Chapter 82 Roots and Leaves
The carriage slowly drove towards the Cui family's old house outside the city. To take care of Wen Youqing's health, Cui Junji specially laid thick cushions in the carriage and slowed down the journey.
It was almost noon when we arrived at the old house.
The four characters "Yi Shi Qi Chang" painted in gold on the plaque hung high above everyone's head, making their necks ache.
Cui Junji didn't want Wen Youqing to get tired, so he asked the maid to take Wen Youqing to the back to rest.
When they parted, Wen Youqing straightened Cui Junji's clothes and said softly, "Talk nicely. After all, you are a member of the Cui family, and they are your family. Don't make things too awkward."
Cui Junji was so moved by Wen Youqing's consideration for him that he shook her hand and said, "I understand. Without the Cui family as my backing, it would be difficult for me to handle these things."
As soon as I stepped in, I saw Cui Hong, who could no longer get out of bed but was sitting in the main hall in a wheelchair. On both sides of him sat several respected elders of the clan. The atmosphere was so solemn that it was suffocating.
"Hello, elders and uncles." Cui Junji stood in the middle and saluted.
Cui Hong nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping over Cui Junji sharply: "What do you think?"
Cui Junji was startled. It started so soon, and even the usual politeness was gone.
Cui Hong's tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority. "I asked you to come back today because I wanted to ask you about the 'Three-in-One Rotational Selection' system. I heard that this idea was proposed by the widow you married?"
Everyone in the hall focused their attention on Cui Junji. There was doubt, dissatisfaction, and even undisguised anger in their eyes.
A woman, who was remarried, dared to interfere in government affairs and make irresponsible comments on the official selection system. This was considered heresy in the eyes of the aristocratic families.
Cui Junji calmly bowed to the elders and immediately spoke to defend them.
"Grandfather, this system was proposed by your grandson. Your wife and I simply discussed it together." His voice was clear and unyielding. "Your grandson believes that the current official selection system places too much emphasis on family background. This prevents talented individuals from humble backgrounds from achieving success, while leaving aristocratic families with few available talents. If this continues, I'm afraid it will not be a blessing for the country in the long run."
An old man with white hair and beard snorted coldly, "I'm afraid it's not your opinion, but that woman's! The children of noble families are educated from a young age, well-versed in etiquette and law, and they are talented people. How many of the children of poor families can become talented? Even if they have talent, they still lack education. How can they take on great responsibilities?"
"Uncle, you're wrong." Cui Junji bowed slightly, his manner respectful but his words sharp. "Many of the most important ministers throughout history came from humble backgrounds. Even half of the founding heroes of this dynasty came from humble backgrounds. Even the emperor was a monk, so how can there be any distinction between family backgrounds?"
Another elder slammed the table and stood up: "How dare you! You are just a young boy, relying on your talent to become a high-ranking official. Don't you think you can arbitrarily discuss the laws of our ancestors! The rules of the aristocratic family have been in place for hundreds of years, and the aristocratic family has been around for hundreds of years!"
Since he was not in the right, he started to bring up his ancestors. Cui Junji was not flustered: "The first generation of the Cui family, Cui Ji, built the family business on horseback. The only family motto is loyalty to the emperor. My fellow uncles, how long have we been holding the emperor hostage to control the princes? Aristocratic families have no permanent friendships, and scholars have no loyalty to their emperors. It's like a merchant asking for double the price. I have done it."
In his excitement, Cui Junji suddenly understood why the aristocratic playboy Shen Zijie had written the "Xunyang City Burning Apology" criticizing the aristocratic families. He said in a strong voice, "I haven't touched the aristocratic family's roots, but I must prune those stray branches and twigs, lest they suck our blood and bring us harm."
"The current official selection system seems to protect the interests of aristocratic families, but in fact it blocks the path for talented people. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to resentment from the poor, which is not a long-term solution." After speaking, Cui Junji breathed a sigh of relief.
The atmosphere in the hall changed quietly.
