Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 457 Deputy Protector-General of Anxi
As their conversation came to an end, Gao Lishi's stomach suddenly rumbled, and he realized that he had been talking with Zhang Dai since he got home and hadn't had time to eat yet.

"I've often heard people say that they are so eager to find talented people that they forget to eat and sleep. In the past, I thought it was an exaggeration, but now, after discussing current affairs with my sons, I realize that this is absolutely true. True insights are enough to keep one occupied and make one tireless in discussion. As soon as we finished discussing, I suddenly felt very hungry. Zongzhi, come with me to have dinner in the inner hall!"

As Gao Lishi spoke, he stood up from his seat and then instructed his family, "Please invite Madam to the inner hall to have dinner with the children."

Seeing that Gao Lishi treated him like one of his own, Zhang Dai didn't refuse any longer and stood up to walk into the inner hall with Gao Lishi.

Once everyone was seated in the inner hall, the servants had already served the food and wine to the serving table with swift movements. Lady Lü then came out in her finest attire, wearing a brightly colored silk dress and exquisite, alluring makeup. Perhaps it was because women dress to please their lovers that she looked even more beautiful and charming than when Zhang Dai had come in to pay his respects. No wonder the historical records refer to her as "the most beautiful woman in the country."

When Gao Lishi saw his wife enter the hall, he rose to greet her, reaching out to take her wrist and usher her to her seat, his face full of affection. After all, eunuchs may have physical disabilities, but their aesthetic sense is still normal, and he naturally cherished his beautiful wife, who was the most stunning woman in the world.

“Zongzhi is not like these lowly sons of the household. He is a young master from a prestigious family, with elegant manners, and more importantly, he is exceptionally talented and knowledgeable, and greatly beneficial to people. Your wife has been confined to the inner quarters for a long time and has limited knowledge. Inviting you to dine with her is also to open your eyes and broaden your horizons.”

After the couple were seated, Zhang Dai also took his seat in the lower part of the table. Then, Gao Lishi pointed at him with admiration and said to his wife with a smile, "Such an outstanding talent as to be under my tutelage is a great honor for my hall. If he visits in the future and I am not home, my wife, you need not treat him as an outsider; you can treat him as one of my own sons!"

Lady Lü, naturally obedient to her husband, responded gently upon hearing this. Her beautiful eyes swept over Zhang Dai, and she said with a smile, "The General is fond of talented men, and I certainly dare not treat Sixth Brother with arrogance and aloofness. Before the General returned, I entertained him in the inner hall, but Sixth Brother looked unhappy and was reluctant to speak. I secretly thought that I might have been impolite, and I think that Ahe is more likely to win the young man's favor."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai was naturally embarrassed. He hurriedly picked up his wine cup and said, "When I first came to your door, I was full of thoughts and did not know how to present them in detail to the Duke of Bohai. I did not expect to be cold to you, Madam, which has led to this misunderstanding. I should be punished and use this cup to apologize to you, Madam!"

After saying this, he picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Upon seeing this, Gao Lishi burst into laughter. Mentioning his sister-in-law, who had fallen into prostitution, he couldn't help but sigh, "Although Ah He is somewhat unlucky, she is still somewhat favored by human kindness. Being able to receive the affection and care of the younger generation is a consolation for her. However, enjoyment should be moderate, especially for you young disciples who are ambitious and have much to learn. It is fine to entertain yourself in your spare time, but indulging in it will inevitably harm your body and mind."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai was immediately bewildered, nodding repeatedly in agreement, completely baffled as to how the topic had veered to this point. Was both the topic itself and the people involved in the conversation correct?
Fortunately, Gao Lishi was just mentioning it casually and did not elaborate on the topic. He then chatted with Zhang Dai while eating, as if he were treating him like his own nephew.

Zhang Dai was not blinded by this intimate attitude. He knew that they were not blood relatives after all. The reason why Gao Lishi treated him this way was simply because there was no conflict of interest between them. On the contrary, some of Zhang Dai's suggestions could benefit him greatly.

However, as the times changed and their respective statuses shifted, especially as Zhang Dai's power grew, Gao Lishi inevitably sought to strengthen his control over him. Zhang Dai, however, was not one to be easily controlled, leading to inevitable friction between them. For instance, Pei Guangting, before becoming prime minister, likely had similar pleasant interactions with Gao Lishi.

Before they had finished their dinner, a eunuch rushed in and reported to Gao Lishi, "Father, the Emperor has summoned Lord Huo to the Southern Palace..."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi's expression changed slightly. He immediately stood up from his seat and instinctively began to walk out. Seeing Zhang Dai also stand up, he waved his hand and said, "This is a delicate moment. I cannot allow Mao Zhong to speak alone before the emperor. We must return to the palace immediately. Zongzhi, you can stay and have a peaceful meal. You may stay here later. If you wish to return home, you can arrange for a servant to escort you!"

After saying this, Gao Lishi hurriedly left. Zhang Dai returned after seeing him out of the hall, only to find several maids supporting Madam Lü in the hall, and Madam Lü's expression was rather unpleasant.

"Ma'am, what's going on?"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Dai quickly stepped forward and asked.

"Did I frighten you, Sixth Master? It's not a serious illness, just a long-standing ailment. Occasionally, if I'm not careful with my daily routine or my diet, I get dizzy and can't stand up. I need to calm my mind and rest. I can't keep you company any longer, Sixth Master, please make yourself at home."

After saying this apologetically, Madam Lü was helped away by her maids.

