Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 486 He's Different

Inside the prison cell.

"Good work!"

Led by the prison guard, Lu Wenwei entered the cell, hoping to see Cui Ling.

However, to his surprise, the prison was not as solemn as he had imagined; instead, it was filled with laughter and joy.

"Xiaozheng, if I hadn't been dismissed from office, I would have gotten you a position at the very least."

“Master Cui, I really don’t care about official positions. I’ve heard that your Cui family daughters are known for their virtue. Would you be willing to marry one of them to me?”

"You wish! Every woman in the Cui family is being watched by others. Do you think you're one of them?"

"That's true. The line of men who want to be your son-in-law could stretch from Luoyang to Qinghe."

Cui Ling listened with a slight smile.

"It's not just Qinghe, it would stretch all the way to the borderlands and still not be finished. If it weren't for your bad habit, with your talent, I could have persuaded the people in the clan to marry you off to a concubine's daughter."

Lu Wenwei couldn't understand it, but he was greatly shocked.

How did these two people, who were only locked up together for about ten days, go from being enemies to now discussing marriage?
The daughters of the five noble families in the Northern Dynasties and the daughters of the Wang and Xie families in the Southern Dynasties were all the same; they either married into the royal family or formed intermarriages among high-ranking families.

At least, this was the case during the height of the Northern Wei imperial power, before Erzhu Rong entered Luoyang.

The women of the five prominent families were not merely decorative figures bearing the name of a noble clan. In fact, these five prestigious families were willing to invest resources in the women of their clans.

These women married men of equal social standing, became the principal wives of the household, and were responsible for managing hundreds of people as well as the household's income and expenditure.

In other words, these women possessed skills that most women in the world did not have before they got married. They were knowledgeable in human affairs and finance, and could manage mansions with anywhere from a few dozen to a thousand people in an orderly manner.

Besides these, character and appearance are also important.

"May Lord Cui enjoy peace and happiness!"

Lu Wenwei slowly walked over. Cui Ling's expression changed, and he got up from the bed and bowed.

"Lord Lu, has come here because the imperial court intends to pardon me?"

Lu Wenwei shook his head and said:
"This matter is very troublesome, and you cannot leave for the time being."

"Why?"

Lu Wenwei glanced at Zu Ting in the next cell. Zu Ting was also lying on the bed, but he showed no intention of getting up.

"Your embezzlement case has uncovered other cases, which the imperial court is investigating."

"What about that?"

"Don't worry, your brother Cui Zhongwen is taking care of the affairs of your clan. You can stay here with peace of mind!"

After saying this, Lu Wenwei glanced at Zu Ting again, then left without saying anything more.

"Lord Lu! Lord Lu!"

Cui Ling's shouts did not make Lu Wenwei turn around.

After Lu Wenwei left, Zu Ting stood up and said:

"Master Cui, don't say I didn't warn you, Master Lu's words are not right!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Ling frowned and remained silent. After a long while, she finally spoke, somewhat guiltily:

"I have always been a role model for the prefecture and county, I would never do such a thing!"

Zu Ting continued from the side:
"With so many people in the main branch, secondary branch, and Qingzhou branch of the Cui family in Qinghe, it would be too easy to find someone who can replace you in the imperial court in Luoyang."

Hearing the culprit say this, Cui Ling couldn't help but say:

"Isn't this the trouble you caused me, brat!"

"No, the King of Qin wants to fight Goguryeo and change the situation in Hebei. Sooner or later he will deal with you. Even if it's not me, someone else will."

Cui Ling grew increasingly irritated and asked:
"So tell me, given things have come to this, what should we do?"

"The King of Qin wants to get things done but doesn't want to pay. I truly admire his ability."

"There's no one else here, so even if you flatter the King of Qin, he won't hear you."

"No, this is what I truly think. Having spent so long in this prison, my admiration for the King of Qin is truly awe-inspiring."

“…” Zu Ting spoke for a long time before finally saying:
“The aristocratic families in Hebei want to band together, but you can give up.”

Hearing Zu Ting's contemptuous tone, Cui Ling couldn't help but protest.

"I am not!"

To soothe Cui Ling's emotions, Zu Ting softened his tone and said:
"If you can give up, what will they do next? They will find someone else from the Cui family to replace you as the Minister of State Ceremonies. At that time, you might not be able to leave this cell even later than me."

How did you know?

Zu Ting said smugly:
"Don't forget who put you in this cell, Mr. Cui. There's more to come!"

"..."

Hearing Zu Ting's smug voice, Cui Ling angrily said:

I'll kill you sooner or later!

"Lord Cui, if you keep doing this, even if you kill me, you won't get out, and the position of Minister of Ceremonies will never be yours. What's the point?"

Cui Ling plopped down, he really couldn't do anything about Zu Ting.

"So what do you think we should do?"

"Admit defeat!"

Zu Ting spoke very directly, which puzzled Cui Ling.

"Admit defeat?"

"Lord Cui, how can you not understand? You can't defeat the King of Qin. The local militia in Hebei have already risen up, and with the two armies of the Six Garrisons in Ye and Fanyang that have long been subdued by the King of Qin, how can your troops possibly stand against them? The aristocratic families of Hebei didn't contribute much when the King of Qin was establishing his empire. To gain a foothold in Luoyang, you must unite, but that doesn't mean you have to fight the King of Qin to the death."

At this point, the sooner you admit defeat, the greater the benefits you'll gain. Who knows, Lord Lu might already be gone after seeing you.

“Impossible. Lord Lu is highly respected. How could he lower his head and fail to set an example for the aristocratic families?”

……

North of Jinyong City, a military camp.

"it is good!"

After the match ended, Lu Wenwei was the first to speak.

Despite the stuffy, crowded tent, Lu Wenwei was incredibly excited, even more so than the young people.

"Qibi didn't hide anything. Look at your great general, what a state he's in!"

After Li Shuang finished speaking, Qi Bi was furious, which made everyone laugh.

Lu Wenwei walked over and stood next to Li Shuang, beaming.

"The King of Qin's fighting rooster is truly magnificent and awe-inspiring!"

Li Shuang looked at Lu Wenwei beside him and said:

"I never imagined that Lord Lu would have such an interest. I thought you only liked the stuff of pedantic scholars."

"Our Han dynasty has its own system, and I deeply hate corrupt scholars. I grit my teeth and hate those who mislead the country!"

"Oh?"

Lu Wenwei continued:
"Your Majesty, consider this: these corrupt scholars, relying on their noble births, act recklessly, embezzle public funds, and harm the country. They are a disgrace to our aristocratic families. I believe that the court should select officials based on their talent and virtue, rather than being bound by the distinction between those from noble and humble families."

"Well said!" Li Shuang clapped his hands and stood up. "Lord Lu is indeed a virtuous and capable man who serves the country and its people."

"Your Majesty flatters me!"

Li Shuang looked at Lu Wenwei and asked:
"Recently, the Governor of Yingzhou, Kezhuhunyuan, submitted a memorial to the court, saying that Goguryeo has repeatedly invaded the border, intending to seize the Liaoxi region, and has also forced the Khitan, Xi and other tribes to pay tribute to Pyongyang. What do you think, Lord Lu?"

"We must fight!"

Lu Wenwei was very determined, his eyes shining brightly.

"If the King of Qin gives any order, I will abandon my old bones and go to Liaodong to recover the homeland of my Han people."

……

(End of this chapter)