Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 60 Yuwen Rong, a cunning talent

When the father and son, who had reached a consensus, arrived at the central hall, all the main members of the Zhang family were already present.

Zhang Dai turned his gaze and saw an old man with his face wrapped in silk cloth sitting at the same table with his grandfather Zhang Shuo. This was Zhang Guang, the brother of Zhang Shuo who had cut off his ear to protest his injustice in the court a few days ago.

Seeing Zhang Guang, Zhang Dai felt sorry for himself, as he had stolen the limelight from this old man.

To be honest, Zhang Guang's self-mutilation and self-pitying behavior was more effective in saving the Zhang family. On the contrary, Zhang Dai's actions, apart from making himself famous, had a negative impact on the entire Zhang family.

Apart from anything else, if Zhang Shuo had not retired and still remained in the court, even if he was no longer the prime minister, he would still have some influence, and his father Zhang Jun would not have set his sights on him.

Now Zhang Shuo has been directly expelled from the court. Although the Censorate also lost a general, Zhang Shuo's side actually suffered greater losses. His followers will surely suffer more severe purges in the future. The prime ministers in office must completely prevent him from returning to the court.

Zhang Guang didn't feel like he was being upstaged. He had already understood what Zhang Shuo had said. When he saw Zhang Dai walking in behind his father, he stood up from his seat, clapped his hands, and said, "My Tiying is back!"

Although they are of different genders, they share the same spirit of fearlessness and courage in facing challenges to save their parents.

Zhang Guang not only expressed his deep admiration for Zhang Dai, but also pointed at the other Zhang family members present and shouted, "When disaster struck, you all panicked and were at a loss, only knowing how to lament and weep. Today, the disaster is averted, your family is safe, and you can still gather here happily, and your prosperity continues. You should also thank this young man, thank Zongzhi, so why don't you quickly greet him and express your gratitude!"

The Zhang family members were relatively unfamiliar with Zhang Dai, and most of them didn't care about him before. But when they heard what Zhang Guang said, some of them felt a little dissatisfied.

But regardless of what they felt in their hearts, they could always read the expressions on the faces of others, especially when they saw Zhang Dai beating up Zhang Zheng and his father and grandfather condoned it. This made them realize that from now on there was another person in this mansion who they could not afford to offend.

So after hearing what Zhang Guang said, a group of young men came forward one after another, calling out "Liu Lang" or "Zong Zhi" in a rather cordial manner.

Zhang Dai didn't have any conflicts or grudges with these people. In the past, their relationship was at most distant. From now on, he would still be based in the Zhang family. If he got along well with them, then that would be good, but if he didn't, there was no need to accommodate them.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with his peers, he bowed to Zhang Guang and said, "Uncle, your praise is truly unworthy. I simply did what I could to fulfill my duty. I'm no longer a mere idler who wastes food."

My loving parents raised and educated me, allowing this stubborn child to grow and develop, so that I can have some talents that can help alleviate the suffering of my family. If I don't contribute to my family, who else can I contribute to?

He has never been someone who doesn't know how to speak nicely, but some people's attitudes are not worthy of him speaking nicely. At this time, facing Zhang Guang's praise, he also responded humbly and politely.

After hearing this, Zhang Guang looked at the young man with even more admiration. He sat back down and said to Zhang Shuo, "I just heard you describe what this boy did in the forbidden area. I still don't quite believe it and think it's a bit exaggerated.

But after hearing his response, I am convinced that what he said is true. There are many young people who are impetuous and frivolous, but how many of them can handle heavy tasks with ease? I am truly fortunate and relieved to have such a young man among my family!

Hearing his son being praised like this by the elders, Zhang Jun felt a little happy, especially since he had something to ask for, so he also said with a smile: "This child is indeed quite talented, but he is not good at boasting in front of others, so his family and the world don't know it.

Now that his report has been submitted to the emperor and his style has begun to show, it is also the result of the family elders' words and deeds. Uncle, while praising him, please also remind him to guard against arrogance and impatience and avoid bad habits!

When Zhang Shuo heard Zhang Jun say this, he couldn't help but look at the father and son carefully, but he couldn't see any clues in their expressions.

As for the other Zhang family members in the hall, they couldn't help but feel surprised. Just now Zhang Jun called them "rebellious sons", but now his attitude changed drastically, and it looked like a harmonious picture of a loving father and a filial son.

Putting all this aside, while the clan members were gathered in the hall, Zhang Shuo put on a stern face and emphasized again the need to rectify family traditions.

It should be noted that Cui Yinfu and others recently impeached him for crimes such as "recruiting sorcerers, being partial to others and being extravagant". If the charges were proven true and he was severely punished, it would be enough to cost him his life.

Fortunately, the matter has come to a relatively satisfactory conclusion, but those people may not give up until they achieve their goal. Moreover, some of Zhang Shuo's former trusted subordinates in the Secretariat are still detained by the Ministry of Justice, and most of them are difficult to rescue.

Under such circumstances, the Zhang family naturally has to keep a low profile, try not to attract any malicious attention, and honestly get through this period of controversy.

The Zhang clan members, especially the younger members, were all distressed when they heard they would have to endure a period of hardship. The Jinwu Guards' siege of their home had already been a tormenting experience for them. After finally waiting for them to leave, they had wanted to indulge in celebration, but now they still had to restrain themselves, which made them feel a little unhappy.

But when they saw their elders' stern expressions, they could only bow their heads and agree obediently.

