Cui Wei looked at the boy who suddenly appeared, frowned and asked: "Why did you come back at this time?"
Cui Lang could only smile obediently: "My son heard from my elder brother's letter..."
Cui Wei glanced at his wife Lu and sneered, "You guys are always thinking about that rebellious son."
As he spoke, his face became even darker. "But since he is safe and sound, he has only written to me today, leaving everyone in the family worried about his safety. This shows that he has no regard for this family at all."
After he finished speaking, he stood up and walked away with a cold face.
"Father..." Cui Lang hurriedly followed him a few steps and pretended to keep him.
Cui Wei waved his sleeves to stop him and strode away.
Cui Lang called out "Father" several times, until Cui Wei's back was completely out of sight. Then he turned back to the hall and sighed helplessly, "What's wrong with Father again?"
I finally got the news that my eldest brother was safe and sound. I was so happy, but my father blamed me for not writing to him in time. This kind of nitpicking angle is really strange.
Cui Lang couldn't help but speak up for his elder brother: "My elder brother was acting under a secret order and was being hunted by assassins. It shouldn't have been appropriate for him to expose his whereabouts. He must have had his own plans and arrangements... He was on the march, not running errands for his father. Why did he have to keep his whereabouts updated to his father?"
"What do you know?" Lu sighed, "It's all Dalang's fault. Even though he just climbed out of the icy lake, he shouldn't have thought about escaping or healing his wounds. He should have overcome all difficulties and written a letter to your father first... No letter paper? Is that an excuse? Just tear your underwear. Still lacking pen and ink? That's not a difficult task. If he really 'meant to', wouldn't it be difficult for him to cut his finger to let the blood out and write a letter in blood as a family letter to his father to report his safety?"
Cui Lang sighed: "...You really are the one who understands father the best."
In short, no matter what the eldest brother does or doesn't do, his father will not be satisfied.
Lu concluded: "In the final analysis, your father's greatest misfortune is that he has not yet learned to accept that Dalang is not a puppet of him and Cui, but an independent person."
In his eyes, Dalang's existence is a symbol of betrayal of patriarchy and challenge to clan rules. Based on this premise, everything he does is wrong.
Including Dalang's biological mother Zheng... The reason why he still regards her as a thorn in his heart is similar. In his eyes, Zheng was too stubborn and sharp, did not know how to adapt, was not respectful enough in front of him, and dared to commit suicide by jumping into the lake, which made him, as a husband, lose face - his wife, dared to die on her own initiative without his permission, what happened to the saying that a woman should regard her husband as her heaven? In his view, Zheng's death was a slap in his face out of anger, an extreme evil woman's behavior of using her life to refute and deny him as a husband.
Over the years, when the husband looked at Dalang, didn't he transfer his dissatisfaction with his deceased wife to Dalang? But Dalang was so outstanding that even if his actions were contrary to the clan's, he was still valued by the head of the family and the clan members.
As a father, he is no match for his son, so he can only use his identity as a "father" to show off his power.
All in all, with such a father, Dalang is really unlucky.
Thinking of this, Lu felt even more pity for Dalang who was far away in Bianzhou.
Putting aside her desire to enjoy the shade under the big tree of Dalang, if Dalang was really willing to give her a chance, she also sincerely wanted to do her best to make up for the many debts her husband owed to Dalang, even the harm done in the name of their father.
Cui Lang put his hands on his hips and sighed, feeling very worried: "When will father grow up?"
"He just thinks too highly of himself." Mrs. Lu was too lazy to mention her husband again. She raised her hand and pointed at the letter paper on the coffee table beside her.
Cui Lang stepped forward and picked up the letter to read it.
This made me feel that my father was being unreasonable - my eldest brother had clearly explained in his letter why he was late!
After reading the letter, Cui Lang asked casually, "Grandfather, have you finished reading the letter?"
These days, he could see that his grandfather was very worried about his elder brother.
"Of course I have. This letter was sent by your grandfather."
The Cui family was well-informed. In fact, a few days before Dalang's letter was sent back to the capital, the head of the family had heard from various sources that Dalang appeared near Bianzhou. However, the situation in Bianzhou was turbulent due to the initial war, and the news was too complicated to confirm its authenticity.
It was not until today that Dalang's handwritten letter was delivered that people finally felt relieved.
"...My elder brother said in the letter that he is now near Bianzhou. Doesn't that mean that my elder brother is with my master?" Cui Lang's eyes suddenly lit up.
After he reminded her, Mrs. Lu's eyes lit up: "It should be."
The mother and son whispered about the matter for a while, and decided to write a letter to Bianzhou and find out something by replying to the letter.
