mtl008 Chapter 227 Cui Zhe's Choice
Chapter 227 Cui Zhe's Choice
As soon as Cui Zhe returned to his residence, the Prime Minister's wife, Lady Lu, rushed forward to greet him. She had been waiting anxiously at the residence for half a day, her heart filled with worry.
Why does my husband look so worried today? Could something have happened?
"My lord, why do you look so troubled today? Have you been... disturbed by His Majesty...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Cui Zhe's tense nerves snapped instantly, and he immediately shouted, "Shut up! Stop talking nonsense!"
The shout rang out like thunder in the quiet mansion, startling Madam Lu, whose face was filled with astonishment and grievance.
She stared blankly at Cui Zhe, not understanding why her usually gentle and refined husband would lose his composure like this.
After a while, Cui Zhe finally snapped out of his overly tense state and realized his loss of composure.
Looking at his wife, whose face was full of grievance, he felt guilty and his tone softened.
However, his hoarse voice, born of anxiety, still revealed his inner unease: "I apologize, my wife, I misspoke today. There have been some thorny issues at court, and I am in a state of confusion. I did not mean to take my anger out on you."
Lady Lu did not take it to heart. She knew her husband best. After decades of marriage, she knew that Cui Zhe held a high position and had to deal with many complicated affairs and court disputes every day.
She gently took Cui Zhe's hand and said tenderly, "Husband, don't worry. No matter what happens, we will face it together. Please sit down, have some tea, and calm your mind."
As he spoke, he led Cui Zhe to sit down on a chair in the hall and personally poured him a cup of hot tea.
Cui Zhe took the teacup, took a small sip, and the warm tea flowed down his throat, but it could not dispel the gloom in his heart.
He sighed softly and recounted the events that had transpired in the court to Lady Lu.
"Madam, do you know what outrageous things my nephew Cui Zhihao has done? He actually appointed a woman to an official position. Now His Majesty has learned of this and is furious. His Majesty has ordered Pei Xuan, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, to thoroughly investigate this matter. What should we do?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Lu frowned. "This Cui Zhihao is so irresponsible. How could he do something that violates ancestral rules? Husband, what should we do now?"
Cui Zhe frowned, his eyes revealing a hint of weariness and helplessness. "For now, we can only wait for Pei Xuan's investigation results and hope to minimize the impact of this matter on the Cui family. I have already pleaded with His Majesty to show the Cui family's loyalty to the court, and I hope His Majesty can be lenient."
After a moment of contemplation, Madam Lu slowly said, "Husband, perhaps we can start with that woman, learn about her background and purpose, and maybe we can find a way to resolve this matter."
Cui Zhe nodded slightly, "What you say makes sense. I will send someone to investigate the woman's situation. I hope we can find a glimmer of hope in this turmoil and preserve the reputation and status of the Cui family."
Cui Zhe paced back and forth in the hall, his mind filled with countless thoughts. In the end, he decided to write a letter to Qinghe to inform his second brother of the matter.
He knew that this matter was extremely serious, concerning the reputation and fate of the entire Cui clan of Qinghe.
Although Choi Ji-ho had made a grave mistake, he was, after all, a member of the family, and as his uncle and prime minister, he could only do his best to protect him.
However, if His Majesty is determined to make an example of someone to deter others, he has no way to openly disobey the imperial decree.
"Alas, this person is truly foolish. As a member of the Cui family of Qinghe, how can he be swayed by matters of the heart?"
Cui Zhe sighed helplessly, his face full of heartache.
In the rigid feudal ethics and family interests of officialdom and workplace, the behavior of any family member does not only represent the individual, but is closely linked to the honor, disgrace, rise and fall of the entire family.
Choi Ji-ho's act of violating ancestral rules to please a woman undoubtedly puts the Choi family of Qinghe in an extremely dangerous situation.
He slowly walked to the desk, picked up the pen, but then paused on the paper for a long time.
How should this letter be worded to both make his second brother understand the seriousness of the matter and avoid plunging the family into excessive panic and chaos? Cui Zhe's hand trembled slightly, the ink on the tip of the pen about to drip.
"Second brother, greetings," he finally put down his pen, his handwriting slightly messy, "a great upheaval has occurred in the court today. Zhihao has actually appointed a woman as an official, which is a treasonous act that has angered the emperor. His Majesty has ordered the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to investigate thoroughly."
"Brother, you have been trying your best to maneuver in court, but the Emperor's will is unpredictable, and protecting Zhihao is extremely difficult. I hope you will quickly investigate the details of this woman and find a way to turn things around. I am worried about the family's misfortune and eagerly await good news."
After writing the letter, Cui Zhe carefully sealed it, summoned his trusted servant, and instructed him, "This letter must be delivered to Qinghe as quickly as possible and handed over to the Second Master. There must be no delay." The servant obeyed and left.
Cui Zhe gazed in the direction his servant had left, his heart heavy with worry. He knew that this letter was only the beginning of dealing with the crisis, and many other matters still needed to be addressed.
He had to be extremely vigilant, searching for any glimmer of hope amidst the power struggles in officialdom and the weighing of family interests.
At this moment, the entire Prime Minister's residence was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere. The servants also sensed the heavy mood and were all cautious, afraid of incurring bad luck.
Meanwhile, Cui Zhe sat alone in his study, continuing to ponder and try to devise a more comprehensive strategy to deal with this complex situation.
He knew that every decision he made would affect the future of the Cui family of Qinghe, and one wrong step would lead to utter ruin.
Cui Zhihao, far away in Youzhou, was unaware that he was about to face a great calamity. Pei Xuan, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was ordered to arrest him and Miss Shi and bring them to the capital.
Inside the Youzhou government office, Cui Zhihao sat at his desk, finishing the last official task.
He then took out a portrait of the girl he had drawn from the drawer under the table.
He knew his feelings for Miss Shi; she had entered his heart without him realizing it, but he didn't know how to express them to her.
Whenever Cui Zhihao missed Miss Shi, he would draw her portrait on paper. He kept many portraits of Miss Shi in his room.
Although the arrival of the Eldest Princess has somewhat affected Miss Shi's safety, Youzhou is still within the territory of my Qinghe and Boling Cui clan.
If anyone dares to harm her, he'd rather give up his official post than risk her safety.
Outside the Princess's residence in Xinyang, Shi Wanxia solemnly performed a curtsy and handed Lin Yiyu over to the Princess to take back to the capital.
Despite his reluctance, Lin Yiyu could not persuade Miss Shi and had no choice but to agree to return to the capital.
His eyes were filled with longing and reluctance, and his steps seemed to weigh a ton as he slowly walked toward the carriage carrying the princess back to the capital.
He didn't want to leave her. During this time, he had come to regard Miss Shi and the others as family. Here, he found the freedom, warmth, and genuine affection he longed for, instead of the cold environment and backstabbing in the capital.
Shi Wanxia also sighed silently in her heart, feeling extremely reluctant to part with him.
She understood that Lin Yiyu's identity was destined to be different from hers; he carried the expectations and responsibilities of his family, and she could not delay him because of her own selfish desires.
She suppressed her inner pain and stood calmly to the side, but her slightly trembling fingertips betrayed the turmoil in her heart.