diskusbooks Chapter 917 Cui Mansion
Chapter 917 Cui Mansion
If Zhang Ping'an hadn't already known what was going on, he probably would have been genuinely moved by the new emperor's diligence in governing.
Judging from appearance alone, it is impossible to tell that Zhou Shu is in disguise, except that his eyes are slightly different and sharper than Zhou Pu's.
Their faces were exactly the same, and even their sitting postures were identical, habitually leaning slightly to the left.
This small detail reveals that it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment imitation, but rather a plan that was already in place to replace the rebels if their rebellion failed!
Thinking hard!
The Grand Eunuch is no longer Liang Fu; he was replaced when the Emperor ascended the throne. He was formerly an insignificant palace servant in the Imperial Study.
Zhang Ping'an had previously found it strange that the Crown Prince's personal eunuch was not promoted directly, but instead an inconspicuous eunuch from the Imperial Study was chosen to serve. Now, however, it made sense.
The main topic of discussion at today's morning court session was the burial of the late emperor.
The fact that the late empress and the late emperor passed away in less than half a year has left the court officials deeply saddened.
Logically speaking, the death of an emperor is a major national event, and to show respect and honor, his body is usually kept in state for a longer period than that of an empress.
However, Zhou Shu, citing the words "to strictly follow the imperial edict, to proceed simply and quickly, so as to secure the imperial regalia and ensure the proper reign of the emperor," requested the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to calculate an auspicious day as soon as possible for Zhou Ziming's burial.
The civil and military officials below looked at each other in bewilderment upon hearing this, none daring to speak easily.
After a moment, the King of Qin stepped forward and echoed, “Your Majesty is absolutely right! The late Emperor was benevolent and always had a heart that cared for the people, which is known throughout the world. He would certainly not want to waste the country’s resources and the people’s strength on the funeral. As the saying goes, it is taboo for Yin and Yang, so it is advisable to return to the mausoleum as soon as possible. Why don’t we ask the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the Imperial Advisor to calculate an auspicious day today, announce it to the world, and choose a day for burial?”
With the King of Qin taking the lead in agreeing, virtually no one else stood up to oppose it.
Zhang Ping'an silently observed everyone on the field, especially Cui Ling.
Upon hearing the King of Qin's words, he noticed a hint of disapproval on his face.
As for veteran officials like his father-in-law, Grand Tutor Qian, their faces showed more thoughtful expressions.
But they all kept their eyes down and their minds at ease, showing no intention of standing up to oppose it.
Although the mourning period for the late emperor has not yet ended, Zhang Ping'an could already tell from the recent court assemblies that Zhou Shu was a very autocratic person in terms of government affairs.
As an emperor, all he needed was the obedience of his subordinates. He rarely listened to the different opinions of his court officials. Although he was intelligent, he lacked great wisdom and was not as good as Zhou Ziming in terms of vision and governance.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the King of Qin had been condoning this phenomenon, and now it had slowly become his right-hand man, the one who offered him a ladder at court meetings.
If such a person is made emperor, tyranny is likely to occur in the long run.
After the morning court session, Zhang Ping'an returned to the Privy Council with a heavy heart, planning how to bring up the matter with Cui Ling at dinner that evening.
And then there's Zheng Ping, a man who's rarely seen, currently hiding in the East and West factories, so how can we lure him out in a logical way?
Before they knew it, it was dusk. When Zhang Ping'an finished his shift that night, Xiao Yu'er personally came to pick him up after he had eaten.
"Dad!" Little Fish called out.
"Hmm, you look really refreshed today," Zhang Ping'an said, glancing at his son before lifting the hem of his robe and stepping onto the carriage.
After settling in, Xiaoyuer continued, "By the way, Dad, this meal is so important, it wouldn't be right for us to come empty-handed. So I took a box of the finest pearls from the storeroom, and a lingzhi mushroom as a gift. Do you think that's enough?"
Zhang Ping'an nodded, somewhat pleased. "That's enough. Your arrangements are very reasonable. The pearls are perfect for the women to make jewelry, and the lingzhi mushrooms are for General Cui to make wine. You've taken care of both."
"That's exactly what I think," Little Fish said happily.
The car soon arrived at the Cui residence.
The Cui family residence was not far from the palace, but it was neither a gift from the emperor nor purchased by the Cui family. Instead, they had been borrowing the residence of a minister who had been beheaded and whose property had been confiscated.
Strictly speaking, the Cui family currently does not have any businesses in the capital.
Although Cui Ling was awarded the title of Protector General for his meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion, and was granted a golden belt and a death-exemption token, making him very famous, he did not actually receive many benefits.
This is something Zhang Ping'an only discovered after arriving at the Cui residence.
Although the mansion is large enough, it has everything from rockeries to pavilions, and it has some of the scenery and beauty of Jiangnan gardens, so you can still vaguely see the former owner’s boundless glory.
