Both of them swaggered off, leaving those few members of the Cui family in the hall steeped in deep and long silence.
Cui San was guilty at heart since, in the end, this matter was related to him. Throughout the conversation, he hadn't uttered a word and couldn't help wishing that everyone around him could just forget about his own existence.
The truth remained that Cui Yong had no time to pay Cui San any attention. He realized that he'd forgotten to ask about Cui Buqu's identity and origin a moment ago because Cui Buqu was hurrying him. Until now, he didn't even inquire about his falsified use of the name Feng Xiao, and whether he was really related to the Jiejian Bureau, or simply just waving a paper tiger.
Cui Da also came to realize this issue, so he asked his father, "This man didn't come with good intentions. I fear he will create a disturbance in the Pomegranate Flower Literary Festival. Should we expel them and forbid them to show up tomorrow?"
Cui Pei stifled his anger as he said, "Father, elder brother, despite it all he is still one of the Cui family's bloodline. Now it's already deep in the night, if we expel them, where can they go? Bonds between enemies are easily wrought but not easily undone. We should take appropriate care of this matter."
Cui Da furrowed his brows, "Si Lang, after so many years, are you still so naïve? If he wanted to reconcile, why would he pick a time like this to reach our doors? Obviously he wanted to make it difficult for us in front of the scholars from all four cardinal directions, as well as the local villagers and the new Prefecture's Magistrate!"
Cui Pei raised his voice, "This is what we owed him since the beginning! Are you expecting him to return happily and thank us for raising him?"
Cui Da Lang also became furious, "Does he not owe us that? Had it been for someone else, they would have smothered a bastard like him to death! How would they raise him into adulthood?!"
Blood bubbled within Cui Pei; after all these years of guilt, seeing Cui Buqu at the peak of his life before him caused him to birth the courage to talk back to his elder brother. He pointed at Cui San, his hands shaking under all the fury toiling in him, "Forgive me for saying what is not pleasant to the ears, but the one who should be smothered to death isn't him, the one who ruined someone else's repute isn't him either, it should be third brother!"
Cui San really did jump, "Si Lang (Cui Pei), why are you defending that mother and her child? Could it be that you have always been lying in wait for her? Don't tell me that bastard is actually your…"
Not waiting for Cui Pei to raise his fist to punch someone, Cui Da already took a step forward and gave Cui San a fitting punch to his face, sending him to the ground.
For a man who had always been prudent and modest, at this moment he lost his temper and shouted in resolution to the servants, "San Lang (Cui San)is behaving abnormally. Gag him and drag him away!"
Cui Yong remained silent through the entire process of Cui San struggling wildly before finally being dragged away, and approved of his eldest's method of disposal.
Cui Pei exhaled heavily, forcibly calming himself down before speaking, "Father, we cannot run them out now, otherwise, they might seek out the Prefecture's Magistrate in a moment of fury and publicize the incident, and by then that would be unsightly for us. If he really does belong to the Jiejian Bureau, and the matter is laid before the Emperor…"
Cui Da interrupted him, "The Emperor takes care of thousands of matters in the day, how would he pay any heed to these trivial sorts of matters? Additionally, the Emperor himself came from the noble house of Guanlong. Taking into consideration all the powerful families under the Heavens, which house has never committed a few deplorable things? From the way I see it, we should run them out of Boling to prevent the prolonging of this nightmare!"
"Father!" Cui Pei exclaimed furiously, "When his birth mother passed that year, members of the Cui family bullied him because there was little to no one left in his mother's family. Her name was tainted, so she was forbidden to be buried with Er Lang (Cui Er). We were in the wrong first, and all that child wants is justice. Couldn't we just ask him here and tell him everything, before permitting second sister-in-law to enter the Boling Cui's ancestral burial site and end his decades-long fury? When things get worse enough for people to remember it, would that be beneficial to the Cui family?"
As he watched both his sons bicker among themselves, spiraling into a row that was no longer diplomatic and neither could convince the other, Cui Yong finally raised a hand and did a gesture, signaling for them to quiet down.
"Can you guarantee that you are able to convince him?" Cui Yong turned towards Cui Pei.
Cui Pei remained silent for a while, before asking him back, "In this generation of the Cui family, the fifth position should have belonged to him, but when he was born, you recorded his name under the servant's, so he has never been in our genealogy book. Now that he has returned, father, will you have a change of thoughts?"
As he listened to this, Cui Da Lang once again felt discontented, "To allow his mother into the Cui family's ancestral burial site is already being generous. If he formally entered the Cui family, how can we explain him to the world? What will the younger generations think once they know about it? It was a shameful past from the beginning, should we really illustrate everything out clearly?"
Cui Pei remained silent, he only looked at Cui Yong.
...
"With how rashly you've alerted the enemy, I fear they will be sending us on our way quite soon."
Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao swaggered back to the adjacent manor, their sleeves billowing as they sauntered. The servants of the Cui family would have heard of a thing or two by now, but without their master's orders, they could not hinder Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao's entrance. Only that on their way back, it was unavoidable to receive odd gazes from them.
"They won't." Cui Buqu replied very calmly, "They will definitely be debating incessantly right now. However, Cui Yong will be fearful of us being driven into fury from embarrassment and publicize the incident. So before the Literary Festival ends, they will still elect to conceal the matter and pacify the people. They will choose to convince us to be calm and once the scholars, as well as the Prefecture's Magistrate, leave tomorrow, he will seek us out to settle the deal."
Feng Xiao, "That fourth uncle of yours, Cui Pei, promised Maiden Yu before her death that he will protect you but failed to do so. If he had protected you well, you could have led a better childhood."
Cui Buqu said expressionlessly, "He still has a conscience, but his abilities were limited, and he was the youngest among his siblings. He cannot make an enemy of the entire Cui family just for my sake. Had it not been for the fact that she could not depend on anyone else in the Cui family during that time, Maiden Yu would not have entrusted me into his care. As people, we must eventually be responsible for ourselves, so I do not resent him."
Feng Xiao smiled, "Then I should thank him. If he had insisted on keeping you by his side, then today, I wouldn't have a rival I respect."
Then his days would have been quite boring compared to now. However, these were words with an undeveloped implication, so he didn't voice them out loud.
Yet, Cui Buqu could hear him. He nodded understandingly, "I understand. I have also come across many people like Commander Feng, such as Prince Jin for example, and people from the Yunhai Thirteen Stories. Proud sons of Heaven who had everything they wanted, yet when it came to intelligence quotients, they were only above average…"
Feng Xiao gave a sound "Hmph" through his nose, raising his tone on purpose as if he was threatening, "Only above average in terms of intelligence quotient?"
Cui Buqu was unfazed, he continued speaking, "As days were too boring, they look for something to do, or find someone to rival with. These sorts of behaviors are downright ridiculous and also masochistic."
Feng Xiao answered him sarcastically, "And who in the world could it be that originally received orders to form an alliance with the Göktürks, yet after hearing about the Khotan Ambassador's murder, he exhausted his mind to make every attempt at ravishing the glory of solving it? In the end, he was poisoned with the Naihexiang drug and almost lost his life. To kill a thousand enemies while sacrificing eight hundred of his own. Isn't this the behavior of a masochist?"
Cui Buqu twitched his lips, "Am I not just delivering myself to Commander Feng's door since he felt that his life was too boring?"
Feng Xiao laughed, "Haha! I like the way you say this! I wager the Cui family only thought that as long as they allow you into the genealogy book and to formally welcome you as a member of the Cui family, you will be infinitely grateful and forget everything in the past. It's a pity they're foolish beyond imagination to not know what sort of a person Cui Buqu is to think that you would come for something so trivial?"
Cui Buqu sighed, yet he felt no pity at all. His expression was only one of mockery, "They are not foolish. It's only that when one sits upon a throne for too long, they've grown to underestimate the values of others."
However, the grace of the Zuoyue Bureau's commander didn't last long. As he finished speaking, he sneezed continuously a couple of times.
Feng Xiao chuckled at his misfortune, "Look at your body, and still you want to get drenched by the rain. Before you can setback the Cui family tomorrow, you've already fallen down."
Cui Buqu sneezed until his nose itched, even his voice became muffled.
"I will be fine after a good sleep. However, in a while, Cui Pei might seek me out. In order to present you with a good theatre tomorrow, I will need the help of Commander Feng to steady your course."
Feng Xiao raised a brow, "Where are your Zuoyue guards?"
Cui Buqu, "Sent off by me to conduct some things. They will be back tomorrow."
"That's not right."
Feng Xiao's steps suddenly halted.
Cui Buqu covered his nose, intending to force that itchiness back, but doing this only made his sneeze brim up his eyes, causing them to be puffy and wet.
"Without Qiao Xian at this moment, it's not wise to send for a doctor. The Cui family would give anything for me to die from illness, so I better return to take my medicine and lie down. These trivial matters will need to depend on Er-lang."
Feng Xiao was stunned by the gentle tone rarely found in the other. He looked at Cui Buqu's tearful eyes and neglected to say the refuting and ridiculing words in his mouth; added with the pleasant address of 'Er-lang' floating into his ears, he immediately suspected that Cui Buqu was possessed despite the fact that the month of July had yet to come.
Watching the other's back, he suddenly remembered what he had forgotten to say just now.
"Stand right there."
Cui Buqu did not look back from his staggering steps and vanished within his sight in the blink of an eye.
Feng Xiao: "…He really is faking it."
So, was he here to watch the theatre, or to be Cui Buqu's Zuoyue guard?
He touched his chin, pondering seriously over this question.
...
Pomegranate flowers bloomed in May.
