Chapter Twenty-Two
“Uncle, marriage is meant to unite two families,” Cui Lanyin could only hint.
“I’m here.” Prince Wei clearly didn’t think much of it. With him backing her, the Yao family would have to treat her with due respect.
Cui Lanyin was deeply moved. She had never imagined that her grandmother’s small act of kindness all those years ago would earn such a great return.
If she did not suffer from her head ailment, and if the Cui family’s main branch were in better circumstances, she would have been delighted to marry into the Yao family.
Ever since she had developed the same head ailment as Lady Tan two years ago, she had been worried about her health. Lady Tan had not managed to conceive Cui Sheng until the sixth year of her marriage, and Cui Lanyin felt that even if she could bear children, she would probably be the same—unable to conceive for five or seven years.
Everyone in the capital knew the Yao family’s rule: a Yao man could only take a concubine after five years of marriage without a son. That was also why the Yao family’s main branch had produced only one son for three generations, while the fourth branch had done so for two.
Because of this rule, many influential families who cherished their daughters wanted to marry them into the Yao family. The wife of the Yao family’s main branch, for example, was Qingyun Commandery Princess of Prince Cheng’s Residence.
But this was not what Cui Lanyin cared about. She could accept her husband taking a concubine, but she could not accept a concubine’s son being born before her own child. Even if she were to raise a concubine’s son, she would first have to try for a child herself and truly be unable to conceive.
Prince Wei had already arranged her marriage into the Yao family out of consideration for her. It would be unreasonable of her to make them wait so many years for her.
Thinking of the Sixth Young Master Yao whom she had seen that day at Bishui Pavilion—a young man in white, even more handsome than Tan Shao, and seemingly good-natured—she felt that he was truly a rare and excellent husband. It would be a pity to miss him.
But how was she supposed to explain all these roundabout concerns to her uncle? He was, after all, a male elder. There were some things she simply could not bring herself to say.
“Uncle, I feel that…”
“We’ll talk about it later.” Whether Prince Wei had seen through her thoughts or had some other plan, he gestured that she could leave.
“Uncle, you’re not angry, are you?” Cui Lanyin asked softly.
Prince Wei had already begun meditating with his eyes closed.
“Humph. Whenever you don’t want to deal with someone, you just meditate,” Cui Lanyin muttered. She bowed and withdrew.
The next day was a rest day. After breakfast, the whole family gathered in the main room to talk.
Now that she no longer had to drink gastrodia-and-chicken porridge every day, Cui Lanyin’s appetite had improved considerably. Cui Sheng had begun creating new dishes in different ways, and she was eating more at every meal. Some color had returned to her face, and she no longer looked quite so frail.
Cui Sheng and Lady Jiang felt much more at ease.
After exchanging a glance, the husband and wife announced, “I’ve made up my mind. From now on, I’m going to study seriously and strive to earn an official degree.”
Cui Lanyin had sensed for the past few days that her parents and two younger brothers were plotting something behind her back, but she had never expected her father to make such a decision.
“Father, there’s no need to put yourself through all that,” Cui Lanyin coaxed him. She knew why Cui Sheng had come to this decision. He must have been unable to get past the guilt he felt after not having enough money to buy her medicine this time.
How many people could pass the examinations smoothly on their first attempt? Even those who did had spent years building a solid foundation from childhood.
Cui Sheng was already thirty-nine. If he began studying now, when would he ever pass? Besides, he was not the sort of person who could devote himself single-mindedly to one thing. Cui Lanyin did not want to watch him force himself into hardship.
“Father, we can just wait for Brother Jian to take the examinations.”
But Cui Sheng was unusually determined. “I’ll take them together with Jian’er.”
Cui Jian strongly approved. “A father and son taking the same examination would make a fine story if word got out. Second Sister ought to support us.”
That was not all. Cui Su joined in as well. “After a year of training, I’ll be proficient with the bow and horse. I’m thinking of joining the army next year.”
Cui Sheng’s decision to take the examinations was one thing. No matter how he went about it, he would still be in Yingcheng, and there was a good chance he would give up once he found studying too tedious.
But Cui Su joining the army was absolutely out of the question. It was entirely different from the Meng family’s proposal a while back to arrange for someone to enter the military. In that case, there would have been someone to look after him, and he would at least have been given an eighth-rank clerical post. Enlisting as an ordinary soldier meant starting at the very bottom. Every promotion would have to be won with one’s life.
Cui Sheng, the father and his two sons all began signaling to Lady Jiang, clearly hoping she would help plead their case. Since the four of them had obviously planned this together, if she opposed everything, they would probably be discouraged for quite some time.
Then she would oppose one and win over another.
Cui Lanyin deliberately hardened her expression. “Su’er’s plan is out of the question.”
Cui Sheng’s eyes lit up. “Then mine is acceptable.” He patted Cui Su on the shoulder. “It’s settled. Once Jian’er and I pass the examinations, we’ll find you a way in. The three of us will rise and fall together and achieve something no other family has—a fine story for everyone to admire.”
Lady Jiang and Cui Jian both said, “That sounds good.”
Cui Lanyin had long been accustomed to having the final say in the family. Without her approval, none of them had the courage to make decisions on their own. Now that all three of his allies had defected, Cui Su was left without a plan.
“Second Young Miss, Zhang Gui has arrived,” Granny Sun reported from the doorway.
Afraid that Cui Su would pester her, Cui Lanyin hurried toward the front courtyard.
The moment Zhang Gui entered, he pulled a long face. “Second Young Miss, that Liu Heipi came to the shop yesterday. He helped carry tea and water and worked as a shop assistant for the entire day. Then he came again this morning.”
That Liu Heipi—when she had told him not to come to the residence, he had gone straight to her teahouse instead.
