Chapter 407
How to welcome the emperor and the queen is really a headache for the Cui family. There is no problem with the process. Although the Cui family has received the emperor a few times, even if this kind of thing has only happened once, the whole family will not forget it for decades. The problem is How much pomp is going to be put on this time.
Cui Hong, the head of the family, has a heavy burden and can't seem too festive, but yesterday the Queen Mother just saved her relatives with great fanfare, and the Cui family didn't want to appear more shabby than a group of country people.
Just when the family was discussing excitedly, the queen sent a letter from the palace, asking everything to be simple and not allowed to prepare any extravagant things. , After seeing the Queen's letter, he agreed with it very much, and even asked to put away some of the original things in the mansion.
The eunuchs in the Ministry of Rites and the palace are very satisfied with this arrangement, because it can reduce a lot of trouble on their own side.
Cui Hong ordered that the whole family could only obey, and only the two dared to publicly express their dissatisfaction.
One is Mother Cui Laojun, "It's not the first time our family has received the emperor. Not to mention getting better and better, how can it not be worse than before? The queen is my granddaughter, the emperor is my granddaughter-in-law, and he is my granddaughter. Just like a family, yesterday was a 'family' reunion, and today is a 'family' reunion, why do we have to keep everything simple? Look at this, it's like welcoming the emperor, people who don't know think there is a funeral in the house ."
Cui Hong was barely able to speak, lying on the bed and couldn't get up. Hearing his mother's words, he couldn't help crying and laughing. He explained patiently for a while. Laojun finally stopped making fun of him. Talk more.
Another person who was dissatisfied was Cui Teng, but he didn't dare to talk nonsense in front of his father, so he could only complain to his mother and family relatives, "My father killed the enemy for the court to pacify the chaos, I followed His Majesty to death, and the queen was in the palace... In the end, His Majesty is very clear about these things and is very grateful, and will never embarrass our family. Father and sister are too cautious. If I want to say, it should take advantage of the Wang family's just arrived in the capital and its foothold is not stable. When the time comes, let us show the prestige of our family, I don't believe it, His Majesty is closer to the Wang family than to the Cui family."
His mother couldn't persuade him, and many of his cousins dared not persuade him. The more Cui Teng said, the more reasonable he felt, but he didn't dare to disobey his father's order, so he just sighed and went back to his room to rest.
The Cui family gave him Ming Meizheng a wife, who came from a famous family and was very beautiful, but Cui Teng was not interested, and stayed in another person's room every day, as if they were newlyweds.
Zhang Qin couldn't speak, and her voice couldn't move Cui Teng, but she had her own way to make this man feel nostalgic and responsive to her. She lived alone in a courtyard, and the maids around her were all selected or bought by her. Yes, there were more than ten people in total, teaching them to play the piano and to please Cui Teng.
Cui Teng was infatuated with this woman to the point of madness. He was born and died in Jincheng to protect the emperor. After returning to Beijing, he was not rewarded. His most precious reward.
He even learned to read Zhang Qinyan's sign language, and he could gesture a few times himself, often forgetting that the other party could hear him.
The night before the emperor's arrival, Cui Teng used no gestures and nagged for a long time in the bedroom.
Zhang Qinyan is an excellent listener. No matter how insane what Cui Teng said, she listened carefully, and occasionally motioned the maid to pour tea and water to quench his thirst.
As he spoke, Cui Teng lost most of his anger and smiled: "You still understand me and understand me, unlike others, as if I complained about being disloyal to the emperor, is my relationship with your majesty that fragile? There are so many people around Your Majesty, so I dare to say a few truths like a friend. The people of the King of the East Sea are all His Majesty's servants, not even courtiers."
Cui Teng's anger was on the rise again, Zhang Qinyan leaned over and pointed to himself.
Although the action was simple, Cui Teng immediately understood what she meant and said in surprise, "You want to see the emperor?"
Zhang Qinyan shook his head and made several more gestures.
"Do you want Your Majesty to see you?" Cui Teng was taken aback no matter how arrogant he felt that he had a good relationship with the emperor.
Zhang Qinyan smiled, and some words were really difficult to express with gestures. She asked for a pen and paper and wrote four words: Private banquet for relatives.
Cui Teng suddenly said, "That's right, the thing that best shows that the Cui family is favored by His Majesty is not the imperial drive to the door, but the fact that His Majesty is willing to meet and drink with me privately. It's just lively. But... it's a bit difficult, His Majesty's schedule for tomorrow is very full, and it's too difficult to make some changes, it needs the approval of the Ministry of Rites and the palace."
Zhang Qinyan smiled slightly, and Cui Teng's face was slightly red, as if he was caught bragging, "I will bring your Majesty anyway, you don't need to worry about other things, just use your housekeeping skills to please His Majesty."
Zhang Qinyan nodded and snuggled up to Cui Teng again, but Cui Teng pushed her away and said vigilantly, "When I say housekeeping skills, I mean playing the piano, not anything else."
Zhang Qinyan's eyes flashed, and then he lowered his head. Cui Teng fell without resistance, "You can only leave your real housekeeping skills to me. Even if Your Majesty takes the whole world in exchange, I don't agree."
