CH 66

Although Emperor Chenghua was clumsy with words, as long as it did not involve the pampered Imperial Concubine Wan-shi and his favorite Buddhist monks and servants, he was a master of outstanding observation skills. Although Gao Liang’s words had praised Cui Xie to be of noble character and with unquestionable integrity, the Emperor only stared back at him and commented: “Zhen remembers. That Jinyiwei, the one who requested the commendation, the Imperial edict——you passed on. You know him, naturally, want to defend him.”

Gao gonggong shouted out aggrievedly, “Your Majesty, please view this matter clearly, how does this servant dare to defend one’s personal relations? Cui Xie is merely a little Confucian scholar who grew up in the county. Although he donated a bookstore and has built up some reputation as a child prodigy, this servant does not need to protect him. The servant is merely doing so to safeguard the dignity of the holy Emperor’s edict——He is the righteous subject personally commended by Your Majesty, naturally, he must be of loyal and upstanding character. That furen slandered him by claiming his character was questionable, isn’t that just saying that the Emperor has misjudged someone?”

The Emperor let out a laugh, satisfied with Gao Liang’s correct answer and slowly asked, “He is…is a child prodigy?”

Gao Liang had just casually said so, but he wasn’t actually sure what this child prodigy was like now, so he could only take out some old anecdotes to serve as a stopgap: “Last year, he made a compilation of antithetical couplets from the《Four Books》and I heard that the Minister of War had once praised it. When Imperial Censor Liu and Colonel Xie had returned to the capital to present their findings, didn’t they mention that he was taking the prefectural examinations? Thinking of it, he should be a shengyuan by now.

A sixteen year old shengyuan…it really did not seem like the other was a child prodigy, at his age, there were plenty of people who had already passed the provincial examinations.

Not to mention legends Xie Jin, Cheng Minzheng, and Li Dongyang, Yang Tinghe has passed the provincial examinations at 12 years of age and had placed within the top two rankings for the palace examinations at the age of 19; Yang Yiqing passed the prefectural examinations at the age of 14 and became a jinshi at the age of 18….a sixteen year old student only became a shengyuan. In front of the Emperor, such a student couldn’t be considered a child prodigy. 

Gao taijian dryly swallowed, quietly glanced at the Emperor and simply shifted the blame onto Liu Zan: “After Imperial Censor Liu returned to the Imperial Censorate, he went around everywhere telling people of such a child prodigy. It seems that he even made a copy of Cui Xie’s examination essays, saying it was well written. This servant has been solely preoccupied with serving Your Majesty and forgot to ask him about it.”

The thing about Emperor Chenghua was that he liked reading memorials embedded with entertaining notes such as a memorial from Grand Secretary Wan stating “This minister was busy with two concubines last night” and so forth. In contrast, he was not fond of articles discussing the meanings in the classics. What’s more, just a few days after the palace examinations ended, he only read the brilliant work of the top ten ranked jinshi and towards a little shengyuan’s writing, he was really uninterested.

However, the other was indeed a righteous subject who he personally awarded a decree of commendation. After receiving such a decree, it didn’t take long for Cui Xie to publish a book and gain a reputation as a child prodigy. He had even donated his own family’s property for the sake of establishing the county’s book collection. These deeds could be considered to be worthy of the Emperor’s grace and had acquired a lot of face for him.

Emperor Chenghua then asked, “Is he….in the capital? Once this case is closed, summon him in, let Zhen take a look.”

Gao Liang hurriedly explained, “The results from the yuanshi in the Yongping Prefecture should have released the roll of successful examinees by now. Should this servant pass on the decree and ask his family to bring him back to the capital?”

The Emperor nodded and said again, “Pass the decree, strip Xu-shi of her title. Summon Xie Ying, carefully investigate.”

Gao Liang personally presented the Imperial edict and after arranging the ceremonial weaponry to be carried by the honorary guards, he personally made a trip to the Northern Administrative Division to summon Xie Ying. He then ordered Xie Ying to mount his horse and head to the Cui Residence to pass on the decree and detain people.

Just as they were about to call someone to open the middle gate, the gates were suddenly knocked open from the inside. A group of servants exchanging blows appeared and inside, a male’s robust voice transmitted out, “ My younger sister gave birth to a son for you, nurtured numerous shu children and even tolerated you taking so many concubines. She has also diligently and painstakingly waited upon your old and ill parents for so many years….she didn’t cause you to have to wear a green hat nor did she ever give contract any unpleasant ailments. Nor did she violate any of the righteous stipulations of Breaking the Bond[1]. If you dare to divorce your cause without any cause or reason, I will head to the Shuntian Prefecture to file a complaint. Naturally I will have the Shuntian Prefecture tear your pants off severely and cane you 80 times! If our two families separate, don’t you dare dream of keeping your position or face!”