Bailin should already have spoken to him. After receiving such a tremendous opportunity, he ought to be enjoying his moment of triumph. How could he still have time to hang around her teahouse?
“Is he still at the teahouse now?”
Zhang Gui lowered his head. “He told me that he’s one of our people now, and that Second Young Miss might be willing to see him. It would be inconvenient for him to rush over from the teahouse, so he thought it would be better to come along with me. If Second Young Miss wanted to see him, he could come in; if not, he would simply go back.”
Liu Heipi was as persistent as a smear of sticky candy, and he was crafty besides. Someone like Zhang Gui had no way of dealing with him.
But Liu Heipi was being far too presumptuous. He was working for “Master Zhao” now, so how had he suddenly become one of her people?
She was only afraid that he might not be able to keep his mouth shut outside. She had to make things clear to him. Cui Lanyin told Zhang Gui to fetch Geng Dayou and had the gatehouse cleared out so that she could meet Liu Heipi there.
After waiting for roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Cui Lanyin headed over with Aiye.
The instant she opened the door and stepped inside, Liu Heipi dropped to his knees before her with a thud.
“Second Young Miss saved my life and gave me a new beginning. I will never forget your kindness. Let me kowtow to you three times first. You can decide what comes after.”
“I merely passed along a message. What are you doing, Master Liu?” Cui Lanyin had never expected such a scene. She motioned for Geng Dayou and Zhang Gui to help him up.
But Liu Heipi refused to rise. He was a skilled fighter who had made a name for himself in the martial world. Although Geng Dayou was strong, he was still inferior to Liu Heipi. Even with Zhang Gui’s help, the two of them could not pull him up.
All they could do was watch as Liu Heipi firmly knocked his head against the floor three times.
People from the martial world simply did not follow ordinary rules. Looking at Liu Heipi, who still refused to get up, Cui Lanyin said helplessly, “Since you’ve already thanked me, Master Liu, please rise.”
Liu Heipi remained kneeling. His lips moved slightly, and he looked as though he did not know how to begin.
This man was slippery and shrewd; there was no matter he could not bring himself to say. Even when he had come to beg for help after being driven into a corner last time, he had not looked like this.
“If you have something to say, Master Liu, just say it plainly.”
Liu Heipi rolled his eyes around several times before finally lifting his head as if he had steeled his resolve. "Second Miss, that day I saw... Master Bai... Master Bai was following Prince Wei's carriage." He swallowed hard to soothe his jittery nerves. "I did some asking around, and everyone says Prince Wei is always dozing off, never exchanging a word with anyone. So that Mr. Zhao... he's... he's..." He did not dare to finish the title "His Highness the Prince" at the end.
"When did you see this?"
"It was the day of the Yao family's housewarming banquet."
Cui Lanyin understood. Those past few days, she had not sent anyone out, and the only time someone left the estate was to attend the Yao family's banquet. Liu Heipi must have found a way to tag along then. It was a slip-up in her arrangements.
"You should not have come here."
"Second Miss, I simply couldn't keep it to myself, I've not slept a wink these past few days. This is a Prince we're talking about!" Liu Heipi's voice trembled. "A noble person like you, Second Miss, might not get it. For the likes of me, even getting the attention of a county magistrate would be a blessing that makes my ancestors' graves smoke, something I'd never even dare to dream of, let alone getting close to a prince."
So Liu Heipi was just too overexcited to keep this to himself, and did not dare spread it to anyone else, so he came babbling to her?
"Since that's the case, just do your duties well, and things will surely go smoothly for you later," Cui Lanyin said. With no other words to offer, she repeated the same line she had said to Buyu the day before.
"Yes, yes," Liu Heipi said, the tension draining from him, a happy look spreading across his face. "Master Bai already told me it was Second Miss who put in a good word for me, that's why he thought of taking me on."
"Master Bai just said that casually, there's no need for you to take it so seriously, Master Liu."
"Second Miss, please don't ever call me that again. I'm the fifth child in my family, just call me Liu Wu."
Even though she knew Liu Heipi would never overstep, Cui Lanyin felt she needed to rein him in a little, lest he act recklessly out of ignorance and ruin her cousin's plans. She decided to put on the demeanor of Prince Wei's niece. "You know full well why Master Bai sought you out in the first place, so..." She stopped addressing him as "Master Liu" right then.
"Rest assured, Second Miss, no one in my family will let a single word slip."
"Above all, keep a tight rein on your tongue. If you don't, it won't just be the Five Wards Military Office coming for you. The entire Sixteen Regional Guards of Great Ying will hunt you down, and you'll have nowhere on earth to hide. You don't want to taste that, do you?" As she spoke, Cui Lanyin pressed her five fingers downward, a sharp, stern look flashing across her face.
Somehow, this side of Second Miss made Liu Heipi see the shadow of Master Zhao. Goosebumps broke out all over his skin, and he shook his head vigorously. "Second Miss, I'll be honest with you. Even Master Zhao from the martial world could snuff me out without so much as a flick of his wrist. I was far too ignorant back then. Only in these past two days, after the people under Master Bai explained things to me, did I finally come to my senses. The reason all the factions in the martial world go to Master Zhao to mediate their disputes is that his fists are the hardest. They are all convinced by his strength, so they let Master Zhao lay down the rules..."
Cui Lanyin could not help but feel a surge of admiration. So Prince Wei's power in the martial world was far greater than she had imagined, that all the conflicts across the jianghu would turn to him to settle. How awe-inspiring and domineering that must be!
If only she had been born a man. Then she would never need to rely on the likes of Liu Heipi. She could handle all those matters for her cousin herself, and what freedom and joy that would bring!
