Chapter 1139: Extremely Wrong (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

The head of the Cui family calmly lowered his head, picked up the scroll, and brushed away the dust, but made no attempt to open it. Seeing this, the woman's lips curled into a cold smile: "Why doesn't Minister Cui open it?"

"This letter is between me and a friend of the Zhao family. It bears my signature and seal. There is no need to open it." The head of the Cui family spoke in his usual calm tone, just like his gentle and unassailable features, which made the others seem aggressive and unreasonable. He looked directly at the woman with clear eyes. "I just don't know why this letter ended up in Your Majesty's hands?"

Even the ruler of a country cannot interfere with the private interactions of his subjects.

Moreover, he was merely a subject holding a nominal title.

That's an overreaction.

The general sneered repeatedly: "Shouldn't Lord Cui explain the contents? Why did you instigate that Zhao fellow? That Zhao fellow openly opposes the emperor is evidence of your secret instruction!"

The head of the Cui family showed no sign of panic. Instead, he chuckled softly, saying with a helpless yet innocent air, "General, your accusation is rather far-fetched. I, Cui, and Lord Zhao have been friends since childhood, having known each other since we were children. We exchange at least fifty to a hundred letters a year, and our families have never missed a day of correspondence during festivals. How can a private letter expressing discontent be considered instigation? As for the claim that I, Cui, am going against the lord, where does that come from? I have long heard of your profound knowledge, General. Why don't you point it out so that I, Cui, can die knowing the truth?"

As he spoke, he raised the scroll in his hand and waved it.

The general's face turned ashen, his anger reaching its peak.

What does it mean to be knowledgeable?

Everyone present knew he was a wandering swordsman who had risen through the ranks; he wasn't illiterate, but he couldn't compare to someone like the Cui family head, who had received a traditional education from a noble family since childhood. The Cui family head's words were a blatant insult, a public humiliation. Anyone with a temper would have resorted to physical violence to teach him a lesson!

This general had quite a temper, but he held back.

Not only did he hold it in, but he also let out a sneer.

It was this sound that made the head of the Cui family frown slightly.

"Master Cui just returned; he probably doesn't know yet, right?"

The head of the Cui family: "What do you know?"

The general said, "It's about that man surnamed Zhao being poisoned by his concubine! Alas, he died with his body turning blue. The emperor sent people to investigate thoroughly, which uncovered a whole host of filthy things. That man surnamed Zhao mistreated his collateral brothers, so someone planted a spy around him to commit adultery with his concubine. The adulterous couple conspired to seize the family fortune. When the culprit was captured, he couldn't withstand severe torture and spilled out a lot of shameful things. That man surnamed Zhao did everything he should and shouldn't have done! It's truly eye-opening; who could play such a game! Ah, as the saying goes, 'birds of a feather flock together,' Lord Cui has close ties with such treacherous villains... Alas, don't be deceived by him!"

The head of the Cui family's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

His facial expression remained completely calm.

"He is not that kind of person."

The king said, "This is a confession; Minister Cui, why don't you take a look?"

The list of charges was nearly a hundred, and the fingerprints of the collateral brothers were at the end, making it an ironclad case!

"How can a case be settled in just three days?"

The general retorted, "Does Lord Cui believe this was a confession obtained through torture?"

The head of the Cui family said, "That is not what I meant."

The general smiled, revealing a set of teeth, and pressed the head of the Cui family step by step: "This general is a rough man, unlike Lord Cui who has a mind as sharp as a seven-aperture shrewd mind. There is one thing I don't understand - what is the meaning of Lord Cui's statement 'too much is as bad as too little' in his letter to that man surnamed Zhao?"

Faced with the general's repeated outbursts, the head of the Cui family finally revealed his displeasure: "Previously, when Zhao Jun encountered obstacles in his cultivation, he sought my guidance. I replied to him, 'Too much is as bad as too little, and too much is as bad as too little,' hoping that he could let things take their natural course. Was that wrong?"

The content of the correspondence was actually quite normal.

The complaints inside were merely grievances about the hardships of cultivation.

Anxiety permeated every line, and the Cui family head's reply was merely a reassurance to his friend, completely devoid of political implications. Using this letter as a pretext for attacking was nothing short of utter nonsense.

The general replied, "Whether it is true or not, Lord Cui knows for himself."

The head of the Cui family was so angry he almost laughed: "You're trying to frame me."

Mei Jinghe then spoke up: "His Majesty, desiring to reform and innovate, ordered a land survey to determine the quality of land so that taxes could be collected in the future. The Zhao family outwardly complied, but secretly they acted against it, coercing innocent wealthy farmers to commit suicide and then attributing the crime to His Majesty. This has led to the spread of malicious rumors about His Majesty among the people! Moreover, His Majesty had previously felt the hardship of the common people's lives. Many families had to spend large sums of money each year to buy seedlings and farming tools. If the weather was good, they could barely make ends meet; if the weather was bad, they would be ruined. Therefore, he ordered the government to sell seedlings and grain to the common people, charging interest every six months, which could be repaid with the summer and autumn taxes..."

