Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 9 Big Deals Are Strong

Zhou Liang's yard is not big. As soon as you enter the yard, you will see the main hall directly. There is a thatched hut on each side of the three main rooms. One of them should be the kitchen. Although the floor of the other room is padded with ash, there is still a slight stench of livestock excrement coming out of it. It should be the donkey pen.

Although this courtyard was better than Zhang Luo's temporary residence in the Zhang family mansion, it was only barely adequate for the living needs of a family of three. Furthermore, Zhang Luo's residence was somewhat humiliating and ostracizing. If he left the Zhang family mansion, he would be a well-off landlord with two hundred acres of land, and his farm would be much more luxurious than this small courtyard.

Zhang Luo could also tell from the living environment that Zhou Liang was probably a relatively clean official, or did not have much power, so he could not settle down in Luoyang City.

The young man Zhou Lang had been gone for nearly an hour, and the sun was already setting when the sound of horse hooves was heard outside the door again.

A middle-aged man with flowing hair and beard, riding a red horse, rushed to the gate first. After dismounting, he looked at Zhang Luo and asked quickly, "Sir, are you the talented disciple of Zhang Linggong?"

Zhang Luo nodded first, then asked, "Are you Mr. Zhou the Recorder?"

"No, no, this isn't me! I'm still behind! This is Xu Shicao from Henan Prefecture!"

Not long after, the young man Zhou Lang caught up from behind on Zhang Luo's old horse. Seeing that Zhang Luo had misunderstood, he hurriedly began to explain.

The middle-aged man dismounted and, with a folded hand, said to Zhang Luo, "My name is Xu Shen, and I hold the honor of serving as a military advisor in the Henan Prefecture. Today, I happened to be working with Zhou Lushi in my hometown. Upon hearing that an distinguished guest had arrived at his home, I took the liberty of returning with him to greet him. This young man is of exceptional elegance and a clear-headed demeanor, truly worthy of being a distinguished young man from a distinguished family!"

"Xu Shicao is overly kind!"

Zhang Luo was surprised by Xu Shen's enthusiasm. Was Zhang Shuo's reputation really that effective? Looking at the other party's enthusiasm, Zhang Shuo's family's reputation was almost as high as that of the King Jing of Zhongshan.

Several people waited in front of the door for about half a quarter of an hour. During this time, Xu Shen kept making small talk enthusiastically. Then they saw a donkey carrying a middle-aged man rushing into the village.

This time, Zhang Luo did not rush forward. When he saw the young man Zhou Lang coming forward and calling out "Aye", he confirmed that the gaunt middle-aged man on the donkey's back was the benefactor Zhou Liang whom he was going to visit today.

Zhou Liang got off the donkey and apologized repeatedly. Zhang Luo naturally didn't mind waiting. After all, his visit was sudden and he didn't give his host time to prepare properly.

After they sat down in the hall, Zhang Luo, ignoring Zhou Liang's attempts to refuse, stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "I was in danger south of the city the other day. If it weren't for Recorder Zhou's rescue, I'm afraid I would be dead. I can't thank you enough for saving my life. From now on, I hope to report back as soon as possible."

Although Zhou Liang hadn't been able to save the young Zhang Luonu, it was thanks to him that he had his body salvaged. Otherwise, Zhang Luo, who had traveled through time, would have had nowhere to go, and it's even unknown what kind of pig or dog he would be reborn as. Thinking of this, Zhang Luo truly wanted to express his gratitude to Zhou Liang.

Zhou Liang waved his hands after hearing this and said, "Seeing someone in distress, how can I not help them? Besides, the reason why you were in danger that day was because the prefecture and county government were not thorough in flood control and prevention..."

Before he could finish his words, Xu Shen beside him began to cough repeatedly, interrupting Zhou Liang with his noise. He then smiled at Zhang Luo and said, "Helping those in need is a fundamental principle of humanity. Mr. Zhou has always been such a public-spirited person. I've worked with him for a long time and know him well. It's an honor for him to have this relationship with Mr. Zhang. Your visit today is truly an honor to my humble home, and I'm honored to have you here. It's a pity we don't have any wine right now, otherwise we'd definitely drink to celebrate!"

