Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 37 Do you think the Saint's Sword is not useful?

Although he was extremely angry, Zhang Luo also knew that dealing with the Zheng family was not the top priority. The most important thing at the moment was to survive this political crisis.

For Zhang Luo, not only can he not stay out of it, but he must also actively and enthusiastically participate in it and play a significant role in it so that he can compete with and retaliate against Zheng later.

Otherwise, even if the Zhang family survived successfully, he would be discriminated against and excluded after returning to the Zhang family because he fled during the crisis.

It is obviously impossible for him to achieve this with his own ability, and he must rely on the help of Concubine Wu Huifei.

Because Ding Qing and his companions turned back and fled before returning to the farm, they only had a few hundred coins from selling the horse. Fortunately, they still had the light goods they had collected from Henan Prefecture.

Zhang Luo took off his robe first and asked Ding Qing to put it on. Then he went out to the boat market near Xintan to sell some spices and medicines, and exchanged them for more than 20 strings of money and silk, which would serve as funds for their hiding in the next few days.

Although there was an official residence of the Zuo Jinwu Guard in Qinghuafang, Zhang Luo had to go back in order to use Niu Guier to communicate with Wu Huifei. He took away ten strings of money and silk, and left the rest to the two of them, asking them to hide in Lidefang and wait for news from him.

When the street drums sounded in the evening and a large number of people were busy coming in and out, Zhang Luo took advantage of the chaos and sneaked back into Qinghuafang.

When he returned to the restaurant where he was staying, he saw Niu Gui'er had been waiting there for a long time. He hurriedly came to greet him and said, "My dear, you are finally back. Mistress Hui and I asked you to ask us in detail about what you said..."

Zhang Luo glanced at Niu Gui'er, whose forehead was dripping with sweat, clearly indicating that Concubine Wu Hui was pushing him very hard. He waved his hand to Niu Gui'er to wait a moment, then found the shop owner and handed him some silk as payment for a few nights' stay. He then took back his brocade half-sleeve, which he had used as collateral for the fumigation treatment. Then he looked at Niu Gui'er and said, "Where are we going to talk?"

"Still going to my humble abode!"

Niu Guier naturally didn't dare to tell any secrets in this crowded restaurant. He went in and pulled Zhang Luo to his home in a hurry.

When he returned home, Niu Guier dismissed the lady and the old servant who had hurried out to greet him. After he sat down in the hall, he said impatiently, "I was dull and ignorant last night, and I didn't understand things very well. As a result, I didn't make a clear report to the palace this morning, and Concubine Hui scolded me.

The Imperial Concubine has asked me to come to the square quickly to ask you, what exactly is going on here? Why are you so sure it's related to Doctor Cui of the Imperial Court? If, if Concubine Hui really wants to help, what should I do..."

This guy asked a series of questions in a hurried tone, which also revealed the anxious mood of Concubine Wu Huifei in the inner palace. It can be seen that he really realized that if this matter was handled properly, it would be a great opportunity for her to intervene in the personnel affairs of the outer court and gain influence.

After realizing this, Zhang Luo secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Wu Huifei hadn't been instigated and wasn't interested in this at all, then there was no point in him speculating too much.

But as long as Wu Huifei was interested, there would be more things she could do. Especially now that he couldn't just stay behind the scenes and instigate things, he had to be more actively involved, so he needed Wu Huifei's help even more. So he asked Niu Guier to convey his thoughts more directly.

"According to Zhang Lang, Zhou Liang, the Recorder of Henan Prefecture, is not only his benefactor, but also lives up to his name, a rare and excellent official. Last year, he was highly regarded by Li Jie, the former Imperial Censor who had served as the Chief Clerk of Prince Ning. Li Jie, the former Governor of Henan, promoted him to a higher rank. He has served the prefecture for many years, working tirelessly and without complaint, and has created many grand plans and policies. However, because he entered the office from outside the family, he was not valued by his successors..."

After Niu Gui'er learned the details from Zhang Luo outside the palace, he hurried back to report to Concubine Wu Huifei: "Since this spring, Luonan has been plagued by floods, severely damaging agriculture and causing great harm to both people and livestock. This matter was reported long before Doctor Cui came to court, and Zhou Liang had repeatedly made suggestions, but Doctor Cui turned a deaf ear. This disaster is difficult to conceal, and Doctor Cui's old officials, fearing that he would be implicated, have conspired to frame Zhou Liang after the incident..."

"If what he said is true, he is indeed a good official. The actions of the Henan official are truly chilling to the teeth of righteous men!"

In the bedroom, Concubine Wu Huifei couldn't help but offer a few comments after listening to Niu Gui'er's report, but then frowned again. "But everything you've said is just my one-sided account. Cui Yinfu is currently serving in the Imperial Court, with the Censors acting as his mouthpieces. If we rashly accuse him without solid evidence, it might backfire. Did the child explain this to you in detail?"

"Zhang Lang sent a slave to report this to Concubine Hui. He was so eager to take on this matter not only to repay her kindness, but also because he didn't want such a good official to be buried and the righteous path of the world to be distorted. Unfortunately, when the incident happened, the officials of Henan Prefecture rushed to the door immediately and confiscated all the documents and records he had submitted.

