Chapter 132
The Emperor flicked a finger at Buyan, "Did you hear what Her Majesty said?"
Buyan stepped forward with a grin, "Heard every word clearly. I'll go take Buyu to find Eunuch Qian for the keys right now."
Buyu followed Buyan out, still hardly able to believe it, and turned to glance back at Cui Lanyin over his shoulder several times.
Cui Lanyin waved at him with a smile, "When they hand you the keys, just take them. Pick whatever catches your eye and bring it back."
"Got it!" Buyu replied cheerfully, "This servant will do exactly as Your Majesty says." He quickened his steps to catch up with Buyan, and the two left the western chamber together.
Not long after, Buyan returned first, and resumed attending to the Emperor and Cui Lanyin as they handled brush and ink.
Cui Lanyin had assumed they would spend the session reading through memorials again and practicing writing comments on slips of paper, but the Emperor said, "You may write your comments directly on the memorials themselves. Later, if there is anything missing, I will add it for you."
Cui Lanyin hesitated, "The court officials will be able to tell it is not your handwriting."
The Emperor passed the brush to her, "So what if they can?"
His words put her at ease, and she muttered under her breath, "I'm Cui the Bold, who do I have to fear?" She stopped fretting, and after finishing reading one memorial, she wrote her comments directly on it.
It was then that Cui Lanyin thought to ask, "Why have all the court officials who came to seek an audience these past two days dispersed so early?"
"I had already finished commenting on all the memorials, so why would I make them stand around lingering and taking up space?" the Emperor said, taking the commented memorial from her hand. He added a line of his own writing on it, placed it on the stack of finished memorials, and continued, "If they cannot even handle the well-drafted instructions they have been given, what use is there in them lingering here?"
Cui Lanyin understood now. Starting the previous day, the Emperor had been sending all the already commented memorials to several Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet to distribute to the relevant departments. Only when court officials encountered matters they could not resolve would they come to the Yanhua Palace to request an audience.
She could not help but wonder, when the court officials saw the unfamiliar handwriting on the memorials tomorrow, would they guess that it was she who had written the comments?
Buyu returned to the western chamber after only the time it took to burn one stick of incense, having been very restrained on his first errand of this sort.
He had only picked three items: a red coral carving of the Five Sons Achieving Scholarly Success plaque, a Hetian jade carved Kuixing Pointing at the Dipper brush washer, and a small zitan wood screen inlaid with gold designs of laurel beneath the moon. Every single one of the items was extraordinarily precious.
The red coral Five Sons Achieving Scholarly Success plaque was particularly exquisite. On a plaque no larger than an inch, the entire scene of five sons achieving scholarly success was carved, with the figures' clothing and features rendered so vividly and clearly that this single piece alone was valuable enough to be passed down as a family heirloom.
Cui Lanyin was very satisfied with the selection, and said to Buyu, "Go deliver these items back in person. Tell my elder sister and my brother-in-law that these are gifts from both His Majesty and me."
Buyu immediately spoke up, "Last time during the county-level examination, the young masters of the Cui family placed brush, ink, paper, and ink stone that had been graced by His Majesty's imperial aura on their desks, and all of them passed the exam at once. Young Master Cui Jian even took first place. With these gifts now given to the eldest son-in-law, he is certain to achieve high rank in the exam."
The Emperor could not bear to listen to his constant talk of the gifts carrying imperial good fortune any longer, and flicked a finger at him. Without needing any reminder from Buyan, Buyu quickly gathered up the items and hurried out of the western chamber.
Turning back to Cui Lanyin, the Emperor wore a smile on his lips again. "Counting them as gifts from both of us is only right. Husband and wife are of one body, so things should naturally be this way."
As soon as night fell on the 15th day of the third lunar month, candidates began gathering outside the Imperial Examination Hall to wait for entry.
By the hour of the Pig, the area before the examination hall was packed with a sea of people, and a steady stream of carriages and horses kept arriving to drop off the examinees.
