Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 50 Who Teach You How to Act
The group walked through the long Yongxiang Alley and arrived at the side hall of Xuanzheng Hall. Gao Lishi went in first and told the others to wait in the corridor outside the hall. After about ten breaths, a voice was heard from inside the hall: "Zhang Luonu, a citizen of Henan Prefecture, is here to see you."

Zhang Luo's spirits lifted when he heard this. At the same time, a eunuch standing in front of him hurriedly whispered a reminder: "Sir, please follow me and don't go too far!"

After saying this, the eunuch walked out first. There was no sign of movement on his upper body, but he was walking quickly with small steps below his knees.

Zhang Luo could only follow in small steps, keeping a close eye on the hem of the eunuch's robe. When the eunuch paused in the hall and whispered "Bow," he also hurriedly paused, immediately knelt and bowed deeply. Then the eunuch in charge of leading the way called out, "Your Majesty, Zhang Luonu, a citizen of Henan Prefecture, comes to pay his respects to Your Majesty!"

"Zhang Luonu, a criminal and a citizen of Henan Prefecture, pays homage to the Supreme Emperor!"

Normally, subjects would have to go through a series of complicated etiquette when paying homage to the king, including the guidance and arrangement of ceremonial guards, etc. However, the court etiquette of the Tang Dynasty was simple and followed the customs, so some complicated rituals were avoided if possible. In addition, this night was not a formal summons, so there was only the guidance and calling of names. Zhang Luo also bowed his head to the ground and did not dare to look up on his own.

"Forgive me."

After a while, a voice sounded from above. Zhang Luo slowly raised his head, bowed again, and then stood there with his head down, waiting for further instructions.

The sage sat alone on the imperial bed above the side hall, looking down at the young man from above. As for Consort Wu Huifei, who had been in the hall just a moment ago, she temporarily retreated behind the pearl curtains on the side of the hall and also looked at Zhang Luo in the hall with a slightly nervous look through the gaps in the curtains.

After being properly treated at the Internal Medicine Bureau, Zhang Luo no longer showed any signs of pain or distress, and his words and actions were decent, which at least did not make people feel disgusted.

However, due to the sage's preconceived notions, he looked at the young man with a rather cold gaze and asked in a deep voice, "Zhang, you call yourself a sinner. What is your crime?"

"Fearing I might be blocked midway and unable to reach the ears of Heaven, I have committed fraud against the officials in charge of the copper box. Although there are reasons for this, the evidence is irrefutable and I dare not conceal it. I only beg Your Majesty to allow me to complete my report and accept the punishment I will receive."

Although the charges he had prepared earlier were burned by Li Linfu, Zhang Luo did not intend to cover up or argue for his mistakes. After hearing the emperor's question, he immediately bowed and spoke.

Upon hearing this, the Saint snorted coldly, leaned back slightly, and then said calmly, "What do you want to say? Tell me quickly!"

"I, a criminal, have submitted a letter to the emperor in a copper box, stating that I have a good plan for the benefit of the country and would like to present it to the emperor. Fortunately, I have been summoned to appear before you. I will present it promptly and respectfully ask the emperor to review it and verify that what I have said is not false."

Zhang Luo hurriedly took out the real memorial that he had carefully prepared from his arms, held it up with both hands, and a eunuch came forward to take the memorial and then presented it to the emperor.

Upon hearing this, the sage's brows furrowed once more. He didn't look at the scroll placed on the table by the eunuch, but instead lowered his eyes to look at Zhang Luo and said gravely, "Apart from this, is there anything else? Do you have any suggestions for what happened in the Censorate?"

"National affairs are of great importance; the sufferings of ordinary people are but minor matters. Furthermore, the sage emperor is in power, and the sun and the moon are bright. Good and evil, loyalty and treachery cannot be concealed, and right and wrong are not confused. I am fortunate to have your attention, and I dare not speak carelessly or disturb your hearing. The prosperity of the nation is the common wish of all. I have long been blessed by your grace, so I present this with elegant words."

Although he had been complaining about Gao Lishi's words about Dihua in his heart before, when he really got to the scene, Zhang Luo just said similar words.

Although he also wanted to take the opportunity to deal with Li Linfu, things must always be prioritized. The purpose of his visit today was not to attack Zhang Shuo's political enemies, but to present good advice that would benefit the country. This important goal could not be confused.

Gao Lishi, who was standing beside the imperial bed with his head bowed, heard the young man's response, and his slightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed.

The sage was displeased just now because the young man's words were cunning and inconsistent, which reminded him of the story of Zhang Shuo in the old days of Wu Zhou. He thought that the young man was using the same old trick to attack others, but after the young man entered the palace, he immediately put away the strong aggressiveness he had shown in the Southern Province before, which at least prevented the sage from getting angry.

As expected, when Gao Lishi secretly observed the sage's expression, he found that his face had softened a little. Gao Lishi wasn't sure whether the young man had grasped something from his words, or if he had always intended to do so, but things were finally taking a positive turn.

Thinking about how this kid had acted so cruelly in Southern Province, wanting to skin Li Linfu alive and pull out his tendons, and how he looked so calm and open-minded in front of the saint now, he was like two completely different people. Gao Lishi couldn't help but sigh that this kid really had a good family background.

Not to mention the changing thoughts of the people in the palace, Concubine Wu Hui, hidden behind the curtain, was also experiencing a flurry of expression, filled with astonishment. Wasn't he planning to sue Cui Yinfu? How could he now be offering a good plan? She had previously thought it might have been a miscommunication, but now hearing it from her nephew, she was completely baffled.

