Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 479 How to while away a good night
“My family rules are quite strict, so there are many things that are inconvenient to do, and there are indeed times when I need to rely on the help of Zhang Liulang Shaojun.”

Seeing that Zhang Dai was somewhat cooperative, Song Hun continued, "A few days ago, an old acquaintance and his family came to visit me in the city, hoping I could find them a place to stay. I've searched all over the city recently and found a house on Leyouyuan in Shengping Ward. The owner is willing to sell, but the price is quite high. Although I've tried my best to raise the money, I'm still short by nearly a thousand strings of cash..."

"A thousand strings of cash?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai frowned slightly.

He naturally didn't believe that Song Hun would be so public-spirited and willing to help his friend. Moreover, although Shengping Ward wasn't as prestigious as the wards in the northeast, Leyouyuan in the ward was the highest point in the city and had excellent scenery, so the houses there were relatively expensive. If he was just looking for a place to stay and didn't have enough money, there was no need to go there and join the crowd.

This statement clearly indicates that Song Hun himself wanted to keep a mistress but lacked the financial means, so he set his sights on Zhang Dai.

However, what really annoyed Zhang Dai was not Song Hun's actions, but the amount of money: a mere thousand strings of cash, was it worth going to such lengths?

This also shows that, at least so far, Song Jing's family education is more rigorous than that of Yao Chong, Zhang Shuo, and Yuan Qianyao. His son has not had much experience in monetizing his father's power, so he doesn't even understand the basics of the market.

Of course, Song Hun wasn't using his father's power to threaten Zhang Dai, but rather betraying his colleague Li Linfu. Perhaps in his eyes, Li Linfu was only worth that much.

Seeing Zhang Dai's furrowed brows, Song Hun couldn't help but wonder if he had asked for too much. But he still said, "Zhang Liulang, do you not know which is more important, a thousand strings of cash or a business with an annual income of over ten thousand strings?"

"These matters of money and silk are trivial. May I first hear what Your Majesty has to say?"

This amount of money was naturally nothing to Zhang Dai, but since Song Hun had clearly stated the price, he naturally wanted to see if it was worth it.

Upon hearing this, Song Hun frowned and said unhappily, "Does Zhang Liulang think that I am deliberately trying to extort you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai waved his hand, then pointed to the "Seeking Fragrances" album on his desk, and said to Song Hun with a smile, "For Mr. Song to see this album here, you need fifty strings of cash. The starting price for each of the actors you've chosen is over ten strings of cash..."

"So much? Then the cost of this one night's pleasure must have exceeded a hundred strings of cash!"

Upon hearing the price, Song Hun's eyes widened in astonishment. He pushed away the picture book he had been admiring, as if he would be pressured to pay the bill if he waited any longer.

"So, Lord Song suspects that I might deceive you? A mere thousand strings of cash is not worth breaking my promise to anyone. It's just a pity that I have no moral connection with Lord Song, otherwise I wouldn't need Lord Song's guidance. If I were to ask for something, I would immediately offer you a thousand strings of cash. For example, you, Lord Song, I have only met you once, but because we get along well, I am happy to help you."

Zhang Dai picked up the wine cup, brought it to his lips, and drank it all in one gulp, putting on a nonchalant act.

Upon hearing this, Song Hun's expression shifted rapidly, his eyes filled with a mixture of shame and envy. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Zhang Liulang is truly admirable for his generosity and righteousness! With such a spirit, I regret not having met him sooner and am ashamed to discuss profit with him."

He had the background to be a playboy, but no experience in it. He was impressed by Zhang Dai's little display of skill and was even embarrassed to mention his insignificant little request.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “Li Shi is indeed as Zhang Liulang said. He is narrow-minded, jealous of talent, and likes to impose rules and laws on others, but he is not good at self-reflection. Although I work with him, I have long disliked him. Now that I know of his wicked scheme, how can I let him harm others? The problem I mentioned earlier is indeed there, but even without this problem, I would have told Zhang Liulang about it so that you could be on guard.”

This was a much more palatable way of putting it. When Zhang Dai heard the sound of jade pendants outside, he raised his hand to signal the servants to keep the actors outside. He then went to Song Hun's table, poured him a cup of wine, and said with a smile, "Song Jun's kind words are heartwarming, so I will listen attentively."

"Recently, Li Shi repeatedly lamented that Zhang Liulang was adept at using power to create trouble, because the concubines and eunuchs were short-sighted and used their positions to gain fame and profit, and because the powerful families in the prefectures and counties were unfamiliar with court affairs, he positioned himself in the middle to communicate with the outside world, flattering the superiors and intimidating the inferiors... These are all Li Shi's original words, not my slander against Zhang Liulang!"

At this point, Song Hun noticed Zhang Dai's slight frown and interjected with an explanation to clear himself of the matter. He then continued, "Li Shiyan, your actions seem clever, but in reality, you're only using others to gain personal profit. Once the truth is revealed, you'll lose the support of both inside and outsiders. He says he already has a plan to undermine your internal support and is intending to persuade the eldest son of Minister Yuwen to accompany him to Bianzhou to seize your assets there!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai raised an eyebrow. He knew that Li Linfu would definitely plot against him, so he was on guard. He would rather go through some trouble than leave any direct evidence that could be used against him.

Of course, these are just general preventative measures. For someone like Li Linfu who truly wants to get rid of him at all times, they will naturally dig deeper to uncover his dirty secrets.