In reality, pomegranate flowers bloomed throughout the summer, and the so-called Pomegranate Flower Literary Festival had only borrowed its name. In the year before, the literary festival held by the Cui family had used the concept of Wang Xizhi's Orchid Pavilion, varying through the years.
From the county of Boling, all the way to the northern part of the country, the Cui clan's literary festival was renowned. Every year a myriad of people would participate in hopes that they would spring into fame, and among them, there was no lack of scholars that already have a name for themselves. The past Prefecture's Magistrate had a reputation for his love of talents, and every year he came here to be seated as a local guest, scouting for champions in the festival whose performances were outstanding. They might even be recommended by him to the Imperial Court to take up the post of an official. Presently, the dynasty had changed, and a new Prefecture's Magistrate had taken up the post, but to display his affection for the people and share in their happiness, the new Prefecture's Magistrate informed the Cui family that he will attend the festival in person.
The literary festival will be held in one of the courtyards of the Cui clan. The land adjoins a country park with blue streams. It contained pear blossoms that have yet to wilt and waters that yielded flawless reflections, enclosed by walls and opened wooden gates. From inside the courtyard to the outsides, one was free to roam through a few pomegranate trees that were planted. Maidservants came carrying fruits and wine with scented clothes and gorgeous hair, scholars wore fluttering robes with wide sleeves and jade that hung by their sashes. These things were too much for one to take everything in at a glance.
Cui Pei stood next to Cui Yong, introducing to him all the honored guests that came forth to pay respects. Among them were greatly respected seniors of the literary world as well as poetry singers that were his friends of old. With his literary talents, even if he couldn't emerge as the champion in today's literary festival, he would still be in the limelight.
However, it was unknown why in Cui Pei's heart, he felt uneasy and anxious, for even his eyelids could not stoptingling.
Cui Da Lang, who was attending to a few guests somewhere else, found a chance to approach Cui Pei and dragged him aside, before asking in a hushed voice, "Yesterday when you sought him out, what did he say?"
Cui Pei laughed bitterly, "He fell ill from being out in the rain and took a rest. I was stopped by that friend of his, so I didn't meet him."
Cui Da Lang furrowed his brows, "How impudent! It seems he is waiting for us to take more steps backward, so he could reap more benefits."
Cui Pei, "Elder brother, I do not believe he is that sort of person. Otherwise, he would have come back earlier all these years. The Cui family has failed him in the end."
Cui Da Lang disagreed, "He is definitely related to the Jiejian Bureau in one way or another, and think that he can use that against us, that's why he behaved so cockily, wanting to return home in silken robes. Nevertheless, whatever he wishes to do today will fail, because we've had men keeping watch on him. Once they say anything that shouldn't be said or do anything that shouldn't have been done, then we can immediately have them dragged away."
Midway of speaking, the Local Magistrate and Prefecture's Magistrate arrived. By their sides clustered the local high and low ranking officials of the county. The atmosphere of the place brightened up once more.
Cui Da Lang could not spare the time to tell him in detail. He quickly assisted his father to move forth and pay their respects.
Cui Pei pushed his way through the sea of people, and only through great difficulty, he found Cui Buqu's head among many others. The latter was standing with Feng Xiao under a pear blossom tree situated neither far or close, festive smiles hanging upon their faces similar to the other scholars present. They looked as if they would enter the stage to participate in the literary competition anytime soon.
The elegant sight of pear blossoms rendered Feng Xiao's peerless grace even more conspicuous. Even Cui Pei, who had placed all his focus on Cui Buqu, could not help but divide his focus partially to Feng Xiao.
Then, he suddenly recalled something: Since Cui Buqu had been using the false alias 'Feng Xiao' in the beginning, then wouldn't this friend of his be using a false name as well? How was it possible for a man as flawless as fine jade like him to possess such a mundane background and identity?
On the other hand, Cui Yong was at the peak of his excitement.
After conversing with the Prefecture's Magistrate and his men, he rose to his feet to place his hands together while facing the audience, illustrated the original intentions of the literary festival and expressed his welcome, he said, "All the people who came to the literary festival today outnumbered those who came last year. The seats are filled to the brim and extraordinary guests enrich the place. This old man declares that today, a thousand masterpieces that surpassed the old times will be made, and to prove my sincerity, I am willing to offer a treasured zither as a reward to the best participant today!"
Wang Xizhi's Orchid Pavilion: Wang Xizhi (303-361) is a Chinese calligrapher, writer and politician who lived during the Jin Dynasty (265–420), best known for his mastery of Chinese calligraphy. 'Preface to the Poems Collected from the Orchid Pavilion' was his calligraphy work. In the raws, 王右军 (Wangzuo Jun) was used, but they are the same person.
Eyelids could not stop tingling: Usually, it's a bad-omen when one's eyelids are tingling. As if something bad is going to happen.