Chapter 1265: One Battle Secures the Southwest (Part Two) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Cui Zhi did not stop.
"stop!"
Cui Zhi was about to throw off the tent curtain.
The King of Qi slammed his fist on the table, his imposing aura pressing down on Cui Zhi, and he shouted angrily, "Cui Zhishan, look at yourself now! You look like a complete fool bound and entangled by romantic love! A piece of information that hasn't even been resolved yet has thrown you into such a state of confusion! If you have this kind of temper, why did you put your family first back then, pretending to be a righteous gentleman who had no other choice!"
Is she afraid of dying?
Did she lack the courage to fight to the death back then?
As long as Cui Zhi dares to stand up, even if her father and the old head of the Cui family disagree, she is willing to be a pair of dead lovers with Cui Zhi!
But back then, Cui Zhi chose to back down and save their lives! He chose his family! More than twenty years have passed, and Cui Zhi has become the undisputed head of the family. He actually chose to indulge in lust and act recklessly right in front of her!
I ask—
Does he have the right to make this choice?
Faced with the King of Qi's tearful accusations, Cui Zhi remained unmoved. He merely turned slightly to look back and asked, "Your Highness, I have only one question: Tianqing County borders your fiefdom from before your ascension to the throne. You—are you truly unaware of the many events that have occurred within its borders?"
He used the way the two addressed each other in their early years.
At that time, he was still the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, and the Queen was still a princess.
The King of Qi seemed to have heard something absurd and laughable, his smile carrying a hint of madness and obsession: "What is Cui Qing trying to say? Is he testing whether I still have feelings for you, like those mediocre women whose minds are full of love and affection, doing foolish things for a man, even to the point of being jealous and harming others? Cui Zhishan, aren't you taking yourself too seriously? Are you younger than my many male favorites, or do you have a more youthful appearance, or do you have some unique skill in bed?"
"Your greatest charm to me lies in the fact that you are the 'Head of the Cui Family,' the 'Minister Cui,' and the connections, power, and influence you control, not in you, Cui Zhishan, the person you are. I only need to beckon with a finger, and what kind of man can't come to my bed?"
The words of the King of Qi were undisguised sarcasm.
Cui Zhi finally frowned and said, "Your Highness has misunderstood. What I mean is that Tianqing County has already been bestowed upon the three daughters of You Jun by you. You Jun is now helping to manage the affairs of the fiefdom. If you are unaware of this, how could he not know?"
He had put in a lot of effort to arrange for his mother-in-law's family to settle down back then, primarily because of the advantageous geographical location of Tianqing County. Since the ruler of Qi Kingdom ascended the throne, her former fiefdom had received a significant influx of resources, which had also benefited the surrounding prefectures and counties.
Cui Zhi understood his mother-in-law and the others' temperaments, and knew they wouldn't be willing to accept too much favor. They wouldn't agree to stay in the capital, nor would they want to live in the Cui family's ancestral home, much less in the land his son-in-law's ex-wife had once been granted. Considering factors like security and the economy, their choices were limited. Tianqing County was the result of careful selection, and this land was also bestowed upon the king's three daughters as their fiefdom.
The children of the King of Qi only knew their mother and not their father. His eldest and second daughters were ordinary people with no talent for cultivation and poor comprehension, making them unsuitable for important tasks, which displeased the King. Later, he carefully selected high-quality male concubines and successfully had a third daughter with a male concubine from the You family, who possessed talent for cultivation. On her first birthday, the King gave her a place next to his former fiefdom.
Although not explicitly stated, the inclination is quite obvious.
The third daughter will be her heir, the future Crown Princess. You Bao, the niece of the male favorite You Shi, is not only deeply favored by the Emperor, but also the future wife of Cui Zhi's eldest son, Cui Xiong. With these multiple safeguards, it's impossible for the newly powerful male favorite You Shi not to become arrogant.
He used the pretext of interfering in his daughter's fiefdom affairs to secretly amass wealth.
Cui Zhi had also heard about these things.
However, his position made it inappropriate for him to discuss this matter. It involved the future Crown Princess and her biological father, which was essentially a private royal affair. As a foreign official, his meddling would only cause him trouble. He wrote to his brother-in-law, instructing him to pay attention to the situation within the country and, if any problems arose, to immediately move his family away without delay.
The brother-in-law's response was normal.
She even felt that her brother-in-law was being a little too cautious.
[...How could a male favorite who could use his beauty to please men, father a daughter with the king, and enjoy enduring favor, not have a brain? The outside world isn't unaware that his mother is practicing Buddhism in a nunnery. She is, after all, his future nephew-in-law's maternal grandmother; even if he were to act recklessly, he wouldn't simply push away a readily available backer.] Despite saying this, the brother-in-law still took Cui Zhi's words to heart.
If anything seems amiss, the safety of my family will definitely be my top priority.
I also asked about my brother-in-law's progress with his sister.
The process of trying to win back one's wife is like going through a crematorium; it's more interesting to watch other people's stories.