The head of the Cui family said, "Isn't this a good thing?"

Mei Jinghe said, "It is indeed a good thing, but even a clever woman cannot cook without rice. The national treasury is empty, and it cannot spare so much in a short time, so we thought of borrowing some from various families, but we did not expect that this matter would not go smoothly. After Zhao was murdered, we found out from the private letters between him and various families that it was this villain who was interfering and repeatedly obstructing us. The high price of grain and seedlings in the market is also his trick."

"What does Prime Minister Mei want to say?"

The head of the Cui family looked up at Mei Jinghe.

"Do you suspect that Cui was behind all of this?"

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense.

Mei Jinghe said calmly, "Absolutely not! Master Cui is known for his noble character, and it is impossible for him to associate with such people. However, in situations like melon fields and suspicious places, it is still necessary to avoid suspicion with certain people to avoid tarnishing your reputation."

The head of the Cui family concealed the strange look in his eyes.

He said calmly, "I have learned something from you."

The king, seated at the head of the table, finally snapped out of his reverie. He tapped his pipe on the table and said languidly, “Such hypocrites cannot be let off lightly. They do all the bad things, and I bear the blame? What kind of absurdity is this? I had intended to punish them severely to make an example of them, to deter others. However, the Zhao family has just suffered a great loss. If I were to punish them severely now, I fear it would invite attacks from the ungrateful and callous! I only hope that my good intentions will be seen, and that there will be less hypocrisy in the future. What does Minister Cui think?”

The head of the Cui family said, "Our lord is merciful."

The king seemed to enjoy the compliment.

However, this wasn't her main reason for summoning the Cui family head. As Mei Jinghe had said, the national treasury was currently empty; even after annexing the defeated nation and plundering considerable spoils, it still wouldn't be enough to support her plans. Even a hero can be brought down by a mere penny!

So, I need money.

The national treasury was poor, but the powerful clans within the territory were not. In fact, they were quite wealthy. She had once been the matriarch of the Cui family, and even without access to all of the Cui family's accounts, she could discern their immense wealth from just a glimpse. The Cui family was one of the more restrained clans among the powerful families, yet they had still managed to amass such wealth; what about other families? The king couldn't completely sever ties with them, yet he needed them to pay him, so he could only send a middleman to relay the message.

This person must be the head of the Cui family.

Her outburst just now was merely a statement.

Intended to illustrate—

See, she knows all these people's underhanded dealings, but when she'll settle accounts, you don't know! If you don't obey her, she can find a reason to get rid of you anytime, even if you know deep down that the guy surnamed Zhao isn't as bad as he seems—it doesn't matter! We're like fish on a chopping block! She may not have money, but she has a knife! As long as you don't drive her crazy, that knife won't be used against her allies!

If you push us too far, let's see who dies first!

The king sighed and spoke of the dire state of the national treasury, then brought up the matter of borrowing money again: "Minister Cui, only you can help me with this."

The head of the Cui family said, "I will do my best."

The moment he agreed, the lingering, subtle killing intent dissipated, and the king revealed a radiant smile: "I naturally trust Minister Cui to handle matters. I just heard from the eunuch that Minister Cui was not in the city these past few days, but went out to receive someone, and only recently returned."

The head of the Cui family nodded: "Yes."

Who to pick up?

"Sister-in-law."

The king's smile deepened: "Congratulations."

Her smile was beautiful, but unfortunately, the smile never reached her eyes.

Mei Jinghe had deliberately leaked Cui Hui's whereabouts to the head of the Cui family. Using Cui Hui as a pawn, they planned to lure the head of the Cui family away for a few days, then use that time to eliminate Zhao as a warning to others. Before the head of the Cui family received the news, they would intercept him en route and preemptively strike, giving him a good beating.

If the Cui family chief refuses to be clever and sensible this time, he may not be able to leave here safely today! Don't you see that among the ministers present, there are very few who are allies of the Cui family? The king smiled and changed the subject.

As everyone discussed the gains and losses of the previous battle, the head of the Cui family quietly lowered his eyes, appearing completely detached from the matter.

After everything was over, an hour had passed.

The king then invited the head of the Cui family to stay for a meal.

His tone was firm and left no room for argument.

The courtiers were aware that the head of the Cui family and the king had been married in their youth, and they were not surprised by this. It was understandable that the two, having been separated years ago, harbored resentment. Little did they know, the relationship between them was far from the tender affection and unspoken feelings they had imagined.

