Chapter 833: The Embers of the Longtao Academy

"Xinchang, that child, is truly filial! Old Bai and old Zhang Zhong don't have half his thoughtfulness."

Sage Zhang was in the Purple Tenuity Palace in Luoyang, holding the hand of Cao Sanniangzi Yannai, at the corners of whose eyes the first wrinkles had already begun to appear, and said with a sigh.

Sanniangzi couldn't help herself and shot Zhang Zhao a direct glare.

Because the reason I, Sage Zhang, sighed like this was that Murong Xinzhang's gift had arrived — a full hundred Silla maidservants.

Whether they were all beauties was not certain, but they were certainly well-trained, utterly obedient, and young little ladies.

At eighteen there are no ugly women; as long as one isn't so hideously featured as to seem carved by ghosts and gods, a girl of seventeen or eighteen is truly very rarely so especially hard to look at.

Of course, among this group of women, the most eye-catching were Wang Zhao's queen, Lady Huangfu; the Lady Lin of the Qinghe Palace; and the palace woman Lady Jin.

Before Zhang Zhao could speak, Empress Shijiu Niang gave a light cough and unobtrusively cut off the thread of conversation — she was, after all, the mistress of the inner palace.

Before the Ming and Qing, when imperial power became highly concentrated, the empress's status was very high; at least within the inner palace, the emperor, to a certain degree, had to respect the empress's authority — this too was part of ethics.

Therefore, before the Ming and Qing, in pure inner-palace struggles — apart from cases like Emperor Cheng of Han, that hopeless dog with his brain in his loins, or the Huo family dominating the court in Emperor Xuan of Han's time — the challenges an empress faced were not all that fierce.

Most of the time, if there was an empress dowager in the inner palace, she held control; if there was no empress dowager, the empress was the mistress. The sort of thing where an ordinary consort would dare to snipe at or frame the empress basically did not exist.

Cao Yannai took one look at Lady Huangfu's figure and immediately disliked her.

That big bosom and big hips, those powerful, long, slender legs — wouldn't she drain the Sage dry!

If the Emperor took one turn in this woman's bed, the other consorts probably wouldn't even get a sip of soup for days afterward.

So Shijiu Niang turned back to look at Sanniangzi and said with a chuckle, "Third Sister, I think this woman is truly a fine breeder. Why not bestow her upon Xinchang'er?

These years he has been busy with campaigns, and the Princess of England is frail, so his heirs are not plentiful.

Now that he is about to become a Great King, he needs many sons and grandsons to properly inherit the foundation Xinchang'er has built!"

Empress Shijiu Niang's words were absolutely politically correct.

Indeed, Murong Xinzhang had been busy with campaigns these years; he had only one wife and three concubines, and even then they were often apart, so that up to now he had only two sons and two daughters — for a Great King like him, that was really somewhat few.

Sanniangzi nodded hurriedly. The Emperor already came to her far less often than before, and if the inner palace had that sturdy woman Langyi, that was one thing, but if another equally formidable juice-extractor like Lady Huangfu came in, what would the other consorts be able to pick up?

Fine, the two of them had decided, and I, Sage Zhang, had no objection either, because there were already enough beauties around him.

For a caring confidante there were the Cao sisters; for a childhood sweetheart there was the Li family cousin.

For exotic sisterly charm there were the Saifeiye sisters; for utterly obedient spoils of war there were Xiao Sagezhi and Lady Huarui.

For heroic spirit there was the elder Fu; for a girl he had raised himself there was Zhao Rongniang, whom he had personally rescued from the chaos of battle.

For a little loli there was the fifteen-year-old Senior Zhou Empress; for a vigorous show there was also a sturdy Tibetan woman like Langyi.

He simply couldn't keep up with them all — what did he need a bicycle for!

Since this Lady Huangfu was not wanted, then the rest were not wanted either. Zhang Zhao looked at Lady Lin; she seemed somewhat sickly.

Although she and Lady Huangfu were not the product of a consanguineous marriage, Zhang Zhao did not like this pale, young, thin type either.

He liked them a bit healthier, a bit sturdier, a bit more mischievous and clever (goofy).

"Bestow this woman upon the Prince of Lu. He has worked hard these days." Zhang Zhao pointed and made the arrangement.

The Prince of Lu was Qian Hongchu. Some days earlier he had fallen for his good elder brother Zhang Zhao's scheme and clashed with the local bosses of the Jiaodong province, and in the end all the benefit went to Zhang Zhao.

