Chapter 1143: Blind Date (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Cui Hui's heart pounded wildly as he listened.

Perhaps because she had a guilty conscience, Cui Hui was terrified of revealing even the slightest clue, as any slight disturbance could trigger her most sensitive nerves. If her youngest son said that others "ridden on auspicious clouds to overcome five obstacles and defeat six generals," she could laugh it off, taking it as the innocent utterances of her honest son. But since he was talking about Shen Jun, she couldn't ignore it—Shen Jun really could ride on auspicious clouds to overcome five obstacles and defeat six generals!

Cui Hui quickly pulled his son aside and questioned him.

You said you saw it?

The son laughed and said, "I saw it with my own eyes."

Cui Hui opened her mouth, vaguely feeling that her youngest son's smile was somewhat similar to his father's. Then she belatedly remembered a scene from many years ago—she was worried sick about her late-maturing youngest son, but the man surnamed Cui was unmoved. Seeing that she was so anxious that she couldn't extricate herself, he said, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. As a member of the minor clan, there is no need to stand out or work hard. Isn't it a kind of happiness to just eat, drink, and wait to die?"

【What's wrong with Xiao Zong? Isn't Xiao Zong my son, whom I carried for ten months and gave birth to? Isn't Xiao Zong your own flesh and blood? People say, 'Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them,' how can you be such a father? This child was born weaker than others, and it will only be more difficult for him to manage the family business separately in the future. How can he be independent in this world?】

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Since we can't provide him with large amounts of resources and benefits, we should focus on planning for his future and pay more attention to his education!

Cui Zhi thought this made sense.

As a result, he started disciplining his eldest son even more frequently.

The eldest son cried out in agony, clutching his bruised and battered buttocks, running naked from the study to the backyard, his loose trousers nowhere to be found: "Mother—please have mercy and save your son! Someone's going to die—"

The little girl ran in only to find her older sister learning how to do accounts in her mother's yard. Her face flushed red, she exclaimed "Ah!" and turned to run away, nearly tripping over the threshold and falling. The mother and daughter, having learned what had happened, were speechless with shock.

[Accept a light beating, but run away from a heavy one. Bear, since your father is whipping you with a cane, just let him do it, you're tough as nails.]

That scream was so heart-wrenching.

When the news reaches my grandparents, they'll send someone to investigate.

The eldest son, Cui Xiong, sobbed: [It hurts.]

The second son also ran over and burst into tears.

Upon seeing this, Cui Hui naturally wanted to get an explanation from Cui Zhi.

No matter how naughty a child is, he shouldn't act like this.

Cui Zhi sat listening to Cui Hui scold him, hesitating several times before finally sighing: "Do you know what Da Xiong did?"

Cui Hui suppressed her anger, and the three children hid behind her.

What did you do?

What did you do?

Haha, this rascal tried to trick him into drinking boy's urine.

Cui Hui's imposing manner softened: "A boy's urine... it smells strong, but it won't fool you. A few slaps will suffice. Look at his buttocks, crisscrossed like a game of Go. You could play Go on his backside."

Cui Zhi said: "He was deceived by Er Mi!"

Cui Hui looked down at his second son.

The youngest son is tiny, only three years old.

As a child, he had a slight cross-eyed look, and his eyes did not look as bright as those of other children, giving him a dull appearance.

To put it simply, he doesn't look very smart.

Mother, your son is scared.

He squinted, his eyes welling up with tears.

Cui Hui thought of her youngest son, who was always a step behind everyone else, and then heard him call out "Mother," and her heart melted: [Er Mi drools when he talks, and can barely walk steadily. How could you possibly trick his brother into feeding you boy's urine? He's lucky he didn't eat his own excrement.]

Oh, even scions of noble families have a dark history of putting everything they touch into their mouths as babies, including poop and pee.

Cui Zhi: [...He didn't eat.]

But he coaxed his brother to eat more than once.

Cui Hui belatedly realized that ever since her youngest son could speak and walk, her eldest son had been beaten much more frequently. She once thought it was because Cui Zhi was dissatisfied with her eldest son's talent and his inability to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the Cui clan. As the child's biological mother, she also harbored some resentment. After the divorce, her biggest concern was also her eldest son's situation.

Cui Zhi's demands are too high.

No matter what the eldest son did, he could not satisfy him.

Looking back, Cui Hui realized that his youngest son was the problem.

The youngest son's heart pounded with nervousness under Cui Hui's gaze. In all his memory, his mother had never looked at him with such a serious and unfamiliar expression. This unfamiliarity left him bewildered: "Mother, don't be angry."

Cui Hui's face darkened: [Confess honestly!]

The mother tricked her son into using his ultimate move with a simple basic attack.

The son truly had no intention of hiding anything from his mother.

He confessed everything as if spilling beans.

In summary, while fate may have closed one door for him—his talent was indeed limited—it also opened a window for him, revealing some unique abilities. Therefore, he wasn't actually as stupid as his mother feared.

What makes it special?

[One can see fragmented images through breath.]