But Zhang Lang has always respected Zhou Liang, so he often discussed with him. He is well aware of all Zhou Liang's schemes and is willing to confront Cui Dafu and the officials of Henan Prefecture in front of the emperor. If his words are false and cannot be verified, he is willing to submit to the law..."

"This boy is indeed eager to serve the public good, possessing such courage and determination. He is truly a strong and upright man. But he still underestimates the dangers of the world. If all human rights and wrongs could be clarified with a single outspoken statement of justice, then how many injustices would remain in the world that cannot be redressed?"

After hearing this, Concubine Wu Hui sighed again. Although she had a better impression of Zhang Luo, her nephew whom she had only met once, she was not optimistic about his plan. Moreover, she was well aware of the delicate situation in the court. Without solid evidence and absolute certainty, she did not dare to intervene rashly.

After a moment's hesitation, Wu Huifei's eagerness gradually cooled, and she continued, "You can go back and tell him. It's good to have such a determination, but this matter is difficult and cannot be done alone.

His mother only has him as her last breath. If something bad happens and her grave becomes a desolate grave, I will not risk it. Instead of acting on his own and seeking help everywhere, he should return home and tell his parents so that they can discuss a good solution.

Although his father is still under urgent interrogation in Southern Province, his father, Zhang Jun, has returned home. If this can temporarily ease Zhang Linggong's situation, it will be a benefit to his family. If the Zhang family is trapped by the Xiantai and their message cannot reach the emperor, I will also convey it on their behalf."

Wu Huifei believed that the Zhang family had many followers and that if she gave them a chance to counterattack, they would surely try to turn the situation around. She could also take this opportunity to speak well of Zhang and establish a bond of friendship between them.

Although the relationship formed in this way is relatively shallow, the chances of success are great when the power of Zhang's followers is combined. She is happy to make friends with strong allies, but she does not want to take too much risk and rashly introduce the boy to the emperor.

When Zhang Luo learned what Concubine Wu Huifei meant, it was already the next night.

Hearing that his father Zhang Jun had returned home, he felt a little relieved. It seemed that after the initial extreme pressure of the incident, the subsequent pressure, although still considerable, did not continue to intensify. He should not have to worry too much about the Jinwu Guards searching the entire city for him.

However, Zhang Luo simply sneered in silence at Wu Huifei's suggestion that he return home to his father. Not to mention the already distant relationship between father and son, he simply couldn't easily relinquish the initiative in this matter. Granted, if this matter were to unfold, it would have had a significant negative impact and harmed Imperial Censor Cui Yinfu. But in reality, his relationship with Cui Yinfu was far less intimate than Zhang Luo had portrayed. After all, Cui Yinfu was the former, not the current, governor of Henan. Furthermore, Zhang Luo had no idea who in Henan Prefecture had decided to have Zhou Liang take the blame.

He exaggerated only to arouse Wu Huifei's interest and make her mistakenly believe that she could use this opportunity to interfere in the affairs of the outer court, and preferably to get an opportunity for her to introduce him to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to make her case.

Compared to the one-sided words of Zhang Luo, a young boy, Wu Huifei certainly believed more in the political resources accumulated by the Zhang family over the years, so Zhang Luo was not surprised to make such a suggestion.

He also believed that as soon as he told this story back home, Zhang Jun and the others would be overjoyed and seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack against Cui Yinfu. The truth of the matter was unimportant; they just needed to be louder than Cui Yinfu and his group. If this was combined with Concubine Wu Hui's interference in the inner court, they might even unleash a combination of attacks.

But if they really did so, they would be narrowing their path, because they all misunderstood the nature of this political struggle and the real target they needed to deal with.

In later generations, there was a viewpoint used to summarize and generalize this political struggle in the 14th year of Kaiyuan, as well as other central struggles during the Kaiyuan period, namely, literature and official administration.

This view holds that officials such as Cui Yinfu and Yuwen Rong cleverly took advantage of the attack in the 14th year of Kaiyuan to deprive Zhang Shuo, the literary leader, of his position in power.

How can we describe this view? It captures the essence of the situation but not its true purpose. The real reason for this struggle, as well as other central struggles during the Kaiyuan period, lies in the will of Emperor Xuanzong himself.

In the Fengshan Ceremony of the 13th year of Kaiyuan, Zhang Shuo, who presided over the event, stole the limelight, so much so that from then on, the "father-in-law" had a new nickname.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, who was supposed to be the protagonist of the Fengshan ceremony, was very unhappy. Most of the officials who accompanied him to the top of Mount Tai were Zhang Shuo's confidants. It can even be said that if Zhang Shuo had any evil intentions on the top of Mount Tai, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang might not have been able to come down!

So after the Fengshan ceremony, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang first used actors to entertain him, and then questioned the unfairness of the selection process. He followed Yuwen Rong's secret report and appointed ministers to select officials in ten groups, and neither the Minister of Personnel nor the Vice Minister was allowed to interfere.

