"Didn't Dalang come back?"
A tribesman of the same generation as Cui Wei asked with a frown.
An old man with white hair and beard sneered, "Da Lang is busy with the official business of Xuan Ce Mansion. He has rarely been seen in the town since he returned to Beijing. Today is just a small birthday banquet, so it is normal for him not to take care of it."
Cui Lang felt his scalp tingling after hearing this.
When it comes to weirdness, his Cui family has always been full of talented people.
Cui Wei, who was sitting below his father Cui Ju, looked even uglier after hearing these words - not only was he unable to control his eldest son, he even had to lose face at his own birthday banquet because of this rebellious son!
Thinking of this, Cui Wei frowned and looked at his second son.
On the other side of the women's seat, Mrs. Lu also glared at her son.
Cui Langyu complained in his heart - he didn't care whether his elder brother would come back or not, but his mother had asked him to go and test his elder brother, and his elder brother had clearly promised in Dayun Temple that he would come back today.
So he took credit for it from his mother and father... no, he told them about it!
But he had already said it, and there was no sign of his elder brother yet - if his elder brother did not show up today, it was obvious with his toes that he would be the first to suffer!
I was afraid that I would be pressed on a bench and spanked with a stick! Thinking of this, Cui Lang felt a dull pain in his buttocks.
The head of the family, Cui Ju, had a serious expression on his face. He only glanced at the time and said calmly, "Everyone, please take your seats."
His voice brought silence to the surroundings, and everyone bowed and responded with "yes", then took their seats.
At this time, a servant entered the hall and saluted: "Master, the eldest son is back."
Cui Ju nodded: "Let someone in."
Cui Lang's eyes lit up, and he quickly turned around to greet him: "Brother is back!"
Great, his ass is saved! The tribesmen on both sides of the hall looked at the figure that walked in.
The young man wore a blue robe and a jade crown, but was not wearing armor or carrying a sword. In such an occasion, he seemed to be intentionally concealing his extremely cold and murderous aura. And because he was born with an extremely good-looking appearance, he now showed the demeanor of a young man from a noble family.
The more this happened, the more the tribesmen felt unfair.
Who could have imagined that beneath this seemingly fine appearance, he was actually full of rebellion?
Dalang has been extraordinary since he was young, and his talent was revealed early. He was the focus of all the tribesmen, but he suddenly acted rebelliously as if he was possessed by a demon, and he refused to listen to any advice and insisted on going his own way and has not turned back until now.
No one in the clan knows in secret that if Dalang is willing to follow the clan's arrangement and enter the officialdom through literature, his talent will be no less than that of Wei Shilang who won the top three honors in the imperial examinations. In terms of family background, he has the Cui family as his backing. In time, there will be no one else in the court!
But, but...
Everyone sighed in their hearts.
Instead of using this talent, why not give it to other children in need?
Every time the tribesmen saw Cui Jing, they were so angry at him for not fighting back that they felt like their crowns were about to burst. They didn't want to eat or drink, as they were so angry that they were full of anger.
Cui Lang looked at the long brocade box in Yuan Xiang's hand and asked curiously, "This should be the birthday gift that my elder brother prepared for my father, right?"
Cui Jing had already finished his greetings and nodded: "That's right."
“Give it to me now!” Perhaps because his butt had escaped a disaster, Cui Lang was very attentive at this time. He took the brocade box from Yuan Xiang’s hand and said expectantly: “Let me see what gift my brother has prepared for my father——”
As he spoke, he opened the brocade box with the help of his servants and took out the contents.
The scroll was tied with a ribbon. Cui Lang untied it and unfolded it. He saw a landscape painting full of green. Cui Lang took a closer look and his eyes lit up: "It's a painting by Zhan Ziqian!"
"Zhan Ziqian's paintings are hard to find, and they are my father's favorite. No wonder my elder brother prepared a birthday gift for my father so early. It turns out that he spent so much time on it!" Cui Lang sighed, "It seems that the birthday gifts that Atang and I prepared are too perfunctory and not presentable. Atang, don't you think so?"
Cui Tang: “…”
It doesn't matter if he can't produce his own, after all, he is just being perfunctory, but why is he suddenly dragging her into this?
But due to the atmosphere, she nodded.
Cui Ju smiled faintly and nodded approvingly: "Ling An is indeed concerned about this."
Cui Wei's expression gradually eased a lot.
Cui Lang had already come to his side with the painting in his hand: "Father, take a look!"
Cui Wei looked at his second son with disapproval for his overly erratic behavior, but still took the painting with both hands honestly.
At first glance, fashion has a hint of joy——
"This is the rumored painting of Zhan Ziqian's Spring Outing..." Cui Lang exclaimed: "It really lives up to its reputation as the pioneer of golden and green landscapes."
The painting shows overlapping green mountains, shimmering lakes, and scholars riding horses along winding mountain paths. In the center of the painting, there is a scene of ladies boating in the spring.
Cui Wei's eyes were fixed on the lady who was boating on the lake.
