings. If he is so discerning, I will certainly recommend him!"

Upon hearing Pei Guangting's question, Zhang Dai replied, half-jokingly. "A fence needs three posts," he said, "and if possible, I would naturally prefer someone I have a good relationship with to hold an important position."

Personnel work will be a very important part of Pei Guangting's administration in the future, and it would be very good if one could occupy an important position now.

Although Pei Dunfu's current position as Assistant Minister of War is not bad, it is still far inferior to that of Assistant Minister of Personnel Examination, who is in charge of the imperial examinations. The two are not only student and mentor, but also business partners. Moreover, seeing that Pei Dunfu has already gained access to Pei Guangting's household, he is clearly highly regarded. Zhang Dai naturally wants to give him a helping hand at a crucial moment.

“I… how can I bear this… Zongzhi, please don’t speak rashly, lest the Vice Minister laugh at our recklessness.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Dunfu immediately waved his hand awkwardly and chuckled, looking like Da Sha Chun who had been exposed by Xia Luo for having a crush on Dong Mei. His mouth was practically stretched to his ears.

After hearing this, Pei Guangting simply nodded thoughtfully, but did not continue the discussion on the topic, leaving Pei Dunfu scratching his head and fidgeting.

Adults have their own social activities, and young people have their own playgrounds. Zhang Dai and his companions sat with Pei Guangting in the guest hall for a while before getting up to take their leave. They also took Pei Zhen with them and headed straight for Sanqu.

Needless to say, the night was filled with romance. The next morning, Zhang Dai, supporting his back, left Sanqu, intending to go to Fangnan to see if the craftsmen had resumed work. He had just crossed the crossroads when a carriage approached from the opposite direction; it was the entourage of the Prince of Qi.

The person sitting in the carriage was, of course, the Princess of Yunyang County. However, as usual, the princess did not stop the carriage to talk to Zhang Dai. The carriage drove straight past Zhang Dai.

(End of this chapter)