Although the sage's expression had softened, he hadn't completely recovered. Hearing the young man repeatedly emphasize his so-called elegant words and good advice, his brows furrowed slightly again, and he said slowly, "Then let's see if Mr. Zhang Yan has any good ideas that can benefit the country and pass them on to his family. You are here to offer them now!"

Zhang Luo hadn't realized this until he heard the emperor's sour and somewhat hostile tone. He finally realized it and quickly bowed and said, "Although all my knowledge and experience were taught by my great grandfather, the advice I offer today wasn't given by him, but rather something I learned by chance. I was wandering around the southern suburbs a few days ago when a river burst and I nearly drowned. Fortunately, I was rescued and saved from death. After returning home, I was in convulsions and lay in critical condition for several days. Your benefactor is Zhou Liang, the recorder of Henan Prefecture..."

He quickly introduced Zhou Liang and attributed the contents of the memorial to him: "Although Mr. Zhou has been confined to a humble position, he has a deep desire to help the country. He has been loyal and diligent in every position he has held. He has not only fulfilled his duties, but has also formulated grand plans of his own. What I present today is the plan that Mr. Zhou has prepared in advance."

"Didn't it teach you from Zhang Yangong?"

The saint didn't care about the life-and-death relationship between the young man and Zhou Liang, but he was a little surprised to hear that his guess was wrong.

He blamed Zhang Shuo for keeping secrets, so he had a prejudice. When he heard that this strategy had nothing to do with Zhang Shuo, he became curious, so he unfolded the memorial and took a quick look. However, as he read, his expression gradually became serious. His eyes moved quickly across the memorial, and even after reading the end of the volume, he turned back to the beginning and started reading again.

Gao Lishi on the side and Concubine Wu Huifei behind the curtain were a little disapproving after listening to the young man's story. They did not think that a mere ninth-rank official could come up with any grand strategy or good plan. But when they saw the saint's performance, they were all surprised for a moment, wondering what the content of this memorial was that made the saint so fascinated?

"This is truly a brilliant plan! Though his writing is simple, the story is profound. Zhou Liang is a man of talent, on par with the other ministers in the court! Mr. Zhang is not speaking nonsense; this plan is indeed viable and can alleviate the crisis. Where is the man who wrote this letter now?"

After a long while, the saint closed the book with a sigh of reluctance, then looked at Zhang Luo and asked.

Hearing the emperor's approval of the memorial, Zhang Luo finally breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how tactful his responses were tonight, or how tactful he was in handling the situation, the final outcome would ultimately depend on whether he could come up with something genuine that could truly impress the emperor.

If this memorial cannot be recognized and appreciated by the emperor, then no matter how hard he tries, it will all be in vain in the end, and he will live a lonely life.

While the emperor was moved by this suggestion, Zhang Luo secretly bit the side of his tongue again. When the pain was so severe that tears were about to well up, he knelt deep in the hall and said with a sob, "I am writing this letter to the emperor today, not only to present this good advice to the emperor, but also because I don't want Zhou Lushi, such a loyal and upright person, to be buried in the world.

The sage has asked, and I dare not conceal it. Zhou Lushi has died in the king's service and can no longer receive your grace. Recently, Luonan was hit by another flood. Zhou Lushi happened to be there, and was unable to rescue him, and drowned in the floodwaters..."

"This person is dead?"

Upon hearing this, the sage was disappointed for a moment. The matters concerning grain transport mentioned in this memorial could just alleviate the material difficulties after the Fengshan ceremony. He originally wanted to summon this person to the court to discuss the relevant matters in detail, but he did not expect that this person was no longer around. He felt very sorry.

"Although Zhou Lushi died, the king's cause has not yet ended. The Henan government has not investigated the details of the incident, but has already blamed the deceased, breaking into the homes of his family members and imprisoning them in the government prison. A loyal and diligent man has become a criminal. I, a humble person, have received his kindness and admire his talent. I risk my life to recommend him and beg for the emperor's approval!"

Zhang Luo did not blindly seek a reward for Zhou Liang. Instead, he continued to speak sincerely, "Your Majesty, upon seeing this plan, should know that this man is no ordinary person. He is definitely not a mediocre and incompetent official. I earnestly implore Your Majesty to send an imperial censor to Henan Prefecture to investigate this matter. If Recorder Zhou is truly guilty, he deserves death. If he is an upright man who has been wronged, I respectfully await Your Majesty's judgment!"

"There is such a thing..."

Upon hearing this, the sage frowned deeply. He had originally thought that he had summoned the young man that night because of the personnel struggles in the court, but he had not expected that things would be far beyond his expectations. First, he saw a truly good plan that could be used to govern the country, and then he heard about a case in which a local official was suspected of making an unfair judgment.

He naturally couldn't believe the boy's one-sided words about what happened. Before he really understood the situation, he didn't make any response, but his eyes became kind when he looked at the boy.

"Zhang's son ascended the imperial throne today to report on matters. He showed no fear of authority and was courageous and resolute. He saved his relatives and repaid their kindness. This is truly commendable and rare. I only have one question: who taught you to act this way?"

At this time, the sage's impression of Zhang Luo had greatly improved. The young man's responses were appropriate and his words were well-founded. Moreover, his reports were relevant to current issues and not annoying attacks on personnel. The sage gradually began to appreciate him.

The last question was just out of pure curiosity. In his opinion, given the boy's age and experience, his appropriate response might be due to his talent, but the entire plan was obviously not something that the boy could have conceived based on his own experience. If it was planned by his grandfather Zhang Shuo, it would be more reasonable.

However, when he asked this question, Concubine Wu Hui's face suddenly changed behind the pearl curtain at the side of the hall, and Zhang Luo couldn't help but look embarrassed. As for Gao Lishi standing aside, he had a somewhat amused expression on his face, and was looking forward to how the young man would answer.

(End of this chapter)