He gradually tightened his grip on the edge of the scroll with his fingers.
After a moment, he raised his eyes and looked at Cui Jing who was standing in the hall, and said word by word: "This painting is not easy to find, which shows that you really put a lot of thought into it."
Cui Lang was somewhat puzzled by what he heard - why did he feel that his father's words were not good words? Maybe his father was used to being sarcastic and couldn't hold back for a moment? After all, he really couldn't think of anything to criticize about his elder brother's precious and thoughtful birthday gift.
Cui Ju said: "Ling An, please take a seat."
"Yes." Cui Jing stepped forward and sat down in the empty seat.
Soon maids came in with red lacquered trays in their hands, bringing delicious food and fine wine.
Elegant music began to play and everyone raised their glasses.
After three rounds of drinking, perhaps because Cui Jing's painting gave people a rare sense of filial piety, which made people feel a little relieved, some clan members started talking about Cui Jing during the banquet.
"Now is a time of trouble, and the tribe needs people to take care of all its affairs... Dalang should also go back to the tribe to learn how to manage affairs."
“That’s exactly what’s going on.”
"Besides, Dalang's marriage must not be delayed any further—"
After listening to these words, Cui Jing remained silent.
He did not respond nor did he refute. Today was his father's birthday party. Even though he had edges and corners, he did not have to show them all the time - that was what he did when he was young.
Now, when he can't avoid it, he will just listen quietly.
But no one can change his perseverance.
Looking at his eldest grandson who had never said a word, becoming more and more like a silent mountain or a deep and quiet river, and whose calmness and stubbornness had grown together over the years, Cui Ju could feel a sigh in his eyes.
After the birthday banquet, Cui Ju called Cui Jing to his study room alone.
Cui Ju ordered someone to set up the chessboard, and the grandfather and grandson played the game quietly without saying a word.
At the end of the game, Cui Jing said, "My grandson lost."
"It seems that I am getting old." Cui Ju looked at the movement of the chessboard and said with a smile, "You, a young man, have to deliberately give in to make an old man like me happy."
Cui Jing: "The fact that my grandson can't hide anything from my grandfather shows that I am not old yet."
Cui Ju shook his head, his tone helpless: "If you can act like this chess game and know how to give in and compromise..."
The rest of the words were not said.
Cui Jing lowered his eyes: "It is the grandson who disappoints grandfather."
Cui Ju shook his head again.
The old man looked at the outstanding young man under the lamp and said slowly, "There are some people who blame you, and it is inevitable that you will feel resentful when your expectations are not met, but even so, grandpa has never been disappointed in you."
Cui Jing was stunned for a moment.
Cui Ju added: "Since you have your own thoughts on the matter of returning the military power, grandfather will not force you to do anything."
"Grandfather..." Cui Jing was a little surprised, but also had a premonition: "Grandfather, do you have different plans now?"
"The situation is set, why talk about change?" Cui Ju looked at the bright moon outside the window, his tone as steady as a tree that remained unmoved by a hurricane: "The Pei family's disaster, is it because they don't know how to adapt and make other plans? As the saying goes, a big tree has deep roots, and even though it looks strong, there are still some things that are difficult to change. The struggle between the nobles and the saints is inevitable. There is only one winner and one loser, one survives and one dies."
He said: "The Cui family has gone through hundreds of years of ups and downs, and has seen many emperors' power changes... Over the past hundreds of years, the Cui family has stood firm from generation to generation and has never lost."
He has the pride of a noble family head, but his old eyes are always clear: "Because they have never lost and are used to winning, many people can't help but think that it is impossible to lose - your father is one of them."
"But hundreds of years of glory may seem long, and it may seem to have stood firm, but if we look at it from the perspective of tens of millions of years, it is just a drop in the ocean, a speck of dust..."
Cui Ju finally said: "Everything in the world has its time of prosperity and decline."
His tone was clear and steady, without any sigh, but every word was full of sighs.
Cui Jing, who had been listening quietly, said at this time: "The rise and fall of things are predetermined. Even if a wildfire burns the land, if the roots can be preserved, they will have a chance to grow again in the spring of next year."
Cui Ju looked at his grandson and nodded slowly.
"Then let's play again and let Grandfather see if you have improved..."
The candles flickered, the light and shadows in the room shone, the grandfather and grandson sat opposite each other, with the black and white chessboard between them.
…
After Cui Jing came out of Cui Ju's study, he had just walked a few steps when a steward came up to him and said, "Master, please move over and have a chat."
…
At the same time, several female relatives from the Lu family who came over to talk after the banquet were also sitting in Lu's room.
What several people were talking about was Cui Jing's marriage.
"My mother's niece has reached marriageable age, and my eldest sister-in-law has also seen her..."
Seeing that Lu covered her mouth and yawned, looking very nonchalant, one of the women said, "It has been two years since Dalang returned to Beijing. To be honest, if there is another war, we don't know how long he will be away from home. This marriage really can't be delayed any longer. The eldest sister-in-law should also pay more attention to it."