This time, all the men from the Cui and Jiang families had turned out to accompany Hong Ji. After the three families finished their evening meal together, Cui Mian, Cui Fang, Cui Sheng, and Jiang Zhian stayed by Hong Ji's side, chatting with him to calm his nerves. When it was almost time for him to depart, all the younger generation of the three families followed him out, walking together to escort Hong Ji to the examination hall for entry.
The group surrounded Hong Ji as they stepped out the door, only to find Madam Hong and Hong Xu waiting for them outside.
Back when Cui Lanyin had her wedding, Madam Hong had arrived in Yingcheng with her eldest son and his wife, claiming that she wanted to purchase some property in the city, so that Hong Ji's elder brother Hong Xu could manage the family's daily affairs there, while she and her daughter-in-law Madam Ruan would help Cui Lanzhi take care of Little Fen, so that the whole family could live close together.
Master Hong was still in Wuxi, so there was no reason for Madam Hong to settle down in Yingcheng for a long period of time.
Hong Ji knew very well that Madam Hong's real intention was to get him to ask Cui Lanyin to secure a official post for Hong Xu in Yingcheng.
The Hong family was a renowned scholarly clan in Wuxi, with many members having earned the title of jinshi and juren over the generations. But Master Hong had no talent for studying, so he gave up his academic pursuits and returned to manage the clan's daily affairs, which caused their branch of the family to lose status within the larger clan.
Hong Xu was more capable than Master Hong, having passed the xiucai examination, but he had failed the provincial-level juren examination two times in a row. The clan had sent his examination essays to clan members who were serving as officials outside Wuxi to review, and none of them held out much hope for his academic future.
Hong Xu himself could no longer bear to bury himself in books, so Master Hong simply brought him along to help manage the clan's daily affairs.
If none of the troubles involving Cui Lanyin offending Prince Duan and Prince Kang had happened, Hong Ji would have naturally worked together with Hong Xu to strive for a better future, without even needing his parents to say a word.
But back when he had faced the impending disaster that seemed impossible to escape because of his ties to Cui Lanyin, Madam Hong had first taken refuge at the Tan family's residence. When even the Tan family could no longer shelter her, she had not left him a single word of explanation before hurrying back to Wuxi.
After Madam Hong returned to Wuxi, no one from there sent him a single message, and even his monthly allowance was cut off. It was clear that Master Hong and Hong Xu shared Madam Hong's exact mindset, and wanted to draw a clear line to cut all ties with him.
Hong Ji thought back to those days when the Hong family had cut off his funds, when he had to count every copper coin even as he tried to focus on his studies. He was not the kind of man who could comfortably live off his wife's dowry, and Cui Lanzhi was pregnant at the time, with all the expenses of her prenatal care and the upcoming childbirth adding up. If he failed to pass the examination, he had no idea if the thousand taels of private silver his grandmother had left him before her passing would be enough to support the three of them for three full years.
Yet the main branch of the Cui family had treated him as their own son. Even when their own household was not well off, they never let him and his wife spend a single copper coin on their food, clothing, or daily necessities. Several times, he and Cui Lanzhi tried to offer money to contribute, but Cui Lanyin grew annoyed at their insistence, and told Cui Lanzhi plainly that if she no longer wanted to be sisters with her, they could keep trying to hand over money. After that, the couple never dared to bring up the subject of paying their own way again.
Later, when Cui Lanyin opened a pastry shop and a restaurant and began bringing back dividends to the family, Cui Sheng and Lady Jiang started giving Cui Lanzhi an extra thirty taels of silver every month, for fear that the couple might run short of money. After Little Fen was born, they added another twenty taels, so the monthly stipend became fifty taels.
Cui Lanyin was just as generous. Every time she received fine fabrics or jewelry, she would send a portion over to Cui Lanzhi, more than Cui Lanzhi could ever wear herself. All these little acts of kindness added up to a considerable sum.
After living in the Cui household for nearly a year, they had not spent a single tael of their own private savings, and had even managed to put aside a tidy sum of money.
