Chapter 1554 Extra: Little Cui, Middle Cui, Big Cui, Old Cui (Part 1)
The fourteenth year of Yanhuang, at the beginning of the year.
The civil and military officials of Kangguo experienced many twists and turns in just a few months.
Last year, during his annual leave, Imperial Censor Gu Chi held a grand banquet, sending invitations to all civil and military officials in the court—regardless of their relationship, rank, or whether they were officials in the capital or outside the capital. The invitations for officials of the sixth rank and below simply stated that he had adopted a daughter who was now listed in the family genealogy, a great joy for his family, and that all his colleagues were obliged to take time out of their busy schedules to attend and share in the happiness.
Invitations to colleagues of the sixth rank and above were quite different, even bordering on shameless—Gu Chi laid it all out: he had been giving gifts to his colleagues for over ten years, and now that his family was finally having a decent wedding banquet, who knew how many years it would be before the next one, his colleagues certainly couldn't come empty-handed. As for how much to give, they could decide for themselves.
Civil and military officials: "..."
What's the difference between this and directly asking for money?
Is their Gu Yatai ready to completely abandon all shame?
"He's so blatantly taking advantage of the situation to amass wealth, isn't he afraid of the Censorate—" The man cursing stopped abruptly when he thought that the Censorate was Gu Chi's stronghold. "No, no, even if this offends him, I will never submit to his tyranny!"
After my annual leave ends, I absolutely must visit a copy of Wangchao!
Some people said it wasn't a big deal.
Gu Chi, a bachelor with no parents, no children, and no wife, is at a real disadvantage. He can't even afford to host a banquet to recoup some money from gifts. In contrast, his colleagues celebrate their parents' birthdays with grand banquets, their long-married couples' silver and golden wedding anniversaries with overflowing guests, and their children's coming-of-age ceremonies with feasts. Close colleagues are showering them with gifts.
This doesn't even include the full moon and first birthday celebrations for each family welcoming a new baby.
Thinking about how many years Gu Chishang has worked, it hasn't been easy for him.
However, some people laughed and cursed.
Such as Qin Likang and others.
Chu Yao has two students whom he treats as his own children. Qi Shan adopted his daughter Qi Miao years ago. These two bachelors can use Lin Feng, Qi Miao and others as an excuse to hold banquets and collect gifts. Qin Li and Kang Shi are helpless against them, which has forced Luo Sha to consider getting married.
The social interactions on the shore are driving the fish crazy.
Zhao Feng: "What did I tell you? Gong Su would have been better off listening to my advice and adopting one of my grandchildren back then."
Qin Li said helplessly, "It's not that I'm worried about the small amount of money I'm spending as a gift."
Zhao Fengdao said, "Many a little makes a mickle."
Qin Li was not a lone wolf; he had a vast network of connections. His former subordinates, who had followed him in his early years, would send gifts to every household for any happy occasion. Zhao Feng even suspected that the Duke of Qin's entire salary was used to pay for these social obligations, which was truly heartbreaking to hear.
Qin Li: "..."
This is indeed a big problem.
After returning home, Qin Li had the steward bring over the accounts of gifts given over the years, and his face grew increasingly grim as he read them. Unlike Qi Yuanliang, who had enemies throughout the court and would even spit on a passing dog when in a bad mood, Qin Li was among the most popular officials. This resulted in a constant stream of gifts and favors throughout the year, with expenses for these gifts seemingly uncontrollable. The steward, sweating profusely, sighed.
"Put it away. Remember to prepare a generous gift and send it to the Imperial Censor's residence tomorrow." Although the gift-giving expenses were somewhat staggering, Qin Li didn't care much about it. Firstly, there was no deficit in the accounts; secondly, it didn't affect his life; and thirdly, he hadn't defaulted on the salaries of his household staff. Even if the number of people giving gifts doubled in the next few decades, he could afford it and didn't need to worry about his household going bankrupt.
