Nine individuals from the Qinghe Cui Family made the Scholars list, and this number pleased Mr. Cui immensely.
Although the limelight was somewhat stolen by the two individuals of the Nangong Family, Mr. Cui thought this to be excellent, as it kept the Cui Family from drawing too much attention.
After the release of the Palace Examination results, Mr. Cui said to Xie Yuan: "I am grateful for your hospitality over these many days, but it’s time for me to return home."
Xie Yuan replied with a smile: "Mr. Cui, please feel free to stay a few more days."
Mr. Cui shook his head, "I would like to stay, but if I do not return home soon, those two misfits, my fourth son and his wife, may start to behave increasingly outrageous, thinking there is no one to discipline them."
Xie Yuan laughed. He’d heard that Cui Yuanbin and his wife, Liao Yuying, were missing from their household all day long, allegedly chartering pleasure boats for all-night revelries outside the city. Such a couple was indeed infamous. Their son, Cui Yanjin, was burdened with endless duties and was completely occupied, racing around like a small adult. His industrious tendencies made one question if he was truly their biological child.
With a nod and a smile, Xie Yuan said, "Very well, it is wise not to overstay one’s welcome."
With Mr. Cui’s return to the Residence, the Cui Household was immediately an array of activity. A feast was held to congratulate family members who made the Scholars list.
Cui Xingyu and Cui Xingyi apologized to Mr. Cui: "Grandfather, we’re ashamed that we didn’t match up to Nangong Che. We failed to become Number One Scholars, and we have disappointed you."
"Ah, don’t be disappointed." Mr. Cui laughed, "As for Nangong Che’s roll, I personally read it, then showed it to Master Xie and several Great Scholars. They believed that this young man possesses great talent, capable of being the Number One Scholar. Indeed, he performed even better in the Palace Examination and came out on top. It was a well-deserved victory. You both securing second and third place respectively, that’s commendable too."
The two grandsons sighed in relief when they saw their grandfather wasn’t angry.
Mr. Cui, with a smile, asked: "I heard that during the Palace Examination, the Princess herself ground the ink for Nangong Che, is that true?"
Cui Xingyu and Cui Xingyi looked at each other, then nodded in unison, "We also heard about it. At that time we were entirely focused on answering the questions and did not witness it personally."
After all, it was the Palace Examination.
A young man named Cui Xingzhe claimed, "Uncle, I saw it! It’s true! After the Princess had finished walking around, she went to Nangong Che, stopped and watched him answer questions. It wasn’t long before Nangong Che’s ink ran out. Usually, he would grind his ink, but the Princess rolled up her sleeves and did it for him. Nangong Che was stunned, and so was I."
Mr. Cui laughed and scolded, "Oh? You saw it with your own eyes? No wonder you plummeted in rank during the Palace Examination, nearly falling out of the top two grades. Instead of focusing on your work, you were watching others. What’s that about?"
Cui Xingzhe scratched his head, "I was about to grind my ink at the time, so I glanced over, and who would’ve known that I would almost knock my ink over."
"The Princess is known for valuing and loving talent. With a Crown Princess such as her, the future ruler of Nanchu, you boys should all work hard. Making the Scholars list is just the first step in your lives. There’s a long road ahead - don’t stray. When the Princess rules, there will be countless opportunities for you all to demonstrate your ambition in future Nanchu. Your future is full of potential." Mr. Cui, stroking his beard, said, "How far you can go in the future depends on yourselves."
The nine men immediately replied in unison, "Yes."
Cui Yanjin happened to walk through the door at that moment and hearing Mr. Cui’s words, he responded loudly: "Uncle, how far our Cui Family can advance in the future, isn’t that dependent on whether my cousin remains popular, and whether his position remains secure?"
Mr. Cui, finding this amusing, chided him, "You audacious child, where did you learn to talk like this?"
