Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 453 The Prime Minister's Difficulties
Gao Lishi owned several residences in the capital, all of which were located near several imperial palaces for his convenience in accessing and paying respects to the emperor.

Considering that Wang Maozhong was about to suffer the pain of losing his son and had nowhere to vent his anger, Zhang Dai did not wander aimlessly between the various wards. After leaving Taiji Palace, he went straight to Yishan Ward outside Danfeng Gate of Daming Palace.

This area is the closest to the Daming Palace. Favored eunuchs such as Yang Sixu and Gao Lishi all had residences here, and their mansions were built in a magnificent style, surpassing even the homes of princes and nobles.

Because this place was close to the imperial city, and Gao Lishi was quite favored in the inner palace, his residence in the neighborhood was always bustling with visitors. When Zhang Dai arrived, he saw many carriages and horses parked in front of the house, and it took him quite a bit of effort to squeeze in.

"Knowing that Liu Lang might come to visit, Father instructed Liu Lang to wait in the inner hall for a while. After things were settled in the garden, Father would return home to see him."

As soon as Zhang Dai squeezed through the door, Gao Chengyi, Gao Lishi's adopted son, stepped forward with a blank expression on his face and said only this to Zhang Dai.

Zhang Dai nodded and was about to go inside when he suddenly heard someone call out to him: "Sixth Brother, Sixth Brother, what a coincidence to meet you at the Bohai Duke's residence!"

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Giwin standing among a group of visitors, waving enthusiastically at him. The guy was tall and thin, standing there like a bamboo pole; he was worried that Giwin would be broken by the crowd.

Zhang Dai had no particular relationship with this guy, so he simply nodded slightly in response, raised his hand to indicate that he wanted to go in first, and then followed Gao Chengyi into the house.

"Does Liu Lang also know that Ji?"

After walking a few steps, Gao Chengyi looked at Zhang Dai and asked.

"They were just fellow villagers who had visited my home before."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai casually replied, but Gao Chengyi, unusually, added, "This fellow is not a good person. He often comes to our house seeking an audience and enjoys gossiping. Sixth Brother, you should be careful around him."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai chuckled and exclaimed that Ji Wen really did have a wicked look on his face; even the adopted son who managed the household affairs in Gao Lishi's family could tell that he was not a good person.

However, being exceptionally wicked can also be a talent, and it can be useful in dealing with certain special problems. Judging from Gao Chengyi's words, it seems that Ji Wen is also acting as Gao Lishi's eyes and ears.

In that case, I really need to be wary of this kid and not let him discover too many of my secrets.

Zhang Dai secretly made a mental note of this. If Ji Wen ever tried to harm him in the future, he would have to send the old man to the south of the city to be used as fertilizer!

He was considered a junior whom Gao Lishi took care of and treated like a nephew. Since he had come to the house, he couldn't help but pay his respects to Gao Lishi's wife.

This Lady Lü's features resembled Lü He from Pingkangfang, and she was pampered and didn't need to greet people with a smile like Lü He. She had a naturally aloof temperament and was never smiling, even in front of her family.

When Zhang Dai entered to pay his respects, Madam Lü, unusually, showed a smile. Pointing at Zhang Dai, she said with a laugh, "Ahe came to our house the other day and said that Sixth Brother is very talented. Every time he writes a new poem, it can earn the women in the village a lot more money for cosmetics. It's a pity that in recent years, after he entered officialdom, he has produced fewer new works, which makes people long for his new ones!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai was naturally embarrassed. He dared to fool around with Aunt Lü in bed, but he certainly didn't dare to be rude or presumptuous in front of Madam Lü. After hearing this, he quickly lowered his head and replied, "Since I was released from my official post, I have been busy with official business and buried in my books all day long. Indeed, my interest has diminished, and I rarely write new poems. It is inevitable that I will neglect the lady in the song."

His rigid and formal answers made Madam Lü feel somewhat bored. After chatting for a few more minutes, seeing that he was still a bit reserved, Madam Lü waved her hand to indicate that he could leave.

After Zhang Dai took his leave, Lady Lü couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Although she enjoyed a life of luxury and was surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids, such a life became quite monotonous after a while. She stayed at home all day, and even seeing a handsome young man like Zhang Dai became a rare sight.

Zhang Dai didn't dare to delve into Lady Lü's feelings of resentment. He could only sigh in his heart at how wasteful these eunuchs were. Everyone knew what kind of people they were, yet they still had beautiful wives and concubines at home.

It's like some corrupt officials hanging a few calligraphy works by famous artists in their rooms that say things like "Integrity as Water" and "Heaven Rewards Diligence," and they feel for a moment that their morality has been elevated. But in reality, once it's gone, it's gone. A eunuch loses this thing, and a corrupt official loses that thing; it's a lot of work to make it grow back.

Zhang Dai waited there until evening before Gao Lishi finally returned home. When he saw Zhang Dai, he immediately pointed at him and said with a smile, "Young man, you truly live up to your reputation! You've made a name for yourself as soon as you entered the Censorate! This impeachment has amazed everyone, and I'm sure you'll earn even more praise for not being afraid of powerful figures!"

"Haha, I misspoke. Your actions were out of a desire for integrity and justice, to rectify the morals of the world. How could you possibly consider it an act of seeking fame and fortune? It is those censors and officials who should be ashamed. These personnel problems have existed for more than a short time. Why have they been sitting idly by without intervening?" Zhang Dai could tell that Gao Lishi was in a very good mood. He hadn't even had a chance to sit down after returning home before he started praising himself incessantly. It was clear that Zhang Dai's impeachment of Xue Tao had actually given Gao Lishi a lot of work to do.

"This is simply my duty, and I really don't deserve such praise from the Duke of Bohai."

