Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 413 Two Hearts Connected, Heaven and Earth Are Not Far Apart

Watching the procession of carriages gradually disappear into the distance, Zhang Dai was naturally quite depressed. He hadn't expected to run into the Princess of Yunyang so coincidentally as soon as he came out of Sanqu.

He hadn't seen the county princess since the Shangsi Festival, as he had been busy with other matters. More than ten days had passed in the blink of an eye. He had originally planned to visit the Prince of Qi's residence after he finished these matters.

After all, he had already been openly flirting with her in the Hibiscus Garden. Whether it worked out or not, he had to find out the answer!
During this time, there had been no news from the County Magistrate of Yunyang, which made Zhang Dai quite puzzled.

In his memory, the Princess of Yunyang was always generous and open-minded, rarely showing any coyness. His attitude at the time could be described as warm and frank. Surely she should have expressed her attitude and feelings about this, right? After all, even his superior had taken the time to ask her a few questions.

The reason he could think of was that such matters between men and women were ultimately different from others, and the county princess could not treat them in a normal way. She needed to consider them deeply and was somewhat hesitant.

Even the other party was not immune to the prejudice of the legitimate and illegitimate, feeling that he, as a mere illegitimate grandson of a duke, was not worthy of the legitimate daughter of a prince, which is why he hesitated to answer. Zhang Dai had also considered this.

He wasn't averse to it, after all, status was a very important factor in the Tang Dynasty, and his liking for the county princess wasn't just lust at first sight; he also had his own fantasies about her status.

He did not want to be bound by the various restrictions on a prince consort's political career, but at the same time he wanted to obtain the status of a maternal relative of the imperial family, so that he would no longer be just a simple subject, thereby gaining a certain right to interfere in the affairs of the imperial family, and at the same time eliminating the adverse effects of his status as an illegitimate child.

Although the families of Prince Ning and Prince Xue are not lacking in women, even if they were willing to marry their daughters to him, he would not only have to appease his father-in-law, but also have a whole bunch of brothers-in-law to deal with. These interpersonal relationships alone would be a considerable burden.

After the death of the King of Shen, who had no son to succeed him, his daughters were all raised in the deep palace and had no contact with him whatsoever. As for the King of Bin, needless to say, even a mountain of gold and silver wouldn't be enough to fill the hole left by his father-in-law if he dared to marry his daughter.

After much deliberation, only the Princess of Yunyang from the Qi Prince's family truly met Zhang Dai's needs. As for the women from the five prominent families, he wouldn't consider them. These women appeared glamorous on the surface but offered no real benefits, and given his family's circumstances, he feared he would need tens of thousands of strings of cash to buy a marriage with one of the five prominent families.

If it really costs that much money to get a wife, he might as well just redeem Pingkangfang. At least those women are beautiful, talented, and understanding, and there won't be a bunch of uncles and cousins ​​lining up to come and beg for money.

Therefore, even if the Princess of Yunyang hesitated because of her status, Zhang Dai did not feel offended. This was merely a matter of social perception, not their fault. If they wanted to be with the Princess of Yunyang, they should strive to excel in other areas to dispel such doubts.

Although he had prepared himself mentally, he still didn't expect to run into the county magistrate as soon as he stepped out of the brothel, so he couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed and uneasy.

He used to say "I'm too lazy to look back at the flowers" when flirting, but judging from the current situation, he might have to change it to "I frequently look back at the flowers," and he even seems to be planning to set up camp in this flower garden.

Zhang Dai knew that the relationship between the two was about to undergo a major change. They would either become closer and even merge into one, or they would gradually drift apart and eventually become strangers. Therefore, he had to avoid any unforeseen misunderstandings that might influence the county princess's final decision.

Of course, this can't be considered a misunderstanding, since Zhang Dai didn't just come to Sanqu last night to discuss poetry and songs with the young ladies.

So the important thing now is to quickly catch up with them and express your remorse, self-blame, and repentance, and don't let this incident leave a lingering negative impression. As for whether you'll change, that can be dealt with later.

With this in mind, Zhang Dai no longer bothered to inspect the construction site. He mounted his horse and, with his entourage, followed the imperial carriage.

Northwest of Pingkangfang was the residence of Princess Yongmu, and the magistrate of Yunyang County entered Princess Yongmu's home.

Princess Yongmu was the eldest daughter of Emperor Xuanzong and married Wang Yao of the Langya Wang clan. Zhang Dai was not very familiar with the couple, so when he arrived at the gate, he did not send a formal invitation to see them, but simply dismounted and waited on the street.

However, his group of more than ten people were all strong and powerful men, and such a group of people lingering outside the princess's residence was rather conspicuous.

Therefore, the servants of the princess's residence quickly noticed them and immediately came forward with vigilance. One of them recognized Zhang Dai and immediately put on a smiling face and said, "Young Master Zhang is here to visit my master. Unfortunately, my master went out to meet friends last night and has not returned yet."

"Thank you for your help. I had an appointment to wait here, but I did not expect to disturb your household. I will definitely visit you with proper etiquette in the future."

Zhang Dai waved his hand to indicate that he was just waiting for someone. Upon hearing this, the Wang family servant retreated somewhat awkwardly, but still arranged for two gatekeepers to keep watch.

After a while, Princess Yunyang's carriage drove out of Princess Yongmu's residence and headed straight for the west gate of the ward. Upon seeing this, Zhang Dai mounted his horse and followed behind. Seeing that the carriage showed no intention of stopping, he did not go forward to disturb it, but simply led his men to follow silently.

