History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 138 Four Big Fools

The offender mentioned Cui Hao, which was the reason why the Yuan governor invited Cui Xian to the government office.

Yuan Zhi recounted: "This serious criminal was arrested in mid-April. According to his confession, the wound on his leg was caused by a sneak arrow shot at him in the alley opposite Bingfang Brothel on the night of February 10th. He should be the biggest buyer of information about Bingfang Brothel, so before Bingfang was shut down, the time and place for his spy message to be received were arranged in advance."

Choi Siam and the prisoner retorted simultaneously: "He (I) am not the biggest buyer!"

He then added, "I (he) am the one."

When the prisoner heard Cui Xian confess so readily, he was stunned. After looking at the other man and then at Governor Yuan, he suddenly understood everything.

"Ah—" He felt extremely aggrieved and cried out like a beast: "Nie Zhao, you idiot! Your biggest buyer is someone from the imperial court. I've suffered so much because of you! Ah—ah—hiccup!" When he saw the jailer, who was most skilled at inflicting torture, appear at the prison gate, he immediately stopped roaring and his face became surprisingly calm.

The official shaved the iron needles off his hair and leaned against the door frame sewing a purse without even raising his eyelids. He instructed in a soft voice, "Answer whatever the magistrate asks you. Don't wail and scream."

The prisoner, now completely different from before, replied obediently, "Yes."

Governor Yuan asked, "How did Nie Zhao reveal to you that Cui Hao had a son who escaped that calamity?"

The prisoner said, “Nie Zhao is usually very tight-lipped. He only mentioned it to me once, without going into details. At that time, Mu Tai’s rebellion had just failed. Bingfang’s master’s family, Yuan Pi’s family, were either executed or reduced to commoners. Nie Zhao had a premonition that he wouldn’t live much longer, so when I invited him to the music pavilion, he got drunk and mentioned a lot of news, including the business he still owed and the name of Cui Hao, who was exterminated in the eleventh year of Taiping Zhenjun’s reign.”

Cui Xian asked, "Where have you seen me before?"

"It's a coincidence! It's a real coincidence! Mu Tai is dead, but his relatives and their influence are still around. They're forcing me to stay in Pingcheng to find out who captured Mu Tai alive. Those bastards! They only give me tasks and don't care that I have nowhere to go. I'm living a miserable life, hiding and begging for food every day."

The jailer coughed.

“Oh, I know, I won’t say anything more. One day I heard that the five-tiered pagoda of the Imperial Uncle Temple enshrines five-colored relics. Everyone says that the treasure can change a person’s fate, so I wanted to steal it… to go up and take a look. I didn’t steal the relics, no one saw them. I saw you and Nie Zhao come up into the pagoda. But I only heard Nie Zhao flattering you, praising you as Bingfang’s biggest buyer. You two didn’t talk about any secrets at the time.”

Although Cui Xian himself did not hold an official position, many of the poorer descendants of the Cui clan were able to befriend court officials and attach themselves to various powerful figures, all thanks to Cui Xian's support. Therefore, Cui Xian was indeed Bingfang's biggest buyer, purchasing the hobbies of court officials and the preferences of noblewomen.

After the traitors Mu Tai and Yuan Long were executed, the conservative faction in Pingcheng became even more scattered. Before the new governor took office, Cui Xian had to increase his contact with Nie Zhao in order to ensure the safety of Cui Academy and frequently buy information about Xianbei nobles in Pingcheng.

Similarly, Nie Zhao, who wanted to protect Bingfang, thought that he and Cui Xian had each other's weaknesses. However, when Yuan Zhi came to Pingcheng to take up his post, Cui Xian offered up the secrets of Bingfang that he knew as a gift of surrender.

Therefore, the first message intercepted by Niulangjun on the night of February 10th, "betraying Bingfang," came from Cui Xian, the headmaster of Cui Academy.

After confirming that the criminal knew little about Cui Hao's affairs, Governor Yuan and Cui Xian left the dungeon and went to the backyard of the government office. Clerk Gou personally boiled spring water nearby. He was skilled at brewing Hengshan Laodao tea, and the aroma quickly wafted into the pavilion.

