Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 423 Recovering Lost Ground
After patrolling outside the city, Zhang Dai returned home in the evening and found many imperial guards standing in front of his house. The atmosphere was solemn and murderous, which almost made him think that his house was about to be searched again.

"Sixth Prince, it's the princess and her husband returning home! General Gao, the Duke of Bohai, personally led the Imperial Guards to escort them back to their residence on the Emperor's orders!"

When Zhang Dai entered the neighborhood, a servant of the Zhang family who was wandering the streets rushed forward and shouted back, while glancing at the reactions of the passersby.

The family had been left out in the street for a whole morning and were ridiculed by the locals. Today, the emperor personally ordered the imperial guards to escort the princess home to pay respects to her parents-in-law, finally giving them a chance to vent their anger.

Zhang Dai chuckled upon hearing this. He didn't care whether the princess went home or not, but the emperor's deliberate display of power today showed that he was carefully trying to soothe the wounded heart of his old minister, Zhang Shuo.

Princesses of the Tang Dynasty have always had a bad reputation. The saying goes that marrying a princess means getting a high-ranking official position, but it doesn't mean that marrying a princess will guarantee a high-ranking official position. Rather, it means that after marrying a princess, the family will be involved in endless lawsuits, and there is no telling when they will break the law and the whole clan will suffer.

When a princess marries into a subject's family, ethically she is to become a new wife, but legally there is a distinction between ruler and subject.

Princesses represented royal authority and did not live a conventional family life according to normal ethical relationships. Since the Tang Dynasty, very few families of princesses' husbands had ever escaped unscathed. Some brought trouble upon themselves, while others were implicated in others' misdeeds. Overall, the risks were far greater for them than for ordinary noble families.

Given such enormous risks, a princess's arrogance, domineering behavior, and even promiscuity and loss of chastity become trivial matters of personal conduct. The famous story of Guo Ziyi's drunken beating of the princess during the mid-Tang Dynasty is a typical example.

Even so, for many families, marrying a princess was still a bittersweet experience. Especially for a newly emerging family like the Zhang family, marrying a princess meant that their political status had been recognized and consolidated by the emperor, which was an immense favor.

In short, only the person drinking the water knows whether it's hot or cold. If you want this thorny rose, you'll inevitably have to shed blood. With the emperor's power currently absolute, no matter how much hardship you endure, you can only bear it.

When the imperial power declined in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, the military governors who married princesses were not so lenient. They would often beat and kill the emperor, who had no choice but to swallow his anger and even have to ask with a smile if he wanted another one.
With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Dai returned home. Upon entering the hall, he saw all the men of the household gathered there. Zhang Shuo was sitting at the same table as Gao Lishi, with Zhang Ji sitting to the side. He quickly stepped into the hall and said, "Greetings, Duke of Bohai!"

"Young man, no need for formalities, come in and sit down! I recently heard that you have written several new poems, all of which are truly admirable masterpieces. I did not hear you recite any at the banquet the other day. Could it be that you found everyone at the banquet to be boring?"

Gao Lishi raised his hand and beckoned him closer, then jokingly said something.

"On the banks of the Qujiang River during the Shangsi Festival, the birds sing and the butterflies dance, creating a scene of boundless charm and ease. In the past, I would sit respectfully at the end of the table, accompanying my elders with utmost reverence, feeling extremely apprehensive and afraid to be impolite, and even afraid to display my talents."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai bowed slightly and smiled in response.

"When distinguished guests arrive, do not be presumptuous."

Zhang Ji put on a stern face and gave a light rebuke.

"It's alright. The student surpasses the master, and he deserves special favor. I enjoy chatting and laughing with Zongzhi; we are close friends despite our age difference. Zhang Qing is unaware of this!"

Gao Lishi waved to Zhang Ji with a smile, then waved again, gesturing for him to sit down.

Gao Lishi's visit today was primarily to reassure Zhang Yue on behalf of the Emperor, urging him not to let his children's lack of competence cause a rift between the Emperor and his ministers. Although Consort Yang's condition in the palace was still unstable, the Emperor, upon learning of the recent events, immediately sent the princess home.

