107 Flattery
◎What I want is never grace◎
In order to wait for Cui Zhicong, Cui Rumei dressed up early this morning and waited for her brother.
They hadn't seen each other since the Cui family was exiled. Cui Rumei became a prostitute who frequented brothels. It was thanks to Fu Hua that she escaped from this suffering.
Compared with Cui Rumei, Cui Zhicong was much luckier. He was not a relative, but a cousin who was not in the capital. Although he was implicated, the impact was not great and he could still take the imperial examination and become an official.
This time, Cui Rumei gave birth to a prince, and only after Rong Qianyu's persuasion did she allow their family to reunite.
Cui Zhicong, dressed in a brand new official uniform, ran in excitedly with big strides. Cui Rumei stood up to greet him before she even saw him.
After not seeing each other for several years, they both couldn't stop crying when they met again. Cui Rumei's parents had passed away, and the only people she was close to were her uncle's family, a cousin she hadn't seen for many years.
"Brother!" She was so moved that she burst into tears when she saw him.
Although Cui Zhicong was also very excited, he did not forget the rules and etiquette. He quickly stepped back, straightened his clothes, and bowed to greet the Queen. "Greetings to Her Majesty the Concubine Ke."
Cui Rumei inquired about the situation at home. "Brother, get up quickly. We're finally meeting after over a decade. How are your uncle and aunt?"
"My parents were also implicated, but at least they are still alive. They run a small business and can still support themselves." In fact, Cui Zhicong's family was not affected much, otherwise he would not be qualified to serve as an official in the court.
Rong Qianyu knew from the beginning that Cui Rumei had such a brother, and she did everything she could to keep her position as one of the four concubines. Fu Hua's appointment of Cui Zhicong as a Yuanwailang was already a favor beyond the law. They moved their family to Beijing, and this time it was all thanks to Rong Qianyu.
Cui Zhicong was also very grateful for this. "Thanks to the Queen, otherwise I would not have the chance to see my sister again."
But Cui Rumei and Rong Qianyu had been holding a grudge against each other for a long time. She knew very well that the other party had bad intentions, but as long as she had the opportunity to reunite with her family, she didn't bother to care about her conspiracies and tricks.
But after hearing Rong Qianyu's praise, he rolled his eyes impatiently, "The Queen is always good at being a good person."
Perhaps because she had been favored for too long and had been so proud for too long, she had forgotten how she had once grovelled to make a living. However, Cui Zhicong had just returned to the capital from the south and was still in a state of fear, so he was cautious in everything he did. "Mei'er, although you are now in great favor, you still have to be careful. Just think about this kind of thing to yourself, don't say it out loud."
"I know," she said with lowered eyes, "The imperial examination will be held soon. Brother, you must perform well. If you become a minister, I will have confidence in the palace."
This year is the first imperial examination since the new emperor ascended the throne. The Ministry of Rites is the most critical one among them. Giving Cui Zhicong the position of Yuanwailang also has this consideration.
Cui Zhicong simply nodded in agreement without saying much. Instead, he changed the subject and asked about the Queen Mother's birthday banquet. "Have you thought of a gift for the Queen Mother's birthday?"
"Not yet. The Queen Mother and I are not close."
If Cui Zhicong hadn't reminded her, she would have probably forgotten about this matter. Bai Yi had always been cold to her, either teasing her openly or secretly about her background, or he couldn't stand her getting close to Fu Hua.
Therefore, Cui Rumei never paid attention to what the empress dowager liked, but now that her favor was waning, the birthday banquet was a good opportunity to win back her favor.
Cui Zhicong stayed for a moment before leaving. He gave the Queen some earnest instructions and went to the Queen's place. "It's not convenient for me to stay any longer. I will go and thank the Queen and leave the palace. You must take good care of yourself and your nephew. You are the foundation of our entire family."