Passive, completely out of control.

However, he could use this ability to judge whether someone had malicious intent, which could be surprisingly effective in crucial moments, allowing him to stay away from danger. Just as he approached that Sister Shen, he saw a clip from Shen Tang's first-person perspective. Truly, she was unstoppable, killing anyone who stood in her way.

Even amidst a vast army, one can move freely and traverse thousands of miles.

Heads flew everywhere, a scene both cruel and thrilling.

This cool and assertive personality really fascinated him.

Isn't this the soulmate he's been waiting for all this time?

Cui Hui silently watched his son.

What did you see in your mother?

Youngest son: [Last night... Waaaaah...]

Before he could finish speaking, Cui Hui covered his mouth.

The youngest son struggled to pry his elderly mother's hands open, narrowly escaping death: "Mother, dear mother, please grant my wish. Tell me where Sister Shen's ancestral home is, who her family is. I feel that I can't live without her in this life, Mother~ Mother~ Mother~"

Cui Hui pushed away his son's face as he leaned in, clearly annoyed.

She's so much older than you.

She's not even fully grown yet and she's already thinking about eloping with someone?

Youngest son: [A woman three years older than a man is a lucky match.]

Cui Hui: [He's more than three years old!]

My son doesn't mind having too much gold; he's older and knows how to take care of people.

Cui Hui: 【...You two are not a good match.】

She never imagined her first experience of "breaking up a couple" would be like this; her son was truly audacious. She hardened her heart, ignoring her son's pleading gaze. However, she hadn't expected her son to be so shameless, relying on his youthful looks and sweet voice to constantly call Shen Jun "Sister Shen." Shen Tang, firmly maintaining her maidservant persona, addressed him as "Second Young Master," but he refused.

"Sister Chen, you can just call me 'Hou Chi'."

"Hou Chi?"

"Hmm." The little boy's eyes shone brightly, and he looked a little aggrieved. "Sister Chen, could you call me by my courtesy name a few more times? Although my father gave me a courtesy name, my peers and classmates at the academy all think I'm stupid and clumsy. They don't get close to me and refuse to call me by my courtesy name."

Cui Hui: "..."

To her shame, she had only just learned her son's courtesy name.

Shen Tang always regarded Cui Mi as Cui Hui's son, that is, his own nephew, and out of love for Cui Hui, he also showed more patience.

"Of course."

Cui Hui: "..."

All the way, she kept hearing "Sister Chen".

As she drifted off into her own thoughts, two forces pulled her backward from the left and right. Following the direction of the force, she saw Shen Jun and her youngest son. Immediately afterward, a carriage wheel sped past her.

"Whoa—"

The reins tightened, and the carriage came to a sudden stop.

Cui Mi shouted sternly, "Riding a horse in the street, how dare you!"

"And who are you? Do you know who my master is?" The coachman was also startled, not because he was afraid of almost killing someone, but because he was afraid that he had been distracted and had deviated from the route, so he immediately questioned him.

Cui Mi stood in front of Shen Tang and the other person.

The accompanying servants also surrounded them, drawing their swords.

"Heh, do you know who I am?"

The carriage was adorned with unfamiliar tribal patterns, a style Cui Mi couldn't recall. The carriage itself was brand new, with elaborate, intricate designs embellishing the four corners of the carriage—clearly the work of a newly rich man who had suddenly become wealthy. Cui Mi showed no leniency towards this newcomer.

The convoy's guards also gathered around.

The two sides were locked in a fierce confrontation, and the air was thick with tension.

The common people sensed something was wrong and fled one by one.

Who would dare to watch these scions of noble families make a scene?

They were lucky enough to watch the spectacle, but not enough to get home alive.

"Wait—"

A girl's crisp voice rang out from the carriage.

A few slender, pale fingers gently lifted the carriage curtain from the inside, revealing a face that, though not yet fully grown, already possessed a beauty that could topple kingdoms. The young woman wore a long, dark blue robe, adorned with a jade pendant; the red agate shone even more vividly against the dark blue backdrop, further emphasizing her fair, jade-like skin.

The girl's gaze swept over the three of them.

He asked softly, "Your servants are so arrogant, have the three of you been frightened?"

Cui Hui snapped out of his daze and felt ashamed that he had been so stunned by the girl's beauty and lost in thought. He awkwardly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Thank goodness, thank goodness, I'm glad I dodged in time and avoided a disaster."

The girl instructed her servant to apologize to the three men.

To show their sincerity, they even introduced their home address.

She will come to your door if there are any problems afterwards and will take responsibility.

Watching the carriage carrying the young woman disappear into the distance, Cui Hui remarked with admiration, "The grace and charm of this female ruler are truly unforgettable."

Knowing her mother's preferences well, Cui Mi exclaimed, "Mother!"

Shen Tang noticed a jade pendant on the ground.