After sitting in the Zhang family's house for a while, Gao Lishi got up to take his leave. Then, all the Zhang family members withdrew from the hall to respectfully welcome the princess into the hall.

A group of people knelt on the ground outside the corridor, while the princess, surrounded by her maids, went straight into the main hall and paid her respects to Zhang Yue and Madam Yuan. However, the old couple did not sit upright to receive the greetings, but instead stood up in front of the table, which was quite awkward.

After the princess paid her respects to her parents-in-law, she took her seat in the hall. Then, the men and women of the Zhang family filed in one by one to pay their respects to the princess, making it look like a court assembly.

When Zhang Dai entered to pay his respects, the princess suddenly spoke up: "Sixth Brother, please wait. The servants I sent to my household the other day were arrogant and rude, and even offended you. These wicked servants deserve to be punished, and I will punish them severely after they return. However, because they have served me for many years, I cannot bear to expel them and wish to keep them. I am not well aware of household affairs, so I will trouble you, Sixth Brother, to arrange some things for me at home."

"Your Highness is too kind. I will obey your orders and properly settle these disciples so that they will appreciate your kindness and not dare to be arrogant again." Zhang Dai knew that Princess Ningqin was giving him a warning, but the attack was not very strong, so he didn't take it seriously. He just gave a perfunctory reply. He was too lazy to deal with such trivial matters. Anyway, if these people offended him again, he would beat them up without hesitation. If the princess still didn't let it go, he would just pack them up and send them to his aunt, Consort Wu Hui.

Princess Ningqin's arrival immediately created a tense atmosphere throughout the family. First, the number of guards stationed at the house increased significantly, making everyone in the family feel extremely uncomfortable, and even their conversations at home became extremely cautious, almost to the point of being completely evasive.

Fortunately, Zhang Dai's holiday ended, and he no longer had to stay at home and suffer from this oppressive atmosphere. His affairs were neither too busy nor too idle, so he simply moved to Taichang Temple and Xingqing Palace to stay overnight in rotation, and went to Prince Qi's house for lunch at noon. His days were actually more comfortable than before.

The Prince of Hedong petitioned to build a Taoist temple for his father to pray for blessings. This request was quickly granted by the Emperor, who ordered the construction of one temple each in Chang'an Ward south of the city, next to the temple of Prince Zhanghuai, and in Jiaoye Ward of the Eastern Capital, with ten Taoist priests assigned to each temple. Five hundred bolts of silk were provided from the palace to cover the construction costs, and a chief official from the Ministry of Sacrifices was dispatched to supervise the construction.

Five hundred bolts of silk were certainly not enough to cover the cost of building the temple, and the King of Hedong seemed intent on creating a spectacle, which would only increase the expenses. Of course, the Qi King's family could easily afford these costs. Moreover, the completed temple, besides commemorating their ancestors, would also be a form of property in itself.

While Taoist temples may not have as many revenue-generating methods as Buddhist temples, they still generate considerable income through holding religious ceremonies, offering talismans and medicines, and possessing various affiliated assets.

The only thing that bothered Zhang Dai was that the construction plan for the Taoist temple was too massive, which would inevitably extend the construction period, and his plan to get married would also have to be postponed accordingly.

Seeing the enthusiasm of the Qi King's family, he couldn't very well advise them to keep things simple. He just thought to himself that once the Taoist temple was built, he could gather a group of alchemists to work on metallurgy and chemical engineering and advance the technology tree.

If he could achieve something, it would be far more meaningful than building a Taoist temple for blessings. And if it could be named after the Prince of Qi and passed down to future generations, it would be a contribution he made to this father-in-law he had never met.

Following the grand court assembly in the middle of the month, various personnel changes occurred in the court. First, the results of the annual examination were announced, setting the tone for this year's personnel adjustments.

