Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Turning the tables "You, are...
Capital city.
The autumn examination is approaching, and the sons of the rich and powerful should have been confined at home to prepare for the exam, but today they have gathered in the most famous restaurant in the capital.
They were able to be released from the study where they had been confined for many days, thanks to the young master of the Duke's Mansion.
The young master has recently found a few pieces of calligraphy by famous calligraphers. Firstly, he wants to invite his friends to appreciate them together. Secondly, he knows that everyone has been confined at home to study these days and cannot go out often. They must be feeling suffocated, so he wants to take this opportunity to let everyone relax.
It would be an ordinary banquet, but this time it is different. It is under the pretext of a calligraphy appreciation banquet. What's more, the young master is the host. Who wouldn't give him this honor and let him in?
As a result, the entire second-floor elegant room of the restaurant was booked, and everyone gathered together to drink, recite poems, and write couplets, accompanied by the pleasant sounds of stringed instruments.
Compared with the joy of the crowd, a young man surrounded by people in the middle circle seemed a little out of place. He frowned and seemed a little impatient.
Lu Qing, the youngest son of Minister Lu, saw this scene from afar and found it hilarious. He couldn't help but gently pull the sleeve of his friend to draw his attention.
The man in the dark blue robe next to him was Dong Maoyan, the son of Prime Minister Dong.
Dong Maoyan looked in the direction he pointed, and after seeing that it was Cui Cen sitting there, he couldn't help but sneer and said in a bad tone:
"This kind of poetry gathering is nothing to us, who come from wealthy families and have been well-educated since childhood. But for those who are not well-educated, it is a real ordeal." Dong Maoyan glanced at Cui Cen's position. Seeing his expressionless and unresponsive, he became even more outspoken. "With the Autumn Examination approaching, some people probably know they won't make any mark, so they're hiding and joining the army!"
He deliberately spoke louder, drawing the attention of everyone around him. As for who he was talking about, everyone present knew it.
Everyone knows that the second young master Cui from the Zhenguo Marquis family is not very talented or well-educated. When he was in school, he angered three teachers and ran away. He has never taken the imperial examination until now. Now it is heard that he has joined the army. I guess he feels that his career in the government is hopeless.
When many people heard about this, they were quite disdainful. For children from powerful families like them, their families would naturally provide for them. Why would they need to fight for a future in the military camp? Only orphans like Cui Cen had no one to plan for him.
There were faint whispers and gloating laughter around, but they did not dare to go too far. After all, Cui Cen's mother was once the eldest princess, and his two uncles were the current emperor and His Royal Highness Prince Heng.
Even if he didn't want to give the Cui family face, he couldn't publicly antagonize them for the sake of the half of their blood that flowed through his bones. Fearing that things would get out of hand, Lu Qing tugged at his friend's sleeve and warned him.
"Brother Dong, please keep your voice down. After all, his uncle is the current emperor..."
Lu Qing had good intentions, wanting him to be more restrained. Unexpectedly, he was waved away.
"Why don't you say that the current emperor is still my brother-in-law!"
Prime Minister Dong's daughter, Dong Maoyan's elder sister, has now entered the palace as a concubine. It is said that she is favored by the emperor, and the Dong family is very proud of this.
Lu Qing was so frightened by his words that he broke out in a cold sweat. How could he dare to say such outrageous words!
According to the laws of this dynasty, only the Empress was considered the Emperor's wife. The other concubines were, to put it nicely, concubines, or, to put it bluntly, servants serving the Emperor and Empress. How dare servants claim to be the Emperor's relatives? How dare his Dong family claim to be the Emperor's relatives!
However, Lu Qing did not dare to refute.
The scene suddenly fell into silence.
Cui Cen had naturally heard Dong Maoyan's earlier remarks, and he had no desire to argue with Li Zong. After all, he hadn't mentioned anyone by name, and if he did, it would seem he was being taken personally. Others have their mouths, so let them say what they want.
But unexpectedly, Li Zongyue went too far and even said that the emperor was his brother-in-law.
A scoffing sounded, and the young man stood up, smoothing out his slightly wrinkled robes. He said in a mocking tone, "I didn't even realize when my uncle had another brother-in-law besides Wei Zhao. How come any random person can claim to be a royal relative now?"
