Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 431 My Husband's Favor is as Sweet as Honey

Zhang Dai politely declined Yuwen Rong's offer of enticement and then took his leave of the Secretariat. He did not go directly to the Censorate, but instead went to the Chancellery to thank Pei Guangting for his patronage and to tell him about the temptations he had resisted in order to follow him!
Upon arriving at the Secretariat, Zhang Dai was not immediately summoned, but was instead made to wait outside the hall for quite some time.

After Pei Guangting became prime minister, although he did not make any major moves in personnel matters, he was not entirely inactive.

While Xiao Song and Yuwen Rong were rubbing their hands together and thinking about their grand plans, Pei Guangting was not idle either. He was busy meeting with officials from various departments, from the chief judges to the clerks, asking them about the oversights and inconveniences in their duties, the disharmony in their interpersonal relationships, and their demands for their respective treatment.

During the time Zhang Dai waited outside the hall, dozens of officials were invited into the hall for talks. Judging from their thoughtful or pleased expressions as they left, Pei Guangting was not putting on an act or trying to cultivate a persona of being courteous to scholars, but was genuinely discussing practical issues with these people.

Zhang Dai took in these scenes, and couldn't help but feel deeply moved. Although, from a political standpoint, Pei Guangting was the weakest of the three prime ministers, weakness did not equate to inaction. At least in the eyes of these ordinary court officials, Pei Guangting was still a high-ranking prime minister.

Now that he has taken the initiative to lower his stance and communicate fully with his subordinates, it will undoubtedly make everyone feel that Pei Guangting has a more comprehensive and specific understanding of national affairs and the difficulties faced by these court officials. This is also part of the prime minister's job.

Therefore, when faced with unfavorable situations at work, many people often feel constrained and unable to fully utilize their abilities, which leads to distress and frustration because they haven't yet found a suitable way to carry out their work.

Pei Guangting's approach was like sharpening the axe before chopping wood. While talking to officials was not the prime minister's primary job, engaging in extensive conversations with officials to identify, summarize, and resolve problems was within the prime minister's scope of work. In this step-by-step process, the prime minister's authority naturally expanded.

Zhang Dai waited outside the hall until the afternoon before being summoned inside for a meeting.

"This humble official pays his respects to Prime Minister Pei, and thanks you for your patronage and promotion!"

Zhang Dai stepped forward to pay his respects and noticed that Pei Guangting had many notes written on his desk, which he guessed were records of conversations with officials.

"Zongzhi, there's no need for such formalities. Your talent is outstanding, and you are highly regarded by the times. This promotion is only natural. Moreover, this is not solely my achievement. Yuwen Huangmen has also spoken highly of you in the Secretariat and Chancellery. Are you aware of this? Did you thank Yuwen Huangmen when you took your leave?"

Pei Guangting, while organizing the notes on the table, glanced at Zhang Dai and said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai's thoughts raced for a moment, and he immediately bowed and said, "I was unaware of this matter at first, but before my departure, Lord Yuwen specially summoned me to the hall and informed me of it. Only then did I become aware of it. I am both humbled and fortunate, and I would like to express my gratitude in person."

Upon hearing this, Pei Guangting chuckled, a forced smile that seemed to go on insincere. He then continued, "I didn't expect Yuwen Rong to be so magnanimous as to repay evil with kindness. It's a pity that this attitude was only briefly shown. Did he ask you for something in return?"

Zhang Dai sensed a hint of jealousy in Pei Guangting's words, and his heart stirred again. Yuwen Rong's willingness to speak up for him and fight for an official position was quite unexpected, not to mention Pei Guangting, even Zhang Dai himself was quite surprised.

Pei Guangting is currently in a vulnerable and adverse situation, and he is very sensitive. If this point is not explained clearly, it may gradually become a misunderstanding and resentment if left unresolved, and it could hinder communication between them in the future.

So Zhang Dai said directly, "I conspired with merchants from Bianzhou to run a business. I heard about this when Prime Minister Yuwen was governing Bianzhou in the past. Now that he has gained prominence through his financial schemes, he is eager to alleviate the financial difficulties of his family, which is why he spoke to me..."

After listening to Zhang Dai's account, Pei Guangting's brows relaxed slightly, and he immediately said, "I remember that the matter of flying money was led by the Duke of Bohai in the inner palace. Zongzhi, your flying money in Bianzhou must be no exception, right?"

When Zhang Dai heard him ask this question, he naturally understood that Pei Guangting was thinking about whether it was possible to use this incident to make Yuwen Rong antagonize Gao Lishi, thereby using the power of the eunuchs to strike at his political opponent and reverse his current disadvantage.

However, Zhang Dai would certainly not allow his career to be used as a tool for power struggles, so he immediately nodded and said, "It is precisely because the matter is led by the Duke of Bohai and much of the money and silk are flowing into the palace that I argued with reason and persuaded Lord Yuwen to give up this idea."

"Argue with reason? The country is currently in dire straits, beset by internal and external troubles. Even many officials in the court are behind on their salaries. Yuwen Rong was appointed to this position in a time of crisis. Since he has this scheme to make money, what reason does Zongzhi have to make him give up this idea?"

Pei Guangting himself was not in charge of finance, but after becoming prime minister, his horizons broadened, and after talking with officials recently, he gradually realized that the court's financial situation was indeed very serious. Therefore, he couldn't help but be curious after hearing Zhang Dai say this. "Nothing much, I just offered Prime Minister Yuwen a more practical and effective strategy for the emergency."

