Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 331 Who is worthy to be prime minister in the court?
Yan Tingzhi quickly composed himself and began to handle government affairs. Seeing this, Zhang Dai did not disturb him any further. After leaving Daming Palace, he detoured to the Taichang Temple office in the Taiji Palace Imperial City and reviewed some documents. Before he knew it, it was already evening, so he went home after get off work.

As evening approached, a light rain began to fall again, and the wide Zhuque Avenue was filled with pedestrians hurrying along in the rain.

Chang'an was such a large city that ordinary residents could only move around within their own neighborhoods, while officials like Zhang Dai had to go to work at fixed locations. Some officials who lived in more remote areas were often exhausted from rushing to clock in and out.

In Chang'an, a very strict curfew was enforced. Sometimes, after finishing official business, it was already late, and people could not return home before the curfew. They had to stay overnight at the government office, stay at an inn, or even sleep under a bridge or a dilapidated house in the neighborhood.

Ma Xielu, who worked with Zhang Dai, lived in a suburban county. He would only go home once every few months. He usually lived in the government office. When he had time off, he would either help people compile or copy books or do other jobs to earn extra money.

For this reason, Zhang Dai basically didn't need to work overtime when he was a music assistant, and he had time and energy to do other things.

Of course, he wasn't someone who was always looking for a bargain. Since Ma Xielu stayed at the government office and didn't go home, Zhang Dai would instruct his family to help him wash his clothes and occasionally bring him some food to the government office for a treat. They got along quite well.

As usual, he asked Ma Xielu if he needed anything, then instructed his family to pack up the trunk full of robes before heading straight home. By the time he arrived, the street drums were almost finished, and curfew was about to begin.

The residence of Prime Minister Xiao Song in the same neighborhood was bustling with carriages and horses, and even as the neighborhood gates were about to close, visitors continued to rush in on horseback. In contrast, the other households in the neighborhood, including Zhang Dai's family, appeared deserted.

After Zhang Dai returned home, several retainers came out to greet him and recounted the events of the day. Because the results of the imperial examinations had not yet been released, some scholars who were still staying in the capital also came to visit, some of whom had come to submit their examination papers and seek favors.

After all, his grandfather was a renowned literary figure, and Zhang Dai, as the top scholar in the imperial examinations, was also quite famous for his literary talent. Of course, there were also those who couldn't find their uncle Zhang Ji's new home and directly submitted their papers to the Zhang family mansion.

Zhang Dai sat in the front hall and casually flipped through these scrolls, but he couldn't find any amazing works or see any famous people among them.

While the Tang Dynasty produced many famous poets, they were not exactly rare figures in the grand scheme of things. Moreover, as living, breathing human beings, these poets did not necessarily align with the emotions and temperament expressed in their writings.

Take Gao Shi, whom Zhang Dai had previously recruited, for example. The way Gao Shi handled things made Zhang Dai a little embarrassed. When Prince Xin'an was appointed to Shuofang, Zhang Dai went to see him off, and Gao Shi followed. During the banquet, Gao Shi couldn't help but recommend himself, making it seem as if Zhang Dai couldn't tolerate talented people.

Zhang Dai could understand Gao Shi's feelings of decline and yearning for advancement. To be honest, he was willing to help him if the opportunity arose. In fact, if Gao Shi had communicated with him beforehand and expressed his aspirations, and Zhang Dai had introduced him to Prince Xin'an, it would have been more polite to everyone.

Although somewhat displeased, Zhang Dai did not deliberately obstruct the matter, and even spoke well of him to Prince Xin'an. His generosity likely won the prince's favor, and he was taken under his command, accompanying him to Shuofang. As for what happened afterward, Zhang Dai was not entirely clear.

Therefore, Zhang Dai maintained a calm attitude towards these ancient poets, unlike his initial eagerness to get to know them.

Putting aside those passionate and eloquent poems, we are all living, breathing people in this world. Whether we can get along for a long time depends on whether our temperaments are compatible. Of course, if we meet in the arena of fame and fortune, then position and status are even more important than temperament.

Inside the main hall, Zhang Shuo was enjoying a dance performance with several clansmen. It wasn't anything too exciting; it mainly consisted of some new lyrics that Zhang Dai had recently adapted as a composer. Zhang Shuo was both cultivating his mind and checking their work.

“Wang Changling’s compilation of these Hengchui poems is quite good. What position does he hold now? If he passes the examination after his term expires, he can go directly into the Jixian Academy without having to wait for the selection process again.”

Upon seeing Zhang Dai enter, Zhang Shuo smiled and spoke. He knew that Zhang Dai and his classmates had formed a fairly close-knit group and held Wang Changling and others in high regard.

"We'll have to wait until next year to make arrangements. It's not just Wang Changling; several of my classmates also had excellent performance. If we're restricted by the selection rules, it would be a real waste of talent!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai said that several of his classmates had been granted official positions in the fifteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, and their terms would not be completed until at least the eighteenth year. Without special circumstances, they would then face a long period of waiting for their turn. Zhang Dai naturally hoped they could bypass this restriction and gain more opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.

"Since we are in the selection department, there are always rules that cannot be bypassed. In recent years, the number of people being selected has increased, with thousands of people from all walks of life joining the selection process. Every year, tens of thousands of people gather in the capital region and linger there, which makes it very difficult for the selection department to handle its affairs."

Although Zhang Shuo had retired to the second line, he still maintained sufficient concern for the current situation and personnel. He sighed and said, "Although Song Jing is upright, he is slow to make decisions and cannot adapt to changing circumstances. He can still manage things now by relying on his reputation, but if the selection method is not changed, he may not be able to maintain his integrity in his later years when chaos breaks out!"