"Third sister-in-law, what you said makes it sound like I don't want to worry about Dalang?"
Mrs. Lu, who was yawning just now, suddenly had red eyes and smiled bitterly at herself: "It is indeed not an easy thing to be someone's stepmother. My mother is not lying to me... But who can blame me for having a miserable life? At that time, I was the only sister in the clan who had not married. Although I think I am not as good at managing clan affairs as my brothers and sisters, I have tried my best over the years. How come I still get the reputation of not caring about it in the end?"
As he spoke, tears began to fall.
She was Cui Wei's wife. Although she was a second wife, she was also a proper clan lady. Seeing her like this, the third wife of Cui's clan was a little flustered: "It's all my fault that I was too concerned and said something nonsense. I actually caused the eldest sister-in-law to misunderstand me!"
"Yes, our eldest sister-in-law has worked hard for the clan over the years, and we have all seen it..."
Cui Tang, who was sitting in the inner room with his chin in his hands, could not help but sigh when he heard the comforting voice coming from outside - now no one will care about his eldest brother's marriage? Seeing that Lu finally stopped crying, the two women who were exhausted from persuading her said goodbye and left.
Now only the wife of the second branch of the Cui family was left.
Her approach is different from the previous two: "...Da Lang never listens to advice. If you control him too much, he will become a bad guy. I will just let him do whatever he wants."
Although she called Lu her elder sister-in-law, she had entered the family several years earlier than Lu and was older than her.
At this time, she advised with hints: "Da Lang is ignorant and is not liked by the eldest son... But the head of the family is old, and in the past two years, he has wanted the eldest son to inherit the position of head of the family. By then, a new eldest son will be selected. Since Da Lang is not motivated, you, the eldest sister-in-law, should be concerned about the family. Even if you make other plans, it is reasonable."
Mrs. Lu was stunned: "But...if the position of the eldest son is not passed to Dalang, who else can it be given to?"
Hearing her words that seemed to leave her no choice, the Second Lady was also stunned, and almost blurted out "Don't you have a son?"
She could only put it more bluntly: "According to the clan's rules, if the eldest son fails, it will naturally be the second son's turn..."
Mrs. Lu was surprised: "How can this be necessary? Dalang is just a little stubborn. His talent and ability are still recognized by the clan members..."
The second wife lowered her voice and said, "But Zongzi doesn't like Dalang... Just one unfilial act is enough to crush me."
Mrs. Lu covered her mouth and said, "Does my sister-in-law want me to sow discord between them?"
The second wife's expression trembled: "...I don't mean that!"
I don't know what Lu was thinking of. She suddenly widened her eyes and murmured in horror, "Crush someone to death...death...my sister-in-law can't be hinting at me to do something to Dalang, right?"
The second wife could no longer sit still and stood up suddenly: "What are you talking about, eldest sister-in-law? If this gets out, how can I live?"
Why don't you just figure it out yourself? Why do you keep talking about it! Oh my God, how could the Lu family raise such an unconventional fool!
Realizing that this road was not only unworkable but also dangerous, the Second Lady could no longer stay there, so she quickly found an excuse and left in fear.
Only then did Cui Tang come out from the inner room.
"Mother is sending them all away now?"
Mrs. Lu drank half a cup of tea to moisten her throat, then beckoned to her daughter to massage her shoulders.
"Your second aunt wants to use me as a tool... If our first branch loses your eldest brother, and only your second brother is left, who is a rare waste, won't all the benefits belong to their second branch? She wants to reap the benefits without doing anything. Her calculations are really clear."
Cui Tang's mouth twitched when he heard this. He was glad that his second brother was not there, otherwise he would have sat down and cried.
"Although your elder brother may seem unkind, he is not a bad person at heart. No matter how your father makes trouble, as long as the three of us are well behaved, no matter what happens in the future, I think your elder brother will protect us." When mentioning this, Mrs. Lu was very pleased and sighed, "Your father's life was not lived in vain because he gave birth to a son like your elder brother."
She had thought over the years that her husband's usefulness was mostly used up when he gave birth to their first son.
Cui Tang's mouth twitched again. Fortunately, his father was not there, otherwise he would have sat on the ground and cried.
…
At this time, Cui Wei was looking at his eldest son who came in and paid his respects.
Without the third person in the study, his face no longer had the calmness he had at the birthday party, and now there was only coldness.
When Cui Jing lowered his eyes to salute, he saw the scroll thrown on the ground - it was none other than the Spring Outing Painting that he had presented as a birthday gift.
Cui Jing watched quietly for a moment without asking the reason.
He was used to being silent in front of his father, or rather, he could only remain silent.
Seeing that he remained silent, Cui Wei sneered and said in a deep voice: "It seems that you know it very well... It turns out that you did it on purpose!"
Cui Wei raised his finger and pointed at the painting thrown on the ground, expressing his anger.
[After seeing the chapter title, Langge sits on the ground and cries]
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