Chapter 260: Rebuilding the Zhang Family (Part 1)

Today, Zhang Potian invited the powerful people in Chang'an to re-appoint his post, but the place was not in Zhang Potian's own mansion, but in Zhang Ruohao's old mansion. Since Zhang Ruohao's death, his concubines have been dismissed and the mansion has been closed. However, since last month, Zhang Potian began to order people to clean up and organize. Half a month ago, dozens of Zhang family children including Zhang Can, who came from Longyou, moved in.

The mansion is located in Chongrenfang. It is a large mansion bought by the Zhang family for 50,000 yuan ten years ago. It covers an area of ​​hundreds of acres and is one of the best in Chongrenfang. Early in the morning, the people in the yard were awakened by the sound of "firecrackers". Almost everyone knows that today is the day of the Zhang family's reconstruction.

Zhang Huan's carriage drove into Chongrenfang under the escort of hundreds of cavalry. The carriage was very wide and owned by Zhang Huan's family. The carriage was decorated with brocade interiors, covered with Persian carpets, exquisite small tables and soft couches, and even a small makeup cabinet with bronze mirrors and accessories, just like a moving house.

In addition to Zhang Huan and Cui Ning, two personal maids, Mingyue and Mingzhu, were also sitting in the car.

"Huanlang, see if my hair behind me is messy?" Cui Ning held a bronze mirror in her hand and kept looking at her clouds from left to right. When she got in the car just now, her hair touched the car door. She always felt that her hair behind me was messy.

"It's very neat! No hair is scattered." Zhang Huan saw that the jade pendant he gave her was hanging on her snow-white neck, and a sweet feeling came into his heart. He glanced at the two maids behind him from the corner of his eyes. Seeing that they were pointing to the scene outside the window and whispering, he put his arms around Cui Ning's waist and smiled at her in a low voice: "After lunch, let's go to the cave in Leyouyuan."

Cui Ning quietly held Zhang Huan's hand, gave him a coquettish look, and complained to him with a little coquettish expression, "I thought you had forgotten it long ago?"

"How could I forget?" Zhang Huan smiled and said, "I have a knife that I still threw in the river. I have been thinking about it all the time. I will go and take a look later."

"Damn guy! What can you forget?" Cui Ning raised his pink fist and punched him twice on the shoulder.

"Madam, your hair is a little loose." The little maid Mingzhu's eyes were sharp. Seeing a strand of hair spreading behind Cui Ning, she immediately started to shout in confusion.

"Is that true?" Cui Ning was panicked. She quickly picked up the bronze mirror and looked at it carefully. "Mingyue, be careful, come and help me do it."

Seeing that there were many things in women, Zhang Huan couldn't help but smile and shook his head, lifted up the corner of the curtain of the carriage and looked out. At this time, the carriage had entered Chongrenfang. The sun was shining outside, and the streets were crowded, which seemed particularly lively. There were also many carriages rushing to Zhang's mansion like them. The guards were at least dozens of servants and hundreds of servants, but he was the only one who used the army to escort the guards.

At this time, a carriage attracted his attention. The carriage was about five feet away from him and was guarded by more than twenty servants. The curtain of the car was opened a crack. The person inside was secretly looking at him, unable to see the face of a person. His eyes were complicated, as if it was a woman's eyes, and he felt that these eyes were extremely familiar, and he seemed to have seen them somewhere?

The person on the opposite side touched the eyes of Zhang Huan, the curtain was lowered, and the carriage also accelerated. He left first. Zhang Huan pondered for a while and then ordered a personal soldier, "Go and find out who is in the carriage in front?"

After a moment, the personal soldiers went up and asked and reported: "Governor, the other party refused to say everything, just said that they were from Taiyuan."

"Taiyuan?" Zhang Huan felt something. He already knew who was on the carriage.

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The door of the Zhang Mansion was already very lively. Hundreds of carriages were parked neatly on the streets, and most of the guards had left. Despite this, the entire street was still blocked by traffic. Even Jingzhao Yin also used nearly a hundred yamen runners to maintain order. Standing in front of the steps, Zhang Potian and his eldest son Zhang Yun were welcomed. Zhang Yun was promoted to the governor of Changsha County at the beginning of the year and returned to Beijing to visit relatives at the end of the year, just as his father reentered the officialdom.

Zhang Huan came to attend today's banquet and communicated with Zhang Potian in advance and gave him a briefing. He would not participate in the completion of the Zhang family's sect and subsequent celebrations today, and promised him to perform a supplementary sacrifice later. Of course, Zhang Potian understood Zhang Huan's thoughts, so he had no choice but to do it.

At this moment, in front of Zhang Potian's mansion, many ministers in the court gathered, exchanging news about the gathering in groups of three or three. This time, Zhang Potian invited the powerful people in Chang'an to expand the influence of the reconstruction of the Zhang family, but this is also the largest social event in Chang'an before the New Year, which is very attractive to these young officials' children. This will be a great opportunity for them to find a step forward.