As the prime minister, Zhang Shuo was naturally excluded, which brought the conflict between Zhang Shuo and Yuwen Rong, the upstart in the court, to a climax.

Afterwards, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang deliberately appointed Cui Yinfu, who was suppressed by Zhang Shuo, as the Chief Censor. The two Chief Censors, Yuwen Rong and Li Linfu, were both relatives of the Minister of the Court Yuan Qianyao and were at odds with Zhang Shuo. It can be said that the words "I will deal with him" were clearly written in the court!
So who is Cui Yinfu? He is a knife in the emperor's hand!

If Zhang Jun and others find an excuse to mobilize their followers to attack Cui Yinfu verbally and in writing, they are provoking the emperor. Your knife is not sharp enough!

Even if it could temporarily alleviate the attacks suffered by Zhang Shuo, however, if the emperor's intention was not achieved, it would be hard to say whether the next knife would be an adjective or a noun!

In fact, when Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty was tired of a ruling minister, he would usually deliberately do something to ignore the person's face and deliberately embarrass him. Yao Chong, Song Jing and others had similar experiences.

If Zhang Shuo had known better, he should have taken the initiative to retire after Emperor Xuanzong of Tang hinted at him several times, instead of dragging it on until now in such a passive and embarrassing situation.

At this point, some things are already destined. The harder you try to save them, the more counterproductive it will be.

Concubine Wu Huifei has always been confused, and Zhang Jun is not a smart man. It is natural that Zhang Luo would not join them in committing suicide. However, he is alone and weak now, and he must rely on Concubine Wu Huifei's ability. He can only give some half-hearted inducement.

Not to mention that it is not advisable to let the Zhang family attack Cui Yinfu. Even if this plan is feasible and can help the Zhang family get out of danger, there is no need to have too high expectations about what kind of rewards Zhang Luo can get under the leadership of Zhang Jun.

So after a moment's thought, Zhang Luo continued, "Empress Hui cares for the young and cannot bear to see me face criticism and hardship. I am deeply grateful for this. It's a pity that I can't enjoy such care and love from my parents. If I return home and tell them about this, I'm afraid I will be forced to act."

With this concern, I first came to seek the advice of Concubine Hui. Since Concubine Hui shares this view, I will return to inform my father. I simply hope that if I am forced to act, Concubine Hui will take the opportunity to protect me.

I am not afraid of my own life, but I am afraid that the task will be difficult to accomplish. I am even more afraid that Concubine Hui's teachings and sympathy will be kept secret and unknown to others."

When Niu Guier reported Zhang Luo's words to Concubine Wu Hui the next day, Concubine Wu Hui pondered for a long time after hearing it, and then sighed: "I used to think that he was eager to serve the people, but he was also rash and reckless. Now I hear that he is a calm and refined person.

From what happened recently, it seemed that both he and his mother had suffered very badly. For the sake of the entire Zhang family's safety, they wouldn't hesitate to abandon such a bastard, forcing him to take such a risk and slander Doctor Cui. He hadn't dared to tell his family before, because he had this concern.

I told him to return home and tell his story, perhaps pointing him to a deadly path. Even if Zhang Linggong escapes this fate, my son, implicated in this dangerous situation, will likely be unsafe. Not only will I have wrongfully harmed the child, but no one will know that I even used my wits in this matter. The Zhang family will be guilty and unkind, and will certainly not acknowledge my actions.

This matter cannot be handled by the Zhang family first. I need to make plans first. Once this is accomplished, Lord Zhang Ling will have no choice but to acknowledge this friendship. But Doctor Cui is too powerful and aggressive. It would be too risky for me to rashly lead this child. I am too deeply involved and it is difficult to withdraw. He really presents me with a difficult problem..."

She was scowling, her thoughts futile, completely unaware that her nephew had hooked her into a black carp with a seemingly unfounded plot. This kid was talking nonsense, and Concubine Wu Huifei was worried sick about how to safely connect him with others.

Although she was more concerned about ensuring her own safety, she couldn't completely ignore Zhang Luo's safety once she took action. If she killed Zhang Luo's grandson without completing the task, she would be losing more than she gained.

The conflict between Zhang Shuo and Yuwen Rong is often interpreted as a disagreement over political views, or even a conflict over policy lines, a perspective also drawn from the perspective of literature and officialdom. Zhang Shuo returned to the court to serve as prime minister in the ninth year of the Kaiyuan reign, and Yuwen Rong also submitted a memorial in the same year, proposing the household and farmland census. This means that during Zhang Shuo's tenure as prime minister, Yuwen Rong's reforms continued to advance and deepen without any obstruction from the central government. Even Zhang Shuo's son Zhang Jun and close confidant Li Jian served under Yuwen Rong in various positions, including the household census and agricultural promotion. The conflict between the two intensified after the Fengshan ceremony in the thirteenth year of the Kaiyuan reign, particularly when Yuwen Rong actively intervened in the struggle for the central power of personnel selection. This sparked strong resentment and retaliation from Zhang Shuo, leading to his frequent court arguments. This was a power struggle, not a clash of opinions or political views.

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(End of this chapter)