Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 427: One person achieves enlightenment, chicken and dog ascend to heaven

Xiao Song's words may have been merely stating the facts, or they may have been intended to give Pei Guangting a warning, hoping that he would not show any signs of forming cliques or cultivating followers too early.

But whatever the motivation, this was not good news for Zhang Dai.

Age and seniority were indeed his weaknesses, especially as the Tang Dynasty's election laws were improved, some key official positions and ranks had relatively strict requirements regarding resumes, making it increasingly difficult to advance beyond one's rank.

Zhang Dai had already reached the eighth rank of officialdom before he even reached adulthood, and after only two examinations, he held multiple positions. He could not possibly be considered a talented but underappreciated official. Given his current position, any further promotion would be extremely difficult.

He was clearly not the main character here, and after hearing Xiao Song's words, Pei Guangting simply smiled and nodded, saying nothing more. Zhang Dai, sensing the situation, tactfully stepped aside, pondering how to escape this awkward predicament.

With a new prime minister in office, there were naturally many personnel matters to be handled, so all the officials from the outer offices withdrew after offering their congratulations. Zhang Dai didn't want to go back to the Secretariat and make a fool of himself, so he simply went to Xingqing Palace first.

As evening fell, the Emperor hosted a banquet at the Hua'e Tower to celebrate the new Prime Minister's appointment. Officials of the fifth rank and above, as well as various court officials, were all present. Zhang Dai was naturally among them, respectfully seated at the end of the table in the Secretariat.

At the banquet, the prime ministers naturally expressed their gratitude. Their different styles of conduct were also evident in their speeches. Pei Guangting expressed his gratitude for the emperor's favor in just a few words, while Yuwen Rong delivered a long and eloquent speech that lasted for almost half an hour.

One was calm and reserved, the other passionate; in terms of personality alone, they were quite complementary, and unlike the previous two prime ministers, they didn't immediately clash or fight. Whether they could truly complement each other in the actual course of governance remains to be seen, depending on how their relationship develops.

However, it was clear that the emperor was very satisfied with the two new prime ministers. He not only repeatedly gestured to the attendants to pour wine for Pei Guangting, but also listened very carefully to Yuwen Rong's discussion.

The banquet was a joyous occasion for both the emperor and his officials, and by the time it ended, it was already late at night. The officials who had attended either returned to their official residences or sent messengers to escort them home.

Yuwen Rong was not only passionate and eloquent in front of the emperor, but also enthusiastic about his work. After the banquet, he did not go straight home, but instead summoned his subordinates and officials back to the Daming Palace to discuss provincial affairs.

Pei Guangting wasn't so enthusiastic, and besides, he had a Grand Secretary, Xiao Song, above him, so it wasn't his place to boss people around in the Grand Secretariat. Therefore, after leaving Xingqing Palace, he quietly returned home, and at the same time, he didn't forget to invite Zhang Dai to accompany him.

Zhang Dai was naturally delighted with this, as he currently needed to strengthen communication and contact with the leader of his faction.

"Yuwen Rong is very ambitious. He has only recently gained power and position, yet he is already eager to devise grand plans. With such an impetuous superior in charge of the province, Zong Chu must be feeling somewhat uneasy, right?"

Although his long-cherished wish had been fulfilled and he had successfully become prime minister, Pei Guangting still maintained self-control. He drank in moderation at the banquet and remained clear-headed on his way home, smiling as he spoke to Zhang Dai.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai sighed and said, "Prime Minister Yuwen has always been a man of great wisdom and diligence. Now that he holds a position of power, his ambitions are naturally even stronger. Moreover, he has amassed a large following over the years, and they all hope to be recruited one by one, eyeing us with predatory intent. Although I hold a lowly position, I am quite worried about this situation. May I ask if you, Prime Minister, have any advice for me?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Guangting chuckled and pointed at Zhang Dai, saying, "Even a composed and talented young man like Zongzhi is filled with anxiety, which shows that Yuwen is favored and the people are in a state of uncertainty! I cannot offer much help to the others for the time being, but I still have the intention to promote Zongzhi, a man of great talent. I wonder if you would be willing to serve in the Censorate?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai was overjoyed and immediately bowed deeply to Pei Guangting from his horse, saying, "How fortunate I am to have received such appreciation from you, Prime Minister! I will never forget your kindness in promoting me, and I will do my utmost to serve the country and repay your kindness!"

"I believe you have the talent and ambition, and I hope that when this story of your promotion is mentioned again next year, I will also be proud of it!"

Pei Guangting also greatly admired Zhang Dai. He had witnessed the young man's quick wit and competence when he was planning to become prime minister. Moreover, Zhang Dai had contributed a great deal to his own appointment. Now that he had finally succeeded, he naturally wanted to repay the favor and made promoting Zhang Dai one of the first things he would do after becoming prime minister.

Zhang Dai had been quite nervous all day, but now that he had finally received Pei Guangting's promise, he breathed a huge sigh of relief and couldn't help but marvel that his gamble had paid off.

Given his current youth and seniority, it would be difficult for him to obtain a more important official position through normal transfer. Moreover, there are not many positions to choose from in the court. The position of Censor, which is also of the eighth rank, can be said to be the only option.