Wei Zhao is the younger brother of the current queen.
Aside from those related by blood to the emperor, only the empress's line could claim to be royal relatives. However, the current empress's family was very low-key and dutiful, never publicly displaying such a claim. Conversely, the Dong family, relying on their daughter being a concubine, acted so arrogantly, which was truly ridiculous.
"How dare you call me a nobody?"
Dong Maoyan knew that he had said something out of turn, but his anger was provoked by that joking remark. It was the first time in his life that he had been humiliated in public like this. How could he swallow this!
"If I don't teach you a lesson today, I won't be called Dong Maoyan!"
The enraged Dong Maoyan rolled up his sleeves, obviously ready to teach the ungrateful boy in front of him a lesson.
The scene suddenly became lively. On one side, there were fake royal relatives, but it was rumored that Dong Maoyan's sister, Concubine Dong, was highly favored within the palace and enjoyed immense influence. The harem was already limited, and besides the Empress, she held the highest position. Such a relationship would naturally be considered by others, especially since her father, Dong Songfeng, was Prime Minister and held a prominent position in the court.
On the other hand, while he was a true royal relative, the Emperor never summoned him to the palace except for major festivals and celebrations, suggesting he lacked the Emperor's favor. When the Marquis of Zhenguo was alive, the Cui family was naturally a prominent and influential family; the Dong family today probably doesn't even hold a tenth of that. When the Marquis of Zhenguo passed away, the Cui family's two children were too young to inherit his legacy, and naturally, their fortunes gradually declined. In recent years, under the leadership of Old Madam Cui, the Cui family has maintained a low profile.
Just when everyone was hesitating about which side to help, Dong Maoyan, who was not stopped by anyone, roared and swung a heavy punch with his right hand, hitting Cui Cen in the face.
Although Dong Maoyan was not as tall as Cui Cen, his physique looked stronger than the skinny boy. Comparing the two, everyone thought that if the two fought, Cui Cen would be the one to suffer.
Dong Maoyan was completely enraged, and he threw his punch with full force, leaving no room for maneuver. The onlookers noticed that Cui Cen showed no sign of dodging, simply standing there quietly, waiting for the punch to hit him. Some even turned their heads away, unable to bear to watch.
But just when everyone saw that the fist was about to hit that handsome face, Dong Maoyan's fist was forced to stop just within an inch of its range, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not get any closer.
Lu Qing blinked, double-checking that he wasn't mistaken. Cui Cen stood there, not even trying to dodge, but simply grasped Dong Maoyan's incoming fist with the same ease as if he were catching a small flying insect.
During his days of training in the army, Cui Cen practiced diligently every day and his physique became much stronger than before. He could beat ten paper tigers like Dong Maoyan who were strong on the outside but weak on the inside.
Cui Cen applied a little force with his hands, and Dong Maoyan screamed.
"It hurts, it hurts, please let go!"
"I'll let go if you tell me to?"
Dong Maoyan endured the pain and shouted unyieldingly, "If you dare to touch a hair on my head, I will ask my father to make you suffer!"
Cui Cen looked him up and down, met his angry eyes, raised his eyebrows and sneered:
"That would really open my eyes."
Without waiting for Dong Maoyan's reaction, Cui Cen grabbed his wrist and used a little force, changing the direction of his fist and swinging it at Dong Maoyan's face.
Dong Maoyan had no time to react and was struck by his own punch. He fell to the ground, clutching his battered cheek and wailing. As the only son of a prime minister, he had never suffered such physical pain before, and he cried out in pain.
Cui Cen simply used the force that hit him to return it to him with a little effort.
"It's quite powerful."
I don't know whether this sentence is a sincere compliment or a mockery.
The surroundings were quiet and no one dared to respond at this moment. It all happened too suddenly.
In the time it took to say these few words, the area where Dong Maoyan was hit by the fist began to swell up, and from a distance, it looked like a small hill on his face. He covered his face in fear, and when he saw Cui Cen raise his hand again, he was afraid of being hit again, so he quickly covered his head and begged for mercy, his tone panicking:
"Stop, stop hitting me. I was wrong. I was wrong."
