The current situation and the words of the family leader forced them to finally try to put aside those prejudices and obstacles, and try to look objectively at the woman who was indeed irresistible.
However, even after discussing this for nearly an hour, even though everyone in the Cui family had put away their contempt for Chang Sui Ning, their attitudes still did not fundamentally waver.
A large part of the reason for this is that they have never considered women before. If they are willing to support women, wouldn't it be more justifiable to choose Princess Xuan'an as soon as possible?
In comparison, this Chang Sui Ning was just a woman with an unknown surname and no advantages in her origins.
In today's world, how important is orthodoxy? Otherwise, if Duan Shiang had a large army, why would he choose to follow Li Fu, the king of Fanyang, and give up the opportunity to become his own leader?
Moreover, the Cui family was founded on etiquette. In the current situation, in a sense, choosing the Li family's children instead of "rebels" in the eyes of the world will naturally be more beneficial to their reputation.
After all these considerations, when everyone mentioned Chang Sui Ning's background, they all shook their heads.
"I have a guess about the origin of Chang Suining." At this time, Cui Ju's voice sounded again: "Although Ling An didn't say it clearly in the letter, I think it is impossible for him to kill Chang Suining without any reason.
Ning compares with the former crown prince Li Xiao——"
These words restored silence in the hall.
"Furthermore, Chang Sui Ning's previous investment of 7 million yuan to defend the northern border was widely spread, and the world therefore speculated that there might be a hidden secret behind his origin... And many people have speculated that this hidden secret may be due to
This goes beyond the fact that the former Prince Li Xiao adopted him back then."
"Those rumors about life experience may not be Chang Suining secretly building momentum for himself..." As the old man spoke, his old eyes looked at everyone. Although he claimed to be guessing, his tone was almost firm -
"So I guess that this woman's origin may be related to the Li family."
In other words, she plans to have something to do with Li.
The hall was in an uproar due to this statement, but as long as everyone thought carefully, they could understand that the family leader's guess did not come out of thin air.
In this way, they were able to conclude that Chang Sui Ning of Jiangdu was indeed ambitious...
"But the head of the family...are we really going to give up the path of King Rong for a woman?" Most of the clan members still looked hesitant: "Is this too risky?"
"Even if she can borrow the name of the Li family, in comparison, the Rongwang faction is still more secure."
"Although this woman started quickly, it was too late after all..."
"What's more, she is a woman..."
"Master, please think twice."
"..."
Listening to the unabated objections, Cui Hao looked at his father, also hesitant to speak.
There was no anger on Cui Zheng's face, or in other words, the reaction of the tribesmen was what he had expected.
As the head of the Cui family, he certainly has the power to make decisions, but this does not mean that he can go against the wishes and interests of most people and do things of his own accord - such a head of the family will not be recognized and will naturally lose his decision-making power.
Qualifications.
Therefore, it's not that he didn't make plans earlier, but that he clearly knew that some things would never have room for discussion from beginning to end.
Choosing Chang Sui Ning is subversive for most people in the clan. This subverts not only their cognition, but also all the inherent benefits brought by the male and female etiquette they have admired for thousands of years.
Cui Ju absolutely believed that if he insisted on choosing Chang Sui Ning, there would be many people in his clan who would die to make his ambition clear.
Many things are like a big mountain, not all can be moved away in just one generation.
Many times, after people have gained benefits with some knowledge and perseverance, it is extremely difficult for them to change... Even if the honey of the past has become the arsenic of today, few people can immediately benefit from it.
Jump out.
The collapse of the current situation and the irreversible human heart, when the two appear together, it is the so-called general trend and momentum.
When the general trend comes, when the momentum is about to run out, it is always difficult to resist. The reason is that they are too huge. In comparison, personal will is often so small that it will be instantly drowned before it can make a sound.
Moreover, strictly speaking, Cui Ju cannot tell right or wrong in advance. He has no ability to predict the future.
Although he admired Chang Sui Ning's talents and was willing to trust Ling An's judgment, he could not deny King Rong's abilities and advantages.
However, what he wants to do today is not to choose one of the two——
"Those of us here today, including me, Cui Ju, have never experienced big storms or dynasty changes since we were born..." Cui Ju looked at everyone with a solemn look on his face: "So I'm afraid we all have
I have forgotten one thing, that is, the reason why the Cui family has been able to stand firm for hundreds of years from its rise to prominence has never been through gambling."
