Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 53 Jixian Academy
Although he loved this boy dearly, Zhang Shuo still had to maintain his dignity as an elder. He raised his hand and motioned for Zhang Luo to sit across from him. He then sat back down and sighed, "This time, your father was careless in his career and was taken advantage of. His reputation was damaged and his family was implicated. He even left the children at home without a safe place to live. He risked his life and risked his life to rescue them. His love for them is heartening. This disaster should serve as a warning to you, young disciple, to be especially cautious in your future conduct and not to neglect any mistakes."

"Grandfather is the foundation of our family, a towering tree, upon which all the rest of us depend. Without the skin, where will the hair be attached? The injustice done to Grandfather is a calamity for the whole family. Why would I fear the risk of saving him? I only regret that my grandson is so limited in intelligence. His talents are only displayed by chance, but I don't know how much I can help. I only pray that Heaven will look down upon me and bless me!"

Zhang Luo also bowed quickly and said that he had given up on leaving the Zhang family this time, and would continue to live in this family in the future. He naturally had to be respectful to Zhang, the head of the family, not to mention that he was carrying a bomb on his back.

Zhang said that he would attend the morning court later, so while there was still some time, he wanted to ask Zhang Luo about what happened last night. Zhang Luo naturally told him what he should say and did not mention what he should not say.

Even after some of the edits, Zhang Shuo's opinion of this boy improved a bit after listening to it. He looked at his grandson carefully and sighed, "It's really unbelievable. A mere teenager can act like this... You, at your age now, are far inferior to me!"

Not only at this age, even now, or even in a dozen years, he will not be as good as him!
Zhang Luo looked down on his father so deeply that he didn't even bother to comment on him in front of Zhang Shuo. He simply asked, "In your opinion, Grandfather, is this crisis over? Besides settling down my family affairs, I'm also concerned about whether the misfortune befell the Zhou family of Henan Prefecture. Can it be resolved quickly? If it weren't for Zhou's last words, I wouldn't be able to present this report to the Emperor."

He also hoped that Zhang Shuo would help Zhou Liang's family after solving his own troubles. Even if he did not show up in person, Zhang Shuo had many followers, so things of this level would not be too difficult for him.

"Now that the Saint knows about this matter, he will surely render a fair judgment. Furthermore, you also said that the Saint admires Zhou Liang's plan, and perhaps there will be some unexpected surprises later. The Saint has a broad mind, and if you understand his intentions, he will certainly reward you!"

Speaking of this, Zhang Shuo couldn't help but sigh inwardly. A sage will naturally reward those he admires, but if there is someone he dislikes, he will discard them without hesitation.

He has experienced ups and downs in his official career over the years and has a deep feeling about this. In recent years, he has held great power and prestige, and originally thought that he had gradually become detached from it. However, this lesson made him deeply realize that his own honor and disgrace still depended on the thoughts of a saint.

At this moment, another eunuch came in and said respectfully to Zhang Shuo, "Reporting to Lord Zhang, the ministers and officials of the Southern Province have entered the Guangfan Gate, and the morning court will begin soon."

Zhang Shuo stood up after hearing this and said to Zhang Luo, "Please wait here for a while. I will come to see you after the morning court."

Although he is still under investigation, he was allowed to attend the court meeting this morning, which is undoubtedly a very positive signal.

If nothing unexpected happens, there should be a result on his punishment after the court meeting this morning. Zhang Shuo was a little nervous about whether the punishment would be light or heavy. After giving instructions to Zhang Luo, he hurried out the door.

Zhang Luo was a commoner, so naturally he had no chance to attend the court meeting. He just stood up and sent Zhang Shuo out of the palace before turning back. Only then did he find that he was arranged to stay in the Jixian Hall Academy.

Jixiandian Academy is a major symbol of Kaiyuan's cultural governance and has been closely related to Zhang Shuo since its inception.

This is also closely related to the fact that Zhang Shuo was known as the leader of the literary world of his time. Later famous Tang Dynasty poets and politicians such as Zhang Jiuling and He Zhizhang were all recommended by Zhang Shuo to serve as scholars in the Jixiandian Academy.

The scholars of Jixian Hall were not just simple book editors, but also the emperor's close attendants. Some of the particularly favored ones were even in charge of writing documents and imperial edicts. Moreover, the prime minister was usually directly in charge of the affairs of Jixian Hall. Those who could serve as scholars of Jixian Hall could be said to be the most noble literati of the time.

The brilliant civil governance was also a very splendid aspect of the Kaiyuan politics. When Zhang Luo learned that he was actually assigned to the Jixiandian Academy, he wanted to travel around. Even if he couldn't meet any famous literati of the time, it would be worthwhile to observe their handwritten poems and calligraphy up close!
However, it was still dawn, and the academy was still relatively quiet, with few people walking around. In addition, some scholars might also have to attend court meetings, making it even more deserted.

