Deng Cunli took office immediately and served as the Minister of Craftsmanship of the Ministry of Rites.
Liu Zhao appointed an elder from the royal family who believed in harmony in everything, had no special skills, and was a little hard of hearing to serve as the Shaofu Household Order.
This outrageous move left everyone stunned.
The court officials were happy to watch the show and said nothing.
The royal family was discussing the matter privately, and there was a lot of gossip.
"Why not just give the Shaofu directly to the Empress?"
"Your Majesty is also confused. The Queen clearly wants Deng Cunli, a eunuch, to take charge of the situation. What right does he have to do that?
"Even if a eunuch were to take charge, it should be Eunuch Lin or Eunuch Qian, who are close to Your Majesty. Deng Cunli, everyone knows he's the Empress's man. If he were to take charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Finance, it would be like the Empress using him to interfere in the Ministry of Finance. Tomorrow, should the Ministry of Finance change its surname to Gu?"
"Perhaps in a few years, the position of Shaofu Wang will be held by someone surnamed Gu. We surnamed Liu are nothing. Haven't you seen that His Majesty always gives in to the Empress? Who dares to say anything against the Empress?"
"You are all full of complaints, what a shame! Who told you not to strive for excellence? If you were capable, His Majesty would have appointed you as the Shaofu Household Supervisor. If you really don't want to accept it, then work hard. If you can't do it yourself, then train your sons. The Shaofu is always a member of the royal family, and no one can take it away."
"In the past, no one could have snatched the Shaofu away. Now, it's hard to say."
"Stop being so sarcastic. You are deliberately trying to sow discord between the Emperor and the Empress. I am warning you that your words and actions are very dangerous. If His Majesty investigates, beware of losing your head."
"But……"
"No buts. Ask yourselves, has the Empress shown any extra care to the Gu family? Has she treated the Liu family harshly and given preferential treatment to the Gu family? Has the Gu family ever taken advantage of the Liu family? No! Then shut up, old man, and stop causing trouble for the clan."
"Just because there isn't one now doesn't mean there won't be one in the future."
"The future is the future, don't talk about the future."
"Uncle San, why doesn't His Majesty let you be the Shaofu Housekeeper? You are obviously more suitable to be the Shaofu Housekeeper than the fool next door."
"Your Majesty has a reason for appointing someone from the next room as the Shaofu Household Supervisor."
"There's no reason for that. It's just that they think Third Uncle was too close to the Xue family and Prince Zhao. The fact that the Jinwu Guards didn't touch Third Uncle proves he's innocent."
"Shut up! No one will think you're dumb if you don't speak."
Even though more than ten years have passed since what happened, it doesn’t mean we can bring it up casually.
The Third Uncle as people called him naturally knew that the reason why His Majesty did not use him was not just because he was close to the Xue family and King Zhao.
It's also because he has some shady industries and things behind him that are not allowed to be seen in the light.
This is how the royal family is. There are many things they can do but cannot say. The palace turns a blind eye to them, and the Jinwu Guards are too lazy to care about them.
Only when the emperor gave the order would the Jinwu Guards arrest a few typical people to serve as a warning to others.
The Jinwu Guards prefer to target high-ranking officials rather than royal family members who make money through illegal means.
…
Huang Qubing took a carriage to Wenqing Bookstore.
When he saw Cui Qi, he couldn't help feeling guilty, embarrassed and ashamed.
"I'm sorry, Boss Cui! I'm willing to help you, as long as I can get back to my old job. But the Queen has other ideas."
Cui Qi will officially step down as the general manager of Wenqing Bookstore today. He is very calm when facing Huang Qubing.
"You haven't wronged me. I took over Wenqing Bookstore from you, and now it's like returning it to its rightful owner. I hope I've done a good job over the past few years that has satisfied everyone and not tarnished the reputation of Wenqing Bookstore. And the Empress has arranged another assignment for me."
"What's the mission? Can you tell me a little bit?" Huang Qubing was very curious.
Cui Qi smiled, his eyes curved, and it was obvious that he was very satisfied with his new job.
"Your Majesty has sought my opinion, and I plan to go to Jiangling Prefecture to set up an academy."
"Organizing a college? Boss Cui has been promoted!" Huang Qubing was sincerely happy for Cui Qi.
If the academy is successfully established, it will be a great achievement.
Running a college is both noble and respectable.
The Cui family has developed from a noble family to a civil official family, which is a rhythm of whitewashing.
Back then, because of Queen Cui Ruizhen, the Cui family was deprived of their hereditary title of Duke and demoted to a marquisate with the death penalty after five generations. Everyone thought that the Cui family was doomed.
Who would have thought that the old fellow, the Marquis of Zhenguo, had no ability to lead troops in battle, but was extremely good at currying favor with powerful people.
He decisively clung to the Queen's thigh and recommended Cui Qi to her.
Now, with the help of Cui Qi, the Cui family has a chance to clear their name.
With careful management for another 10 to 20 years, the Cui family will be able to rise again and become one of the top families in Beijing.
Cui Qi smiled broadly, "It's okay, it's okay. My family also supports me going to Jiangling Prefecture to set up the academy. I will bring a few of my nephews and nieces to Jiangling Prefecture."
Huang Qubing said repeatedly: "Congratulations, Boss Cui. Congratulations, Boss Cui. This is a great thing. Boss Cui is going to treat us."
"Here's an invitation! My family is hosting a banquet in our mansion in three days. Brother Huang must come."
"Don't worry, Brother Cui, I will be there on time."
After the two exchanged greetings, they began the handover.
These were all familiar tasks and the handover was completed quickly.