The boy simply blew on his palm, as if to blow away some dirt. Hearing Dong Maoyan's plea for mercy, the boy sneered, his tone filled with endless mockery: "Do you want to continue? Didn't you say you were going to teach me a lesson?"
"Or rather, is there anyone among you who wants to teach me a lesson?"
The young man casually glanced at the crowd, seemingly nonchalant, yet it sent some people into a cold sweat. Lu Qing, timid to begin with, was practically paralyzed with fear. He trembled uncontrollably, wishing he could hide somewhere. Perhaps because Cui Cen hadn't been seen in so long, they'd forgotten he was a formidable figure.
Everyone saw what happened to the young master of the Dong family, so who would dare to teach him a lesson?
Everyone present wished they could become invisible so they could hide from Cui Cen's eyes.
At this moment, the host of the banquet arrived late and was stunned when he saw the scene in front of him. He had heard about the general situation on the way here, but he did not expect Cui Cen to be so brave as to beat the man directly.
Although Dong Maoyan had brought this upon himself, he had set the stage for it. If he didn't persuade him, he would be held responsible if he really injured the other person. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk over to persuade him:
"If you have something to say, please talk about it. Why did you resort to violence?"
As the young master spoke, he winked at the people watching the show, asking them to help help Dong Maoyan up.
But the young master's eyelids were twitching from blinking, and no one came forward to help.
It’s not that they didn’t see it, but they didn’t dare!
They had almost forgotten that Cui Cen had been a true little devil before, and now that they had crossed him, they would suffer the consequences. Those who had mocked Cui Cen before were now trembling with fear, afraid that they would be the next to fall to the ground.
The young master sighed and turned his gaze to Cui Cen.
"Cui Erlang, what happened today was Dong Jiadalang's fault. Since you have already taught him a lesson, why not just let it go?"
Cui Cen's lips curled slightly, and he said nonchalantly, "Since the young master has spoken, let's leave it at that."
After hearing what he said, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.
Cui Cen was willing to make a big deal out of a small matter, so the young master's side would be much easier to deal with. He quickly ordered someone to call Dong Maoyan's servants to carry him back to the mansion for treatment.
After dealing with Dong Maoyan's matter, after three rounds of drinks, the young master went to find Cui Cen with a glass of wine.
"Thank you, Erlang, for your generosity in helping me save my reputation. Erlang, if you have any problems in the future, please feel free to come to me. Come, come, I'll toast you a glass."
Cui Cen raised his glass and clinked it with his, then drank it all in one gulp and chuckled, "I should thank you, young master, for saving me."
"But... I have something to ask you, young master. I hope you can tell me."
Originally, disaster relief efforts in Yanzhou had been tentatively settled, and the imperial court was considering sending a minister to Yanzhou to replace Yan Zhuo in handling subsequent matters. Therefore, Cui Cen escorted the prisoners back to the capital, while Yan Zhuo remained in Yanzhou, awaiting the arrival of the imperial dispatch. However, over half a month had passed since his return, and the remaining officials still hadn't returned, leaving him feeling apprehensive.
Cui Cen thought that the young master's father was in charge of disaster relief and must know something about the inside story, so he came to the banquet.
The young master smiled and said, "Cui Erlang, you are too kind. Just ask. If I know, I will tell you something."
Cui Cen didn't embarrass him in public just now, so he was willing to help him now.
"I wonder if the young master knows anything about the situation in Yanzhou?"
The young master hadn't expected him to ask this question. After pondering for a long time, he slowly said, "The current situation in Yanzhou...is not very good."
Cui Cen's heart suddenly tightened. "What does 'not so good' mean? How is it not so good?"
The young master was not in a position to say it directly, so he just dipped his hands in the wine and wrote two words on the table for Cui Cen to see.
"What!"
The boy's face changed drastically, and he stood up from his chair, almost overturning the chair behind him when he stood up.
"Are you serious? How could there be a sudden outbreak of an epidemic in Yanzhou..."
For fear that others might hear it and cause unnecessary panic, Cui Cen abruptly omitted the last two words.