The jade pendant's pattern matches the style of the set of jade pendants the girl had just worn, suggesting it was left behind by the girl unintentionally. She secretly winked at Cui Hui, who, though not understanding, understood perfectly: "This belongs to that lady? Such a personal item as a jade pendant shouldn't fall into the hands of others so easily; it would damage her reputation."

She sent Shen Tang over.

"They shouldn't have gone far yet, go and see them off."

"The city is not peaceful; how can we let Sister Chen go alone?"

Cui Mi then sent two more people to Shen Tang.

Shen Tang lowered her head to look at the jade pendant, then at Cui Mi. The young boy smiled brightly: "Sister Shen, hurry back!"

The carriage ran very fast.

Shen Tang eventually chased after the man to his residence.

After explaining his purpose to the gatekeeper, Shen Tang was respectfully invited inside.

The girl in the dark blue robe was already waiting for her.

"Why is Shen Jun here?"

The girl dismissed those around her, then carefully cast a spell to prevent outsiders from eavesdropping. Once she was sure it was safe, she hurried back.

Shen Tang tossed the jade pendant onto the table: "It's a long story, just consider it a day off for me. By the way, what happened to you?"

The girl, Miao Ne, didn't ask any further questions. She lowered her head and tugged at her gorgeous dress, feeling uncomfortable with the pile of jade pendants hanging on her body: "I borrowed her identity for a while. It took me several days to find a suitable one, and I almost got exposed and killed on the way."

Shen Tang asked, "Is this identity feasible?"

Miao Ne: "Generally speaking, it meets Lord Shen's requirements. The southwest is not like our Kang Kingdom. Even female rulers from noble families are not as valued as male members of their families. It is not easy to find someone with suitable talent and background. If the background is too high, it is easy to get close to the ruler of Qi Kingdom, but the most powerful families in Qi Kingdom are led by the Cui family. The Cui family has complicated entanglements with the ruler, so it is naturally not easy to be trusted and valued by the ruler of Qi Kingdom..."

"And her identity?"

"The niece of the most favored male lover of the current ruler of Qi Kingdom."

Historically, power struggles have invariably involved the maternal relatives, powerful clans, and eunuchs. Since neither powerful clans nor eunuchs were effective, the only option was to target the maternal relatives. The male favorite caught the king's eye with his handsome looks, but how long can one rely solely on physical beauty? To secure a long and stable career, more political capital is still needed.

He then came up with the idea of ​​forming a marriage alliance with a prominent family.

"A marriage alliance? With the Cui family?"

"The eldest son of the Cui family, Cui Xiong, also known as Cui Houbai."

The emperor, Xiong Hou, had a white body; the feudal lords, Mi Hou, had a red body.

Shen Tang pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "This identity is quite ingenious, but you must be careful to guard against the second son of the Cui family, that child named Cui Houchi. Try to avoid having any close contact with him."

Miao asked him the reason.

Shen Tang said, "He's foolish on the outside but wise on the inside; he's a cunning little monkey."

She had very little contact with Cui Hui, and Cui Mi probably didn't realize that Cui Hui was in cahoots with her: "He asked Ke Wu about me, which means he must be suspicious. Ke Wu revealed that he has special abilities, and if you get too close, he might expose you..."

Previously, he had also subtly probed Cui Hui in various ways.

However, no matter how shrewd one is, one cannot withstand the suppression of bloodline.

This kid never expected that his own mother would betray him so easily.

Miao Ne said worriedly, "In that case, should I rashly meet with Lord Shen..."

Shen Tang waved her hand: "Don't worry about that, I have an excuse to cover it up. Your family wants to form a marriage alliance with Cui Dalang, so I can say that you want to attract Cui Dalang's attention, so you're using the jade pendant as an excuse. They won't suspect anything."

Jade pendants are also tokens of affection.

A girl from a small family who wants to marry a son from a powerful family needs more than just relatives in the inner court who are his male favorites; she also has to work hard herself.

"Please advise me on what to do next, Mr. Shen."

“Replace Mei Jinghe.” Shen Tang narrowed his eyes slightly, a calculating glint in them. “Mei Meng is a woman of unwavering will, unwilling to abandon the path of a perfect scholar. This will become a thorn between her and the King of Qi! Your current status is perfect for pledging allegiance to the King of Qi, being loyal to her, and helping her restrain the Cui family. There’s no reason for her not to value you. You also need to make one thing clear to her—in Mei Meng’s heart, morality and aspirations far outweigh everything else!”

If Mei Meng's loyalty to her was because of the King of Qi, she could rest easy and be fearless; but if Mei Meng's loyalty was to realize his dream, how could she be at ease?

what does that mean?

This means that if the two sides' moral principles clash, Mei Meng will transform from a trusted advisor into the biggest hidden danger in her life!

Miao Ne nodded: "This humble subject understands."

Suddenly, other things came to mind.

His expression was troubled: "But if we were to form a marriage alliance with the Cui family..."

Let's consider the relationship from Cui Xiao's perspective...

Isn't this just sending her to harm her colleague's grandson?

|ω`)

Cui Hui: "???"

Cui Xiao: "..."

(End of this chapter)