There was a shortcut from Cui Rumei's palace to Fengyi Palace, but for some reason it was blocked today, so they had to take a longer detour. The road was filled with maids and eunuchs sweeping the streets, while Cui Zhicong, an official from the outer court, swaggered down the imperial road in his crimson official uniform, high boots, and a gold belt.
The palace servants didn't recognize the newly appointed young official and simply nodded politely, a feeling that made Cui Zhicong very proud. He came from the countryside in the south, a family of scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans. His family had previously run a small business, and in the simple and honest southern culture, he was often criticized.
Today was a glorious return to my homeland. My family's grievances had been redressed, my sister was the current imperial concubine and the mother of the prince, His Majesty's favorite, and I had been promoted to the fifth rank. Everything was filled with pride and confidence. Previously, I only knew the imperial family's majesty was inviolable, but today, entering the palace, I realized its solemnity and awe.
The servants no longer looked at him with the contempt they used to have for merchants. Instead, they were filled with envy as they walked along. A fifth-rank official could receive such respect. If he could do a good job in this imperial examination, his future would be limitless.
As he walked into Fengyi Palace, he was attracted by the aroma of pepper. He had only heard of it in books before, but now that he saw it, he found it even more novel.
He followed the young eunuch into the hall, where Rong Qianyu was already waiting for him, dressed neatly.
He raised his eyes to look at the woman sitting in the main hall. Her hair was covered with pearls and jade and she was wearing gorgeous clothes. Her appearance seemed different from the women in the Central Plains. Her skin was whiter and her hair was lighter, which was especially obvious in the sunlight.
"Your Majesty, I, Cui Zhicong, the Deputy Minister of Rites, come to see Her Majesty the Empress. I thank Her Majesty for your guidance and care. May Her Majesty live a thousand years!"
Rong Qianyu should have raised her hand to call him up, but this time she didn't. She walked forward and helped him up herself.
"Master Cui, please stand up. You are Concubine Ke's biological brother and a Jinshi (imperial scholar) graduate. The decision on whether to promote you or not is entirely up to His Majesty. If you truly appreciate it, please share His Majesty's concerns. The imperial examinations will be held soon. Please keep an eye out for talented individuals for His Majesty. You'll do well and bring honor to Concubine Ke."
She spoke these words with great kindness, a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor. He had heard rumors that the Empress and Cui Rumei were at odds, but today, no matter how he looked at her, he felt she was kind and dignified, not as unbearable as Cui Rumei had described.
He was very surprised that a queen could be so kind to his cousin, a concubine, and he couldn't help but change his opinion of her. "Yes, your majesty is right!"
As they were talking, Rong Pan came into the room carrying a large stack of Buddhist scriptures. "My Lady, the scriptures are ready!"
Seeing Cui Zhicong studying the Buddhist scriptures, Rong Qianyu immediately explained with a smile before he could speak: "Originally, I wanted to please the Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager values the eldest princess. Unfortunately... I can only settle for the next best thing and copy the Buddhist scriptures."
Cui Zhicong followed up on this question and asked, "I am a new official and I don't know anything. Could you please tell me, Your Majesty, what is the pity?"
"You also know that the eldest princess committed suicide. Royal family members who committed suicide cannot enter the Taimiao to offer royal incense. The eldest princess is still so young, so I want to copy Buddhist scriptures to comfort her. Repairing the temple and sculpting the golden statue is a huge project. I am afraid that there will not be enough time and it will backfire. We can only wait until the future. I think the Queen Mother will be happy." She said with tears in her eyes, covering her face and sobbing from time to time.
Seeing this, Cui Zhicong could only comfort her, "Your Majesty is kind-hearted. The Queen Mother and the Princess will surely understand."
She felt uncomfortable crying, so she found an excuse to ask him to kneel down and pay his respects. "If there is nothing else, Lord Cui, please kneel down and pay your respects. Remember to do a good job in the Ministry of Rites and help His Majesty with his worries. You will definitely have a bright future."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave."
