Chapter 290 The barking dog that bites
Several people had already gotten off the carriage, and the voices of those watching in the distance became clearer.
Cui Lin was not afraid of the gloom on Lu Chongyuan's face. The Lu family had suffered setbacks one after another and was already seriously injured. He originally wanted to completely eliminate the Lu family in one fell swoop and let the Cui family take its place. But who would have thought that Lu Chongyuan had fallen into such a situation and yet there was still a way to come back to life.
He didn't know what method Lu Chongyuan used to force Emperor An to make concessions. Thinking back to that day, he thought that once Guan died, the Lu family would also be destroyed without a burial place, but he didn't expect to hear the news that Lu Chongyuan went to the palace to apologize and was allowed to return to the court. He was so angry that his heart ached.
After planning for so long, Cui Lin naturally disliked Lu Chongyuan in every way: "If it weren't for the gift from Secretary Lu, Rongsheng Academy wouldn't be what it is today."
Lu Chongyuan took a deep breath and said, "The Lu family has also been plotted against. I have no choice but to come here today. Mr. Cui, the noble families are of the same blood..."
“Don’t!”
Cui Lin interrupted him coldly before he could finish his eloquence: "We, the Cui family, dare not associate ourselves with the scandal caused by your Lu family. We have so many daughters in the Cui family and we need to maintain our reputation."
"It was fine that your Lu family kept the grain tax a secret before, but I didn't expect that it would be involved with Prince Cheng. Even the Lu family of Hou Rui of the Ministry of War hid it so well. If it hadn't been discovered by chance this time, who knows what your Lu family would do in the future."
"It's not easy for the Cui family to continue to this day. I dare not entrust my ancestral family business to Lu Zhongshu. Otherwise, I don't know when he will be sold out in the future..."
"Cui Lin!" Lu Qin couldn't help but suppress his anger after hearing his sarcastic remarks, "You knew that the Lu family was framed, and my father has tried his best to make amends. Moreover, if you hadn't secretly approached the Second Prince, how could the following events have happened..."
"How dare you blame me?"
Cui Lin's face turned pale as he spoke to Lu Qin. "Did I cause your offspring to misbehave? Or did I force you to have an affair with Prince Cheng? You poured your family's resources into assisting the Fourth Prince, and what's the result? You raised an ungrateful, foolish, and ungrateful person. If I hadn't chosen to retreat early on, the Cui family would be as disgraced as your Lu family by now!"
"you!"
"What do you mean by 'you'? Lu Qin, the Cui family is not a vassal of your Lu family. I am also your elder. When is it your turn to interrupt me when I am talking to your father?"
Cui Lin looked at Lu Qin who was glaring at him, then turned to look at Lu Chongyuan: "Is this the upbringing of your Lu family?"
Lu Chongyuan had no intention of falling out with Cui Lin. The Lu family had been in trouble one after another, and the family had suffered too much loss. Although he had forced Emperor An to temporarily retreat, the eldest son's lineage was ruined, and the second son was unable to take on the responsibility. In order to protect the family's grain tax case, the Lu family had also shed heavy blood, and their vitality was seriously damaged. Falling out with the Cui family was not a good thing.
However, Cui Lin was aggressive and his words were extremely harsh. If he gave in now, he would no longer be able to maintain his control over the hearts of the people.
Lu Chongyuan held out his hand to block Lu Qin, and turned his face coldly towards Cui Lin: "The Lu family's upbringing has nothing to do with the Cui family. As for the Fourth Prince, he is stupid, but he lives by the family. If someone hadn't secretly instigated him, he would never turn against the family."
"Mr. Cui has lofty ambitions. I have never stopped you from leading the Cui family to the future you desire. However, the aristocratic families have long been entwined in their interests, and any single move can affect the entire family. The Lu family has never considered implicating the other families and has done its utmost to protect their interests, but Mr. Cui remains dissatisfied. Do you wish me to summon the other families to discuss why the grain tax case has come to this point?"
Cui Lin looked at Lu Chongyuan with a cold look, and his heart skipped a beat.
Did Lu Chongyuan know?
That account book thing...
Feng Qiuli, who had been following silently, suddenly stepped forward and said, "Mr. Cui, Mr. Lu is right. The aristocratic families are one. It won't benefit us if anyone suffers a setback. With so many people from Rongsheng Academy here today, we'll only be laughed at if we quarrel among ourselves."
He looked at Lu Chongyuan again and said, "Lord Lu, Lord Cui was just speaking in anger. The Fourth Prince is now alienated from the aristocratic families, and the Empress is also different from before. The aristocratic families may not be able to rely on them anymore. Lord Cui is just trying to find another way out for our families. He has no intention of abandoning others to pursue their own future."
"We know that Rongsheng Academy is opening today and that the Yiyang County Lady intends to embarrass Lord Lu, so Lord Cui and I came here. We hope Lord Lu will not misunderstand."
Feng Qiuli's words were particularly beautiful. Lu Chongyuan gave him a deep look, then saw another carriage approaching from a distance. He suppressed the gloom in his eyes and said, "Of course I won't misunderstand. I just hope that the noble families won't fight among themselves and give outsiders an advantage for nothing."
Feng Qiuli breathed a sigh of relief: "Mr. Lu is right."
Someone came to the front of the academy and saluted them.
"Lu Zhongshu, Cui Shangshu, and several other gentlemen, my county lady invites you all inside."
Cui Lin frowned, thinking that Song Tangning was too rude. They came in person, but Song Tangning did not greet them respectfully. Instead, he only sent a servant over. He snorted coldly, greeted Feng Qiuli, and strode into the academy. The two officials from the aristocratic families followed behind him.
Lu Chongyuan and Lu Qin waited until they left before walking inside.
Lu Qin stared at their backs and gritted his teeth, "Father, that Cui Lin is truly despicable..."
Lu Chongyuan waved his hand. Seeing the guide far ahead, he lowered his voice and said, "Cui Lin is ambitious but extremely arrogant. He has been coveting the head of the aristocratic family for a long time. It won't be difficult to deal with him. That Feng Qiuli is the dog that didn't bark."
It is said that a dog that bites never barks. Cui Lin's dog barks loudly, but in fact it is not to be feared at all. He longs to support the second prince to ascend the throne like the Lu family supported Emperor An, and wants to swallow up the Lu family, but he has no such ability. Instead, it is that Feng Qiuli.
In the past, they kept a low profile and always acted like vassals of the Cui family. But if you think about it carefully, the rift between the Cui and Lu families is getting worse and worse, and the Feng family can be seen everywhere.
He had underestimated the boy surnamed Feng in the past.
A lot of people had already gathered in the academy, and at a glance, they were almost all familiar faces. When the Lu family father and son arrived in front of the academy hall, they saw from afar that the usually serious Cao Dejiang was talking to Song Tangning with a warm face. Some other court officials were standing beside the two of them, and the atmosphere was very lively.
When Lu Chongyuan and the others arrived, the room suddenly became quiet.
Tang Ning apologized to the person next to him and came over here.
"Meetings, Secretary Lu and Minister Cui."
Cui Lin hated the Lu family, but he didn't like Song Tangning much either. He started with sarcasm when he saw that the woman didn't stay at home and instead went out to build an academy and tried to compete with the aristocratic families.
"The Yiyang County Lady's academy was hastily built and opened early. I thought it was very well-preserved, but I didn't expect it to be so simple."
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