Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 62 People have to rely on themselves

"Alang..."

When Zhang Dai left the central hall and returned to his residence in Jicui Building, as soon as he entered the room, the girl threw her delicate body into his arms. Aying hugged him tightly, buried her head in Alang's arms, and was unwilling to leave for a long time.

Yingniang and Ding Cang also stood up to greet them. Yingniang did not scold her daughter for her impoliteness and ignorance. She just wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed, "Before, I thought that this was the end of my fate with Alang, and death was nothing to be afraid of. Alang finally escaped. I just regret that I don't know what his future holds. I don't know how to tell you when I die..."

"Aunt Ying is wrong. How could A-Lang abandon you? I wouldn't do that either. I'm working with A-Lang to try and rescue you..."

Ding Qing, who had just been retrieved from Lidefang, waved his hands hastily. He couldn't help but feel guilty when he said this. Looking at the scars on his adoptive father's body, he was furious and said angrily, "Alang should have called me back to join him. Together we can beat to death the evildoer who tortured my father!"

"What nonsense are you talking about! He's the young master of the mansion, Alang's cousin. Besides, Alang has already taught him a lesson, so don't cause trouble for him again."

Ding Cang knew that this kid was stupid and might cause trouble someday, so he glared at him and scolded him.

At the moment they were still a little confused about the situation, especially why Alang was so arrogant after returning home this time, and he even ignored the young men and even the elders in the mansion.

Zhang Dai was a little breathless in Ying's embrace. When he raised his arms, he was hugged even tighter. He simply didn't push the young lady away. He smiled and said to Ying Niang, "Auntie was a little nervous about leaving the Zhang family before. Now there is no need to worry. From now on, we can all stay here without worry. No one in this house will dare to make things difficult for us again!"

"My little trick, Alang, why should you take it to heart? Whether to stay or leave is entirely up to Alang. But, is such a big disaster over now?"

Yingniang's face flushed with shame upon hearing this, and she again stepped forward to forcefully drag her daughter away. Despite their deep bond, there was still a difference between master and servant. Ah Lang's kindness was a sign of his loyalty, but if he married and started a family next year, and they continued to use their bond to overstep their bounds, even the deepest of their bonds would fade.

Ah Ying, who had been so excited for a moment, gradually calmed down. She still buried her head in Ah Lang's arms, but she was still shy like a young girl in love. At this time, she raised her head as her mother pulled her. To hide her embarrassment, she whispered, "Ah Lang, your clothes smell so good!"

"Of course, this is the forbidden imperial incense!"

Speaking of this, Zhang Dai was also quite surprised.

The clothes on his body were taken away by the eunuch Li Jingzhong last night, washed and fumigated with scent. The scent of the clothes was fresh, pleasant and very long-lasting. Unlike some inferior perfumes in later generations, which had strong smells but would soon numb the sense of smell. He could still smell the fragrance of his clothes, but the smell was slightly different from when he smelled it in the early morning.

"Forbidden City? Did Alang really go to the Imperial Palace? Then, that name bestowed by the saint is also true?"

When they returned here just now, some family members and servants came over to stroll and chat, and told them some information sporadically, but Yingniang and others did not know the specific situation, and they were shocked and confused after hearing this.

"Yes, the sage gave me the name Zhang Dai, and my grandfather chose the character Zong Zhi. From now on, I will also be able to see the world and there is no need to be ashamed of being unable to be called a name."

Zhang Dai smiled and nodded. Although he didn't feel ashamed when introducing himself to others before, it was still a bit embarrassing for a grown man to call someone by their childhood nickname.

"It's true, it's true! Finally, Ah Lang has become famous! It must be, it must be my wife's blessing... My Ah Lang has finally made it!"

Yingniang and the others may not have a deep understanding of the meaning of this name, but the fact of being given a name with a character is enough to make them ecstatic, because it means that their Alang has been recognized by the king and the clan!
Seeing how ecstatic several people were, Zhang Dai couldn't help but laugh. It turned out that after people achieved something, they still had to share it with those close to them in order to get double the happiness.

Just as Yingniang said, he has finally made it now. He can even sell epitaphs written in his own name for money. Of course, the price will definitely not be as high as that of his grandfather Zhang Shuo.

Thinking of this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but feel a surge of doubt. He wasn't entirely free of worries. Writing an epitaph under someone else's name was still a significant risk, and he had to handle it properly, sort things out, and minimize the risk of exposure.

Another point is that he now has the support of his grandfather Zhang Shuo at home, and even the Zheng family has to bow to him, but Zhang Shuo's protection cannot last long, because Zhang Shuo is so old, and he will die of illness in a few years.

This wasn't a serious problem; Zhang Dai could have used these few years to grow rapidly. After all, relying on oneself was better than relying on fate, people, or ancestors. As long as he could grow up, fewer and fewer people would dare to offend or bully him.

He couldn't replace his father Zhang Jun, but he could always find a way to minimize the restrictions and impacts he had on himself.

Furthermore, outside of the real test of right and wrong, Zhang Jun was generally considered to be incompetent and mediocre, not the type to commit crimes or stir up trouble. As for Zheng, his grandfather's previous reprimand had given him a warning: if he had the chance, he could try to get his father to divorce him.