"Do you know that Minister Pei of the Ministry of Personnel has arrived, and he has also accepted my name assassin." A young man said proudly.

"Sweep!" A sneered, and a fat man next to him said disdainfully: "What's the use of accepting your famous sect? The alternate official of the Ministry of Personnel has been arranged until five years later. Instead of looking for the Ministry of Personnel, it is better to go to the place to try your luck."

"Don't local officials also need to be appointed by the Ministry of Personnel?"

"I'm so stupid when I read your books. Do you think it's still the Kaiyuan era now?"

"Young Master Qin is not stupid to read books." Another young man covered his mouth and smiled: "His real mind is Miss Ruyan from Mr. Pei's house. He is a drunkard and does not mean wine."

"You are so arrogant! Can you call Miss Ruyan's name?"

"I have no ambitions!" The fat man's eyes became even more disdainful. He said, "Tell you, I will take the Longyou Academy exam after the New Year. My father knows Zhang Huan. If you ask for personal favors, maybe you can still go to Shuzhong to become an official."

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Hundreds of cavalry guarding the carriage slowly stopped in front of the Zhang Mansion gate, which immediately attracted a slight attention on the street. At present, the entire Chang'an used cavalry as attendants. Except for the right prime minister Pei Jun, the rest were several local warlords. Many young people thought that the prime minister Pei was here, and they were all preparing to come forward to greet him.

Zhang Huan got off the carriage and helped Cui Ning out of the carriage. Zhang Potian smiled and greeted him, "I thought my nephew couldn't come, but I was worried! My nephew arrived."

He bowed to Cui Ning again and smiled and said, "Congratulations to Miss Cui."

Cui Ning smiled and gave a bow, "See Uncle Zhang Si."

"I can't afford it! I can't afford it!" Zhang Potian was in a good mood after Zhang Huan's arrival. He quickly asked his wife to take Cui Ning to the backyard for a while, and he personally took Zhang Huan into the gate.

"Wang Yanluo is here too." Zhang Potian whispered to Zhang Huan while the person was not paying attention.

While nodding to the person, Zhang Huan smiled and said, "I have met him on the road. Has Zhang Xuan come?"

"No, Wang Yanluo comes alone. I feel that she is not as simple as congratulating her birthday."

The two came to the front yard of the lobby, where there were groups of officials from three or five gathered to chat. Zhang Potian handed Zhang Huan's post to the master of ceremonies, and the master immediately reported loudly: "The Prince of Zhangye, Longyou, Hexi Jiedushi, and Zhang Shangshu of the Ministry of War will arrive."

This report attracted countless eyes and swept to Zhang Huan in unison: either sneer, comfort, hatred, praise, etc., and there was a lot of silence in the yard, and various expressions were intertwined, forming a complex picture of the world.

"We are betting that Zhang Shangshu will come today. I didn't expect that he will come. Now I lost." Lu Qi, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, greeted the two of them with a smile.

"You are so kind! I won't accompany you." Zhang Potian achieved his goal. He patted Zhang Huan on the shoulder proudly, nodded to Lu Qi and the other two, and then went straight.

Zhang Huan bowed to Lu Qi and smiled, "Today is the Zhang Mansion reopening, how can I not come? Haha! Mr. Lu will definitely be fined three glasses of wine later."

"It's time to punish!" Lu Qi smiled and stepped forward. He pointed at the two behind him and introduced to Zhang Huan: "Shangshu has been in Longyou for a long time, and the situation in the court may not be familiar with it. Let me introduce it to Shangshu. These two are the God of Wealth in our Tang Dynasty."

He pointed to a tall and thin man in his forties and smiled: "This is Yang Yan, the Salt and Iron Supervisor who is in charge of the salt tax."

Yang Yan was originally Cui Dang, and was appointed as the Minister of the Taifu Temple. He had rich financial management experience. After Cui Yuan fell, he was demoted to the left censor. Because Cui Qinggong cut off the canal transportation, the Jianghuai tax could not be transported to Chang'an. Pei Jun had no choice but to reuse him as the Salt and Iron Supervision Order, hoping that he could solve this problem. Yang Yan immediately proposed a plan, suggesting that the canal transportation be changed to the Yangtze River, the Han River to Xiangyang and then the Dan River enter the pass. Since the Dan River had to re-drag the river, it would take at least two or three years, so Yang Yan proposed a temporary plan, and the ship went directly to Bashu and Zhang Huan transferred the taxes to Chang'an. That is to say, Zhang Huan transferred the taxes to Bashu, and then Zhang Huan directly allocated the corresponding money from Longyou to Chang'an. However, this was a bit unconventional and needed Zhang Huan's strong cooperation.

Yang Yan immediately stepped forward and gave a gift to Zhang Huanshen, "I invited Shangshu Zhang to dinner many years ago, but later I canceled the invitation. I feel ashamed!"