"But... who are the people who tried to assassinate my elder brother?" Cui Lang said with a serious face, "The imperial court must have known about this. What is the attitude of the Saint?"
"How would I know these? If you are interested, go back and find out more from your grandfather."
Mrs. Lu's eyes also showed some indescribable worry. It was rare for her to speak to her son in such a tone: "The situation now is different from before... It's not easy for your eldest brother to be away, and the Cui family is not peaceful either. Lang'er, you can't just pretend to have fun anymore."
Cui Lang was silent for a moment, nodded and said "yes", and silently clenched his fingers.
Then I heard my mother say in a tone of earnest instruction: "Although I never expected you to become a great person, even if you can't be the pillar of the family, you should at least be a firewood stick... No matter what, you can't become a troublemaker who drags you down and makes everyone hate you, right?"
Faced with this simple expectation, Cui Lang's eyes twitched slightly, and he said woodenly: "...You really understand your son."
Well, then he might as well try to make a fire stick, which can also glow.
It was getting dark, and the first lights to light up were the lamps that were lit one after another in various places in the huge Cui residence.
In the dim light, Cui Wei stood in the corridor of the outer study, his shadow lengthened behind him.
He has been standing here for a long time.
The lanterns hanging under the corridor swayed in the wind, the lights flickering, and accompanied by the clear moonlight, casting a silvery white in the courtyard. In a trance, Cui Wei seemed to see a boy with half-tied hair kneeling in the snow through the silvery white.
Scenes from the past emerged in his mind, and Cui Wei's hands behind his back slowly tightened.
After a while, a servant came over, saluted and told him that his father wanted to see him to discuss something.
Cui Wei came back to his senses and quickly went to his father's meeting hall.
Cui Ju sat at the top, and on his left and right sat members of the Cui clan who had seniority and prestige.
After Cui Wei paid his respects, he also sat down.
Cui Juxian told everyone, "Da Lang is fine now."
Most of the tribesmen breathed a sigh of relief.
"Bianzhou and Luoyang are also safe and sound." Cui Ju's voice, which was becoming increasingly hoarse due to his old age, reached their ears: "So, those people in Luoyang will soon be in trouble."
The clansmen could tell that the people he was referring to were the Luoyang gentry who were in collusion with Xu Zhengye.
"But there must be more than just people from Luoyang..." Cui Ju looked at the bronze candlestick in the hall and said, "I have a feeling that the Queen will not let go of this opportunity."
Cui Wei's face darkened. "Father, are you saying...she's going to attack our four families? In this situation, her own throne is unstable. How dare she attack our four families? Is she going to fight to the death?"
In the past, he did not believe that the Ming Dynasty would dare to attack the nobles, but first it was the Pei family, and then the Changsun family...
The demon queen was so strong and cruel that she didn't care about her own losses in order to hurt her enemies.
It is precisely because she was determined to eliminate dissidents from the aristocratic families at all costs that the situation is so chaotic now everywhere!
"It's because her throne is unstable." An elderly member of the Cui clan frowned and said, "The more critical the situation is, the more she dare not let her guard down."
A younger tribesman said sternly, "This is her chance, but it's also the chance I've been waiting for."
They have never stopped their game with the Queen, but all of them were bloodless confrontations in secret.
Next, it is finally the critical moment that will determine life or death.
The young clansman stood up and bowed deeply to Cui Ju: "The head of the family should have made plans earlier!"
They are unwilling and unable to retreat.
The rest of the tribesmen, including Cui Wei, also looked at Cui Ju.
Cui Ju looked at these members who represented the entire Qinghe Cui family.
There is a determination in the eyes of these tribesmen that refuses to give in or compromise, as well as arrogance and ambition that have not diminished in the slightest after hundreds of years of inheritance.
They expressed their opinions.
They also quickly mentioned Cui Jing, the Dalang whom they did not recognize in the past.
"...Although Dalang is rebellious, if the head of the family comes forward to persuade him and explain the key benefits to him, it may not be impossible to make him wake up."
"Da Lang has been willful and reckless for many years. At this critical moment, it's time for him to make some plans for the clan!"
"The head of the family..."
Cui Ju raised his hand and interrupted them, his face showing no emotion: "I have my own plans for this matter."
As the head of the family, he should have made plans early, and he had been preparing for this day.
Furthermore, he not only had to prepare for Cui's success, but also for his failure.
Since Dalang is in Bianzhou at this time, he is also in the middle of a game and must be cautious in every step.
After a moment, Cui Ju spoke up, taking over the words of the young clan member just now: "The crown prince is incompetent and not capable of shouldering the great responsibility... The Cui family must not repeat the mistakes of the Changsun family."
After he finished speaking, he pulled out a secret letter from his sleeve and placed it on the sandalwood coffee table beside him. His old, wrinkled fingers slowly pushed the letter to the edge of the coffee table.