"It's not just an increase in the number of candidates; there are also personnel obstacles that are seriously hindering the election..." Zhang Dai heard his grandfather mention this issue, so he recounted the disputes that had occurred at Daming Palace that day: "The two prime ministers in the court are now at odds, and even with a senior minister like the Duke of Guangping mediating, it is difficult for personnel matters to proceed smoothly. My lord, Yan, is even tired of being in the court and has expressed his desire to leave."

"Alas, these two men had no experience in key positions or understanding of the big picture before they came to power, and after taking office they were eager to break away from the plans of their predecessors. The busier they were, the more chaotic things became, and the more chaotic things became, the more they fought. Their intentions had long since deviated from the situation and were merely driven by their own emotions. How could such a government last long?"

After listening to Zhang Dai's story, Zhang Shuo couldn't help but sigh.

His lament was not only directed at the two prime ministers present, but also at the current sage. The sage, eager to adjust the government and eliminate his influence over personnel appointments, was too hasty and lacked thorough consideration in selecting prime ministers. The fact that both ministers remained in power for several years was due to the sage's own stubborn insistence.

"My grandfather thinks that if these two officials were to leave their posts, who in the court could succeed them? Today in the province, I heard my subordinates lamenting that it would be better to appoint the Duke of Guangping and other steady and experienced ministers like my grandfather to take over the leadership."

Zhang Dai then spoke up, wanting to hear his grandfather's views on the current situation.

Upon hearing this, Zhang laughed and shook his head, saying, "When the old guard was in power, people were tired of their old ways; when they left, people missed their old feelings. If I had left the position at the beginning of last year, I would have been eager for power and wanted to return home. But now I have a peaceful place to live, so there is no need for me to return to the position and make enemies of those above and below me."

As for Song Jing, while he was good at following the rules and regulations, he lacked the ability to adapt to changing times. He was bound to fail if he didn't act, and the rise of Xiao Song and others in border campaigns, and the cunning financial schemes of Yuwen Rong and others, were all beyond his control.

One of the most distinctive features of Song Jing's reign was his failure to achieve military success on the frontier. While he continued the recuperation policy implemented during Yao Chong's reign, it was not adapted to the rapidly changing internal and external situation.

Following Song Jing, Zhang Jiazhen and Zhang Yue were all border generals who entered the court. The current prime ministers, Du Xian and Xiao Song, are even more so.

In particular, Xiao Song was appointed to a critical position when the situation in Longyou and Hexi collapsed. Through a series of measures, he not only stabilized the situation but also launched a counterattack against the Tubo and achieved considerable victories. Now, Xiao Song's influence in the court is just like that of Zhang Yue when he entered the court with his military achievements.

"Among those of high standing and capable of holding the position of prime minister in this era, there are only a few, such as Lu Congyuan, Cui Mian, Wei Xuxin of Lufu, and Li Gao of Taiyuan. Lu Congyuan is greedy for profit and lacks authority, Cui Mian is arrogant and aloof, Wei Xuxin has not served in court for a long time, and Li Gao is hindered by his family line. I fear that he is not as good as Prince Xin'an in terms of both internal and external affairs."

Zhang Yue listed the people he believed were qualified to be prime minister, and pointed out their shortcomings. In the end, he sighed and said, "Many of the old talents have passed away. After the Eastern Feng ceremony, the emperor's ambitions have become even higher. He probably does not like to use old people anymore. He must have his own choices in mind. It is just a few people who have been competent in recent years."

Zhang Dai understood his grandfather's meaning; he was referring to Yuwen Rong, but his resentment remained deep, and he refused to call him by his name directly.

Seeing that Zhang had omitted Pei Guangting from his list, he then asked, "Does Grandfather think that Pei Guangting, the Vice Minister of War, is suitable to be appointed Prime Minister?"

“Pei Guangting? He is talented and calm, but unfortunately his deeds are little known, so it will probably be difficult for him to become prime minister.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuo shook his head, not optimistic about Pei Guangting. However, he knew that Zhang Dai would not make random comments on important matters, so after a moment's thought, he looked at him and asked, "Did you hear any information from Consort Hui or the eunuch?"

Zhang Dai didn't actually know how Pei Guangting had managed to stand out from the crowd and become prime minister in history, but now he understood after his grandfather asked him this question.

"I haven't heard any special news, but if it's likely that Yuwen Rong will become prime minister, then who will be his partner is also very important. After all, Li Bai and Du Fu are at odds and have neglected state affairs. Now, Yuwen Rong is skilled in finance but is also a bit impetuous. If we use someone with high qualifications and prestige to work with him, it will be difficult to get along. If he is promoted from among his peers, wouldn't Pei Guangting be a perfect fit?"

Zhang Dai spoke half-truthfully, using his foresight as a reference while also adding his own judgment.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuo's eyes lit up, and he immediately clapped his hands, saying, "This plan is indeed worth careful consideration. Your ability to deduce personnel matters from this is truly excellent! Although Pei Guangting's qualifications and reputation are slightly inferior, he is still a suitable match for Yuwen Rong. Yuwen is shrewd and active, while Pei is elegant and calm. If they are promoted together, it will achieve a balance in the court. Tomorrow I need to invite him to my residence to discuss this matter in detail!"

Zhang Dai was naturally overjoyed to hear his grandfather say this. Even if he wanted to get on Pei Guangting's good side, he was currently too weak to do so. However, if his grandfather helped Pei Guangting become prime minister, this act of kindness would be enough to win Pei Guangting's favor.

For a moment, Zhang Dai even had the illusion that he could decide the position of prime minister with a single word. However, this feeling of self-satisfaction did not last long. The very next day, he was met with a bucket of cold water: the Pingkangfang plot of land he had his eye on was, unsurprisingly, snatched away by someone else!

(End of this chapter)