The host family members were all busy with their own affairs, so even though Zhang Dai was very hungry, he couldn't stay to continue eating. Although he was still a little hungry, he still came out and asked Gao Chengyi to arrange for a servant to lead him home.

Although the curfew in Chang'an was strict, some people could still move freely day and night, including powerful eunuchs like Gao Lishi, who was deeply favored by the emperor and whose homes naturally had tokens to deal with the Imperial Guards' checks. Zhang Dai, led and escorted by Gao's servants, returned to his home in Yongle Ward without hindrance, only to find that his grandfather was hosting a banquet that day. The guests included his old friend Zhao Dongxi, Zhao Dongxi's younger brother, Zhao Yizhen, the Deputy Protector-General of Anxi, and several others who had accompanied Zhao Yizhen.

"I was originally regretting that I would not have the chance to meet the famous Jade Bone Sixth Master during this visit, but I am fortunate to have met him today. The Sixth Master is indeed outstanding and lives up to his reputation!"

Although Zhao Yizhen was Zhao Dongxi's younger brother, he looked older than his brother because he had been living on the frontier for a long time and had experienced many hardships. When Zhang Dai came to see him, he stood up with a smile and said.

Upon learning Zhao Yizhen's identity, Zhang Dai was overjoyed and hurriedly stepped forward to bow deeply, saying, "To receive such praise from the Governor is truly a great honor! I have long admired the Governor's illustrious reputation, and the courage and integrity of this valiant border guard are greatly appreciated today!"

Zhang Dai already knew that Zhao Dongxi's family was a prominent family that had passed the imperial examinations, but he was still quite surprised to learn that Zhao had a brother who was stationed far away in Anxi.

Previously, Du Xian entered the court from Anxi and was appointed prime minister. Zhao Yizhen then took over the post of garrisoning Anxi. Because Du Xian had previously been at odds with the Turgesh, the Turgesh suddenly launched an attack on the four towns of Anxi. When Zhao Yizhen first took command of the military, he could only defend the city of Anxi.

However, in the following year, when the Tibetan emperor personally led his army to besiege Anxi City in alliance with the Turgesh Sulu, Zhao Yizhen, after thorough preparation, led his troops to defeat them. He then repeatedly thwarted Tibetan raids, greatly stabilizing the situation in the Four Garrisons of Anxi.

In general, Zhao Yizhen did not achieve any outstanding feats during his tenure as Deputy Protector-General of Anxi, but he performed his duties in a mediocre manner. In the years following Du Xian's arrival in the court, he successfully stabilized the situation in the Four Garrisons of Anxi. Although there were no major expansions, he repeatedly thwarted the advances of the Tibetan Empire and the incursions of the Turgesh.

Although Zhang Dai, a visitor from later generations, never had the opportunity to travel west after arriving in this world, he naturally had a curiosity and longing for Anxi and the entire Western Regions. When he saw Zhao Yizhen, the deputy protector of the Western Regions, visiting his home, he couldn't help but want to inquire about the local customs and the situation between the Han and Hu peoples.

At first, Zhao Yizhen only regarded Zhang Dai as a frivolous young nobleman who liked exotic customs, so he would choose interesting and exotic stories to answer Zhang Dai's questions. However, as the conversation deepened, he found that his opinion seemed to be a little wrong.

Zhang Dai's questions covered a wide range of topics, some of which would have been impossible to ask without a deep understanding of the situation in Anxi. Moreover, the insights he revealed during the questioning were quite remarkable. As a result, Zhao Yizhen gradually abandoned his perfunctory attitude and began to think carefully and organize his thoughts before answering Zhang Dai's questions.

"Has Liu Lang ever traveled west? How does he know so much about the situation in Anxi?"

As the conversation deepened, Zhao Yizhen couldn't help but ask a question.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai realized that his curiosity had been too strong, revealing much knowledge beyond his own experience. Therefore, he smiled and said, "I have never traveled west beyond Sanguan Pass in my life, but many of my old friends, such as Wang Changling, have traveled west. In addition, I was recently in the province because of the former Prime Minister Du, and I am very curious about the people and affairs of Anxi. What I know is half true and half false, so I have to ask Magistrate Zhao to distinguish the truth from the false."

Zhao Yizhen was relieved to hear this. He knew that Zhang Dai had served as Left Remonstrator in the Secretariat during Du Xian's administration, so it was only natural for him to curry favor with the emperor.

However, Zhang Dai kept asking all sorts of questions, leaving Zhang Dai overwhelmed. Some of these questions were even beyond his ability to answer, which inevitably led to Zhang Shuo, the host, being neglected.

Therefore, after thinking for a moment, he raised his hand and pointed to the young man standing below the hall, and said to Zhang Dai with a smile: "Although this boy is young, he has been serving in the army and guarding the border with his father for many years, and he has a good understanding of the situation in Anxi. I will be staying in the capital for a while, so I will let this boy follow Liu Lang. If Liu Lang has any doubts, he can ask him."

After saying this, he beckoned to the young man and said, "Lai Tian, ​​come into the hall to pay your respects to Lord Zhang Yan and Zhang Liulang! You will stay at the manor for the next few days and accompany Liulang on his comings and goings!"

The young man strode into the hall, first bowing to Zhang Shuo in the hall, and then, after rising, clasped his hands in greeting to Zhang Dai, saying, "This humble servant, Zhen, greets Zhang Liulang!"

"Your name is Lai Zhen? That's quite a unique name!"

Zhang Dai looked the burly young man up and down, chuckling as he spoke, but inwardly he was filled with surprise and delight.

(End of this chapter)