The young master was startled by his big movement and quickly signaled him to speak in a lower voice.
"Father didn't tell me much about what's happening in Yanzhou. I only know that the situation there is very dangerous right now."
The young master sighed slightly, "If you want to know the details, you can only ask the emperor."
The young master was just talking casually, but he didn't expect Cui Cen to actually listen to him.
"Yes, you are right. I should ask His Majesty directly."
After saying that, he left in a hurry.
The young master didn't know why he asked about Yanzhou. Seeing that he left in such a hurry, he must have something important to tell him. He could only shake his head and go back to entertain other friends.
Capital city, imperial palace.
The emperor stared at the memorial in his hand with a dark face. The thin paper was tightly clenched in his fingertips, and it was turning white from being squeezed.
The eunuch steward who was serving beside him became more cautious when he saw this. He said cautiously:
"Your Majesty, Concubine Dong, Prime Minister Dong, and their son are seeking an audience outside."
Yan Yu closed the memorial in his hand and said in a somewhat unhappy tone, "What are they doing here?"
The chief eunuch lowered his head even more. "He said he had a grievance to report to His Majesty."
"What injustice is there? Can it be compared to the injustice done to the people of Yanzhou?"
The emperor was obviously in a bad mood today, and it was bad luck for Prime Minister Dong to come at this time and walk into the trap.
"Forget it, let them in. I want to hear what grievances they have."
As the palace door opened and closed, Concubine Dong's wailing voice came in. Yan Yu, who hadn't had a good rest for several days, felt a headache after hearing it. He rubbed his forehead with his eyes half closed, and even regretted why he let them in.
To be honest, Concubine Dong was not bad looking. She was not stunningly beautiful, but she had the looks of a pretty girl from a small family. It was just that she was too pretentious. She acted like a tyrant in her Yunchen Palace and would beat and scold the palace maids at any time. Anyone who did not do what she wanted would be punished.
There was a loud bang, startling everyone in the hall, and Concubine Dong's cries were strangled in her throat.
Yan Yu said with a cold face, "If you have something to say, just tell me. Why are you crying like this?"
Seeing that the emperor was angry, Dong Songfeng quickly winked at his daughter, telling her to stop while she was ahead and not to delay the important business.
Concubine Dong had no choice but to put aside her previous pretense and wiped away her tears. Pulling her brother aside to show him the bruises on his face, she tearfully said, "Today, my brother went to the young master's banquet. He got into an argument with someone, and he only argued for a few words, but he ended up being beaten like this! Your Majesty, this person was too cruel. He's my only brother!"
Dong Songfeng didn't care when it came to his beloved son: "This person is too much. He is the only child in my family. If anything goes wrong, how can I explain to my ancestors?"
Yan Yu raised his eyebrows and looked, only to see that Dong Fei's brother's face was blue and purple, with one cheek swollen. It was no exaggeration to say that it was as swollen as a pig's head. His eyes were swollen like the cracks in the blue bricks in the hall.
Yan Yu remembered that Prime Minister Dong's son hadn't been handsome before, and now he was truly ugly, so ugly that it hurt to look at him for more than a second. He looked away unnoticeably and asked:
"Oh? Who is so bold as to hit even Prime Minister Dong's beloved son, and with such heavy hands?"
Dong Songfeng: "In reply to your Majesty, the one who beat him was Cui Cen, the second son of the Zhenguo Marquis family."
"Cui Cen?"
"Yes, it was that kid from the Cui family who beat my son severely. Your Majesty, please stand up for this old minister!" He said this while pretending to wipe away two tears.
"That Cui Erlang was so cruel, Your Majesty will not let him off easily!"
Yan Yu stared at the family performing in the hall, with a sneer on his face.
Although Cui Cen had been erratic since childhood and had caused a lot of trouble, he was not a bad person by nature. Yan Yu, his uncle, knew that he would never hurt anyone just because of a few words, and he would never hit anyone for no reason.
Therefore, whether the truth of the matter is really as the Dong family said remains to be verified.
"Your Majesty, please make the decision for us!"
Seeing that the emperor remained silent, the three men knelt down again, as if they would not get up until the matter was resolved.