This time, the carriage went directly to the Yuzhen Princess's residence in Fuxingfang, west of Taiji Palace. Zhang Dai waited outside the Taoist temple as usual. However, this time he did not wait long. Servants came out of the temple and brought some tea, fruit, and snacks. It would be impolite to refuse such a gift, so Zhang Dai instructed everyone to wait outside while he went inside to request an audience.

Princess Yuzhen's Taoist temple was built in a very magnificent and grand manner. During the Jingyun era, it was even criticized by ministers for being too extravagant and wasteful of resources. However, Emperor Ruizong loved his daughter dearly and insisted on completing the construction of the Taoist temple even with the help of the imperial treasury.

Like the Jade True Princess Temple in Luoyang, this Taoist temple in Chang'an was also a popular gathering place for scholars, with many staying there year-round. When Zhang Dai arrived at the temple, he immediately attracted the attention of a group of people, many of whom came forward to greet him and exchange pleasantries.

Zhang Dai had no time for idle chatter with these people. After a brief perfunctory response, he followed the female Taoist priest who was leading the way into the Taoist temple.

The inner hall of the Taoist temple was where Princess Yuzhen lived and practiced Taoism, so it was not as crowded and noisy as the outer hall. As Zhang Dai climbed the steps, he soon noticed that Princess Yuzhen was standing with Princess Yunyang in the side hall.

He slowly walked to the outside of the hall, looking at the two female Taoist priests standing side by side in the Taoist hall, which was filled with many cultural relics and artifacts. Princess Yuzhen was plump and had a dignified and serene expression, while Princess Yunyang was taller and more slender. The young girls were youthful and beautiful, making people lose their senses when they looked at them, like a jar of brightly colored and fragrant grape wine, making people want to drink it slowly and become intoxicated by it.

"Wu Daozi's newly painted Heavenly Kings have captivated Zhang Lang so much that he's staring at it in a daze?"

Suddenly, a sweet laugh rang in his ears. Zhang Dai looked away and saw Princess Yuzhen walking gracefully towards him. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He had been staring intently at the beautiful figure of the Princess of Yunyang and hadn't noticed the newly painted murals in the hall. Princess Yuzhen's words were clearly a tease.

"Wu Daozi's painting skills are indeed superb and his craftsmanship is exquisite, but all his works are ultimately the result of human effort. What I am fascinated by is the natural beauty of nature, a gift from the heavens and the earth, with its pure and radiant jade-like appearance and endless subtle meaning, which makes one wander within it and unable to leave!"

When Zhang Dai came to his senses, he found that the Princess of Yunyang was also gazing at him, but her expression was not as kind and amiable as usual. Her eyes revealed a pitiful and sorrowful look. Seeing this, he couldn't help but feel more moved, and he blurted out without thinking.

"Is it that they can't afford to pay, or that they don't want to pay?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Yuzhen's smile deepened, and she pointed at Zhang Dai, teasingly saying, "The profound Dao is only half-attained for you, so what or who could possibly make you so obsessed?"

"The preface to cultivating the Dao is nothing but a pretentious pretense. Who but a celestial maiden, or someone born with the Daoist bones, can truly traverse the Great Dao? What has seized my soul is nothing but emotion. Emotion seems intangible, yet it is etched into my very bones. When it first arose, I had already forgotten the mortal world. If two hearts are bound together, heaven and earth are not far! I cannot leave, nor do I wish to leave, so why should I leave?"

Although I was caught red-handed visiting a brothel, it's a bit shameless of me to say this now, but this is not the time to talk about right and wrong, but to get the emotions going.

Emotional exchange and understanding are the best ways to eliminate misunderstandings, while arguing about right and wrong directly pits people against each other, which is not conducive to subsequent communication.

Upon hearing this, the Princess of Yunyang frowned even more deeply, her lips moved slightly, and her gaze towards Zhang Dai became complex and conflicted.

Zhang Dai's words were certainly heartfelt, but they sounded somewhat awkward to those who didn't share his sentiments.

Upon hearing this touching declaration of love, Princess Yuzhen felt that it was somewhat superfluous for her to continue observing. She immediately waved her hand and said, "This palace is a place of worship. You two children should go to the side corridor to whisper sweet nothings."

Upon hearing this, Princess Yunyang blushed, turned around and bowed to the portrait of the Heavenly King in the hall. Then she walked out of the room and descended the steps with light steps.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Dai bowed slightly to Princess Yuzhen, then turned and quickly followed after her.

"Brother, please wait. My mind is in turmoil, and I fear I may speak carelessly and leave regrets for both of us. Please go now, and let me compose myself. I will write to you another day."

Princess Yunyang stopped a short distance down the palace steps and looked back at Zhang Dai, her eyes swirling with emotion, her voice trembling slightly: "Brother's words are moving, but... but I may not be as innocent and lovely as you think..."

Hearing the county magistrate's words, Zhang Dai was somewhat surprised and confused. He couldn't quite fathom her thoughts, but he still remembered their earlier encounter. So he quickly replied, "Does Your Highness still remember the trouble I caused with Dou Lang and the others the other day? After much hardship, things finally made a breakthrough, and everyone was overjoyed. So we agreed to gather and celebrate. Although the matter was settled, our hearts were adrift. We drank with regret, and thus I fell asleep drunk in the music hall..."

Upon hearing this, the county princess's eyes rippled with even more emotion. She then said softly, "Brother, you are a man of great talent, and it is truly inappropriate for you to squander your talents on personal matters. I did not mean to delay responding, but my mind is in turmoil, and I do not know how to confide in anyone... Tomorrow, tomorrow I will definitely write to you, and I ask you to read my heartfelt words."

(End of this chapter)