His performance was overly enthusiastic, even a bit too much. Zhou Liang and his son blushed when they heard this. Zhou Liang immediately raised his hand and ordered his son to go out to buy wine and meat, but Xu Shen waved his hand and smiled, "I've already sent the servants back to the city to make preparations on the way back. You and your son are just going to leave Zhang Lang's money here. The wine and food will be brought over later!"

After hearing this, Zhou Liang and his son also warmly invited the guests to stay. Zhang Luo originally had other requests to make, but seeing their enthusiasm, he ordered a farmhand to ride his horse back to tell Yingniang and her daughter that he would stay outside the city that day.

In the evening, Xu Shen's servants drove a carriage to the farm. In addition to some wine and food, there was also a lot of money and silk in the carriage. He did not explain much about it.

Because the Zhou family's hall was too small, and they were worried about disturbing Madam Zhou, who was recuperating, they simply set up a tent in the courtyard for the banquet. The food Xu Shen's servants brought wasn't particularly elaborate, but the portions were substantial: a whole roasted lamb, several side dishes, a dozen Hu pancakes, and two 20-jin jars of wine—more than enough for the several people in the courtyard.

Zhang Luo also drank two bowls of wine based on the principle of trying everything. The wine was sweet with a distinct sorghum aroma, but the spicy taste of the wine was not strong and it was relatively easy to drink. It should be because the alcohol content was not high, but the aftereffect was not small. After two bowls of wine, Zhang Luo saw that he was already having double vision, so he made a prompt decision not to drink any more.

You must know that the reason he came to this world was because he drank too much at a dinner with his teachers and friends. Naturally, he had a shadow in his heart and was worried that he would not know where he was after he woke up from drunkenness.

"Your Excellency knows how to drink and enjoy yourself in moderation. This is truly admirable."

Xu Shen persuaded him a few times, but seeing that he truly refused to drink any more, he stopped. He raised his cup, stood up, and drank it all in one gulp before continuing, "I appreciate your hospitality today, but I do have a favor to ask. When my father passed away, I was still young, unsuccessful, and rushed through the funeral. Thinking back on it now, I feel deeply ashamed. I've always wanted to rebury him with great ceremony, but I've always struggled to find a renowned writer to write a new epitaph for him. Since I heard you were visiting Mr. Zhou, I've taken the liberty of coming forward to meet you and ask you to ask Mr. Zhang Linggong to write an epitaph for my father!"

"This, this..."

Zhang Luo was already quite tipsy, his mind not quite clear. It took him a while to figure out that Xu Shen wanted him to ask his grandfather Zhang Shuo to write his father's epitaph. He immediately felt a bit of a dilemma. He knew his own business. Since traveling through time, he had never even met his grandfather Zhang Shuo, let alone ask him to do anything for him.

Seeing his hesitation, Xu Shen waved his hand slightly to the servant standing by, then bowed to Zhang Luo and said, "I know this request is too rash, but my fervent filial piety is unbearable. I beg you to be considerate. I have been in office for several years, and my salary has not been high. I would like to offer a small gift of 100 strings of cash to reward Zhang Linggong for his writing."

"How much? A hundred strings of cash?"

After hearing this, Zhang Luo immediately glared, wondering if he had heard it wrong.

Upon hearing this, Xu Shen hurriedly lowered his head and said, "I also know that Zhang Linggong is the imperial court's penman, a contemporary literary master. His writing is magnificent, and each word is worth a thousand gold. How can a mere hundred or so strings of cash be enough to control him? However, I am currently traveling in Luoyi, and my finances are limited. I have spent all my savings, and this is all I have. I will grant you this, and after you return with honors, I will surely give you another gift!"

After hearing Xu Shen's retort, Zhang Luo couldn't help but be secretly shocked. It seemed that he was ignorant. It turned out that his grandfather was so wealthy, but one hundred strings of cash was still too little.

