Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 99 Jade True Immortal

The Henan Prefecture examination was held in the prefectural school, and Yao Hong, who had recently returned from Shuofang, was in charge of presiding over the examination.

Previously, Yao Hong served as a legal officer in Henan Prefecture, but was instead sent to Shuofang to deliver troops. The journey took more than four months, and he endured immense hardship and exhaustion. However, he also benefited from this misfortune. Upon his return, he was promoted to the position of chief clerk for his meritorious service and was granted the qualification to oversee the provincial examinations.

After proctoring the exam, Yao Hong led his men to lock the answer sheets of all the candidates from the various provinces into the prefectural school's archives before returning to the Henan prefectural government office to report to the magistrate. As he entered Xuanfanfang, he saw Zhang Dai, who had a solemn expression, riding towards the prefectural government office, and his face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Where does Zhang's son intend to go now? Is he going to inquire about the matter of the petition being rejected?"

Yao Hong reined in his horse on the left side of the road, looked at Zhang Dai with a happy smile, and said.

When his gaze fell on the magnificent steed beneath Zhang Dai, a hint of envy flickered in his eyes. He had searched for fine horses along the way to Shuofang, but none of the ones he had acquired were as good as this exceptional steed, the Tele Piao.

"What did you do?"

When Zhang Dai saw Yao Hong's smirking face, he immediately understood.

Yao Hong made no attempt to hide his tampering, and continued to laugh and say, "You don't need to resent me so much. It's just that everyone's skills are different. When I was banished, it must have been because of someone else. Now that I've returned, I hear that Zhang's son was abandoned by his father and is rushing to take the exam, probably to avoid being harassed by officials."

Now that I am the Chief Clerk, I may tell you this: as long as I am in this prefecture, you can forget about being escorted to Henan Prefecture! Your grandfather, Zhang Yan, has countless friends and acquaintances; perhaps they are in another prefecture. Why not hurry and go to another prefecture to be escorted? Perhaps you can avoid missing the deadline.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai's brows furrowed even deeper. During the Tang Dynasty, there was frequent movement of people, and candidates for the imperial examinations could indeed take the exams in other prefectures without returning to their hometowns. Yao Hong had precisely anticipated this, which was why he delayed sending back Zhang Dai's examination documents until the Henan prefecture's examinations had begun.

With the Emperor currently residing in Luoyang, it will be more convenient for Henan Prefecture to send off the examinees. However, the other prefectures are already far away, and the roads have been blocked due to the previous torrential rains, so the examinations in each prefecture will definitely have to be held earlier to ensure that the examinees can be sent off on schedule.

Even if Zhang Dai wanted to seek help from another prefecture, it would be too late.

Now that he understood the whole story, he decided not to go to Henan Prefecture, nor would he stay to listen to Yao Hong's boasting and mockery. He immediately turned his horse around and left.

Seeing this, Yao Hong laughed even more unrestrainedly and shouted to Zhang Dai's back, "Let me teach you a plan. If you want to take the exam here next year, you might as well try to send me elsewhere. I can also take the opportunity to see the sights of various places. However, you must first avoid being sent away by the selection office!"

"Don't worry, Yao Gongcao, since you don't like the scenery of the capital region, your days are numbered!"

Zhang Dai glanced back at the smug-looking fellow and said coldly. Regardless of what he would do next, he had decided to grant the man's wish and let him continue his travels.

Although he doesn't often do evil, he always has plenty of evil thoughts, unlike people like Zheng who are full of bad ideas but don't know how to use them.

For example, they would sneak off to Wan'an Mountain under the cover of darkness and dig up the Yao family's ancestral graves, and then spread rumors that Yao Hong's presiding over the civil service examination was unfair and that the Henan Prefecture's candidates had dug up the graves to vent their anger.

Now that the Emperor is residing in Luoyang, there will inevitably be many scholars coming to Henan Prefecture to apply for the provincial examinations. Given Yao Hong's personality, it's unlikely he can be fair and impartial. If things get heated, some of the candidates who failed to get their places will surely complain, and Yao Hong will be in deep trouble.