Early the next morning, the entire Cui Mansion began to make final preparations for the pick-up, clearing the streets and opening the main gate.
The dragon and phoenix car stopped after being admitted to the hospital. Except for Cui Hong, the Cui family knelt in the courtyard. More than a dozen clansmen had lived in the mansion from the day before yesterday, and they only knelt for today.
Because of the Queen's arrival, many female relatives also came out to greet her. Mrs. Ping'en Hou was the most proud. She participated in the Queen Mother's family visit yesterday, and today she returned to her mother's house to pick up her car. She felt that her hard work over the years was worth it.
Zhang Qinyan is not among them, she is not the official daughter of the Cui family, and she is not qualified to show up.
The rules must be followed. Han Ruzi and Cui Xiaojun accepted their kneeling and bowed down, and Liu Jie, the supervisor of the Central Division, passed the order to be flat. At this time, the chief butler of Cui's house in the backyard ran over and said that the general was going to get up to pick him up. The emperor first asked Cui Teng to go back to dissuade him, then Liu Jie , and finally Zhang Youcai, who conveyed the holy will three times in a row, made the general lie on the bed, and Cui Hong returned it with "tear and tears of gratitude".
In a short period of time, the emperor and the general had many exchanges of rewards, and the historians who were mixed in the crowd worked hard to write down all of them word for word.
The room was full of aromas to expel the smell of the previous medicine. Meng E came to check in advance as a palace maid and confirmed that there were no signs of poisoning.
Cui Hong paled and looked thinner. As soon as he saw the emperor and the queen, he immediately struggled to get up. Cui Teng and Zhang Youcai hurriedly held him down, and the emperor also asked the generals not to bow.
There was only one chair in front of the bed, the emperor sat down, and the empress Cui Xiaojun stood beside him, looking at his father with tears in his eyes.
The emperor also has a set of rules for visiting ministers, but they are not under the jurisdiction of the ritual officials, and the emperor must comprehend them by himself.
Han Ruzi didn't ask anyone, and based on some fragments recorded in the history books, he figured out what to say.
First of all, when it comes to the assassination incident, the assassin was caught and the general's injuries gradually recovered. The emperor not only rebuked the traitor for his daring actions, but also praised and thanked the general for the various credits he had made for the country, which led to his assassination.
Cui Hong naturally wanted to thank Huang En, and when Ning couldn't speak for a while, his son Cui Teng did it for him.
Once it starts, the next conversation is much simpler. The Cui family is obliged to lead the topic, so when it comes to injuries, the weather, and the current situation of the Cui family, the emperor wants to reward them again, and Cui Hong declines again. In one step, the Cui family accepted some gold, silver and silk fabrics, which were passed on to relatives and friends in the clan, leaving only a few for their own family.
The rules are still good, at least Han Ruzi, who is the emperor, will not feel embarrassed, and almost forget his hostile relationship with Cui Hong.
As a matter of respect, Han Ruzi also asked one more thing: "The general is seriously ill, and the Chu army has no generals. In case of emergency, who can replace him?"
Cui Hong, the general, didn't do much. He was still in charge of the Southern Army. He never gave up his position as the Southern Army's Grand Sima. After hearing the emperor's inquiry, he seriously recommended three people, two veterans plus one Chai Yue.
Han Ruzi also talked about the battle between Yunmengze and Donghai to suppress bandits, and Cui Hong also made some suggestions. He believed that the emperor's arrangement so far was flawless, and he was not inferior to the famous generals of ancient and modern times.
Han Ruzi felt an urge in his heart. He wanted to mention the Southern Army and ask who was qualified to take over as the Grand Sima, but he held back, the Queen was standing by his side, and there was no need to destroy the friendly atmosphere carefully created here.
After consoling the general to recuperate in peace for the last time, the emperor had done his duty. He got up and left, leaving the queen to talk to his father. It was a real father-daughter conversation, not bound by the rules of the palace and the court.
After walking out of the fragrant room, Han Ruzi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and wondered a little, he was no longer a puppet, why did he still have that familiar feeling: the emperor is a tablet that can walk and talk. When will this tablet become a tablet? When it is quiet, it can be sent directly to the Taimiao Temple.
Cui Teng accompanied the emperor and led the group to rest in the hall. Later, they would have lunch in the Cui Mansion, and then the emperor would visit the general again, and the whole process was officially over.
This is already the result of simplification. If the emperor and the queen spend the night here, the etiquette will be more complicated.
There were not many people around the emperor, Cui Teng took the opportunity to step forward and said, "It's still a while away from the banquet. Your Majesty is bored when you are idle. Would you like to listen to a song or something?"
Han Ruzi shook his head. He was not interested in listening to music, but only occasionally listened to Zhang Zhuhe playing the piano.
"Then there's no need to sit here. Although the Cui Mansion is small, it has a few scenic spots. Would you like to take a look at it, Your Majesty?"
Han Ruzi has been to Cui Mansion a few times, but he has never visited carefully, and is actually not interested. Seeing Cui Teng's eager face, he nodded and replied, "Okay, it's winter now, do you still have a view at home?"
"Of course there is. The four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter have different scenery, but the Cui Mansion has declined in one season." Cui Teng was very happy, thinking that this was a God-given opportunity to please the emperor.