But this matter wasn't about the amount of money at all. He suppressed his amazement and said with an embarrassed expression, "Thank you for Xu Shicao's hospitality. Your filial piety is admirable, and I dare not hide anything. My grandfather is very busy with official duties and often stays in the provincial government. Even his family rarely visits him. I'm afraid he may not have the time. If I were to be careless and perfunctory, I would inevitably offend Xu Shicao's deep affection for his respect for his family..."

"As long as you can convey this message, regardless of whether it succeeds in the end, I will be grateful!"

Xu Shen bowed deeply to Zhang Luo again and spoke with an extremely sincere attitude.

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Zhang Luo could only nod and agree reluctantly. Xu Shen was overjoyed when he saw this. He pulled out a scroll wrapped in brocade from his bosom and presented it with both hands: "This is my late father's biography. Please pass it on to the Lord."

A biography is a text describing the deceased's background, life, and deeds, and is the primary reference material for writing an epitaph. The fact that Xu Shen's father still had this biography many years after his death shows how determined he was to find a renowned writer to write his epitaph.

The Tang people valued filial piety and family background, placing even greater emphasis on funeral arrangements than on maintaining health. Naturally, epitaphs, as the ultimate final document for the deceased, were held in high regard. It's no exaggeration to say that Xu Shen spent his entire official purse, even hundreds of strings of cash, on a single book. In fact, in most cases, the work of a truly renowned master was simply out of reach.

Zhang Luo had no choice but to accept Xu Shen's move, and with the alcohol still kicking in, he lost interest in the feast. Seeing his lack of interest, Zhou Liang and his son went to a neighboring house to rent a guesthouse and arranged for him to stay. Seeing this, Xu Shen tactfully left, but the carriage, money, and other belongings that the servants had brought him remained at the Zhou residence for the time being.

Zhang Luo was drunk but he had a good sleep. When he woke up the next day, it was already bright. When he and the farmhand he left behind returned to Zhou's house, Zhou Liang and his son were waiting in front of the house and had made a soup with the leftover ingredients from last night.

Although they had only known each other briefly, Zhang Luo felt that both father and son were honest and sincere. Furthermore, Zhou Liang had done him a favor, so he had a good impression of them. Over breakfast, he remembered the plight of his own farm, so he asked Zhou Liang, "Registrar Zhou is in charge of repairing the Luonan Canal. I wonder when Sanchuan Township, east of Yique, will be repaired? I have a private farm there, and the fields are still silted up and difficult to cultivate, which is very troublesome for the villagers."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Liang sighed and said, "The government has been very busy with this recently. This flood is not just a natural disaster, but also man-made. It's spring plowing season, and the government has limited manpower, so all repairs have to be scheduled. Sanchuan Township is indeed in a more serious situation, but due to personnel issues, we haven't had time to hire workers yet. Yesterday, Xu Shicao was in charge of bridges, canals, and other construction matters at the government. If we can get his help, things won't be difficult."

"Do we still need Xu Shicao's help?"

Zhang Luo was stunned when he heard this. He understood what Zhou Liang meant. It was just that other places had more relationships and face, so the construction of the canal near his manor was put at the back of the list.

However, Xu Shicao was the official directly in charge of this matter in Henan Prefecture, which put him in a dilemma. He had previously been prepared to give the other party a perfunctory response and then refuse, after all, he had no face in front of his grandfather. But now, it seemed that he had failed to complete the task entrusted to him, so how could he have the face to ask for help again?

It seems that it is not easy to shirk the responsibility of writing the epitaph!

Zhang Luo scratched his head and pondered. If it was just a simple epitaph, it wouldn't be a difficult task. He could write it himself. After all, epitaphs themselves are very important documents for studying ancient history. After reading ancient history for several years, he must have read at least thousands of epitaphs...

Thinking of this, Zhang Luo's eyes suddenly lit up. Yes, he could write it himself!
Although the other party specifically requested Zhang Shuo to write it, all they were asking for was a celebrity name. He could simply write it for him and sign his grandfather Zhang Shuo's name to satisfy his filial piety. As long as the truth wasn't revealed, it was true! And if Xu Shen had other ways to contact Zhang Shuo for verification, he wouldn't have turned to a seemingly insignificant bastard of the Zhang family!
(End of this chapter)