Therefore, there is no need to find a pretext to ask for the money back.
_(:з」∠)_
Qin Li was more worried about something else: "I haven't heard that Gu Wangchao is short of money lately, so where did he get this adopted daughter from?"
We hadn't heard a single word about it beforehand.
Surely even the Imperial Censor couldn't have fallen victim to a government debt scam?
As the economy of various regions across the country has rapidly recovered and prospered, many ordinary people have accumulated some savings, which has attracted the attention of unscrupulous individuals. In recent years, more than a hundred similar Ponzi schemes, such as the Jinli County government bond fraud, have been uncovered. The methods are all the same old tricks, and local governments have tried their best to publicize the common sense of fraud, but the swindlers can hide and come up with new tricks.
Several high-ranking officials in Beijing were even deeply involved.
The biggest losers were the dozens of wealthy households.
In total, the swindlers swindled away more than five million yuan.
Logically, with the Kang Kingdom unified the four continents, they should be able to capture the swindlers and recover the stolen money, no matter where they are. However, the ringleader of the swindlers has quite a background. In the words of Wei Lou and his nephew, getting this little bit back from the twentieth-rank Marquis is indeed not easy.
Shen Tang: […Wait, why are there still unregistered Marquises? Your reactions clearly indicate you know each other?]
Wei Lou replied frankly: "Of course I know."
After all, they were old colleagues who worked together back then.
A miserly old man with an exceptional talent for business and money-making, he had no interest in anything other than gold and silver. His favorite pastime was swindling and cheating, because his martial arts intent was related to the word "deception." Wei Lou thought the other party was long dead, but he didn't expect him to still be alive, and even reach the twentieth level of the Chehou realm.
It was extremely difficult for the authorities to arrest him.
Shen Tang: 【…What kind of weirdos are the former subordinates of the Wu Kingdom?】
This assertion naturally failed to convince Wei Lou, who retorted: "The officials of Kang State don't seem to be much more normal either."
They're about the same.
Despite the difficulties, we must get this money back.
Shen Tang assigned the task to Wei Cheng.
To deal with a rank 20 Marquis, one must naturally send someone of the same rank.
Unfortunately, the case remains unsolved.
To raise awareness among his officials about fraud, the emperor planned to compile a list of those who had been scammed. However, the victims vehemently opposed this, crying out, "Your Majesty, please don't! If this is posted, how can we face our colleagues? How can we maintain our standing?"
Qin Li suspected that Gu Chi was among the victims.
Gu Chi: [No, I'm not. Don't accuse me falsely!]
He was simply looking for an excuse to sponsor an event that covered his two years of annual leave. His colleagues were incredibly supportive, and Gu Chi received so many gifts that his hands cramped up, and his face was beaming with joy. Previously, when he and Bai Su gave gifts, they each gave their own, which meant that he was essentially giving two gifts at the same time.
We can only recoup one share of the cost of this banquet; it's such a loss.
Bai Su let him have his way and sent out invitations as well.
As a result, the officials who received the invitations discovered that the two men were marrying the same daughter, and although there was only one banquet, they were required to receive two gifts!
No, can an adopted daughter really be involved in this?
"You wouldn't believe me if I said you were stupid, isn't it obvious that Prime Minister Gu and Bai Zhuguo are as close as family in private? However, what these two are doing is really shameless... After the New Year's holiday ends, I will definitely report Prime Minister Gu to prevent him from going astray!"
Upon hearing this, his friend immediately showed admiration.
Good heavens, knowing full well that Prime Minister Gu has ties to Bai Zhuguo, his friend still dares to impeach him. Is this any different from offending both of them at the same time?
"Hmph, unyielding to force is our code of honor!"
Why can't I participate in their activities?
The holiday ended on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, and work resumed on the eighth day, a thunderous revelation that shocked the entire scene.
