Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 426 Zhang Liulang Trapped in Enemy Camp

"Congratulations, Lord Yuwen! Congratulations, Lord Yuwen!"

In the Ministry of Personnel, the officials were all warmly congratulating and welcoming their new superior, Yuwen Rong, who had been appointed prime minister as a Yellow Gate Attendant and concurrently Chancellor.

Standing among his fellow provincial officials, Zhang Dai wore a perfunctory smile, but his mind was racing.

Unsurprisingly, both prime ministers who were blocked from entering the court were dismissed, and replaced by the recently rising stars Yuwen Rong and Pei Guangting. Yuwen Rong was appointed prime minister as a Yellow Gate Attendant, while Pei Guangting was appointed prime minister as a Secretariat Attendant.

However, a problem arose: Zhang Dai's concurrent position of Left Remonstrator was a post under the Secretariat. This was a small joke played by fate; although his political investment was correct, he had chosen the wrong side, siding directly with the enemy!

Yuwen Rong was overjoyed as his long-cherished wish was fulfilled. He responded to the congratulations from his subordinates with smiles and laughter, but for the time being, he did not notice Zhang Dai standing at the back of the crowd.

However, Zhang Dai was well aware that Yuwen Rong's numerous cronies and henchmen were all hoping for a rise in rank and fortunes along with him. With Yuwen Rong's appointment as prime minister, a series of official adjustments and arrangements were inevitable. As the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and head of the Secretariat, Zhang Dai would certainly also carry out a purge of the Secretariat.

Moreover, he had caused Yuwen Rong considerable trouble not long ago. Even though his official rank wasn't high, he still held a prominent position on Yuwen Rong's official register based on his abilities. If he continued to stay here, his chances of survival would be slim.

So he didn't rush to offer his congratulations at the last minute. Instead, he quietly slipped away before Yuwen Rong noticed him, showing his true colors by seeing off his former boss, Du Xian.

Du Xian's family had already packed his luggage, and he was currently exchanging documents with his subordinates. When he saw Zhang Dai walking over, he smiled and said, "I heard that the new prime minister has arrived in the province and all his followers are here to welcome him. Why did you come here alone, Zongzhi?"

"This humble official is unworthy, and though I have not achieved great merit in my previous positions, I have been deeply grateful for your patronage. As for who will hold a higher position, it is beyond my control. I can only offer my respects and wish you continued success in your future endeavors!"

Zhang Dai bowed to Du Xian and said that although they did not have a deep friendship, Du Xian had been kind to his mentor Yan Tingzhi. Although the two were expelled from the court one after the other, this friendship remained.

Moreover, Du Xian wanted him to be his son-in-law. Even though they were not destined to be together, it was still a sign of appreciation.

"Then thank you for your kind words!"

Upon hearing this, Du Xian chuckled and then joked, "Before I leave for the Jing residence, I may visit your home to ask if Lord Yan still has the raincoat he gave me back then, which could help me avoid the storms of the martial world."

After being dismissed from his post as prime minister, Du Xian will leave the court to take up the post of Chief Administrator of the Jingzhou Grand General's Office.

Although Jingzhou was one of the most important towns in the country during the period of division between the North and the South, its importance has declined sharply since the country was unified again and both the Sui and Tang dynasties intended to weaken the military power of the South. From a powerful and important town in Shaanxi in its early years, it has now become a re-employment center for retired cadres.

After losing a power struggle at court in his early years, Zhang Shuo was demoted to a local post, previously serving as the Prefect of Jingzhou. Later, after Zhang Jiuling was dismissed from his post as Chancellor, he also took on the position of Prefect of Jingzhou. Although far from the political center, it was still a third-rank position, which was considered a relatively respectable arrangement.

Zhang Dai escorted Du Xian out of the Menxia Province. Besides him, several other officials from the Menxia Province also came to see him off, but compared to the lively scene of welcoming their new superior in the hall, it was still somewhat lonely.

"Please wait, gentlemen! After several years of service, I have only achieved extraordinary feats that I can share with you all, and I wish to boast of my achievements and seek advancement. Now I am leaving, and I only hope that you will be loyal and diligent in serving the country, and achieve merit and increase your rank!"

After leaving the provincial government office, Du Xian did not allow the men to see him off any further. He bowed to them in farewell and then turned and left.

After seeing Du Xian off, the others quickly returned to the hall to try and make a good impression on their new superior. Zhang Dai, however, did not rush back. He lingered at the door for a while and soon saw a group of people striding towards him from the south. They were Yuwen Rong's cronies and subordinates, including Wei Heng and Li Linfu.

These people were all beaming with smiles and high spirits. The court assembly had just ended, and they had all rushed to the Secretariat, looking as if they couldn't wait to share the spoils of victory.

They walked past Zhang Dai one by one, with Wei Heng making no attempt to hide his stare at Zhang Dai, his eyes filled with malice. As for Li Linfu, needless to say, ever since he appeared in Zhang Dai's sight, his eyes had been glued to Zhang Dai like a mouse eyeing honey.

What an air!
Zhang Dai inwardly scoffed. Judging from their expressions, he seemed to have been reduced to a helpless position. Their leader had risen to power, and so had his! The struggle was far from over; the outcome was still uncertain. However, the arrival of this group reminded Zhang Dai that the most important thing right now was to quickly become acquainted with his own faction's leader. Now that Pei Guangting was the prime minister, he couldn't afford to harbor any ulterior motives or expect anything in return for his significant contributions to Pei's rise. He needed to quickly establish a new working relationship.