Governor Yuan showed Cui Xian the contents of the secret letter that Zhao Zhi had copied earlier, and tentatively asked, "Does Lord Cui really have descendants in Pingcheng?"

"Yes. Lord Cui had great ambitions, but he also knew that the more talented he was, the more he would be resented by the princes, led by Prince Xi Jin of Hengnong. How could he not take action early on? From the child's birth to his departure, Lord Cui hardened his heart and didn't even glance at him! Alas—"

Cui Xian paused, swallowed his sobs, and continued, "Old Cui was a eunuch whom Master Cui saved back then. After that calamity, he changed his surname to Cui. I just treated him as an idle man. I really don't know where or when he found out that Master Cui had descendants. Later, Nie Zhao told me that someone from my school had bought Cui Hao's descendants through Bingfang, and that's when I found out."

Governor Yuan said, "Before he died, Nie Zhao said that he had sent out the news that Old Cui wanted to buy it."

"Yes. They were two pots of 'infertile' orchids with the same soil. One was given to Old Cui, and the other to Cui Gong's descendants. However, I intercepted the secret letter that deciphered the meaning of this coded message."

"How old should Cui Gong's descendants be now?"

"The child who was sent away back then is no longer here." Governor Yuan nodded regretfully, then asked, "The one living in seclusion in Pingcheng now must be a descendant of Lord Cui?"

Cui Xian: "Yes."

"Your Majesty is merciful. So much time has passed since this matter. Haven't you considered restoring his surname to Cui?"

"Your Majesty is merciful, but the forces that put Lord Cui to death back then were not merciful."

Just as the pot of spring water boiled, Clerk Gou said, "Director Cui can trust our Prefect Yuan. If there's anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."

Cui Xian said apologetically, "To reveal his background, we need the consent of two other noble people."

After three cups of tea, Cui Xian took his leave, never revealing who Cui Hao's descendants were.

The joint entrance exam was the next day. At Cui Academy, four academic underachievers—Hai Yeren, Yuan Langxi, Changsun Fuming, and Qiu Ruizhi—followed Erzhu Rong to Guchang Bird Forest. This place was near the large beehive that had been struck by lightning, and few people came here.

Qiu Ruizhi asked skeptically, "Will your method work?"

Erzhu Rong: "Of course, after going through these rituals, I can memorize poems much faster."

Haiye Ren told his companions, "Don't waste time. Yesterday I did hear Master Kuaerzhu Rong say that he's become cunning again."

Erzhu Rong took off his satchel, pulled out scissors, then took out a book of poems and cut it into pieces. He then scooped up the pieces and sprinkled them on his head, instructing the crowd, "This is called 'poetry initiation,' hurry up, do it like me."

Hai Yeren started to have doubts, but it was his suggestion to gather his companions and ask Erzhu Rong for advice on learning methods, so he first cut up his own books and sprinkled them on top of his head.

Erzhu Rong was happy for him and said excitedly, "The fact that it got on his hair means it works!"

"Really?" Haiye Ren was overjoyed.

Yuan Langxi didn't move; she felt that this action made them look like two...three idiots.

Changsun Fuming did the same thing.

Erzhu Rong became serious again and said, "This is only the first step; there's a second step." He used scissors to poke holes in the crotch of the garment, saying as he did so, "Seven holes each day for seven days; this is called the Seven Clever Minds. Hurry up, why are you all looking at me?"

"Hahaha, hahaha!" Yuan Langxi laughed so hard that he pounded the ground. "So that's how it grows new eyes, seven new eyes every day, hahaha."

Hai Yeren looked at the poems and books he had just torn up and wanted to settle accounts with Erzhu Rong, but the little brat had already run several steps away.

"Hehehehehe—" Erzhu Rong made a face at the group and stuck out his tongue, "You four big idiots, all you have are your height, but no brains."

"Catch this rebellious horse breeder!" Yuan Langxi, who had been laughing so happily just now, now felt utterly humiliated after being dragged into this mess by Hai Yeren's stupidity.

Knowing he had gotten himself into trouble, Erzhu Rong climbed over a courtyard wall and fled Cui's school.

(End of this chapter)