After admonishing his fellow tribesmen, Zhang Shuo waved his hand to dismiss everyone, leaving only a few important tribesmen to discuss future plans. Zhang Dai was also kept because of the contribution he had just made.

"Last night, Zong Zhi stood firm and bravely at the Xiantai, causing great chaos among the Xiantai officials. Cui Yinfu was also implicated in the affairs of Henan Prefecture and could not withdraw for the time being, which saved me from being pushed too hard."

At this point, Zhang Shuo looked at Zhang Dai and asked, "How much do you know about the case of Zhou Lushi in Henan Prefecture? Can you definitely link it to Cui Yinfu?"

Zhang Dai knew that his grandfather was still unwilling to give up and wanted to wait for an opportunity to take revenge, but he did not want Zhou Liang's family to be caught up in the vortex of political struggle after finally escaping from prison. And to be honest, now was not a good time to launch a counterattack.

He simply shook his head and said, "The murder of Recorder Zhou in the southern suburbs was indeed an accident. Henan officials slandered him to shirk responsibility. Doctor Cui had been dismissed for a long time and it is difficult for him to be implicated. I believe the Sage also knew this, which is why he ordered Doctor Cui to investigate this matter."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuo's expression darkened again. Indeed, the Sage had arranged for Cui Yinfu to investigate this matter in order to prevent him from being implicated in the Henan Prefecture incident. At least after dealing with Li Linfu, the Sage had no plans to make further radical personnel changes within the Censorate.

"Then what exactly is the plan you submitted to Zhou Lushi?"

After thinking about it, Zhang Shuo asked again.

There was nothing to hide about this. Zhang Dai quickly recounted the contents of his memorial regarding the reform of the grain transport system. Zhang Shuo listened attentively and could not help but sigh, "Zhou Liang is indeed a talented man, but it's a pity that he has been neglected by his subordinates. This strategy was not implemented at the right time, and I'm afraid it will be seized by the treacherous Yuwen Rong!"

Zhang Dai, upon hearing Zhang Shuo's words, asked again, "I am young and inexperienced, unable to discern the profound depths of worldly affairs. Recently, I've been chatting with Zhou Lushi, and I've heard him lament that much of Luonan's land has been seized by the wealthy and powerful, leaving the tillers without land and the poor without homes. Yuwen Zhongcheng's advocacy of the confiscation of land and households is a sound policy that will benefit both the country and its people."

"Households have been exiled, land has been left uncultivated, the people have lost their jobs, and the country has lost its governance. Searching and confiscating them is certainly good governance. That is why I have asked you, Ye Yi, to take charge of this matter and serve as a judge."

Hearing Zhang Shuo say this, Zhang Dai was surprised. He didn't expect that his father had such a resume.

He had such doubts, in fact, he was influenced by the concept of "literature and official administration". He believed that Zhang Shuo and Yuwen Rong were arguing over different political views, and even suspected that Zhang Shuo was the obstacle that prevented Yuwen Rong from promoting population and land reforms. Now it seems that this is not the case.

"Yuwen Rong is a cunning talent! His wisdom leads to treachery, his greed for power leads to the subversion of the law. Our country has been established for a hundred years, and every generation of wise and capable people has made great contributions to its development. Therefore, there are various departments in the Southern Province, each with its own duties and responsibilities, to manage national affairs. If there is a matter that does not cooperate with the provincial department, it can be transferred to another place and dismissed after the matter is resolved."

Zhang Shuo had a very bad impression of Yuwen Rong, and even at home he could not help but scold him: "This man has been on a mission for a long time and has been away from the province for a long time. He wants to make laws outside the law and create systems outside the system. The provincial officials are idle, and he attaches great importance to orders, making the national law empty and taking advantage of it.

"What they are dealing with is the people and the foundation of government. All affairs are governed by them. They employ a crowd of followers, and no one can be judged. They have the power of the provincial government, and exiles to local governments. The heads of prefectures and counties are like servants, and the common people are all oppressed. If this continues, chaos will surely escalate! They may be given important positions due to temporary difficulties, but in the long run, these followers will surely die from this!"

After listening to Zhang Shuo's evaluation, or rather, insults, of Yuwen Rong, Zhang Dai finally understood the root of their conflict. To put it simply, Yuwen Rong's attempt to circumvent the Southern Province's central system and establish a new Heliansheng alliance naturally angered Zhang Shuo, the province's leader.

When it comes to greed for power, Zhang Shuo is no less guilty, and even worse. However, Zhang Shuo's behavior of greed for power is still within the central structure that has been established and operated for a hundred years.

Yuwen Rong was smart, capable, and proactive. He bypassed the Southern Province to promote the official system, achieving great power despite being in a low position, and causing a huge impact on the political structure of the center. This was the root cause of the contradiction between the two.

A similar contradiction can be seen in Li Linfu's attack on Wei Jian during the Tianbao period. This was a conflict within the power structure, not a conflict between the so-called reformist and progressive forces and the conservatives.

As for which is right and which is wrong, this is also very complicated. Even Zhang Shuo himself admitted that despite the Tang Dynasty's institutional construction for more than a hundred years, there were still situations that could not be coordinated with the provincial government, so the officials had to deal with them.

However, you cannot just take up this position and then not revoke it, and continue to exercise power independently, using the authority granted by the central government to wantonly destroy the local administrative order and ecology.

It's hard to say whether Zhang Shuo was right or not, but his prediction was quite accurate. Not to mention Yuwen Rong, even the Tang Dynasty had to fall into the trap of "the power of the Taiwan government is limited, and the people are exiled to the local areas."

(End of this chapter)