However, doing so would be detrimental to both himself and others, and would not help to reverse Zhang Dai's current predicament. The most important thing right now is to find a way to qualify for the imperial examination. If that fails, it's not too late to come back and dig up Yao Chong's grave.

After returning home, he did not tell his grandfather about the situation. Zhang said that he had also been feeling unwell for the past two days. He had been faking illness before, but the recent high-intensity treatment had made him genuinely ill.

The previous days of torrential rains had caused severe damage in both Henan and Hebei provinces. These prefectures and counties successively submitted memorials to the imperial court to complain about the mismanagement of funds used for the Fengshan ceremony, and now their granaries were empty and in urgent need of relief.

Strictly speaking, last year Zhang Yue, as the envoy for the Fengshan ceremony, was mainly responsible for the formulation and preparation of the ceremony and the arrangement of personnel. As for the allocation of supplies, that was overseen by Yuwen Rong, who served as the deputy envoy for the Fengshan ceremony.

But since Zhang Yue was the one who initiated the event and was the main sponsor, and now that he has stepped down, he naturally has to bear more criticism. Although the blame did not fall on Zhang Yue himself, the officials he promoted before the Fengshan ceremony were all subsequently demoted.

What's even more baffling is that many of the edicts deposing and holding these officials accountable were drafted by Zhang Jun, a mere secretary in the Imperial Secretariat. This guy probably thought that as long as he could please the emperor, everything would be fine; he was really happy to undermine his own faction and dismantle his own cronies.

Zhang Dai even suspected that the seemingly unreasonable appointment he had received earlier was probably a test of obedience conducted by the emperor and the prime minister. It was only because he passed that he was allowed to remain in his humiliating position as a drafter in the Imperial Secretariat.

When it comes to personnel struggles, the current sage is truly a master. Continuing to relentlessly attack Zhang Yue himself would undoubtedly make the sage appear cold-hearted. But by placing a fool in a prominent position and letting him perform, the predicament of Zhang Yue having no successor can be fully exposed.

With no future, who would want to play with you? When a thief undermines his own side, the damage is far more severe than any outside persecution. Under these circumstances, Zhang Shuo could hardly exert much influence or influence at the level of resolving the examination, and Zhang Dai had no choice but to devise another plan.

After returning home, Zhang Dai selected the best poems and essays he had recently practiced and compiled them into a collection. Then he took out the letter that Princess Yunyang had given him when they parted in Chang'an, intending to use it to visit Princess Yuzhen.

He wasn't sure what the relationship was between the Princess of Yunyang and this aunt, but considering that the princess was steady and reliable, since she had given him this letter, she should at least be able to guarantee that he could see Princess Yuzhen.

Even if he were introduced to Princess Yuzhen by a letter from the Princess of Yunyang County, he would still need to demonstrate whether he was worthy of her help.

Therefore, after thinking for a while, Zhang Dai picked up his pen again to prepare to write a poem to seek an audience. The poems and essays included in his scroll were all written for the imperial examinations, intended to demonstrate his proficiency in prosody and other skills required for the examinations, while the display of his talent was relatively limited.

"The immortal Yuzhen often visits Mount Taihua..."

After a moment's hesitation, he silently apologized to Li Bai, saying, "When you come to Chang'an in a few years, I'll treat you to a drink."

Besides Li Bai's poem, the strong and vigorous Liu-style calligraphy also gave Zhang Dai some inspiration.

He planned to find time to confess to his grandfather about writing the epitaph for someone else after he finished the exams. It was better to confess himself than to be forced to admit it after being discovered. Moreover, because of his father's rebellious behavior, his grandfather had recently grown increasingly appreciative and expectant of him, so this was a suitable time to confess.

Princess Yuzhen's residence in Luoyang was Anguo Temple, located in Zhengping Ward in the south of Luoyang, only one ward away from Kangsu Ward. Zhang Dai packed all his poems into a brocade pouch, dressed up in his finest clothes, and then left home and the ward to head west to Zhengping Ward.

