A tribesman of the same generation as Cui Wei frowned and asked.
An old man with white hair and beard beside him sneered: "Da Lang is busy with the official affairs of Xuance Mansion, and he has rarely been seen back in the house since he returned to the capital. Today is just a small birthday party, so it is normal for him not to take care of it."
Cui Lang's scalp felt numb when he heard it.
When it comes to yin and yang, there are always talented people in his Cui clan.
Cui Ai, who was sitting under his father Cui Ju, heard these words and his expression became even more ugly - not only could he not be able to restrain his eldest son, he would even lose face at his birthday banquet because of this rebellious son!
Thinking of this, Cui Ai frowned and looked at his second son.
In the direction of the ladies' table, Mrs. Lu also glared at her son.
Cui Lang complained endlessly in his heart - he was not that concerned about whether his eldest brother would come back, but his mother had asked him to go check on his eldest brother, and his eldest brother clearly promised to come back today in Dayun Temple.
So he asked his mother and father to take credit... no, it was to convey it!
But after all his words were released, the eldest brother was still nowhere to be seen. If the eldest brother had not appeared today, you would know with your toes that he would be the first to suffer!
I'm afraid I'll be pushed on a bench and spanked with a stick!
Thinking of this, Cui Lang felt a dull pain in his buttocks.
The head of the family, Cui Ju, had a solemn expression, and he never showed any unusual expression. He only glanced at the hour and said calmly: "Let's all take a seat."
His voice silenced everyone, everyone bowed and said "yes" and took their seats.
At this time, a servant entered the hall and saluted: "Master, the great man is back."
Cui Ju nodded: "Let people come in."
Cui Lang's eyes lit up and he quickly turned around to greet him: "Eldest brother is back!"
Great, his ass is saved!
All the people on both sides of the hall looked at the figure who walked in.
The young man wore a blue robe, a jade crown, and no armor or sword. Under such circumstances, he seemed to have deliberately concealed the extremely cold evil aura, and because he was born with an extremely good appearance, it appeared at this time.
A bit like the demeanor of a nobleman.
The more this happens, the more the clan members feel dissatisfied.
Who would have thought that underneath this seemingly good skin, there is actually a lot of deviance?
Dalang has been extraordinary since he was a child, and his talent has been revealed early. He was the focus of all the clansmen's attention, but he suddenly acted rebelliously and refused to listen to dissuasion. He still refuses to look back.
Who in the clan secretly said that if Dalang is willing to follow the clan's arrangement and become an official with literature, his talent will not be inferior to that of Wei Shilang who won three consecutive awards. In terms of family background and with the support of the Cui family, in time, there will be no second in the court.
people!
Can be partial, can be partial...
Everyone sighed in their hearts.
If you leave this talent unused, can you give it to other students in need?
Every time the tribesmen saw Cui Jing, they would be so angry that they would not fight. They would not have to eat or drink wine, they would be full of anger.
Cui Lang looked at the long brocade box held in Yuan Xiang's hand and asked curiously: "This should be the birthday gift prepared by the eldest brother for his father, right?"
Cui Jing had already bowed and nodded: "Exactly."
"Give it to me quickly!" Perhaps because his butt escaped, Cui Lang was very attentive at this time. He took the brocade box from Yuan Xiang's hand and said expectantly: "Let me see what gift my brother has prepared for my father -"
With that said, with the help of his servants, he opened the brocade box and took out the contents.
The scroll was tied with a ribbon. Cui Lang untied it and unfolded it. He saw a landscape painting. His eyes were full of green. Cui Lang took a closer look and his eyes lit up: "It's actually a painting by Zhan Ziqian!"
"Zhan Ziqian's paintings are hard to find, and they are my father's favorite. No wonder my eldest brother made preparations for my father's birthday early. He put so much thought into it!" Cui Lang sighed: "It seems that Ah Tang and I have prepared something. The birthday gift is too perfunctory to handle, Ah Tang, don’t you think so?"
Cui Tang: "..."
He couldn't bring himself to show it, so he was perfunctory after all, but why did he suddenly drag her into the water?
But the atmosphere dictated it, so she nodded.
There was a faint smile on Cui Ju's face and he nodded approvingly: "Ling'an is indeed interested."
Cui Ai's expression gradually softened a lot.
Cui Lang came to him with the painting: "Father, take a look!"
Cui Ai glanced disapprovingly at his second son, who was behaving too extravagantly, but still took the painting honestly with both hands.
At first glance, there is a hint of joy in fashion——
"This is the rumored spring picture of Zhan Zi's pious outing..." Cui Lang praised: "Sure enough, it lives up to its reputation as the first to create splendid landscapes."
On the scroll, there are green mountains, rippling lakes, and scholars riding horses on the winding mountain paths. In the center of the painting, there is a scene of ladies taking a spring outing in a boat——
Cui Er's eyes were fixed on the lady swimming in the lake.
He tightened his fingers on the edge of the scroll.