But Qian Hongchu did not complain, still less resent Zhang Zhao; instead he very sensibly began to adjust his own position.

These past months he had done his utmost to provide logistical support for the fleets of Zhao Kuangyin and Chen Hui setting out to sea, and had also sent his younger brother Qian Hongyi to Wuyue to help mobilize the people.

Last month he had even sent a memorial from Jiaodong to Zhang Zhao, requesting the dissolution of his Prince of Lu overlord headquarters. With such tact and self-awareness, how could he not be rewarded?

Then Zhang Zhao looked at the remaining Lady Jin. Though she was quite pretty, compared with Lady Huarui, the Senior Zhou Empress, and the rest, she was far inferior.

Moreover, Zhang Zhao now preferred the class of Lady Huangfu, and toward Lady Jin, who was merely pretty in the face, he had already developed a high immunity.

After thinking it over, Zhang Zhao said to the Director of the Lesser Treasury beside him, "Send a few imperial physicians to treat her, and once she is healthy, deliver her to Hu Guang.

He's almost thirty, all alone with no descendants — how can that be! Tell him I'm the one bestowing this, and he must accept. It's been so many years now; how can he still not move on!"

Hu Guang was still in Suyab coordinating everything. Since his first wife passed away, he had never remarried; Zhang Zhao had tried to arrange a match and he had refused, and to this day he had no son.

When Cao Yanxi saw that Zhang Zhao was keeping none of the three most important spoils of war, he began to feel uneasy, thinking Zhang Zhao was angry, and hurried over with an ingratiating smile, saying:

"If the Sage looks down on these faded flowers and broken willows, then perhaps Your Servant should select a few pleasing ones for the Sage from among these Silla maidservants."

Zhang Zhao laughed heartily. "My inner palace already has twenty-two beauties with rank — what need would I have for a few Silla maidservants?

Have Zhun'er come, and invite all the youths among the capital's noble and civil-official families — especially those who have studied at the Longtao Academy — and then distribute all these Silla maidservants among them!"

Cao Sanniangzi's eyes lit up. She recalled the meaning of Zhang Zhao's first words — that old Bai lacked this kind of thought.

One must know that in the days of the Great Tang, Silla maidservants from Haidong, Pusaman from Hezhong, and Kunlun slaves from the South Sea were the favorite servants of the Great Tang's powerful families — standard equipment of a golden age.

Hu Guang and Bai Congxin had won a great victory in Hezhong, so they ought to have brought back a batch of beautiful Pusaman to show off! As it was, no one in the country even knew how glorious their victory in Hezhong had been.

So Cao Sanniangzi smiled smugly. The son she had so carefully raised was clever.

Once these hundred Silla maidservants were scattered among the noble and civil-official households, people would immediately and viscerally feel the splendor of his victory in Haidong.

Moreover, with such living spoils of war, it would further encourage capable men in the country to go out and subdue the barbarians and make the Yi serve the Xia.

The Sage had Zhang Xiancun come forward to gather the sons of the noble and civil-official families, and then distributed the Silla maidservants on the spot — his main purpose was surely to achieve this effect.

When the little aunt heard Zhang Zhao say this, she immediately begged Zhang Zhao's pardon and withdrew first — clearly she was going off to advise her son.

At the hour of Wu, north of Luoyang, Jinyong City, Jinyong Palace.

The drinking banquet was at its merriest point. Inside the hall were more than forty people, all sons of the top noble and civil-official families of the Zhang Zhou dynasty, mostly between the ages of thirteen and eighteen.

They drank to their hearts' content under the light of arm-thick whale-oil candles that the Duke of Zhang, Liu Congxiao, had sent as tribute.

Although these lads all held no low status, ordinarily they would not dare come to the imperial palace to eat and drink freely.

I, Sage Zhang, am very strict with them. Whoever had entered the Longtao Academy — which of them had not endured Sage Zhang's 996 beast-of-burden style of bitter study and bitter training?

It was rare that the Emperor permitted them to come to Jinyong City to let loose for a while, and with the Emperor absent and only Zhang Xiancun present, they enjoyed themselves all the more thoroughly.

Zhang Xiancun, tempered by his time at Nanxi Prefecture and knowing his future role, had grown a great deal compared with the past. He waited until all the eldest sons of the noble and civil-official families had drunk their fill, then clapped his hands once.

