Chapter 605: The Death of Prime Minister Pei (Part 2)

A moment later, Zhang Zhijie entered the study and bowed deeply to his father. “Your son pays his respects to Father.”
Zhang Yun’s eldest son, Zhang Xun, was born to his legitimate wife. He served as an official in another region most of the time and rarely returned home, resulting in a distant relationship with Zhang Yun. The mother of his second son, Zhijie, was once Zhang Yun’s close confidante—a highly talented poet and famous courtesan in Chang’an. Though she never sold herself, she fell in love with Zhang Yun. However, due to her background, Zhang Yun’s father, Prime Minister Zhang Shuo, firmly refused to allow her into the Zhang family. She never married Zhang Yun and passed away shortly after giving birth to his son—this was the greatest pain Zhang Yun had endured in over twenty years.
Out of love for her, he also favored her son. Although Zhijie had been well-educated since childhood and was extremely talented, and given his own status as prime minister, it would have been easy for him to secure an official position for his son, Zhang Yun still couldn’t bring himself to let him go. He kept him by his side to handle various tasks. Had he not needed to show loyalty to Li Qing’an and change his image of being fickle, he would never have sent his son into the military.
Zhang Yun hadn’t seen his son in three months. Seeing that he seemed even paler and thinner than before, he felt heartache and asked, “Is it hard for my son in the army?”
“Father, the Anxi Army has strict discipline. We must assemble at dawn for roll calls, and there are many tasks. Although it’s tough, I feel fulfilled. Besides, I heard that Pei Zhili is also a clerk. He has achieved top grades for two years. If he can endure such hardships, why can’t I?”
Zhang Yun nodded. It was good that his son was ambitious. Many sons of high-ranking officials in the court were dissolute, but his son was clearly different—this filled him with pride. Though he had sent his son to the Anxi Army out of necessity, he now felt he had made the right decision. Training in the Anxi Army could indeed produce talented people.
The one who impressed him the most was Pei Yu, the deputy head of the Honglu Temple. Though young, he was decisive, highly capable, and eloquent, already standing out among the younger generation. He had to admit that Li Qing’an promoted Pei Yu not only because he married Li Qing’an’s adopted sister and was the eldest grandson of the Pei family, but also because this young man was truly talented—far more capable than many older officials.
It was because he had spent a few years training in the Anxi Army that he had transformed completely upon returning. Seeing his son showing some resemblance to Pei Yu filled Zhang Yun with great joy—he now had a successor!

He stroked his beard and smiled, “Very good. You truly bring great comfort to your father. You have always been humble and disciplined since childhood. After spending a few more years honing your skills in the Anxi Army, your father believes your future is boundless.” After a pause, he asked with a smile, “Why did you decide to return to the mansion tonight? Do you need rest?”
“Reporting to Father, it was the General who asked me to return.”
“Li Qing’an!”
Zhang Yun was shocked. “He’s… he’s back in the capital?”
His mind became chaotic. They had no idea Li Qing’an had returned—obviously, he was back because of Pei Zunqing’s death. Struggling to control his confusion, he asked, “What did he ask you to do when you returned?”
“The General asked me to deliver a message to Father.”
“What?”
“The General said to ask Father to stay strong, take charge of government affairs, and quickly resolve the fallout from Prime Minister Pei’s assassination, so that the court can get back on track.”
Zhang Yun’s spirits lifted immediately. He asked eagerly, “Were those his exact words?”
“Yes! Those were the General’s exact words.”
The heavy weight in Zhang Yun’s heart seemed to be lifted by a breeze, and he felt revived. He understood the implicit meaning in Li Qing’an’s words—it seemed he intended to make him the Right Prime Minister. The Right Prime Minister! How many years had he longed for this? Could it really happen to him? Wait, don’t get too hopeful; things hadn’t reached that stage yet.
“Is there anything else?” Zhang Yun tried to calm his excitement.
“Father, the General plans to assign me to the Hubei Guard as a scribe.”
“Oh!” Zhang Yun was even more surprised. A series of events today seemed favorable to him. Could it be that Li Qing’an wanted to promote him?
Though surprised, he felt more joy than anything else. His son being given an important role was as meaningful as him getting the position of Right Prime Minister. Being a scribe in the Hubei Guard meant his son would enter Li Qing’an’s inner circle. Generally, such positions were held by those close to Li Qing’an, who were privy to many confidential matters. Why would Li Qing’an promote his own son? Wasn’t he afraid that his son might learn some secrets of the Anxi Army?
Full of doubts, Zhang Yun glanced at his son again. His son’s gaze was clear and honest, his lips tightly pressed together. In that moment, Zhang Yun suddenly realized something. A sense of loss welled up in him. As a father, he didn’t understand his son as well as Li Qing’an did. He also had to admire Li Qing’an’s way of selecting people. Even if his son learned the secrets of the Anxi Army, he would never reveal them to him. This was also a test from Li Qing’an for his son.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yun smiled bitterly and said, “I understand. Go to the Hubei Guard in peace. Your father won’t put you in trouble or harm your future.”