Another man said in a trembling voice: “Your younger sister framed a government official, bullied and humiliated my late furen’s son, why can’t I divorce her?!  If I hadn’t strived to acquire a title for her, she would have been already detained to be tortured to death in the Imperial prisons!”

Gao gonggong’s mood soured and he instructed the little taijian with him before shouting in a loud voice, “Why is Cui da-ren making presumptuous conjectures about Imperial court law? The Depot and Guards are all under the Emperor’s orders in handling matters, how can they just seize people without distinguishing between good or bad? You may be unwilling to keep a wife who has violated national law and want to repudiate her to wed another, but that is Cui da-ren’s personal desire. Why are you placing blame on the Jinyiwei instead?”

Only then did the people in the courtyard realize that they had been surrounded on all sides by the Jinyiwei and they immediately fell to the ground on their knees. Even the Xu family’s maternal uncle that had been going on about beating and killing whispered, “This little one is not from the Cui family, pleading that da-ren spare this inferior one….”

Xie Ying commanded: “Have the people who are unrelated to the case escorted out and let the gonggong present the decree.”

Underlings and guardsmen advanced and didn’t ask who was who, just dragging the ones who were being noisy, weeping or had unkempt attire out. The one who made the most fuss was located in the middle. After being pulled up, he yelled, “I am not part of the Xu family, I am the Young Master of the Cui Residence, my father is Official Cui, let me go!”

Gao gonggong patted his chest and said, “Oh, is this Official Cui’s son? Righteous subject Cui is such an agreeable and lovable Young Master, how can he have this kind of a younger brother? This is not worth seeing, someone, take him down and discipline him a round! Later when the decree is declared, we can’t allow people to disturb or cry out later.”

Seeing the youth’s crumpled and filthy sky-blue Luzhou silk robe, Xie Ying’s eyebrows faintly wrinkled, “This is truly too shameful.”

His elder brother was a high-minded and righteous person whose expression didn’t even change color with a blade held to his neck, but when the younger brother saw the taijian coming in to announce the decree, it seemed as if he hated that he could not just burrow into the ground. Was it really because of the way his mother had improperly educated him?

Xie Ying waved his hand and ordered someone to drag him away. He also sent a few low-ranking eunuchs to the inner residence and ordered the residence’s madams, concubines, sons and daughters to come out to accept the Imperial decree. After several trips, they rounded up everyone except an elderly man who was lying paralyzed on the bed. There was a total of one Old furen, six concubines, and two young children kneeling in the courtyard in great numbers.

Xu furen had been roughed up in the encounter, her hair messy and her face filthy. The various concubines and their shu children cowered in fear. Seeing this group of eunuchs and Jinyiwei, it was as if they were the spitting image of Yama, the King of Hell, sent to demand their lives. Although the Old furen’s attire was somewhat disheveled, only she seemed to have kept her wits about her and she harbored glistening teardrops in her gaze as stared at the Imperial edict unblinkingly. 

Receiving an Imperial decree was supposed to be a happy matter, but the people in the courtyard treated it as if they were going to be imprisoned. Gao gonggong was displeased seeing this scene. Unhappy, he asked someone to move over the incense burner table with a calm and collected expression. Then the incense began burning as the decree was issued, “Xu-shi, a yiren of the 5th rank is to be arrested into the Imperial prisons by Xie Ying, a Colonel of the Jinyiwei, who was ordered to investigate the instigators. The two crimes include submitting anonymous official correspondence as well as the framing of a government official.”

Xie Ying knelt to accept the Imperial decree and immediately commanded people to strip Xu-shi  of her clothes and jewelry. She was then detained and locked into the prisoner cart located outside.  The concubines, children and servants of the Cui Residence shivered but did not even dare to weep. They rejoiced that the Jinyiwei had only taken a single individual into custody and that the rest of the family had not been implicated.

Cui Que kowtowed to thank the other party for his favor and kneeled to tell Gao gonggong that he had already written the divorce papers and that he no longer had anything to do with Xu-shi or the Xu family. A noncommittal smile appeared on Gao Liang’s face and then he adopted a mild attitude to say: “Da-ren has no need to worry. In regards to the matter of Xu-shi, you will at most be reprimanded for  having poorly disciplined your family and is unlikely to be further implicated. After all, your family has produced a child prodigy, a loyal and righteous subject who serves his country. The Emperor is fond of him and has to give a few degrees of face.

Cui Que’s pupils suddenly constricted and gritting his back molars, he inquired, “Gonggong is referring to this subordinate’s son who is…currently not in the capital?”

Gao gonggong smiled and said, “That is right. Cui da-ren, the Emperor still has another decree. After this case is resolved, Cui Xie will be summoned into the palace to be evaluated. Once you receive the decree, make haste and bring him back from the Yongping Precture. Beforehand, make some arrangements to have him practice his etiquette at the Ministry of Rites.”