This coercive attitude made Yan Yu's face even gloomier. As an emperor, he was shackled by the prime minister's family. Where was the emperor's authority?
Prime Minister Dong had been bullying the court for a long time. He had also heard about some of the private cliques and selfish activities, but he had no concrete evidence, so he could not do anything to the Dong family. He had never expected the Dong family to be so excessive. Did they really think that everyone in the world had the surname Dong?
At this moment, another young eunuch came in and announced, "Cui Cen, the youngest son of the Zhenguo Marquis family, requests an audience with the emperor. He is waiting outside the palace. Will he be allowed in?"
Yan Yu raised his eyebrows slightly. "Did the sun rise from the west today? Isn't Cui Cen always the one who can't stand these mundane formalities in the palace and doesn't like to go there?"
Young eunuch: "Cui Erlang said he has something important to discuss with His Majesty."
Yan Yu looked at the people in the hall. The people from the Dong family probably didn't expect Cui Cen to come so quickly.
The person who made the complaint hasn't even left yet, but the defendant is already waiting?
Yan Yu: "Did he say it was something important?"
The young eunuch shook his head slightly. "Cui Erlang didn't explain, so I don't know either."
Yan Yu glanced at the people in the hall calmly and said slowly: "Let him in."
Soon Cui Cen came in led by a young eunuch.
Seeing him come in, Prime Minister Dong snorted coldly and turned his head away.
Cui Cen saw the three members of the Dong family in the hall at a glance. He could guess with his toes why the three members of the Dong family came to see the emperor at this time.
It's like after the younger one is beaten, the older one comes.
But even if Prime Minister Dong came, Cui Cen would not be afraid of them.
Cui Cen stood beside Dong Maoyan and bowed to the emperor in a proper manner.
Yan Yu looked at the tall and straight young man in front of him, and said with some joy in his tone: "No need to be polite. I see that you have not only grown a lot taller recently, but also made great progress in etiquette."
Cui Cen said: "A tree gets one more growth ring when it grows a year older, so I, too, must have made some progress after my birthday."
After he said that, Yan Yu remembered that Cui Cen's birthday had passed some time ago.
Yan Yu nodded and said with a smile, "I forgot your birthday gift this year. It's my negligence. I'll have someone make it up to you later."
Cui Cen waved his hand and said, "Don't bother me any more. My uncle is on a long journey and matters of state are of paramount importance. How can I trouble you to worry about these trivial matters?"
Thinking back to this particularly special birthday this year, he couldn't help but curl up the corners of his lips. He had already received the best birthday gift.
The more Cui Cen said this, the more the emperor felt that he owed his nephew. He immediately ordered his nephew to be rewarded with many valuable items to make up for the birthday gift.
"Thank you, uncle."
After thanking him, Cui Cen stood up leisurely and straightened his robe.
The three members of the Dong family who were still kneeling in the hall looked at each other in bewilderment. They were still kneeling, and the uncle and nephew started chatting about family matters?
Does the emperor still remember why they came here today? Why is he rewarding them before punishing them?
This is simply unbearable!
Concubine Dong suddenly raised her head, her tone filled with complaints: "How can the emperor be so partial to one and to the other? My father, brother and I have been kneeling for such a long time, and the emperor has not even let us get up!"
When had she ever suffered such injustice? Her knees were almost purple from kneeling, yet Cui Cen, who had beaten her brother, was treated like this! Yan Yu sipped her tea, not even raising her drooping eyelids, "Didn't you ask to kneel?"
The three members of the Dong family were speechless.
"Besides, if I want you to be exempted from the formalities, have you already paid your respects to me?"
Concubine Dong's face turned pale. They were busy crying and complaining as soon as they came in, and indeed had not yet paid their respects.
Prime Minister Dong, having been immersed in the court for many years, immediately reacted and knelt on the ground, pretending to be sincere: "I was too anxious and rash, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me. I pay my respects to Your Majesty."
Dong Fengsong maintained a calm demeanor, but a gloomy mood gripped his heart. Lately, he'd felt the emperor's growing influence, his growth rate terrifying and alarming. He was no longer the young man who had been manipulated at will upon ascending the throne. If they weren't more cautious, would their Dong family be doomed?
