gnovel Chapter 55 Understanding Noble Families
Chapter 55 Understanding Noble Families
Qinghui Hall is the main hall of the old residence of the Cui family in Boling. The stone pillars on both sides are engraved with the words "Passing on the classics for generations and establishing virtue for the family".
Wei Zheng and Cui Shousu were seated at the head of the table, followed by Cui Dunli and Cui Mingan. The other young talents of the Cui family were seated in order, while Shen Ce and Wen Wuyin were at the end.
After everyone was seated and servants served tea on their knees, the clan chief Cui Shousu's aged voice rang out: "Some time ago, we heard in Anping that Lord Wei intercepted Li Sixing and others, who were being escorted by the local governor, in Cizhou and immediately released them. Is this true?"
Wei Zheng laughed and said, "It is indeed true. The Crown Prince ordered us to pacify Shandong, precisely to appease the former subordinates of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji."
"Lord Wei acted decisively and spread the news to Hebei Circuit through the Prefect of Luoyang, which quickly put our surrounding officials at ease and prevented further unrest. Hahaha, what a brilliant move, what a brilliant move!"
Wei Zheng raised his hand and pointed to Wen Wuyin and Shen Ce behind him, saying, "I dare not take credit for this matter. The one on the left is the one who proposed it. He was originally Shen Ce, the chief clerk of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices under my command."
Shen Ce rose from his kneeling position, solemnly bowed with his hands clasped in greeting to everyone present, and then sat down after exchanging glances with them.
Everyone nodded in approval at this official, who was around twenty years old but held a powerful seventh-rank position.
"The one on the right is Wen Wuyin, the eldest son of Wen Daya, the Prefect of Luoyang, who is currently serving as the Inspector of the Court of Judicial Review," Wei Zheng's voice rang out again.
A gasp of astonishment erupted in the hall, and some curious onlookers began to whisper among themselves. Could this man be the young master Wen, who married the Zheng family of Xingyang?
"Then Lord Wei's trip can be considered a complete success," Cui Shousu asked again, seemingly without leaving a trace.
Seeing that the time was right, Wei Zheng suddenly straightened his expression and raised his hand to signal for silence in the hall.
The servants on both sides, seeing this, remained calm and immediately bowed and withdrew from the main hall.
He said in a deep voice, "Lord Cui, I am here on the Emperor's orders to comfort Shandong, but there is another imperial decree specifically for your Cui family of Boling, Cui Sheren."
Upon hearing this, Shen Ce immediately strode forward, walked into the Wei Hall, took out a yellow brocade from his bosom, and held it high above his head: "By imperial decree, the Emperor commands Cui Dunli."
In an instant, the hall fell silent. The expressions of the various branches of the Cui clan changed drastically. The members of the second branch showed joy and immediately lowered their heads. They knew that Cui Dunli had made meritorious contributions a few days ago and that he must have come to reward him.
The other rooms had different expressions, but they all bowed in unison.
Cui Dunli immediately stood up, straightened his hat and clothes, and knelt down in the hall.
Shen Ce, seated in the hall, recited:
Cui Dunli:
"You, serving as a court attendant, were ordered to convey imperial edicts to Youzhou. When Prince Yuan of Lujiang rebelled, you remained fearless and steadfast, refusing to yield even when captured and tortured. If not for unwavering loyalty and righteousness, how could you have achieved this? Therefore, I hereby appoint you as Left Guard General, in charge of the imperial guards. You shall proceed immediately upon arrival."
Cui Dunli kowtowed, accepted the imperial edict with both hands, and said in a steady voice, "Your subject Cui Dunli kowtows to thank Your Majesty for your grace."
Wei Zheng and Cui Shousu helped him up, and after some congratulations, everyone sat down again.
"Someone, prepare a feast."
At this time, the elders of the Cui clan were very pleased with themselves. Having someone in the family promoted was a glorious thing for the family.
The servants who had previously left the house filed in, bringing in the prepared tableware and food.
With the imperial edict as a base, everyone drank heartily. Unlike the silver stemmed cups at banquets in Chang'an, the Cui family's tableware appeared quite antique.