After Cui Zhicong left, Rong Qianyu's expression immediately changed. She stopped crying and spoke in a low voice.
Rong Pan asked in confusion, "Why did you change it, Your Majesty? We were originally going to offer incense to the eldest princess."
Rong Qianyu didn't care. "Right now, the Cui family is in good standing with His Majesty, so why not help her? I don't want to argue with her about this. It's the same as letting her do it once."
Rong Pan listened to her explanation and suddenly realized that she was really different from before. "The princess has really changed."
After experiencing life and death, her state of mind has changed a lot. "People have to live, and life has to go on. If we don't change, we will only fight with them until our heads are broken and bloodied. We seek different things, so there is no need to worry about these vain gains and losses. I have never sought favor, I just want them to value Cui Rumei. The more important she is in His Majesty's heart, the greater our chances."
Rong Pan: "Yes, your Majesty has thought it through."
When she first entered the palace, she had begged for her husband's love, but as time went on, she realized that her husband could not give her any affection at all. Later, she did it to survive, and now, she only supported Rongguo. She was the queen, and only she could be the queen.
Since she no longer seeks favor, there is no need to compete with others for favor. What she wants is to live a stable life, protect herself, and ensure that the people live and work in peace and contentment.
It is impossible to live in peace and harmony in the palace, but having different desires saves her a lot of energy.
Cui Rumei was still obsessed with vying for favor. "Your Majesty, Lord Cui wrote to say that building a temple and offering incense to the eldest princess would definitely please the empress dowager!"
"Offer incense to Fu Tao?" She was somewhat reluctant and embarrassed. Firstly, time was short. How could she do it with less than a month until the Empress Dowager's birthday? Secondly, she was a concubine, and Fu Tao was of the same generation. In other words, she was his sister-in-law. How could a sister-in-law build a temple for her younger sister-in-law?
Hua Xue said, "Master Cui said that where there's a will, there's a way. We can find an empty temple to renovate. It should be done in about a month."
But in order to regain the Sacred Heart, she could only agree, "If that's the case, then we can give it a try."
Rong Ruoyu came to her house and saw how worried she was, so she teased her, "Sister Ke Fei, why are you starting to figure out these things now?"
Cui Rumei didn't have a very good relationship with her. "How come Sister Minfei has time to come to me?"
"Sister, you are the most important person in His Majesty's heart, so naturally I want to be close to you."
Outsiders all think that Cui Rumei is the most favored, but in the past month, Fu Hua has only come to see her a handful of times. This is all thanks to their son. Without their son, the long nights would be boring.
But she still tried her best to save face in front of Rong Ruoyu, to preserve her reputation as a favorite concubine, "You are the Queen's biological sister, and you are close to me, why don't you get close to your elder sister who is the Queen?"
Rong Ruoyu was straightforward and said, "My relationship with her isn't very good. Rong Qianyu snatched the eldest son away and didn't let me raise him. Who could bear this? Don't you want to fight for the child?"
"What do you want to say?" Cui Rumei asked.
"I am also a princess of Rong State. My mother is the Queen of Rong State, and my brother is the Crown Prince of Rong State. What does Rong Qianyu have? She is just a eunuch helping her. Which big tree is good for shade and which big tree is stable? You should be able to see clearly, sister."
Cui Rumei was a little shaken by what she said, but her status as a favored concubine made it difficult for her to say anything. She raised her voice as if to redeem herself from her arrogance, "I am His Majesty's favorite. Would I care about your small favors?"
Rong Ruoyu's words immediately broke through her embarrassment. She was as smart as her sister, and dealing with Cui Rumei was just a matter of words. "If you really are so confident, how can you think that where there is a will there is a way? The night is long, and it seems that His Majesty has not visited you for a long time."
"what you up to?"
Rong Ruoyu's smile was very similar to Rong Qianyu's. She pulled Cui Rumei closer and said, "I'll help you, and you can help me too. How about that?"
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