Cui Ju did not deny it and said: "If you choose Chang Sui Ning now, it will be a big gamble."
For a moment, he met the line of sight and said clearly: "With people like Chang Sui Ning here, it would be a big gamble for us to choose King Rong."
After many analyzes of Chang Suining just now, the Cui family members could not deny this statement at this moment. They looked solemn for a while and waited for the next words of the family leader.
Cui Ju said slowly: "In this bet, the only way to survive is for both parties to place bets."
——Two sides bet?!
Cui Wei opened his eyes slightly and immediately asked: "What does father mean..."
Cui Ju: "Split the Cui family into two, with one half supporting Prince Rong Li Yin and the other half helping Chang Sui Ning of Huainan Road."
"The head of the family...are you going to split up the Cui family?" Everyone in the clan looked shocked. Someone asked for a moment: "I wonder how the head of the family wants to split up the family?"
"With Liu Lang as the leader, all the clan members and their relatives in Taiyuan will be brought under the control of Chang Sui Ning." Cui Zhidao said, "We will work with King Rong."
Cui Er's face fluctuated.
With Liu Lang as the leader, and the clan members in Taiyuan... In this way, my father was equivalent to handing Liu Lang and the others into the hands of the traitor.
"After that, Liu Lang was good at making opinions and led his people to leave Qinghe, violated the ancestral precepts, and defected to Cui Jing in Taiyuan, where he established his own family -" Cui Judao said: "From then on, he separated from the Cui family in our capital, and then established his own clan.
It doesn’t matter.”
"Father!" Cui He's heart was beating wildly: "If this happens...isn't it the same as breaking an arm and breaking a bone!"
The cohesion of the clan ultimately lies in the unity of interests. Once people go their separate ways to follow interests and people's hearts are separated, it will be impossible to get them back together! Therefore, this split is a split in the true sense!
Cui Ju's eyes were sharper at this moment: "Continuous, how can it happen?"
Cui He's eyes trembled slightly.
Cui Ju looked at the people with different expressions, and his tone seemed to carry the sound of wind and rain outside the hall: "The Cui family has long been like a huge ship that is about to decay, unable to change its direction. A bad decision can bring about a storm.
It was completely overturned..."
The Zheng family in Xingyang is the best example.
If the Cui family wants to survive, they can only let the people on this boat get off the boat and evacuate in different directions in batches, so as to have the possibility of preserving the fire.
Cui Ju: "In this way, even if Li Yin and Chang Sui Ning have a life-and-death confrontation, my Cui family can be guaranteed to survive."
At least half of them will survive.
Even if the Cui family after the split is destined to be repeatedly weakened, and may even no longer be able to survive as a noble nobleman after many years, it can at least withstand the impact of the general trend of reduction and maintain a long-term vitality.
The hall slowly fell into a strange silence, no longer noisy and divided.
Mrs. Lu looked at the elderly family head above her and thought about his many plans, but she couldn't help but get red-eyed.
At this moment, she suddenly understood something.
Including the fact that the head of the family decisively exterminated Dalang from the clan, and even the head of the family who allowed Liu Lang to enter the Imperial Academy to make friends with his classmates... Perhaps from a long time ago, the head of the family has been preparing to split up the Cui family and find an additional way out for the Cui family.
It's just that the head of the family probably couldn't have imagined at that time that the path Dalang and Liulang chose for the clan would eventually lead to a little girl.
But when this girl appeared, even though she was a girl, the head of the family still made a decision without hesitation.
There is no doubt about the foresight and good intentions of the family owner. However, the Cui family's ship is indeed too big, and the family owner cannot control its direction, so he can only divide it into small boats to make a living.
Tears welled up in the corners of Lu's eyes. The Cui family was lucky to have such a wise and decisive leader.
What Lu wanted to achieve, many tribesmen also slowly realized it.
The family owner’s painstaking efforts and layout have long been traceable.
Let them choose Chang Suining, although they are unwilling to do so, but if they really choose Prince Rong, they will have to worry about Chang Suining's existence... But if, as the head of the family said, they bet on both sides, these worries can be eliminated.
remove.
Although the pain of splitting and cutting bones is unbearable, the danger of annihilation of the whole family is definitely not something they can bear.
The sound of rain outside the hall became louder, and raindrops like beans fell from the eaves. Those raindrops fell tightly one by one, as if with desperate determination, they smashed themselves into countless water droplets, and then merged silently.
