Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 474 Was Empress Wu's Edict Honest?
Song Jing was already used to having absolute authority at home, but he never expected that this kid would dare to contradict him again and again, and his face turned very ugly.

"You have been traveling far away for several years. Have your family been neglected? What kind of hunger and cold forced you to desperately seek out a patron in order to advance your career? Even if you do not enjoy a high salary, does your family not have land to manage and support you?"

Knowing that his young apprentice had lost his father at a young age and would be even more sensitive and insecure, Song Jing suppressed his anger and continued, "If you have the heart to care for your parents, you should not stray from the right path. If you harm the country by engaging in treacherous and deceitful acts, is that in accordance with filial piety and righteousness?"

"Your son is very grateful to you, Father, for protecting and raising me when I was still young. A man must have ambition; how can I rely on this kindness for so long and not have any plans?"

Upon hearing this, Song Zhuo bowed deeply to Song Jing and said, "I have never intended to seek favor through any underhanded means. I am also of one mind with Zhang Liulang, and I am overwhelmed by this opportunity. If I had even the slightest scheme to gain favor, Father, I would have no complaints even if you had me beaten to death in court!"

"Having received the Emperor's favor, I should naturally perform my duties diligently; this is also my grandfather's teaching. If I were to neglect my duties, I would be dismissed; but I have not yet assumed my post, so why should I speak ill of it? Please forgive my limited knowledge; I do not know what kind of important state affairs could be ruined within the purview of a court musician?"

"Are you absolutely certain that you won't refuse this position no matter what?"

Upon hearing this, Song Jing's gaze sharpened again. Seeing that Song Zhuo merely bowed his head in response, he thought for a moment and then said in a deep voice, "Go and invite Zhang Dai here. I will ask him why he recommended you. If his words are honest and appropriate, I will grant you the position."

“This child does not know what has caused Father to abandon him, but if there is disagreement within the sect, why involve outsiders? Whether Zhang Dai is upright or not, public opinion will judge. If this good deed causes him to have to enter this sect and be judged by others, is that fair to him?”

Upon hearing this, Song Zhuo said in a hoarse voice, "If I am indeed not qualified for this post, I will obey my father's command without implicating others. I am not a prodigy in this world, and to sacrifice this one person to fulfill my father's wishes is also to satisfy him."

"Only one question remains in my heart: Father, if the imperial edict I received was issued through circumstance, then were all the edicts issued by Empress Dowager Wu in the past intended to praise uprightness?"

This question was like a sharp blade piercing straight into Song Jing's heart, leaving him speechless and at a loss for words.

Yes, if he doesn't consider his grandson's reward as the right path now, then why did he accept imperial edicts and get promoted repeatedly when Empress Wu clearly brought chaos to the Tang Dynasty?
"Since you have asked this question, you should be able to understand why I am concerned and do not want you to take on this task. It is because I have walked through thorns and know the pain that is piercing to the bone that I cannot bear to let you repeat the same mistakes, for I fear that your will is not firm and you will go astray. But you, Shaolei, are short but brave and will not be dissuaded by the old man's harsh words. In that case, I can only let you go."

After a long silence, Song Jing spoke again, his tone no longer as resolute as before.

He was not angry or embarrassed by his grandson bringing up the past, which shows that he was quite open-minded. However, having been in a high position for a long time, he had overlooked the fact that the younger generation also had ambitions that needed to be promoted.

Upon hearing that his grandfather had finally agreed to allow him to accept the imperial decree, Song Zhuo was moved to tears. He bowed to the ground again and said, "Your son will certainly remember your teachings, Father, and remain loyal and upright, never daring to slacken my efforts. I will never fail to live up to the kindness of the Emperor, my parents, and my friends who have recommended me!"

Upon hearing this, Song Jing sighed inwardly. After a moment's thought, he said, "Zhang Dai and you have only just met and have not known each other well, yet he has been so kind and generous. It is only right and proper that you thank him. How about this, you go to his house first to express your gratitude, and while you're at it, ask him when he will have time. I will then host a banquet at my home to thank him."

“Well, well, since I am the one who has benefited, it is only right that I go to express my gratitude. Why should Father go out of his way to do this?”

Upon hearing this, Song Zhuo looked troubled again and quickly lowered his head to speak.

"What? Are you worried that I'll use my age to bully him?"

Seeing his expression, Song Jing knew exactly what he was thinking, and immediately said in a deep voice, "Your grandfather may not be a gentleman who can please everyone, but he is not a despicable person who cannot distinguish right from wrong. Zhang Dai has helped my grandson, and I should thank him."

If I were to deliberately invite him to my home to make things difficult, what would people think of Song Jing? Moreover, I was a long-time friend and colleague of his grandfather. Now that you two young disciples have become acquainted, and to carry on this friendship, I should personally impart some wisdom on how to get along with him.”

When Song Zhuo heard his grandfather say this, he could only nod in agreement. Seeing that Song Jing had no further instructions, he carefully took his leave.

After Song Zhuo left the room, Song Jing's composed expression changed immediately, and he muttered angrily, "That brat is infuriating! Could it be that Zhang Shuo taught him this?"

Leaving aside Song Jing, who was secretly furious, Song Zhuo walked out of his grandfather's study under the watchful eyes of the clansmen, and then went straight back to his own courtyard. His younger brother Song Xiu and several others rushed forward and said excitedly, "Brother, is it because our father is considerate and has found a job for you?"