After a moment, he raised his eyes and looked at Cui Jing standing in the hall, and said word by word: "This painting was not easy to find. It shows that you have really put a lot of thought into it."
Cui Lang felt a little confused - why did he feel that his father's words were not good words?
It must be that my father is used to being weird and angry, so he didn't stop it for a while, right?
After all, he really couldn't think of anything worthy of criticism about his eldest brother's precious and thoughtful birthday gift.
Cui Judao: "Please take a seat."
"Yes." Cui Jing stepped forward and took a seat in the empty seat.
Soon, maids filed in holding red lacquer trays and served delicacies and wine.
The sound of elegant music started and everyone raised their lamps.
After three rounds of drinking, or because Cui Jing’s painting rarely conveyed a sense of filial piety, which made people feel a little happy, someone from the tribe started talking about Cui Jing during the dinner——
"Now is a troubled time, and people need to take care of everything in the clan... It's time for Da Lang to return to the clan and learn how to be a director."
"That's exactly what it means."
"Besides, Dalang's marriage must not be delayed any longer—"
Listening to these words, Cui Jing was noncommittal.
He didn't respond or refute. Today was his father's birthday party. Even though he had edges and corners, he didn't have to show them all the time - that was what he did when he was young.
Now, when he cannot avoid it, he will just listen quietly.
But no one can change his persistence.
Seeing that his silent eldest grandson was becoming like a silent mountain, a still water running deep, his composure and stubbornness had grown up together over the years, Cui Zhi had a look of sigh in his eyes.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! After the birthday banquet, Cui Ju called Cui Jing to the study alone.
Cui Ju ordered the chessboard to be placed, and the grandfather and grandson played the game quietly without saying a word.
At the end of the game, Cui Jing said: "My grandson lost."
"It seems that I am getting old." Cui Ju looked at the trend on the chessboard and said with a smile: "You, a junior, have to deliberately give in to make me, an old man, happy."
Cui Jing: "My grandson still can't hide it from my grandfather, which shows that my grandfather is not old yet."
Cui Ju shook his head and said in a helpless tone: "If you could behave like this chess game, you would give in and compromise..."
No more words were said.
Cui Jing lowered his eyes: "It was my grandson who disappointed my grandfather."
Cui Ju shook his head again.
The old man looked at the outstanding young man under the lamp and said slowly: "There is blame, and you will inevitably have knots in your heart if you don't achieve what you hoped for. But even so, my grandfather has never been disappointed in you."
Cui Jing was slightly startled for a moment.
Cui Ju said again: "Since you have your own thoughts on returning military power, my grandfather will no longer force you."
"Grandfather—" Cui Jing was a little surprised, but had a premonition: "Grandpa has different plans now?"
"The situation has been decided, how can we talk about it being different?" Cui Ju looked at the bright moon outside the window, and his tone was as calm as a big tree that has not moved even after a hurricane passed by: "The disaster of the Pei family is that they don't know how to adapt, and they don't know what else to do.
Making a plan? The so-called tree has deep roots. Even though it seems solid, there are also unavoidable situations that are difficult to change - the struggle between nobles and saints is inevitable. One loses and one loses, one survives and the other perishes."
He said: "The Cui family has gone through hundreds of years of ups and downs and witnessed many changes in power among emperors... In these hundreds of years, the Cui family has stood firm from generation to generation and has never lost."
He has the arrogance of a noble family leader, but his old eyes are always sober: "Because he has never lost and is used to winning, many people inevitably feel that there is no possibility of losing - your father is one of them.
.”
"But for hundreds of years, it seems to be standing for a long time, but if you look at tens of millions of years, it is just a drop in the ocean, a speck of dust..."
Cui Ju finally said: "Everything in the world has its times of prosperity and decline."
His tone was clear and steady, he didn't sigh, but he sighed every word.
Cui Jing, who had been listening quietly, said at this time: "Although prosperity and decline have their own destiny, even if wildfires pass through and are burned down, if the roots can be preserved, there will be a chance to come back in the next spring."
Cui Ju looked at his grandson and nodded slowly.
"Then let's play the game again and let Grandpa see if you are improving now..."
The lamps and candles are flickering, the light and shadow in the room are flickering, the grandfather and grandson are sitting opposite each other, and the chessboard between them is staggered in black and white.
…
After Cui Jing came out of Cui Ju's study, she had just walked a few steps when a steward came up to her and said, "Master Lang, please step aside and say something."
…
At the same moment, several female members of the clan who came over to talk after the banquet were also sitting in Lu's room.
What several people are talking about is Cui Jing's marriage.
"My mother's niece has reached marriageable age, and my eldest sister-in-law has also seen her..."
Seeing Mrs. Lu covering her mouth and yawning nonchalantly, one of the women said: "It's been two years since Dalang returned to Beijing this time. It doesn't sound right to me. If there is another war, I don't know how to leave."
How long have we been together, this marriage really cannot be delayed any longer, and it’s time for my eldest sister-in-law to pay more attention to it."
