Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Jinjiang First Release
Chapter 94
Su Li slept very deeply.
In the past, in the courtyard, Su Li could hear the crackling sound of fire coming from the kitchen as soon as it was dawn. Mrs. Hu went to the next door to get four freshly fried dough sticks, and then steamed the steamed buns made with old dough last night in the pot.
When Yuan Ge'er is woken up, he will run over in his slippers and knock on Su Li's door...
Today Su Li slept in Cui Jue's bedroom. No one dared to disturb her. The room was unusually quiet.
Su Li was sleepy and tired, and fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up, it was already one quarter past four.
The brilliant sunlight shines into the house, casting hazy shadows of flowers on the ground.
Su Li listened to the noisy birdsong outside the house and thought it was a good day.
The servants in the fort were all palace maids and eunuchs brought from the Jianye Imperial City. They were very smart and alert, and they could hear the movements in the house from a distance and quickly signaled to the eunuch Yang Da.
Not long after, the bedroom door was opened, and palace maids carrying basins, towels, combs, incense burners, and gorgeous clothes and jewelry came in one after another, trying to help Su Li change her clothes.
Su Li didn't like being served by others and refused them all. She only allowed Yang Da to help prepare hot water for her bath.
Last night, Cui Jue carried her back to the fort for medical consultation and only wiped her body hastily with a towel with clean water.
Unfortunately, Su Li was too sleepy and tired at night, so she didn't even wash herself and just lay down to sleep.
Today, when she soaked in the bathtub, Su Li realized how relaxed her body and mind felt after washing away the snowy dirt left by Cui Jue.
Su Li changed into a bellyband and underwear, but still wore the plain summer shirt she brought from home.
Su Li came in a hurry and did not bring any disguise items, so she could only ask Yang Da for a Muli gauze hat. She planned to use those tricks to cover up her appearance slowly after returning home.
Just as Su Li was about to leave the dock, Yang Da brought her a bowl of steaming sour soup dumplings and asked her to taste it.
Su Li was stunned and looked at Yang Da.
Yang Da knelt on the ground and gave Su Li a flattering smile: "Your Majesty ordered me to prepare this before he went to court. Please try it and see if it has any of the craftsmanship of Mrs. Rongguo in the past."
Su Li thought for a while before she remembered that her grandmother had been conferred the title of First-Rank Lady of Rongguo by Cui Jue.
But...why would Yang Da tell her about his grandmother? Logically, no one should know her identity, right?
Su Li glanced at Yang Da suspiciously: "Why did the eunuch mention Mrs. Rong?"
"You are Madam Li, and I understand. Don't worry, I wouldn't dare to tell anyone about such a private matter even if I had ten times the courage." Yang Da smiled flatteringly and pinched his fingertips. "It was only after Her Royal Highness the Princess let me know some clues... that I finally understood."
How could a woman be born so similar to the late Empress Su?
Seeing that the emperor looked like he wanted to eat people last night, and he personally carried Sanniang to the couch and took good care of her, no matter how stupid Yang Da was, he should have understood that Empress Su was alive!
Yang Da had witnessed the three years of gloomy days that Cui Jue, a widower, had spent, so he naturally knew how deep the emperor's love was. If he could get on Su Li's good side, wouldn't he be able to rise to prominence?
Last night, Yang Da was so happy that he almost cried. He first did a set of boxing exercises on the couch, and then got up at night and kowtowed more than ten times towards the east and west halls, expressing his gratitude to the gods and Buddhas for their protection, which gave him such a great opportunity.
"Your Highness the Princess really loves to gossip..." Su Li was helpless, but she did not mean to blame Cui Shunying. She had already let it go and was not afraid of others knowing her identity.
Su Li brought the dumplings, split them in half with a spoon, blew them to cool them down, and then fed them to her mouth.
The dumplings have thin skin and large fillings, and are cooked thoroughly. When you bite into them, the fillings mixed with jelly burst out with fresh and fragrant gravy, and paired with the crispy bone broth that has been simmered overnight, it is very delicious.
Su Li understood that the imperial chef must have taken it to heart.
She didn't act pretentiously and ate more than a dozen dumplings in one go, almost to the point where her belly was slightly bloated and round.
Su Li was satisfied. After rinsing her mouth, she drank a cup of tea.