In the rain.
Amidst the noise of the rain, an octogenarian man with silver beard and hair stood up shakily and said: "I agree with the proposal of the head of the family."
After a while, another middle-aged tribesman left his seat and came to the hall. He raised his hand and said, "I also agree."
"I'll wait too..."
"I am willing to follow the arrangements of the master of the family."
More and more tribesmen stood up.
Cui Er stood there, his mind buzzing.
I don't know how long it took, but it seemed that all the clan members had stood up. Cui Hui raised his head and looked at his father, and said in a hoarse voice: "But if this happens... will it cause the dissatisfaction of King Rong in the future?"
My father's intention was to show goodwill to King Rong first, and after King Rong managed to get Liu Lang and others out of trouble, the Cui family would make it clear to the outside world about the clan separation... In this way, it was equivalent to taking advantage of King Rong.
"Even if King Rong is dissatisfied, he can't interfere in this matter." Cui Judao said: "The Cui family needs King Rong, but King Rong also needs the Cui family. Now half of the Cui family is willing to help him succeed, as long as he rescues him
In exchange for the thirty children of my Cui family, even if he knew about it in advance, he had no reason to choose and refuse."
Cui He, who had nothing to say anymore, lowered his head, slowly raised his hands that seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, and bowed deeply.
At this point, no one in the hall had any objections.
At this moment, dozens of Changshan clan members stood in the hall, following the decision of the head of the family.
From the beginning to the end, their voices were not high-pitched, and there was no force at all, but what they made was an unprecedentedly important decision.
After making a decision, they have no time to grieve.
Cui Ju quickly explained what he was going to do next one by one. The tribesmen all listened carefully and responded solemnly.
Finally, Cui Ju looked at the woman standing in the corner: "Ms. Lu——"
Mrs. Lu's spirit perked up slightly, and she took a step forward and saluted: "Master of the family."
Cui Judao said: "Tomorrow, you will leave Beijing with Tang'er, take my handwritten letter, and go to the Lu family in Ningzhou to meet Mr. Lu in the name of visiting relatives."
The Duke Lu mentioned by Cui Ju is the uncle of the Lu family and the current head of the Lu family.
The Lu family, also one of the five major noble families, originated from Fan Yang, where Li Fu started his rebellion. Most of the clan members who stayed in Fan Yang were controlled by Fan Yang's army. The situation of the Lu family seemed to be more tense than that of the Cui family.
But Cui Ju believed that King Rong Ding had also expressed his "willingness to help" the Lu family.
Compared with the Cui family, the Lu family has always been more inclined towards King Rong, and many members of the clan have been used by King Rong in private.
Cui Judao said: "I will explain the Cui family's decision to Mr. Lu in a letter."
He trusted the virtue of the head of the Lu family, even though they often had different opinions.
"Whatever they decide in the end, the Cui family will not interfere." Cui Ju looked at his daughter-in-law and said, "You are only responsible for delivering the message. No matter what the Lu family decides in the future, if you are willing, you can take Tang'er all the way north.
Taiyuan, there is no need to return to Beijing."
Lu was stunned for a moment.
Cui Wei was also stunned for a moment, and then he felt something was wrong. Lu was his wife, and she should regard her husband as the top priority. Even if the clan was divided, she should follow him... He had no son, how could he also want his wife and daughter?
Heading to Taiyuan?
But... Mrs. Lu wouldn't be willing to do it even if she thought about it. She has a meek temperament and is not very smart. She is used to relying on him for everything, so how can she be separated from him?
Furthermore, Taiyuan is always the territory of the treacherous son. Even if the treacherous son has never been exterminated, his wife is just a stepmother. With such an identity, how can she be as comfortable and calm in Taiyuan as she is in the capital?
Seeing his wife coming forward and kneeling down towards his father with red eyes, Cui He frowned slightly and decided that she must express her intention to stay in the capital——
Mrs. Lu knelt down and almost cried with joy: "My daughter-in-law, thank you father for making me happy!"
My father knew everything, saw everything, and knew that what she, a mother, wanted to do most at the moment was to take one of her children to find her other two children.
If her father didn't mention it, she, as the daughter-in-law of the Cui clan, would naturally not be able to speak, but her father chose to take the initiative to help her.
When Mrs. Lu kowtowed, she almost burst into tears.
"?!" Cui Ai looked at his wife in disbelief - so, he was abandoned by her without hesitation?