Yang Yan refers to the fact that Zhang Huan was appointed as the commander of Guoyi of the Yulin Army by the late Emperor Li Group six years ago. Later, Zhang Huan was dismissed from his post by the empress dowager, so he canceled the invitation. Over the years, he has been resentful about this matter.

Seeing that he was so cute and frank, Zhang Huan felt aroused in his heart and quickly replied with a smile: "Why, if you don't want to invite me again one day, will you be sure to make up your mind?"

Yang Yan was overjoyed, "It must! It must!"

At this time, another person next to him bowed to Zhang Huanshen and said, "In Fang Zongyan, Xia Taifu Temple, if there was no food from Shangshu Zhang, I would have been beaten to death by the Chinese people at this time, so I am extremely grateful and ask Shangshu Zhang to receive my gift."

"I dare not! Since she is the Minister of War, Zhang Huanli should contribute to the country." Speaking of this, Zhang Huan smiled again and said, "I want to ask the envoy privately about how long will my salary be distributed? My family is so poor that it is almost impossible to lose the blame."

The three of them laughed out loud when they heard him interestingly.

"What amusing things do you guys have? Can you please share them together?" The voice came from the steps. Everyone turned around and saw Wang Ang walking out of the lobby with a smile. He kept talking to Wei Yan in the lobby. He felt that the lobby was stuffy and walked out to breathe. He happened to see a few people laughing to the sky.

Walking down the steps, he saw Zhang Huan with a cold look. Wang Ang's smile disappeared without a trace, and his face immediately became dark. He received news yesterday that a army of Zhang Huan occupied Baling County and Changsha County and drove his garrison across the Yangtze River.

If the jealousy of Zhang Huan in the past only comes from long-term disgust, then he is no longer as simple as jealousy. Zhang Huan has invaded his sphere of influence and has escalated into his enemy.

In fact, Xiangyang controlled by the Wang family is already attacked from all sides, and Zhu Li controlled Hanzhong in the northwest, and its tentacles have reached Shangyong; to the east is the new warlord Li Xilie, who is still relatively low-key at present, but he is a growing jackal; and to the west, Zhang Huan's army has entered Jiegui, connected to the mountains and rivers of Yiling County. Now Zhang Huan's army suddenly appears in the Dongting Lake basin, how can Wang Ang not be able to sleep or eat?

Wang Ang did not expect that he would meet Zhang Huan under this situation. His face was as cold as ice. He stared at Zhang Huan with hatred for a long time before snorting heavily and turning back to the lobby.

"Shangshu Wang is this yin and yang temper. Don't take it to heart." Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Lu Qi laughed dryly and said to several people: "It's cold outside, I can't stay there for a long time, go in first."

"I'll go in too." Fang Zongyan, the minister of Taifu Temple, also smiled and asked Zhang Huan again: "Why would you like to go have a cup of hot tea together?"

"No!" At this time, Zhang Huan suddenly caught a glimpse of Mrs. Wang standing alone under a tree of wintersweets in the yard next to her, but she seemed to be looking at her from the corner of her eyes.

"You guys go in first! I'll walk around and have a little nostalgia."

Lu Qi and Fang Zongyan understood his nostalgia, so they smiled and bowed to him. They went into the lobby first. Yang Yan hesitated for a moment and lowered his voice and said to Zhang Huan: "Does Zhang Shangshu have time tomorrow night? I want to invite Shangshu to my mansion for a simple meal."

Zhang Huan nodded happily and agreed, "Since the envoy Yang has spoken out, how dare Zhang Huan refuse to follow me? It will be arriving tomorrow night."

When Yang Yan saw Zhang Huan agreeing, he stopped saying anything, and hurried away with a fist.

At this time, the host said a long message: "Minister of Zongzheng Temple, Your Highness, King Luo, is here! Prince of Nanyang, General Li Tong, the General of Jinwu Guard, is here!"

Seeing that everyone's attention was attracted by the two heavyweights, Zhang Huan walked through the moon gate with his hands behind his back, slowly walked to Mrs. Wang, bowed to him and said, "Madam, are you okay?"

Mrs. Wang looked at him, her eyes filled with complicated expressions. After a long time, she sighed softly and said, "Shibalang, if the head of the family is still alive, he will be very happy for you."

Zhang Huan shook his head, "If the head of the family is still alive, I think he may not be happy, and he may still be disappointed. He may not want to see a warlord who is separating the country."

"Warlord?" Mrs. Wang sneered: "Since ancient times, who did great things, did not hold military power? Which one did not have a sweet-mouthed sword? Without strength and skill, he could only be slaughtered by others and could only be a wedding dress for others. Eighteen Langs, can you reach this day? Could it be that the gentleman's openness is achieved?"

Zhang Huan didn't want to talk about this more, so he smiled and asked again: "Why didn't Zhang Xuan come? Instead, it made the wife tired."
To be continued...