Almost at the same time, almost all the senior Qin officials in Beijing received an urgent summons from the emperor.
This naturally included the Cui family, including Cui Cen and Cui Luan.
As for the reason for the summons, most people already understood it, and the people from the palace had no intention of hiding it.
"The front lines suffered a crushing defeat. The Emperor is furious and has urgently summoned all of you to the palace for a meeting."
The reasons sound good, but the key point is that this has never happened.
The defeat on the front line and the rising arrogance of the rebels are indeed a big deal, but what does it have to do with you, a puppet emperor?
Isn't it the Prime Minister's job to hold an urgent meeting in the middle of the night?
Although the emperor has been in power recently, it does not change the fact that he is still a puppet in the eyes of the court officials.
Especially in the eyes of Cui's party, there has never been any emperor of Qin.
He's just a young boy.
For a moment, reactions from civil and military officials varied: some were surprised, some were stunned, and some were disdainful.
Cui Cen's first reaction when he received the summons was to laugh.
But after laughing, Cui Cen frowned.
Cui Cen was able to become a prime minister and hold great power over the world, not only because he was the contemporary leader of the Cui family, but also because he was naturally well versed in the ways of power.
Almost in an instant, he realized that the emperor's move seemed reckless and careless.
But if you savor it carefully, you will immediately feel that there is something mysterious in it, like an antelope hanging its horns.
"Please report to His Majesty, sir. I will be there shortly."
At the same time, in another house of the Cui family, Cui Luan also received a summons. A gleam of brilliance flickered in his usually calm eyes, but he immediately returned to his dull and old-fashioned expression.
He was neither arrogant nor overbearing.
It's as if nothing will ever change.
Cui Wenhao, who was standing by, didn't wait for his father's instructions. He stepped forward and extended his hand to the eunuch who had summoned him, making a gesture of invitation, "Eunuch, thank you for your hard work."
As he said this, he calmly stuffed several gold foils into the other person's hand.
The eunuch delivering the imperial eunuch was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly declined in panic, "I dare not, I dare not, this is just my job, I dare not take the trouble of the Grand Chamberlain."
Cui Wenhao smiled faintly and stuffed the gold foil into the visitor's hand again, "Don't be so formal, sir, it's just a common practice.
My sister is now fortunate to have been summoned by the Emperor to serve him in the palace, but she is still young and if she does something rash, I hope you will be able to take care of her when it is convenient for her."
The eunuch was stunned again when he heard this, and then he realized that the other party was casting a net.
Then, she calmly withdrew her hand holding the gold foil, and said with a rather flattered look, "You are too polite, Your Excellency. Consort Cui is now deeply favored by His Majesty. If a servant like me has the honor of serving you, it would be a great blessing for me. How dare I trouble Your Excellency with your orders?"
Seeing that he had accepted the gold foil, Cui Wenhao said no more, just said thank you, and pretended to take two steps forward. The eunuch hurriedly asked him to stay.
Cui Wenhao naturally would not insist. He just ordered the steward in the mansion to send the other party out, and then turned around and returned to the inner courtyard again.
Seeing that Cui Luan had actually changed into court attire, he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Father, are you...really going to obey the imperial edict?"
Cui Luan glanced at him calmly and asked, "How can you disobey the emperor's order?"
"The Emperor's decree..."
Cui Wenhao laughed when he heard this, and secretly complained in his heart... An imperial decree that can't even leave the Forbidden City?
However, he didn't dare say this in front of Cui Luan, lest he be scolded for no reason. But he couldn't help but curl his lips and said, "Father, that's true, but if no one goes, won't we become a laughing stock?"
"As a court official, what's so ridiculous about me obeying the imperial edict and entering the forbidden area?"
Cui Luan's voice was as calm as ever, but his tone was somewhat meaningful as he asked, "How do you know no one will go?"
After saying this, he glanced at Cui Wenhao again, his face expressionless, but his eyes showed a hint of disappointment, "Don't you understand what righteousness is?"
"Great justice?"
Cui Wenhao was stunned when he heard this and was a little confused.
But Cui Luan refused to say anything more, and simply ordered: "Why don't you go change your clothes."
After saying that, he ignored him and just waved to the housekeeper next to him. The latter understood and hurried out to instruct the servants to prepare sedan chairs for the old master and the young master.
Although Cui Wenhao still didn't understand what Cui Luan meant by righteousness, if righteousness was useful, would his Cui family still be so powerful in the court?
If someone cared about justice, would all the officials in the court still sit idly by and watch the emperor become a puppet whose orders could not leave the Forbidden City?
However, he did not dare to disobey his father's order, so he had to reluctantly go to the inner house to change into court clothes.
He and Cui Luan rode in a sedan chair all the way to the Forbidden City.
The Forbidden City at night does not look as majestic as it does during the day.
But under the cover of the soft and clear moonlight, it inexplicably added a sense of grandeur and majesty.
It's like an ancient giant beast that has not moved for thousands of years, giving people an invisible psychological pressure.
Even though Cui Wenhao no longer had any awe for the royal family, he still felt inexplicably depressed when passing through the huge palace gate and the long corridor.
Cui Wenhao couldn't help but frown slightly and snorted softly, but even he himself couldn't tell what kind of mentality he had.
Jealousy? Resistance?
Or both.
When the father and son arrived at the gate of the Forbidden Palace, a eunuch was already waiting there.
What Cui Wenhao didn't expect was that he actually met his uncle Cui Cen and his two cousins here.
In addition, there were surprisingly many civil and military officials he was familiar with who were also there.
Not only his Cui family, but also others such as the military led by Nan Cang, as well as the nobles and the upright, almost everyone he could name was there.
Cui Wenhao couldn't help but be surprised.
He didn't expect that his father's words would come true. With just one decree from the emperor, all these people arrived.
When did the puppet emperor gain such appeal?
Just as he was wondering, the eunuch's unique sharp and flattering voice sounded.
"My Lords, His Majesty has ordered that this is an emergency summons and not a morning court session, so he has ordered me to lead you to the Qinzheng Hall for a meeting."
This was what should happen, and everyone naturally had no objection when they heard it.
Cui Cen was the prime minister, the head of all officials, so he naturally nodded slightly on behalf of everyone.
"Thank you."
It's not that he is arrogant, but he is not approachable either.
Given his status, he was too disdainful to show any attitude in front of a eunuch.
It’s the same even if the eunuch is the emperor’s man.
He simply made a gesture of invitation to Nan Cang, "Please come in, Your Excellency."
"Prime Minister Cui, please!"
Nan Cang smiled and raised his hand in response, but the look he gave Cui Cen was a half-smile.
It seemed as if he wanted to see how much aggrieved or ashamed Cui Cen was feeling at this moment.
He thought to himself, "I didn't expect the little emperor to be so quick-witted. This is a brilliant move, but this must have been Mr. Liu's idea..."
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