The problem is that, as a typical example of a low-ranking but high-ranking official, it was quite difficult to assume the position of Censor. The Tang Dynasty governed the country with laws and principles, and placed great importance on censors, thus making the Censor a highly important figure.

One essential and rigid criterion was that all those appointed as Censors must have been promoted from positions as county-level administrative officials. These officials, such as county lieutenants or registrars, assisted the county and prefectural officials in governing the people. In other words, to become a Censor, one had to possess certain grassroots administrative experience to avoid unrealistic boasting. Those who rose to high office as Censors, such as Yuwen Rong, typically had a background as a county lieutenant.

However, as Xiao Song pointed out, Zhang Dai had served in two official examinations since his initial appointment, but naturally lacked experience in positions such as county magistrate or registrar, leaving him with a blank slate in grassroots administration. This lack of experience was a significant disadvantage for him if he wanted to become a censor.

However, the lack of a formal resume does not mean that Zhang Dai lacked relevant experience. The weaving workshops scattered throughout Henan and Hebei, the fleets on the Bian Canal waterway, and the integrated commercial and industrial park in Bianzhou were all established from scratch by him. Those officials who served as county magistrates at the grassroots level may not have had such rich experience in their work.

Moreover, he possessed a wealth of summaries and evaluations of the gains and losses of the Tang Dynasty's politics throughout history, which surpassed the general understanding and perception of the era held by contemporary Tang Dynasty figures.

Some might argue that these are merely analyses based on written materials, detached from the actual historical context, and far inferior to the genuine experiences of the Tang people.

However, in reality, to gain profound insights and make deep summaries from the complexities of real life requires both experience and talent.

A significant portion of people are merely living beings within this environment. They lack any understanding of institutional structures, social rules, values, or other knowledge that is based on but transcends social life; they can only be instilled with these concepts by others.

Therefore, in terms of personal understanding and ability, Zhang Dai was more than capable of serving as the Censor. Furthermore, Zhang Dai possessed an almost superhuman understanding of who was beneficial to the country and who was harmful, and what their respective limitations were.

Although the position of Censor was lowly, it wielded considerable power, and thus their appointment process was rather unique. While the selection and appointment of officials below the sixth rank were the responsibility of the Ministry of Personnel, the Censor was an exception.

There are usually three ways to become a censor: one is by direct appointment by the emperor, the second is by recommendation by the prime minister, and the third is by selection by the Censorate.

Zhang Dai understood that his resume was lacking, but since Pei Guangting had already made such a statement, he would naturally do his best to help him get the position. This was also the meaning of how lower-level officials obeyed their superiors.

If Pei Guangting can't even secure a position as a censor, then his authority as prime minister will naturally be greatly diminished. It's not just a matter of Zhang Dai being disappointed; even Pei Guangting himself will inevitably be marginalized.

So after sending Pei Guangting home, Zhang Dai himself happily returned home, ready to welcome the good news.

Not to mention Pei Guangting's promise to Zhang Dai, there was also a conversation about Zhang Dai in the government office of the Chancellery in Daming Palace.

"Now that you hold a high position and great power, you should first establish your authority, and then all your orders will naturally be carried out smoothly!"

Although Li Linfu was not an official of the Secretariat, he had always been very active in Yuwen Rong's staff. Since arriving to offer congratulations that morning, he had been accompanying Yuwen Rong everywhere. Now, he had also returned to the Secretariat with Yuwen Rong and immediately said impatiently, "Zhang Dai has repeatedly provoked us. Many people in the province know about this. This man is arrogant despite his low rank and is power-hungry by nature. He should be severely punished as a warning to others!"

"Indeed, this fellow has caused much trouble and nearly ruined our plans recently. If we do not punish him, how can we command respect?"

Wei Heng, who had been blackmailed by him, quickly nodded and said, "Zhang said that during the previous annual examinations, the supervisors were often unfair. Zhang Dai also usurped this authority, acting ruthlessly and greedily, plotting to seize people's wealth. The evidence is conclusive, and he should be severely punished!"

While sipping his hangover soup, Yuwen Rong waved his hand and said, "I know you are all indignant and eager for revenge, but this matter of punishment and reward is a trivial matter, which can be decided with a single document. It is not worth worrying about. Now that things are looking up, many important plans are about to be implemented. You should not waste your intelligence on such trivial matters. Instead of wasting your time, you should carefully consider who and what abilities are beneficial to our cause!"

Hearing Yuwen Rong say this, everyone immediately perked up. While revenge was certainly exhilarating, what they looked forward to and were even happier about was the promotion of their own official positions and power.

"Your Excellency holds the reins of power and plans grand strategies, while we are merely pawns in the game. Our talents and abilities, and where we are placed, depend entirely on Your Excellency's appreciation and guidance. We dare not presume to judge them!"

Li Linfu bowed excitedly and said that although he was only serving as the sixth-rank official Honglu Cheng, he had previous experience as the Director of the Imperial Academy and the Vice Censor-in-Chief, so he had many options for promotion.

Now that Yuwen Rong has been promoted to prime minister, he needs capable people to hold important positions. Li Linfu is also full of wonderful ideas about his next job arrangements.

(End of this chapter)