Chapter 088 The Fire of Revenge Burns
Patriarch Cui walked up to his second son, raised his hand and slapped him hard, the sound echoing throughout the room.
"You are useless! You only know how to make a fuss when encountering problems. You have not learned the Cui family's prudent and smart attitude at all. You deserve to be schemed against by others!"
Young Master Cui, who was still shouting, was silenced by the slap. His teeth hit the soft flesh in his mouth and blood flowed down the corners of his mouth.
After he came to his senses, he stared at his father with red eyes and trembled, "Dad, I'm your son. I'm being bullied. Can't I even vent a few words in front of you?"
Patriarch Cui looked at him with disgust: "Instead of crying in front of me, why don't you use your brain to think of a solution? Can I still deal with your mess for the rest of your life?"
Young Master Cui was also angry and shouted: "I want a solution? If I come up with a solution, will you let me do it? You knew that I fell off the horse because of the big..."
"Shut up!" The Cui family head shouted angrily, "The Cui family's reputation will not be slandered by you!"
"Haha, reputation, just for the entire Cui family's shitty reputation! I have endured it for so many years! What qualifications do you have to criticize me now!"
"Because of what? Because I'm your father!" Patriarch Cui was actually very upset by the rumor. Now the protagonist of the rumor actually dared to contradict him, which made him even more furious.
"You think the Cui family's reputation is not as important as you, but don't forget that without the Cui family, you are nothing. Now there are rumors everywhere. If it weren't for the Cui family blocking you, you would have been arrested by the government for investigation. How could you have the chance to challenge me here!"
After being scolded by his father, Mr. Cui didn't know whether he was scared or had figured it out. He looked at his father coldly, turned around and left the study without saying a word.
After he left, the steward dared to come in, bowed to the Cui family master, and said, "Master, the eldest son of the Li family is here to visit. Should we let him in?"
Patriarch Cui clenched his fists, suppressed his anger, and sneered: "I didn't go to find him, but he came to my house first. Take him to the flower hall. I want to see what he wants to say."
"Yes." The steward stepped out.
Patriarch Cui calmed himself down, pretended to be aloof and proud, and then went to the flower hall.
When he arrived, Li Chu was sitting in his seat, sipping tea leisurely. He looked very comfortable, without any trace of the arrogance caused by being punished by the emperor.
Seeing Patriarch Cui coming in, Li Chu quickly stood up and saluted, "Uncle Cui, please don't blame me for coming to visit you out of the blue."
Patriarch Cui helped him up and put on a fake smile, "Thank you, nephew. Your uncle is very happy that you can come."
"Really?" Li Chu smiled and looked at Patriarch Cui. "Why are you so happy? Uncle, do you have something to say to me?"
Patriarch Cui asked, "Really? Could it be that my nephew came to visit because he has something important to tell you?"
Li Chu smiled but did not answer: "Sit down and talk. I see that you look very unhappy, uncle."
The smile on Patriarch Cui's face faded a little, "Thank you for your concern, nephew."
The two of them sat down, one at the main seat and the other at the guest seat. The Cui family head spoke first: "My nephew, have you heard about the rumors about our Cui family these days?"
Li Chu opened his mouth, but he was talking about something else. "I was framed and angry His Majesty, so I was demoted. I'm sure you've heard about it, uncle."
The two were questioning each other.
Now that it has come to this, there is no need to pretend anymore.
The head of the Cui family asked, "How can my nephew be sure that it was the Cui family who framed you?"
Li Chu said: "Before all the spies in my Li family's palace were eliminated, they did not sit around and do nothing. The eunuchs who ran the underground casino died in strange circumstances, and one of my spies sent me a message saying that he had seen one of the dead in contact with someone from your Cui family."
"That's just one side of the story."
"If I don't trust my own men, who else can I trust?"
Do you believe me?
Li Chu didn't say this out loud.
Patriarch Cui looked at him and said, "So this is your revenge?"
Li Ao looked him in the eye without showing any fear. "There is no question of revenge. I will just give him a taste of his own medicine."
Patriarch Cui looked cold and said, "My dear nephew, you are much braver than your father. Your father would never dare to make trouble for the Patriarch."