However, due to the lack of servants to maintain it, the artificial hill and stream have dried up, and a layer of fallen leaves have covered them, making them look somewhat dilapidated.
This is very different from what Zhang Ping'an saw when he came here before.
In addition, the house is large, but there are few people living there, so it feels empty, as if the human atmosphere is not quite enough to fill the space.
This made the Cui family look even more desolate.
If the late emperor were still alive, given his character, he would certainly have bestowed gold and silver as rewards.
Cui Ling remained relatively calm and politely invited Zhang Ping'an and his son to take a seat.
Madam Cui and her children were in a much more awkward position.
Especially Cui Rong and Cui He, they didn't expect that after coming to the capital, their accommodations would be less comfortable than those back at Juyongguan.
"Our humble abode is simple, and we have only a few servants with us. We apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality!" Madam Cui greeted them politely.
"General Cui and Madam Cui are too kind. I am also from a farming family, so how could I mind? It is indeed a problem that the house is too big. In winter, there are many fallen leaves, so it is more difficult to clean," Zhang Ping'an politely helped to smooth things over, and of course he would not embarrass the host.
Upon hearing this, Madam Cui immediately smiled, as if she had met a kindred spirit.
"That's right. This house is so big and so exquisitely built. It would take at least a hundred servants to manage it properly. My personal maid, Tao'er, was complaining to me this morning that she could never sweep up all the fallen leaves in the yard, and there was always dust everywhere if you went out. You could even get bird droppings if you weren't careful. Now she doesn't dare to wear light-colored clothes!"
“Madam, why don’t you buy some servants from the market? My steward knows quite a few good human traffickers in the capital. He can help introduce them if needed,” Zhang Ping’an said, putting down his teacup.
However, Madam Cui waved her hand and declined, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Zhang, but it's not suitable for now. Let's wait until spring. It's not appropriate to start construction or rest now."
Realizing that the country was still in mourning, Zhang Ping'an made a sudden realization, indicating that he understood.
Cui Rong, unable to get a word in edgewise, grew somewhat impatient.
Taking advantage of the fact that the adults on both sides were having tea, he quickly signaled to his younger brother for help.
Forced by the bloodline suppression, Cui He reluctantly invited, "Young Master Zhang, the crabapple trees in the garden next to your residence are bearing fruit. Why don't I take you to see them? It would be good for us younger generation to get some fresh air and make things easier for our elders."
Little Fish was naturally more than happy to accept this.
He was also trying to come up with an excuse to send all these small things away!
Upon hearing this, he immediately thanked them, saying, "That's wonderful, as my family doesn't have any crabapple trees planted here."
Madam Cui knew perfectly well what her two children were planning, but since there were servants with them, she didn't object.
Instead, he smiled and waved to the children, saying kindly, "You all come together. There's still some soup in the kitchen, it'll be a while before we start eating. It's good to get some fresh air."
Upon hearing this, Cui Rong immediately smiled and secretly glanced at Xiao Yu'er.
After the Cui family children, along with Xiaoyuer and some servants, all rushed out,
Just as Madam Cui was about to say something more, Cui Ling suddenly tapped lightly on the armrest of his chair, reminding her, "Madam, the servants in the kitchen are always clumsy. We have important guests today, so why don't you go to the kitchen and keep an eye on things, and see how dinner is being prepared?"
Madam Cui was taken aback, then stood up and said with a smile, "Look at me, I forgot about the important matter while we were chatting. I'll go now."
After saying that, he led his servants to the backyard.
After everyone had gone far away, Cui Ling clicked his tongue and said, "That's how women are, so long-winded. Brother Zhang, please don't mind."
"Not at all, not at all. I can tell your wife is very hospitable," Zhang Ping'an said with a gentle smile.
Seeing this, Cui Ling smiled as well, lowered his eyes, and casually sipped his tea. "Brother Zhang, besides having a meal, I'm afraid you have something else to tell me today?"
Zhang Ping'an paused for a moment.
He feigned confusion, saying, "Oh? What do you mean by that, Brother Cui? Didn't you invite my son and me to your home for a chat?"
"Originally, I just couldn't stand my wife's nagging, so I simply wanted to invite you to my home for a meal to express my gratitude and to repay the life-saving grace your son gave my daughter back in Yangyuan County."
But the generous gifts you brought today, including pearls and lingzhi mushrooms, and your humble attitude has made me a little unsure of your intentions.
I'm a rough, uncouth man, a warrior. I hate the roundabout ways of scholars. If they don't get to the point, I'm afraid I won't be able to enjoy this meal in peace!
After saying that, Cui Ling put the teacup back on the table.
Looking directly at Zhang Ping'an, he pointedly reminded him, "Also, although I am a rough man and a martial artist, it doesn't mean I'm a fool. Otherwise, I wouldn't be where I am today!"
This was to warn Zhang Ping'an not to treat him like a fool.