Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Just pester him once.
Chapter 2
After half a month of bumpy ride in the carriage, the group finally arrived at the ancestral home of the Cui family in Wudong.
Even though Su Li had obtained Cui Weng's approval for this trip, she had to keep a low profile because what she was going to do next was not decent enough and she was afraid of being criticized.
Mr. Cui wanted to leave a direct bloodline to the second house, so he turned a blind eye and allowed Su Li to get close to the eldest grandson. Therefore, he deliberately told others that Su Li was a distant relative visiting and placed her in the ancestral home.
Since he was a poor relative who was begging for money, the steward of the family knew what was going on and just opened the corner gate and sent a few servants and maids to welcome him.
Su Li lifted the bamboo green curtain of the carriage, her eyes moving as she looked around furtively.
The Cui family's ancestral home is majestic and tall, with houses lined up like a city.
The houses are all decorated with green tiles, red roofs, red pillars and carved rafters. Each of the green halls and tiled houses is extremely exquisite and magnificent.
Looking in from the corner gate, the private house has seven entrances and six exits, and one can even see private soldiers patrolling from time to time. It can be said that the fortifications are very strict.
Su Li knew that in the capital, the Cui family dared to openly raise private soldiers, which showed how powerful they were and that they were indeed the top family.
As the imperial power declined, the aristocratic families grew stronger and stronger. They were not afraid of the majesty of heaven and even dared to compete with the imperial power of the Heavenly Family and jointly rule the State of Wu.
No wonder the royal family wanted to use the legitimate princess to win over Cui Jue and consolidate the throne.
It would be fine if Cui Jue was an ordinary man. She would just have to pester him once and get pregnant, and then Su Li could retire.
The fear is that Cui Jue appears to be a modest gentleman who doesn't like women, but secretly he is a seasoned prostitute who has tasted all kinds of women, both sweet and foul. He doesn't find Su Li new and doesn't want to get close to her...
Su Li was unsure about the eldest son's character, nor did she know whether his reputation for integrity was true, so she felt a bit stuck for a while.
Su Li was reluctant to get off the carriage. The servants waiting at the corner door thought that this cousin was taking advantage of Qiao'er. They were impatient, but there was nothing they could do and they could only wait obediently.
Inside the car, Su Li ordered Qiu Gui to write a letter. "Tell my family I've lost my appetite and can't eat. I'm obsessed with my grandmother and have become incredibly thin and gaunt. If this continues, I'll be pale and emaciated in less than two weeks. My beauty will fade, and how can I accomplish anything?"
Qiu Gui understood, and she followed the young lady's instructions and did her best to be the Su family's informant.
The Su family treated Su Li as their own daughter, but they were very worried about her in their hearts.
Similarly, when Su Li entered the mansion at the age of seven, her stepmother Zhou sent Qiu Gui, who was of similar age, to act as a spy and inform Su Li, and placed her by her side.
In order to gain Su Li's trust, Qiu Gui pretended to feel sorry for the third girl and took the punishment for her master several times when Su Li made mistakes while learning calligraphy and memorizing when she was young.
Su Li grew up in the countryside and was slow at memorizing. He stumbled over things and couldn't write a complete essay, which caused Qiu Gui to get her hands beaten with a stick countless times, leaving her palms swollen from the teacher's ruler.
Qiu Gui suffered a lot, and Su Li felt sorry for her, so she finally stood up for her.
The little girl, with tears in her eyes, said to the master, "If you want to hit someone, hit me, don't bully the maid beside me."
Su Li was completely unruly and actually risked being beaten to save the maidservant beside her.
At this point, Zhou knew that Qiu Gui had won Su Li's trust and finally felt relieved.
However, after Su Li returned to the inner room, the young girl tiptoed to the table, spread out the bamboo slips, and wrote down the words in ink word by word.
That was the book that Su Li had made thousands of mistakes in.
Seeing Qiu Gui's dumbfounded expression, Su Li smiled and began to recite the new poems she had learned recently.
The voice is soft and the articulation is clear and fluent.
I can almost recite it by heart.
The Su Li in front of him was completely different from the little girl who was timid in front of the teacher before.
Qiu Gui trembled all over, and realized that Su Li was clever but not simple, and knew everything, so it was not easy to fool her.
