The current head of the Qinghe Cui family, Cui Yao, was the biological father of Duke’s wife.
By pushing the horse to an extreme pace, a message sent from the Capital City would arrive in Qinghe Cui family residence in three days.
Upon receiving his daughter’s letter, Master Cui was greatly startled. He had not expected the two hundred secret guards he had assigned to his grandson, Zhou Gu, to have mostly perished, leaving only a dozen or so remaining. Meanwhile, the secret guards who had accompanied Zhou Gu since his childhood were either injured or dead. Only a handful remained.
He knew that the Duke Residence maintained their household just as one would command an army, emphasizing fairness. Although the eldest princess of Sheng An doted on Zhou Gu, she could only favor him in small matters. In terms of considerable issues like the distribution of the family’s properties and guards, she could not show too much partiality. Otherwise, the daughters-in-law in the inner court would become dissatisfied, causing unrest in the household.
The most apparent benefit of the Duke Residence’s approach to family management was the harmonious relationship among descendants and the peace and stability of the household. However, the downside was that the talented offspring couldn’t gain more assistance from the family; they were left to fend for themselves. Therefore, when the old Duke noticed Zhou Gu’s intelligence at a young age, and the Crown Prince was seeking talent, he readily sent Zhou Gu to the Eastern Palace.
How the Duke Residence managed their family affairs was not something Master Cui would critique. Each family had its own methods for survival. His own family followed a meritocracy for their management: those who were talented and capable could enjoy more resources and support from the family. Those who lacked talent or ability would not be abandoned by the family. They could still lead a modest life, but without their own efforts, they wouldn’t be able to achieve a more luxurious lifestyle.
The reason he had been able to ascend to the position of the head of the Qinghe Cui family was not merely due to his legitimacy and advantage of status, but also his capabilities and authority to remain stable and respected in his position.
If one were to seriously compare, the management of the Cui Family was similar to that of the Nangong Family in Nanchu. The entire energy of the family went into nurturing those with ability, who would then foster stability and prosperity for the family.
As for Zhou Gu’s decision to give up the path that the old Duke had laid out for him and follow the Nanchu Princess Su Rong, who he was fond of – and Su Rong also liked him and had promised him the position of a royal consort – Master Cui saw things differently from the old Duke and Grand Tutor Qin. He didn’t feel distressed. Instead, he thought it was a good idea.
The Duke Residence had enjoyed great prestige for generations. With Yuan Zhou as the heir to the throne, and Zhou Gu, who had grown up in the Eastern Palace, how the Zhou family could rise even higher? Even if they were able to climb higher, to what extent could they reach? Emperor Dawei wasn’t particularly wise, and although the Crown Prince seemed to be a wise heir, what about the future? Is it easy to be a high official, standing second only to the Emperor? Even if they were not feared by the future Emperor and were trusted by him, they would not be able to act recklessly in their lives.
As for Zhou Gu, it was a pity to let him live a life under certain constraints.
Additionally, the Cui family had thrived for countless generations, had survived numerous dynasties, and was currently in decline. In this generation, there were no high-ranking officers from the Cui family in the court. At most, they could boast a third-ranking officer, who was his cousin that was sustaining the family in the court. The younger generation did have a few promising talents, but with the Eastern Palace full of talents, it would take a long time for the younger generation to mature once his cousin stepped down.
With Zhou Gu in the Eastern Palace, the Cui family didn’t need any assistance. In the future, by relying on Zhou Gu, the younger generation of the Cui family would receive recognition. But now that Zhou Gu had given up the path laid out for him, it placed the Cui family in a difficult position.
As Master Cui held his daughter’s letter, a thought suddenly occurred to him. What if they weren’t merely giving his grandson a slight boost of assistance? These two hundred secret guards were what he, as a grandfather, gave to his grandson. But what if they significantly assisted his grandson for the sake of the entire Cui family, to pave a path for their future generations? Would it be possible?
According to rumors, the Princess had initially accepted the marriage proposal from the second son of the Ye Xiang Residence, Ye Guixue, after calling off her engagement with Zhou Gu. But she later gave up on Ye Guixue, and chose Zhou Gu instead. Given that she rejected the vast forces of the Ye Xiang Residence to choose Zhou Gu, what did this say about his abilities? It was likely that the two had a deep affection for each other.
After all, they were not children. They had to take responsibility for their decisions. Both of them were educated from an early age, one in the Eastern Palace and the other by Xie Yuan. They were unlikely to rush into things. They probably knew what they wanted, didn’t they?
If so, did it imply that the Cui family could also use Zhou Gu as a vehicle to pursue a different path?
Consequently, Master Cui immediately summoned all the key figures of the Cui family to the council hall for a discussion.
That night, all the central figures of the clan were summoned, including several teenagers who were studying for their civil service examination.
Everyone was bewildered. What could have happened to necessitate a meeting at this late hour? It wasn’t until Master Cui read out the letter from the Duke’s wife, allowing everyone to read it, that they were all filled with alarm. He put forth a suggestion: he intended to send people and a part of Cui family’s forces to support Zhou Gu, committing to Nanchu to chart a course for the future. He asked for their opinions, causing everyone’s heart to jump in shock.
Someone immediately objected, "But brother, this... isn’t this too reckless? We, the Cui family, were born and raised in Daliang. Nanchu is thousands of miles away. If we divide our power, the Cui family will inevitably weaken. The reign of the current generations is about to change. Once the Emperor abdicates and the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, we will be powerless among the main families..."
"We don’t have much power now either." Master Cui said, "The Cui family is in decline. I don’t have the ability to turn the tide and restore the Cui family to its former glory. The current Crown Prince doesn’t have a high regard for noble families, which you all should be able to see."
"But Nanchu is too far away. And with the princess, whom we’ve never met... Putting all our eggs in her basket seems to be a bit too risky." said someone. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Master Cui looked at everyone, "You’ve all met Zhou Gu. Do you really think an average woman could make him abandon the clear path to success and follow her to Nanchu? Also, how did the current Crown Prince secure his position and establish his current firm foothold? How did the parties of the first and second princes fall? How did the General Residence of Jibei collapse? These events just happened not long ago; you must all remember. The princess has been educated by Xie Yuan since her childhood; his fame was even greater than Grand Tutor Qin of the Eastern Palace."
"But... According to this letter, the situation in Nanchu is not very optimistic. Can the princess become a prominent figure in Nanchu? If the Nangong family collaborates with Dawei, and she loses Nanchu..."
"That’s why we should send people to provide assistance. Helping others in their time of need is much more appreciated than gilding the lily." Master Cui said, "In this case, I have already decided to have Xingzhi go to join his cousin Zhou Gu. As for each of your households, you can decide whether to send people or not."
Everyone was stunned, "Xingzhi? Brother, you’re actually sending Xingzhi? How... how could you make this decision? He’s next in line to..."
"Xingzhi agreed." Master Cui cut him off, "My grandson has given up the clear path to success, why couldn’t my own grandson venture into Nanchu?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
