diskusbooks Chapter 1041 The Qian Family Meeting
Chapter 1041 The Qian Family Meeting
While Consort Qian was being tortured in the palace, the Qian family also received news from the palace.
Grand Tutor Qian was already quite old at this time. Although he had not retired, he was in a semi-retired state in the court. Most of the time, he stayed behind the scenes and would not easily express his opinions or show his face unless it was a major matter concerning the rise and fall of his family.
The clan's affairs, both large and small, were mainly handled by his sons.
Over the years, his sons have all become capable of handling things on their own, especially his eldest son Qian Ying and youngest son Qian Yu, whom he is most proud of.
Consort Qian was one of Qian Ying's legitimate daughters.
Everyone was shocked when they heard this news.
Qian Jie was more outspoken and the most dashing among the brothers. He had also spent several years training in the Northwest, so he had an indomitable spirit. Upon hearing the news, he exploded, his thick eyebrows furrowing as he loudly proclaimed:
"Even if we don't care about the monk, we should at least care about the Buddha. Wan'er is, after all, the eldest daughter of the Qian family. Not only has she been treated coldly since entering the palace, but now she has been framed and implicated in a witchcraft case, and even tortured in the harem without her consent. What do they take the Qian family for? They are so arrogant!"
Qian Wei was a steady man. Although he was also unhappy to hear the news, he calmly analyzed the situation: "Second brother, don't be impulsive. The fact that His Majesty hasn't brought this matter up in the open means that he doesn't want to make a big deal out of it. After all, he is the emperor and we are his subjects. There is a difference between the two. His Majesty hasn't mentioned this matter, so how can we take the initiative to question him? What would that make us? There are ways to solve problems."
"Then what do you suggest? Of course I know there is a difference between the emperor and his subjects, but Wan'er is a girl from our Qian family. How can we just sit idly by and let her be bullied in the harem? Besides, the witchcraft case could be serious or minor. If it ends up implicating the whole family, it will be even more difficult to handle!"
"Second Brother, you're right. That's why I want my sister-in-law to go to the palace. She's Wan'er's biological mother and holds an imperial title. As a woman, it's perfectly reasonable for her to visit her daughter in the palace. There's no reason for the palace to refuse. Once she catches us in the act, we can then openly and legitimately bring this matter to light. Only then can the Qian family stand up for Wan'er and get to the bottom of this, clearing her name and restoring our Qian family's innocence. What do you think?" Qian Wei finished speaking slowly and then looked at Grand Tutor Qian sitting behind the table.
After his expression changed slightly when he first heard the news, Grand Tutor Qian remained seated with his eyes closed, listening quietly to his sons' discussion.
Feeling the gaze of his third son, Grand Tutor Qian sat up straight and looked at his eldest son, Qian Ying: "Eldest son, what do you think? Do you think this method is feasible?"
Qian Ying had been silent, her head bowed, seemingly lost in thought. Now, she wiped her face, then suddenly looked up solemnly and said:
"Father, let's do as Third Brother suggested! But this method is only a temporary fix. No matter how powerful our Qian family is in the court, we can't really extend our reach into the inner palace. You've all seen His Majesty's current situation... So I've been thinking about this, and the simplest and most effective way is to have the Cui family send a message to the palace to get Cui Rong to stop!"
"Big brother!" Qian Jie immediately objected. "What kind of status does the Cui family have? How can they compare to our Qian family? And we actually have to beg them?!"
Qian Wei frowned, but didn't rush to deny it. Instead, he said, "But what bargaining chips do we have to negotiate with them? Because of my brother-in-law, our relationship with the Cui family has always been lukewarm, just keeping to ourselves!"
Qian Ying's eyes flashed and she smiled, "Third brother, have you forgotten the information Father found out before?"
"You mean the matter of Consort Yang..."
Qian Ying nodded: "That's right. If the Yang family knew that the reason why Consort Yang had an affair and became pregnant with an illegitimate child, and indirectly lost the Empress's position, was because of the Cui family's deliberate arrangement, I wonder what they would think. If our Qian and Yang families join forces, how can His Majesty not be wary? If he has to choose between our two families and the Cui family, who do you think His Majesty will choose?"
“That’s right, I completely forgot just now that we still have this leverage over us,” Qian Jie’s eyes lit up as he suddenly realized.
"Hmm, I see," Qian Wei thought about the feasibility carefully after hearing this. "But in this way, the Yang family will also know that His Majesty cannot have children. The more people who know the secret, the less secret it will be."
Upon hearing this, Qian Jie smiled proudly: "Third brother, our Qian family is a thousand-year-old family. Why have we been able to stand firm for a thousand years? Besides the fact that our family has produced many talented people, the most important thing is that our Qian family is not afraid of trouble and can bend and stretch. Now that the Cui family has reached out to us, we can no longer remain indifferent."
I'm not saying this out of recklessness; I've carefully considered the political situation at court. The Cui family has indeed grown powerful in recent years and is undoubtedly a favorite of His Majesty. However, their foundation is weak, and His Majesty has neglected state affairs, relying entirely on a group of veteran officials. If this continues, the country will be in jeopardy. Why don't we seize this opportunity to build up our strength and unite with other powerful families? Regardless of who rules the country, can we do without powerful families?
To be honest, that's a bit outrageous.
"Isn't it a bit too early to say this now?" Qian Wei hesitated.
“It’s getting late,” Grand Tutor Qian suddenly said slowly.
"Father!" The group looked over at the same time.
"The most chaotic period in history lasted for nearly a century, with the country constantly splitting and reuniting, and the throne changing hands repeatedly. The current court has only been stable for a decade or two. To put it bluntly, I wouldn't be surprised if chaos returned one day. So, the second brother is right. This incident is just the beginning. We can no longer keep a low profile. Now is not the time to seek progress while maintaining stability. I have a feeling that the trouble that Consort Cui will cause will be far more than this!"
“Yes, Father, I feel the same way. So it seems that the fourth brother was wise to come back from the south and be transferred to a nearby area in advance,” Qian Ying nodded in agreement.
Grand Tutor Qian looked at him with admiration. “Eldest brother, you’ve improved a lot over the years. Let’s do things your way this time. First, let’s see what attitude the Cui family has, and then we’ll make arrangements for what to do next.”
"Yes, Father!" Qian Ying replied respectfully.
"Alas, I am old, and there are some things I can no longer do. But you all remember, no matter what, everyone in the clan must work together towards the same goal. We must never lose our composure or fight amongst ourselves. Also, we must always keep in touch with our relatives by marriage, even those from the local area, because you never know when we might need their help."
The Qian brothers understood the hidden meaning in their father's words and all nodded in agreement.
They then went about their respective tasks.
Madam Qian quickly packed her things and prepared to go to the palace to visit her daughter.