Qiu Gui immediately knelt down and bit her lip.
It was a hot summer day, but Qiu Gui still felt cold all over.
Su Li didn't help her either.
The young girl's almond-shaped eyes were cold, and she smiled sweetly. She said to Qiu Gui, "If I want, I can make the same mistake a hundred times, and you will have to take the punishment for me a hundred times. Even if it doesn't hurt your bones, it will ruin your delicate hands. Although you are just a maid, you represent the face of the young lady of the Su family. If you are no longer useful, the lady will replace you with another maid..."
The implication was clear: even if Qiu Gui could be trusted by Zhou, what would it matter? As long as Su Li didn't want Qiu Gui to get close to her, she could destroy her at any time.
To Zhou, Qiu Gui was nothing more than a lowly ant.
Qiu Gui lowered her head and said, "Please give me some clear instructions, Madam San..."
Su Li then stood up and walked towards Qiu Gui: "I can spare your life, or I can give you some benefits through my fingers. But one thing is that you must not only be my wife's, but also mine."
Qiu Gui knew very well that Su Li was a smart young lady and she was going to rob her fellow thieves.
Su Li's only weakness is her grandmother in the countryside.
She needs Qiu Gui's help to pass on the information.
Only in this way would Su Li be willing to save Qiu Gui and prevent her from dying.
For a long time, Qiu Gui's attitude towards Su Li was both fearful and daunting.
Until Qiu Gui was entrusted with an important task by Zhou and followed Su Li to visit her grandmother.
Qiu Gui then realized that Su Li was actually just an ordinary girl who missed her family.
Su Li's cautious demeanor in the Su family disappeared. She showed an innocent smile, dressed in colorful clothes to entertain her parents, and made her grandmother happy with the little toys she brought.
Su Li personally went into the kitchen and cooked clear soup chicken noodles for her grandmother. She was concerned about her grandmother's bad teeth, so the pastries she bought were soft and delicious. She even asked Qiu Gui to sit down and eat with her.
Qiu Gui watched the two of them exchange pleasantries, watched Su Li share a vegetable pancake with her grandmother, and basked in the sun with her grandmother for a while, and she showed a satisfied expression...
She suddenly felt a little sad for Su Li.
Qiu Gui watched Su Li comb the elderly woman's hair with a peach wood comb over and over again, and listened to Su Li chattering to her grandmother.
"The Su family adopted me as their own daughter because they missed their own children. They thought I was the reincarnation of Su Youli, so of course they treated me well. You see, my childhood name is 'Su Li', and you've called me 'Li Li' since I was a child. The deceased Su family girl also had the same childhood name, 'Li Li'. Isn't that a coincidence? This is fate."
"I eat well, sleep well, and read a lot. My knowledge is definitely better than that of the old man in town who helps write letters home..."
"Although I can't run around the mountains and plains like before, the deep courtyards have greenhouses to grow exotic flowers and plants, which are no worse than the countryside..."
Su Li smiled and talked a lot with her grandmother.
For example, she has brothers and sisters in her family, and she is the third child, a child of the younger generation. The younger generation has always been the most favored, and she is the same.
Qiu Gui knew that Su Li was just an imposter no matter what. Her brothers and sisters hated her for replacing their third sister and never treated her well, as if being on good terms with Su Li meant betraying their sister who died young.
Su Li also said that the Su family was a wealthy family, they ate delicacies from land and sea and drank fine wine, and her stomach had never been treated unfairly.
But Qiu Gui knew that Su Li's identity was suspicious, and the Su family was guilty, so they would not let her participate in too many banquets.
Every time there was a family dinner or New Year's Day, she would be locked in the house by the steward to prevent her from running around, breaking the rules, and embarrassing herself.
Su Li only reported good news and not bad news. She said a lot and kept smiling.
"Grandmother, I'm getting married soon. My husband is from a wealthy family. I've heard he's incredibly talented and knowledgeable. As you know, wealthy families have many rules and regulations. I have to manage the household, so I won't be able to come visit you for a while."
"Take care of yourself. Eat more, drink more. If you need anything, tell the servants. Don't be too picky. It's not that little money that matters. When I come back, you can't get any thinner."
