Chapter 8 Chapter 8 The eldest son breaks the rules
Chapter 8
Nanshan is not a barren mountain with few people.
During the turbulent times, some poor families could not find work in towns and villages, and instead of starving to death with their families, they chose to take their families and go into the mountains to make a living.
In the mountains, they sow in spring, hunt in summer, make furs in autumn, and dry bacon in winter. They have enough food and clothing to support their entire family.
All hunting matters of the royal family were under the full responsibility of Cui Jue, the Minister of the Left.
In order to protect Emperor Xuanning, Cui Jue not only had to send the inner court guards into the mountains to clear the area in advance, but also to guard against the sudden appearance of birds of prey and wild beasts to attack the nobles.
A sum of money should also be allocated from the granary to the officials of the Taichang Temple. They should be instructed to give generous compensation to the poor families living in Nanshan, temporarily moving them out of the mountains for a few days. This would prevent the common people from saying or doing anything unruly and causing trouble for the nobles who were hunting in Nanshan, thus bringing disaster upon themselves.
However, even such a simple matter went wrong.
In order to enrich themselves, the officials of the Taichang Temple not only withheld the pension that should have been distributed to the people, but also sent private soldiers armed with guns to drive out the poor families in the mountains with violent means.
Anyway, Cui Jue just wanted to drive people away, and as long as his goal was achieved, it would be fine.
The people were homeless, lacking food and clothing, and the hunting grounds were heavily guarded. They couldn't even go home to get some hunting equipment. They were so worried that they didn't know what to say.
Seeing that several elderly people had even finished their medical treatment, the people had no choice but to gather in groups again and go to the foot of Nanshan Mountain, begging the officials to give them a way out.
The corruption scandal was exposed, alarming even Cui Jue. To protect his subordinates, the Minister of Rites pointed at the rural rabble and lied, "What nonsense! That money was already in your hands... You must be lazy and lazy, so you've become greedy after receiving this unexpected fortune. You've spent it all and are now looking to provoke the officials! Come, kick these untouchables out! Anyone who dares to disturb the emperor again will be punished for treason and beheaded in public!"
The Minister of Rites was eloquent and his few words were like a killing stick, which made a group of common people dare not speak out.
Everyone looked at each other, holding their breath and closing their eyes, not daring to speak.
Only a skinny boy clenched his fists and walked forward angrily.
The young man was weak and alone, and he knew he was no match for the police.
He looked around at the arrogant children of wealthy families riding tall horses, and knew that these people did not care about the lives of common people, and he felt dejected for a moment.
However, the moment he turned around, he saw a young lady with a worried look on her face. She seemed to want to talk to him, but she didn't dare to approach him rashly.
The young man was desperate. He took two quick steps and knelt before the girl. "Please, my grandmother, please save her life. She hasn't had any medicine in three days and is dying. I just want to go home and get some medicine. I won't bother you guys hunting. Please help me."
The boy's parents both died, and he only had his grandmother to depend on.
On the day when the Taichang Temple sent troops to drive away the people, he was at the market exchanging animal skins for food, hoping to exchange them for a few eggs and a bag of black cane sugar for his grandmother's health.
The boy didn't know what was happening at home and failed to protect his grandmother in time.
When they got home, Nanshan was heavily guarded and the two of them were kicked out of the house.
The boy could not return home, and he had no money to buy herbs from the pharmacy, so he could only take his grandmother to a remote old temple to stay temporarily.
My grandmother was frail and couldn't stand the cold. Even though the young man went fishing in the river and picked wild vegetables in the mountains, trying his best to take care of her, she still fell ill...
He was left with nowhere else to go and could only humbly beg these ladies and gentlemen from the noble families, asking them to show mercy and save his grandmother's life.
Su Li didn't say anything. She looked carefully at the skinny boy in front of her.
He looked to be no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, with extremely immature eyes and eyebrows. His shirt was made of coarse cloth, which had been starched for many years and even had a few tears in it. His skinny chest and ribs with distinct bones were faintly visible... This was the physical condition that only hungry people who had not had enough food for years would have.
Su Li knew he was not lying.
But Su Li did not forget the purpose of her coming to Jianye. She wanted to please Cui Jue, help him do good things, and then run away with her family.
She didn't want to cause trouble and go against the powerful families.
However, Su Li raised her head and looked around... She discovered that even though the matter had become a big deal, the group of arrogant young men from Wuling were still sitting high on their horses. Facing the condemnation of the people who had lost their power, they were unwilling to even get off their horses. They were so arrogant and regarded the common people as untouchable slaves.
Some ladies from wealthy families who heard the news came and saw the poor young man asking Su Li for help. They actually gloated and watched the show. They covered their lips and laughed softly, with mocking expressions on their faces.
Everyone was whispering loudly, deliberately saying things to Su Li. Look, there are so many dignitaries here, and this poor kid isn't asking anyone for anything but Su Li. Isn't it because she comes from a humble background, and the air of poverty and poverty is so strong that even the untouchables see her as one of their own? Don't play with Su Li anymore! Others will think she's broke too!