Yan Yu quietly watched him go through the entire ritual, then chuckled at the end: "Alright, I was just joking with you, my dear, why did you take it so seriously? Hurry up and stand up. And Concubine Dong, stand up too, be careful not to hurt your knees."
Concubine Dong was the first to stand up, completely forgetting the cold reception she had received before. She said coquettishly, "I knew Your Majesty still cares about me!"
Prime Minister Dong also felt relieved and threw away all his previous thoughts. After all, the emperor was still young and many things in the court still needed to rely on ministers like them.
After figuring this out, Dong Songfeng threw off his robe and stood up arrogantly.
He turned his head and looked at Cui Cen provocatively. Just as he was about to say something, he caught a glimpse of the Cui family boy with a playful smile on his face. Remembering his previous embarrassment, he was instantly furious. However, he couldn't lose his temper in front of His Majesty, so his old face flushed red. In the end, he could only glare at Cui Cen fiercely.
Dong Maoyan also stood up tremblingly with the help of the young eunuch.
He didn't expect to see Cui Cen again so soon. When his eyes met Cui Cen's, he subconsciously shrank back as he recalled what had happened before.
Dong Songfeng hated Cui Cen even more after seeing this scene. His son, whom he had never scolded before, was now scared like this. How could he tolerate this?
"I hope Your Majesty will understand what I said before! If you choose to protect him just because he is the eldest princess's child, wouldn't that chill the hearts of us old ministers?"
The matter has not been concluded yet, but he seems to be certain that the emperor will protect Cui Cen. His words seem sincere, but in fact he is scheming.
Yan Yu cursed inwardly, "Old fox."
Although he didn't believe what the Dong family said, this matter had to have a result. He had to hear what Cui Cen had to say to find out the truth.
Yan Yu raised his eyes to look at the young man, and opened his thin lips slightly: "Did you inflict the wound on the face of the Dong family's youngest son?"
"I hit him."
The boy stood upright and spoke frankly.
Unexpectedly, Cui Cen would admit it directly. The three members of the Dong family were ecstatic, and Concubine Dong was even more delighted. "Erlang Cui has admitted it, why doesn't Your Majesty punish him quickly!"
The tone of his voice seemed to indicate that he wanted to execute Cui Cen on the spot and beat him with a stick fifty times.
The only sound in the entire hall was Concubine Dong's excited voice, while the person in the main seat was silent.
Dong Songfeng, however, had calmed down a bit. He sensed something was amiss, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. He saw no time to dwell on this opportunity to bring Cui Cen to justice. He chimed in, "At this point, His Majesty hasn't punished him yet. Could it be that he's really protecting him?"
Prime Minister Dong pressed on, and Yan Yu couldn't just brush it off. He turned his gaze to Cui Cen, "Since you've admitted it, will you admit your mistake?"
Cui Cen: "Although I was the one who hit him, I don't admit my fault."
Yan Yu raised his eyebrows, he knew that things were not that simple.
"Then why don't you think you're wrong?"
Cui Cen told the truth about what happened at the banquet.
"I wasn't the only one who heard what Dong Maoyan said. If the emperor doesn't believe it, he can ask the others present..."
Before Cui Cen could finish his words, he was interrupted by a sharp voice.
"You're talking nonsense! It was you who hit someone and you're trying to slander my brother!"
Concubine Dong spoke fiercely, and her beautiful facial features were a little distorted.
Prime Minister Dong was so angry that his beard was shaking, and he was just about to point at Cui Cen and curse him.
"Your Majesty, Yan'er would never say such a thing. Don't listen to that little brat's instigation! In my opinion, he should be imprisoned in the Dali Temple..."
Dong Songfeng was halfway through his words when he suddenly met the emperor's gaze. The coldness in the emperor's eyes made his heart tremble. He wanted to say something else, but his throat was so tight that he couldn't make a sound.
The man on the dragon throne supported his forehead with one hand and looked at them expressionlessly. No emotion could be seen in his deep eyes, only his narrow and long eyes were intimidating without even being angry.
"You are teaching me how to do things"
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