"Okay." Although my grandmother's eyesight was blurry due to her old age, she was not confused. She was stopped in this house and could not go anywhere, not even walk around the streets. Who knew what the Su family was planning.
The grandmother's only concern was her granddaughter. She held Su Li's hand tightly, her wrinkled eyes red and tears in her old eyes, "Li Li, live a good life."
"I will." Su Li hugged her grandmother and tried not to cry.
Hearing this, Qiu Gui couldn't help but feel soft in her heart. She realized that Su Li was actually just a poor person.
Her sharp fangs were forced to grow by the Su family.
Only in this way can Su Li protect her loved ones, she has no other choice.
From then on, Qiu Gui treated Su Li with more sincerity.
Sincerity in return for sincerity, Su Li accepted her feelings, and the two girls sympathized with each other in the difficult times. This kind of friendship had long surpassed the relationship between master and servant.
…
Qiu Gui finished writing the letter and handed it to Su Li for review. "If it's correct, can you find an officer to send it back to the Su family?"
Su Li nodded: "You do it."
Qiu Gui glanced at Su Li and couldn't help but say, "If, if the girl can really win the heart of the eldest master, why not just follow the eldest son of the Cui family."
Qiu Gui explained quietly, "The eldest son loves this girl dearly. With his influence, he'll definitely be able to help her escape... After all, you and the second son haven't even spent your wedding night together, and you're still a virgin. With a little trick, you can leave the Cui family in Lanhe."
Qiu Gui hopes that Su Li can live a good life.
After all, the original marriage to the second son, Cui Ming, was intended to bring good luck to the terminally ill Cui Ming. The wedding was hastily held, without even sending out the wedding invitations, and the bride was hurriedly carried into the house, and in the end, even the heaven and earth were not worshipped.
If Su Li was really the legitimate daughter of the Su family, her parents would have found a way to get her out of the dangerous trap of the Cui family's second branch long ago.
Unfortunately, Su Li was not like that. No one pitied her or loved her. Even after Cui Ming's death, she was forced to come to Jianye and do some dirty things that were not presentable.
Su Li had no such plans.
What she wanted was not wealth and glory, she just hoped that the Su family would follow her wishes and send her grandmother to Jianye.
In this way, Su Li can find a chance to escape.
After Su Li had sex with Cui Jue and became pregnant, Su Li could pretend that the fetus was unstable and that she did not want to suffer the pain of riding in a carriage. She begged her mother-in-law to allow her to delay for a few months before returning to her home in Lanhe County.
The second wife of the Cui family hopes that Su Li takes care of her health, so she will allow her to stay away from home for a while to take care of her pregnancy.
When Su Li goes to the countryside for recuperation, that will be the day she takes her grandmother away... She will take the opportunity to leave the Su family, hide far away, and not let anyone find her and her grandma.
Su Li will eventually fly out of those high walls, return to the countryside, and become an inconspicuous sparrow again.
She would never be caged again.
-
Outside the capital, a team of light cavalry wearing shimmering armor galloped along the way.
The leader was none other than General Chen Heng, who was accompanying the army to pacify the northern Hu people.
When he reached the carriage, Chen Heng whipped the wheel with his whip, forcing the carriage to slow down.
When the carriage slowed down, Chen Heng abandoned his horse and jumped into the carriage.
With a clang.
There was suddenly one more person in the carriage, and the whole carriage was shaking under Chen Heng's weight.
The jade tassels holding down the curtains were also tottering.
Chen Heng showed no apology at all. He lifted the car curtain and barged in.
The reed green curtain was opened, and a ray of morning light filled the carriage.
A spot of light like the belly of a silver fish shone in, and the brilliant light overflowed, causing the man kneeling in the car to close his eyes slightly and frown in displeasure.
Chen Heng was so angry that he cursed: "Cui Lanju! You lunatic!"
Lanju is Cui Jue's courtesy name, and only close friends and relatives can call him by that name.
The carriage stopped.
The warm lights and shadows also stopped shaking.
The long wind from the mountains blew into the inner room, blowing Cui Jue's pine frost green long-sleeved gown, and the clear fragrance of orchids spread.
Cui Jue closed his eyes to rest, but became annoyed by the noise. Finally, he looked up and gave a pair of cold eyes like a lonely moon.
