Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 529 Concealing Radiance, Enjoying Human Blessings

"How is the communication between Jade Immortal and Prince Xin'an going? What are their respective intentions?"

After leading Zhang Dai to a secluded place, Gao Lishi immediately asked.

Zhang Dai made no attempt to conceal anything and quickly recounted his experiences after arriving at the Yuzhen Taoist Temple to Gao Lishi. He then added, "After Xianyuan learned of the matter, she was naturally furious, and King Xin'an was also deeply resentful. The two of you have come together to present the relevant matters to the Emperor and to denounce the arrogance of Prime Minister Yuwen."

"Young man, you are prudent in your work! That's exactly what we need to do to make the next move more effective."

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi immediately laughed and continued to say to Zhang Dai, "Yuwen Rong has already ordered his henchmen to submit a memorial, but I have already detained it. It is precisely because you two noble relatives have presented your memorials that His Majesty has taken notice, and only then will this memorial have the effect of adding fuel to the fire!"

"Didn't Prime Minister Pei intercept the memorial?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai immediately asked in surprise.

At the same time, he understood why Gao Lishi was suddenly so anxious about this matter. Because he had delayed the relevant memorial, he would have to bear a lot of responsibility. If he could not defeat Yuwen Rong, he would probably be unable to avoid incurring the wrath of the emperor and Yuwen Rong.

Upon hearing this, Gao Lishi sighed and then said, "This memorial was not reviewed by the Censorate and was submitted directly by the Secretariat-Chancellery. If I hadn't made a special trip outside the Fengchen Hall today, it would probably already be on the Emperor's desk. Prime Minister Pei's seniority is too shallow, and he still cannot convince the people!"

The term "关白" (guanbai) means to report or present information. When a subordinate reports to his superior, it is called "关白".

When Cui Yinfu served as the Grand Censor, he was known for his forceful and domineering style. He strictly required all censors of the three courts to prepare a preliminary report before submitting their memorials. Any censor who dared to submit a memorial without prior approval would be severely punished.

However, unlike the system where censors had to submit their petitions to the prime minister before impeaching high-ranking officials, the current Guan Bai was merely an old precedent from when Cui Yinfu was in office. After Cui Yinfu was dismissed, Zhang Jiazhen became the Grand Censor, but only in a nominal capacity, serving as a prefect in the provinces and not directly involved in the management of the Censorate.

It wasn't until Pei Guangting concurrently held the position of Grand Censor that the Censorate finally had a new, proper head. However, Pei Guangting did not strictly emphasize or clarify the old precedent of the Grand Censor, so it was possible for censors to bypass the Grand Censor and impeach ministers.

However, given the precedents that could be cited, and the fact that Pei Guangting was the prime minister, it was undoubtedly a very reckless act for the censors to submit their petitions without making any formal declarations, which seemed to be a deliberate attempt to look down on Pei Guangting.

Furthermore, even if the censor did not act as an intermediary, when the memorial was presented to the Secretariat and the Chancellery, if Pei Guangting was not pleased, he could simply return it to the Censorate.

Doing this is simply asking for trouble and exposing the internal conflicts within the Censorate to the outside world. If this were to actually happen, either the censor who submitted the memorial or Pei Guangting would have to leave, otherwise the Censorate would become a joke.

However, Li Zhou also had the support of a prime minister, which changed the situation. Yuwen Rong's actions clearly implied overstepping his bounds, directly sidelining Pei Guangting, the prime minister in charge of the Censorate, and giving the impression that he wanted to bypass the Censorate and establish a separate system of officials, which was undoubtedly very inappropriate.

This also reveals that Yuwen Rong hasn't psychologically transitioned into his new role. Before, even as prime minister, he handled various affairs, wielding great power despite his low rank, hence the need to establish a system of official posts to manage these matters. Now, despite being prime minister, he still disregards the rules, prioritizing convenience above all else—which inevitably leads to chaos!
However, Gao Lishi said this was because Pei Guangting still couldn't win over the masses, but Zhang Dai didn't see it that way. He argued that the matter wasn't a public disturbance, but rather the unusual behavior of a few individuals. If Pei Guangting wanted to stop it, he certainly could.

But why didn't he stop it? The reason is simple: if he didn't intervene, Gao Lishi would naturally have to, get more deeply involved, and consequently bear greater responsibility.

Sometimes weakness is both a form of protection and a means to an end. While it's true that greater gains require greater efforts, Pei Guangting didn't see it that way in this matter.

Even if everyone joined forces to defeat Yuwen Rong, Princess Yuzhen was just a member of the imperial family and a recluse; Prince Xin'an was a border general, and with a prime minister of similar type, Xiao Song, already in the court, it would be difficult for him to enter the court and become prime minister; as for Gao Lishi, he was just a eunuch, and even if he tried to get involved in the outer court, his influence would be limited.

Even Zhang Yue, who was secretly plotting against them, was an old minister who had long since lost power and influence, and it was almost impossible for him to be reinstated.

Therefore, considering all the factors involved, the biggest beneficiary can only be Pei Guangting. Even if Yuwen Rong were to resign and the Emperor were to appoint another prime minister, Pei Guangting would at least have risen from the lowest rank to the second-highest.