Gu Wangchao was nowhere to be seen at the Censorate; the affairs of the Censorate were being handled by the two Vice Censors on the left and right. Gu Chi had gone off on a year-end vacation! And he was taking two years' worth of vacation at once! The officials who were about to pull out their memorials were dumbfounded, and their prepared drafts were rendered useless.
Wait, why did this guy go on vacation?
This isn't just two months, it's a full two years!
Wasn't he afraid that when he returned in two years, the Censorate would be completely without his position? Would he, the Censor-in-Chief, become nothing more than a mascot?
However, this wasn't their career path, so it wasn't their concern. They belatedly realized that Gu Wangchao was no longer with the Censorate! This meant that the Censorate's oversight of officials was affected, and the probability of the sword hanging over their heads falling was infinitely lower? Although they had no intention of committing any wrongdoing, being watched all the time was still very uncomfortable.
Now Gu Chi has finally left—
Ah, this is the fresh, free air.
Unbeknownst to the crowd, Left Vice Minister Cui Xiao's face was as black as charcoal.
Well, actually, everyone thinks that only the Right Vice Minister of the Censorate clocks in and out, while the legendary Left Vice Minister, who is rarely seen, is out on inspection tours. If someone asks them what the Left Vice Minister's name is, nine out of ten people can't remember it or his face.
The morning meeting on the first day back to work has ended.
A group of colleagues gathered around to congratulate the Right Vice Minister.
"When the mountain has no ruler, the monkey becomes king..." Wait, no, the Censorate is now in the hands of the Right Vice Minister. After years of waiting, he's finally getting his chance. Taking advantage of Gu Wangchao's absence these past two years, the Right Vice Minister must work even harder to win over all of Gu's supporters and completely control the Censorate. With control of the Censorate, the Right Vice Minister will be one step closer to overthrowing Prime Minister Qi.
The court officials were all giving the Right Vice Minister a lot of pep talks.
Upon hearing this, the Right Vice Minister broke out in a cold sweat.
No, didn't these people see Cui Zhongcheng being pushed out of the crowd? The Censorate is not under his jurisdiction.
What does it mean to "take another step closer to bringing down Prime Minister Qi"?
He didn't become an official to challenge Qi Xiang.
"I--"
The Right Vice Minister broke out in a sweat.
Even the incredibly lavish meal in front of him made him lose his appetite.
What happened next made him feel like the sky had fallen.
While tidying up Gu Yatai's belongings, the Right Vice Minister unexpectedly discovered a memorial that had been suppressed. The memorial lacked a signature and official seal, but he immediately recognized the handwriting: "Isn't this the Left Vice Minister's handwriting?"
He and Cui Xiao were both Censors-in-Chief, and normally they should have been equals, or at least the difference should have been minimal. However, this was not the case. Firstly, Cui Xiao had extensive experience and outstanding achievements, having personally overseen more than twenty major cases that shook the court and the public. Many corrupt officials were brought down by him and Prime Minister Gu in collaboration with Cui Xiao. Secondly, in addition to the title of Left Censor-in-Chief, Cui Xiao also held other honorary titles and fiefdoms.
The Right Vice Minister held him in high esteem and respect.
To his utter surprise, he found a mostly-written retirement memorial from the Left Vice Minister at Prime Minister Gu's place. How could that be? Judging from the date, it was written before Vice Minister Tian's retirement.
While the Right Vice Minister was in a daze, he didn't even realize that someone had appeared beside him.
Cui Xiao: "What are you looking at?"
The Right Vice Minister first noticed the sword and fan tucked into Cui Xiao's waist, then suddenly realized what it was and instinctively tried to hide it in his sleeve.
However, Cui Xiao was a little faster than him.
Cui Xiao then noticed a familiar memorial and said, "I thought I had lost this one somewhere, but I didn't expect him to have it."
The Right Vice Minister suddenly widened his eyes.
He asked in surprise, "...You intend to leave?"