Zhang Dai smiled and said again.

Upon hearing this, Pei Guangting's eyebrows shot up sharply, and he then smiled and said, "Your words only make me more curious. I wonder if I might have the honor of hearing what brilliant plan you, Zongzhi, have to offer to Yuwen Rong?"

"I have come to pay my respects precisely to report this matter in detail to Prime Minister Pei!"

Zhang Dai glanced at Pei Guangting, whose expression had already somewhat lost control, and chuckled inwardly. "Serves you right for putting on airs and making me wait outside for so long. I'll teach you a lesson for this and let you know that I have important matters to discuss with you and need to see you immediately!"
He had already introduced the Kaizhongfa method to Yuwen Rong, and of course he wouldn't mind repeating it to Pei Guangting.

Such a massive personnel plan was not the result of anyone stealing its intellectual property, and the idea of ​​using salt profits to subsidize military expenses was not Zhang Dai's original idea.

As early as the fifteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, when Xiao Song was still serving as the military governor of Shuofang, he had already concurrently taken charge of the salt lake commissioner within the pass, bringing the salt profits of Yanzhou and other places under the control of the Shuofang army in order to supplement military funds in the context of natural disasters and insufficient national funds.

In the ninth year of the Kaiyuan era, Yuwen Rong proposed the land reclamation policy, but his rapid rise to power was mainly due to his outstanding success in overseeing the land reclamation and household registration reforms. As for related proposals and actions, they had already been made during the Shenlong era of the Wu Zhou dynasty, but the results were not ideal.

Although Pei Guangting's understanding of finance and accounting was not as profound as Yuwen Rong's, after listening to Zhang Dai's explanation, he couldn't help but have his eyes light up and be deeply moved. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Yuwen Rong has succeeded! No wonder he was willing to give up even the most lucrative opportunities. If this matter succeeds, his power and position will be even more secure. Who can shake his position?"

After making this remark, he stared intently at Zhang Dai and said with a slight smile, "I've never heard you mention such a brilliant strategy before. Do you perhaps feel that true friends are hard to find, and that no one is fit to strategize with?"

"How dare I? My plan is not very sophisticated. The reason I came up with this idea was inspired by something that happened recently. After the Prince of Xin'an led his army to launch a surprise attack on Shibao City and achieved such a great feat, the court was short of rewards to reward him. Some people suggested that it would be better to use the salt produced in Guanzhong to reward the meritorious officials..."

Hearing the hint of jealousy in Pei Guangting's tone, Zhang Dai explained, "I only learned from this discussion that the court was recently forced by a shortage of resources to grant the benefits of the salt lake to a border general."

Salt and iron are essential for national prosperity, yet their affairs are not managed by the imperial court but entrusted to local military governors. This plan is extremely inappropriate! Governing with civil officials and conquering with military force—if this is combined, where will people's hearts be? However, with the border achievements newly made and the generals and soldiers full of high morale, who would dare to criticize this matter?

"Only Prime Minister Yuwen is known for his upright and straightforward approach to affairs, and now he is eager to serve the country by employing more people. If this plan is proposed, he will surely find it difficult to tolerate. If the matter is brought under control at the central level, it can be discussed calmly. If the matter is shelved and does not succeed, future generations will have a lesson to learn from, and their plans will be more targeted and effective."

"You mean, Yuwen Rong might become at odds with Prince Xin'an because of this..."

Pei Guangting was initially displeased that Zhang Dai had presented this plan to Yuwen Rong, fearing that Yuwen Rong might use it to seize greater power. However, upon hearing this, he was immediately inspired, his eyes gradually brightening as he murmured, "Leaving aside whether Yuwen Rong would be eager to seize credit and cause trouble, Lord Xiao, with his dual roles in both civil and military affairs, has not deeply considered the advantages and disadvantages! If next year the power is concentrated on the borders while the interior remains weak, the border officials will become increasingly ruthless and the prime minister will find it difficult to control them, what crime will he commit?"

Upon hearing Pei Guangting's words, Zhang Dai couldn't help but marvel at the fact that although the prime ministers of the Kaiyuan era were all like fighting cocks, they were not without their own abilities. Even though Pei Guangting's words stemmed from a power struggle, they were remarkably forward-thinking and insightful; his words seemed to be blessed.

Even Du Xian, who had been fighting Li Yuanhong relentlessly in recent years, had a very deep understanding of the actual threat posed by the two northeastern tribes.

Xiao Song probably had his own thoughts and concerns about this, but since he was originally appointed prime minister based on military merit and still holds the position of military governor of Hexi, he was confident that he could suppress those border generals, so he did not need to emphasize these issues.

After saying this, Pei Guangting looked at Zhang Dai and said, "Zongzhi's keen insight and meticulous thinking are truly commendable! During the recent dispute, Lord Xiao said that you were not willing to be used, but now it seems that your mere actions are not worth mentioning! You are only hindered by the common people's opinions. You should focus on your work and not worry about your promotion. I will not let you remain a low-ranking official for long!"

"My family is well-off, and I am still able to beg for food. I do not covet high salaries. I only wish to gain your favor, sir, and I would be content with that!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai quickly cupped his hands and said that as long as he could gain the appreciation of Prime Minister Pei, it would be sweeter than honey to him!
(End of this chapter)