He had initially thought Song Hun was somewhat arrogant and clueless, and wondered where he got the audacity to try and extort him. But now, after hearing his explanation, he understood better. It was clear that Song Hun was influenced by Li Linfu's assessment of him, thinking him to be nothing special. Li Linfu's assessment of Zhang Dai wasn't entirely wrong. After arriving in this world, he encountered Zhang Shuo's fall from power, and his subsequent personnel plans received little support from his family. Instead, he relied heavily on the influence of Consort Wu Hui and Gao Lishi.

The powerful figures within the inner palace truly benefited him greatly; otherwise, with only his grandfather, a faded political heavyweight, many of Zhang Dai's current endeavors would have been utterly impossible. Therefore, the connections within the inner palace could be considered one of his Achilles' heel.

But even if you find his Achilles' heel, it doesn't mean you can easily take him down. After all, everyone knows that whoever can break through the Xuanwu Gate will rise to prominence, but the question is, how many people can actually get in?
Judging from Song Hun's tone, Li Linfu seemed very confident in severing or sowing discord among his personnel relationships within the inner palace, which naturally aroused Zhang Dai's suspicions.

Although Li Linfu was born into the Li Tang imperial family, the kinship ties had long been strained, and his family itself had no direct connections within the inner palace. The only possibility was that he had become involved with another aunt of his, Pei Guangting's wife, and had even persuaded Lady Wu to join the campaign against him.

Consort Wu Hui was previously unable to conceive due to her frequent pregnancies and the presence of Empress Wang in the palace, so her presence was not very strong, and she did not have close relationships with relatives outside the palace. However, this situation has changed drastically in recent years, and Zhang Dai himself is a beneficiary of this change.

Compared to Zhang Dai, Pei Guangting's wife had an advantage: as a woman, she could enter and leave the inner palace more frequently and have deeper interactions with Consort Wu Hui.

Furthermore, with Pei Guangting's successful appointment as prime minister, Wu's importance in Consort Wu Hui's mind will inevitably increase dramatically, and her influence on Consort Wu Hui will certainly be greater.

As for Gao Lishi, his connection went even deeper. He was originally from the Wu Sansi family, and naturally, he would take care of Wu, the daughter of his former master. For example, Gao Lishi played a significant role in Pei Guangting's successful appointment as prime minister, which clearly shows that he also had a close relationship with Wu.

Therefore, Empress Wu was a powerful weapon to sever Zhang Dai's network of connections within the inner palace, provided that Zhang Dai actually acted as Li Linfu had imagined, deceiving his superiors and using their power for personal gain.

Of course, Zhang Dai had done similar things before, but his interactions with these people in the inner palace were essentially based on mutual benefit, and this was further strengthened recently.

Not to mention that Consort Wu Hui now sees him as a son-in-law whom she has chosen, Gao Lishi is also much more friendly towards Zhang Dai because he relied on Zhang Dai's advice to deal with the North Gate, and he almost always grants Zhang Dai's requests.

Moreover, Zhang Dai had not deceived Consort Wu Hui and Gao Lishi about the personnel matters in Bianzhou. Even if he had profited from it, it was with their tacit approval and permission.

Li Linfu's attempt to use Wu Zetian's influence to sow discord and alienate Zhang Dai, thereby seizing Zhang Dai's assets in Bianzhou, is impossible at least at this stage.

Even so, Song Hun's intelligence report served as a wake-up call for Zhang Dai. Even if these relationships were currently secure, they would not remain static as time passed, and more importantly, as circumstances changed.

If Wu Zetian truly obeys her lover's every word and continues to slander him in front of others for an extended period, this would pose a significant threat to Zhang Dai. At the very least, he would need to spend more time maintaining these relationships, and his actions would become more constrained.

So after listening to Song Hun's account, Zhang Dai's expression became serious, realizing that it was necessary to resolve this problem.

Because Wu Shi not only had close interactions with his several backers, but was also the wife of his direct superior, even if she failed to sow discord outside, her influence at home was not to be underestimated.

With this in mind, Zhang Dai raised his hand to signal the entertainers waiting outside to come in. He then stood up and said to Song Hun with a smile, "Mr. Song, please enjoy yourself tonight. The money and silk will be delivered to your residence later. I have some things to do here, so I will take my leave now."

When Song Hun saw those beautiful women entering, his heart was already burning with desire. He didn't care whether Zhang Dai stayed to keep him company, but he didn't forget to tell Zhang Dai, "No need to send them to my house. I will arrange for my servants to take care of them tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai chuckled again and immediately stepped out. As soon as he stepped outside the corridor, a warm fragrance enveloped him. Lü He nestled against him, pouting, "Are you leaving already, my darling? I've already had a bed prepared elsewhere. If you leave, how will I pass the night?"

"I'm going to visit Minister Pei on South Street for a while, and I'll be returning later to stay overnight."

Zhang Dai planned to first go to Pei Guangting's house to sound out his aunt's opinion. After thinking for a moment, he said with a smile, "Auntie, your arrival is just in time. I suddenly decided to visit someone, but I don't have any suitable gifts on hand. I'd like to borrow some from you."

"If Sixth Master is in the mood, even my entire body, inside and out, is at your disposal. What's the point of borrowing it!"

Hearing this, Lü He felt relieved and pulled Zhang Dai into the inner room, whispering with a coquettish smile.

(End of this chapter)