All that remained was a quiet room.

There wasn't even a sound when the chopsticks touched the side of the bowl.

Do you resent me?

Finally, the king spoke first.

The head of the Cui family said, "Our lord should not have brought Ke Wu back."

He received not only information about Cui Hui's whereabouts, but also news that someone was plotting against her. At the time, he didn't think much about who was behind it; there were simply too many people who wanted to get rid of him, and any enemy could have done it. He rushed over and saw Cui Hui, who had returned to visit relatives. He couldn't drive her away, and if he used force, he would probably offend her even more.

Upon his return, he was informed that someone he was close to had died.

At that moment, he understood everything.

"Mei Jinghe's actions went too far."

The king said, "Jinghe is right about one thing—what's the difference between standing by and being disloyal? You want to stay out of it? You'll have to ask me if I'm willing! The Cui family does nothing, but in reality, they do everything! Don't push me too hard!"

The head of the Cui family remained silent.

The King: "Isn't this a dirty trick of yours, where you outwardly comply but inwardly defy me?"

She wanted the royal court to lend seeds, seedlings, and farming tools to the common people, and also to stop usury that drove people to suicide. However, the implementation was fraught with difficulties, and the national treasury was "appropriately" embezzled and defrauded, quickly becoming a hot topic and spreading like wildfire. When the news reached the common people, they wondered why the royal court was lending them money if it was so poor.

This move also dealt a heavy blow to the credibility of the royal court.

The land survey was also for the purpose of subsequently implementing land reform.

The actual cultivated land in Qi State was far different from the rough estimate. How could the king not know who had swallowed up the hidden fields and households? But it was even more difficult to extract the land and people from these people. Whenever this matter was mentioned in court, the ministers would take turns to obstruct it, as if on a duty roster.

The king needs someone to take the lead on this matter.

Is there anyone more suitable than the head of the Cui family?

Unfortunately, they don't get along.

He didn't want high-ranking positions or generous salaries; he only wanted a nominal title.

It's not easy to find fault with him, so we can only choose today and use an ordinary letter as a wedge to launch an attack.

She dared to do this because she was certain that Cui Hui was on her turf.

The head of the Cui family said, "No."

The king asked again, "Is it really not?"

The usually gentle and approachable head of the Cui family revealed a cold smile: "Your Majesty should know that this overused trick doesn't need any instruction. Openly, they don't resist, they comply with all your demands, but secretly they go to extremes and ruin people's reputations. No matter what they do, the common people will only think it was you. Isn't Your Majesty quite adept at this method?"

She did the same thing when she seized the throne.

It only hurts now that someone else is using it on me.

The king asked, "Do you hold a grudge against me?"

“Even a clay figure has some earthy spirit. You instructed Mei Jinghe to use a trick to lure me away from the mountain, harming my relatives and friends. Am I not allowed to have a grudge?” The head of the Cui family put down his chopsticks and made a gesture to take his leave.

This time, the king did not stop them.

She also ordered that a reward be given to the head of the Cui family.

A pile of rouge and face powder.

Shen Tang brought back the message, glancing at Cui Hui's expression out of the corner of her eye.

"Sending a whole bunch of rouge and face powder, this king doesn't seem very magnanimous." Anyone with eyes could see that although Cui Hui's features didn't show his age, the signs of time were there, and he was clearly much older than the head of the Cui family. The fact that the king's ex-wife was sending him rouge and face powder so soon after his return had a somewhat sarcastic tone.

Cui Hui, cracking sunflower seeds, said, "They're not for me."

Shen Tang asked in surprise, "Who is that for?"

Cui Hui said, "The reward is given to whomever they wish to use it."

These cosmetics were purchased at a high price from the north. You get what you pay for; they were indeed better than the local ones and were very popular among aristocratic families. Anyone who didn't have a set of these high-end cosmetics on their dressing table wouldn't dare go out. Cui Hui had heard about them during her years traveling between the north and south, but unfortunately, they were too expensive for her to afford.

Shen Tang pointed to the front yard: "Was that your ex-husband's?"

Cui Hui rolled his eyes: "Yeah, that's what's annoying about him."

He looked to be only twenty-five or twenty-six, with skin as clean and delicate as porcelain. Yet, after she jokingly remarked that his complexion wasn't as youthful as it had been when they first met, he began to adopt the skincare routines of aristocratic ladies. Besides collecting incantations, his daily hobbies included studying cosmetics. Cui Hui initially found it amusing, but once she realized that it was she who was truly aging, she began to feel disgusted by her ex-husband's behavior.

Shen Tang understood: "He's in Versailles."

This severely exacerbated Cui Hui's anxiety about his appearance and age.

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