Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 460 The family's fortunes and future depend on Liu Lang
Upon hearing his father's instructions, Zhang Yang immediately looked at Zhang Dai with gratitude and said, "A-Liu, Zongzhi, thank you! Thank you for planning my future. I don't have your outstanding talent, but I can tell right from wrong. I will definitely work hard to repay your kindness and the support of the Duke of Bohai!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai simply smiled and nodded. He couldn't very well put on a stern face and lecture his uncle in front of his grandfather.

Gao Lishi sat in the hall and said with a smile, "When a jade tree grows in the courtyard, the whole courtyard will naturally be filled with fragrance! If you encounter any problems in the future, young man, you may as well ask your nephew for advice. Make good use of this personal connection that is the envy of everyone in the world!"

The control over entry and exit from the palace gates was the domain of the eunuchs, and most of the former Left and Right Palace Guards Generals were eunuchs. This is why Gao Lishi was able to so easily appoint Zhang Yang as the Left Palace Guard Chief Secretary.

The reason he made this arrangement was actually to rely on Zhang Dai's intelligence to continue to devise strategies for him and cooperate in dealing with the generals at the North Gate.

The resolution of Zhang Yang's employment issue was a joyous occasion for the Zhang family. They decided to take this opportunity to invite relatives and friends to their home for a celebration. Zhang Shuo instructed Zhang Yang to personally inform all the relatives and friends, while he and his grandson continued to entertain Gao Lishi in the main hall.

After Zhang Yan left with a gleeful expression, Gao Lishi asked Zhang to dismiss the rest of the people in the hall before recounting his return to Xingqing Palace the previous night. Of course, he dared not recount his entire conversation with the Emperor in detail, but only mentioned Wang Maozhong's strategic retreat in an attempt to gain an appointment as Minister of War.

After listening to Gao Lishi's account, Zhang Dai raised an eyebrow and began to ponder in his heart.

Historically, Wang Maozhong's request to be appointed Minister of War was a sure way for him to die. He promoted his own servant but was not content with just guarding the North Gate. He wanted to seek greater power. Because he did not get the emperor's approval, he met with the emperor in a huff, which greatly displeased the emperor and made him very angry.

This approach may seem irrational, but it is actually quite normal for someone like Wang Maozhong.

Firstly, he was also very good at understanding the emperor's thoughts. He could see that the emperor had become increasingly fond of pursuing military achievements in recent years, so positions related to military affairs would naturally have more power and opportunities to perform.

Secondly, the fact that his son was executed was not, in his view, a question of whether his son had committed a crime, but rather that his authority was not great enough!

This mentality applies to all those who crave power. They only see power and are accustomed to using it to solve all problems, but they often overlook the most fundamental question: is this matter right or wrong?
Although the position of Bei Men held significant power, its scope was quite narrow, even less than that of Zhang Dai, the Censor. Now, Wang Maozhong had reached the pinnacle of power within Bei Men, and it was difficult for him to make further breakthroughs within the system. Naturally, he wanted to jump to a broader stage to seek even greater power.

As for why he dared to make this request at this juncture, it's probably related to the long-standing interaction pattern between him and the emperor.

For many years, the emperor had always shown him great favor and trusted him implicitly. Even when he retreated in the face of the Tanglong Coup and abandoned his followers, committing such a grave mistake, the emperor still did not blame him, but instead bestowed upon him high-ranking official positions and generous salaries as a form of appeasement.

Such favor and indulgence can be described as spoiling; who could remain rational and not confused after enjoying it for nearly twenty years?
Even in Wang Maozhong's heart, he probably still resented the emperor. "My son may have done some things wrong, but he is still just a child. How could you, the emperor, be so ruthless? Don't you have any faults? I'm making this request now to give you a chance to repair our relationship!"
Many obsessions in this world are unsolvable. They are clearly wrong, yet people are so certain and confident. Perhaps they have a fantasy of a utopian land where people can be unreasonable and run wild without restraint. Power often makes this phenomenon a reality, which is why people become arrogant and have no sense of awe.

Although Zhang Dai still couldn't accurately grasp Wang Maozhong's mental journey, he was certain that the guy was doomed, and it wouldn't be too late.

To maintain the stability of the Northern Gate guard system, the emperor, like a turtle, tolerated and indulged Wang Maozhong for nearly twenty years, only to be met with increasingly arrogant and unreasonable behavior. If he could continue to endure this, he would truly become a ninja turtle, willing to eat shit for the sake of maintaining stability!
After hearing Gao Lishi's words, Zhang Shuo frowned. Although he had flattered Wang Maozhong out of respect for the emperor, he still looked down on this servant Enxing deep down.

However, if Gao Lishi were to express this contempt openly, he would likely feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, now that he was no longer in power, it was inconvenient for him to express overly strong opinions. Therefore, after some contemplation, he said, "Great changes may follow the grand ceremony. I failed to foresee this in the past and nearly suffered harm. If Lord Huo still does not exercise caution, I fear disaster is not far off!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi nodded thoughtfully. Besides the birthday celebrations for the emperor, there was another important event in the second half of the year: a visit to the imperial mausoleum.