His heart had grown completely cold towards the Hong family for their betrayal, while the Cui family treated him with all the warmth of a real son, so Hong Ji no longer held any lingering affection for the Hong family at all.
He could not stop Madam Hong from bringing Hong Xu and his family to Yingcheng, but he would never allow them to move into the Cui family residence under the pretense of family affection.
After he firmly rejected that idea, Madam Hong and Hong Xu's family went to stay as guests at the Tan family's residence, and Hong Ji knew immediately that her claim of purchasing property in Yingcheng had all been a lie to deceive him.
Lady Xiang was not a woman to be trifled with. When she saw that Madam Hong and her family had stayed for a full month with no sign of leaving, she directly asked them to leave.
Unwilling to return to Wuxi empty-handed, and hoping to win Hong Ji's trust, Madam Hong finally spent some silver to buy a small residence in the eastern part of the city, for Hong Xu and his family to live in. After that, Madam Hong traveled back and forth between Wuxi and Yingcheng. When the second lunar month arrived, she moved to Yingcheng permanently, first hoping to follow the Cui family into the palace for Cui Lanyin's birthday. When that plan fell through, she set her sights on Grand Empress Dowager Chen's birthday, only to be disappointed once again.
It dawned on Madam Hong that there was no way she could get to see Cui Lanyin right now. What she had done earlier to win back Hong Ji's affection and rekindle ties with the Cui family was never something that could be accomplished overnight. She needed to plan everything carefully for the long run.
Now that she had found Hong Ji, she no longer pestered him with one question after another like she used to.
"Lianfang, ask your elder brother to put in some effort and come along to see you off too. He won't have time later on. Yesterday, he signed up at the school run by the Directorate of Studies under the Prince's Palace. Once the people who signed up with him found out he already had the xiucai scholar title, they all said that once he graduates from the school, if he is willing to go work in the provincial offices, he will definitely land a position as a director of a local station."
If she had not kept glancing over at Jiang Shi while saying those words, Hong Ji might have believed her.
Before Hong Ji could even speak, Jiang Shi and Cui Su both stepped forward in a hurry, blocking Hong Ji behind them.
Cui Su smiled and held out a hand to Jiang Shi, "Big cousin, you go first."
Jiang Shi did not bother exchanging pleasantries with him. He just looked straight at Madam Hong and said, "This is such an important moment for Lianfang. It is hardly appropriate to bring up such a matter now. Besides, the school does not admit everyone who signs up. There is still an entrance exam to pass. Aren't you afraid that if the eldest Young Master Hong fails the exam, he will become a laughingstock for everyone to gossip about?"
Jiang Shi was the most honest and kind-hearted person among all of them. The fact that he spoke to Madam Hong in such a tone showed clearly that he was furious that Madam Hong and her son tried to take advantage of Hong Ji at this critical juncture.
Right after Jiang Shi finished speaking, both Madam Hong and Hong Xu's faces flushed bright red. Madam Hong was just about to explain herself, but Cui Su did not give her the chance.
He took one step forward and said firmly, "Don't you ever think that everyone in the Cui family is easy to push around. If anyone tries to upset my brother-in-law today, I guarantee they will get back twice as much trouble. Just try us if you don't believe me."
Surrounded and protected by these people, the little bit of sadness Hong Ji had felt quickly melted away.
Watching Madam Hong and Hong Xu retreat under Cui Su's pressure, Hong Ji looked back right before he got on the carriage. "Once the exam results are posted, I will head back to Wuxi for a trip."
A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Madam Hong's face. "Really? I will send a letter to your father right away. He will be so happy to hear that."
Hong Xu also said excitedly, "Second brother, in our family, only the two of us share the same mother. When brothers are of one mind, their sharpness can cut through metal. If we work hand in hand, there is nothing we cannot achieve."
Hong Ji bowed to Madam Hong. "Go back now." Then he turned around and stepped onto the carriage.
Cui Fu, who had not quite caught on to what was happening, pulled Cui Su aside and asked, "Is eldest brother-in-law really going to..."
