Chapter 80 Iron Blood
In the courtyard deep in winter, there are still a few green chrysanthemums in full bloom inside the house, lazily reflecting the setting sun.
Wen Youqing sat on a soft chair in the corridor, covered with the thin blanket that Cui Junji insisted she wear before going out this morning. She held "New Interpretation of Civil Officials" in her hand, but did not turn a page for a long time.
Lately she had been feeling lazy, occasionally nauseous in the morning, and had no appetite. She thought it was due to the recent stress she had on the official selection system.
"Madam, it's time for dinner." The maid came over with a bowl of dark brown soup. "This is the appetizer that the master specially ordered the kitchen to prepare for you."
The food is delicious, but after eating it, there is also a warming tonic medicine.
Wen Youqing took the medicine bowl. The strong smell of the medicine rushed into her nose, suddenly provoking a strong wave of nausea. She hurriedly pushed the medicine bowl away and leaned over to retch.
"Madam!" the maid patted her back in panic, "What's wrong with you? Do you want a doctor to come and see you?"
Wen Youqing waved her hand, suppressing the discomfort in her throat: "No need, it's nothing serious."
She picked up the medicine bowl again, took a deep breath, and was about to force herself to drink it, but the taste of the medicine made her nauseous again. This time, she couldn't help it and actually vomited.
This sudden incident sent the entire courtyard into a state of panic. The maids busied themselves cleaning up, and Xiao He ran to inform the housekeeper that someone was urgently seeking the palace doctor.
"Don't panic." Wen Youqing rinsed his mouth with water and managed to calm down. "Don't panic."
However, in the next few days, the nausea and vomiting symptoms not only did not ease, but became more frequent.
Especially when she smelled certain specific smells - the kitchen fumes, the newly made ink in the study, and even the incense scent on Cui Junji's official uniform, she would feel uncomfortable.
Before the doctor arrived, Cui Junji left the court and returned home with a serious expression.
"What's wrong?" Wen Youqing asked with concern and poured him a cup of hot tea.
Cui Junji sighed. "At today's court meeting, several censors jointly impeached the Ministry of Personnel for unfair selection of officials. Their words were fierce. Although His Majesty hasn't expressed his opinion, it's clear that he is quite dissatisfied with the current selection system."
Wen Youqing's mind moved: "This is a good time to implement the new system."
"I thought so too." Cui Junji pulled a draft of a memorial from his sleeve. "I presented the 'Three-inspection Rotation' plan we discussed to Your Majesty, and the ministers began to say that the previous one was also acceptable."
Suddenly, Wen Youqing felt dizzy, his vision went dark, and his body shook involuntarily.
"Youqing!" Cui Junji hurriedly supported her. "What's wrong with you? You look so pale!"
Wen Youqing leaned in his arms and forced a smile: "Qi and blood are weak, I've been sleeping lately and there are a lot of things going on in the mansion, so I feel a little dizzy."
Cui Junji touched her forehead worriedly and said, "You've been feeling listless these past few days. I think it's best to ask a doctor to take a look."
"I've already invited you." But the dizziness didn't go away, and Wen Youqing couldn't help but feel worried.
Soon, the old doctor from the mansion hurried over. He carefully examined Wen Youqing's pulse, his expression gradually becoming solemn.
"Madam, have you been feeling unwell recently?" asked the old doctor.
Wen Youqing reported her symptoms of nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. The old doctor nodded and asked her to switch to the other hand.
The consultation lasted much longer than usual. Cui Junji watched nervously from the side and couldn't help asking, "Doctor, what exactly is wrong with my wife?"
The old doctor did not answer immediately, but examined the patient for a while before withdrawing his hand with an incredible expression on his face.
"Congratulations, sir!" The old doctor stood up and bowed, "Madam, this is a pregnancy pulse!"
"What?" Cui Junji was stunned, as if he didn't hear clearly.
Wen Youqing was also stunned. She looked at the old doctor in disbelief.