The elders, who had been so aggressive just now, were now silent. Cui Hong suddenly waved his hand, asked Cui Junji to sit down, and ordered the servants to bring hot tea. "When water is too clear, there are no fish. You should also know that people like Cui Mingyuan must be kept."
"Yes, my grandson was not thoughtful and acted a little hastily."
A Mr. Cui who had been silent all this time suddenly spoke up: "Then what do you think we should do?"
"The three-inspection rotation system emphasizes both moral character and political achievements, and even more importantly, public opinion. If the children of aristocratic families are truly talented and virtuous, why should they fear fair competition with those from less privileged backgrounds?" Cui Junji replied calmly. "Furthermore, the rotation system prevents officials from forming cliques and pursuing personal interests. It benefits aristocratic families in every way."
Cui Hong looked at Cui Junji thoughtfully for a long time. Then, one of the elders, noticing Cui Hongdu's gaze, slowly said, "What you said today is not without reason. However, this matter is of great importance. We should allow the clan to deliberate on this matter. We shouldn't have acted on our own initiative and made ourselves the target of public criticism."
Cui Junji also made concessions: "The memorial will be put aside for now. I will submit it after the clan has discussed it thoroughly."
Just as he was about to leave, Cui Hong suddenly spoke.
"That woman's deceased husband, was that your handiwork?"
The thunder finally exploded.
-
The midday sun shines down, outlining the solemn contours of the Cui Mansion's flying eaves and brackets.
As usual, Cui Wangshi sat upright on the rosewood carved chair at the head of the main hall, wearing a crimson satin jacket with a lotus pattern, her hair combed meticulously, and a full set of red gold headgear, still looking like a wooden Bodhisattva.
When she saw Wen Youqing come in, his gaze lingered briefly on her abdomen, and a smile, not quite warm, appeared on her face.
"Youqing is here, please sit down." She gestured to the seat below. "Are you feeling well? If you want anything to eat, just tell the kitchen to make it."
Wen Youqing sat down as instructed and replied with lowered eyes, "Thank you for your concern, mother-in-law. Everything is fine."
Cui Wang took a sip of tea and said slowly: "You are a twin now, so you have to be careful about everything. There are some rules that I should explain to you, so that you don't be young and don't know the seriousness of the matter, which may hurt the fetus and damage Zihe's dignity." Her words sounded concerned, but there was a sense of scrutiny and warning between the lines.
As he was speaking, an announcement came from outside the door saying that Mrs. Wen had arrived.
Wen Youqing's heart fluttered. This mother wasn't close to him, but there seemed to be a natural sense of closeness lingering in his blood.
Mrs. Wen came in hurriedly, greeted Cui Wangshi first, then hurried to Wen Youqing, took her hand, looked her up and down, with undisguised worry and heartache in her eyes.
Cui Wangshi looked at this scene, a barely perceptible impatience flashed across her eyes, but she still maintained a calm expression: "Mother-in-law came at the right time. I was talking to Youqing about the things to pay attention to during pregnancy. She forgot some things and was inevitably negligent. We, as elders, have to give her more reminders." After that, Cui Wangshi left with the help of her maid.
"My son, why is there not much blood on your face? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
"Mom, I'm fine." Wen Youqing curled the corners of her lips, and the inexplicable sadness in her heart seemed to dissipate a little under the concern of her biological mother.
Madam Wen suddenly remembered what Cui Wang had told her. She turned to Wen Youqing, squeezed her hand, and spoke faster, eager to share all her experience. "Qing'er, you must remember this. The first three months are the most important. You must not overexert yourself, you must not get emotional, and especially... you must not have sex with him."
Knowledge about pregnancy flooded in like a tide, making Wen Youqing drowsy. She was eating a delicate snack, but she became impatient and interrupted her mother: "I've already given birth to a child. I know, I know."
Madam Wen sighed and continued chattering, "You didn't give birth to your son-in-law's child. Besides, you're just a concubine. Now that you're pregnant with the Prime Minister's child, you have a huge support. You must take good care of yourself and give birth to the child safely. Only then will you be considered truly..."