Until he left the house, Yang Da was still kneeling on the ground, staring at Su Li, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
Su Li asked in surprise, "Eunuch Yang, do you have something to say? Why are you kneeling all the time? Please stand up!"
Yang Da hurriedly said, "Oh, who the hell am I to dare to stand and talk to Madam? You are really embarrassing me!"
However, Yang Da also realized that Su Li really didn't like to act like a noble lady, so he didn't make things difficult for her.
Yang Da climbed up swiftly and carefully examined Su Li's expression: "Madam, are you leaving just like that?"
Yang Da no longer called her "Third Lady", nor did he dare to call her "Empress Su", so he could only respectfully address her as Su Li.
Su Li was stunned by his question: "What else?"
Yang Da's brows were furrowed with worry. This was not the right time. Cui Jue would not leave the court for another two hours. If Su Li left, what would his emperor do if he came back and couldn't find her?
Yang Da asked, "W-why don't you wait for His Majesty to return and have lunch together? His Majesty said that in a few days, the royal palace in Liuzhou will be repaired, and His Majesty will lead all the civil and military officials back to the old capital of Jianye to handle state affairs and formally finalize the relocation of the capital. If Madam misses Madam Rongguo, she can also accompany His Majesty back to the city to visit her relatives."
Su Li smiled and said, "It's okay. I will ask His Majesty about returning to the city myself later. I have something else to do today, so I won't wait for him."
Su Li wanted to go to the market to buy some gifts for her grandmother and Qiu Gui, and also go home to say hello to Lin Yin.
After all, she was taken away by Cui Jue last night and did not return all night. Mrs. Hu and the others must be extremely worried.
Su Li refused to listen, and Yang Da knew that he couldn't keep her, so he didn't dare to persuade her anymore.
Su Li took two steps forward, then suddenly remembered something and turned to ask, "Your Majesty, have you had breakfast this morning?"
Yang Da was stunned: "It seems... not."
Su Li nodded, her lips curled up. "I enjoyed the sour soup dumplings just now. The eunuch Lao sent a bowl to Your Majesty... Just say I troubled you to run an errand for me, and ask Your Majesty to take some time out from the busy affairs of state to eat a bowl of dumplings."
After hearing this, Yang Da's face lit up with smiles: "Well, it's OK! Your Majesty will surely enjoy the dumplings sent by your madam. Please carry them!"
Yang Da knew that Cui Jue doted on Su Li. If he knew that this bowl of dumplings was sent by Su Li, he would definitely be happy and would reward the person who delivered the message handsomely.
This time, Su Li wanted to leave, and Yang Da finally didn't stop her.
Yang Da's heart was filled with emotion, and he felt as if he was floating in the air.
He couldn't wait to go to the court hall to report!
-
The inner quarters of the fortress were peaceful and calm, but little did they know that the court was in the midst of a bloody storm.
The court hall was filled with a sea of people, and even the jade steps outside the hall were filled with kneeling court officials wearing purple gold and jade belts.
In addition to the civil servants who handle clerical and government affairs, there are also military generals who stay in the army to train troops on weekdays.
Everyone held their breath, treading on thin ice, looking terrified like a frightened bird.
They lowered their official hats, their shoulders and backs trembled, and they only dared to exchange glances secretly. No one wanted to make a sound, for fear of being locked in Cui Jue's thundering eyes and suffering a catastrophic disaster!
A cold corpse lay in the hall, with a huge head rolling off, the fascia on the neck broken, blood pouring all over the ground, and even the gaps between the stone bricks were filled with a mess of flesh and blood.
The head had a pair of dull and lifeless eyes, as if it had died with its eyes open... Such a familiar face was clearly their former official Pei Yuan!
Cui Jue pulled out the sharp sword from the waist of the military official Chen Heng at some point.
But with a wave of his sleeve, the cold and sharp sword blade broke through Pei Yuan's flesh, cut off his cervical vertebrae, and fell to the ground along with his skin and flesh.
After Cui Jue finished using the sword, he shook off the blood on the sword with a serious face, and then put it back into Chen Heng's scabbard as if no one was around.
Hunting down court officials so unscrupulously and setting up inhumane massacres and tortures is truly chilling!
Cui Jue had been quiet for three years. Everyone had forgotten how cruel and crazy he was when he was in power. They actually thought that Cui Jue could debate with them seriously and consider the emperor's reputation.