Zhang Yun was known as an indestructible figure in the political arena not because he was good at managing affairs or adaptable in all situations, but rather because he possessed a political wisdom beyond ordinary people’s reach, allowing him to discern the right course of action in major matters. For example, when Li Longji once tried to invite him to the Southern Tang, Zhang Yun chose to abandon Li Longji at the last moment, realizing that Li Longji’s days were numbered—though he remained the legitimate ruler, he lacked the strength and vitality of Li Qing’an.

Thus, despite repeated setbacks, he ultimately stayed loyal to Li Qing’an. Among his contemporaries such as Yang Guozhong, Wang Gong, Chen Xilie, and Yang Shenjin, only he remained in office throughout.

Similarly, although his son was part of Li Qing’an’s inner circle and could access more confidential information, Zhang Yun knew he should not interfere. Gaining such information might bring short-term advantages, but it would ruin his son’s future and the fate of their family. Compared to so-called secret information, his son’s and family’s future was far more important.

Zhang Zhijie was also most worried about what his father might order him to do. He felt Li Qing’an’s constant trust in him and did not want to betray it. If his father forced him to do something or say something, it would cause him great pain. Now that his father finally understood him and agreed not to put him in a difficult position, Zhang Zhijie was both surprised and delighted. He bowed deeply and said, “Thank you, Father, for understanding me.”

Zhang Yun nodded and smiled. “Go! Return to the military camp now. Since it’s not vacation, you can’t miss tomorrow’s roll call. Hurry back—there’s still time to close the city gates.”

“Then I’ll be leaving.”

Zhang Zhijie suddenly knelt, kowtowed to his father, and quickly left. Zhang Yun stood there, listening to his son’s footsteps fade away, his eyes slightly moist…

Not long after Zhang Zhijie left, Zhang Yun prepared to sort through recent court affairs. Since Li Qing’an had entrusted him with handling government affairs, he had to make an effort. He assumed that Li Qing’an, having said so, would not enter the city for a while and would stay outside until the political situation stabilized.

At that moment, the butler came to report, “Master, Minister Wei is here. He has urgent matters to discuss.”

What could Wei Tao want? Zhang Yun pondered for a moment before immediately getting up. “Prepare a carriage. I’m going out.”

This is the kind of decisiveness a politician needs. He and Wei Tao joined forces to deal with Pei Zunqing, forming the Wei faction. With Pei Zunqing’s death, signs of mutual suspicion arose between them—not because they suspected each other of killing him, but because the foundation of their alliance no longer existed. This is politics: there are no eternal enemies or allies.

Now that Li Qingan has entrusted him with handling government affairs, he must draw a clear line from the Wei faction. Zhang Yun didn’t want any further entanglements with Wei Tao and didn’t even think of inviting him into the study for a detailed talk.

……

Wei Tao waited for a while in front of the mansion. Then the side door of Zhang’s residence opened, and Zhang Yun stepped out in formal attire. “Hehe! I’ve kept Minister Wei waiting.”

Just as Wei Tao was about to speak, he suddenly noticed the carriage behind Zhang Yun, with guards already on horseback, ready to set off. He was taken aback and asked, “Brother Zhang, are you leaving?”

“I’m going to the government office to pick up some documents that need to be approved by the Secretariat tomorrow. I didn’t expect Minister Wei to arrive so soon. What bad luck!”

Wei Tao frowned. Zhang Yun had ignored government affairs these past days—why would he suddenly want documents now? It was clearly an excuse; he didn’t want to meet with Wei Tao.

Wei Tao sighed inwardly. He thought Zhang Yun was still dissatisfied with him due to the suspicion. He had come to clarify things, as he needed Zhang Yun’s support at this critical moment. With Pei Zunqing dead, it should be Wei Tao who took over as the Right Prime Minister. From the perspective of the court’s power balance, the Wei faction was now in the lead.

Even if Zhang Yun didn’t want to see him, Wei Tao still needed to have a proper talk with him.

“Then I’ll accompany Brother Zhang. I have a few things to say to you.”

