Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 39: The Humble Room
At the Zhang family mansion in Kangsufang, the Jinwu Guards surrounding the mansion inside and outside have not yet withdrawn, and the entire mansion is still shrouded in a solemn atmosphere.

Zhang Shuo, stripped of his dignified official robes and dressed in plain clothes, rode in from outside the town square. His hair and beard were disheveled, his expression haggard, and his whole person exuded a sense of decadence. Although he was accompanied by armored guards, they were not the majestic ceremonial guards of a prime minister, but rather the Jinwu Guards escorting him home to await his punishment.

"The Lord is back, the Lord is back..."

When the Zhang family servants in the house heard that Zhang Shuo was returning home, they flocked to the door to greet him. In their minds, as long as Zhang Linggong returned home, he would be able to drive away these hateful Jinwu Guards and end this disaster.

However, when they saw Zhang Shuo's haggard appearance, their joyful mood immediately turned into loss, and they were even more worried and frightened than before.

"Go home, go home."

Zhang Shuo dismounted with the help of his son Zhang Jun, and waved his hand weakly to his family. Then all the Zhang clan members followed Zhang Shuo and his son and hurried back to the mansion.

Looking at the house, whose layout remained unchanged but whose furnishings in the hall had been severely damaged, Zhang Shuo's eyes flashed with shame and gloom. However, when he entered the hall and saw the rather exquisite meal presented by his family, he immediately frowned and said in a deep voice, "Remove!"

"Is this food not to your taste? What does Aye want to eat..."

Seeing this, Zhang Jun hurriedly leaned forward to ask, but before he could finish his words, Zhang Shuo stomped his foot and interrupted him, "Shut up! I won't eat! I won't eat! Remove all the food and wine, and clear away all the furnishings!"

Seeing Zhang Shuo's sudden outburst of rage, everyone in the hall, including the brothers Zhang Jun and Zhang Yi, was so frightened that they held their breath and dared not utter a word. Zhang Gu, the head of the palace, stepped forward and whispered, "My lord, do you mean that we shouldn't indulge in extravagance at home while the current situation is still unresolved?"

Zhang Shuo nodded slowly after hearing this, then said in a deep voice, "From this day on, no meat or alcohol will be allowed in this house. Only millet and brown rice will be consumed twice a day. Men will not indulge in sexual pleasures, and women will not wear fine silk. Anyone who violates this will be severely punished!"

After hearing this, everyone in the hall's faces turned cold again. They felt that the situation might be even more serious than they had imagined. Some of the timid ones even couldn't help but burst into tears.

After days of continuous interrogation in Nan Province, Zhang Shuo was exhausted. After issuing strict orders to his family, he waved his hand to dismiss them and ordered, "Make arrangements for simple bedding in the Jicui Building. I'll go there... No, are there any other simple rooms in the mansion?"

Zhang Gu, the head of the palace standing by, heard this and suddenly remembered that he had been ordered to go and recruit Zhang Luonu, the Sixth Prince, so he quickly said, "Yes, there is, but it is too dilapidated."

"It's better to be ruined, ruined... A ruined house is better than a ruined home. Lead me there."

After being tormented for many days in Southern Province, Zhang Shuo understood the dire situation he faced. If he mishandled the situation, his entire family could suffer. Although temporarily housed, he remained steadfast in his position, aware that he must maintain a fearful and self-aware attitude.

Soon Zhang Shuo was led to the humble courtyard. After taking a look around inside and outside, he frowned slightly at first, but soon relaxed his brows. He walked into the room and sat on the floor. He waved his hand and refused the bedding his family members sent, and simply used some grass to cover his body. At the same time, he instructed the family members outside the door: "You only need to come here for one meal a day. Don't use fine utensils to serve water and rice, and don't come here to disturb us when you have free time..."

He stayed here alone to punish himself, even sending out several loyal old servants, and sat there in the grass from morning till night. The house was so dilapidated that after dark the night wind started to pick up, leaking in everywhere, making so much noise that Zhang Shuo couldn't sleep and was restless.

He stood up to seal the leaking wall, but unexpectedly peeled off a larger piece of wall covering. It turned out that the wall covering was originally a temporary cover made of mud and paper. Zhang Shuo became increasingly discouraged by this and simply stopped fiddling with it. He lay down on the straw pile and let the night wind blow. After an unknown amount of time, he finally fell into a drowsy sleep.

At dawn, footsteps were heard outside the door. Zhang Shuo was awakened and looked up. He saw his brother Zhang Guang and the old servant Zhang Gude coming together.

"Is the situation so dire that it's impossible to save it?"

When Zhang Guang saw his brother, who had always lived a life of luxury, treating him like this, tears welled up in his old eyes.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuo sighed deeply and said, "The evil bandits are pressing us hard. Old slave Yuan and I have been preparing for this for a long time, and now we have even more help. We will certainly not let them go easily. I can only hope that the saint will remember our past and show some mercy, fearing that the generous devotion of future loyal and virtuous people will be hurt..."