Cui Jian came over and pushed him onto the carriage. "He needs to draw a line under things and make his position clear."
Cui Fu nodded as if he had learned a great lesson. "Now I get it. Eldest brother-in-law would never be so confused as to make a foolish choice."
When they arrived at the Imperial Examination Hall, the place was packed with people, three layers deep on every side.
Hong Ji asked the coachman to stop the carriage at the outer edge, and tried to persuade everyone to go back. He said he could squeeze his way in the rest of the distance by himself.
But no one was willing to leave. Cui Su stepped forward and directed all the brothers, "I will clear a path. Jian, Young Master Yu, and Chong, follow right behind me. Big cousin and second cousin, flank eldest brother-in-law on both sides. Second brother and third brother, stand at the back to stop people from pushing and shoving towards us from behind."
Jiang Shi led the rest of the brothers to agree. He and Jiang Xian then sandwiched Hong Ji between them from the left and the right. The whole group, with Cui Su leading the way to clear the crowd, escorted Hong Ji all the way to the queue at the entrance of the examination hall.
When they got to the front, they saw that many other examinees, even with their family members protecting them, had crumpled clothes and messy hair from squeezing through the crowd. Only Hong Ji looked as neat and fresh as if he had just changed into a brand new set of clothes.
It was different from the metropolitan examination in Yancheng, where the weather in March was still cold. If a cold snap hit, the examinees would suffer terribly. Every year, there were people who had to be carried out of the exam hall halfway through because they caught a chill, and even more people who fell seriously ill right after the exam ended.
In the southern region, though there were frequent rainy days in March, the weather was not cold at all. As long as they took proper measures to keep moisture out, the exam days would not be so tough to get through.
Everything in Hong Ji's exam basket was well prepared, every item was the most suitable one for the occasion. To prevent cheating, the rules stipulated that examinees could only bring quilts made of single-layer cloth, but that was no trouble for Lady Jiang at all.
Lady Jiang was not particularly talented in other matters, but she had endless clever ideas when it came to clothing and daily necessities. She asked Cui Lanyin for a wool blanket that was a tribute from the Western Regions. It was very thin and did not take up much space, but it was extremely warm. It was perfect for Hong Ji to use inside the examination hall.
Looking at all his brothers-in-law around him, and thinking about how every single item in his exam basket, down to the smallest writing brush, had been carefully prepared by the Cui family, Hong Ji raised his hand and pressed it to his chest. There hung the red coral "Five Sons Achieve High Rank" pendant that the Emperor and Empress had gifted him. Hong Ji felt so warm inside that he could not contain the feeling.
He smiled at all of them and said, "From now on, don't call me eldest brother-in-law. Just call me big brother instead."
Cui Su and Cui Jian both looked at him with bright, eager eyes. After getting Hong Ji's firm nod of confirmation, they shouted in unison, "Big brother!"
But Jiang Shi objected immediately. "You still have to call me big cousin, little cousin."
Hong Ji burst into laughter and quickly corrected himself, "Big cousin."
Cui Fu and the others then followed suit and called out loudly, "Big brother!"
Cui Su asked Jiang Shi to stand at the very front, then he pulled the rest of the brothers to line up in the order of their ages. After whispering a few words to them, he took the lead and said to Hong Ji, "We brothers are here to wish you, big brother (little cousin), smooth sailing in the exam, a flowing brush that writes with spirit, a mind brimming with brilliant ideas, and immediate success on the golden ranking list!"
Their voices were so loud and imposing that many people in the crowd turned their heads to look over. But Hong Ji did not feel embarrassed at all. Instead, he stood up even straighter, brimming with pride.
In the crowd, Tan Shao spotted them at once. He looked at Fifth Young Master Yao and the other reserved, serious Sixth Young Master Yao beside him, and could not help feeling jealous of the grand, supportive scene around Hong Ji.
Here we go [let me take a good look]
Some readers have asked how many more words there are left before the novel finishes. I plan to wrap it up in July, so I can take a vacation in August [winky face].