The mere mention of this matter caused Cui Zhi's rare good mood to crumble, his anxiety about his appearance and age intensifying. Faced with his brother-in-law's incessant nagging, the middle-aged, overweight, and bearded man's head throbbed with pain; he seriously suspected his brother-in-law was deliberately showing off. If Cui Zhi's condition was called fading beauty and declining affection, what was this called? Was it some kind of attempt to cover up the crime?
The last time we communicated was three or four months ago.
With the current chaos and the rise of the Eternal Life cult, it's difficult to send even a single word home, let alone a letter.
Seeing that Cui Zhi had been misunderstood, the King of Qi did not apologize or back down.
However, she grew increasingly resentful of her male favorite, You Shi, for overstepping his bounds.
Out of consideration for the three women, she had doted on him, but she never expected to raise his appetite to such an extent. She had only just learned about the events in Tianqing County. It was fortunate that Cui Zhi's mother-in-law and her family had left beforehand; if they had stayed within the territory, she dared not imagine what the consequences would have been.
As a moderately wealthy family, how could they let the rebellious troublemakers get away with it?
These wealthy households are often the easiest to exploit.
Thinking that the current situation in Tianqing County was related to her favorite male concubine, the King of Qi felt a little guilty and lost his previous confidence: "This matter has already been dealt with by troops. What use is it for Minister Cui to go there now? If something really happens, it will be difficult to salvage the situation."
Cui Zhi didn't speak, he just looked at her.
The King of Qi then said, "Minister Cui should prioritize the overall situation."
Cui Zhi finally gave a response, and immediately recommended someone to replace him: "I believe that Prime Minister Mei has known His Majesty for many years, and the two have a tacit understanding. Moreover, her strength is no less than mine. I have my own selfish motives, but she is single-minded and would be more suitable for the current situation."
All that's left is to tell the King of Qi—
His mother-in-law was trapped in Tianqing County, and his wife, Cui Hui, might go to rescue her. For him, these two matters combined were more important than the war between Kangguo and the Southwest Allied Forces. If he didn't go to rescue her, he would be distracted and unable to accomplish anything; what use would he be if he stayed? It would be better to let the ambitious Mei Meng fill in. As for Mei Meng's whereabouts?
Hehe, of course he knew that Mei Meng had gone to the front line on her own.
Having finished explaining this matter, Cui Zhi, without waiting for the king's approval, directly lifted the curtain and strode away, ordering men to prepare fast horses and mobilizing hundreds of his personal retainers to accompany him. When the king of Qi sent men to stop him, Cui Zhi and his entourage were nowhere to be seen in the camp.
Upon hearing this, the King of Qi turned ashen-faced.
He ordered his men to cover up the news that Cui Zhi had deserted at the last minute.
It was too late; the truth could not be hidden forever.
Gongyang Yongye and Luo Yuan were both introduced by Cui Zhi. When they heard that Cui Zhi had left because his mother-in-law and wife were in danger, they were filled with mixed feelings. They prided themselves on having lived a long life and seen all sorts of things, but this was something they had never witnessed before.
Not to mention the other Allied forces, even the Choi family members were bewildered.
Cui Zhi's trusted aide beside him shattered the hastily left instructions, his eyes fierce and filled with a bloodthirsty glint. Even Cui Mi, who was audacious as he was, trembled: "You were steady and self-controlled when you were young, but now that you're older, you start to act all high and mighty..."
While complaining, Cui Mi also tried to soothe the other person's anger.
He was afraid that this elder who had watched his father grow up would be so angry that he would die.
This lively atmosphere wouldn't be complete without Qi Cang, the entertainer.
While other allies analyzed Cui Zhi's intentions from various political perspectives, Qi Cang's thoughts were much simpler. He couldn't help but complain: "Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. Lust is a double-edged sword. I wonder what Cui Zhi's wife looks like, that she could be so infatuated with him that he would do something as foolish as saving someone in the middle of battle... If a grown man wants to succeed, he should stay away from women."
Shen Tang said, "You stayed away, and you succeeded?"
Qi Cangbai asked her, "When did this old man forbid himself from lust?"
Those in power often use money, authority, and sex to win over military generals, offering high-ranking positions, lavish mansions, and beautiful maids. Qi Cang wasn't a saint, so naturally he accepted all offers. Whether under Zheng Qiao or the ruler of Qi, he never restrained his desires. A life without indulging in sensual pleasures would be far too dull and boring.
Shen Tang: "..."
Qi Cang: "Is Cui Zhi the one you're talking about, the one with the 'love-obsessed' mind?"
It really is a brain that even a dung beetle wouldn't eat.
Shen Tang was amused and exasperated by Qi Cang's self-proclaimed sober-mindedness: "You, who believe that the patriarch of a powerful family is love-struck, aren't you even more naive? You'd be sold out and still help count the money you'd been sold. But the other party is the mastermind behind the big bet, you know?"
Qi Cang frowned: "Is something fishy going on?"
Shen Tang raised an eyebrow, deliberately making things difficult for and humiliating the other party.