This was originally a ritual accompanying the Fengshan ceremony, but due to the frequent disasters in the fourteenth year of the Kaiyuan era and the dramatic changes in the border affairs in the fifteenth year, with internal and external troubles following one after another, even the thick-skinned emperor could not face visiting the imperial tombs under such circumstances, and could only postpone it again and again. Such grand ceremonies often summarize a period of time, so after the ceremony, there is usually a new order adjustment. If some high-ranking officials are not careful in this process, their power and position can be overthrown in an instant.

Gao Lishi didn't stay at the Zhang family's house for long. After discussing current affairs with Zhang Shuo for a while, he got up to take his leave. He also had an appointment with Ge Fushun to come to his house that evening. Although he hadn't prepared any profound topics to discuss with Ge Fushun, he still wanted to send out the impression that the two were getting closer.

After Zhang Dai saw Gao Lishi off and returned to the hall, Zhang Shuo instructed him again: "In this struggle between the eunuchs and the North Gate, you should not get too involved. Especially at critical moments, you should keep your distance. In the past, Mao Zhong may have had some reservations, but in a life-or-death situation, there is no need to be reserved."

"You'd better leave the capital then and ignore any promises or temptations from Li Shi. These eunuchs are ultimately lacking in personnel matters and have to rely on others. Your uncle is not a proper scholar; you could be promoted through his connections. You are a respectable scholar, and your career in various provinces and prefectures has been smooth sailing. You can rely on him to avoid trouble; there's no need to beg him for official positions."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai nodded, inwardly sighing at the hypocrisy of the adult world! On the surface, they seemed to be chatting and laughing intimately, but in reality, each harbored their own secrets and thoughts. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel sorry for his uncle, who had been used by his grandfather as a stepping stone for him.

However, Zhang Yan didn't feel miserable at all. He was quite pleased that he had finally received an official appointment and was no longer just a commoner. He was riding high on his success, galloping through the city and quickly spreading the news of his appointment to his relatives and friends. Starting in the afternoon, relatives and friends living in various parts of the city began to visit him one after another.

The first to arrive at the Zhang family's residence were the Zheng Yan family, who lived in the nearby Wannian County government office.

After entering the house, Zhang Dai's aunt, Madam Zhang, brought her sons directly to Zhang Dai and ordered them to bow to him. Then she said to Zhang Dai, "Sixth Brother, your aunt is not a virtuous woman from a prominent family, nor has she been able to raise her sons to be as handsome and outstanding as you."

But they have only one redeeming quality: none of them are arrogant or reckless. Though their talents are mediocre, their character is pure and good. I now entrust them to you. Use them as you see fit—to rein in the horses, to relay messages—I do not expect them to achieve high official positions, but only that they have jobs to support their wives and children!

Zheng Yan and Zhang had three sons. The eldest son, Zheng Run, was two years older than his maternal uncle, Zhang Yang. He was currently serving in the Third Guard and would be officially appointed upon completion of his term. The second son, Zheng Ji, was the same age as Zhang Dai, while the third son, Zheng Bi, was younger, only fourteen or fifteen years old.

It was clear that Zhang Dai's efforts to secure an official position for his uncle had spurred Zhang Da Shi into action. After her father's resignation, the family's fortunes had changed, and she was deeply worried about her sons' futures. Now, seeing her nephew secure a sixth-rank official position for her good-for-nothing brother, Zhang Da Shi was naturally very eager.

"Aunt, there's no need to worry. My cousins ​​are all handsome and talented, and they've inherited the family's best qualities. It'll be a piece of cake for them to secure a good position and achieve official success. When the time is right, I'll recommend them to my superiors so they can make a name for themselves!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai smiled and said that his uncle, Zheng Yan, had long held him in high regard and had encouraged his sons to associate with him, so they were quite familiar with each other. While his cousins, as his aunt had said, didn't display any outstanding talents, they were certainly not cunning or arrogant.

“Mother, am I right? No matter how many men are in this household, the family's future and prosperity will ultimately depend on Liu Lang! The only thing I didn't consider is that this day has come so quickly. Liu Lang hasn't even come of age yet, and the family has already benefited…”

After entering the inner hall, Madam Zhang praised the old lady Yuan with great enthusiasm, and Madam Yuan smiled from ear to ear.

As the mother and daughter were talking, Zhang Ji walked in with his brother-in-law Lu Zheng. Hearing his elder sister's unreserved praise of Zhang Dai, Zhang Ji couldn't help but snort coldly.

Madam Zhang was outgoing and somewhat fiery. Upon hearing this, she immediately looked at Zhang Ji and said, "Does the Prince Consort think there's something wrong with my words? Although my nephew's rank is not yet high, he already knows how to encourage his family to strive for excellence and serve the country! The Prince Consort holds a prominent position; I wonder how many people he has promoted and rewarded?"

(End of this chapter)