“Those with talent in the imperial court are too numerous to count,” Cui Yunchu said. “How many of them are hindered by their lack of connections, possessing ambition but nowhere to display it? How many of them have had their achievements claimed by others, with no way to seek justice? And how many are full of passion, yet suffer for want of an opportunity to put their abilities to use?”
“Have you ever taken the imperial examinations?”
Shen Zilan stared blankly before shaking his head.
“Do you know how many talented people, lacking money and burdened by elderly parents or young brothers and sisters, have no choice but to give up? Do you know how many clearly passed the examinations, only to be replaced by the sons of powerful officials, leaving more than a decade of hard study to go to waste?”
“Do you know how many passed, yet, because they had no connections, were given some insignificant position where they had to struggle just to survive? They remain stuck in some minor post for the rest of their lives.”
“Go ask them whether they envy you.”
In Cui Yunchu’s eyes, Shen Zilan’s troubles were no different from pointless whining.
He suffered because his family was too prosperous, because no one dared offend him.
Put plainly, Shen Xiabai’s brilliance was simply too dazzling. Under his shadow, Shen Zilan would find it difficult to accomplish anything remarkable of his own. Whenever others mentioned him, they would forever refer to him merely as Young Master Shen.
No one would remember his position or achievements.
“If this had been in the past, I would have beaten you,” Cui Yunchu said seriously.
His troubles were like complaining to her that he had too much money to spend and that his elders doted on him too much.
If the old Cui Yunchu had encountered someone like him, she would have slapped him several times without hesitation.
If he didn’t know how to enjoy such blessings, he could get out of the way and let her enjoy them instead.
“If you said things like that in public, you’d provoke everyone’s anger. After all, apart from the imperial relatives, there’s hardly anyone in the capital whose family background surpasses yours.”
Shen Zilan stared at Cui Yunchu in astonishment.
If he remembered correctly, his little aunt was the daughter of the Chancellor. How could she have such insight?
“How does Little Aunt know so much about the plight of scholars from humble families in the imperial court?”
“…I read it in a storybook.” She was not an official, so how could she know the details? Still, human nature and political circumstances were much the same everywhere, and such things were unavoidable.
…
The way she spoke made him feel as though Little Aunt had experienced it all herself.
Cui Yunchu lifted the carriage curtain and pointed at a beggar by the roadside. “If you told him that you were troubled because you had more food than you could eat and more money than you could spend, what do you think his reaction would be?”
Shen Zilan glanced at the beggar.
Cui Yunchu continued, “He’d probably spit in your face and curse you for being an idiot.”
“…”
Shen Zilan was stunned once again. He stared without blinking at those cherry-red lips, unable to believe that such vulgar words had come from the mouth of his celestial-looking little aunt.
Cui Yunchu did not care in the slightest. “So, you’re exactly what people mean when they say someone is blessed without realizing it. When your Uncle Shen first entered the court, things must have been extremely difficult. He worked his way step by step to where he is today. Your current honors and special treatment are all the result of his hard work, and recognition of his abilities.”
“What you should be thinking about is how to use these favorable conditions to go higher and farther.”
“…”
“Become emperor?” Shen Zilan suddenly blurted out, startling Cui Yunchu.
“You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting? Do you want to lose your life?”
Shen Zilan’s spirits drooped. “My uncle is already the most powerful minister in the empire. If I’m to go higher and farther than him, what is there besides becoming emperor?”
“…”
“Then just eat, drink, and wait to die.” Cui Yunchu glared at him.
Sure enough, she was not suited to persuading people. She was much better at beating them. Nothing worked as well as a good thrashing.
Shen Zilan fell silent.
Cui Yunchu’s fierceness left him speechless, and he did not dare say another word.
“If you would only broaden your horizons and take the time to understand the current political situation, you would realize how difficult your uncle’s position is now.”
Dealing with Prince An was by no means easy. A higher position also meant greater responsibilities and pressure.
“If you truly care, then you should help him shoulder some of that burden. At least then you could say you are a member of the Shen family and have not taken his protection all these years for granted. That would be better than whining for no reason.”
Those final four words struck Shen Zilan rather hard.
“But my uncle won’t let me get involved in any of that. He’s so capable—what could I possibly do to help him?” Shen Zilan’s voice grew very soft.
Cui Yunchu glared at him.
Her childhood experiences made it difficult for her to see things from Shen Zilan’s perspective. If someone had once stood before her and complained about having too much money or parents who loved them too much, she would have slapped them across the face and beaten the problem out of them for good.
The carriage stopped in front of Wangyue Tower. Cui Yunchu jumped down first, and Shen Zilan followed close behind.
Xing’er had reserved a private room on the second floor.
Shen Zilan was not particularly hungry, and Cui Yunchu did not let him order anything at all. Aunt and nephew sat facing each other in silence.
A quarter of an hour later, the waiter brought over a pot of tea and two small plates of pastries.
“Eat,” Cui Yunchu said.
Shen Zilan stared at the two tiny plates sitting on the enormous table and remained stunned for quite some time.
Was this what it meant to invite someone to a meal?
His little aunt was truly miserly.
He reached into his sleeve and handed Cui Yunchu several ingots of silver. “This should be enough to order two dishes.”
It was rather pathetic, but it had to be better than two plates of pastries. The look in the waiter’s eyes earlier had been so humiliating that his face still felt hot.
Cui Yunchu took the silver, tucked it into her own sleeve, and repeated, “Eat.”
“…”
Shen Zilan glanced at her sleeve several times before silently withdrawing his gaze. He picked up a small piece of pastry and began to eat.
Whenever it became too dry to swallow, he took a sip of tea to wash it down.
Silence spread throughout the private room.
He had never known that Eldest Miss Cui would turn out to be this sort of little aunt.
In Cui Yunchu’s memories, Shen Zilan had not been like this. He had once been carefree and spirited, sharp-tongued and eloquent. When he had helped her verbally attack that Consort Ting or whatever her name was, he had not held back from using the foulest language.
Yet in less than a year, he had become like this.
It seemed that a person’s state of mind was truly the most important thing of all.
Shen Zilan quietly ate two pieces, then wiped his hands. Cui Yunchu glanced at him but said nothing.
“Full already?”
Shen Zilan nodded.
Cui Yunchu gave Xing’er a meaningful look. Xing’er went out for a while and returned carrying a platter of roast chicken. The chicken had been cut into neat, even pieces. Cui Yunchu picked up a drumstick and ate it with great relish.
Shen Zilan stared at her, dumbfounded.
“Would you like some?”
After recovering from his shock, Shen Zilan shook his head.
Cui Yunchu nodded. “Pay close attention. It’s starting.”
Shen Zilan paused. Suddenly, voices came from the other side of the screen.
“This is our first meeting, so I’ve brought a small gift for you. I hope you won’t find it too modest.”
“You’re very thoughtful, Young Master.”
A woman’s voice drifted over, and the confusion in Shen Zilan’s eyes slowly faded.
Cui Yunchu gnawed on her drumstick with one hand and held her tea with the other, looking from Shen Zilan to the screen and back again.
After a brief silence, the conversation resumed. They exchanged pleasantries and asked after each other’s parents. Every courtesy and formal procedure was carried out from beginning to end.
“So this is what a meeting arranged by the parents looks like,” Cui Yunchu murmured.
It was nothing like the first meeting between her and Lord Shen. They had kissed the moment they met, called her father an old bastard, and discussed drugging him to death.
Compared with them, these two were so refined and well-mannered.
Ignoring the changing expression on the face beside her, Cui Yunchu continued listening to the conversation beyond the screen.