The old doctor smiled brightly, "I've been practicing medicine for forty years, and I'll never make a mistake in diagnosing a pregnancy pulse. Madam, you're nearly two months pregnant!"
Cui Junji was overwhelmed with joy and stood there in a daze for a long while before he asked in a trembling voice, "Really? Doctor, are you serious?"
"Absolutely true!" the old doctor said with certainty, "It's just that Madam is frail, and this pregnancy is not easy. The fetus is not stable, so she still needs to be nursed back to health and avoid overexertion."
After sending the old doctor away, Cui Junji returned to Wen Youqing and held her hand tightly, tears of excitement flashing in his eyes: "Aqing, I thought, I thought we would never have our own children again. We have a child! Our own child!"
He had long accepted that they might never have legitimate children, but God had blessed them and they should not have any regrets.
After so many years of taking supplements and frequent intercourse, she still hadn't gotten pregnant. Wen Youqing knew that her body must have been damaged by the assassination attempt. At this moment, she stroked her belly, which hadn't yet shown any signs of pregnancy, with a mixture of emotions.
Cui Junji hugged her carefully, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world: "From now on, don't worry about anything. The health of you and your child is the top priority."
But… real problems loomed. Wen Youqing recalled the criticized memorial and felt a surge of worry. Even Cui Junji was unanimously opposed by the ministers; this new policy wouldn't be easy to implement.
"About that selection system..." she said softly.
"I know what you're worried about." Cui Junji interrupted her, "Just focus on taking care of the baby. The doctor just said that you're weak and pregnancy is going to hurt your body. Don't worry about these things. Leave it to me."
—
In order to reassure Wen Youqing, the implementation of this new policy was particularly radical.
In the capital city in deep winter, the wind is as cold as a knife.
Cui Junji stood in the government office thirty miles outside the capital, gazing at the withered old locust tree in the courtyard with a stern gaze. In his hand, he clutched a newly delivered secret report, his fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure he exerted.
"Sir, everything is ready." Behind him, the newly appointed Minister of Personnel, Tian Yan, reported in a low voice, with an unconcealable nervousness in his tone.
Cui Junji didn't turn around, but asked calmly, "Have you verified the list?"
"Your Excellency, all verification is complete. A total of seventy-three families, including twenty-six officials of the seventh rank and above, and forty-seven local gentry." Tian Yan's voice trembled slightly. "However... among them are many major families, including relatives and old friends of the Cui family, and several are from the master's side..."
"Act according to the law, regardless of personal ties." Cui Junji interrupted him, his voice as cold as ice. "Pass the order on."
Wang Yan bowed his head and accepted the order. A layer of cold sweat had already seeped out of his back. He quickly retreated and did not dare to say a word to others.
Cui Junji was the only one left in the corridor. He slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the biting cold air.
He knew that once he took this step, there would be no turning back.
Before dawn, a detachment of imperial guards had already surrounded the county magistrate's residence. The leading officer, holding the imperial edict, read aloud: "Qinghe County Magistrate Cui Mingyuan has formed a clique for personal gain, engaged in corruption and perverted the law, and obstructed the new policies. He is hereby dismissed and investigated, and his property confiscated!"
The palace was immediately thrown into chaos, with the cries of women, the running of servants, and the shouts of soldiers intertwined.
Cui Mingyuan was being held by two soldiers, his eyes bloodshot. "How dare you! I'm a member of the Cui family! I want to see my nephew Cui, your Prime Minister Cui!"
The general sneered, "This was the order from Prime Minister Cui himself. Take him away!"
"Impossible!" Cui Mingyuan pulled at his clothes and wanted to walk out decently.
But the next moment, Cui Junji, who was sitting on the armchair in the center of the courtyard, took a sip of tea and said, "If you have anything to say, you can talk to me."
When he saw Cui Junji, Cui Mingyuan wanted to go forward immediately, but the soldiers held him down and he couldn't break free at all.
