Cai Jing sent his fourth son, Cai Tao.
"Father said that this Lantern Festival event is of great importance, and he was afraid that Envoy Zhang wouldn't be able to handle it, so he sent me to assist you."
"Well... Prime Minister Cai is old, can he leave you by his side?" Zhang Shixun was very embarrassed. It was because he was not familiar with Cai Tao.
Zhang Shixun searched for information about Cai Tao in the database and found it.
Cai Tao never held an official position throughout his life, but he was not an unknown person.
The famous "Miscellaneous Talks on Tiewei Mountain" was written by him.
This book records court anecdotes, palace secrets, historical events, anecdotes of personalities, as well as poetry, allusions, calligraphy, paintings, inscriptions on bronze and stone tablets, etc., for about two hundred years from the reign of Emperor Taizu of Song to Emperor Gaozong of Song. It is rich in content and can be regarded as a long historical scroll reflecting the living conditions of all social classes in China during the Northern Song Dynasty.
Just based on this book, Cai Tao's name will leave a deep mark in history.
When Zhang Shixun had nothing to do at night, he often read books from the Song Dynasty, including "Tieweishan Congtan".
Cai Tao left a pretty good impression on him. The most important thing was that he was very low-key and polite to others, and he didn't look like the son of a powerful official at all.
Seeing Zhang Shixun stunned, Cai Tao asked, "Could it be that Envoy Zhang is unwilling to work with me?"
Zhang Shixun hurriedly said, "No, no, no! I didn't mean that. I just felt that Brother Cai is the son of Prime Minister Cai, an indispensable person by Prime Minister Cai's side, shouldering important responsibilities. It's a waste of his talent to come here to help me."
"Haha! Envoy Zhang, you're being praised. My father sent me here because he was worried that your words wouldn't be heard, and that someone might try to hinder you. Although I have no official position, I have my father's face, so others will still give me some respect."
"So that's how it is." Zhang Shixun understood that Cai Jing sent his son here because he attached so much importance to this event.
With Cai Tao in charge, he is like a "god" and no one will feel uncomfortable.
"Once the Lantern Festival is over, I will return to my father. As you said, he needs someone by his side."
Zhang Shixun bowed and said, "In that case, I'll have to trouble Brother Cai."
Cai Tao returned the greeting and said, "My name is Yuezhi, you can just call me Yuezhi."
"Oh! Brother Yuezhi, I just returned from overseas and don't have a name yet. You can just call me Shixun."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhang Shixun got down to business: "Brother Yuezhi, the most important thing right now is to take over the backyard of Fanlou. Only with a place can we proceed. If it's convenient for you, shall we go to Fanlou now?"
"good!"
The two men went out, Cai Tao took the sedan chair and Zhang Shixun rode a horse, and they headed all the way to Fanlou.
When they arrived at Fanlou, someone was already waiting for them and took them straight to the backyard.
A portly man came forward with a smile, bowed and said, "Master Cai, it's you who has come to visit. I, Fan Baidao, am honored."
"Don't gossip... Fan Baidao, the court has ordered the requisition of Fanlou. Have you received the decree?"
"I received it this morning, haha! I've been waiting for you ever since I received the decree, haha!"
Cai Tao pointed at Zhang Shixun and introduced him, "This is Zhang Shixun, the Deputy Envoy of the Jiaofang Division. He is the one you are to meet."
"Oh! It's Zhang Tianshi." Fan Baidao bowed and saluted, his face full of smiles. "I've heard of Zhang Tianshi's name for a long time. Seeing him today, I can see that he is indeed a handsome man. This... he has the air of an immortal."
"That's nonsense." Zhang Shixun was both angry and amused. He interrupted him and said, "Don't give me that nonsense. I'm here to do serious business. Time is running out. Hurry and show me the yard."
"Please follow me." Fan Baidao didn't dare to talk nonsense and led them to the back.
The backyard of Fanlou is quite large. In the middle is a three-story building and in front of it is a large stage.
"To be honest with you two, this building is not open to the public on weekdays. It will only be opened when the emperor and a few royal relatives come." Fan Baidao took out the key and opened the door.
Zhang Shixun showed no interest in the building, but pointed at the stage and asked, "What about this stage? Was it also specially reserved for the emperor?"
"That's not the case. On weekdays, the most famous courtesan in the capital would play the piano and sing here."
Zhang Shixun nodded and suddenly asked, "I heard that Madam Li often comes here too."
"Madam Li used to come here quite often when she first debuted, but she has been coming less frequently in the past two years."
"Oh!" Zhang Shixun looked around and said, "Let's make it short. Two to three hundred people will be stationed here this time. They are all famous artists in the capital. For the next seven or eight days, they will eat and sleep here. Therefore, all the houses in the backyard must be vacated for their accommodation."
"No problem. Not to mention seven or eight days, even seven or eight months, I can afford it. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"The rooms on the second floor are reserved for the government. We can't..."
Zhang Shixun waved his hand and said, "Since these are reserved for the emperor, there's no need to open those rooms."
Fan Baidao bowed and breathed a sigh of relief.
In fact, the decree did not specifically mention these houses, but Fan Baidao was cautious and mentioned this matter on purpose. If Zhang Shixun wanted to open them, it was his business and had nothing to do with himself.
"Brother Yuezhi, wait for the artists to come in. For safety reasons, we need some guards in the backyard. First, to prevent strangers from breaking in, and second, to protect their personal safety."
Cai Tao frowned when he heard this. Artists still need protection?
Zhang Shixun, sensing Cai Tao's indifference, hurriedly explained, "Brother Yuezhi, although the capital seems peaceful, we must heed the lessons of His Majesty's last encounter at Fanlou. If anyone attempts to sabotage this event, by directly tampering with these artists or even killing a few key performers, the Lantern Festival performance will be ruined. We cannot afford to offend."
Cai Tao shuddered and said hurriedly, "Shixun's words make sense. We must be on guard against past mistakes. I'll go back to Kaifeng Prefecture and ask them to send someone."
"Not appropriate!" Zhang Shixun shook his head. "Kaifeng Prefecture has a disorganized staff. Not only is there a mix of good and bad people inside, but they're also not very reliable. It would be better to find someone from the various guards in the government."
"Mobilizing the imperial guards is a bit of an overreaction and could easily lead to impeachment from the censors. In my humble opinion, we should consult General Gao on such a small matter. It's his business to decide who to send. What do you think?"
"Brother Yuezhi has considered it carefully. I will do as you say."
Gao Qiu was Zhao Ji's loyal lackey and had a vested interest in the matter. He absolutely did not want any problems to arise in this activity, so his sending of people was reassuring.
The matter was finalized and it was already getting dark.
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