The word "concubine" was like an inexplicable slap in the face, hitting Wen Youqing's ear without any warning, causing her ears to tinnitus for a moment.
She suddenly raised her head, her eyes widened instantly, and looked at her mother in disbelief: "Concubine? Mother, what did you say?"
The hall was instantly filled with a dead silence. The air seemed frozen, heavy and suffocating.
"Mother...you, what did you say?" Wen Youqing's voice trembled violently, like a candle in the wind, and she asked again, "Concubine...room?"
Mrs. Wen realized that she had spoken out of turn, and her face turned pale. She hurriedly tried to make amends: "No, it's not... Qing'er, listen to what mother said..."
"No!" Wen Youqing suddenly shook off Mrs. Wen's hand, staggered to his feet, and stepped back step by step, bumping into the flower table behind him. The enamel porcelain vase on it shook and almost fell.
She looked at her mother in front of her and felt that her face became extremely blurred and hateful at this moment.
Her heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, the pain so severe she could barely breathe. Those deliberately forgotten clues to her status as a concubine now flooded back into her mind like a tide—the servants' occasional flickering glances, her mother-in-law's subtle slights, the areas of the mansion she had never set foot in that symbolized the power of the principal wife...
It turned out that all the love and affection, all the tenderness and consideration, were built on a huge lie! She was not his wife, but just one of his many women, a concubine he temporarily valued!
The immense sense of humiliation and anger at being deceived erupted in her chest like a volcano, burning away all her composure.
"I'm his concubine, right? I haven't been back home in the past five years, why didn't you tell me? You are my biological mother! My biological daughter! You and others are deceiving me!" Her voice became sharp, with broken sobs, "Where is Cui Junji? Where is he? I want to see him! I want him to tell me in person!"
"Wen, calm down!" Cui Wangshi heard the noise and came in from outside, saying sternly, "Don't make a fuss! What if you disturb the fetus?"
"Fetal gas? Haha..." Wen Youqing laughed bitterly, tears welling up in her eyes and sliding down her pale cheeks. "The only thing you care about is this child, right? I'm telling you, I won't be a concubine. I must find out who played tricks on me today. And I don't care about this child!"
She turned and rushed out like a madman. She had only one thought in her mind—find Cui Junji and get to the bottom of it! Make him admit this cruel truth himself!
"Stop her! Stop her quickly!" Cui Wang was shocked and angry, and shouted sternly.
The maids and old women outside the hall rushed in upon hearing the noise, trying to stop Wen Youqing, who looked like a madman.
"Get out of the way! All of you, get out of the way!" Wen Youqing struggled desperately, her long hair disheveled and her clothes ripped. In the chaos, someone knocked over the antique display case in the corner. A decorative, sharpened dagger fell to her feet with a clang.
At that moment, she was overcome with rage, despair, and the fear of being surrounded. Almost instinctively, she bent down and picked up the dagger, waving it wildly and screaming, "Don't come over here! Don't come over here!"
The blade drew a cold arc under the light.
"Ah--!" A maid who tried to grab her arm failed to dodge, and her sleeve was cut open. A blood mark instantly appeared on her arm. Although it was not deep, bright red blood beads immediately seeped out and dyed the light-colored fabric red.
The smell of blood seemed to stimulate everyone.
"Rebellion! Rebellion!" Cui Wangshi was so angry that she was shaking all over. She took two steps forward and tried to snatch the knife from her hand. "You evil creature! Put the knife down now!"
Wen Youqing was completely consumed by his emotions at this point. Seeing someone rushing towards him, he swung his knife to block without a second thought.
"laugh--!"
There was a slight sound of something sharp cutting through fabric.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Cui Wangshi froze, looking down at her chest in disbelief. A long gash had been ripped across her crimson satin jacket, running diagonally from just below her right shoulder to her left ribs. Bright red blood was rapidly seeping out from the edges, expanding.
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