Cui Junji glanced at them lightly, and the two soldiers immediately let go of Cui Mingyuan. Cui Mingyuan immediately rushed forward and said, "My dear nephew, who in the court is Hu Qin? How could I, your uncle, have any problem? You must clear my name."
Cui Junji smiled faintly, avoiding Cui Mingyuan's touch without leaving any trace. Cui Mingyuan could only stand aside and whisper flatteringly: "You know this little thing about our family, right?"
Cui Junji winked at Tian Yan, who was standing beside him. Tian Yan immediately took out the scroll he had prepared long ago, unfolded it, and read out word for word:
"In the seventh month of the first year of Changle, Wuyuan presented ten sapphire-blue glass bottles, which shattered in Sining County.
In the twelfth month of the first year of Changle, Madam Cheng of Sining County received two pairs of kingfisher earrings and 180,000 taels of snowflake silver from Sima Bureau..."
Every word was so precise that it seemed as if he had witnessed every transaction with his own eyes.
Looking at Cui Junji's nonchalant expression, Cui Mingyuan finally realized something was wrong. He knelt on the bluestone slab with a plop and said, "My lord, my lord, I will make amends. I will hand over all my property, all of it."
What good was it? When he went south to help with disaster relief, he had asked his uncles for money. They had all embezzled so much, so they should give some back. As a result, out of the so-called eighty-plus collateral branches, only three came forward to donate something useful.
He remembered this cousin clearly. This was a must-pass place from the capital to the south. He asked him to take away a cart of dirty old clothes, saying, "The victims don't need to wear good clothes. These are enough for them to keep warm."
You really have the nerve to bring this up and disgust people.
At that time, Cui Junji was still smiling in return. Now, Cui Junji was still smiling, but what he said made Cui Mingyuan piss his pants: "After all, you didn't get the family property legitimately, so it should be returned to its original owner. As for the rest, what is your cousin willing to pay?"
"Anything is fine. Just spare my family's lives. I'll do anything you ask me to do!" Cui Mingyuan was paralyzed with fear. He grabbed Cui Junji's trouser legs and kept begging for mercy.
The tea in his cup had already formed a thin layer of ice during the conversation. Cui Junji put it down and placed his hand on the heater in his sleeve. "I kept one of the old clothes my cousin gave me as a souvenir. He also said that wearing it would keep me warm."
The attendant immediately brought fresh hot tea. Cui Mingyuan waited anxiously for Cui Junji's next words. "Then I'll return it to its rightful owner. You can wear it here for one night to prove that you were speaking the truth for the country and the people. Then I'll plead with His Majesty. Considering your lack of political achievements, but at least your kind heart, His Majesty won't kill you completely."
Similar scenes unfolded that same day in the counties surrounding the capital. Branches of the once-prominent Wang family of Taiyuan, the Lu family of Fanyang, and the Zheng family of Xingyang were purged one after another. Some had their property confiscated, others were exiled, and some were even taken directly to the execution ground.
When news reached Luoyang that the Cui family's entire family had frozen to death on a snowy night, Wen Youqing was strolling in the courtyard. She was five months pregnant, her belly noticeably bulging, and her movements were a bit clumsy.
"Madam! This is bad!" The personal maid ran in panic. "It's being rumored everywhere that the master... he's on a killing spree all over the place. He's already raided over forty businesses!"
Wen Youqing put the heater down with a thud. She held onto the porch pillar and managed to stand steady. "What did you say?"
"I heard that a few days ago in Sining County, Cui Mingyuan's entire family froze to death, and all their property was confiscated. The old lady was so angry that she fainted, and now the family is in chaos..."
Wen Youqing was shocked. She had known Cui Junji's determination to implement the new policy, but she had not expected him to use such cruel means and be so impatient.
Even as an outsider, she could not do such a thing.
What's more, he is a member of the Cui family.
A madman is a madman. No matter how crazy a normal person like her is, she is just a normal person who has been forced into a corner.
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