"The third brother and sister said this as if I don't want to care about Da Lang?"
Mrs. Lu, who was yawning just now, suddenly turned red in her eyes, and smiled bitterly to herself: "Sure enough, being a stepmother is not an easy thing, and my mother will not deceive me... But who told me that my life would be miserable? At that time, the sisters in the clan were not married.
I’m the only one getting married, and although I think I’m not as good at managing family affairs as my brothers and sisters, I’ve tried my best over the years, so how come I still end up with a name I don’t like in the end?”
As he spoke, tears fell down.
She is Cui He's wife. Although she is the second wife, she is also a serious wife. Seeing her like this, the wife of Cui's third wife became a little panicked: "It's all my fault that I was so concerned that I talked nonsense for a while, and my eldest sister-in-law misunderstood!"
"Yes, my eldest sister-in-law has worked hard for the clan over the years, and we all see it..."
Cui Tang, who was sitting in the inner room with his chin on his head, heard the comforting sounds coming from outside and couldn't help but sigh - now no one can care about his eldest brother's marriage?
Seeing that Mrs. Lu had finally stopped crying, two women who were so thirsty persuaded her to leave.
Now only the wife of Cui's second wife was left.
Her approach was different from the previous two: "...the elder man never listened to advice and took too much control. Instead, he became a villain. The eldest sister-in-law just let him torment her."
Although she calls Mrs. Lu "eldest sister-in-law", she entered the family a few years earlier than Mr. Lu and is also older than Mr. Lu.
At this time, he suggested with hints: "Dalang is not sensible, and he is not loved by the eldest son... But the head of the family is old, and in the past two years, he has been willing to let the eldest son inherit the position of head of the family. At that time, a new eldest son will be selected.
Since the elder brother has failed to live up to his expectations, it is only right for you, eldest sister-in-law, to think about the family and make other plans."
Lu was stunned: "But... if the position of eldest son is not passed to Dalang, who else can it be given to?"
Hearing what she said as if she had no choice, the second lady was also stunned, and almost blurted out "Don't you have a son?"
She could only put it more plainly: "According to the system of the clan, if the eldest son fails, it will naturally be the second son's turn..."
Lu was surprised: "How can this be so? Dalang is just a little stubborn, and his talents and abilities are still recognized by the tribe..."
The second lady lowered her voice: "But the eldest son doesn't like the older man... Just one act of unfilial piety is enough to kill someone."
Mrs. Lu covered her mouth: "My brother and sister want me to provoke the relationship between father and son?"
The second lady's expression trembled: "...This is absolutely not the intention!"
Lu didn't know what she thought of, and her eyes suddenly widened again, and she murmured in horror: "Crushing people to death...dead people...can't my siblings be hinting at me to attack Dalang?"
The second lady couldn't sit still anymore and stood up suddenly: "What are the words that the eldest sister-in-law said! How can I live if this spreads out?"
You can just think about it yourself, why don't you say it all!
God, how could the Lu family raise such a fool who doesn't follow the ordinary path!
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Realizing that this road was not only unworkable, but also inconvenient, the second lady could not stay any longer, so she hurriedly made excuses and left in fear.
Only then did Cui Tang come out of the inner room.
"Mother will send them all away now?"
Mrs. Lu drank half a cup of tea to soothe her throat, then waved to her daughter to massage her shoulders.
"Your second aunt wants to use me as a swordsman... If our eldest brother loses your eldest brother, and only your second brother is left, a once-in-a-lifetime waste, wouldn't all the benefits go to their second eldest brother? She wants to reap the benefits, she calculated
It’s quite loud.”
Cui Tang's mouth twitched when he heard this. He was glad that his second brother was not here, otherwise he would have had to sit on the ground and cry.
"Although your eldest brother may seem unkind, he is not a bad person at heart. No matter how your father makes troubles, as long as our three daughters are peaceful and peaceful, no matter what happens in the future, your eldest brother will protect you."
Ours." At the mention of this, Mrs. Lu was very pleased and sighed: "Being able to give birth to a son like your eldest brother means that your father's life has not been in vain."
She had thought over the years that most of her husband's usefulness was exhausted when she gave birth to her eldest son.
Cui Tang's mouth twitched again. Fortunately, his father was not here, otherwise he would have to sit on the ground and cry.
…
At this time, Cui He was looking at his eldest son who came in and saluted.
There was no third person in the study, and his face no longer looked as calm as at the birthday banquet, only coldness remained at this moment.
When Cui Jing lowered his eyes and saluted, he saw the picture scroll thrown on the ground - it was none other than the picture of spring outing that he had given as a birthday gift during this trip.
Cui Jing looked at it quietly for a moment and did not ask why.
He was used to silence in front of his father, or in other words, he could only remain silent.
Seeing that he was silent, Cui Tao sneered and said in a deep voice: "It seems that you knew it well... you did it deliberately!"
Cui Tao raised his finger and pointed at the painting that was thrown on the ground, and said where his anger lay -