"Well, if you call me godfather, I'll tell you."
"Do you have something between your legs that would make this old man call you godfather?"
Shen Tang didn't let Qi Cang call her "adoptive mother" because the role of "mother" is different in Qi Cang's eyes. As a child raised by a widowed mother, using "father" to humiliate Qi Cang would only make him indifferent. When he goes crazy, he can even make sarcastic remarks like "If you don't abandon me, I'm willing to become your adoptive father" and "The Fangtian Halberd is used to kill adoptive fathers." Using "mother"... Qi Cang would really turn on her.
Qi Cang neither turned hostile nor called him godfather.
How could a military general who has survived to this age be a brute?
With just a word of advice from Shen Tang, Qi Cang was able to understand the situation.
Qi Cang's eyes turned sinister as he looked toward the location of the Kang Kingdom's garrison: "That old fox Cui Zhi, has he also been secretly trying to curry favor with Kang Kingdom?"
There's a chilling detail behind this.
If Cui Zhi's actions weren't driven by romantic feelings, but rather by using them as an opportunity to observe the situation from the sidelines, what does that mean? It means that a winner might be decided in the short term, and Cui Zhi, who has already placed bets on both sides, only needs to stay away from danger and protect himself.
Qi Cang closed his eyes, pondering the clues from all sides.
If the truth is as he suspects, then—
What exactly made Cui Zhi conclude that the outcome was imminent?
I just can't understand it. It's better to believe that Cui Zhi is just hopelessly infatuated with love, so much so that he's willing to abandon the bigger picture.
Cui Zhi, at the center of the storm, ignored everything and rushed day and night towards Tianqing County. What he saw along the way was even worse than the intelligence reports suggested. It was possible that the rebellion of the Eternal Life Cult had spread and worsened too quickly, leaving local governments with no time to react and catching them completely off guard. Cui Zhi's group didn't look large, but each person was tall and strong, clearly not to be trifled with, and no one dared to rashly stop them.
"Has the situation really gotten this bad?"
Cui Zhi and his group did not have completely unimpeded access.
Small groups of rioters will hide when they see them, but when the group grows large enough, they stare at them as if they were a piece of meat!
"Parents, we've found out the news."
Traveling day and night was not only physically exhausting but also mentally draining. Even Cui Zhi was finding it difficult to keep up, and the group had to take a break along the way to rest, replenish their food and water. The experienced servants went ahead to inquire about the situation, and soon returned with devastating news.
The rebellion originated with the believers in the eternal life movement, but over time, the real main force became ordinary people. Among them were those who were so poor from the beginning that they could not survive, and others who had their family property stolen by opportunists and had no choice but to drift along and make a living.
The flow quickly grew from a trickle into a surging tide.
The speed of its expansion is astonishing.
Many local officials are incompetent and lazy, and if they react slowly, the situation quickly becomes uncontrollable. In addition, some unscrupulous people take advantage of the chaos to make a fortune from the disaster, so you can imagine how chaotic it will be.
Cui Zhi took a sip of water.
"What about Tianqing County?"
The man's eyes darted around, and he looked troubled.
"A plague raged throughout Tianqing County. The government suppressed the news, gathering people in one place under various pretexts to die as soon as they were discovered, keeping the people in the dark. The government only arrested people without providing medical treatment, and closed all major roads within the county. How could the spread of the plague be stopped? People were filled with fear and panic until the Eternal Life Cult rebelled and attacked the government, at which point the plague completely spiraled out of control..."
"Parents, you cannot enter Tianqing County!"
"Is there any news of the mistress?" Cui Zhi didn't respond, but instead asked about Cui Hui's whereabouts. If Cui Hui had taken a risk, the news would surely have spread to various places. He just wanted to know if Cui Hui had set off to rescue people at this time.
"The mistress used your warrant to adjust 30% of the medicinal herbs in the account."
These medicinal herbs were meant for the troops at the front lines; even 30% of that was an astronomical sum, and now the mistress had already transferred them all away…
"They went to Tianqing County?"
"I've gone."
Cui Zhi nodded.
Since that's the case, there's nothing more to say: "Let's go!"
"Yes, sir!"
After Cui Zhi divorced Cui Hui, he maintained contact with his former in-laws and encouraged his children to visit their maternal grandmother, with Cui Mi being the most frequent visitor. Cui Zhi would also personally escort them when he had time, so he was not unfamiliar with Tianqing County. However, he could not equate the ruins before him with the peaceful and tranquil place he remembered.
The scene was devastated, with signs of fire everywhere.
His trusted aide brought him a veil and made him put it on: "Be careful, Master. These crippled bodies all died of the plague. Be careful not to let the plague spread."
Cui Zhi said, "Let's go to Qingshui Nunnery."
Qingshui Nunnery was the nunnery where his mother-in-law practiced Buddhism, and his brother-in-law's family also bought a house nearby so that they could take care of her more easily.
The closer he got, the heavier his heart became.
ヾ(▽)ノ
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