Li Chu smiled and said, "My father didn't dare to resist because he had to take care of the entire Li family, but I don't have to consider these. My Li family was used as a knife and a shield by you, and we still had to endure your backstab. Do you think I should be grateful to your Cui family? No matter how desperate I am, I can always drag your Cui family into the water and beat the drowning dog at the risk of my life and the entire Li family. I believe that the emperor should be happy to do this."
"Are you threatening me?" Patriarch Cui had a gloomy expression.
"It's not a threat, it's just a reminder." Li Chu's expression was not much better, "Uncle, even rabbits bite when they are angry. Sometimes you should not go too far. Giving others a way out is also giving yourself a way out."
Li Chu was really angry this time. This beast, Master Cui, not only wanted to use him to deal with the emperor, but he also plotted against him and made him take the blame.
If he did not take action, he would be used as a stepping stone and ruthlessly into the mud before Zong Zhengxiao could eliminate the Cui and Chen families.
And Master Cui also understood that what Li Chu said was true. He was not like Master Li and other elders who cared about the family's reputation. They only considered themselves, so Li Chu dared and could do it to the death.
Patriarch Cui felt a little regretful. When Li Chu had tricked Patriarch Li into becoming paralyzed in bed, he had admired Li Chu's intelligence and ruthlessness.
It was not until the knife fell on him that he realized how hateful Li Chu was.
Now he, like the head of the Li family, wants to get rid of Li Chu as soon as possible, but he cannot do so for the sake of the entire Cui family.
He couldn't let the Cui family run into trouble under his control, otherwise he would not be able to face his ancestors in the underworld a hundred years later.
Patriarch Cui took a deep breath and asked Li Chu, "What do you want?"
Li Chu did not answer immediately, but picked up the teacup and drank slowly. He did not answer until he saw that Patriarch Cui was getting impatient.
"This time, all of my Li family's spies in the palace were caught. I was demoted and became a thorn in the emperor's side. I suffered heavy losses. Spreading rumors about the Second Young Master Cui was just my way of getting back at you, uncle. I will no longer be involved. How to deal with it is your Cui family's business."
"As for compensation for using me and the Li family, my request is very simple. Before you do anything to the emperor in the future, you must discuss it with me, and don't use me as a tool in the future. After all, not only your Cui family wants to survive, but my Li family also wants to continue to last for a thousand years."
Patriarch Cui looked at him suspiciously: "That's all?"
He always felt that Li Chu was not such a generous person.
Li Chu said sarcastically, "Uncle Cui, please do this first."
Patriarch Cui had no choice but to nod: "Okay, I promise you."
"Thank you for your consideration of my difficulties," Li Chu said as he stood up. "Now that the matter has been resolved, I will not bother you any more."
"Well, give my regards to your father for me." Patriarch Cui controlled his temper and gave the instruction.
Li Chu: "I will."
After Li Chu left for a while, the head of the Cui family could no longer bear it and waved his hand to throw the cup of tea on the table to the ground.
The teacup shattered, hot water splashed, and the head of the Cui family's face turned as black as ink, and his chest heaved violently.
As the year draws to a close, the streets are bustling with activity.
After leaving the Li family, Li Chu did not take a carriage, but walked home by himself, without any servants or guards following him.
Halfway through the walk, a man reached out and stopped him, whispering, "Master Li, my young master wants to see you."
Li Chu glanced at him, ignored him, and walked around him. The man stepped forward to stop him again, this time with a much stronger tone, "Master Li, you dare not take responsibility for what you did, and you don't even dare to see the victim?"
Li Chu stared at him for a long time, until the man turned away because of his cold gaze, and then he said in a cold voice: "Lead the way."
The man took him into a private room in the teahouse and then walked out, closing the door.
Li Chu was not worried that someone was going to kill him to vent their anger, so he smelled the aroma of tea coming from inside and walked around the screen.
There was a small stove on the low table, and tea was boiling in a porcelain pot on the stove. The second son of the Cui family was sitting on the side of the low table with a cup of tea beside him. The marks of a slap on his face were clearly visible.
Li Chu raised his eyebrows slightly, walked over and sat down opposite him.
"You, the Cui family, are really hospitable. I just had tea with Uncle Cui, and you, Second Young Master, are here to invite me to drink tea again. I am really flattered."