Su Li felt a sudden surge of anger in her heart.
Because she knew that she was indeed one of these low-class poor people, a counterfeit who had usurped the throne, and she was born inferior to the nobility...
Su Li did not let her anger cloud her mind. She hated the aristocratic family, but she still had to smile gently on her face.
Su Li took out a money bag from her body and handed some silver to the young man: "Okay, the illness will get worse the longer you delay, go get some medicine for your grandmother first!"
She couldn't let the young man go home to get medicine, because that would mean he would break through the heavy defenses, enter the hunting grounds, and openly oppose the Minister of Rites.
Su Li was just a young lady from an aristocratic family, so how could she dare to challenge the dignitaries? She could solve the urgent problems of young people, but she would not put herself in danger.
Su Li helped a poor family in public and was ridiculed by the children of wealthy families, but she did not take it to heart. She thought it was the greatest kindness she could give to the young people.
There is no more.
The young man stared at the money in his hand, his eyes reddened. He knelt down and kowtowed, saying to Su Li, "My lady, my name is Lin Yin... I will repay you for the medicine you gave me today, someday, by going through fire and water."
Su Li smiled and nodded without saying anything more.
The most reckless and shabby young man was sent away by Su Li, and the remaining poor people were no match for him. The imperial guards who arrived attacked them with swords and sticks, and they all knelt on the ground begging for mercy and scattered like birds and beasts.
After Cui Jue finished watching this farce, the chaotic situation was suppressed by the Minister of Rites.
Chen Heng, who was accompanying him, breathed a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, there was no big scene, otherwise His Majesty would have found another excuse to punish the aristocratic family."
Who made the Minister of Rites Fan Huaide so bold as to allow his officials to make money in such a crucial national affair?
But Cui Jue did not respond to his friend's words. The man looked solemn, with a pair of sword-like eyebrows slanting into his temples, and his eyes were cold and sharp, and he was slightly angry.
Seeing his expression change, Chen Heng was shocked by a thought: "Lan Ju, you don't want to investigate this matter thoroughly, do you? Don't be foolish. This is a time of great trouble. It's better to keep quiet. Besides, there have been rumors among the aristocratic families that the Cui family is siding with the imperial power. If you take action against the Fan family, won't you confirm the rumors of suppressing the aristocratic families? Don't blame me for not warning you. If you continue like this, your Cui family will be at the forefront of the storm, and you will really have no choice but to marry the princess!"
Cui Jue raised his eyes slightly and said in a cold voice: "The Cui family is solely responsible for the hunting ceremony. The Fan family is so greedy and has fallen into my hands, so I must give them a little punishment."
Chen Heng understood that Fan Huaide had to compete with Cui Jue because he could pick on anyone else.
If the Cui family did not use drastic measures this time to suppress this group of careless noble families, it is possible that other powerful families would think that Cui Jue was young and timid and could not support a prominent family, and would secretly make trouble for him again.
Once you show weakness, you will be in trouble later.
It would be better to deal a heavy blow at once and teach the old guys a lesson.
Chen Heng did not stop him. He was amazed in his heart, thinking that Cui Jue was really smart... No wonder he could climb to the position of prime minister.
When returning to the tent, Cui Jue took a sip of tea, took out the memorial impeaching the Fan family for being corrupt and harmful to the people, and wrote down a few names.
Cui Jue did intend to deal with the Fan family, but according to his original plan, he should have waited several months before taking action...
The action taken today is to stand up for the common people. If it is too ostentatious, it will easily cause dissatisfaction among the nobles and also make the aristocratic families feel disheartened.
Cui Jue lowered his long eyelashes.
He shouldn't be so reckless.
However, the scene he had seen before suddenly appeared in his mind.
As a lady from a noble family, Su Li was pleaded with by a pale and skinny young man in public.
The young man took a gamble and knelt in front of Su Li, begging her to help and save his grandmother's life.
An ordinary young lady would have been frightened out of her wits and would have run away in embarrassment if she had encountered such a scene and been surrounded and ridiculed by so many children from wealthy families.
But Su Li remained indifferent.
She still stood with dignity, her shoulders and back straight, like a tough green bamboo.
She didn't feel ashamed of interacting with the poor.
Cui Jue is not a heartless person. He knows very well that Su Li is a distant relative of the Cui family. As the patriarch of the clan, he should protect his family.
Therefore, when Su Li smiled at him, he did not avoid the young lady's sincere gaze, but instead looked back at her with a clear gaze.
He stared at Su Li, waiting for his naughty and cunning cousin to call for help in public... In this way, Cui Jue could take over the case and give an explanation to the common people in order to protect his distant relatives.
But Su Li just rolled her round almond eyes and said nothing.
The little girl had a frivolous look in her eyes and a cunning smile, like a little fox.
Su Li used her own method to solve the urgent problem.
She did not beg Cui Jue for help.
Her eyes were still bright and kind, without any redness, and she did not think it was shameful to be harassed by poor people.
Cui Jue failed to guess Su Li's thoughts, and his solemn and dignified face was instantly covered with a layer of coldness...