Cui Que grumbled incessantly in his heart——if he had known that his mediocre and incompetent eldest son would one day turn into a person with bright future prospects, why would he have sent him  to the countryside? If Cui Xie had remained in the capital and he had divorced that unvirtuous Xu-shi earlier, how glorious would the Cui residence be by now?

It was better to summon him back as quickly as possible….

That child was so wild outside that he dared to act on his own initiative, even going so far as to donate property without so much as a message to the family. Once Cui Xie returned, he would have to teach him a good lesson and let him know how to be filial to his elders. He also needed to teach him what to say after entering the palace——Cui Que’s future was hanging by a thread in the Ministry of Appointments after Grand Secretary Wan and Vice Grand Secretary Liu publicly severed their relations as a master and senior. As a last resort, he had no choice but to rely on this child to make a good impression on the Emperor so that his future prospects would be a bit better.

He had been so entrenched in his machinations that he had nearly forgotten to accept the decree. In the end, it was the Old furen who kowtowed to thank the Emperor for his grace and instructed a servant to stuff some silver taels over to Gao gonggong, Xie Ying and the others.

Gao gonggong waved his hand, “Do we deliver these decrees just for this little amount of money? This is all for the sake of helping the Emperor to select talents. Otherwise, there is no need for me to personally make a trip to a fifth-rank official’s residence. Put away your family’s silver. From now on, collect a few decent and honorable teachers to teach the child prodigy, now that is the right thing to do!”

Cui Que had been scolded until his face was flushed with anger and he only slightly bowed his head. The Old furen quickly thanked Gao gonggong for his suggestions and promised to immediately send someone to Qian’an to fetch for her grandson.

Xie Ying said, “No need to rush.Wait until the Yongping Prefecture’s yuanshi comes to an end. It is better for him to have a chance to look at his rankings before coming back. Otherwise, if the Emperor asks him what rank he placed and he himself didn’t know it yet, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”

Gao gonggong added: “Exactly. This is also what the Emperor intended. That is why he only summoned Cui Xie after the case was closed. Speaking of, this is all thanks to Colonel Xie attentiveness during the investigations. If you had lightly let off the sinner who incited others to frame the Qian’an County Magistrate and let her remain in this residence, just who knows how she would stab righteous subject Cui in the back?”

Xie Ying exhaled, “Xie-mo received orders to handle the case and ought to investigate thoroughly till the very end. How do I dare to claim credit for oneself? The Emperor was wise and brilliant, issuing an Imperial edict to strip the Xu-shi of her Imperial title. Otherwise, a married woman with a title would be able to use silver to pay off the prison to avoid punishment. If that was the case, wouldn’t she have remained at the Cui residence with not a single hair on her head being touched? With Cui da-ren’s residence having housed such a malicious furen, his future path as an official will be somewhat challenging. Fortunately, the Xu family has no officials. If the family had taught such a criminal woman, I am afraid that the Xu household isn’t suited to produce good officials.”

Letting out a contemptuous sneer, Gao gonggong continued, “Isn’t that precious son of her’s just a good-for-nothing oaf? Upon being questioned  by the Jinyiwei, he was actually crawling on the floor and was unable to stand up.”

After their exchange, these two left and Cui Que struggled to his feet as he respectfully sent them off. But no one paid him any attention. His complexion was interwoven with green and red and his entire head was sweating abnormally. He then ordered someone to pack up Xu-shi’s trunk containing her dowry to be sent back to the Xu Residence and asserted his intentions to divorce.

A few of the Xu family’s uncles were still making a ruckus, causing Cui Que’s eyebrows to prick up as he sternly berated, “Xu-shi privately asking people to send official correspondence to Imperial censors to frame a government official is not something I taught! If you all want to make trouble, I am not afraid of making a trip to the Northern Administrative Division and requesting the Jinyiwei to clearly investigate just who gave her this idea!”

Xu-shi had already been taken away by the Jinyiwei and it was unknown whether she could leave the prison with her life intact. How could he have the energy to care about this group of people? What really deserved his attention was Cui Xie. He was once a child with mediocre aptitude and a person who had been completely hopeless regarding the classics before. How is it that the child had passed through Qian’an County all the way to the Yongping Prefecture so easily, and had even taken the yuanshi?

It turns out that Cui Xie hadn’t established a name for himself as a child prodigy in order to please Cui Que and wanted his father to summon him back to the capital?

Cui Que returned to the residence and instructed the steward, “Hurry up and pack up. Ask someone to go to the ancestral home to bring Cui Xie back. No need to wait for the examination results to be posted, you can stay behind and take a look. It is paramount that you bring him back quickly!”

Footnotes