Young Master Cui had a cold expression on his face. Looking at Li Chu's playful face, his eyes were full of hatred.
"You were the one who spread the rumors about me." He said it in an affirmative tone.
Li Chu poured himself a cup of tea, blew it gently, and said after drinking it: "Yes, I did it."
Seeing that he was so calm when being questioned by him, Cui Er Shao almost couldn't hold back and rushed over to hit him, but after thinking for a while, he still restrained his anger and asked: "Why do you do this?"
All of these powerful people have their own secrets, and everyone knows it, but Li Chu just exposed his secrets.
Before coming out of the study, he actually hadn't found out who did this, but when he found that Li Chu came to his house for no apparent reason, and recalled the news a few days ago about Li Chu being punished by the emperor, he guessed in his heart that it was him.
As for why I am asking this question, it is simply because I am unwilling to accept the fact.
Li Chu said: "You should actually ask your father about this question, but I just happened to be in a good mood, so I'll answer you."
He looked at the Second Young Master Cui and said calmly, "You should have heard about my recent punishment by the Emperor. It was your father who did it. He used my people to frame the Emperor. The Emperor found out about me and punished me. I found out that the real murderer was your father, so I took revenge on your Cui family. It's that simple."
Cui Ershao still didn't understand: "Why me?"
Li Chu: "Do you want to hear the truth?"
The Second Young Master Cui looked at Li Chu steadily. Li Chu shrugged and said, "Okay, I'll tell you the truth. You are the least favored one among the direct descendants of the Cui family. If I use you as a scapegoat, your father will be angry, but not too angry. This way I will have a chance to negotiate terms with him."
As he spoke, as if he was afraid that stimulating Second Young Master Cui was not enough, Li Chu spoke more and more harshly, "Your father values your eldest brother, third brother, and fourth brother more. If I choose them as the targets of revenge, your father doesn't have to wait until I come to admit it or find evidence to prove it. He only needs to guess that I did it, and he will punish me. But you are different. He will not directly take action for you, so I have to settle for the next best choice, and I can only choose you."
Young Master Cui turned pale, but he did not refute, because he knew that what Li Chu said was true.
Li Chu then added fuel to the fire: "Actually, you don't need to feel disappointed. There are many children in the family, and it is common for them to be treated unequally. Didn't my father only treat my younger brother well and didn't value me? Don't worry, even if it's just to maintain the face of the Cui family, your father will clear up this rumor for you. You are his son, he will not leave you alone."
"Just to help me solve the rumors?" Cui Ershao suddenly asked, "Do you think he won't help me get revenge on you for me?"
Li Chu smiled: "You should ask your father about this. Anyway, I just met with him and told him that since he hurt me, I would hurt you once, and we would even it out. If he dares to deal with me, I don't mind dragging your entire Cui family into the water. He was scared and agreed to me."
The second young master Cui's eyes turned red: "You mean, my father gave up on revenge for me for the sake of the Cui family, right?"
"Maybe, maybe not." Li Chu said, "It all depends on your father. I can't make the decision."
Young Master Cui lowered his head and remained silent.
Li Chu sighed and said, "This is how it is in a big family like ours. The head of the family will consider the whole family. Even if he has some selfish motives, he will only give it to the one he loves more. Just like my father, he has spoiled my brother since he was a child. Even if he made a heinous mistake, my father would run around to help him solve it. As for me, my brother often bullied me and my mother, but my father didn't care..."
At this point, Li Chu's tone was somewhat bitter. He took a few deep breaths and then forced a smile: "Fortunately, I am lucky enough. My brother is gone, and no one competes with me for the position of head of the family. Now that my father is ill again, the Li family is my world, and I am qualified to be on an equal footing with your father and his family. What's the saying, the daughter-in-law finally becomes the mother-in-law."
Young Master Cui slowly raised his head, his eyes grim and terrifying, "Lord Li is now in power, is it really just because of luck, is it because the daughter-in-law has finally become the mother-in-law?"
Li Chu was stunned for a moment, a strange emotion flashed in his eyes, and his smile was not as natural as before.
He said, "Of course, what else could it be?"
The Second Young Master Cui did not expose him, but asked another question: "I heard that the current emperor was not the first choice for the crown prince at first. He won the throne by fighting with his brothers after the death of the previous emperor. Lord Li, do you think that what the emperor did was right or wrong?"