"A few days ago, I received this secret letter. Please take a look at it first."
The young tribesman replied "yes" seriously and respectfully stepped forward to take the letter.
On the candlestick, the candle flame flickered slightly.
In the Ganlu Palace, behind the screen with a picture of birds paying homage to the phoenix, the Emperor of the Holy Ce leaned on the couch with his eyes closed, and he fell into a dream without knowing when.
The dream was damp and dark, with a pungent smell. It was the smell wafting from the elephant park. It was like an invisible net that trapped the mother and her two children in those difficult and cold years.
When Ah Xiao's hands were covered with frostbite and she had a high fever and couldn't see the imperial physician, she tried to ask everyone she could for help. Since she couldn't see the emperor, she went to ask the concubines of higher positions for help. However, the snacks that she made with great difficulty were only knocked over with contempt by the palace maids in front of the concubines.
Those arrogant concubines would even cover their noses with handkerchiefs, mocking her for having the smell of an elephant garden and the bad luck of a disaster star.
A concubine who liked to wear purple was wronged by the queen, so she took it out on her. She made up a false accusation and made her kneel down to apologize, but that was not enough, so she also ordered the palace maids to slap her in the face.
Even in her dreams, that feeling of powerlessness and humiliation once again enveloped her.
Blood oozed from the corners of her mouth, but she didn't want to beg for mercy anymore.
The more this happened, the more unhappy the imperial concubine became.
Just as the man came over, plucked the silver hairpin from her hair with his nail-painted fingers, and gestured on her face with interest, asking her if she was afraid of ruining her face, a small figure pounced over, knocked the man to the ground, and bit the arm of the palace maid who was holding her.
The little girl's palms were full of sweat, and I pulled her up and started to run.
But how could they escape? The palace servants stopped them.
Fortunately, the noise was so loud that it attracted other concubines, and the noble concubine gave up temporarily.
But it's only temporary.
Late at night, the little girl knelt on the porch and asked - do you know you are wrong?
The little girl knelt straight, seeming a little aggrieved, and answered her - Ah Shang didn't know.
She then asked the little girl to stretch out her hand and had the nanny hit her with a ruler before asking more questions.
The little girl trembled in pain, but still answered - A Shang still didn't know.
She asked the nanny to beat her again.
She didn't want to "beat him until he knows", she just wanted Ah Shang to remember the pain of this moment and learn from it.
Finally, she told Ah Shang - your mistake was that you had no power to clean up the mess, but you still insisted on stepping forward. It seemed that you were helping your mother, but in fact you were harming others and yourself.
But she couldn't remember Ah Shang's reaction at that time.
She couldn't remember many things. It was difficult to survive during that period, and she didn't have much time to pay attention to the healthy child.
But there is one scene that she remembers very clearly and it always appears in her dreams.
In the dim corridor, the thin little boy secretly handed a rotten lychee to the little girl, and she watched from a distance.
At that time she thought that she must leave here, and later she really left.
Afterwards, she wanted to stand higher, and she succeeded.
She became the queen and her child became the crown prince. It seemed that this was as high as the world could imagine. For a time, she began to feel satisfied, and even felt guilty and uneasy, wondering whether she should confess everything.
But she accidentally realized that everything was not as simple as it seemed. The seemingly fair and great emperor was just using her and her child.
He knew everything, he was in control of everything, he didn't need her "confession" at all.
She felt angry and scared, but more of it was irony and sadness.
So, all of this will disappear.
But she couldn't let it go.
Not only that, she would never allow anyone else to control her destiny, even the so-called emperor.
So she began to secretly win over the ministers, she began to plan everything by any means, she even did something so bold that it was enough to exterminate all nine generations of her clan...
But she doesn't regret it.
Every step she took was in the right direction. She felt guilty, but she never regretted it.
Yes, she felt guilty...especially as a mother.
The Emperor of the Holy Ceme slowly opened his eyes and was dazed for a moment.
"This time, I have wronged you... You did not mean to go against me."
She talked to herself in a very low voice, sighing faintly.
"But why do you refuse to acknowledge me and sit down to have a good talk with me?"
She would have to have a long talk to find out what her Ah Shang was thinking right now, so that she would not be forced to doubt her only blood relative.
"Your Majesty, you are awake..."
The maid guarding beside the screen came forward to serve upon hearing the sound, and a handsome man with half his hair uncovered hurriedly took the bright yellow robe and put it on the empress.
I spent four hours today sorting out the details of the next chapter. I found that I still have to write about the Cui family and the Empress, so I still can't switch back to Ningning. I will definitely do it tomorrow! (Auspicious crawl)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