Although Song Jing held a high position and wielded great power, he rarely abused his authority for personal gain, which greatly distressed and disappointed his family members. If he set such a precedent, then other family members would naturally have similar desires, and of course, they would also hope to share in the benefits that power brings.

“It wasn’t my grandfather, nor did he know much about this. It was Zhang Dai and Zhang Zongzhi, whom I met recently. We talked for a while, and he greatly admired me. After returning home, he recommended me…”

Song Zhuo shook his head, then spoke the truth.

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the exclamations of his family, especially his younger sister's, which were the most jarring: "It's Zhang Zongzhi? Brother, are you boasting and lying? Zhang Zongzhi is famous throughout the capital and a man of great talent. You are just an ordinary person, how could you possibly gain his favor and appreciation?" "Foolish wife, is that the point? Zhang Zongzhi is only an eighth-rank official, how could he possibly secure an eighth-rank position for you with just a few words!"

Song Xiu scoffed at her younger sister's shallow understanding, then grabbed her brother's arm and said urgently, "Was it really Zhang Zongzhi who secured this position for you, brother? You should go and thank him! I'll go with you; I was classmates with his brother at the academy, and it wouldn't be impolite for me to go with you..."

"Me too! Me too!"

The youngest sister of the Song family also joined in the fun, her eyes sparkling.

"However, the Zhang family is one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the capital. Having received such a great favor from them, how could we possibly prepare a sufficient gift of gratitude in such a short time?"

Song Zhuo's birth mother was also delighted that her son had made good friends and had a brighter future, but soon her brows furrowed with worry. She turned to the lady and whispered, "Should we go to the South Courtyard to discuss temporarily borrowing some current goods and rare items?"

“Auntie, don’t worry. Zhang Liulang and I are kindred spirits and don’t need money to build a relationship. He appreciates my talent, so he recommended me to the music bureau. I then compiled my past artistic records and presented them to him.”

Song Zhuo immediately spoke up again. He wasn't blindly confident; he knew very well that Zhang Dai's special treatment of him was probably more out of respect for his grandfather. But given the family's circumstances, it was really difficult to come up with any valuable gifts, so he could only try harder.

“Foolish child, who would complain about the excessive gift! I also have a treasured gold bracelet here, which I originally intended to keep for this bride's dowry, so that it wouldn't be too meager and would be looked down upon by her husband's family. Take it now, and when your son becomes successful next year, you can prepare a dowry for your sister!”

As the lady spoke, she went into the inner room and soon took out a brocade box containing a pair of gold armlets. Each armlet weighed several ounces and was inlaid with many gemstones, but because they had been stored for a long time, their colors had become somewhat dull.

"Don't worry, Mother, I will do my best to ensure that you can live in peace and that my sister can have a glorious wedding!"

Song Zhuo took the jewelry with both hands, then lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice.

The next morning, the three Song siblings left home early and headed straight for the Zhang family mansion in Yongle Lane. After presenting their visiting cards, they were quickly invited into the mansion. However, a steward from the Zhang family stepped forward and apologized, saying, "I am truly sorry, but my master left home early this morning. I would be grateful if the two young masters and ladies of the Song family could wait at home for a while. May I go out and inform my master?"

"It is my brother's fault for disturbing you without prior notice. Since Zhang Liulang is busy, he will come to visit again another day."

Upon hearing this, Song Zhuo was naturally somewhat disappointed, but he still quickly expressed his condolences.

"It's nothing important, it's just that Ah Lang's villa in Pingkangfang was completed the day before yesterday, and I went to inspect the decorations today."

The steward quickly bowed and said, "If Young Master Song is not willing to stay here, then may I lead you to the villa in Pingkang Lane?"

Upon hearing this, Song Zhuo saw the expectant looks on his younger siblings' faces, so he nodded and smiled, saying, "In that case, I'll trouble you."

The group then went out again and headed straight for Pingkang Lane. When they arrived at the gate of the villa in Pingkang Lane, the Song brothers were both surprised and couldn't help but ask, "Is this Zhang Liulang's own villa?"

No wonder the brothers were so surprised. Zhang Dai's villa covered an area of ​​more than ten acres, which was not considered very large. The Song family's residence was several times larger, but it housed a large family. Their family, however, only had the front and back courtyards. They never dreamed that they could own such a vast private property in the capital!

When they entered the mansion, they were amazed by the magnificent architecture with its carved beams and painted rafters and the ingenious design. They stared wide-eyed as they looked around.

As Song Jing's grandsons, they were certainly not unsophisticated, having frequented the mansions of the powerful and wealthy and even royal gardens. However, they were also well aware that the status of the owners of those mansions and gardens was beyond their reach.

However, Zhang Dai was also the grandson of the prime minister, and his age was similar to theirs. The fact that he could own such a magnificent mansion in the capital, which was no less than that of a prince, undoubtedly brought a huge shock to them, and they couldn't help but ask themselves where they were lacking.

"Song Lang, hello! We meet again. I'm so sorry for not greeting you sooner!"

The siblings were still amazed when Zhang Dai strode out from inside, cupping his hands in greeting and speaking to Song Zhuo from afar.

(End of this chapter)