Another crucial point is that Pei Guangting should be reminded to take his own affairs seriously and quickly reassign him to a different job to get him out of this awkward and dangerous situation of being trapped in the enemy camp, lest he be taken away by Yuwen Rong's henchmen in one fell swoop.

Therefore, he no longer returned to the Secretariat, but went straight to the Central Secretariat on the opposite side.

The atmosphere in the Secretariat was much the same as that in the Chancellery, with all the officials welcoming their superiors. The difference was that two new officials were taking office in the Secretariat today. In addition to Pei Guangting, who was transferred to the position of Vice Minister of the Secretariat, there was also Chancellor Xiao Song, who was appointed Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and concurrently Chancellor.

This arrangement is quite ingenious and reveals a lot of information. Since Zhang Yue and Yuan Qianyao were dismissed from their posts as prime ministers, no new officials have been appointed to the Secretariat and the Chancellery. Instead, the Vice Ministers of the Secretariat and the Vice Ministers of the Palace Secretariat concurrently hold the positions. In particular, the position of Grand Secretary has been vacant for an even longer period.

As a result, the court has now changed its ruling team, and the position of Grand Secretary, which had been vacant for several years, has been re-appointed, with Xiao Song, the Minister of War, concurrently holding the post. Considering that Pei Guangting was promoted to Prime Minister from Vice Minister of War, this undoubtedly shows that the Ministry of War, or rather the military, is currently the core of national affairs.

As for Xiao Song concurrently serving as Chancellor, this can be seen as a response to recent discussions about Prince Xin'an. The point is that although Prince Xin'an has made outstanding contributions, he still has no hope of becoming Chancellor in the near future. This is not because his achievements are insufficient, but because the Emperor may not yet be ready to appoint members of the imperial clan as prime ministers.

However, this put the Secretariat in a somewhat awkward position, especially for Prime Minister Pei Guangting, who felt a bit aggrieved. He and Yuwen Rong had risen to power together, and although the Chancellery still had a Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Li Gao, Li Gao was now serving as the Prefect of Taiyuan, making Yuwen Rong the sole official in charge of the Chancellery.

However, Pei Guangting still has the Grand Secretary over him, and it was Xiao Song, his old superior, who transferred him from the Ministry of War to the Grand Secretariat. This undoubtedly makes Pei Guangting appear to lack authority and find it difficult to exert his power.

Of course, these are issues that will arise in the course of their future governance. At least for now, Xiao Song and Pei Guangting are still immersed in the joy of their promotions. Xiao Song, in particular, who has been promoted to Grand Secretary, is quite pleased with himself.

In the political landscape of the Tang Dynasty, the Grand Secretary was the true prime minister. Since Zhang Yue resigned, the position had been vacant. Now that Xiao Song had been appointed to this post, it undoubtedly showed that he was a true prime minister whose talent and achievements rivaled those of Yao, Song, and Zhang, and that he was not comparable to other miscellaneous officials.

So when Zhang Dai arrived at the Secretariat, he saw Xiao Song sitting upright in the main seat of the hall, with Pei Guangting sitting to one side. The other officials of the Secretariat, some sitting and some standing, were all smiling and congratulating the two of them.

At this time, there were many officials who came to the Secretariat to offer their congratulations. Zhang Dai could only stand in line outside the corridor. When he saw the scene in the hall from afar, he couldn't help but sigh that although Xiao Song's position had been promoted, his dignity was still somewhat lacking.

It should be noted that when his grandfather was serving as the Grand Secretary, he was also newly appointed as the Right Chancellor of the Ministry of Personnel. He specially set up a tent and sat on it, and officials from all the departments of the court came forward one by one to offer their congratulations. The way he put on airs was simply outrageous.

The emperor didn't punish him then because he was still considering the Fengshan ceremony, but after it ended, he finally couldn't stand it anymore and severely punished his grandfather. Although Xiao Song is now the Grand Secretary, he clearly hasn't reached the level of those old men who court death.

Zhang Dai waited outside the hall for a while before it was his turn to enter and offer his congratulations. He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I, Zhang Dai, the Assistant Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, come to congratulate Lord Xiao and Prime Minister Pei on their new appointments! Lord Xiao and Prime Minister Pei are both exemplary officials, with outstanding achievements and renowned reputations that resounded throughout the court and the countryside. Now that they have been promoted to high positions, the world considers them to be the right people. The prosperous era will surely become even more splendid, and the people will all be happy to have such good governance!"

"No need for such formalities, Mr. Zhang. Thank you for your kind words!"

Pei Guangting first greeted him with a smile, then pointed at him and turned to Xiao Song, introducing him: "This is Zhang Yan Gongsun. Your Excellency is busy with many affairs of state and may not know him. This young man has won first place in the imperial examinations last year and is a rare talent. It would be a pity if someone looked down on him. What do you think of him, Your Excellency?"

Xiao Song, with his broad face, beautiful beard, and dignified demeanor, stroked his beard and said with a smile after hearing Pei Guangting's introduction: "How could we, neighbors, not have heard of Zhang Dai's talent? Zhang Dai's talent was outstanding when he was out of office, and he had many admirers. When he was in court, he passed the examination twice and has already taken on many responsibilities. He has a deep understanding of Zhang Yan Gong's style. Given time, he should be put to great use."

"This humble official is very grateful for the praise from Lord Xiao and Prime Minister Pei. I will certainly take it as an encouragement and dare not slack off!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai quickly bowed and thanked him again.

Although he was very polite, he felt a little cold inside. Xiao Song's words sounded good, but they pointed out that he was not qualified enough. He had only passed two examinations and had already been appointed to so many official positions. If he wanted to seek more, then he was a little ungrateful.

(End of this chapter)