"Brother Cui, Brother Chen, what brings you here today?" A middle-aged man came out to welcome them. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "It's cold outside. Come in."
"It's been a long time since Grandpa Chu left the capital." Cui Qingze walked forward and asked with a smile, "Is Grandpa Chu well?"
The middle-aged man nodded. "The old man has always been healthy."
Cui Qingze smiled. "Grandpa Chu is seventy years old, but he's still so healthy. He's truly a national treasure."
"You two young fellows, it's not even the new year yet. Why are you here so early?"
The two had just stepped into the room when an elderly voice came from ahead.
An old man with a head full of white hair and a face like a withered pine tree looked up at the two of them and asked, "Is Chen Yin well?"
"Greetings, Grandpa Chu." Chen Chong stepped forward and bowed before saying, "My father's health is fine, but he tends to forget things. He's been recuperating at home for the past two years."
The old man shook his head and said, "He was already weak when he was young, unlike Qin Wen and Shen Ke … Sigh, let's not talk about it. Tomorrow is the first day of the lunar new year. Why are you here today?"
After Cui Qingze bowed, he smiled and said, "We're worried that too many people will come to the Chu manor after the first day and we won't be able to see Grandpa Chu. As such, we came early to pay our respects."
"You're quite eloquent." The old man glanced at him and said, "Have a seat."
After the two of them sat down, the old man put down his scroll and asked, "I heard that the imperial court is planning to build academies in the various provinces to allow poor students to study for free?"
Cui Qingze was taken aback and nodded. "That's true."
"When the previous Emperor was still alive, I mentioned this many times, but it was delayed with the excuse that the treasury was tight. When has the treasury not been tight?" The old man glanced at the two of them and said, "Who came up with this idea to get these people to raise money? It's simply brilliant …"
Cui Qingze's expression was awkward. He didn't feel good listening to this. He had come today to say that the Princess's governance was against etiquette, but he hadn't expected Grandpa Chu to praise the Princess before he could say anything. He could only nod and say, "It was Her Highness who came up with this idea."
"It's that little girl." The old man nodded and said, "I've heard about what she's done in the past two years. She's not bad … but it's a pity that she's a woman …"
Cui Qingze's eyes lit up and he immediately said, "Yes, although Her Highness has both ability and integrity, she is still a woman. In the future, this great undertaking will still fall on the shoulders of some prince …"
The old man shook his head and repeated, "What a pity, what a pity …"
Cui Qingze suppressed the joy in his heart and said, "Presently, the Emperor is unwell and the Princess has the ability to manage on his behalf. This is, of course, a good thing. However, Jingdou still needs a suitable prince just in case. What do you think, Master Chu?"
The old man glanced at him and said, "You mean the King of Shu? Don't think that I don't know what he's done just because I'm traveling outside. The Virtuous King, forcing me to abdicate? Turning into a dragon in the face of a storm? "
"If I was in Jingdou at the time, I would use this walking stick to crack his head open and ask him who taught him all this nonsense!" The old man picked up the walking stick beside him and knocked it against the ground. "The Emperor is already exceptionally merciful by not chopping off his head …"
Cui Qingze was momentarily at a loss for words. After a long time, he said, "Master Chu, you don't know, but His Highness was framed by someone. He would certainly not do such a thing …"
"Fine, fine …" The old man waved his hand and said, "No matter what, he is the Emperor's eldest son and has the right of the ancestral system. I only hope that in Shuzhou, he can properly reflect on himself and not make mistakes. If he can turn over a new leaf and has virtuous officials at his side to assist him, it's not impossible for him to become a wise ruler …"
This was a very clear stance. Cui Qingze knew that although Master Chu was angry at His Highness's foolish actions, his stance had not changed. He hurriedly said, "His Highness has been diligently studying every day in Shuzhou, quietly reflecting on his mistakes. It has already been a year, and he is no longer the same as before. He will definitely not disappoint Master Chu's expectations …"
His tone changed as he said, "However, His Majesty's body is seriously ill, the court is in chaos, and there are treacherous officials causing chaos. His Majesty has also delayed summoning His Highness back to the capital …"
The old man did not wait for him to finish. With a wave of his hand, he interrupted him. "The court is in chaos? Why do I feel that the court is in a rare moment of clarity in the past few decades? As for treacherous officials, His Majesty's numerous actions this year have already gotten rid of many of the treacherous officials in the court. How can there be treacherous officials causing chaos? "
"…"
Cui Qingze opened his mouth, but he suddenly did not know what to say.
Chen Chong took a sip of tea and quietly savored the Chu Estate's fragrant tea.
"Does Master Chu know that several days ago, there was a warning of the 'Antares Guarding the Heart' phenomenon? The Antares Guarding the Heart is greatly detrimental to the Emperor and is a sign of treacherous officials causing chaos in the government. That Marquis of Changan, Li Yi, is the only one who is favored by His Majesty …"
"The Antares Guarding the Heart … His Majesty does indeed live up to these words." The old man nodded, then shook his head. "But the Antares Guarding the Heart is only detrimental to the Emperor. There is no intention of treacherous officials causing chaos in the government, right?"
"But …"
"Could it be that the Directorate of Astrology has come up with a new theory of astrology?"
Cui Qingze, "…"
…
"Master Chu, this junior will take his leave …"
A moment later, Cui Qingze and Chen Chong stood up, bowed to the old man surnamed Chu, and turned to leave.
After watching the two leave, the middle-aged man turned to look at the old man and asked, "Father, why did you …"
The old man looked at him and said, "What you hear may be false, but what you see is true. The Chu family has a hundred years of good reputation. It is extremely difficult to build a tree, but it is extremely easy to destroy it. Remember this …"
The middle-aged man bowed respectfully. "This child has learned his lesson."
"Li Yi …" the old man murmured, then yawned. "I'm tired, I'm tired. If there's anything, let's talk when I wake up …"
In front of the Chu residence, Cui Qingze took a deep breath and calmed his emotions with great difficulty.
Chen Chong shook his head and said, "The outcome is already very good. At least Master Chu was willing to say those words. At the critical moment, he will definitely speak up for His Highness."
"Still not enough …" Cui Qingze let out a long sigh and murmured.
What he wanted was not what Grand Tutor Chu said, but what he did. If this scholar of the Jing Kingdom was willing to take a clear-cut stand on their side, it was equivalent to them obtaining the support of all the scholars in the world at the same time. How could the effect be compared to a mere sentence?
As if thinking of something, Cui Qingze asked again, "Is Antares Guarding the Heart really not a treacherous official who wants to disrupt the government?"
Chen Chong thought for a moment, then said, "Brother Cui, when you go back, you might as well read more books."
"Uncle Cui, Uncle Chen."
A voice came from ahead. Cui Qingze turned his head and saw the newcomers. He smiled and said, "Oh, it's Chu Ping. Why didn't you visit the estate this time?"
Chu Ping said somewhat embarrassedly, "I planned to visit in a few days …"
After greeting the two, Chu Ping entered the estate while Chen Chong and Cui Qingze got on the carriage.
Cui Qingze glanced at the Chu estate and said, "I heard that Chu Ping has been spending a lot of time with that child from the Wei family recently?"
Chen Chong looked at him, and his eyes flickered. Then, he nodded slowly. "They have been getting closer recently."
Cui Qingze patted his robes and smiled. "Getting closer is good, getting closer is good …"
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