He could understand Tanaka's retirement; after all, he was indeed too old to keep up with the workload. The Kang Kingdom's court had many holidays, but working there was truly exhausting, especially with their superiors being among the most competitive. As subjects, they couldn't just stand by and watch their ruler work.
It's normal for Tanaka Susumu to be tired and want to rest.
But what about Cui Zhongcheng?
He was young and strong, and also a trusted confidant of the lord.
At present, Kangguo is just beginning to show signs of prosperity, and the emperor has never shown any sign of discarding any important ministers after they have served their purpose. Isn't it a bit too early for Minister Cui to think about retiring at this time?
Or is there some hidden story behind this?
"Not yet, it was just something I wrote in a drunken stupor." Cui Xiao knew he was mistaken just by looking at the reaction in his pupils, and patiently explained, "It was my wife's death anniversary, and I drank a bit too much. I was so drunk that I was unconscious, but I vaguely remember writing something in my dream."
When I woke up, I found that the pen and ink on the table had been touched.
Choi Hyo-jae knew that the behavior in his dream was not his dream.
I only remember a little bit of what was written.
But they couldn't find it no matter how hard they looked the next day.
Unexpectedly, it was collected by Gu Wangchao.
"Ah? Oh, I see. I thought the Right Vice Minister was considering retiring while he was still at the peak of his career..." Seeing that Cui Xiao had put away the memorial but did not intend to destroy it, the Right Vice Minister hesitated several times before speaking.
Cui Xiao: "What is it? Is there something you want to ask?"
"This is the first time I've heard the Grand Secretary mention his family."
The background of Cui Xiao, the Left Vice Minister, was one of the eight great secrets of the Censorate; very few people knew his place of origin, his age, or even his birthplace. He was usually a loner and rarely interacted with the outside world. Another of the eight great secrets was his sword-fan, which he used regardless of the season.
Some people once speculated that the fan was his martial arts totem.
Oh, no, Cui Zhongcheng was a scholar, he didn't have a totem.
Cui Zhongcheng is also on another mysterious list—
[Kangguo's List of Singles (both literary and martial)]
Some colleagues, always eager for drama, secretly started betting, speculating when the officials on the list would find love and whether their partners would be male or female. The Right Vice Minister had also placed a bet, but unexpectedly, he learned today that Vice Minister Cui had a deceased wife…
Oh, when did he get married?
When did the wife of the Grand Chancellor pass away?
Cui Xiao: "...It's because we don't interact much on a regular basis."
The Right Vice Minister asked in surprise, "Not many interactions?"
That's quite unusual.
When you're poor, no one cares even in the bustling city; when you're rich, even distant relatives come calling. The long list of accolades surrounding Cui Zhongcheng goes beyond just "wealth." How could his children and relatives not want to associate with him?
This is really against common sense.
In his experience, this phenomenon of severing ties with relatives generally falls into two categories: one is that the children are unfilial, and the other is that the elderly are immoral.
It's hard to see that Cui Zhongcheng, a low-key and self-disciplined man, is "lacking in virtue," so it must be that his children are unfilial.
When the Right Vice Minister uttered those words, a clear foolishness shone in his eyes, which also served as an invisible stab to Cui Xiao.
Cui Xiao: "...Hmm."
Little did he know, he even wanted to poison this Right Vice Minister to make him mute!
Because Cui Xiao was often away on inspection tours, he only stayed in the capital for about half a month each year at most, so he wasn't picky about accommodations. He would either rent a house temporarily or stay at the home of a close friend. This time, he was tricked by Gu Chidu's two-year annual leave, which forced him to stay at the Censorate to oversee the overall situation.
In other words, he wants to rent a house long-term.
Therefore, they sought out a suitable residence from the renowned real estate agents of Huangting.
ヽ(ー_ー)ノ
Because of the tide, Seonhyo Hei had paid two years' worth of rent in the capital for nothing...
(End of this chapter)
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