Shen Ce held it up to his eyes to examine it closely. It shouldn't be called a wine cup; a feathered goblet would be more appropriate. The purplish-red clam shell looked exceptionally luxurious under the sunlight, not to mention the gold clasp around it.
The three of them were trying to win over the Cui family of Boling, so drinking was a natural thing to do. Although the alcohol content was not high, the Cui family was exceptionally enthusiastic, and in less than an hour, the wine cup next to Shen Ce was almost empty.
For a business banquet, to be honest, if Shen Ce really used the methods from later generations, he would probably flatter these people to the skies. However, his current status is not high enough, so the job of flattering them has to be left to Wei Zheng.
Cui Shousu had a thin, gaunt face and a completely white beard. After a few rounds of drinks, he seemed a little tipsy, with a flush on his sallow face. Holding his wine cup, he stroked his beard and said:
"Lord Wei, my Cui clan of Boling has Cui Mingan in the past and Cui Dunli in the future. There are also some incompetent members in the clan who hold minor official positions in the state and government."
Having said that, he turned to look at Wei Zheng and said, "Look at my Cui family of Boling, aren't we full of talented people?"
Upon hearing this, many of the Cui family members in the hall cheered, their pride overflowing. Some even turned around to look at the two sitting at the end.
Shen Ce ignored the provocative looks from the crowd, but clenched his fists. He knew that these members of the Cui clan would not let the matter rest. They must know that their trip was not solely for Cui Dunli. Their true intentions were now revealed.
"Indeed, indeed," Wei Zheng nodded, echoing the words of the Cui clan elder, and replied with a smile, "I have already witnessed the family learning of the Cui clan of Boling."
Cui Shousu said with a hint of regret, "But there are still many talented young people in the clan who have no opportunity to display their talents. Could you teach me, Lord Wei?"
Everyone in the hall held their breath, put down their wine cups, and looked at Wei Zheng, quietly waiting for his reply.
This was Cui Shousu taking this opportunity to openly ask Wei Zheng for a place in the civil service. He was certain that Wei Zheng was going to win over the Cui family, so he deliberately offered him a way out and let's see if he would accept it.
Wei Zheng glanced around at everyone but didn't immediately speak. Instead, he slowly rose, stepped forward, and stared at each of the Cui family youths in the hall until he had circled the entire hall. Only then did he return to his seat and loudly proclaim:
"I believe that all those below me are outstanding young talents of our dynasty, and are among the best of our time."
"But it is a pity that they do not hold official positions now." Seeing that Wei Zheng did not respond, Cui Shousu pressed on with his question.
Wei Zheng understood that if he were to fall behind at this point, he would likely lose the initiative in the subsequent negotiations. So, he began to walk unsteadily and pretended to be drunk, saying, "That's because their fathers didn't work hard enough. If there were more righteous people like Cui Dunli in the clan, even just the family's inheritance would be enough for your clan's children. Maybe in the future, they could even support nine generations of their families."
Upon hearing this, Cui Shousu and the other members of the Cui clan in the hall were immediately enraged. Some of the younger members had already stood up, wanting to refute this arrogant fellow, but were held back by their clansmen.
The Cui clan respected Wei Zheng because of his status as an angel, not because of you as a person.
Cui Dunli, who was injured, did not drink alcohol. Seeing that the atmosphere at the banquet was not right, he stood up and tried to smooth things over, saying, "My family, the Cui family of Boling, has a long history of learning. If you want to enter officialdom, you should take the right path."
Some people agreed with this statement, but some collateral relatives were not very satisfied. They thought to themselves, "Cui Dunli, your father was the Minister of Rites in the previous dynasty, and you started directly from the sixth rank of Zhongshu Sheren. How can we collateral relatives be treated the same? You have been promoted today, but you have forgotten that we clansmen have not yet found our place."
In the center of the main hall, a young man suddenly put down his wine cup and said loudly, "I am Cui Min from the third branch of the Cui family. I have something I would like to ask Lord Wei."