Zhang Yun indeed wanted to go to the government office to sort out some documents. Seeing that Wei Tao wouldn’t let him go, he nodded and said, “Very well. Minister Wei, please get on the carriage.”

The two got into the carriage, which started moving quickly toward the Daming Palace, escorted by a hundred armed guards on horseback on both sides, with Wei Tao’s carriage closely following behind.

Inside the carriage, they sat facing each other. Zhang Yun’s scribe brought them hot tea. Zhang Yun took a slow sip and said with a smile, “Minister Wei seems uneasy. Why is that?”

Hearing him address him as “Minister Wei” instead of “Brother Wei” as before, this slight change in address seemed to make Wei Tao realize something. He sighed and said sincerely, “I want to apologize to you. At the last meeting, my words were inappropriate; I was a bit rash.”

“A trivial matter; how could I take it to heart? Didn’t I also suspect it was Minister Wei who did it? It happened suddenly; no one was prepared, and things got chaotic—this is only natural. Minister Wei doesn’t need to apologize to me.”
Zhang Yun kept referring to Minister Wei, which sounded especially grating to Wei Tao. He remained silent for a while before slowly saying, “I wonder if Brother Zhang has thought about it—who exactly could have done this?”
Zhang Yun shook his head. “It could be anyone, or no one. The New Party, Wei’s faction, An Lushan, Li Heng—there’s no evidence. I think it’s best to let this go without resolution, to leave him a good reputation, and also to settle matters for the Pei family.”
Wei Tao fell silent, murmuring to himself, “Let it go? I’m afraid the Pei family won’t agree, and he won’t accept it either…”
His voice grew softer until it was almost inaudible. Zhang Yun glanced at him and asked with a smile, “What, does Minister Wei know the truth?”
“No!”
Wei Tao hurriedly shook his head. “I don’t know. How could I possibly know? It’s just some random guesses. As Brother Zhang said, it could be anyone, or no one. Without evidence, I dare not speak rashly.”
“Hmm!”
Zhang Yun sat up straight. He no longer wanted to test each other further, so he raised his voice slightly and said, “Though that’s how it is, I think this must be related to Southern Tang! Minister Wei, tomorrow I plan to propose a joint meeting of the Council of State and the Secretariat to resolve this matter. Prime Minister Pei’s death is most closely tied to Southern Tang. In any case, this matter must be settled quickly—it can’t continue to disrupt the court’s operations. What do you think, Minister Wei?”
Just moments ago he wanted to let it go, but now he was blaming Southern Tang—Zhang Yun’s words were clearly contradictory, leaving Wei Tao confused about his true intentions.
But for people of their stature, such vague statements weren’t really important. What mattered was what lay hidden beneath them. Wei Tao was stunned. Zhang Yun wanted to convene a meeting—what did that mean? Did he intend to take charge of governance?
Originally, Wei Tao had come to Zhang Yun hoping he would support him in taking control of governance, making him the de facto head of all officials. In the end, Li Qing’an refused to accept that and made him the right prime minister. But now, from Zhang Yun’s tone, it seemed he too was eyeing that position. Wei Tao immediately grew wary—perhaps Zhang Yun was his real rival. Dangerous! He quickly swallowed back whatever he had planned to say next.
He gave Zhang Yun a deep look, realizing he couldn’t say anything more to this man.

The carriage raced down a small street, the moonlight flickering through the clouds. The light streamed through the windows, casting alternating shadows on their faces. Both were lost in their thoughts—Wei Tao was thinking about reaching out to Wang Jin to reorganize the Wei faction and eliminate those with dissenting views; while Zhang Yun was considering tomorrow’s meeting and how he could take control of the situation regarding Pei Zunqing.

They remained silent until they reached Zhuque Street. Wei Tao said indifferently, “Prime Minister Zhang, I should return to my residence. I’m sorry for disturbing you tonight.”

“It’s alright! Please go, Minister Wei!”

Wei Tao noticed the extreme coldness in his tone and grew angry. Turning on him so quickly! Hmph! He wanted to take control, but he wouldn’t let him. He wanted to shape Nan Tang’s fate, but Wei Tao refused to acknowledge it. Let Zhang Yun dream about it!

“I take my leave!”

Wei Tao got off the carriage and strode angrily toward his own carriage. Zhang Yun watched his retreating figure and smiled triumphantly. If he hadn’t had an opponent, why would Li Qingan trust him enough to make him the right prime minister? Well, here was his opponent!

“Turn the carriage around—head to Pei Min’s residence!”
……