A more likely scenario is that no new prime minister will be appointed for the time being, leaving the current prime minister to rival Xiao Song in power. After all, too much time has passed since the last prime minister was appointed, and other qualified prime ministers have been eliminated due to their respective shortcomings. If they were to be promoted again, it would be a mere formality of appointing a prime minister, lacking any real significance and potentially drawing criticism.

Therefore, in this matter, Pei Guangting only needed to set up the scheme, and then he wouldn't need to step forward anymore. The fruits of victory would naturally fall into his lap. Zhang Dai had always known that his boss was very cunning, and now, after learning of this situation, that impression was even stronger. Pei Guangting's actions had a very old-fashioned style reminiscent of the Wu Zhou period, which was probably related to his mother having served as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Wu Zetian.

After the two finished their conversation, Gao Lishi strode into the hall. Upon entering, he wiped away non-existent beads of sweat from his forehead and hurriedly said to the two who had been waiting for some time, "I was on my way from outside the Flower Calyx Tower to inquire about the arrival of the Fairy Maiden and the King to the palace to see the Emperor. I volunteered to come and guide them. I am old and frail and walk slowly, so please forgive me for keeping you waiting."

"Your Excellency Bohai is too kind. I have come to the palace to pay my respects without prior request. This not only disturbs Your Majesty's health, but also requires Your Excellency Bohai to come and welcome me. I am truly flattered."

Princess Yuzhen merely smiled and nodded with a slightly reserved air, while Prince Xin'an was much more enthusiastic. While returning the greeting to Gao Lishi, he hurriedly said, "If I am unbecoming when I meet His Majesty later, I hope that the Duke of Bohai can make amends for me. I will remember this in my heart and be eternally grateful!"

"A pillar of the great kingdom, a pillar of the clan, the Sage always speaks highly of him. I am honored by such kindness. The Sage is still waiting; please come with me."

Seeing that Prince Xin'an was so warm and sincere, Gao Lishi was very pleased. He smiled and gestured for the two to leave. Then they walked together toward the Hua'e Tower to the south.

Zhang Dai, without needing any special hospitality, tactfully followed. After walking a distance in the inner garden, the brightly lit Hua'e Tower came into view. As they approached the tower, melodious and pleasant music could be heard clearly, indicating that the Emperor was also engaged in cultural and recreational activities that evening.

Led by Gao Lishi, the group ascended the tower and were immediately captivated by the magnificent stage within the hall.

Besides the Emperor, there were several eunuchs and officers from the North Gate, including Ge Fushun, in the hall. These men had been waiting outside the hall to welcome Princess Yuzhen and Prince Xin'an. After paying their respects to the two, they took their leave.

At this moment, the emperor also stood up from his imperial bed, and the group hurriedly entered the hall to kowtow.

The emperor, standing above, laughed and said, "My sister and Prince Xin'an, please excuse your formalities and take your seats. Let me first ask young Zhang Dai what he thinks of this stage setup. I've been thinking about it lately, and I wonder which of these sets you created for the Thousand Autumns Festival is more beautiful?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai broke out in a cold sweat, thinking to himself, "Why is this guy so competitive? Even if your arrangement is more beautiful, do you think you can make my aunt insist on having you as her son-in-law?"

"This Jade Pool and Jade Mountain are so beautiful that one feels as if floating in the heavens upon seeing them. I have exhausted all my ingenuity, but I cannot surpass it. However, in terms of sentiment, I far surpass it. My loyalty and diligence, and my sincere filial piety towards Prince Shou, are the most moving aspects of my previous work."

Having visited the emperor so many times, Zhang Dai had gained a general understanding of the emperor's temperament.

This guy has a bit of a domineering CEO vibe. If you're always too submissive to him, he'll lose interest. Only by occasionally defying him a little within certain limits will he remember you and be happy to see you again.

Therefore, Zhang Dai changed his tone again, and with a serious expression, bowed once more, saying, "But today I dare to advise Your Majesty not to become intoxicated by this magnificent scenery! Prolonged exposure to such divine sights will inevitably lead to a desire to transcend worldly concerns. Your Majesty possesses the innate wisdom and spiritual insight of the Dao, and if you were to cultivate yourself to a state of spiritual transcendence, we, being of mortal and unrefined nature, would be even more ashamed to serve you. How then would we hope to gain favor? This is not my own selfish suggestion, but a prayer for the people of the world that Your Majesty may restrain your brilliance and enjoy the blessings of the human world!"

Upon hearing this so-called advice, which was in fact flattery, the sage immediately burst into laughter, pointing at him and scolding, "Young man, do you still have a moment of shame? If you feel ashamed of yourself upon seeing an enlightened person, why do you come to my imperial sister's vicinity and stir up trouble!"

The two men in the hall couldn't help but admire the young man's skill in charming the emperor with just a few words.

However, Princess Yuzhen was ultimately not in the mood to listen to the banter between the emperor and his ministers. Taking advantage of the emperor's words, she said, "I am not an enlightened person either, and I am still subject to the calamities of life. I am afraid that I will have to part with my brother soon."

"What's wrong? Are you unwell, or..."

The emperor's feelings for his younger sister were sincere and genuine, even deeper than his feelings for his brothers, including Prince Ning. Upon hearing Princess Yuzhen's words, the smile on his face vanished instantly.

He waved his hand to dismiss the idlers in the hall, then stepped down the steps and looked at Princess Yuzhen with a tense expression, asking urgently, "What should your wife say to her brother first? Don't say anything unlucky!"

(End of this chapter)