Zhang Dai's own examination results were no surprise; his grandfather had already told him. Moreover, he didn't get these examination results for nothing. Although he was often late, left early, and skipped work, he made considerable contributions during his tenure as the Music Master. The innovative achievements of the music adaptations he presided over were remarkable. He adapted dozens of large-scale pieces and added hundreds of new pieces, making him arguably the most outstanding musician in recent years.

However, the content of his evaluation as a mere eighth-rank official was naturally not the key factor influencing the changing political situation. What truly attracted attention were the evaluation results of mid- to high-ranking officials, especially those of the third rank and above, whose evaluations were personally conducted by the emperor. This aspect directly determined the subsequent political trajectory.

The most noteworthy aspect was the examination results of the three prime ministers. The newly appointed prime minister, Xiao Song, received a mid-to-high score, while the other two, Li Yuanhong and Du Xian, only received a mid-to-high score.

For officials who receive a salary, those who perform well in the above-average examination will receive an additional quarterly salary for each grade they advance; those who perform poorly or below the average examination will have their salary reduced by one quarterly for each grade they decline; and those who perform moderately will retain their original salary, which is considered to be neither meritorious nor demeritful.

The problem is that the prime minister, as the head of all officials and a role model for all ministers, needs to have a profound impact on the political situation. To be ineffective or without merit means to be mediocre, implying that their presence or absence has little effect on the court or the current situation. For the prime minister to become merely a figurehead is a very serious dereliction of duty!
Such a result of the assessment also means that the emperor's tolerance for the two prime ministers has reached its limit, but he has not yet decided who should take over this situation.

Therefore, starting from the second half of March, the situation at court became exceptionally lively, with high-ranking officials frequently offering their advice on important matters. Among them, Pei Guangting and Yuwen Rong were particularly active, submitting memorials before and after almost every court assembly, expressing their views on important issues such as personnel and finance.

Amidst this tumultuous and chaotic political situation, the public was naturally more concerned with who would become prime minister. Meanwhile, in a corner unnoticed by most, Zhang Shuo's faction of officials was quietly reclaiming lost territory.

First, Zhang Guang, who served as the governor of Jizhou, and Zhang Jun, who served as the deputy governor of Zhengzhou, were both promoted. Pei Zhou, who was on good terms with them, was appointed as the governor of Jingzhao. Then, his son-in-law Zheng Yan was appointed as the magistrate of Wannian County. Zhao Dongxi, who often followed him, was promoted to the position of vice minister of the Imperial Stud. Wang Han, who had just entered the capital after a serious illness, was appointed as a censor.

The series of personnel appointments was dazzling. Even though Zhang Dai had been planning ahead, he never expected that his grandfather had done so many underhanded things behind the scenes. He was truly a master of forming cliques and pursuing personal gain. No wonder the emperor had dealt with him the way he had done before.

This series of personnel adjustments also brought great convenience to Zhang Dai. Needless to say, the appointments of officials like the Prefect of Jingzhao and the Magistrate of Wannian County were beneficial, and Zhao Dongxi's new position as Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Stud was also of great help to Zhang Dai in his subsequent involvement in trade affairs.

The goods exchanged at the border trade were mainly cattle and horses. The Court of Imperial Stud was responsible for managing the imperial carriages and various livestock. Wang Han's appointment as Imperial Censor meant that the Censorate, which had been lost in the past, had now opened up a new avenue for defense.

Although Zhang Dai's official rank did not advance significantly, the resources he could control would see a qualitative leap in the next few years. Moreover, his great-grandfather and father would both be appointed to new positions in the second half of the year. While his father, Zhang Jun, was not very reliable, his great-grandfather, Zhang Guang, was dependable.

Amidst the flurry of personnel changes at court, significant events also unfolded on the border. As April approached, a dozen mounted riders, carrying proclamations, sped from Longyou towards Chang'an. Soon after, the court and the public learned that Prince Xin'an, Li Yi, had decisively defeated the barbarian rebels and captured the Chiling Stone Fortress!

(End of this chapter)