After autumn arrived, the Ministry of Personnel's selection process and the submission of officials from various prefectures took place simultaneously, attracting officials from all over to Luoyang, making the city more prosperous and bustling than before.

Before Zhang Dai could even inquire properly upon arriving at Zhengpingfang, he found the location of Anguo Temple. The temple was bustling with activity, with carriages and horses crowding the streets, almost completely blocking the way. It seemed that all the people there were scholars from various places who had come to pay their respects to Princess Yuzhen.

In previous years, Zhang Shuo's family had experienced similar situations. Even though Zhang Shuo himself was not in Luoyang, his home in Luoyang was always bustling with visitors during the selection season. However, this year, the Zhang family's influence has greatly diminished. Even Zhang Dai has to go out to seek patronage, and no one goes to the Zhang family to risk bad luck.

His flamboyant attire and spirited horse were quite intimidating. As he approached, people spontaneously made way for him and his entourage.

"Zhang Liulang has also come to see the princess. Could it be that he is going to take the imperial examination this year?"

At this moment, someone in the crowd who recognized Zhang Dai suddenly called out and asked. Zhang Dai looked in the direction of the voice and saw various faces with different appearances. He could not recognize who was asking the question. He just waved in that direction and did not give a clear answer.

"Which Zhang Liulang is this? Is he the grandson of Zhang Yan, whose name was bestowed by the sage and whose integrity is unyielding? Even the Lord Yan has become so weak, and his few followers still have to seek patronage from other sects..."

As Zhang Dai walked by, various murmurs arose from the surroundings. Some expressed curiosity and admiration, while others couldn't help but feel schadenfreude or even mockery. The murmurs only subsided slightly after he presented his visiting card and successfully entered the Taoist temple.

These people rushed here early in the morning to seek an audience, only to be blocked at the door by the Imperial Guards and unable to enter for days. Yet, when others arrive, they are allowed in. Even though Zhang Shuo has lost power, they are still not from the same world!

There were also scholars leisurely strolling and reciting poetry in Anguo Temple, but Zhang Dai was not in the mood to socialize at the moment. He handed over his name card and was allowed to enter. Then he handed the letter from the Princess of Yunyang to a female Taoist priest who was guiding him and asked her to present it to the princess.

He had not waited long in the front courtyard when another female Taoist priest hurriedly came and said, "The princess requests that Zhang Lang come to the Jingsi Hall to see her."

Jingsi Hall was the most important and prominent building in Anguo Temple, and it was also the residence where Princess Yuzhen lived and practiced Taoism. Zhang Dai followed the female Taoist priest straight to the Taoist hall. This matter concerned his future, so he had no time to take in the architecture and scenery of the Taoist temple.

Inside the hall stands a jade statue of a Taoist deity, and the walls are adorned with numerous images of otherworldly immortals and Taoist priests. Seated on a lotus throne in the hall is a middle-aged female Taoist priestess dressed in a ceremonial robe. Despite being middle-aged, she still possesses fair skin, beautiful features, and a captivating charm, and the ceremonial robe and lotus crown she wears give her an ethereal air.

Zhang Dai dared not scrutinize the princess closely, and hurriedly stepped forward to bow, saying, "This humble one is Zhang Dai, the unworthy grandson of Yan Gong, who pays his respects to Your Highness Princess Yuzhen."

“Now that you have entered the temple, there is no need to observe worldly formalities. I have also heard of the reputation of the Jade Bone Boy. Your father, Master Zhang, also came here to request Taoist scriptures. Since you brought Ayu’s letter to see me, you are no longer an outsider. Please sit down.”

Perhaps due to her daily chanting of Taoist scriptures, Princess Yuzhen's voice also carried a touch of ethereal magnetism. If you closed your eyes and listened, it sounded like the innocent laughter of a teenage girl, rather than the voice of a mature and elegant female Taoist priest.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai thanked him again, then got up and sat down. When he got closer and looked at her from a different angle, he discovered that Princess Yuzhen's facial features were quite similar to the current emperor's, only with an added touch of gentleness and charm, making her even more alluring against the backdrop of her mature elegance.

(End of this chapter)