As soon as Cui Qi left, Huang Qubing sighed repeatedly, "Cui Qi is so lucky! He makes me want to open a college."
"Does the young master have that ability?"
Samsoon, who used to be a servant and is now the manager of "Da Zhou Life Show", started to complain about Huang Qubing.
Huang Qubing particularly disliked him, "Get out of here!"
Samsoon chuckled, "Boss Cui is a man of real talent. He's good at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as the Four Books and Five Classics. As for the young master, he's just eating, drinking, and having fun. It's okay for him to hire someone to write a book."
Huang Qubing looked upset, "Am I really that bad compared to Cui Qi?"
"Sir, have you forgotten that before Boss Cui came to Wenqing Bookstore, he was a teacher at Shanhe Academy, teaching students seriously. The Empress asked Boss Cui to go to Jiangling to run an academy. This is called making the best use of one's talents. It's useless for you to be jealous, because you don't have that ability."
What nonsense are you talking about.
Sanshun's words hit Huang Qubing hard.
But his emotions came and went quickly.
He is a very open-minded and free-spirited person.
He sighed, "Even if I were to run an academy, I wouldn't be able to do it. The Empress is so good at selecting and appointing people to positions, and I sincerely admire her. However, there were so many candidates for Shanhe Academy, and the Empress chose Cui Qi. On the one hand, it was to compensate him, but more importantly, I think the Empress intended to use the Cui family."
Samsoon didn't understand and asked, "What do you want to do with the Choi family?"
"Compared to other noble families, the Cui family, having suffered a heavy blow, is easier to use. Furthermore, the Cui family's influence is still there. As long as they are given a chance, they will be able to get back on their feet."
Sanshun shook his head, indicating that he didn't understand.
Huang Qubing was too lazy to waste time talking to him. "Just pretend you didn't hear what I said. Three days later, come with me to the Cui family to offer congratulations."
"Is it appropriate for you to take me with you, sir?"
"Why not? Don't worry."
…
The news that Cui Qi was going to Jiangling Prefecture to set up a school spread like wildfire, and in a short time everyone who should know knew about it.
Regardless of how Shanhe Academy and the Imperial College reacted, the noble class was in uproar.
The Gu family of Pingnan Hou.
Marquis Gu Zhiwen was sitting in Songhe Hall, talking with old lady Wei.
"I really don't understand what the Queen is doing. If the Queen wants to use nobles, it should be our Gu family, not the Cui family!"
"As soon as I left the house, everyone asked me for news. How would I know? I'm completely confused and don't understand the Queen's intentions at all."
"Mom, please talk."
Old Madam Wei opened her cloudy eyes and said, "You are so ungrateful!"
Marquis Gu Zhiwen was speechless and very embarrassed.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "My son is also thinking about the family. The whole clan is counting on the Empress to make further progress. It's already the second year of Jingming, and apart from the title of Earl of Chengping bestowed upon Gu Ting, there has been no further news from our Gu family. I think the Empress values the royal family more than the Gu family. But the Gu family is her natal family, her arm!"
"The Empress's support has never been the Gu family. She has come to this point today without even relying on the Gu family once."
Old Madam Wei's words were heartbreaking, but they were also the truth.
Marquis Gu Zhiwen frowned.
Madam Wei continued, "The Empress's support is the Four Seas, the World, Wenqing Bookstore, and the talents she has personally cultivated. Apart from Gu Yu, there is no such thing as the Gu family."
"But the Gu family has never been a drag over the years, and has even earned a lot of face for the Empress. For example, when Gu Rui and his men were fighting in the northwest, everyone would praise the Gu family's sons and daughters."
Lord Gu Zhiwen was always a little unwilling.
Old Madam Wei took a deep breath and said, "Don't complain. The Queen had her own reasons for letting Cui Qi run the academy in Jiangling Prefecture."
"What's the intention?" Marquis Gu Zhiwen asked anxiously, "Why the Cui family? Everyone is saying that the Empress is planning to use the Cui family. But what merits and abilities do the Cui family have to deserve the Empress's support? I'm not jealous of the Cui family, I just don't understand."
Old Madam Wei frowned, "Has Gu Yu been in Jiangling Mansion for ten years?"
"Less than ten years."
"I remember that Su Zheng of the Su family is also in Jiangling Mansion?"
"Exactly!"
Madam Wei raised her teacup and said, "Ten years have passed since the first batch of Jinshi from Shanhe Academy. They are almost all seasoned now. It seems the court is going to have a new batch of fresh faces."
Lord Gu Zhiwen shuddered all over and reacted.
He lowered his voice and asked, "Gu Yu and the others are about to return to the capital? He is only a juren, so he can't enter the court, right?"
Old Madam Wei said softly, "Whether Gu Yu enters the court or not is unimportant. What's important is that the Empress sent Cui Qi to Jiangling at this time. It's obvious that she wants to shake up Jiangling Prefecture. If Jiangling moves, the capital will naturally move as well. I heard that Jiangling Prefecture has developed very well in recent years and has become a land of fish and rice comparable to the Jiangnan region."
"That's a rumor, but my son hasn't seen it with his own eyes. As for what Jiangling Prefecture looks like now, it's all just hearsay. The river from Jiangnan to Jiangling Prefecture has been dredged, and the official roads from Jiangling Prefecture to the south and west have been paved with cement. It's said that goods from the south going to the northwest now go directly through Jiangling instead of going through Jiangnan, saving a lot of distance."
Madam Wei nodded, "That's right. The Empress is playing a game of chess. You and I are both pieces on the board. We must not move rashly."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