Zhang Dai first made a few modest remarks, then said, "However, judging from the subsequent developments, it seems there are still many things that my report did not cover. I am now called the instigator, and when it comes to the inside story, I am just as clueless as the rest of you. This morning, Lord Huo suddenly went to the Censorate to question me, which caught me off guard and made me feel very flustered. I don't know how to respond."

"Mao Zhong is nothing but a desperate wolf, howling in vain. No matter how much he howls, his son is doomed this time!"

As Gao Lishi finished speaking, he looked rather smug. He first gestured for Zhang Dai to sit down, and then said, “Knowing that you might be implicated, I should have informed you in advance. However, the interrogation ended late last night, and this morning I had to report the case to the Emperor as soon as possible. In the midst of all this busyness, I inevitably overlooked something. After the matter was settled, I was unable to inform the people involved in time, which may have caused you some distress.”

“A little disturbance is tolerable, especially since Lord Huo and I have a long-standing grudge, so it’s understandable that he would take his anger out on me this time. However, Lord Huo has gone too far this time, actually leading a crowd to directly disturb the Censorate, and Prime Minister Pei has also been deeply humiliated. This is truly unbearable for the people!”

Zhang Dai naturally dared not argue with Gao Lishi about this matter, but he still needed to give an explanation to Pei Guangting. So he sighed and said, "Your Excellency has just taken charge of the Censorate and there are still many things to be done. You have no time to come and ask, so you can only entrust me to ask the Duke of Bohai how to deal with the aftermath."

"Since this matter involves the Crown Prince's affairs, I cannot tell you the whole story. I can only tell you that Wang Maozhongzi deserved his punishment. He didn't even dare to beg the Emperor for his son's life, so he took his anger out on the others. He knew why his son was guilty, yet he still disregarded the facts and blamed the Censor. This is truly incomprehensible!"

Gao Lishi snorted coldly again at this point: "Prime Minister Pei's new appointment has placed great hopes on him, both by the Emperor and the people. Yet, before he can even implement his grand plans, he has already incurred the wrath of these madmen. It is truly infuriating how rampant the officials at the Northern Gate are. If they are not severely punished, it will be difficult to quell this hatred!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai felt even more strongly that Gao Lishi was behind it all, deliberately diverting Wang Maozhong's anger towards Pei Guangting and himself, especially hoping that Pei Guangting would join him in getting rid of Wang Maozhong.

This speech was shrouded in mystery, revealing virtually no useful information. It didn't even explain why Wang Maozhong's son was sentenced to death, which only deepened the sense of conspiracy.

Zhang Dai naturally couldn't just go back and report, and this matter was quite related to him. He had to figure out how deep Wang Maozhong's anger towards him had accumulated and whether he really wanted to get rid of him no matter what the cost.

Therefore, after a moment's thought, he said to Gao Lishi, "May I ask, if Lord Huo is truly no longer fit to serve as a guard, then who should succeed him? And how should the affairs at the North Gate be coordinated? Do the Duke of Bohai and the others already have a plan for these matters?"

"Did Prime Minister Pei send you to ask this question?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi immediately frowned slightly.

Zhang Dai did not answer directly, but changed the subject and said, "Prime Minister Pei sent me to tell the Duke of Bohai that the inner court and the outer court are ultimately different, and each must act in accordance with the law. It is not necessarily a good thing to confuse the inner and outer courts."

"Hmph, no matter what laws they follow, they must always be loyal to the emperor and respect their superiors! Both internal and external affairs are the affairs of the imperial family. The so-called internal and external affairs are only separated by a wall."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi immediately frowned in displeasure. Clearly, Pei Guangting's emphasis on the clear distinction between internal and external affairs displeased him. He then looked at Zhang Dai and said, "Whether Wang Maozhong is still capable of guarding the palace is unclear to others, but don't you know well? The events in the Eastern Capital back then were truly a laughing stock. Now that his son has lost his position as regent for the Crown Prince, he is negligent in his duties both inside and outside the palace, often leading young servants from various families around the North Gate to disturb the Crown Prince's palace, deeply betraying the Emperor's favor..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai vaguely understood why Gao Lishi was able to kill Wang Maozhong's son this time. He guessed that Wang Maozhong's sons had deliberately cultivated good relations with the Crown Prince, using their positions there to give him preferential treatment, which angered the Emperor. In particular, their recruitment of the second-generation elites from the North Gate into the Crown Prince's palace had undoubtedly further offended the Emperor.

The eunuchs had a natural advantage in this regard, as they had no blood relatives or descendants. This meant they did not need to hedge their bets for the continuation of their power, position, wealth, and status, and were therefore more loyal to the emperor.

However, the advice of the eunuch alone was probably not enough to convince the emperor to eliminate Wang Maozhong. After all, Wang Maozhong had been deeply entrenched in the Northern Guard system for many years, and if he were to be removed, the upheaval might not be completely contained. That is why Gao Lishi needed to obtain support from the outer court.

He had put in a lot of effort to help Pei Guangting become prime minister, but now Pei Guangting seemed to have turned his back on him, emphasizing the distinction between inside and outside and refusing to be his yes-man.

“I am well aware of this matter, and therefore I have always followed the advice of the Duke of Bohai on how to deal with Lord Huo. I also deeply hope that this arrogant and derelict person can be eliminated! It is just a pity that I am of low status and my words carry little weight. I can only serve as a messenger to deliver the message.”

From the perspective of the officials of the outer court, Zhang Dai also disliked Gao Lishi's condescending attitude towards the prime minister. So what if he used you to get to the top? The prime minister is still the prime minister of the people, not a puppet of your servants.

However, he didn't need to bear this pressure, so he didn't need to argue with Gao Lishi. In short, I am different from them. If you can support me to take the throne in the future, then whether or not I deal with you is fine.

(End of this chapter)