Li Chu smiled and said, "It is not the position of a minister like me to judge whether your Majesty is right or wrong. However, if I were your Majesty, I would have taken action earlier than him. Brothers from ordinary families would fight for family property, not to mention that the power they are fighting for is the most supreme power in the world that can decide life and death. If you don't fight, it's like putting your life in the hands of others and letting them control you. Only a fool would sit and wait to die."
Cui Ershao leaned over and asked eagerly, "You succeeded, right?"
Li Chu still played dumb: "I don't understand what the Second Young Master means."
Looking at Li Chu's smiling eyes, Cui Ershao stepped back and sat up straight. "It doesn't matter if you don't admit it. I have already heard about what your aunt told me. I have also guessed what you did before. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone about these things just to get revenge on you."
Li Chu looked a little unhappy, as if something had hit the nail on the head. "Then I have to thank you, Second Master Cui."
"Don't thank me, I should be the one thanking you." Second Young Master Cui picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Li Chu.
Li Chu frowned, "What do you mean, Second Young Master?"
"Nothing." He also imitated Li Chu and pretended to be stupid, "I just thought some things through."
The two looked at each other, and Li Chu saw ambition and hatred that was almost overflowing in the eyes of Master Cui.
Li Chu said: "Every family's situation is different. Just because the emperor can do it doesn't mean you can do it. You haven't reached the end of your rope like the emperor, so why push yourself?"
"You haven't reached the end of the road yet? That's just what you think." As early as when he became inhumane and was abandoned by his father, he had already embarked on the road to despair.
Before Li Chulin left, he left only one sentence: "Talk about interests instead of feelings, be careful and wait for opportunities, only then can you succeed."
This is the experience of a successful predecessor. Considering that Young Master Cui is in the same boat as himself, and he also hopes that Young Master Cui can succeed, he gave this sentence to Young Master Cui.
In fact, when Li Chu saw the Second Master Cui coming to see him with a beaten face, he understood that he was not coming to call him to account, but was using the conversation with him to convince him to make up his mind.
After the Second Young Master Cui fell off the horse, Li Chu had heard some rumors that the fall was planned by the First Young Master Cui, because the Second Young Master Cui was extremely talented at that time and was highly regarded by the head of the Cui family, even more talented than the Young Master Cui today.
Some people say that if nothing had happened to the second young master Cui, the famous scholar Maoshan would have taken away not the youngest son of the Cui family, Cui Xin, but the second young master.
But family disgrace should not be made public, and the head of the Cui family had no evidence to prove that the eldest son did it. For the sake of interests, the second son had already been ruined, so why should he destroy the eldest son for him?
Therefore, the head of the Cui family gave up on the second young master Cui. He ordered the second young master Cui to be patient for the sake of the safety of the family and not to seek revenge on his eldest brother.
With his future ruined and his father no longer on his side, Mr. Cui never recovered from the blow and turned into a perverted madman.
He had been enduring it until the rumor happened. He witnessed his father's ruthlessness and the anger in his heart was completely ignited.
How could the Second Master Cui not know that Li Chu wanted to use his desire for revenge to destroy the Cui family from within? But the Second Master Cui didn't care about being used because he had wanted to do so for a long time.
Since my father cares most about the honor of the Cui family, then he will destroy the entire Cui family. If he doesn't live well, no one else can live in peace!
Before I stopped writing at the end of the year, without Li Chu fanning the flames and with the Cui family's interference, the rumors about the second young master Cui soon disappeared.
The main reason was that the Cui family handled the matter very cleanly at the time, and even if Zong Zhengxiao wanted to investigate, he would not be able to find anything.
In order to prove his innocence, Li Chu handed over to Zong Zhengxiao the evidence that the culprit who alienated Zong Zhengxiao and Rong Yin was the head of the Cui family.
At the same time, he also told Zong Zhengxiao the good news that he had instigated the Second Young Master Cui to take revenge on the Cui family, as a way of trying to please Zong Zhengxiao.
After hearing this, Zong Zhengxiao's expression softened a lot when he spoke to him, and he even praised him, which was rare: "You did a good job. I will not pursue the crime of your Li family planting spies in the palace."
Li Chu quickly knelt down and kowtowed in thanks.
