Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 88 Driving a Big Car at the Morning Table
Zhang Dai naturally couldn't go directly to the palace with Gao Lishi. After reaching a tacit understanding, the two parted ways outside Duanmen Gate.

Just as he was about to dismount, Gao Lishi waved his hand and said, "It's fine to ride it. A young man in his prime, how can his stable be without a fine horse!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai was naturally delighted. The horse he was riding was pure white except for its four black hooves. It looked even more magnificent than the one his aunt, Consort Wu Hui, had given him recently, and it was not far off from the Tele Biao that Wei Jian had previously compensated him with.

After gradually adapting to the ancient way of traveling, he also developed a genuine love for horses.

It was already late, and to avoid Zhang Dai being questioned on his way south, Gao Lishi arranged for two eunuchs to accompany him.

Because of the funeral arrangements for the Prince of Qi in Shangshanfang, a large number of Jinwu Guard soldiers had gathered both north and south of Tianjin Bridge. Zhang Dai rode south, which naturally alerted a group of Jinwu Guard soldiers. However, when they saw the two eunuchs behind Zhang Dai, they turned back without asking any questions.

Seeing this, Zhang Dai sighed inwardly. The power of eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty was growing day by day, especially after they seized control of the Northern Palace Guards. They directly rebelled against the Heavenly Guards and their servants deceived their masters. The reason why they had become so powerful in the inner court was because they had brought down Mao Zhong, the king of the Northern Palace Guards.

Now that he was in Gao Lishi's carriage, and thinking about how arrogant and domineering the eunuchs of the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty were, he felt quite aware that he was about to aid and abet evil, but he felt no remorse.

Whether it was the imperial guards generals in the Northern Garrison or the eunuchs in the inner court, whoever held power, the primary responsibility inevitably lay with the emperor. If the emperor himself lacked the skill to manage people and indulged his servants, resulting in them being ridden and defecated on his neck, who could he blame?

The version was developed by your Li family. If you want to upgrade, you have to follow this pattern. Is it the players' fault that the gameplay isn't diverse enough?
The Tang Dynasty was in a long-term process of growth, which manifested in the political sphere as the fact that everyone who sat at a table benefited to some extent from this growth, drawing nourishment to strengthen themselves.

In the mid-Kaiyuan era, society is still in an upward phase. New growth opportunities and potential growth trends have not yet been controlled by traditional political forces, so society still has the potential to develop in various directions.

As a time traveler, Zhang Dai's most advantageous approach would be to adapt to the times and follow their rhythms, allowing him to act with ease and achieve twice the results with half the effort. Leaving aside these clichés, what exactly does he do? Start early and get to work!

"Early to the table" means participating in the distribution of these newly added social resources as early as possible, while "driving the big truck" means acquiring a larger share of the distribution.

The newly added social resources are not just the directly visible increases such as increased population and increased output, but also new demands, new opportunities, new combinations, and so on.

By the time Zhang Dai had secured his place at the table and then negotiated his share, the Kaiyuan era would probably only have a few years left. Besides, without taking shortcuts and skipping levels, could one even be called a time traveler?
For Zhang Dai, the most efficient way was to attach himself to an existing political force, then quickly rise through the ranks within it, thereby gaining control of the group's discourse and sharing more social resources.

As the grandson of the prime minister, he shouldn't have had to worry about this. However, before he could even establish himself in the Zhang family, his grandfather's influence was diminished.

Even if he weathers this storm, with figures like Zhang Jiuling and his father Zhang Jun still waiting in line, it will be very difficult for Zhang Dai to overtake them. Furthermore, forming a team to establish Xinhe Liansheng would be utterly rebellious, inherently lacking competitiveness among similar products.

Joining Gao Lishi's eunuch team would undoubtedly be an excellent choice.

Firstly, the prospects are good. In a few years, eunuchs like Gao Lishi will get rid of Wang Maozhong and other generals in the Northern Army. There will be no more strong competitors in the inner court. They can work smoothly until the end of the Tianbao era. Then, after the An Lushan Rebellion, the eunuchs will achieve even greater success.

Of course, Zhang Dai couldn't possibly hang out with them for that long.

Secondly, the risk is low. Compared to the political families and factions in the southern provinces, as well as the military governors and chieftains of the border regions, the eunuchs have a fixed range of activities and can use relatively limited means. Even if conflicts arise and they turn against each other in the future, the backlash they suffer will be much smaller.

After all, the risks and consequences of turning against the eunuchs have already been demonstrated by pioneers like He Jin. If you can't even understand this, what kind of person are you?
Moreover, the current eunuch group is still in a period of blind exploration and wild growth, far from being as organized, disciplined, and combat-capable as it was in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, and it also has a military force like the Shence Army.

Even before returning to Prince Qi's residence, Zhang Dai had already come up with an idea that could both control the eunuchs and make money on the side.

According to the biography of eunuchs in the Old Book of Tang, there were already more than 3,000 eunuchs during the Shenlong era, and by the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, the number of palace maids had reached more than 40,000, there were more than 3,000 eunuchs with official ranks, and more than 1,000 of them wore scarlet and purple robes.