Zhang Jun was easy to deal with, divorcing his wife and children, even selling out his country for personal gain—it was all a matter of price. Zheng, on the other hand, was narrow-minded and violent. Though vicious, she wasn't scheming. She was full of evil and didn't know how to express it, so dealing with her wasn't difficult.

Whether a person is filial or not is determined not only by their own behavior but also by society's evaluation. Although filial piety can no longer be used to appoint officials, a reputation for filial piety can still earn a person respect and connections.

Zhang Dai could have used the energy and financial resources to deal with Zhang Jun and his wife to unite the clan's slaves. Even if he beat his parents at home every day, his family would still say he was massaging their backs when he went out. So the wise couple had better stay in their place. If he dared to be unfilial, he would have a lot of tricks to deal with them!

He was still thinking about it when he suddenly heard footsteps outside. He went out to see, and saw his father Zhang Jun walking towards the room on the other side of the study with a gloomy face. Two servants followed behind him with arms full of bedding. It seemed that he was kicked out to sleep in the study.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Dai felt happy. To him, being able to make the couple quarrel and fall out was happier and more meaningful than going to Hongwenguan to study.

"Go to bed early, I'll discuss the thank you matter with you tomorrow!"

Zhang Jun felt a little embarrassed when his son saw him in such a miserable state. He waved his hand and walked quickly into the empty room on the other side of the library.

After seeing this, Zhang Dai smiled even more broadly. "Little brat, I will definitely make you break up with your family. You don't know what I'm capable of. Sooner or later, I'll make you understand that you are blessed to have me!"

After returning to his room, he also asked Yingniang and the others to retreat and rest. Fearing that they would still be worried, he only kept Ah Ying behind and whispered, "Spend more time with the servants and maids in the mansion these days. Ask them who reported to me when the Jinwu Guards surrounded the mansion and led the troops to attack the farm in the southern suburbs."

"Don't worry, Alang, I will find out!"

After hearing this, Aying clenched her fists, her face tense and she spoke seriously.

Zhang Dai believed that this young lady had such ability. Aying was even smarter and more astute than her mother in dealing with people. If she had not figured out the hidden secret of the Taoist fortune teller, Zhang Dai would probably not understand why Zheng had such great malice towards him.

Although Zheng is the biggest suspect of informing on others, it is not ruled out that others are behind this. In short, no matter who has forced him into a corner this time, he will not let them go! Being gentle and humble is just for irrelevant people to see. You have offended me and I still don’t deal with you. Isn’t that crazy!
After explaining everything, Ah Ying brought some medicine powder and water to help Zhang Dai treat the wound on the back of his hand from the beating Zhang Chang had caused. After she finished, she leaned forward and blew away the excess medicine powder, pouting softly as she did so.

"This hand was scratched by Qilang's dog teeth!"

Zhang Dai was suddenly teased by the little girl and said with a wicked smile.

Upon hearing this, Aying's pretty face turned red and she spat lightly, but then turned Zhang Dai's palm over, pressed her delicate cheek against Alang's palm, slightly opened her cherry lips, and slid her soft little tongue across each fingertip.

There was a soft warmth in his palm, and a wet, itchy and slippery feeling on his fingertips. Zhang Dai's heart was moved, and he leaned over to get closer to this young lady, but this young lady suddenly stood up, blew out the candle, and floated out the door like a light elf, still laughing softly, "Alang, go to bed early."

That night, Zhang Dai slept restlessly. His mind drifted to the image of Ah Ying, her smiles and laughter beside him, then of the gorgeous Hu women in Qinghuafang, groping and caressing him, and then suddenly, a stunningly beautiful lady in a hibiscus jade crown and a golden bridal robe flashed by. These images shifted constantly, sometimes far, sometimes near. He finally drifted off to sleep in the second half of the night, and when he awoke, it was already dawn.

Zhang Dai had a good sleep, but his grandfather Zhang Shuoze had a somewhat disordered schedule. He woke up early, dressed, and got up, then remembered that he no longer had to attend the morning court. He was too lazy to go back for another nap, so he sat in the hall, feeling lost, waiting for dawn.

Zhang Gu, the head of the palace, hurried in from outside and bowed and asked, "What are your instructions, my lord?"

Zhang Shuo shook his head at first, but after a moment's silence, he spoke again, "Zongzhi's child wants to live away from home, fearing his stepmother won't accept him. He's so sensible and pitiful, and I don't want him to be disheartened. Are there any other houses in the city that are not large, but suitable for him to live in and socialize with? Choose one for him."

Zhang Gu had been in charge of household affairs for a long time. After hearing his master's request, he paused for a moment and then said, "We have a separate house in Huixunfang. It's close to all directions and convenient for travel. Why not give it to Liulang?"

Zhang Shuo thought about it for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Is the villa still there?"

It's been a month since the book was released. Thank you all for your support, love, criticism, and guidance. The new book period has passed, and I'll update three times this week. The second update will be at 12:00 PM, and the third update will still be at 6:00 PM. I hope to give you a good reading experience before it goes on sale. I wish you all good work and a happy life!!!
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(End of this chapter)