"What's the matter?" Although Cui Jue was handsome and gentle, his voice was silent. The man's cold and murderous aura instantly filled the car, making people shudder.
Hearing Cui Jue's cold voice, Chen Heng's arrogance was half extinguished.
He gritted his teeth, strode in, and sat cross-legged in front of Cui Jue.
"The Tasa tribe is willing to negotiate peace and exchange trade with the Wu Kingdom on the border for mutual benefit. It should be a great achievement for us to quell the conflict in the border city. You should know that the first tribe in the Northwest Snow Region is willing to surrender. It is only a matter of time before we can conquer the other tribes in the north."
"And yet, at this very moment, you, in a fit of rage, beheaded the old Khan and supported his nephew to ascend the throne?! To create such complications, are you crazy, or am I?!"
Upon hearing this, Cui Jue remained silent for a moment.
After a long pause, he pulled a scroll from a pile of scrolls and memorials, resting his palm on his slender fingers. "With peace talks imminent, Yichi Khan has allowed his followers to stir up trouble, allowing them to trespass into border towns and abduct Wu women to his tent for rape. If we remain at the frontier, we will be unable to protect the people. If further conflict breaks out, we will lose the people's hearts and disrupt the country."
After Cui Jue finished speaking, Chen Heng came back to his senses.
This war was originally provoked by the Tasa tribe.
If Cui Jue had not encouraged the people in the border towns to plant mulberry trees and raise horses, and to relocate people to the border to make preparations in the past few years, I am afraid that this battle would not have been able to successfully defeat the Tasa tribe.
Ichi Khan was not sincere in his peace talks. He admitted defeat because he was unable to defeat the enemy... The two countries agreed to have peaceful exchanges, but then he turned around and did not treat the Wu women as human beings, causing panic among the people at the pass.
Although Cui Jue's killing was reckless, it was a clever trick to "kill the chicken to scare the monkey."
In this way, the old Khan's nephew would inevitably submit to the Wu Kingdom in order to secure his position as Khan. For at least a few years, he would need the Wu Kingdom's military support to intimidate the former Khan's warriors and help him gain a firm foothold in the tribe.
In this way, both sides have enough time to recuperate. Even if the Northern Di break the alliance and fight again in the future, it will be enough for the people of Wu to live in peace for a period of time.
Cui Jue always has a plan in mind.
Chen Heng was convinced. He snorted coldly, "Since you already have a plan, why don't you tell me?"
"You're too noisy."
Cui Jue paused, then said calmly, "Tomorrow when you see the emperor, tell him that I was attacked and seriously injured, and am bedridden for two days to recover. I will then come before him to apologize."
Of course Chen Heng knew that Emperor Xuanning relied heavily on the aristocratic families, so how could he be willing to punish Cui Jue?
Cui Jue was simply looking for an excuse to silence the court officials.
Cui Jue wanted to make Yi Chi's death a drunken brawl, so that he could explain his mistake of "drawing his sword to protect himself at the critical moment of life and death and accidentally killing someone."
This cunning fox!
Chen Heng was speechless. He'd vented his anger for nothing, but he didn't want to make things easy for Cui Jue. Before jumping out of the car, he could only jokingly say, "If you're pretending to be sick at home, remember to act convincingly. Otherwise, Princess Chonghua might find out you're seriously injured and come to the Cui household to visit, only to discover you're so audacious you dared to deceive the emperor... Tsk tsk, you'll be in danger of the Emperor's wrath. To please him, you'll have no choice but to marry the princess!"
Cui Jue glanced at him coldly, his eyes as sharp as a knife.
Before Chen Heng was cut into pieces by Cui Jue, the young general decisively jumped out of the car and fled.
He is not stupid. If he stays any longer, he will probably get beaten.
After Chen Heng left, Cui Jue put down the letter in his hand and was speechless for a moment.
The handsome young man lowered his brows in thought, his well-defined knuckles tapping lightly on the table...
He never cared about women, and even in Shuyue Pavilion where he lived, there were no maids to serve him.
Princess Chonghua Li Muyao just keeps clinging to him again and again, which is a bit annoying.
Cui Jue paused with his fingertips, his face darkening.
Never mind, she's just a woman, why bother trying to drive her away, just stay away from her.
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