Seeing the glaring blood on the ground, the ministers' eyes went dark and they almost fainted.
Cui Jue glanced at him calmly and said calmly, "The treacherous minister Pei Yuan has not only committed the crime of corruption and embezzlement, but he has also dared to instigate the elders of the local noble families and collude with the traitorous officials of the Guanxi Gu family to commit treason and treason. If it weren't for my spies everywhere, I believe I would have been plotted against by these traitors and killed in Liuzhou."
Cui Jue accused Pei Yuan of "assassinating the monarch", but the nobles and officials present knew the truth. Cui Jue was a martial arts expert and extremely brave, so how could he be tricked by Pei Yuan?
Moreover, Pei Yuan had previously committed a grave offense, yet Cui Jue hadn't dismissed him from his post, investigated him, or exiled him to his hometown. Instead, to save face for Xie Xiuming, Cui Jue had allowed Pei Yuan to continue his duties, and then today, he had slaughtered him like a pig or a sheep, his methods utterly brutal and ruthless.
Although Cui Jue fabricated a false accusation against Pei Yuan for assassination, Pei Yuan's collusion with powerful nobles and his intention to rebel were indeed true, and it was not a deliberate frame-up by the emperor...
Those elders of the aristocratic families who were persuaded by Pei Yuan were actually the ones who had formed an alliance with the Wudong Cui family to resist the coalition forces of the northwestern clans.
In other words, Cui Jue's use of new policies to promote commoners in order to consolidate imperial power over the years eventually caused anxiety and dissatisfaction among the prominent families.
In addition, Xie used his collected works and poems to unscrupulously spread Cui Jue's reputation as a brutal and ungrateful person, and openly and covertly slandered the reputation of the Wudong Cui family, which finally made those powerful families whose interests had already been damaged become disloyal.
They were ready to take action, attempting to overthrow Cui Jue, who had incurred public anger, and change the dynasty.
The reason they were willing to pledge allegiance to Cui Jue was simply because the Wudong Cui family was the most powerful aristocratic family, willing to unite with them and help them raise slaves, build private forts, and continue the glory of the aristocratic family...
But ever since Cui Jue came to power, his wicked ambitions have been revealed. He has been promoting the lower-class people in every way, attempting to empower the common people, seize power, and weaken the nobles... How could they tolerate such self-defeating behavior?!
You must know that the common people are nothing but insignificant people, ants and lowly slaves in the eyes of the rich and powerful!
Now they want to serve as officials in the court and climb above the noble families. How can the powerful people of Wu State tolerate this?
Cui Jue became a running dog of the common people. He cut ties with the aristocratic family, forgetting that his own blood was shaped by the aristocratic family and his aristocratic origin. Such a hypocritical monarch has already incurred public anger!
Cui Jue’s crime is unforgivable!
They had to dismantle the alliance with the Cui family. The gentry in the southeastern region did not hesitate to form an alliance with the local warlords and even traveled to the northwest to lobby the powerful families that had been defeated by Cui Jue to form a private military alliance.
The nobles were united in their determination to overthrow Cui Jue's regime!
Only in this way can we ensure that the noble families will remain prosperous forever and that the aristocracy will not decline...
Cui Jue knew very well the thoughts of those prominent families, but what he wanted to consolidate was the royal power, not the reputation of his family.
The king's power was damaged, the country was divided, and local wars were frequent. The people were in danger of losing their lives, had difficulty in getting clothes to wear, and had no food to eat. In order to protect the people of Wu, Cui Jue had no choice but to fight with the gentry.
Today, Cui Jue assassinated Pei Yuan in court. In addition to being a warning, it was also a provocative act. He wanted to see who would be the first to stand in the limelight and declare war on the Cui family.
The court is full of twists and turns, changing rapidly.
Fortunately, Cui Jue still knew how to restrain himself. He only killed Pei Yuan and did not take any other action.
Such an unpredictable behavior made the ministers full of doubts, and they could only guess the emperor's intentions in their hearts.
Cui Jue planned to return to Jianye County in the second half of the month. The next time he came to Liuzhou, it would be the time when the Wu Kingdom moved its capital.