Cui Jue pursed his thin lips slightly.
He misjudged the situation.
He didn't like the feeling of being out of control.
However, all this was thanks to Su Li.
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Su Li knew very little about the affairs of the royal family, but the last time she tried to help the common people, it was indeed eye-catching.
So, Su Li deliberately kept a low profile these days, not even riding a horse, and stayed in the tent all day long.
When Cui Shunying occasionally went out to play, she would hear others talking about Su Li in private. Those drinking buddies even wanted to force Cui Shunying to stay away from Su Li, so as not to be implicated by the noble ladies and be described as shabby.
Cui Shunying didn't respond. She suddenly exploded, sneered, and threw down her whip. "Don't forget, no matter how humble the Su family is, we are still relatives of the Cui family in Lanhe. It was our grandfather who arranged this marriage. If you don't like cousin Su, I won't mind if you say it in private. But if you gossip about it in front of me, do you think you're going to give up our friendship?"
Cui Shunying rarely got angry. She had a cold face and rode away on horseback, not even going on the night hunt.
Pei Jing, the eldest daughter of the Longzuo Pei family, curled her lips upon seeing this. If the Cui family's eldest branch hadn't been so destitute and Cui Shunying hadn't been a concubine's daughter, Pei Jing wouldn't have been willing to take Cui Shunying out to play! What gave her the confidence to act so arrogant? Did she really think she had crawled out of her legitimate mother's womb and was a sibling to Cui Jue?
Cui Shunying returned to Su Li's tent angrily. Without waiting for Su Li to greet her, she sat down and gulped down two bowls of water.
"Who offended our fourth sister?" Su Li had just received a letter from Lanhe County today. Before she had time to open it, Cui Shunying came.
Cui Shunying waved her hand and said nothing. She only yawned and said, "I've been hunting at night every day recently. I'm tired. I'll stay with Sister Su in the tent to recuperate for a few days."
"Okay." Su Li wanted it more than ever.
When Su Li handed a bowl of sweetened red beans and goat milk to Cui Shunying, Cui Shunying calmed down and casually recalled what happened before...
She actually had no intention of standing up for Su Li.
He got so angry on the spot just because he thought of his mother, Xu.
Concubine Xu also came from a humble family. Usually, at banquets held by aristocratic families, no one would think of inviting a lowly concubine.
And she is Xu's biological daughter.
If Cui Jue had not treated his brothers and sisters equally and treated his half-sisters kindly, and if Cui Shunying had not been loved by Mr. Cui, those legitimate daughters of aristocratic families would have looked down on her, a young lady born from a concubine.
Cui Shunying knew it very well.
The ravine at the gate is as wide as the Milky Way, and it is impossible to cross it, as difficult as climbing to the sky.
She was only able to gain a favorable impression because of Cui Jue's help.
This is also why Cui Shunying hopes that Cui Jue can be like the bright moon hanging high in the sky, protecting the glory of the Cui family for a long time...
Cui Shunying sat in Su Li's tent for an hour, was stunned for a while, and then went back to rest.
At night, Su Li lit a thousand copper lamps and opened the letter to read.
One letter was from Su Li's stepmother, Zhou, saying that Su Li's grandmother was on her way to Jianye, but the distance between the two places was far, and out of consideration for the old lady's health, the guards would take a month to arrive.
Su Li understood that Zhou was warning her. If she failed to accomplish her mission and bring a bright future to the Su family, her grandmother might fall ill on the way or encounter bandits and would never reach the capital.
The other letter was sent by her mother-in-law, the Second Lady. The Second Lady did not know that the real Su family's legitimate daughter, Su Youli, had died, and that the Su Li in front of her was an imposter.
She had high hopes for Su Li, hoping that her daughter-in-law could get married as soon as possible, and by the way, she heard some rumors about "Princess Cui Jue's marriage".
With the rise of imperial power, the aristocratic families dared not openly compete with the royal family. The Cui family might actually marry into the Li Dynasty. It was said that Princess Chonghua was jealous and could not tolerate any injustice. That was why Cui Jue didn't even have a maidservant to serve him personally...
The Second Lady hoped that Su Li could act as soon as possible and get pregnant before Cui Jue was chosen as the son-in-law by Emperor Xuan Ning, so as not to offend the princess.
If Su Li is shy and doesn't know how to act, she can also send an experienced housekeeper to give her guidance.
Su Li understood that the Second Madam was at her wit's end, forcing her to resort to any means necessary to seduce Cui Jue...
Su Li knew very well that if another spy from the Second Madam showed up, her escape plan would become even more difficult, and she absolutely could not let the Second Madam worry.
So, Su Li wrote back a letter, advising her mother-in-law to be at ease and say that everything was under control.
But she tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. As soon as she closed her eyes, she saw Cui Jue's cold eyebrows, his attitude that kept people at a distance, and his barely perceptible contemptuous smile... Cui Jue didn't like her, and could even be said to hate her.
Su Li was discouraged. She didn't know how to seduce the heartless and lustful eldest prince to break his vow.
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