With a clatter of footsteps, a full hundred gorgeously dressed beauties immediately filed out into the banquet hall, instantly drawing the eyes of the assembled youths.

Dunzhu's foolish son Zhang Liewei had nearly gone mad from being shut up in the Longtao Academy, and the moment he saw so many lovely women, he immediately began to drool.

But his wits were far sharper than his father's. After two hard looks, he immediately squeezed his eyes shut, still shouting:

"Brother Zhun, send them away quickly, or in a moment I'll forget my manners, and Imperial Uncle will surely break my dog legs."

At Zhang Liewai's shout, the other youths came back to their senses. This was the traveling palace; by regulation, every woman here belonged to the Emperor, so it was best for juniors like them to behave.

"Hahaha!" Zhang Xiancun laughed loudly. "They say your third brother is recklessly bold, but now it seems that's not quite true.

Don't be afraid, open your eyes. These aren't palace women from Jinyong Palace; they're Silla maidservants that Brother Xinchang sent over from Haidong.

Today everyone gets a share—one to attend and serve at your uncles' and elders' sides, and one to make your beds and fold your quilts. The elders have already agreed to this."

"Brother Xinchang is a true hero!"

"Brother Zhun is magnificent!"

A burst of utterly excited howling and wailing rang out. One must know that in Zhang Zhou, slaves and servants were strictly forbidden. Zhang Zhao, troubled by the small population, had issued manumission decrees time and again.

Now the household guards and personal attendants in the various meritorious families were basically all battle-worn soldiers who had come off the battlefield with some injury to their hands or feet, yet had won little merit.

As for servants, they were all contract workers—people who simply came to work in your household in their spare time.

Maidservants went without saying; their personal freedom was even greater. Basically, poor families wanting to save a bit of money would send their daughters at around ten to work, then take them back at fifteen or sixteen when they were old enough to marry.

Under these circumstances, even the sons of these so-called top meritorious families rarely got to feel the prestige of being surrounded by crowds of servants and slaves. Now that so many Silla maidservants had suddenly appeared, how could they not go wild?

One must know that even in the Great Tang period, because of the policy that Han people could not be enslaved, obedient Silla maidservants were high-grade goods worth a thousand in gold—let alone at a time like this.

Zhang Xiancun chuckled, took Zhang Xianyu and another youth by the hands, and walked with them toward the crowd, saying:

"Erlang will soon go to Hezhong to familiarize himself with the local geography and customs, and Brother Yi is also going to Hezhong to visit Lord Bai. You must bring back some Bodhisattva Barbarians for us!"

Another burst of howling and wailing. Zhang Xianyu and Bai Congxin's son Bai Xuanyi bowed together to all their companions. "Of course. With Silla maidservants, how could Bodhisattva Barbarians be missing?"

Suddenly someone in the crowd shouted, "Fifth Brother, your father has been garrisoning troops at Guilin Prefecture for two years now. When will he march south to destroy the false Han in Lingnan, then go to the South Sea and capture some Kunlun slaves? That way, we'd have the complete set."

Zhang Zhaojun (Ma Shacai)'s eldest son Zhang Liezhe was about to speak when Zhang Xiancun stopped him and loudly addressed the surrounding sons of meritorious nobles and civil officials: "Who said that just now? Step out and drink a horn of wine as punishment!

How can you be so lacking in ambition? Our fathers fought bloody battles across ten thousand li, starting from a small mountain stronghold in Dunhuang, and in eighteen years built this magnificent Great Zhou. What heroes!

All you brothers are descendants of renowned ministers and great generals. If you want Silla maidservants, Bodhisattva Barbarians, Kunlun slaves, why not rouse yourselves, take up a three-chi sword, and go beyond the gates yourself—use your ten years of bitter study and training to seize them with your own hands?"

"Well said, Eldest Brother! A true man should go beyond the gates himself—make the Xia rule and the Yi serve, and bring all nations to submit to our great Central Plains dynasty!" Liu Zaisheng's son stood up and shouted, and after him many others loudly voiced their agreement.

These youths, from the time they could understand, had studied the astronomy, geography, customs, and conditions of every region in the Dragon Tao Academy.

All the knowledge of foreign lands that the Brocade Guard personal troops had scouted, gathered, and organized was taught to them.

They were the first sparks of Zhang Zhou truly setting its sights on all four directions.

(End of Chapter)

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