Cui Yanjin immediately said, "Without my cousin, none of us would have come to Nanchu. Only if his position is secure can we all have the opportunity to demonstrate our talents. If his position is not stable, no matter how talented we are, aren’t we all going to have to keep a low profile? Isn’t that the same as the situation of the Crown Prince in Daliang? Since the Queen is out of favour and the Emperor of Daliang is not benevolent, the Crown Prince and the Duke of Daliang have acted discreetly for many years."
Mr. Cui was speechless for a moment, "You can’t compare it like this."
He stated: "The Emperor of Daliang is not as broad-minded as our current Crown Princess, that’s one thing. As for Zhou Gu, your cousin, his position will not be unstable. Are you aware of the circumstances under which the Crown Princess chose him?"
Cui Yanjin tilted his head, honestly admitting he did not fully understand. He knew most about the affairs after they came to Nanchu, after having contact with Zhou Gu and his wife.
Mr. Cui beckoned him, "Come here."
Cui Yanjin walked over to Mr. Cui.
Mr. Cui took Cui Yanjin’s head in his hand and said, "Don’t just look at the surface when you examine these situations. You know that the moment the Crown Princess set foot in the Duke Residence, she cancelled the marriage with Zhou Gu. But you might not know that after the cancellation, she chose the Second Young Master Ye from the Ye Xiang Residence, then broke off his marriage for your cousin."
"I know about that." Cui Yanjin retorted, "It was because my cousin was persistent, and the Crown Princess couldn’t get past him."
Mr. Cui laughed out loud, "That’s what appears on the surface, but not what lies beneath. In truth, the Crown Princess loved your cousin, and for him, she was willing to give up the throne of Nanchu. By rejecting the Second Young Master Ye, she was essentially pushing away the influence of the powerful Ye Xiang Residence and forfeiting the support of its army of 100,000 men. To her, at that time, this was tantamount to losing her strongest arm and mainstay. If it weren’t for the Second Young Master Ye remaining staunchly supportive of the Crown Princess, she likely wouldn’t have won the fight against the Nangong Family, the Prince of Liu’an, or the Crown Prince Yuan Zhao from Dawei. If the Crown Princess was willing to give up the throne for your cousin, do you think there’s anything that could shake his position?"
Cui Yanjin scratched his head, "Uncle, what are you trying to say?"
"I’m saying that you should go and apologize to your cousin. Stop intentionally annoying him." Mr. Cui said, "When I initially decided to send Xingzhi and you with people to Nanchu, it was because I saw how sincerely the Crown Princess cares for your cousin. This reason is enough for me to bet on a future for the Cui Family. You’re right to say that the treasure lies with your cousin. That’s one thing. But Zhou Gu, your cousin, is not inferior to anyone else, be it the Second Young Master Ye, or anyone else. No one is more suited to the Crown Princess than he."
Cui Yanjin murmured, "Playing favorites are you? Zhou Gu is surely overly proud because of his favored position. He didn’t attend the Palace Examination today, but when he heard that the Princess was grinding ink for Nangong Che, he went. Also, he bullies me."
Laughing, Mr. Cui retorted, "That’s because His Majesty sent people to ask for him."
Mr. Cui tapped him on the forehead, "With your brain, can’t you realize that if your cousin wanted to deal with you, he would have done it long ago? How are you still fine up till now? Isn’t it because he is still grateful to you for arriving on the battlefield in the nick of time, saving the Princess? Your cousin keeps this favor in his heart. If it weren’t for this, considering how often you have offended him, and the way you talk back to him, you would have been banished from Nanchu already."
Cui Yanjin disagreed: "That’s because he’s the one misbehaving."
"You’re not exactly good yourself," Mr. Cui laughed, "Enough, I am done scolding you. Wait until you offend him again, and get transferred to the Ministry of Housing. When that happens, you’ll know he means business."
Cui Yanjin blinked. A moment later, he turned and ran, "I’m going to apologize to my cousin."
As he said this, he ran off, but he was smart enough to first go to his father’s private treasury and select several gifts. He then ran to his mother’s private treasury and retrieved the treasured sword that he was originally gifted on his cousin’s wife’s birthday, and then he quickly entered the palace.
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