Most of the court officials were scions of aristocratic families, their wealth and fortunes in Jianye County countless. Now, to participate in government, they had to abandon their former homes, filled with emotion. Some also felt aggrieved, secretly resenting Cui Jue for forgetting his roots after becoming king...
After the court meeting ended, Cui Jue was busy with government affairs and did not return to the fort immediately.
Chen Heng asked to see the king and was summoned into the imperial study by Cui Jue.
Chen Heng's waistband was still stained with Pei Yuan's blood. He found the smell unbearable and felt agitated. He whispered to Cui Jue, "The Xie family of Qiyuan and the Pei family of Wenxi are planning a rebellion."
Unexpectedly, Cui Jue already knew what was going on.
The man knelt before the desk, his eyes cold as he sneered, "There are more than just them who have ulterior motives..."
To be able to pull off such a commotion, he must have the support of some powerful and prominent noble family.
Chen Heng sighed deeply. He had been in the court for many years and could see that this was a trend towards war.
Even if the Cui family has a strong army, once the coalition forces of those aristocratic families break their alliance and form a private alliance, their military strength cannot be underestimated.
How did it get to this point?
Chen Heng complained: "If you had been more patient and not implemented the new imperial examination policy, you wouldn't have pushed them to such a desperate situation..."
Cui Jue closed his eyes slightly, and knocked heavily on the table with his slender white knuckles. He seemed to be talking to himself, but also seemed to be talking to Chen Heng.
"I originally thought that after repelling the great clans of the northwest, we would have at least ten years of peace. However, the morale of the aristocratic families is divided. If the root of the problem cannot be addressed, the deep-rooted ills will be difficult to resolve, causing endless harm. Sooner or later, the Wu Kingdom will be invaded and divided by foreign tribes, and once again plunged into perpetual war... By then, who knows if the Chen and Cui families will not also perish?"
Chen Heng kept silent. He thought of Cui Jue's meticulous planning and how he had never been defeated in all these years.
Chen Heng had no doubts and said firmly, "Anyway, I'll follow you. The Langshan Chen family has long been a vassal of the Cui family. We will rise and fall together."
"Yeah." Cui Jue said no more. He glanced at the bowl of sour soup dumplings brought by Yang Da on the side of the table, and a rare trace of tenderness appeared in his cold black eyes.
He twitched the corner of his lip and said to Chen Heng, "I will let Su Li stay in Liuzhou. I will also send Wei Zhiyan to meet the Su family's grandmother and the maid and escort them here."
Chen Heng was surprised: "Why didn't you bring Sister Su with you when you returned to Jianye this time? What if you have to stay for three to five months? Can you bear it?"
Cui Jue didn't explain too much. He just stared at the bowl of steaming dumpling soup, his mind wandering, and remained silent for a long time.
The candlelight was dim and trembling, falling on Cui Jue's jaw, which was as deep as a knife, adding a touch of warmth to his cold face.
Cui Jue lowered his long eyelashes and spread out the documents on the desk again.
Cui Jue seemed to want to chase the guest away, but stopped him before Chen Heng left.
"If I die... the Chen family of Langshan will use all their strength to protect Su Li for me."
Hearing this, Chen Heng turned around abruptly, his face full of shock.
He seemed to have guessed what was going on, and a shudder ran down his spine.
Cui Jue clearly wanted to eliminate all worries. He fought to the death and would never leave himself any way out!
"You..." Chen Heng was speechless for a long time.
"This is the king's order. As the Chen family's subjects, we must obey the promise."
Cui Jue rarely kissed her lips, his eyes cold and silent, "Chen Heng, you are the only one I can trust."
Chen Heng's lips turned pale. At this moment, he finally realized the urgency of the situation.
If it wasn't a matter of life and death, how could a proud and arrogant man like Cui Jue entrust his beloved to someone else?
Chen Heng looked like he was hit by frost, his head drooping. He knelt on one knee and received the military order.
"I will keep my promise... I will not let your majesty down. I will protect Madam Su at the cost of my own life and will not let her suffer any harm."
"Back off."
Cui Jue suppressed the turmoil in his eyes and once again bent down to work at his desk, toiling away until late at night.
Cui Jue worked tirelessly to handle military and political affairs, remaining as silent as a mountain as usual.
Tonight, Cui Jue rarely went to look for Su Li.
Because he knew... Su Li had lost the desire to escape, and she would not leave him and fly far away.
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