The two brothers chatted for a while, and soon it was time for the court meeting. Zhang Guang stood up and said loudly, "Our family is so prosperous, and for many years we have relied on my younger brother to support us. Now that disaster is imminent, as the eldest brother in the family, I should not sit back and worry like the younger brothers, but should also show my strength. Just wait and see!"

After saying this, Zhang Guang strode out the door, his eyes gleaming with determination. Zhang Shuo did not try to stop his brother, as he knew that this was the time for the whole family to work together to overcome the difficulties. If any family members had any plans, they would all have to implement them.

"My lord, please eat first."

At this time, Zhang Gu came forward and brought a clay basin filled with steamed millet rice.

Zhang Shuo was indeed hungry, and he didn't refuse the simple meal, so he took the clay bowl and began to eat. Zhang Gu took the opportunity to repair the mottled wall. He leaned over to clean the wall that Zhang Shuo had peeled off last night, and from under the dirt, he shook out a piece of written paper.

"Wait a minute!"

Zhang Shuo's talent and personality made him particularly interested in things like writing. Although he only glanced at it briefly, he was immediately drawn to the words on the paper. He put down the pottery in his hand and stepped forward to examine the words carefully. "A beautiful figure, wise and virtuous, is a gift from heaven. A woman's chastity and achievements as a woman are not due to the teachings of a teacher..."

The words on the paper had become unbearably mottled due to being stained by mud, but it was still clear that it was an epitaph for a woman. However, what really caught Zhang Shuo's attention was not the content of the words, but the calligraphy.

"The brushstrokes are powerful, the bones are revealed, and the style is rigorous. It seems not to be the work of a recent artist. If we try to emulate the style of the predecessors, although the power may not be as great, the style is superior..."

As the leader of the literary world and having been in power for many years, Zhang Shuo had contacts with many outstanding calligraphers of the time, and he had also appreciated and collected the original works and rubbings of stone tablets by his predecessors. However, this copy of calligraphy made him feel quite novel and amazing, and at the same time very unfamiliar.

He held the calligraphy in his hands and admired it for a long time. When he saw the words on the paper were covered with dirt and filth, he said with some dissatisfaction and heartache: "Who lived here before? If it was a family member in the mansion, how dare they destroy such a literary work!"

"Yes, it's Rokuro. He and his servants have been living here lately. The paper looks new, so I think it's Rokuro's practice."

Zhang Gu quickly replied after hearing this. He had a good impression of Zhang Luo. Seeing his master's displeasure, he added, "Liu Lang is quiet and studious, concentrating on his art. I think the servants are blind and stole his practice to paint the wall to protect it from the wind."

Zhang Shuo was stunned at first, then shook his head after a moment, saying, "It's not him, how could it be him! This calligrapher has quite a good style. If he can cultivate his writing skills over time, he will surely become a master. That kid, while talented, is a very clumsy writer. What a pity, what a pity... who could he be?"

He had seen Zhang Luo's clumsy writing style, which was far from this. However, after Zhang Gu reminded him, he remembered this boy and asked again, "Where is this boy now? I haven't seen him since I returned. With his family in such trouble, can he sing the song for the prisoners of Chu?"

Zhang Gu heard this and said, "Liu Lang recently petitioned the old lady to build a monument for his biological mother. He was not at home on the day of the family tragedy. Perhaps a family member committed a sin of slander, and the Jinwu Guards went out to arrest him, but they only captured the servants and close relatives, leaving Liu Lang stranded."

"Straying away?"

Zhang Shuo frowned slightly upon hearing this, and after a moment he sighed, "This kid is clever and quick-witted, and knows how to predict good and bad, and of course, how to benefit and harm. He's actually living in this humble house these days, which shows how poorly his family treats him. Now that they've abandoned him, he shouldn't blame them, shouldn't..."

Although he said this, Zhang Shuo's expression turned ugly.

Originally, he had been quite optimistic about this grandson, but he hadn't expected this clever little kid to hide out early, refusing to help his family weather the storm. This inevitably made Zhang Shuo feel a sense of desolation, having been deserted by everyone. He said in a deep voice, "After this matter is over, I will count all my family members. Those relatives who have abandoned me will no longer be accepted into my household. Those servants who have abandoned me will be reported to the authorities for arrest!"

In the past, he had friends all over the world and half of his relatives were in the court. But now he faced such a dangerous situation, and there were very few people who could bring substantial help. This made Zhang Shuo feel annoyed and self-reflective. He deeply realized that most of his so-called relatives and friends were flatterers and few of them treated him sincerely.

If we can survive this disaster, we should cut off ties with those who have come to us for power, even if it means parting ways. And we must cherish and protect those who are truly loyal and willing to help us in times of crisis.

Let's not talk about Zhang Shuo who was lying on the haystack and reflecting on his past mistakes at home. In Qinghuafang, Luobei, when Zhang Luo heard the plan that his aunt Wu Huifei asked Niu Guier to convey, he was dumbfounded for a moment. He felt that Wu Huifei was really a clever little ghost: The blood of your Wu family is poisonous, and you two only think about making benefits but don't want to take risks!

(End of this chapter)