Most people, upon seeing these statistics, would likely sigh at the extravagance of the Tang Dynasty emperors, who kept so many palace maids and eunuchs, indulging in unrestrained luxury. This not only wasted money and resources but also easily allowed these eunuchs to form cliques and build up their own power. Zhang Dai certainly shared this sentiment, but he also had another idea: this was a vast and untapped financial market—perfect for providing them with retirement insurance!
Eunuchs could no longer reproduce. Although they could adopt children and form eunuch families, this was a privilege reserved for a small number of high-ranking eunuchs. The vast majority of other eunuchs and palace maids did not have this privilege and faced the predicament of having no one to care for them in their old age.

For example, if you're someone who takes out chamber pots, should I adopt you? And inherit your toilet brush?

When Zhang Dai was in Qinghuafang, he saw many elderly eunuchs and palace maids who had left the palace in miserable condition. For example, the old servant in Niu Guier's house was also an inner palace eunuch. It was already considered good that he had a roof over his head.

Other eunuchs could only sell their last bit of hard labor for a bite to eat, and when they could no longer work, they would collapse in the ditch and wait to die.

These people are destined for a tragic and bleak life, so the vast majority of them are Buddhists and hope for a happy afterlife. But if they could be provided with a reliable and tangible guarantee of care in their old age in this life, would they refuse?
Zhang Dai secretly thought that if he could provide pension insurance for most of the lower-ranking eunuchs and palace maids, then entering and leaving the palace would be no different from coming home. When the An Lushan Rebellion broke through Tongguan Pass, they didn't care about Emperor Xuanzong's life or death; they had to take Zhang Dai away first.

"The eunuch faction? Only brainless people can be eunuchs. I want to be the ancestor of the eunuch faction!"

Zhang Dai made a grand and ambitious vow in his heart: if you want to be cared for in your old age, you must first worship the Sixth Master of the Lotus Sect. We are the White Lotus Sect!
This plan sounds crazy, and seems to exude a strong sense of suicidal tendencies.

But once you know how the Imperial Guard, the most important defensive force in Chang'an, was ruined during the Tianbao era, you'll understand that the Tang emperor and his officials didn't really have a strong sense of crisis. The emperor and his ministers were all dreaming of a lasting and secure nation.

Moreover, if Zhang Dai dared to have such thoughts, doesn't he know how to hide himself?
If you invest in a temple in Luoyang and lease a few cliffs in Xiangshan, you can start selling Buddhist niches to eunuchs and palace maids for 500 coins a month. After paying for ten years, you can leave the palace and live in a villa in Xiangshan, where you can become a supervisor and start carving caves and statues. You can have two big pancakes and a pound of meat a day. Doesn't that sound tempting?
Zhang Dai, who had already resolved to become an insurance tycoon in the Tang Dynasty, first returned to the residence of Prince Qi in Shangshanfang, and then told the county magistrate of Yunyang about how Wang Maozhong was Wang Yuanbao's backer.

Upon hearing that the matter involved Wang Maozhong of the Northern Court, the Princess of Yunyang frowned, then looked at Zhang Dai and asked, "Will this matter affect the payment of money and silk? What do you think, Brother?"

"No, that's not the case. I just need to explain the personnel matters to the county magistrate. I just asked the Duke of Bohai for details, and he also believes that this national ceremony is attracting a lot of attention, so no one will dare to cause trouble. The Duke of Bohai also said that he will pay close attention to this matter and make sure that the family's assets are transferred to Chang'an smoothly."

Zhang Dai then said to the Princess of Yunyang, "Although Wang Maozhong currently wields considerable power, he wouldn't be so reckless as to cause trouble at the funeral of the Prince of Qi."

Moreover, the biggest benefit of this event was that it uncovered potential demand through the case of the transfer of Prince Qi's family wealth, thereby launching the money laundering business.

"In that case, there's no need for you to elaborate further, brother. I trust you!"

Upon hearing this, the Lady of Yunyang County spoke again, then pointed to herself and sighed, "I am a Taoist who has abandoned myself to the secular world, and I should not concern myself with worldly affairs. However, I have no one to rely on for my family affairs, so I have no choice but to do so reluctantly, but I have no experience or wisdom whatsoever."

I firmly believe that you, my esteemed brother, are of noble character and would never harm me. If you are a true man, I wish to be your friend forever, a sworn brother, a brotherhood that transcends life and death. This is my only gratitude; thank you, my esteemed brother!

As she spoke, she bowed deeply to Zhang Dai on the straw mat.

Hearing her refer to herself as a Taoist priest, and hearing the hint of self-abandonment in her tone, Zhang Dai felt a pang of pity. However, upon further reflection, he realized that even if she was a Taoist priest, she was one who possessed a fortune of over a million. He then felt that his pity was somewhat unfounded and stood up, saying, "Princess, rest assured, I will definitely supervise her diligently and live up to your expectations."

After leaving Shangshanfang, Zhang Dai mounted the white horse that Gao Lishi had recently given him and headed towards Huixunfang Villa. When he passed Shanting Courtyard, he didn't hear any funeral songs, so it seemed that the mourners had rested after practicing all day.

Thinking about how he had been slacking off all day, Zhang Dai felt a little ashamed. Moreover, there were several members of the Wei family in the mourning procession, who might report him for causing trouble.

However, Zhang Dai has already established a connection with Gao Lishi through the business of flying money, so he is not afraid of any bad guys reporting him, and he can even seize the opportunity to fight back.

(End of this chapter)