After Li Chu left, Zong Zhengxiao summoned the secret guards and ordered, "Keep a close eye on the Cui family. If necessary, you can lend a hand to the Second Young Master Cui."
The secret guard should be.
When Zong Zhengxiao was talking to Li Chu and the secret guards, Si Xi stood beside them without saying a word.
Because he had uncovered the traitor in Yinjiao Garden in advance, Zong Zhengxiao did not punish him severely, but only deducted a few months' salary from him.
As for the traitor, after realizing that he could not get any more useful information from him, Zong Zhengxiao ordered Si Xi to execute him quietly.
He also reminded Si Xi to stay away when killing people and not to let Rong Yin know.
In fact, although it was difficult later, Si Xi still found some clues to prove that the people who were silenced were members of the Cui family.
But after looking at the evidence he had collected, Zong Zhengxiao simply told him that it would be best to pretend that he knew nothing.
Then Zong Zhengxiao continued to severely punish Li Chu, allowing rumors about the Cui family to spread wildly, and ordered the secret guards to go out and investigate the crimes of the second young master Cui to prevent the Cui family from becoming suspicious.
After all, the aristocratic families and the royal family are mortal enemies. If Zong Zhengxiao does not take advantage of the situation when something goes wrong with the Cui family, it would be suspicious.
The Second Young Master Cui, like Li Ao, committed murder and deserved to be cut into pieces, but the Cui family handled the case too cleanly, and with the little evidence they currently have, they cannot do anything to the Second Young Master Cui.
So Zong Zhengxiao followed Li Chu's arrangement and let the Cui family kill each other first, and then deal with them all together when the time comes.
Seeing what Li Chu did to prove his innocence, Zong Zhengxiao raised the corners of his lips slightly and sighed softly, "It is indeed a good sword."
Upon hearing this, Si Xi lowered his eyes and thought to himself: When the birds are all gone, the bow is put away. What will be the fate of a weapon that is inherently flawed after it has been used up? History from ancient times to the present has given the answer countless times.
When Zong Zhengxiao returned to Yinjiao Garden, Rong Yin was still frying hot pot base in the kitchen. The smell was fragrant and spicy, making the palace servants drool.
Zong Zhengxiao couldn't help with the kitchen, so he just played with his classmate Xiao Ai. After the soup pot was set up and the dishes were laid out, he and Rong Yin sat down together.
In fact, there is already a way of eating similar to hot pot in this world, called Ba Xia Gong, but Rong Yin was used to the taste of hot pot, so he just made hot pot directly.
He specially commissioned someone to make the hot pot, modeled after the modern hot pot, so that both the clear soup and the red oil can be enjoyed.
Rong Yin was glad that there was chili pepper here, otherwise he would have lost the joy of eating spicy food.
Hot pot should be cooked and eaten immediately, so Rong Yin did not let Si Xi and the others serve him. He told them to have dinner on their own. He also left a portion of the hot palace pot base he cooked for the servants. He and Zong Zheng Xiao cooked the dishes and ate them slowly.
Xiao Ai's dinner was a big bowl of meat rice, and she was eating it with great grunts.
Zong Zhengxiao put the cooked food into Rong Yin's bowl with his serving chopsticks and said, "Let it sit for a while before eating. Overcooking is bad for your stomach."
Rong Yin nodded and swallowed the food in her mouth before speaking: "Don't just focus on me, eat too. The hot pot base I cooked tastes really good."
Zong Zhengxiao smiled: "I know that our A Yin is the best chef."
Rong Yin wiped the sweat from the tip of his nose with a tissue and said proudly, "Of course. If I hadn't been so incompetent, I would have wanted to open a hot pot restaurant in Beijing."
Zong Zhengxiao took a bite of the dish and said, "You can let the people below take care of it. Ah Yin, you just need to come up with the recipe."
Rong Yin thought for a moment and said, "Let's give it a try next year. If I fail, you are not allowed to laugh at me."
"I believe in you, Yin. You will succeed."
"Your mouth is still so sweet even though you can eat spicy food. I will kiss you to death later."
Zong Zhengxiao looked at him and said, "Without the palace people around, someone has become bolder."
Rong Yin blinked at him: "I have something even bolder, do you want to try it?"
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