Moreover, the future was still uncertain, so Zhang Luo could only suppress his eagerness to see the world. After seeing Zhang Shuo off, he obediently returned to the room where he had been before and sat down.

Although the academy was deserted, Zhang Luo was not ignored. After he returned to his room and sat for a while, a palace servant came in and asked him if he really wanted to have breakfast.

It would have been fine if he hadn't asked this question. As soon as he asked this question, Zhang Luo's stomach started rumbling, so he nodded embarrassedly to indicate that he needed it.

Soon after the palace maids left, a hearty breakfast was served. Although the food was not as rich in seasonings as in later times, it was rich in ingredients and generous in portions. Zhang Luo was also very hungry, so he ate it with great relish.

What bothered him the most was the tea served after breakfast. The rich condiments didn't help, and instead made his stomach churn again. He went to the restroom to relieve himself, and only then did he feel better. By this time, daybreak had already dawned, and the academy was bustling with activity. Zhang Luo approached the gate and looked out, only to see officials coming in and out of the palace, each engaged in lively conversation. Many of them were discussing the incident he had just experienced the previous night.

These scholars were so engrossed in their discussion that they were completely unaware that the protagonist of the melon they were discussing was actually present in the academy. Zhang Luo, on the other hand, was in no hurry to reveal his identity, and stood in the room, happily listening to the compliments from others.

Things turned out just as he expected. When Shi Liu talked about these things, he always spoke highly of him, especially his slogan "Jade Bones Unyielding", which was mentioned frequently.

The help that a good character can bring to others is undoubtedly huge. Although Zhang Luo has not officially set foot in the Tang Dynasty government, his deeds have already begun to be praised in the government.

These praises may not be enough to bring him actual benefits in the short term, but when he is released from prison and truly steps into officialdom in the future, his path will be much smoother than that of others!
After listening for a while, Zhang Luo realized that many other things had happened outside during the time he had been in Jixian Academy.

Only the Censorate and the officials under the Imperial Court knew about his deeds last night, but after half a night of preparation, now everyone in the imperial city knew about it.

The reason for this is that there are people who are working hard to spread his message, including Wang Han, who is also a scholar of Jixian Academy and holds the position of Yuwenlang of Jiabu.

Wang Han had admired Zhang Luo's talent before, and after hearing about his deeds, he sang praises for him directly in front of Duanmen. This was why many court officials knew about this matter as soon as they arrived in the imperial city.

Zhang Luo was at a loss for words when he heard this. He certainly needed a good reputation, but Wang Han's actions were a bit over the top and a bit exaggerated. However, the other party clearly had good intentions, and Zhang Luo was deeply grateful upon learning about this.

He vaguely remembered that Wang Han was demoted because of this political struggle, and died of illness during his demotion. If possible, he would like to help Wang Han change his fate this time.

After all, Wang Han was one of the few among Zhang Shuo's many disciples who expressed his affection for him clearly. Moreover, he was both talented and wealthy. If he had a good relationship with him, it would have played a positive role in Zhang Luo's gradual absorption and utilization of his grandfather Zhang Shuo's political resources.

Although his father, Zhang Jun, was the natural heir, there were many different ways of succession. Even in the original history, Zhang Jun was unable to take over his father's position, and the recognized political successor to Zhang Shuo was still Zhang Jiuling.

Tangible resources like property, land, and official titles are naturally inherited by sons without issue. However, other intangible connections and influence are far more significant, and how much can be inherited and consolidated depends on the individual's ability.

At this point, Zhang Luo didn't have the patience to wait for his father's gold coins to explode. He positioned himself as a direct competitor.

In addition to discussing what happened last night, the progress of various matters in today's morning court was also one of the topics discussed by these scholars.

The Tang Dynasty itself did not have any regulations prohibiting officials from discussing state affairs. The imperial palace was the center of all government departments and gathered a large number of officials. To prevent them from interfering in government affairs would undoubtedly be more difficult than killing them.

One of the more eye-catching points in today's morning court was that Zhang Shuo, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, who had been caught in the vortex of public opinion and absent from court meetings for many days, appeared in court again, which naturally aroused various speculations among officials.

What surprised Zhang Luo was that even in the Jixiandian Academy, Zhang Shuo's old nest, the officials there had mixed words of praise and criticism for Zhang Shuo, unlike before when they all praised Zhang Luo unanimously.

It can be seen that Zhang Shuo's style of doing things is indeed questionable, and his popularity is not very good.

Zhang Luo couldn't help but secretly hope that after experiencing this lesson, Zhang Shuo would be able to restrain his personality and not be so difficult to get along with.

He was still thinking that his grandfather would learn from his mistakes, but when the court meeting was coming to an end, he was stunned by the news: the Minister of the Central Secretariat Zhang Shuo had behaved inappropriately and handled matters inconsiderately, so he was ordered to retire and given a letter to return home.

(End of this chapter)